Chapter 565: Interlocking Fangs

Found it!

Li Yan's eyes lit up as he looked toward the western palace complex.

The Gou Die had reacted; whether it was a Yin criminal or a fugitive from the Heavenly Court, they were definitely inside the Wang Fu right now.

If he moved against those two experts from the "Ghost Opera Troupe" below, he might not be able to take them down quickly, and the commotion would be too great, potentially drawing other trouble or even alerting the Prince of Shu and causing him to change his plans.

In short, the losses would outweigh the gains.

But if there were a Yin criminal, it would be well worth a try.

Li Yan was impatient to go and investigate, but an awkward situation arose: Situ Qian, disguised as "Zhong Kui," had brought five little ghosts and scattered them to keep watch in hidden spots.

One of them was right in front of him, and it was extremely restless; its head twitched unnaturally, its body shifted back and forth, and it had actually stopped just three feet in front of him, crouching there foolishly.

Although Li Yan's escape technique was strong, and he had the blessing of the Eight Generals of the Outer Altar and the concealment of the Dragon-Snake Tablet, it was still impossible for him to completely vanish into the void.

If he moved recklessly, this little ghost would likely sense him.

Just as Li Yan hesitated, the Gou Die's reaction grew stronger and stronger, becoming searingly hot.

This was the first time such a situation had occurred.

The Gou Die, enhanced with jade accessories, had increased sensing capabilities; not only could it feel more things and cover a wider range, but it could also indicate direction.

That person was coming toward this very spot!

Li Yan suppressed the excitement in his heart and steadied his breath as he waited.

Very soon, abnormalities appeared in the surroundings.

A faint white mist suddenly rose around this small courtyard of the Eastern Palace, and then five small flags soared into the air, landing on the eaves.

The five flags all had black backgrounds embroidered with gold; they were densely packed, with four embroidered with the Four Divine Beasts, and one embroidered with dense scriptures.

Surrounded by Gang Sha Qi, they actually isolated all the aura in this place.

What level of Dharma artifact was this!

Li Yan narrowed his eyes, a slight chill in his heart.

Dharma flags held a very important status in the Mystic Sect, and they were simply divided into four functions:

Commanding ghosts and gods, deploying troops and generals: "Holding the flag to summon ten thousand gods, waving the pennant to call the group of immortals"...

Suppressing evil spirits, forming barriers to protect the altar: "Erecting the Five Directions True Script Pennant to capture and control demonic spirits"...

Guiding wandering souls, delivering them to the Netherworld: "Raising the pennant and planting the banner to illuminate the Netherworld and open a path of light"...

Condensing Gang Qi, acting as a medium for performing magic: "Waving the flag to spread Qi, with thunder and fire following"...

Although there were many variations, they basically did not depart from these four methods.

For instance, the Soul-Capturing Pennant was for guiding wandering souls and commanding ghosts and gods.

These five pennants, embroidered with the Four Symbols and talismanic scripts, were typical of the Five Directions Flag standard, yet they were shockingly formidable.

Using Gang Sha Qi to soar into the air was something many of his Dharma artifacts could not do; only the Chu Ling paper figures could drift on Yin winds because they were light and thin.

Dharma flags that could fly were definitely not ordinary goods.

Moreover, they hadn't even triggered the Wang Fu's array.

He couldn't even understand the methods being used.

Just as Li Yan was shocked, the entire courtyard where the palace was located had been isolated, hazy and indistinct, as if everything were shrouded in thick fog.

Li Yan was very familiar with this feeling.

Every time the Dragon Lady entrusted him with a dream, it was like this.

Could it be that they had all fallen into a dream?

Such an unusual phenomenon naturally alarmed the two from the "Ghost Opera Troupe."

"Yi-yi-ya-ya~"

The five "little ghosts" suddenly darted out, performed a somersault in the air, rolled on the ground to dissipate the force, and crawled on all fours like animals.

But as soon as they approached the doorway, they acted like frightened monkeys, trembling all over and letting out strange cries as they retreated.

Bang!

The palace gate was suddenly pushed open.

Two figures, one red and one white, flew out.

The red one was "Zhong Kui," but at this moment, he was filled with eerie Yin energy.

