The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 297 Li Xuan
When Xiao Yan heard that the old man was going to take him to meet someone, he was mentally prepared.

There is someone who can make the big boss call him old guy, and who always wants to slap that person in the face. It’s no wonder that he is the Lord of the Cave.

According to common sense, even if the Lord of Longquan Sword entered the cave, he would not be qualified to meet the Great Cave Lord. It would be enough to meet the Eleventh Cave Lord as the receptionist. If he had the identity of a descendant of the Li family and met an old man, the Twelve Caves would have shown the greatest sincerity to the Li family of the Tang Dynasty.

But Xiao Yan had Li Chunfeng's token in his hand.

According to what the old man said, although the Twelve Caves do have their own masters, which has remained unchanged for thousands of years, there are only twelve seats in the cave for meetings.

But after Li Chunfeng resolved the disaster of the God of War three hundred years ago, the Twelve Caves of that generation left behind a legacy, adding another seat under the Grand Cave Master, which was Li Chunfeng's seat. In other words, Li Chunfeng's position among the Twelve Caves was second only to the Grand Cave Master, and higher than the other eleven Cave Masters.

The twelve cave masters three hundred years ago single-handedly created the Bingshenguatan, which integrated the techniques of witchcraft and sorcery. They were the strongest generation since the establishment of the Twelve Caves. The great cave master was also the most prestigious one in the history of the Twelve Caves. Therefore, the teachings he left behind have never been broken in the past three hundred years.

After all, Twelve Caves is a place where rules are extremely important.

Therefore, Xiao Yan, who has passed Li Chunfeng's test and obtained the token in his hand, should be nominally qualified to inherit Li Chunfeng's position.

On the contrary, if Xiao Yan had not passed the test of Luohua Cave and obtained this token, even if Qianwu was willing to take him into Huagu, he would not have the qualification. The Longquan Sword is the symbol of the Li family of the Tang Dynasty, but this token is the symbol of Li Chunfeng.

If it weren't for Li Chunfeng back then, the Twelve Caves would have been in blood feud with the Tang Dynasty.

After sorting out the relationship, Xiao Yan no longer had any doubts. He simply packed up his clothes and followed the old man over the mountains and hills again, heading deeper into the mountains farther west.

Chi Meng and Ji Ruxue stayed in the old man's room and waited patiently for them to come back.

The territory of Twelve Caves is very large. When we were searching in Huagu at the beginning, we thought that Twelve Caves was only the size of a village.

Only after entering did I realize that the twelve villages were of different sizes. The eleventh village, owned by the eleventh village master, was the most densely populated place, with beautiful mountains and rivers, neat houses, and children's fun. Even so, there were also large tracts of fertile land in the eleventh village that were not cultivated or lived in, covering a very large area.

Away from the Eleventh Cave, entire stretches of mountains and old forests are under the jurisdiction of different cave masters. Standing on the top of a mountain, you can hardly see the end of the area.

When walking in these places, you should be prepared not to meet strangers, but it is very likely that you will bump into a house, an acre of fertile land, and a few farmer-looking men will greet you in a simple manner.

Add to that the different patterns of tattoos on these people's arms, and it's as awkward as it can be.

"My eldest nephew, from the Central Plains, is he good-looking?"

The old man put his hands behind his back and chattered a lot to Xiao Yan all the way. Xiao Yan just listened and nodded without saying anything.

When he met some passers-by who greeted him with a smile, the old man would immediately stop the topic, pat Xiao Yan on the shoulder, and take the initiative to introduce him to them. He would introduce each person he met once, and he didn't mind the trouble, for fear that others didn't know that Xiao Yan was his nephew.

Xiao Yan would also smile and nod to these uncles and aunts one by one, behaving very properly and not losing face for the old man at all.

During this period, it is inevitable to hear words like "He is as handsome as the Alang from Fengxiang", "This Alang is much more amiable than the Alang from Fengxiang" and so on.

Of course, if some old ladies happened to be picking up mountain products with their daughters, they would complain to the old man, saying that the second master was really annoying and why he didn't bring out his nephew who was so well-behaved earlier. Otherwise, they would have entrusted their daughter Xiao Cui to this old man a long time ago.

It has to be said that the people encountered in Twelve Caves were more friendly than each other, and there was not much distinction between the superiors and the inferiors. In front of the old man, some ladies, even those whose daughters were already engaged, still couldn't help but pull Xiao Yan to chat for a long time. It was like a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law, the more she looked, the more she liked him. Even if her little daughter was not grown up yet, she would still drag Xiao Yan to her home for a meal and a cup of tea before leaving.

The old man didn't stop them, but just watched and laughed happily from the side.

Fortunately, Xiao Yan was particularly adept at handling interpersonal relationships. Often, after some polite words, not only would these ladies not feel that Xiao Yan was disrespectful, but instead they would feel that this young man was honest, had a good personality, was well-educated, and was obviously a cultured person. In comparison, their daughters were not worthy of him.

