Chapter 220: The Chenghuangmiao

"What's happened?"

Li Yan frowned slightly and couldn't help asking.

The Chenghuangmiao is no ordinary place—it's where the Sheling troops are stationed, the very site of Da Da Xuan's state sacrifices.

Across all provinces, even in Yuezhou, where the Daoist lineages are most flourishing, the Chenghuangmiao still serves as the locus of local suppression, though the sacred caves and blessed lands fall under lineage control.

He simultaneously formed the Yang Seal, his expression changing slightly.

The incense smoke within the Chenghuangmiao had grown chaotic.

The divine aura within gave him the sense that it was inferior even to small towns they'd passed through, let alone Chang'an or Yunyang!

This is a warfront—could the Chenghuangmiao have been damaged?

Yu Feng Lingzi's face grew awkward. "This… it's a long story. Let's settle you in first."

Li Yan and the others exchanged glances, silently on guard.

The inn was nearby, just one street away from the Chenghuangmiao.

Any inn in Shenzhou that could afford to open in such a prime location would be of high quality; those large dormitory-style stables were always on the city's outskirts.

It was a grand three-court inn, all two-story buildings, built with blue bricks and ancient tiles, carved wooden beams, exuding an old-fashioned charm.

Above the entrance, a massive sign bore the four characters: "Changfeng Inn."

At the entrance, bustling in and out, were not only wealthy merchants in fine attire but also many officials in official robes, even a battalion commander from the military.

Li Yan saw this and immediately frowned.

This inn must be connected to the yamen; people from the martial arts world usually avoided staying at such places.

Different paths lead to quarrels—and quarrels bring trouble.

"Rest easy."

Seeing their unease, Yu Feng Lingzi smiled and whispered, "I've registered you under the name of the Tai Da Xuan Zheng Jiao. No one will bother you."

"Besides, in present-day Unlike Yichang, this inn is the safest…"

"Oh?"

Li Yan sensed there was more to his words and said no more.

Inn staff at places that serve imperial officials are sharp-eyed; they dress neatly, and before the group even stepped through the door, they rushed forward to greet them.

"Master Daoist, your rooms are ready."

"As you instructed, a full banquet has been prepared."

"Please follow me."

The young waiter, beaming with eagerness, led them to the back courtyard.

The layout was uniquely refined: in the center stood a rock garden with flower pools and several towering trees; surrounding it were two-story pavilions. Though not private courtyards, they felt elegant and tranquil.

Beside the rock garden stood a small pavilion, where several officials sipped tea and chatted. Though they appeared relaxed, their expressions were grave.

Upon seeing the newcomers, they immediately fell silent and gave Yu Feng Lingzi a slight bow—clearly they knew each other.

Yu Feng Lingzi clearly knew their situation well; he directly booked four connected rooms.

The rooms weren't large, but they were clean and tidy—only slightly inferior to the Jiangzhe Merchants' Guild quarters in Yunyang.

No sooner had they set down their luggage than someone unfolded a round table and laid out the feast: eight cold and eight hot dishes, assorted pastries, and a pot of aged yellow wine—all exquisitely arranged.

"Please enjoy."

The waiter smiled. "If you need hot water, just call out—someone will bring it."

With that, he carefully closed the door and left.

"Come, come, please."

After sitting down, Yu Feng Lingzi immediately raised a cup, smiling broadly. "You've traveled far—your journey has been arduous. Drink this cup in full."

"Thank you, Elder."

After exchanging a few polite phrases, Li Yan set aside his chopsticks and bowed directly. "We're merely obscure figures. Your generosity overwhelms us—we feel uneasy. If you have a request, please speak plainly."

"You flatter us."

Yu Feng Lingzi shook his head slightly. "Your names are well known now. 'Iron Corpse' Nong Da and the demon monk Gamā both fell to you—few could accomplish that."

Li Yan blinked. "Who are they?"

Yu Feng Lingzi paused, then stroked his beard and burst into laughter. "If those two knew they died at the hands of Li Li Shaoxia and were still called 'obscure figures,' they'd rage so hard their coffin lids wouldn't hold."

"'Iron Corpse' Nong Da was the barbarian sorcerer you killed on Mount Qinglong Mountain—he was originally a corpse-driver from Xiangxi, later using corpse-driving as cover to ambush merchant caravans, wanted by the Enforcement Hall."

"He fled to the Jingchu mountains for refuge, allied with local outlaws and heretical sorcerers, and used his master's ancient corpse to commit several major crimes, earning a fearsome reputation."

"He joined the Tian Sheng Jiao. His ancient corpse releases corpse poison. Thank heaven he died at your hands—if he'd lived, countless soldiers entering the forests would have perished…"

"As for the demon monk Gamā—he was the one you slew at the Zhu Family Mine. Originally a secret monk of the Tibetan Red Sect, he later fled to the Central Plains and ran rampant, also hunted by the Enforcement Hall."

"Later, no one knew which faction he joined—he vanished for years, yet still ended up dead at your hands…"

"Oh, I see."

Li Yan nodded in understanding. He'd sensed those two weren't ordinary—they just had weaknesses: one blown to pieces by explosives, the other reduced to charcoal by ghostfire muskets.

