Chapter 288: The strange

"Li Li Shaoxia, this is my family genealogy."

Squire Tian's face was complex as he brought over a thick, ancient volume.

Since a problem had been discovered, it was natural to investigate it thoroughly.

The Tian brothers also wanted to figure out what exactly had happened.

It was still deep in the night, the city was in chaos, and the wharf had been sealed, so it was naturally difficult to return to Hanyang City.

But because the genealogy was copied into three copies and carried by each of the three brothers when they had a conflict, he took it directly from the second Tian brother.

Looking at this thick genealogy, Li Yan was somewhat surprised. "Squire Tian, your family's roots are not shallow."

From ancient times to the present, being able to revise and preserve a genealogy is not an easy task, and the money and manpower consumed are extremely huge.

A trace of pride flashed in Squire Tian's eyes. "My lineage originates from the Mi surname, coming from a branch of King Ping of Chu, Tian Gong Tuocheng of the State of Chu. It was revised during the Song Dynasty, and even after experiencing the flames of war, it has never been missing."

"It is indeed rare."

Li Yan smiled slightly and didn't say much.

On this land of the Divine Land, as long as one is not a nameless person, everyone's ancestors have basically been prosperous. If one has a name and surname, one can find powerful ancestors.

He took the genealogy and flipped through it carefully.

Sure enough, this Tian family genealogy recorded from Tian Gong Tuocheng, where each branch moved, and where they took root, all had detailed records.

If a famous person appeared in this lineage, their life achievements would also be recorded.

Li Yan skipped the ordinary famous people and mainly checked if there were any famous Daoist priests, sorcerers, or other Mystic Sect people.

Of course, the focus was still from the Great Song to the present.

Not long after, he discovered an abnormality.

It was not the Tian lineage, but a record in it.

"Hongshou Gong was guided by a sorcerer to take refuge in the mountains of Hanyang, naming the place Bojidun. Later, he worshipped it at home, acted according to his words, and the family gradually prospered. When Gong passed away, he left a red Red Mohe, and said that the family land could not be moved, and three generations of descendants should wear this object..."

Li Yan thought thoughtfully and asked, "Squire Tian, do you remember if your father wore a red Red Mohe with him?"

Squire Tian was puzzled. "Red Red Mohe, what is that?"

Tian Wei on the side explained, "Father, red Red Mohe is a type of gemstone produced in the Red Mohe Kingdom."

"This Red Mohe Kingdom is the ancient Sushen, active between the White Mountains and Black Waters. During the Pre-Qin period, they paid tribute to the Central Plains with 'Ku arrows and stone arrowheads', which is the 'Sushen arrow'. Later, it merged into Liao and Jin."

"During the Tang Dynasty, the Red Mohe Kingdom paid tribute to the imperial court with a type of gemstone, which had red and purple colors, so it was named after Red Mohe. It is rumored to have many mysteries, but later it was never heard of again..."

Squire Tian said anxiously, "Stop talking nonsense, just tell me what it looks like!"

"Uh..."

Tian Wei shrank his neck. "This thing has long been lost and is only seen in historical books. I don't know what it looks like either."

Li Yan suddenly said, "The size of a chestnut, deep red like a cherry, as if it would shatter if touched, yet indestructible, carved with Buddhas and various Bodhisattvas."

Upon hearing this, Squire Tian's pupils shrank, and his voice trembled: "This thing, I saw it on my father when I was young. He wouldn't let me touch it, but when my father was buried, I couldn't find it no matter what."

"Li Li Shaoxia, what exactly is this?"

"A treasure for protection."

Li Yan didn't say much, but his eyes became solemn.

Red Red Mohe, one of the thirteen strange treasures of the Great Tang that protects the country. Their abilities are different, but they can all borrow the power of luck to avoid the investigation of the Yin Division.

This person is definitely a "Returner."

And this "Returner" is also somewhat special.

The other party acted secretly, first lodging in the Tian family, giving birth to three sons, and in a short time, reincarnated again, mixed into the Prince's Mansion to become a Chief Clerk, and gave his descendants a fortune...

