Chapter 368: Entering Mount Lumen at Night

"That Master Lu is definitely not simple."

Li Yan did not hide it and said directly, "This plague was caused by the corpse of the old demon Nanmu King, and more than ten years ago, it was killed by a mysterious scholar surnamed Lu."

Wu Degui frowned, "Li Li Shaoxia suspects they are the same person?"

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "At the time, I did not smell anything on Master Lu. Either he is just an ordinary person, or he is a formidable expert."

"In any case, we cannot be careless. Where is he?"

Wu Degui replied, "Just now, I sent men to search the Academy, but he has already vanished. According to people at the Academy, when we captured the City God Temple, Master Lu hurriedly left, not knowing where he went."

"Prefect Lu of the Yamen has requested our Commandant's Office to take action and save the person from the Li family of the Medicine Saint, but firstly, we don't know where he is hidden in Mount Lumen, and secondly, there must be evildoers guarding the place."

"The Daoists of the Five Dragon Palace are searching everywhere for the remaining sources of the plague and cannot spare any manpower. This matter should not be delayed, so I have come to ask you all for help."

Li Yan pondered for a moment and nodded, "That is easy to say. We happen to be heading to the waters near Mount Xian later; after helping you save the person, we will also need your assistance."

"There is no time to lose, let's set off immediately!"

…………

Mount Lumen is some distance from Xiangyang; the most convenient way is to take a boat from the wharf, go down the Han River, and climb the mountain from the east bank.

This rescue mission emphasizes speed, so the Commandant's Office dispatched a hundred experts, led by a Company Commander, plus Li Yan and the others, to travel by the Commandant's Office's fast boat.

A moment later, the group arrived at the Han River wharf.

Although plague-elimination rituals had been performed, the plague had not been completely eradicated, so Xiangyang City was still enforcing a lockdown, and the wharf was very empty.

In the distance, an inn had already collapsed, emitting billowing thick smoke, and there were many corpses on the ground; Yamen runners were directing beggars to move the corpses.

The accompanying Company Commander was surnamed Cheng. Seeing Li Yan's gaze, he hurriedly explained, "That is the source of the wharf plague. It was originally an inn for merchants from Shu, which had been secretly controlled by evildoers who threw wood into the well water."

"After the wharf was sealed, these people still hid in underground secret passages, often taking advantage of the night to spread the plague everywhere, until they were all beheaded by the Daoists."

Li Yan frowned, "Why wasn't it discovered when it was so close?"

Company Commander Cheng shook his head helplessly. "Xiangyang City is a key town on the Han River, where people from all walks of life gather, and the situation is too complicated. Moreover, these evildoers had laid their plans many years ago, so it was simply caught off guard."

Li Yan nodded and did not ask more.

The situation here was a bit like Wuchang City, also a layout of many years, suddenly launched at a critical moment.

He had now figured out Zhao Changsheng's train of thought.

This old demon had lived since the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty; for him, time was the greatest advantage. He did not know how much wealth he had accumulated or how many secret agents he had planted.

Back then, the Ghost Sect could cause the Great Song to collapse; one could imagine how terrifying it was.

But it also had a disadvantage: it could not see the light!

Bound by the 'Heavenly Statutes' and 'Ghost Precepts', and with its identity already exposed, it was wanted by everyone from the Imperial Court to the Mystic Sect.

Once its whereabouts were exposed, it would draw encirclement and suppression.

All the other party could do was hide in the dark and plot.

And Li Yan, being in the light, had the greatest advantage: he could guide the situation and use the strength of the Imperial Court and the Mystic Sect to capture it.

As they spoke, the group had already boarded the warship.

As an important wharf, the local Commandant's Office often had to travel by water, so they had their own warships; they were not large, but their speed was extremely fast, and the ships were also equipped with Frankish cannons.

Clatter!

