Chapter 521: The Burning Lingquan Temple

"That's Lingquan Temple!"

"How did it catch fire?"

For a moment, the pavilion buzzed with murmurs.

Everyone abandoned their feast, crowding by the windows to watch.

Li Yan, too, joined in, wine cup in hand, standing before the window.

Suining lay on a basin plain, dotted with hills, making Lingquan Peak distinctly visible in the distance.

Before arriving, Sha Li Fei had gathered intelligence.

Legend said a spring dripped continuously from the rocks, never ceasing—hence the name Lingquan. But what truly made it famous was the Lingquan Temple atop the mountain.

"The three sisters of Guanyin Bodhisattva eat from the same pot but cultivate separately. The eldest cultivates at Guangde Temple, the second at Lingquan Temple, but the youngest travels farthest, cultivating at Putuo Temple on the Southern Sea."

Inside Lingquan Temple, the second Guanyin was enshrined.

In Suining, Buddhism was revered, especially Guanyin—every household offered worship.

The most striking feature of Lingquan Temple was undoubtedly its towering Guanyin Hall, with wooden arches and golden glazed tiles, gleaming gold amid the mountains and rivers—even from Wangjiang Tower, it was crystal clear.

At this moment, not far from the Guanyin Hall, thick smoke rolled upward, stark against the gloomy sky.

"How could it suddenly catch fire?"

"The Dharma assembly is about to begin; the temple must make preparations. Some lanterns or Buddhist lamps may have been ignited by the wind…"

After watching the spectacle awhile, people lost interest.

Li Yan did the same.

Along his journey, he had crossed mountains and valleys, traversed rivers and lakes, seen too many landscapes, witnessed countless local customs.

Faith was a complex thing.

Especially across the Divine Land, the deity worshipped often tied to history, land, and tradition.

Here, people revered Guan Gong; there, they honored Erlang—each place different.

Sometimes, even contradictory beliefs arose.

But no matter what deity or immortal, if it endured and merged with local customs, the root was always one:

The people's longing for happiness and peace.

As long as it didn't concern him, Li Yan had no interest in meddling.

"Gentlemen, come—drink this cup full!"

Zou Shaohai called out, and the banquet resumed.

Wangjiang Tower charged such high prices; the feast was naturally top-tier.

The three most popular dishes were:

First, "Suzhou Scholar's Goose," named after the famed scholar Yang Shen, who, upon returning home after passing the imperial exam, was served braised goose prepared with a family recipe—hence the name "Scholar's Goose."

Second, "Lotus Pond Lotus Seed and Red Lady Meat"; third, "Fresh Bamboo Shoots Zhu Tong Chicken"—each uniquely delicious.

Sichuan cuisine, of course, needed no explanation.

Not only did Wu Ba eat with eyebrows flying, but even Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan, after several rounds of fist-guessing, buried themselves in their meals.

Years of braving wind and dew made fine food rare and precious.

But some paid no mind to food or drink.

For instance, the Red-Headed Masters of Lushan Sect spent most of their time chatting with Sichuan's martial sect leaders, cultivating relationships.

Those who had feuds with Li Yan, though they had settled their grievances this time, still felt uneasy and left early.

Soon after, several other sects and factions also took their leave.

Zou Shaohai went out one by one to see them off.

After rushing about, finally sending off all the guests, he turned back to find Li Yan and the others still seated at the table.

The pavilion now held only their group.

Even Luo Jun'an of the Luo family had gone to escort the several martial families who came to lend aid to the ferry dock.

They were full and satisfied, but Wu Ba could still eat, so they sipped tea, waited, and paid no heed to the glances around them.

"Young Master Li, admirable composure!"

Zou Shaohai gave a thumbs-up, then sat beside them, drank a few cups of tea, and said gravely: "Today's matter—I, Zou, owe you a debt."

"Senior, you flatter me—I benefited greatly as well."

Li Yan offered a casual reply.

He knew Zou Shaohai had more to say.

Indeed, after a moment's thought, Zou spoke: "Young Master Li, surely you've noticed the chaos brewing in Sichuan's martial world—what are your plans going forward?"

Li Yan smiled faintly and shook his head: "Senior, we are wandering immortals. Though we'll linger in Sichuan for a while, we're merely passing through—we won't settle here."

"Morning in the Northern Sea, evening at Cangwu—excellent!"

Zou Shaohai smiled in praise, yet inwardly sighed with regret, then added: "I've just taken over the Divine Fist Association; we're short on experts, and some matters may require the assistance of your Twelve Zodiacs."

"No problem!"

