Chapter 381

"Tangya Tusi City?"

Li Yan was somewhat surprised and nodded: "Speak clearly!"

He had thought it was the Ghost Sect or the Heavenly Saint Sect, but didn't expect the Tangya Tusi City to pop up; 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 and didn't dare to use any rogue tactics, answering honestly: "Old man is called Fan He, and I've been making a living in the Shu area; because I offended someone, I ran to Ezhou."

"When I got here, I wasn't familiar with the place, so I relied on the support of friends in the martial world to take on some jobs. In Unlike Yichang, someone introduced a big job, so my master and disciples ran to Baokang County to meet up with someone."

"That person is also quite famous in the Xiangxi area, named Tan Qin Zhihai, who excels in Gu poison and beast-taming techniques. Although he didn't say it explicitly, old man knew he was the manager of the Ten Thousand Beast Garden of the Tangya Tusi City."

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

The treasure-hunter Fan Old Man hurriedly said: "The ancestors of this Tan family originally came from the Iron Wood Yi'er of the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom, and the descendants gradually became Tusi."

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

"They sure know how to play."

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

"This..."

Fan Old Man made a bitter face, "We just make a living in the martial world and have nothing to do with the imperial court; those who want to be officials and those who want to be emperors fight it out, and the common people are all the same."

"Old man wouldn't have wanted to get involved in this trouble if I had known 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 coldly, "Nonsense!"

"You believe these words? It's nothing more than generous conditions; if it were really nothing, why wouldn't he come to take it himself?"

"Yes, yes."

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

Li Yan asked again: "Did he say where to meet after treasure-hunting?"

Fan Old Man smiled obsequiously: "Old man really doesn't know; they only said to bury the thing and then go to Unlike Yichang to collect the reward. If I had known it was related to Young Master Li, I would never have taken this job."

"I see..."

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 caused."

After saying this, he pushed open the temple door and pulled a bamboo tube.

Whoosh!

A signal firework shot into the sky.

The old ghost in the temple was also very shrewd; without Li Yan saying a word, it directly released the restriction, the thick fog outside dissipated, revealing a passage.

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

"Imperial court hawks!"

Fan Old Man felt something was wrong when he saw this.

He had thought this matter was only related to Li Yan and wanted to use the rules of the martial world to admit defeat and muddle through, but he didn't expect it to involve the imperial court.

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

He usually avoided either one, and now that they appeared together, coupled with the recent war, the old man's face turned pale instantly.

He was covered in cold sweat, his eyeballs spinning frantically; after the people from the Commandant's Office arrived outside the hall, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he shouted: "No, no, old man has a major matter to report, willing to atone for my crimes!"

Li Yan waved his hand, letting the people outside stop, and asked with narrowed eyes: "Speak, what major matter?"

Fan Old Man gritted his teeth: "Old man will say it, but only if..."

"Do as you please."

Li Yan waved his hand directly.

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

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

Inserting them into the dantian and several vital points would cause chaotic Qi and blood, shaken souls, and a fate worse than death.

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

Seeing the copper needles getting closer, Fan Old Man screamed immediately: "They discovered a Flood Dragon and want to make it travel, to break through the Ju River!"

"Stop!"

Li Yan waved his hand to make everyone stop, then frowned: "How did you find out? Don't hide anything."

Back in Dangyang County, the Ghost Sect had plotted this, wanting to open the Zigaishan Cave-Pulling Well to retrieve the Flood Dragon soul suppressed by Patriarch Lu.

He had stopped it at the time, but didn't expect them to still not give up.

Fan Old Man knew this was his last chance, so he hurriedly said: "Old man didn't trust them either and used a secret technique to eavesdrop."

"I heard that Tan Qin Zhihai say that the Heavenly Saint Sect discovered a trapped Flood Dragon near Inside Shennongjia that had been suppressed for many years, which was very powerful; he was invited to come to guide this fierce creature to travel, flowing down the Ju River and rushing into the Yangtze River..."

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

"Understood, Li Li Jushi."

The Daoist from the Law Enforcement Hall nodded with a solemn expression.

"Thank you for pleading for me, Young Master Li!"

Fan Old Man hurriedly thanked him and was 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 the soul tablet out directly.