Without aid, they wouldn't have been so easy to kill.

He hadn't expected them to have such backgrounds.

As for Yu Feng Lingzi learning of this so quickly, he wasn't surprised—both the Tai Da Xuan Zheng Jiao and the court used pigeon messages.

Especially critical intelligence, it could spread across an entire province within days, especially during wartime.

Recalling their journey, Li Yan had already guessed something—his voice turned grave. "Master Daoist, is Unlike Yichang's situation not good?"

"Not good? It's far worse."

Yu Feng Lingzi didn't hide it—he began venting his frustrations.

"Unlike Yichang's location is awkward. Though our Tai Da Xuan Zheng Jiao is orthodox and holds the Chenghuangmiao, and we preside over major rituals, the common folk follow the Daoist lineages."

"We were already short-staffed. To deal with the Jingchu mountain folk's rebellion, our best hands were all recalled—now we're stretched thin."

"The situation is delicate now. Spies from all sides converge on Unlike Yichang, including sorcerers under local tusi. The court relies more on the local lineages to suppress the chaos."

!.

"Ezhou's chaos is already visible—supernatural disturbances occur frequently. Though the lineages maintain local peace, regulations require all such cases to be reported to the Unlike Yichang yamen, then forwarded to the Chenghuangmiao."

"We have too few hands—how can we handle them all?"

"You know as well as I do: the relationship between our orthodox sect and the lineages is delicate, and the lineages have deep, unbreakable ties to the local tusi—leaving us in an even more awkward position."

"For the sake of regional stability, my old face doesn't matter. I've hosted several banquets for the local lineages, asking them to suppress the demonic forces for now."

"Even so, the southwest situation grows worse. Some villains take advantage, using dark arts to stir public unrest, attempting to overthrow the state."

"These are the old tactics of the Maitreya Heresy. When disaster strikes and the court and orthodox sects fail to calm the people, the masses turn to illicit cults and demonic deities—ultimately leading to catastrophe."

He chuckled bitterly. "To be honest, you saw the road here—do you know who destroyed the Chenghuangmiao?"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "Heretical sorcerers?"

"No."

Yu Feng Lingzi sighed. "It was destroyed by villagers from a nearby village."

"It's spring plowing season. Their rice seedlings withered overnight—rare, and not due to water issues."

"One of my junior brothers went to investigate but lacked the skill to find the cause. The village is poor—they couldn't afford to hire a lineage. They replanted several times, but the seedlings withered again."

"Some demon spread rumors that the rice died because the court had lost virtue. The villagers smashed the Earth Chenghuangmiao, then, manipulated by others, stormed the Chenghuangmiao."

"Your strength is evident, Li Li Shaoxia, your status is noble, and you have good ties with our Tai Da Xuan Zheng Jiao. Since you've come to Unlike Yichang, I can only beg—please help."

"Master Daoist, you flatter us."

Li Yan didn't refuse—he bowed. "We may be weak, but in these chaotic times, we'll do our part."

They came to the southwest to expel demons and eradicate evil—partly for training, partly to accumulate merit to leverage Mount Wudang's resources for cultivation.

And influenced by Wang Wang Daoxuan, even without reward, they wouldn't stand idle if someone used dark arts to harm others.

"Excellent! You are truly men of the Dao."

Yu Feng Lingzi beamed. In Unlike Yichang's current state, he couldn't rely on the lineages—he needed these wandering cultivators with ties to the orthodox sect.

Li Yan's group was just one of them.

Of course, the rewards wouldn't be lacking.

"Listen, all of you."

Yu Feng Lingzi smiled. "For the Mount Qinglong Mountain and the mine incidents, you'll receive True Wu Tokens—and the bounties for those two demons will be yours in full."

"In times of crisis, true character shows. Rest assured—Mount Wudang's Zhenwu Palace will never let you down."

"The village matter is most urgent. Though the villagers have been arrested, public sentiment is unstable—you must stabilize it quickly."

"Master Daoist, rest easy. But we have another matter in Unlike Yichang—we'll come to you at the Chenghuangmiao after we finish."

"That works."

After promising a host of rewards, Yu Feng Lingzi rose to take his leave.

Watching him depart, Wang Wang Daoxuan shook his head. "The world truly is in chaos. In all my years, I've never seen the Tai Da Xuan Zheng Jiao so desperate."

"Li Yan, go to Yan's mansion first. I'll stay at the inn to prepare. That village matter—I've seen something similar in Jiaozhou. If my guess is right, it may be troublesome…"

Li Yan nodded, thought for a moment, then said: "Sha Sha Laoshu, Lu Brother, Unlike Yichang is dangerous. Stay here to protect Master Wang Daoxuan. Don't go out alone."

"Don't worry—I know."

Sha Sha Li Fei understood at once.

The Thunderbolt Fire Scripture they seized was still unclaimed by any faction—enemy unknown, we are exposed—we must be extra cautious.

After further warnings, Li Yan changed into clean clothes, took his gear, and left the inn.

Yan's mansion was a prominent household in Unlike Yichang—he asked the waiter for directions and headed alone toward the northern city.

At the corner behind him, an old beggar playing the erhu slowly lifted his head, his pupils entirely blood-red…

(End of Chapter)