Knife splashing

Chapter 157: The Hateful One

Although Qingyuan Tower is a brothel, the layout of its private rooms is quite charming.

The curtains are made of gauze, the window frames are finely carved, the interior furnishings are simple and elegant, the walls are filled with calligraphy and paintings, and there is a wafting aroma of tea on the table.

One side faces the street, and Chang'an is covered with snow in winter.

Looking inward from the window on the other side, one can see the pond below rippling with water vapor, the rockery covered with snow, and the theater pavilion located in the middle of the water, with a roof covered with green tiles and flying eaves on all four corners.

In the pavilion, the sounds of fish drums, cloud incense boards, and banhu interweave. An old man plays the erhu and sings: "I became a monk in Mount Zhongnan. Every day I raise my hands to pray for the Dao. I eat the food of a thousand families, and I chant the boundless Dharma..."

The lyrics are vicissitudes and elegance, which is exactly the Zhouzhi Taoist love drama.

The play is titled "Selling Taoist Robes". It tells the story of Han Yu's 64th birthday. Han Xiangzi, who has already become an immortal, transforms himself into a Taoist boy and comes to pay his respects in a slovenly manner, wanting to sell his Taoist robe as a treasure.

All the laughter was meant to enlighten Han Yu.

Later, the two sides recognized each other, and Han Yu asked him when they would meet again?
Han Xiangzi laughed and said: “Unless the “snow blocks the Lan Pass and the horses cannot move forward.”

Han Yu was confused and was later demoted for his advice to welcome the Buddha's bones. When he reached Languan in Qinling Mountains, he saw a man coming out of the snow. It was Han Xiangzi. He smiled and asked, "Do you still remember that poem?"

Han Yu sighed for a long time, chanting: "A letter was sent to the emperor, and I was demoted to Chaoyang in the evening. I want to eliminate the evils for the emperor, but I am willing to cherish my remaining years. Where is my home when the clouds are across the Qinling Mountains? The snow is blocking the Lan Pass, and my horse cannot move forward. I know you have come from afar with a purpose, so please collect my bones and bury them by the poisonous river."

This poem is called "Moving to Lan Guan to Show My Nephew Sun Xiang".

Li Yan listened carefully, shaking his head.

Although these Taoist operas are all small folk stories and most of them were compiled by later generations and are not the real secrets of Taoism, they are profound in meaning.

The uncle and nephew Heidan next to them were both absent-minded.

A complicated look, as if recalling the past.

One of them looked around curiously.

"Miss Wanfang is here!"

Following a shout from the big teapot, the door slowly opened and a woman, with her face covered by a round fan, swayed in.

She was dressed in white, with a graceful figure, and a round fan covering her nose, revealing only her fair skin and charming eyes.

Gudong!

Heidan next to him widened his eyes and swallowed his saliva.

The young boy was in love for the first time, and he had never seen such a beauty.

The round fan is half-closed, just like a woman holding a pipa and half covering her face, showing a hint of temptation in the mystery.

Li Yan was helpless and spread his hands and said, "I really have no money."

In a word, it's a real eyesore.

He just came to look for someone, but the big teapot and the old brothel owner were so sweet that the three of them were welcomed into this private room without knowing it.

Zhao Wanfang, the courtesan of Qingyuan Tower, will also come to serve.

According to the big teapot, Zhao Wanfang was a descendant of the royal family of the Song Dynasty. She was extremely beautiful and knowledgeable. Countless dignitaries in the city of Chang'an begged to see her but were refused.

Li Yan thought it was all nonsense.

But if you want to find someone, you can only make it clear first.

puff!

Hearing Li Yan say that he had no money, the courtesan Zhao Wanfang sneered, "Mr. Li, are you in such a hurry to leave?"

As she spoke, she gently waved her round fan, revealing her exquisite face.

Heidan next to him blushed, lowered his head and dared not look anymore.

