Chapter 453: The Strange Foggy Mountain City

"Qingjia! Ascend to heaven to save people, strictly capture the Northern Feng. The Divine Duke receives the order, sweeping away all inauspiciousness, eight powers spit poison, fierce horses spread out. Heavenly soldiers lead the way, the commander holds the banner..."

In the main room, Li Yan walked the steps of the Big Dipper, pinched the magic formula, and chanted the spell.

Although there was a plan to deal with it, people still had to be saved.

These people in the opera troupe were victims of the sinister tricks of bad sorcerers, blocking the curse for the Zhou family, so using the *Northern Emperor Disaster Removal Art* was most appropriate.

Whoosh~

As he chanted the spell, a gale suddenly blew in the room.

Dust flew in the sky, forming a vortex around the three people on the ground.

The opera troupe crowd in the room hurriedly covered the wind and sand with their hands, watching in a daze, while feeling cold in their hearts.

They could feel that this originally dilapidated room seemed to be shrouded in a force, cold and majestic, as if entering a temple, or as if coming to a government hall.

Wisps of black smoke rose from the three people on the ground, carrying a fishy smell of rotten fish and shrimp, and were blown away by the gale.

Li Yan's brow was also tightly furrowed.

This *Northern Emperor Disaster Removal Art* is extraordinary, and ordinary curse arts can be easily lifted.

This was the first time he had been so laborious since learning it.

It took half a cigarette's time before the yin evil energy on those people completely dissipated, and the originally swollen

Li Yan hurriedly put away his hand seals and secretly caught his breath.

Maintaining a technique for such a long time was somewhat strenuous even for him.

Wang Wang Daoxuan immediately stepped forward, first lighting the mugwort in his hand, then forming seals and chanting incantations to dispel the baleful energy in the room, before proceeding to take the pulses of the few people there.

"Rest assured, it's over now."

Amidst the worried gazes of the others, Wang Wang Daoxuan stood up and said, "This curse is extremely vicious; it turns blood energy into the poison of 'sunflower water' to be expelled. Once the black water is drained, the victim will perish."

"Although the curse has been lifted, your yang energy has been severely depleted. I will write you a prescription; you should recover after resting for two or three months."

"Many thanks, Daoist."

"Many thanks, Daoist."

The members of the opera troupe were moved to tears.

"Hmm..."

Just then, the man lying in the middle also woke up faintly. After hearing the sequence of events from those beside him, he couldn't help but sob, "It's all my fault, it's all my fault..."

He was the head senior apprentice who managed the opera troupe.

The people beside him hurriedly comforted him, "Feng Feng Shixiong apprentice, it's not your fault. Blame only this world, which has never treated us as human beings."

"That's right, hurry up and recover from your illness. This whole family is counting on you..."

After some comfort from the crowd, the man fell into a deep sleep again.

Only then did Wang Wang Daoxuan speak up: "Everyone, remember my instructions. Above all, act convincingly and don't let the cat out of the bag."

"Yes, yes, many thanks, Daoist."

After some final exhortations, Wang Wang Daoxuan and Li Yan left the courtyard.

"Daoist, what kind of move was that?"

As soon as they returned to the dilapidated mansion, Li Yan asked.

"Very simple."

Wang Wang Daoxuan took out the map of Chongqing Prefecture they had obtained beforehand, found the location of the Zhou family, and pointed toward the northwest.

There, a Dragon King Temple stood prominently.

"This is a divine curse."

Wang Wang Daoxuan said in a deep voice, "When I heard it was the work of the Pai Sect, I thought of this. Folk witchcraft involves worshipping ghosts and gods; it can protect the body and repel evil, but there are also curse techniques that borrow the power of ghosts and gods to harm others."

"The Dragon King Temple over there must be setting up an altar to cast curses."

"Methods of dispelling curses usually include the God-Confusing Method, the God-Punishing Method, the Gram-Breaking Method, the Disaster-Shifting Method, and the Self-Cultivation Method. That sorcerer used the Disaster-Shifting Method."

