Chapter 381: News of the Dragon Transformation

"Tang Ya Tusi City?"

Li Yan was a bit surprised and nodded: "Speak more clearly!"

He had thought it was the Ghost Sect or the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect, but hadn't expected Tang Ya Tusi City to pop up as well; could it be that they had also come to Xiangyang?

"In Nanzhang County."

The old man knew he had run into a tough opponent today, so he didn't dare to use any rogue tactics and answered honestly: "This old man is named Fan He, and I've been making a living in the Shu area; because I offended someone, I ran to Ezhou."

"After arriving here, I was unfamiliar with the place and relied on friends in the underworld to help me out, so I took some jobs. When I was in Unlike Yichang, someone introduced a big job, so my master and disciples ran to Baokang County to meet up."

"That person is also quite famous in the Xiangxi area, named Tan Zhihai, specializing in gu-poison and beast-taming arts. Although he didn't say it explicitly, this old man knew he was the manager of the Ten Thousand Beast Garden of Tang Ya Tusi City."

Li Yan frowned, "What kind of place is the Ten Thousand Beast Garden?"

The treasure-seeker Old Man Fan hurriedly said: "The ancestors of this Tan family originally came from Tie Muyier of the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom, and the descendants gradually became Tusi."

"Tusi officials like hunting, so they built a Ten Thousand Beast Garden in the city to collect rare beasts, monsters, and spirits for hunting and amusement."

"They sure know how to play."

Li Yan glanced coldly, "You're also an old hand in the underworld; don't you know Tang Ya Tusi City has already rebelled? You still dare to mix with them?"

"This..."

Old Man Fan made a bitter face, "We in the underworld just want to make a living; we have no connection with the imperial court. Those who want to be officials and those who want to be emperors fight each other, but for the common people, isn't it all the same?"

"This old man didn't want to get involved in this trouble when I saw it was him, but he said it was just taking a piece of wood and wouldn't involve the imperial court, so I agreed..."

Li Yan glanced indifferently, "Nonsense!"

"You believe these words? It's nothing more than the conditions being generous; if there really was no trouble, why wouldn't he come to take it himself?"

"Yes, yes."

Old Man Fan shrank his neck, "It was my greed that led me into a trap."

Li Yan asked again

Old Man Fan smiled ingratiatingly: "This old one really doesn't know. They only said to bury the items well and then go to Unlike Yichang to collect the reward. If I had known it involved Li Shaoxia, I would never have dared to take this job."

"So that's how it is..."

Li Yan pondered for a moment, shook his head, and said: "You are in big trouble. I'm afraid you don't even know what kind of disaster you've brought upon yourselves."

Having said that, he pushed open the temple door and pulled on a bamboo tube.

Swish!

A firework signal shot straight into the sky.

The old ghost in the temple was also quite shrewd; without needing Li Yan to waste words, he directly released the restrictions, and the thick fog outside dissipated, revealing a passageway.

People from the Law Enforcement Hall and the Commandant's Office rushed in immediately.

"Imperial court lackeys!"

When the treasure-stifler Old Man Fan saw them, he immediately felt that things were not looking good.

He had originally thought this matter only concerned Li Yan and had intended to use the rules of the Jianghu to admit defeat and muddle through, never expecting it to involve the imperial court.

The Commandant's Office and the Law Enforcement Hall were both notoriously fierce.

He had always kept his distance from either one in the past, but now that they appeared together, and linking it to the recent war, the old man's face immediately turned deathly pale.

Covered in cold sweat, his eyeballs spinning wildly, he suddenly saw his eyes light up after the people from the Commandant's Office reached the outside of the hall, and he shouted: "Don't, don't! This old one has a major matter to report and is willing to perform meritorious service to atone for my crimes!"

Li Yan raised his hand in a wave, causing the people outside to stop, and asked with narrowed eyes: "Speak, what major matter is there?"

Old Man Fan gritted his teeth and said: "This old one will tell you this matter, only asking..."

"Everyone, do as you please."

Li Yan waved his hand directly.

The people from the Commandant's Office rushed in immediately and tied the master and his two disciples up tightly, while the Daoists of the Law Enforcement Hall took out copper needles engraved with thunder talismans.

