Chapter 409

The autumn wind rises, the sky is high and the clouds are wide, and the long wind sends the geese back for ten thousand miles.

The morning mist had just dissipated, and the gates of Yunyang City had already opened.

Near the pier, the food stalls were all crowded with people.

"Sanhe soup, Sanhe soup!"

"Sour pulp mixed noodles~"

"Waiter, bring a bowl of rice flower tea."

Laborers, boatmen preparing to board ships, carriage drivers in the city... people of all kinds gathered in one hall, very lively.

The current Yunyang Prefecture was far more prosperous than in the past.

"Something must have happened in this."

According to the method of Yunyang Governor Yuan Jun, all the mountain people were scattered and resettled, and new villages were rising one after another.

Ezhou was a land of fish and rice. As long as they could survive the first two years, although they couldn't be called rich, the common people could at least settle down.

Moreover, this time, the imperial court also issued an edict to exempt Yunyang Prefecture from taxes for three years, and there would be reductions in the following two years as well.

Everything in this world cannot be separated from the word "money."

The imperial court now had a new path, so naturally, it was generous in doing things.

To this day, there were a million mountain people who had moved out. Food, clothing, housing, transportation, firewood, rice, oil, and salt—everything needed money, and everything could earn money.

Yunyang Governor Yuan Jun was a well-known capable official. After a series of decrees were issued, although the surroundings of Yunyang were waiting to be rebuilt, there was already a scene of vitality.

Merchants and peddlers from all over the world also flocked here.

In addition, there was another reason that was not easy to say openly.

Originally, some time ago, Yunyang Prefecture was covered in dark clouds, with 200,000 troops stationed, implementing a curfew, and the investigation of coming and going was extremely strict.

There were also those with crooked minds who set up checkpoints to demand benefits.

It was only after the army left that trade returned to normal.

And the war in the distance became the talk of the restaurants.

"The Tusi City army launched a night raid on Yichang, and many people died. Fortunately, the Commandant's Thousand-Household Yuan Kejian gave a warning in advance, and the disciples of the Lei family in Huang Mei burned the grain in the middle of the night, so the common people in the city resisted and barely held it..."

"Great victory in Zigui County. The imperial court used thunder-fire cannons, and I heard that several mountain peaks on the opposite side were leveled..."

"I heard that there is a Tuo God guarding the river?"

"That's right, the old man saw it with his own eyes. A fish monster was making trouble, overturning passing ships, but it was torn into pieces by a dozen Tuo dragons..."

"So spiritual, it seems we should worship more in the future..."

"Tell me, when will this chaos end?"

"Who knows..."

Ordinary people are like this. As long as the knife is not held to their own necks, the war in the distance is no different from a play.

The changes in the war situation are not important.

Only the appearance of a hero makes people talk about it with relish.

…………

"We have to cross the river."

Inside the Jiangzhe Chamber of Commerce, the Thousand-Household Huang was also talking about this matter.

He drank tea unhurriedly and covered his mouth with a handkerchief to cough twice. Although he was full of weakness, the momentum of a Thousand-Household was increasingly revealed.

"Is Master Huang alright?" Li Yan asked in a deep voice.

"I'm fine."

Thousand-Household Huang shook his head, "I went into the mountains before and was ambushed, injuring my lung meridians. I'm afraid I won't be able to take action in the future, just like a useless person."

Li Yan laughed dumbly, "The adult moves his brain; naturally, there are others to take action. I know Wang Jingxiu of Wudang Mountain, whose medical skills are superb. Why not let me introduce you?"

"Then I will trouble you."

Thousand-Household Huang did not decline.

Although he had a high position and great power, and was one of the top figures in Yunyang Prefecture, he really didn't have any friendship with a high Taoist like Wang Jingxiu.

After saying this, he continued, "The imperial court's 200,000 troops are pressing on the border, and the Tusi City army has been defeated one after another, retreating into the mountains, continuing to maneuver by relying on the advantages of the terrain."

