Chapter 508

Those who reincarnated into the mortal realm without permission.

This wasn't the first time Li Yan had heard of such matters.

It had happened in history as well; those stories of celestial maidens and divine beings descending to the mortal realm were often a mix of truth and falsehood, and perhaps some had prototypes.

But the "Heavenly Laws" were even more stringent than the "Yin Laws."

Once one descended to the mortal realm without permission, they would be struck by the Five Thunders.

Therefore, the endings of stories about immortals yearning for the mortal realm were usually not very pleasant.

Thus, those who descended to the mortal realm were far fewer than Yin criminals returning to life.

Of course, there were also those who descended for other reasons.

For example, during the War of Investiture, when the Zhou Rites replaced the Shang sacrifices, many immortals descended, the Seventy-Two Demon Gods were sealed, and human sacrificial rites changed.

What Li Yan found strange was that handling those who descended was usually left to the prosperous Buddhist and Daoist orthodox sects, using methods similar to living Yin messengers, guiding them and bringing down the thunder tribulation.

Why give him this task for no reason?

Could it be that the Mystic Sect orthodox sects had messed up...

Looking at the warrant in his hand, Li Yan's heart was filled with confusion.

But in any case, it could be considered a good thing.

The method of using this Lei Fu Command should also be somewhat like the warrant, creating a resonance, finding the target, and guiding the heavenly tribulation to fall.

The reward given by the Heavenly Court shouldn't be worse than that of the Yin Si.

Thinking of this, Li Yan put away the warrant, sat cross-legged in meditation to store his spirit, and after completing his daily practice, he fell asleep.

Now that the team had gathered and everyone was performing their duties, he completely trusted Lu San's capabilities and could sleep soundly.

Unknowingly, night fell.

The light snow had stopped at night, but the cold night was even more bone-chilling. After a day of bustle, the small town also fell into silence.

Occasionally, a few taverns would light lanterns, which were exceptionally conspicuous in the dark night. In the remote alleys, the sound of dogs barking could be heard from time to time.

In the alleys near the Qingyuan Tower Inn, a few rats hid in the dark, holding hard buns in their mouths, their thieving eyes looking around.

Suddenly, they all looked toward a certain spot.

They saw a head sneakily poking out from an alley opposite, constantly peering toward Qingyuan Tower, appearing somewhat flustered.

After hesitating for a long time, the figure finally made up his mind, looked around, and followed the corner of the wall to the bottom of Qingyuan Tower.

He was short and his movements were very agile. Using his hands to grip the brick seams and utilizing the corner of the wall, he actually climbed up to the second floor with ease.

At a glance, one could tell he was an expert at scaling walls and roofs.

Arriving in front of a window, just as he was about to tap on it, he saw the window suddenly open, and a large hand grabbed him by the collar and dragged him straight inside.

"Ah—!"

The figure only had time to let out half a scream before his mouth was covered by someone, and he was pinned to the ground.

"Woo woo~"

He was terrified, his eyes wide as he struggled.

They saw a candle flame ignite in the room, and a circle of people was already sitting there; it was Li Yan and the others, who had been woken up by Lu San.

"It's a thief."

Sha Lifei took one look and recognized the person's identity. He was somewhat dissatisfied. "I say, you're in the Jianghu, so why don't you have any sense of judgment, running over here to provoke us."

This was purely his morning grumpiness.

He had finally managed to get a good night's sleep, only to be disturbed again.

Li Yan sensed something unusual. With a glance, Wu Ba immediately loosened his large hand and let the person go.

This was a thin man with thieving eyes. Seeing the cold gazes of the crowd, he immediately knelt on the ground. "Good men, I'm not here to scout the place."

As he spoke, he looked at Wang Daoxuan. "Are you Daoist Mobile Corps Commander?"

Wang Daoxuan nodded. "That's right."

"Then that's correct!"

The small thief breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly cupped his hands. "I am Lian Peng, entrusted by Brother Chen Sanbang to come and warn you and ask for help."

Wang Daoxuan frowned. "What happened to Chen Sanbang?"

Chen Sanbang was one of the leaders of the demon-hunters who had been running errands for him. He had taken the mission to find the madman who claimed to have seen human sacrifices.

"Brother Chen has been detained."

The small thief Lian Peng hurriedly said, "Because I've been hanging around here for years and am familiar with the situation in all areas, I was hired by Brother Chen with money."

"We found a clue that the madman wasn't alone; a few days ago, he had already been picked up by his family and returned to the village to retire."

"The village is called Bai Xi Town. Brother Chen and the others went to the village to inquire, but unexpectedly, the whole village was full of martial artists, and they were very vigilant toward us, ready to fight at the slightest disagreement."

"Brother Chen and the others were outnumbered and were captured. The people in the village heard it was entrusted by you, so they let me come back, saying you should go and collect the people yourself."

"Bai Xi Town?"

Sha Lifei hurriedly asked, "What kind of place is that?"

The small thief Lian Peng explained, "This village is in the mountains across the river and is very secluded. There's a rumor in the Jianghu that the villagers all make a living by selling private salt."

