Chapter 665: The Deep Waters of Jinmen

The rapid sound of wooden clappers and gongs tore through the morning mist.

Near the back alley of the Hou residence, flames were roaring, visible from several streets away.

This brothel was a three-courtyard residence. Although the area wasn't small, after the renovations, too many things had been piled up: the front courtyard was set up as a gambling den, the small cubicles in the middle courtyard were all flammable materials, and the backyard was even more cramped.

Because it was near the docks and crowded, any small flames in the past were directly doused with water.

But Li Yan's killing spree had scared the patrons and prostitutes into fleeing, and the hired thugs had suffered heavy casualties, leaving no one to deal with the fire. The flames grew more intense, quickly swallowing the entire Cui Cui Xitang, and the corpse of the one-eyed Master Lu was charred black in the inferno.

Fortunately, the brothel had more than one property.

Other brothels, fearing they would be affected by the fire, sent people to put it out.

Of course, the chaos was far more than that.

There were shrewd prostitutes in Cui Cui Xitang who secretly stuffed the brothel's silver notes into their bosoms; those gamblers who had lost everything took advantage of the chaos to loot, brawling with thugs from other brothels, and some even took the opportunity to stab their enemies in the back...

In such a place of debauchery, human desires were infinitely magnified.

Outsiders only saw the glitz and glamour, not knowing the dangers of the human heart within.

A fire ignited the chaos.

But the prosperous land of Jinmen was not without order.

Even if the government was incompetent, there would be others to handle it.

Dense footsteps surged from outside the street.

Hundreds of burly men ran over aggressively, each looking fierce, carrying wooden clubs, iron chains, and daggers. The green-scaled waist tokens at their waists shone so brightly under the torches that people couldn't open their eyes. They charged straight into the alley, beating anyone causing trouble.

They grabbed a prostitute crawling out with a silver box and smashed her head with a jujube wood club.

Those gamblers who had lost their minds and were looting were blocked in the corners and beaten until they were a bloody mess with iron chains and clubs.

"Listen well, all of you!"

A tattooed, bald man roared, "The Jinghai Gang is investigating the arsonists! Anyone clutching silver is a thief!"

As he spoke, seemingly still unsatisfied, he grabbed a gambler by the hair, reversed his dagger, and slit his throat on the spot.

Under the fierce might of the Jinghai Gang, the chaos was finally quelled.

With no one causing trouble, the firefighting became orderly.

Under the command of an experienced middle-aged man, the fire was gradually brought under control.

By dawn, only the broken walls of Cui Cui Xitang were still emitting blue smoke.

The charred corpse of the one-eyed Master Lu was also found, and several thugs dragged it to the corner of the alley.

A small sedan chair was parked there, made of sandalwood with Shu silk curtains.

Four tall, sturdy porters stood around it with their arms crossed, keeping watch.

Their features were similar; they were actually quadruplets, and each had a flintlock firelock tucked into their waist.

"Reporting to Jian Sanye."

A Jinghai Gang thug bowed respectfully. "Master Lu's body has been found."

"Investigate!"

A mellow, cold voice came from the sedan chair.

As soon as the words fell, an old man beside it stepped forward.

He carried a wooden box on his back, and when he opened it, all kinds of chisels, axes, and tools were complete.

If anyone from the government were present, they would discover that this old man was actually the most experienced old coroner in the yamen.

The old coroner knelt before the charred corpse, his hands wrapped in blue cloth, and peeled back the blackened skin to reveal the slanted cut on the tibia. After examining it carefully, a hoarse voice rolled from his throat: "A fine Guanzhong Fast Blade bone-severing technique!"

Then, he used crane-bill tweezers to lift the charred flesh from the skull, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes:

"A blade piercing the brain—whose hidden weapon is so fierce? I've never heard of it..."

"It wasn't a hidden weapon."

The voice from the sedan chair sounded again. "Did you find the others in the brothel?"

"Reporting to Jian Sanye, we caught a few. Bring them up!"

The Jinghai Gang thug bowed, then turned and ordered the trembling Cui Cui Xitang thugs to be dragged over.