The old man who was watching from the side was laughing and was particularly satisfied. Look, look, this is my eldest nephew. Just these few words really made me proud. The women who usually sounded fierce in their words all looked at me with different eyes.

The old man was secretly very happy, he felt so comfortable. If he didn't have important things to do, he would have dared to set up a blind date corner at this intersection, with people coming and going and surrounding him in circles, letting everyone see how outstanding his nephew is.

However, after he casually drove everyone away and walked a distance with Xiao Yan, he immediately walked around Xiao Yan in a hurry.

"Hiss... these women, even though they all look like they can only chat about daily life, they are more skilled in witchcraft than the other, and their witchcraft is hard to guard against. I was fooled by them a lot in the past."

Fortunately, the old man looked left and right and finally did not find any love Gu on Xiao Yan, so he breathed a sigh of relief, and then walked and said: "I thought they would not dare to act rashly when I was here. When I was young, I was not very proficient in Gu techniques, and I looked well-behaved. But the women in the Twelve Caves did not follow the rules. They dared to cast a Gu on me after just a few words. If it were not for my deep internal strength, I would have been taken home to be someone else's man several times..."

Xiao Yan held back his smile. The old man noticed something was wrong and narrowed his eyes: "Boy, you don't believe it?"

"Of course I believe it." Xiao Yan nodded and said, "But when I think of how you were humiliated back then, I can't help but want to laugh."

This is not a compliment. Although the old man's hair and beard are a little gray and there are wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, he is tall and has a handsome appearance. It is not difficult to tell that he was a handsome guy when he was young.

Many women in Raojiang are quite particular about appearance, otherwise they wouldn't always say that Alang is so handsome.

"Hehe, a good man never brags about his past achievements." The old man put his hands behind his back, shook his head and said, "Back then, nine out of ten boys in this area had a grudge against me. Why? Wasn't it because their sweethearts fell in love with me? Boy, don't think that you are the only one with many confidantes. I just don't have any of them. Otherwise, you, the younger generation, really can't compare to the older generation."

Xiao Yan smiled and nodded in agreement.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the old man finished speaking, he immediately turned around and came over, asking in a gossipy voice: "Good boy, those two girls are not here, tell me quietly, which of these confidantes do you like the most?"

Xiao Yan's expression froze, and then he looked around: "Master, how long will this journey take? I haven't eaten since I woke up. It's really..."

"Don't interrupt!" The old man was about to interrogate her, but suddenly thought about it and hissed, "Could it be that foreign woman from Mobei? This is a bit difficult to deal with. I'm afraid it will easily cause a fire in the backyard..."

Xiao Yan really didn't dare to take up this topic. He was beaten so hard that he was unconscious. How could he remember what he answered? Especially the gossipy look of the old man, who was concerned about the life-long affairs of the younger generation, was even more unbearable.

Uncle, as a hermit like you, could you please stop being so gossipy?

The old man seemed to have thought of this, so he changed the subject with a smile: "Do you have anything to ask about the boy from Fengxiang that they mentioned just now?"

Xiao Yan thought for a moment, then said, "What do you think of this man?"

"That kid..."

The old man casually said, "Two years ago, the old man handed over the Twelve Caves to him. But even so, Little Eleven may be slightly inferior to him. In the history of the Twelve Caves, leaving aside the monster Li Chunfeng, the first person who could gain a foothold in the Twelve Caves was me, your old man, and the second one is him." Xiao Yan nodded and asked no more questions.

The old man was surprised and said, "Don't you have anything else to ask? The old man thinks highly of this kid. If he doesn't get into any accidents, in another ten years, he might take over the position of the Great Cave Lord."

Xiao Yan smiled and said, "Since I have received this evaluation from you, I have learned my lesson. After I go out, I will naturally know how to deal with him."

The old man narrowed his eyes, stroked his beard and remained silent.

"You know he left Twelve Caves?"

"The junior guessed it earlier."

The old man nodded and didn't ask any more questions. He just counted on his fingers and said leisurely: "About five months ago, Chi Li, the King of Gu from the Ten Thousand Poison Cave, met Li Maozhen in Huagu. Almost the next day, he forcibly defected. It happened too suddenly, and only Eleven tried to stop him, but he failed.

Li Maozhen left a letter, saying that he would keep his mouth shut about the Twelve Caves and would no longer have anything to do with them. According to the rules, the three cave masters should have gone out to hunt him down, but after reading the letter, the old man gave up.

The old man put his hands behind his head and said, "The old man remembered the old friendship, otherwise Li Maozhen would have defected so recklessly and would not have been able to leave the Shiwan Mountains."

As he said this, he turned around and said with a smile: "By the way, this kid Li Maozhen is the first disciple of this old guy in the past hundred years."

Xiao Yan nodded in understanding, but he actually felt a little heavy in his heart.

His carelessness about the matter delayed it by at least four months.

Five months ago, that was last August, Yang Shuzi revealed Emperor Zhaozong's last will and forced the empress onto Xiao Yan's boat.