"Drama originates from rituals to entertain the gods. The play 'Dragon-Slaying Terrace' is a provocation to the incense-burning god of the Dragon King Temple, naturally attracting the disaster curse. I had them change their faces and hang the Bagua mirror upside down; that was the God-Confusing Method."

"Once this method is deployed, the evil curse will be paused and will only erupt directly after the opera troupe members have left."

Li Yan suddenly understood, "Will that sorcerer and the Zhou family suffer for it?"

Wang Wang Daoxuan let out a cold snort and said in a deep voice, "It is normal for both sides to use their own means during a duel of techniques. But that sorcerer did it out of malice to show off, and the Zhou family was unwilling to suffer losses, implicating ordinary people—they brought this upon themselves!"

"Well done, Daoist!"

Li Yan also smiled and nodded, giving a thumbs up.

Beside him, Sha Hearing Sha Lifei also praised them repeatedly, but he seemed somewhat distracted. He said in a low voice, "Yan Yan Xiao Ge Yan, that kid still hasn't come. He most likely ran off with the silver. He's a cowardly thief and doesn't follow the rules at all."

Li Yan shook his head and said, "Forget it."

"This Chongqing Prefecture is indeed a bit chaotic. Someone is casting curses to harm people in the city, and even when they sought help at the Chenghuangmiao, no one paid any heed."

"He has likely already run off. Let's go ourselves."

"Sigh~"

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei also sighed and cursed, "Money is a small matter, but the key is that this frustration is suffocating. I spend all day hunting geese, only to have my eyes pecked by an old sparrow."

"Forget it, forget it, he's just a petty thief."

Li Yan hurriedly comforted him. He had seen too many malicious people, and he was more open-minded about such trivial matters.

Thinking of this, Li Yan turned his head to look at Wang Wang Daoxuan, "Daoist, do you think those people can safely survive the tribulation tonight?"

Wang Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and said, "I'm just afraid they might make a mistake."

Li Yan pondered for a moment, "How about this: since I'm free tonight, I'll follow them to take a look. The Dragon-Patterned Jade Tablet is reacting, and the matter the Dragon Lady wants me to investigate likely falls on this 'Pai Sect Dragon King'."

This was the issue he cared about.

Even if he didn't deal with it for now, he had to figure out the reason. After all, it concerned the Dragon Lady, and being constantly watched made him feel uneasy.

"Fine."

Wang Wang Daoxuan thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "I don't know the Evasion Technique yet, so going would inevitably be a burden. I'll tell you how to handle it if an accident occurs."

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei then spoke up, "That kid ran off, but it's better to get the intelligence sooner. I'll disguise myself later and make a trip to the Wind-Hearing Inn."

Li Yan nodded, "Fine, let San'er go with you."

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei was an old hand in the martial world, and Lu San's Beast-Controlling Technique was miraculous; even after entering the city, he could monitor all directions.

Chongqing Prefecture had a large flow of people, so even if they were discovered, they could escape.

After assigning the tasks, everyone made their own preparations.

Seeing that dusk was approaching, Sha Hearing Sha Lifei and Lu San disguised themselves simply and took advantage of the thick fog to head out.

They had obtained the map and asked passersby for directions, passing through streets and alleys until they soon arrived at Hongya Cave.

The Hongya Cave of this time was somewhat different from his previous life.

During the previous dynasty, the Great Xing and the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom were in a north-south standoff. At that time, Chongqing Prefecture was built as a city, and according to Daoist numerology, seventeen gates were built—nine open and eight closed.

Hongya Gate was one of the "closed gates."

At that time, it was a military fortress with constant warfare, but as the Great Da Xuan Dynasty unified the north and south and the wars ended, Hongya Cave became the most prosperous commercial area in Chongqing Prefecture, where shops, teahouses, and taverns gathered.

This place was built against the cliff, facing the Jialing River.

All the buildings were traditional Bayu stilt houses, born from the water and growing along the cliff, scattered in height and following the terrain of the mountain.