Whoosh~

In an instant, a strong wind blew, and the soul tablet soared into the air, disappearing into the nanmu beam above.

"Thank you, Benefactor."

The old monk's phantom pressed his hands together.

Li Yan nodded: "This was the previous agreement; although we didn't catch anyone, we obtained important information, so I won't go back on my word."

"But forgive me for being meddlesome; even if the Zhenwu Palace doesn't stop you, rebuilding the temple isn't a good choice."

The old monk said: "Please speak plainly, Benefactor."

Li Yan looked around: "You practice the Pure Land Dharma; because of the Maitreya Sect, the imperial court is very wary, and besides, you are cultivating through reincarnation, so you definitely won't be content to be an ordinary person."

"Once this happens, you will definitely face many calamities; as long as you take one wrong step, it will be death, and there won't be a second Patriarch Master Sanfeng who is kind-hearted enough to make an agreement with you."

The old monk fell silent after hearing this, and only after a long while did he say: "Thank you for the reminder, Benefactor, but this old monk was born hearing the Pure Land Buddhist Dharma; how could I retreat because of calamities."

Li Yan was stunned for a moment, "If so, I wish you good luck, Master."

After saying this, he turned and left.

This nanmu old monk was also a strange object; he had originally wanted to persuade the other party to reincarnate as the temple keeper of the Tuoshi Water God Temple, but the other party's heart toward Buddha was firm and wouldn't take the bait.

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

Not long after he left, a strong wind blew inside the ruined temple ruins, the thick fog contracted rapidly, and all the ghost monks and wild gods were sucked into the temple.

Crackle, crackle!

The huge nanmu beam suddenly caught fire, then burned fiercely, turning into a ray of spiritual light that rushed into the night sky toward the direction of Jiangsu and Zhejiang...

Although this old monk didn't take the bait, he had listened to Li Yan's advice, stopped rebuilding the temple, and instead gave up everything to start over.

Whether he would have a chance to re-cultivate depended on his Buddhist fate.

And without the support of the beam, the Ghost Buddha ruined temple collapsed completely, leaving not a trace of Yin Sha Qi...

…………Outside Xiangyang City, many officials gathered, attracting everyone's attention.

"Young Master Li, have a safe journey."

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

During this Xiangyang plague, he had followed Li Yan and gained quite a few merits; although promotion was impossible, at least his position as the seal-holder was stable, and no one dared to covet it anymore.

"Young Master Li, have a safe journey!"

The officials beside him also toasted to see him off.

They were all people who had gained the opportunity for promotion because their superiors were imprisoned.

Although they were grateful in their hearts, they were mostly here to show respect and build a relationship, hoping it might be useful in the future.

"Thank you, my lords."

Li Yan drank the wine in his cup, smiled to say goodbye, and then led everyone on horseback, riding away under the gaze of countless people.

"Finally left."

!.

Seeing Xiangyang City getting further and further away, Sha Sha Li Fei 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, and I almost took on several tasks."

Li Yan shook his head: "The entire Xiangyang officialdom has been replaced; these people have just taken office and are anxious to find support; next time we come, we'll only be treated as jinxes."

"That's true."

Sha Sha Li Fei nodded and asked again: "Young Master Yan, the imperial court's task this time is not easy to handle; sneaking into the chaos to investigate is too dangerous, why must we wade into this muddy water?"

After Fan Old Man's information was sent, they received another big job: enter Inside Shennongjia and find the location of that trapped Flood Dragon.

Li Yan didn't talk nonsense, took a slip of paper from his bosom, and handed it over.

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

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

"Mount Qingcheng is the sacred place of the Quanzhen Longmen Sect, and its treasure cellar collection is extremely rich, and this is even an old cellar from the Song Dynasty; ordinary Dharma lineages don't even have the qualifications to participate."

"This time, not only is the reward from the imperial court generous, but the Taixuan Orthodox Sect has also promised a spot; wealth is sought in danger, so if we don't earn more after going to Mount Qingcheng, I'm afraid we can only watch when we see good things."

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

"And now, we can't hide anymore. Whether it's the Ghost Sect or the Heavenly Saint Sect, they have already placed a secret bounty on us. I have already received news that many people from the martial world and those who eat 'Ge Nian' have all come upon hearing the news."