The white one was a Huadan in mourning clothes, her flowing sleeves stretching and retracting like poisonous snakes.

"Yo~ I never thought there would be an expert hiding in this deep palace..."

The Huadan in mourning clothes was none other than Bai Qihong of the "Ghost Opera Troupe."

She covered her mouth and smiled sweetly, but fresh blood flowed from her eyes, and there was an extra touch of crazy murderous intent in her pupils.

Speaking of this Huadan in mourning clothes, her life story was also pitiful.

Born into poverty, she was sold at a young age to a consumptive ghost to bring good luck; her husband died suddenly on their wedding night, and she was branded an evil star by her clan and thrown into a pig cage.

Although she luckily survived, she only had half a life left, and was picked up by the leader of a Yin opera troupe in northern Sichuan, who used the evil method of a "ghost marriage" to exchange her for a half-human, half-ghost body.

Her talent was stunning, but she was left with the root of madness.

She had absolute strength and could control the situation, remaining stable, but once the pressure became too great, she would become manic.

Even the opera troupe that took her in was slaughtered to the last person.

From then on, she became a powder keg ready to explode at any time.

Sensing the threat outside the courtyard, Bai Qihong immediately became somewhat unstable.

"Don't act recklessly!"

Situ Qian, disguised as Zhong Kui, gave a warning, then cupped his hands toward the gatekeeper and said, "I don't know which path our friend is from; setting up an array inside the Wang Fu, are you friend or foe? You might as well reveal yourself and let us know."

Before the words had even faded, a figure appeared in the thick fog at the courtyard gate.

Judging by the appearance, it was a young eunuch, head bowed, his face unclear.

Li Yan, hiding behind the dougong, felt the Gou Die in his bosom become abnormally hot. He didn't hesitate, sinking his mind into it, and the surrounding fog churned.

In just a single breath, Li Yan opened his eyes again.

He had already confirmed the identity of the person who had come.

It was indeed the Heavenly Court fugitive "Li Wenyuan," whose true soul had descended to the mortal world privately and been reborn by absorbing the Dragon Soul of the Jiang Shen Jiangshen Dajun!

He was indeed hiding in the Wang Fu of Shu!

Li Yan was excited, but he dared not act rashly.

Even if the other party had been reincarnated and hadn't been cultivating for long, he was, after all, an immortal who had descended to the mortal world, an existence that had climbed to the peak in the mortal realm.

He couldn't understand the magic arts and Dharma artifacts the other party used.

Attacking directly would be completely without certainty.

He could only use the Heavenly Official Order to summon heavenly thunder to strike.

But summoning heavenly thunder was even more troublesome than summoning Yin soldiers.

If he were discovered, he wouldn't even have the time to summon them.

The two from the "Ghost Opera Troupe" also dared not act rashly.

The Huadan in mourning clothes had already tested the waters calmly, but even after using her full strength and supernatural powers to investigate, she couldn't see the depth of the other party, and instead ended up with blood flowing from her seven orifices, looking like a fierce ghost.

Looking at the little ghosts crawling on the ground and trembling, Situ Qian became increasingly vigilant, cupping his hands respectfully and saying, "Senior, now that you have come, I wonder what your instructions are?"

Finally, an indifferent voice came from the fog.

"What reward did he give you?"

Situ Qian's eyes narrowed slightly, "Senior, are you referring to the Prince of Shu?"

"Hmm."

"Twenty thousand taels, plus several secret treasures from the Wang Fu treasury."

Situ Qian replied honestly.

"He is lying to you."

The figure in the fog said coldly, "The current Wang Fu of Shu has silver, but the treasury is almost empty; the spiritual materials and Dharma artifacts inside have all been sent to Dujiangyan."

Situ Qian was incredulous after hearing this, "The Wang Fu of Shu treasury is world-renowned; how could it be used up?"

"That depends on what it's being used for."

The figure in the thick fog said faintly, "He is no longer the Prince of Shu, and he doesn't even know it himself; the things he wants are simply not comparable to the broken copper and iron in the Wang Fu of Shu."

"You don't have to believe me; you can check for yourselves..."

Before the words had faded, a wild wind suddenly rose in the surroundings.

