Chapter 555

Chengdu is located in the northwest of the Shu region; traveling further west, one reaches the vast plateau, near the snow region, where the population is sparse.

Since the Tang Dynasty, the "Jiannan Xichuan Circuit" centered on Chengdu has been the most prosperous region in the Shenzhou, and at that time there was the saying "Yangzhou first, Yizhou second," and this prosperity has continued to this day.

Most of the goods coming from other places arrive from the east, so the East City District is also the place where all kinds of people gather and the personnel are the most complex.

There are countless inns and carriage shops of all sizes.

Tea houses and wine shops are everywhere.

"Spicy braised rabbit, come taste it for the New Year!"

"Hot fermented rice wine, sweet and fragrant to warm the heart!"

"Sour and refreshing vinegar tofu pudding, come have a bowl to cleanse the palate!"

"Sugar paintings, beautiful and delicious, come get some good luck for the New Year!"

On the street, all kinds of hawking sounds rose one after another.

There were more pedestrians here, and it was even more chaotic.

Li Yan walked through it, simultaneously unleashing his supernatural powers; all kinds of scents rushed into his nasal cavity, and even the smallest sounds could be distinguished by his ears.

This is the greatest advantage of a sorcerer.

Even if their spells are average, by relying on their formidable five senses, they can capture combat opportunities better than ordinary martial artists.

The current Li Yan is even more like a radar.

Walking along the street, all kinds of movements were clear in his heart.

He could smell that in a certain wine restaurant, some unknown "seasonings" had been added to the wine, which easily made people addicted...

He could hear that in a dark alley, several pickpockets were discussing how to embezzle some silver and give less to the "Buddha" so they could get more money to go home for the New Year...

He could even smell that under a large vat in a dyeing workshop, a rotting corpse was buried, and faint resentment was constantly overflowing, causing the boss and his wife of the dyeing workshop to be infected by Yin Qi and inevitably fall into a serious illness...

He could also hear a miserable little clerk hiding in his room crying...

The various states of the mortal world rushed toward him.

Li Yan didn't pay much attention.

From his previous life to this one, he has walked the human world and roamed the martial world, having seen too many injustices and tragic events.

It is not that his blood has turned cold, but that he is truly powerless.

Wherever there are people, there is a martial world,

and likewise, there is injustice.

Casting aside the miscellaneous thoughts in his heart, Li Yan suddenly stopped and looked to the left.

That was a tea house.

Shu is one of the birthplaces of tea culture; since arriving in the Shu region, tea houses can be seen everywhere, whether in the capital or small towns.

The people of Shu also love tea; whether they are high-ranking officials or common laborers, rich or poor, their greatest pastime is in the tea house.

But this one before his eyes was truly extraordinary.

The tea house was not small and had two floors, with flying eaves and upturned corners, exquisite brackets, and wooden frames carved with complex patterns—either landscapes or flowers and birds—lifelike, as if they were miniature scrolls.

Copper bells hung under the eaves, and red lanterns dangled under the brackets.

As the breeze blew, the sound was crisp and pleasant.

On the lintel hung a plaque with gold characters on a black background, inscribed with the three large characters "Mingxiang Pavilion," the calligraphy vigorous and powerful.

The threshold was carved from a single piece of bluestone, its surface polished smooth as a mirror, and the snow had been neatly swept to both sides.

Li Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, and he was somewhat surprised.

This tea house revealed one word from top to bottom: Expensive!

There wasn't a single beggar at the entrance, which meant it had a background.

Having class and a background, and opening in such a place where people flow and mix—to put it nicely, it's seeking quiet in the midst of noise; to put it bluntly, it definitely has problems.

Thinking of this, Li Yan strode toward the tea house.

"Greetings, sir."

The waiter at the door hurriedly welcomed him with a smile: "Have you reserved a seat?"

Li Yan was surprised: "Do you have to reserve a seat to drink tea?"

The waiter was dressed appropriately and spoke very politely, smiling: "I'm sorry, guest, the seats here must be reserved in advance."

"Oh..."

