Chapter 566

After offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God on the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, the "dust-sweeping" must be done on the twenty-fourth, signifying the clearing away of filth to welcome the gods and usher in good fortune.

The people of Chengdu Prefecture call this day the "Year-Crossing Festival," and local customs records state: "On the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, every household sweeps their dwellings, removes filth, and prepares wine and fruits to sacrifice to the Kitchen God."

It is not just for cleanliness, but also carries the meaning of "casting out the old to welcome the new."

Even the brooms used have their own lore.

The people of Chengdu tie long brooms with bamboo branches, calling them "Year-Sweeping Brooms," and after sweeping the house, they burn the broom along with old items in the stove, signifying "sending away poverty."

"When sweeping the house, one must choose an auspicious direction to start, sweeping the main beam first to 'sweep away bad luck,' and it is forbidden to sweep from the door toward the outside of the house, lest 'wealth flow away'..."

Wang Daoxuan swept while saying, "We northerners value the Kitchen God sacrifice, while the Shu region values the 'Year-Crossing'; both are customs passed down from ancient Chu."

The Wang Fu has servants, but Wang Daoxuan insists on doing the cleaning himself.

According to him, having drifted across the four seas and made a home north and south, even though one is away, these traditions cannot be broken.

Without a sense of ritual, the festival loses its flavor.

Li Yan and the others do not object; most of their group are solitary individuals, and while he is the leader when they are together, Wang Daoxuan is more like the head of the household.

After a bout of busyness and eating breakfast, they each went about their tasks.

According to last night's distribution, Li Yan went to scout for information, Sha Lifei went to contact Hou Xuan, and the rest stayed at the Bamboo Forest Cottage.

After all, they had also accepted the mission to protect Xiao Jinghong.

Once Ming Shanzi left, they became the main force.

Lu San provides vigilance and defense with mid-range attacks, Wu Ba handles close-quarters protection, Wang Daoxuan sets up altars to control the field, and with the help of Du Men's disciples, they are sufficient to handle most situations.

Li Yan left the Commandery Prince's Mansion and arrived on the main street.

After the dust-sweeping, there are only a few days left until the New Year, and the New Year markets on the streets of Chengdu are becoming increasingly lively, with door gods, peach wood charms, and New Year paintings being sold everywhere, and the sound of firecrackers never ceasing.

From today on, even the government offices will suspend lawsuits, which the folk call "sealing the seals and ignoring criminal matters."

Li Yan did not hesitate and headed toward Mingxiang Pavilion.

The situation at the Shu Prince's Mansion is somewhat complex; it contains not only experts from the "Ghost Opera Troupe" but also the reincarnations of immortals who have descended to the mortal realm.

Moreover, the Shu Prince has already been possessed by Lu Sheng.

That is a famous fangshi from history, who has survived longer than Zhao Changsheng, and who knows how fierce he is.

Without certainty, Li Yan does not plan to provoke him again.

Of course, last night's harvest was not small; judging from the conversation between the two from the "Ghost Opera Troupe," the current Shu Prince has two main groups of cultivators under his command.

One is the evil path cultivators from the Southwest that were gathered previously.

The second is the hired members of the "Ghost Opera Troupe."

The "Shu Prince" has already fallen out with the Dragon Worship Sect, and the people of the "Ghost Opera Troupe" are not good birds either; they gather for profit and scheme against each other.

This matter can likely be exploited.

The most important thing right now is to figure out what the other side is planning to do.

With such a big commotion, Li Yan does not believe he cannot find a flaw...

…………

East of Chengdu Prefecture, it is even livelier than other areas.

This place was already a gathering spot for all walks of life, and because of the Chengdu Lantern Festival and the martial arts tournament, a large number of wandering performers and Mystic Sect practitioners have flocked here.

The taverns by the street have no intention of closing down at all.

The wine banners are still fluttering, and the sound of people playing drinking games continues to drift over.

The wind and snow from last night have still not ceased today, and the flow of people on the street, along with the commoners pulling livestock to sell, have trampled the accumulated snow into mud; the voices are clamorous, and the mules and horses are noisy.

Li Yan had been here before, so he was naturally familiar with the path.

He soon noticed that there were more martial arts practitioners here than when he last came, among whom were no shortage of Mystic Sect practitioners at the Second Layer of the Mystic Realm, or martial artists who had reached the Hua Jin level.

Do not underestimate this.