This item was specifically used to deal with Mystic Sect cultivators.

Once inserted into the dantian and several vital points, whether one used internal energy or stored spirit, it would cause qi and blood to flow in reverse, shake the soul, and make life worse than death.

Even if they were removed in the future, it would take several years to recover.

Seeing the copper needles getting closer and closer, Old Man Fan immediately screamed: "They discovered a flood dragon and want to 'walk the dragon' to burst open the Ju River!"

"Stop!"

Li Yan reached out and waved, making everyone stop, then frowned and said: "How did you find out? Do not hide anything."

Previously in Dangyang County, the Ghost Sect had plotted this very thing, wanting to open the Purple Canopy Mountain cave to overturn the well and retrieve the flood dragon soul that Lu Zu had suppressed back then.

He had stopped them at the time, never expecting them to still be unwilling to give up.

Old Man Fan knew this was his last chance and hurriedly said: "This old one didn't trust them at the time either and used a secret technique to eavesdrop."

"I heard that Tan Zhihai say that the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect discovered a trapped flood dragon that had been suppressed for many years near Shennongjia, and it is extremely powerful. He was invited to come here specifically to guide this fierce creature to 'walk the dragon,' follow the Ju River down, and rush into the Yangtze River..."

Li Yan pondered for a moment and spoke to the Daoist of the Law Enforcement Hall: "This matter is of great consequence. Report it to Senior Yulongzi immediately. Also, if this person is willing to cooperate, spare his life."

"Understood, Li Jushi."

The Daoist of the Law Enforcement Hall nodded with a solemn face.

"Many thanks to Li Shaoxia for interceding!"

Old Man Fan hurriedly thanked him and was then taken away.

After these people left, the temple was once again shrouded in mist, and the blurry phantom of the old monk appeared.

Li Yan pondered for a moment and threw out the soul tablet directly.

Whoosh~

In an instant, a violent wind blew, and the soul tablet soared into the air, sinking into the nanmu main beam above and disappearing from sight.

"Many thanks, benefactor."

The old monk's phantom pressed his palms together.

Li Yan nodded and said: "This was the previous agreement. Although we didn't catch the people, we obtained important intelligence, and I will not break my word."

"But forgive me for being meddlesome: even if the True Martial Palace does not stop you, it is not a good choice for you, Senior, to rebuild the temple."

The old monk said: "Benefactor, please speak your mind."

Li Yan looked around: "Senior, you cultivate the Pure Land Dharma. Because of the Maitreya Sect affair, the imperial court is highly guarded against it. Furthermore, since you are cultivating through reincarnation, you will certainly not be content to be a mere mortal."

"Once this starts, there will surely be calamities upon calamities. As long as you take one wrong step, it will mean the destruction of your body and the dissipation of your Dao, and there will not be a second Ancestor Sanfeng who is kind-hearted enough to make an agreement with you."

After hearing this, the old monk fell silent for a long time before saying: "Many thanks for the benefactor's reminder, but this poor monk was born hearing the Pure Land Buddhist Dharma; how could I retreat because of calamities?"

Li Yan was stunned for a moment: "Since that is the case, I wish the Master good luck."

Having said that, he turned and left directly.

This nanmu old monk could also be considered a rare artifact. He had originally wanted to persuade the other party to reincarnate and become the temple keeper of the Tuoshi Water God Temple, but the other party's heart toward the Buddha was firm and he wouldn't take the bait at all.

It could only be said that there was no such fate.

Not long after he left, a violent wind suddenly blew inside the ruins of the dilapidated temple, and the thick fog rapidly contracted, with all the ghost monks and wild gods being sucked into the temple.

Crackle!

The huge nanmu crossbeam suddenly rose with firelight, then burned fiercely, turning into a ray of spiritual light that shot into the night sky and headed toward the Jiangzhe direction...

Although the old monk didn't take the bait, he did listen to Li Yan's advice, no longer rebuilding the temple, but instead abandoning everything and starting over.

Whether there would be a chance to cultivate again all depended on Buddhist fate.

