Chapter 632: Jin Yanfeng

"Got caught?"

Sha Lifei chuckled, "With such a big reputation, to get caught? Must be all show and no substance."

Li Yan shook his head. "This isn't his fault—it's tied to Diliangzi."

"That Diliangzi had seven disciples back in Qingcheng, but only brought four with us. Three were sent ahead to Shen Du, Luoyang, to cause trouble."

"These three first clashed with someone in the Ghost Market of Shen Du, then emerged and were attacked by paper men—every internal organ was ripped out."

"The White Horse Temple investigated and found the man who argued with them was 'Jin Yanfeng'—so they arrested him outright."

Wang Daoxuan nodded. "This man must know what's going on."

"Exactly."

Sha Lifei rubbed his bald head, thoughtful. "He's locked in the yamen jail, not the Enforcement Hall—those folks at the City God Temple must've been clueless and got nothing out of him."

"But we can't be careless. We need to get him out fast—delay could bring trouble."

Li Yan frowned slightly. "Getting into the yamen jail won't be easy."

Shenzhou has Xuanmen forces—seemingly outside the mundane world—but in truth, their witchcraft, curses, and chaotic cults have never truly severed ties with the mortal realm.

After countless dynastic shifts, the imperial court has developed a full strategy to counter Xuanmen arts.

For instance, architectural design.

Prisons typically contain a "Bagua Locking Earth Array," built entirely according to the Post-Heaven Bagua directions, with eight Tai Shan Stone Gan Dangs embedded in the outer walls, inscribed with Sanskrit from the "Golden Vajra Subduing Demon Array."

The floor tiles are compacted with black dog's blood; the main beams are made of willow wood; inside the walls are cast iron Xiezhi statues, used to suppress and disrupt spiritual powers…

To guard against illusions, they deliberately assign guards who are born deaf and mute, to prevent them from being bewitched by magic.

In short, the court has a perfected system of construction.

Some small county jails may lack full precautions, but this is Luoyang—even in decline, it was once the Divine Capital, the heart of Zhongyuan, so defenses are naturally stronger.

Li Yan's group could force their way in without much difficulty.

But slipping in silently? That's far harder.

"I can try."

At that moment, Long Yan'er spoke up from beside them.

Li Yan turned his head. "Do you have confidence?"

Seeing Long Yan'er hesitate, he smiled. "Sister Long, you may still be unused to it—but in our team, we all support each other, speak openly. No one will blame you, whether you succeed or fail."

"Whatever happens, we all share the burden!"

"Exactly! What's there to fear? Worst case, we make a big scene."

Sha Lifei added his encouragement from the side.

Long Yan'er finally nodded. "The jail's buried talismans interfere with ordinary illusions, but the frost moths I raised on Xiling Snow Mountain can induce sleep."

"At night, when it's deep and quiet, we let the guards fall asleep—then we walk right in."

"Brilliant idea!"

Li Yan nodded with a smile.

The buried talismans in the jail would also disrupt Lu San's Beast Taming Art—but if he summoned venomous insects, it'd be like releasing poison, and those seals couldn't stop it.

Having decided, everyone returned to their rooms to rest, planning to act at midnight, Zi Shi.

…………

Before they knew it, night fell.

Luoyang's night felt even more desolate—from south to west to east, every household had extinguished its lamps, even merchants.

Since the Paper Man case broke, no one dared walk the streets at night except the helpless night watchmen—every door was tightly shut.

Only near the North Market did lights still blaze brightly.

The North Market lies in northern Luoyang, adjacent to the Luo River's canal docks, where merchant ships constantly come and go, gathering all manner of people. To the southeast, "Tongshang Alley" and along the Luo River, "Hualiu Street," both teem with taverns and brothels.

The "Henan General Gazetteer" records: "In Tongshang Alley of the North Market, taverns and brothels abound; night after night, music and song never cease."

The then-Analyst Commissioner of Yuzhou, upon first arriving in Luoyang, couldn't help composing a poem: "Luo River lights burn all night long; painted boats, pipa, and oar strokes mingle."

Of course, the most famous spot remains "Jingu Spring Sunshine," in the southwest of the city—built on the ruins of Shi Chong's Jin Gu Garden from the Western Jin, promoting "elegant courtesans" and serving only Luoyang's elite nobles.

Even the brutal Paper Man disturbances couldn't dampen these wealthy men's refined pleasures.

On pitch-black streets, Li Yan's group moved swiftly.

Though they didn't change into night-robes, all wore dark clothing, moving like ghosts along the alleyways.

Before coming, they'd already gathered intelligence.

The Yuzhou Provincial Yamen sits north of the central Bell and Drum Tower, overseeing all affairs of Yuzhou—its Prefect, Vice Prefect, and Assistant Prefect all work there.

