Chapter 517: Or Leap in the Abyss—No Blame

"Whoa, you can do that?"

Upon hearing this, someone in the teahouse snorted in derision.

"Trying to curry favor with the Shu Prince by rushing to kill someone, then getting killed and demanding revenge—how brazen can you get…"

"Exactly, do you think they'll just close their eyes and let you kill them?"

"Damn it, saying this out loud won't even shame the Shu region's martial world? The Divine Fist Association is falling further into disgrace…"

"With the Cheng family holding them down, when will they ever get a chance to rise?"

"Tsk tsk, Master Cheng hasn't shown himself in years—these old bastards must be getting restless, hence this stupid idea…"

"Hey, do you think Master Cheng is even still alive?"

"He's been around for ages; he was already famous when I was born. He's probably been dead for years, and the Cheng family's just hiding it."

"They call him Sword Immortal—does that mean he's truly an immortal?"

"Bah, whether he's immortal or not, I don't know—but I know a place where you'll be as happy as a god once you get there!"

"Hahaha…"

Laughter filled the air, lewd and coarse.

The teahouse's conversation drifted further and further off-topic.

In the corner, a young boy hugged his short sword, his hair matted and face dirty, listening intently; seeing them shift topics, he muttered under his breath: "Why talk about women when you won't even mention the real matter?"

"Hehe…"

Across from him sat a blind old Daoist, sipping wine slowly; upon hearing this, he smirked unbecomingly: "Foolish boy, when a bunch of grown men gather, what else are they going to talk about?"

"The martial world!"

The youth, excited, edged closer to the old man: "Master, what do the Twelve Zodiacs actually look like?"

"And if they caused such a huge mess, can they really escape unscathed? Will they die right here?"

"None of your damn business!"

The blind old man slapped the boy's head casually: "Look—you think these heroes and villains are anything? They're just gossip for others' mouths."

"Better to figure out where we'll sleep tonight than waste time on nonsense."

"After drinking this tea, we've got not a single copper left."

"Ah… this…"

The sword-hugging youth's face twisted in distress: "Master, you said you'd take me to see the martial world—but how can we not even afford a meal?"

"Hahaha."

The blind Daoist grinned without warmth: "Surviving in the martial world means surviving for your next meal—if you don't even know how to get food, what kind of hero do you think you'll become?"

Hearing this, the youth blushed deeply.

The blind old man clicked his tongue and whispered: "I've got two jobs lined up—pick which one you want."

The youth's eyes lit up instantly: "Master, tell me."

The blind man subtly pointed behind with his finger: "See that fat man? Someone's offering five taels of silver to kill him."

"He doesn't look like a martial artist…"

"Of course not—he's just an ordinary man with no cultivation. Easy to handle. Just walk up, stab him from behind, and we run. Five taels in hand."

"He looks so honest—why would someone want him dead?"

"Simple: his wife's a shrew who brought trouble on him; someone's lusted after her and wants to grab his land too."

The youth shook his head quickly: "No, no—I can't do that. Better we kill the lover instead—we could steal some money that way."

"Heh, now you're talking with some grit…"

The blind old man spoke again: "By martial world rules, you never turn on your employer—if you do, we'll never eat again."

"There's another job nearby—a village lost a cow; likely wandered into the hills. Bring it back, and they'll pay ten copper coins."

"Ten copper coins?"

The sword-hugging youth's face fell: "That's way too little."

"What can I do?"

The blind Daoist crossed his legs, swaying his broken shoe, sighing: "The world favors the wicked just a little more than the good. If you want clean money, you'll be unlucky your whole life."

"I say, kill the fat man. Becoming a hero won't wait—first, survive."

"Besides, no one will ever know about this."

The sword-hugging youth pulled his head in: "Forget it—I'll go find the cow. Maybe I'll find it before dark."

Saying this, he grabbed his sword, pulled on his conical hat, and ran out.

"Hey, you little brat, wait for me!"

The blind Daoist laughed and waved his hand carelessly.

The boy didn't notice—the old man had drawn a talisman on the table with wine; everyone around them could no longer hear their conversation.

After wiping away the wine, the noise of the teahouse returned instantly.

The moment the blind Daoist left, the ascetic monks who had been sitting quietly lifted their heads, watching the two depart, their expressions grim.

The leader pressed his staff lightly against the ground.

Even the people inside the teahouse could no longer hear their voices.

"Brother, who was that?"

"Unknown. Shu has many strange people. Just complete our mission—don't stir up trouble. Head straight to Lingquan Temple to regroup."

"Yes, Brother."

The monks chorused their agreement, bowed to the owner, and departed.

Inside the small teahouse, the chatter continued hotly.

No one knew two groups of strange figures had already left…

…………

Splash!

In the grass pavilion, Wang Daoxuan shook the tortoise shell and scattered the yin-yang coins.

