Chapter 629: Jin Jin Yanfeng

"Arrested?"

Sha Lifei chuckled, "With such a big reputation, to still get caught, he must be someone with a name but no substance."

Li Yan shook his head, "This matter isn't his fault, but is related to Earth Dragon."

"That scoundrel Earth Dragon, when he was at Mount Qingcheng, still had seven disciples under him, but he only brought four when he set out with us; three had been sent ahead by him to the Divine Capital of Luoyang to stir up trouble."

"These three first had a conflict with someone in the Divine Capital Ghost Market, and subsequently, after coming out, they encountered paper dolls, and their internal organs were all hollowed out."

"The people from White Horse Temple investigated and discovered that the one who had argued with them in the Ghost Market was none other than 'Jin Jin Yanfeng,' so they arrested him directly."

Wang Fu nodded, "This person must know the inside story."

"That's right."

Sha Lifei rubbed his big bald head and said thoughtfully, "This old fellow is locked up in the yamen, not the Enforcement Hall; presumably, those people at the Chenghuangmiao are muddled and didn't get anything out of him."

"But we can't be careless; we must get him out quickly, otherwise, delays will lead to changes."

Li Yan frowned, "The yamen isn't easy to enter."

The Divine Land has Mystic Sect power; while they appear to be people outside the world, in reality, the disasters of witchcraft and the chaotic world's illicit sacrifices have never ceased to influence the mortal world.

And after successive dynastic changes, the imperial court has developed a complete set of strategies for guarding against Mystic Sect arts.

For example, the architectural layout.

Prisons are usually set up with the "Eight Trigrams Sealing Earth Formation," built entirely according to the Later Heaven Eight Trigrams orientation, with eight Mount Tai stone tablets embedded in the outer walls, carved with the Sanskrit of the "Diamond Subduing Demon Formation"...

The floor tiles are rammed with black dog blood, the roof beams are made of willow wood, and the walls are sealed with cast iron Pixiu statues to suppress and interfere with supernatural powers...

To prevent illusions, they even specifically select those born deaf and mute to serve as inner prison guards, preventing them from being bewitched by arts.

In short, the imperial court has perfect construction standards.

Some small county yamens might not have complete layouts, but this is Luoyang; even if it has declined, it was once the Divine Capital, the heart of the Central Plains, so the defenses are naturally stronger.

With Li Yan and the others' abilities, breaking in wouldn't be difficult.

But to sneak in silently, that wouldn't be so easy.

"I can try."

Just then, Long Long Yaner spoke up suddenly.

Li Yan turned his head, "Are you confident?"

Seeing Long Long Yaner hesitate, he smiled, "Sister Long might not be used to it yet, but in our team, we all support each other and are honest with one another; whether we succeed or not, no one will blame you."

"No matter what happens, we'll all bear it together!"

"Exactly, what's there to fear? At worst, we'll just make a big scene."

Sha Lifei also persuaded from the side.

Only then did Long Long Yaner nod, "In the yamen prison, there are things buried that interfere with ordinary illusions, but the Frost Moths I raised on Xiling Snow Mountain can induce sleep."

"At night, when it's quiet, we can make the guarding yamen runners fall asleep, and then we can enter easily."

"Good plan!"

Li Yan smiled and nodded.

The things buried in the yamen prison would also interfere with Lu San's beast-taming arts, but if he used insect poisons, it would be equivalent to releasing poison, and those restrictions wouldn't be able to break that.

Having made up their minds, the group returned to their rooms to rest, planning to act at the Zi hour in the dead of night.

…………

Unknowingly, night fell.

The night in Luoyangcheng appeared even more lonely; from the south of the city to the west and east, every household had extinguished their lights, and even those merchant shops were no exception.

Once the Paper Doll Case broke out, apart from those helpless night watchmen, no one dared to go out on the street at night, and every house had its doors bolted shut.

Only the area near the North Market remained brilliantly lit.

The North Market was located in the north of Luoyangcheng, adjacent to the Luohe grain transport wharf, with merchant ships coming and going frequently, and people from all walks of life gathering there. In "Commerce Lane" on the south side and "Flower and Willow Street" along the Luohe, there were numerous wine shops and brothels.

