Chapter 447: The Shu roads are treacherous

"In all things, do not seek the truth..."

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei was puzzled. "What does that mean?"

Wang Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and shook his head. "The senior's meaning is likely that we should not be overly pedantic when encountering matters. The Shu region is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and since our group has already offended the Shu Prince's Mansion, we need to keep a low profile."

Li Yan, however, watched the figure departing, lost in thought.

In his mind, he inexplicably recalled that wealthy guest from Outside Chengdu.

Was he a cultivator who worshipped the True Lord Li Erlang, or...

Just then, a voice from the side interrupted his train of thought.

"Li Li Shaoxia."

"Fast Boat Zhang" cupped his hands. "Since you all intend to travel to Chongqing Prefecture by land, we shall take our leave here."

Li Yan straightened his expression and cupped his hands in return. "Brother Zhang, thank you for your hard work on this trip."

As he spoke, he took a wooden box from Sha Hearing Sha Lifei's hand, handed it to "Fast Boat Zhang," and whispered instructions: "There are some things inside. Keep it with you on the road, Brother, and only open it after we have left."

"Heh, it's only right."

"Fast Boat Zhang" didn't think much of it. After taking the box, he sighed: "Li Li Shaoxia, you are loyal and value relationships; you are a good man, but your temperament is still a bit too rigid."

"There is a saying on the Sichuan-Shu martial arts path: one does not have a thousand miles of fame, only a thousand miles of friendship."

"The Shu roads are difficult; make more friends, and the road will be easier to travel."

"Mm, I have noted it."

Li Yan could tell that "Fast Boat Zhang" meant these words sincerely, truly regarding them as friends.

"Everyone, we shall meet again!"

"We shall meet again!"

After bidding each other farewell, "Fast Boat Zhang" led his apprentices eastward, heading toward the direction of Fengdu.

The Shu Prince's Mansion knew that Li Yan and his group intended to head to Outside Chengdu, so the patrols in the waters around Fengdu were not strict.

With "Fast Boat Zhang's" experience in the martial world, he could easily leave.

"Let us go as well."

Li Yan turned his head to look at the mountain road. "First, go to Chongqing to gather some information and obtain supplies, then head to Outside Chengdu by land!"

On the other side, not long after "Fast Boat Zhang" left, he opened the wooden box and glanced at it casually.

Afterward, his heart began to pound.

There were two items inside the box.

A silver banknote for five thousand taels.

This was easy to explain; firstly, it was the boat fare for the journey, and secondly, the boat he had promised to give them had already been impounded by the Shu Prince's Mansion, so this was to compensate with silver.

The other item was a book.

On it was written, in striking characters, *Essential Points of Profound Mastery*.

This book was very famous; "Fast Boat Zhang" had heard of it as well. It was an introductory text for disciples of the Mystic Sect, mainly explaining various knowledge of the Mystic Sect.

With this book, if he encountered certain matters, he would not be left blind, forced to rely only on the experience passed down by the older generation to avoid trouble.

If any of his descendants were to awaken supernatural abilities, they would not miss their opportunity.

"Master, where are we going?"

An apprentice suddenly asked.

"To Xiangyang!"

"Fast Boat Zhang" said in a deep voice: "Drifting in the martial world is not a long-term solution after all. Your master is old; I need to settle down and take root."

"As for the name 'Fast Boat,' whoever wants it can have it..."

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at the mountains and rivers behind him.

He suddenly felt a bit sentimental in his heart.

The martial world ages people easily. They had agreed to meet again, but it would likely be difficult to see Li Yan and these people ever again...

………………

In the wild mountains and outskirts, the autumn colors were deep.

It was nearly dusk; the setting sun slanted down, the maple leaves in the mountains were like fire, the paulownia leaves were yellow, and the scene was colorful.

The autumn wind blew gently, fallen leaves flew about, paving a path of gold.

In the mountain ridges, an ancient path wound its way, piercing through forests and crossing ridges. The stone steps in the wind were mottled, and the traces of time were clearly visible.