"I estimate the Emperor's meaning is to take advantage of this pacification to complete the return of land to the state, and even conquer the entire Miao territory."

Li Yan looked thoughtful, "In this way, the time will be long."

Thousand-Household Huang drank tea again and nodded, "If the southern border is to be stable, the Miao territory must be thoroughly mastered. The Emperor has grand plans and will surely not leave any hidden dangers."

"However, after the army crosses the river, the Yangtze River area will also be stable. If you want to enter Shu, it will be just right after a while."

As he spoke, he hesitated and said, "The situation in Bashu is somewhat complicated. I heard some news that the King of Chengdu is somewhat restless, and the Commandant's office there might also have problems."

"If you go, you must be careful."

"Oh?"

Li Yan's pupils shrank, and he bowed, "Thank you for the reminder."

His relationship with Thousand-Household Huang could be considered quite good.

The other party relied on his intelligence to rise rapidly, entering the Town-Pacification Division office. Perhaps there were difficulties, but he had reached the end in Yunyang.

The other party said this, and it was definitely not without reason.

Thousand-Household Huang was also a busy person. After saying these things, he immediately stood up to say goodbye and left with several subordinates.

After they left, Li Yan took down the Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Money tassel hanging on the door frame.

Returning to Yunyang this time, Li Yan and his group originally planned to find an inn to stay and didn't think about coming to the Jiangzhe Chamber of Commerce.

After all, the treasure-seeking Young Master Lin had said that the Chen family of this Jiangzhe Chamber of Commerce was not a good sort. They looked kind and often gave small favors, but if one was not careful, one would be calculated by them.

But many things are always beyond human control.

After arriving in Yunyang, they discovered that merchants from all over had arrived, and the large and small inns in the city were full. Plus, the Elder of the Cao Gang, Han Kun, had invited them warmly, so they came to the Jiangzhe Chamber of Commerce again.

However, Li Yan had an extra eye.

He let Wang Daoxuan set up a small Feng Shui formation in the room. Whenever they discussed important matters, hanging the Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Money on the door frame would interfere with the investigation of supernatural powers and prevent people from eavesdropping.

Sure enough, not long after, the Young Proprietor of the Chamber of Commerce, Chen Ji Zu, came to knock on the door, still with that scholarly appearance, "Little Brother Li, my father is hosting a banquet tonight, inviting the merchants in the city. Elder Han will also go. I wonder if you..."

"I am truly sorry."

Li Yan smiled, "A senior from Wudang is coming tonight, and I have to go meet him. I also have to go to the office to handle matters tomorrow. I am truly too busy during this time."

Chen Ji Zu's expression remained unchanged, "That's fine, Little Brother Li, you go ahead."

Having said this, he bowed and left.

Li Yan's eyes narrowed, and he closed the door.

He knew the intentions of these people.

Because of the Battle of the Southwest, the Pai Sect, whose headquarters was located at Dongting Lake, had lost the trust of the imperial court, and there was some chaos internally.

After all, there were forces from Tusi City mixed into the Pai Sect.

The Cao Gang saw an opportunity and wanted to integrate their strength, taking the opportunity to cross the river and dye their fingers in the Pai Sect's territory.

Li Yan really didn't want to get involved in this kind of thing.

Jianghu struggles seem to have quite a lot of profit in the early stages, and he believed the Cao Gang would also spend a huge price to win him over, but once involved, he would get deeper and deeper and be led by the nose.

He already had enough trouble.

Zhao Changsheng, the Ghost Sect, the Fengdu Underworld, the Nine Heavens Responding Thunder Mansion... all kinds of mists shrouded him, and Li Yan had to be careful.

Thinking of this, Li Yan turned and pulled a huge wooden box from under the bed. After opening it, inside was the Dust-Avoiding Dragon Pearl and that dragon horn. There was also a box containing precious medicinal herbs dug from Shennongjia.

