Chapter 780: The Method of Casting Dragons

It was actually this guy...

Doubt arose in Li Yan's heart.

The other party was recorded in ancient classics such as *Biographies of Immortals*, so he wasn't curious; after all, he had seen too many, and even had a friendship with True Lord Erlang.

What made him strange was, what was this guy doing in Jin Ling?

According to the confession of the gang of robbers before, this Earth Immortal clearly had his handle held by someone, or feared the Jianmu organization, which was why he told them the news and left in a hurry.

Logically speaking, he should have fled far away. Coming to this crisis-ridden place of Jin Ling...

Looking at the Qiyan Tower in the distance, a flash of brilliance crossed Li Yan's eyes.

He had a premonition that perhaps there was another turn of events.

Anyway, he had already accepted the mission, so there was no need to be impatient. After his Yin Division authority increased, he wouldn't be punished whether he took action or not. Let's see what the other party wanted to do first...

Thinking of this, he strode toward Qiyan Tower, while extending his palm to make a gesture.

Hundreds of meters away, Wang Fu stood on the roof, pinching the Yang formula, operating his divine ability, and using his super-strong eyesight to see Li Yan's gesture clearly.

"There is an abnormality in the building, but don't act rashly yet."

He turned to look beside him, where Sha Lifei, who was setting up a firearm, nodded slightly.

Jin Ling City was now crisis-ridden, so naturally, they wouldn't feel at ease letting Li Yan take risks alone, so they had divided into two small teams to respond outside.

On the other side, Li Yan had already arrived in front of the main gate.

The turtle-headed servant welcoming guests outside saw this and immediately nodded and bowed, running over.

"This young master, you..."

Before he finished speaking, a woman walked out of the gate and interrupted coldly:

"You go down first!"

"Yes, Miss Wang."

The turtle-headed servant looked surprised, but without a word, he avoided the two.

Li Yan examined the woman in front of him.

She was not dressed like a brothel girl, but in black tight-fitting clothes, with a bamboo armor vest on her upper body. Each bamboo piece emitted a metallic luster and was covered with dense blood talismans.

She couldn't be called beautiful, but her face was full of heroic spirit, and although she wasn't tall, her figure was straight.

Li Yan was very familiar with this kind of attire.

Monster Hunter!

However, compared to the fierceness of the northern Monster Hunters, this woman appeared more capable, and her weapons had been replaced by rows of flying knives, firearms, and various medicine pouches at her waist.

"I am Wang Lu. Li Li Shaoxia, please come in."

This woman was expressionless, turning sideways and raising her hand.

How could a Monster Hunter be working as a bodyguard?

Although Li Yan was curious in his heart, he didn't ask much and followed her into the building.

Just as he stepped into the main gate of Qiyan Tower, the clamor and warm fragrance rushed toward him.

What came into view was an extremely spacious "running horse building" style patio courtyard, which was truly luxurious on the banks of the Qinhuai River where every inch of land was worth an inch of gold.

Two-story corridors surrounded it, the vermilion carved railings were exquisitely crafted, the beams were decorated with complex "Su-style colored paintings," and the ground was paved with polished bricks and stones, shining like a mirror.

In the center of the courtyard, a stage one foot higher than the ground was performing.

The actors on stage were not wearing heavy makeup to sing Kunqu, but were two artists, a man and a woman. The man struck the cloud board, while the woman held a two-stringed fiddle, singing a kind of rhythmic and vivid folk tune in the authentic Jin Ling dialect.

"The cloud board clangs and the strings are pulled, listen to me, guests, as I chatter..." The female artist's voice was clear and bright, carrying a unique local flavor, "... The Japanese pirates are causing chaos and making hearts tremble, Jin Ling city walls are deployed with knives and guns. Don't panic, don't be afraid, there are heroes and good men... Oh my, protecting this prosperous land of the Six Dynasties, the ten-mile Qinhuai home!"

This was the "Bai Ju," a folk rap unique to Jin Ling.

