Knife splashing

Chapter 203 Meeting Han Kun Again
At dusk, the sky looks like brocade.

The surface of the river was dyed a layer of golden red, sparkling, as if countless carp were jumping.

Today's Yunyang Prefecture began to be built during the reign of Emperor Daxuan, and it has been a hundred years since then. It faces south and is backed by mountains and close to water. The Han River, Danjiang River, and Du River converge here, making it an important water and land town in the north and south.

You can reach Bashu via Duhe River, enter Shangluo via Danjiang River, and reach Hanzhong in the upper reaches and Jingxiang in the lower reaches from Hanjiang River. It can be said to be a thoroughfare connecting six provinces.

Li Yan and his companions came from Danjiang by boat. When they went around one side, the first thing they saw was Xihe Wharf.

On the river, large and small boats shuttle back and forth.

There are both merchant ships and passenger boats. The boatmen on the dock are busy like ants. The ships are either unloading or setting sail. The sunset glows, and the river surface is a mess of silhouettes, and it is a busy scene.

At this moment, the boatman was mostly sober, and thinking about his previous behavior, he couldn't help but feel regretful.

This bald man, Sharifei, is a man of the world who kills people without blinking an eye, and this sorcerer can release poison.

They were arm in arm with each other and boasted to others...

It turns out that drinking caused the problem!
He didn't dare to say anything more at this moment. He walked to the shore, and after Li Yan and others walked onto the dock, he pushed the bamboo pole and turned around and ran away.

After sailing hundreds of meters away from the shore, he found a small piece of loose silver in the cabin. His eyes lit up, and he hurried forward to pick it up, put it in his mouth and took a bite.

Then he gave a thumbs up towards the shore.

"light and spacious!"

…………

The layout of the Xihe Wharf in Yunyang Prefecture is very neat. It has stone platforms for cargo ships to dock and transport goods, as well as stairs extending into the river for passenger ships and pedestrians to travel.

There were many people waiting on the stone steps, either standing or lying.

Whenever a passenger ship approached, they would stand up, pick the ones that looked wealthy, and approach them with their heads bowed and waisted.

These are all porters in the city. They earn money by carrying luggage for others and are very familiar with the situation in the city.

Among them, there were many people holding sticks and speaking with Sichuan accents, and their prices were cheaper than others.

As soon as Li Yan and his companions stepped onto the steps, a group of people gathered around them, even though they felt they were not easy to mess with, and they kept asking if they wanted to carry their luggage.

The Bangbangs were able to endure hardships. One of them spoke in a Sichuan accent and said directly, "Gentlemen, just give us a meal. I promise to send you there."

"We are honest in our actions. If you trust others, you might be taken to an inn and ripped off..."

A local man nearby immediately opened his eyes wide and cursed: "You bunch of barbarians, what nonsense are you talking about? Do you know the rules?"

"What the hell are you yelling about!"

There were quite a few Bangbang guys, and they would start fighting if they had a disagreement.

"Hey, hey, hey, everyone, don't get angry."

Sharifei waved his hand quickly, "We brothers don't have much stuff, we can carry it ourselves, so we won't bother you guys."

He is a veteran in the underworld and has already noticed that something is wrong.

Although the dock has been a gathering place for all kinds of people since ancient times, there are rules in place most of the time.

Even if you cheat, you have to carve out a territory.

In the current situation, it is clear that two gangs are fighting over the dock. If they disagree, they might just start fighting.

"Humph!"

"Be careful!"

When they heard there was no work to do, the two gangs glared at each other and dispersed. Of course, they swore harsh words to each other before leaving.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Watching the group leave, Sharifei whispered, "It looks like the Cao Gang is in a bad situation."

The wharf has always been the territory of the Cao Gang. Even if porters from other places want to steal business, they will not act recklessly. They must divide the territory and make a living under the mediation of the Cao Gang.

But now, it looks like this.

This shows that the control of the Cao Gang is rapidly declining.

"No need to pay attention."

Li Yan shook his head slightly. "Let's go to the city to rest first. Once the wanted order for Brother Lu San is withdrawn and we get the pass, we will leave for Yichang immediately."

Having said that, he led a few people towards the city gate.

Their images are somewhat eye-catching and can easily attract attention.

There are good and bad sides to it. At least the pickpockets on the street will avoid Rongjiamen, and beggars will not come up to block people at will.

But the old hands all had sharp eyes, and just from the pier to the city gate, the few of them had already felt a lot of stares.

Li Yan was too lazy to pay attention and led everyone directly into the city.

Although the city of Yunyang Prefecture was not as large as Chang'an, it was quite large in scale, with more than seventy streets and alleys. There were land temples at the T-junctions of each street, and "Taishan Stone Guardian" was placed in each of them.

