Chapter 562

Before even entering the Wang Fu, Li Yan saw a servant waiting at the main gate, trembling with a face full of anxiety.

"Li Li Shaoxia, you've finally returned!"

He had long been frozen with a face flushed red. Seeing Li Yan appear, he was instantly overjoyed, ran over in a few steps, and respectfully bowed with cupped hands: "Li Li Shaoxia, the Commandery Prince asked me to wait for you here; please go to the front hall first upon your return."

"Oh, how long have you been waiting?"

"I started waiting in the middle of the night..."

The servant didn't dare to complain, but he couldn't help but reveal a trace of grievance.

Upon hearing this, Li Yan already understood the reason.

The destruction of the Xu residence had already made this Fifth Commandery Prince restless, especially at this critical juncture; any variable could be fatal.

The Wang Fu's intelligence capabilities went without saying; he had fought in the city last night and later ran to the Chengdu Prefecture Yamen, so they must know something.

Sure enough, upon arriving at the front hall, the Fifth Commandery Prince Xiao Jinghong, Ming Shanzi, and Sha Lifei all came out to greet him.

"Brother Yan, are you alright?"

Sha Lifei looked worried and said in a deep voice: "We heard the news last night and were prepared to go out, but Senior Ming Shanzi said that people from the Shu Wang Fu were still there, and going out would instead cause trouble."

"The Senior is right!"

Li Yan nodded solemnly and said: "If you had gone out last night, I'm afraid there really would have been big trouble."

The Fifth Commandery Prince Xiao Jinghong was quite composed, his expression calm as he said: "Everyone, let's go inside and talk."

The group took their seats in the hall, and servants served hot tea.

The tea was top-grade Dongding Oolong, but no one had the heart to savor it, all looking at Li Yan in unison.

Li Yan didn't waste words either; omitting the matter of the "Six Hermits of the Bamboo Forest," he recounted his experiences at the Xu residence, the battle on the long street, and what he saw at the Prefecture Yamen.

"That old hag has extraordinary methods and is highly experienced; after being defeated by me, she fled quickly, and the actions of the Chenghuangmiao are somewhat strange..."

"The Shu Wang has the Black Feather Guard, and quite a few expert death soldiers..."

Inside the hall, blue smoke rose from the gilded suanni incense burner.

Li Yan dipped his fingertips in cold tea and traced the route he took last night on the rosewood table, as well as the layout of the Shu Wang Fu.

Three cobblers can equal a Zhuge Liang.

Although he personally experienced the battle, he was in the midst of it, and perhaps others could see more problems.

Sure enough, Ming Shanzi looked at the map, his eyes immediately turning gloomy, "The Chenghuangmiao... there is indeed a problem."

As he spoke, he also dipped his hand in some tea, tapped a few times on the table, and then connected them, vaguely forming a Bagua diagram.

"Back in the Daxing Dynasty, to resist the sorcery of the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom, our Qingcheng and Emei sects united with many Dharma lineages to jointly set up a great array in the city..."

"Although time has passed and it no longer has its original power, with such a big commotion, the Chenghuangmiao side couldn't have missed it."

"I'm afraid someone has already tampered with it!"

Just then, Cao Yuanhuai of the Du Men beside them hesitated for a moment and also suddenly spoke up, "The Black Feather Guard and those death soldiers have problems. The Shu Wang Fu is in the center of the city, not far away. They were late to arrive, even slower than the garrison soldiers..."

"Calculating by the speed of galloping horses, their station is not at the Wang Fu; it should be somewhere outside the city!"

"Brother Cao has a sharp eye!"

Li Yan nodded slightly in praise.

Although the other party was somewhat at odds with him, he truly hadn't thought of the point he mentioned.

This intelligence could save lives at critical moments.

Cao Yuanhuai nodded coldly, though he felt a little bit of secret joy in his heart.

And Li Yan turned his head to look at Xiao Jinghong again, his eyes narrowed, meaningfully saying: "Your Highness, what do you think?"

He had revealed this information on purpose.

Sending Xu Yongqing to the Chengdu Prefecture instead of bringing him back here was because he feared Xiao Jinghong would consider the bond between father and son and hand the person over.

