Chapter 581

Boom!

A loud bang broke the silence of the night.

Between the dark alleys and streets, dogs barked wildly, and many commoners were awakened, with flickering candlelight lighting up.

Some commoners walked out of their homes, looking into the distance with suspicion.

This sound was a bit like a firecracker.

But ordinary firecrackers weren't this loud.

Looking at the direction, it was the Xicheng.

What happened over there...

Wenmiao Street, smoke filled the air, and it was a mess everywhere.

A large pit appeared in the center of the street, nearby trees were broken in the middle, and a section of the Wenmiao wall had also collapsed.

Groans were constant, and there were severed limbs everywhere.

"My leg, my leg!"

A scarred man held his twisted thigh tightly, screaming in pain, rolling to the side, surrounded by the corpses of garrison soldiers.

Not far from him, Situ Qian had a gloomy expression.

Nie Sangu, who was in charge of the operation, was dead, but the mission had to continue, so under his order, the encirclement continued.

But he made two major mistakes.

First, he had selfish motives, taking time to save Bai Qihong and sending people to settle her down, wasting critical time.

Second, the team lost control.

Nie Sangu died, and these martial arts sorcerers recruited by the Prince of Shu were all slacking off, even inciting the Salt Gang people to follow behind.

It looked lively, but no one really dared to charge up and take action.

After all, the notorious Nie Sangu had her head cut off by someone.

Gathered for profit, why risk one's life so much?

Plus, the company commander in charge of command had also fainted due to the influence of the "Blood Basin Holy Mother," and the entire garrison team was in chaos.

They followed to this place and then fell into a trap.

Two explosive charges, both mixed with a small amount of new-style gunpowder, were thrown into the crowd, causing such a tragic scene.

"Clean up the wounded and go back to report!"

Looking at the scene around him, Situ Qian's expression was extremely ugly.

Although they had snatched that batch of gunpowder, the losses were equally shocking.

The Netherworld Stage was exposed, Nie Sangu died, Bai Qihong lost her combat ability, and it caused quite a stir.

As for the Prince of Shu, he feared it wouldn't be easy to explain...

Behind a roof hundreds of meters away, Li Yan watched quietly.

He had used an escape technique, combined with the Dragon-Snake Tablet's concealment; at this distance, no one could discover him.

Seeing those people stop their pursuit, he turned and jumped into a dark alley, taking a detour and heading in the opposite direction.

In less than half a stick of incense, he saw a large river.

This large river was very neat, excavated when the Prince of Shu's mansion was built, circling the entire mansion and connecting the east, west, south, and north cities.

Li Yan ran along the river, simultaneously observing the rear.

Sure enough, the small gate on the west side of the Prince of Shu's mansion had already opened, and many Black Feather Guards rode out, heading toward the Xicheng.

They didn't notice them at all.

Seeing this, Li Yan couldn't help but secretly praise in his heart.

This escape route was planned with the help of Wuxiang Young Master, leaving from the dark canal behind the Chengdu prefectural office, passing through small alleys to Wenmiao Street, then entering the Imperial River waterway, and holding their breath to escape.

As expected of the leader of the Chengdu underworld, the old fox whom the Prince of Shu hadn't caught for many years, his judgment of the mansion's actions was spot on.

Plus, he split his forces into two paths, drawing people away.

These people had completely saved their lives.

Li Yan didn't stop his footsteps and soon arrived at the north of the city along the river.

This was already behind the Prince of Shu's mansion.

Most of the residents in the north of the city were high-ranking officials and nobles of Chengdu, but because of taboos, almost no one built large mansions near the back of the Prince of Shu's mansion.

Along the stone steps downward, both sides were either dense forests rarely visited by people, overgrown with weeds, or palace temples and warehouses.

The Yuwang Temple was on the east side; this place was mostly warehouses, either rented by wealthy households in the Beicheng or occupied by the Ningchuan Garrison.

Li Yan checked the surroundings, formed a dharma seal, sniffed the air a few times, and soon found some wet footprints on the shore.