"Master Dao, what's the reading?"

Sha Lifei leaned in curiously.

Wang Daoxuan studied it a moment, stroking his beard: "Or leap in the abyss—no blame."

"What does that mean?"

"The dragon either leaps up or retreats into the abyss—only by reading the moment and adapting flexibly can one move or withdraw without harm."

"That's great then…"

Sha Lifei grinned at once.

Divination—on the entire Shenzhou continent, no one dared claim perfect accuracy; it was too mystical.

Wang Daoxuan was good at everything, yet obsessed with this art.

Honestly, his greatest talent was spellcasting, then exorcism and blessing; divination ranked last if forced to order.

But people are like that sometimes.

Wang Daoxuan's divinations occasionally hit true once or twice—and he took them as divine revelations, letting them guide his actions.

Now, Li Yan and the others paid no mind, only offering occasional flattery to amuse the Daoist.

As for Li Yan, he was amusing the stubborn donkey beside him.

This donkey was mentally addled, yet its instincts were astonishing; at Dragon Phoenix Ancient Town, sensing his departure, it bit through its own reins and followed.

Li Yan, helpless, had no choice but to bring it along.

Fortunately, though dumb, the donkey had decent strength—it could carry heavy loads, freeing Wu Ba to use his fists.

Lu San watched nearby, intrigued.

"Young Master Li, this donkey's strange—it doesn't understand me, yet obeys you absolutely."

"It's just stupid."

"More than that—it reveals its true nature. Rare indeed…"

The two chatted as they gazed beyond the pavilion.

After returning to Dragon Phoenix Ancient Town, they openly headed toward Suining County, planning to find lodging first, then proceed to Guangde Temple.

They'd heard some rumors—but paid them no mind.

The Divine Fist Association had some influence in Shanzhou, with many martial experts—but in Shu, it was a different story. That's the culture of the riverfront martial world.

Above them stood Qingcheng, Emei, Guangde Temple—true Daoist sects that didn't just practice the Dao but also ran martial arts schools and business.

Like the "Eight Leaves" among the "Five Flowers and Eight Leaves."

At every river port, gangs like the Paojiao, Gelaohui, and Salt Guilds gathered like snakes and dragons.

The Divine Fist Association, half-court, half-martial world, was truly unwelcome.

Unwelcome as it was, it was still a force backed by the court—so major gangs didn't dare offend it too much, and thus attracted ambitious men with no roots.

But bad luck struck because Shu still had Master Cheng the Sword Immortal—the Cheng family, first in both martial and Daoist circles.

Even the association's leader, Huo Yin, dared not act too boldly before this Sword Immortal, another of the Ten Grand Masters.

So Li Yan truly didn't care about the Shu branch of the Divine Fist Association.

The bigger the trouble, the safer they'd be.

After chatting idly, they saw the freezing rain that had begun at noon finally stop, and quickly prepared to depart.

Clip-clop!

At that moment, the sound of hooves echoed along the official road.

Li Yan and the others halted and looked up.

A squad of embroidered uniform riders galloped toward them, hooves thundering, shattering the thin layer of ice on the road; their colorful robes and spirited steeds radiated an imposing aura.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

As they neared the pavilion, the riders leapt cleanly from their mounts, movements swift and precise, all bowing in unison: "Are you Li Shaoxia?"

Li Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. "Who are you?"

"In reply, Young Master."

The lead rider was a graceful youth, lips red and teeth white, with a hint of youthfulness still in his eyes; he bowed respectfully: "I am Luo Jun'an, sent by my aunt to welcome you, Li Shaoxia."

So they're from the Luo family…

Li Yan was surprised. "Your family hasn't even stabilized yet—why come wading into my affairs?"

Luo Jun'an bowed again. "Thanks to your grace, the Du family has shattered. My family has reestablished itself in Yibin. My lady has traveled to Chongqing to pay respects to the newly appointed Provincial Governor."

So that's how it is…

With that, Li Yan understood at once.

It seemed the Luo family had fully aligned itself with the imperial court—perhaps even forged ties with the Lüshan Sect.

This visit was not only to lend him support, but also to declare their stance.

"Li Shaoxia."

Luo Jun'an continued bowing: "The Guangde Temple's Dharma assembly is bustling; all inns in the city are full. Fortunately, my Luo family owns a residence here—please follow me."

Though Luo Jun'an appeared young, he was clearly a capable scion cultivated by the Luo family, speaking with poise and propriety.

As far as Li Yan knew, when the Luo family suffered its great calamity, they had sold off all assets except those in Yibin—where did they get a residence?

Most likely, they bought it recently, afraid he'd refuse this favor.

All of them are shrewd…

Li Yan sighed inwardly and said no more: "Then I am in your debt."

