Chapter 315: Strange Tales of the Tyrant Well

"Yo, so lively?"

Li Yan looked into the distance, somewhat surprised.

Before he even saw Ziyang Lake, he saw lights illuminating the night ahead, gongs and drums sounding, and various opera tunes echoing.

"Benefactor Li doesn't know."

A yamen runner who followed him hurriedly stepped forward and smiled: "The scenery around this Ziyang Lake is beautiful, and there are many large mansions built by wealthy families in the city, as well as restaurants and inns, which have invited many troupes to set up stages and sing operas..."

The Buddhist sect is busy, and the yamen is the same.

These yamen runners maintained order for the dragon boat race during the day and had to investigate passing ships, so they were already exhausted. Being called out in the middle of the night naturally made them unhappy.

But this Li Yan before them is a popular figure in Near Wuchang City recently. They also didn't dare to offend him, so they had to hide their dissatisfaction in their hearts.

Li Yan saw this, already knew what these people were thinking, and laughed dumbly: "Everyone, I'm just going to take a look. I might not find anything. It just so happens I haven't eaten yet. I'll find a restaurant later and treat everyone to a drink."

Refining the heart in the Daxiong Treasure Hall wiped away the dust from his heart.

To be honest, he wasn't a gloomy person, but he had experienced many calamities in the past year. Although he had passed them safely, the pressure was not small, and his personality had become dull.

This time, he had recovered a lot of his true nature.

Coming out to wander the martial world this time was originally to see all things in the world. As long as he had a clear conscience in everything, even if the sky fell, he would face it calmly.

"This... how can we be embarrassed?"

"No need to be polite, but we have to find a good place later. If the wine and meat are poor, I won't pay!"

"We will definitely satisfy Benefactor Li!"

With a few words, the relationship was drawn closer.

They turned a street, and the view suddenly opened up, appearing as a huge lake. The lake surface was as calm as water, and the banks were shaded by willow trees.

Just as the yamen runners said, there were many mansions of wealthy families in the city, and even tea houses and restaurants were still open.

Temporary opera sheds appeared every few hundred meters, and there were artists performing on the ground, street vendors selling strength pills... many common people were walking around, very lively.

Seeing this, Li Yan was also in a good mood.

In the Divine Land of this era, most common people would rest at night. This liveliness before him was rarely seen on weekdays.

Unfortunately, coming out this time happened to encounter evil people making trouble.

Sha Sha Li Fei was busy making firearms, Wang Wang Daoxuan and Lv San were learning to practice, and they were also protecting the Tian family, so only he could come out.

"Is this Benefactor Li?"

Before he had walked a few steps, several people walked over from the side of the street, all dressed in black brocade robes, and the people around avoided them one after another. It was the people from the Commandant Office.

Unlike Unlike Yichang and Yunyang, since coming to the three towns of Near Wuchang, Li Yan had rarely dealt with the Commandant Office.

After all, there was nothing to do, and no one wanted to provoke such a yamen.

Seeing this person blocking the way, Li Yan smiled: "My lord, what is the matter?"

The person before him was burly, with dark skin. Upon hearing this, he said: "I am Yu Sheng, a Company Commander of the Near Wuchang Garrison, responsible for patrolling the city at night. Benefactor Li, you have come here, have you discovered anything?"

Originally, he didn't want to come up and talk.

This is Near Wuchang City. No matter how famous Li Yan is, it has nothing to do with them, and it would only be troublesome to record more situations.

After all, supervising the martial world is also the duty of the Commandant Office.

"Lord Yu."

The yamen runner behind him hurriedly stepped forward, accompanied by a smile and a bow: "Baotong Zen Temple entrusted Benefactor Li to check the Tyrant Well, and we are ordered to lead the way and cooperate."

"Oh, so that's how it is."

That Company Commander Yu heard this, and the vigilance in his eyes suddenly lessened a lot. He said in a deep voice: "The Tyrant Well water suddenly became turbid, causing panic, and some wealthy families added to the chaos, finding unreliable witches and gods to perform rituals, all talking nonsense, and they have all been driven away by us."

"If Benefactor Li can find out the truth, it is also a good thing. If you need anything, you can call the Commandant Office for help at any time."

"Thank you, my lord."

"It should be."

After some questioning, the people from the Commandant Office left quickly.

Li Yan glanced at them and found that there were gazes drifting from the crowd and the second floors of some restaurants. As Company Commander Yu left, they shifted their gazes.

Clearly, they were all people from the Commandant Office.

This time, the forces of the three towns of Near Wuchang were all mobilized, seemingly chaotic, but each had its own focus.

The Law Enforcement Hall is mainly responsible for rituals, preventing people from the Mystic Sect from making trouble.

And the Commandant Office mainly focuses on the martial world. After all, with such a large event, the number of martial world guests gathered is countless, and there must be accomplices of evil people mixed among them.

