Chapter 471: Chengdu Longquan Post

Where did the little thief come from...

Li Yan picked up a pair of chopsticks on the table, originally intending to shoot them out, but narrowed his eyes and stopped.

Longquan Post gathers people from all walks of life, so naturally there is no lack of "Empty Hands" (thieves).

The one hiding on the roof was just a half-grown child, weak in body, unstable in the lower plate, mostly because he was starving to death, so he ran to steal...

Thinking of this, Li Yan came to the corner of the wall, took out the dry food that hadn't been finished from the luggage, came to the window, and threw it up casually.

Swish!

On the roof, a pitch-black little hand grabbed the dry food bag, and then a weak voice came, "Disturb... disturbed, many thanks, Great Hero."

Soon, the sound of messy footsteps left quickly.

Li Yan shook his head slightly, pushed the door out, came to a nearby room, first hung the Sancai Demon-Suppressing Coin knife tassel on the door, and then asked: "Feng Feng Shixiong, is there any news from that side?"

In the room

"Li Li Shaoxia is kind-hearted."

Bai Huan had clearly also sensed what happened earlier. She first offered a compliment, then spoke, "The disciple sent to deliver the message has already returned."

As she spoke, she looked at her two granddaughters, her eyes filled with tenderness. "Master Xiaoyue values Chaoyun and Xingyu very highly. Because she was busy with the battle between righteousness and evil, she only learned of us now and has personally brought people here."

Li Yan was thoughtful. "She wouldn't have ulterior motives, would she?"

Chaoyun and Xingyu were the result of a scheme by the female priestesses of the Siming Society, conceived at Mount Wushan between Bai Huan's daughter and the senior brother of the Gu Sect's Long Yaner.

Not only were they vessels prepared for the reincarnation of the Wushan Goddess, but each also possessed a strand of "Divine Gang" within their bodies.

As for this "Divine Gang," as long as one knew the method, it could be used to enhance supernatural powers, whether the six-root powers of Yang or the powers of the Dharma Realm.

Although dangerous, it was inevitable that some would covet it.

"It's fine now."

Bai Huan's face was filled with relief. "Chaoyun and Xingyu have successfully performed 'spirit storage' and have fully absorbed the Divine Gang."

Li Yan suddenly understood and nodded. "Congratulations."

These two young girls had extraordinary identities and innate spiritual charm; they had awakened supernatural powers from a very young age, but they had not yet practiced spirit storage.

After successfully absorbing the Divine Gang, their powers were even stronger, and they were far ahead of their peers; they could be considered natural cultivation prodigies.

Any one of such people had the opportunity to become a pillar of a sect, so it was no wonder that Master Xiaoyue had to come personally.

The two girls had spoken very little on the road; it turned out Bai Huan had been secretly teaching them, clearly also guarding against them.

Li Yan did not mind.

No matter how good a relationship is, everyone has secrets of life and death.

There were some things on the road that Bai Huan saw but did not ask about, and naturally, they would not casually inquire about others' secrets either.

Thinking of this, Li Yan looked at Long Yaner nearby. "Miss Long, what do you intend to do? Do you need my help?"

Long Yaner hesitated for a moment and shook her head slightly.

Seeing this, Li Yan said in a deep voice, "No need for formalities. If you hadn't encountered this tribulation, we would already be our own people. As long as I can help, just ask."

Even now, he couldn't figure out how Long Yaner and Sha Lifei, two people who had nothing to do with each other, could have taken a liking to one another.

Perhaps it was sympathy for each other's plight?

Regardless, it was a good thing, so naturally, he had to try his best to find a way for the two of them to eventually be together.

The old woman Bai Huan flashed a look of relief and said, "Li Li Shaoxia need not worry. Yaner and I have already thought of a way."

"The so-called 'finding life in the midst of death'—to re-condense one's natal Gu, one must place oneself in a desperate situation."

