Chapter 127

"Uncle-Master was a very humorous person."

On the mountain path, Yulinzi had some sorrow in his eyes, "He was always very fond of laughing, very fond of making Patriarch angry, and had a talent for astrology."

"He went down the mountain later and never returned; he didn't appear even when Patriarch ascended, and we all thought he had met with disaster."

"This... please accept my condolences."

Li Yan was somewhat speechless, not knowing what to say.

The other party could be considered to have helped him, but he turned around and arrested the person's Uncle-Master's soul; although he had become an evil spirit, that was a Grotto-Heaven precious burial site, and who knew if there would be a turning point in the future...

Seeing this, Yulinzi sighed slightly and shook his head, "It has nothing to do with you; this method itself is a taboo, and even if he wasn't arrested by the False False Yin Si, if the sect discovered it, he would be subjected to the punishment of thunder."

As he spoke, he hesitated for a moment, and his expression became solemn, "There is one more thing; it was originally a secret of the Mystic Sect, but you are a living Yin official, and you will come into contact with it sooner or later, so it's better to know early to be prepared."

"Do you have any understanding of the Immortality Sect?"

Li Yan nodded and said, "I know a little; they were prevalent during the Qin Han Dynasties, helping the First Emperor search for the art of immortality everywhere."

Yulinzi said in a deep voice, "In fact, it was even earlier."

"During the ancient Zhou Dynasty, there were alchemists serving emperors; for example, when King Ling of Zhou was on the throne, there was the great alchemist Chang Hong, who understood Yin-Yang and knew ghosts and gods, leaving his name in history..."

"The 'Huang Di's Inner Canon' has ancient true men, medieval perfect men, and then sages and virtuous men; it was alchemists who borrowed the words of the Huang Di to speak. They have always been pursuing the art of immortality."

Li Yan was dumbfounded, "Isn't immortality a delusion? There are many emperors throughout history who pursued this art, but it was ultimately just a dream."

"No, they had results!"

Yulinzi's words made Li Yan shudder.

"The ancient Zhou destroyed the Shang, the Great War of the Investiture of the Gods, although it wasn't like the folk plays, it was also a great war of the Mystic Sect that shook the world; King Zhou of Zhou also burned Zhaoge, destroyed the Yin capital, cleared out the stubborn people, destroyed the Shang tombs, and established the Zhou rites..."

"Many records of that era were deliberately erased, so much so that the current Mystic Sect classics are not recorded in detail, but one thing was clearly recorded."

"A secret group of alchemists, they have always been excavating the ruins of the ancient Investiture of the Gods Great War, and they actually found many secret arts, compiling them into volumes, calling them the 'Immortality Immortal Treasury'!"

Li Yan felt his lips go a bit dry, "They succeeded?"

Yulinzi shook his head, "Succeeded? Perhaps, but there was more turmoil; the Qin and Han Immortality Sect were once extremely prosperous, and later they were wiped out, but this 'Immortality Immortal Treasury' was secretly spread."

"Among the 'Immortality Immortal Treasury', there are seventy-two immortality arts, but the means are all cruel and poisonous, and they require blood sacrifices to offer to the seventy-two road demon masters; they use this to continue their lives, and they are also the Yin criminals of your False False Yin Si."

"The evil method my Uncle-Master practiced is called the Altar God Immortality Art, offering to the demon god Gong Yeqiu, who is rumored to be a spirit from the Great War of the Investiture of the Gods..."

Li Yan suddenly remembered the Maitreya Sect incense master he saw in the mass grave, who was covered in fat and also practiced the Immortality Sect secret art, and hurriedly inquired.

"That's right, it is too."

Yulinzi nodded, "The specific name of that immortality secret art is unknown to anyone, but the one offered to should be an evil god called 'Zhu Corpse'."

"Is it also a remnant of the Investiture of the Gods war?"

"I don't know about that; the era is too ancient, and even this 'Immortality Immortal Treasury' is not complete. When people in the world learn to practice it, it often leaves disasters for one side."

"This time, it was suppressed by the Patriarch Altar ritual artifact by Master, directly scattering his cultivation; if you encounter this kind of thing again, you must be careful!"

"Thank you, senior."

Li Yan hurriedly bowed to thank him.

