Chapter 665: Mendes

Are there yin criminals?!

Li Yan was both startled and delighted, yet also puzzled.

Along this journey, he had gathered no shortage of intelligence.

Even though most of the time he was aboard ship, he relied on the Caobang to investigate where yin criminals might be lurking.

Yet he had gained nothing at all.

It wasn't surprising, really.

After all, those who escaped death and returned to life feared discovery by the Yin Bureau, so most hid in grotto heavens and blessed lands.

Li Yan's several major successes had all occurred in such places.

Those appearing in the marketplace were mostly ordinary folk who had accidentally returned to life.

Who would have thought he'd find a lead right here at the Jinzhou Guildhall!

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Yan gripped the summoning warrant and sank his spirit into it.

Instantly, the surrounding sounds vanished, swallowed by thick fog.

He was already accustomed to this, for since he was still inside the Jinzhou Guildhall, he had to move quickly to avoid detection.

But after passing through the fog, the scene before him stunned him.

Ahead stood a bronze well, bound and entwined with chains, its black water churning violently.

It was an evil spirit escaped from the Underworld!

The Yin Bureau's missions varied by well: different wells meant different targets.

Stone wells were for capturing those who had returned to life,

Black wells filled with blood were for capturing demonic qi.

As for this bronze well, it was for evil spirits that had escaped from the Underworld.

According to the mission description, these "evil spirits" typically did not originate from the mortal realm but were born in the Underworld or the Great Luo Fa Realm—terrible entities, powerful, driven only by destruction, incapable of communication.

Such missions were usually high-risk.

Thus, like capturing demonic qi, failure brought no punishment.

Why would the Jinzhou Guildhall have such a thing?

Curious, Li Yan immediately placed both hands on the well's rim.

Splash splash~

The murky black water swirled.

Another unexpected event occurred.

Normally, at the vortex's center, a yellow edict would appear, detailing the yin criminal's origins.

But this time, only a swirling black mist emerged, roiling and shifting unpredictably.

Could the Yin Bureau not identify it?!

Li Yan's eyes filled with astonishment.

He had vaguely grasped the general mechanism behind capturing yin criminals.

Like the bronze nu mask, the summoning warrant was a channeling artifact tied to the Great Luo Fa Realm; once it detected a yin criminal's qi, it recorded it, after which the Yin Bureau analyzed the data and issued orders.

This situation meant the Yin Bureau could not trace its origins…

As he pondered, a massive red-robed figure reappeared in the distant gray sky—faint, barely discernible as a human shape, flanked by two small black shadows.

"What's going on?"

A loud, authoritative voice rang from above.

Li Yan already knew this was the famed Cui Pan.

He feigned confusion, staring at the black mist above the well, while silently listening intently.

"Reporting, my lord."

A strange, shrill voice spoke: "This yin criminal does not carry the aura of the Underworld—it originates from elsewhere."

"From elsewhere?"

Cui Pan seemed to realize something, his voice deepening: "It appears that with the imperial court opening the seas, demonic entities from other realms have entered Shenzhou. Have him investigate thoroughly—the reward will be doubled."

"Yes, my lord!"

As the strange voice responded, the black mist before Li Yan rapidly transformed.

Churning, it solidified into a yellow edict.

Indeed, it not only ordered him to capture the target but also to investigate its origin.

The reward was substantial: one gang ling and one divine gang.

Afraid of revealing his true nature, Li Yan deliberately showed surprise, reached out, and seized the yellow edict, which vanished into his palm.

Then, pretending he hadn't seen it, he swiftly sank back into the fog.

When he came to, he was back in the guildhall.

This round-trip had taken only an instant, so no one noticed.

Li Yan kept his expression unchanged, pretending nothing had happened, though he was now on high alert.

As they passed through the shadow wall, they happened upon a group of apprentices in short jackets carrying lacquered wooden crates through the courtyard.

The blue-brick ground gleamed with oil from countless footsteps; the setting sun stretched the shadow of the hip-and-gable gate tower, making the golden characters "Hui Tong Tian Xia" on the lintel blaze brightly, while startled gray pigeons on the eaves flapped away, sweeping over the ancient pine in the courtyard.

The layout of the Jin merchant guildhall never strayed from its core design.

The entire guildhall centered on the Guan Di Temple: the main hall enshrined Lord Guan, and larger ones added a gate tower, stage, and Guan Di Hall; the east and west side halls were for meetings, and the courtyard for gatherings.

When hosting guests, they typically used the east and west halls and hired opera troupes.

The rear courtyards served as lodging and dining areas, complete with tea rooms and studies.

"Hahaha…"

From the east side hall came a hearty laugh.

"Those Franks are dishonest traders—their silver dollars are suspect; we've seized twenty crates."

From the west side hall came a Jinzhong accent, tinged with malicious glee.

Li Yan glanced briefly, peering through the carved lattice windows.

Several merchants in brocade robes sat around an eight-immortal table.

Among them was even a foreigner with red hair and blue eyes.

Dressed in Hangzhou silk robes, he might have passed for a local merchant—except for the crystal spectacles perched on his hooked nose.

