Chapter 328: The Demon Alliance on the River

Whoosh!

"The dead pass through; the living must not disturb."

Under the setting sun, Wang Wang Daoxuan flicked his wrist, and paper money scattered in the air.

Behind him, the Tian family members, dressed in mourning clothes, held wailing sticks and funeral banners, moving slowly and stopping frequently amid the wailing of suona horns and gongs.

At every corner, they burned incense, scattered money, and folded paper into a "Wang" character, pressing it to the ground with stones.

On top of the coffin behind him sat a child, face painted with powder and rouge, hair tied in a topknot, glancing around fearlessly.

Funeral customs varied across Shenzhou.

In some places, the coffin was called "the dragon," and the wooden frame and poles used to carry it were called "dragon poles"; moving the coffin affected the family's feng shui, hence the custom of "pressing the dragon."

The ritual of "pressing the dragon" differed by region.

This was the custom from Tian's hometown: a child sat atop the coffin, and women also sat on the wooden poles on either side.

Of course, both the child and the women were professionals who made their living from funerals; they were accustomed to the rituals and feared no taboos.

Wang Wang Daoxuan didn't care either.

He presided over weddings and funerals alike, had seen every custom, and followed the family's wishes—as long as no taboos were broken, no evil spirits disturbed, and no misfortune struck.

The reason they specifically hired him was because of the corpse.

Any one of these four: a headless corpse, a violently deceased person, a revenant, or a Daoist cultivator—could cause trouble; to have all four was worse.

Though the Six-Section Han Baling had been utterly scattered, Wang Wang Daoxuan wasn't sure whether the corpse might still haunt; he opted to cremate it with willow branches, keeping only the ashes, then performed rites to purge the ill fortune, only then feeling at ease.

In this region, funerals could be held at any time except midday, so they set out at dusk.

It was also kept low-key, with only the Tian family present.

After all, the deceased's identity was unusual.

After all the commotion, they returned to Hanyang by deep night.

Since the Tian family's calamity had passed, they no longer needed to crowd into the Ezhou Guildhall and all returned to the Tian family mansion in Hanyang.

The Tian mansion was grand, with many courtyards; now that all three families had moved in, it still felt spacious.

Li Yan and his group also moved in.

After all, the guild was crowded and full of eyes; it was inconvenient.

Upon returning, a funeral banquet was naturally held.

Tian the Squire hired the best chef in Near Wuchang, prepared a few simple tables, invited no outsiders, and mainly thanked Li Yan and the others for their help.

"Li Li Shaoxia, please."

Tian the Squire had survived a great calamity, nearly losing his family; now the three brothers had reconciled, and the once-desolate Tian household was lively again—suffering had finally given way to joy.

He said nothing more, kept pouring drinks, and was already slightly drunk.

"Drink."

Li Yan said nothing either, and drank his cup dry.

He knew Tian the Squire simply wanted to get thoroughly drunk.

At another table, the younger Tian family members were secretly glancing toward the corner, where Lu San and Wu Ba sat alone.

They were mainly afraid Wu Ba might suddenly go berserk.

To their astonishment, Wu Ba gorged himself, clearing the entire table, his belly seeming bottomless.

The Tian family had more than enough food; fish and meat kept arriving until Wu Ba, his belly full, plopped onto the ground and sat there grinning foolishly. Only then did they stop, whispering to Lu San in the mountain dialect.

Soon after, Tian the Squire passed out cold; the banquet ended, and everyone dispersed.

The largest courtyard was given to Li Yan and his group.

Back in the courtyard, Wu Ba slipped into Lu San's room, rolled into the corner, and fell asleep, snoring like an old bear.

Not only did Li Yan remain wary of him; Wu Ba was equally cautious.

He had come from the wild mountains and forests; everything he saw surpassed his understanding, and he remained alert, trusting only Lu San.

His size made the bed too small, and he was unused to it, always rolling onto the floor to sleep.

This annoyed the little white fox, who bared her teeth, leapt three times, and landed on the roof, bowing to the moon.

As for Rat One and Rat Two, they were perfectly calm.

They were just like wild men: eat, sleep, and refuse to move.

Sha Sha Li Fei shook his head but said nothing, returning with Li Yan and the others to their room, lighting candles to discuss their next plan.

"The Tian family matter is settled."

Li Yan sipped tea and rubbed his temples: "Near Wuchang is still unstable; we sold the crystal egg for 100,000 taels, plus the Tian family's reward—we have more than enough to build our tower."

"Yunyang is at war; the military disaster is merciless. We'd best avoid getting involved. Near Wuchang is temporarily calm—let's rest for a while."

"During this time, I'll train at the mass grave at night, aiming to reach the required level by autumn, then we'll head to Mount Wudang Mountain."

