Chapter 52: Thunder-Struck Jujube Wood

"We've arrived; this is the craftsman's shop."

At the entrance of Niangniang Temple Old Street, Wang Daoxuan pointed ahead and said, "All of Xianyang’s renowned artisans operate here—even those who run workshops at home always maintain a storefront here."

Li Yan turned to survey his surroundings, lost in thought.

In this world, various handicraft industries are highly developed; with the imperial court opening the seas, overseas trade has flourished, and large workshops along the coast have sprung up like mushrooms after rain.

The status of merchants is rising rapidly; from the rumors he’s heard, much of the political turmoil in court stems from this very shift.

As Zhang Shitong said, the Zhou family, seeking safety, has withdrawn all its forces—its Eight Golden Pillars have all shut their doors, and even their escort agencies have stopped taking jobs.

And the people watching them suddenly vanished that morning.

With that, Li Yan had no need to pretend to be ill; under Wang Daoxuan’s guidance, he came to find someone to craft the Great Yunlei Drum for him.

The Guanzhong region has a long history of drum music; nearly every area boasts its own unique tradition, and with Chang’an’s annual Drum King Competition, numerous folk ensembles and drummakers abound.

Of course, ordinary shops cannot produce a Great Yunlei Drum.

Fortunately, Wang Daoxuan knew an occult craftsman.

The three walked on and soon arrived before the largest shop, where a sign bore three large characters: “Wen Sheng Ge.” Inside, walls and shelves were hung with drums of all sizes and types.

"Is Master Wan here?"

Wang Daoxuan asked the young shop attendant who greeted them.

The attendant clearly recognized Wang Daoxuan and bowed respectfully. "The manager is out, but he’ll return shortly. Master Wang, please wait a moment—I’ll brew you some tea."

With that, he turned and disappeared into the back room.

Sha Lifei whispered, "Look at the way they treat customers—those folks at the City God Temple are nothing but scum, always looking down their noses at people."

Wang Daoxuan, having once been down on his luck, was often mocked by shopkeepers near the City God Temple; Sha Lifei, furious, had argued with them several times.

Though they’d successfully summoned the spirit for the Shadow Puppet Chunfeng Troupe and regained some reputation, it hadn’t spread widely, and no major business had come their way.

Wang Daoxuan chuckled silently at this, offering no rebuttal.

Had he feared public opinion, he wouldn’t have spent over a decade wandering in pursuit of the Dao.

Soon, the attendant returned with tea and saw Li Yan examining the drums on the wall. He quickly explained, "Sir, our drums are the finest in Xianyang—we can make ten types of drums: the Ten-Luo Drum, Qin-Han War Drum, Wei Banner Drum, Ox-Drawn Drum, Jiaolong Spinning Drum... many famous troupes commission their drums from us..."

As he spoke, Li Yan suddenly frowned and turned around.

He smelled a scent—mixed with the stench of various livestock, yet blended with incense—clearly the aura of divine energy.

Indeed, an old man walked in from the street, dressed in a black robe, hunched and weathered with white hair, yet his hands bore unusually thick knuckles, veins bulging like iron plows.

Behind him followed a simple-looking man with a kind face.

As soon as he reached the shop’s entrance, the old man’s ears twitched, and he laughed heartily, "Who’s the fellow visiting today? Oh, it’s Master Wang..."

Though he appeared to be addressing Wang Daoxuan, his eyes fixed on Li Yan.

Wang Daoxuan smiled. "Master Wan, it’s been a long time. Let me introduce you—this is..."

"No need. I know him well."

Master Wan looked at Li Yan and nodded, saying, "Yesterday, Brother Li showed his prowess on the fighting stage—I was watching from below. Your true words shattered magical arts; it was brilliant!"

Li Yan was startled, then realized: this Master Wan must have awakened the Ear Divine Power, allowing him to hear clearly even amid such chaos.

"Your reverence flatters me," Li Yan quickly bowed.

Master Wan nodded, hesitated, then couldn’t help asking, "Young man, what treasure do you carry? Why is your aura so heavy with malevolence?"

Li Yan became intrigued. "What exactly did you hear?"

Master Wan sighed. "Clashing weapons, warhorses, the cries of dying souls, prayers offered in incense..."

This was Li Yan’s first encounter with someone possessing the Ear Divine Power; since the man had already sensed it, he no longer concealed it, pulling the demon-sealing tassel from his robe.

"The Three-Celestials Demon-Sealing Coin—excellent!"

Master Wan’s eyes lit up, but he didn’t reach for it; instead, he examined it closely, then shook his head. "The exorcism knotting technique comes from beyond the frontier. Whoever made this was either injured or careless—otherwise, I wouldn’t have sensed it at all."

Li Yan quickly asked, "Can you fix it?"

Though the Three-Celestials Demon-Sealing Coin tassel was powerful, it was inconvenient at times—mainly because it couldn’t fully suppress its aura.

As Wang Daoxuan had said, a true talisman should be like a celestial treasure: inert when unused, only revealing its divine power when activated.

Master Wan didn’t answer immediately but turned to Wang Daoxuan. "Master Wang, I’ve watched you pursue the Dao single-mindedly for years. Now fortune has turned—congratulations."