He used his feet to kick up loose soil to cover them, took a medicine bottle from his bosom, sprinkled some powder to eliminate the smell, and then left.

Not long after, he arrived outside a pitch-black warehouse.

Dong, dong, dong!

After knocking a few times, long and short, he pushed open the wooden warehouse door, slipped inside, and carefully closed it.

Inside, it was piled with debris and pitch-black.

Dong Cunshan stood waiting to the side; seeing him, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, "Li Li Shaoxia, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, the pursuers have withdrawn."

After saying a few words, the two bypassed the debris.

The back was separated by wooden boards, extremely cleverly forming a secret room, inside which a faint candlelight was lit, and beside it were the people who had escaped.

"Li Li Shaoxia, thank you!"

Wang Yushi had recovered his senses by now and stood up solemnly to cup his hands.

"You are too polite, my lord."

Li Yan nodded slightly, then felt for a secret compartment in the room, pushed open a wooden board, and inside were bundles, both steamed cakes and some clean water.

"This is a hideout for the Chengdu underworld."

Li Yan explained, "They prepared some dry rations; although the taste is poor, they are life-saving items. It's best if you all don't run around these days, wait until the wind blows over before talking."

After hearing this, everyone remained silent.

Morale was clearly somewhat low.

This matter wasn't strange either.

They came from the capital; whether it was the Bagua Sect or Bai Yun Temple, it definitely wasn't just for that bit of remuneration.

As long as they could topple the Prince of Shu, their sects could immediately connect with the Kaihai Sect and several high-ranking officials in the court, rising with the wind.

Although the Dong family had a master, he was already elderly.

With the change in human affairs, they also smelled the scent of danger.

But now, it had all gone down the drain.

The Prince of Shu suddenly made a move, and in this season of snow-blocked roads, they couldn't mobilize reinforcements from outside, and their early advantages were lost.

Right now, even saving their lives was a problem.

Wang Yushi pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Li Li Shaoxia, at this point, do you have any plans?"

"Difficult!"

Li Yan said bluntly, "The Prince of Shu has been controlled by demons, plotting something big; the righteous path of the Mystic Sect in Shu won't sit idly by, and reinforcements should arrive soon."

"But the number of people is limited after all, and the Prince of Shu has many troops and the power of firearms; how to break the deadlock, I don't know either."

Once these words were spoken, Wang Yushi's eyes also dimmed, and he sighed, "Heaven's timing, geographical advantages, and human harmony—we have none."

"Forgive me for speaking bluntly, but seeking profit and avoiding harm is human nature; those martial arts people who came will likely sit idly by. Does Li Li Shaoxia want to leave Chengdu to take refuge?"

Li Yan heard this and said coldly, "My lord underestimates us."

"Heaven has unpredictable storms, and people walking in the world, where would it be smooth sailing? Every pass is hard to cross, but every pass must be crossed."

"Martial arts people aren't all cowards who fear death; we will definitely stay."

"If you want to leave, my lord, I can help you contact and arrange it, but you will definitely owe a favor afterward; you can consider it."

After saying this, he cupped his hands and left.

He contacted Wang Yushi and his group originally wanting to borrow their strength to strike at the Prince of Shu's military power, but he didn't expect this to happen.

Seeing that Wang Yushi had the intention to retreat, he feared they couldn't be relied upon.

After he left, the secret room was silent.

Dong Cunshan looked at his fellow disciples around him, sighed in his heart, and cupped his hands, "My lord, as long as the green hills remain, there's no need to worry about firewood. We can leave Chengdu first, mobilize troops from Chongqing, which is safer."

To be honest, he didn't want this either.

But this time they came out, the disciples they brought were the future of the Bagua Sect; if they all folded here, that would be something he couldn't explain.

With a large family and business, one had to be more cautious.

