Chapter 253: Mount Zigai Cave

A returner!

Hearing this, Li Yan knew what had happened.

This Lady Fan appeared in two different eras.

First, at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, she had a deep connection with Immortal Ge Xianweng, was recorded by him in 'Biographies of Immortals,' and finally ascended to immortality with her husband.

Second, during the Zhenyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, she used the alias 'Xiang Ao,' appeared in Dongting Lake to save people, and then accepted many disciples, creating the 'Earth Longsheng Xianku.'

It sounded very much like the characteristics of a 'returner.'

There was likely a problem with her ascension.

Hiding her name and identity, she was clearly avoiding investigation by the Yin Office.

Also, the couple ascended together, but when they returned, only one remained.

Something must have happened between them!

By now, Li Yan had also sorted out some clues.

The 'Earth Longsheng Xianku' on the ancient Yelang road in Dangyang had always existed and was related to Lady Fan; perhaps there were still disciples cultivating in seclusion, unknown to outsiders...

Near the Guan Mausoleum, a tiger demon with profound cultivation had been lurking for many years, but it hadn't caused any major harm or trouble, and he didn't know what it was plotting...

The Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect definitely knew some inside information and had clashed with both parties, setting up restrictions outside the tiger demon's temple and stealing the 'Tomb-Blood Beam' from the 'Earth Longsheng Xianku.'

Both parties had slaughtered the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect.

At the same time, the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect also created the Headless Knight to cause trouble, tarnishing the reputation of Lord Guan and causing panic.

What exactly was their purpose?

Could it be as the rice-asking medium said, to break the legendary formation in Dangyang County and release the suppressed demon?

Li Yan's heart moved, and he asked again, "Have you seen a person, wearing coarse cloth clothes, dressed like a woodcutter..."

He described the murderer of Zen Master Miaoshan.

"No, I've never heard of this person in the trade."

Drilling Wolf denied it directly, then said, "Everyone, if you want to go to the Earth Longsheng Xianku, you can't do without a guide. As long as you let me out..."

"Dream on!"

Constable Yang cursed, "Tomb raiding, murder, robbery, you still want to get out? Just wait for death honestly!"

"Pfft~"

Drilling Wolf spat, grabbed his sores, huddled on the ground, and sneered, "Fine, wait until you die in the Earth Longsheng Xianku, you'll naturally come to beg me."

"Hahaha..."

Coming out of the prison, it was already late at night.

The Guan family was a local wealthy clan, so they naturally had a residence in the county town, so Li Yan and the others didn't go to an inn and stayed at the Guan residence.

The night passed without incident, with the light rain stopping and starting.

The next day, the rain finally cleared, and the red sun rose.

Knock, knock, knock!

Li Yan and the others were eating when a knock on the door sounded urgently.

Opening the door, it was Constable Yang, followed by a white-robed monk with fair skin and a peaceful expression.

"Li Li Shaoxia."

Constable Yang hurriedly introduced, "This is Master Wunian from Yuquan Temple, who came today to claim Zen Master Miaoshan's remains and said there are some things he would like to ask you."

"Oh?"

Li Yan glanced at the monk, "Please come in, both of you."

His expression didn't change, but he became vigilant in his heart.

This monk Wunian was not simple.

A scent of sandalwood lingered around him, static and unchanging, like an insulating shield, blocking his divine ability investigation.

Either he had a Dharma artifact for protection, or his techniques were special.

"Amitabha."

After this monk Wunian entered and sat down, he put his hands together and said, "Thank you, Layman Li, for helping Zen Master Miaoshan collect his remains. If it weren't for your action, I fear the other disciples would not have survived."

"You're welcome, just a small effort."

Li Yan replied expressionlessly.

Wunian asked again, "I heard that Zen Master Miaoshan discovered some things, which is why he was murdered. The people from the county government couldn't explain it clearly; can Layman Li inform me?"

"Of course..."

Li Yan recounted the discoveries of yesterday.

Many people knew these things, so there was no need to hide them.

