Chapter 466: The Guild Hall Enters Dreams (Bonus Chapter for Alliance Lord Shi Zhu Hua Kai Mo Shang Xiang)

Li Yan and the others heard this and all stopped in their tracks.

He hadn't expected his identity to be exposed.

"Young Master Li, please don't take offense."

The old man, Xie Zhengyuan, smiled and bowed his hands: "You may not know, but these plaques are rare—since the Jinzhou Merchants' Guild was founded, fewer than thirty have ever been issued."

"Every plaque carries a secret mark; any guild hall can verify it. Providing meals and lodging is secondary—so long as you don't violate taboos, they'll offer help within their means."

"Young Master Li probably doesn't wish to reveal his whereabouts. Don't worry—within the guild hall, no one dares speak out of turn."

Well then!

This is VIP treatment…

Li Yan was also surprised, and nodded: "Thank you."

Since they'd said so much, further concealment would be pointless—the group removed their Nuo masks and wide robes, feeling considerably more at ease.

"Gentlemen, please follow me."

Xie Zhengyuan raised his hand again and led the way ahead.

The group relaxed, glancing around.

The guild hall was small, but compact and fully functional: within its three courtyards stood a kitchen, a main hall, a small garden, even a ancestral shrine, a Guan Yu temple, and a miniature stage.

The walls were built of thick brick and stone; the staircases and pillars were all fine jujube wood, lacquered black and carved with intricate patterns.

The statues of Fu, Lu, and Shou were lifelike.

Along the corridors they passed, lanterns hung high; when they encountered servants or maids, the servants quietly stepped aside, silent.

Unlike the noisy Walk-Horse Town outside, the entire Jinzhou Guild Hall felt like its own world—serene, tranquil, with a faint scent of sandalwood lingering.

Xie Zhengyuan walked as he smiled and explained: "Jinzhou is a land of rivers and mountains, its people conservative. All Jinzhou guild halls are built this way—Guan Shengdi Jun's temple must always be included."

As he spoke, he led them to the central courtyard and nodded: "I've had your rooms prepared. Hot water will be sent shortly."

"I've prepared a modest feast to welcome you all."

"Master Xie is too kind."

Xie Zhengyuan acted with perfect restraint—neither overly warm nor distant. After showing them to their rooms, he took his leave.

The rooms were simply furnished, clearly hastily tidied: bedding and mattresses were new, chairs and tables bore fresh wipe marks.

After settling into their rooms, Li Yan led the group to the front courtyard.

The Bai family women, due to toxic sores on their faces, disliked being seen by outsiders, so Li Yan asked the servants to deliver meals to their rooms.

They entered the dining hall to find the table already laden with food.

Eight cold platters, eight hot dishes—much the same as elsewhere.

The only difference: on the table were noodles, several kinds of braised sauces, fried oil cakes, shumai, and other wheat-based dishes.

Xie Zhengyuan had someone bring a wine jar, filled everyone's cups, then smiled: "This guild hall mainly serves Jinzhou natives, so we've prepared extra wheat dishes. If it's insufficient, please forgive us."

After three rounds of toasts, Xie Zhengyuan spoke again: "In Walk-Horse Town, there are two teahouses owned by the guild. If you wish to hear music or clapper ballads, tell me—I'll send for performers."

With that, he took his leave.

The wine was fine Xinghua Village liquor; the noodles were chewy.

Sha Lifei and Li Yan were both from Guanzhong—their tastes were nearly identical. Since leaving Shaanzhou, this was their first time eating noodles this chewy.

Drenched in vinegar, paired with garlic, each ate three large bowls.

Bam!

Sha Lifei suddenly slammed the table, wiped his mouth, and said: "If I'd known Jinzhou Guild Hall served noodles, why would I have wandered around at all?"

"Young Master Li, you must keep that plaque safe."

Li Yan took a sip of wine, thoughtful: "The Jinzhou Merchants' Guild is powerful—their draft houses connect the entire realm, and guild halls exist everywhere. Very convenient."

"But these merchants never act without profit. Eat their food, you owe them; take their gifts, you're bound. Unless absolutely necessary, it's better to avoid them."

"That's simple!"

Sha Lifei said: "We just pay them."

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and shook his head: "Some things aren't about money—but since we're far from home, more friends mean more paths."

"As long as there's no malice, it's fine to build relations. If trouble arises, better to speak plainly upfront."

"Besides, if we want to gather information, the Merchants' Guild is the most suitable to ask."

Li Yan listened, eyes half-lidded, and nodded: "True. It's too late tonight. We'll find a chance tomorrow morning."

…………

After the feast, everyone returned to their rooms.

Since entering Shu, they'd never stayed anywhere proper—even in bustling Chongqing Prefecture, they'd lodged in ruined courtyards and abandoned homes.

Here, at last, there was peace.

After soaking his feet in hot water, Li Yan sat at the table, lit a candle, and took out his pack to examine its contents carefully.

These were the spoils from the battle at the Dragon King Temple.

The most important, naturally, was the "Dragon-Snake Plaque."

