Knife splashing

Chapter 132 Inviting People to Help

The first snow has not yet melted, and Zhuque Street is covered in silver.

Although it was bitterly cold, there was a constant flow of vehicles and horses coming and going.

The sound of camel bells is from merchants from the Western Regions, carrying bags and shoes, carrying rare and exotic goods, to China in search of huge profits...

On both sides of Tianjie, the old walls have long disappeared, and shops, teahouses and wine shops are everywhere. Pedestrians are wrapped in fur coats and felt hats, all covered tightly.

As the central axis of Chang'an City, Zhuque Street is crowded on weekdays. The winter solstice has passed, and people are no longer busy with farming and have begun to prepare for the New Year.

But for the Jianghu people, it is just the opposite.

The people of China work hard all year round, and are usually frugal. They finally save some money, and this is when they are most willing to spend it.

Therefore, before and after the New Year, from now until the Lantern Festival, it is the best time to make money.

Some old-timers are counting on getting rich during the New Year.

Both sides of Tianjie are almost entirely filled with vendors setting up stalls.

Li Yan pretended not to notice the person following him, walked with his hands behind his back, and went straight into the crowd, pretending to watch the fun.

This time, I saw quite a few underworld tricks.

There was an old man from Kinmen who was telling fortunes at a stall. His sign read "Compared to a Half-Immortal". He flipped through a fortune book and spoke eloquently, shocking the country woman...

There was also a blind man swinging a bamboo board in his hand, knocking it as he walked, chanting: "Calculate the annual disasters and monthly disasters, calculate the wealth and poverty"...

There was a man who was fishing for plums in Pimen. He was carrying a bamboo pole with all kinds of worms hanging on it. He was shouting, "People eat grains and cereals, and they have worms in their bodies. This dose of medicine from us can kill all kinds of worms..."

The people around were amazed at the sight, but they didn't know that the "bug" was actually made from the intestines of a turtle, and was very lifelike.

Of course, there are also those who sell fake medicines, such as fake amber, fake tiger bones, fake ginseng... There are so many things to choose from, but none of them are real.

These methods are aimed at those who are greedy for bargains.

Of course, there are even more people painting pots on the ground, setting up stalls to tell folk stories, sing quick-speaking songs, and play drums. The sound of clanging and humming is very lively.

Li Yan walked and strolled, trying to squeeze into the crowd.

The few people following behind inevitably got separated.

Only one person was smart. He followed Li Yan and stood next to the stall where someone was performing acrobatics and selling magic pills.

Dangdang Dangdang!
As soon as the gong sounded, Li Yan turned and left.

The stalker also hurriedly stood up, but was grabbed by the performer and the gong was spread out in front of him.

"roll!"

The stalker shouted angrily.

The street performer was not impatient, he raised his eyebrows and said: "Brother, it's not easy to be out and about. You've been watching for a long time, so you should give me a reward. Do you want to get it for free?"

"If this gets out, won't it be embarrassing for us Chang'an people?"

As soon as these words were spoken, all eyes turned towards him.

The stalker was angry and annoyed, so he took out two coins and threw them into the gong, but when he rushed out, Li Yan had already disappeared.

Behind me, a street performer shouted:
"Thank you for the reward, sir!"

…………

Yanshoufang is near Guangdefang.

This place is close to the City God Temple and is where wealthy families gather in the northwest of the city, so naturally there are many fine teahouses and wine shops.

During the Tang Dynasty, although the royal family worshipped Taoism, many people among the people believed in Buddhism. When the Buddha's bones were brought to Chang'an, wealthy people in the markets along the way held large-scale vegetarian gatherings.

The so-called unrestricted fast is inclusive and unrestricted. Everyone can participate, regardless of status, monk or layman, wise or foolish, good or evil.

This kind of activity is very expensive.

At that time, Pei Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, Wu Yi, the King of Henei, and various palace masters and their husbands' houses took action together in Yanshoufang, and the scale of the action was so large that it shocked the entire Chang'an city.

However, prosperity always comes to an end.

Kings and nobles were all turned to dust, Buddhism and Taoism suffered several heavy losses and had long lost their former prosperity.

Restaurants and teahouses were built on the site of the former princess's mansion, and the people in fine clothes and riding horses were replaced by lowly merchants of the past.

Qingjianglou specializes in Huaiyang cuisine.

As the saying goes, people are cheap when they leave their hometown, and things are expensive when they leave their hometown. Since you have come from far away to open a business in Chang'an, the price is naturally not cheap.

"Master Dao, please go upstairs!"

Following the waiter's greeting, Luo Mingzi lifted up his Taoist robe, went up to the second floor, pushed open the private room by the window, and immediately laughed, "Hahaha, what's going on? You're rich now, so you want to treat a poor Taoist like me to some delicious food."

Li Yan quickly stood up and said, "Greetings, Senior."

"Hey, what are you being polite about!"

Luo Mingzi waved his hand, sat down directly, and said with a smile: "I was busy a while ago, and I didn't have time to welcome you when you came to Chang'an. This meal is on me."

