The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 469 Manifestation Stream

Li Miao stood there, lost in thought.

Whatever the accent or the strangeness of the weapons, others in Da Shuo might not recognize them, but how could he, an extraterrestrial demon, not recognize them? Moreover, based on his past life's experiences, he could describe them in even more detail.

For example, the Japanese man's sword strike just now, raised high to his right shoulder and slashing diagonally to the lower left, accompanied by a frightening "howl," was clearly the most representative move of the "Satsuma Jigen-ryu" school of Japanese swordsmanship—"Oo Kesa-giri."

It sounds quite mysterious, but to put it bluntly, it's about first "startling you" and then "slashing you with a powerful blow," purely overwhelming you with brute force. In front of Li Miao, it's no different from playing around with a child; his true energy, strength, and techniques are all on full display. With Li Miao's current level, he could even block that blow with a spit.

But it was precisely this one strike that shattered the branch in his hand.

This is interesting.

"After a two-year break, it's time to get out and travel."

Li Miao glanced sideways at the dumbfounded Wu Mingxiao.

"He came from a military background and was hunted down by the Japanese and the Chinese. He was quite skilled in Japanese swordsmanship and was also carrying a baby—hmm, quite a lively scene."

"He is from Dengzhou in Qilu. Going from Linjiang Prefecture to Qilu will allow him to travel around the coastal areas on the east side of Dashuo and also get a feel for the current state of the martial arts world."

With this thought in mind, Li Miao glanced around.

Two pursuers remained, both from the Central Plains. They had been terrified by Li Miao's indiscriminate killing and stood trembling in place. When Li Miao's gaze swept over them, their legs went weak, and they knelt down with a thud.

"grandfather!"

“Ancestors!”

"We have our reasons, we—"

Before one of them could finish speaking, a boot stepped on his head, slowly pressing down until his face was buried in the dirt.

"The reason?"

"You're killing Chinese people alongside the Japanese, I don't care what your reasons are. He deserves to die for daring to set foot in the Central Plains, and you deserve to die for joining him. What's there to say?"

Do you know why I spared you two to kill last?

The person he stepped on could only whimper, while the other person gritted his teeth, sprang up from the ground, and fled desperately into the forest.

Wu Mingxiao realized what was happening and drew his knife to stop him.

But just as he reached for the hilt of the knife, suddenly with a "bang," a burst of blood erupted from the lower back of the fleeing man. He staggered and fell to the ground, then let out a shrill scream.

"Ah ah ah ah ah--"

Wu Mingxiao felt a chill run down his spine.

He didn't see Li Miao's move clearly, and therefore didn't recognize the "Mysterious Heaven Finger". But this move was powerful enough to shatter the man's head, yet Li Miao deliberately targeted his liver.

Judging from the wound on the man's waist, Li Miao had not completely shattered his liver. It was clear that he deliberately wanted to make him die in agony, and the malice in his actions was obvious.

By this time, the struggles of the person at Li Miao's feet had gradually become powerless.

Li Miao, however, raised his foot.

The man looked up abruptly, feeling as if he had escaped death, and opened his mouth to gasp for breath. But at that moment, he heard Li Miao's last words.

"Because traitorous beasts don't deserve to die a quick death."

His pupils trembled violently as the foot above his head stomped down!
Bang! — Crash!
Wu Mingxiao covered the swaddling clothes, turned around cautiously, and listened to the increasingly loud wails behind him. He tightly closed his eyes and shrank his neck.

He had witnessed murder.

But he had never seen such a brutal killing before!

Who exactly is this "Brother Li," and what was his background? I haven't met a kind elder brother today; I've clearly fallen into the hands of a ruthless monster who eats people without spitting out the bones!
Sir... will I ever live to see you again...?

As his mind raced, the wailing behind him suddenly took a turn, transforming into a thick, whimpering sound mixed with breathiness, before falling completely silent in an instant.

Snapped.

A hand rested on his shoulder.