The "Henan Gazetteer" records: "In Commerce Lane of the North Market, there are many wine shops and brothels, with singing and music continuing all night long."

The then-Inspector of Yu Prefecture, upon first arriving in Luoyang, couldn't help but write a poem: "The lights by the Luohe shine all night, the painted boats and pipa music mingle with the sound of oars."

Of course, even more famous was "Golden Valley Spring Serenity" in the southwest of the city, which borrowed the fame of Shi Chong's Golden Valley Garden from the Western Jin Dynasty and built a manor on the old site, specializing in the gimmick of "elegant courtesans," receiving only the famous high-ranking officials and nobles of Luoyangcheng.

Even with the paper dolls acting so cruelly, it couldn't stop these wealthy people from indulging in pleasure.

On the pitch-black street, Li Yan and his party walked quickly.

Although they didn't go so far as to change into night-traveling clothes, they were all wearing dark-colored garments, walking on both sides of the street like ghosts.

Before they came, they had already inquired about intelligence.

The Yu Prefecture Yamen was located on the north side of the central Bell and Drum Tower, managing all affairs of Yu Prefecture, with the Prefect, Vice Prefect, and Assistant Prefect all working there.

The Luoyang County Yamen was near Changxia Gate; the night watchman who discovered the Paper Doll Case was managed by this county yamen.

The Luoyang Battalion of the Commandant's Office was near Tianjin Bridge in the Chengxi, while the Enforcement Hall of the Chenghuangmiao was in Tiekuo Lane in the South Pass.

Both were monitoring the Yi River and Luohe wharves.

The place Li Yan and the others were heading to was the Luoyang County Yamen.

They moved at high speed and arrived at Changxia Gate before long.

This Changxia Gate also had a long history, being one of the three gates of the south city wall of the old Luoyangcheng of the Eastern Han Dynasty, but now only ruins remained; where the bricks on the walls had peeled away, one could still see the rammed earth of the Han and Wei dynasties.

Inside the gate tunnel in the distance, there was a faint firelight.

That was lit by the refugees fleeing nearby; in this cold night, their lives were like this flame, flickering uncertainly, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

The guards squatting by the guardhouse dozing off with their spears were no better off than them; their only advantage was that they had eaten their fill and were wearing thick cotton clothes, so they wouldn't freeze to death in the middle of the night.

And across the street was the Luoyang County Yamen.

The white walls with the Eight Trigrams pattern shimmered with a clear radiance under the moonlight, the iron bells on the eaves were rusted, the massive stone lions were substantial, and the drum for hearing cases was covered in dust.

Although it was old and dilapidated, it still carried an air of majesty.

Li Yan knew that the pair of stone lions at the entrance were a pair of suppression objects, passed down since the Northern Song Dynasty; having survived wars without crumbling, they were already considered treasures.

If their Qi wasn't connected to the yamen, they would have been stolen long ago.

Squeak, squeak~

Lu San patted the pocket at his waist, and the fat-eared Mouse Big immediately drilled out, barking twice toward the dark alley.

Immediately, over a dozen mice scurried out.

These mice were very agile, scurrying across the street at high speed, crawling along the perimeter of the yamen, and drilling into it along the waterways...

Lu San suddenly frowned slightly and shook his head at Li Yan.

Sure enough, because of the influence of various suppression objects within the yamen, his beast-taming arts had failed, and those mice had also lost control and left.

Li Yan immediately extended two fingers, made a hooking motion forward, and then lightened his footsteps, rushing toward the side alley of the yamen.

And the others followed closely behind.

When they were halfway there, Li Yan made another gesture, and the sturdy Wu Ba immediately turned around, crossed his hands upward, and made a hand ladder.

Li Yan jumped and stepped on it, borrowing Wu Ba's immense strength to suddenly soar into the air, turning a somersault in mid-air, and landing on the perimeter wall.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Sha Lifei, Lu San, and Long Long Yaner also landed immediately after.

The coordination of this set was truly smooth and flowing.

This infiltration was not suitable for too many people; Wu Ba and Wang Fu were too large and not skilled enough in martial arts respectively, so it was just right for them to stay outside to provide support.