No!

The time doesn't match.

Thinking of this, Li Yan asked hurriedly, "Squire Tian, when did your father pass away, and how old was that Chief Clerk Zhou?"

Squire Tian replied, "Father passed away twenty years ago, and Chief Clerk Zhou had an accident more than ten years ago. At that time, he was nearly thirty."

Li Yan frowned. "Can you find out the life of this Chief Clerk Zhou?"

"I do know this."

Squire Tian replied, "At that time, I specifically asked. He was originally a down-and-out scholar, working as a clerk in the Prince's Mansion. By chance, he was appreciated by the Prince and rose all the way to the position of Chief Clerk."

"Calculated carefully, the time he rose to prominence was exactly the time my father passed away..."

Speaking of this, he was confused and at a loss. "Li Li Shaoxia, could Chief Clerk Zhou really be?"

"Eight or nine out of ten!"

Li Yan was now certain that after the three brothers' father died, he did not fall into the False False Yin Si but used a secret method to possess a body, plotting in the Prince's Mansion, stealing treasures, and preparing for his next reincarnation.

Thinking of this, he asked again, "Was your second son, Tian Han, born after Chief Clerk Zhou's accident?"

"That's right."

Squire Tian's face was already pale. "When my wife was pregnant, Chief Clerk Zhou sent a longevity lock, made of pure silver, with a red gemstone inlaid in the middle, saying that this object could protect the child's safety and must not be taken off."

"Because I was grateful to my benefactor, I let Han'er wear it all the time."

"Also, when Han'er was born, it was a difficult birth. A Daoist came to the door, saying he could perform a dharma service to ensure safety, and performed a dharma service in the courtyard, lighting many candles..."

Speaking of this, he felt a blockage in his heart and remained silent.

In the room, the Tian family members also looked at each other.

The impact of this matter on them was too great.

Father is not Father, but a sorcerer from many years ago, giving birth to the three Tian brothers, becoming someone else to protect them, and finally reincarnating to become a grandson...

Even strange novels are not so absurd!

At this point, Li Yan already understood and shook his head. "The people who are coercing and guarding against you are your father, and also the current Tian Han."

He had one more thing he didn't say.

The thing those demon people wanted was probably the red Red Mohe.

This "Returner" was hidden very deeply, either hiding in a mountain village to practice or entering the Buddhist gate in this life, basically doing no evil.

As for stealing treasures from the Prince's Mansion, in Li Yan's view, it didn't count as anything at all. If he had a need, he would also enter to steal treasures.

But the plotting was extremely deep, and there would eventually be flaws.

For example, the Daoist who came to the door was very suspicious. It was estimated that "Chief Clerk Zhou" had laid out a dark hand in advance.

Once the news was leaked, it naturally attracted the peeping of demon people.

With this treasure of the Great Tang that protects the country, "Red Red Mohe," it was estimated that some old monster could leave its nest and walk in the world openly.

Thinking of this, he sighed and said, "Everyone, what do you plan to do?"

Squire Tian was confused. "I ask Li Li Shaoxia to speak directly. My brain is a mess now."

Li Yan said, "Only we know about this matter for now."

"If you want to get out, report it. Once the Mystic Sect orthodoxy gets the 'Red Red Mohe,' those demon people will be too lazy to bother with you."

"Of course, you can also choose to hide this matter, but the demon people already know, and there will be endless trouble in the future, and Baotong Zen Temple will eventually find out about this matter."

Squire Tian swallowed his saliva. "If we report it to Baotong Zen Temple, Han'er... what will happen to him?"

Li Yan said solemnly, "There are rules between heaven and earth. Those who disturb Yin and Yang are all guilty of great crimes and will inevitably fall into the False False Yin Si to be punished."

Upon hearing this, Squire Tian's eyes became firm, and he shook his head directly. "No matter who he was before, he is now my father and benefactor. If I inform outsiders, how is that different from a beast?"

