Chapter 285

"Coercion?"

Squire Tian was both angry and furious. "If they are coercing us like this, what exactly do they want from my Tian family?"

Li Yan did not answer. Instead, he performed a flourish with the Dust-Severing Blade in his hand and, without looking back, pressed it directly against Tian Wei's neck.

Even though it was still in its scabbard, Tian Wei was startled. "Li Li Shaoxia, you... what are you doing?"

But Squire Tian understood in an instant.

"They are coercing someone else!"

Li Yan nodded and said, "That's right. Your Tian family is just the hostage; the target of those people is someone else entirely."

"This person has a deep connection with your Tian family and is not someone to be trifled with, which is why those people are acting with such caution and going to such great lengths, yet dare not strike a fatal blow."

At this point, everything became clear.

Squire Tian frowned and thought back carefully. Seeing his second brother's confused expression, he recounted the whole matter.

After hearing it, the second Tian brother was also somewhat incredulous. "Although our Tian family has some wealth, among these three towns, we don't even make a ripple. Why would those people do this?"

Li Yan said thoughtfully, "Does the Tian family have anyone living away from home, or is there some big figure behind you?"

Squire Tian shook his head and said, "The reason my brothers and I were able to rise up was indeed thanks to the help of a noble person, Senior Clerk Zhou of the Prince of Wuchang's Mansion. But Senior Clerk Zhou passed away many years ago."

"Not only that, it also involved a case at the Prince's Mansion. Fortunately, the three of us brothers knew nothing about it, so we weren't implicated."

"As for my side, there is only my second son, Tian Han, who has been cold-natured since childhood, fond of Buddhist principles, and secretly became a monk."

The second Tian brother also spoke up, "My third brother and I have complete families, and we are just ordinary merchants; we don't have any connections with big, powerful families."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "Squire Tian, tell me more about your second son. Besides this, does he have any other abnormalities, such as knowing martial arts or sorcery?"

"Li Li Shaoxia suspects Han'er?"

After hearing this, Squire Tian shook his head directly. "Han'er has been weak since childhood, and he is kind-hearted and never gets angry with anyone. He rarely even leaves the house, so there certainly can't be any problems."

Li Yan said calmly, "That's not necessarily true."

Squire Tian had no choice but to recount the story of his second son.

Li Yan frowned as he listened.

From Squire Tian's description, this Tian Han was just eccentric; other than that, there was nothing strange.

He had originally suspected that this person was a "Returner."

But the other party had fled into the Buddhist gate to become a monk. Could it be that the Buddhist gate doesn't care about this, or is he simply the reincarnation of some high monk from the Buddhist gate?

All sorts of questions left him completely baffled.

Thinking of this, Li Yan spoke directly, "Squire Tian, this matter is no longer something the Tian family can settle, and I cannot do it either."

"To get out of this, we must borrow the power of the Law Enforcement Hall. Just inform them of the encounters of you three brothers, and the Law Enforcement Hall will naturally investigate."

"Of course, they will certainly also suspect your second son. If it really has anything to do with him, you will likewise have no way out."

"What have you decided to do?"

Upon hearing this, Squire Tian hesitated for a moment.

Although he felt it had nothing to do with his second son, he feared the "what if." Swaying back and forth in his heart, he couldn't help but ask, "I ask Li Li Shaoxia to clarify why you suspect Han'er, so that I may make a decision."

Matters having reached this point, Li Yan did not hide anything. "There are some powerful cultivators between heaven and earth who can return and be reincarnated, and there are also some old monsters who can possess and seize bodies."

"But to be honest, if it were this kind of person, I should have been able to detect it when I entered the Tian residence. If it were an old monster possessing him, he would be even less likely to flee into the Buddhist gate. This is also what I find strange."

"Hiss..."

Tian Wei, who was beside them, suddenly gasped, his eyes filled with shock. "Father, I remembered something."

"Two years ago, Brother Han said he had the intention of becoming a monk. I was afraid Father would be sad, so I went to persuade him."

"But I clearly remember going several times, each time determined to make him change his mind, but each time I was persuaded instead."

"Now that I think about it, I can't even remember what he said to me!"

Upon hearing this, Squire Tian's eyes became uncertain. He said with a trembling voice, "Now that you mention it, I also find it strange. This rebellious son has stayed at home for many years. No matter if I wanted him to enter a private school or help him arrange a marriage, it would always end in nothing, and I would dismiss the idea myself."

"Now that I think about it, it felt perfectly logical..."

Li Yan's expression also became solemn. "It seems this Tian Han really does have a problem."

Just then, the second Tian brother, who was lying on the bed, shook his head. "Big Brother, this still doesn't make sense. You two are probably wrong."

"When Han'er was born, my brothers and I already had a rift. We didn't even visit each other, and we haven't seen each other in so many years, let alone talk about any affection."

"Those monsters used me and the third brother as threats and went to so much trouble; it must be someone who has a relationship with all three of our families."

Li Yan frowned upon hearing this. "That's also true."

To be honest, he was a bit dizzy himself by now.