Clang! Clang, clang!

Just then, the sound of the night watchman's clapper rang out nearby.

Li Yan and the others didn't panic and immediately jumped down to hide in the darkness.

The yamen in the dead of night appeared exceptionally eerie.

Two yamen runners holding lanterns patrolled, yawning while discussing in low voices.

"Those people from the Commandant's Office really have big airs."

"Yeah, they almost arrested the Prince's heir, and when they came to the County Yamen, they were bossing everyone around. Hmph, they're all dogs of the imperial court, yet they really think of themselves as nobles..."

"The imperial court has long been dissatisfied with the Prince of Luoyang; the Commandant's Office moved suddenly, and that person in the Prince's Mansion has been so scared he hasn't slept all night."

"Tsk tsk, these are all matters for big shots; let's not get involved, let's not interfere, it's more practical to take the opportunity to get some silver."

"Tomorrow someone will want to plead for mercy; I'll call the head constable, and we brothers will go for a drink, which will also be a chance for you to get some oil and water."

"Brother, you are my own brother!"

While speaking, the two yamen runners had already walked far away, and Li Yan and the others also moved silently toward the southwest.

Generally speaking, the yamen of the Great Xuan Dynasty sat facing south, while the prison was set up in the southwest Kun position according to "Exorcism Arts," taking the meaning of "Kun is earth, carrying things with great virtue to suppress evil."

With the group's movement techniques, they naturally avoided the patrols on the road easily, but when they were about to reach the prison, they stopped.

Li Yan looked inward through the corner.

Outside the prison, two sturdy yamen runners were carrying fire guns, with large paper lanterns hanging from high poles behind them.

They swayed slightly in the night wind, illuminating the surrounding corridors.

The county yamen prison was generally divided into an inner prison and an outer jail.

The outer jail was on the ground, detaining ordinary prisoners, while the inner prison was on the underground level, detaining serious criminals.

Where "Jin Jin Yanfeng" was locked up, they really didn't know.

Li Yan turned his head to look at Long Long Yaner.

Long Long Yaner immediately understood, shook her sleeve, and a bamboo tube appeared in her hand; she opened the lid, and immediately green fluorescence flickered.

This was the exotic insect she found on Xiling Snow Mountain, called the "Frost Moth." After being refined into a Gu insect, it could induce hallucinations with fluorescence and scale powder, and could also hypnotize with the toxins in its body.

Seeming to be affected by the yamen's suppression objects, the "Frost Moth" was clearly somewhat withered, vibrating its wings but unwilling to fly.

Long Long Yaner didn't care, poured out two, and flicked her hand, sending them into the night sky.

Poof, poof, poof!

The Frost Moths fluttered their wings and landed on the heads of the two yamen runners.

Before they could even reach out to swat them, they felt their upper and lower eyelids fighting, and they fell to the ground with a thud, snoring away.

Li Yan gave a thumbs up and strode forward.

With Long Long Yaner's precious insect, there were no more obstacles in the yamen prison; the constable drinking at the square table and the yamen runner guarding the passage with a saber all fell to the ground and fell asleep.

Li Yan and the others also entered as if there were no one there.

As the yamen runners fell, those prisoners were also awakened, full of terror, looking at the group that had broken in.

Li Yan and his party had already pulled up the scarves around their necks, covering half their faces, looking like strong men breaking out of prison.

Looking at the many disheveled prisoners behind the wooden bars, Li Yan cupped his hands directly and said, "Everyone, rest assured, as long as you don't cause trouble, we won't make things difficult for you."

"May I ask which one is Senior 'Jin Jin Yanfeng'?"

Hearing this, the prisoners all retreated a few steps; some lowered their heads and said nothing, while others simply curled up in the corner and pretended to sleep.

Li Yan frowned and ignored them.

This first level was the outer jail, where all the prisoners detained were ordinary criminals, at most petty thieves, and most were wronged and would be released in a few days.

Even if they opened the doors, probably no one would escape.

Arriving deep in the outer jail, one reached the inner prison.

A massive wooden door was embedded in the thick earthen wall, also wrapped in a layer of rusted iron, leaving only a small opening.

