Chapter 432: Drumming at Bai Di Cheng

"Raid the temple?"

Li Yan blinked in surprise, then shook his head and chuckled: "I've seen people rob money, snatch women, but raiding a temple? First time."

Wang Daoxuan gazed at Bai Di Cheng, lost in thought: "Bai Di Cheng isn't a grotto-heaven or blessed land, but it sits at the gateway of Shu. Since ancient times, countless scholars and poets have left verses here; its fame has endured for a thousand years, with innumerable boats passing by—it's a premier temple of the mortal world."

"Probably another Buddhist-Taoist squabble…"

At this, the Daoist fell silent and shook his head.

He'd seen plenty of such things.

In this world, the construction of temples and monasteries follows strict rules.

At the foot of the mountain are temples of the mortal world; apart from key sites like the City God Temple or Baotong Chan Temple, most are frequented by monks, Daoists, and laypeople.

Halfway up the mountain lies the threshold between the mortal world and immortality.

At the summit, most cultivators reside, far from the disturbances of the mortal world.

Because of the presence of the Xuan Men, the Buddhist-Taoist rivalry here exists in a peculiar state.

The top tiers play slow chess, fighting for doctrinal legitimacy and state sacrifices; they rarely tear each other's faces off, and some even maintain good relations.

But among the layfolk, it's an entirely different story.

Temples and monasteries control incense offerings—and plenty of profit—along with landholdings and local influence, so naturally, they're fought over.

Many have died over this very issue.

Yet the disciple of "Fast Boat Zhang" bowed and smiled: "Master, you misunderstand—it's not Buddhist versus Taoist. It's a merchant guild rivalry."

"On Bai Di Cheng stood the 'Three Merit Shrine,' honoring the River God, the Land God, and General Ma Yuan. Rumor has it the Prefect of Kuizhou plans to tear it down and build the 'Righteousness Shrine' to enshrine Liu, Guan, and Zhang."

"At first, it meant nothing—but for some reason, the Salt Guild and the Sichuan Merchant Guild have clashed. One supports it, the other opposes it; they've already fought several times."

"A few days ago, the Sichuan Merchant Guild hired men to forcibly demolish the temple. The Salt Guild heard of it and rushed over to stop them—and they've been fighting ever since…"

"So that's it."

Li Yan, after listening, immediately lost interest and shook his head: "Let's go. Raiding the temple is just a cover—this is about profit. Don't get involved."

"Yes, Li Shaoxia."

"Fast Boat Zhang" also nodded in agreement.

Traveling the rivers and lakes, you must draw your blade when needed—but stirring up trouble for no reason is never wise.

But things never go as planned.

They wanted to leave, yet trouble came to them.

A fast boat shot toward them from near Kuimen, its tall mast bearing a man standing tall.

His stance was solid; despite the churning waves and the ship's violent rocking, he stood unmoved, a whistle between his lips, its rhythm shifting long and short.

On the forward deck stood Lu Jiu of the Salt Guild.

That whistle was a signal—the two sides locked in battle beneath Bai Di Cheng instantly halted, and the Salt Guild's fleet broke off combat, surrounding them.

In an instant, the waterway ahead was blocked.

"Stop! Don't move!"

"Take another step, and don't blame us for being uncivil!"

The Salt Guild, already in a rage, had sent only professional thugs: bare-chested, sneering ruffians, and martial artists with leather belts buckled with brass, clutching weapons.

That whistle had been their signal.

They didn't know who they were stopping, but whenever the signal sounded, the guild paid handsomely—whether they succeeded or not.

"Fast Boat Zhang" and his men immediately grew wary.

When the rear boats caught up and they saw Lu Jiu aboard, Li Yan instantly understood—his eyes flared with anger.

He'd earned a name in Ezhou, but his enemies had grown stronger. This journey into Shu was meant to be low-key, yet the Salt Guild refused to let it go.

"Li Shaoxia, in such a hurry to go where?"

On deck, Lu Jiu unfurled his fan, fanning himself twice at his chest as if suppressing fury.

Li Yan gave him a cold glance: "None of your damn business."

"Good!"

Lu Jiu didn't anger—he laughed. "Young as you are, you've made such a name for yourself—truly bold. But do you know where you are?"

"Once you enter Shu, if you're a dragon, coil for me. If you're a tiger, lie down for me!"

"Little fool, big mouth!"

A gruff voice echoed from afar, thick with Sichuan dialect: "Lu Laojiu, when did Sichuan become your Salt Guild's territory?"

The speaker was an old man, head wrapped in white cloth, clad in black robes, red sash at his waist, holding a clay pipe.

His attire marked him as a member of the Gelaohui.

Li Yan turned toward the voice—his pupils shrank sharply.

Beside the old man stood a man with sharp features, a vertical line between his brows, wielding a steel blade, dressed as a typical martial artist.

