Chapter 12

Sun rises and sun sets; in the blink of an eye, several days passed.

Widow Wang's disappearance caused some stir in the village.

Some said she took her daughter toward the border, wanting to return to her hometown...

Others said this woman was superstitious and completely crazy, wanting to sell her daughter to a human trafficker in Changancheng...

Of course, it was just talk.

A widow with a different surname, who was smelly all day long, was not liked by others.

Who would care about her life or death?

At most, one would sigh that the child under four years old was pitiful.

Village Chief Li Huairen didn't care even more.

He directly sent someone to the yamen to report a disappearance, then let his servant occupy the land left by Widow Wang, making several people who also harbored this intention curse wildly behind his back.

This is all the traces Widow Wang's family left in Li Family Fort...

…………

Rumble!

Several old horses were struggling to pull the stone roller.

The summer harvest was approaching, and the golden wheat waves in the fields were rolling.

Although it wasn't time for harvesting yet, there was no lack of farm work.

Women had to pick mulberry leaves to raise silkworms and cook for the whole family.

Men took sickles, wooden forks, wooden shovels, wooden push rakes, and other farm tools from the warehouse to repair and maintain them, preparing for the summer harvest.

Besides this, the threshing floor also had to be rolled smooth and flat with a stone roller.

After all, grabbing grain is like fighting a war; if these preparations aren't in place, and something goes wrong during the harvest, like rain, you won't have a good year.

Li Yan wasn't idle either, feeding the horses at the threshing floor.

"Yan Yan Xiao Ge Yan, my livestock is top-notch."

The carter Du Sixi grinned, showing a mouth of crooked teeth, spitting as he promoted.

"A ten-year-old horse, it can be considered in its prime, hasn't suffered any injuries, can't travel a thousand miles a day, but traveling to and from Chang'an on weekdays is no problem..."

"To venture into the martial world, with a blade, how can you do it without a horse?!"

Li Family Fort wasn't wealthy; only Village Chief Li Huairen's family had a few old horses for work, which they occasionally rode around on weekdays.

Even this made the young men in the village envious.

Li Yan naturally wanted one, not for that bit of vanity, but to practice horse archery, and it would be convenient when he had time to go to Chang'an.

However, at this moment, he was somewhat distracted.

Looking at Du Sixi, who kept boasting, Li Yan's heart stirred, and he asked: "Old Du, what famous Taoist temples are there in Changancheng?"

Widow Wang's family had been gone for several days.

No one knew that a terrifying thing had run into the village to cause trouble.

Although the matter had subsided, for Li Yan, it had just begun.

First, he knew that his family's misfortune, as well as the sudden deaths of his father and his predecessor, were all cursed by opponents using the 'Yansheng' method.

The other party's methods were vicious, and they could even mess with things bestowed by the imperial court; their power was definitely not ordinary, and once they knew the method had failed, they might cause trouble again.

Moreover, Li Yan didn't intend to let this matter go.

Second, according to Widow Wang, he had opened his Yang Six Roots and gained the supernatural power of smell, and sooner or later he would be targeted by evil things again.

Therefore, entering the Mystic Sect became his current urgent goal.

The Du Sixi in front of him was a carter from the neighboring Du Village, who traveled between nearby villages on weekdays, picking up people to go to Chang'an, or pulling carts to deliver goods.

These past two days, he had been pulling stone rollers for several villages.

Don't look at him as unremarkable; he was also a person in the martial world.

In the martial world, there are the 'Five Elements and Eight Trades'; the Five Elements refer to vehicles, ships, shops, foot-porters, and tooth-brokers, and the Eight Trades refer to various types of craftsmen, blacksmiths, carpenters, leatherworkers, etc.

The martial world is not just about killing; it's also about means of survival.

And some forces within the Five Elements and Eight Trades, even the fierce people who have made a name for themselves on the greenwood path, have to give some face when they meet.

For example, ships: in the south, there is the Pai Sect; in the north, there is the Cao Gang; on the sea, there is the Sihai Gang.

For example, foot-porters: although they are bitter laborers, every wharf has gangs.

For example, shops: several famous inns are places for people in the martial world to rest, and also places where various news circulates.

Vehicle trades are the same.

Just imagine, to make a living and take jobs in one place, and to engage in the business of welcoming and sending off, how can you do it without someone covering you, not to mention traveling north and south.

So where there are people, there are interests, and where there are interests, there is the martial world.

There are two major vehicle trades in Changancheng: "Taixing" and "Changsheng".

Not only Changancheng, but all vehicle and horse jobs in the entire Guanzhong region are controlled by them, and they have close connections with various dart agencies, famous inns, the Cao Gang, foot-porters, and tooth-brokers.

Their martial power might be average, but their news is exceptionally well-informed.

Du Sixi was a member of the Taixing vehicle trade; because he had a mouth of crooked teeth, people gave him the nickname 'Du Daya'.

This person didn't have much ability and had low status, only able to mix in various villages, but he knew quite a lot.

He had received kindness from his father, Li Hu, before, so Li Yan asked. "That goes without saying?"

Du Sixi laughed, "Although Changancheng has gone through several wars, it is still the capital of several dynasties, with countless Taoist temples and shrines in its 108 wards."