Li Yan wanted to continue explaining, but a light flashed in his eyes, and he leaned back, sitting in a posture of sitting with a big horse and a golden sword, and said with a smile: "Why do I feel that it's not me who is anxious...but the girl who is a little anxious?"

"Oh?"

Zhao Wanfang's eyes were full of charm, as if a layer of mist had appeared, and water was about to drip out at any time. She twisted and turned, swaying forward, "Look at what you are saying. It's still daylight, why am I so anxious?"

As she spoke, her skirt shook.

Whoosh!
A slender leg suddenly shot out like a poisonous snake, as fast as thunder, and there was a dagger on the tip of the shoe, which pierced Li Yan's throat.

However, Li Yan was well prepared. He grabbed the opponent's ankle with his left hand and pushed him, while at the same time he used his right hand to block the right palm that was attacking his eyes and twisted it with the force.

Zhao Wanfang lost her balance and sat on his lap.

Just as she was about to move, she found that Li Yan had grabbed her neck. His palms were like steel, and with a slight movement, he could break her slender neck.

Both sides moved extremely quickly, in just a blink of an eye.

From the perspective of Heidan uncle and nephew standing nearby, it seemed that the beauty first flirted with words, then spun around and lay in Li Yan's arms.

Well, in broad daylight...

Li Laogan quickly covered Heidan's eyes with his hands.

"Legs under skirt?"

Li Yan had a smile on his face, but his eyes were cold, "What I mean is, if the girl is in a hurry to kill me, she should explain the reason first."

"Eating from Ge Nian? Whose job did you take?"

The so-called "people who eat Ge Nian" are the Ge family. In contrast to the Guazihang, they are all from martial arts families, but they rely on martial arts to commit murder, kidnapping, robbery and other business, and are usually hired by others.

He asked himself if he had offended anyone in the brothel.

Then the biggest possibility is the killer.

The skill of legs under skirt cannot be practiced well without inheritance.

The uncle and nephew Heidan were startled and were about to stand up and shout, but Li Yan gave them a look and they sat down again.

The situation is unclear and we have to be careful about other people.

The courtesan Zhao Wanfang no longer had the charm she had just now. Her eyes were determined and a blade slowly extended from under the round fan in her hand.

Li Yan had an amazing sense of smell and could sense things even with his eyes closed, so how could he fall into the trap? He freed his other hand and twisted the fan, causing it to fall to the ground.

He lost his patience. "He's been causing so much trouble. He must be a den of thieves. Let's wipe them out in one fell swoop!"

"It has nothing to do with others!"

Zhao Wanfang's face changed slightly, and she said in a deep voice: "You and I have a personal grudge. Even if you don't come to my house today, I will wait for an opportunity to attack you."

"I'm in trouble today, you can kill me or chop me up as you please, but don't implicate others!"

"personal enmity?"

Li Yan seemed to be thinking about something. "Who did I kill? Tell me about it so that I can have an idea of ​​the number."

Since he entered the underworld, no one knows how many people have died under his hands.

Although they all have their reasons for taking action, these people did not just come out of nowhere after all.

It's not surprising that someone is seeking revenge.

Zhao Wanfang gritted her teeth and said, "It's not you, it's your father!"

"My father?"

When Li Yan heard this, he immediately felt overwhelmed, and then frowned, "Nonsense, you look young, how could you be related to my father."

"Hahaha…"

Zhao Wanfang smiled sadly, her eyes full of misery, "Back then, your father had an accident in Jincui Tower, which led to revenge from the underworld. My mother and aunt were both burned to death."

"You know how much I've suffered over the years. I didn't want to live anymore. It's a pity that I didn't take you with me..."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "Are you a survivor from that time?"

When he came to Chang'an this time, he naturally investigated what happened that year. Unfortunately, the Jincui Tower was burned down and the official files said that everyone was dead.

I didn't expect there was still one left...

Thinking of this, he whispered a few words in Zhao Wanfang's ear, then reached out and pushed her away.