As he spoke, he looked at everyone in the room and said with a serious expression, "I want to hide this matter. Do you have any objections?"

"Big Brother is right." The second Tian brother also gritted his teeth. "No matter who he is, he is our father. How can we betray the grace of raising and teaching?"

"Forget it, soldiers come to block, water comes to cover. At worst, we will lose our lives, but we must find a way to preserve the incense."

Squire Tian also nodded seriously, then looked at Tian Wei. "If it really doesn't work, you brothers and sisters should leave secretly and hide your names."

"I'm not leaving!"

Tian Wei shook his head directly. "Father won't betray Grandfather, so how can I, as a son, abandon you and run away..."

Squire Tian was anxious. "You child!"

Seeing this, Li Yan persuaded, "Everyone doesn't need to panic. The demon people's conspiracy has been revealed, and the power of the entire Near Wuchang Prefecture has been mobilized. They are too busy to take care of themselves, so everyone is safe for the time being."

"If the demon people are uprooted, this disaster will pass."

Squire Tian breathed a sigh of relief, but then frowned. "The demon people might jump over the wall in a hurry. Han'er is in danger. Li Li Shaoxia, can you..."

"No."

!.

Li Yan naturally knew what he wanted to do and shook his head directly. "To be honest, I have a mission to specifically catch 'Returners.' If I see him, I can only take action."

No matter who this 'Returner' was, at least from the information he got, he didn't do evil and even married and had children, retaining his humanity.

There was no reason to play dumb when facing a 'Returner' of the Mystic Sect orthodoxy, and shout and kill when seeing this person.

In addition, whether the other party had the "Red Red Mohe" was just a guess. If he made a mistake and took the mission, he could only take action.

"This..."

Upon hearing this, Squire Tian had no idea.

This matter was secret. If he sent a servant to deliver a letter, he was afraid of leaking it, so he could only sigh and say nothing more.

This kind of thing was already beyond their imagination.

Even with Squire Tian's shrewdness, he didn't know what to do.

And Li Yan returned to his room to take the opportunity to rest.

The Chamber of Commerce already had people protecting it, plus the monks from the Law Enforcement Hall outside, so he could sleep peacefully...

The next day, the sky was still dim, and a light rain began to fall outside.

Near Wuchang City was noisy all night, with firelight flickering on the streets and the sound of horses' hooves constantly. The people in the city were frightened all night.

Fortunately, after dawn, everything returned to normal.

The light rain outside was drizzling, and the room was full of fragrance.

The Chamber of Commerce was rich, and the chef they hired had good skills.

Breakfast was a thick soup made of fresh fish, served with fine rice noodles, and then sprinkled with green onions and pepper. The taste was delicious and rich.

This thing was originally a wharf snack and couldn't be brought to the table, but the Chamber of Commerce chef made it extremely exquisite, paired with fried dough sticks and seasonal side dishes, making Li Yan feel comfortable all over.

Seeing the Tian family members opposite full of worries and not moving their chopsticks for a long time, Li Yan persuaded, "This skill is good, why don't you eat?"

Squire Tian sighed and shook his head. "Sigh~ I didn't sleep all night, I really have no appetite."

"No need to think too much."

Li Yan looked at the light rain outside the window and said calmly, "That world is too far away and has nothing to do with you. Fate ends, like mayflies born in the morning and dying in the evening."

"He is called Tian Han in this life, and he entered the void gate with the dharma name Bukong, which is to cut off this dust fate. Why do you have to force it? Your fate with him has already ended."

The Tian brothers felt a sense of loss.

Li Yan didn't say much more, put down his bowl, pushed the door out, and came to another room. Seeing several monks eating vegetarian food, he smiled and said, "Masters, you have worked hard last night."

He woke up in the middle of the night last night and performed a hand seal to investigate, finding that these monks were meditating in the corridor of the courtyard, and no one was derelict in their duty.

It is indeed the Mystic Sect orthodoxy, one of the ancestral courts of the Zen Sect. At least from last night, the monks of Baotong Zen Temple had good character.