Li Yan didn't pay attention either. He bought a bag of sugar-fried chestnuts on the street, ate while walking, and shuttled through the crowded crowd with the yamen runners.

After they left, a man raised his head.

He was dressed as a country hunter, in coarse cloth and animal skin boots, holding a rack in his hand, covered with dried turtles, snakes, and lizards.

This is the dress of the Skin Sect, commonly known as those who sell wild medicine, wandering the streets and alleys, peddling their family recipes, mainly aphrodisiacs and abortion drugs.

They are effective, but they are all tiger-and-wolf medicines. Sometimes they can cure diseases, and sometimes people die after eating them, and you can't find them if you report to the yamen.

There are too many such people, and even the common people know their methods.

But some things are just so helpless. Poor families can't afford doctors, and dragging it out is waiting for death, so it's better to buy a bag and gamble with their lives.

This is the cheap life of the poor.

This man selling wild medicine looked at Li Yan's departing back, a hint of ferocity flashed in his eyes, and while wandering in the crowd, he shouted loudly:

"Not selling old medicine, selling new medicine. The new medicine is called 'Pouring Over the Mountain.' Everyone, listen well. If you can't pee high, eat 'Pouring Over the Mountain.' After eating 'Pouring Over the Mountain,' you can pee eight feet high against the wind..."

These are all common singing lyrics in the martial world, but he deliberately emphasized a few syllables and changed the tune, so he could pass the message silently.

Soon, the message reached a secret room.

"Tyrant Well?"

"It has nothing to do with us, don't bother."

"This Li has ruined our affairs time and again, and we definitely won't spare him in the future, but now we can't startle the snake. Is the other side ready?"

"Everything is arranged..."

"Hmm, be careful, don't be discovered by the hawks and hounds."

……

"Benefactor Li, this is it."

The leading yamen runner pointed forward.

It was already relatively remote here, with few people, a few hundred meters from the lake, sandwiched between several alleys.

The so-called Tyrant Well is a stone well with a pavilion built on top, and there are shrines around it, with incense ash piled up like a mountain.

The yamen runner explained: "Benefactor Li, legend has it that the Overlord of Western Chu split this well, and a dragon aura was hidden in it, so there is a Well Dragon King."

"There is a rumor that this well is connected to Ziyang Lake and East Lake, and can even reach the Yangtze River, but no matter how the lake water rises, the water level in the well remains unchanged, so the common people offer incense to the Well Dragon King all year round..."

"Well Dragon King?"

Li Yan stepped forward a few steps and looked into the well, but it was pitch black inside, and he could smell a foul odor without using his supernatural power.

This smell was a bit strange, not like the decay of fish and shrimp, but a bit like the fishy smell of silt in the river.

He shook the pulley and drew a bucket of water.

Sure enough, it was extremely turbid and carried mud and sand.

The yamen runner clicked his tongue and said: "If you ask me, it's just that the underground water vein changed its course, bringing in sludge from the river bottom. The common people don't understand, so they spread rumors."

Li Yan shook his head: "If it were just a change in the water vein, why would Baotong Zen Temple ask me to come and check?" As he spoke, he pinched a magic formula and took a deep breath.

Various smells flooded into his nasal cavity. Sure enough, there was a faint trace of Yin energy remaining, which would not be discovered unless he exerted his supernatural power to the fullest.

Li Yan frowned and said to the yamen runner: "Hard work, everyone. Find the nearby common people, I have something to ask."

This kind of thing is naturally the yamen runners' specialty. Before long, they found several old men and women.

This place is already far from the shore, so the residents are all ordinary common people.

Seeing their trembling appearance, Li Yan comforted them: "Everyone, don't be afraid. I am entrusted by Baotong Zen Temple to handle this matter."

Hearing Baotong Zen Temple, the old men and women were obviously relieved.

"When did the well water become turbid?"

"Reporting to the official, it was half a month ago."

"Were there any signs at the time?"

"This... when I woke up, the well water became turbid. The imperial court sent people to check, and wealthy families also invited ritual masters to perform rituals, but they didn't find the reason."

!.

Just at this moment, an old man behind hesitated and said: "Reporting to the official, I did discover some abnormality."

"My health is not good, I have to get up ten times in the middle of the night, I can't sleep at all. I remember that night, I seemed to hear something roaring underground, but it only roared once."

"Could it be that the Well Dragon King was giving a warning?"

The yamen runner next to him heard this and hurriedly reprimanded: "You old man, don't talk nonsense!"

As he spoke, he bowed to Li Yan: "Benefactor Li, these days there are all kinds of rumors, and there are even people saying that the true body of the Overlord of Chu is buried underground. This is nonsense!"

He was a bit impatient.

This group of old men and women have nothing to do all day but like to talk nonsense. Many rumors are fabricated by them.

The old man was also anxious, "I heard it with my own ears, how can it be nonsense?"

