Chapter 458: Case Within a Case, Trap Within a Trap

"What happened?"

Li Yan looked at Liu San on the ground and asked.

"It's my fault..."

Sha Lifei's face was grim. "I went to buy intelligence, and after finishing, I carelessly asked one more question—only to learn this kid didn't run off with the money; he accidentally flashed his wealth and was robbed by his own partners."

"I thought I'd go save him and retrieve the money along the way, but I accidentally stumbled onto something ugly—I'm afraid we've brought trouble upon ourselves..."

"It has nothing to do with you!"

Nearby, Lu San suddenly spoke in a low voice: "I was the first to lose control and strike. Don't blame Old Sha."

These two were clearly competing to take the blame.

Li Yan was slightly surprised, then chuckled softly. "Old Sha, San'er, do you really think I, Li Yan, am afraid of trouble?"

"We're brothers. Even if we punch a hole through the sky, we'll shoulder it together. What's there to fear?"

"Tell me—what exactly happened?"

Sha Lifei finally spoke: "I got word that this kid was robbed by other members of the Western Traveling Beggar Sect—in a ruined temple south of the city."

"When we got there, plenty of vicious beggars were holed up inside. Myself and San'er used a little trick to lure them away, then slipped into the cellar to rescue him."

"We didn't expect those bastards were also trafficking children—there were over a hundred kids locked inside, all drugged into unconsciousness..."

"So we decided to finish it—killed every last one of them, then alerted the neighbors to report it to the authorities."

Li Yan smiled. "That's a good thing."

Sha Lifei's face darkened. "I used firearms."

"Worse—the officials arrived and immediately claimed we were the ones trafficking children. Now they're sending out patrols to hunt us down."

"Oh?"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes, sensing something off.

The old woman Bai Wan shook her head. "It's simple. Human trafficking isn't new—it has open markets and black markets."

"The open market mostly deals with people who sell themselves willingly, or wives and daughters of criminals sentenced by the court—they're all registered in the yamen's records."

"But the black market? The people traded there almost always come from illicit sources—linked to beggar sects, local gangs, and the Yanzi Gate's dark elements. And there's definitely official backing—otherwise they couldn't operate."

"We've probably cut into some official's purse."

"Because of that?"

Li Yan chuckled. "No matter. We did what we did. If I'd been there, I'd have done it even more thoroughly. Just lie low for a while—wait until the heat dies down, then we leave."

He bowed to the old woman Bai Wan. "Elder, I'm truly sorry for delaying your journey."

"Young Master Li is too courteous."

The old woman Bai Wan smiled. "This is righteous conduct—I deeply admire it."

Li Yan nodded, looking around. "Then we'll stay a while longer. Old Sha, did you show your faces?"

"No, we didn't."

"Good. San'er, extend your watchers further. Old Sha, scout out several escape routes. The rest of you stay alert—if anything's amiss, evacuate immediately."

"Two streets over is the Chongqing Battalion Command—might be in cahoots with them. We can't afford to be careless."

After making arrangements, Li Yan turned to Wang Daoxuan and recounted everything that had happened.

"The streets are full of strange people..."

Hearing of the mysterious old man, everyone couldn't help but marvel.

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and smiled. "Most likely an elder from the opera world couldn't stand it—he probably won't wait for us to act; he'll rescue them himself."

Li Yan nodded slightly and dropped the subject.

As for the treasure in the Paijiao headman's hands—the "Dragon-Snake Tablet"—it concerned the Dragon Maiden's request and involved too much to speak of openly.

First, clarify the situation. Then strike when the opportunity arises.

With the plan set, everyone went about their tasks.

Sha Lifei and Lu San went out, controlling more rats to expand their surveillance and search for hidden escape routes...

Wang Daoxuan and the Bai family woman worked together to treat Liu San's wounds...

As for Li Yan, he took the intelligence purchased from Sha Lifei and returned to his room to examine it.

They had bought a lot of intelligence this time.

First was the distribution of power across Sichuan.

They'd had some knowledge before arriving, but nothing compared to the detailed local gossip from the Sichuan Inn.

From the intelligence, it was clear that though Sichuan was vast and its terrain scattered, its power structure followed clear patterns.

First: the imperial side.

The Prince of Shu held sway in Chengdu, where all officials deferred to him.

Though he was the Emperor's own brother, had great merit, and enjoyed trust, high officials at court still kept their guard up.

Over the years, officials have been gradually dispatched to seize control of Chongqing Prefecture, trying to form a standoff with Chengdu—but progress is slow.

Thus, Chongqing's officialdom is deeply complicated: some are loyal to the Prince of Shu, others were transferred from elsewhere—and they've spent years sabotaging each other.

Second: the Jianghu side.