"It was one person, face covered, skin very white..."

"He used a blade, and a small blade that could fly..."

"He killed Wu Jieba first..."

Not daring to hide anything, they spoke one after another, piecing together the process.

Inside the sedan chair, there was silence for a long time, then the voice sounded again.

"What about our goods?"

"Reporting to Jian Sanye, they were all burned."

"Go to the Cao Gang, deliver a post for me, and invite Liu Heishou for tea."

"Also, give the order to see if a group of people has entered Jinmen."

"Their leader is named Li Yan."

"Remember, just find where they are staying; do not make contact!"

"Yes, Jian Sanye!"

After giving the order, the four sturdy quadruplets immediately lifted the small sedan chair and left.

Along the way, Jinghai Gang thugs would occasionally step forward to listen for orders.

And one by one, the Jinghai Gang thugs were ordered to head to various parts of the city...

…………

The sun gradually rose, and the charred smell from the back alley of the Hou residence drifted to the Sanchakou.

Old Man Yang scooped up the fried dough cakes from the oil pot and sniffed. "What's going on?"

The old woman helping in the kitchen whispered, "The fire shadows were bright red last night. I heard the Hou residence alley caught fire!"

"You don't know the half of it."

The boatman who was eating smiled mysteriously, and Zhao San, with his missing teeth, bared his yellow teeth: "That was the smell of charred chicken from Cui Cui Xitang..."

Before he could finish, he was kicked in the butt by the man next to him: "Don't talk nonsense, be careful of inviting disaster. Eat quickly and go carry the bags!"

The people of Jinmen weren't stupid; they vaguely guessed there was something wrong with the fire.

But in such matters, how would common folk dare to provoke trouble? They just treated it as idle gossip.

But the martial world of Jinmen was already surging with undercurrents.

In the Nanshi wrestling arena, burly, shirtless men wrestled until yellow dust flew, and the cheers blew the roof off.

Sitting on a bench by the arena was a middle-aged man wearing sunglasses, turning two Baoding iron balls in his hands.

"What kind of background does this Li Yan have?"

He spat out some tea dregs. "He dares to touch the Jinghai Gang's turf?"

The bald man beside him whispered, "They say he's a dragon crossing the river from Guanzhong, and even Master Lu of the Tongbei was killed by him."

"A dragon crossing the river?"

The middle-aged man sneered. "Once you reach the Haihe River, even a dragon has to coil up! Tell the boys below, there's plenty of potstickers at noon today. Eat your fill and come with me to meet this master!"

"This..."

The bald man hurriedly whispered, "Jian Sanye said, don't act rashly for now..."

*Slap! *

Before he could finish, he was slapped until he swayed.

The middle-aged man stood up abruptly, his face dark. "Don't act rashly? There are so many eyes in this Tianjin Wei; do you want people to laugh at our Jinghai Gang?"

"He, Yu Wenhai, only burns the third stick of incense; it's not his turn to call the shots in the Jinghai Gang!"

……

East of the city, outside the Jade Emperor Temple.

This place was near the Sancha River mouth docks, not far from the Tianhou Palace.

This Jade Emperor Pavilion was the largest Daoist temple in Jinmen.

The archway had four pillars and three openings, with the plaque "Only Heaven is Great" written on the front, and the plaque "Sovereign Lord of the Vast Heaven" on the back. Coupled with the mountain gate, bell and drum towers, side halls, hexagonal pavilion, main hall, and Qingxu Pavilion, its scale was not small in the populous Jinmen.

The ninth day of the first lunar month was said to be the Jade Emperor's birthday, and the day before, the stars of heaven descended to the mortal world.

Therefore, every year on the eighth day of the first lunar month, the devout men and women of Jinmen would go to the Jade Emperor Pavilion to burn incense, which was called the Jade Emperor Assembly.

Besides the Tianhou Palace, this place had the most flourishing incense.

Every day, pilgrims were like clouds, and outside, besides incense and candle shops, there were all kinds of eateries.