Zhao Wanfang rolled over and picked up the fan from the ground. She held it in front of her body as if she were holding a dagger in her backhand, her eyes uncertain, "Are you telling the truth?"

Li Yan said in a deep voice: "This matter is a secret. If you want to find the murderer alive, don't make it public. I will come to talk to you in detail in the evening."

Zhao Wanfang's eyelids trembled slightly, "Okay!"

Although she practiced martial arts, she was only at the peak of Ming Jin and had not yet entered the An Jin. This time she was also fighting with all her might, hoping to use her beauty to seduce Li Yan and strike him with a knife when he was not prepared.

The blades are all poisoned, as if they want to die together.

But Li Yan's strength was obviously not something she could contend with, and what he said also made her doubtful. The two's actions made Heidan confused.

A little affectionate,

I'll move the knife in a moment.

Could this be the world of martial arts?
Li Yan naturally didn't know what Heidan was thinking. He stared at Zhao Wanfang and said in a deep voice, "We'll talk about this later. I have another matter that I need to trouble you with, young lady."

After listening to him finish the whole story, Zhao Wanfang was silent for a moment, then turned around and walked to the door. Her expression had returned to normal, and she opened the door and said in a tender voice, "Hu Dengzi, go and ask Shift Master Bai to come over."

Zhao Wanfang had some status in Qingyuan Tower, so Big Teapot hurried to invite someone, and soon an old man came up with a happy face.

The old man was skinny, with a plaster on his neck and his clothes were torn at the corners. It was obvious that he was not doing well.

He originally thought that it was a wealthy guest who wanted to watch a show, but when he saw the people in the room, he was stunned for a moment, his eyes were complicated, and then he forced a smile, "Junior Brother Li, it's you, long time no see."

"Brother Bai..."

Li Laogan was a little excited when he saw the old man, but when he heard these words, he trembled and said in disbelief: "It's... it's you?"

"I don't understand what Junior Brother Li is saying."

There was a flash of panic in the old man's eyes, but he pretended to be confused.

"You old fool!"

Li Laogan was instantly furious and rushed over to grab his clothes, "We are brothers, I have treated you well, why are you trying to hurt me!"

Li Yan watched coldly and shook his head slightly.

As the saying goes, a guilty conscience always comes into play. The old man gave away his true identity right from the start.

Li Laogan had come to help him before, but now he was down and out. The other party didn't care what happened recently, nor did he ask why he hadn't seen him for a long time. He only said one thing:

He knew Li Laogan's situation and even knew the inside story.

Being torn by Li Laogan, the old man did not fight back. He was silent at first, and then he could no longer hold it in. Tears flowed down his face, and he knelt on the ground, "Junior brother, I am sorry for you..."

He explained the reason with tears and snot.

It’s still gambling that’s to blame.

Their troupe's situation became worse and worse after their master left. They couldn't make it in the local area, so they thought that Chang'an City was prosperous and they could always make a living there.

However, Chang'an City is prosperous and there are more capable people.

The experts in shadow puppetry here are not limited to Shanzhou.

Not to mention the Huayin Laochang troupe, there are also masters from all over Shuzhong, Qilu and other places who have gathered here and all have unique skills.

With their skills, they could only survive on the streets, sometimes hungry and sometimes full. Later, they used their connections to settle down in Qingyuan Building.

Although I could have enough to eat, I couldn't save any money.

In addition, Pingkangfang is the most lively place in Chang'an, and its prosperity is dazzling, so the young people in the team can't help but feel aggrieved.

Why can others enjoy delicious food while they have such a cheap life?
Li Laogan was still quite wealthy at the time, and he was dressed luxuriously when he came to the door. Although it was out of good intention to help, it made those young people feel even more unwilling. They urged Master Bai to intercede and teach them the skill of making spirit leather.

Although Boss Bai was also jealous, he still had principles. Knowing that this was unscrupulous, he reprimanded those young men and did not mention it again.

Not long after that, those people became addicted to gambling.