An old man in a crimson-purple horse jacket with floral embroidery tapped his water pipe: "The court has only opened the seas for three years, yet the port tax at Yuegang has risen four times. My ship's Siam rice was falsely labeled as Siam fragrant rice, and I was charged an extra thirty percent in cargo tax."

He slid a Spanish silver coin from his sleeve, rubbed his thumb over the cross pattern on its face, and glanced sideways:

"I hear your country has established a mint in the South Seas?"

The Portuguese merchant nodded eagerly, speaking in halting Mandarin: "Our merchant ships bring self-ringing clocks and glassware to Jiangnan—they're worth their weight in silk and tea."

He opened his personal ledger and lowered his voice further: "If you're interested, we can bypass Yuegang."

"Watch your tongue!"

The bearded man in the main seat suddenly hushed them.

They had noticed Li Yan and his companions watching through the lattice windows.

Li Yan had already turned away, following the guildhall's manager toward the rear courtyard.

Though he left, he secretly formed the Yang Seal to eavesdrop.

The men lowered their voices again, but Li Yan heard every word clearly.

"The Guangzhou tax supervisor is hard to fool—I've bribed my way through Zhangzhou."

"That plan works!"

"Hmph! The profits from opening the seas are enormous; the court from top to bottom is eyeing this fat meat. The court wants its cut, the local officials want theirs, and even some random nobody wants a taste."

"Don't they think? We risk life and limb—lose one ship, and we're ruined. Everyone's sticking out their hands—how can we even do business? If not for this, who'd take such risks!"

"Didn't you see the chaos at Linqing's paper customs the other day?!"

"Shh, be careful, be careful…"

Li Yan instantly understood: these merchants were plotting smuggling and tax evasion.

He had no interest in such matters.

But that foreign merchant was no ordinary man.

Since the summoning warrant had acquired the jade pendant sword, it could now pinpoint locations.

The yin criminal's aura pointed directly at him.

No wonder the Yin Bureau couldn't identify him.

He was a foreign devil!

This Jin merchant guildhall enshrined Lord Guan, the Holy Emperor.

Yet he dared stroll about openly, with no one sensing his sorcerer's aura.

Could it be… he carries a national sacrificial artifact…?

As Li Yan pondered, they arrived at the rear courtyard.

The Jin merchant guildhall truly treated them as honored guests: they had been given a private courtyard, undisturbed by others, with fresh bedding laid out, and several servants were jointly hauling hot water into the rooms.

The manager, surnamed Xie, bowed with a smile after instructing the servants to carry in their luggage: "Young Master Li, you are our guild's esteemed guest—if we've failed to serve you properly, please forgive us."

"Manager Xie, you're too kind."

Li Yan nodded, feigning surprise: "Just now, I noticed foreigners among your merchants."

"Li Shaoxia is unaware of this."

Xie the Shopkeeper did not conceal it, smiling: "Jinmen connects to the Haihe River; since the sea trade opened, merchants from all nations have multiplied here—people from everywhere, nothing unusual."

"That man is Mendes, a sea merchant of the Lisbon trading group."

"These red-haired barbarians explored the southern seas before us; they followed the Malacca envoy to the capital to pay tribute, then settled in Jinmen. They own three ships and often acquire rare goods, gradually establishing ties with Jinmen merchants."

"The southern seas…"

Li Yan smiled faintly. "Jinmen is indeed extraordinary."

This Xie the Shopkeeper was certainly hiding something, but since it involved other merchants' secrets, he guessed further questioning would only earn him feigned ignorance.

Xie the Shopkeeper showed no suspicion, bowing: "Food and wine will arrive shortly. You've endured a long journey—I won't disturb you. Should you need anything, just instruct the servants."

Saying this, he hurriedly took his leave, clearly having urgent business.

No sooner had he left than Sha Li Fei whispered: "Little Yan, is there something wrong with that red-haired barbarian?"

"Yes."

Li Yan signaled Wang Daoxuan to hang up the Ruyi Treasure Pearl, then said: "That man is connected to the Yin Fan. I've taken a task to find out what's going on. San'er, keep watch."

Lu San nodded, walked to the luggage rack, and removed the black cloth from the cage.

Whoosh!

Ying Sun Li Dong immediately spread its wings and leapt out.

After a few low whistles from Lu San, it took flight from the courtyard, soaring into the sky.

Soon, several servants brought wine and dishes.

The inn's food blended Jinzhou flavors with Jinmen specialties.

Blue-and-white porcelain plates held sliced noodles topped with brine from the Sanchahe estuary's prawns; yellow millet flour wrapped and fried in the belly oil of Qing fish from the Wei River, then drizzled with sweet-and-sour sauce, golden and shimmering silver; Jinmen's guoba cai was mixed in as well.

Everyone was hungry; after wolfing down the meal, Li Yan assigned tasks.

"Old Sha, you and Long Yan gather intelligence and keep an eye on the go-between Liang Biaozi—if he discovers anything, tell me immediately…"

"San'er, watch that red-haired barbarian. Find out where he's staying."