Although cruel, there was no other way.

Whether for public or private reasons, the Shu Wang must die!

If this Fifth Commandery Prince showed even the slightest retreat, he would leave immediately.

In the current situation, even the Shu Wang Fu might not be able to be saved.

Sure enough, the Fifth Commandery Prince seemed to be listening carefully, but in reality, his eyes were already somewhat flustered. He was silent for a while before saying: "Li Li Shaoxia, is my father really faking illness, and has he already returned to his youth?"

Li Yan nodded and said: "That should be correct."

"Hmph!"

Ming Shanzi also saw the Fifth Commandery Prince's hesitation and snorted coldly: "It's just practicing evil arts; who knows how many people have been harmed behind the scenes."

"If he had even the slightest affection for you children, would he leave the position of Heir vacant and let you kill each other?"

"Things have reached this point; it is no longer just the Shu Wang's own affair. If he really rebels, you will also be implicated."

Xiao Jinghong took a deep breath, not knowing what he was thinking of, his eyes becoming firm, "Father is in good health, and the serious illness is just a facade. What should this Prince do?"

Ming Shanzi said indifferently: "The Shu Wang's rebellion plan cannot succeed. When necessary, you can cooperate with Wang Yushi."

"Also, he must die, and he cannot die by your hand!"

The Commandery Prince took a deep breath, "Understood."

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at Li Yan again, "Today is the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, the day of the Kitchen God sacrifice. According to custom, the Wang Fu must have the three sacrificial animals lead the way, sacrifice to the Kitchen God's army, use torches to drive away evil, and perform the dance of Zhong Kui."

"I thought it wouldn't happen this year, but yesterday someone from the Wang Fu sent a letter asking all Commandery Princes and Princesses to attend."

"This Daoist will accompany you."

Ming Shanzi said in a deep voice: "Going to the Shu Wang Fu, we certainly cannot bring too many people. If someone takes action openly, it will be a complete falling out with my Cheng family."

Li Yan pondered slightly and said: "I will go too."

He wasn't just idling around; the few criminal spirits he was looking for might be hiding in the Shu Wang Fu, and if so, he could wipe them all out at once.

Many troubles could also be solved at the same time.

"Very well."

Ming Shanzi thought for a moment and nodded in agreement, "You can go, but you just caused a scene last night, so you need to disguise yourself."

Cao Yuanhuai beside them hurriedly spoke up: "I have a disguise mask, a treasure of my sect; compared to a human skin mask, it is less likely to reveal flaws."

At this moment, he already saw things clearly.

He and this Li Yan were simply not on the same level, and the other party had no intention of currying favor with the Fifth Commandery Prince, even testing him just now.

Now that the situation was dangerous, the safety of the Fifth Commandery Prince was related to the development of their sect, so naturally, they had to contribute their efforts.

"Many thanks."

Li Yan took the mask from his hand, and after putting it on, he immediately became a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance. With the concealment of the Dragon Snake Token, he should be able to avoid most people.

With a plan in place, everyone immediately got busy.

As for Xiao Jinghong, he got up and returned to the backyard, looking at the worried Commandery Princess, holding her jade hand, "Aman, things have indeed taken a turn for the worse..."

Upon hearing this, the Commandery Princess's face turned pale, "Your Highness, this matter is too dangerous. Why don't we leave? At least we can save our lives."

"Leave? It's too late..."

"The arrow is on the string and must be fired."

Xiao Jinghong sighed, pushed open the carved lattice window, looked at the Taihu stone covered in snow in the courtyard, and said in a deep voice: "In previous years, at the third quarter of the Shen hour on the day of the Kitchen God sacrifice, Father would always be in the Cheng Yun Hall, personally holding the vermilion brush to dot the eyes of Zhong Kui."

"This Prince wants to see if he still has even a shred of father-son affection..."

"Daoist, any harvest?"

