Chapter 51 Disguise

As soon as Li Miao uttered these words, the room instantly fell into a dead silence.

Only the top courtesan continued to struggle, emitting a rattling sound from deep within her throat.

The wealthy young master, however, simply refused to believe it.

He was quite well-off and spent his days mingling among powders and rouges; which of the top courtesans across the entire Huguang region had he not played with? How could he possibly fail to distinguish between a man and a woman?

This courtesan named Ruier was not only not a man, but the very epitome of womanhood! She was softer and more considerate than any top courtesan he had ever seen or slept with before. If that were not the case, how could he possibly have lingered in her boudoir for half a month straight?

"Disguise? Does your Excellency take me for some ignorant country bumpkin? How can you utter such absurd nonsense?"

The wealthy young master said in a cold voice.

If it were a matter of sticking on a fake mustache or applying some powder to the face to make one look roughly different from usual, anyone wandering the Jianghu could pull off one or two such tricks.

However, true "disguise arts" had long since been lost in the Great Dashuo dynasty.

The reason was simple: this art posed far too great a threat to the imperial court.

At the founding of the current dynasty, a man had somehow acquired this art and possessed extraordinary natural talent, secretly cultivating it to a profound level. He only knew this disguise technique, lacking any lightness skills or combat prowess, so he could not replace others. Furthermore, he was not a particularly clever man; driven by hunger and cold, he made a very, very foolish decision.

He disguised himself as the reigning prime minister and went to eat a bowl of wontons.

And he didn't pay.

Good heavens, that was the prime minister of the founding era, a figure destined to have books written and biographies passed down through history.

Therefore, no one dared to truly hold him accountable for such a trivial matter.

Consequently, his boldness grew. He changed his clothes, visited brothels, galloped his horse recklessly through the streets injuring people, and even beat up the government runners who came to question him. Relying solely on that face, no one dared to argue with him.

When the matter eventually reached the emperor's ears, the emperor was furious and ordered the brocade-clad guards to bring the prime minister before the hall for questioning, earnestly asking if he had treated him too poorly, if he needed a reward of gold and silver, and even hinting, "There is no need to be so excessively honest. I understand the principle that clear water breeds no fish. Amass a bit of wealth; stop doing such disgraceful things."

This so shamed the prime minister that he nearly dashed his head against a pillar in suicide.

Later, the Brocade Guards investigated the matter thoroughly, executed the man who knew the disguise art, and scoured the empire to purge all traces of it, turning such techniques into absolute legends.

That being the case, it was no wonder the wealthy young master refused to believe it.

Moreover, he had not only "seen" her, but had also "used" her thoroughly from top to bottom, inside and out. How could she possibly be a man?

Li Miao let out a sneer, said no more, and channeled his true qi along his meridians directly into the courtesan's body.

Under the wealthy young master's pale gaze, the courtesan seemed like a piece of paper being smoothed out; her bones and muscles shifted and rolled beneath her skin. After just a few moments, she transformed into an entirely different person—clearly a thin, delicate young man.

The wealthy young master was first startled, then carefully examined the man's face, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Fortunately, fortunately, he's a delicate one."

Men were something he had played with as well. Keeping male companions was hardly considered uncommon in Great Dashuo; as long as one looked pleasing to the eye, it was no disgrace.

Suffice it to say, the wealthy might not necessarily be as happy as the poor imagined, but the "joys" of the wealthy were something the poor could never even fathom.

Li Miao frowned at this reaction.

He tossed the person aside onto the floor like a rag and brought his foot down heavily upon the man's pelvis.

Crack!

"Agh, agh, agh!!—"

With a shrill scream, the man flailed his hands frantically in the air and dragged himself across the floor, while his lower body hung limp and useless, trailing behind him.

"Everyone in the Manichaean Cult recognizes me, so I won't say much more. You are bound to die today, but how you die, how long you take to die, and whether you end up as a pile, a lump, or a puddle of flesh—that still makes a difference."

"This kind of art is not something just any stray dog can learn, and you're a first-rate martial artist to boot. Your status isn't low."

"Speak, where is Ji Tianrui?"

The top courtesan's heart had turned to ashes. In his desperation, he looked up at the wealthy young master and cried out pitifully, "Master An, a hundred days of grace come from a single night of intimacy. For the sake of our affection over the past half-month, save me!"

The wealthy young master, however, spat in disgust.

"Ordinarily, as long as someone is good-looking, this young master doesn't care if they are male or female. But I paid money, and you offered your beauty—we were even, yet you deceived me."

"I paid to sleep with a woman, but you turned out to be a man; the goods did not match the description. My An family started out in business, and we have never had a family tradition of showing leniency toward those who swindle us."

With that, he cupped his fists toward Li Miao.

