Chapter 29: The Flash of Returning Light

Bandits raiding a kiln is not strange.

"Raiding a kiln" is Jianghu slang, referring to attacking the mansion of a wealthy person.

The Great Xuan Dynasty has just passed a hundred years, land annexation has become increasingly serious, coupled with the power of clans, making wealthy gentry everywhere as numerous as ox hair.

They are not afraid of the poor, nor do they fear the imperial law, because the first thing every new official does upon taking office is to win them over.

Li Huairen of Li Family Fort is still good, at least he follows the rules.

Li Yan once heard that some wealthy gentry were arrogant, oppressed the people, and didn't take human life seriously at all. If they framed you with a crime of violating clan rules, they could beat you to death at will.

Local officials couldn't say anything.

These landlords and gentry only fear bandits.

Therefore, they built high walls and courtyards, hired guards for defense, and often donated to the local Shenquan Society to win over Jianghu forces to protect themselves.

But generally speaking, bandits rarely slaughter villages.

It's not out of kindness, but because they don't want to kill the chicken to get the eggs.

The common people are like grass, the gentry like sheep.

If there is grass, there will definitely be sheep.

If they do one job, they can live happily for a while.

In some places, there are even bandits and gentry colluding, under the name of suppressing bandits, looting once every so often.

But this time it is somewhat unusual.

Coming from the capital, a eunuch hiding his name, horse bandits from Qilu, slaughtering the village...

No matter how you look at it, it's not just for money.

Thinking of this, Li Yan frowned and continued to ask: "Since you encountered bandits, you should have gone to Xianyang City to report to the officials. Why did you end up in such a situation?"

"Sigh, don't mention it..."

Sha Lifei had a mournful face: "The Daoist and I returned to Xianyang City under the cover of night. Just as we wanted to report to the officials, we found that someone had already taken a step ahead."

"Who is it?"

"It's that concubine in red of Squire Lu, and the head of the guards, Zhao Cheng, wearing mourning clothes, crying and wailing, saying she was pregnant with Squire Lu's child, asking the government to make the decision..."

"Treacherous cowards, one look and you know it's internal thieves colluding with external bandits."

"I wanted to expose them, but was pulled away by the Daoist."

"We didn't dare to take the main road, so we climbed over mountains and ridges to Li Family Fort."

It could be heard that Sha Lifei still had dissatisfaction and confusion in his heart.

Li Yan sneered: "The Daoist did the right thing. If you dared to show your face, it would be difficult to walk out of Xianyang City alive."

Sha Lifei was stunned: "Why?"

Wang Daoxuan had eaten his fill by now. He burped, shook his head, and sighed: "I didn't dare to say much on the road. That Squire Lu is a eunuch!"

"A eunuch?!"

Sha Lifei was completely shocked, and then sweat broke out on his forehead.

He was slick, how could he not notice the trickiness in it.

Slaughtering the village was to silence them. Bandits wouldn't be afraid of this; spreading it would make them famous. The only possibility is that they didn't want to leak the news, and the only ones who could be related to eunuchs are the royal family...

The internal thieves remained, indicating that this matter was not over...

"This... what should we do?"

Thinking of this, Sha Lifei felt his head grow big.

Li Yan shook his head: "It's not easy to handle. Several bandit groups acted in concert, and there were horse bandits from other provinces, indicating that this matter involves many people, and it is very likely that officials are involved. Getting involved is death."

"Hide first, and wait until the wind blows over."

"The village is crowded and eyes are everywhere, so hide on the mountain. I will send you food, and after things calm down, go out to inquire about news."

"Fine, that's all we can do."

Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan looked at each other, both helpless.

"By the way, Daoist, there is one more thing I need to ask of you..."

…………

Returning to the village, it was already cock-crow time.

Li Yan sneaked back into his room, then pretended to have just woken up. After getting up, he fed the chickens, fetched water, lit a fire to cook, and after boiling a pot of corn porridge, he practiced boxing in the courtyard.