The sails billowed, and the warship rode the wind and waves, quickly leaving Xiangyang Wharf. Facing them, they saw a huge peninsula, surrounded by water on three sides, with lush and green trees.

Li Yan had passed by several times and knew this was the famous Yu Liang Island. It was recorded in the 'Commentary on the Water Classic' that it was the residence of Pang Degong. During the Three Kingdoms period, Liu Biao, the Governor of Jingzhou, built a high platform on it to raise eagles, named 'Eagle-Calling Platform'.

Nowadays, the several villas on it were all built by wealthy families and gentry in the city, used for drinking, pleasure, garden tours, and appreciation.

In the past, this place was also a place with many ferry boats, but now only one warship was docked, and firelight was faintly rising in the mountain forest.

Li Yan shook his head, "It seems this is also one of the sources."

Company Commander Cheng sighed, his face ugly.

With such a major incident in Xiangyang this time, not only the Prefectural Yamen from top to bottom, but even their Commandant's Office could not shirk the blame, and their future was bleak.

Li Yan glanced at him and reminded him in a low voice, "This plague is just the beginning. The Daoists of the Five Dragon Palace have come down the mountain; looking at this posture, there must be major actions. If you exert more effort, you will surely be able to atone for your crimes."

Company Commander Cheng was not a fool either. He looked thoughtfully at the island and nodded, "Many thanks for the reminder, Li Li Shaoxia."

The sails billowed, and they quickly bypassed Yu Liang Island, went down the Han River, and headed toward Mount Lumen.

Inside a villa on Yu Liang Island.

"Kill!"

More than a dozen men dressed as servants held bows and crossbows, standing on the villa's rafters, shooting downward.

Clang, clang, clang!

Several Daoists leaped up, their long swords brandished, deflecting all the arrows in mid-air, and jumped onto the rafters.

Like tigers entering a flock of sheep, in an instant, blade light and blood light danced.

These Heavenly Saint Sect members could be considered people of the martial world; in the mountain forests of Jingchu, they could still act as tyrants, but encountering these killing gods from Wudang, they were no different from children.

"Light the fire, why haven't you lit the fire yet!"

The leading man with a beard roared with red eyes.

Just as he finished speaking, he saw a Daoist walk out of the room, with azure eyes and thick eyebrows, carrying several heads in his hands.

It turned out that these Heavenly Saint Sect members saw that the situation was not good and wanted to use themselves as bait, lighting the gunpowder they had buried in advance to perish together with the Wudang Daoists.

Unfortunately, these Daoists were Mystic Sect cultivators, with endless investigative divine abilities, and had easily seen through it.

The one carrying the heads out was Gu Jiaozi, one of the Five Dragon Sons. His face was indifferent; he suddenly pinched a spell and slapped a palm toward the eaves.

The leading man on the eaves only felt that the palm was emitting black qi, suddenly grew larger, and then his eyes went black; he fell from the roof in a daze and was tied up by the soldiers who had rushed over.

Wudang Soul-Absorbing Palm!

With the experience and understanding of the Five Qi Dragon Lords from his previous life, even these martial arts techniques could be exerted to an unimaginable degree by the Five Dragon Sons.

Subsequently, another piece of Nanmu wood was dug out, piled with peach-wood firewood, and amidst the chanting of the Daoists, it emitted thick smoke and gradually turned into charcoal.

Not only here, but the same things were happening in other places.

The experts of the True Martial Palace came down the mountain, immediately sweeping away the secret agents of the Ghost Sect and Heavenly Saint Sect like thunder...

…………

"We've arrived, it's right ahead!"

Not long after passing Mount Xian, Company Commander Cheng immediately ordered them to dock.

Li Yan looked up and saw that the mountains on the shore were vast, the trees were lush and green, and the evening glow and smoke clouds had quite a bit of charm.

It was Mount Lumen, known as the Holy Land of Hermits.

It was now near dusk, and the sound of bells faintly echoed in the mountains.

