Chapter 454

Li Yan was not surprised that the Cao Gang people were there.

The root of this matter was the struggle between several forces: the Salt Gang and the Sichuan-Shu Chamber of Commerce, the Cao Gang and the Pai Sect.

As for Han Kun and the Chen father and son...

Li Yan suddenly remembered that when they were about to leave Ezhou, they stayed at the Jiangzhe Chamber of Commerce, and the Chen father and son had invited him.

They called it an offering, but in reality, it was to participate in dealing with the Pai Sect.

Thinking of this, Li Yan shook his head slightly.

The martial world is like this; relationships are not immutable.

Back at Manchuan Pass in Shanzhou, he had received help from Han Kun to find Lu San, and they had dealt with each other later, so they could be considered old acquaintances.

But when the position changes, the thinking changes too.

Since the other party became an elder of the Cao Gang, his vision had broadened, his ambition had grown, and he had colluded with the Chen father and son, plotting something big.

And as Li Yan's reputation grew, he also fell into their sights.

The relationship between the two sides had already turned sour.

As for the Chen father and son, Li Yan had been on guard against them from the beginning.

Besides Han Kun and the Chen father and son, several others were sitting inside, either dressed as wealthy merchants or as people from the martial world, all looking imposing.

Outside, a grand funeral was being held, while inside, they were drinking tea and chatting.

The atmosphere was inexplicably eerie.

Li Yan formed hand seals, wanting to use his divine ability to listen.

Unfortunately, the Feng Shui formation of this mansion had clearly been pointed out by an expert, and even his divine ability couldn't probe it.

Meanwhile, the members of the Wu troupe were all driven onto the stage, fiddling with their props, painting their faces, and tuning their instruments.

They all had mournful faces.

The burly men guarding them sneered and scolded, "Everyone, perk up for me! If the play is performed poorly, none of you think about running!"

The orders they received were to use both soft and hard tactics on this troupe—they had to be guarded, but they couldn't be scared away.

Letting them go home before was just to give them some hope.

This was to prevent the opera singers from getting stubborn and fighting to the death.

This method was called "the live loop."

A live loop is placed around your neck; if you dare to move, it tightens, and if you're obedient, it loosens. Either way, you can't run away and can only obey.

Once their value is squeezed dry, whether they live or die no longer matters.

Just then, the old man who had come to plead earlier suddenly cupped his hands and begged, "Heroes, can we advance the time tonight and 'break the stage' first?"

"Break your turtle-son's stage!"

The leading burly man cursed, "What kind of tricks are you trying to play?"

The old man said with a mournful face, "After performing yesterday, several people in the troupe died. I'm afraid there's a problem. Without 'breaking the stage,' no one dares to sing."

"You old thing, you dare to threaten us!"

The burly man grabbed the old man by the collar.

The old man also threw caution to the wind, gritted his teeth, and closed his eyes, "Beat us, beat us to death. Without 'breaking the stage,' we're dead anyway!"

"That's right, no 'breaking the stage,' no singing!"

"This is the rule of our ancestors, it cannot be broken!"

Seeing this, the burly man hesitated.

If this troupe went on strike, he would also be in trouble.

Creak~

The gate of the Zhou mansion suddenly opened, and a middle-aged man walked out, dressed in a black robe, with a pale face, disheveled hair, and dark eye sockets.

What was special was that he wore a strange earring on his left ear, which looked like a small bronze statue, somewhat in the style of Tibetan Buddhism.

So it was someone from the Scattered Sect...

Looking at his attire, Li Yan had already guessed his roots.

The Scattered Sect was also one of the Dharma Sects of the Southwest, relatively niche, possessing both primitive witchcraft of the Southwest and absorbing techniques from Tibetan Buddhism. Most of its members had disheveled hair, and their techniques were chaotic.

Simply put, they only sought techniques, not the Dharma.

They had learned a bit of everything from various schools.

Don't look at them as a side door; because they specialized in techniques, using all kinds of unorthodox means, the effects were extraordinary, and they still had quite a reputation among the people.

This guy should be the sorcerer who was causing trouble.

Sure enough, he saw the members of the opera troupe making a fuss, just glanced at them indifferently, and said, "'Breaking the stage' for an opera troupe is an old rule. Don't go blocking others; just perform the play as usual."

"Yes, sir."

The burly men stopped obstructing them upon hearing this.

The members of the opera troupe immediately began to get busy.

The sorcerer flashed a trace of mockery in his eyes, turned around to close the door, and returned to the mansion.

Seeing this, Li Yan also breathed a sigh of relief.

The members of the opera troupe had hidden the Bagua mirror sent by Wang Wang Daoxuan, as well as the face-changing props they had made temporarily.

This guy likely hadn't awakened the Smell Yi Shentong, so he hadn't discovered the troupe's secret stash. Escaping this disaster meant the plan had already half-succeeded.

On the other side, the sorcerer also returned to the mansion, took people to move several bronze mirrors, lanterns, and stone fish tanks, completely dismantling the Feng Shui formation.

This is what he was waiting for!

Li Yan smiled slightly and formed hand seals again.