It was a typical jade bi, ancient in appearance, stylistically distinct from Central Plains artifacts—possibly an ancient Shu ritual object.

Stranger still was its design.

One side carved with a dragon pattern, the other with a serpent pattern, their heads and tails interlocked, forming a yin-yang fish.

This design carried unusual significance.

Dragons summon clouds, embodying nobility—yet here, the serpent was placed on equal footing, and it was called the "Dragon-Snake Plaque," surely not by accident.

Perhaps this "serpent" refers to the Ba Snake.

Li Yan had once heard Wang Daoxuan say that in ancient, wilder eras, Shenzhou had many powerful fengshui formations, but over time, only three dragon veins remained.

The "Nine-Headed Phoenix Vein" in Ezhou was one.

Mount Daba was another—and the "Ba Snake" in the Classic of Mountains and Seas likely referred to this vanished fengshui formation…

Hidden within Mount Daba was the lingering soul of the River God Great Lord, later suppressed by the Er Lang Temple at Guanjiangkou…

The Manifested True Lord's transcendence was tied to the River God Great Lord…

The Dragon Girl had reacted to this…

All of this must be connected somehow.

Unfortunately, Huo Jiao died too quickly—Li Yan had no chance to question him, and could only continue searching for clues.

But along the way, he'd already figured out the Dragon-Snake Plaque's function.

The main one, naturally, was concealing one's aura.

As long as carried on one's person, divine senses could not detect it.

This ability was inferior to the "Ruyi Treasure Pearl," which could expand its range—wherever its glow reached, nothing could be sensed. The Dragon-Snake Plaque protected only one person.

With this object, Li Yan's future infiltration and reconnaissance would be far easier.

And the Dragon-Snake Plaque's other function was to enhance water Dun —perfectly suited to him.

But the key details remained unclear.

For instance, whether this object originated from the Dragon Palace's underwater palace…

Thinking of this, Li Yan took out several books, all seized from Huo Jiao.

The Pai Sect was now leaderless, and after committing crimes, internal chaos over the succession of the Pai Head had erupted, and they were no longer favored by the court.

Their strength had rapidly declined, and many had already left Shu for Dongting Lake, seeking refuge under other Pai Heads.

Li Yan took these items—no one stopped him.

Huo Jiao's manuals focused primarily on his magical lineage.

His lineage was obscure, called the "Four Lords Sect." The "Four Lords" referred to the Four Rivers' Dragon Kings.

These were official state deities: according to the Old Book of Tang, the Yellow River was enshrined as the Spirit Source Lord, the Ji River as the Pure Source Lord, the Yangtze as the Broad Source Lord, and the Huai River as the Long Source Lord.

During Emperor Renzong of Song, "Lord" was changed to "King."

Thus, this lineage formed during the Tang Dynasty, when temple attendants of regional Dragon King temples united—technically a legitimate Xuan School sect.

Unfortunately, it had since declined into a forgotten lineage.

The techniques of the "Four Lords Sect" mostly involved sacrificing to Dragon Kings and expelling water demons and spirits from rivers, lakes, and ponds—useless to Li Yan.

The only thing that caught his attention was the list of 158 Dragon Kings, enshrined by Tang imperial decree, scattered across Shenzhou, each with their own name.

Such as the Jade Capital Precious Mountain Dragon King, Penglai Blessed Land Dragon King, Eastward Gazing Fusang Dragon King, Wujiang Water Emperor Dragon King, Yellow River Water Lord Dragon King, Chuan River Palace Dragon King, Wudang Mountain Water Dragon King…

Today, most of these Dragon Kings were forgotten.

The most famous were undoubtedly the Four Sea Dragon Kings.

!.

This was an important piece of information—at least for him. Knowing the divine names of some Dragon Kings meant he could directly summon them using the Divine Command Art.

Huo Jiao was a temple attendant of the Dragon King Temple.

These were his original transmissions.

But the rest were heretical practices.

The incantations came from the Tongtian Sect, and they detailed how Huo Jiao enslaved the common Dragon Kings.

This man had used the Dragon-Snake Plaque to sneak beneath the Jialing River, driven down a Dragon-Pinning Stake, and buried dark talismans.

His ambitions went further—he planned to use the Pai Sect's expansion to enslave more common Dragon Kings, then stir up storms, summon rain, and become a godlike leader.

At that point, even the court would be powerless against him.

No wonder he dared call himself Dragon King.

Unfortunately, his ambition outstripped his strength.

The fellow never imagined that the Dragon King, the folk deity of the Jialing River, would rather summon the Yin Si's divine generals to free himself than let Li Yan live…

As for the last one, it was even more sinister.

This was a pill method, called the "Mysterious Female Art," and its origins were astonishingly grand.

The "Biographies of Immortals" mentions a female immortal named Nu Wan.

Nu Wan was originally a wine seller at the market in Chen, whose wine was always exceptionally sweet. Once, a high-ranking Daoist came to her home to drink, leaving five scrolls of silk as collateral.

The silk scrolls contained an ancient dual-cultivation technique; Nu Wan secretly memorized them, and from then on, she frequently lured men into her home, drinking and reveling while practicing the secret art.