"What brings you here today?"

"To have a drum made for Brother Li."

"Oh? Do you have a blueprint?"

Since they were all experts, there was no need for concealment; Li Yan directly handed over the blueprint of the Great Yunlei Drum to Master Wan.

After reviewing it, Master Wan understood at once and smiled. "So this is the legacy of the old War Drum King—once famed in Chang’an for warriors striking drums with hidden force. Its reappearance is truly cause for celebration."

Li Yan gave a thumbs-up. "Your reverence is truly perceptive."

"Perceptive? Not quite."

Master Wan smiled and shook his head. "The challenge lies in materials—you need top-grade wood and leather to withstand hidden force without cracking. Though it’s not a ritual divine drum, the cost won’t be low." Sha Lifei immediately asked, "How much?"

Master Wan pondered. "The drum leather isn’t hard to get—we need premium rhinoceros hide. It used to be rare, but since the sea ban was lifted, merchants have imported entire ships full, and prices are reasonable. I’ve already arranged for some."

"For the drum body, jujube wood will do—but to withstand hidden force, it must come from ancient trees growing within sacred mountain energy nodes. And I have another suggestion."

"Since you’ve entered the occult path, you know the importance of talismans. Since the materials are rare anyway, why not forge it as a true talisman? It could synergize with the Three-Celestials Demon-Sealing Coin, activated by Qin-Han ancient melodies—becoming a powerful demon-subduing weapon!"

"Please continue."

"Use only ancient thunder-struck jujube wood—it will serve both purposes."

"I happen to know a treasure-seeker who knows where to find it—but the mountain is full of ferocious beasts, and he needs a skilled companion. If you’re willing, accompany him to retrieve it..."

"Oh~"

Before he finished, Sha Lifei burst out, "Master Wan, you’re not being fair! You’ve talked so much—you’re just trying to get us to do your dirty work for free!"

Master Wan frowned. "What do you mean ‘free labor’? If you bring back the thunder-struck jujube tree, you’ll save on material costs!"

Sha Lifei didn’t believe him. "How big is this thunder-struck jujube tree?"

！。

Master Wan paused. "It’s not small."

Sha Lifei spread his hands. "Exactly! The biggest burden still falls on you—and if it were easy to get, why would you tell us?"

Master Wan seemed stumped, staring at Sha Lifei for a moment. "Fine. The thing is indeed hard to retrieve. If you bring it back, I’ll make the drum for free."

Sha Lifei immediately bowed. "Your reverence is magnanimous!"

As they haggled, Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan remained silent.

This was the plan they’d agreed upon: with Sha Lifei’s shameless, opportunistic nature, he’d never be taken advantage of in negotiations.

After a while, they reached an agreement, and the three stepped out of the shop.

Just outside the old street entrance, a commotion erupted ahead: outside a tavern, several men were brawling.

One side wore black warrior robes with leather belts—members of the White Ape Gang.

The other side reeked of sweat, dressed as laborers.

"Where’s our pay?!"

"Who the hell owes you? Go ask your foreman!"

"The foreman says you didn’t pay!"

"Hey, we never got paid for jobs like this before!"

The two sides immediately erupted into violence.

The White Ape Gang members were all broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, their collars embroidered with dragons and phoenixes, brows furrowed, eyes blazing—fierce-looking.

But as soon as they fought, they were immediately beaten senseless by the laborers.

They were martial artists!

Li Yan instantly understood.

Whether the White Ape Gang or the Iron Knife Gang, local gangs couldn’t survive on protection fees and tolls alone.

They typically controlled underground industries: gambling dens, loan sharks, brothels, human traffickers, smuggling salt—every profitable racket they touched.

When hiring laborers, they often refused to pay; the foremen refused to absorb the loss, so they forced the laborers to demand payment themselves.

The laborers dared not resist, so the matter was dropped.

Now, these laborers were likely disguised martial artists, deliberately provoking small incidents to escalate tensions.

"Call for help! Call for help!"

"Today we’re going to peel their skins!"

Public humiliation enraged the White Ape Gang thugs.

Soon, over a dozen disheveled men ran up, wielding long staves and short blades, cursing loudly.

The laborers, unafraid, charged forward immediately.

The entire street descended into chaos.

Li Yan and the others slipped away quickly.

Along the way, they saw more disturbances: human traffickers beaten black and blue, gambling dens on fire, even deaths reported.

Sha Lifei muttered, "Old Zhang’s move is brutal. The Zhou family may be hiding, but those who depend on them still need to eat. These scoundrels are full of vices—they’ll inevitably trigger something."

Li Yan thought for a moment, then shook his head slightly. "The Zhou family isn’t foolish—they’ve surely prepared a response. The city will be in turmoil these next few days."

"But that’s fine. While the Zhou family is distracted, we’ll get our task done, then vanish into the shadows and see what we can catch."

With a plan formed, the three immediately returned to the Wendaoguan.

For this journey to find the thunder-struck jujube wood, all three would go—and we’ll take our most important items, disappearing from the Zhou family’s sight amid the chaos...

(End of Chapter)