Wu Mingxiao shuddered violently.

Then they heard Li Miao's kind laughter from behind.

"Hey buddy, it's all done."

"It's been a long time since I've done this, so my skills are a bit rusty. This place isn't very well ventilated, so the smell probably won't dissipate anytime soon."

"Your young lady must be starving, shall we go somewhere else?"

Wu Mingxiao turned his head, a dry laugh with tears in his eyes.

"Okay, okay... I'll do whatever Brother Li says..."

———————— Hidden in the withered forest, a winding stream flows.

The wabi-sabi scene was suddenly shattered by a deafening roar.

Woohoo! Woohoo!
The tiger's roar was mournful, but upon closer listening, it didn't sound as majestic as usual; instead, it was somewhat... desolate.

"Brother Li, do you think my technique is correct...?"

In the open space outside the cave, Wu Mingxiao nervously put his hands under the tiger's belly and fiddled with it. When the tiger turned its head and growled at him, he turned to Li Miao with a dry expression and asked.

As mentioned earlier, he came from a military background and had never even touched a woman... let alone milked a cow. The softest thing he had ever touched in his life was a steamed bun.

His hands were covered in calluses, and his technique was incredibly rough. The tigress gripped him so tightly it hurt, and she bared her teeth and roared at him. Wu Mingxiao was also momentarily uneasy, afraid that the tigress would turn around and bite him.

But then Li Miao said lazily.

"Why bother with all that? It's just an animal, not your wife."

"Just keep squeezing. With me here, what are you afraid of it scratching you for?"

Wu Mingxiao's dark face flushed red.

Li Miao's words sounded strange, and this greenhorn couldn't stand it, feeling inexplicably embarrassed.

She quickly filled the wooden bowl she had just carved, turned around and walked back to Li Miao's side, picked up the baby and put it in his mouth.

Li Miao was so angry she laughed.

"No, buddy, are you trying to choke your young lady to death?"

"Forget it, what a waste of this bowl."

Li Miao raised her hand and took the child.

He turned and walked over to the tigress, and before she could turn around, he flicked her head on the head.

"be honest."

Bang!
Before the tigress could react, her eyes rolled back and she fainted again.

Li Miao then placed the baby under the mother tiger. He didn't need to worry about the rest; the baby was extremely hungry and instinctively began to drink.

Li Miao said while holding the baby.

"Young man, you said you're from Dengzhou?"

"Hey……"

"From a military background, right?"

"……Yes."

"This child isn't your master's child, but a relative of your master, right? Those Japanese were after your master, and he was the one whose entire family was wiped out, right?"

Wu Mingxiao remained silent and did not answer.

But silence itself is the answer.

Li Miao didn't care. In any case, Wu Mingxiao couldn't fool him even if he was lying. He just laughed and said to himself.

"Shouldn't you be taking this child back to Dengzhou to report back now?"

"Yes."

"Would it be convenient to include me?"

The baby finished feeding, curled back into the swaddling clothes, and sucked on its fingers. Li Miao stood up, holding the child, turned to look at Wu Mingxiao, and said with a smile.

"I haven't ventured into the world for several years, and I'm itching for a change. Our meeting must be fate, so why don't we embark on a journey together?"

"I want to see what the martial arts world is like now."

"I'd like to meet your superior officer who has his subordinates learn Japanese swordsmanship. Who knows... we might even become friends?"

What else could Wu Mingxiao say?

Did he have the right to refuse Li Miao?

The tiger wanted to refuse, but it was knocked unconscious twice in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and is now lying there with its eyes rolled back like a corpse.

Considering that Li Miao, despite his exceptionally ruthless methods, was quite kind to him, he must be a complex and enigmatic figure, straddling the line between good and evil. Given the perilous journey he had undertaken, having such a companion along the way wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Wu Mingxiao nodded stiffly, then smiled stiffly and said.

"That's exactly what I'd like... Well then, I'll have to trouble you, Brother Li."

(End of this chapter)