Chapter 422: The Path Turns Again

The Salt Guild is a colossal force in the Jianghu, no less formidable than the Canal Guild.

Its history is ancient, flourishing along the Huai River since the Han Dynasty; compared to the Canal Guild, the Salt Guild's ties to the imperial court are far more complex.

Salt is a state monopoly, but during wartime, major construction projects, or disasters, merchants are required to participate, with the Monopoly Office issuing salt vouchers.

On ordinary days, the Salt Guild is entangled with the court's salt administration offices—such as the Salt Transport Commissioner's Office, the Salt Tax Office, and the Patrol Inspectorate.

The Salt Guild is a sanctuary for those fleeing the Jianghu.

If you're short on cash or wanted by the authorities, as long as your blade is sharp and your fists are strong, you'll always find refuge within the Salt Guild.

The Salt Guild is also the dark hand of corrupt officials.

They use every means to bribe and recruit local officials, sometimes acting as their enforcers, committing crimes and outrages.

The former County Magistrate of Zigui County was dragged down by illicit salt dealings.

The Sichuan Salt Guild is among the very best.

The Zigong region is known as the "Thousand-Year Salt Capital"; the Sichuan Salt Guild rose from there, its influence stretching across Sichuan, Hubei, Yunnan, and Guizhou.

Blocking rivers and sealing roads is nothing to them.

Li Yan could be certain that these men had close ties with the Wushan County government, and no one would come to investigate after the job was done.

Shhh!

As they halted, a warning arrow shot skyward.

The two fast boats behind immediately accelerated, closing in from left and right, trapping the painted pleasure boat between them.

Each fast boat carried seven or eight men, clad in tight-fitting short robes despite the autumn chill, their muscular frames exposed, wielding spears, swords, bows, and arrows.

"You bastards, don't move a muscle!"

From the left boat stepped a burly man, short in stature, skin dark as soot, thick beard covering his face, with several scars etched across his cheeks.

He held two swords—one long, one short.

This weapon is called the Mandarin Duck Blades: the long blade is the Mandarin, the short blade the Duck; their pairing, yin and yang, is deceptively cunning.

Only skilled fighters wield this weapon well.

This man, accustomed to arrogance, saw Li Yan and his companions watching coldly, spat on the deck, stepped on the oar, and leapt into the air.

The two boats were barely five meters apart.

For him, this distance was trivial—he'd already planned multiple responses in his mind.

If the people on the boat didn't move, he'd overwhelm them with his aura, seize their leader swiftly, and show his dominance…

If someone raised a blade to block him, he'd Shunshi press his sword downward…

But he thought too much.

Before he even landed, a foul wind struck him, his chest slammed as if struck by lightning, his ears roared, and he flew over ten meters before crashing into the water with a splash.

Wu Ba retracted his foot and grinned with Sha Li Fei.

To be honest, Wu Ba was somewhat frustrated.

In his original tribe, he was the top warrior, destined to become chieftain—a lion about to claim the throne.

Yet in this group, he was nothing but a menial.

Li Yan, Wang Daoxuan, and Lu San were all beyond his reach; only Sha Li Fei was his kindred spirit, and their coordination was seamless.

Facing these ordinary men, he finally regained some confidence.

"Where'd this idiot come from?"

"You fool, looking for death!"

"Do you even know who we are?"

The two boats erupted in curses.

The men all glared fiercely, waving weapons and shouting, their aura fierce—but none dared advance.

They were sensible: their leader had been kicked into the river, and the people on the boat were clearly tough; charging would only bring humiliation.

At moments like this, you rely on the Salt Guild's name to intimidate.

Li Yan frowned. "Wu Ba, take them out."

"Fuck you!"

Wu Ba didn't hesitate—he leapt onto their boat, discarded his weapons, and swung his fist the size of a mortar, sending men flying in all directions.

Even the fast boat itself was kicked apart, its keel snapped.

Then Wu Ba charged eagerly toward the other boat.

"Wait!"

Finally, a voice rang out from the large boat ahead.

A middle-aged man in brocade robes stepped onto the bow, flanked by a Daoist priest and a woman, looking down from above.

The Daoist meant nothing, but the woman, upon seeing Li Yan, turned as pale as a ghost, stepped back, and whispered urgently to the brocade-clad man.

Li Yan's gaze turned strange.

The woman's face seemed familiar—if he wasn't mistaken, she was the female swordsman who'd accompanied the Longxiang Army to assassinate him in Xiling Gorge.

This woman was Liu Mei, a skilled swordswoman and a notable figure in the Jianghu of Ezhou.

Unfortunately, she'd been terrified by Li Yan back then, abandoning her mission outright in Zigui County and fleeing to escape death.

