Knife splashing

Chapter 12 Du Daya

The sun rises and sets, and several days pass in the blink of an eye.

The disappearance of Widow Wang caused some commotion in the village.

Some people said that she took her daughter to the border area, wanting to return to her hometown...

Some people also said that this woman was completely crazy and wanted to sell her daughter to the human traffickers in Chang'an City...

Of course, it's just talk.

A widow from another family, who stinks all day long and is not liked by others.

Who would care about her life or death?
At most, I could sigh and say that the child, who was less than four years old, was pitiful.

Village chief Li Huairen doesn't care even more.

He directly sent someone to the government office to report the disappearance, and then asked his servants to occupy the land left by Widow Wang. This made several people who had the same intention so angry that they cursed him behind his back.

These are all the traces left by Widow Wang and her family in Lijiabao...

…………

Gulu!
Several old horses were pulling the roller with all their strength.

The summer harvest is approaching, and the golden wheat waves are rolling in the fields.

So it’s not harvest time yet, but there’s still plenty of farm work to do.

Women have to pick mulberry leaves, raise silkworms, and cook for the whole family.

The men took out sickles, wooden poles, wooden shovels, wooden rakes and other farm tools from the warehouse, repaired and maintained them, and prepared for the summer harvest.

In addition, the threshing floor must be smoothed and flattened with a stone roller.

After all, grabbing food is like fighting a war. If preparations are not in place and something goes wrong when collecting the food, or if it rains or something, you won't have a good life for the whole year.

Li Yan was also busy feeding the horses in the threshing ground.

"Brother Yan, this beast is nothing to be ashamed of."

The driver Du Sixi grinned with his big crooked teeth and spitted as he sold his products.

"A horse in its teens is considered to be in its prime, and it hasn't been injured in any way. It can't travel a thousand miles a day, but it can easily travel to Chang'an on a daily basis..."

"How can you survive in the martial world if you have a sword but no horse?!"

Lijiabao was not wealthy. Only the village chief Li Huairen had a few old horses for work, which he would occasionally ride for a ride on weekdays.

Even this makes the young men in the village envious.

Li Yan naturally wanted to get one as well, not for vanity, but because he wanted to practice horse archery, which would be more convenient when he had time to go to Chang'an.

However, at this moment, he was somewhat absent-minded.

Looking at Du Sixi who was always boasting, Li Yan's heart moved, and he asked, "Old Du, are there any famous Taoist temples in Chang'an?"

Widow Wang and her family have been gone for several days.

No one knew that a terrible creature had run into the village and was causing trouble.

Although the matter has been settled, it was just the beginning for Li Yan.

Firstly, he knew that the misfortunes in his family, as well as the sudden deaths of his father and his predecessor, were all caused by his enemies using curses to suppress their power.

The other party's methods are vicious, and he can also make trouble with the things given by the court. His power is by no means ordinary. Once he knows that the method is ineffective, he may cause trouble.

Besides, Li Yan had no intention of letting this matter go.

Secondly, according to Widow Wang, he has opened up the six yang senses and gained the ability of smell, and sooner or later he will be targeted by evil creatures.

Therefore, entering the Xuanmen became the current most important goal.

The Du Sixi in front of him is a coachman from the neighboring Dujia Village. He usually travels between nearby villages, picking up people to Chang'an or pulling a cart to deliver goods.

In the past two days, the horse caravans have been pulling stone rollers from several villages.

Don't be fooled by his unattractive appearance, he is actually a man of the world.

There are five elements and eight jobs in the underworld. The five elements refer to cars, boats, shops, feet, and teeth. The eight jobs refer to all kinds of craftsmen, such as blacksmiths, carpenters, leatherworkers, etc.

The underworld is not only about fighting and killing, but also a way of making a living.

Moreover, some forces in the Five Elements and Eight Works have to give some face when they meet, even if they are ruthless people who are famous in the green forest.

For example, on ships, there were the Paijiao in the south, the Caobang in the north, and the Sihaigang on the sea.

For example, the foot trade is a hard-working group, but there are gangs at every dock.

For example, this store and several famous inns are not only a place for people from all walks of life to rest, but also a place for all kinds of information to circulate.

The same is true for car dealerships.

Just imagine, if you want to make a living in one place and take on jobs, or do business with people coming and going, how can you survive without someone to protect you, not to mention traveling far and wide.

So where there are people, there are interests, and where there are interests, there is the world.

There are two major carriage dealerships in Chang'an City, "Taixing" and "Changsheng".

Not only Chang'an City, but all the carriage and horse activities in the entire Guanzhong area were controlled by them. They also had close connections with various escort agencies, inns, transport gangs, foot companies, and pawnbrokers.

Their military strength may be average, but they are extremely well-informed.

Du Sixi was a man from a car dealership in Taixing. Because he had a mouthful of crooked teeth, he was nicknamed Du Daya.

Although this person has no ability and low status, and can only hang around in various villages, he knows a lot.

He had received favors from his father Li Hu before, so Li Yan asked. "Is there any need to ask?"