"Lady Fan..."

Wunian was thoughtful after hearing this.

Seeing this, Li Yan furrowed his brow and couldn't help but ask, "Master, Fomen is also considered an Orthodox Sect of the Mystic Sect, maintaining peace in one area."

"Now that evil people are appearing in Dangyang County and evil spirits are causing trouble, why doesn't Fomen send experts to handle it?"

Wunian was silent for a moment and said, "The layman doesn't know, we also have our difficulties; it is truly a case of a single tree being hard to support."

"My Yuquan Temple is also a dojo for the Protecting the Nation Bright King Buddha; the monks in the temple worship devoutly and dare not be half-lazy."

"To tell the truth, before these things happened, evil people had already infiltrated the temple, attempting to use explosives to destroy the Buddha tooth relic iron tower."

"This tower is the foundation of our temple's suppression artifact; once destroyed, a great disaster will descend. Evil spirits using the name of the Headless Knight to tarnish the Protecting the Nation Bright King Buddha is likely a 'luring the tiger away from the mountain' tactic, inducing us to leave to carry out the destruction."

Li Yan said coldly, "The vast Fomen, can't you send other experts?"

Wunian didn't get angry, put his hands together and said, "What the layman sees is only the surface; everything has its internal causes."

"The imperial court wants my Yuquan Temple to preside over the Guan Mausoleum sacrifice, firstly because we have a deep connection with the Protecting the Nation Bright King Buddha and were the first to worship him. Secondly, because we are the most suitable."

"The situation of the Mystic Sect in Ezhou is complex; the north is dominated by the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect, the south by Dharma lineages, the west by Daoism, and the east by Fomen."

"My Yuquan Temple is one of the ancestral courts of the Tiantai Sect, focusing on studying classics, holding precepts, and stopping observation; there is a threshold for cultivation, far inferior to the Chan Sect and Pure Land Sect, and it was prosperous during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, but has long since declined."

"Most of the eastern part of Ezhou are Chan Sect brothers..."

The monk spoke cryptically, but Li Yan heard the flavor.

The position of the Guan Mausoleum sacrifice was something the three religions of Confucianism, Fomen, and Daoism were unwilling to let go of, but this was an imperial mausoleum; no matter which one it was handed to, it represented the imperial court's attitude.

But this position was also a bit awkward.

It belonged to the sphere of influence of Daoism, but the Dharma lineages were strong; no matter which side it was handed to, it would likely cause friction.

By comparison, Yuquan Temple was the most suitable.

And listening to this monk's meaning, it seemed he had a hint of complaint against the Buddhist peers in the east.

No wonder he said Yuquan Temple was hard to support alone.

The imperial court's use of the balance method, the internal discord of the Mystic Sect, plus the war in the Southwest, drew away a large number of elites, causing the current situation.

Sha Lifei was amused and sneered on the side, "Interesting, evil people are causing such trouble, yet the Mystic Sect pretends to be deaf and dumb, waiting to see the other side's joke, while making us run around like fools."

"Little Feng Feng Shixiong Yan, in my opinion, let's not do this errand!"

"This layman, please calm your anger."

Being mocked like this, Wunian still didn't get angry, his expression calm, "Although I don't know what those evil people are plotting, Yuquan Temple is the key; as long as we hold it, their conspiracy cannot succeed."

"This is all we can do."

Having said this, he slowly stood up, meaningfully, "And this matter is likely not that simple. Zen Master Miaoshan was murdered because he discovered 'Lady Fan'."

"This 'Lady Fan,' secretly setting up the 'Earth Longsheng Xianku,' while openly accepting worship on Mount Zigai, is likely the true source of this matter."

"On the Mount Zigai cave, the Zhushan Sect occupies most of the spiritual apertures, and the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect occupies the other half, and both worship soldiers and horses."

"If they don't move, how dare my Yuquan Temple move." Having said this, he put his hands together, performed a Buddhist salute, and left.

After he left, Li Yan was thoughtful, "It seems that Fomen is not of one mind either."