"Li Li Shaoxia is too polite."

Several monks put their hands together, their eyes very calm.

Li Yan pulled over a stool and sat down, asking in a low voice, "How was it last night? Did you catch the person behind the scenes?"

The leading monk replied, "Last night, we found several suspicious layouts on Turtle and Snake mountains. Some ancient famous officials' tombs were tampered with, and the Yan Sheng technique was deployed, which has now been cleared..."

"Soldiers from the three cities worked together to catch quite a few Some Jianghu scoundrels, but they were all taking secret orders. Some were tomb robbing, some were transporting goods, and they didn't know who paid the money..."

"This morning, the Old Old Man Wang's Tomb has been surrounded by garrison troops, and some Miao people have been caught. The garrison has sent troops to Lake Liangzi Lake to surround those kilns..."

"Li Li Shaoxia doesn't need to worry. Since their plot is known, how could Baotong Zen Temple stand by? Now, whether it's Turtle and Snake mountains or the Old Old Man Wang's Tomb, there are experts guarding them."

"Master Lin from Wenjin Academy will accompany a Feng Shui master from the Jiangxiang Sect of Ganzhou today. There should be a way to completely solve this matter."

"Oh?"

Li Yan's eyes lit up. "Master Lin will come today?"

He came to Near Wuchang City and still had an important thing to do, which was to ask Master Lin about the "Siming Society" and "Zhiyingli."

The monk nodded. "He should arrive by evening."

They knew how important Li Yan was in this matter, which was helping Baotong Zen Temple solve a big trouble, so they were very polite and said everything they knew.

"That's good."

Li Yan smiled. "Since that's the case, I will trouble you to continue protecting the Tian family. I still have things to do today."

"Li Li Shaoxia, rest assured."

The leading monk said meaningfully, "The Tian family is also very important to the Law Enforcement Hall. If any demon people come, there will naturally be experts to deal with them."

Li Yan understood immediately and was completely relieved.

He returned to the rear courtyard wing, asked Squire Tian for the list given by Wu Wu Honglin, and prepared to visit several Mystic Sect master craftsmen while it was still daytime.

By evening, he would take Tian Wei to see Master Lin.

"Li Li Shaoxia, be careful on the road."

Squire Tian also knew that he was not safe now, so he didn't say he wanted to follow, just exhorted him.

Li Yan packed his things, opened his oil-paper umbrella, left the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, and headed north of the city.

The Prince of Near Wuchang, to express his importance to these Mystic Sect craftsman masters, arranged them all in a separate courtyard near the Prince's Mansion.

But interestingly, these masters from all over the world were not friendly to each other, so they didn't live together.

Halfway there, Li Yan took out the list and looked at it again.

Wu Wu Honglin did things very meticulously. Not only did he write down the specialties of these Mystic Sect craftsmen, but he also wrote down their temperaments and preferences.

In the Some Jianghu, there is a saying of "Five Elements and Eight Works."

"Five Elements" refers to vehicles, ships, shops, feet, and teeth.

"Eight Works" generally refers to goldsmiths, silversmiths, coppersmiths, blacksmiths, tinsmiths, carpenters, tilers, and stonemasons.

Of course, leather workers and other craftsmen also belong to them.

The ancient Western Zhou mine pit was unearthed, and quite a few metal heavenly spirit treasures emerged, so most of the people attracted were good at forging.

For example, a Master Zheng, from the Beijing Blacksmith Camp, was not the army, but a gathering place for craftsmen specifically to forge weapons and equipment for the imperial court, but he was arrogant and had a bad temper...

There was also a Master Lu, from Zezhou Prefecture, where coal and iron were produced. Since ancient times, every village had a blacksmith shop, and the inheritance was extraordinary, but his personality was a bit strange, and he was addicted to alcohol...

And Li Yan's first target was a Master Yuan from Bai Lu Plain, who was good at forging armor and weapons.

How could they be fellow countrymen, so it should be easy to talk...

Second update around twelve o'clock

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 289 =====