There are shops lining both sides of the street, selling everything from grain, oil, and cloth to groceries and cosmetics, from the four treasures of the study to wine shops and teahouses.

It was already dusk. The city was filled with tall and short buildings, and the light was dim. Candles had already been lit in every shop.

"Rice flower tea..."

"Physalis noodles, three-in-one soup"

On the bluestone streets, people are coming and going, there are constant sounds of hawking along the street, billowing steam, and various aromas are in the air.

Yunyang Prefecture is considered the first special zone in the history of China. Although it was built specifically to serve the mountain people of Jingchu, it also shows a unique trend of prosperity.

Chang'an is profound, but in terms of the flavor of worldly life, it cannot compare to Yunyang.

The streets here are not wide, and people are coming and going, combining the characteristics of the north and the south. You can see Han people wearing coarse cloth jackets, as well as Tujia people wearing black scarves on their heads.

Accents from all over the world converge, and some are even incomprehensible.

When people from underworld travel to different places, they usually pay their respects first.

Beggars wandering around in the east will be beaten to death if they beg for food randomly...

Wandering artists need to find the local Changchun Association and get their permission before they can paint pots on the street...

Even thieves have to find the local boss.

This is the rule of the underworld. Going to someone else's territory to make a living is like eating from someone else's pot. If you don't understand the rules, you won't be able to move forward.

Li Yan and his companions were considered to be members of the Taoist sect. They took their Taoist certificates to the local City God Temple to register, which, to some extent, was also a form of worship.

Of course, they are in no hurry.

For now, let’s find an inn and settle down, and then go to the City God Temple tomorrow.

Of course, we have to wait for Captain Huang to withdraw the wanted warrant for Lu San.

At this moment, several people stopped.

Han Kun, who had become an elder of the Cao Gang, strode over with a few others and stopped them directly.

Han Kun smiled and said, "Brother Li, why are you so distant? You came to Yunyang Prefecture without telling me. Let me help you make arrangements."

"Aren't you afraid of disturbing the senior?"

Li Yan smiled, bowed, and laughed.

In fact, he didn't want to have anything to do with the Cao Gang at all.

Not to mention that the other party is now in conflict with Paijiao and the fight is bloody, the fact that Han Kun placed his disciples in Shangjindu revealed something strange.

This person is probably quite ambitious.

But the problem is that when they were at Manchuan Pass, Han Kun was very polite, offered help, and even helped find Lu San.

This favor has not been repaid yet...

"Hahaha!" Han Kun stroked his beard and smiled, "We are all brothers in the martial arts world, there is no need to be so particular. Besides, we are fellow villagers, so why would I bother you?"

"If old man Zhang Yuanshang knew that you came to Yunyang and I didn't entertain you well, I don't know how he would laugh at me."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and said, "The inn has been arranged for you. This welcoming banquet must be held well."

Having said that, Li Yan naturally couldn't be hypocritical and bowed respectfully, saying, "Thank you, senior."

Immediately, several Cao Gang disciples stepped forward to accept the salute.

"You're welcome, brother. I can do it myself."

Sharifei quickly stopped him with a smile.

In the luggage behind him were gunpowder, muskets, jet, and several valuable magical instruments of Wang Daoxuan.

Moreover, in order to prevent being detected by the sorcerer, Li Yan also packed the mysterious monk robe he found into his bag to isolate the breath.

Most of the team's wealth is on their shoulders, how dare they hand it over to others.

Someone tried to pick up the bamboo basket for Lu San, but was stopped by him for fear of scaring the little white fox in the basket behind him.

The Cao Gang disciples had no choice but to look at Han Kun.

Han Kun understood immediately, but did not point it out. He waved his hand to tell the Cao Gang disciples not to meddle in other people's business, and then took Li Yan and others to the carriage.

After they left, a few people in the crowd slowly raised their heads and ran in all directions...

…………

The layout of Yunyang Prefecture is high in the north and low in the south, with two-thirds of the area being plains and one-third being hillsides.

The three carriages in front and behind moved forward all the way, gradually heading north. The terrain became higher and higher, and the surrounding buildings became more and more luxurious and secretive.

Finally, the carriage stopped.

"Brother Li, this is the place."

Han Kun nodded after getting out of the car.

Li Yan looked up and saw an ancient and luxurious mansion in front of him. It covered a large area. On the plaque on the gate were four large characters "Jiangsu and Zhejiang Guild Hall" written in bold.

Seeing the surprise of several people, Han Kun smiled and said: "This place is quiet, and the president and I happen to be old friends, so it is more comfortable than staying in an inn."

As they were talking, an old man walked out of the door.

He was wearing a black official suit, tall and thin, with a goatee and a pair of tortoise-shell glasses on his nose. He looked quite elegant and said with a smile, "Brother Han, are these your distinguished guests?"