It was as if a dream had shattered, and then the wind stopped and the fog dispersed in an instant.

Everyone in the courtyard felt as if they had just woken from a dream.

Looking around, everything was pitch black, and through the courtyard gate, they could even see the patrolling soldiers in the distance.

It was as if everything that had just happened hadn't occurred at all. "What do you think?"

The Huadan in mourning clothes wiped away the blood and tears with a handkerchief.

Situ Qian said thoughtfully, "The Prince of Shu gave the silver, saying he would only give the rest after the matter was done. This person reminded us in the middle of the night; it's ill-intentioned, but it's likely true."

"He said the Prince of Shu is no longer the Prince of Shu..."

"He's likely been possessed! That old thing Ba Daiza likely knows something, otherwise he wouldn't be so loyal."

"Since the Prince of Shu isn't prepared to give us the things, he will definitely make a move against us when the time comes; perhaps he even wants us to be his scapegoats."

"Then shall we leave?"

"Let's pretend we don't know for now and see how things are arranged when the time comes."

"Dujiangyan... he's likely referring to the Dragon Palace Water Mansion. I'm quite curious, what kind of treasure is worth such effort..."

After the two whispered for a while, they left quickly.

(No content lost)

Soon, the surroundings were completely silent.

A light breeze blew past, and Li Yan also leaped down, leaving the inner palace along the dark corners of the wall.

He was fast, and his mind was spinning just as quickly.

The news he heard tonight was truly shocking.

The Prince of Shu is no longer the Prince of Shu; could it be that he has been possessed by that Lu Sheng, which is why he is afraid to go to the ancestral temple for sacrifices...

The many tangled threads were gradually being cleared up.

Lu Sheng and Zhao Changsheng were both people from a mysterious organization; after arriving at the Wang Fu of Shu, they didn't know what words they used to bewitch the Prince of Shu...

They also took the opportunity of releasing the Dragon Soul of the Jiang Shen Jiangshen Dajun to welcome the descending immortal "Li Wenyuan"; they should have a common goal...

But after Zhao Changsheng left, Lu Sheng seemed to have broken with that "Li Wenyuan," which is why the Dragon-Worship Sect hid in the countryside, and their actions conflicted with the Wang Fu of Shu, while at the same time sending people into the Wang Fu of the Five Commandery Princes...

What exactly did they conflict over?

While Li Yan was pondering, he had already returned to the Cheng Yun Hall.

It was already late at night, and a Nuo dance was being held in front of the hall to drive away evil.

Hundreds of pine torches were lit one after another from the Golden Water Bridge.

The Nuo masters, wrapped in animal skins and wearing Nuo masks, held strong liquor in their mouths and sprayed it toward the fire, causing flames to shoot up three zhang high, illuminating the snow on the city tower.

The elderly shaman shook his staff, which was covered in bone bells.

Soldiers wearing Nuo masks ran rapidly around the fire.

Around them, young boys sang in unison:

"One torch illuminates the Heavenly Gate, two torches sweep away the Plague God—!"

This scene was truly shocking, drawing high-ranking officials and nobles to watch, and some even pressed their palms together and prayed silently.

The light was dim and the crowd was chaotic, so no one noticed that Li Yan had already returned; he pretended nothing had happened and squeezed over from behind.

Ming Shanzi was the first to sense it and quickly turned his head.

Li Yan replied with a lip-reading, "We'll talk when we get back."

The Five Commandery Prince also saw their actions, but he was more concerned about the Great Commandery Prince, his eyes full of doubt.

The torch-driven evil-clearing ceremony ended, and it was already midnight.

Under the guidance of the Chief Eunuch and the guards, all the Commandery Princes, Commandery Princesses, and officials of Chengdu left the Wang Fu of Shu.

Everyone hurried back to the Commandery Prince's mansion without stopping.

"Did you discover anything?"

As soon as they entered the front hall, Ming Shanzi hurriedly asked.

At the same time, Sha Lifei and the others, who had received the news, also came to the front hall one after another.

Seeing Li Yan, Sha Lifei immediately said in a deep voice, "Little Brother Yan, we heard a big piece of news in the city."

"No rush."

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "Let's talk one by one."