But that had landed her in trouble.

She'd taken a bounty from the Ghost Sect, then deserted mid-mission; fearing retribution, she'd hidden within the Salt Guild for protection.

"Li Yan? The one who fought the Ghost Sect?"

The brocade-clad man's face showed clear surprise.

"That's him!"

Liu Mei was inwardly furious, whispering: "He's a death omen—countless martial artists have died because of him; it's better to avoid him."

The brocade-clad man's expression darkened, then brightened; he glared at the subordinate gathering intelligence before forcing a smile and bowing from his boat:

"So you're the Young Master Li from Guanzhong—long time to hear of you!"

"Heh~"

Sha Li Fei chuckled, rubbing his bald head. "You're amusing. You ambush people halfway, set up such a grand show—and you don't even know who's on the boat? Afraid of picking the wrong target?"

Li Yan watched coldly, saying nothing.

He'd guessed: their target was almost certainly the two girls in the cabin.

"Hahaha…"

The brocade-clad man laughed, bowing again. "A misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding."

"I'm Lu Jiu, of the Sichuan Salt Guild, holding the Sixth Flat Pole, in charge of reconnaissance…"

"Oh? So you're the Sixth Reconnaissance Elder!"

Sha Li Fei feigned surprise, offering a slight bow.

Though the Salt Guild is a colossal force in Shenzhou's Jianghu, it's more like a hybrid of local merchant guilds and criminal gangs, strictly divided, never crossing lines to steal others' livelihood.

Their rules resemble those of the Gelaohui.

The Gelaohui ranks by order: First Order is the Grand Elder, Second Order the Sage Second Elder, Third Order the Master Third Elder, etc. —each denotes rank.

The Salt Guild began with salt trading; the Sichuan Salt Guild especially relies on manpower, making the Flat Pole a vital position.

Thus, they replaced ranks with Flat Poles.

"Sixth Reconnaissance Elder" travels everywhere, handling intelligence gathering and missions alike—essentially the Salt Guild's field commander, and there are many of them.

"No, no."

Lu Jiu smiled faintly. "Though I failed to recognize the mountain, I didn't pick the wrong target. Gentlemen, hand over the two girls on your boat."

"This has nothing to do with you. I'm on good terms with Elder Han Kun of the Canal Guild—we're allies. When you reach Sichuan, my Salt Guild will treat you well."

Sha Li Fei glanced at Li Yan, saw his cold expression, and chuckled loudly: "Lu, don't waste your breath. Look at who you're dealing with!"

"Step aside while you still can. Kidnapping little girls—don't you fear being laughed at?" Debt piled high doesn't weigh you down; lice multiply without notice. They'd offended too many already; compared to them, the Salt Guild was nothing.

On the opposite boat, Lu Jiu's eyes turned sinister. He sneered, raising his hand slightly.

Whoosh!

A group of men surged onto the deck, raising muskets, lining up in dense rows aimed at them.

Not only that—the deck rumbled as a cannon was rolled forward, pointed at their painted pleasure boat.

Most were ordinary firearms, but two were new-model muskets.

Whoosh!

Lu Jiu flicked open his fan, calmly saying: "Gentlemen, I know you're skilled in martial arts and magic, but the Jianghu has changed."

"Nowadays, whoever has money is the master!"

Plop!

As he spoke, a splash came from behind.

Lu Jiu turned quickly—Liu Mei the swordsman had vanished, having slipped into the water and fled during the distraction.

"Damn it, that bitch was never reliable!"

!.

Lu Jiu cursed, but a faint unease stirred in his chest.

On the pleasure boat, Li Yan's eyes ignited with killing intent; he whispered: "All of you, prepare to jump. Hold your breath a little longer."

He wasn't afraid of muskets—once he used his concealment technique, they couldn't even aim properly; one man alone could slaughter every one of them.

Ooo~

At that moment, from the clouds above, a flute melody suddenly arose—melancholy and tender, as if a woman wept within the mist.

Lu Jiu heard it, his expression shifting slightly, and whispered, "It's the Miao insect-controlling art, but played with Chu shamanic ritual music."

Zzzzz!

From within the mist, a sudden booming sound echoed.

Lu Jiu unconsciously reached for his demonic gourd.

Originally, venomous bees were perfect for dealing with ordinary people of the Jianghu, but after the battle with the "Mist Walker," the entire swarm had perished.

These bees were painstakingly bred—hard-won.

The demonic gourd itself had been severely damaged in the process and would need time to breed a new swarm.

The Salt Guild's people were in for trouble.

Indeed, a dense swarm of bees burst from the thick mist like a black cloud, engulfing all the Salt Guild's boats.

