Chapter 194: Blood Case in the Ancient City

Li Yan opened his eyes abruptly on the bed.

He flipped up and stood, grabbing the Duanchen Blade as he walked to the window to peer through a crack.

He was no stranger to the sound of that gong.

In every prefecture and county of the Great Da Xuan Dynasty, night watchmen patrolled the streets, not only to announce the time but also to patrol and warn of danger.

Whether it was a fire, a thief, or a burglary, they would beat the gong to raise the alarm.

There was no fire in the city, so it must have been a crime.

Sure enough, torches soon lit up in the distance.

Through the hazy drizzle, torches flickered and voices clamored.

Walking the Some Jianghu, whether one was a merchant or a martial artist, one had to remain three parts vigilant, so many guests in the inn were startled awake.

Soon, a knock sounded at the door.

Li Yan opened it to find Sha Hearing Sha Lifei, still bleary-eyed.

"Is everything alright here?"

"It's fine. What happened?"

"I heard there was a murder in the city, and it's quite a commotion."

"Oh." Li Yan nodded, his expression calm. "Tell everyone not to meddle. It has nothing to do with us."

It wasn't that he was cold-hearted, but such things were too common.

This wasn't some remote village; a murder here was a major event.

Shipping hubs had always been rife with trouble.

Aside from Some Jianghu feuds, there were plenty of people who killed for money.

Such matters were for the authorities to handle.

As Some Jianghu travelers and Mystic Sect practitioners, getting involved would only invite suspicion; it was best to stay out of it.

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei was an old hand in the Some Jianghu and knew what to do. After briefing Lu San and Wang Fu, he returned to his room to rest without further ado.

Exhausted from the continuous travel, they were all tired, and with the persistent drizzle making travel difficult, they decided to rest properly.

They slept until mid-morning.

Upon waking, they were refreshed, but their stomachs were empty and aching.

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei immediately called for the inn waiter. "Ask around, is there any good breakfast around here?"

The waiter smiled broadly, gesturing enthusiastically. "Naturally, our local specialty is the Yunyang Three-in-One Soup."

"They say if you don't eat it once, you'll crave it. Judging by your accents, you're from Shanzhou. If you don't try it while you're here, it'd be a real loss."

"There's an old Wu shop in the east of the city; their Three-in-One Soup is the most famous in Shangjin. Usually, you'd have to queue, but since you've slept in, there shouldn't be many people left."

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei laughed. "You're quite the salesman. Since you've put it that way, we'll have to go try it."

Li Yan, who had always been a foodie, didn't object.

They left the inn and walked through the damp streets, arriving at the old Wu shop before long.

The shop faced the main street, with blue bricks, old tiles, and carved wooden doors. The door panels were covered in a thick patina, showing its age.

Before they even entered, the aroma hit them.

Li Yan nodded in satisfaction. Though it was a humble eatery, it was at least clean.

There was a saying in the Mystic Sect that most people with a "nose for the divine" were clean freaks.

He was the same; his keen sense of smell meant that even the smallest hidden corners couldn't escape him.

If there were any filth, mold, or stench, he would find it unbearable and turn away immediately.

This shop was very clean.

Wang Fu, however, frowned. He looked at a depression at the base of the wall opposite them and, seeing traces of incense ash, nudged Li Yan's sleeve and gave him a look.

Li Yan understood immediately.

This shop likely practiced some form of veneration.

In the Mystic Sect, whether venerating immortals, raising Gu, or keeping ghosts, a clean environment was required to keep impure energies at bay.

Otherwise, over time, the venerated entity would be affected.

Raising Gu or ghosts wasn't rare; many Mystic Sect lineages practiced it, but the imperial court strictly forbade the common folk from raising or releasing Gu, and Mystic Sect practitioners were not allowed to teach such methods to the public.

This, of course, had historical reasons.

This shop was a business in a shipping hub, frequented by Some Jianghu travelers and Mystic Sect practitioners.

Being so blatant meant it couldn't be hidden from experts.

There was only one possibility: they were venerating a household deity.

The custom of venerating household deities existed in both the north and south; they were essentially household guardian spirits, not ghosts, but a small, localized formation of divine energy.

Of course, it wasn't easy to cultivate one with true spirituality.

The true method of venerating a household deity required adherence to precepts.

Both Buddhism and Daoism had such methods; for instance, the Great Da Xuan Orthodox Sect required the observance of special precepts—the Cave Divinity Precepts, the Three Altars Precepts, the Precepts against Killing, the Middle-Pole Precepts...

There were many types, and the stricter the discipline, the more powerful the method.

In Buddhism, the Vinaya School placed great importance on the transmission of precepts.

Venerating a household deity was known as "Family Rules and Family Style."

If the family atmosphere was corrupt and the people lacked kindness, even if they observed the precepts, evil thoughts would arise, and the entity they venerated would end up harming people instead.

