Knife splashing

Chapter 179 Chang'an Incident
Buzhengfang is located in the northeast corner of the former West Market.

There is the Qingming Canal in the southeast of the block and the Yong'an Canal in the west that flows from south to north. It was once the stationed place of the Right Jinwu Guard in the Tang Dynasty, and the Minister of the Central Secretariat and the Prince of Hejian also lived there.

Logically speaking, it is a favorite place of the rich in the city.

However, few people are willing to buy a house here because the notorious Duweisi Guard Station is located in this area.

Suppressing and stabilizing the martial arts world is only one of the duties of the Duwei Division. Their main focus is to patrol the country on behalf of the emperor and monitor all officials.

There was a time when all officials were terrified when they heard about it.

Even after some court struggles and the emperor's extraordinary means, the Duwei Si dared not overstep his responsibilities, but that bloody memory was deeply buried in people's hearts and could never be erased.

As night falls, the Lantern Festival lights remain on.

Chang'an City is too big. Even though someone was killed on Suzaku Street and even the leader of the famous Fire Bear Gang in the city had his head twisted off, it was just a scene in the city and the people were still immersed in joy.

In a corner of the alley, there is a high wall and a large courtyard, with dim lanterns.

Men in black kept walking back and forth, and eagles rose and landed.

In the lobby, the candlelight flickered, casting distorted shadows. The surrounding torture instruments were of various shapes, glowing faintly in the dim light.

What a fucking hellish place!

Li Yan sniffed and cursed inwardly.

He could smell a faint fishy odor in the air, a mixture of fear, tears, and blood.

A cold wind blew, and it seemed that even the light and shadows wanted to escape from this ominous place.

Snapped!
In the hall, the wooden scepter made a loud noise, and then a cold and solemn voice sounded, "You bold gangster, why don't you confess the truth!"

The speaker was none other than Guo Yuhuai, the former Chief Seal Officer.

As the saying goes, official aura nourishes people. Many officials are extraordinary when they are in office, but as soon as they leave office, they immediately become gray-haired and old.

The same is true for Guo Yuhuai.

Just because Feng Feiyan escaped, although he did not lose everything, he was deprived of the power to hold the seal. He no longer had that calm demeanor, but instead had a gloomy look and his facial features looked a little hideous.

Next to him sat a one-eyed man, who was another captain, Chang Xuan.

Chang Xuan frowned slightly when he heard this, and said calmly: "The matter has not been clarified yet, isn't Captain Guo being too arbitrary?"

On the night of the Lantern Festival, two people died on Zhuque Street.

He didn't care about Xiong Baodong, he was just a gangster in Chang'an City, fawning on the rich and powerful, walking between right and wrong. If necessary, the Duwei Division could make him disappear overnight...

Qiao Sanhu didn't care at all. He was a lieutenant in a lower county. He relied on his connections to bully the people in the village and bring disaster to the area. He was chopped into pieces in front of his eyes, but he didn't even bother to watch...

But it was a firearm that killed Qiao Sanhu!

The turmoil in the Duwei Division was caused by this, and it was also his key target of investigation, so the entire Duwei Division was like a hornet's nest that was disturbed and instantly became a mess.

The man in front of him was related to his subordinate Guan Wanche. He didn't care about Li Yan's life or death, but Guo Yuhuai's attitude clearly showed that he wanted to make the case real and then implicate him.

Hearing Chang Xuan's words, Guo Yuhuai's expression remained unchanged, and he said in a gloomy tone: "Captain Chang, this person is related to you, and you should avoid him according to the rules."

"You are so nervous, is there something wrong?"

Chang Xuan glanced at him coldly and said bluntly, "Captain Guo, don't be too smart. Don't forget how you lost your position as the seal holder!"

"Humph!"

Guo Yuhuai snorted, but he also knew that Chang Xuan was watching him, and many things had to be done according to the rules. Looking at Li Yan, who was standing in the hall with his hands behind his back and a calm expression, he suddenly became angry:
"How dare you, a commoner, kneel before an official!"

Chang Xuan frowned but said nothing.