This could also be considered a defense, but it couldn't stop the group at all. Just as Li Yan was speaking, Long Long Yaner had already released her Gu insects, knocking out the yamen runners inside as well.

Thump, thump, thump!

Li Yan stepped forward, tapped his fingers on several parts of the wooden door, immediately judged the position of the door bolt, and slapped it casually.

Crack!

The force of "striking an ox across a mountain" directly snapped the door bolt inside.

As soon as the door opened, the murky air rushed toward them, carrying a foul stench, a mixture of feces, urine, and the smell of mold.

Li Yan was almost choked by the stench; he pinched his nose and entered, cupping his hands again, "Everyone, don't be afraid, we have come to save people. May I ask which one is Senior 'Jin Jin Yanfeng'?"

Clatter, clatter~

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of iron chains rang out.

One after another, hands reached out from the square holes at the bottom of the iron doors; some were withered, some were bloody and mangled, and various shouts followed.

"I am, I am, I am Jin Jin Yanfeng!"

"Hahaha, finally someone has come to save me!"

"Good heroes, please let me out. I have buried some gold on Funiu Mountain, and there will surely be a generous reward!"

Clearly, these serious criminals all wanted to escape.

"Shut up, all of you!"

Sha Lifei gave a cold snort, "We have to verify your true identities. Whoever dares to talk nonsense will be sent on their way tonight!"

Once these words were spoken, the noisy sounds immediately diminished significantly.

But what followed were various low-voiced curses.

No one said they were Jin Jin Yanfeng anymore.

A curve appeared at the corner of Li Yan's mouth, "Since Jin Jin Yanfeng is not here, then forgive us for the disturbance, we shall leave now."

"Wait!"

In a cell at the corner, the sound of chains rang out, followed by a helpless voice: "Little brother, I have no grudges against you, why do you want to harm me?"

"If you leave like this, I'll be in trouble tomorrow. Fine, I'll go with you."

Li Yan laughed in spite of himself, stepped forward a few paces, gripped the Dust-Breaking Blade, and flicked his wrist.

Clang!

The blade light slashed through the gap in the iron gate, sparks flew, and the iron bolt as thick as a baby's arm was cut straight through.

The iron gate opened, and an old man with disheveled hair and a dirty face walked out slowly. He raised his head, and one could see his features were gaunt, and one of his eyes had contracted some strange disease, having lost its pupil entirely and turned completely yellow, looking just like a golden eye.

Li Yan was astonished inwardly, but his face remained expressionless. He signaled with his eyes, and Sha Lifei and Lu San immediately stepped forward, supporting "Jin Jin Yanfeng" on the left and right as they walked out.

Very quickly, the group left the prison.

The Luoyang yamen was indeed already decaying; the prison guards were sleeping soundly, and no one had even come to patrol.

The group left the county yamen with ease, shuttled rapidly along the streets, used medicinal powder to wipe away all traces of scent, and in less than half an incense stick of time, they returned to the Dragon Gate Inn.

After closing the door and lighting a candle, Li Yan took off the mask on his head, smiled, and cupped his hands: "Senior, do not be afraid. We have only come to ask you about something."

As he spoke, he recounted the sequence of events.

"You are friends of that stubborn donkey?"

"Jin Jin Yanfeng" breathed a sigh of relief, shook his head, and said: "I was wondering what it was about. It seems that stubborn donkey is not destined to die."

Li Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, "Does the senior know what happened?"

"Jin Jin Yanfeng" nodded and said in a deep voice: "To tell you the truth, that stubborn donkey's father also had a friendship with me; we cooperated a lot when we were in Guanzhong."

"The first time he came to find me, it was to ask me to help him appraise a small bronze tripod that had just been unearthed."

"That tripod wasn't much, but it had a few words engraved on it in Qin seal script: 'Xu Fu, by imperial decree, crosses the east'..."

Li Yan frowned, "Who is Xu Fu?"

And Wang Daoxuan, who was beside him, was already filled with horror, saying in a deep voice: "Xu Fu also had a real name, you must have heard of it..."

"Xu Fu!"

(End of chapter)