The lyrics of "Bai Ju" were appropriate and carried a bit of ridicule and irony. The guests sitting around the stage were mostly wealthy merchants, scholars, and officials. Some listened intently, some beat the rhythm and cheered, and some frowned, perhaps feeling a bit uncomfortable with this straightforward reflection of the current situation.

The air was mixed with the fragrance of tea, the smell of wine, the scent of powder, and the elegant aura of "Yuhua Tea." The waiters were shuttling through the crowd with exquisite tea snacks of the "Eight Wonders of Qinhuai," their movements nimble.

Li Yan's gaze swept over this lively scene without stopping.

The female Monster Hunter named Wang Lu led him through the noisy courtyard, walking along the corridor toward a quieter area in the back.

Along the way, they passed several elegant rooms with hanging Xiangfei bamboo curtains, where shadows could be vaguely seen whispering.

Finally, the two stopped in front of an inconspicuous lattice door.

The door was made of "chicken-wing wood," with fine and dense grain like feathers.

She pushed the door open with a creak and turned sideways to signal Li Yan to enter.

Inside the door was an elegant and quiet secret room, completely different from the clamor and extravagance outside. A water-ink painting of "Jin Ling Scenic Views" hung on the wall, and a few simple and elegant seasonal flower branches were inserted in a blue and white porcelain vase in the corner.

On a rosewood Eight Immortals table, a sumptuous feast had already been set, steaming hot and fragrant. The oily, red, and bright Jin Ling salted duck, the deep red and enticing braised lion's head, and the golden, crispy squirrel mandarin fish were all famous dishes with local characteristics.

However, Li Yan's gaze only swept over the table, and then locked onto the two people waiting beside the table.

On the right was a middle-aged beautiful woman of about forty, with an elegant temperament.

She had a beautiful face and was well-maintained. She was wearing an autumn-fragrance-colored long jacket, with exquisite and complex "phoenix through peony" dark patterns woven on the brocade surface. Her black hair was combed into a "peony head," and a "golden swallow hairpin" inlaid with kingfisher feathers and red gems was inserted obliquely into her hair bun.

The swallow's head held a pearl, ready to fly, which was the symbol of the Jin Yanmen.

On the left was an old Daoist with white hair and beard, and a thin figure. He was wearing a cyan grass-cloth Daoist robe, which was so simple it was almost shabby, completely out of place with this gorgeous secret room and the table full of delicacies.

The most eye-catching thing was a huge old gourd tied to his waist.

The gourd was dark brown, oily and smooth, clearly aged, and had been rubbed until it had a thick patina. An ancient "boil" character was carved on the surface with a knife, the strokes vigorous and powerful.

Seeing Li Yan, his eyes were clearly full of vigilance.

Seeing Li Yan enter, the leader of the Jin Ling Jin Yanmen, Murong Yan, stood up with a smile, her movements full of familiarity and enthusiasm: "Li Li Shaoxia is a young hero, famous in the capital! This trip south was even more of a turning of the tide in Yangzhou, slaying monsters and evil. Now, who in Jin Ling City doesn't know? I have long admired you, and today I finally get to see you. It truly makes Qiyan Tower shine."

"Please take the seat of honor quickly and taste these Jin Ling flavors; they are all hot dishes just served..."

In her words, her posture was respectful but not lacking in composure.

However, Li Yan's footsteps did not move at all, his gaze like a knife, directly crossing Murong Yan and locking onto the face of the grass-robed old Daoist with the old gourd at his waist.

"Zhou Yin Yao?"

Li Yan said coldly: "Daring to appear in front of me, what is the meaning of this?"

As he spoke, he had already reached out to grasp his hook-token.

Judging by the other party's expression, he must know his identity. Rather than passively following the other party's rhythm, it was better to ask directly and clarify the reason.

The sudden questioning instantly pierced the harmonious atmosphere Murong Yan had deliberately created. ===== CHAPTER 781 =====