The Luoyang County Yamen lies near Changxia Gate; the night watchmen who first discovered the Paper Man case fall under its jurisdiction.

The Regional Military Commissioner's Luoyang Battalion Command is near Tianjin Bridge in the west city; the City God Temple's Enforcement Hall is in Nanguan Tiekuo Alley.

Both monitor the Yi River and Luo River docks.

Li Yan's group was headed for the Luoyang County Yamen.

They moved swiftly and soon reached Changxia Gate.

Changxia Gate is ancient—it was one of three southern gates of the Eastern Han Luoyang city wall, but now only ruins remain; where the brick cladding has peeled away, Han-Wei rammed-earth can still be seen.

In the distance, faint firelight glowed within the gate arch.

It was the refugees' fire—on this cold night, their lives flickered like the flame, ready to be snuffed out at any moment.

The guards huddled beside their watchposts, dozing with rifles in hand, fared no better—only advantage: they'd eaten and wore thick cotton coats, so they wouldn't freeze to death at midnight.

Across the street stood the Luoyang County Yamen.

Its eight-character powder wall glowed pale under the moon; iron wind chimes on the eaves were rusted; the massive stone lions were heavy; the gavel drum was coated in dust.

Though old and worn, it radiated authority.

Li Yan knew the pair of stone lions at the gate were talismans—passed down since the Northern Song, surviving wars without shattering, already a treasure.

Had their spiritual resonance not been tied to the yamen, they'd have been stolen long ago.

Squeak-squeak~

Lu San patted his waist pouch; the fat, big-headed Rat Da immediately crawled out, squeaking twice toward the dark alley.

Immediately, over a dozen rats burst forth.

These rats were highly agile, dashing across the street, climbing along the yamen's perimeter, then slipping through drainage channels into the structure…

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

As expected, due to the yamen's talismans, his Beast Taming Art had failed—the rats lost control and scattered.

Li Yan instantly extended two fingers, making a beckoning motion forward, then moved silently toward the side alley of the yamen.

The others followed close behind.

Halfway there, Li Yan signaled again; the strong Wu Ba turned, crossed his arms upward, forming a human ladder.

Li Yan leapt, stepped on Wu Ba's shoulders, used his immense strength to launch himself skyward, flipped midair like a kite, and landed atop the wall.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Sha Lifei, Lu San, and Long Yan'er landed right after him.

Their coordination was seamless.

This infiltration didn't require many people—Wu Ba was too bulky, Wang Daoxuan too weak in skill; they stayed outside to provide backup.

Bang! Bang-bang!

At that moment, the night watchman's drum echoed nearby.

Li Yan's group didn't panic—they immediately dropped down and hid in the shadows.

The yamen at midnight felt especially eerie.

Two yamen runners patrolled with lanterns, yawning and whispering.

"Those guys from the Regional Command sure have airs."

"Yeah, nearly arrested the heir apparent—came to the county yamen and acted like lords. Hmph, all the court's dogs, pretending to be nobles..."

"The court's long been unhappy with the Prince of Luoyang. When the Regional Command moved suddenly, the Prince couldn't sleep a wink."

"Tsk-tsk. These are matters of big people—we stay out of it, don't get involved. Better to grab some silver while we can."

"Tomorrow someone'll come begging for mercy—I'll call the Chief Constable, we'll have a drink, and I'll let you skim a little off the top."

"Brother, you're my real brother!"

As they spoke, the two runners walked away; Li Yan's group slipped soundlessly toward the southwest.

Generally, in the Da Xuan Dynasty, yamen buildings face south; prisons are placed in the southwest Kun position, following the "Yansheng Technique," since "Kun represents earth, bearing all things with virtue to suppress evil."

With their skills, avoiding patrols was easy—but as they neared the prison, they halted.

Li Yan peered around the corner.

Outside the prison, two strong yamen runners stood with fire guns on their backs; tall poles behind them bore large paper lanterns.

In the night wind, they swayed slightly, illuminating the surrounding corridors.

The county yamen's prison typically had two sections: outer jail and inner dungeon.

The outer jail, on ground level, held common prisoners; the inner dungeon, one level underground, held serious offenders.

No one knew where "Jin Yanfeng" was held.

Li Yan turned to Long Yan'er.

Long Yan'er understood at once, shook her sleeve, and a bamboo tube appeared in her hand. She lifted the lid—green luminescence flickered.

This was the strange insect she'd found on Xiling Snow Mountain, called the "Frost Moth." After being refined into a venomous insect, it could induce illusions with its glow and scales, and also induce sleep through its internal toxin.

Clearly affected by the yamen's talismans, the "Frost Moth" seemed listless, its wings trembling but unwilling to take flight.

Long Yan didn't mind; she poured out two, then flipped her wrist and sent them into the night sky.

Pufu pufu!

