Chapter 276: Another Twist

Li Yan never imagined it would be a Mount Wudang disciple.

Becoming a righteous sect disciple is not that simple.

Their precepts are extremely strict.

In some plays, a certain trope often appears: a righteous sect disciple falls in love with a demoness, breaks through the obstruction of old stubborn fools, and eventually, the lovers are united.

But Li Yan, having mixed in the martial world, knows it is not that simple.

It is very simple: power without restraint only brings destruction.

It is not as if the martial world hasn't seen great sects and lineages that flourished for a time, relying on their power to dominate a region, only to collapse rapidly.

They share a common trait: they all collapsed from within.

Even nations are the same.

The destruction of an empire often begins with the corruption of the human heart.

And the righteous Mystic Sects, each with ancient origins and a long history, see this more clearly, hence their rules are even stricter.

Just like the Grand Void Orthodox Sect.

The Five Precepts and Ten Virtues, the Orthodox One Five Precepts, the Initial Truth Ten Precepts, the Immortal Dao Ten Precepts, the Heavenly Immortal Great Precepts... the various precepts are too numerous to count.

"Eating Ge Nian" means relying on martial arts to commit murder, robbery, kidnapping, framing, and other such tasks.

Dragon Splendor Fist can only be practiced by orthodox Mount Wudang disciples.

Daring to do such a thing is truly audacious.

The Mount Wudang disciple lying on the ground is a young man with delicate features; being called out by Li Yan, he is filled with shame while also feeling a bit of shame-induced anger.

Gritting his teeth, he steps on the Nine Palaces, suddenly clenches his claws, his body swaying like a dragon, and in two or three steps, he arrives before Li Yan, his wrist flipping to transform into a dragon claw grabbing at Li Yan's face.

This move is called Green Dragon Exits the Water, like a cold pool dragon leaping out of the water, carrying a gale, its momentum awe-inspiring.

However, this move of the opponent is a feint.

Only to see this person's right claw reach forward, while his left hand behind his back quickly forms a seal, and at the same time, his right hand changes from a claw to a palm, with a sway.

At the center of his palm, evil qi suddenly gathers.

It actually gives Li Yan a sense of dizziness.

Mount Wudang Soul-Absorbing Palm!

Another secret technique that is not passed on.

This person's identity is definitely not simple.

Li Yan originally wanted to test his skills, but now he has no mood for it; his body sways to the side and retreats, while simultaneously forming a seal, his right palm crackling with electric light, and he strikes directly with the Yin Thunder Palm.

Slap!

This young man is struck on the forehead by the palm and faints directly.

Of course, Li Yan also held back and did not kill the opponent.

After all, for this matter, there must be a witness.

And at this moment, Lu San also happens to arrive, takes a rope, and together with Li Yan, they tie the person up securely and carry him back to the Tian residence.

"Mount Wudang people?"

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei is also a bit strange, "Already reached Dark Jin, and knows martial techniques, why run here to make trouble instead of guarding the mountain in Yunyang?"

"Ask him later."

Li Yan shakes his head slightly, then looks at Wang Wang Daoxuan, "Daoist, have you found the cause?"

Wang Wang Daoxuan says in a deep voice, "I have figured it out."

"This kind of Yan Sheng technique is cast by borrowing the bloodline of ancestors."

"If there are no accidents, those floor tiles are all carved from old bricks from Squire Tian's ancestral grave, laid under the front hall, which is equivalent to turning a yang residence into a yin residence, and with ancestors being stepped on by descendants, naturally, there is no peace."

"Casting a curse by borrowing the power of bloodline, although not fatal, night after night of nightmares will also make people feel uneasy, and it is extremely secretive."

"Let's wake up Squire Tian first."

Squire Tian is currently trapped in a nightmare, unable to wake from his stupor.

But everyone naturally had arrangements early on, directly prying open the loose stone steps and taking out a few coffin bricks.

Calling out softly, Squire Tian suddenly wakes up with a start.

He gasps for air, his forehead covered in cold sweat, muttering, "This nightmare, I remember clearly."

"I dreamed of the old grave, sleeping in the grave, and my grandfather kept staring straight at me."

Hearing him say this, everyone is even more certain, and Wang Wang Daoxuan tells him his guess.