"By then, the southwestern conflict should be resolved. After building the tower, we'll enter Shu and visit Fengdu to see what Wu Qu mentioned about that organization."

"That works."

Sha Sha Li Fei nodded: "The Wang Fu people came again yesterday, urging Lu San to help them communicate with the Tu Dragon after May 15—I'll go with you."

"Also, we need to practice the new firearms; whenever we get a chance, we'll train outside the city in the mountains…"

After discussion, they settled on the plan.

……

The next day was May 15.

Though the Dragon Boat Race was over, Near Wuchang still needed a ritual to stabilize the feng shui.

Along the Yangtze, temples and Daoist monasteries—especially those dedicated to water deities—had to carry their statues out in processions.

From the city to the riverbank, crowds lined the streets, offering incense and following the procession.

This was called "carrying the Bodhisattva"; some places called it "parading the gods."

The most popular was General Yang Si.

Although the Dragon Boat Race ended in disaster, the court's reassurances prevented widespread panic; riverside towns still held temple fairs.

After a full day of festivity, the ritual ended.

According to Near Wuchang custom, the celebration lasted until May 25, "End of Yang"; but with the Dragon Boat Race over and the Bodhisattva paraded, the streets were no longer so lively.

Even traveling performers and opera troupes from all over had begun to leave.

The Duanwu Festival was over in Ezhou, but other parts of Shenzhou had their own festivities; they had to hurry on to the next town.

This was true Some Jianghu life.

Rushing, drifting, wandering everywhere—just to earn enough silver to survive…

…………

Knock knock knock!

Early on the morning of May 16, someone knocked at the Tian mansion gate.

It was several armored soldiers, all solemn-faced; two carried muskets, radiating menace.

The leader said gravely: "I am Liu Teng, Battalion Commander of the Near Wuchang Garrison, here to summon Master Lu San."

The Tian servants had been warned; they dared not delay, leading the group into the main hall and serving tea.

Soon, Li Yan and the others emerged.

Seeing their large group, Battalion Commander Liu Teng looked surprised: "All of you are coming?"

Sha Sha Li Fei chuckled: "Your Honor, we always stick together. Besides, Lu San doesn't like talking to strangers."

"Fine."

Battalion Commander Liu Teng said no more.

His orders were to fully cooperate; once communication with the Tu Dragon was established, these people would be useless.

They arrived at Yingwu Island Pier, where a massive warship was moored, flags flying, cannons neatly aligned.

It looked formidable.

"Jiujiang Patrol Boat?"

Sha Sha Li Fei recognized it at once. Liu the Battalion Commander nodded expressionlessly: "We received word that demons are trying to disrupt the Yangtze's grain transport; henceforth, river patrols will be strengthened."

He led them aboard.

Li Yan and the others boarded a warship for the first time, glancing around in awe.

Especially Wu Ba—he was strong and sturdy, assigned by Lu San to carry the luggage, which pleased Sha Sha Li Fei greatly.

This mountain man, seeing this terrifying machine, clearly feared it, sticking close behind Lu San.

The imperial military clearly took this matter seriously; as soon as Li Yan and the others boarded, four men came forward.

Leading them was none other than Tian the Squire's son-in-law, Battalion Commander Liu Yizhong of the Near Wuchang Garrison.

He was already familiar with Li Yan and the others, smiling as he introduced: "Li Li Shaoxia, let me introduce you."

"This is Deputy Commander Han Peng of the Near Wuchang Navy, this is Commander Cheng Shi Xuanming of the Near Wuchang Garrison, this is Chief of the Near Wuchang Commandant Office, Qiu Huang…"

Li Yan and the others stiffened, bowing quickly.

!.

"Greetings, my lords."

These were all the top military officials of Near Wuchang.

They hadn't expected such a large response.

"No need for such formalities."

Commander Cheng Shi Xuanming, the highest-ranking officer present, spoke first: "This matter was ordered personally by the Prince; we will naturally give it our full attention."

Colonel Qiu Huang, seal-bearer of the Wuhan Commandant's Office, smiled broadly and said, "I heard of this matter and came to join the fun."

To be honest, among all present, his interest was the greatest.

Commandant Cheng Da Xuan wasted no words and said directly, "Gentlemen, where do we begin?"

Sha Li Fei had already coordinated with Lu San; he bowed and smiled, "Your Excellencies, don't rush. This place is crowded and watched. Let's find a secluded waterway to avoid alarming the common folk."

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Cheng Da Xuan grew interested and asked, "The waterways near Jiangxia are broad—would that work?"

"No."

Sha Li Fei shook his head directly. "Within the Yangtze River, there are still several great aquatic demons. Those are their territories. Master Tu doesn't wish to stir trouble—his domain is limited to this stretch of the Han River."