The mountain temple bells ring as day turns to dusk, the ferry at Yu Liang wharf is noisy with people competing to cross. People follow the sandy shore toward the river village, I also take a boat to return to Mount Lumen. The moon shines on Mount Lumen, opening the misty trees, suddenly arriving at the place where Pang Gong lived in seclusion...

This was Meng Haoran's 'Song of Returning to Mount Lumen at Night'; their journey here was exactly as described in the poem.

Of course, the group had no such leisurely mood at all.

With a greeting from Lu San, the hawks in the sky immediately flew up and down.

"There are secret sentries in the forest!"

Lu San pointed dully in two directions.

Company Commander Cheng looked at his subordinates beside him, "Keep the commotion small."

"Yes, Commander!"

Several Commandant's Office scouts immediately rushed into the dense forest.

They lowered their bodies, their footsteps light, moving forward like ghosts under the cover of the trees. Suddenly, they leaped into the air and threw out sleeve arrows. Only two muffled groans were heard, and men dressed as woodcutters fell from the trees. They pierced their dantian and dragged them out by their hair.

Seeing these fierce and wicked men from the Commandant's Office, the two men were already trembling with fear; without needing torture, they told everything.

"Commander, we are wronged."

"We are from the Liu Family Martial Arts Hall in Xiangyang, we took a job to help people guard their homes, we didn't do anything bad..."

"Fart, why are you spying here?"

"The master only ordered us to keep an eye on things, and if there was any movement, to report it immediately..."

"Sneaky and suspicious, who hired you?"

"It, it is Young Master Lu of the Peach Blossom Studio."

"Why is it that bastard?"

Company Commander Cheng frowned upon hearing this.

!.

Li Yan asked, "Who is this Young Master Lu?"

Company Commander Cheng's face was ugly, but he did not hide it, spat, and said, "This Young Master Lu is the son of Prefect Lu."

"The Lu family is a great clan in Xiangyang City with significant power. This Young Master Lu is a good-for-nothing who built a Peach Blossom Studio on Mount Lumen, claiming to associate with the Confucian circle, but in reality, it is a place for debauchery and pleasure."

"Those wealthy young masters in Xiangyang City often hang out inside, and there is a nunnery next door that colludes with them to commit lewd acts..."

"Well, they really know how to play."

Li Yan laughed dumbly and shook his head slightly.

He understood a bit; this Peach Blossom Studio was the largest and most secret club in Xiangyang City, open only to the powerful and wealthy.

Sha Lifei also shook his head, "Hermits of Mount Lumen look down on princes and nobles; I never thought it would become like this."

"That's not right. Everyone knows about this, so why fear being discovered? Placing two secret sentries is definitely not that simple!"

"You two bastards, mixing truth with lies, it seems your skin is still itching..."

Sha Lifei had extensive experience in the martial world and saw the trickery at once.

Without needing Company Commander Cheng to give the order, several men from the Commandant's Office pulled out small knives from their waists and stabbed them into their thighs.

"Ah!"

The two men screamed and hurriedly shouted:

"Don't, don't, I'll talk!"

"Young Master Lu and the others don't know where they got some Five-Stone Powder; they have been gathering for lewd pleasure and taking the powder, fearing that their elders would discover it..."

Li Yan shook his head, "What a mess."

"Let's go ashore, find the person first!"

After knocking the two men unconscious and securing them on the boat, the group continued forward and soon entered a small bamboo forest path.

The environment of Mount Lumen was quiet and secluded; the bamboo forest planted who knows how many years ago had covered the entire mountain, dense and towering. Coupled with the fact that it was now dusk, the small path in the forest appeared somewhat dim.

Being favored by hermits, Mount Lumen clearly had a significant area. Excluding some Daoist temples and monasteries and villas built by the wealthy, there were also many secret places.

This was the reason Wu Degui asked for their help.

To find someone as quickly as possible, it was inevitable to rely on magic.