Wang Wang Daoxuan had told him that this Disaster-Shifting Method also had its requirements; one cannot hide while performing it, otherwise the curse cannot be transferred.

Opening the mansion's Feng Shui formation was inevitable.

With the help of the Ear Yi Shentong, the conversation inside also drifted over.

After the sorcerer entered the main hall, someone immediately asked.

"Mr. Luo, what happened?"

"Nothing much, the opera singers wanted to 'break the stage'."

"Won't there be any slip-ups?"

"Hmph! Relying on this won't work."

Listening to the voice, it was indeed Han Kun who was asking.

Someone else interjected from the side: "Why go to so much trouble? In my opinion, just go directly to find that Huo Jiao."

"We have many people and great power now, no need to give him face!"

"That's not right. The Pai Sect's power is not small. If they resist to the death, we will also suffer losses. The Salt Gang is also watching this matter. If they incite them and the Pai Sect completely leans toward the Salt Gang, it will be counterproductive..."

"Elder Han, what is your opinion?"

"If we can persuade them to submit, the Cao Gang will honor him as an elder..."

Listening to the conversation between the few, Li Yan finally understood the cause and effect.

To counter the Salt Gang, the Sichuan-Shu Chamber of Commerce had already united with the Cao Gang, and even with the help of other chambers of commerce, and even the Gelao Society had joined their camp.

The Pai Sect, however, was in an awkward position.

They were also a powerful force spread across the southern states. Because some of their leaders had participated in the Tusi rebellion, the imperial court was already dissatisfied with them.

The Salt Gang had already defected to the Shu Prince's mansion. If they also had any thoughts and the Pai Sect participated, that would be a mess that couldn't be cleaned up.

On the other side, facing the Cao Gang's massive invasion, they were unwilling to hand over their territory.

The Cao Gang didn't want to do things too absolutely, leaving room for maneuver, trying to persuade the leader Huo Jiao to defect...

Everyone's calculations had led to the current situation.

This duel of techniques at the Zhou family was to weigh each other's abilities.

If the Sichuan-Shu Pai Sect won, even if they had to choose to defect in the future, they could strive for more bargaining power...

Knowing the reason, Li Yan was too lazy to pay attention anymore.

Whether in the imperial court, the martial world, or the marketplace, regardless of the level of means, everyone was struggling for profit. He had seen too much of this along the way.

This is the red dust, and this is the martial world.

Whether you like it or not, it's all like this.

National righteousness, martial world loyalty, helping the weak...

Many people talk about it, but few can do it.

Outside the Zhou mansion, the members of the opera troupe also began to get busy.

Crackle, crackle, the sound of firecrackers rang out.

But a martial actor with red hair and a red beard appeared, painted with oil paint, whipping a horse whip as he rushed out, eyes wide, looking furious.

There was also a woman playing a female ghost.

This martial actor was playing Wang Wang Lingguan. After driving the female ghost away, he lightly stepped on the back of a chair and pressed down, hanging his red beard on the curtain. And the old man who spoke earlier killed a chicken and splashed the chicken blood all over the stage.

According to the rules, it is taboo for outsiders to watch when "breaking the stage."

Those burly men clearly also knew this rule, turning around one after another, not even taking a glance.

They vaguely knew what they had been doing these past few days.

If they provoked something, they would be in trouble.

And the young man playing Wang Wang Lingguan, while hanging the beard, took out a small Bagua mirror from his bosom and hid it behind the beard without anyone noticing...

Crackle, crackle, firecrackers rang out again.

With three beats of the gong and drum, the grand play officially began.

This "Dragon-Slaying Terrace" was originally a segment from the Sichuan opera "Tang Emperor Tours the Underworld," telling the story of the Tang Emperor, entrusted by the Jinghe Dragon King, asking Wei Zheng to play chess to delay the execution, but ultimately failing.

The first to appear on stage was the Tang Emperor Li Shimin. After a round of singing, he ordered the eunuch to call Wei Zheng to come.

!.

The singing was mixed with many dialects and slang, which Li Yan couldn't understand at all, but he was very interested.

According to the people of "Yellow Springs," Wei Zheng was also a living Yin messenger back then, but he was just an ordinary person.

When he was in Ezhou, he had also beheaded a dragon in a dream.

But there was a difference between the two.

What Wei Zheng beheaded was the dragon soul causing trouble after death.

But what he beheaded was a living flood dragon.

It seemed it wasn't just working for the Yin Underworld...

Just as he was deep in thought, the Dragon-Patterned Jade Tablet in his bosom trembled again.

It's here!

Li Yan's heart stirred, and he looked into the distance.

Whoosh~

But a wild wind roared from the northwest, the fog surged, and the night seemed to become even deeper.

Li Yan immediately smelled the stench of rotten fish and shrimp.

This Dragon King is a bit strange...

"Turn off the lights!"

Just as he was puzzled, a shout came from inside the Zhou mansion, and the servants hurriedly extinguished the lanterns. Everyone remained silent, covering their heads with black cloth.

The entire Zhou family instantly fell into dead silence.