It was at that time that the empress truly reached a cooperation with Xiao Yan, and gave half of the country of Qi to Xiao Yan. Miao Chengtian and Xuan Jingtian stayed in Bian Jing to serve as Xiao Yan's assistants, and Huanyinfang had in fact become dependent on Anle Pavilion.

The entire Qi Kingdom became Xiao Yan's external aid in seizing the Daliang regime. If things went well, Xiao Yan, with the strength of Hebei, Qi Kingdom and Mobei in his hands, would have the appetite to completely digest Daliang, and could even achieve a smooth transition of power without any disturbance.

This trip to Raojiang, in addition to exploring Li Chunfeng's mechanical tomb, another purpose is to find out Li Maozhen's movements. It is precisely because Xiao Yan knows what kind of person Li Maozhen is that he will make this trip in person.

But it was still a step late. No, it was a big step late.

Yuan Tiangang's movements were much faster than his.

"What's wrong? Are you in trouble?" The old man seemed to have noticed Xiao Yan's worries, so he asked with a smile.

"It's not a big deal..." Xiao Yan shook his head. "It's just that things are unpredictable. Some things that go beyond the plan are not difficult to predict."

"It's good that you think this way." The old man didn't seem surprised and nodded with satisfaction: "In this life, the most taboo thing for a person is to live in obsession. Do you know why I wanted to compare Li Maozhen with you at the beginning, but now I say that Li Maozhen is not even a hair better than you?"

"Please teach me, sir."

"This is not difficult to understand." The old man said slowly with his hands behind his back: "When you first entered the Twelve Caves, your strength was not weak. Li Maozhen is nearly twenty years older than you, and he should not have been transformed into a person of the same generation as you. Without this kid, you would have been the first among your peers. But it's not calculated that way..."

Xiao Yan was listening silently when the old man walking on the stairs in front of him suddenly stopped, and he also stopped, looking a little confused.

The old man turned around and stood one step higher than Xiao Yan, barely reaching the same height as Xiao Yan. He seemed to be aware of this problem, so he laughed, then stretched out his hand and gently patted a fallen leaf off Xiao Yan's shoulder.

"You don't have any elders to back you up."

Out there, it’s just you.”

"..." Xiao Yan was silent for a moment, and then smiled casually: "In the future, if I want to fight with someone, I will first say, 'The Lord of the Second Twelve Caves is my uncle, and if you want to fight, think twice.' In this way, I'm afraid few people will dare to come and die."

"You little bastard!" The old man was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help laughing and scolding.

But it was obvious that he was very happy, because Xiao Yan's words really treated him as an elder.

So the old man continued to climb the mountain, hesitated, and without looking back, asked: "Do you know who I am?"

Xiao Yan asked back: "Does the old man know who this junior is?"

"Of course I know." The old man couldn't help laughing and cursing again, and then he pondered for a moment, as if he was missing something. After thinking for a while, he slowly said, "Nineteen years ago, Li Ye sent someone to deliver a letter to Twelve Caves..."

Xiao Yan frowned, but said nothing. He just listened quietly to what was said next.

"At that time, I had already left the Central Plains... Fifteen years? Let's say fifteen years. I don't know how Li Ye sent people to find the Twelve Caves. As far as I know, the people who sent the letter sneaked in without the help of the bad guys. By the way, the Ten Thousand Poison Caves had not been built at that time, and the fighting was very fierce in various parts of Raojiang. Li Ye sent a total of nine people. When they arrived at the Twelve Caves, only two were left. I don't know if they survived when they went back to report."

There wasn't much information in the letter. It just asked me to find a kid named Xiao who was born in the same year as the one who sent the letter if I had the chance to return to the Central Plains. He was said to be in Yanzhou and had a name of "Yan". It was said that it meant to sharpen and cultivate oneself. In my opinion, Li Ye was just lazy and took the inkstone when he saw it. Back then, he loved to collect these things the most, pen, ink, paper and inkstone. The inkstone is the most important of the four treasures..."

Although I don't know what Li Ye's idea was, I more or less remember this. But it's not surprising. When your grandfather was still in power, some people in the court said that the rise of Huang Chao, the evil leader, was related to the Bad People. Maybe Li Ye avoided the Bad People to send the letter for this reason."

The old man talked for a long time, and then suddenly turned around and said, "So, kid, do you know why I came to look for you when you entered the cave?"

Xiao Yan hesitated and did not answer immediately.

The old man suddenly smiled and patted Xiao Yan's shoulder heavily.

"My last name is Li, and my given name is Li Ye. This kid, Li Ye, is my seventh brother. As for you, it doesn't matter whether you are willing to recognize me as your elder or not. This is Li Ye's fault. He owes you. I have enjoyed it for so long, so I will pay it back on his behalf."

Remember, if Yuan Tiangang is really shameless, instead of coming to Twelve Caves to seek refuge with me, you can just ask your niece-in-law to bring a message to me. "

I, a great man, would risk my worthless life to disgust this fellow a little."

Got it? "

(End of this chapter)