Chapter 19: Divine Ability Transformation

Li Yan widened his eyes and rolled upright.

Just now, in his dream, his sense of smell had suddenly intensified—various scents flooded in, jolting him awake.

This had not happened for the first time.

That night he killed the Cold Altar bandit, when the substitute idol extinguished one life flame, his sense of smell had once risen—but not as noticeably as this time.

He could clearly distinguish the earthy stench, the fresh fragrance of wheat, the sour sweat of distant wheat harvesters, even the venomous odor of scorpions beneath the soil.

But stranger still was that sweet fragrance!

The substitute idol trembled in response, sending out a sense of longing.

The precious substitute idol he had acquired was clearly incomplete; much of its function remained only faintly perceptible, and it had taken him considerable time to understand its purpose.

Normally, it sat motionless within his dantian.

It only activated when triggering the injury-swap ability.

But this time, it had responded on its own.

Could there be some celestial treasure within, capable of repairing the substitute idol?

Thinking of this, Li Yan’s heart surged with excitement, his lips growing dry.

To defeat the Cold Altar bandit, the substitute idol had extinguished one life flame; though two remained, it was still incomplete.

Who wouldn’t wish for another life?

If something truly could repair the idol, what would he ever fear again?

He had come seeking the Dao, yet never expected such an unexpected gain.

Yet just as he prepared to approach the estate and investigate, the scent vanished abruptly.

At the same moment, torches flared to life within the Lu family estate, glaring brightly in the night, accompanied by clamorous voices and chaos.

Something happened?

Li Yan frowned slightly, gripping his blade’s hilt.

The commotion was unmistakable in the night—Sha Lifei jolted awake, snatched up his blade haphazardly, and ran over, “What’s going on? Are bandits smashing the granary?”

Li Yan shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Many others had also woken.

The Gansu old knife-man in his sheepskin coat, Shan Laoquan, frowned tightly. “Let’s go take a look. After all, they’re our employers—if trouble strikes, we can’t just sit idle.”

Saying this, several knife-men ordered the wheat harvesters not to wander off, then headed toward the Lu family mansion.

Li Yan’s heart stirred, and he followed closely behind.

When the group reached the Lu estate’s gate, they knocked for a long while before the estate steward emerged with a few guards, his expression calm. “What do you want?”

At these words, the knife-men froze.

Wasn’t that obvious nonsense?

The commotion was so loud, even a fool couldn’t miss it.

The Gansu knife-man Shan Laoquan narrowed his eyes, clasped his fists, and barked, “We heard the noise and came to check—has anything happened to your household?”

The Lu steward remained expressionless. “Nothing. A wild cat got in and made a ruckus. Thank you for your concern.”

“Tomorrow’s wheat harvest starts early. Please return to rest.”

“Good to hear.”

The Gansu old knife-man nodded, turned, and walked away.

The Lu family was certainly hiding something, but after years in the Jianghu, he had long learned to pretend deafness and blindness—as long as wages were paid on time, he had no interest in other people’s affairs.

After all, it was just the usual filth of a grand household.

The others naturally asked no further questions.

But just as the group prepared to leave, the Lu steward suddenly called out, “Brother Sha, wait a moment—I have a question for you.”

“Huh? What’s it?”

Sha Lifei blinked in confusion and turned to stop.

The others were startled but paid no mind.

Though Sha Lifei’s martial skill was mediocre, survival in the Jianghu relied not just on blades, but on thick skin, wit, and a glib tongue.

He had thick skin, quick wits, and a smooth mouth—he could force himself into anyone’s company, blabber nonsense, regardless of whether they liked him, just to get familiar.

Don’t underestimate this.

When trouble struck, people unfamiliar with the ways of the world often remembered first the face they knew.

A few questions, some idle chatter—even if no business was secured, he could still earn a fee as a runner or go-between.

For instance, this wheat harvest job? Sha Lifei had struck up a conversation on the road, hustled back and forth, and gotten to know the Lu steward.

The others quickly departed, but Li Yan turned and stayed, waiting.

He had a hunch the Lu steward had called Sha Lifei because of the earlier incident—perhaps he could find a way to sneak into the Lu estate.

He didn’t need to take anything, but at least he needed to identify what had triggered the substitute idol’s reaction—giving him a target for the future.

He waited a long while, until the hour of Yin, when the wheat harvesters had already begun work, before Sha Lifei finally emerged from the Lu estate, beaming.

“What happened?” Li Yan stepped forward, pulling him aside to whisper.

Sha Lifei hesitated. “Follow me—I’ll tell you on the way.”

“Where to?”

“Xianyang City!”

…………

“The Lu family needs a yin-yang master.”

Far from Gu Shui Village, Sha Lifei explained: “The Lu family’s eldest lady is dying—they want a true yin-yang master to select a burial site and arrange the funeral rites.”