"Dug up my ancestral grave!"

Upon hearing this, Squire Tian immediately turns red-faced and gritted his teeth, "Heaven-killing little thief, this time it won't end!"

Being secretly harmed by a spell, this Squire Tian could still endure it and take the opportunity to get some benefits, but digging up an ancestral grave is something he finds hard to accept.

Saying this, he looks at the unconscious Mount Wudang disciple on the ground, stunned, "Isn't this Yang Yang Chongzi from the Chenghuangmiao? How could he do such a thing?"

Li Yan asks, "Squire Tian knows this person?"

"Yes."

Squire Tian says coldly, "Daoist Feng Feng Yuanzi of the Hanyang Chenghuangmiao is kind-hearted; although he is not good at techniques, he is proficient in Daoist medicine, often helping the poor with treatment, not causing trouble, and has a very good reputation in the city."

"This Yang Yang Chongzi is his disciple, originally the next generation Chenghuangmiao keeper, but because of a woman, he fought with his junior brother and was expelled from the Chenghuangmiao."

"Unexpectedly, he came to secretly harm me; he must have degenerated and defected to Wu Wu Jiucheng!"

Li Yan nods and says, "The truth will always come out."

"I also didn't expect the opponent to come and make trouble tonight; now that we've caught someone, Wu Wu Jiucheng might jump over the wall in desperation."

"Old Uncle Sha, you and Feng Feng Shixiong Lu San and the Daoist, accompany Squire Tian to find those craftsmen, I will stay to interrogate this Yang Yang Chongzi."

"Good!"

Everyone knows time is tight and immediately sets off.

Squire Tian, as a wealthy man, and located in this Hanyang City where all kinds of people gather, naturally hired retainers to guard the courtyard.

He immediately called a dozen people, carrying lanterns, and together with Wang Wang Daoxuan and others, they rode horses towards the south of the city.

After everyone left, Li Yan glances lightly and says, "Since you are already awake, why pretend?"

Sure enough, that Yang Yang Chongzi is already awake; hearing Li Yan's words, he slowly opens his eyes, sits on the ground, head bowed, not saying a word.

This is the reason Li Yan stayed behind.

This person is a disciple of the Mount Wudang True Martial Palace, just now he was very alert, pretending to be unconscious to try and loosen the ropes; others staying behind wouldn't be able to handle him.

Looking at the opponent's shameless appearance, Li Yan knows that questioning him with sect reputation will definitely be useless.

He rubs his chin, his brows twitching, "I am very curious, what kind of woman has such charm that she could make a Mount Wudang direct disciple move his heart?"

"In which brothel, I'll go patronize it too..."

"Shut up!"

Sure enough, this young man is like a cat whose tail was stepped on, immediately bristling, gritting his teeth, "Shameless villain, don't tarnish people's reputation!"

"Shameless?"

Li Yan laughs dumbly, his eyes full of disdain, "For a woman, turning against fellow disciples, disregarding the sect's reputation, and after leaving, acting as someone's lackey, using evil arts to harm people."

"Mount Wudang precepts, you have broken them all, and you talk to me about being shameless, what a joke!"

Yang Yang Chongzi is left red-faced and gritted his teeth, bowing his head again.

"Not talking?"

Li Yan says indifferently, "It's fine if you don't talk; anyway, this matter will spread sooner or later, I will know eventually, tomorrow I'll drag you through the streets to show you off, and hang around the Chenghuangmiao gate a few more times."

Looking at this person's performance, he already understands.

Righteous Mystic Sect disciples are all raised from childhood; although their foundation is deep, far exceeding ordinary martial world sorcerers, they also have weaknesses.

Staying on the mountain all year round, the mortal world is their tribulation.

Some can be single-minded towards the Dao, some can become talents after training, but some cannot pass this mortal world heart-refining.

Among them, the most difficult is undoubtedly the love tribulation.

Hearing Li Yan's words, this young man is suddenly panicked, gritting his teeth, "Kill if you want, one person does the deed, one person bears it; what I do has nothing to do with the True Martial Palace."

"One person does the deed, one person bears it? Hahaha..."

