Chapter 578: Snow Has Stopped, But the Wind Still Blows

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

Li Yan frowned, slightly puzzled.

He knew that Sha LiFei and the others had not contacted him for a reason—but this remark from the Formless Prince still left him baffled.

The underworld doesn't bother with such niceties.

When something like this happens, everyone runs for cover—why would anyone willingly rush toward a powerful Shu Prince?

"The Shu Prince is opening the Dragon Palace's Water Mansion."

Behind him, Sha LiFei suddenly spoke in a low voice: "He's still missing two things—one is the Ruyi Jewel, the other he's holding."

So that's it…

Li Yan heard this and instantly understood.

So he's gotten bold, planning to double-cross them.

Thinking of this, he narrowed his eyes and said with deep implication: "Do you know what they're after?"

"I don't know."

The Formless Prince remained calm, then raised an eyebrow, glancing around and sneering: "Though I don't know, the Shu Prince has drained half his treasury and risks treason for this—so it must be something extraordinary."

"If he can take it, why can't we?!"

Hearing this, those around him began shouting:

"Exactly!"

"After this job, where in the world can't we go?!"

"Legends say the Dragon Palace's Water Mansion is piled high with treasures—heehee, we don't even need much, just a handful, and we're set for life!"

The atmosphere instantly grew heated.

As if the recent life-or-death ordeal meant nothing.

Only the Sichuan blade master Cui Sandao kept his face cold as he spoke: "I don't want treasure—I only want the Salt Gang and the Shu Prince dead!"

"Rest easy, Brother Cui."

The Formless Prince clapped his shoulder, solemnly saying: "That old bastard, the Shu Prince, has a grudge against me too—I won't let him live."

This matter wasn't exactly secret.

Before the current Emperor ascended the throne, his situation was dire.

Internally, imperial relatives interfered in governance; the Empress wanted to depose him as Crown Prince and install her young son instead, while the old Emperor lay bedridden, half-comatose. Externally, the northern frontier and Nan Yue harassed the realm, with constant warfare.

The Emperor fought his way through bloodshed, and his younger brother, the Shu Prince, was his right hand—engaging in bloody battles in the capital, campaigning south and north, writing many legends.

Back then, the Formless Prince was also a scion of a prominent Sichuan family.

But his clan backed the wrong side and was slaughtered by the Shu Prince, forcing him into exile, where he learned all manner of arts and eventually became the black-market leader of Chengdu.

Thus, the two sides have always been at odds.

To avenge himself and seize treasure—

It was no surprise the Formless Prince joined this scheme.

Yet Li Yan sensed something odd.

Greed-driven recklessness was common in the Jianghu, but the Formless Prince had weathered countless storms—only caution had kept him alive this long.

He must know something…

Li Yan saw through it but said nothing, instead adopting a grave expression: "Senior, you speak wisely. As for the treasure, let's set that aside for now—this Shu Prince consorts with demons and harms the people; we won't let him live!"

It's just acting—who can't play a part?

"Well said!"

The Formless Prince laughed heartily and gestured: "After you!"

Saying this, he led the way ahead.

Li Yan gave Sha LiFei a glance and followed silently behind, activating his spiritual sense to memorize the route.

The Formless Prince was right about one thing.

The Shu Prince's power is immense—he has the support of southwestern dark Daoists and controls surrounding garrisons, commanding at least fifty thousand troops.

Moreover, he possesses vast quantities of firearms, enough to launch a full-scale war.

How many Daoist adepts can there be? Even if Qingcheng Sect sends reinforcements, they'd be powerless against such a massive army.

This secret tunnel, then, becomes crucial.

But soon, Li Yan sensed something wrong.

The Formless Prince hadn't walked far before suddenly turning, opening a rotting wooden door, and entering another hidden passage to the left.

This passage was lined with packed earth, the floor scattered with broken salt jars—clearly a smuggling tunnel.

"Senior, this is…"

"Salt Gang's secret tunnel. Don't worry—everyone who knew about it is dead!"

The Formless Prince dodged the question, feigning ignorance.

Li Yan glanced at the others; even Cui Sandao looked cautious, as if seeing the place for the first time—he decided not to press further.

Clearly, this Chengdu black-market leader intended to keep this asset hidden.

Torches flickered; the tunnel air was thick and foul.

After roughly three incense sticks' worth of walking, they reached a dead end—but above them was a vertical shaft of packed earth, its top sealed by thick iron plates.

The Formless Prince offered no explanation, leapt up, braced his legs against the walls, and pounded the iron plates in a rhythmic pattern: thud-thud-thud.

Boom!

The iron plates were shifted aside, dust raining down.

Above, the light was dim, and faintly visible were the muzzles of firearms—ordinary weapons, but if fired, they could turn a man into a sieve.

"It's the Chief! Lower your weapons!"

A cold voice rang out, followed by the clatter of weapons being lowered.

Torches were lit; the Formless Prince leapt out first, and a thick rope was thrown down, allowing everyone to exit the tunnel.

After climbing out, Li Yan glanced around, his eyes filled with surprise.