"Near Mount Qingcheng, there is the Xiling Snow Mountain, with cliffs standing a thousand fathoms high on three sides and snow piling up like silver in winter. Yaner is currently at the second level of cultivation; if she can build a tower there and succeed, she can take the opportunity to condense her natal Gu."

"The only thing is, the materials for refining the Gu are not yet complete."

Li Yan became interested. "'The window frames the thousand-year snow of Xiling'—that one? It is indeed a treasure land. What else do you need?"

"Rare, exotic poisonous insects."

As Bai Huan spoke, she took several clay pots from the side. "The sesame insects of my Bai family and the several types of Gu insects Yaner has herself, while rare, are still lacking something."

"Running around on this journey, we haven't found a chance to inquire. Longquanyi is a gathering place for people from all walks of life; perhaps someone knows the news."

"Easy enough."

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "Anyway, Master Xiaoyue hasn't arrived yet. I will go and inquire about it now. Everyone, take care of yourselves; when it's time to act, don't hesitate."

Having said that, he cupped his hands and left.

Watching him leave, Bai Huan looked at Long Yaner again and smiled. "My eye for people is quite good. Since you are unwilling to go to Mount Qingcheng, following them from now on will also provide you with some care."

Long Yaner shook her head. "Let's survive first."

Bai Huan gently held her hand, her gaze firm. "It will definitely work. You've tasted so much bitterness; you must not lose heart at this final step."

"Besides, I still want to see your baby."

Long Yaner was stunned. "What are you talking about?"

The old woman Bai Huan laughed dumbly and said no more...

…………

After leaving the inn, one could hear the clamor from afar.

In a place like Longquanyi, idlers naturally wouldn't approach the station itself; even if it were open, only large merchant associations would be qualified to stay there.

The surrounding inns, horse-and-carriage shops, teahouses, and wine shops were nothing high-end, mostly mud walls and thatched roofs.

Although dilapidated, it was lively enough.

Li Yan lowered his bamboo hat, looked around, and seeing nothing unusual, walked through the streets and alleys to observe.

After searching a circle, his brow furrowed slightly.

For some reason, there was no "Wind-Hearing Inn" here.

If one wanted to find some exotic poisonous insects, ordinary martial artists certainly wouldn't know; it was likely still necessary to inquire from local occultists.

Even so, he still found the liveliest wine shop.

The Mystic Sect is the Mystic Sect, but intelligence from Chengdu Prefecture could not be missed; after all, the team would all be coming later, so it was better to have an idea beforehand.

Lifting the door curtain, the clamor immediately rushed toward him.

This was a typical Shu-region wine shop, divided into two floors, supported by rough wooden beams and pillars, with blue bricks laid on the floor that were already uneven.

Inside, a tiger-stove was burning, and the large teapot was bubbling and making noise.

Looking around, it was full of square tables and benches.

It was very lively inside, with carriage workers passing through drinking and playing finger-guessing games, as well as martial artists eating meat and chatting.

There was even a group of garrison soldiers, arms around each other's shoulders, telling dirty jokes, already drunk.

"One heart respect, two red joys!"

"Five leaders, seven clever ones!"

The sounds of finger-guessing games and drinking toasts rose one after another.

Li Yan's brow furrowed slightly, and he casually found a corner to sit down.

The drinking culture in the Shu region goes without saying.

Since the eras of the Shu kings like Cancong, Yufu, and Duyu, brewing had already reached a scale; the Tang had "Jiannan Burning Spring," the Song had "Goose Yellow Wine" and "Lychee Green," and now there were even the "Five Golden Flowers" that could intoxicate people from all directions.

The people here also loved to drink.

On New Year's Eve, they drink "reunion wine"; for relative gatherings, they "drink spring wine"; when planting seedlings, they drink "seedling-planting wine" and "harvest-opening wine"; on the Dragon Boat Festival, they drink "realgar wine"; on the Mid-Autumn Festival, they drink "moonlight wine"...