As he spoke, he shook his head and sighed, "I also heard about what happened on Mount Taibai. I know that uncle is not a vicious person, and I don't know why he wants to use evil methods to prolong his life..."

As the two were talking, there was a knock on the door, and then the waiter brought a large tray of food, singing:
“Huaiyang delicacies are delicious and unforgettable. Crab meat lion head, boiled dried shredded pork, three-piece duck, braised pork... Sir, please taste them.”

After serving the dishes, he threw the towel over his shoulders and said flatteringly, "My two guests, we have a girl who sings lyric songs in our restaurant..."

"No, let's talk for a while."

Li Yan waved his hand to refuse, and after the waiter left, he stood up and filled Luo Mingzi's glass with wine.

Luo Mingzi looked at the table, thoughtfully, "There are abundant food and wine, and you are being so attentive for no reason. Are you in trouble?"

"But I can't hide it from you, senior."

Li Yan didn't waste any words and just told the story.

"Fighting..."

Luo Mingzi laughed dumbly and shook his head, "You are a living ghost messenger. It seems that you have inherited the tradition. Even in the Xuanmen, you are no worse than the orthodox sect. Why do you have to get involved in this kind of thing?"

Li Yan said sternly: "Although the world is vast, there are not so many friends who are worthy of your attention. You must take action when it is time!"

"Hahaha…"

Luo Mingzi nodded with satisfaction and said, "That's right. If you can't even be a good person when practicing Taoism, what qualifications do you have to seek the Tao?"

"As long as the fight is not too serious, we in the Law Enforcement Hall will usually turn a blind eye to it."

"But at the same time, it's not easy for us to take action, and we won't show up. You are smart enough to have someone secretly send me a message, and this matter will be easy to handle."

"I have two good friends. Although they are from a side sect, they are very good at magic, good at fighting, and loyal. I will send a letter later, and you can go directly to them."

As he spoke, he took a bite of the meat and thought, "Although the Xuanmen is special, some of its rules are similar to those of the Jianghu."

"In a battle of magic, what is often fought is not the magic, but the connections, especially this 'Tianyuan Bureau'..."

"You helped someone this time, and you are also establishing your reputation on the Chang'an Road. If you do a good job and have a good reputation, people will come to you to do things, and you will gradually be able to gain a foothold."

"But relying on others is not a good thing after all."

"You have the certificate, and you have completed the task. You can summon the underworld troops to help you. This is the real capital for you to gain a foothold..."

Hearing this, Li Yan said in a depressed tone, "Stop talking. This hook certificate is not as effective as I thought."

"To catch the criminals at Mount Taibai, there are three additional orders in the warrant. Each order can summon five battalions of ghost soldiers, with a total of 500 at a time. Once they are used up, they are gone."

"In addition, the Gou Yue can appoint some ghost soldiers to run errands, but I can't suppress the strong ones, and the weak ones are useless."

"Compared to the danger of the mission, it's a bit tasteless..."

When Luo Mingzi heard this, he glared and said unhappily, "If some Dharma lines heard what you said, they would probably be so angry that they would die."

"Do you really think that soldiers and horses are so easy to get?"

"First, there must be an altar for the ancestors. Secondly, there must be accumulation from generation to generation by masters, long-term incense offerings, and regular training before they can be obedient."

"No matter how bad the ghost soldiers of the Five Battalions are, they are still better than the ancestral soldiers of ordinary Dharma lineages. If you are qualified in the future, you may be able to recruit the regular soldiers of the underworld, which are comparable to the regular soldiers of my orthodox sect."

"As for these ghost soldiers, ordinary people raise ghosts, so they must have something to suppress them to prevent chaos."

"And your certificate is the best treasure to suppress it. You only need to offer incense occasionally. It is much more convenient than theirs..."

Li Yan pondered for a moment, then chuckled and said, "That's true." After Luo Mingzi's explanation, he finally understood everything.

The power of the Goudie is certainly not as powerful as those of the orthodox religions and great Dharma lineages. After all, they have thousands of years of accumulation, a large number of personnel, and often large-scale rituals involving hundreds of people.

But the strength of this thing lies in that it can be used by one person, and it saves time and effort in summoning soldiers.

To put it bluntly, it means that one soldier is strong in combat.

Moreover, after completing the mission, you will accumulate more Gangling, which will be the trump card that can turn the tide at the critical moment...

…………

Half an hour later, Li Yan came downstairs wearing a bamboo hat. After checking that there was no one following him, he joined the crowd and walked towards the southwest of Chang'an City.

He was very fast and in less than three incense sticks he arrived near Yanping Gate on the west side of Chang'an City.

Looking up at the archway of Fengyifang, Li Yan strode in.

Just as Wang Daoxuan said, after the city walls were demolished, the curfew policy was abolished, and private commerce was no longer prohibited, the entire city of Chang'an was full of business.

But Fengyifang is somewhat special.