Although they are far inferior compared to him now, in local areas, they are all considered local kings, much like Old Monkey Zhou from Xianyang in the past.

It would not be an exaggeration to call this a gathering of heroes.

The situation is more complex than imagined...

Li Yan's brow furrowed slightly, he lowered his bamboo hat, passed through the streets and alleys, and soon arrived outside Mingxiang Pavilion.

"Young Master Li, please this way..."

The waiter guarding the door had already remembered him, and seeing him from afar, he came up to greet him and invited him into the teahouse.

Even with the New Year, there are quite a few people inside the teahouse.

What was somewhat unexpected was that on the stage, a group of Daoist priests were playing sheng and xiao, beating fishing drums, and singing Buxu Ci.

"Wenchang Dijun, High Truth of the Purple Palace. Jade Records and Golden Books, holding the laurel register in the Nine Heavens, Red Robes and White Horses, descending literary light upon the Three Realms. Great Compassion and Great Vows, Great Sage and Great Mercy, Wenchang Zitong, Heavenly Venerable of Rebirth and Eternal Life..."

This is a hymn to Wenchang Dijun.

There are two great gods in the Shu region; one is Erlang Zhenjun, and the other is this Wenchang Dijun.

In the Shenzhou, there has always been the saying of worshipping Confucius in the North and Wenchang in the South, and now it has long since spread to all parts of the country, becoming even more famous than Erlang Zhenjun.

Seeming to notice Li Yan's surprise, the waiter hurriedly stepped forward and whispered, "A merchant wants to entrust someone to handle a matter, and knowing that the other party's son is currently taking the imperial examinations in the capital, he specifically hired people to perform."

"Mr. Li, follow me..."

Having said that, he led Li Yan through the front hall toward the backyard.

What they did not notice was that in a private room on the second floor of the front hall, a pair of eyes accidentally swept over Li Yan's back, and the look in them suddenly became sharp...

Arriving at the small courtyard in the back, Li Yan immediately smelled a strange odor.

This smell was like a mixture of tea leaves and medicinal soup.

There was even the smell of gu-insects.

Li Yan's brow furrowed slightly as he entered the small courtyard.

He saw Liang Yu, one of the Six Hermits of the Bamboo Forest, boiling medicinal soup; the medicinal pot used was very strange, made of brass, with talisman patterns and grooves carved on it.

In the central groove of the medicinal boat, there was a strange little insect resembling an earthworm, twisting frantically, and on both sides were tea soup and medicinal soup.

Liang Yu stared fixedly at the medicinal boat, her hands constantly forming dharma seals.

As the furnace fire boiled, the medicinal soup and tea soup bubbled, spreading along the patterns and converging toward the center.

By the time it reached the center of the medicinal boat, it had become a pitch-black, viscous liquid.

That strange gu-insect was scalded into twisting, frantically sucking up the viscous liquid, and its body grew larger and larger.

When the medicinal soup and tea soup were boiled dry, the gu-insect also turned into a round ball, and its outer skin was quickly baked dry by the brass medicinal boat.

Li Yan now knew the nicknames of these Six Hermits of the Bamboo Forest.

Liang Yu not only understands tea but also practices the methods of "Lingnan Tea Gu" and "Xiangxi Grass Ghost Granny," earning her the nickname "Tea Gu Lady."

This method of refining medicine is simply unheard of.

As for Situ Bo, who was lying on the side, his nickname is "Ghost-Faced Scholar."

Although Li Yan was curious, he did not speak and stood quietly on the side waiting; the relationship between the Six Hermits of the Bamboo Forest is not a bit worse than that between him and his companions, so they naturally would not harm him in secret.

He saw Liang Yu take out the insect pill, peel off the dry, cracked outer skin, and it immediately became a pitch-black medicinal pill.

After Situ Bo took it, he swallowed it in one gulp mixed with tea.

His originally pale complexion immediately improved somewhat.

"This is called Grass God Pill."

Liang Yu then explained, "This old thing damaged his spirit, and he still wants to recover his combat strength as quickly as possible; ordinary means won't work, but the hidden dangers are not small, and I fear it will be difficult for him to make any progress in the future."

Situ Bo did not care at all, shook his head and said, "I am at my age, I have long since stopped caring about such things."

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at Li Yan, his tone becoming excited, "Young Master Li, have you found the trace of that traitor?"

"Yes, he is in the Shu Prince's Mansion."