This was a sizable side hall of a temple, and those around him wore the clothes of commoners and temple attendants.

The altar held a statue in imperial dragon robes, with a tablet inscribed: "Yu Wang."

Yu Wang Temple?!

If he guessed right, this was in Beicheng.

He hadn't expected they'd traveled so far in such a short time.

More startling was the wary expression on everyone's faces—they scanned the surroundings with suspicion.

Damn…

Li Yan instantly understood why.

A cunning rabbit has three burrows—each faction's men never meet.

And this Yu Wang Temple, though less popular than Qingyang Palace or Wenchang Temple, was still one of Chengdu's major temples.

He hadn't expected it to be the Formless Prince's lair.

No wonder he'd evaded capture for years while opposing the Shu Prince.

"Young Master Li!"

Footsteps sounded outside the door—it was Wang Daoxuan and the others.

Seeing them, Li Yan exhaled in relief.

"Hahaha…"

The Formless Prince chuckled: "Since I'm partnering with Young Master Li, how could I treat you poorly? I've had you well-fed and well-rested."

He turned to the side, his face darkening instantly: "Someone leaked information—Master Lu is dead, Brother Wang is gone—by dawn, bring the traitor to me!"

"Yes, Chief!"

Several grim-faced men bowed, radiating lethal intent.

Li Yan's mind stirred—he quickly spoke: "Senior, if there's a traitor, Mingxiang Pavilion may not be safe—send someone to warn them."

"Easy. Get it done quickly."

The Formless Prince nodded and gave the order.

None of them suspected the Mingxiang Pavilion's owner, Lu Qingshan—he knew Li Yan's identity; if he'd betrayed them, far more than this group would've shown up tonight.

The men swiftly departed, turning into the side hall after exiting the main hall—clearly, there was another secret passage there.

After arranging this, the Formless Prince turned and said: "Young Master Li, you've had a tiring night. Since you've all met, you must have much to discuss—I've arranged lodging for you."

"Thank you."

Li Yan bowed with a smile and led the others away.

He knew the Formless Prince likely had other plans he didn't want them to know—but for now, they were still allies.

Indeed, as soon as they left, the Wuxiang Young Master immediately changed his expression, his eyes filled with murderous intent as he gazed out the window, "Gentlemen, the Prince of Shu is powerful, with strong troops and ample arms; if you wish to pluck chestnuts from the fire, you must not be careless."

Indeed, as soon as they left, the Formless Prince's expression changed instantly—he stared out the window with murderous intent: "Gentlemen, the Shu Prince is powerful, his army strong. If we want to snatch firewood from the flames, we must not be careless."

"It's the firearms!"

A man beside him suddenly spoke.

He dressed as a peddler, but wore a black headwrap—clearly ethnic Tujia—with a nine-section snakebone whip at his waist still stained with blood.

He was Xue Asi, from the Pi Men, a Miao sorcerer skilled in poison and Gu, who had long served under the Formless Prince.

He said with lingering dread: "If it were hand-to-hand combat, none of us would fear anyone—but when those firearms form a formation, it's a real problem."

【101】 "Right—we need a plan."

Not a single mistake in content, one by one, all clear!

"I'd rather be stabbed than die under this thing—I need to find a way to break it…"

Everyone chattered angrily, all indignant.

The Prince of Wu Xiang turned his head to the side and bowed: "Brother Tang, I know you have grievances against me, but given the situation, surely you don't wish to see the Prince of Shu succeed."

"You're skilled with firearms—what's your opinion?"

Seeing all eyes turn to him, Tang Ling spoke gravely: "Since arriving in Shu, I've noticed few in the Jianghu here use firearms—far fewer than outside. Now, every sect from across the land has come to Mount Mei seeking instruction."

"There's nothing we can do…"

Someone immediately chuckled bitterly: "The reputation of the new firearms has spread far and wide. The rebellion in Bozhou was quelled so quickly thanks to them—how could we not want to use them?"

"First, the firearm permits: some went to the orthodox sects, but most were seized by the Salt Guild. Everyone is angry, but they're backed by the Prince of Shu's mansion—we can't compete."

"Second, the new gunpowder: some is in the Chengdu Prefectural Office, the rest was taken by the Prince of Shu's mansion—we can't get any either."

Tang Ling pondered a moment: "The new gunpowder is terrifying, but it's still an inanimate object—full of vulnerabilities."

"If I'm not mistaken, the Prince of Shu's mansion will force the Chengdu Prefectural Office to hand over all remaining new gunpowder…"

Pi Men's Xue Asi's eyes lit up: "Let's raid it?"

"What good would raiding do?"

The Prince of Wu Xiang shook his head: "This weapon requires the new firearms to function. Besides, we're few—if we seized it, we couldn't fight the army."

"Right, don't raid."

Tang Ling said coldly: "The new gunpowder must have a storage depot. We'll secretly investigate. Once we find it and detonate it, the Prince's Black Feather Guards will be no different from ordinary soldiers!"

"Brilliant idea!"

A smile appeared on the Prince of Wu Xiang's face: "But we shouldn't rush to reveal ourselves. Li Yan and his group, along with the imperial censors, are probably even more eager—we'll negotiate with them later."