Du Sixi was delighted. "Although Chang'an City has been through several wars, it was the capital of several dynasties after all. There are 108 districts in the city, and countless Taoist temples of all sizes."

"Why, Brother Yan, do you want to go burn incense? I happen to be going to Chang'an tomorrow..."

Li Yan waved his hand to interrupt him and said in a deep voice: "Old Du, I want to know where the real Xuanmen masters are!"

"Xuan...Xuanmen?"

Du Sixi was stunned. "Why are you asking about this?"

It sounds like you really know?!
Li Yan was delighted and put on a smile. He pulled Du Sixi to squat under the shade of the tree and said, "Old Du, no, Uncle Du, since you know, just tell me."

Du Sixi was pleased to be called "Uncle Du", but he also knew who Li Yan was, so he didn't dare to be presumptuous. He smiled and said, "Brother Yan, don't joke with me. Your father, Lord Tiger, is the one who made Man'er famous on the Guanzhong Road."

"Who doesn't know the reputation of the sick tiger in Guanzhong? How could he not know these?"

Li Yan seemed to be thinking about something. "Just tell me what you want to say. Don't talk about anything else."

Speaking of which, his father told him a lot about the martial arts world, even the secret codes of the Spring Classic, but he never told him anything about Xuanmen.

Could it be that he was intentionally hiding it...

Du Daya saw that his face was slightly gloomy, and his heart skipped a beat. He didn't dare to say anything more, and said, "In the underworld, besides their abilities, they also have different statuses."

"I'm just a cart driver, and I just run errands for the gang. I don't know much, but I have heard some things by chance."

"The term Xuanmen is very broad. As long as one knows some magic, he can be called a member of Xuanmen. But there are good and bad people among them, and it is difficult to distinguish the true from the false. But if someone is really capable, no one will dare to underestimate him."

"There are two factions among them."

"One sect is appointed by the imperial court and registered with the Ministry of Rites. They can obtain Taoist and Buddhist certificates and be the abbots of Taoist temples in famous mountains. They are known as the orthodox sect of Xuanmen. The most famous one is Taixuan Zhengjiao."

"There are many other sects, including yin and yang masters, witches and sorcerers, and those who know strange magic in the underworld."

“Although the orthodox religion looks down on it and calls it a side sect, it has a very high status in the martial arts world. The most powerful ones are worshipped by some gangs.”

"But ordinary people can't tell whether it's a liar or a genuine one..."

Li Yan quickly asked, "Do you know anyone from Xuanmen?"

"Brother Yan is joking."

Du Daya smiled and said, "I am just trying to make a living. I am not even a member of the gang. Besides, I am just an ordinary person, how can I recognize those masters?"

Seeing Li Yan frowning slightly, he quickly whispered: "Brother Yan, don't worry. I, Old Du, don't have much ability, but there is someone who has a wide range of friends and is also friends with your family. He should recognize him."

"Who?"

"Sharifei!"

"he?!"

Hearing this name, Li Yan's expression suddenly became strange.

…………

After chatting with Du Daya, Li Yan returned home.

As soon as I got home, I saw Grandpa Li Gui squatting on the doorstep, holding a big pipe, puffing out smoke, and looking very angry.

Li Yan smiled and said, "Master, what's going on?"

The old man frowned and cursed, "That bastard Li Laoshuan cheats even when playing chess. He will never be able to eat a few dishes in his life!"

Li Yan was happy when he heard this, "Calm down, I'll deal with him tomorrow."

When these old guys play chess, their strength lies not in their skills but in their mouths.

It doesn’t matter if you lose the game, you only get angry if you lose the argument.

But, isn't it a good thing?

Ever since the magic of winning in the plaque was broken, Grandpa Li Gui has visibly changed. He no longer sulks all day long and seems to have let go of many things.

He either played chess with the old men in the village, or went fishing in Xixiao River, and he also clamored to go to Chang'an to listen to opera.

Seeing the old man like this, Li Yan was happy from the bottom of his heart, but at the same time, he became more and more angry towards the person who cast the curse and wanted to kill him.

In his two lives, he has never been the kind of person who would suffer losses in silence.

And on the way back, he also figured out some things.

Logically speaking, his father was also an old hand and it was impossible for him not to know about the Xuanmen affairs, but he taught him everything except this one, which he seemed to intentionally conceal.

Could it be that his father Li Hu was also investigating secretly?

But he felt that it was not the case. If his father knew that his family was secretly cursed, would he allow the plaque to hang on the door?
As for the cause of his death, I didn’t think it was strange before, but now the more I think about it, the more strange it becomes…

Thinking of this, Li Yan's heart moved, he looked at Li Gui, squatted down and asked with a smile: "Grandpa, who did you offend in the first place?"

Li Gui raised his eyebrows, "Why are you asking this?"

Li Yan said with a smile: "Are you curious? Besides, if it weren't for this man, I might have become a yamen official. When I feel unhappy, I have a reason to curse my mother."

"Damn it, Yanei!"

Li Gui smoked a cigarette and cursed: "You are just a person who lives in the soil, don't think about those things. It's been so many years, do you still want to do it?"

"Besides, that person is already dead."

"died?!"

(End of this chapter)