First the ten major foundation exercises, then the striking methods and knife techniques.

It seemed as if the things from last night had never happened.

But he knew that everything had changed.

Conserving Spirit succeeded, representing that he had entered the Mystic Sect, and there was the cause of his father's death to investigate, as well as the black hand persecuting his family. There were indeed many things to do.

But he couldn't leave yet, because his grandfather's condition was getting worse and worse.

After the curse on the plaque was removed, he did have a period of spirit, but it didn't last long. These days, he was even more sleepy and weak, often sitting foolishly outside the door.

Sitting for a whole day, sometimes even forgetting his name.

It just so happened that Wang Daoxuan came last night. The Daoist's medical skills were okay, at least better than the local quack doctors. Li Yan asked him to pretend to be a wandering doctor today and come to take a look.

"Practicing medicine and asking for drugs, saving the world and helping people..."

Just after breakfast, someone came shouting from the entrance of the village; it was Wang Daoxuan.

At this time, he was still wearing a tattered Daoist robe, but he carried a small cloth banner in his left hand and shook a rattle in his right, immediately attracting the attention of the village children, who scrambled to watch.

In this closed little village, the arrival of a stranger is a big event.

As for this getup, there is also a trick to it.

The cloth banner was just written, torn from a tattered garment of Sha Lifei.

The rattle in his hand is also called a "Tiger Prop." Legend has it that the Medicine King met a fierce tiger seeking medical treatment on the road, just because there was a bone spur in its mouth. The Medicine King was afraid the tiger would hurt people, so he used the Tiger Prop to place it in the tiger's mouth. After the tiger recovered, it became the Medicine King's mount.

In the leather sect, there are those who walk the streets to practice medicine, also known in slang as "package pushers."

The Tiger Prop is their symbol.

As the saying goes, "Gold changes to leather, one morning."

When Wang Daoxuan walked the Jianghu in the past, if he couldn't get work, he would often pretend to be a wandering doctor, and he happened to have this thing.

Li Yan, who had been prepared, immediately greeted him and invited Wang Daoxuan into his home. "I am fine, I can eat and drink, what illness is there to see?"

The old man was clearly resistant, unwilling and unhappy.

Li Yan hurriedly said a few nice words, coupled with Wang Daoxuan's conversation and demeanor, which made people feel like a spring breeze, so the old man darkened his face and didn't say anything more.

After some questioning, listening, and feeling the pulse, Wang Daoxuan smiled: "The old man's body is good, it's just that he is old and his spirit is not very good. Just get some sour jujube kernels, Poria, and licorice to soak in water, and drink a little every day."

"I said I wasn't sick, just messing around, wasting money."

Li Gui complained, but he was clearly relieved.

After saying a few words, he actually fell into a daze and started snoring.

However, Li Yan had already seen that something was wrong. After going out, he pulled Wang Daoxuan to a quiet place and worriedly asked: "Daoist, what exactly is the situation?"

Wang Daoxuan's face also became solemn. He stroked his beard and shook his head: "The old man really has no illness, it's just that his Qi and blood have declined, and he has reached his age."

"But when I took his pulse just now, I secretly used supernatural powers and found that the old man's spirit was weak. I'm afraid this is the real reason."

"What exactly happened?"

!.

Li Yan was silent for a while, told the story of the curse roughly, and asked suspiciously: "That evil technique has been broken, why is it still like this?"

After these days, he had developed trust in Wang Daoxuan, so he told the truth.

"Then it's not strange."

Wang Daoxuan sighed: "The evil technique, there are those that are fierce, which can take a person's life within a few days, and there are those that influence secretly, destroying families and households."

"The person who did it should not want to attract attention."

"This technique not only ruins fortune and makes the family's men scarce, but also attracts right and wrong and invites evil spirits. Although the old man couldn't perceive it, he was subconsciously resisting it."

