Chapter 758

Let’s go, first meet up with them.

Seeing the opponent surrounded by many followers, Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan were more concerned for others’ safety, so they ignored them and swiftly slipped into a deserted courtyard at the alley’s end.

The alley outside was filled with Lü San’s rat-like spies.

Thus, before they even neared, the gate had already opened.

“Master Li! Daoist! You’ve finally returned!”

Sha Lifei rushed forward first, face tense, “The city’s unsafe—what about the mountain? Is everything alright?”

“Let’s go inside and talk.”

Li Yan scanned the group, confirmed everyone was mostly unharmed, gave a slight nod, and recounted what had happened after entering.

“The Jade Emperor Temple was attacked—the enemy was a terrestrial immortal named Shi Xuanming, immensely powerful, attempting to seize authority during the transition of the Mount Tai Lord. The temple’s abbot, Xuan Sangzi, appeared but failed to subdue him; suspicion lingers that two other terrestrial immortals were also involved…”

“The Mount Tai Lord’s transition?!”

Kuai Dayou sucked in a sharp breath, “Good heavens, this is huge! No wonder there’s been ghostly disturbances and the mountain sealed—this water’s deep.”

Sha Lifei and the others were equally stunned, not realizing such a major affair was involved.

Everyone’s gaze unconsciously turned toward Li Yan.

Mount Tai is a passage between yin and yang; as a living yin officer, Li Yan must be intimately tied to this.

Yet beside them, Lin Fatty was dazed, his face unnaturally pale.

“Fatty?”

Sha Lifei noticed his odd state and asked, “What’s wrong? Scared senseless?”

Lin Fatty snapped his head up, staring at Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan, voice trembling: “Dao… Daoist, you said just now on your way back—you saw… saw my uncle? In a green cloth sedan chair? Not far from here?”

“Correct.”

Wang Daoxuan nodded firmly, “The green cloth sedan chair had sturdy servants guarding it, passing swiftly. A gust of wind lifted the curtain slightly—I saw clearly: it was your uncle, stationed in the capital, whom I’ve met several times before.”

Thud!

Lin Fatty plopped onto the chair, mind blank, the last shred of hope shattered.

He spoke hollowly, “How could he be here?”

“He… should never have appeared in Jinan Prefecture, let alone Tai’an!”

Under the group’s bewildered stares, Lin Fatty steadied himself, gritted his teeth: “I won’t hide it—I told you all my family’s fleet was raided by Japanese pirates, suffered heavy losses. You all know something of it.”

“But there’s more to this! My family has sailed for generations, with excellent intelligence and highly secret routes. The cargo seized was no ordinary goods—so secrecy was extreme, known only to a handful. After the attack, the clan investigated thoroughly—and found…”

He drew a deep breath, fingernails nearly digging into his flesh, “The departure time, route, escort strength—key details—were almost certainly leaked in advance to those pirates!”

“The operation was too precise, too targeted!”

Lin Fatty’s voice grew lower, thick with suppressed rage and pain: “The clan has long suspected… suspected a traitor! But this person holds high rank and acts with extreme secrecy—all leads have gone cold, no solid proof, still an unsolved case.”

“It was this crushing defeat that crippled our family—rebuilding the treasure ships is now a distant dream! I came searching for the Bohai Dragonwood under immense pressure, hoping to find even a sliver of hope…”

He suddenly turned toward the door, face dark: “My uncle, Lin Yaozong, oversaw the family’s northern trade, including Beijing and Tianjin. Logically, he should be managing affairs in the capital or scrambling for funds to rebuild—why is he here in Tai’an?”

“You two just saw him near the Wang Fu and the yamen—right when we were ambushed by unknown forces! This… can’t be coincidence…”

At these words, the elders in the old courtyard exchanged glances.

The struggle for the Mount Tai Lord’s divine position was already treacherous; now it entangled a hidden family feud.

Divine position, terrestrial immortals, unknown forces, the Lin clan… Tai’an was on the brink of storm.

“Master Lin, you mentioned Japanese pirates?”