Li Yan smiled too: "You know what tasks we can handle—and the price."

"I, Zou, am no miser."

Zou Shaohai chuckled, inwardly calling him a sly fox.

He'd hoped to leverage this newly forged rapport to ask Li Yan for favors, but now it was clear: friendship was friendship, business was business.

Still, he pressed on: "It's still about Tang Ling. I'll first gather information—if I find him, the Divine Fist Association will handle it ourselves."

"But this matter may be troublesome. I'm giving you a heads-up—if things go wrong, we'll need your help."

"That's settled."

Li Yan nodded, then asked: "I have a matter too—does the Divine Fist Association dare take it on?"

"Oh?"

Zou Shaohai's expression didn't change: "Young Master, speak freely."

"It's about the Worship Dragon Sect."

Li Yan explained the origins of the Worship Dragon Sect and their intentions: "This is a major threat to Sichuan—if the Divine Fist Association eradicates them, your reputation will soar!"

"River God Lord, chaos at the Dragon King Temple…"

Zou Shaohai was startled, his face darkening. He spoke gravely: "One duty of the Divine Fist Association is to safeguard regional peace—but with our current strength, we cannot handle this."

"Given the stakes for Sichuan's safety, I dare not keep this secret. I have old ties with Master Zhitong of Guangde Temple. Tomorrow, Young Master, come with me to the mountain—I'll inform him."

"With Guangde Temple leading, and Emei and Qingcheng joining, we'll have a better chance of eliminating these demons."

"Agreed."

Li Yan immediately nodded.

He had no intention of fighting the Worship Dragon Sect alone—this was Sichuan's safety; why let others sit idle?

Seeing Wu Ba pat his belly, eyes half-closed, Li Yan rose: "Senior, we'll take our leave. See you tomorrow."

Wang Daoxuan, Lu San, and the others tidied their robes and replaced their talismans.

Zou Shaohai sensed something amiss: "What are you planning?"

Sha Li Fei grinned: "Full belly, time for a walk."

"You…"

Zou Shaohai's head throbbed—he realized Li Yan's group intended to trouble the Wang Fu.

Earlier, using the Wang Fu to break the deadlock had leaked their location.

He hadn't expected Li Yan's group to go after them.

Zou Shaohai was speechless: "Young Masters, you're not planning to reconcile with the Wang Fu?"

"Hahaha…"

Li Yan laughed, eyes brimming with scorn: "With such disparity in status, they won't even glance your way. Only after dragging you into the mud and beating you senseless will they listen."

With that, he led the group away.

…………

Leaving Wangjiang Tower, they headed straight for Suining County.

According to Zou Shaohai's earlier hint, the Wang Fu people were hiding in a large mansion in the west city, which also doubled as an oil press. Their target was clear.

The place lay along the road to Ruifu Mansion; they'd passed it twice without noticing—proof these people were masters of concealment.

They likely had arrays set up to mask their aura.

It was past noon, yet the county streets remained crowded, with people and animals bustling.

The group pretended to be well-fed tourists, strolling and gazing around as if admiring shop goods.

In truth, they'd begun reconnaissance.

"Two tailers behind us—a beggar and a porter."

"Ignore them—they're ordinary folks paid for the job."

"The courtyard has an array—the hawks can't see through."

"As long as they're inside…"

As they spoke, they neared the mansion.

One by one, they studied it.

The mansion was ancient, dilapidated, and reeked of pungent oil—perfect for hiding.

At least, Li Yan instinctively recoiled.

"Move!"

As they reached the gate, Li Yan suddenly spoke.

Wu Ba exploded forward with a surge of leg power, his massive body slamming sideways into the mansion's gate.

Boom!

With a deafening crash, the wooden door—half a finger thick—shattered instantly.

But Li Yan moved faster, already leaping into the air and landing atop the courtyard wall.

Behind the gate stood a black-clad giant, who had no time to react before being flung backward along with the splintered door.

These men were no doubt elite of the Wang Fu.

Some guarded the gate; others disguised themselves as oil press workers, carrying fried oil cakes as if still at work.

The thunderous crash immediately drew their attention.

"Exposed! Grab your weapons!"

A shrill voice rang out; the workers instantly pulled blades from their baskets and hurled flying daggers.

None of those sent by the Shu Wang Fu were mediocre.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The whistling of hidden weapons was piercing, forcing Wu Ba back.

But Li Yan had already dropped from the wall.

To deal with these men, Li Yan didn't even draw Duan Chen Dao—he surged forward with a burst of footwork, diving straight into the crowd.

