Chapter 507

The river water rolled on, and light snow drifted down.

Li Yan, wrapped in a fur cloak, stood on the deck, feeling the bone-chilling wind blowing against his face. He saw the river surface wreathed in thin mist, both banks covered in silver, and merchant ships coming and going incessantly.

"The weather this year is truly strange!"

"In previous years, we'd only be wearing cotton-padded jackets at this time, but this year it's been comfortable—it's been snowing continuously, freezing us like dogs..."

A short, sturdy man walked out from the deck. He appeared to be complaining about the weather, but in reality, he was eyeing Li Yan, trying to strike up a conversation.

He was the captain of this ship.

At the intersection of the Fujiang and the Qiong River, he had been hailed by Li Yan and had taken the group on board.

That place was a desolate wilderness, which had given him a fright; he had thought they were river bandits blocking the road and had almost drawn his blade.

But throughout the journey, he had observed that these people were not simple.

Their martial prowess went without saying, and they were extremely generous with their money.

He had spent years on the river and was quite bold, so upon encountering such patrons, he naturally wanted to probe their background, hoping for some future benefits.

This was also a type of person in the Jianghu.

Generally speaking, one should keep their mouth shut while traveling the Jianghu to avoid asking questions and inviting trouble.

But there was another type of person who would yield three points in any situation, serving tea and pouring wine with a very low posture. Whether it was a peddler or a scholar, they would try to join in the fun, acting as if they were old friends.

If you scolded them, they would apologize and leave quickly.

If you told a story, they would also be a supportive audience.

These people played the game of information; their minds were filled with many things, and they might just capture information from a conversation to make a small fortune.

Sha Lifei used to be like this too.

"A timely snow promises a good harvest, after all."

Li Yan gave a noncommittal laugh, brushed it off casually, and asked, "Boatman, tell me about Long Feng Town, would you?"

"Long Feng Town, eh."

The captain squatted on the edge of the boat and took a puff from his dry tobacco pipe. "That place is just a wharf. It's close to Suining County. If you want to take the official road into the mountains or follow the small river to other towns, that place is the most convenient."

"I heard it used to be the Jinma Field. More than a decade ago, a mysterious fire burned it clean. Later, they found an open area and rebuilt the town. It's considered the liveliest place around Suining Prefecture..."

Li Yan listened carefully and nodded slightly.

After finishing their business, they had received a message from Wang Daoxuan saying he had changed locations and was waiting for them in Long Feng Town.

Moreover, Wang Daoxuan seemed to have been targeted by someone.

It was unclear who was behind it.

After receiving the letter, Li Yan and the others immediately took a boat north.

"Patrons, we're almost there!"

The captain's words suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

Li Yan looked up and saw that after the passenger ship rounded a river bend, a wharf suddenly appeared on the left bank of the Fujiang, located exactly at the intersection of the branching river channels.

It was just past noon, and light, granular snow was falling. The cold wind was bone-piercing, but the wharf was still bustling, with people coming and going and a constant roar of noise.

There were numerous ships docked at the wharf, so many that they were even crowding into the river channel, and from time to time, people would curse loudly due to ship collisions.

Seeing this, Li Yan frowned slightly and asked, "Boatman, is this Long Feng Town usually this busy?"

"That's not the case."

The captain also looked puzzled. "Long Feng Town is prosperous, but it's just an ordinary wharf. If it were really this busy, the imperial court would have sent people to expand it long ago."

"Something must have happened!"

This captain was also a clever one. Without needing Li Yan to say much, he sent people to row a small boat closer to ask around for information.

Soon, there was a result.

"It's because Guangde Temple is holding a Dharma assembly."

After hearing his subordinate's report, the captain was full of excitement. "No wonder there are so many people. Guangde Temple is a holy site of Buddhism in our Shu region; every time they hold a Dharma assembly, it's a grand event in Shu."

"A few years ago, Guangde Temple suffered a fire. The imperial court allocated silver to renovate it, and it was just completed last month."

"In a few days, it will be the 17th of the eleventh month, the birthday of Amitabha Buddha. Two days later is the birthday of Sunlight Bodhisattva, followed immediately by the Winter Solstice."

"Dharma services will be held for several consecutive days, and believers from all over Shu will come. There are many wealthy patrons, and the Changchun Society will also hire people to set up stages outside to perform plays."

"In short, it's very lively. Following the river channel of this Long Feng Town, you can go directly to Guangde Temple."

"Since you patrons are staying here, you definitely shouldn't miss it."

"That's true, thank you."

Li Yan was lost in thought. He bowed slightly, then turned and entered the cabin to notify Sha Lifei and Lu San.

The Yu father and son were still staying at the Bamboo Grove Cottage to refine spirit tea. Calculating the time, they would head to Mount Qingcheng to meet up with them soon.

This opening of the cellar at Mount Qingcheng was an old cellar from the Song Dynasty.

They were treasure-seekers, so they naturally couldn't miss this opportunity.

As for Sha Lifei, although he had successfully awakened his supernatural ability, the energy he consumed was not small. Coupled with the need to learn spirit-storing, he spent most of his time either sleeping or sitting cross-legged in meditation.