Carrying the box on his back and checking the surroundings again, Li Yan closed the door, left the Jiangzhe Chamber of Commerce, and headed toward the Chenghuangmiao.

Not long after arriving in Yunyang, news came that the battle in Baokang County had ended, and the time for the Yangtze River to be passable was not yet certain.

Therefore, Sha Lifei and the others raised some supplies and hired some craftsmen to return to Shennongjia.

They wanted to send some offerings to the Mountain God "Zouyu" and have someone build a simple temple for it.

One reason was to thank the Mountain God "Zouyu" for its help at the time, and the other was to build a good relationship with it and search for precious medicinal herbs in the Shennongjia.

The other Mountain Gods were dead, and now the "Zouyu" was the only remaining Mountain God in the Shennongjia. Without obstacles and constraints, both its power and influence would improve rapidly, and it could be considered a big boss in the future.

With its help, the Shennongjia was no longer dangerous.

Therefore, Li Yan didn't follow this time, but stayed in Yunyang to deal with various forces and prepare for the trip to Shu.

Looking at his receding back, two gazes on the second floor of the Chamber of Commerce retracted, and the window was closed.

In the room were the Chen family father and son of the Chamber of Commerce.

!.

"Father, this Li Yan is afraid he won't agree."

Chen Ji Zu shook his head helplessly.

"That is natural."

His father Chen Yuanqing stroked his beard, "Times are different now. Although this person wanders the Jianghu, his associations are all of extraordinary status. Han Kun wants to borrow his strength; I'm afraid he thinks too much."

Chen Ji Zu hesitated and said, "Father, don't blame me, but in my opinion, we should stay away from him."

"This person is too good at causing trouble. He has been hostile to the Ghost Sect several times. The bounty on him in the Jianghu and greenwood is getting higher and higher. If we get too involved, we will be implicated by him instead."

Chen Yuanqing's eyes were full of gratification, and he stroked his beard, "My son has indeed grown up quite a bit after these years of training."

"But there are some things you haven't seen clearly yet. If you only focus on one place, you won't be able to see the general trend and will make misjudgments."

"This Battle of the Southwest, after the return of land to the state is finished, the imperial court will thoroughly control the Miao territory, sweep away the hidden dangers of the Shenzhou, and deter the local powerful families."

"They are the greatest reliance of the local factions. When the world is in chaos, they rise up. No matter how the dynasty changes, these people are nothing more than changing a mountain to worship, even the Kong family and Long Hu Mountain are the same."

"The grievances between the imperial court and the local areas have never been broken since ancient times. The imperial court must both appease and suppress."

"This chaos in the Southwest, although it caused quite a few losses, also gave the Emperor a pretext to take the opportunity to make trouble."

"Therefore, this war is being fought unhurriedly."

"Therefore, the imperial court allows the flames of war to spread to the various states in the Southwest."

"Therefore, the Cao Gang dares to take action against the Pai Sect."

"The south is rich, the clan forces are huge, and the dharma lineages are numerous. There are dozens of families like our Chen family."

"The Emperor's true target is us!"

Hearing this, Chen Ji Zu felt a chill down his back and trembled, "We are the Open Sea faction and have always supported the Emperor."

"Hahaha..."

Chen Yuanqing shook his head and sneered, "The matter of opening the sea, although many people benefit, who among them is not a local powerful family?"

"The so-called Open Sea faction and Local faction are actually the same, nothing more than a struggle for interests. Now that the Open Sea faction has the upper hand, does our Emperor have the opportunity to sit idly by?"

"Haven't you seen some people in the Local faction all watching the joke?"

"Killing a few Tusi is nothing. When the Emperor rectifies the south of the Yangtze River in the future and kills so many people that heads roll, not many people will be able to laugh!"

Chen Ji Zu's face turned pale, "Then... then what should we do?"

Chen Yuanqing smiled, "Naturally, it is to surrender to the Emperor early. That is why this time, I fully support the Cao Gang."

Chen Ji Zu felt sweat on his forehead and gritted his teeth, "If the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked, what should we do?"