“Hero, thank you for your intervention. I, An Ziyang, have only ever been deceived by women. If word got out that I was swindled by a man for half a month, I’m afraid my friends would mock me for years to come.”

“This sword was collected by my father; it can sever iron like mud. The scabbard is made of sharkskin, and the hilt is inlaid with jade upon ivory—it is exceptionally precious. I present it to your Excellency as a token of my gratitude!”

He set the sword down and strode out of the room.

Upon reaching the ground floor, the procuress hurried over to ask what the commotion upstairs was about.

An Ziyang calmly tossed over a stack of silver banknotes and said, “A friend has arrived, and we were playing somewhat roughly. I’ve booked that entire floor for today; no matter what sounds you hear, no one is allowed to disturb us.” The procuress beamed with joy and nodded repeatedly.

It wasn't until he stepped out the door and onto the main street that An Ziyang’s expression finally relaxed, sweat pouring down like rain as he gasped for breath. Then, he sprinted desperately away into the distance.

Li Miao watched with a smile as he vanished from view and shook his head.

“Interesting. Quite clever.”

He then turned back, walked over to the courtesan, and kicked him squarely in the chest.

“Hoh—hoh—”

The courtesan jerked his upper body straight up, his eyes splitting at the corners as he let out a hiss like a wild beast.

Li Miao walked over to a nearby chair and sat down, lowered his head to pick up a still-intact flask of wine, took a clean cup, and leisurely poured himself a drink.

“Today is the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month. To find you, I’ve killed thirty-seven Manichaean scum over the past four days, along with a hundred and forty-something worthless lives by the way.”

“You must know where Ji Tianrui is. I have plenty of time and methods.”

Li Miao glanced at him and said indifferently.

“Hold on for now. In half an hour, I’ll change to a different method to torture you.”

————————

On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, at dawn's first light.

Li Miao stepped out onto the main street and stretched lazily.

He then set off in a certain direction.

A short while later, he arrived outside an extremely opulent and sprawling estate, lifting his foot to walk right in.

The doorman at the entrance reached out to block him and asked politely, “Might I ask your Excellency’s honorable name? If you are an acquaintance of the master of the house, I can announce you in advance so as not to neglect a distinguished guest.”

“It is simply my duty. If I have caused any offense, I sincerely beg your forgiveness.”

The profession of a doorman required the sharpest observational skills and the least amount of arrogance. This man clearly had long experience in the trade, and his words were completely airtight.

Li Miao glanced at him and smiled silently.

Bang!

The doorman flew backward, coughing up a stream of blood mid-air. As he hit the ground, his head tilted to the side, and he lost all breath.

“A second-rate martial artist practicing the orthodox internal energy of the Manichaean Cult’s Thick Earth Banner—did you think I was blind?”

Li Miao dropped this remark and walked inside as if no one else was there.

“What was that noise!?”

“Who’s there!?”

A group of guards rushed out from the side rooms upon hearing the commotion. They first saw the corpse on the ground and turned pale, then looked toward Li Miao, their hands trembling involuntarily.

This was Quanzhou Prefecture, the residence of the An family!

Where on earth had this fierce murderer come from, daring to slaughter his way right in?

Even for heroes of the Jianghu underworld, acting with such unbridled audacity—did he not fear the Brocade Guards coming after him?

The lead guard hesitated for a moment, then spoke to Li Miao with a solemn expression.

“Your Excellency, are you here for wealth or for revenge? If it’s wealth, I can report it to the master of the house; I guarantee your Excellency will be satisfied.”

Li Miao didn't bother to answer. He narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze across the surroundings.

In an instant, he had thoroughly grasped the foundation of these guards' martial arts.

Li Miao raised his hand into a palm and pressed it downward into empty air.

Hummm!!——

A resonant hum rang out.

Dozens of guards suddenly felt an immense, overwhelming force pressing down upon them, akin to Mount Tai looming overhead, impossible to resist. Like stalks of wheat being harvested, they all collapsed onto their knees simultaneously, unable to support their weight, and then dropped flat onto the ground.

"Sorcery! It's sorcery!" the lead guard screamed frantically in his heart.

This wasn't martial arts at all!

Unbothered, Li Miao walked up to one of the men, placed his foot on the man's head, and slowly pressed down.

"Is Ji Tianrui still here? You have three breaths to answer."

"One. Two."

"Three."

Bang!

The skull was crushed flat, red and white matter splashing out to splatter the bodies and faces of the surrounding guards.

Li Miao walked over to another man and planted his foot on his back.

"All of you have only three breaths."

"One. Two."

"Three."

Bang!

The same scene repeated over and over. Within moments, three or four men were left mutilated beyond recognition.

The lead guard’s head was pinned so tightly he couldn't even turn it; he could only watch as a pair of boots continuously paced back and forth before him. Every time they passed, a count of "one, two, three" would follow, accompanied by fluid splashing onto his body.