"Immortality Immortal Treasury," immortality secret arts, Investiture of the Gods Great War, demon gods... Good fellow, the Mystic Sect actually hides such secrets!

If not for Yulinzi's reminder, who knows which mission he would have met with disaster in...

…………

This Jia-Chen year, the snow came earlier than in previous years.

Once the winter solstice arrived, willow-catkin-like snow began to drift in the middle of the night; although it wasn't heavy, it was wrapped in cold wind and soon dyed the Guanzhong Plain white.

Ten-Mile Shop near Changancheng.

Yu Laohan Liang squatted in the courtyard early in the morning, facing the wind and snow, smoking a dirt tobacco pipe, his eyes not blinking as he looked at the porcelain bowl on the ground.

Water had been placed in the bowl last night, and after the cold of the whole night, it had long since frozen, with different patterns concave and convex on the surface.

The daughter-in-law came out of the house wearing an apron and asked, "Dad, how is it?"

Yu Laohan Liang slowly stood up, looking unfathomable, and nodded firmly, "Rest assured, next year will be a good harvest!"

This is a Guanzhong divination custom; put a bowl of water the day before the winter solstice, observe the patterns on the ice surface the next day, and use it to divine the harvest for the coming year.

The secret formula is passed down from generation to generation; whether it's useful or not, it doesn't matter, but no matter who asks, it will always be a good harvest; the more people who ask, the happier they are.

After all, no one will say discouraging words.

It can be considered the common people's simple expectation for favorable weather.

"That's good, that's good!"

The daughter-in-law said hurriedly, "Dad, the dumplings are ready; shall I serve them to your table?"

Yu Laohan Liang smiled, revealing a mouth full of missing teeth, "No, wait for Chun Sheng to come back from the city to eat together; by the way, serve two more bowls, I'll send them to Tiger Girl's family."

"They are all children, and Tiger Girl isn't often at home; as fellow villagers, we have to look after them."

"Okay!"

The daughter-in-law hurried into the kitchen to get busy.

Before long, she carried out a large food box.

The food box was woven from bamboo; although it was old and yellowed, it was cleaned spotlessly, and both the upper and lower layers could hold a large bowl.

Yu Laohan Liang tucked his tobacco pipe into his collar, hummed a little tune, carried the food box, and walked toward the east entrance of the village, greeting everyone he met.

"Old Uncle Liang, how is it?"

"Good harvest, good harvest!"

"Old San, how is it?"

"That goes without saying, definitely a good harvest!"

Arriving at the east entrance of the village, a large mansion came into view.

The mansion was not luxurious, just ordinary adobe walls, with trees planted in front and behind the house; they were quite old, tall and dense, just enough to block the courtyard.

Snort!

At the hitching post at the door, several horses snorted.

Tiger Girl is back?

And there are guests?

Seeing this, Yu Laohan Liang couldn't help but hesitate.

Although Tiger Girl had been watched by him as she grew up, she was a famous capable person in the village; whether it was encountering evil, or running into a swindler in Changancheng, one could find Tiger Girl to solve it.

Yu Laohan Liang thought to himself, should he go home and get some more.

Creak~

Just at this moment, the courtyard gate suddenly opened, and the monster catcher Red Yecha walked out of the courtyard, smiling, "Old Uncle Liang, why don't you come in and sit for a while?"

"No, no, you have guests."

Yu Laohan Liang hurriedly handed the food box over, "It's the winter solstice, homemade, not anything good, let the children taste a bit."

"Sorry to trouble you."

"Hey, as fellow villagers, why be so polite."

Seeing Red Yecha accept it, Yu Laohan Liang seemed to have put down a worry, turned around humming a little tune, and gradually walked away in the wind and snow.

Red Yecha shook her head and smiled, carrying the food box into the courtyard.

"Red Sister, another one came?"

At the square table under the eaves of the main hall, Sha Lifei had a mouthful of wine and a mouthful of dumplings, eating until he was sweating all over, and clicked his tongue, "This hundred-family dumpling, this is the first time I've eaten it; Sister, let me taste what filling this is..."

"That's enough, that's enough!"

Li Yan said speechlessly opposite, "You really don't treat yourself as an outsider."

"Why am I an outsider?"