According to the Daxuan ritual system, this rule does exist, but in many cases, it is not so strict and people just bow and salute as a gesture.

Guo Yuhuai knew very well that Li Yan was a gangster, and he still used his official power to pressure him. I'm afraid he will find an excuse to punish Wei with a stick next.

It was both a lesson for Li Yan and a loss of face for him.

After hearing this, Li Yan remained calm and didn't even bother to raise his hands. He said calmly, "Unfortunately, I am also an official. You are not qualified to ask me to kneel!"

When these words were spoken, everyone in the hall was stunned.

Guan Wanche and Feng Han were also there. They were the two thousand-householders' personal attachés, and the other hundred-householders would be responsible for hunting down the perpetrators of the firearm crime.

Hearing Li Yan's words, Guan Wanche had a blank expression on his face, but he cursed in his heart, this little guy didn't even know what the Duwei Division was, yet he dared to talk nonsense, he might even lose his life today.

Guo Yuhuai smiled, "Official?"

"I want to hear what kind of official you are. If you dare to pretend to be an official appointed by the imperial court, I will beat you to death in the court today!"

Li Yan looked at everyone, took off the hook from his waist, blinked and asked: "Do you recognize this thing?"

Seeing Li Yan so calm, Guo Yuhuai's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that this man was really a spy sent by the imperial court?
But he knew that the imperial court did not rely entirely on their Duweisi. There were also some secret government offices whose names were not even revealed.

But I've never seen that brand before...

Thinking of this, Guo Yuhuai narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke in a much gentler tone, "I don't know you. Please tell me clearly, which government office are you from?"

"Who said that only the Daxuan Dynasty had officials?"

Li Yan showed a trace of sarcasm on his face, "This is called a gou decree. I'm working for the underworld. I dare to ask the underworld to contact the Wanlu Tian Palace. Have you heard of it?"

After hearing this, Guo Yuhuai's blood immediately rushed to his head, "How dare you tease me, come here..."

Before he finished speaking, Feng Han, who was standing next to him, suddenly thought of something, his expression changed slightly, and he whispered something in Guo Yuhuai's ear.

Guo Yuhuai frowned when he heard this and looked at Li Yan again.

"Are you a living ghost messenger?"

"Exactly."

Li Yan nodded and stood straight.

He could have taken advantage of the chaos to leave, but he didn't want to be like Feng Feiyan and have dirty water thrown on him. He also wanted to disrupt the situation and allow Lu San to escape successfully.

Coming to this Duwei Division, he was not really afraid.

Imperial power? Official authority? This little bit of fanfare couldn't scare him. If he was really pushed to the limit, he would just release the ghost soldiers to kill everyone and leave.

Kneeling to parents or teachers is fine.

A dog official wants him to kneel down.

I would rather kill people and wander around the world!
Seeing him like this, Guo Yuhuai became even more angry and sneered, "Things in the underworld are hard to tell. Who knows if you are a quack pretending to be a ghost and making trouble here?"

Li Yan laughed, "People's hearts can be deceived, but ghosts and gods are hard to deceive. If you don't believe it, the Taixuan Orthodox Church can naturally help me verify it."

"Of course, if you still feel you have to kneel, why don't you come with me to the underworld of Luofeng Mountain and ask the Great Emperor of Fengdu in the North Yin whether I, a messenger from the underworld, should kneel before your official in the world of the living?"

"you…"

Guo Yuhuai was immediately furious.

puff!

Chang Xuan next to him suddenly laughed.

Guo Yuhuai gritted his teeth, but did not dwell on the matter any more.

To be honest, he also felt uneasy. The rise and fall of dynasties on earth were only a few hundred years or so, but the underworld had always been there.

If he really violated any taboo, this official uniform would not be able to protect him.

Thinking of this, Guo Yuhuai began to ask questions normally.

"What is your relationship with that thief?"

"Which thief are you talking about, Xiong Baodong? This man has committed many evil deeds and is challenging me to a life-and-death duel. Everyone present here can..."

"I am talking about people who use firearms!"

"You are joking, sir. I was fighting a life-and-death duel with someone, so I didn't have time to look around. I didn't even see who used a firearm."

