Chapter 550: Searching for Someone in Guanxian

Clang!

The ox cart lurched forward, pulling free from the snow pit.

On the large flatbed, charcoal piled high like a mountain.

The old man leading the ox turned around, nervously rubbing his hands, forcing a smile: "Young master, thank you."

He wore a tattered cotton-padded jacket, his face blackened with soot, hunched over, his smile ingratiating, revealing a mouth of yellow teeth.

The young man assisting him, though dressed in martial arts attire, wore finely forged leather armor beneath a Sichuan-embroidered greatcoat, his face handsome and pale, resembling a noble young lord.

He had never encountered such a thing in his life.

Every time he delivered charcoal, not only did such wealthy people avoid him—even ordinary folks with a bit of means would steer clear.

After all, he'd worn that cotton-padded jacket for decades.

He hadn't bathed all winter and still had to work; the sour stench on him was unimaginable.

The one who helped him was naturally Li Yan.

"Old man, don't be afraid."

Li Yan comforted him, then pulled a silver ingot from his sleeve and pressed it into the old man's hand. He glanced toward the distance and asked: "Old man, what's happened in Guanxian?"

He had come down from the mountains intending to find someone in Guanxian.

But before reaching the gate, he noticed something strange.

Soldiers guarded every road, the city gate was under strict inspection, and several wanted posters hung on the walls—exactly of Sha Li Fei and others.

Oddly, no names were written—only that these were ruthless bandits of the Jianghu, and any civilian providing information would be rewarded a hundred taels of silver.

Li Yan realized something had happened and had to find someone to ask.

"Ah…"

Upon hearing this, the charcoal seller immediately felt the silver was burning hot, but remembering his sick wife lying at home, he gritted his teeth and shoved it into his bosom, bowing respectfully: "Old man doesn't know much, only heard that many people died in the Shunyuan Escort Agency's compound."

"Those who travel the Jianghu were specifically warned not to get involved."

"Oh, thank you, old man."

Li Yan nodded slightly, watching as the charcoal seller didn't head toward the city but turned the cart around and quickly departed the way he came.

The old man had endured much hardship and was clever.

First, having taken the silver, there was no need to laboriously drag the charcoal into the city; second, he deliberately showed Li Yan he wouldn't go to the city to report.

Thinking of this, Li Yan looked again toward the distant county.

Shunyuan Escort Agency had brought Sha Li Fei and the others into the city and knew their background—they wouldn't act recklessly. They were likely caught up in this…

Someone in the Jianghu had sealed the news; they probably knew the truth…

Drawing on his Jianghu experience, Li Yan quickly deduced several things.

But what puzzled him was that Guanxian wasn't a major city—hardly any experts lived here. Who was behind this?

He'd have to enter the city and inquire further.

Li Yan looked around and, seeing no one nearby, immediately formed a hand seal, stepped the Nine Stars, and chanted: "By the decree of the Great Emperor of Fengdu, Fengdu spirits, Fengdu spirits, descend swiftly! Golden hammers whirl, iron staves cross. Fengdu generals and officers, hasten to appear…"

Hss~

Before the incantation ended, a fierce wind erupted.

Yin-sha energy rose with bone-chilling cold, faintly forming eight shadowy figures behind him, radiating chilling authority.

This was borrowing the power of the Eight Outer Altar Generals.

Borrowing the power of Yin generals varied by method.

One could summon aid without chanting, but the more preparation, the greater the power.

With the power of the Eight Generals enhancing him, Li Yan activated the Northern Emperor's Dark Water Escape.

Gradually, his form vanished.

In the past, using the Dark Water Escape always produced mist; if his cultivation was deep, even a blurred silhouette could be seen.

But with the power of the Eight Generals enhancing him, he could vanish completely.

Hss~

A light breeze blew, revealing only faint footprints racing toward Guanxian.

Guanxian's ancient city walls were not tall. Li Yan circled around, found a secluded spot, and with a few leaps, soared over the wall.

Inside the city, the atmosphere was even tenser.

At every alley corner, at least one or two yamen runners stood guard, and armed soldiers from the garrison marched past in formation.

Li Yan walked a few steps and leaned against a wall.

This was a secluded residence in the eastern district. Across the alley, two yamen runners—one old, one young—leaned against the wall, yawning.

Passersby all hunched their shoulders and hurried past.

Seeing no one around, the young runner finally complained: "What kind of madness is this? Two days already—if they were inside the city, they'd have fled by now. Why won't the magistrate call it off?"

"Hah, you don't understand."

The old runner pulled out his tobacco pipe, squatted by the wall, took two puffs, then said: "Shunyuan Escort Agency is from Chengdu Prefecture. Even if they all died, what's it to us in Guanxian?"

"Besides, the killer isn't them. Didn't you see the two men standing beside the constable when they collected the bodies? Those are the real ones."

"Whether they catch the killer doesn't matter—what matters is whether those two are satisfied!"

"Huh?"

The young runner looked confused: "Who has that much power?"