In any case, throughout the four seasons of the year, there was always an excuse to drink.

So much so that "inviting to a meal" locally meant "inviting to drink."

There were also rules to this drinking:

Do not drink new wine, as new wine easily makes one sick.

Do not drink cold wine, because cold wine hurts the stomach.

Do not drink "widow wine" (drinking alone without food), as one must always have some small side dishes.

Finally, one must drink slowly, emphasizing raising the cup gradually and sipping slowly.

Two taels is best, paired with tea, and setting up a "Dragon Gate Array" (chatting); regardless of whether talking about heaven and earth or spouting nonsense, in any case, the day would pass happily.

Although Li Yan was not a Shu person, he greatly appreciated this drinking custom. He ordered two taels of small wine, paired with beef and peanuts, and had the waiter brew a pot of tea. With a sip of wine and a sip of tea, it was quite leisurely and carefree.

Seemingly drinking by himself, he was secretly forming hand seals, his ears occasionally twitching, and the sounds of the entire inn were all heard in his ears.

"Feng Feng Shixiong, thanks to you today!"

"What are you saying? Come, bottoms up!"

These were the garrison soldiers talking about brotherhood.

"Master, can we get into the Lantern Festival this year?"

"Found the people from the Changchun Society, it's not easy to handle..."

These were martial artists from out of town.

"What kind of wind is blowing from the west?"

"Stripped the shell, kicked the fire point..."

!.

These were two young men chatting in secret code while drinking.

At a glance, they were rookie martial artists who had just entered the world.

The so-called "don't randomly gather spring when meeting people"—unless necessary, only a fool would talk randomly and reveal their bottom line.

Rookies who have just entered the martial world love to do this stupid thing.

Although most of it was useless information, after listening for a while, Li Yan also analyzed some intelligence.

Within Chengdu Prefecture, it was relatively stable now.

Because of the Chongqing Prefecture incident, the imperial court was furious, and the Prince of Shu was ordered to reflect at home, and he would not appear until the end of the year.

It was already the end of the tenth month, not far from the first month, and everything in the entire Chengdu Prefecture was related to this.

The Chengdu Lantern Festival, the Flower Morning Festival, the Qingyang Palace Temple Fair.

From the end of the year until the beginning of the year, there were constant festivals, large and small.

Therefore, a large number of merchant caravans and martial artists also flocked here.

Li Yan listened for a while and felt bored.

This intelligence was basically useless.

Rather than wasting time here, it would be better to go back and practice, and then inquire about news directly from the Mystic Sect later.

He happened to know a Daoist priest at Qingyang Palace, the one who suppressed the Dragon Fan Fan Fu Ren in Longtan Village back then.

Presumably, he had already returned to Qingyang Palace by now...

Just as he was about to get up and leave, his ears suddenly twitched, and he stopped again, listening carefully.

He only heard two people talking in a private room on the second floor.

"Are you sure they will come tonight?"

"The news came from the Prince's Mansion..."

"Feng Feng Shixiong, if this is done, we will offend the Huang Ling Sect."

"So what if we offend them? Do we still have a way back..."

Li Yan took a sip of wine, thoughtful.

He had heard about some things in Chongqing Prefecture as well.

A big reason why the Emperor was at ease with the Prince of Shu was that the Prince of Shu was already old, and combined with hidden injuries from the battlefield in his youth, he estimated he wouldn't live much longer.

After all, they were the closest brothers; even if the other party did some things that were out of line, the Emperor turned a blind eye.

It made no sense to be close for a lifetime, only to turn against each other in old age.

But inside the Prince of Shu's Mansion, it was equally restless.

The Prince of Shu had never determined the heir, which made several princes harbor thoughts, fighting secretly and incessantly.

The Chongqing Prefecture incident involved the second prince, who originally wanted to show his face, but who knew he hit a streak of bad luck and was publicly beaten with boards outside the Prince of Shu's Mansion.