The frost moths flapped their wings and landed on the heads of two constables.

Before they could raise their hands to swat them, their eyelids felt like they were fighting each other—they collapsed with thuds and began snoring.

Li Yan gave a thumbs-up and strode forward.

With Long Yan's miraculous insect, the prison held no further obstacles; the constables drinking at the table and those guarding the corridor all collapsed into sleep.

Li Yan and his companions moved as if through an empty land.

As the constables fell, the prisoners awoke, their faces filled with terror as they stared at the intruders.

Li Yan and the others had already pulled scarves over their necks, covering half their faces—they looked like prison-breakers.

Looking at the ragged, filthy prisoners behind the wooden bars, Li Yan bowed and said, "Rest easy. As long as you don't cause trouble, we won't harm you."

"May I ask, which of you is Elder 'Golden Eye Feng'?"

The prisoners all stepped back; some lowered their heads in silence, others simply curled into corners pretending to sleep.

Li Yan frowned slightly but ignored them.

This first level was the outer prison, holding only ordinary convicts—mostly petty thieves, many wrongfully imprisoned, and likely to be released within days.

Even if they opened the doors, few would try to escape.

Deep within the outer prison lay the inner cellblock.

A massive wooden door, embedded in thick earthen walls and sheathed in rusted iron plating, left only a small opening.

This was meant as a defense, but it couldn't stop them—while Li Yan spoke, Long Yan had already released her venomous insect, knocking out the constables inside.

Dong dong dong!

Li Yan stepped forward, tapped his fingers against several spots on the wooden door, instantly locating the bolt, then slapped it casually.

Kacha!

The force, transmitted through the door like a distant strike, snapped the internal bolt clean.

As the door opened, foul air rushed out, reeking of excrement, urine, and mildew.

Li Yan nearly gagged, pinching his nose as he entered, then bowed again: "Don't be afraid—we've come to rescue you. Which of you is Elder 'Golden Eye Feng'?"

Shalala~

No sooner had he spoken than the clinking of iron chains rang out.

From the square holes beneath each iron door, hands reached out—some withered, others bloody and raw—along with cries of desperation.

"It's me, it's me! I'm Golden Eye Feng!"

"Hahahaha! Finally, someone's come to save me!"

"Good sirs, please let me out! I've buried gold on Mount Funiu—I'll reward you handsomely!"

Clearly, all these serious prisoners wanted to escape.

"Shut up!"

Sha Lifei let out a cold snort. "We're here to verify identities. Anyone who lies tonight gets sent to the grave."

At once, the noise subsided.

But low curses began to rise in its place.

No one claimed to be Golden Eye Feng anymore.

Li Yan's lips curled slightly. "Since Golden Eye Feng isn't here, we'll take our leave—no further trouble."

"Wait!"

From a cell around the corner, chains clinked, followed by a weary voice: "Young man, I've done you no harm—why are you targeting me?"

"If you leave now, I'll be doomed tomorrow. Fine—I'll go with you."

Li Yan chuckled softly, stepped forward, gripped Duchen Dao, and flicked his wrist.

Cheng!

The blade sliced through the iron door's gap, sparks flying—the thick iron bolt, as wide as a baby's arm, was severed in one stroke.

The door swung open. An old man with matted hair and filthy face stepped out slowly, raising his head—his features gaunt, one eye devoid of pupil, entirely yellow, like molten gold.

Li Yan was startled internally but kept his face expressionless; he gave a signal, and Sha Lifei and Lu San stepped forward, one on each side, supporting "Golden Eye Feng" as they led him out.

Soon, the group left the cellblock.

Luoyang's yamen had truly decayed—the guards were snoring loudly, and no one came to patrol.

The group slipped out of the county office easily, darting through the streets, wiping away all traces of scent with medicinal powder, and returned to Longmen Inn in less than half a stick of incense.

After closing the door and lighting a candle, Li Yan removed his face covering and smiled as he bowed: "Elder, don't fear—we only came to ask you a few questions."

He then recounted the entire story.

"You're friends with that stubborn donkey?"

"Golden Eye Feng" exhaled in relief and shook his head. "I thought it was something serious. Looks like that stubborn donkey's fate isn't done yet."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "Elder, do you know what happened?"

"Golden Eye Feng" nodded gravely. "To be honest, that stubborn donkey's father and I had dealings. We collaborated often back in Guanzhong."

"The first time he came to me, he asked me to authenticate a newly unearthed small bronze ding."

"The ding itself meant little, but it bore Qin seal script inscribed with these words: 'Xu Shi, by imperial decree, sailed east…'"

Li Yan frowned. "Who is Xu Shi?"

Beside him, Wang Daoxuan's face was pale with shock. He spoke in a low voice: "Xu Shi had another name—you've surely heard it…"

"Xu Fu!"

(End of Chapter)