Chapter 297: Demon Tracks Appear

"What do you mean?!"

Shi Chen's face was ugly, and he asked.

Facing the Law Enforcement Hall, his tone wasn't that good either.

Being so arrogant naturally had its reasons.

Looking north of the Yangtze River, there is the Cao Gang; south of the Yangtze River belongs to the Pai Sect.

Since ancient times, water transport in the Divine Land has been the top priority, but there are differences between the two factions.

The Cao Gang mainly relies on the imperial court for food, controlled by the local grain transport envoys, and often has to cooperate with imperial court actions.

But the Pai Sect is different.

They rose in the Dongtinghu area and have continued from the Tang Dynasty to the present, their power constantly expanding. Calling them a gang is more like a coalition of chambers of commerce.

Each leader controls an area.

Sometimes they fight among themselves, and if they make a mess, elders of the Pai Sect will mediate.

But if they are bullied by outsiders, they will unite against them.

Relying on this model, the Pai Sect's power expanded to the entire South, with a huge scale, even facing the Mystic Sect's orthodox sects, they had the confidence.

Even Junshan in Dongtinghu had been controlled by them.

However, this also led to many drawbacks.

Many leaders who joined later practiced external methods, only worshipping the Pai Sect's ancestor on the surface, making it hard to avoid being mixed.

And among them, there were many leaders from the Miao region. In many ethnic minority gathering areas, only these people could send things in.

Especially now, wanting to quell the rebellion in the Southwest, the Pai Sect's help was indispensable, so the imperial court still adopted a policy of appeasement toward them.

The monk from the Law Enforcement Hall put his palms together, his expression serious. "Shi Pai Tou Shi, don't blame me, but that person is very likely a demon spy."

"A spy?"

Shi Chen laughed in anger, pointing at Li Yan opposite and saying, "You believe it just because that kid said so?"

"I also say he is a demon person; why don't you go arrest him?"

And just at this moment, Zhang Xiaoshan also walked over with broad strides and shouted angrily, "Bamboo Pole, stop making trouble here!"

Shi Chen was tall and thin, the whole person like a thin bamboo pole, so when people scolded him, they directly called him Bamboo Pole.

Without waiting for Shi Chen to say more, Zhang Xiaoshan said with a gloomy face, "That Flower Snake practiced the 'Yin Fetus Zhao Changsheng Art.' If it weren't for special circumstances, how would he dare to show his face in broad daylight?"

"You don't use your brain either. Would he risk his life just for your little bit of silver?"

Beside him also walked an old man in black and bald, the old senior of the Ge Lao Society, Dong Su.

Seeing Zhang Xiaoshan looking for trouble, he originally wanted to join the fun, stand up for Shi Chen, and disgust this old rival.

But hearing "Yin Fetus Zhao Changsheng Art," his face also changed, and he said in a deep voice, "Shi Pai Tou Shi, this matter cannot be taken lightly."

Seeing two Dan Jin experts say this, Shi Chen also secretly thought it was bad and turned around directly.

Slap!

With a fierce slap, his subordinate beside him was knocked down, his face quickly turning bruised, his mouth full of blood.

Shi Chen said with a gloomy face, "Zhou Lao Si, didn't you tell me the person was fine? Who exactly did you hire?"

This was his sect's 'White Paper Fan' (strategist), usually responsible for planning, very familiar with various ways in the Jianghu.

Shi Chen trusted him very much and didn't expect him to poke such a hole.

Hearing it was related to demon people, the middle-aged man on the ground was also scared out of his wits, his face pale, trembling, "Shi Pai Tou, spare me, Shi Pai Tou, spare me. This person was introduced by Wu Jiucheng when I was drinking flower wine with him."

"I had also heard of his prestige, so I opened my mouth to invite this Flower Snake to help..."

"Wu Jiucheng?"

When Shi Chen heard this, his face became strange, and he smiled unpleasantly. "Everyone, you heard it too. This matter has nothing to do with us."

The people around heard this and looked at each other.

Wu Jiucheng was the son of Wu Honglin, president of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce!

The monk from the Law Enforcement Hall changed his expression slightly and turned to leave, simultaneously saying to his fellow disciples, "The mountain is probably problematic. To prevent accidents, our people should search again..."

"Also, report this matter quickly!"

"Yes, Feng Feng Shixiong!"

The monk from the Law Enforcement Hall left in a hurry. The Jianghu people under the ring also exchanged glances, raising a bit of vigilance.

This tournament was arranged by the Chamber of Commerce.

They knew more or less about the situation in the city, so they naturally had to be careful, lest they be used as guns.

"Wu Jiucheng?"

Li Yan was also surprised when he heard this.

He only thought of the trickiness after getting off the ring.

Flower Snake practiced "Yin Fetus Zhao Changsheng Art," making himself neither human nor ghost, and it would be most stable to stay in that remote countryside, yet he risked coming here.

Didn't expect one probe to really find the problem.

Master Tian had said that this Wu Jiucheng was a playboy who had threatened to buy Tian Chamber of Commerce shares at a low price.