The attackers were not Lu Jiu's mutated venomous bees, but Sichuan yellow-headed giant hornets, each as thick as a thumb.

Though ordinary insects, their stings were anything but mild.

"Ahh!"

In an instant, screams erupted continuously.

The attacker had not targeted the painted barge, so Li Yan and his companions merely watched coldly, enjoying the spectacle.

The Salt Guild men writhed and howled, rolling about in agony.

These yellow-headed giant hornets typically built nests in wild mountains—small ones the size of a human head, large ones as big as houses, capable of stinging a man to death.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The gunners fired their firelocks wildly.

But as one thing subdues another, firelocks were not omnipotent; many guild members could not bear it and plunged into the water with thuds.

"Light the wolf smoke! Light the wolf smoke!"

Lu Jiu's skills were decent—he unleashed hidden force, swinging his folding fan up and down while bellowing fiercely.

Soon, pungent smoke rose, but it only delayed the swarm's advance.

Seeing this, Lu Jiu cried urgently, "Master, please intervene!"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes, gazing at the cabin of the large boat.

Whether the "Mist Walker" or the two girls, both had touched the Xuan Gate; Lu Jiu dared to block their path only because he had a sorcerer aiding him.

But the opponent had used Qimen Dunjia, hiding within the cabin—his divine senses could not penetrate.

Dang~

From within the cabin, a guqin melody suddenly sounded.

The player clearly mastered the art deeply—beginning slow, then quickening, the notes flowing continuously yet gently, carrying a bone-chilling chill.

Li Yan did not understand musical scores, but he sensed the essence—it reminded him of the night rain over Bashan.

The attacking bee swarm, too, was affected—blinded, they flew wildly in all directions, no longer targeting people.

Above the cliff and mist, the flute melody ceased, replaced by an old woman's voice: "Sir, do you intend to settle life and death today?"

Within the cabin, the guqin music abruptly stopped.

"Go." A similarly aged voice replied.

"Withdraw! Quickly withdraw!"

Lu Jiu shouted urgently; the large boat immediately turned and headed upstream toward the Daning River, while the remaining fast boat turned back in disarray toward Wushan County.

Only Li Yan's painted barge remained stranded, blocked by the iron chain across the river.

Li Yan pressed his hand against his saber's hilt but did not immediately cut the chain; instead, he drew a deep breath and gazed upward into the white mist on the left.

"Grandma! Grandma!"

The two girls ran out of the cabin, shouting upward in alarm: "These uncles are good people—don't be angry!"

Sha Li Fei chuckled, "The kids are well-behaved."

Before he finished speaking, several figures appeared on the cliff—all women, some in Han-style white robes, others in Yi attire, leaping nimbly across the rocks with great agility.

They wore wide-brimmed hats and white veils obscuring their faces; upon reaching the shore, they halted, alert and wary.

Only one woman, dressed in blue-sleeved robes, adorned with silver ornaments typical of Miao women, raced along the iron chain toward them.

Impressive skill!

Li Yan narrowed his eyes, silently praising.

The "Walking the Rope" technique was most famously practiced by the Xi Cai Men of the Jianghu, trained since childhood with exceptional balance.

But this Miao woman relied purely on light-body arts and extraordinary eyesight.

Shhh!

The woman landed on the bow—bright eyes, white teeth, skin like congealed fat—she offered a mischievous smile and bowed slightly: "Thank you all for drawing your blades in aid."

Her smile was charming, mischievous yet bold.

Yet Li Yan's back suddenly tensed.

This woman was strange—her entire body reeked of mixed poisons and Gu toxins; her robes teemed with venomous snakes.

She was like a walking poison vault.

Li Yan had never seen such a madwoman before.

"Aunt Long!"

The two girls rushed to her and threw themselves into her arms.

"Ah, you're back safely."

The Miao woman smiled broadly, embracing the girls, but her fingers swept over them swiftly, confirming no tampering had occurred—then she sighed in relief and lifted them both.

"Brave warrior, thank you!"

She blinked, ready to leave with them.

But Li Yan suddenly said coldly, "Wait. You leave without giving your name or explanation—is that not a breach of Jianghu etiquette?"

"Oh—!"

The Miao woman realized, laughing, "Don't worry, someone will deliver your reward soon—guaranteed to satisfy."

"I'm not talking about money!"

Li Yan saw she wasn't pretending ignorance—she genuinely didn't understand the rules. He spoke plainly: "At least give us your name."

"And we have some questions we'd like to ask you."

As he spoke, he raised the phoenix gold ornament in his arms.

From within the mist, the old woman's voice sounded again: "Come to the Bai family estate in eastern Dachang City. I shall await you."

Second chapter update, afternoon

(End of Chapter)