Li Yan had crossed paths with him before: Tian Jue, a Battalion Commander of the Capital Metropolitan Office, sent secretly by the Emperor and Daoist Luo Mingzi to track Zhao Changsheng.

Suspecting a mole in the Enforcement Hall, they'd followed the Ministry of Works to Ezhou, vanished after suppressing the evil at Liangzi Lake.

If he'd come to Shu… was Zhao Changsheng here too?

Li Yan tightened his guard, met Tian Jue's gaze for a heartbeat, then looked away, pretending not to know him.

Meanwhile, hearing the Gelaohui elder's mockery, Lu Jiu sneered: "Old Tang, we're just carrying out orders. Stay out of this today—or the ones coming after you won't be just my Salt Guild."

The old man frowned, then—suddenly realizing something—his face paled, and he fell silent.

Lu Jiu snorted, turned to Li Yan, and said coldly: "Li Shaoxia, we're all martial brothers. Let me say this once more."

"This isn't your affair. Hand over the person, keep being your Shaoxia, and the Salt Guild might even help you gain fame. Why invite trouble?"

He spoke the truth this time.

In the rivers and lakes, martial artists are like fish crossing a river; to become famous, brute strength alone isn't enough. Without patrons, you vanish into obscurity.

Yet Li Yan remained unchanged, arms crossed over his blade, expressionless: "I accepted a task—I won't renege. I'm taking this matter on."

"Good!"

Several men from the Gelaohui fleet shouted approval.

In the martial world, fists determine rules—but principle matters more. A man who keeps his word, who spits and nails it down, is never looked down upon anywhere.

"Alright, alright…"

Lu Jiu grew furious, snapped his fan twice, then slammed it shut: "Listen up! Board the ship and seize him!"

"This kid's tough, but don't fear—if he kills even one man in broad daylight, he's finished."

"Whoever dies, the Salt Guild will support his family!"

At this, the Gelaohui men erupted in curses.

"Lu Jiu, you lowlife!"

"You've lost all face!"

The court had rules: private martial disputes were tolerated; even if many died, as long as civilians didn't report it, officials turned a blind eye.

But if ordinary people were harmed—or if someone was killed in broad daylight—the court would act.

This was an unwritten rule.

Like the Salt Guild and Gelaohui fighting here—they'd battled for days, but mostly left opponents half-dead.

If someone died, the other side would always produce a scapegoat.

For real life-or-death fights, you sign a death contract on a fighting arena.

In short, you had to respect the court's dignity.

Lu Jiu's move was a blatant violation of martial law—he meant to drown Li Yan in blood, even if he couldn't capture him, he'd make him wanted.

In Shu, the Sichuan Salt Guild truly had that power.

"Take him down!" Hearing this, many Salt Guild men turned bloodshot.

Those who lived by the martial path sought only wealth.

They knew this young man was dangerous—otherwise Lu Jiu wouldn't be so wary.

But they also knew: if they succeeded, they'd rise to fame; even if they died, their families were secured.

Gamblers ruined by debt, men dying of disease, men drowning in debts—some in the martial world valued money more than life.

Immediately, several small boats surged forward; some couldn't wait, leaping into the water with knives in mouth, swimming toward them with splashes.

"Playing dirty…"

Li Yan grinned. "Wu Ba, bring my drum. I've heard Kuimen is the most perilous pass in the world—perfect for drumming to set the mood."

Hearing the commotion, Wu Ba and Sha Li Fei had already emerged from the hidden cabin; even Long Yan'er of the Poison Cult had rushed out, ready to unleash her poisons.

Wu Ba spun and leapt onto the ship's upper deck.

Sha Li Fei grabbed Long Yan'er's wrist, glaring: "You idiot woman—the court forbids witchcraft! Unleash poison in broad daylight? That's like shitting in your pants and expecting to explain it."

!.

"You… let go!"

Long Yan'er yanked her hand free, then rubbed it twice on her robe in disgust.

She'd once been the Poison Cult's Holy Maiden—before her fall, countless worshipped her.

This was the first time a man had ever touched her hand.

"Pfft!"

Sha Li Fei turned away with disdain.

He'd roamed the rivers and lakes for years—seen too much, done too much. No matter how beautiful a woman, she couldn't match the shine of silver.

Besides, this woman is a bully who picks on the weak and fears the strong, and something about her seems off—she's taken an interest in them and keeps trying to get closer.

But Li Yan is ruthless, Wang Daoxuan is a gentleman, Lu San is quiet, and Wu Ba only knows how to eat—they could only spend all day trying to strike up conversation with him, and even then, their words were unpleasant.

These small maneuvers couldn't possibly fool a bunch of seasoned Jianghu veterans; they simply chose not to mention it.

Without mentioning the two men's thoughts, Wu Ba had already rushed into the cabin and dragged out the Yunlei Divine Drum, placing it before Li Yan.