This was the first suspect, but later excluded. Didn't expect it to turn around, and the clue returned to this person.

Thinking of this, Li Yan turned his head to look at Qingchuan Pavilion, then whispered to Wang Daoxuan, "Daoist, things are probably not right. Be careful later..."

"Hmm."

Wang Daoxuan had a worried look, looking down the mountain...

…………

"Wu Jiucheng?"

On the second floor of Qingchuan Pavilion, the Wang Shizi of Wuchang raised his eyelids slightly.

"That's right!"

Vice President Zhao of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce had a gloomy face, gritting his teeth. "Those demon people have likely borrowed Wu Jiucheng's hand to sneak into the mountain. I have already sent people to check one by one."

"Your Highness, this demon invasion of the three cities of Wuchang has mysterious movements, clearly with someone responding. Even if Wu Honglin didn't participate, he has the responsibility of not managing his family well!"

Approaching the Dragon Boat Festival, there were many activities, and they had to guard against demon people, so the Chamber of Commerce was busy. Wu Honglin needed to sit in Wuchang to command, so the task of arranging the tournament fell to him.

Didn't expect such a thing to happen.

Such an opportunity was truly rare, so naturally, he had to kick them while they were down, maybe he could topple Wu Honglin.

Who knew, the Wang Shizi of Wuchang's expression didn't change, saying lightly, "Honglin does things steadily, but in his Wu family, a group of clan elders always holds him back. After this incident, he will surely rectify his family style."

When Vice President Zhao heard this, he sighed in his heart.

He didn't expect the Wang Shizi of Wuchang to trust Wu Honglin so much, even after such a big thing, it was lightly brushed over.

I'm afraid the position of president won't be his turn this time.

Thinking of this, Vice President Zhao hurriedly cupped his fists. "Your Highness, this demon infiltration is probably to destroy the Feng Shui sacrifice. I will personally take people to search again."

After speaking, he left quickly with people.

After he left, the tiger-headed Wang Shizi of Wuchang Heir asked in a low voice, "Father, why not take down Wu Honglin?"

The Wang Shizi of Wuchang's expression didn't change, and he smiled. "Wu Honglin does things steadily, and more importantly, he is the Emperor's man!"

"Ah?"

The Wang Shizi of Wuchang Heir was stunned, somewhat unbelievable. "He has followed you for twenty years..."

"What does following for a long time count for?"

The Wang Shizi of Wuchang said calmly, "Those officials of the Wu family are all 'Open Sea' faction, entrusted with important tasks by the Emperor. Wuchang's position is critical, and the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce is getting bigger and bigger. How could the Emperor be at ease?"

"Remember, learn to play dumb on some things, and you will live more freely. No amount of power is as important as the Emperor being at ease." The Wang Shizi of Wuchang Heir was still worried. "The demon people's plotting is clearly not a whim. Father, aren't you worried?"

"What's the use of worrying?"

The Wang Shizi of Wuchang shook his head and smiled. "Do you know techniques, or do you think you can run to kill demon people with your own skills?"

The Heir was speechless when he heard this.

The Wang Shizi of Wuchang said, "I don't know techniques either, but I understand human nature."

"The demon people's plotting is nothing more than for the war situation in the Southwest. Such careful layout is clearly a chain trap."

"Using the unintentional to strike the intentional is what made us fall into a passive position. However, the Buddhist people are more anxious than me."

"If the demon people succeed, the Buddhist Zen Sect will have no foothold in Ezhou. They will fight to the death and won't let this happen."

"What the Wang Shizi's Mansion needs to do is not to hold them back. I don't understand techniques or Feng Shui, so joining in blindly is the biggest taboo!"

The Wang Shizi of Wuchang Heir immediately understood, full of admiration. "No wonder the Master often tells me that knowing how to use people is more important than being strong in martial arts."

When the Wang Shizi of Wuchang heard this, he was full of gratification, looking down and saying, "Knowing some martial arts is always good. Since you have this talent, you can't waste it. Is there anyone you like below?"

!.

The Heir said, "That Li Yan acts calmly and decisively, and at a young age, he has already learned Thunder Method..."

"He won't do."

The Wang Shizi of Wuchang shook his head directly. "This person is arrogant and has the style of a wandering knight; he is not someone who follows the rules. If you make friends with him, it's fine, but if you take him into your command, trouble will arise sooner or later."

The Heir was surprised. "Does he dare to take action against me?"

"Hmph!"

When the Wang Shizi of Wuchang heard this, his eyes turned cold. "People like this act unscrupulously. A few years ago, a Jianghu grandmaster went straight into the imperial city to assassinate the Emperor, fortunately repelled by Huo Yin."

"The Jianghu and Mystic Sects must be used by the imperial court, but they must also be suppressed, otherwise they are all trouble."

As he spoke, he pondered again. "This person asked the Abbot of Baotong Zen Temple to intercede with me to help the Jinzhou Yuhuang Temple buy heaven-and-earth treasures. When the time comes, you will receive him."