Lu San had been accompanying him the whole time to protect him.

After sitting on the boat for two days, Sha Lifei felt a shiver as the cold wind hit him upon coming out. "Good heavens, we've finally arrived."

"Patrons, I still haven't asked for your names..."

The captain was still unwilling to give up, wanting to find out Li Yan's name to gain a big patron for the future.

"Meeting is enough without needing to know each other; knowing is just trouble."

Li Yan stuffed the silver into his hand and smiled slightly.

"Alright then."

The captain was helpless and shouted to his assistant, "Go, lower the small boat and take these patrons to the shore."

Their trip was to Mianzhou, and they were only halfway there.

"Many thanks."

Li Yan and the others bid farewell one after another and boarded the small boat to head away.

"What an attitude!"

Watching their retreating backs, an assistant curled his lips and couldn't help but mutter, "So arrogant, not even saying their names."

"They were right not to say them..."

An old voice suddenly sounded on the boat.

It was an old man in black who was traveling with them.

He gave a cold laugh and shook his head. "If I'm not mistaken, these are the people who have been causing a stir in the Jianghu recently and have a bounty placed on them by the Shu Prince's Mansion."

"Several old masters of sects have been killed by them. You lot are still trying to get close to them; aren't you afraid of inviting disaster upon yourselves!"

Upon hearing this, cold sweat immediately broke out on the captain's forehead.

"The one who killed the master of the Pu'an Temple? Elder Luo, why were you just watching the show instead of reminding me?"

"Those are sorcerers; every move on the ship couldn't be hidden from them. I didn't even dare to breathe, so how could I look out for you?"

"This... they don't look like villains either."

"Right and wrong, black and white—many things are unclear. If the Shu Prince's Mansion says they are thieves, then they are thieves."

"In any case, be careful from now on."

"Yes, yes, thank you for your guidance, Elder..."

…………

Never mind the captain, who was still feeling lingering fear.

After Li Yan and the three of them went ashore, they all wrapped themselves in cloaks and wore bamboo hats to cover their faces, heading toward the small town.

The town was not large, but it had also built city gates.

Above the city gate, the four characters "Long Feng Ancient Town," although not very old, were written in a bold and vigorous hand, appearing quite ancient.

On both sides of the city gate, soldiers stood guard with spears.

In ordinary small cities and counties, the guards were usually somewhat lazy; after standing for a long time, their waists would appear to sag.

But these soldiers were upright and their expressions were cold and stern, showing they were well-trained, which meant there must be a garrison nearby. Fortunately, the screening was not strict.

Li Yan and the three of them flowed in with the crowd. They saw that the small town was not large; it was shaped like a long strip, with a main street paved with bluestone running through from east to west.

Shops lined both sides, and it was exceptionally lively.

Despite the cold winter, the atmosphere of the marketplace was not diminished but rather increased.

Inside the teahouses, the stove fires were burning brightly, and tea guests sat around the stoves, either sipping tea and chatting or listening to storytelling and singing, with music playing constantly.

In the restaurants, the noise was even more deafening, with people from all walks of life gathered here, either drinking heavily and playing finger-guessing games or whispering in secret, their eyes darting around from time to time.

"Pengxi Ginger Cake, fragrant and sweet without being greasy!"

"Five-spice dried tofu, take some home to taste!"

"Bean curd skin, ancestral seasoning, a Long Feng specialty!"

The cries of street food vendors along the way were endless.

There were even more steamer baskets in the eateries, with white mist billowing in the winter, and the fragrance filling the street.

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The three of them hadn't had a proper meal along the way.

Smelling this aroma, even Lu San's stomach rumbled.

"Find the Daoist first!"

Seeing Sha Lifei's eyes wandering, Li Yan whispered a reminder and followed the crowd toward the west of the town.

The inn where Wang Daoxuan was staying was called Qingyuan Tower. The town was not large, and after walking for a while, the three of them saw the sign from afar.

After taking just two steps, Li Yan stopped, lost in thought, and looked across at the inn.

"What's wrong?"

"There are people watching over there; they're just ordinary Jianghu people. No need to pay attention to them, let's meet up with the Daoist first."

As they spoke, Li Yan and the three of them had already arrived outside the inn.

"Patrons, the three of you are..."

"We booked a room, for Daoist Mobile Corps Commander."

"Oh, please come in."

The waiter's expression changed, becoming even more respectful.

During this time, Wang Daoxuan had been operating under the name Daoist Mobile Corps Commander, only saying he had a small reputation.

It seemed the Daoist was being habitually humble again.

The waiter raised his hand and bowed, inviting them into the inn, and led them to the second floor, where they happened to see Wang Daoxuan pushing the door open and coming out.

"Daoist, you've worked hard!"

Without a word, Li Yan stepped forward and gave him a hug.

In this split-force operation, although he and Sha Lifei had both faced crises, in terms of complexity, Wang Daoxuan's situation was the most difficult.

"Sigh, what are you doing..."