"Perhaps you can live stably until now, all because the old man was protecting you."

"After all, he is an ordinary person, just like drawing a bow and setting an arrow, pulling without firing, consuming spirit and blood to support it. After the evil technique was broken, perhaps there was a period of relief, but the spirit loss was too great, coupled with old age, I'm afraid there isn't much time left..."

Although Li Yan had guesses, his heart still trembled: "Is there any way to save him?"

"Difficult."

Wang Daoxuan shook his head: "This is not an illness, but the end of his life. Take advantage of this time to accompany the old man well."

"Remember, if the old man suddenly wants to eat something icy, then you should prepare for the funeral."

"Why?"

"Virtual Yang floating outward, the flash of returning light."

…………

Just after sending Wang Daoxuan out the door, he was stopped by a group of villagers.

It is difficult for the people in the village to see a doctor. If they have a common headache or fever, they usually use some local remedies to deal with it, and only go to the city to see a doctor if they can't hold on.

It was hard to get a wandering doctor to come, so naturally, they wanted to invite him to take a look.

Li Yan was in a bad mood and couldn't be bothered to pay attention.

After returning to the room, seeing his grandfather still sleeping soundly, he was silent for a while, turned and went to the stable at the back, led the horse that Squire Lu had given him, and found Du Daya, who drove the cart.

"Old Uncle Du, sell the horse for me, and I'll entrust you with something."

"Young Brother Yan, tell me."

"Invite an opera troupe to perform in the village for a few days."

"Remember, find another reason..."

……

Two days later, an opera troupe came to the village.

According to the troupe leader, he was wandering the Jianghu when he was young and was about to starve to death, but was given food at Li Family Fort, which allowed him to survive.

Now it can be considered as coming to repay the kindness, performing for five consecutive days.

The common people naturally don't care about this. Whoever did the good deed doesn't matter, just watch. After all, they can't see it on weekdays, and even the people from the surrounding villages ran more than ten miles to watch the fun.

Every night at Li Family Fort, the candles were bright and the voices were loud.

Nothing else, but grandfather Li Gui was overjoyed.

The old man had no other hobbies, just loved watching opera.

A few years ago, whenever he heard where opera was being performed, he would go out early, take Li Yan on a donkey cart to watch, but in recent years his body was not good, coupled with inconvenient legs and feet, he could only stay at home.

Occasionally he would mutter about going to Chang'an to watch opera when he had time.

Li Yan couldn't invite famous actors from Chang'an, but the wild troupe from Lantian was okay.

"Investiture of the Gods," "Shooting the Nine Suns," "Biography of Loyalty and Righteousness"...

For several consecutive days, the rough Qin opera echoed throughout the village.

The old man naturally had his fill, and even after the troupe left and he returned home, he kept roaring:

"With a command, the mountains and rivers shake,

People put on armor and mount their saddles,

All the young men shout together,

Urging the men and horses to the front of the formation..."

The tone was inaccurate, but it was desolate and heroic, as if he remembered the days of gold and iron horses when he was young. Every time he finished singing, he would blankly look into the distance.

"Yan baby, why am I so hot, I want to eat something icy..."

Hearing this, Li Yan's tears fell. He endured his sadness and smiled: "Grandfather, wanting to eat something icy is not simple. Watch me get it for you."

Making ice with saltpeter is not a strange thing; there are such means in the Jianghu.

Li Yan got some and mixed it with maltose.

The old man ate happily, then looked at him reluctantly:

"Baby, after I leave, you will probably walk your father's path. It's all destiny, and grandfather can't stop you, but there are a few words you must remember."

"Grandfather, tell me." Li Yan was already kneeling on the ground, sobbing.

The old man looked into the distance and said in a hoarse voice:

"Baby, from now on you are alone. Remember..."

"Better to make people hate, than to make people pity!"

"Better to make people fear, than to make people bully!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 30 =====