He swung his left arm like an axe, shattering one man's raised sword arm, then leaned into him, sending him flying, and followed with "Flower Hidden Beneath Leaves," knocking another sideways…

The gap in martial cultivation was laid bare in this moment.

These men were elite, but against Li Yan, their numbers meant nothing—they carried no firearms, and were no match.

Crack! Crack!

Their eyes couldn't even track his movements; before they could react, they collapsed with a series of snapping bones, screaming in agony.

Those hidden inside the oil press house heard the commotion and rushed out.

But Sha Li Fei and others had already stormed in.

The enemy had a sorcerer—he raised a black flag and began chanting a spell toward Li Yan, when Wang Daoxuan lifted his Coin Sword, pointed it, and muttered incantations.

The sorcerer stiffened, utterly paralyzed.

This was the Yǎn Jìn Spell—a form of curse that trapped the victim in nightmare paralysis, unable to control their body; its key strength was speed of casting.

The others who rushed out fared no better.

"Roar!"

Wu Ba let out a furious bellow, then smashed straight through a corridor pillar, spun his body, and swung it like a club.

The air cracked—some men had their breastbones shattered, others rolled like lazy donkeys in desperate evasion.

Sha Li Fei and Lu San seized the chance and charged in.

One swung his scabbard, the other wielded a bone club; they coordinated perfectly, breaking several limbs.

Soon, the courtyard was littered with bodies—all with broken arms or legs, some wailing in pain, others gritting their teeth.

The reason for this restraint was clear.

This was Suining County; the Shu Wang Fu feared exposure and dared not deploy new firearms on a large scale, while Li Yan and his group could not openly slaughter in broad daylight.

A martial cultivator's body was as precious as oil.

They weren't like Li Yan, who could rapidly recover using the Great Luo Body; once their limbs were broken, they'd be out of action for months.

It avoided crossing the yamen's line while still crippling the Shu Wang Fu's strength.

After disabling everyone in the courtyard, Wang Daoxuan immediately led Lu San and Sha Li Fei to search the other corners.

Indeed, though the courtyard was dilapidated, it was arranged according to the Nine Palaces of Qimen Dunjia, with talismans placed in key spots to form a fengshui array.

Wang Daoxuan busied himself breaking the array, while Li Yan cracked his neck and walked to the man who had screamed earlier, coldly asking: "Oh? A eunuch. Whose command did you follow, which Commandery Prince?"

The eunuch had tried hard—he clenched his teeth and said nothing.

"Tsk tsk."

Li Yan chuckled, "You're a real man. Good. But tell me—does the Shu Wang Fu even care about your loyalty?"

At these words, the eunuch's face remained filled with hatred, but a flicker of panic clearly crossed his eyes.

Li Yan's words struck right at his heart.

The current situation in the Shu Wang Fu was no different from the imperial princes' struggle for succession—the old Shu Prince turned a blind eye, while the Commandery Princes schemed and clashed.

Eunuchs like him were as insignificant as ants; one misstep meant being whipped by the Wang Fu's overseers.

Even if they did everything right, it was expected.

One mistake, however, could cost them their lives.

"It was Commandery Prince Cheng."

The eunuch finally cracked, gritting his teeth.

Returning to the Shu Wang Fu meant certain death; better to save his life now and find a way to flee Shu later.

"As I suspected…"

Li Yan nodded, a killing intent rising in his heart.

Commandery Prince Cheng was the Wang Fu's eldest legitimate son—the one to whom the Salt Gang's Zhai Tianbao had pledged allegiance, and who had consistently stirred trouble against Li Yan.

Thinking of this, Li Yan continued: "How exactly were you planning to kill me? These men alone won't do."

The eunuch hesitated, but seeing Li Yan's face darken, he blurted: "We don't know. We were only ordered to lure you into Lingquan Temple during the Buddhist ceremony."

"Lingquan Temple?"

Li Yan frowned. "What's there?"

Wasn't Lingquan Temple just on fire?

"It's an order from above."

The eunuch growled, "You said it yourself—I'm lowly, such matters aren't for us to know. All we know is someone will truly try to kill you there!"

"I'd very much like to know…"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "Besides that—what else do you know?"

The eunuch glanced at the others and sneered: "If I return, I'll just be a stepping stone for them. Right now, I only want to live—why would I keep hiding anything?"

"Fair point."

Li Yan nodded, then led the group away.

Shortly after they left, a dense crowd of civilians gathered outside the oil press house, tiptoeing to watch the spectacle.

But soon, the crowd was drawn away by another shout.

"Come quick! Lingquan Temple is haunted!"

(End of Chapter)