At that moment, the divine constable Bai Laojiu suddenly spoke.

He frowned in thought, pulled out his clay pipe from his waist, and smoked a few puffs; only when Sha Lifei was growing impatient did he speak: “If I recall correctly, the village of the Laoshan Daoist Xuanwei was also slaughtered by Japanese pirates.”

“These past two years, pirates have grown increasingly active in Shenzhou—could Xuanwei’s arrival in Tai’an be connected?”

His theory was pure speculation, yet a possibility.

“Go check.”

Li Yan said grimly, “These three terrestrial immortals on Mount Tai acted only after being informed of the mass deaths of living yin officers—this is likely tied to Jianmu, which collaborates closely with the pirates.”

“If I’m right, they’ve also set up operations within Tai’an.”

“Dawn’s coming—tomorrow morning, we disguise ourselves and first gather the lay of the land…”

…………

Tai’an City awoke in the morning mist.

The gloom of yesterday had not yet lifted, yet the bustle of daily life surged forth.

Shops along the street raised their shutters; stoves belched steam; the scent of fried cakes, meat buns, and grain soup mingled with sandalwood from incense shops, mixed with the braying of donkeys, horses, and oxen—forming the flavor of the marketplace.

Pilgrims stranded by the mountain’s closure clustered in taverns and teahouses, anxiously discussing.

Yet the vendors’ cries grew louder:

“Authentic Mount Tai Stone Gan’Dang! Protects homes, ensures safety!”

“Freshly tied high incense and paper horses—earn merit before the Lady!”

Sha Lifei, wearing a wig and face smeared with ash, disguised as a down-on-his-luck wanderer, slipped straight into the city’s “Kuaihuo Lin” gambling den.

The gambling den was the city’s most chaotic place—and also its most fertile ground for rumors.

“Big or small? Place your bets!”

“One, two, three—Leopard!”

Amid the stench of sweat and cheap tobacco, dice cups rattled loudly.

Sha Lifei, in a greasy short tunic, squeezed to the dice table, deliberately lost three rounds, then casually clapped a gambler with sunken eyes on the shoulder: “Brother, your luck’s bad—heard there’s a batch of fat sheep in town? Didn’t think of snatching some capital?”

The gambler, eyes bloodshot from losing, spat: “Didn’t see any fat sheep—only bad luck!”

“A few black-topped carts arrived at the south gate yesterday, unloaded seven or eight sacks—looked like children… but the city guards didn’t even check them before letting them through!”

He lowered his voice, “Strange thing is, the carts vanished after entering the city. Asked the old dog from the broker’s guild—he said this is the third wave…”

Sha Lifei’s pupils contracted; he tossed a silver fragment: “Which south gate?”

The gambler, slightly regretting his words, snatched the silver, bit it hard, then whispered: “Which one? The one guarded by Liu Lazi!”

“Don’t go blabbing—those people, we can’t touch.”

“Of course, brother’s right…”

…………

Those sent out to gather intelligence were primarily Li Yan, Sha Lifei, and Kuai Dayou.

After all, all three were seasoned veterans of the martial arts world, and with minor disguises, they blended in easily.

Kuai Dayou disguised himself as a small carpenter from afar, carrying a wooden box, strolling toward the city’s west.

This area housed various shops, a hub for Tai’an’s artisans.

Among them were several xuanmen craftsmen skilled in forging magical artifacts.

Kuai Dayou carried his carpenter’s box, walked the street several times, then knocked on a shop with a hidden mark carved on its signboard.

Seeing the master craftsman polishing a gilded chime bell, he deliberately shook his head: “The cloud-and-thunder pattern is too shallow—it won’t suppress the yin energy of the underground palace.”

The master looked up sharply: “Expert? Are you also taking that urgent job?”

Kuai Dayou paused, feigning confusion: “You mean…”

“Don’t play dumb!”

The master clearly grew impatient: “If you’re an expert, tell me—where do you eat?”

Kuai Dayou’s eyes darted, then casually named a Huizhou craft clan: Chun Dian.