Finally, Squire Tian gritted his teeth. "No matter who it is, the second brother definitely has a problem. If this matter is not brought to light, the old and young of the three families will never have a peaceful day. Let's report it to the Law Enforcement Hall."

He was now increasingly suspicious that his son had been possessed by something.

"Very well."

Li Yan also nodded in agreement.

Their mission was to protect Squire Tian's family. No matter what entanglements were involved, they had to find the cause quickly.

With the goal set, a plan naturally followed.

"Li Li Shaoxia."

Squire Tian said with a solemn expression, "Our three families are likely under the surveillance of the monsters; this place is no longer safe. I will take the second brother's family and go hide in the Chamber of Commerce. There are experts guarding it there, so the other party shouldn't dare to act rashly."

"The Wuchang city gates have already been closed. I know your capabilities, Li Li Shaoxia; you should have a way to leave. I ask that you go to Baotong Zen Temple overnight to sound the alarm."

"This time, the other party's layout used a large number of people. Not only are there people from the Bee Sect, but officials may also be involved. We will definitely be able to force out the person behind the scenes."

"There is no time to lose, so I will trouble you, Li Li Shaoxia."

Having said that, he and his family bowed deeply with cupped hands.

Li Yan nodded and said, "Squire Tian has helped me a great deal; I naturally will not stand idly by. Let us set off now."

Without the slightest hesitation, the group immediately went out. Even the second Tian brother was carried on a wooden stretcher by servants.

The group left the house and headed toward the Chamber of Commerce in a grand procession.

Even though the night was deep, the commotion caused by so many people was not small, but at this point, they couldn't worry about that.

Not long after they left, a figure appeared in the alley, peeking around, and then quickly disappeared into the darkness.

As for Li Yan, after sending Squire Tian's family to the Chamber of Commerce, he slipped away and found a quiet, dark place near the city wall.

Seeing no one around, he took out his Jia Ma (paper horse talismans), tied them to his legs, and simultaneously performed a hand seal and chanted: "Nuogao! Six Jia, nine chapters, heaven is round and earth is square. Four seasons and five elements, sun and moon provide the light..."

In an instant, a sinister wind rose all around.

Li Yan then exerted force with both legs. In the darkness, he actually stepped on the city wall and soared into the air. Taking advantage of the fact that the patrolling soldiers were not paying attention, he leaped directly over the city wall and disappeared into the darkness...

Baotong Zen Temple is located in the north of Wuchang City, at the southern foot of Hongshan Mountain.

Although it would be faster to go from the north of the city, the Prince of Wuchang's Mansion is in that direction, and there are many experts there. To avoid accidents, Li Yan had to take a long detour.

Outside Wuchang City, it was significantly more desolate.

The official roads extended in all directions, rivers of various sizes crisscrossed the area, and there were mountain ridges and dense forests. The night was silent, and there was no one around.

Li Yan's feet were like the wind as he sped through.

It was not far from here to Baotong Zen Temple; at his speed, he could arrive in less than half an hour.

However, after running for a while, Li Yan sensed something was wrong. A feeling of being watched arose.

As he ran, he performed the Yang seal, but there was no one within hundreds of meters around him. Suddenly, he felt something in his heart and looked up abruptly.

He saw a night owl flying up and down above his head in the bright moonlit night sky; it was clearly being tamed by someone.

A cold sneer appeared on the corner of Li Yan's mouth as he continued forward.

The night owl was flying very high, so he naturally couldn't hit it.

Li Yan knew that the other party was using this to locate him.

If nothing unexpected happened, there would definitely be people intercepting him ahead.

His heart stirred, and he suddenly changed direction, diving into the dense forest by the road. Using the shadows as cover, he leaped up and down in the forest.

Then, he suddenly changed direction again and left from the other side of the road.

There are only two methods of ambush.

One is to send people to set up an encirclement.

!.

The second is to send experts to intercept.

This place is not far from Wuchang City. In such a short time, it is impossible to send a large number of people, and the commotion would be too great.

Therefore, the only possibility is to send experts to block him.

But he was using the Jia Ma, and his speed was extremely fast. It would not be easy to stop him without the night owl's help in locating him.

Sure enough, as his direction changed, the night owl also fluttered accordingly.

As he changed routes several times, the night owl's movements suddenly became chaotic.

Li Yan glanced at it indifferently, not surprised.

Controlling birds for reconnaissance—using eagles during the day and night owls at night. But no matter which one, it requires long-term training.

They didn't have Lu San's beast-taming arts, so it naturally appeared stiff.

Thinking of this, Li Yan increased his speed again.

Although he was somewhat curious about the people behind the scenes, fighting to the death with people at this time was clearly not a good choice.

At the same time, on a mountain ridge a thousand meters to the right.

Three figures were also sprinting rapidly through the dense forest.

Their attire was very interesting: wearing leather armor, swords hanging at their waists, long bows on their backs, and a string of bone ornaments hanging from their chests.

The bows were all ox-horn longbows. Such bows are extremely complex to make, and they even had the tails of some unknown animal hanging from them.

But whether it was the waist swords or the ox-horn bows, there was a faint flow of Gang Sha (martial/evil energy), clearly all being Dharma artifacts.