The orthodox Daoist sects of Sichuan were once dominated by Mount Emei, but over the years, Mount Qingcheng rose rapidly. With the emergence of Cheng Jianxin—one of the Ten Great Masters—who has suppressed Sichuan's spiritual currents for decades, Mount Qingcheng has become fully independent and now surpasses Emei in influence.

Externally, they maintain cordiality; secretly, they vie for dominance.

For example, in Chongqing Prefecture, control of the City God Temple was seized by Mount Emei two years ago, after Cheng Jianxin vanished from public view.

What exactly happened remains unknown.

But since then, the two sides have almost ceased all contact.

In the Jianghu, the Gelaohui's main hall is in Chongqing, the Salt Guild's headquarters is in Zigong, and with the Prince of Shu's backing, it has extended to Chengdu. The Paijiao's main hall is in Yibin.

Beyond these, there are secondary powers.

Tiefo Temple in northern Sichuan is one of Emei's Five Flowers, but it maintains closer ties with the Jianghu of Hanzhong in southern Shaanxi and controls the Sichuan road leading to Shanzhou—it's extremely wealthy and keeps its distance from both Qingcheng and Emei, appearing aloof and detached...

Qingyang Palace in Chengdu is closer to Qingcheng, but is deeply involved in worldly affairs and has even closer ties to the Prince of Shu...

Overall, Sichuan's orthodox sects are fragmented.

Add to that the region's many ethnic groups and numerous folk Daoist lineages. The Tongtian Sect and Sanjiao have produced countless masters. To the west lie Tibetan Buddhism and Bön; to the south, bordering Dian and Qian prefectures, the southern dark Daoist sects are thriving.

Hence the Dujiangyan magical duel erupted.

Though Mount Qingcheng won, it won't remain peaceful for long.

A complete mess...

Li Yan shook his head slightly and turned to the second intelligence report.

It listed strange events occurring across the region.

Li Yan unfolded a map, marked his own symbols according to the intelligence, and combined them with the Bai family's secret archives and the Qingniu Temple's locations of celestial treasures to plot a route.

After finishing, he took out the final intelligence report.

It contained information on the Bao Bao people.

The Bao Bao lineage, because they often find treasures, are constantly targeted—and thus operate in extreme secrecy.

The only clue mentioned was that a group of Bao Bao people had appeared near the DZ district.

DZ district?

Li Yan stared at the report, lost in thought.

Could those people be after the Dazu Rock Carvings...

…………

Outside a ruined temple in southern city.

Torches blazed; the ground littered with shattered corpses and severed limbs.

"Wu-wu!"

"My child! I've finally found you!"

"Those bastards deserve to die!" Everywhere, children cried and wailed. Crowds of townsfolk had blocked the street entrance, many craning their necks to peek.

Soldiers from the Battalion erected a human wall to hold back the crowd.

Yamen clerks individually led the children out.

Those with families had to be personally identified by the child, and required two neighboring households to vouch before being released.

Those without families were temporarily housed elsewhere.

Among the onlookers, some wept, others cursed.

This temple had once been a Tudimiao from the Daxing era of the previous dynasty, dedicated to a Daxing official. Local gentry had avoided funding repairs out of caution, and it gradually fell into ruin.

Later, it was seized by a gang of vicious beggars.

These men ruled the neighborhood, routinely extorting merchants at their doorsteps with false blessings for money.

If refused, they'd dump filth, steal chickens, smash windows at midnight—any vile trick they could think of, driving the townsfolk to despair.

!.

They'd reported to the yamen several times; officials came, drove them off—but within three days, they'd return, and worse, they'd torment anyone who dared report them.

Over time, no one dared speak up.

Yet this time, someone wiped them out entirely.

The townsfolk cursed endlessly, their hearts deeply satisfied.

Inside the ruined temple, yamen runners and the Regional Military Commissioner's men were busy.

"Sir, it's a new-style firearm."

After examining the corpse, the coroner stood and bowed: "The one who used firearms is an expert, and had assistance from a skilled hand—they trapped these beggars in the courtyard and slaughtered them all with firearms."

The method was swift and precise—certainly not the work of an ordinary person from the martial world.

Gazing at the scattered limbs, the chief constable of Chongqing Prefecture's yamen twitched his eyelid.

He was tall and dark-skinned; most striking was his beard, hanging to his chest, smooth as water, meticulously groomed.

His surname was Wan, name Baquan; he was a master of the Hua Sect among the Five Flowers and Seven Leaves of Emei, skilled in the Thirty-Six Closed Palms of the Heavenly Gang, known as the First Divine Constable of the Southwest.

He also had a nickname: "The Beautiful Bearded Lord."

Government officials generally avoided associating with people from the martial world.

But constables within the yamen were an exception.

After hearing the coroner's words, Wan Baquan nodded slightly and bowed respectfully to the side: "Magistrate Liu, the case is clear—it's local wicked beggars trafficking people. I recommend closing it here."