Upon hearing this, Li Yan became interested instead.

He had seen many such things in his previous life.

Some do it to raise their own status; even if there are few guests, you have to reserve in advance to show that the place is extraordinary.

Some are just booming with business and can't entertain everyone.

Of course, there is another kind, which is opening a tea house not to make money, but only to entertain specific guests and act as a broker.

Li Yan's ears moved slightly, and hearing the subtle conversation inside, he immediately understood that this tea house was the third kind.

He smiled slightly, took a silver ingot from his bosom: "Whether I reserve a seat or not is not important; I mainly want to find someone to drink tea and discuss a deal."

The waiter opposite him saw him take out the silver, but didn't even look at it, smiling: "Please, guest."

After saying that, he raised his hand, bowed, and made a gesture of invitation.

Li Yan took off his bamboo hat and followed the waiter into the tea house.

The layout inside was also very different from other tea houses.

The inner hall was extremely particular, with seven or eight Song-style carved round tables, the tabletops smooth as mirrors, the edges carved with cloud patterns, all matched with circular chairs.

On the tables were exquisite blue and white porcelain tea sets, depicting landscapes, flowers, and birds, and the surrounding powder walls were hung with landscape ink paintings and flower-and-bird paintings.

Between the tables were screens for cover, and all around were green potted landscapes.

It had both private spaces and didn't block the view of the wooden stage in the back; on the stage, there was no storytelling or drum storytelling common in ordinary tea houses, only a woman dressed elegantly playing the guzheng.

The zither sound carried an ancient charm, and the tea fragrance carried a scent.

Just this front hall showed extraordinary taste.

There were only two groups of guests in the front hall, both dressed gorgeously, drinking tea and listening to music while talking in low voices.

Their voices were very small, almost covered by the zither sound.

However, Li Yan heard them clearly.

"How is it over in Minzhou?"

"I heard that the Dutch pirates who were causing trouble were all killed..."

"Brother Lu, what should be done about this matter?"

"You can't eat that kind of mine; it's useless even if you find it. The imperial court doesn't give much silver, but I know a steward in the Prince's mansion; let's see if I can help you get an introduction..."

They spoke obscurely, but Li Yan knew what it was.

Overseas trade, new types of gunpowder mines...

Any one of them was not something ordinary people could come into contact with.

No wonder they set a threshold.

It's just that I don't know who the owner of this tea house is...

Thinking of this, Li Yan shook his head secretly.

The Cheng family is large and wealthy, but it is also somewhat declining; they gave a clue, but didn't consider it thoroughly and didn't mention the background of this tea house.

"Guest, will you be here, or go to a private room?"

"Go to a private room; it's quiet."

"Very well, please follow me."

Li Yan followed the waiter, walked up the wooden stairs, and arrived at the second floor of the tea house, which had the same style but was divided into individual private rooms.

"Guest, please wait a moment."

The waiter led him into a private room and then turned and left.

Li Yan sat down casually and looked around.

This private room was not small and was spacious and bright inside.

The window lattices were also exquisitely carved; through the window, the eaves of the street outside were covered in silver, like a painting.

Everywhere was scenery; the person who built this building had extraordinary craftsmanship!

Regardless of who was behind it, at least the layout of this place made Li Yan happy, and his mood was much more pleasant.

Soon, a woman dressed elegantly walked in.

She was not young, but her temperament was very extraordinary; she nodded slightly: "What tea is the guest accustomed to drinking?"

Li Yan's eyes narrowed: "What do you have?"

The woman replied: "Mengding Stone Flower, Guzhu Purple Bamboo Shoot, Tianmu Green Peak, Yandang Mao Peak, Lushan Cloud Mist... the shop has stored some of the famous teas from all over the Shenzhou."

"I'll follow the host's lead."

Li Yan placed his Dust-Severing Blade to the side and said calmly: "Whatever you think suits me, that's what I'll drink..."

Before he could finish speaking, footsteps sounded outside.