The yamen runner reprimanded: "Why are you the only one who heard it? Are the others deaf? You must have been confused in the middle of the night..."

The common people nearby also shook their heads: "We didn't hear it."

"This..."

The old man was a bit aggrieved, but didn't say anything more.

"Stop arguing."

Li Yan stopped everyone and asked the yamen runner: "Did the imperial court not invite any occultists to check?"

The occultists he mentioned naturally didn't refer to ordinary witches and gods.

The yamen runner whispered: "I heard that the experts from the Prince's Mansion also came to see, but they didn't find anything either, only saying that the water vein changed its course."

"Hmm."

Li Yan nodded slightly, thoughtful.

This kind of thing is also very possible. Ezhou is a land of thousands of lakes, with extremely rich underground water veins and countless large and small tributaries. Changing course is very normal.

If it connected to some lake and brought the Yin evil energy from under the water, this situation would occur.

Of course, to prevent himself from misjudging, he still pinched a magic formula and hooked his little finger lightly.

Whoosh!

In the leather bag at his waist, a paper horse suddenly floated up, danced in the air, and then disappeared into the well.

The scene before them made the surrounding common people widen their eyes.

This is a real Mystic Sect magic art.

Most of what they saw on weekdays were pretending to be gods and ghosts, so where had they seen such means?

Li Yan didn't care to pay attention, his eyes closed tightly.

The paper horse is best at investigating. Even if it was pitch black inside, he could see it clearly.

This Tyrant Well is indeed ancient. The surrounding well walls are all built with bluestone, mottled, and covered with moss.

The water level is about five or six meters from the ground. A stone shrine is embedded in the well wall, looking quite old, and half-submerged in the turbid sewage.

This shrine enshrines a stone statue, dragon-headed and human-bodied, wearing official robes, with no abnormal aura.

But on the head of the statue, several cracks appeared, and the traces looked like they had only appeared recently.

Besides this, nothing else was found.

Li Yan frowned, withdrew his hand formula, and the paper horse instantly burned, turning into fly ash and falling into the water.

Subsequently, Li Yan opened his eyes, turned around and asked: "How long have you been offering incense to this Well Dragon King?"

One of the old men said: "I heard from my ancestors that it started in the Tang and Song Dynasties. It was interrupted once because of war, but when the years were stable, the residents around would offer incense on time."

"Oh."

Li Yan looked at the water well again, thoughtful.

There is indeed a Well Dragon King inside, but it is not a true dragon aura, but a secular god born from the common people's year-round offerings, somewhat similar to the Earth God.

This kind of secular god generally has no harm, enjoys incense, and at most can keep the water quality clear and eliminate Yin evil energy.

Now it seems that it is mostly because the underground water vein changed, and the secular god Well Dragon King has also dissipated, so the Yin evil energy has risen.

Of course, this is just his guess.

If there is really any problem, with his current Mystic Water Escape Technique, he can't travel through the water vein.

Thinking of this, Li Yan shook his head: "It is very likely that the water vein changed its course. It is estimated that it will take several months for the water quality to recover."

"Did you hear that?!"

The yamen runner hurriedly said: "This is a true master. You still don't believe what he said? Don't spread rumors in the future..."

What Li Yan didn't notice was that the paper horse turned into fly ash and fell into the water, and the remaining aura kept falling.

In the turbid water, water currents suddenly rolled up, rolling these fly ash and aura into the depths of the water vein.

In a dark corner, huge and cold eyes slowly opened...

"Alright, that's it!"

After the leading yamen runner reprimanded, he dispersed the common people and turned to Li Yan with a smile: "Benefactor Li, let's go. I know a place where the donkey meat is a must..."

Before he finished speaking, Li Yan's hair stood on end, and he turned around suddenly.

Whoosh~

Only to see black smoke roaring out of the water well, rolling in the air. The terrifying aura made everyone present feel cold in their hearts.

Li Yan widened his eyes even more.

He had smelled this aura before; it was the mysterious giant alligator in the lake on the way to Boji Dun!

Before he could react, the black smoke roared over and drilled directly into the yamen runner's mouth.

"Benefactor Li, this, this..."

This scene scared the surrounding yamen runners until they were trembling all over.

And the yamen runner who was possessed hung his head, walked on tiptoes, and made a phlegm-like sound in his throat, making a gurgling noise.

"Don't move!"

Li Yan hurriedly stopped everyone, then bowed and said: "Senior, you have come with your Yin spirit, I don't know what is the matter?"

He knew that this thing was related to the mysterious Yunzhong Jun shrine, and its cultivation was profound. Once angered, they would all be in trouble.

Appearing suddenly, there must be a reason.

Sure enough, the alligator demon adapted for a while, then gurgled in its throat and said in a stiff tone: "Call... that kid... have something... to trade..."

Li Yan understood instantly. This giant alligator was looking for Lv San!

They shuttled through the crowded streets and headed straight for the southwest corner.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 316 =====

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