Unlike Xianyang, almost all the people who make food for the dead in Chang'an are concentrated here, including coffin shops, palanquin houses, grave-keepers, funeral banquets, mourners, bone collectors, river float collectors, paper figurines makers, leatherworkers...

In short, all funeral-related businesses can be found here.

Ordinary people think this kind of place is unlucky and will not come here unless necessary, so there are not many pedestrians on the street.

The shop guys were too lazy to greet us.

After all, there is no such thing as soliciting customers in this business.

Because it involves life and death, this is also the place where people from the side gates of Chang'an City gather.

Li Yan strode forward, turned directly into the alley on the left, came to an ancient courtyard, and knocked gently on the door.

"Who is it~"

A lazy voice came from inside.

Even through the wooden door, it feels thick and gentle.

Li Yan said in a deep voice: "I was introduced by Taoist Luo Mingzi."

"Oh, wait a minute."

With a rustling sound, the wooden door creaked open.

The person who opened the door was a middle-aged man with abnormally pale skin, as if he had not seen the sun for many years. He looked good, but his beard was untidy and his clothes were untidy, as if he had not yet woken up.

"come in."

The man said something weakly, then turned around and yawned as he walked into the house. He rummaged around and cursed, "You coward, who stole my tea?"

Li Yan didn't care and glanced around the courtyard.

Under the eaves, there are spirit-calling banners of all sizes, some are made of paper, some are made of cloth, and some are even made of animal skins.

Soon, the middle-aged man came out scratching his stomach and said lazily: "There is nothing to entertain at home, and I guess you don't like it."

"It doesn't matter."

Li Yan shook his head slightly and handed over the letter written by Luo Mingzi. "Senior, this is what Taoist Luo Mingzi asked me to pass on."

The man took it and looked at it for a few seconds, then sneered, "A fight... I've heard of Liu Wenchen before, he's a worthless guy, he's greedy and yet he makes such a big scene."

"Okay, I'll go then."

Li Yan bowed respectfully and said, "Senior, although I have received the favor from Taoist Luo, the reward should not be less. I wonder if Senior..."

"remuneration?"

The man scratched his head, narrowed his eyes, and smiled somewhat ambiguously, "You look quite rich, I haven't had a drink for a long time..."

Li Yan laughed dumbly, "No problem!"

This is the first person introduced by Luo Mingzi.

Shen Sanyou, a man of three levels of Taoism, a master of the Yin sect, specializes in mourning and summoning souls, and is nicknamed "Night Crying Man".

…………

More than half an hour later, Li Yan arrived at Xuanyifang again.

He walked straight into a pawnshop.

The pawnshop's cabinet was tall, and even if Li Yan was standing he had to look up, and there was only a small opening, and a cold voice came from inside.

"What do you want to do, sir?"

Li Yan didn't waste any words and just stuffed the letter over.

After a while, the cold voice sounded again.

"When the time comes, I'll go."

"Remuneration? Forget it, you can't afford what I want..."

"Thank you, senior."

Li Yan didn't waste any words, bowed and said goodbye and left.

After leaving the shop and turning his head to look at the huge "Pawn" sign at the back, Li Yan still felt a little unbelievable.

In the past few months, he has become clear about the status of Xuanmen.

Needless to say, the Taixuan Orthodox Sect also has ordinary evil sorcerers, such as You Laosi, who can become guests of honor in the gang.

But not everyone in the Xuanmen is rich and powerful.

For example, the "night cryer" Shen Sanyou, no one knows what he has experienced before, he is in a daze, taking one day at a time as long as he can have something to eat.

The people in this pawn shop are even more amazing.

The other party used to be a killer named "Shadow", who was good at illusion, but was willing to be an ordinary person and work as an eyewitness in this pawnshop.

Perhaps, just as Luo Mingzi said.

For some people, practicing magic is not an opportunity, but more like a curse...

…………

"It's done."

When we returned to Fenglai Inn, night had already fallen.

Looking at everyone's gaze, Li Yan laughed dumbly and said, "Don't worry, this time we have invited two Xuanmen masters, the helpers Liu Wenchen found, maybe they will shrink back when they hear their names."

"That's daring."

Feng Feiyan covered her mouth and smiled, her eyes moving, "Little Brother Yan is indeed extraordinary. He has such a network of contacts when he first came to Chang'an. He will definitely be a big shot in the Guanzhong Road in the future."

"Thank you for the compliment, shopkeeper."

Li Yan smiled and laughed without saying anything.

He lives here, and even if he has a relationship with Hong Yasha, how can he completely trust Feng Feiyan?

It was nothing, the other party's situation made him realize that something was wrong.

Hong Yaksha said that Feng Feiyan's family fell into poverty, so she went to Chang'an alone. Not only did she do well in the underworld, she also set up a business like Fenglai Inn.

He asked Sharifei to secretly collect some information.

Everything seems flawless.

But perfection is too much!
He seems to be a very smart and lucky person. He takes each step steadily and can always turn danger into safety.

However, many things cannot be explained by being smart.

There is never a shortage of smart people in this world.

The world is dangerous, so be more careful...

(End of this chapter)