"What's the grudge between you and Qiao Sanhu?"

"Who is this... Qiao Sanhu?"

"That's the dead man!"

"Isn't he Xiong Baodong's subordinate?"

"He is the Fengyang County Lieutenant!" "Oh, I see!"

"Say it!"

"How did the Fengyang County Magistrate get mixed up with the scum of Chang'an? There must be something fishy going on. As far as I know, Xiong Baodong is backed by an official from the Commandery, who must be helping him make money!"

"Isn't the Duwei Division responsible for investigating corrupt officials? Sir, go and arrest them. It will be a great achievement!"

Bang!
Guo Yuhuai's eyes were gloomy and he slammed the table hard, but he had nothing to say.

Li Yan's identity as a ghost messenger made him a little afraid. He had no official authority to use and could not use any other tricks. It was really frustrating.

They also went to the Metropolitan Commandery to arrest people...

This kid is really looking for trouble!
Seeing Guo Yuhuai's eyes blazing with anger, Chang Xuan was relieved, but he still said sternly: "Young Master Li, there is no need for us to beat around the bush."

"This officer will not let go easily when it comes to firearms. If you know anything, please tell me the truth."

Chang Xuan spoke politely, so Li Yan naturally did not argue and nodded, saying, "I am just an ordinary man, and I don't know much about the affairs of the court. If I hear any rumors, I will definitely come and tell you."

Hearing Li Yan's words, Chang Xuan remained calm, looked at him calmly for a while, and suddenly smiled and said, "Okay, if you find anything, please tell me the truth. I would like to thank you."

"Mr. Chang, you are too polite."

"Someone, send Young Master Li away."

"Farewell."

Li Yan didn't waste any words. He just clasped his fists, turned around and left.

After he left, the atmosphere in the lobby suddenly became dull.

"Report!"

A spy from the Duwei Division entered the hall, knelt on one knee and clasped his fists, saying, "Reporting to the commander, several groups of troops have tracked him down, but have lost all trace of him."

"Today is Lantern Festival, there are many people and many puppets, the smell of incense is hard to distinguish, and the guarding dog can't track it."

"waste!"

Guo Yuhuai snorted coldly, stood up and said, "Captain Chang, the firearm was lost before, and now there is another firearm murder case on Lantern Festival. The new commander will take office in a few days, you should explain it to him yourself!"

Say it, then he flicked his sleeves and left with Feng Han.

"grown ups!"

Guan Wanche became furious when he saw this, but just as he was about to say something, Chang Xuan waved his hand to stop him.

Chang Xuan took out a memorial from his bosom and said calmly, "Guo Yuhuai is eager to win the credit and to distance himself from the matter, but he knows nothing about firearms. You don't need to pay attention to him."

"I have sent people to check. Although the bullet that killed Qiao Sanhu used new gunpowder, it was crudely made and not powerful enough. It was not the magic fire gun, but the one thrown by the fire ghost."

"It was a chaotic time, and someone must have been watching and took the opportunity to steal it and kill someone during the Lantern Festival."

"Qiao Sanhu has caused trouble for the area and has offended many people in the underworld. If we follow this line of investigation, we should gain something, but there is no need to waste manpower."

"Also, take back some of the people who are tracking down Bai Ruoxu, and keep some strength to deal with Chang'an."

"grown ups?"

Guan Wanche was stunned, somewhat unable to believe it.

Chang Xuan sighed slightly, shook his head and whispered: "Today, news came that something big happened in the capital. Someone in the Ministry of Works was bewitched, and the recipes for the magic fire gun and the new gunpowder have been leaked."

"The emperor was furious. Situ Bo, the commander of the Duwei Division, was beaten to death in court. The commander-in-chief, Lord Wei, also knelt outside the palace wall for a whole night."

"Compared to this, our loss of the gun is not so conspicuous."

"what?!"

Guan Wanche couldn't believe what he heard.

Chang Xuan sighed, slowly stood up, looked at the fireworks in the night sky outside the door, and sighed: "When I first heard about it, I also found it incredible, but later I figured it out. The Great Xuan Dynasty has been established for a hundred years. Under the heyday, there are already turbulent undercurrents. I don't know how many big fish are hidden."