The stilt houses were all black, white, and gray, but they were all hung with red lanterns, dense as stars, and coupled with the cover of thick fog, they appeared even more bizarre and fantastic.

The temperament of the people in the Sichuan-Shu region was straightforward yet reckless, enthusiastic yet cunning, and coupled with the unique wharf culture, they loved to find fun day and night.

Therefore, even though it was already dark, Hongya Cave remained lively.

"How have you been lately, kid?"

"Any fresh news recently?"

"Let's go, I'll introduce you to a business deal."

Along the way, it was very lively. Those who came out at this time were either merchants or people from the martial world, greeting each other upon meeting. The sound of storytelling and applause came from the teahouses, and people were singing ditties in the brothels, mixed with the fragrance of wine and spicy food, causing the chill of the autumn night to vanish instantly.

Lu San was clearly somewhat unaccustomed to it, but Sha Hearing Sha Lifei was like a fish in water. Listening to others' words, he could even learn a phrase or two, and soon he had inquired about quite a bit of news.

This Hongya Cave was scattered in height, and the hanging staircases and corridors outside the stilt houses connected to each other, almost making people dizzy.

Turning left and right, going up and down, they finally found an inn.

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei looked at the lotus pattern on the stone pier at the entrance, gave Lu San a look, turned his head to look around, lowered the brim of his hat, and walked in.

"Guest, please come in!"

"I'm a newcomer to this precious land and would like to listen to the wind."

"Then please go upstairs, guest..."

After some secret jargon, Sha Hearing Sha Lifei was led upstairs to the second floor.

Like the Wind-Hearing Inns in other places, this one was also divided into Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain. After being led into the Wind building, an old man was already sitting inside.

The other party didn't speak, but a tea set was already laid out on the table.

!.

The martial world of the Shu region was particularly fond of setting up tea formations.

The intricacies inside were extremely complex, with forty-two major types of tea formations, each with many variations. If one couldn't match them, it was inevitable to be cheated.

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei also had quite a bit of research on this. After a round of tea-dueling, he successfully bought the intelligence, but just as he was about to get up, he still felt unwilling and asked, "There's a beggar named Liu San who was entrusted by us to buy intelligence, but he ran off with the silver. Does the senior have any clues?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the old man opposite immediately changed his expression.

He hesitated for a moment, carefully looked outside the door, and whispered, "That kid Liu San can be considered a friend of mine, but he didn't come today. No one knows where he went..."

Although he said so, he used his finger to dip in tea and quickly wrote a few lines on the table:

Wealth exposed, robbed by accomplices, broken temple south of the city.

"Oh, then forget it."

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei didn't change his expression, stood up, and took his leave.

Behind him, the old man quickly wiped away the water stains on the table.

After leaving the inn, Sha Hearing Sha Lifei found Lu San.

"The intelligence has been obtained."

"Then let's go."

Lu San was about to leave in a muffled voice, but he noticed that Sha Hearing Sha Lifei hadn't moved.

"What's wrong?" Lu San asked curiously.

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei hesitated slightly and recounted the sequence of events, "Why don't we go take a look, at least get our money back?"

Lu San narrowed his eyes, "You're not that kind of person."

Although Sha Hearing Sha Lifei loved wealth, he was currently well-off and didn't care about this at all. Acting on his own was even more of a first.

There must be another reason.

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei was silent for a moment, remembering the slap the beggar Liu San had given him in the alley, and smiled bitterly, "I just looked at this kid and remembered myself back then."

"Many times, you want to climb up, but you're like a headless fly, bumping into walls everywhere. If it weren't for meeting Yan Yan Xiao Ge Yan..."

Lu San remained expressionless and said in a muffled voice, "Then let's go."

Although he wasn't good at dealing with people, he was clear about many things.

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei was diligent and conscientious in the team, and as the only ordinary person, he always had a fear of being left behind, so he never dared to make any mistakes in his work.