Inside the Bamboo Forest Cottage, Li Yan looked at Wang Daoxuan. Wang Daoxuan shook his head and smiled bitterly: "This 'Five-Head Divine Formula' is passed down from 'Chi Jiang Zi Yu' and is an ancient Qi-refining method. It is truly mysterious, saying that once practiced, one can obtain the Five-Head Yi Shentong."

"It is a Dala Fajie Yi Shentong!"

Li Yan's eyes lit up, "What is the wonderful use of this divine ability?"

Wang Daoxuan replied: "It can spew out Gang-Sha Qi to enhance spells, but this method is truly mysterious. Nowadays, it is no longer the ancient wild times, and it is mostly likely impossible to practice successfully."

"That's not necessarily true."

Li Yan shook his head and said: "Dala Fajie Divine Abilities can borrow Divine Gang for cultivation. With this opportunity, we cannot miss it. Daoist, just practice it, and leave the rest to me."

The Divine Gang he had stored was all used up, and as long as he found another strand of demonic energy, he could give it to Wang Daoxuan.

He naturally understood the power of Dala Fajie Divine Abilities; now that the enemies he faced were getting stronger, he couldn't do without the help of his companions.

"Let's talk about these later!"

Sha Lifei was somewhat anxious, "Chengdu actually hides so many demonic people; we can't just watch you take risks alone."

"That's right."

(No content)

Lu San also said in a muffled voice: "The Daoist needs to practice the method, and Old Sha needs to store spirit; they can just stay here. I can do something while I'm idle."

"Nonsense!"

Sha Lifei rolled his eyes, "You blockhead, and Wu Ba is a big fool; aren't you afraid of being sold? I only feel at ease if I follow. Besides, practicing at night is enough; after the fifteenth, it should be about the same."

Listening to the few of them bickering, warmth rose in Li Yan's heart.

The world is dangerous, but at least there are these brothers who care.

He pondered for a moment, "Very well. The Shu Wang Fu is doing things, so they probably won't send people to the streets. You go to the Chengdu Prefecture Yamen first to get more gunpowder, then go to Mingxiang Pavilion to meet up with Senior Situ and tell him about what happened last night. If you have time, you can also listen for news."

"Remember to disguise yourselves. Wu Ba is too conspicuous, so stay here and help the Daoist guard the Dharma."

"Got it!"

After some arrangements, the Commandery Prince also sent servants to invite them.

Li Yan put on the mask, changed his clothes, pretended to be a steward by Xiao Jinghong's side, and followed the team out of the Commandery Prince's residence.

As for Sha Lifei and Lu San, they also disguised themselves, bypassed the back door, and followed the small path toward the Chengdu Prefecture Yamen......

The Shu region is wealthy, ranking among the best in the entire Divine Land.

And as the only vassal king with an entire state as his fief, the scale of the Shu Wang Fu is naturally not small, completely a miniature imperial city.

Arriving at the center of Chengdu Prefecture, one could see the towering red walls from afar, hanging with a series of icicles; it was the Wang Fu city wall, named "Xiao Wall."

The main gate of the Wang Fu, called the Lingxing Gate, was already wide open at this moment.

The soldiers of the Chengdu garrison even blocked the surrounding streets, expelling the nearby commoners; only Commandery Princes, Princesses, and invited officials could enter with tokens.

The overnight wind and snow had stopped, but the cold wind was still howling.

The Fifth Commandery Prince's team was very low-key, only taking green-curtained sedans; Li Yan, Ming Shanzi, and the others all followed on foot behind.

Passing through the garrison soldiers' defense line, the street became increasingly empty.

Arriving outside the Lingxing Gate, the vermilion-lacquered copper-nailed palace gate was wide open.

Li Yan looked up and saw that above the flying eaves of the three-story gate tower, the Chaofeng ridge beasts were covered in plain snow, and the central "Shu Wang Fu" was polished brightly, revealing the gold-hooked cloud patterns from the late Emperor's imperial brush.

Two teams of guards holding halberds were lined up along the eight-character screen wall, the red velvet balls on their iron armor shoulders fluttering in the wind, and they all had muskets on their backs.

Of course, they were all ordinary firearms.

If the Black Feather Guard equipped with Divine Fire Muskets appeared openly, the impeachment memorials would surely flood into the capital like snowflakes that very day.