After speaking, he looked at Xiao Jinghong, "Your Highness, after that Great Commandery Prince returned, was there anything wrong?"

"There is indeed a problem."

Xiao Jinghong said in a deep voice, "I know my eldest brother's temperament very well; he can't hide things in his heart. If he had the support of the Princess, he would definitely be complacent; if not, he would leave in anger."

"But he only said that the mother is kind and the son is filial, confirming that the Father Prince is seriously ill; he even forgot to mock me. Something is definitely wrong."

"Hmm."

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "He has been hit by a nightmare curse; did you know that there are two evil people from the 'Ghost Opera Troupe' hiding in the Wang Fu of Shu..."

He told them most of it, only omitting the descending immortal.

After all, this matter was too shocking; leaking it recklessly might lead to unknown consequences.

"The Father Prince has already been harmed?!"

Xiao Jinghong stood up abruptly, his face changing, and he muttered, "No wonder he has been increasingly cold to me these years..."

"Zhao Changsheng of the Ghost Sect!"

Ming Shanzi was also shocked, gritting his teeth and saying, "News has already come from the capital to search for the whereabouts of this evil person everywhere; the Sect Leader also gave special instructions..."

"Ten years, this person's layout is so deep."

After speaking, he gritted his teeth and said, "This matter cannot be taken lightly; Your Highness must not act recklessly. I will return to Mount Qingcheng to bring reinforcements."

"If things go wrong, Chengdu Prefecture might be in great chaos. Before reinforcements arrive, everyone should stay put."

Sha Lifei also hurriedly spoke, "We went to the pier today and heard one thing: the war in the southwest has been pacified, and the remnants of the Yang family are being escorted to Chengdu, saying they are to be taken to the capital from here."

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "It's likely the layout of the Censor."

"No matter."

Ming Shanzi said in a deep voice, "Since the Prince of Shu has already been harmed, whether he is convicted or not is irrelevant. When the time comes, my Mount Qingcheng will testify."

"When the demonic fog in Chengdu is swept away, that will be the time for Your Highness to ascend the throne."

"Everyone, take care."

"Senior, take care."

Ming Shanzi was obviously in a hurry; after giving some instructions, he left the Wang Fu overnight.

Li Yan also returned to the Bamboo Forest Cottage with Sha Lifei and the others.

"Did it go smoothly today?"

As soon as he returned to the room, Li Yan had Wang Daoxuan set up the "Ruyi Precious Pearl" and asked in a deep voice.

"It was okay."

Sha Lifei lifted a piece of canvas in the room, revealing two neat wooden boxes underneath, specially wrapped in oil paper.

"The people at the Chengdu Prefecture Yamen were easy to talk to; we used your token, and the disciples of the Bagua Sect came up to help, so we got some more gunpowder..."

"We also went to Mingxiang Pavilion; that senior is still recovering from his injuries. I heard him say that the remaining few are expected to arrive after the New Year..."

"The biggest news in the martial world is the martial arts competition held by the Prince of Shu, which has attracted many people from the Mystic Sect..."

Li Yan had some vague guesses at this time, and said in a deep voice, "The Prince of Shu has likely been possessed by Lu Sheng; holding this competition is just a cover to let some people in."

"The competition is set for the 15th; there will definitely be a big event that day."

"The 15th..."

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard thoughtfully after hearing this, "The Dragon Lady gathering incense is also on the 15th; I wonder what the intention is."

"With monsters now gathering in Chengdu Prefecture, it would be fine if Mount Qingcheng came to support us, but if something were to go wrong, I fear we would be unable to attend to everything."

"No rush."

Li Yan pondered for a moment, "These days, I will continue to inquire about intelligence and try to figure out the plans of those evil people."

"Old Sha, you are responsible for contacting Hou Xuan and arranging the manpower for that day's ceremony; try to make it foolproof."

After speaking, he said with a solemn face, "Everyone, I'm afraid this is going to be a big one; if you have any powerful gadgets, take them all out."

Everyone nodded, all with solemn faces.

Since they started wandering the martial world, this was the first time they had encountered such a complex situation, with various forces interlocking, and there would definitely be a life-and-death struggle.

Without realizing it, salt-like snow began to drift outside the window again……

(End of chapter)