Wang Daoxuan laughed in spite of himself, a bit unaccustomed to such enthusiasm, but he didn't say anything, just pushed the door open and invited them in.

Watching the door close, the waiter swallowed his saliva and turned to leave.

He stomped down the stairs, went straight to the manager, pulled on his sleeve, and whispered, "Manager, it seems the Twelve Twelve Yuan Chen really exist; the three who just arrived should be them."

It wasn't just Wang Daoxuan who was famous.

"Mobile Corps Commander" was indeed illustrious, but every time someone provoked him, it was Wu Ba who made the move; the name "Chouniu" was equally strong.

Many people speculated that since Mobile Corps Commander and Chouniu had both appeared, perhaps the other Twelve Twelve Yuan Chen really existed.

If they really existed, it would definitely be a force to be reckoned with.

Upon hearing this, the manager's eyes widened. He grabbed the waiter by the ear and whispered, "What nonsense are you spouting? Keep your mouth shut; play dumb no matter who asks."

"Yes, yes, yes."

The waiter winced in pain and didn't dare to speak again.

They didn't know that their conversation had been heard clearly by Lu San and Li Yan, who possessed the Ear supernatural ability.

Li Yan didn't care and smiled, "Daoist, you weren't telling the truth; you have more than just a 'small' reputation."

Wang Daoxuan gave a helpless smile and shook his head. "I didn't want to cause trouble either, but in Nanchong, I don't know who was spreading rumors everywhere and instigating people to come and provoke me."

"Wu Ba drove away several groups of people, making quite a stir."

"Hehe!"

Wu Ba seemed a bit embarrassed, scratching his head and laughing foolishly.

Li Yan also looked at Wu Ba, his expression solemn. "Brother Wu Ba, you've worked hard. On the way, I pondered it, and perhaps the Baji style is most suitable for you. During the Huangquan Assembly in the twelfth month, I will ask someone to lead you into the sect."

At this moment, he had completely accepted Wu Ba.

"Hehe, eat, eat..."

Wu Ba's face turned a bit red, not knowing what to say. He picked up the bundle on the side, opened the oil-paper wrapping, and revealed a large, fat chicken roasted to a glistening, oily shine.

"Brother Wu Ba is truly thoughtful!"

Sha Lifei was delighted. He immediately took it, tore it apart with chopsticks, handed pieces to everyone, and took out a jar of wine from the bundle. "I bought this Tuojiang Old Cellar from the boat captain on the way; let's all have a drink first."

As he spoke, he filled a bowl for everyone.

"Cheers!"

The group raised their bowls and drank it all in one gulp.

Sha Lifei got up again, pushed the door open, and told the waiter to prepare a table of wine and food, then sat at the table and ate and drank heartily.

Li Yan gnawed on a piece of roast chicken to line his stomach and asked, "Daoist, what exactly happened? Let's chat while we eat."

"It's nothing much."

Wang Daoxuan began, "After getting clues from the Ghost Qiang Ancient Village, the Commandant's Office and the Law Enforcement Hall started searching everywhere for the Dragon-Worshipping Sect."

"Several people died at the time, all of them famous bandits from the greenwood and experts of the evil path in the Southwest."

"Following this lead, the Commandant's Office found one of their secret halls. After a fierce battle, they captured some survivors."

"But they made too much noise, and subsequently, they found two more places, but they were already empty, and later there was no news at all."

"With the end of the year approaching and everything being busy, the Iron Buddha Sect couldn't afford to keep spending time on this, so they withdrew their experts, and the Commandant's Office also withdrew most of their manpower."

"I felt something was wrong, and relying on them would likely lead to nothing, so I used the guise of catching demons and eliminating monsters to find my way here."

"Oh?"

Li Yan's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "There are clues here?"

Wang Daoxuan nodded and whispered, "According to the demon-hunters who run errands for me, they saw a fool in Long Feng Town. He was originally a fisherman, and while fishing, he said he encountered the 'Night Dragon King' and river drifters wearing bridal clothes."

"That person was scared silly and had been wandering around Long Feng Town begging for food, but this time, the person who came has disappeared, and those demon-hunters are searching everywhere."

"So that's how it is."

Li Yan understood immediately after hearing this.

Others might not care about this information.

But since they were aiming for a target, they could naturally tease out some clues.

This was likely someone performing human sacrifices.

Perhaps it was the Dragon Maiden Temple he was looking for.

Although those demon-hunters were at the bottom of the Mystic Sect, they were all old hands in the Jianghu.

With them scouting for information, Li Yan wasn't in a hurry. After eating, drinking, and washing up with hot water, they each returned to their rooms to rest and recharge their spirits.

Back in his room, Li Yan lay on the bed and took out the official warrant again, examining it from left to right.

Throughout this journey, he had vaguely understood what he needed to do.

The Yin Si warrant was for capturing Yin criminals who disturbed the balance of Yin and Yang.

Then this Lei Fu Command from the Heavenly Court,

naturally captured those who violated the "Heavenly Laws."

Perhaps,

there were also those who reincarnated into the mortal realm without permission...

(End of Chapter)