Wang Daoxuan shook his head, "I have also heard of this matter."

"This Tiantai Sect was originally a major sect, but it requires deep study of Buddhist classics, and few ordinary people are even literate, so entry is naturally difficult."

"And like the Pure Land Lotus Sect, as long as the intention is sincere and one focuses on chanting the name of Amitabha, one can go to the Pure Land, so it naturally has a wider audience."

"After the Tang and Song Dynasties, the Tiantai Sect declined more and more, and even the ancestral court, Guoqing Temple in Jiangzhe, 'changed teaching to Chan,' so it's normal to have dissatisfaction."

"Dissatisfaction must also look at the time!"

Sha Lifei was still a bit unhappy and cursed, "This monk is also cunning; he seems to be showing weakness, but in reality, he is pointing the finger at the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect. And he must have hidden some things."

"Also, the Daoist temple on Mount Zigai has problems too!"

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "That's right, according to the clues given by Gu Hanzi, the incident at the Daoist temple happened earlier, and it is related to 'Lady Fan'; perhaps these are the source of these things!"

!.

Just then, a knock on the door sounded again.

It was Constable Yang, who had left with Wunian, returning again, followed by several people from the Commandant's Office.

At this moment, Constable Yang's gaze toward Li Yan was full of awe, and he arched his hands respectfully, "Li Li Shaoxia, these few are from the Yichang Commandant's Office, and they are also looking for you."

The leader of the Commandant's Office was a cold-faced man. He arched his hands and said in a deep voice, "Li Li Shaoxia, I am Zheng Chong, a Centurion of the Yichang Thousand-Household Office. The Thousand-Household Master has an order for us to cooperate with Li Li Shaoxia in handling the matter."

Knowing that the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect was making trouble, the Dangyang County Magistrate sought help from the Yichang yamen for the first time, after all, Dangyang was still under Yichang's jurisdiction.

"You all came just in time!"

Li Yan was happy in his heart and hurriedly asked, "Didn't Thousand-Household Master Yuan come?"

Centurion Zheng said in a deep voice, "The Miao Territory Tusi City sent many secret agents to Zigui to cause destruction, and the Thousand-Household Master has to command the battle to respond."

"An eventful autumn."

Li Yan asked again, "How many people did you bring?"

Centurion Zheng replied, "Yichang is short of manpower, so I only brought a hundred men under my command."

"That's enough!"

Li Yan stood up immediately, "No time to lose, let's set off immediately, go to Mount Zigai!"

These hundred men from the Commandant's Office came at just the right time.

Don't look at their small number, and only Centurion Zheng and two subordinates were Dark Jin, but they were well-coordinated, good at fighting, and had all kinds of sharp weapons from the Commandant's Office, so wiping out a small gang was not a problem.

The black cavalry set out, the sound of horse hooves ringing.

The small gangs and city foxes and social rats in Dangyang City were all trembling with fear, not daring to show their heads.

It wasn't until the large group of people left Dangyang City that they started asking each other.

Li Yan did this on purpose.

At the moment, there must be Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect people lurking in Dangyang City; the arrival of the large group from the Commandant's Office would just happen to deter them, forcing them to reveal flaws.

Of course, the primary goal was still the Mount Zigai cave.

Mount Zigai is a blessed land; although there are not many spiritual apertures, whether it is the Zhushan Sect or the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect Daoist temple, they all raise soldiers and horses.

These soldiers and horses are the key to victory.

No matter what background the enemy has, as long as the soldiers and horses of Mount Zigai can trap or delay them, he can calmly summon the Yin Office soldiers and horses.

Unlike the previous few times, being surrounded and tied up.

…………

Mount Zigai is fifty miles south of Dangyang City, connected to Mount Fuchuan where Yuquan Temple is located.

Everyone was riding warhorses, and with the road being smooth, three hours later, they had arrived at the foot of Mount Zigai.