"They don't usually invite trouble, and their relations with all sides are quite good. If it weren't for this matter, I wouldn't have known at all that there were so many martial artists hidden in the village."

Sha Lifei looked at Li Yan upon hearing this. "Could it be them?"

Li Yan was lost in thought and shook his head. "Doesn't seem like it."

"If it were really them, they would likely have disposed of the madman immediately and wouldn't have sent someone back to report and ask the Daoist to collect them."

"No rush for this matter. Since they said to go and collect them, it means following the rules of the Jianghu; those demon-hunters won't be in danger for the time being."

Everyone thought about it and agreed.

Immediately, they woke up the manager and had the waiter arrange a room for the small thief, then each returned to their rooms to rest.

They had a plan in mind, so they weren't in a hurry.

They slept until daybreak.

The next day, the light snow finally stopped, but the sky remained overcast, and the cold wind blew, making people shiver all over.

Compared to yesterday, the wharf at Long Feng Gu Zhen was even more lively.

With only three days left until the Dharma assembly at Guangde Temple, some believers from other prefectures had even started out at the beginning of the month.

Whether it was Long Feng Gu Zhen or Suining County, the inns were basically full. As soon as Li Yan and the others went out, their rooms were booked by others in the blink of an eye.

Arriving near the wharf, the pedestrians were even more crowded.

There were dragon and lion dance troupes, as well as opera troupes, driving donkey carts, carrying banners, and piling up boxes, greeting each other when they met, with the Sichuan dialect never ceasing.

"Good heavens."

Seeing this, Sha Lifei couldn't help but click his tongue. "The incense at this Guangde Temple is strong enough; even the Mount Wudang temple fair isn't this lively."

"I've also inquired about this."

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard. "There has been a rumor here since ancient times that Suining was anciently the Western Sea, and there was a small country called the Baijue Kingdom. The country's ruler, King Miaozhuang, and Queen Boya had three princesses, named Miaoqing, Miaoyin, and Miaoshan, who were the three sisters of Guanyin."

"They attained enlightenment at the same time and became Guanyin Bodhisattvas, but they practiced in different places. So there is a folk song here:

The three sisters of Guanyin Bodhisattva, eating from the same pot but practicing separately. The eldest sister practices at Guangde Temple, the second sister practices at Lingquan Temple, and only the third sister practices far away, at Mount Putuo in the South Sea."

"In Suining, the atmosphere of revering Fomen is even stronger, with countless temples. Guangde Temple is the 'First Zen Forest from the West,' with over a thousand monks, leading over three hundred Buddhist temples in the mountains of Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan."

"Mount Emei and Mount Qingcheng have greater fame, but in the eyes of Buddhist disciples, Guangde Temple is the true holy site."

Li Yan was lost in thought. "They don't seem to be very ostentatious?"

Wang Daoxuan nodded. "During the Tang Dynasty, there was a high monk at Guangde Temple named Chan Master Keyou, who was a member of the imperial family. His father was Emperor Dai Sect, so successive imperial families would confer posthumous titles."

"This place can also be considered an imperial ancestral temple. With its status placed there, they lack nothing, so they don't need to invite trouble and can practice in peace, which is why they are very low-key in their actions."

"Even the Law Enforcement Hall and the City God Temple in Suining County have been handed over to the Iron Buddha Sect to manage." "Clever enough..."

As they chatted, they found a ferry boat, which carried them slowly away from the wharf toward the opposite bank.

Just as they left, two figures appeared on the wharf, hiding in the shade of a tree and watching from afar.

"It seems we can confirm it. These Twelve Twelve Yuan Chen are Li Yan's team. To be so ostentatious while being wanted by the Prince's Mansion is simply daring!"

"How about..."

"Don't act rashly; a lord from the Prince's Mansion has already been invited to handle this matter, and it's likely that things have changed."

"The Prince's Mansion has lost face this time; could it be they'll retreat?"

"I'm not too sure either..."

……

After Li Yan and the others went ashore, they followed Lian Peng and walked toward the mountains in the east.

They were now fully staffed and had replenished their Gang commands. To be honest, they really weren't afraid of any opponents.

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Therefore, they didn't overly conceal their tracks.

This place was still in the Sichuan Basin, and the terrain was relatively flat, with no very high mountain ranges, just hills eroded by rivers.

Looking out, the mountains were full of bamboo forests, the snow hadn't melted yet, and walking along the mountain paths, the ground was full of withered yellow bamboo leaves.

Not long after entering the mountains, Lu San waved his hand, signaling everyone to stop.

They saw two men suddenly flash out from the bamboo forest, one short and thin, the other tall and sturdy, both cupping their hands and saying:

"Are you Daoist Mobile Corps Commander and Li Li Shaoxia?"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "That's right."

Knowing Wang Daoxuan was normal, but being able to call out his name directly meant these people weren't isolated and were well-informed.

The short, thin man hurriedly cupped his hands. "Nice to meet you, nice to meet you. I've long heard of your great names. I am Feng Delu; the clan leader has already prepared a banquet in the village and asked the two of us to welcome you here."

