Chapter 156: Some Jianghu Affairs, Some Jianghu Resolved

The old man said, trembling as he rolled up his sleeve.

On his arm were large and small black spots.

Some of them had already turned necrotic.

Tiny worms wriggled in and out…

Li Yan sniffed, his suspicion deepening; he shook his head. "A demon bold enough to plague Chang'an wouldn't bother stealing your meager trade."

"There's likely more to this."

"Come, let's take you to meet someone first…"

…………

Lanling Alley, Renxin Hall.

Hei Dan's uncle sat stiffly on the stool, mouth puffed out, eyes fixed on Li Li Shiqing's expression.

Li Li Shiqing held an egg, rolling it over the wounds, occasionally pricking the worms with silver needles.

After half a stick of incense, he lifted the egg and cracked it into a nearby bowl—its yolk and white had turned into black sludge.

Countless white worms, the size of rice grains, writhed within the sludge.

Li Li Shiqing had already formed a theory but held back from declaring it, instead asking: "Does it taste fishy?"

Hei Dan's uncle shook his head.

"Hmm. Spit it out."

At once, the old man spat out what he'd been holding in his mouth.

It was soaked raw soybeans—stinking of fish to any normal person, yet he tasted nothing.

Worse still, the soybeans he spat out had all turned black.

"This is a gu."

Li Li Shiqing shook his head. "Though 'curse' and 'gu' are often mentioned together, they are two distinct things—not evil spells."

"Oh?"

Li Yan grew interested. "Could you enlighten us, Master?"

Li Li Shiqing nodded. "'Curse' originally meant ' Zhou,' also ' Zhu.' The Book of Changes says: 'Dui represents the mouth and the shaman.' In oracle bone script, it signifies prayer to the gods—thus, it draws upon spiritual power through spoken incantations…"

"As for gu, it's even clearer: insects in vessels, derived from pictographic oracle bones, ancient in origin, flourishing in Shang and Zhou…"

"Damn scoundrels!"

Hearing their conversation, Hei Dan's uncle realized he'd been tricked—his face flushed crimson, teeth clenched tight.

Li Yan chuckled. "Why rush? This is a trick of Some Jianghu swindlers. Your shop has surely been transferred already, and all paperwork is in order—even if you took it to the authorities, you'd get nowhere. Only Some Jianghu methods can resolve this."

"First, remove the gu."

"Master Li, what kind of gu is this? Can it be cured?"

Li Li Shiqing stroked his beard and smiled. "Easy enough."

"This is ordinary maggot gu. It's made from maggots taken from a dead woman's corpse, sealed in a jar, buried deep underground, and fed daily with pig, sheep, or cow blood—within ten days, it's complete. A beginner's gu."

"The opponent still held back, didn't go too far. If I'm right, as long as we find them, this matter can be settled on the spot."

Li Yan instantly understood. "It's the Bee Gate!"

Hei Dan's uncle, bewildered, felt a sudden unease. "Young Master Li, Doctor Li—what's going on?"

As previously mentioned, he was half a Some Jianghu person.

After being expelled from the shadow puppet troupe, he didn't linger in the Some Jianghu; instead, he came to Chang'an, worked quietly, and saved up.

Though he knew some Xuanmen people, they were honest merchants—he knew little of Some Jianghu ways.

Seeing Hei Dan also looked confused, Li Yan shook his head slightly and explained with a smile: "In this line of swindling, there are only four types: Bee, Hemp, Swallow, and Sparrow."

"Hemp refers to lone swindlers, often posing as monks or Daoists, roaming the land; once they succeed, they vanish without a trace."

"Swallow uses beauty to deceive—no need to explain."

"The remaining two are Bee and Sparrow."

"Both operate in gangs, each with assigned roles. The only difference: one wants only money, the other wants your life."

"Your case? Bee Gate. They always leave an escape route—if you spot them and find them, they'll return what they took. If you don't, you're out of luck."

"Hmm. One more thing."

Beside him, Li Li Shiqing also stroked his beard and smiled. "Since ancient times, gu has caused countless major cases. Every dynasty has had laws against it—almost always execution after autumn."

"If they used gu, and you find them, you not only recover your property but also get a hush money payment."

"I don't want hush money!"

Hei Dan's uncle grew more bitter. "I just want to report them to the authorities and lock them all up!"

Li Yan thought a moment, then nodded. "Fine. But that makes things more complicated—you'll have to prepare for their retaliation."

Hei Dan's uncle froze. "They'd dare retaliate?"

"Why not…"

Li Yan chuckled. "These people target the wealthy—even officials. They've absorbed Some Jianghu customs; the law is just a shackle to them."

"If we follow Some Jianghu rules, it's simple: find them, get everything back. If they break the rules, kill them—no one from the Bee Gate will blink."

"If we follow imperial law, find them, report secretly to the authorities, and charge them with witchcraft—enough for a death sentence with reprieve."

"But then you've torn the veil. The rest of the Bee Gate will target you. You'll have to fight them repeatedly until you break them all."

"And you'll never get your business back."

"H-how can this be?"

Hei Dan's uncle couldn't accept it.

Li Yan shook his head. "This is Some Jianghu law. Ritual, righteousness, benevolence, wisdom, and trust are just pretense—there's no morality here, only strength and compromise."

