Knife splashing

Chapter 221 Yichang Yan Mansion
Street performers are all beggars traveling eastward.

The little beggars in the city are all managed by Xixing.

Some have suffered from misfortune since childhood, and some have been abducted and sold.

These little beggars, who are weak in character, will be bullied all their lives. Even the proceeds from begging have to be handed over. At best they can have a meal from the big pot, and eventually they will die of disease and cold.

Some of them gritted their teeth and fought their way out to become managers and thugs in the Beggars' Sect. They also had some spare money and were responsible for managing other beggars on a daily basis.

For example, the several big beggars next to the group of little beggars, although also dressed in rags, are much stronger, and some even hide sharp weapons.

They are responsible for managing the little beggars.

Those who can fight and survive are all ruthless and cruel people.

On weekdays, they often bully outsiders who make a living.

But when facing the old beggar walking eastward next to them, they dared not even look away. They lowered their heads and avoided his gaze, their eyes full of fear.

The old beggar didn't even bother to look at them.

A faint red light flickered in his pupils until Li Yan's figure completely disappeared. Then he slowly turned his head and looked towards Changfeng Inn.

Seeing the officials coming in and out of the door, the old beggar narrowed his eyes slightly, then turned his head back, continued to play the erhu, and sang lightly:
"My good people, listen to me!
The fishing drum sounds, the sad voice rises, the years of wandering in the rivers and lakes are long. A lone boat drifts with the wind, the heart is anxious on the journey to the end of the world, the past ambitions soared to the sky, now no one knows the desolation...”

It's just an ordinary fishing drum song, not elegant at all, but the old beggar's voice is so desolate that it makes people feel sad for some reason.

In the teahouse opposite, a dull-looking middle-aged scholar heard this and immediately slapped down a few copper coins, then stood up and chased after Li Yan...

…………

On the other side, Li Yan was striding along the ancient street of Yichang.

The streets of this ancient city are slightly narrow, and the bluestone slabs have been worn smooth over time, and are large and small, and uneven.

Yichang is an important waterway, and the architecture here also incorporates characteristics of various places.

Looking around, most of the walls are whitewashed and the tiles are green, with moss on the corners due to moisture. The top has both tall horse-head walls and flying eaves and brackets. The brick carvings and wood carvings are exquisite, and the wood is slightly dark, showing the vicissitudes of life.

The people walking on the street have different clothes and accents.

There were many Tujia people, who were from Sichuan and had a heavy accent mixed with slang, and he could not understand them at all.

Of course, for Li Yan, taste is his second eye.

He put his left hand in his sleeve and practiced the Yang Jue from time to time. All the smells within two or three hundred meters rushed into his nostrils, and he immediately discovered a lot of things.

The city of Yichang was indeed not peaceful.

There are too many people in the world!
For example, the guy on the left who is from Bashu, is wearing a black and blue rough coat and looks honest, but he has a sharp blade hidden in his carrying pole...

For example, the old woman selling wild vegetables on the street looked no different from ordinary people, but there were poisonous snakes and spiders hidden in her sleeves, and there were many willow leaf darts in her clothes, which smelled slightly fishy and were all smeared with poison...

There was also a paper-making shop that I just passed by. Not only was there a lingering smell of incense, but there was also a faint sense of cold and evil spirit. It was obvious that there were ghosts living there...

These people are not considered masters, but they are all "fed by Ge Nian".

That is the "Ge" among Hua, Lan, Ge and Rong. He is hired by others to do all kinds of dirty and black jobs, including spying, based on his martial arts skills.

The underworld and the imperial court seem to be unrelated, but in fact they are closely connected.

Even many disturbances in the underworld were rooted in the policies of the imperial court.

For example, after the opening of the sea, the docks along the coast became a battleground for the underworld, with countless people dying tragically in the dark alleys...

Competition in all walks of life often starts from the underworld. For example, a store suddenly goes bankrupt, goods are robbed, or a gang of scammers comes to your door. These are all preludes to your opponent's attack...

This turmoil in the southwest also attracted many people from the martial arts world to gather together.

The only difference is that the rules have changed.

In other places, the rules of the underworld are about the distribution of benefits.

Avoid conflicts as much as possible to avoid mutual losses.

And none of those who can come here during the war are good people.

The only rule is to live longer than others...

Li Yan's attire made him look like a gangster. He stood out as he walked on the street, attracting many looks, both overt and covert.

He had other important things to do and was too lazy to cause trouble, so he simply ignored it. After asking for directions several times, he finally found Yan's house.