Li Yan is amused, shaking his head, "People live in the world; unless they are lonely, every move has cause and effect. If the fruit of the seed you planted doesn't fall on you, it will affect others."

"Those who can remain unaffected are naturally those who don't care about you."

"Being able to say such words, it's clear you are a fool."

This Yang Yang Chongzi naturally understands Li Yan's meaning; although he gritted his teeth in silence, a trace of panic appeared in his eyes. Still salvageable...

Li Yan, seeing that he has broken his psychological defense, strikes while the iron is hot, "Because of a woman, that's nothing, young people admire beauty, but why help Wu Wu Jiucheng harm people, could it be you were threatened?"

"Wu Wu Jiucheng?"

Yang Yang Chongzi looks up, his eyes full of doubt, "The person who threatened me is not Wu Wu Jiucheng..."

"What?!"

Li Yan hears this, his heart skipping a beat.

"Almost there, it's the big mansion ahead."

On the dark street, lanterns sway.

Looking at the large mansion in front, Sha Hearing Sha Lifei is stunned, "Good fellow, craftsmen are also this rich?"

Although this mansion wasn't built in the area where the rich gather, it is near the South Gate wharf, so the price is not cheap, and it is built extremely exquisitely.

!.

Just looking at the brick carvings below, it is no small matter.

"Little Feng Feng Shixiong Sha doesn't know."

Squire Tian shakes his head, "There are countless craftsmen in the world, but those skilled in building houses and architecture are top-notch among the three major craftsman guilds."

"One is the Suzhou Xiangshan Gang, whose garden skills are unparalleled in the world, and they have participated in the capital's imperial palace. The second is the Zhejiang Qingling Dongyang Gang, and the third is this Huizhou Gang, all of whom have gone to the capital to build the imperial palace."

"The disciples from the Huizhou Gang are skilled in building Huizhou-style architecture, and this Xu family troupe integrates the charm of the Chu region into it, which is very popular; the wealthy families in the three cities all look for them to build houses."

Just at this moment, Lu San, who had been silent, suddenly raises his hand.

"Stop!"

He stares fixedly at the mansion ahead, forms a magic seal, and squeaks a few times; immediately, from a hole in the ground beside the house, one after another, rats crawl out and run towards them.

Everyone lifts their lanterns to shine.

Only to see those rats, their heads and bodies, are actually covered in filthy blood!

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei's eyes narrow, "Squire Tian, report to the authorities, I'm afraid something big has happened."

Sure enough, everyone pushes open the big gate, only to see corpses all over the ground; there isn't a single living person left in the entire mansion...

In the Hanyang County Yamen main hall.

Torches sway, the atmosphere is solemn, and quite a few people are sitting there.

"The person who threatened me is a man in black."

Yang Yang Chongzi secretly glances at the old Daoist on the left, seeing his eyes full of sorrow, feeling even more uncomfortable in his heart, and says everything truthfully: "After my junior brother and I left the Chenghuangmiao, we followed Miss Yun to tour Donghu."

"That person suddenly appeared, his techniques were extremely profound, we were no match, and several junior brothers and Miss Yun were all captured."

"I had no choice but to obey."

In the main hall, County Magistrate Zhou Ran's eyes are cold, "What did that person tell you to do?"

Yang Yang Chongzi bows his head, "He made me threaten several sorcerers who were looking at feng shui for the Tian family, and also made me meet with a disciple of the Xu family troupe to help him send some blueprints."

Saying this, he hurriedly looks up, urgently, "I was forced, I only injured people and forced those sorcerers away, I didn't kill anyone!"

"Shut up!"

County Magistrate Zhou Ran scolds, "Wasted your status as a righteous sect disciple, you couldn't even see that those sorcerers were afraid of the True Martial Palace's reputation?"

"And, that Miss Yun sounds problematic at first listen, inexplicably night-touring Donghu, clearly in cahoots with the thieves, what a fool!"

His mood is extremely bad.

Seeing that the Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, plus the war in the southwest, he is mentally strained every day, sending yamen runners to strictly investigate people from the martial world coming and going, patrolling everywhere.

Unexpectedly, something still happened.

Thinking of this, he continues the interrogation.

"What did that person look like?"

"I don't know, the clothes that person wore were magic artifacts, not leaking any aura, but the accent sounded like someone from nearby..."