"Why, Yan Yan Xiao Ge Yan wants to offer incense? I happen to be going to Chang'an tomorrow..."

Li Yan waved his hand to interrupt him and said in a deep voice: "Old Du, I want to know, where are there true Mystic Sect experts!"

"Mystic... Mystic Sect?"

Du Sixi was stunned, "Why are you asking about this?"

Listening to this, he really knows?!

Li Yan felt happy in his heart, put on a smile, and pulled Du Sixi to squat in the shade of a tree, "Old Du, no, Uncle Du, since you know, tell me about it."

Du Sixi felt refreshed by being called 'Uncle Du', but he also knew what kind of person Li Yan was and didn't dare to be presumptuous, accompanying with a smile: "Yan Yan Xiao Ge Yan, don't tease me; your father, Tiger Li, was someone who made a name for himself on the Guanzhong path."

"Who doesn't know the name of the Sick Tiger of Guanzhong? How could he not know these things?"

Li Yan was thoughtful, "Just tell me, don't talk about other things."

Speaking of which, his father told him quite a few things about the martial world, and even taught him all the secret slang, but he really hadn't told him about the Mystic Sect.

!.

Could it be that he was intentionally hiding it...

Du Daya saw his expression darken slightly and felt a jolt in his heart, not daring to talk nonsense anymore, and said: "There are three religions and nine schools in the martial world; besides ability, there is also status."

"I'm just a carter, and in the gang, I'm just an errand boy; I don't know much, but I've occasionally heard some things."

"The term 'Mystic Sect' is very broad; as long as you know some strange arts, you can be called a member of the Mystic Sect, it's just that it's mixed with fish and dragons, and it's hard to distinguish true from false. But if you really have ability, no one dares to underestimate you when they see you."

"There are two factions among them."

"One faction is appointed by the imperial court, registered in the Ministry of Rites' Mystic Sacrifice Division, can receive Taoist and Buddhist certificates, and preside over famous mountain Taoist temples and monasteries, known as the orthodox Mystic Sect, the most famous being the Taixuan Orthodox Sect."

"The other faction is numerous, including Yin-Yang masters, shamans, and those in the martial world who know strange arts."

"Although the orthodox sect looks down on them, calling them 'heretical paths', in the martial world, their status is extraordinary, and the powerful ones are worshipped by some gangs."

"It's just that ordinary people can't distinguish between liars and true transmissions when they see them..."

Li Yan hurriedly asked: "Do you know any members of the Mystic Sect?"

"Yan Yan Xiao Ge Yan is joking."

Du Daya accompanied with a smile: "I, Old Du, am just making a living; in the gang, I don't even count as a hair, and besides, I have mortal eyes, so how could I know those experts."

Seeing Li Yan frown slightly, he hurriedly whispered: "Yan Yan Xiao Ge Yan, don't be anxious; I, Old Du, don't have any ability, but there is one person who is widely connected and also has a friendship with your family, he should know."

"Who?"

"Sha Lifei!"

"Him?!"

Hearing this name, Li Yan's expression immediately became strange.

…………

After chatting with Du Daya, Li Yan returned home.

Just as he arrived home, he saw his grandfather, Li Gui, squatting on the threshold, holding a big tobacco pipe, puffing out clouds, looking angry.

Li Yan smiled: "Grandpa, what's wrong again?"

The old man frowned and cursed: "That dog thing Li Laoshuan cheated at chess; a thing that can't even eat a few dishes in a lifetime!"

Li Yan laughed upon hearing this: "Calm down, go settle the score with him tomorrow."

This group of old men playing chess, what's hard isn't the level, it's the mouth.

It doesn't matter if you lose the game; losing the argument is what makes you angry.

However, isn't it a good thing.

Ever since the Yansheng technique in the plaque was broken, his grandfather Li Gui had undergone visible changes, no longer sulking all day, seemingly having let go of many things.

Either playing chess with the old men in the village, or fishing in the West Small River, and even clamoring to go to Changancheng to listen to operas.

Seeing the old man like this, Li Yan was happy from the bottom of his heart, but at the same time, he felt more hatred toward the person who cast the curse and developed a killing intent.

Living two lives, he had never been the type to suffer in silence.

And on the way back, he also pondered some things.

Logically, his father was also an old hand in the martial world and couldn't have been unaware of these things about the Mystic Sect, but he taught everything else, yet seemed to intentionally hide this point.

Could it be that his father, Li Hu, was also investigating in secret?

But it didn't seem like it; if he knew that someone was secretly casting a curse at home, how could his father let that plaque hang at the door?

And his cause of death; he didn't feel it before, but now the more he thinks about it, the more suspicious it is...

Thinking of this, Li Yan's heart stirred, and he looked at Li Gui, squatting down and asking with a smile: "Grandpa, who exactly did you offend back then?"

Li Gui raised his white eyebrows, "Why ask this?"

Li Yan laughed: "Just curious, besides, if it weren't for this person, I might have been able to be some kind of yamen official, and when I'm unhappy, I'd have a reason to curse."

"Fart of a yamen official!"

Li Gui cursed while smoking: "You're just destined to dig for food in the dirt, don't think about those things. It's been so many years, do you still want to take action?"

"Besides, that person is already dead."

"Dead?!"

(End of chapter)