As a prominent family in Yichang, the Yan family naturally built their house in a grand style.

The house is quite large, with a hint of Hui style, white walls, black tiles, a vermilion gate, towering horse-head walls, and is surrounded by bamboo forests.

There is a pair of drum stones in front of the gate, a few horse posts outside the courtyard, and three or four layers of door pins, each one older than the last, indicating that the ancestors had produced several high-ranking officials in the imperial court.

On the wooden couplets on both sides are inscribed "Loyalty and honesty are passed down from generation to generation, poetry and books are passed down from generation to generation", and above it is a door plaque with the words "Poetry and etiquette are passed down from generation to generation".

Li Yan burst out laughing after seeing this.

It seems that boy Yan Jiuling has become much more humble.

Even though the Yan family is not considered a wealthy and powerful family, it is definitely an important family in the local area.

In broad daylight, the Yan family had not closed their door. Two servants in blue were chatting at the door, even speaking in low voices.

Li Yan had a sword on his waist. Although he had a noble temperament, the two servants became alert when they saw him coming.

One of them immediately ran into the yard, and soon two guards followed him with serious eyes and their right hands on the hilts of their knives.

Something is wrong with the Yan family...

As soon as Li Yan saw it, he had some guesses in his mind.

Families like this that pass down poetry and literature usually attach great importance to etiquette. If they are so wary of outsiders, there must be something going on.

His expression remained unchanged. He stepped forward and bowed, saying, "I am Li Yan, coming from Guanzhong. I am a friend of Master Yan Jiuling, and I have come to visit you specially."

"Are you the Second Young Master's friend?"

The servant's eyes were full of suspicion, "Do you have any proof?"

Li Yan immediately took out the letter written by Yan Jiuling and an ancient jade pendant and handed them to the servant.

Seeing the jade pendant and the handwriting on the letter, the servant heaved a sigh of relief and bowed respectfully, saying, "Please wait a moment, sir. I will report back to the master."

After saying that, he took the letter and went into the courtyard.

Li Yan didn't care and just waited outside the door.

He glanced at the door pin and the plaque, thoughtfully.

These plaques were actually things that could protect the house. Each one was much more powerful than the Hundred Battles plaques his family had once had. The lingering smell of incense indicated that sacrifices were performed during every festival.

If you encounter ordinary evil things, you will stay away from them.

And only when he got closer did he discover that the feng shui layout of this house was also very exquisite, with a fresh and elegant style that matched the bamboo forest.

Living there for a long time can help you cultivate your mind and cultivate your character.

According to Yan Jiuling, his grandfather was a teacher at Bailu Academy, and might even have some connection with Confucianism.

There were also two bodyguards. Their bodies seemed untidy, but their feet were steady, their temples were slightly bulging, and they remained silent. It was obvious that they were good bodyguards.

Just as I was daydreaming, the servant hurried out of the door and bowed respectfully, saying, "Sir, my master wants to see you."

"Thank you."

Li Yan nodded and then entered the courtyard.

Passing through the screen wall, the first thing that comes into view is a square patio that receives rain, dew and sunshine, followed by a spacious front hall.

The beams, brackets, corbels and other components in the hall are all finely carved, and the patterns of figures, flowers, auspicious animals and other figures are lifelike.

In the front hall, an old man was sitting on a chair. He was wearing a white robe and a black hat, had a vigorous face, a long white beard hanging down to his chest, and had an elegant temperament.

Seeing Li Yan coming in, he immediately stood up and said with a smile: "This must be the young man Li that my son mentioned, please take a seat."

Obviously, he had read Yan Jiuling's letter.

"Meet Uncle Yan."

Li Yan greeted the guests and sat down, and soon a servant served him tea.

Yan Jiuling's father was named Yan Boyan.

He ordered the servant to return the letter and the jade pendant to Li Yan, then smiled and said, "I heard from my son's letter that Young Master Li saved his life in the mountains. I am very grateful." Li Yan shook his head calmly and said, "Uncle, you are too polite. Brother Yan and I are friends for life and death. These trivial matters are not worth mentioning."

His words were polite, but he felt a little strange in his heart.

Yan Jiuling's mother became insane and had sought medical treatment for three years without success.

He traveled thousands of miles to Yichang and was afraid of being delayed on the road, so why did Yan Boyan not look anxious at all?
As if he had seen through his thoughts, Yan Boyan spoke up, "According to my son's letter, Young Master Li has found a precious medicine that can cure our wife's illness?"