"How did you all meet Miss Yun?"

"We went up the mountain to collect herbs and encountered robbers killing people; Miss Yun said she was from out of town, her family had all been killed, and she was helpless..."

"What exactly did this Miss Yun use to bewitch you all?"

"She, she is well-read and sensible, a young lady from a noble family..."

"Enough, enough!"

County Magistrate Zhou Ran waves his hand and looks at the old Daoist on the side.

This old Daoist, Daoist name Feng Feng Yuanzi, is exactly the Daoist who was helping the common people with treatment when Li Yan went to the Chenghuangmiao.

Seeing County Magistrate Zhou's gaze, the old Daoist sighs, "I had suspected it before, but I have already checked, they have not been bewitched."

"That Miss Yun, I have also seen her; her speech is extraordinary, her appearance is stunning, definitely not from an ordinary family."

"This matter, it's all my fault, if I had more patience..."

Saying this, his voice is already a bit choked.

"Master, disciple has let you down!"

Yang Yang Chongzi, kneeling on the ground, can no longer hold back, crying bitterly, kowtowing repeatedly.

"Take him down!"

County Magistrate Zhou orders people to take Yang Yang Chongzi away, then turns his head to look at Squire Tian on the side, saying in a deep voice, "Feng Feng Shixiong Tian, do you know why you were targeted?"

Squire Tian is still a bit confused at this moment, his brain is a mess, "This... I really don't know."

Not to mention him, even Li Yan is frowning.

This matter is truly strange.

According to Yang Yang Chongzi, that man in black has profound cultivation; if he had any demands, he could have just stormed into the Tian residence and grabbed Squire Tian to get it, but he chose this method instead.

Also, they have already searched that mansion carefully and found nothing; there is nothing underneath.

And those who built the mansion also had the opponent's people.

With such painstaking planning, what exactly is the purpose?

All kinds of questions make people unable to figure it out.

County Magistrate Zhou on the hall is also having a headache, shaking his head, "This case is intricate and complicated, and involves the Mystic Sect; tomorrow the county will hand it over to the Law Enforcement Hall to handle."

Saying this, he looks at Li Yan, his eyes becoming much softer, stroking his beard and smiling, "I have also heard a little about Little Hero Li's affairs in Unlike Yichang; before the matter is clarified, please protect Feng Feng Shixiong Tian well, so he doesn't suffer the thief's poison."

"That is natural."

Li Yan nods, not refusing.

On the way, they had already promised Squire Tian, so there is no need for this county magistrate to say more; they will protect the Tian family's safety.

After leaving the county yamen, the sky is already dawning.

Squire Tian sighs, "Who exactly did I offend? If you want money, just say so, why make such a big scene?"

Li Yan ponders, "This matter is not that simple, otherwise there would be no need to slaughter the entire Xu family troupe; perhaps it is related to them."

"Forget it, this matter is being pursued by the Law Enforcement Hall, it's not good for us to participate; Squire Tian, don't go out during this period."

"Also, it's best to move all your family members into the Tian residence."

"Good, I'll listen to Little Hero Li's arrangements."

Everyone speeds up their pace and returns to the Tian residence in no time.

However, standing at the gate is an old man, wearing coarse cloth clothes, a bamboo hat on his head, and a wooden stick stuck randomly in his messy hair bun.

Under the bamboo hat, a pair of dead fish eyes are particularly striking.

Li Yan sees this, stunned for a moment, and bows slightly, "Greetings, Feng Feng Shixiong Zhang."

This old man, he had met once before.

During the Chang'an Divine Fist Assembly, he played with Zhang Zhang Shitong at the gate; he is a master of the Mount Wudang side branch, named Zhang Zhang Xiaoshan, a Dan Jin master, and his Eight Trigrams Willow Leaf Cotton Palm is famous in the martial world.

"You know me?"

The old man Zhang Zhang Xiaoshan waves his hand, "That's good, hurry inside, and explain clearly to me what happened last night."

Li Yan's eyes narrow, "Does this matter have to do with you, Feng Feng Shixiong?"

Zhang Zhang Xiaoshan snorts, his face looking ugly:

"That little fool Yang Yang Chongzi is my grandson!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 277 =====