Opposite him sat a Battalion Commander of the Regional Military Commissioner's office, flanked by two subordinates—the very same Battalion Commander Liu Gan who had set the trap in Fengdu.

Facing the carnage, he didn't even glance, instead trimming his nails with a small knife, calmly saying: "Chief Wan, you're being far too hasty."

Wan Baquan's face stiffened. "What do you mean, my lord?"

Battalion Commander Liu Gan slowly raised his eyes. "Beggars abducting people—happens everywhere. But you know the court's rules: any case involving firearms must not be taken lightly."

His gaze turned cold. "The court relaxed control over firearms out of necessity—but that doesn't mean we allow these martial world types to act recklessly."

"Firearms used in the city, so many dead—if we don't get to the bottom of this, neither of us can bear the consequences!"

"Hmph! These people are bold and reckless—likely accomplices of the beggars, quarreling over the loot. They must be caught!"

Wan Baquan fell silent for a moment, then bowed: "Yes, my lord."

Battalion Commander Liu Gan finally nodded in satisfaction and rose with his men to leave.

But as he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, turning back with a meaningful look: "Chief Wan, I'm watching this case closely—don't ruin your reputation as the Southwest's First Divine Constable…"

With that, he strode away.

After he left the ruined temple, Wan Baquan straightened his back, staring at the man's retreating figure, frowning slightly in thought.

His hand unconsciously slipped into his robe, pulling out a delicate wooden comb, gently brushing his beard.

"Chief, what do you make of this…?"

A yamen runner stepped forward to ask.

As he combed his beard, Wan Baquan spoke: "That Liu fellow is notoriously treacherous—he's got no good intentions."

"Investigate. First, find the people involved."

The runner nodded quickly: "Yes, I'll take the men to the Gelaohui and ask if any strangers entered the city recently."

"Hmm."

Wan Baquan combed his beard and nodded slightly.

He watched the runner leave; once gone, he tucked the comb away, beckoned with a finger, and summoned another yamen runner.

"Senior brother."

The runner bowed slightly.

Wan Baquan sneered: "This case doesn't need investigating—it's clearly some passing hero stepping in to right a wrong. We're in the yamen, but we're also people of the martial world."

"If we arrest them, won't we be laughed at by our fellow martial world members?"

"That fellow just now rushed off—he's probably been paid by these beggars. Follow him, see what he finds."

"Yes, senior brother."

The runner nodded slightly and left at once.

Wan Baquan took out the wooden comb again and tended to his beard, muttering: "Damn it, making a living's hard…"

…………

Elsewhere, Liu Gan and his men left the ruined temple and immediately quickened their pace, turning left and right until they reached a large mansion near Tongyuan Gate.

A servant stood at the gate; seeing them, he said nothing, only bowed respectfully, then knocked three times on the door.

With a creak, the gate opened.

Inside the courtyard, many men held sharp blades, pistols tucked at their waists, patrolling everywhere.

Their eyes were sharp—they were clearly skilled hands.

Liu Gan ignored them, strode forward, passed through the main hall, and arrived outside a study in the rear courtyard.

Night still lingered, but candlelight glowed brightly in the study window; an old man in Confucian robes read a book, a beautiful maid beside him adding incense.

Liu Gan raised his hand, signaling his men to wait outside.

"I pay my respects to the Longsun Fengci."

Before this old man, Liu Gan shed his arrogant demeanor.

"Fengci" was a title in the Wang Fu household.

Responsible for ancestral rites and musical performances.

The Confucian-robed elder put down his book, nodded, and smiled: "You've worked hard, Magistrate Liu. How is the situation there?"

Liu Gan sneered: "I'd planned to lead the operation myself, but some unknown outsider struck first."

"Wan Baquan calls himself a divine constable, but he's just a man of the martial world—he has no idea how serious this is. I've forced him to investigate thoroughly."

"With just a little guidance, this fire will spread!"

The Confucian-robed elder nodded, gazing out the window, shaking his head: "The Emperor hasn't said a word, yet those ministers in court are fixated on the Prince—they simply want to climb to power by trampling on the Wang Fu."

"Too bad—they sent useless fools. Now that we've caught them by the throat, we'll drive them all out of Chongqing at once!"

…………

Elsewhere, the yamen runner who had volunteered left the temple, turned down two alleys, then spoke to his men: "The Gelaohui are hard to deal with—you go ahead. I'll find someone to mediate—I'll join you shortly."

After sending them off, his face instantly turned anxious; he spun and ran, hurrying to the riverbank.

The riverbank was dark; waves crashed against the shore.

He spat, pulled a hoe from the woods, and frantically dug beside a rock.

Soon, a strong stench of rotting flesh spread out…

(End of Chapter)