Sha Lifei shouted, "Red Sister and I are life-and-death friends; no, today we must burn yellow paper, chop off a chicken head..."

There were quite a few children in the courtyard, sitting at another table eating dumplings; listening to this bald head talking nonsense, they all secretly giggled.

Red Yecha also smiled, "It's fine, eat as much as you want, I'm just afraid you won't be able to finish." As she spoke, she placed the food box on the main hall table.

It was already densely packed with food boxes.

Li Yan praised, "Red Sister's popularity is really something; it's much stronger than mine back then."

"More than just strong, it's not the same thing at all!"

Sha Lifei immediately exposed his shortcomings, "The 'Ghost-Fearing' of Li Family Fort, the reputation stinks for three miles against the wind; when you left, the neighbors were probably setting off firecrackers."

The children behind giggled, and a smile also appeared on Red Yecha's face, "My lineage has lived in Ten-Mile Shop for generations; when Master was alive, whenever the villagers encountered trouble, they would always help out; anyway, I never counted on making money from them."

"Blessing the neighbors will surely bring great luck."

Wang Fu drank a little wine, his eyes full of appreciation.

After coming down from Mount Taibai, Red Yecha originally wanted to leave alone, but Sha Lifei stubbornly clung to her, calling her Red Sister affectionately.

Red Yecha couldn't refuse, so she had to travel with the group.

Along the way, both sides became increasingly familiar.

!.

This Red Yecha was famous for her ferocity and was cold and indifferent, but in reality, it was all a disguise; after all, a woman traveling alone in the martial world always needed to be more guarded.

But after getting familiar, one would find that this woman was open and magnanimous, and she soon became friends with Li Yan and the others.

Li Yan and the other two originally wanted to go directly to Chang'an, but after arriving at Ten-Mile Shop, they happened to catch the winter solstice, so Red Yecha pulled the three to be guests at her home.

A meal of dumplings was eaten in a lively manner.

Just after putting down the bowls, children ran over to clean up.

The small ones washed bowls and wiped tables, the big ones served tea and water, doing things in an orderly manner and being very polite, which made Li Yan and the other two sigh in admiration.

In Red Yecha's eyes, there was also full pride and kindness.

It could be seen that she had put all her heart into this group of disciples.

Sha Lifei's eyes rolled, and he said, "Red Sister, if you have anything, don't carry it alone; we will be mixing in this Changancheng from now on, just give us a shout if you have anything."

"Alright." Red Yecha also agreed very straightforwardly.

Some jobs really couldn't be done by one person; as she grew older over the years, she really felt somewhat powerless.

If there was a helper when encountering trouble, it didn't matter if she earned a little less.

After all, these children couldn't leave her.

Thinking of this, Red Yecha asked, "Chang'an is a place where it's hard to live; the houses there are really not cheap; do you have a place to stay?"

"Stay in an inn first, then look slowly," Sha Lifei said happily, "Although we suffered on Mount Taibai, we also saved a large sum; if there is a suitable courtyard, we can get one."

Li Yan pondered for a while and said, "Red Sister, you are familiar with the ways of Changancheng; do you know any famous masters who are proficient in Pi-Gua and accept disciples from outside?"

This was the reason he was in such a hurry to come to Chang'an.

Firstly, the imperial court would strictly restrict sorcerers in the future, and the Daoist certificate definitely couldn't be delayed any longer; he had to find Luo Mingzi early to get it.

Secondly, he was now at the first floor of Daoist cultivation, had the "Beidi Scripture" for techniques, and had obtained the False False Yin Si divine ability Soul-Snatching Chain; even compared to the disciples of the Orthodox Mystic Sect, he was not inferior at all.

Only this martial arts skill was holding him back.

After all, he was not a mage of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect, who had the imperial court's army guarding them when handling affairs, and many experts taking the field when setting up the altar; he only needed to study ritual techniques.

The martial world was dangerous; Chen Fagui, You Lao-Si, which one wasn't at the second floor of Daoist cultivation? They all died because they didn't understand martial arts and were killed as soon as they were approached.

Li Yan didn't dare to neglect martial arts at all.

According to his previous plan, he would learn Pi-Gua Palm, and then combine it with Red Fist and Cannon Fist, which were agile yet domineering, just right to match his Great Cloud Thunder Sound.