"Our leader is wise!"

Everyone began to flatter him.

Tang Ling frowned slightly, sighed inwardly, but said nothing…

…………

On the other side, Li Yan and the others had also returned to their quarters.

Wang Daoxuan said nothing, activated the Ruyi Treasure Pearl; its cold aura enveloped the entire room, and only then did they begin speaking.

"Little Brother Yan, you're safe—that's all that matters!"

Wang Daoxuan exhaled in relief and asked: "That day you left and never returned, then the Prince of Shu suddenly moved—we were all deeply worried."

"That day, things got complicated."

Li Yan spoke gravely: "At Mingxiang Pavilion, we obtained intelligence. That night, at the docks, we encountered that person…"

He recounted the intelligence; everyone was greatly surprised.

Sha Lifei muttered: "So all this searching was for nothing—the man was hiding at the docks the whole time."

Wang Daoxuan was more concerned with another matter: "Qingyang Palace was involved too. Those people are all deeply cultivated—how could they risk destroying their thousand-year reputation?"

"Need I say more?"

Sha Lifei sneered: "Lu Sheng must have promised them something—immortality or ascension to godhood. That's why these old Daoists were blinded by greed and took the dark path."

"Hmm."

Li Yan pondered, then said: "To move them, it must be either immortality or ascension—perhaps it's connected to the Nine Tripods."

"Lu Sheng's goal is the Nine Tripods. The Prince of Wu Xiang probably knows something—stay wary. Don't let him sell us out."

"He may not help us, but at a time like this, he can certainly cause trouble. Avoid him for now."

"Also, tomorrow I'll find a chance to go to the Chengdu Prefectural Office."

"Why go to the Chengdu Prefectural Office?"

Lu San frowned slightly: "That place is surely unstable."

Li Yan spoke gravely: "I learned from Prince Xiao Jinghong of the Five Prefectures that the Prince of Shu controls the army because the Grand Prince summoned the garrison commanders and placed them under a mind-altering spell."

"If we break that spell, reclaim military command, and combine it with reinforcements from Qingcheng, we can suppress the Prince of Shu."

"This may be our only chance…"

After much discussion, they settled on their next plan.

Unaware, the snowstorm outside ceased. Just before dawn, a man arrived to summon them: "Young Master Li, our leader requests your presence."

Li Yan's heart sank.

Had Mingxiang Pavilion been compromised?

He hurried to the main hall and saw the Prince of Wu Xiang and others with grim faces. On the floor lay a man dressed as a coachman, beaten bloody, all ten fingers severed.

"Is this the traitor?"

Li Yan frowned and asked: "What happened at Mingxiang Pavilion? Were any of them captured?"

The hidden Bamboo Grove Six Idle were vital forces—he wouldn't casually reveal anything to the Prince of Wu Xiang.

"He's not even a traitor!"

Xie Huaiqing, head of the carriage guild, eyes bloodshot, gritted his teeth: "He was sent by the Salt Guild from the start—a spy who infiltrated for years…"

"I curse myself for failing to see through him—I've doomed my Jianghu brothers."

Even as he spoke, he trembled with lingering fear.

Fortunately, half a month ago, he'd sensed something was wrong and secretly sent his family to Ezhou—otherwise, his entire clan would have been wiped out.

"Mingxiang Pavilion is destroyed."

The Prince of Wu Xiang continued: "We had barely left when garrison troops surrounded it. But a master released toxic smoke—everyone inside vanished."

"By the time my men arrived, the place was already burned to ashes."

Li Yan heard this and exhaled in relief.

This was clearly Liang Yu's work—still sharp as ever.

Seeing Li Yan's expression, the Prince of Wu Xiang narrowed his eyes and said meaningfully: "Young Master Li, Mingxiang Pavilion was probably more than it seemed."

"Just concerned for a friend."

Li Yan laughed it off and changed the subject: "Elder, after last night's battle, Chengdu's patrols must be tighter. I wish to go to the Chengdu Prefectural Office to contact Minister Wang—do you know of any secret tunnels?"

"No."

The Prince of Wu Xiang shook his head: "Years ago, some fools tried using tunnels to break into the prefectural prison. They were caught, and the Enforcement Hall sent specialists to detect and destroy every tunnel there."

"I see…"

Li Yan frowned at this.

The sky was already light; the Chengdu Prefectural Office was surely surrounded. Even using teleportation, infiltration would be difficult.

Yet the Prince of Wu Xiang spoke gravely: "Young Master Li, going to the Chengdu Prefectural Office is actually simple—just walk down the street."

"Go outside and you'll see why."

Li Yan hurried out of the hall to the front courtyard gate and peered through the crack.

On the street, Jianghu men pulled ox-carts loaded with goods—salt sacks and various sundries.

Some rang bells, others shouted loudly:

"Snow foretells a bountiful year! The Shu Salt Guild celebrates the Prince of Shu, distributing festival gifts—every citizen of Chengdu gets one!"

Hearing this, more and more citizens opened their tightly shut doors and peeked out…

(End of Chapter)