The sound of horse hooves echoed through the secluded valley.

A merchant caravan was winding its way along the ancient path.

Their faces were weary, the mules and horses they led were fully loaded with goods, neighing incessantly; the carts creaked, and their progress was difficult. Occasionally, they would rest by a stream, letting the horses drink to quench their thirst, cupping water to wash their faces, and washing away the dust of the journey.

The leader of the caravan was a middle-aged man; although he was a merchant, he could not hide the scholarly air about him.

He leaned on a staff to look into the distance, suddenly pointing ahead, joyfully saying: "A-Fu, look, that over there is the Lychee Ancient Road."

The personal servant poked his head out to look, but seeing only a small path appearing and disappearing on the distant mountainside, he wiped his sweat and asked: "Master, why is it called that name? Does the area produce lychees?"

"More or less. It both produces them and transports them."

The middle-aged man leaned on his staff and looked around. "During the Zhai Tianbao era, Consort Yang loved eating lychees, so Emperor Xuanzong specifically built a post road for transport."

"At that time, lychees were mainly produced in Lingnan, Bashu, and Minzhou. This side is where it started from Fuling, reaching Chang'an via the Ziwu Road."

"Lychees are things that, once off the branch, change color in one day, change fragrance in two days, and change taste in three days."

"Although the Consort grew up in the Shu region since childhood and lychees could soothe her homesickness, the 'one horse kicks up red dust, the Consort smiles'—once the Lychee Road was built, the Great Tang also began its decline from prosperity."

"Master is learned."

The servant flattered him, then immediately complained: "It's just that this road is too hard to walk. Not to mention the time wasted along the way, the expenses are also greater; it really isn't as good as taking the waterway."

"How could I not want to?"

The middle-aged man sighed: "The Sichuan-Shu Salt Gang and the Chamber of Commerce are fighting fiercely. On the waterways near Chongqing, the Pai Sect and the Cao Gang are secretly undermining each other. Merchants suffer much from this, and we cannot afford to offend either side."

"These Shu embroideries are the foundation for my Lu family's comeback. After the seas opened, demand exceeded supply. As long as they are delivered to Tianjin, everything will be solved."

The servant muttered: "It's just that this is a desolate mountain path, and only we are walking it. If we run into bandits, what should we do?"

The middle-aged man blinked and stroked his beard, smiling: "Precisely because no one walks it, there are few mountain bandits. If we took the waterway, not only would the officials along the way extort us, but there are also many water bandits."

"Rest assured, as long as we get on the Lychee Road from Fuling, there will be many merchant caravans coming and going, and we won't need to worry anymore..."

"Hahaha!"

Before he could finish speaking, the man driving the cart in front suddenly laughed loudly. He then flicked the reins, pulled a firewood knife from his waist, and said happily: "Master Lu, your abacus is loud enough, but do you really think us brothers are just here to eat for free?"

As he spoke, he looked around and smiled: "Do you know why no one comes to this place? The government doesn't care, and those who dare to walk this road never leave alive!"

When the middle-aged man saw this, his heart instantly turned cold.

He had also heard of some martial world tricks and vaguely guessed that he had likely revealed his background when looking for people in Chongqing Prefecture and had been targeted.

"He's only one person, what's there to fear!"

"Right, kill this turtle's son!"

The others in the caravan pulled out their weapons one after another.

They had been transporting goods for people for years and were not afraid of drawing blades.

The man hurriedly ran out, then stood on a slope, stuck his hand into his mouth, and gathered his breath.

A loud whistle shook the mountains and wilderness.

It's over, this brat was just scouting the path...

When the crowd saw this, they immediately became vigilant.

However, there was no movement at all in the surroundings.

"What's going on..." the man muttered, blowing two more times.

However, there was still no response in the mountain forest.

The men of the caravan looked at each other in dismay.

"Catch him!"

With a shout, the crowd rushed forward, waving horse whips and beating with sticks, beating the man until he howled like a ghost, then tying him up tightly.