Li Yan did not hide it and recounted what he had seen.

Of course, he omitted the descended immortal and only said it was a mysterious expert. "He... he actually practiced it!"

After listening, Situ Bo's expression became excited, and he wanted to get up, but accidentally triggered his lung meridian, causing a violent coughing fit that made his face flush red.

"You old thing, what are you in such a hurry for?"

Liang Yu was full of dissatisfaction, but still handed over a cup of specially made tea.

After Situ Bo drank it in one gulp, he improved somewhat, and after calming his mood, he said in a deep voice, "You don't know what this rebellious disciple has done."

"My lineage's ancestral secret manual, 'The Hundred Phases Manual,' was passed down from the evil path of Jiangzuo, and it has three phases: Human, Ghost, and God."

"The Human Phase requires skinning a person alive to make it, and they must be tortured to the extreme before death, causing their resentment to soar to the heavens..."

"The Ghost Phase, besides human skin, requires turning the remaining soul into a fierce ghost and attaching it to it..."

"The God Phase has an extra secret technique that can refine 'demon miasma' into it, and it requires cultivation in an extremely yin location; it is very overbearing, and there are nine refining methods, including Ghost Zhong Kui and the Ghost Eight Immortals."

"That rebellious disciple practiced this method and I don't know how many people he harmed; it is all my fault, if I had known, I should have destroyed the secret manual back then."

Liang Yu on the side said in a deep voice, "Things have reached this point, what is the use of saying these things? Since you know this method, you must know how to break it."

【Content omitted】

"Speak it out, so we can prepare early."

Situ Bo nodded and said, "He practiced Ghost Zhong Kui; once released, a hundred ghosts will follow, and it is best at hooking souls; taking rooster blood can break it."

"That will do."

Liang Yu said coldly, "When the other fellow Daoists arrive, we will find an opportunity to block this bastard and help you clean up the sect."

"I fear it won't be easy to handle."

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "According to the intelligence I heard, there are several other evil path experts under the Shu Prince, namely Nie Sangu, the Blood Nuo Master Ba Ba Dai Zha, the Water Ghost Craftsman Tian Qi Ye, and the Black Sect Lama Dorje Tashi."

"These old things are actually all still alive!"

When Liang Yu heard this, her eyes were also full of shock.

Although they, the Six Hermits of the Bamboo Forest, are a wandering immortal team and made quite a name for themselves back then, compared to these fierce and famous evil path demon heads of the Southwest, they are still a bit lacking.

Even if they gathered together, it would be difficult to win.

"Not only that, there are even more powerful experts; the Black Feather Guards under the Shu Prince all carry new-style firearms..."

Li Yan recounted the severe situation and then said, "However, we also have an opportunity; the reinforcements from Mount Qingcheng will arrive when the time comes."

"Now, we must first figure out what they want to do; it is best to scout from the periphery to avoid alerting the enemy."

"The Shu Prince is holding a martial arts tournament to muddy the waters; he must want to cover up his plan."

"Senior Liang, you are well-informed here; do you know of any strange things that have happened in Chengdu Prefecture recently?"

"Strange things?"

Liang Yu pondered for a moment and nodded, "There are indeed."

"Just yesterday, the Chengdu Chenghuangmiao suddenly closed its doors, then the temple keeper was replaced, and the Huang Ling Sect summoned all its disciples and even imprisoned a few..."

"I know about this matter."

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "Someone in the Chenghuangmiao was bought off by the Shu Prince's Mansion to deliberately cover up the great array and secretly assist Nie Sangu; Senior Ming Shanzi from Mount Qingcheng has already notified them to handle it."

"So that's how it is..."

Liang Yu nodded and continued, "Just the day before yesterday, a strange thing happened at the Qingyang Palace outside the city; the statue of Laozi actually shed bloody tears, making people feel panicked..."

"Also, many people from the martial arts world have come these days, and rumors are spreading that at midnight, water ghosts will make trouble at the Fuhe Wharf, and those who encounter them are often dazed and beaten black and blue."

"There have also been Mystic Sect practitioners who went to suppress them, but some didn't encounter anything, and those who did, without exception, all fell into a daze and slept, and when they woke up, they were covered in bruises, and their clothes were torn to pieces..."

"That thing didn't kill anyone, so no one cares about it now, it's just that once it hits midnight, no one dares to stay at the Fuhe Wharf."

"Fuhe Wharf?"