And having lost the support of the beam, the ghost Buddha's dilapidated temple collapsed completely, with not even a shred of yin evil qi remaining...

............ Outside Xiangyang City, numerous officials gathered, drawing gazes from everyone.

"Li Shaoxia, have a safe journey."

The chubby Wu Dehai was all smiles, raising his cup to offer a toast.

During this Xiangyang plague, he had followed behind Li Yan and truly gained quite a bit of merit. Although it was impossible to be promoted, at least his position as the seal-holder was stable, and no one dared to covet it anymore.

"Li Shaoxia, have a safe journey!"

The officials nearby also toasted him one after another to see him off.

They had all obtained opportunities for promotion because their superiors had been imprisoned.

Although they felt grateful in their hearts, more of it was to show respect and build a good relationship, so that perhaps they could make use of it in the future.

"Many thanks, my lords."

Li Yan drank the wine in his cup, smiled to say goodbye, and then led the group to mount their horses, riding away under the gaze of countless people.

"Finally left."

!.

Watching Xiangyang City get further and further away, Sha Lifei wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "Dealing with this bunch of masters is truly exhausting. If you're not careful, it's a trap; I almost ended up taking on several errands."

Li Yan shook his head: "The entire Xiangyang officialdom has been replaced. These people have hastily ascended to their positions and are anxious to find someone to rely on. By the time they stabilize, if we come again next time, we'll only be treated as harbingers of doom."

"That's true."

Sha Lifei nodded and said again: "Brother Yan, the imperial court's errand this time is not easy to handle. Trying to sneak in and investigate amidst the chaotic army is too dangerous. Why must we wade into these muddy waters?"

After Old Man Fan's intelligence was delivered, they received another big job: enter Shennongjia and identify the location of that trapped flood dragon.

Li Yan didn't waste words and directly took a slip of paper from his bosom and handed it over.

Sha Lifei took a look and immediately exclaimed: "The treasure cellar of Mount Qingcheng is about to open?"

Li Yan nodded: "That's right, right after the New Year."

"Mount Qingcheng is the sacred site of the Quanzhen Dragon Gate, and the treasure cellar's collection is extremely rich. Moreover, this time it's an old cellar from the Song Dynasty; ordinary Dharma lineages aren't even qualified to participate."

"This time, not only is the reward money from the imperial court generous, but the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect has also promised to give us a spot. Wealth is sought amidst danger; if we don't earn a bit more after going up Mount Qingcheng, I'm afraid we'll only be able to watch longingly when we see good things."

As he spoke, a trace of killing intent rose in his eyes.

"And now, we can no longer hide. Whether it's the Ghost Sect or the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect, they have already issued a secret bounty for us. I have already received news that many people in the green woods and those who eat 'Ge Nian' have already come upon hearing the wind."

"If we continue to stay in Xiangyang City, they will hide in the dark and wait for an opportunity to ambush us; it will definitely be impossible to guard against. It would be better to enter the war zone and just finish them off."

"Now the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect is retreating steadily, and a large number of Jingchu mountain people are coming out of the mountains to be incorporated. They are already grasshoppers after the autumn; they won't be able to jump for much longer."

"Borrowing the 'walk the dragon' to connect the Ju River is mostly an attempt to flee and rendezvous with the army of the Tang Ya Tusi City."

"Hiding won't work. Now that we are at odds with those evil people, it's better to take advantage of the imperial court's suppression of the rebellion to eradicate these people!"

Sha Lifei pondered for a moment and also cursed: "Brother Yan is right. If we don't make these people feel the pain, I'm afraid we won't have peace in the future either."

Li Yan looked at the distant mountains and rivers: "Let's go, stay alert..."

From Xiangyang to Shennongjia, one must pass through Nanzhang County and Baokang County in sequence. Although there are dense river channels here, most are small rivers and streams, and they crisscross in a way that makes direct passage impossible, so one must travel by land.

The group rode their horses, with falcons dancing in the sky.

Lu San's falcon "Lidong" was injured and still needed to rest, so they temporarily borrowed one from the Xiangyang Commandant's Office. After Lu San's training, it was considered obedient and sensible.