This shop had already reached a certain scale, suggesting they conducted their business honestly.

And they must have had guidance from a Mystic Sect practitioner.

Sure enough, there was a small shrine in the back room, with dim candlelight and curling incense smoke. The spirit tablet bore the words "Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Kin, and Teacher."

The tablet was darkened by years of incense smoke, showing its age, but it was kept very clean, indicating frequent care.

An old woman was praying with her hands clasped before the altar.

As Li Yan and the others crossed the threshold, the incense tip flickered and burned intensely, shortening by three inches in the blink of an eye.

The old woman praying changed expression, hurried to the front hall, and seeing Li Yan and the others, she looked wary and bowed cautiously. "What brings you guests here?"

After his cultivation improved, Li Yan's senses had sharpened. Based on the changes in scent, the situation in the shop couldn't be hidden from him.

Knowing the household deity was giving a warning, he smiled and shook his head. "Don't be afraid, shopkeeper. We are just passing through and heard the Wu family's old shop makes excellent Three-in-One Soup, so we came to try it."

"It's just the neighbors supporting us..."

The old woman replied politely, her wariness not yet dissipated, and hurried to the kitchen to prepare the food herself with two assistants.

Soon, the steaming Three-in-One Soup was served.

Li Yan took a look; the soup contained vermicelli, beef dumplings, and slices of braised beef, topped with plenty of scallions and dried chili, making his appetite soar.

"Truly excellent!"

He took a few sips and found the soup delicious and savory. The medicinal herbs added to ward off the cold and refresh the spirit made it even better.

While northern and southern haute cuisine were refined, these local snacks had a more authentic human touch.

Seeing the old woman was still afraid, Li Yan sighed and decided to be direct. "Don't worry, we are practitioners of the Orthodox Sect and mean no harm. You must have had guidance for this method, right?"

He had already seen that the old woman was just an ordinary person.

Venerating a household deity relied entirely on strictly following taboos.

Perhaps it was because he saw his gentle demeanor that the old woman felt slightly more at ease. She nodded. "It was taught by an immortal master passing through Yunyang Prefecture."

"Back then, my father was running the shop. Because we were honest in our business, we gained some fame, and someone grew jealous and used Gu to try and steal the shop, but fortunately, that immortal master discovered it and saved us."

"He passed down this method so that we, a widow and orphan, would have some protection."

Li Yan smiled and said no more.

To be honest, such behavior was hard to judge.

Passing true methods to ordinary people was risky; if they broke the taboos—for instance, if their descendants committed crimes or harbored evil intentions—disaster would likely follow.

Ruining the feng shui of the house was the least of it; it could easily lead to loss of life. Wang Fu had handled such cases before. However, it was rare for this old woman to venerate the deity so effectively; after all, the human heart was too fickle.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside.

A squad of soldiers carrying long spears ran through the rain, going door-to-door to investigate.

"Have you seen any strangers recently?"

"Where were you last night!"

Shouts rang out, accompanied by the sound of shattering pottery and pleas for mercy.

The old woman hesitated, then leaned in to whisper a warning: "Last night, the wealthy Mr. Hu of Shangjin City was wiped out, and all his wealth was stolen. This matter is not..."

Before she could finish, three soldiers walked into the shop.

Shangjin Town was a shipping hub and was also designated as a county-level town.

It not only had a county magistrate's office but also a small garrison of about three hundred soldiers.

!.

The leading corporal recognized the shop owner and nodded slightly. "Don't be afraid, Wu Dehai."

He then looked at Li Yan and the others, his eyes full of vigilance. "Who are you people?"

Before he could finish, a soldier hurried up and whispered in his ear—it was the same soldier who had been at the gate the day before when they met Li Yan.

Hearing they were Mystic Sect practitioners, the corporal's pupils contracted, but he gritted his teeth and asked, "Where were you last night?"

Li Yan replied directly, "We were resting at the inn last night. The owner of the Xiangfu Inn can testify."

The corporal fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Something happened in the city. You'd best not leave at will for the next two days."

With that, he led his men away.

Watching their backs, Sha Hearing Sha Lifei said speechlessly, "It's just a murder case. What does it have to do with us!"

"Don't blame the guests," the shop owner, Wu Dehai, suddenly said. "That Mr. Hu was not simple; he was not only the richest man in Shangjin but also had connections to the Yunyang Prefecture officials."

"With such a big case, everyone from the county magistrate to the garrison is in trouble. You'd best not provoke them."

"Thank you."

Li Yan and Sha Hearing Sha Lifei exchanged a look, both understanding what the shop owner meant.

Back at the inn, Sha Hearing Sha Lifei cursed, "Judging by the shop owner's words, the county magistrate and the garrison here are not upright. They might be desperate to close the case and find scapegoats. What if they come after us?"