After listening, Li Yan's brow furrowed slightly, "Those monsters under the Shu Prince should be hiding outside the city; perhaps they are going to steal and transport things at midnight; I will go take a look tonight."

Situ Bo nodded, "It's not far from here to the Fuhe Wharf, no need to rush; since it's a festival today, why not have a simple meal and go in the evening."

"That's fine, then I'll trouble you."

With the senior's warm invitation, Li Yan could not refuse.

It was called a simple meal, but it was actually a grand banquet; because he had to handle matters at night, Li Yan did not drink.

But being with these two seniors was not boring at all.

They recounted information about the evil path of the Southwest, especially those four old demons, and also talked about many old stories of the Mystic Sect and the martial arts world from back then.

The most talked about were the Ten Great Masters of the Shenzhou.

Li Yan had never had any concept of these masters, but now hearing experts from the same era recount them, he finally realized their prestige.

Lu Hongyuan, master of the Mingde Martial Arts Hall, son-in-law of the Kong Fu in Luzhou, borrowed the noble spirit of Confucianism to integrate Xingyi, Bagua, and Taiji, known as the Way of Literature and Martial Arts; he once competed with Huo Yin for the position of president of the Divine Fist Society and once suppressed and killed the remnant national teacher of the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom...

Cheng Jianxin goes without saying, one sword suppressed the Southwest...

Huo Yin's Divine Fist is invincible, and he was also a guard by the Emperor's side...

Liang Zan, master of Southern Fist, once fought alone against various demons in the Nanyang...

Wu Shuang of the Taiji Sect, a heroine who did not yield to men, was also of peerless grace back then, known as "Peerless in the World"......

Sun Cunhuan, master of Xingyi, his fist has reached the level of a god...

Chen Yuanlu, master of the Qiankun Martial Arts Hall, a single Qiankun great spear stirred the four directions; he once competed with Cheng Jianxin and only lost by one move...

Dong Changxing, master of Bagua Palm, once fought so that no one in the capital dared to accept the challenge; when Huo Yin took action, it was only a draw, and since then the Bagua Sect has flourished in the capital......

Wan Shengying, founder of the Wan Sheng Fist, chief escort of the escort agencies in the thirteen provinces of the North and South, once suppressed and killed the thirteen water demons of Taihu in one night, and since then the escort flag has traveled throughout the world, and he has a close relationship with the Jin Merchant Association......

Hao Cunzhen, the slovenly Daoist who wandered the world.

People in the martial arts world have only one evaluation of him: Sanfeng reincarnated!

These people are all great experts who suppressed the world at that time; when the Mystic Sect encounters them, they also have a headache, and even the imperial court has to give them face.

Li Yan listened with fascination.

Liang Yu on the side saw this, but shook her head and sneered, "Invincible in the world, what is the use? The tides of the world rise and fall, there are always newcomers who surpass the old; they are already old, and the future belongs to you young people."

"Perhaps before long, the new Ten Great Masters will appear; if you have the heart, go and snatch that title."

"Senior is joking."

Li Yan was a bit speechless, and turned his head to look out the window, "It's already late, I'll go to the Fuhe Wharf to take a look first."

"Be careful on the road, as long as the green hills remain, there's no need to worry about firewood."

"Yes, the two seniors can rest assured."

After bidding farewell to the two, Li Yan left Mingxiang Pavilion.

At this time, night had already fallen, and before the city gates were about to close, Li Yan left the West City.

Outside Chengdu City, it was not an empty space; there were still many poor commoners of Chengdu gathered, building shanty areas one after another according to the districts.

This was originally set up temporarily decades ago during a flood to settle the nearby disaster victims, but over time, more poor commoners gathered, forming a large shanty area.

In these places, there is no government official jurisdiction, public security is chaotic, and small local snake gangs have sprouted up, which can also be considered one of the characteristics of Chengdu.

Looking at the surrounding shanty areas, there were faint flickering candlelight.

"Wuu~ Dad!"

In the night sky, there was crying coming from somewhere.

After hearing this, Li Yan sighed in his heart.

He knew that this cold winter weather was abnormal, with wind and snow continuing, and he didn't know how many commoners had not survived the end of the year.

Continuing to walk forward, it wasn't long before he arrived at the Fuhe Wharf.

This place was even more pitch-black, with not a single person in sight.

But Li Yan stopped, his expression becoming strange.

He faintly smelled the scent of roasted mutton...

(End of chapter)