Thinking he would get rich overnight, he ended up losing everything and even owed a huge sum of money to the gambling house.

At this point, they made up their minds and joined forces to try to cheat and win back the money.

What kind of place is a casino? It is full of experts. They were discovered on the spot and several people were tied up in the middle of the night. The boss Bai was asked to pay silver to redeem them.

Otherwise, you will have to wait for your body to be collected the next day.

Boss Bai had no money, so he begged bitterly.

The young men were frightened, so they shouted at the casino staff to ask Li Laogan for compensation.

One of them even revealed the source of Li Laogan's craftsmanship.

This attracted the attention of the casino staff. One of the leaders immediately said that the debt could be settled, but asked them to write down the whole cause and effect of the matter with a pen.

They returned by chance, all of them were terrified.

Not long after, news came that Li Laogan had an accident...

"Bring those up here!"

Hearing this, Zhao Wanfang's face was full of disgust.

Soon, those young men were all brought in. Perhaps because of their bad natures, they all had shifty eyes.

When he saw Li Laogen, he immediately realized that his plan was exposed.

"Mr. Li, this has nothing to do with me, it was all his idea..."

"Bullshit, didn't you say that first?"

One person even stiffened his neck and yelled, "What the hell are you afraid of? This old guy provoked some unclean creature and even sucked my father's energy. This matter is not over yet!"

"Also, our troupe is in trouble because of this old dog. He has ruined our fortune and we have to make him pay us!"

"Yes, pay the money!"

Those guys seemed to have gained courage and stood up and yelled.

"Fuck you!"

Heidan was already furious and started to beat him up.

He had been practicing boxing since he was a child. Although he had not developed much skills, he was more than capable of dealing with these guys. He beat them until they screamed in pain.

"Eh~"

At this point, Boss Bai was filled with regret. He opened his mouth and wanted to beg for mercy, but he just sighed, lowered his head and said nothing more.

"Heidan, stop it!"

Li Laogan shouted and called Heidan.

Looking at this messy scene, he also had mixed feelings and sighed: "Why do you have to do this?"

"You must have spiritual roots to learn that skill, otherwise you will suffer disaster. I don't even dare to teach it to my nephew, let alone you."

"Even if one of you has a spiritual root, I will pass on this technique to you without Senior Brother Bai telling you..."

"You guys go now, from now on we are no longer friends!"

At this time, Zhao Wanfang suddenly spoke again, and said coldly: "Master Bai, although people in the underworld are swindlers, they also have a taboo. People who repay kindness with enmity are not welcomed by anyone anywhere."

"The Jianghu is strong, you can't stay in Chang'an City anymore..."

"Wait!"

Li Yan said in a deep voice: "Let me make it clear first, which gambling house is it, and what is the name of the one who is trying to trick you?"

The white boss on the side, already full of shame, said directly: "It was the Jinbao Casino. The one who tricked us was a young scholar."

"We don't know him, but we heard someone nearby call him Third Brother."

"Jinbao Casino?"

Li Yan frowned slightly, as if thinking about something.

There is also a Jinbao gambling house in Xianyang City. It is rumored that it is related to a nobleman in Chang'an. These two houses may be connected...

"Let's go to Jinbao Casino to find someone."

"Master Bai, please follow me and help identify it."

Li Yan nodded slightly to Zhao Wanfang, then took Heidan, his nephew, and Boss Bai to the Jinbao Casino.

As soon as they left, Big Teapot brought a few men and beat the young men out, along with the shadow puppet troupe's equipment.

Boss Bai sighed and didn't look back.

The young men panicked and ran away.

Amid the flying snow, the shadow puppet troupe's boxes broke into pieces, and all kinds of small leather figurines fell to the ground, where they were quickly scrambled for and trampled into a mess.

A beggar picked up Guan Erye's leather doll, danced with joy, pinched his throat, and winked at the beggar next to him, saying: "Hey, look who I am!"

"Hahaha…"

The beggars laughed while knocking on their broken bowls...

(End of this chapter)