"Brother Zhao the Donkey, you and your wife are still injured—stay at the merchant guild to recover. I heard Jinmen's ghost market has a special place where Daoist practitioners trade; when you're able, come with me…"

They spoke of these matters without avoiding the scholar Kong Shangzhao.

Seeing his curiosity mixed with unease, Li Yan smiled slightly: "Brother Kong, don't be afraid. You've seen what's written in Xu Fu's 'Seeking Immortality Treatise'—we're not villains, and this matter won't drag you into trouble."

Along the way, they'd come to understand Kong Shangzhao.

He was also a sorcerer, one year younger than Li Yan, apprenticed to Mingde Martial Hall, cultivating the Confucian Qi of Grand Righteousness. His talent was decent, full of strange and unusual knowledge, but too young and distracted to have mastered anything substantial.

Crucially, he possessed a strong sense of chivalry and benevolence—otherwise he wouldn't have offended the Descendant of Confucius to save someone.

Many things he had seen, and Li Yan saw no need to hide them.

"I'm not afraid."

Kong Shangzhao smiled awkwardly: "I thought I knew much—back in Qufu, I spent every day dreaming of traveling Shenzhou. But now that I've left home, I realize I've been watching the sky from the bottom of a well. No wonder my father often scolded me."

"Traveling a thousand miles matters, but reading ten thousand scrolls matters even more."

Li Yan comforted him, then said: "We'll likely be delayed in Jinmen for several days. Brother Kong, you've been working day and night deciphering—take some rest now."

"Yes, thank you, Master Li."

Kong Shangzhao was utterly exhausted, so he didn't argue. He pulled several sheets of paper from his robe: "These are the parts I've deciphered so far. I'll hand them to Master Li. The rest, I'll finish as soon as possible."

Saying this, he bowed and withdrew to his room.

Li Yan took them and examined closely—the pages were densely covered in script:

"Your Majesty, your sacred virtue shines bright as sun and moon. I observe the He Tu's celestial signs and the Luo Shu's profound mysteries: the nine realms of earth must be anchored by the Nine Cauldrons; the essence of the nine luminaries must be gathered by the Nine Palaces…"

"Mount Tai occupies the position of the Celestial Pivot; it should be established upon a black jade gui, using three hundred and sixty pearls from the Eastern Sea's jiao, arranged in the pattern of the Big Dipper's xuanji…"

At this line, Li Yan's expression turned grave. He passed the paper to Wang Daoxuan beside him.

Wang Daoxuan glanced at it and sighed: "The First Emperor knew of this. I wonder what happened—why it never succeeded."

"No."

Li Yan shook his head: "Look at the first sentence."

"I observe the celestial divisions: Mount Tai, Yishan, Prefect, Langya, Kuaiji, Yunmeng, Jiuyi, Jieshi, Yingzhou—nine places correspond to the Nine Luminaries of Ziwei. They must establish the 'Nine Poles Ascend to Immortality Array.' When complete, the Immortal Gate opens; Your Majesty may ride a dragon to heaven, eternally ruling Shenzhou…"

"Back then, the Nine Cauldrons had just been sunk into Shenzhou's earth veins—they had not yet become the artifacts they are today. Even if removed, they wouldn't have shaken Shenzhou's qi or damaged its fortune. The tone suggests he truly believed he could open the Immortal Gate and ascend to godhood—not deception."

"Likely Xu Fu was merely a pawn. Someone used his hands to present this…"

Everyone exchanged glances, unable to fathom what had occurred.

"Enough."

Li Yan shook his head: "No matter what their plan is, once we decipher this, hand it to the Xuan Priestess. Tear down every arrangement on those mountains—no conspiracy will matter!"

As he spoke, a sudden flapping sound came from outside.

Lu San quickly opened the window. Ying Sun Li Dong flew in, flapping its wings and squawking frantically.

"The red-haired barbarian entered a place—Li Dong couldn't see inside."

"Quick, get the map!"

Li Yan ordered Sha Li Fei to bring out the Jinmen map they had already purchased.

The eagle bent low, using its beak to trace lines across the map.

Finally, it pointed to a region near the Sanchahe Wharf.

There, clearly marked: "Haihe River Naval Camp!"

"Well now!"

Sha Li Fei sneered: "This fellow's got serious connections—dealing with wealthy merchants, even the navy."

Li Yan suddenly recalled those opium pills. His mind began to form a suspicion.

Jianmu used specially crafted opium to control Yang Laohai and his disciples to steal Xu Fu's legacy scrolls…

Opium floods Jinmen, supposedly flowing in from the southern seas…

The red-haired merchants arrived with southern sea tribute envoys…

These people may have long been colluding.

"Keep following him. See where else he goes!"

Thinking this, Li Yan gave Lu San detailed instructions.

"Master Li."

At that moment, a servant hurried in: "Someone named Liang Biaozi is outside seeking you."

So soon?!

Li Yan was surprised, and quickly ordered the servant to bring the man in.

"Master Li, I found it!"

Liang Biaozi beamed with excitement: "I didn't dare delay—I searched every street after returning."

"Funny thing—there's a house with your symbol painted on its door, and they're holding a funeral!"

(End of Chapter)