Not only them, but even the burly men guarding outside turned their backs, took black cloth from their bosoms, and covered their heads.

There was also a reason for this.

People have three yang fires, with the one on top of the head being the strongest. Many evil techniques of Yin objects use this for positioning.

Covering with black cloth could only play a small role, but compared to the actors on the stage, it seemed very weak.

Meanwhile, the stage also became eerie.

Everything around was pitch black, the wild wind roared, and the thick fog surged. It seemed as if some behemoth was hiding in the fog, flying up and down.

The members of the opera troupe felt a chill all over their bodies.

They exchanged glances, reached out and wiped their faces, and their face paints instantly changed, all turning into silver-gray shrimp soldiers and crab generals.

Li Yan had seen plenty of operas along the way and roughly knew what the face paints symbolized.

Red is loyalty and bravery, like Captain Guan Yu, Jiang Wei, Gan Ning...

Black is uprightness, like Bao Gong, Zhang Fei...

White is insidious and cunning, most typically Cao Cao.

Yellow is fierce, blue is strong and unruly.

As for gold, silver, and gray, they are mostly for Buddhas, gods, immortals, demons, and ghosts.

The Wu troupe was playing shrimp soldiers and crab generals, so naturally, they were silver-gray.

Their singing remained the same, but their movements became comical, and coupled with the face paints, it completely became a comedy play.

Those burly men had their backs turned, so naturally, they couldn't notice.

And the people inside the Zhou mansion were all hiding their aura, so they also didn't know what was happening outside.

Li Yan smiled and nodded.

"Tsk, still a bit lacking..."

Suddenly, an old voice sounded beside him.

Li Yan's scalp tingled, and he hurriedly turned around. The Severing Soul Flying Knife had already whistled out, hovering in the air beside him.

But on the tree branch beside him, a figure had appeared at some point, wearing a black robe and a face mask.

And the other party's figure was also blurry, as if real and as if false.

Yin soul wandering!

Li Yan's eyelids twitched, full of vigilance.

The figure didn't care, cupped his hands casually, and whispered in an old voice, "This idea was yours, right? Many thanks."

"Who is the senior?"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes and asked.

The Yin soul turned his head and laughed, "I'm just a player, making a living in the Pear Garden. This outfit clearly shows I don't want to reveal my identity, so why are you still chattering?"

Li Yan's face darkened, not knowing what to say.

The Yin soul didn't care, looked at the stage below, and muttered, "Face-changing has 'wiping,' 'blowing,' and 'pulling,' but to deceive the heavens and cross the sea, one must at least use 'breath' to change the face."

"The idea is good, but I'm afraid it's easy to be exposed. Let me add some fire for them..."

After saying that, he formed hand seals, and the theatrical face mask flew and changed rapidly, then spat out a puff of white air.

The white air was like an arrow, shooting into the stage.

The members of the Wu troupe seemed to have been hit by an illusion, their eyes becoming blank, and their aura changed accordingly.

The shrimp soldiers jumped vertically.

The crab generals walked sideways.

It seemed they had really become a group of small water demons.

The wild wind around them wrapped in fog, carrying a rich stench of rotten fish and shrimp, flying up and down, but always avoiding the members of the opera troupe.

"That's right, this is what it should look like."

The old figure nodded with satisfaction.

Seeing that this expert had no malice, Li Yan's vigilance eased slightly, and he bowed respectfully, "I don't know the senior..."

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by the old man.

"That kid at the Dragon King Temple has a treasure on him called the 'Dragon-Snake Tablet'."

"'Dragon' is the Great Jiang Shen from back then, and Snake is the Ba Snake. There are many twists and turns in this, and I don't want to wade into those muddy waters. You have the aura of the Yin Underworld on you, so if you want to find someone, do it early..."

As he spoke, his figure gradually blurred.

"I'm just a bum waiting to die. I don't seek to become a Buddha or an immortal, I just want to wander around in this red dust. Don't come looking for me, don't come looking for me..."

The voice faded away, and the figure dissipated.

Li Yan bowed slightly, not pursuing.

He could tell that this was likely a hidden expert of the Mystic Sect in the Pear Garden who had heard about this matter and come to help.

I'm afraid that even if he found him, the other party wouldn't admit it.

There are many strange people in the red dust of the marketplace...

Li Yan sighed in his heart, and his figure disappeared rapidly.

The members of the opera troupe had successfully survived the tribulation, and he had also received news about the Great Jiang Shen from the mysterious expert.

All that remained was to find a way to steal the treasure from the hands of the Pai Sect leader before leaving.

The other party was an expert, so he had to plan carefully.

Not long after he left, the wild wind dissipated, the thick fog was gone, and the members of the Wu troupe immediately stumbled, their faces pale, pretending to have been hit by a spell.

Amidst the mocking gazes of those burly men, they left in a panic...

…………

Returning outside the mansion, Li Yan frowned.

He smelled a strong scent of blood.

Leaping over the wall, he saw a person lying in the main hall—it was the beggar Liu San who had helped them scout for information, covered in blood and with only half a breath left.

And the others all had expressions of righteous indignation...

(End of chapter)