The gangs and merchant associations in Chongqing Prefecture all had the shadows of these princes behind them, and they fought each other quite a bit.

As for Qingcheng and Emei, they did not participate in these matters.

The Huang Ling Sect was also one of the "Five Flowers" of Emei, but unlike the other sects, they were not in the mountains and forests but rooted in Chengdu Prefecture.

The Chenghuangmiao of Chengdu Prefecture was managed by them.

Could it be that the Huang Ling Sect was also involved in this muddy water?

If that were the case, he couldn't go to the Chenghuangmiao...

Just as Li Yan was deep in thought, the two people upstairs also settled the bill and walked down the stairs; they were a pair of twin brothers.

They were dressed in coarse cloth, both with fierce faces, and behind them, they carried short spears wrapped and covered in cloth.

The most special thing was their hair.

Although it had grown into a crew cut, those with keen eyes could see nine ring scars under their hair.

Receiving precepts and burning incense on the crown is a lifelong vow.

The number of ring scars also has its meaning.

One is for "Clearing the Heart," representing the initial entry into the Buddhist gate.

Two are for "Joy and Fortune," three for "Wisdom," four for "Compassion," five for "Endurance," six for "Diligence," seven for "Meditation," eight for "Equality," and nine for "Perfection."

Anything above that is very rare.

It is said that Bodhidharma or the Sixth Patriarch had ten ring scars.

The legendary twelve ring scars,

represent the highest "Bodhisattva Precepts" in the commandments.

Having nine ring scars meant they were authentic Buddhist disciples, yet they kept their hair, so they must have returned to secular life after leaving the temple...

After the twin monks went downstairs, their gazes were sharp, looking around, and seeing nothing unusual, they strode out the door.

After they left, Li Yan raised his head, thought for a moment, then put down a few copper coins and followed them out the door.

Anyway, he had nothing to do, so he might as well see what kind of ghost these two monks were up to.

These two monks were not occultists, but their martial arts were extremely superb, having reached the peak of "Dark Jin," only one step away from "Hua Jin."

After they went out, they deliberately circled a few times before striding toward Mount Longquan.

The two of them didn't notice at all that on the grass behind them, a light breeze blew by, leaving faint footprints.

With Li Yan's current Mystic Water Evasion Art, ordinary occultists couldn't discover him at all, and combined with carrying the "Dragon-Snake Tablet" to conceal all his aura, even if they sent Yin soldiers to patrol the mountains, they wouldn't find him.

Tracking two monks was naturally easy.

Mount Longquan was not far from Longquanyi and was the only way to enter Chengdu from the outside; the ancient Chengdu-Chongqing road was located within it.

But these two did not take the official road; instead, they traveled along the nearby grass, Dark Jin exploding under their feet, their bodies lowered, their steps fast, like two leopards.

They were people from the Monk Sect...

After seeing this, Li Yan became even more curious.

He recognized the roots of these two; they were from the "Monk Sect," which was the leader of the "Eight Leaves" among Emei's "Five Flowers and Eight Leaves."

The Monk Sect had a prominent reputation and was rumored to have been founded by Master Bai Yun of the Song Dynasty.

Master Bai Yun lived among various animals in the mountains, carefully studying the movements of these spiritual creatures of heaven and earth—grabbing, pouncing, leaping, hunting, flashing, and playing—and founded the Five-Element Fists of Dragon, Tiger, Crane, Snake, and Leopard.

Later, he integrated various fist techniques to become the Monk Sect Fist, which shook the four directions.

They were both Emei; why were they ambushing each other?

He saw the two of them arrive near the official road of Mount Longquan, then hide their tracks, crouching in the grass, and taking out the two short spears from their backs.

Li Yan also stood in the distance, waiting patiently.

Unknowingly, the night grew deeper.

All around was pitch black; he only saw a horse-drawn carriage coming from the direction of Mount Longquan, creaking and groaning.

On the carriage, there was surprisingly a huge stone coffin...

(End of chapter)