With falcons accompanying them, and now with the group's supernatural investigation, there were no accidents along the way, and they arrived smoothly at Nanzhang County.

Upon arriving here, the atmosphere immediately became wrong.

In the neighboring Baokang County, the imperial court's army had already fought several battles with the Jingchu Lord Lord Tian Sheng Army. Although they had scattered the other side, there were still routed chaotic troops fleeing.

The clouds of war also shrouded Nanzhang County.

Along the way, every village and stockade sent out able-bodied men to patrol and guard everywhere, to prevent the chaotic troops from colluding with mountain bandits and entering the villages to plunder.

On the official road, only the imperial court's grain transport teams were moving forward.

The city gates of Nanzhang County had already been closed. Li Yan and the others did not enter the county seat but bypassed it and continued westward.

The terrain here was a pattern of high in the west and low in the east. After they left Nanzhang County seat, there were towering mountains, dark and verdant, with green water winding between the high mountains.

"Someone!"

Not long after entering the mountain forest, Lu San suddenly gave a reminder.

Very quickly, a man dressed as a woodcutter crawled out from the dense forest, cupped his hands toward Li Yan and said: "Commandant's Office secret agent Gong Jun, greetings to Li Shaoxia."

Before the words had even faded, he waved his hand and threw out a token.

Li Yan was not surprised. This operation was an imperial court errand, so it certainly couldn't do without the cooperation of the Commandant's Office, and this man was their contact person.

After looking at the token, Li Yan asked: "How is the situation in Baokang County?"

That man, Gong Jun, looked into the distance: "It's getting late, and it's not very peaceful around here. Li Shaoxia, please follow me; let's find a place to stay and talk in detail."

"That works."

Li Yan nodded, jumped off his horse, and gave a gesture to the others behind his back, signaling them to be careful.

Although it was a pre-arranged agreement, during this Southwest Rebellion, the people of the Commandant's Office had been infiltrated quite a bit; it was better to be careful in everything.

As he walked, he asked: "Not very peaceful nearby?"

Gong Jun nodded and said in a low voice: "That's right. There are many stockades in the mountains nearby, some with Han mountain people, and some with Miao stockades."

"Some are still stable, but some were originally mountain bandits in private, often doing some 'no-capital' business; they might have already colluded with the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect."

"Just like that Chunqiu Stockade."

"What is the situation with Chunqiu Stockade now?"

"Master Yulongzi of the True Martial Palace has already led people to destroy it; now only broken walls and ruins remain..."

"By the way, I also received news. There is a Water Mirror Manor here; the manor lord is named Sima Chen, who claims to be a descendant of Master Water Mirror. His family has quite a bit of power, and he likes to associate with people of the Jianghu on weekdays."

"Recently, several strangers arrived at this man's manor. Judging by their accents, they come from Shu; we haven't figured out their background yet, and I don't know if they are assassins who have accepted the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect's secret bounty..."

While speaking, he had already led the group to turn into a deserted small path. After passing through a dense forest, a deserted small temple leaning against the mountain suddenly appeared before their eyes.

On the main gate of the dilapidated temple, three large characters were written on a crooked plaque: "Xu Gong Shrine."

"Xu Gong Shrine?"

Wang Daoxuan became interested: "Could it be the shrine of Xu Shu from the end of the Han Dynasty?"

Gong Jun nodded: "The Daoist is right. It is indeed the Xu Shu Shrine. Legend has it that Xu Shu lived in seclusion nearby, and during the Daxiang era, members of the Xu clan passed by this place and donated funds to build the temple."

"Later, no one came to worship, and it became deserted..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Yan suddenly stopped him with a wave, narrowed his eyes, and said: "This place, did you choose it yourself?"

Gong Jun was stunned: "I have been living here these days. Does Li Shaoxia feel there is something suspicious?"

Li Yan didn't speak but looked at Lu San.

Lu San understood immediately and patted his demon gourd.

Buzz!

Dense swarms of poisonous bees whistled out.

"Squeak squeak!"

In the forest behind the temple, a macaque suddenly rushed out, screaming as it scrambled wildly in the trees...

Second update in the afternoon

(End of chapter)