Inside a breakfast shop, Li Yan sat on a bench, slurping up *gabacai* (mung bean pancake soup), the mung bean pancake soaking until soft in the coarse porcelain bowl.

He hadn't slept all night; although he wasn't tired, he was starving.

In the blink of an eye, he had finished the breakfast for two.

After eating, he ordered another pot of tea and watched the Jade Emperor Pavilion opposite, lost in thought.

He wasn't a novice; after experiencing one trial after another, the Twelve Yuan Chen team was also very experienced.

The situation in Jinmen was somewhat complex.

But no matter how complex, how could it compare to Chengdu and Luoyang?

Discovering that the waters here were deep and that multiple forces were colluding, Li Yan immediately changed his approach.

The act of causing a scene at Cui Cui Xitang last night had also alerted the enemy.

He hadn't actually left last night; he had been guarding outside the Hou residence alley and finally waited for this Jinghai Gang Jian Sanye, Yu Wenhai.

In the sky, the falcon Lidong was also circling, cooperating with Li Yan in tracking.

The locations where the other party sent letters were all recorded, and recorded by Lu San of the Jinzhou Guild Hall.

Li Yan's idea was very simple: since the culprit had been identified, he would just pull them out by the roots.

If it were elsewhere, with the mountains high and the emperor far away, it would indeed be difficult to handle.

But this was Tianjin Wei.

No matter how chaotic, it was still under the feet of the Son of Heaven, a place where the forces of the Commandant's Office and the Mystic Sacrificial Office gathered.

He would find all the participants and notify the Commandant's Office to take action.

Involving the Nine Cauldrons and the Jianmu organization, no one in the Commandant's Office would dare to disobey orders.

However, things took a turn.

He hadn't expected that Yu Wenhai would end up running to the Jade Emperor Temple.

From Jinmen to the capital, the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect was in charge. Whether it was the City God Temple or the Jade Emperor Temple, they were all subordinate forces.

Could it be that the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect had also been corrupted?

Thinking of this, Li Yan's expression became serious.

It was no wonder he was suspicious; with Jinmen in such a state, the Daoists inside couldn't possibly be unaware...

Suddenly, his heart stirred, and he looked at the entrance on the left.

He saw a pilgrim dressed in a grey cloth gown stride through the door.

He was tall and sturdy, with a full beard, and followed by several servants, each with sharp eyes.

"Bring a fried dough cake, extra sugar!"

The grey-robed pilgrim pulled up his gown and sat down at Li Yan's table. After ordering the snack, he smiled slightly:

"Li Li Shaoxia, are the oil-fried cakes of Jinmen crispier than the mutton soup of Guanzhong?"

Li Yan also smiled. "Brother Tian, long time no see."

The newcomer was none other than Thousand-Household Tian of the capital's Commandant's Office.

After he first discovered Zhao Changsheng, his friend Luo Mingzi from Chang'an had been transferred to the capital, and under the Emperor's mandate, he had gathered elites from all sides to specifically investigate and hunt down Zhao Changsheng.

This Thousand-Household Tian was a member of that group. He had met with him at Liangzi Lake, and then disguised himself to enter Shu. However, news of Zhao Changsheng came from the south, so he had left early and missed the battle in Chengdu Prefecture.

Chen San from Zhang Qiu Town had informed him of the secret message for Jinmen.

Li Yan had sent a signal on the road, but he hadn't expected it to be Thousand-Household Tian who came.

"Indeed."

Listening to Li Yan's pleasantries, Thousand-Household Tian also sighed. "I didn't expect such a major event to happen in Chengdu. Fortunately, there was Li Li Shaoxia; otherwise, there would have been countless casualties in Shu, and we would have been hard-pressed to shirk the blame. On the way back, I also heard the great name of the Twelve Yuan Chen."

"It was just a coincidence."

Li Yan shook his head slightly. "What did you find in Jiangnan?"

Hearing his question, a trace of gloom flashed in Thousand-Household Tian's eyes, and he said in a deep voice: "Jiangnan is somewhat complex. We only found that the last time Zhao Changsheng appeared, he wiped out a village of boat people, and it was related to the Japanese pirates."