"There are surely their people in the government—they'll warn them and let them escape. So we must plan carefully, gather more people to block their doors…"

Hei Dan's uncle hesitated. "Then… then forget it. I just want my things back. I can't endure this chaos."

Li Yan nodded slightly, unsurprised. The Bee Gate's scheme preyed precisely on this fear.

Ordinary people live peaceful lives—they don't want trouble. Besides, the swindlers leave an escape route: find them, and they return everything.

Thus, fewer and fewer seek justice through official channels.

Swindlers, thieves, assassins…

They've never vanished since ancient times.

In this world, some live by their own labor; many more live by draining others—impossible to eradicate.

He'd simply explained the truth. Since the victim wanted peace, he'd spare the trouble.

Removing the gu went smoothly.

This maggot gu doesn't kill—it's just stubborn and revolting. If done wrong, even if you cut out all the flesh, it still grows back.

Like athlete's foot—it just makes you suffer.

!.

The Bee Gate used this gu as a warning.

Maggot gu comes from corpse maggots. Li Li Shiqing first applied glutinous rice mixed with bitter nut powder, then used eggs to draw out the poison—over twenty eggs, back and forth—until the poison was fully purged.

Hei Dan's uncle's wound still festered, but the rot and worms were gone. After wrapping it in golden wound ointment, it would heal completely.

He bowed and thanked them endlessly before accompanying Li Yan out of the clinic.

Hei Dan's surname was Li; his full name was Li Heigai. His ancestors were military households relocated from Longyou; his uncle was Li Li Laogan.

Li Li Laogan's original leather shop was in Yongle Alley, located in the city's center—better than the commoner districts, but not as affluent as the northern wards.

Owning property there meant he'd done well.

They went to Yongle Alley.

Sure enough, the shop had been resold—multiple times—and now it was a hat and clothing store. The owner knew nothing of the past.

Li Yan wasn't in a hurry. He went to a nearby teahouse, spoke a few words to the brokers inside, then sat quietly with Hei Dan and his uncle.

"Young Master Li, you're looking for me?"

Soon, Zhao Jiu of the broker's office arrived, beaming with flattery, heart pounding.

He'd once guided Li Yan and others to Guodu Town, sensed something wrong, and fled. Later, he learned what had happened there.

Though secretly relieved, he feared Li Yan might seek revenge.

"I need a favor, Feng Feng Shixiong Zhao," Li Yan said, inviting him to sit and pouring tea, then recounting the story.

"Ah, I see…"

Zhao Jiu exhaled in relief, then shook his head. "Young Master Li, finding them through the broker's office won't work."

"First, the Bee Gate is cautious—they used multiple aliases during resale, and even the official transfer records are flawless."

"Second, brokers stepping in breaks Some Jianghu rules."

"Then… what should we do?"

Hei Dan's uncle, Li Li Laogan, grew anxious.

Zhao Jiu glanced at him, thoughtful. "If they know the details of your past, someone must have leaked it—perhaps someone you knew back then."

"How many people knew about that incident?"

Li Li Laogan paused, then nodded. "When my master expelled me, nearly all my fellow apprentices knew."

"Then that's it," Zhao Jiu clapped his hands and smiled. "Go ask about Liu's Gate. One of your old apprentices must have come to Chang'an."

Li Li Laogan found it hard to believe. "Impossible! My fellow apprentices were all close to me…"

"Hahaha."

Zhao Jiu's gaze was complex; he sneered, "Jealous of those with nothing, resentful of those who have something—Old Man, at your age, don't you understand the evil in men's hearts?"

Li Li Laogan stood frozen for a long while, then sighed softly, "The shadow puppet troupe came back then—right over in Pingkang Fang."

"My Master is gone, and my fellow disciples have fallen on hard times—I even visited them to offer aid…"

"Pingkang Fang?"

Li Yan chuckled, "I live right there."

…………

Pingkang Fang, Qingyuan Building.

Though this brothel couldn't match Huae Pavilion, it was still among the top in Pingkang Fang—large in size, with a pond and a pavilion built over the water behind it, where performances of opera and Liu Haihong never ceased.

Guests merely needed to open their windows to toss out tips.

Whether you wanted to hear or see anything, troupes were always ready—truly a den of extravagance.

"Li Li Shaoxia has arrived!"

Before he even drew near, the chief tea-pourer's eyes lit up, shouting loudly.

"Oh, Young Master Li, please come right up!"

"It's been ages since you've been here!"

The tea-pourer was overly enthusiastic, followed out by an old madam.

Li Yan's face darkened. "What nonsense are you spouting? I've never been to your place."

"Now you're saying that."

The madam's face beamed with delight. "First time's a stranger, second time's a friend—Zhao Wanfang has been waiting for you a long time."

Li Yan was speechless. "Who the hell is Zhao Wanfang?"

The madam looked wounded. "You say that? If Zhao Wanfang hears it, she'll be heartbroken…"

Li Yan quickly shook his head. "I don't know her."

Beside him, Hei Dan gaped, eyes full of awe.

"Big Feng Feng Shixiong Yan, this is really your turf…"

(End of Chapter)