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

"The Heavenly Saint Sect is now retreating steadily, and a large number of Jingchu mountain people have been recruited, so they are just grasshoppers after autumn and won't be able to jump around for much longer."

"Borrowing the Flood Dragon to connect the Ju River is mostly an attempt to flee and join the army of the Tangya Tusi City."

"We can't hide from them; we are already at odds with those demon-people, so we might as well take advantage of the imperial court's suppression of the rebellion to wipe these people out!"

Sha Sha Li Fei pondered for a moment and cursed: "Young Master Yan is right; if we don't hurt these people, 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 Inside Shennongjia, one must pass through Nanzhang County and Baokang County in turn; although there are dense river channels here, most are small rivers and streams, crisscrossing, and cannot be reached directly, so one must travel by land.

The group rode on horseback, with falcons flying in the sky.

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

With falcons accompanying them, and coupled with the supernatural detection of everyone, there were no surprises along the way, and they successfully reached Nanzhang County.

Upon reaching this place, the atmosphere immediately became wrong.

In the neighboring Baokang County, the imperial army had already fought several battles with the Jingchu Heavenly Saint Army; although they had scattered the other side, there were still remnants of the chaotic army fleeing.

The clouds of war also shrouded Nanzhang County.

Every village and stronghold along the way sent out strong men to patrol and guard, to prevent the chaotic army and mountain bandits from colluding and looting the villages.

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

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

The terrain here was high in the west and low in the east; after they left Nanzhang County city, there were mountains standing tall, green and gloomy, with green water winding between the high mountains.

"Someone!"

Not long after entering the mountain forest, Lu San suddenly reminded them.

Soon, a man dressed as a woodcutter drilled out from the dense forest and bowed to Li Yan: "Gong Jun, a secret agent from the Commandant's Office, greets Young Master Li."

Before he finished speaking, he waved his hand and threw out a token.

Li Yan was not surprised; this action was an imperial court task, and it certainly couldn't be done 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 safe around here; Young Master Li, please follow me, let's find a place to stay and talk in detail."

"Alright."

Li Yan nodded, jumped off his horse, and signaled the others behind his back, indicating for them to be careful.

Although it was agreed upon in advance, the Commandant's Office had been heavily infiltrated during this Southwest chaos, so it was better to be careful about everything.

He walked while asking: "Not very safe around here?"

Gong Jun nodded and said in a low voice: "That's right, there are quite a few strongholds in the mountains nearby, including Han mountain people and Miao strongholds."

"Some are still stable, but some were originally mountain bandits in private, often doing unscrupulous business, and it's possible they have already colluded with the Heavenly Saint Sect."

"Just like that Spring and Autumn Stronghold."

"What is the situation with the Spring and Autumn Stronghold now?"

"The Dharma Master Master Yulongzi of the Zhenwu Palace has already led people to destroy it, and now only ruins remain..."

"By the way, I also received news. There is a Water Mirror Manor in this area, whose owner is named Sima Chen, claiming to be a descendant of the Water Mirror Scholar, and he has quite a bit of influence in his family, often liking to make friends with people in the martial world."

"Several strangers recently came to his manor, speaking with a Shu accent; I haven't figured out their background yet, and I don't know if they are assassins who have taken the Heavenly Saint Sect's bounty..."

While speaking, he led everyone into a deserted small path, and after passing through a dense forest, a deserted small temple appeared before their eyes, leaning against the mountain.

On the temple door, the crooked plaque read three big characters: "Xu Gong Ci" (Xu Gong Shrine).

"Xu Gong Ci?"

Wang 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 Dazhang period, 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 finished speaking, Li Yan suddenly blocked him, narrowed his eyes, and said: "Did you choose this place yourself?"

Gong Jun frowned, "I have been living here these days; does the Young Master find something suspicious?"

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

Lu San understood immediately and patted the demon gourd.

Hum!

A dense swarm of poisonous bees swarmed out.

"Squeak, squeak!"

In the forest behind the temple, a macaque suddenly rushed out, screaming and running wildly in the trees...

Second update in the afternoon.

(End of chapter)