Just then, movement came from the corner of the mountain path.

The crowd looked up and saw a giant, tall and sturdy, with thick hair all over his body, walking out. In one hand he carried an axe, and in the other, he dangled a bloody human head.

"Mon... monster!"

When the caravan crowd saw this, their hearts turned cold with fear.

In this Bashu region, witchcraft and ghost arts have been prevalent since ancient times, and there are many strange tales in the countryside—Grandma Bear, Hanging Face, Mountain Brat... there are many.

This thing in front of them didn't look like a human no matter how they looked at it.

!.

Could it be that a man-eating living king had appeared on this mountain road?

"Where are you all going?"

Just as they were preparing to flee, another figure flashed out from behind the giant—a big bald head, a thick beard, and a fierce face; one look and you knew he wasn't a good person.

But at least, he looked like a human...

The arrivals were none other than Sha Hearing Sha Lifei and Wu Ba.

Seeing the crowd's appearance, Sha Hearing Sha Lifei muttered a curse, rubbed his big bald head, and squeezed out a kind smile. "Don't be afraid. There was a gang of bandits ahead, but we've already taken care of them. You can walk safely."

"We are just asking for directions; how do we get to Chongqing Prefecture?"

The caravan leader finally breathed a sigh of relief. Not daring to be slow, he respectfully cupped his hands: "This hero, the mountain path ahead has been around for a long time, and coupled with an earthquake a few years ago, it has long since disappeared."

"Follow this path, cross that mountain, and there is a 'Luo Luo' (ancient name for the Yi people) village. There is a small path from them; follow it, and you can reconnect to the road, leading straight to Chongqing Prefecture."

"Good, thanks!"

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei cupped his hands and prepared to leave.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man's heart stirred. He cupped his hands again: "Hero, wait a moment. Listen to me: if you see anything, don't talk nonsense, especially do not offend the 'Xi Po' (priestess) and the big and small ghost masters."

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei narrowed his eyes. "Is that village not clean?"

"Not so."

The middle-aged man hurriedly explained: "The Luo Luo people believe in ghost masters, who are both priests and tribal leaders. Later, when the imperial court implemented the Tusi system, the big and small ghost masters were sealed as Tusi and local officials. The Xi Po are priests, also called 'Bimo'."

"Now that the imperial court is changing the Tusi system to direct rule, the Luo Luo people have restored the old title of ghost master. Although they trade with the Han people, they don't like to be disturbed, and they don't like the officials sent by the imperial court."

"Understood!"

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei immediately understood. He cupped his hands slightly, then took Wu Ba and jumped onto the slope, heading toward the dense forest on the mountain.

"Hurry!"

Watching the two disappear, the middle-aged man hurriedly called out in a low voice.

The caravan accelerated. Not long after, they turned around the mountainside and saw the scene ahead, their eyes widening.

They saw that on the mountainside, there were large patches of severed limbs and broken arms, the ground was a mess, and weapons like bows and arrows and broadswords were scattered everywhere.

"Big Brother! Big Brother!"

Seeing a head rolling on the ground, the man who had been caught burst into tears and struggled frantically.

Bang!

A man from the caravan next to him knocked him unconscious with a stick, then said to the middle-aged man: "Squire Lu, I'm afraid we've run into martial world experts. Don't meddle in anything, leave Fuling quickly and get on the Ziwu Road."

"Right, right."

The middle-aged man's face turned pale, and he hurriedly led the caravan away.

Behind them, the severed limbs on the ground gradually attracted wild beasts to gnaw on them...

………………

In the dense forest, Li Yan's group was resting.

"We didn't take the wrong path."

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei recounted what had happened and pointed into the distance: "Cross that mountain, pass through a Luo Luo village, and we can reconnect to the road..."

After leaving Fuling, the group headed toward Chongqing Prefecture.

The mountain road along the way was treacherous, and more importantly, there were many fork roads. Some were ancient post roads that had been abandoned, and some were built by local villagers, shrouded in clouds and mist, and they finally lost their way.