It was no wonder they were vigilant; such things happened often.

Some Jianghu travelers walked the line between light and dark; while there were those who upheld justice, there were far more who engaged in deception, murder, and robbery.

People in plays might praise Some Jianghu heroes, but in reality, ordinary folk avoided them like the plague.

The authorities were the same; when faced with major cases they couldn't solve, they would often arrest Some Jianghu travelers to fill the quota.

Before he could finish, Li Yan gestured for him to stop, sensing someone approaching.

Knock, knock, knock!

Sure enough, there was a knock at the door.

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei opened it to find an official standing there, dressed in green robes and a black hat, followed by two constables.

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei's head began to ache, and he said gloomily, "Last night's business has nothing to do with us! You've got the wrong people!"

"Don't misunderstand, guests."

The green-robed official was thin with a goatee. He bowed slightly and said, "I am Guo Lu Qing, the county magistrate here. I heard you are Orthodox Sect practitioners from Shanzhou and have come to pay my respects."

"You must have heard the rumors about last night's case. There are some strange aspects to it, and I would like to ask for your help to see if someone used evil arts to harm people."

Li Yan frowned. "Aren't there temples in the city?"

Shangjin City wasn't large. While it didn't have a City God Temple, it did have a Earth God Temple and a Buddhist temple, which could be seen through the window.

The magistrate looked helpless. "The practitioners in the city have already looked, but they lack the ability and couldn't see anything."

"Please help us. If you find anything, the imperial court will surely reward you handsomely!"

If it was just a matter of taking a look, it wouldn't be a problem.

Since the county magistrate had personally come to ask, Li Yan and the others couldn't refuse, so they followed him to a large residence outside the city.

The entire alley had been sealed off, and curious onlookers were blocked outside, stretching their necks and whispering.

"Move aside, move aside, all of you!"

With a few shouts from the soldiers, the crowd dispersed.

"Please, come in."

Magistrate Guo invited Li Yan and the others inside.

The onlookers behind them whispered.

"Look, another one."

"They look like strangers, outsiders, right?"

"Even Master Monk Kuxin couldn't do anything; what could they possibly see!"

Li Yan and the others didn't care and followed Magistrate Guo into the mansion.

As soon as they entered, they grew solemn.

The courtyard was covered in blood, which was being washed away by the drizzle, flowing everywhere.

In the main hall, over twenty bodies were laid out neatly, covered in white cloth—some large, some small.

The smallest one, judging by its silhouette, was still an infant in swaddling clothes.

"Damn, that's ruthless!"

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei cursed, "Even in the Some Jianghu, there are rules when it comes to robbery. Those who wipe out entire families are shunned everywhere."

"Even infants weren't spared; it must be some passing bandit!"

"This was not done by others."

Magistrate Guo shook his head slightly, looking at them solemnly. "Everyone was killed by Mr. Hu himself. The night watchman discovered something was wrong and raised the alarm."

"We have verified it; Mr. Hu killed his whole family and then slit his own throat in the courtyard. It was only later that someone snuck into the mansion and looted the wealth, which is why we suspect someone used evil arts to harm them."

Li Yan and the others exchanged a look.

Hearing this, there were indeed many suspicious points.

Li Yan sniffed, carefully identifying the scents in the mansion.

Aside from the smell of blood, the scents here were exceptionally chaotic, and with yesterday's rain, any scent left by the thieves had already dissipated.

More importantly, he didn't smell anything unusual.

He turned to look at Wang Fu and shook his head slightly.

Wang Fu understood immediately. He stepped forward, lifted the white cloth from a few bodies, took out a talisman from his robes, chanted a spell to collect the residual energy, and then pulled out another talisman and touched it to Mr. Hu's forehead.

Finally, he burned them all, mixed the ashes into a bowl of water, dipped his finger in, tasted it, and shook his head.

"There are indeed no traces of evil arts."

"Is that so?"

Magistrate Guo frowned, a flash of disappointment in his eyes.

Li Yan and the others saw this and immediately understood what he was after.

If this had been a case of evil arts, they could have shifted much of the responsibility.

After all, if it involved the Mystic Sect, the Shangjin authorities' failure to detect it would just be a matter of capability, but if it were Some Jianghu bandits sneaking in to commit the crime...

Then they wouldn't be able to dodge the blame.

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei chuckled and shook his head. "Magistrate Guo, my apologies. We are just traveling practitioners; we're really not good at investigating cases."

Saying this, he prepared to leave.

Li Yan didn't know how to investigate either. While he despised the cruelty of the killer, the rain had washed away the clues, and he truly couldn't help. He bowed and turned to leave.

But just then, the tally in his robes grew burning hot.

Following that, thick fog rose around them, and Li Yan was stunned.

This is... a job?

(End of chapter)