These three were not only sorcerers, but their martial arts cultivation was also quite good. They had all stepped into the Dark Jin realm, leaping like apes, moving across the lush forest as if it were flat ground.

"The target has been discovered!"

Seeing the night owl's chaotic movements, one of them spoke immediately.

The tone of the speech was clearly from the Xiangxi region.

The leader saw this and immediately said coldly, "That brat is cunning. We can't stop him here; go to the official road to intercept him!"

After saying this, the three of them quickened their pace and headed toward another mountain peak. Before they even landed, they bent their bows and nocked arrows.

Their choice was also correct.

Although this stretch of road was complex and changeable, Baotong Zen Temple had been prosperous for years, and the official road near it was built exceptionally wide.

No matter which dense forest Li Yan emerged from, he would be exposed.

The three of them climbed high to look into the distance. They saw the bright moon below like frost, and the wind whistling on the left, causing the leaves to sway as if a giant creature were passing through the forest.

Without a word, they simultaneously unslung the ox-horn bows from their backs, paced the steps of the Big Dipper, performed hand seals, and chanted, drawing talismans in the air toward their bows and arrows.

In an instant, sinister evil energy rose all around, and fallen leaves flew about, actually forming a vortex around the three of them.

And these three also simultaneously bent their bows and nocked arrows.

Swish!

In the dense forest below the mountain, Li Yan shot out.

He was using the Jia Ma, with strong winds and fallen leaves following him, and as his cultivation improved, his speed was much faster than before.

Looking into the distance, below a mountain ahead, he could already see the flickering lights of Baotong Zen Temple.

Whoosh!

Just at this moment, the sound of breaking air came.

Li Yan felt his back tighten and hurriedly dodged.

He saw a sharp arrow whistling toward him. At the moment he dodged, it actually made a turn in the air and pierced directly toward his chest.

Li Yan's expression did not change. He performed a Dharma seal, and electric light crackled and flashed on his palms; he had impressively used the North Emperor Yin Thunder Palm.

He grabbed the arrow in his hand and snapped it with a crack.

Squeak!

The arrow was emitting black smoke, and a miserable animal-like cry seemed to come from the air, after which there was no more movement.

Li Yan couldn't worry about that. He dodged left and right, using the Red Fist's hooking hand technique to grab the remaining two arrows simultaneously and snap them directly.

The other party's feathered arrows were problematic; how could he not smell it?

Although he had broken the other party's sorcery, his Jia Ma had stopped because of this and was thrown to the side, igniting into flames.

Li Yan looked at the arrows on the ground and saw the talismans drawn on them and the embedded feathers, and his pupils immediately shrank.

"Meishan Dharma Sect?"

He had seen this stuff before.

When he was at Mount Huashan, he had once talked with Yuan Ba and his master, and learned about some of the situation of the Meishan Dharma Sect.

The Meishan Sect is collectively known as the "Three Caves of Meishan."

"Upper Cave Meishan" is believed in by archers and hunters.

"Middle Cave Meishan" is believed in by mountain hunters.

"Lower Cave Meishan" is believed in by mountain trappers.

The arts of the three caves originate from the same source, and they all believe in Zhang Wulang, but they are each different. Some are good at setting up altars to drive the Five Chang (demons), some are good at martial arts, and others are good at water arts.

The one in front of him was clearly martial arts.

He didn't expect that there would be sorcerers from the Meishan Dharma Sect involved this time.

However, the sorcery of the Meishan Dharma Sect is widely spread, and the character of those who learn it is uneven. Although it is a Dharma lineage recognized by the imperial court, their stances are different.

For example, the rebellious Tusi (chieftain) this time had people from the Meishan Dharma Sect under his command. Could it be that this incident was also related to the Miao Tusi?

Li Yan was puzzled in his heart, but he did not wait. He glanced coldly at the mountain peak opposite and exploded with Dark Jin under his feet, heading toward Baotong Zen Temple.

It was fine for the other party to send Chang soldiers, but wanting to kill him with these Dharma arrows was simply wishful thinking.

Sure enough, the other party also knew they couldn't stop him and didn't make another move, watching helplessly as Li Yan's figure flickered and headed toward the temple at the foot of the mountain.

Baotong Zen Temple was built with the full support of the Prince of Wuchang, and coupled with the accumulation of the Zen Sect for many years, it was naturally extraordinary.

It was built against the mountain, with countless temples and palaces of various sizes. Bell tower, Mahavira Hall, Drum tower, Maitreya Hall, Sutra Library... all the buildings that a Buddhist temple should have were not missing.

When approaching the mountain gate, Li Yan's heart stirred. He stopped and said in a deep voice to the surroundings, "I am Li Yan from Guanzhong. I have come here to sound an alarm, not with malicious intent."

Near the mountain gate, a large monk appeared at some unknown time. He sat cross-legged on a giant rock, put his hands together, and said, "Benefactor, you visit the mountain in the middle of the night; what important matter do you have?"

Li Yan was just about to speak when his expression suddenly changed slightly.

The Gou Die (official document) in his bosom was actually trembling slightly...

Added update for Alliance Leader Douganbushiganliang.

(End of chapter)