Fortunately, with Lu San's falcon, Lidong, the general direction was correct.

As for those mountain bandits, they had originally intended to ambush the caravan, but seeing that there were many women in Li Yan's group—although they were veiled in white, their figures were graceful—they had lustful thoughts and wanted to rob them of both wealth and beauty.

The result went without saying; Sha Hearing Sha Lifei held the line, and Wu Ba killed them all by himself.

Li Yan had the supernatural ability of hearing, and he had heard everything the caravan had said. He frowned and shook his head: "Chongqing Prefecture doesn't look peaceful; several forces are fighting fiercely. To avoid being affected, we had better disguise ourselves sooner."

"Li Li Shaoxia is right."

The old woman Bai Zhu Huan smiled: "Yang Opera troupes are popular in many places in the Southwest. The Bashu region has many ethnic groups, and village customs are all different. Since we are traveling by land, it is inevitable that we will pass through them."

"Disguising ourselves as a Yang Opera troupe will earn us respect wherever we go."

"That would be great!"

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei said happily: "It's a good thing I'm clever. When we were in Fengdu, I asked Brother Meng Changgui to get us some costumes. If we disguise ourselves, we can also free up some space in the luggage boxes."

After saying this, he led people forward, unloaded several wooden boxes from the mules, and opened them to reveal nothing but opera costumes, props, cloaks, and Nuo masks.

The old woman Bai Zhu Huan said: "Yang Opera troupes all need to wear Nuo masks. If it's a troupe that often travels to various places, those with real skills will wear cloaks and Nuo masks at all times."

"Firstly, it's mysterious and indicates our identity; secondly, it's also for cultivation. It's just right for us to conceal our identities, and we will be respected in whichever village we go to."

"This Yang Opera is derived from Nuo Opera, mostly for welcoming gods, rewarding gods, sending off gods, praying for blessings, and eliminating disasters. It is further divided into blessing operas, birthday operas, career operas, wedding operas, child-sending operas, and comedy operas, etc."

"The opera is divided into inner and outer altars, totaling twenty-four operas, which are twenty-four altar rituals. The outer altar sings the opera, which I will handle, and the inner altar will be presided over by Daoist Wang."

"Even if we run into someone who is pedantic, they won't be able to tell the difference..."

After some explanation, everyone put on their cloaks and wore Nuo masks. At this time, the sky was getting dark, and they looked like a group of evil ghosts in the forest.

"This is good!"

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei looked left and right and said happily: "Walking halfway on the road like this, anyone who runs into us will be scared to death; no one will dare to come and provoke us."

"Let's go."

Li Yan put on his Nuo mask and looked ahead. "Reach the village before dark. If they don't let us stay, we'll leave overnight and find a place to camp once we're on the official road."

Upon hearing this, the group immediately set off.

Because of the obstruction by the Salt Gang, they had already been delayed for quite some time on the road. It was now October, and the journey to Outside Chengdu was still long.

"Cough, cough!"

Not long after they started walking, coughing sounds came from ahead.

A woman wearing a Nuo mask was immediately helped by others onto the back of a mule and fell into a deep sleep.

Li Yan frowned and walked to Bai Zhu Huan's side. "Senior, is she beyond saving?"

The one coughing was none other than Long Yan'er.

At that time, she had abandoned her Golden Silkworm Gu to buy time for the group to kill the demonized Qingniu Temple Master, but after coming out, her condition had worsened day by day.

The old woman Bai Zhu Huan sighed: "Her natal Gu is damaged, and that is how it is. Unless she has another opportunity, I'm afraid she won't get better in this lifetime."

"Sigh~ She is also a bitter child. I will explain some things to the Li Li Shaoxia later..."

While they were talking, they had already climbed up the mountain ridge.

"Eh, why is there a fire?"

Wang Wang Daoxuan looked up and was somewhat surprised.

He saw that on the opposite mountainside, raging flames were soaring into the sky, exceptionally eye-catching in the dark night...

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 448 =====