"The Fifth Commandery Prince returns to the residence——!"

Clatter!

The gatekeeper's singing call startled the cold crows on the eaves.

Ten servants in black robes filed out from the side gate, nimbly spreading scarlet felt carpets in front of the sedan, while the old gatekeeper stepped forward holding a gilded hand warmer, the hollowed-out five-bat-holding-longevity patterns on the lid emitting curling sandalwood smoke.

The grandeur of the Wang Fu was instantly revealed.

Li Yan glanced at it casually and saw several mud-gold carriages parked at the East Corner Gate, all pulled by green-maned horses.

It seemed other Commandery Princes had already arrived.

"Your Highness, please!"

A tall and sturdy soldier guarding the gate walked over holding a wooden tray and said expressionlessly, then swept his cold gaze over the team behind.

This was the rule for entering the Wang Fu: surrender weapons.

Li Yan had long known this rule, so he left the Duan Chen Blade and the flintlock musket at the Bamboo Forest Cottage, only carrying the arm guards "Thousand Thoughts" and the Chu Ling paper dolls.

With these two, it was enough to deal with most situations.

Xiao Jinghong gave a signal, and the guards behind him presented their weapons one after another. Li Yan was disguised as a scholar and carried the Dragon Snake Token, so he didn't attract any attention.

After some inspection, they were finally able to enter the gate.

Led by the Wang Fu guards, the group passed through the five-bay, three-opening Duanli Gate and the towering corridor...

Guards in full armor stood guard along the way, and the atmosphere was solemn.

Upon seeing this, Li Yan's brow immediately furrowed.

He had also been to the Wuchang Wang Fu, whose treasure house was famous throughout the world, but compared to the style of the Shu Wang Fu, it was still a grade lower.

No wonder the high-ranking officials in the court were so wary.

Cutting down the vassal states was a national policy of the Great Xuan Dynasty. To avoid provoking resistance from the imperial clan, they maintained the position of vassal kings in the name of local cities, and if they couldn't pacify the locality, they would be stripped of their positions.

Like bait, the vassal kings would always be wary of each other to compete for positions, making it difficult to unite, and they also had to curry favor with the Emperor.

It could be said that it was still quite successful at present.

Only this Shu Wang was particularly conspicuous; even without these matters, the ministers in the court would probably try every possible way to turn the "Shu Wang" into the "Chengdu Wang."

Just as Li Yan was pondering, they had already arrived outside the Cheng Yun Gate.

Passing through the Cheng Yun Gate was the Shu Wang Fu main hall, and further back was the inner palace blocked by palace gates.

Although it couldn't compare to the Imperial Palace, it was vast in area and had an extraordinary momentum.

And outside the Cheng Yun Gate, quite a few people were already standing. In front, those dressed in luxurious robes and python robes were the several Commandery Princes, as well as the several Commandery Princesses dressed in Shu brocade.

Beside them stood quite a few Chengdu Prefecture officials, while the accompanying servants and guards stood behind.

The Fifth Commandery Prince's brow furrowed slightly, and he asked: "Why is everyone here?"

"Replying to the Commandery Prince."

The Wang Fu guard in front said in a deep voice: "The rules have changed today; first observe the ceremony outside the Cheng Yun Gate, and then go to the palace to watch a play."

"Hmm."

Xiao Jinghong nodded and didn't speak again.

And Ming Shanzi and Li Yan looked at each other.

They came along, one to protect Xiao Jinghong, and two to see what kind of evil arts the current Shu Wang had practiced.

But looking at the situation, things seemed to have changed.

The Fifth Commandery Prince was the youngest, and upon arriving where the other Commandery Princes and Princesses were, he immediately bowed respectfully and said: "Greetings, eldest brother, second brother, fourth brother, and greetings, sisters."

Before he finished speaking, he felt something was wrong.

Everyone's gaze was almost fixed directly on him.

Seeing that the eldest Commandery Prince's face was as gloomy as water, he shook the fox fur on his body and said indifferently: "Old Fifth, you've hidden yourself deep enough..."

(End of chapter)