A middle-aged man dressed in a Shu-embroidered robe walked over quickly; upon entering, he smiled and bowed: "Sorry to keep you waiting, guest." "I am Lu Qingshan, the manager of Mingxiang Pavilion; I don't know your..."

"Li Yan."

"Oh, greetings, Mr. Li."

This Manager Lu clasped his hands and sat down, smiling: "Mr. Li looks somewhat unfamiliar; is this your first time at the shop? I don't know how I can be of service?"

While they were talking, the woman had already brought a teapot from outside and placed it on the red clay stove in the room.

There was already hot water in the teapot, and it began to steam after a while; then she scalded the cups and brewed the tea, her movements flowing like clouds and water.

After serving tea to the two of them, she brought over several exquisite snacks.

The tea color was warm, clear, and bright, and a peculiar exotic fragrance lingered.

Manager Lu saw this, and a trace of shock clearly flashed in his eyes, but his expression remained unchanged as he introduced it with a smile: "Good taste, Mr. Li."

"This Tiger Hill tea is known as the 'crown of the world' and has very little yield; the shop can only get a few taels every year..."

(No content)

Halfway through, he realized he had spoken out of turn, hurriedly closed his mouth, and looked at the tea in the cup, his eyes full of heartache.

"Good tea!"

Li Yan pretended not to notice, praised it after taking a sip, and then took a cloth strip that had been half-burned from his bosom: "Does Manager Lu recognize this item?"

This was the reason he came.

The gold and silver shop was burned, and although the surrounding people extinguished the fire in time, many clues had been burned, leaving only a few things.

This cloth strip was one of them.

It was made of Shu brocade and was extremely exquisite.

Manager Lu was startled upon seeing it, took the cloth strip and looked at it for a few moments, then said in a deep voice: "I don't know, sir, why do you ask about this?"

Li Yan took another sip of tea without answering, but turned his head to look at the tea-serving woman and said calmly: "I don't know what you think, Senior?"

Manager Lu was startled and hurriedly looked at the woman beside him.

And that woman straightened up, her aura changed abruptly, and her eyes became sharp: "As expected of the famous Li Yan; I don't know where I revealed a flaw."

That's right, this woman was the owner of the tea house.

The other party had hidden it well, and Li Yan hadn't noticed when he first entered, but when she spoke, Li Yan heard another subtle voice.

"Divine artifact on the body, don't mess around..."

That voice was sharp and drifted about.

Li Yan's ear supernatural power can hear the language of ghosts and gods, and he immediately understood that there was something attached to this woman.

But when he entered the door before, he hadn't discovered anything.

There was only one reason: this woman had a divine artifact on her body.

You must know that divine artifacts are not often seen.

In the succession of human dynasties, as long as they are Dharma artifacts related to state sacrificial rites and have been infected by the aura of the mortal world, they can be called divine artifacts.

Although the Shenzhou has experienced many dynasties, not that many have been preserved through the flames of war.

Li Yan had seen a few, and none of the holders were mediocre.

Hearing the woman's question, Li Yan's expression remained unchanged: "Although your kung fu, Senior, has already returned to simplicity, your tea-serving movements revealed some."

He was, of course, talking nonsense, not wanting to expose his supernatural powers.

The woman clearly didn't believe him, but she didn't ask any more questions, instead gave a signal, and Manager Lu clasped his hands and left.

When he left, he even closed the door.

The woman then sat down leisurely, poured herself a cup of tea, and said lightly: "There are only three taels of this Tiger Hill tea; what you drank today is the last bit, and if the tea gets cold, the taste won't be right."

Afterward, she picked up the half-burned cloth strip and said in a deep voice: "My shop has some connections and can get some good tea from all over the place; if it's a precious top-grade, when a guest buys it, it will be packaged delicately."

"This is the sealing tape on the gift box; why was it burned?"

"It's related to a murder case."

Li Yan hurriedly asked: "I don't know, Senior, if you know the identity of the person holding this item?"

He didn't want to elaborate, but the woman flipped through it and thought thoughtfully: "You Twelve Yuan Chen, did you take a job from the Cheng family?"

Li Yan felt a chill in his heart and became alert: "How did you know?"