Without needing Li Yan to say more, Lu San stepped forward, pinched a spell, and made whistling sounds of varying lengths.

The whistling drifted in all directions in the dim bamboo forest.

Rustle, rustle, rustle!

Not long after, snakes slithered out from the rotten branches and leaves in the bamboo forest, including both five-step snakes and bamboo green snakes.

As for other small animals, not a single one was to be seen.

Seeing this situation, Li Yan narrowed his eyes and asked in a low voice, "Do snakes often hurt people on Mount Lumen?"

Company Commander Cheng shook his head, "I have never heard of it."

Just as they were speaking, Lu San had already spoken in the upper language to the snakes, then stood up and said, "There are indeed several strange places on Mount Lumen."

"There is a mountain cave where people often come out to catch snakes; they say a person is imprisoned inside."

Company Commander Cheng was overjoyed, "That must be the place. The gentleman's secret arts are truly extraordinary!"

Lu San was not used to being flattered and shook his head directly, "Small matter, let these little fellows lead us there."

After speaking, he whistled twice more.

The snakes on the ground immediately slithered away at high speed, leading the way in front.

Not long after, the group deviated from the bamboo forest path and entered a dense mountain forest.

There were traces of dirt roads in the mountain forest, clearly built by ancient people, but the years were long, and they had been invaded by the bamboo forest, becoming intermittent.

Constantly climbing the mountain along the slope, ancient tombs and old, dilapidated stilt houses appeared along the way, clearly residences of former hermits.

Li Yan originally didn't care, but when passing by an ancient tomb, a voice suddenly came into his ears:

"Tsk tsk, more people have been deceived..."

"What a pity, once they get there, even their souls won't be able to run away, otherwise this old man could have a few more companions..."

"Wait a moment!"

Li Yan waved his hand, calling the group to a halt.

Under the puzzled gazes of Company Commander Cheng and the others, Li Yan looked left and right, came to a dilapidated old tomb, gathered soil to make a furnace, lit three sticks of incense, and squatted before the old tomb, muttering to himself.

The men of the Commandant's Office looked at each other in dismay.

They had gained quite a bit of knowledge on this journey; first Lu San talked to animals, and in the blink of an eye, Li Yan ran to a tomb to mutter.

Could it be that he was talking to lonely ghosts?

The group felt their hair stand on end, but they did not dare to step forward.

Not long after, Li Yan walked back, signaling the group to follow the snakes and continue forward, but he whispered secretly:

"There is indeed a mountain cave ahead, but it is a trap. The cave is filled with miasma, and those who enter will die without a burial place."

"Brother Lu San, these snakes are being raised by someone. The other party is also skilled in animal control and can also understand the language of birds and beasts."

Company Commander Cheng frowned, "Li Li Shaoxia, what should we do?"

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "Play along with their game, find the snake controller first, don't act rashly, we have already been surrounded."

Company Commander Cheng was shocked and hurriedly looked around.

He saw that in the dense bamboo forest, without knowing when, more and more snakes had gathered. Besides the ground, even in the high bamboo forest, snakes were climbing among the branches and leaves.

Countless cold snake eyes were staring fixedly at them...

…………

As the sun set, the light in the bamboo forest became increasingly dim, and a faint gloomy mist rose. Under the moonlight, it was hazy, and the road could not be seen clearly at all.

Suddenly, an old singing voice rang out in the bamboo forest:

"The ten thousand phenomena of the red dust are all like mist, guarding the quietude alone in a dream-like hut. Mountains and rivers as companions, cranes as friends, wild paths with faint fragrance, walking slowly. Laughing at the floating clouds and their many changes, living this life carefree in a forest hut..."

Following the singing, a figure appeared in the mist.

"This must be Young Friend Li. Someone has asked this old man to kill you. I wonder if you are satisfied with being buried in this place?"

Li Yan looked around, "Not bad, satisfied."

"This place is full of gloom, it's just right for you, old ghost!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 369 =====