"We were ambushed and suffered heavy casualties, with only three of us surviving."

"Zhao Changsheng is not alone; he has many experts by his side, coming and going without a trace. It's not something we can handle."

Li Yan wasn't surprised after hearing this.

As far as he knew, the Jianmu organization Zhao Changsheng belonged to was full of troublesome old monsters.

The elites of the Commandant's Office were fine for dealing with ordinary people in the martial world.

Facing these guys, they really weren't enough.

While they were talking, the eatery had become quiet.

It was Thousand-Household Tian's men who had cleared the eatery, with only the old man trembling as he brought over the fried dough cakes.

The fried dough cakes were golden, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and the aroma was mouth-watering.

Thousand-Household Tian didn't say a word, picked one up, and stuffed it into his mouth. While eating, he mocked himself: "Li Li Shaoxia, don't laugh at me. I've been away from Jinmen for a year, and I've been craving this bite. I wouldn't trade it for a Regional Commander position."

As he spoke, he lowered his voice: "I saw the secret order as soon as I got back. What does Li Li Shaoxia want us to do?"

"There is a Jianmu stronghold in Jinmen!"

Li Yan didn't waste words and told him his findings one by one.

This person was highly recommended by Luo Mingzi, and having dealt with him before, he could be trusted.

"Jinghai Gang?!"

Thousand-Household Tian paused after hearing this and slowly put down his chopsticks.

Li Yan frowned slightly. "What, is the Commandant's Office afraid of a martial arts gang?"

"Li Li Shaoxia doesn't know."

Thousand-Household Tian shook his head and looked outside the door. "To be honest, I came out of this Tianjin Wei Commandant's Office. This place looks like just a grain transport dock, but it's actually intricately connected, and all of it is inseparable from the capital."

"These martial arts gangs can't be wiped out or killed off. If they are pushed too hard, they dare to collude with the Maitreya Sect and gather people to rebel. Therefore, the court's strategy has always been to focus on checks and balances, and they won't allow one family to dominate."

Li Yan immediately understood. "The Jinghai Gang can dominate Jinmen; is it related to the capital behind the scenes?"

Thousand-Household Tian nodded, looked around, and whispered: "Founding nobles!"

Hearing this, Li Yan immediately understood.

The founding emperor of the Great Xuan Dynasty, Xiao Chengyou, was originally a marshal of the previous Great Xing Dynasty. Because he was feared by the Great Xing emperor and insulted at court, coupled with the invasion of the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom from the north, he rebelled in a fit of rage.

At that time, not only did he have the help of the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect and the Shenquan Society composed of martial arts people, but several marshals of equal rank in the army also supported him with all their might, throwing themselves under his command. Even the initial Maitreya Sect rose in response.

With the unity of all forces, they reversed the situation and drove the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom out of the Divine Land.

Except for the Maitreya Sect, which later turned against the court, other forces all benefited.

The Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect became the state religion, and although the Shenquan Society declined, it was also a balancer between the local martial world and the court.

And those generals and marshals who followed the rebellion were given promotions and titles after the founding of the nation.

More than a dozen people were granted titles of princes and marquises.

The influence of these people was no less than that of vassal kings, and they had intricate connections with the army.

"Behind the Jinghai Gang is the Prince Ying's Mansion."

Thousand-Household Tian didn't hide it and said: "Prince Ying followed His Majesty to conquer the northern border many years ago and had illustrious military achievements. After returning, he immediately handed over his military power and closed his doors to guests, so he was deeply trusted by His Majesty. But Prince Ying is a nostalgic person, so he takes good care of his old subordinates."

"The old gang leader of this Jinghai Gang, named Lu Jinghai, was once a fierce general in the naval forces and knew secret water warfare techniques. It was only because he violated military law that he was removed from the army. Later, he established the Jinghai Gang in Jinmen. With the care of the Prince's Mansion, he grew step by step."

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at the Jade Emperor Pavilion. "This Lu Jinghai rarely asks about gang affairs now. I heard he is practicing Dao in the Jade Emperor Pavilion..."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 666 =====