Before they could even utter a cry of agony, men were dying right on the spot.

He could neither see how Li Miao killed nor determine whether the next person to die would be himself.

He was terrified to the absolute limit. If he could still move, he would rather commit suicide than endure such torture.

The boots passed before his eyes for the fifth time.

And stopped right in front of him.

"No! No... no!"

"Don't, don't..."

He struggled to speak, "I don't know any Ji Tianrui! I beg you! Don't kill me!!"

Li Miao raised an eyebrow. "I naturally know you don't."

"What I want to ask you is: over the past few days, has any major event happened in this estate?"

"Has anyone whose appearance remained unchanged suddenly started behaving entirely out of character? Or is there any place in the estate that people usually avoid, large enough to hide twenty or thirty people? Tell me about them all."

————————

Inside the inner hall and study of the estate.

"Father, it is the absolute truth!"

An Ziyang said to a pot-bellied middle-aged man dressed like a wealthy merchant.

"That man made it crystal clear—he is looking for Ji Tianrui!"

"The people of the Manichaean Cult are hiding right here in Quanzhou Prefecture!"

He paced back and forth across the room a few times, then turned to the middle-aged man and said, "Father, we cannot wade into this muddy waters! Even Shaolin couldn't stop him; Master Xingchi has already entered parinirvana!"

"If we get dragged into this, I'm afraid our entire family will die!"

"Let's run! Forget the family estate; as long as we keep our lives, the two of us can always make a comeback!"

The middle-aged man furrowed his brow, stroked his beard, and gestured for An Ziyang to sit down.

"Chaos breeds mistakes. Calm your mind first and think it through before making a move. Otherwise, things will only become more troublesome."

"What realm of martial arts is that man in?"

An Ziyang picked up his teacup, drained it in one gulp, caught his breath, and replied, "I don't know."

The middle-aged man asked in surprise, "You don't know?"

"You've practiced martial arts since childhood and are nearly at the first-rate level yourself. You couldn't even tell what realm he's in?"

An Ziyang smiled bitterly. "That's right, I couldn't tell."

The middle-aged man pondered for a moment longer and asked, "How did you run into that top courtesan? What was said between you? Tell me every single detail."

An Ziyang recounted the whole affair from beginning to end. The more the middle-aged man listened, the uglier his expression became, until his brow was furrowed into a tight knot.

After thinking for a long while, he spoke with a solemn expression.

"We're doomed."

"I'm afraid the two of us have fallen right into the Manichaean Cult's scheme."

"Describe the appearance of the person who exposed the courtesan's identity to me in detail."

As An Ziyang described Li Miao's appearance, a flicker of imperceptible gloom flashed through the middle-aged man's eyes.

He hesitated for a moment, made his decision, and abruptly stood up.

"Disguise arts, capable of mimicking even the differences between men and women to perfection... Oh no!"

"What 'Manichaean Cult hiding in Quanzhou Prefecture'!"

"That damn Cult is probably hiding right inside our own home!"

"Let's go, right now! Don't take anyone or anything else. We'll use lightness skills to scale the roofs and leave directly!"

Hearing this, An Ziyang turned pale.

However, having lost his mother at a young age and relying solely on his father to build this family estate together, the two of them trusted each other's judgment implicitly.

Without a trace of hesitation, An Ziyang abruptly stood up, walked with the middle-aged man toward the door, pulled it open, and prepared to leap onto the roof and escape.

Yet both of them froze in place.

Right at the doorway, Li Miao was holding a piece of silk torn from goodness-knows-where, standing on the steps and meticulously wiping the red and white residue off his boots.

Raising his head and seeing the two of them, he offered a genial smile.

"Oh? Are the two of you heading out?"

An Ziyang didn't reply for a moment. He looked out toward the corridor outside the courtyard, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Along that corridor, crimson liquid was splattered everywhere, yet there were no corpses in sight.

Judging by the amount of fluid... it had to be at least two or three people.

With thoughts racing through his mind, An Ziyang forced a smile.

"Your Excellency, is there something you need from me?"

"Could it be that you were unsatisfied with the sword I gave you yesterday? No matter, my An family has plenty of wealth and a certain reputation in the Jianghu. In the back courtyard, we store the weapons our family has collected over the years, including all kinds of arms. Among them are several fine swords—famous divine weapons from the previous dynasty's Jianghu."

"If your Excellency is interested, I can gift them all to you."

Li Miao glanced at him, smiled, and pointed a finger toward the middle-aged man.

"I'm not here for you. I'm here for him."

He turned his gaze to the middle-aged man standing aside and said indifferently, "Why aren't you saying anything? Seeing it's me, are you scared?"

An Ziyang frowned at first, then abruptly turned back in shock to look at the middle-aged man.

"Father!"

The middle-aged man still remained silent, his eyes locked unwaveringly onto Li Miao.