"The room has been arranged. Jizu will take you there."

"Thank you, Brother Chen."

Han Kun clasped his hands and bowed, obviously showing great respect for the old man.

The old man smiled and nodded at Li Yan and the others, without asking any more questions, he went out, got on a carriage and left quickly.

There was a young man following behind him. Although he was dressed in merchant clothes, he had an upright figure and a gentle temperament. He smiled and raised his hand and said, "I am Chen Jizu. Please follow me."

Li Yan and his companions looked at each other and had no choice but to follow him in.

This "Jiangsu and Zhejiang Guild Hall" should be the place where merchants from Jiangsu and Shanghai gather and stay. The space inside is quite large. There is not only a main hall in the front yard, but also a stage.

Several men who looked like businessmen were having a party in a side room. Their figures were hidden by a screen, and only the sounds of fishermen's drums and Jiangnan tunes could be heard from the window.

Chen Jizu led them through the side corridor and the front yard, smiling and introducing: "The rooms at the back are for guests to rest. There aren't many people here recently, so I've reserved the upper rooms for you."

At this moment, a drunken voice came from one of the rooms, "There are tall trees in the south, I can't stop thinking about them. There are wandering girls in Han, I can't stop thinking about them. Han is so wide, I can't swim around to think about them..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jizu shook his head and sighed, "We are a candidate from Jiangsu and Zhejiang who went to Beijing to take the imperial examination. In Yunyang, he met a beautiful woman and was so enchanted that he stayed in the guild hall and refused to leave."

"I've been drinking a lot lately, so please forgive me if I've disturbed you."

"where."

Li Yan made a polite remark and disagreed.

Yan Jiuling was well-educated and his family had a good foundation, yet he went there early and took care of things.

It's strange that you can pass the exam if you indulge in beauty and neglect your work.

Of course, this matter has nothing to do with him, so he won't say much.

The rooms in the back are all large courtyard-style, with two floors. Most of the rooms are empty, with no one in them.

Chen Jizu led a few people up to the second floor and came to the north wing. He took out the key from his arms, opened a few rooms, and raised his hand and said:

"Everyone, please."

Li Yan walked into the room and felt satisfied.

The room is very clean, with all the furniture made of wenge. From the window, you can see a tall building on the north city gate opposite, with flying eaves on the fence, octagonal roofs, and bright lights.

Chen Jizu introduced with a smile: "That is the most famous 'Chunxue Tower' in Yunyang Prefecture. When the literati and poets from various states in Daxuan come here, they will climb the tower and write inscriptions."

"A poem called 'Spring Snow Tower' written by Mr. Yuan, the governor of Yunyang, made it famous all over the world. This room is also the best in the guild hall."

"Thank you."

"No, Uncle Han's distinguished guests must be entertained with all our heart. If you need anything, you can always come to me."

After Chen Jizu finished speaking, he bowed and left.

He has good conversation skills and his words are refreshing.

More importantly, it did not overshadow the main event and gave Han Kun enough face.

Li Yan looked around and said with a helpless smile: "Senior Han, you are really too polite. I feel sorry for you."

The Jiangsu and Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce is already wealthy, and I heard that many merchants there are involved in overseas trade and have reaped rich rewards.

The environment here is much better than that of the inn in the city.

"Hahaha... you're so polite."

Han Kun laughed heartily and said, "My ancestral home is in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. It was with the help of Brother Chen that I was able to obtain the position of elder. So I can be considered a family member."

As he spoke, he stood up and closed the door, then his expression became solemn, "To be honest, the city has been a bit chaotic recently. Not only has my Cao Gang and the Pai Sect had a conflict, but there are also many new faces coming."

"I can neither lose my hospitality nor drag you into this chaotic situation. After much thought, this is the most suitable place."

Li Yan was stunned. He didn't expect Han Kun to be so frank.

Looking at the other person's face, Li Yan pondered for a moment and said, "Senior Han, let's not beat around the bush. I can't wait for a nobody. What do you want?"

"If we can do it, we will naturally agree. If we really can't do it, we will leave now!"

He didn't have time to play charades with Han Kun.

Some things are better to be made clear.

"Brother Li is also straightforward..."

After hearing this, Han Kun said, "The Duwei Division made quite a commotion. I was scolded and ordered to leave Shangjin."

"I wonder who is the one who harmed my apprentice?"

Li Yan was silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Senior, please listen to my advice. This matter is too complicated. If you get involved, it may be a disaster!"

"Oh…"

After hearing this, Han Kun remained calm and walked to the table. He personally poured a cup of tea for everyone, took a sip of his own tea, and then said leisurely:
"Brother Li, are you afraid of the new gunpowder?"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly when he heard this:
"Senior Han, you know a lot..."

(End of this chapter)