"I don't see it that way." The leading Daoist from Bai Yun Temple shook his head, "Listening to Li Li Shaoxia, the Prince of Shu has been possessed by a demon, and with his many actions, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, he's afraid he's going to perform some evil magic."

"Reinforcements might not arrive in time; if the people of the whole city suffer, I'm afraid we won't be able to sleep well for the rest of our lives."

Dong Cunshan smiled bitterly and didn't refute.

How could he not know the severity of the matter?

What to do still depended on Wang Yushi's choice.

"I'm not leaving!"

Wang Yushi was silent for a long time before finally speaking.

He said with a solemn expression, "If that demon really does something that shocks the Divine Land, according to the Emperor's temper, we'll all be in trouble afterward."

"Now, there's no way to retreat!"

"Mr. Dong, you set off tomorrow to leave for Chongqing Prefecture to seek help; I will stay in Chengdu Prefecture to see if I can find an opportunity..."

!

"To seize military power!"

The following two days, Chengdu Prefecture was peaceful.

The Prince of Shu's mansion issued a notice to reassure the people, saying that the Chengdu prefectural office's gunpowder warehouse was poorly guarded, causing an explosion with many casualties, including Wang Yushi.

To be honest, no one believed this at all.

However, the high-ranking officials and nobles of Chengdu were now all trembling with fear, keeping their gates tightly closed to avoid disaster; who dared to say a word of nonsense?

As for the commoners, various rumors were flying everywhere.

But rumors were rumors, and life had to go on.

The Salt Gang continued to provide benefits, the Prince of Shu's mansion strictly ordered the army not to harass, and the commoners gradually got used to it, even developing the thought of watching the upper-class dogs bite each other.

On the streets, prosperity gradually returned.

Li Yan didn't cause trouble anymore; after taking time to send Dong Cunshan away from Chengdu, he investigated in the city every day and finally contacted the Six Leisurely Ones of the Bamboo Forest hiding in a deserted house in the Chengnan.

On the other side, the Blood Nuo Masters and the Black Sect Lama Dorje Tashi from the Prince of Shu's side returned, cooperating with the Black Feather Guards to search secretly in the city, and even killed a few of Wuxiang Young Master's subordinates.

The opponent was powerful, so Li Yan and the others had to temporarily lie low.

Amidst this lively and tense atmosphere, the end of the year approached...

New Year's Eve, sunset at dusk.

It had been clear for a few days, but on the thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month, snow fell abruptly again.

The stilt houses on both sides of the Jin River seemed to be draped in three inches of white silk, and the copper bells on the eaves of the Qingyang Palace were frozen into ice pendants, tinkling like broken jade when the wind passed.

In the blue-brick alleys of Chengdu Prefecture, the portraits of Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong on the vermilion doors were set off by the snow to be even more vibrant.

Crackle, crackle, the sound of firecrackers.

Startling the sparrows on the branches and causing wild dogs to bark wildly in the snow.

On this New Year's Eve, although the wind and snow howled, there were few pedestrians on the street, and every household's doors were tightly closed, but it was very lively.

According to the customs of Shu, today was for ancestor worship and staying up for the New Year.

At noon, they ate the "New Year's Meal," with the clan gathering together.

At night, they drank "Reunion Wine" and ate cured meat platters.

Whether in the royal palace or ordinary households, there were people holding torches, illuminating every dark corner.

Places like kitchens and wells also had to have candles lit.

Burning all night without extinguishing, to prevent rats from stealing grain.

This custom is called "Illuminating the Void and Waste."

During the New Year, not only were there Nian beasts, but folk rumors also said there was a "Void and Waste Ghost" that would hide in dark places in the home.

If not expelled, one would get sick and have bad luck in the coming year.

Wealthy households were even more particular, having to use asphalt produced from Mount Qingcheng to make eternal lamps, with natural salt crystals from Huojing Town in Qionglai mixed into the wicks.

Burning with a crackling sound to startle away the "Void and Waste Ghost."

At Squire Wang's house in the Chengnan, the old steward personally carried the eternal lamp, leading people to illuminate every place to check for waste, not even letting go of under the bed.