"Nor can we approach near Xiangyang."

"There's more to this?"

Commandant Cheng Da Xuan was clearly startled. "On both the Han River and the Yangtze, we've passed through without noticing any great demons causing trouble."

Sha Li Fei froze, glancing at Lu San.

He truly didn't understand such matters.

Lu San replied quietly, "Those great demons have all established underwater palaces. They're shrewd—they avoid conflict with the court and even steer clear of detection by orthodox Daoist sects."

"When they do cause trouble, it's only minor demons and ghosts. But if Master Tu intrudes into their territories, it will inevitably spark conflict."

Colonel Qiu Huang's eyes lit up at once. "Could Master Tu act as intermediary and help the court cut off the southwestern rebels' water transport?"

Lu San shook his head. "I don't know, but I can ask."

"Good!"

Commandant Cheng Da Xuan immediately ordered, "Change course—take the Han River. Order all troops along the route to temporarily seal the waterway!"

"Yes, Your Excellency!"

At the command, eagles and hawks soared into the sky.

Massive sails unfurled with a rustle; the Jiujiang patrol boat slowly left the dock, heading toward the Han River.

As the warship advanced, its presence was naturally imposing.

Not only was it swift and steady, but merchant vessels along the way all veered aside.

Soon after entering the Han River, they found the waterway blocked—the navy had received orders to seal the route and ban merchant ships from proceeding.

Once the navy moved, no gangsters dared stand in their way.

Quickly, the massive warship arrived at a wide stretch of water, surrounded by not a single merchant vessel—deeply secluded.

Lu San wasted no time. On the deck, he set up an altar, danced the Nuo ritual, and chanted ancient incantations.

Hoo~

A cold wind howled; thick fog gradually spread across the river.

Several military leaders widened their eyes.

From within the fog, Master Tu's massive form broke the surface, surrounded by countless tu dragons—large and small, gathering in increasing numbers.

Soon, they filled the entire river.

"So many?"

Commandant Cheng Da Xuan was startled.

Lu San turned and said, "All these tu dragons are Master Tu's disciples and descendants. They're showing sincerity. Once an agreement is reached with the court, this stretch of water will remain calm."

With that, he began speaking the Upper Tongue, communicating with Master Tu.

They exchanged words for a long while.

Then Lu San's expression suddenly turned grave.

"What's happened?"

Colonel Qiu Huang sensed something wrong and asked urgently.

Lu San turned sharply and said gravely, "Something has indeed happened."

"Master Tu mentioned intelligence: a cultivator poisoned the river, killing several of her disciples. She went to retaliate and nearly walked into an ambush."

"Other tu dragons from distant regions have sent word: the demon king Nanmu in Xiangyang, and the ancient water ghosts of the Yangtze, have recently shown unusual activity. Someone has stirred them up—they plan to attack grain transports."

Commandant Cheng Da Xuan's eyes flared. "Where do these demons get the nerve?"

Colonel Qiu Huang said grimly, "My Commandant's Office spies received word: after the Wuhan plot failed, the Tian Sheng Cult still intends to attack grain ships—this is why they're using demonic forces."

At that moment, Master Tu glided slowly toward them.

Seeing her massive form, the soldiers on deck grew tense; some even raised their ship-mounted crossbows.

"Don't move!"

Commandant Cheng Da Xuan rebuked sharply.

Then Master Tu suddenly opened her gaping maw and spat out a jet of water.

Splash!

A water-buffalo horn, mixed with the spray, rolled onto the deck.

The object was ancient, wreathed in yin-evil energy—clearly a magical artifact.

Lu San picked it up and handed it to Commandant Cheng Da Xuan.

"Blow this horn, and Master Tu will appear. She cannot speak human tongue, but she understands. General, you may now communicate directly."

"Also, Master Tu says: to deal with those great demons, orthodox Daoist sects must intervene—and she is willing to assist…"

Everyone on the ship was sharp—they understood the implication immediately.

Master Tu wanted to use the court's power to eliminate her rivals.

She aimed to become the Water Deity of the Han River—only by protecting this region could she receive the people's incense offerings. These great demons were all nuisances.

Commandant Cheng Da Xuan smiled faintly, took the horn, and bowed to Master Tu. "Rest assured, Your Excellency—I will report this to the Prince."

He couldn't decide this himself, but it was likely no problem.

After the alliance was sealed, Master Tu turned and dove into the water; the tu dragons scattered and vanished.

Li Yan gazed at the distant water and shook his head slightly.

In the future, the Yangtze River would surely see much conflict.

At that moment, Lu San whispered to him again: "One more thing—the 'Manyan' Lin Lin Fuzi seeks—Master Tu has found information on it…"

(End of Chapter)