"New firearms will definitely stir up the sediment. Who knows what kind of monsters and demons will pop up. Bai Ruoxu is not worth mentioning."

"Those are our real opportunities..."

…………

"Brother Yan!"

Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan were waiting outside the Duwei Office. When they saw Li Yan coming out, they immediately breathed a sigh of relief and hurried forward.

Without waiting for the two to ask, Li Yan smiled and said, "It's okay, just ask for some confessions. Come on, Manager Wan should be here!"

As he spoke, he made a gesture with his right hand.

Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan understood immediately and stopped asking questions. They followed Li Yan's Bu Zhengfang to the City God Temple.

Buzhenfang and Guangdefang, where the City God Temple is located, are only one market town apart. Li Yan had not been in the Duwei Division for long, so when they arrived, the ritual had not yet ended.

Outside the City God Temple, I saw flagpoles erected, which seemed to be arranged according to the positions of the stars. There were also several tall altars set up in the courtyard.

Taoist priests dressed in gorgeous purple robes stood on the altar, waving their swords and taking steps. The yellow paper ash visible to the naked eye rolled into a whirlwind and rose two meters high.

Li Yan was secretly shocked when he saw this.

He could clearly smell that the entire City God Temple was shrouded in a strong aroma of incense, like a famous mountain or a river, and there were also dense flashes of divine thoughts, as if the gods lived in the mountains.

The oppressive feeling made it difficult for him to breathe.

In this situation, Li Yan dared not use the magic to communicate with the gods. He even closed his sense of smell to avoid hurting his mind.

Outside the City God Temple, five teams had gathered, from Ezhou, Jinzhou, Xiangchu, and Nanyue. Due to the mischief of the Fire Bear Gang in Shanzhou, only Manager Wan's team remained.

At this moment, he was holding twelve Dharma flags in his hands, feeling a little overwhelmed.

There are a total of twenty-four places, and half of them are in my hands!
He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Li Yan appear, but just as he was about to say something, a row of old Taoist priests walked out of the City God Temple, flicking their whisks:
"Offer the flag and offer sacrifice to the gods!"

At the command, all the team leaders stepped forward quickly with the law flags in their hands and placed them respectfully on the wooden tray, which was then carried into the City God Temple by several Taoist priests from the Law Enforcement Hall.

Li Yan frowned slightly and stepped back quickly.

He could feel that as the flag of law entered, the momentum of the City God Temple suddenly increased, and wisps of cold and murderous aura descended from the sky.

Even with his magical powers turned off, he still felt terrified.

And in the main hall of City God Temple.

The monster hunters were all standing outside, their faces pale and their eyes full of tension.

An ancient bronze coffin was placed in the main hall, surrounded by densely packed lotus lanterns, all with yellow talismans pasted on them.

The coffin was wrapped with red ropes and paper talismans.

Bang bang bang!
The ancient bronze coffin kept making noises, paper talismans burned one by one, and the lotus lanterns outside went out one by one.

A chilly wind blew in the hall, and the originally damp ground suddenly became dry and spread outwards.

At this moment, the ritual was finally completed. Li Yan felt waves of murderous power falling from the sky, and the bronze coffin stopped shaking.

All the Taoists breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads, and looked at each other with fear in their eyes.

"Quick, leave overnight and transport it to Huashan!"

……

Outside the City God Temple, the people saw that the ritual was over, and they all burned incense and prayed with smiles on their faces, hoping for good weather and good harvests in the coming year.

Shopkeeper Wan came over with twelve tokens, took out ten of them, and said to Li Yan with a wry smile: "Brother Li, this thing is hot, I really can't hold it steady, how to deal with it, you decide..."

Li Yan took the token without hesitation. Feeling the strange gazes around him, he suddenly thought of someone and said:

"Everyone, if you want a token, go to Fengyifang and find Ye Kulang!"

……

Southeast of the city, Tongjifang.

In the shabby and dark street, the man in black robe looked at the fireworks in the distant night sky, turned around and continued walking.

Behind him, densely packed rats followed...

(End of this chapter)