Mount Zigai is not high, but it is full of spiritual charm; the ancient pines and green trees on the mountain are shaded, and clouds cover the fog.

Before they even got close, Li Yan could smell the dense innate 'Gang' qi.

Seeing this magnificent divine mountain, Wang Daoxuan was also in a good mood, stroking his beard and saying, "Before, I read the gazetteer; during the Western Jin Dynasty, this place was very large, with forty-eight main halls and seventy-two small halls, an important dojo for the Mystic Sect."

"Unfortunately, between the Jin and Sui Dynasties, the Zigai dojo was destroyed by war and fire, and no longer has its former beauty."

Li Yan naturally had no mood to enjoy the scenery and turned to look at Lu San, asking in a deep voice, "Any discoveries?"

Lu San looked at the falcon in the sky and shook his head, "No."

"Could it be a wrong guess?"

Li Yan furrowed his brow, thoughtful.

According to his guess, if the Mount Zigai Daoist temple had been infiltrated by monsters, the thieves in the city would definitely pass on information, the fastest being carrier pigeons or falcon transmission.

So he let Lu San's falcon pay attention to interception.

He was puzzled in his heart, but couldn't wait any longer, so he left ten men from the Commandant's Office to watch the horses and led the rest directly up the mountain.

Mount Zigai is where Immortal Ge Xianweng practiced alchemy; nearby common people often go up the mountain to offer incense, praying for peace or the recovery of family members' illnesses.

Their group was mighty and imposing, immediately causing chaos.

The Commandant's Office had a fierce reputation, and the common people who occasionally appeared on the mountain road were all terrified and hid one after another.

Of course, it also attracted the attention of the cultivators on the mountain.

"Everyone, what is the purpose of coming here!"

Two young Daoists in white robes and green gowns hurriedly blocked them.

It was clear at a glance that they were cultivators of the Zhushan Sect.

"Entrusted by the Zhenwu Palace, come up the mountain to investigate a case!"

Li Yan threw out the document given by the Chenghuangmiao directly.

He wasn't very polite to these people either.

No matter the reason, the Zhushan Sect occupied this blessed land, yet had an 'it has nothing to do with me, hang high' attitude; maybe there were ghosts in their hearts too.

Sure enough, seeing the document, the faces of the two Daoists were a bit awkward, and they hurriedly gave way, "Everyone, please."

Li Yan didn't waste words and led the people up the mountain rapidly.

On Mount Zigai, the Zhushan Sect and the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect occupied the east and west mountain ranges respectively, which could be described as distinct.

Among them, the Zhushan Sect occupied the best location; after entering their mountain gate backyard, one could see the famous purple cloud sea.

And the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect Daoist temple occupied important areas related to Immortal Ge Xianweng, such as the Xiaoxian Pavilion, Your Majesty Cave, and the Alchemy Well.

In addition, the Buddhist Vinaya Sect also had a small temple, occupying a spiritual aperture, but to prevent the Zhushan Sect from being suspicious, they only sent a few ordinary disciples to guard it.

Li Yan didn't come up the mountain to enjoy the scenery and went directly outside the mountain gate of the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect Daoist temple.

The Tai Xuan group, having received the news, had long since come out to welcome them.

The leader was a white-bearded old Daoist. Seeing Li Yan coming with such a mighty force and bringing the Commandant's Office, a trace of displeasure flashed in his eyes, and he said indifferently, "I am Feng Huazi, greetings, Layman."

"Greetings, Daoist Feng."

Li Yan wasn't polite either and said directly in a deep voice, "I am Li Yan, entrusted by the Yunyang Prefecture Chenghuangmiao, come here to investigate a case, and hope everyone will cooperate."

"Yunyang Chenghuangmiao?"

Feng Huazi furrowed his brow, "The Chenghuangmiao is responsible for guarding the city, and my temple is directly under the jurisdiction of the Zhenwu Palace."

"What qualifications do they have to investigate my Daoist temple?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 254 =====

"What qualifications do they have to investigate my Daoist temple?"

(End of chapter)