The old runner knocked the ash from his pipe, fell silent for a moment, then said: "In this world, it's best not to meddle—but since you call me master, I'll explain this, so you don't get yourself killed later."

He whispered mysteriously: "They wear official boots and carry tokens from the Shu Prince's Mansion."

"The Shu Prince's Mansion?!"

The young runner's eyes widened in shock.

Though local officers like them were despised by the people, they still had some authority—ordinary folk dared not provoke them.

But the name "Shu Prince's Mansion" was far beyond him.

It was as distant as the stars in the sky.

"Shh!"

The old runner quickly hushed him, glanced around, then scolded: "Remember—talk too much and you'll bring disaster. Sometimes, ignorance is safer."

"Just pretend you don't know. Whatever the magistrate says, do it. Act deaf and dumb…"

Shu Prince's Mansion?

Listening to the two runners' chatter, Li Yan frowned slightly.

The Shu Prince's Mansion held unquestioned power in Shu.

Local officials obeyed its orders alone, and together with local gentry, it formed a vast network.

Even imperial envoys feared it.

If the Shu Prince's Mansion was involved, this matter grew complicated.

Sha Li Fei and the others, if they acted openly, would be wanted, restrained, and easily manipulated.

Could Sha Li Fei and the others be in trouble…?

Thinking of this, Li Yan's eyes flared with murderous intent.

If anything had happened…

He would slaughter the Shu Prince's Mansion!

Watching the two chatting runners, Li Yan narrowed his eyes but made no move. Instead, he circled toward the county yamen.

Time was urgent; the most direct way was to find those two officials from the Shu Prince's Mansion and learn what had happened.

But after passing just a few alleys, movement ahead caught his attention.

"Block this side!"

"You hold this side!"

"Anyone who moves, shoot on sight!"

Footsteps pounded the street, shouts echoed everywhere.

Dozens of garrison soldiers sprinted in formation, quickly surrounding the surrounding alleys. Civilians in their way were knocked down with rifle butts.

"Mercy, sir! Mercy!"

The civilians, bloodied and terrified, knelt trembling on the ground, unable to speak clearly.

But the soldiers, fierce as wolves and tigers, ignored them entirely, rushing to the alley mouths, lining up, and raising their muskets with a clatter.

They used ordinary firearms.

Since the new firearms appeared, the court had reformed—its imperial guard units now all carried new muskets.

The Commandant's Office had received many as well; rumors said each Battalion Command now had a dozen or so.

The most loyal troops to the court were also well-armed.

The older muskets were distributed to local garrisons.

Though outdated, some used for years, each shot requiring tedious reloading and often misfiring, their tactics had changed: they formed three ranks, using the "Three-Stage Volley."

Li Yan wasn't surprised.

Though the Great Xuan Dynasty had enjoyed long peace, it still had many capable generals, and some of the old veterans still lived.

In the Southwest Campaign, they must have already developed practical battlefield methods.

The area they surrounded was an alley, cleaner than others—stone-paved street, snow cleared away, revealing the stone beneath.

Only one large mansion stood there, red lanterns hanging outside, wooden racks inside laden with cured pork and smoked ham.

A festive atmosphere was prepared.

Li Yan found it strange—who could possibly warrant such a massive operation?

"Lei Zi, scatter and pull back!"

At that moment, shouts suddenly erupted from within the mansion.

They're people from the Jianghu!

Hearing this secret phrase, Li Yan immediately recognized their identity.

Not a single mistake in word, tone, or content—perfect!

He furrowed his brow, preparing to detour and leave the area.

He had no interest in meddling in these affairs, and besides, Sha Li Fei and the others were still missing—he couldn't afford to waste time here.

But just then, a battalion commander from the garrison stepped out, his face cold, shouting toward the interior: "Hou Xuan, your crimes have been exposed!"

"Damn it, what else would you do? Fraternizing with rebels—was it you behind the Shunyuan Escort Agency incident?!"

Li Yan paused, lost in thought.

From inside came a rough voice: "Bullshit! Zhao Peng, that corrupt official, is trying to curry favor with the Shu Prince's Mansion by falsely accusing innocent people. Why don't he look in a mirror and see if anyone even respects you?"

Upon hearing this, the battalion commander's face darkened instantly.

He had only been putting on a show, planning to arrest the man and take him back.

Hou Xuan was a local magnate; seizing this opportunity, he could squeeze out a hefty bribe—satisfying the Shu Prince's Mansion and ensuring a good New Year.

In good spirits, he'd lock him up until next year before releasing him.

But once those words were spoken, all pretense was shattered.

The surrounding soldiers exchanged furtive glances.

Seeing this, the battalion commander's eyes flooded with murderous intent. He coldly declared: "Rebel Hou Xuan, colluding with demonic bandits, sowing chaos in the region—death sentence!"

"What are you waiting for? Attack!"

At the order, a squad of soldiers marched forward.

In front, men held shields; behind them, steel blades; at the rear, firearms provided cover.

Clearly, this was a military formation specifically designed to combat Jianghu practitioners.