Moreover, it would also be beneficial for his future cultivation of the "Beidi Yin Thunder Hand."

"Pi-Gua famous master..."

Red Yecha pondered for a while, "In Changancheng, there are quite a few Pi-Gua famous masters, but you know the rules of the martial arts world; once you enter, you can't avoid all kinds of entanglements of grudges."

"We walk the path of the Mystic Sect, which has the highest status in the martial world, but it's hard to avoid those with evil intentions who want to use your strength to seek wealth; it's best to keep a distance from them."

"There is one in Lanling Ward, surnamed Li, named Shiqing; he is a senior of the Daoist Medical Sect and also a famous doctor in Chang'an; he is proficient in Pi-Gua, and his martial arts have already entered the realm of hidden strength."

"A senior of the Daoist Medical Sect?"

Li Yan's eyes lit up, "Red Sister, can you help introduce me?"

Red Yecha said somewhat embarrassedly, "I also got to know this senior when I was healing injuries, and only after we got familiar did I know his martial arts were extraordinary."

"But this senior is very busy with many patients on weekdays, and I don't know his intentions; I can help introduce you, but if it doesn't work out, don't blame me."

Li Yan smiled, "Red Sister is joking; I am very grateful for your help in introducing me; whether it works out or not depends on fate..."

…………

Early the next morning, the group arrived outside Changancheng.

This ancient capital of a thousand years was most prosperous during the Tang Dynasty and once had 108 wards, but after countless wars, it no longer had its past glory.

For example, the Taiji Palace and Great Ming Palace were still ruins, and the Chang'an Prince's Mansion of the Great Xuan Dynasty was located in the original Xingqing Palace.

The wards in the city that were still intact only numbered seventy or eighty, and the layout was already chaotic, with some wards merged together, large and small, far from the standards of the Tang Dynasty.

But as the capital of Shanzhou Prefecture, it was still prosperous.

Goods from the north would be concentrated in Chang'an, then pass through mule and horse merchant teams to water and land wharves like Manchuan Pass, and be transported to the south.

Goods from the south would also arrive in Chang'an and be distributed to various places.

When Red Yecha and the three arrived, the sky was still dim, and the snow had stopped for a night, but it began to drift again in the early morning.

In the wind and snow, the queue waiting to enter the city was a full few miles long, with mules and horses neighing and people clamoring.

Li Yan and his group were not in a hurry and waited in line obediently.

The conversations of passersby in front and behind were heard from time to time.

"Have you heard? The Prince's Mansion is going to hold a winter poetry gathering."

"That's the business of the masters; why are you, a mud-legged person, worrying about it?"

"You don't know anything; the Prince of Chang'an loves delicacies, which is well-known; I heard this time they are collecting mountain treasures and seafood from outside, as long as it's a rare item, there will be a reward if you send it over..."

"Is there such a thing? Let me think..."

"Brother Lu, making a fortune this year?"

"Making a fart; I'm worried about how to pay back the silver for the incense kitchen..."

Sha Lifei listened with great interest and occasionally went up to chat with people.

Li Yan looked at Changancheng, lost in thought.

There was one thing he hadn't mentioned to the group.

His father, Li Hu, was indeed pitted by Zhou Pan back then, but the one who truly made a move was the Maitreya Sect monster.

If he found clues, this grudge would inevitably have to be settled.

Pitter-patter!

Just at this moment, the sound of horse hooves rang out from behind.

Li Yan sniffed and smelled a familiar scent, so he hurriedly turned his head.

Sure enough, a team of Commandant Office black cavalry rode over from the wind and snow, and the leader in front was none other than the former Xianyang constable Guan Wanche.

"Eh?"

Guan Wanche had a poisonous eye and was riding on horseback with a better view; he saw Li Yan in the crowd at a glance, pulled the reins to stop, and said in a deep voice, "Li Yan, you've come to Chang'an?"

As he spoke, without waiting for Li Yan to answer, he turned his head and said, "Sister, this is Li Hu's son."

You Guan Wanche!

Li Yan thought to himself that it was not good.

Looking up, sure enough, among the Commandant Office black cavalry, there was also a middle-aged Daoist nun, carrying a long bow on her back, looking over with cold eyes...

(End of chapter)