"Many thanks."

Li Yan straightened his expression and cupped his hands in return.

Welcoming guests ten miles out was, according to the rules of the Jianghu, a very heavy etiquette, only appearing when welcoming distinguished guests.

Sure enough, at five miles, three miles, and even the last mile, there were people waiting to welcome them, escorting them to Bai Xi Town.

The location of Bai Xi Town was indeed very secluded, with one village sandwiched between three mountains, and a turbid white stream winding down from the mountains and flowing along the vicinity of the village.

This kind of water couldn't be drunk at all; it was the material for making salt brine.

Under a large tree at the entrance of the village, a group of people was already waiting.

Leading them was an old man, hunched over, with white hair, a red band tied around his head, and leaning on a dragon-headed cane.

Seeing Li Yan and his group, the old man smiled slightly and cupped his hands directly. "Feng Laohai of the Salt Gang, greets Li Li Shaoxia and Daoist Mobile Corps Commander."

"Greetings, Elder."

Li Yan's expression didn't change as he cupped his hands in return.

In fact, on the way, he had already seen the trickiness.

In this world, there weren't that many secret forces. Moreover, since even a small thief knew about it, the high-level figures in the Jianghu of Suining must definitely know about this Bai Xi Village.

Leaving it alone must have a reason.

Specializing in selling table salt was likely related to the Salt Gang.

Thinking of this, Li Yan didn't avoid it and said in a deep voice, "Our relationship with the Salt Gang is average. For you to welcome us with such a grand gesture truly leaves me puzzled."

"If you have something to do, please lay it out!"

"What's the rush, Li Li Shaoxia?"

The old man surnamed Feng smiled slightly. "Since we are treating you with courtesy, we have no intention of becoming enemies with you all."

"Why not enter the village first, and we can chat while we drink."

"Fine!"

Things had reached this point; continuing to ask would make them appear to have lost their courage, so Li Yan agreed directly.

Besides, those in front of him were just ordinary martial artists.

If they wanted to leave, they really couldn't be stopped.

"Please!"

The old man immediately raised his hand and invited them into the village.

The village was not large. Looking out, it was full of sturdy men, with very few women and children, and even if there were, they were all hiding in their rooms.

But it was different from what Li Yan had imagined.

Logically speaking, the Salt Gang was wealthy, and even if they were boiling salt here, they wouldn't let themselves live too miserably.

Yet this village was in a state of decay.

A few houses even had white funeral couplets posted, indicating that someone had just died.

In the center of the village was the ancestral hall, with its doors tightly shut at the moment.

The old man invited them into his own home, where a banquet had already been set up.

On such a cold day, the dishes were still steaming, which meant someone was waiting specifically, calculating the time and serving the dishes before they entered the door.

Such an arrangement was not without care.

If someone offers favors for no reason, they must have a request.

Li Yan understood immediately. After drinking a cup of wine, he said directly, "Elder, if you have something to say, you might as well say it straight; otherwise, we won't feel comfortable drinking this wine."

Feng Laohai put down his wine cup and said in a deep voice, "Since that's the case, I won't waste any more words."

"To tell you the truth, I was originally an elder of the Salt Gang. The Sichuan Salt Gang isn't just one family; it's just that everyone has been huddling together for warmth since ancient times."

"A few years ago, they wanted to join the Chu Prince's Mansion. I strongly opposed it. We are all people of the Jianghu, neither black nor white; once you get involved in some things, you can never get out."

"Unfortunately, those people were blinded by power. Not only did I fail to persuade them, but I was also driven out of Zigong to this place."

"Fortunately, I still have some reputation in the Jianghu, and they didn't go too far. Relying on my old connections, I've been doing quite well."

Li Yan gave a faint glance. "This doesn't seem to have anything to do with us."

"Hahaha."

Feng Laohai stroked his beard and laughed hoarsely. "It was unrelated originally, and we didn't want to cause trouble or provoke you all."

"But you sent people here, so doesn't that make it related?"

After saying that, he clapped his hands.

Immediately, two men left, and before long, they came back supporting a person into the main hall.

The person who came in was dressed cleanly, but his eyes were blank, and he was drooling, staring fixedly in one direction, muttering constantly: "Night Dragon King, Night Dragon King..."

"This is the person you are looking for."

Feng Laohai sighed and shook his head. "To tell you the truth, he was originally a boatman for our salt smuggling. He knew a few small paths that could avoid official patrols and send salt to Chongqing."

"On his last delivery, I don't know what he encountered, but he was the only one who returned, and he was insane, running around everywhere."

"That's not right, is it?"

Li Yan said coldly, "Long Feng Gu Zhen is not far from here. He was begging on the street there; how could you not know?"

Feng Laohai shook his head. "It was intentional."

"I wanted to lure those people out, but I didn't expect to attract Daoist Mobile Corps Commander."

As he spoke, his face was full of bitterness. "After hearing what those demon-hunters said, I realized how much trouble I had caused."

"The Dragon-Worshipping Sect—we really can't afford to provoke them..."

(End of Chapter)