"Thanks."

Li Yan raised his hand, channeling his strength, and gave it a light tap.

Against these ordinary people, there was no need for the Three Talismans to Subdue Demons Coins—just a hidden force striking the drum, coupled with spirit invocation, was more than enough.

Boom!

A thunderous roar, like a lightning strike.

Visible ripples spread outward.

Several men from the Salt Guild had just climbed aboard when they felt their ears ring, their heads buzzing, staggered back and forth, and fell back into the water.

Even on nearby boats, many men clutched their ears, grimacing, feeling dizzy and disoriented.

"Sound wave technique?"

On the Gelaohui boat, the old man looked surprised.

In the Jianghu, many know such abilities—the Ping, Tuan, Diao, and Liu sects all have ancient lineages with similar methods.

But being able to wield it effectively is another matter entirely.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The drumbeat rumbled; even with the minimal force Li Yan used, it was enough to repel these ordinary men.

But this method had one flaw.

The sound waves spread indiscriminately—they didn't recognize friend from foe.

Even "Fast Boat Zhang" and his disciples on the boat clutched their ears, faces twisted in discomfort.

Wu Ba and Lu San, unaffected, yanked on the mast ropes, and instantly the sails billowed as the large ship resumed its course.

Boom!

Two blocking boats were directly overturned.

"Hahahaha…"

Li Yan laughed heartily and put away the Yunlei Divine Drum.

The cargo ship broke through the blockade and continued forward.

Lu Jiu saw this and immediately flushed with anger.

But he silently glanced behind him and gave no order to close in.

In the cabin behind sat five people: the purple-faced, white-bearded old scholar Wang Mengsheng and his disciple, as well as the palace-clad woman who had ridden the white deer that day.

The other two also bore strange auras.

They were the Wushan hermits invited to descend the mountain.

Above their cabin hung a precious pearl, as large as a chicken's egg, radiant and clear as the moon, enveloping all in a cool, icy aura.

It was none other than one of Tang Zhenguó's Thirteen Treasures: the "Ruyi Pearl."

Because of this artifact, Li Yan's Goudie had not reacted.

Lu Jiu dared to provoke Li Yan only because of these people's backing—but he had seen the situation on Wushan and dared not let them reveal themselves.

Seeing the cargo ship depart, Lu Jiu could no longer hold back. He turned and entered the cabin, bowing respectfully: "My lords, those two girls are specifically requested by the Prince. Please, my immortal lords, intervene."

"Why the rush?"

Wang Mengsheng cast a cool glance. "The Prince doesn't want those two girls—he wants something else entirely."

Lu Jiu blinked, probing: "Do the immortals know?"

This matter was highly secret. He had merely followed his boss's orders and knew nothing of the underlying reasons.

"What's so surprising?"

The palace-clad woman on the white deer sneered. "The Shu Prince wants the divine Gang within the girls. With it, he hopes to find the Elixir of Immortality from the Ancient Ten Witches."

"This isn't the first time someone's tried. Even Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han failed. How dare a minor prince think he can succeed?"

Lu Jiu laughed awkwardly.

Elixir of Immortality?

So all this effort was just to find that?

Of course, he didn't care what they sought—he only cared about his own future.

Thinking of this, Lu Jiu quickly bowed again: "Please, my immortal lords, guide me. If you find the item, the Shu Prince will spare no effort to secure a sacred mountain for your cultivation."

Wang Mengsheng replied calmly: "Divine Gang isn't unique to those two girls. I have a method—you need only follow my plan."

Lu Jiu hesitated. "What about that boy, Li Yan?"

Recalling Li Yan's arrogance on Wushan, Wang Mengsheng's eyes flickered with murderous intent. "That boy is reckless. He thinks his status as a Living Yin Officer gives him license to act without restraint—it's a path straight to death."

"First, trap them in Wanzhou. Then send men to Fengdu. Follow my plan, and we kill two birds with one stone."

"You'll get what you want."

"And that place will be his grave!"

Soon, several carrier pigeons took flight, soaring toward the distance…

…………

"Young Master Li, we've passed Fengjie."

"Fast Boat Zhang" entered the cabin and said gravely: "In another hour, we'll reach Wanzhou."

"Originally, I planned to resupply at the Wanzhou dock, but we've angered the Salt Guild. Should we stop somewhere and buy provisions from nearby villagers?"

"As you see fit, Elder Zhang."

Li Yan nodded in agreement.

Before he finished speaking, a fast boat approached from behind.

"Don't act—these are allies!"

Li Yan quickly waved his hand, signaling others to lower their bows.

On the deck of the fast boat stood none other than Commandant Tian, Battalion Commander…

I've been away recently, so updates have been late—please forgive me. The second chapter will come in the afternoon.

(End of Chapter)