Thirty years later, her appearance reverted to that of a twenty-year-old.

Later, the high master returned to see her and said: "Stealing the Dao is without selfishness; wings won't fly if you cling." Nu Wan abandoned her home and left with the master, never to be seen again.

Some of these events remained unknown to others.

Nu Wan still practiced dual cultivation, but her disciples lacked the aptitude, so they combined Yin Corpse dark arts with the method, devouring human essence and blood to cultivate.

The reason it was called the "Mysterious Female Art" was because its earliest origin traced back to the famed Rong Cheng Gong.

Rong Cheng Gong excelled in replenishment and guiding techniques, drawing essence from the Mysterious Female.

The Yellow Emperor admired his Dao and constructed the Five Cities and Twelve Towers.

Unfortunately, the true "Mysterious Female Art" has been lost; this version has now fully degenerated into a dark art—though it can reverse aging, it cannot extend life.

Those who fail to become immortals will only become demons.

That's why Huo Jiao carried such a stench of blood; had it not been for the "Dragon-Snake Talisman" concealing it, the orthodox Daoist sects would have destroyed him long ago.

Without hesitation, Li Yan brought over a brazier and burned the dark book to ash.

What remained were the books hidden by Du Young Master.

What this fellow found was equally extraordinary, originating from the Indian monk Nanda.

In the early reign of Emperor Dezong of Tang, Zhang Yanshang was appointed Military Governor of Xichuan.

A border Garrison Commander captured an Indian monk who entered the territory with three young nuns, swaggering openly.

This monk possessed astonishing illusionary arts, having attained the "Illusory Samadhi" realm—he could walk through water and fire, pierce metal and stone, and transform endlessly.

After fooling the officer, he gained great fame in Chengdu, but later vanished mysteriously.

He reappeared when treasure-seekers discovered his tomb near the Dazu Rock Carvings and retrieved all his hidden texts.

Most of them were western esoteric methods, centered on the "Cemetery Forest."

Du Young Master had long been corrupted by demonic qi; knowing the value of this art, he bought it and combined it with the dark art of borrowing fortune, torturing hundreds of children to hasten his transformation.

These scriptures were all written in Tibetan; Li Yan naturally couldn't read them, but fortunately, Du Young Master couldn't either—he paid a heavy price to have someone write annotations beside them.

Li Yan flipped through them, frowning.

This method primarily taught practitioners to realize that nothing in the world is eternal—humans are subject to birth, aging, sickness, and death; all beings, unaware of impermanence, cling delusionally, ultimately inviting the suffering of reincarnation.

It made him sigh in reflection.

The many Daoist calamities he'd witnessed along the way all stemmed from the words "eternal life"; few had true opportunity, most were like bubbles.

What made him frown was its cultivation method.

Ordinary people could not endure it.

No wonder it had been modified by so many dark arts.

At that moment, his pupils suddenly contracted.

The thick scripture was filled with many illustrations, painted with precious pigments; despite countless years, the colors remained vivid.

Several of them were strikingly familiar…

Li Yan's heart stirred; he quickly took from his luggage a scroll of human skin and slowly unrolled it.

This scroll had been taken from the Sacred Maiden of the Wenxiang Sect; it depicted numerous strange deities, identical to those in the scripture.

And Li Yan finally understood what it was.

The Cemetery Lord, also called the "Grave Master."

The illustrations depicted the Eight Cold Forests—the sacred domains of the Cemetery Lord.

The Sacred Maiden's scroll was a map of the Cold Forests.

The scripture said these places were circled by sky-dancing mothers.

Legend held that sky-dancing mothers were deities who bridged mortals and gods.

According to the inscriptions on the scriptures hidden by Wang Chan the Ancestor, all divine realms—whether the Heavenly Court, the Yin Si's Underworld, or other faiths and legends—were one and the same place: the Great Luo Dharma Realm!

Could it be that by finding these Eight Cold Forests, one could gain the sky-dancing mothers' aid and enter the Great Luo Dharma Realm?

Li Yan stared at the scripture in silence.

All of this seemed absurd.

But it made sense—he himself, through the Soul-Linking Writ, had glimpsed the Yin Si's Underworld…

The map showed the Eight Cold Forests were all tied to Buddhist cave temples; two were in Longyou, likely Mogao Caves and Maijishan Caves.

There was also one in Shu, near the Dazu Rock Carvings…

Since it was Buddhist in origin, Li Yan didn't understand it and had no interest—until now, if it related to the Great Luo Dharma Realm, perhaps he could stop by when passing through.

After reviewing his gains, Li Yan stabilized his spirit slightly, then lay down and slept.

After an unknown length of time, he slowly opened his eyes; his surroundings blurred, water surged from the ground, and a pair of jade arms wrapped around him from behind.

Before him, light and shadow shifted again—now a long-submerged ancient temple, its stone tablet covered in algae, yet clearly readable: "Dragon Maiden."

Gloop-gloop~

Mud churned in the water; a colossal creature's body passed through the temple, faintly visible scales the size of a palm…

(End of Chapter)