Chen Yuanqing's expression was calm as he looked out the window, "The Emperor has grand ambitions, but unfortunately, he is only a few years younger than me."

"What will happen in the future, neither of us will see..."

…………

Li Yan naturally didn't know the plotting behind the Chen family father and son, and even if he did, he wouldn't care.

The world is bustling, all for profit.

Everyone is calculating, but they are all in the game. In the Shenzhou, there has never been a shortage of various ambitious people.

He walked broadly on the streets of Yunyang and could clearly feel that Yunyang City was becoming more and more lively, with demolition and construction everywhere.

There were many pedestrians on the street, and dragons and snakes were mixed.

The current him, whether in the Jianghu or the Mystic Sect, did not have a small reputation, so people kept bowing to show their respect.

Of course, there were even more secret peeks.

Li Yan didn't care either. He carried the wooden box on his back and came to the Chenghuangmiao.

Before he even arrived, Gu Hanzi of the Yunyang Law Enforcement Hall brought several Taoists out to greet him.

"Little Brother Li, the Uncle Master has already arrived."

Gu Hanzi's face was full of enthusiasm.

Since Li Yan first came to Ezhou and met him in Shangjin City, Gu Hanzi had been very attentive to him.

Facts proved that his vision was good.

Li Yan had taken action several times and helped the True Martial Palace solve big troubles.

"Daoist, you are too polite."

"What are you saying? Several Uncle Masters are inside. Little Brother Li, please."

After welcoming Li Yan into the Chenghuangmiao, Gu Hanzi turned around, his eyes cold, scanning the surroundings of the street. Seeing a group of people lower their heads and leave, he let out a cold snort and returned to the Chenghuangmiao.

The treasures on Li Yan were astonishing. Even if they were in a wooden box, they couldn't block the investigation of supernatural powers, attracting many gazes.

Arriving at the Chenghuangmiao and entering a side hall, Li Yan's eyes flashed with surprise, and he hurriedly bowed, "Greetings to all seniors, greetings to the Sect Leader."

He sent someone to pass a letter, first to notify Wang Jingxiu to come and take the medicine, and second to discuss with the True Martial Palace how to deal with these spoils of war.

Unexpectedly, not only Wang Jingxiu and Yulongzi, but even the Wudang Sect Leader Yuchanzi was in the hall.

"Hahaha..."

Old Daoist Wang Jingxiu had a smile on his face, "Little friend is righteous. Actually, if you took the dragon treasure, we wouldn't have anything to say. I naturally have to come and watch, don't let them take advantage of you."

Yulongzi glanced at him indifferently, "Uncle Master, don't talk nonsense."

Having said this, he turned to Li Yan and said, "Whether it is the Dust-Avoiding Pearl or the dragon horn, both have great uses. You have helped us several times, so Wudang naturally won't treat you unfairly."

"The Dust-Avoiding Pearl will be taken away to the Five Dragons Palace to set up a Feng Shui formation in the True Martial Dragon Cave. As for this dragon horn, we will add some spiritual materials and send it to Qingcheng, asking a fellow Daoist to help you cast a dharma artifact."

"Little friend, do you think this arrangement is feasible?"

"Thank you, senior."

Li Yan was overjoyed upon hearing this. This matter was indeed beyond his expectations.

Even the True Martial Palace had to ask someone to cast a dharma artifact; one could imagine that the person taking action was definitely not ordinary.

"For this matter, someone will explain it to you later."

After Yulongzi finished speaking, he left the main hall with Wang Jingxiu and closed the hall door, taking the surrounding Taoists away.

During this process, Sect Leader Yuchanzi never spoke.

Li Yan knew that the other party let Yulongzi retreat, and there must be something to say to him alone.

Sure enough, the first sentence Yuchanzi said made Li Yan very surprised.

"I set a trap, but unfortunately let Zhao Changsheng run away..."

The second update will be in the afternoon.

(End of chapter)