They lacked light-body arts, at best having trained in basic fist and foot techniques; the high walls and courtyards were impossible to scale, so they could only tiptoe forward, preparing to smash the door.

Sssss!

Suddenly, several cloth bundles were flung from within the courtyard, followed by flying daggers that shattered them.

Instantly, white powder fell like snowflakes.

"Watch out—it's lime!"

The soldiers quickly closed their eyes and raised their arms to block.

But the powder landed on their skin, triggering unbearable itching—they writhed and scratched, dropping their weapons to the ground.

"You're all fools!"

Seeing this, the battalion commander flew into a rage, cursed, then turned and snatched a bundle from a soldier's pack.

It was an explosive pack.

So now they're playing with this too!

Li Yan watched, speechless.

He had seen garrison soldiers fight before—they were nothing like this.

They've learned quickly…

Though he mentally scoffed, he did not stand idle.

Finding a secluded spot, Li Yan revealed himself, formed a hand seal, and eight straw spirit paper figures leapt into the air from his waist.

Simultaneously, he chanted: "Spirit of Wind, hasten! Spirit of Earth, depart! Spirits of the Wronged, seize them—now!"

Whoosh~

As the incantation took effect, a violent wind erupted around him.

Yin-sha energy rose from the ground, coiling into rolling black smoke that converged upon the eight straw spirit paper figures, then erupted as eight howling shadows of wind.

Instantly, the narrow alley plunged into darkness.

The eight straw spirit paper figures darted wildly, the gale howling, whipping up snowdrifts and hurling the soldiers into disarray, blinding them.

Worse still, the wind carried a chilling, eerie cold.

The soldiers shivered uncontrollably, hallucinations swarming before their eyes, the wind's wails filling their ears—they could no longer stand, let alone attack.

This was the "Eight Generals of Fengdu Pursuit and Capture Method."

When performed on an altar, it could summon the Eight Inner and Outer Generals to scour mountains and shatter temples, capture demons and evil spirits, or engage in magical combat.

When applied to straw spirit paper figures, it could attack and impede enemies.

"Bold! Who dares practice sorcery?!"

The battalion commander knew someone was manipulating magic. Though terrified, he still roared in fury.

He had reason to be confident.

Guanxian was remote, yet rich in spiritual heritage.

On the mountain stood the Temple of Er Lang the Manifest and Holy True Lord; by the river, the Water God General Yang Si's shrine; even the city's Chenghuang Temple had centuries of incense offerings and was officially registered in the capital as a legitimate folk deity.

For years, no demon or evil spirit had dared act recklessly here.

Only recently had something strange occurred.

Whoever practiced magic in the city would surely suffer consequences.

As expected, Li Yan had taken only two steps when he furrowed his brow, glancing toward a nearby spot—he sensed a thick aura of incense.

In the past, this would have been a problem.

But for the current Li Yan, it was no issue at all.

He pulled out the Warrant of Heaven from his robe and coldly declared: "Heavenly Official enforces law—mortal deities, retreat!"

Whoosh~

A gentle breeze passed, and the incense aura vanished instantly.

This was another advantage of being a "Heavenly Official."

Acting as Heaven's envoy was no empty boast—mortal deities could not interfere, nor could they reveal any information.

After driving off the Chenghuang, Li Yan sprinted forward, then leapt upward from the opposite wall, ears twitching.

Soon, he reached a nearby hill.

Whoosh!

Snow and soil slid away, and a wooden plank flew out.

Then, one by one, dusty, soot-covered figures emerged—Hou Xuan and his loyal subordinates.

They had never intended to break out; they'd merely diverted attention and escaped through a secret tunnel. Li Yan seized the opportunity to use their aid.

Hou Xuan was the first out. Seeing Li Yan standing nearby, he startled, then suddenly realized something and quickly bowed: "Are you Master Li?"

"Where are Sha Li Fei and the others?"

Li Yan cut straight to the point.

"I escorted them out of the city and arranged for them to stay at a tea house…"

Hou Xuan briefly explained, gritting his teeth: "Something must have happened on the mountain—otherwise, the Shu Prince's Mansion wouldn't be targeting me."

"Thank you!"

After learning the route, Li Yan waved his hand, and one straw spirit paper figure leapt into the air, landing on one of Hou Xuan's men.

"Hold this. I'll find you later—you'll be richly rewarded!"

"Master Li…"

Hou Xuan was about to speak, but the figure before him vanished in a blur.

He blinked, then shook his head slightly.

Meanwhile, Li Yan, having run only a short distance, immediately strapped on the Jia Ma, activated the Northern Emperor's Divine Speed Technique, and raced toward Tea Mountain.

Tea Mountain was not far from the county seat; his speed was swift, and soon he arrived at the tea plantation.

The area had been ravaged by battle, now a scene of utter ruin.

Li Yan furrowed his brow, activated his Sense of Smell Divine Art, sniffed the air, searching for the scent of Sha Li Fei and the others.

But then he lifted his head and spoke sternly:

"Come out!"

Whoosh!

Wings flapped, and a blood-red parrot descended from a distant treetop…

(End of Chapter)