The Wang Shizi of Wuchang Heir was stunned. "Is he important?"

"He is not important."

The Wang Shizi of Wuchang shook his head. "The Tai Xuan Zheng Jiao behind him is important. I had a grudge with the Tai Xuan Zheng Jiao when I was young, so I took the opportunity to help the Buddhist sect and let the Zen Sect grow."

"But looking at ancient history, there are reasons for repeated suppression of Fomen. In the future, when it reaches your hands, you must introduce the Daoist sect to check and balance each other, so that trouble won't arise."

"Yes, Father."

The Wang Shizi of Wuchang Heir immediately understood.

Beside them, several deep-breathed eunuchs held the Wang Shizi's Mansion's ceremonial equipment, shielding the surrounding energy...

…………

On the ring, the competition continued.

Whether it was "Jian Sanye" or that Baji fist master, they were both at the peak of Dark Jin, coming and going, fighting very lively.

Li Yan had already stepped into Hua Jin and could easily win against either of them, but in terms of move experience, he really couldn't compare to these two.

Therefore, he watched with great interest.

Just at this moment, thick smoke rose near Yuwang Palace below, and the whistling sound of signal arrows could be heard.

Under the ring, everyone looked up one after another.

Unfortunately, with imperial soldiers guarding, they didn't want to go watch the fun.

Not long after, the Chamber of Commerce and the monks from the Law Enforcement Hall returned quickly, as if what happened before had never happened.

Zhang Xiaoshan's heart moved, and he immediately went up to inquire. After muttering for a while, he came back and whispered, "Sure enough, there's a problem. Several people mixed into the Chamber of Commerce servants, wanting to destroy the Yuwang Palace's key points."

"If there are no accidents, they were going to act at night, with that Flower Snake cooperating, but unfortunately it was discovered by you, so they had to act in advance, and all the people have been caught."

"What was asked?"

"It really is related to Wu Jiucheng, but that kid is just a cover. The one commanding in Wuchang City is a concubine he took the year before last..."

When Li Yan heard this, he shook his head slightly and continued to look at the stage.

Finding that the Flower Snake had ghosts was just a coincidence.

The current three cities of Wuchang were loose outside but tight inside, and he didn't know how many experts were acting, so he didn't need to join in the fun at all.

Moreover, the tournament rules required continuous fighting for five days. To prevent loopholes caused by personnel coming and going, everyone would sleep here at night.

Anyway, he couldn't get out, so he might as well stay on the mountain with peace of mind and strive to break through his fist techniques.

Thinking of this, Li Yan became more focused.

After match after match, whether it was the people from the Five Elements Escort Agency or those hired experts, they all let him gain a lot of knowledge.

Of course, he also noticed that the entire ring had turned into an altar. With match after match of fighting, a cold and fierce murderous aura rose, finally gathering into Qingchuan Pavilion.

The aura of the entire Turtle Mountain was also becoming more and more agile.

It was like a divine general was waking up...

After ten matches ended, it was already dusk.

Li Yan turned his head to look at Zhang Xiaoshan beside him and bowed respectfully. "Feng Feng Shixiong, let's continue."

"Ah?!"

Zhang Xiaoshan scratched his head and cursed, "You kid, you're really a sticky candy. Haven't you had enough beating?"

Li Yan laughed. "It's okay, Junior is very tough..."

And so, after dinner, inside the Wudang tent, there was another round of clattering.

Li Yan was sent flying again and again, but he got up again and again, fully focused, trying his best to perfect his fist techniques.

On the other hand, Zhang Xiaoshan's face was getting more and more bitter...

…………

On the other side, Wuchang City, Wu family mansion.

People were coming and going in the small courtyard, and the atmosphere was a bit oppressive.

A young master in brocade clothes was hanging from the roof beam, his face blue, his eyes full of fear, his tongue sticking out long, already dead.

It was Wu Jiucheng!

"Son..."

A woman wailed and wanted to pounce on him, but was stopped by the servants. There were also several monks on the scene performing magic to investigate.

Wu Honglin stood to the side, his face blue. Hearing the woman wailing, he turned around abruptly, slapped his wife flying, and cursed, "Hiding everything from me, don't you know that spoiling a child is like killing him?"

"Get back to Huangzhou, tell those old things to spit out everything they've eaten, and wait for me to clean them up when I go back!"

When the servants heard this, they immediately dragged the woman away.

Wu Honglin then cupped his fists and said in a deep voice, "Master Chengjue, any discoveries?"

The leader of the monks in the room was Chengjue.

He looked thoughtful, looked around, and ordered several monks to bring incense ash, blowing it in all directions, while chanting the Buddha's name.

Gradually, some marks appeared.

Wu Honglin widened his eyes. "Cat?"

Only to see that on the roof beam, it was full of dense cat footprints.

Chengjue's expression was solemn. "This is a Cat Ghost, an evil secret technique from the Jiangnan area, often spread among brothel women."

As he spoke, he looked at the servant beside him. "What is that concubine's name?"

The servant trembled, "I only know that the young master always called her 'Liu Niang'!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 298 =====