“And they demand secrecy—no one must know. Don’t go blabbing.”

Li Yan was puzzled. “Funeral rites? And secrecy?”

Sha Lifei chuckled. “I’ve guessed a bit.”

“This Lu Squire, though originally from Guanzhong, has no clan left—he fled to the capital as a child, worked his whole life to build a fortune. Now that he’s returned to his roots, he barely associates with nearby wealthy families.”

!.

“His eldest lady is from the capital; she came with him to Guanzhong, probably driven ill by his womanizing, and has been bedridden for years, rarely seeing outsiders.”

“The Lu Squire is proud—he won’t let gossip spread.”

Li Yan frowned. “That still doesn’t make sense. Once someone’s dead, what’s there to hide? He can say whatever he wants—grand funeral, no one will argue.”

“Why do you care so much?”

Sha Lifei scratched his bald head. “It’s their family business—none of our concern. But I recommended Master Wang Dao, earned a runner’s reward, and just happened to find an excuse to introduce you.”

“An excuse? Aren’t you already close to him?”

“Well… well… even acquaintances have ranks… let’s go.”

Sha Lifei gave a forced laugh and hurried him along.

Li Yan shook his head slightly, unconcerned.

He had already guessed Sha Lifei lacked the influence to connect with Master Wang Dao—he’d have to use his own methods.

Right now, he wondered: was the Lu family’s strange behavior connected to that unknown treasure?

Sha Lifei had a horse and borrowed another from the Lu family when leaving.

Though Li Yan wasn’t skilled in riding, he didn’t lag behind—by dawn, the two had reached the outskirts of Xianyang City.

This world also had the Qin, and its era was far older.

Xianyang was the ancient capital of the early Qin, situated at the confluence of the Wei and Jing rivers, teeming with people, a melting pot of the Three Teachings and Nine Streams, with thriving land and water trade.

As they rode in, they saw countless boats crossing the Wei River, and beyond, the towering Qingwei Tower beside the ancient city.

The city gate was about to open; merchants and villagers from nearby hamlets had already gathered outside, forming a long line—shoulder poles, carts… voices clamoring, donkeys and horses neighing.

At the ferry, laborers had already begun unloading cargo.

They had come from the south of the city and needed to cross the Wei River to enter—but before reaching the ferry, Sha Lifei stopped, grinning. “Little Brother Yan, you’ll have to go into the city alone to find the man?”

Li Yan frowned. “Aren’t you coming in?”

Sha Lifei rubbed his bald head. “Didn’t we just clash with Meng Haicheng yesterday? My imposing look stands out in a crowd—too conspicuous. Their spies are everywhere; they’d spot me the moment I enter.”

“I’m not afraid—but I don’t want to mess up the mission.”

Li Yan snorted. “You’re good at ordering people around. Fine.”

He had already mentioned that entering the city required concealment—it was Zhou Pan’s territory—but Sha Lifei suddenly changed his mind, forcing Li Yan to go alone, clearly out of fear.

Sha Lifei’s thick skin didn’t care for Li Yan’s mockery—he grinned. “Little Brother Yan, you’re sharper than me, but I should give you a few pointers.”

He pointed to a large boat on the river.

“Xianyang is an ancient ferry port, a hub for the Three Teachings and Nine Streams—many Jianghu figures pass through. There are a few you absolutely must avoid.”

“That boat belongs to the Xianyang Cao Guild—they control the ferry, closely tied to the dock laborers’ guild and the Taixing Carting Guild’s Xianyang branch; all the riverboatmen are theirs…”

“Also, the Beggar’s Guild is in the city—their den is near the northern cemetery, a bit sinister; the street urchins are their eyes. You know their Jianghu tricks, Little Brother Yan—just stay alert…”

“Most crucial is the Divine Fist Society. Zhou Pan, that old monkey, may have a bad reputation in the Jianghu, but here in Xianyang, he’s a tyrant—he’s connected to the authorities, and the leaders of two local gang factions are his disciples.”

“But Zhou Pan lives near Flower Shop Street, while Master Wang Dao resides near the East Gate’s Chenghuang Temple—stay careful, you won’t run into him…”

Though Sha Lifei was slippery and unreliable, his information was sharp—he quickly laid out the power structure of Xianyang City.

Some Jianghu details were opaque to outsiders, but Li Yan’s family background gave him insight—he understood at once.

He tidied himself, donned a white tunic, smeared ash on his face, made a simple disguise, and headed toward the ferry wearing a straw hat.

Sha Lifei, meanwhile, led both horses into the nearby woods to wait.

Li Yan had originally paid it no mind; in his past life he had traveled far and wide, and in this life his father had taught him all kinds of martial world ways, plus he possessed formidable skills—he feared nothing while traversing the world.

Yet, as he neared the Wei River, his expression changed.

All manner of odors burst into his nostrils.

Among them were even a few strange, mystical scents…

(End of Chapter)