Zhao Dehua moved like a rabbit leaping and a magpie falling, instantly closing in on the Masked Woman, his hands forming claws and striking directly at her vital points!
Don't let his previous amiable and easy-going demeanor fool you into thinking he was weak and easily bullied.
An old hand in the Jianghu is an old hand; if there's no trouble, he won't seek it. But if he truly can't avoid a fight, his first move will be a killing blow.
As his hands clawed, they created a whistling sound, aiming to tear open the Masked Woman's skull and gouge out her eyes.
Facing such a perilous strike, the Masked Woman dared not be overconfident. She brought her fingers together to form a palm and parried Zhao Dehua's arms.
Bang!
Their arms clashed, emitting a dull thud, clearly indicating both had used their full strength.
Zhao Dehua's eyes narrowed, and he thought, "Not good."
He had initially seen the Masked Woman as young and presumed her internal and external cultivation would be inferior to his, so he planned to engage in a direct, forceful confrontation, overwhelming her with power.
But this first exchange revealed that her skill was in no way inferior to his!
The Masked Woman parried Zhao Dehua's arms, then her hands moved to grip his joints.
Zhao Dehua naturally couldn't let her restrain him. They exchanged several grappling moves, their fingers and palms constantly attacking each other's vital points, only to be continually parried. As their breath began to wane, they simultaneously exchanged one final blow and pulled back, separating.
As they stood still, the Masked Woman's arms had several scratches, and blood dripped down.
Zhao Dehua's right arm joint was also pecked by the Masked Woman's joined fingers, and it was now swollen and painful.
While it looked like the Masked Woman was more severely injured, it was actually Zhao Dehua who was at a disadvantage.
The Masked Woman's injuries were superficial, not affecting her ability to fight. But Zhao Dehua's injury was to his tendons and bones; his right arm would certainly not be as flexible as usual, making it disadvantageous for him to continue fighting.
But regardless, blood had been drawn, and the fight had become serious.
The Masked Woman's killing intent was resolute, and with Zhao Dehua's companions and daughter lying behind him, there was no reason for him to stop and flee now.
They exchanged glances, and as their breath returned, they prepared to lunge at each other again, intending to fight to the death.
Just then.
Click.
A soft sound.
Both looked over simultaneously. It was Li Miao, who had somehow ended up half-lying on the ground, propping his face with one hand, staring at them unblinkingly.
In his other hand, he held a cracked sunflower seed shell.
Both the Masked Woman and Zhao Dehua couldn't help but feel a strange sensation.
It wasn't particularly surprising that Li Miao hadn't been affected by the sleeping smoke. The Masked Woman's sleeping smoke was specifically chosen to affect Zhao Dehua's group, and Li Miao, who was just passing by, wasn't accounted for.
There are all sorts of strange martial arts in this world, and experts emerge endlessly. Who knew if Li Miao had unique internal energy or was simply powerful? If he was awake, then he was awake.
As long as Li Miao didn't interfere with their fight, a glance was just a glance.
But, if you're just watching, what's with cracking sunflower seeds?
And cracking them so loudly, it was too disrespectful! Were they being treated like street performers?
Was their life-and-death struggle meant for his entertainment?
With Li Miao cracking sunflower seeds and watching them like that, the previously somber and intense atmosphere suddenly became a bit comical, and their desire for a life-and-death struggle faded.
The Masked Woman was unsure of Li Miao's intentions. Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, she silently flashed out the door and instantly vanished.
Zhao Dehua knew the principle of not pursuing a cornered foe and did not give chase.
He turned and walked in front of Li Miao, cupping his fists: "Many thanks... Your Excellency."
The pause after "Many thanks" was because he truly didn't know what to say.
If he said "Many thanks for your assistance," Li Miao hadn't done anything, and had even treated him like a show. Was he supposed to say "Many thanks for your patronage" instead?
But the Masked Woman had indeed left because of Li Miao's interruption, so not expressing gratitude wouldn't do. After hesitating for a moment, Zhao Dehua managed to squeeze out "Many thanks, Your Excellency."
Li Miao waved his hand: "No need." He then rolled over and lay down again.
His nature was already lazy and casual. Now that there was no more excitement to watch, he was too lazy to speak further and simply intended to continue sleeping.
This left Zhao Dehua in an awkward position. He thought, "What kind of person is this? Why does he seem to not treat me as a person at all?"
But there was no need to go and pull him up.
He couldn't gauge Li Miao's martial arts. The sleeping smoke that had knocked out the Tiger Might Escort Agency's members made this person feel even more energetic after inhaling it, which showed the disparity. What if he pulled him up and provoked a fight?
Zhao Dehua then turned back to his companions, first administering the antidote, and then assigning tasks to guard against the Masked Woman. He was busy until dawn.
By dawn, Li Miao and his two companions got up and washed. Zhao Dehua didn't come over to greet them; he packed his things and set off first.
People in the Jianghu have an unwritten rule: when two groups meet by chance, it's best not to travel together if you don't know each other's backgrounds. And when separating, the larger group should leave first, and the smaller group should leave later.
This rule naturally has its rationality. Everyone is strangers, and traveling together means you have to guard against sudden malicious attacks, which wastes energy. And the number of people generally represents strength; what if the smaller group leaves first, and the larger group tracks them down?
Zhao Dehua was aware of this rule and consciously gathered his group and departed first.
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In fact, Li Miao and his two companions didn't care. Last night's fight between Zhao Dehua and the Masked Woman had already revealed Zhao Dehua's true capabilities to Li Miao.
Zhao Dehua's innate talent was ordinary, but he excelled in his age and long years of martial arts training. His martial arts were decent, roughly at the level of a second-rate expert in the Jianghu. He practiced claw techniques and followed a sinister path, which was completely contrary to his peace-loving demeanor.
A martial artist of this level was no different from a scoundrel in Li Miao's eyes.
Of course, Li Miao also didn't feel the need to set off early. So, he waited until Zhao Dehua had left, had a meal, and then leisurely set off on horseback.
The three galloped rapidly, finally reaching a commandery city at sunset, just before the city gates closed.
Li Miao walked slowly ahead with his hands behind his back, while Wang Hai led the horses behind him, whispering to Xiao Si and making her giggle, covering her mouth.
After walking for a while, they finally found an inn and decided to rest there for the night.
As the three entered, they heard a table of people exclaim, "Oh!"
Li Miao looked over and chuckled softly.
Because sitting there was none other than Zhao Dehua's group, and the one who had exclaimed was Zhao Dehua's daughter, Zhao Ying, who was now looking at them with a surprised expression.
Even though the two groups had intentionally separated, they coincidentally ended up staying in the same inn.
When Zhao Dehua saw Li Miao and his two companions enter, he also felt a sense of unease. These three were strange; was it such a coincidence that they met two days in a row? Perhaps they had other intentions.
Once the thought arose, it was hard to calm down.
Zhao Dehua had already been troubled by the Masked Woman last night, and she had escaped. He was currently on edge. Seeing Li Miao now, he couldn't help but overthink.
Wang Hai saw clearly that pretending not to know them now would only make them more suspicious. Li Miao had a carefree personality, and Xiao Si was a young girl, so the welcoming and seeing-off duties fell to him.
So, he proactively greeted them.
"Everyone, what a coincidence, we meet again."