Li Miao had already made a general judgment about Zhao Dehua.
His disposition was a ruthless and cold-hearted one.
As mentioned before, Martial Arts was, to a large extent, a matter of the mind.
To what extent a person could utilize Martial Arts depended, to a considerable degree, on the person's disposition and whether it matched the Martial Arts.
For example, Saber Technique was often bold and aggressive, and it would be difficult for a hesitant person to reach the Realm of Transformation. But if this person were to learn Palm Technique, which used gentleness to overcome strength, they might make rapid progress.
The Claw Technique that Zhao Dehua used was a ruthless and feminine style that involved gouging out the heart and lungs, and scraping off the skin. A person with an upright and open disposition would never use it to this extent.
Li Miao could tell at a glance that Zhao Dehua's Innate Talent was very poor. The reason he could reach the level of a second-rate expert was because he was really suited to this Claw Technique.
That thief back then probably also thought that he couldn't escape the Embroidered Uniform Guard's pursuit, so he deliberately "reformed" Zhao Dehua into a Disciple suitable for his Legacy.
Zhao Dehua did not disappoint him.
Of course, not everyone in this world acted according to their own disposition. For example, Wang Hai's Claw Technique was even more ruthless than Zhao Dehua's, but under Li Miao's tutelage, he could restrain his habits and roughly be a good person.
So Li Miao did not make a hasty judgment, but instead let the two of them explain what happened back then.
He had been on duty in the Embroidered Uniform Guard for twenty years, and his own Martial Arts were also unfathomably high, so he naturally had the means to see if the two of them were lying.
Mei Qinghe saw Zhao Dehua rolling on the ground, Howl, and even clawing his Ears until they bled, and shook her head.
She then said to Li Miao, "Senior, do you have an Antidote?"
Li Miao raised an eyebrow: "Why, don't you have the heart to do it?"
Mei Qinghe shook her head: "No."
"I want to kill Zhao Dehua, not a madman who doesn't know why he has to die."
"A death of confusion is too cheap for him."
Mei Qinghe had thought that at the moment when her great revenge was about to be achieved, she would be so excited that she would cry her eyes out.
But now, her heart was like still water, as calm as if she were watching someone else's affairs.
Only the True Qi in her body was surging, like a fire that had been smoldering in her body for fifteen years, burning in her Chest, making her lips dry.
Li Miao raised his hand and flicked over a small packet: "Use this."
"Stuff it in his mouth, catalyze it with True Qi, and it will be fine in a moment."
Mei Qinghe took the small packet, thanked Li Miao, turned around, pinched Zhao Dehua's mouth, and stuffed the Antidote in.
Then she pinched Zhao Dehua's Pulse gate and infused True Qi into him.
Gradually, Zhao Dehua stopped Howl, and his Limbs also stopped moving erratically.
After another time it takes for an incense stick to burn, his eyes regained their Clear-headed.
Zhao Dehua looked up at Mei Qinghe in front of him, moved his lips, and finally spoke dryly: "You... you didn't die?"
The same words he had spoken when he first saw Mei Qinghe, only the first time he was poisoned, and under the confusion, he thought it was Mei Qinghe's Mother's vengeful spirit seeking his life.
Now he was clear-headed and knew that Mei Qinghe was the little girl he had let go back then, and she had come to seek Revenge for Mother's Death.
Mei Qinghe nodded: "Yes, I survived."
"I came down the mountain with the determination to die. From the moment I came down the mountain, only one of us could live."
"Although I won't Torture you like you Tortured my Mother back then, I won't let you die just like that."
Mei Qinghe struck, instantly sealing Zhao Dehua's Major Acupoints, blocking his True Qi circulation, and also causing his Limbs to lose their strength, so he could only wave them around randomly.
"You Tortured my Mother for ten hours back then, so I will stab you ten times, and every time it takes for an incense stick to burn, I will stab you once."
"Moreover, I will give you another choice."
Mei Qinghe picked up the half of the Short sword, and then picked up the half of the Long sword, and walked to Zhao Dehua's side.