Finally, they arrived at the stable.

A Shu farming proverb says: "If cattle and horses are wasted, spring plowing has no support."

This place was also a key area.

Busy all day, the young clerk was already somewhat tired, and the old steward was yawning repeatedly, carrying the eternal lamp and turning his head to say: "Buck up, we still have to accompany the master to stay up for the New Year today."

"Sigh~ in previous years we could hire an actor to sing, but this year it's a bit bland..."

Before the words fell, he saw the clerk behind him widen his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

The old steward frowned and asked.

The young clerk swallowed his saliva, "I... I saw a figure, in the blink of an eye, it was gone; it must be a Void and Waste Ghost!"

"Pah, pah, what nonsense are you talking about!"

The old steward scolded, but he still carried the lamp, illuminated the inside and outside of the stable, and scolded: "Where is there anything? You must have seen wrong; don't talk nonsense later, be careful the master beats you."

After saying this, he took the clerk and turned to leave.

Behind the haystacks in the stable, Li Yan walked out slowly.

He carried a bag of things, carefully covered the secret passage entrance, and then climbed over the wall to leave.

This was an exit to the Chengdu underground dark passage; he had often traveled here during this time, and he didn't expect to be almost discovered.

Li Yan carried the things and walked through the street.

It seemed because it was New Year's, there were clearly fewer guards on the street, only occasionally Black Feather Guards riding past.

In the wind and snow, the night watchman huddled under his straw raincoat, stomped his feet from the cold, and shouted "Peace and auspiciousness—!" again, leaving a row of footprints behind him.

Amidst this city full of New Year's flavor, Li Yan put on his armor, stepped on the city wall to soar into the air, and left from the Chengnan.

In the slums in the distance, fire piles were burning one after another.

This was also a Chengdu New Year custom, burning tree roots and roasting by the fire to stay up for the New Year, called "Warming Away a Hundred Diseases."

The people in the slums also used this to survive the cold night.

The firelight in the wind and snow made the surroundings even darker.

Li Yan carried two large bags of things, walked through the snow, and soon arrived at the confluence of the Fu River and the Nan River.

There was a Hejiang Pavilion here, located in a remote place, with wind and snow howling all around, but candlelight was lit in the pavilion, and a person was sitting and drinking.

"Snow blocks the Blue Pass, the horse cannot move forward—!"

A rough voice sounded; it was the reincarnation of Erlang Zhenjun.

"Senior Yang, what a great mood!"

Li Yan laughed, carried the things into the pavilion, shook the accumulated snow off his bamboo hat, and opened the package on the ground.

"I brought some pepper and cypress wine, and this, the 'Rice Crisps' they made are good, using brown sugar from the Chuanxi plains..."

"Stop!"

Yang Chenghua waved his hand, frowned, and said: "It's New Year's, why aren't you staying up with your companions, why come find me?"

Li Yan laughed: "I was afraid you'd be lonely by yourself."

To deal with the Prince of Shu, this reincarnation of Erlang Zhenjun, Yang Chenghua, was the main force, but this person had been hiding near the wharf and refused to join them.

Yang Chenghua looked into the distance; although it was windy, snowy, and dark, he could still vaguely see the lights of Chengdu Prefecture.

"Lonely?"

He shook his head slightly, "Just a passerby, where would loneliness come from?"

Li Yan was speechless, not knowing what to say.

"Hmm~"

Suddenly, Yang Chenghua frowned slightly and pressed his forehead.

"Senior, what's wrong?"

Li Yan was startled and hurriedly asked.

Yang Chenghua picked up the wine jar, gulped down a few mouthfuls, looked at the Chengdu city wall, and grunted: "These past few days, my head has been full of voices, it's too noisy, even sleeping isn't peaceful..."

After hearing this, Li Yan instantly understood.

This reincarnation of Erlang Zhenjun was absorbing a large amount of incense and wish power...

(End of chapter)