The woman put down the cloth strip and sneered: "What, you don't even call me Senior anymore?"

Seeing Li Yan's back tense up, she shook her head: "Don't worry, I have no interest in the Cheng family's affairs; each of these tea tapes is woven by the embroiderers of the tea house, they should recognize them."

After saying that, she stood up with the tea tape, went out the door, gave instructions to Manager Lu who was guarding the door, and returned to the room.

Li Yan saw that she agreed to help, and his heart relaxed; he then bowed: "I was rude, I don't know your honorable name, Senior."

This woman carried a divine artifact on her body; he couldn't detect her cultivation, but he could vaguely feel a trace of threat, so she was definitely not an ordinary person.

"My name is Liang Yu."

The woman lowered her head and continued to cook the tea: "This 'Mingxiang Pavilion' was opened as a joke many years ago, so I have been living in seclusion here; Manager Lu usually comes forward, and only a few people in Chengdu Prefecture know of me."

Li Yan's eyes narrowed: "Great seclusion in the city, you have good taste, Senior; I don't know why you came forward to help me?"

"No hurry."

The woman said lightly: "I will have you meet someone later."

Seeing this situation, Li Yan didn't ask any more questions.

The water in Chengdu Prefecture is indeed deep enough; he didn't expect that just by drinking tea, he would see a hidden master.

Since the other party appeared, there must be another cause and effect.

For a time, the room fell into silence.

Liang Yu didn't waste words, just cooked the tea silently.

Unknowingly, Li Yan became somewhat fascinated, and his eyes became solemn.

The other party didn't reveal her kung fu, but her tea-cooking movements were extremely precise, without a single superfluous action.

Such mastery of force is truly rare.

This woman,

is definitely a martial arts master!

By the time the pot of tea was almost finished, Manager Lu finally walked in, holding a slip of paper, and respectfully handed it to Liang Yu.

Liang Yu took a casual look and handed it to Li Yan.

After Li Yan took it, he was thoughtful.

On the slip of paper was written: Xu Yongqing, Chief Clerk of the Prince of Shu's mansion.

This result was somewhat unexpected.

Why would the Chief Clerk of the Prince of Shu's mansion take action against the Cheng family?

He was puzzled in his heart, but the woman Liang Yu stood up and said lightly: "Follow me."

Li Yan didn't speak, picked up the Dust-Severing Blade, and stood up.

Although the mysterious woman Liang Yu helped him, given the situation in Chengdu Prefecture, he had to be on guard.

As long as the other party made a move, he would immediately use the Soul-Hooking Thunder Chain.

The woman Liang Yu didn't seem to notice; she led him down the stairs at the back of the second floor, passed through a door, and arrived at the backyard.

The backyard of the tea house was actually connected to a small residential courtyard.

Seeing no one around, the woman Liang Yu said: "You don't need to be on guard; treating you with good tea and helping you find someone is just returning a favor."

Hearing this, Li Yan became even more strange.

He didn't remember helping this woman.

Entering the residential courtyard, a rich medicinal smell rushed toward them.

They saw a woman decocting medicine outside the side room on the left; upon seeing them, she hurriedly stood up and bowed: "Greetings, Madam."

"Hmm."

Liang Yu nodded and led Li Yan into the room.

This room was also elegantly decorated, but there was a fishy, foul smell that wouldn't dissipate, and an old man with a white beard was sitting on a recliner, his face pitch black.

At a glance, it was clear he had been poisoned by some kind of formidable toxin.

Li Yan was even more puzzled in his heart; he truly didn't know this person.

And the old man, upon seeing him, sighed slightly: "Seeing you in Chongqing Prefecture, I knew you were no ordinary person; sure enough, you have made a name for yourself."

"So it was you, Senior."

Hearing this voice, Li Yan suddenly realized.

In Chongqing Prefecture, he had once helped a theater troupe.

At that time, there was also an old man from the Pear Garden who was skilled in face-changing, also hiding in the dark, preparing to make a move.

It was precisely this person!

(End of chapter)