She forcefully inserted the Short sword into the ground, and then let go and stood up.
The Short sword stood on the ground, its Sword edge pressed against Zhao Dehua's Neck, causing a wave of goosebumps.
“This is the first strike.”
With that, the Long sword pierced into Zhao Dehua's Left arm.
Fresh Blood splattered, and Zhao Dehua Howl, constantly rolling on the ground.
His Acupoints were sealed by Mei Qinghe, and his Limbs could move but were not under his control, so he could only twist them randomly at his side.
Another time it takes for an incense stick to burn passed.
“The second strike.”
This was repeated until the ninth time it takes for an incense stick to burn, when Zhao Dehua was already covered in blood, with wounds of varying depths on his body, leaving a floor full of Ferocious bloodstains.
He had been in the Jianghu for many years, and the pain of the Wound, for him, was not so difficult to bear.
What was truly difficult to bear was the process of gradually walking towards death.
He slammed his head against the ground, constantly kowtowing to Mei Qinghe, until his face was covered in blood.
“I had no choice! I had no choice! He forced me! He forced me!”
Mei Qinghe watched coldly as Zhao Dehua struggled on the ground, without saying a word.
It wasn't until the sky gradually brightened, and the east turned white, that Zhao Dehua collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath.
He muttered to himself, his words unclear.
“I had no choice.”
“I had no choice.”
Mei Qinghe walked in front of him.
“If you do evil, you must repay.”
“My Mother, was Tortured by you and the Plum Blossom Thief for ten hours.”
“The Plum Blossom Thief didn't say anything, you took the worms from your own Ears and put them in her Ears.”
“This... is your choice. You hated her, you didn't dare to choose to hate the Plum Blossom Thief, you only dared to choose to hate her, hate her for making you unable to continue being a good person.”
Mei Qinghe said softly.
“You always say you had no choice, now you have a choice.”
“This Short sword has always been stuck in the ground, you can see it. You can run into it at any time and die, but you never dare to look at it.”
“Now is the last strike, you can choose, will you do it yourself, or will I do it?”
Zhao Dehua stopped speaking.
“Have you made your choice?” After waiting for a while, Mei Qinghe asked softly.
Zhao Dehua still didn't speak, he clenched his teeth, and slowly moved his Neck towards the Short sword.
He kept crying, his Neck sometimes close to the Sword edge, sometimes far away.
This was repeated, and after a long time, there was still no movement.
Mei Qinghe looked into Zhao Dehua's eyes and said.
“You don't dare to choose.”
“You don't want to choose to live, and you don't dare to choose to die. You are not worthy of being a good person, and you don't dare to be a bad person.”
“You are not a good person forced into a dead end, you are just a Coward who dares not choose anything.”
Mei Qinghe kicked the Sword Hilt of the Short sword, and the Sword edge cut through Zhao Dehua's Neck, and Fresh Blood gushed out.
“In the end, you still have to let others choose for you.”
Zhao Dehua struggled, as if he wanted to argue something, but the Fresh Blood surged into his mouth and nose, and he could only make a "heh heh" sound.
He struggled for a while, and then stopped moving.
Watching Zhao Dehua gradually lose his breath, Mei Qinghe sat down on the ground.
She gasped for breath, and tears finally flowed down.
Mei Qinghe didn't want to show any weakness in front of Zhao Dehua, because that might make Zhao Dehua no longer afraid.
So she had always dared not let her tears flow, and tried to flatten her voice, and put on a cold posture.
Now, she had finally walked out of the mountains from fifteen years ago.
Li Miao stepped forward and patted Mei Qinghe's shoulder.
“You did well, he must have been terrified.”
Mei Qinghe finally burst into tears.
Li Miao waved his hand: "Hey, hey, be quiet."
“Last night, in order for you to take revenge properly, I released Incense Smoke in the nearby houses.”
“It should be almost ineffective now, you control yourself, and clean up the Rooftop for them.”
“I've given you your benefits, and from now on, focus on working for me.”
“Pack up your things and go buy a sword. In one hour, come with me on the road.”