The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 497 Broken Knife
The destruction of the Ming Cult was the result of a joint effort by Ji Tianrui's scheme, the Jinyiwei's siege, and the Manichaean sect's search in the Western Regions. The witchcraft tradition was also swept away twice by the major martial arts sects in the south and the Jinyiwei.

The tradition of witchcraft should no longer exist in Da Shuo.

At least two years ago, after the Battle of the Imperial Tombs, Li Miao was certain that the witchcraft tradition in the Central Plains had been completely eradicated.

The Gu worm that Gao Lei took out, although not a particularly sophisticated type in the Gu witchcraft tradition, was still in good condition and had clearly been recently refined, rather than a "stockpile" that had been sealed away to avoid the search.

That's why Li Miao immediately thought of Ji Tianrui.

Now, let's get back to the present.

Gao Lei's words just now have already explained the whole story.

Gao Lei's actions were instigated by his master, which is why Wu Zhi and he were at odds.

The boorish and passionate Gao Lei wanted to harm people, while the domineering and arrogant Wu Zhi was actually saving them.

Wu Zhi's troublesome behavior during the day was actually a way to subtly persuade Li Miao and the others to leave. As for why he didn't say it directly... he probably wanted to save them, but he didn't want to expose the shameful things his sect had done, so he could only act like a brainless villain to drive them away.

Thinking of this, Li Miao reached out and picked up the note Wu Zhi had put in, then unfolded it.

"Do not make a sound. Go west for thirty feet and hide under the ridge of the field. When no one is around, go east for a hundred feet into the forest, wash away your scent in the stream, and then turn back and leave."

"If you hear the sound of insects flapping their wings, just cover your mouth and nose and run away."

Li Miao raised an eyebrow.

The smoke that Wu Zhi initially blew into the room was a medicine to conceal the Gu worms.

Therefore, he knew from the beginning that Gao Lei had a Gu worm attached to him.

Further reasoning, since Gao Lei and Wu Zhi both understand Gu techniques, how could their sects be completely unaware of them?

The reappearance of the Yang family and witchcraft, two things that should have disappeared long ago, two years after Li Miao vanished, cannot be explained by mere coincidence.

While Li Miao was pondering, the voices outside suddenly rose, and the hushed conversation instantly turned into shouts!
"careful!"

"Gu worm! Step back, I'll handle this!"

The Japanese reacted instantly!
The four Japanese soldiers who rushed towards Wu Zhi did not react at all, and continued to slash at Wu Zhi's body.

The four Japanese men who were lunging at Gao Lei suddenly retreated, narrowly avoiding the bites of the Gu worms. At the same time, the leader of the Japanese men reached into his robes, pulled out a fist-sized dumpling, and slammed it to the ground!

Bang!
Smoke suddenly billowed up!

The moment the ball touched the ground, it exploded, turning into a cloud of smoke that blocked the path of the Gu worm.

Several Gu worms were caught off guard and rushed into the smoke. They suddenly lost their balance, thrashed about a few times, and then fell to the ground, struggling. After a few breaths, they stopped moving.

"Oh?"

Li Miao raised an eyebrow.

These Japanese were not only quick to react, but they also had corresponding methods, as if they had fought against opponents who manipulated Gu worms.

There is no such thing as witchcraft in Japan.

Gao Lei clearly hadn't expected his hidden survival technique to be so easily countered, and his expression quickly darkened. His eyes darted around a few times, and without the slightest hesitation, he turned and fled!
The witchcraft had no effect, and in terms of martial arts alone, he and Wu Zhi combined were no match for these eight Japanese soldiers. Since their own lives were threatened, Wu Zhi's uncertain "last will" was no longer a priority!

He made his decision to descend extremely quickly, and his lightness skill was also very high.

In addition, there were Gu worms blocking their way from behind.

When the smoke cleared and the Japanese people went to look again, they had already disappeared without a trace.

The two Japanese men drew their swords and were about to give chase.

The leading Japanese man suddenly raised his hand.

"Stop!"

The two Japanese men turned to look.

"Gozen (sir)!"

The Japanese leader waved his hand to interrupt them, but did not explain further. He just stared intently in the direction Gao Lei had left, his eyes filled with turbulent emotions. Even Wu Zhi could see the fluctuations in his heart.

Hatred, resentment, anger, and—fear.

There is also the joy of a thirsty person encountering sweet rain.

Unless there is an extremely complex entanglement, it would be extremely difficult to have such a complex look in one's eyes.

These emotions are not directed at Gao Lei. They are directed at the Gu worms.

He gripped the hilt of the knife tightly, making a creaking sound, and only after a few breaths did he let out a long sigh.

"found it."

"The lineage of witchcraft and Gu worms has been found!"

"Go! What's happening here is no longer important. Let that man from the Central Plains go and tell him to return to his lair! Send a message to Lord Sakata that we have discovered a successor of witchcraft!"

"The key to averting national annihilation has been found!"

Before he finished speaking, the other Japanese men suddenly showed expressions of wild joy.

The four Japanese swords that were originally aimed at Wu Zhi were instantly sheathed without the slightest hesitation. The four Japanese men who were rushing towards him took a step back and jumped over the wall to chase after Gao Lei in the direction he had left.

Three more Japanese turned and hurried off in another direction, clearly following the orders of their leader to deliver the message to "Lord Sakata".

In the end, only the leader of the Japanese remained.

He turned around and looked around.

In the midst of the fight, there was no time to conceal the sounds, and several shouts echoed, which even a hard-of-hearing old man should have been able to hear.

At present, however, not a sound could be heard from the three houses around.

Looking at Wu Zhi's shifting gaze but unwavering expression, with his back pressed against the window of Li Miao's house, he had already guessed some things.

"Sir, you've had your fill of the show, isn't it time to come out?"

"It's time to end the joke of hiding behind the scenes and performing puppet shows."

He stared intently at what was behind Wu Zhi.

He gripped the hilt of the sword, ready to draw and strike.

But after waiting for a while, there was no response at all.

The Japanese leader frowned.

"Could it be that I guessed wrong, and those people have already been afflicted by witchcraft and lost their minds?"

His gaze swept across Wu Zhi's face, trying to find some clues.

However, Wu Zhi was still enveloped in protective true energy, and his expression and movements were beyond his control. How could he possibly see through his disguise? He could only look around and search for clues.

Suddenly, Wu Zhi's gaze swept over the back of the Japanese leader.

His gaze froze.

Then his pupils began to tremble violently.

The Japanese leader's pupils also contracted sharply as he noticed the oddity in Wu Zhi's gaze. The instant he realized that Wu Zhi was looking behind him, he drew his katana and slashed behind him!

Swish!
A flash of cold light, followed by a piercing shriek!
"Boqi Liu——Iai!"

As he unleashed that strike, his mind suddenly calmed down.

Perhaps it was the joy of accidentally finding what he sought in the Central Plains tonight, or perhaps it was the moonlight that made his mind resonate with the essence of this move.

Spirit, Qi, and Blood.

He had never unleashed such a perfect strike, showcasing the martial arts he had honed over decades to the fullest.

Even a powerful figure who has earned the title of "Sword Saint" would likely have to raise their sword to parry this strike.

No matter who's behind it, no one can escape this stab.

Even if the opponent is wielding a weapon made of fine steel, it will be cut in two by this one strike—he had this confidence when he unleashed this strike.

As he moved with the blade, he saw a pair of mocking eyes and a finger blocking the blade.

"finger?"

He was puzzled for a moment.

Immediately, the blade struck the finger, producing a soft "crack" sound.

It broke in two.

(End of this chapter)