This was the first time he had taken the initiative to do something.

Even if Li Yan were here, he would agree without a second thought.

"Hey, why are you walking so fast?"

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei's face relaxed, and he hurriedly followed, whispering, "Don't worry, we'll just get the money back, save that kid's life, and not cause any more trouble..."

"I'm not afraid even if we do!"

"Tsk tsk, San'er, you're even more aggressive than Yan Yan Xiao Ge Yan..."

…………

On the other side, there was a sudden commotion on the dilapidated street.

Bang bang bang!

The Zhou family's people appeared again, but this time, they were different people—a group of burly men carrying lanterns who directly kicked open the gate of the Wu troupe.

"Hurry up, hurry up! What are you dawdling for!"

"It's agreed that you'll perform for three days, don't miss the time!"

"Everyone, someone died in the troupe, I'm afraid it's inauspicious..."

"What nonsense are you spouting? If you take the money, you have to do the job!"

The members of the Wu troupe were, after all, opera singers. Although they were resentful in their hearts, they knew the severity of the situation and all looked at a loss.

They had long discovered that they had been watched by this group of people, and even when they went to see a doctor or plead at the Chenghuangmiao, they hadn't been let go.

Fortunately, this group of people only guarded outside the alley and didn't know that Li Yan and Wang Wang Daoxuan had been there to point out a way to break the situation.

Soon, everyone in the troupe was dragged away.

After they left, people from other troupes poked their heads out, one by one, still shaken.

How could they not see that this was a trap?

Thinking back to how they had almost agreed, they were all secretly relieved.

Two troupes even packed their bags and left the place overnight after this group of men left.

Not long after, the street became quiet again.

Inside the room of the mansion, Li Yan had already changed into black clothes. After signaling to the others, he immediately formed seals and chanted incantations, using the "Northern Emperor Mysterious Water Evasion."

On a foggy day, the power of this evasion technique was even stronger.

Unlike Hongya Cave, other parts of Chongqing Prefecture, although also lit with lanterns, were much quieter.

The lanterns in the thick fog were dim, and the atmosphere was inexplicably eerie.

Li Yan followed this group of people, going up stairs and through alleys, and before long, arrived outside an old mansion in the south of the city.

This mansion was not small, with a distinct Han-style Sichuan-East courtyard style—gray walls and black tiles, a lot of wood, raised beams and bucket arches, and many slanted brackets.

The beams and pillars all had exquisite wood carvings, extremely luxurious.

Above the gate, a plaque with the four characters "Moving Joy, Quiet Longevity" was carved.

Looking from afar, the mansion was brightly lit but appeared silent. A group of men in black squatted at the entrance, either talking in low voices or smoking dry tobacco.

Seeing this, Li Yan sneered.

Sure enough, this Zhou family was not as simple as an ordinary merchant; they likely had some influence in the martial world, which was why they didn't take human lives seriously.

He used the Mysterious Water Evasion, and those burly men couldn't discover him at all. He exerted force under his feet, suddenly stepping on the wall to soar into the air, leaping several times on the eaves.

As he approached the disaster, Li Yan frowned slightly, jumped onto a big tree, found a dark place to squat, and took a deep breath to smell.

The entire mansion was permeated with the energy of steel and baleful spirits.

Clearly, a Feng Shui formation had been set up inside. Once he got close, his evasion technique would inevitably be affected. Fortunately, he was looking down from a high position, and he could see clearly inside.

This mansion was not small, and the layout inside was exquisite, with rockeries, strange stones, and flowers and trees arranged in an orderly manner, full of natural interest.

A mourning hall was set up outside the main courtyard, and an opera stage was set up at the entrance, facing northwest. The members of the Sichuan opera troupe had already been pushed onto it.

And in the main hall, quite a few people were sitting.

Seeing this, Li Yan frowned slightly.

He actually saw several acquaintances:

Han Kun, an elder of the Cao Gang, and the Chen father and son from the Jiangzhe Chamber of Commerce...

(End of chapter)