They had originally planned to camp in the wild outside the city if no inn could be found; now that the Luo family had arranged lodging, no one was foolish enough to endure unnecessary hardship.

As dusk approached, the group arrived in Suining County.

Though ancient, Suining County was small in scale; beyond the city gate lay streets paved with blue stone, narrow and bustling with alleys.

Upon closer inspection, the eaves and pillars lining both sides of the street jutted outward, holding tea tables and chairs specifically for patrons to drink tea or play leaf cards.

Even in the bitter cold, many tea drinkers lingered on the streets—some puffing on long pipes, others heating water for tea and chatting loudly, the Sichuan dialects rising in waves, exuding a relaxed atmosphere.

Luo Jun'an bowed slightly and explained: "Please don't be offended, Li Shaoxia. This is how Suining has always been. During the Da Xing era of the previous dynasty, when north and south stood in opposition, this region fell into chaos with no authority to govern it, so the people built extensions on their eaves themselves."

"A few years ago, a county magistrate tried to tear them down and nearly sparked a rebellion. Over time, no one dared mention it again…"

"Now it's somewhat better, but during morning or midday rush hours, the entire street gets blocked—it's a nuisance."

Li Yan chuckled. "You seem quite familiar with local customs, friend?"

"I dare not."

Luo Jun'an quickly bowed. "I handle my clan's business and have traveled widely since childhood—I've simply heard a lot."

Before he finished speaking, his brow furrowed as he stared ahead.

A few burly men strode forward, tall or short, all powerfully built, dressed in black short jackets despite the cold, their waists cinched with thick leather belts bearing bronze tiger buckles.

"Are you Li Yan from Shanzhou?"

The lead man bowed, his tone blunt and uncouth.

Luo Jun'an's face turned cold. "No manners, no respect—who are you, you ruffian?!"

When they set out, Madam Wu had told him: this time, they weren't just to lend support, but to restore the Luo family's reputation.

When it came to standing firm, there could be no weakness.

"Hmph!"

The man snorted, yet showed no anger. "Good. Then take this."

He pulled a letter from his sleeve and flicked it forward.

The man was arrogant, and his skill was no less impressive—he used hidden force, capable of plucking leaves to wound, let alone a neatly folded letter.

Swish!

The letter shot straight toward Li Yan.

Thud!

Lü San gave a signal; Wu Ba raised his hand and caught the letter without looking, then flipped it back with a flick.

Shhh!

The letter returned along its original path, whistling sharply.

The man's face changed—he dodged instantly, then heard a loud thump behind him: the letter had pierced deep into the wooden pillar.

Wu Ba had long entered the Hidden Force realm; he merely lacked systematic training, but in raw power, most Soft Force cultivators couldn't match him.

"What's your meaning?!"

The man's face flushed crimson.

"Nothing."

Li Yan glanced coolly. "Not every stray dog or cat has the right to hand me a letter. If you have something to say, send your elders to speak to me in person."

With that, he turned and led the group away.

He truly wasn't afraid of making a scene.

The more widely known the incident, the safer they'd be—and it would draw attention away from Feng Laohai and the Salt Gang.

The real threats were the Shu Prince's Mansion and the Worship Dragon Sect.

After he left, the man's previously flushed face instantly returned to normal; his earlier arrogance vanished. Calmly, he said:

"Did you all see? This boy is even more arrogant than the reports said. When you return, you all know what to report, right?"

"Yes, Master Lu."

The men nodded and hurried off.

Only Master Lu watched the direction Li Yan had vanished, a trace of venom flashing in his eyes; he followed slowly behind them.

…………

The residence the Luo family bought was indeed sizable.

Luo Jun'an walked as he spoke: "This residence is called 'Ruifu Manor.' Built when the Da Xuan dynasty was founded, its original owner rose to prominence and moved to the capital—so I acquired it…"

Li Yan and the others looked up: the manor's layout was strict and symmetrical, with a plaque above the gate reading "Ruifu Yingmen," its beams and rafters adorned with exquisite brick and wood carvings.

Clearly expensive.

After entering, they found spacious courtyards, artificial hills and ponds complementing each other, winding corridors connecting multiple courtyards, and Luo family servants had already cleaned and prepared the rooms.

With luggage unpacked and meals finished, servants brought hot water tubs to each room; after washing, their travel fatigue vanished completely.

Though Lü San used his secret arts to guard the night, Li Yan didn't sleep deeply—unexpectedly, no one came to trouble them.

The next day, as dawn barely broke, someone delivered a visiting card.

Li Yan took it and his eyes widened in surprise.

Sha Li Fei asked quickly: "What's wrong? Is the visitor dangerous?"

"No—it's an acquaintance."

Li Yan shook his head slightly and told the servant to bring the visitor in.

It was none other than the secret agent from the Commandant's Office, sent secretly to Shu to investigate Zhao Changsheng…

(End of Chapter)