Judging from his appearance, he was obviously a little suspicious.

Li Yan didn't care. He shook his head and smiled, "Uncle Yan, I don't know whether it is effective or not."

"But this Feiyi is a rare beast in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, rarely seen in the world. The senior from Huashan Chunyang Palace said it is a treasure from heaven and earth, and it can cure epilepsy, madness, and all poisonous insects. I think it should be correct."

"Oh?"

Hearing about the Heavenly Treasures and the Chunyang Palace, Yan Boyan's eyes also showed curiosity, "Fei Yi is a legendary thing, can you let me open my eyes?"

"That's natural."

Li Yan didn't waste any words. He took out the wooden box from his arms, opened it and handed it to Yan Boyan for inspection.

Fei Yi's corpse had been dried. Seeing its strange appearance, Yan Boyan was amazed. Then he returned it to Li Yan and sighed slightly, "Don't be surprised, my friend. In fact, this matter is too mysterious."

"I have been looking for famous doctors for the past three years, and even invited a few Taoist doctors, but nothing worked. I have given up hope."

"And my wife's illness..."

He sighed halfway through his words, as if he didn't want to talk about it anymore, and stood up and said, "My friend has traveled a thousand miles to deliver the medicine, and my son's friendship has not been in vain. Regardless of whether it succeeds or not, I would like to thank you here."

"My friend, please follow me."

Li Yan stood up and followed Yan Boyan to the backyard.

The Yan family's house is quite large, with a small ancestral hall in the courtyard, a rockery garden in the center of the backyard, and courtyards on three sides.

They moved forward along the way. There were not many servants and maids along the way, but there were more than twenty guards, all guarding every corner and passage.

After seeing this, Li Yan frowned slightly.

This is the defense method of the Hangzihang. They are scattered throughout the courtyard. If a thief sneaks in, a whistle will prompt nearby brothers to come to support.

In larger mansions, there will be people patrolling in batches.

But usually, this happens at night.

Why are you acting like this in broad daylight...

Also, according to Yan Jiuling, he had an older brother, a younger brother and a younger sister, and his father had four or five wives and concubines.

As I walked along, it seemed deserted.

When I arrived at the right side courtyard, a maid immediately came up to greet me.

"Have you seen the master?"

"How is your wife today?"

"I had it happen once this morning, but luckily Aunt Shen stopped me."

"Ah."

Yan Boyan asked a few questions and then took Li Yan into the courtyard.

Before entering the door, Li Yan's brows twitched slightly.

Although the yard was clean and tidy and there were many flowers and plants, there was still a lingering smell.

This is the smell of patients suffering from chronic incontinence.

Sometimes, even if you take good care of it, it still can't go away.

No wonder the old man was hesitant just now. Many wealthy families have this problem. They want to maintain their demeanor at all costs and don't want outsiders to see their embarrassed appearance.

It is what is called "the donkey falls down but the frame remains".

Outside the wing room, a strong woman was carrying a basin full of clothes. When she saw the two of them, she nodded quickly and said, "Hello, Master."

"How is the lady?"

"It's quiet now."

The healthy woman replied, quickly put down the basin, tiptoed forward, and slowly pushed the door open.

Li Yan looked up and saw an old woman sitting in front of the window. She had obviously just changed her clothes. She was staring blankly out the window and mumbling something, but no one could hear clearly what she was saying.

"My dear friend, this is my wife."

Yan Boyan sighed, "How should we treat it?"

"Simple."

Li Yan took out the fat residue and broke off a small piece. "Grind it into powder and take it."

"It's that simple?"

Yan Boyan felt it was a little unbelievable, but since Li Yan had come a long way to give him medicine, he couldn't refuse, so he said to the maid, "Lianyun, go get the tools."

Because there was a patient at home, the Yan family had all the tools needed to prepare medicine, and they quickly crushed and ground the fat tails into powder.

The healthy woman had been taking care of people for many years and was obviously very experienced. She hid the powder in a bamboo spoon, and while coaxing Mrs. Yan, she fed her the powder directly when she was not paying attention, and also gave her a few sips of water.

"Ah! Ah!"

Mrs. Yan suddenly went crazy, waving her hands and grabbing around. At the same time, the smell of urine rose and the dress she had just changed became wet again.

Fortunately, the healthy woman was experienced and held her tightly.

Seeing this, Yan Boyan's eyes turned red and he said in a trembling voice: "My wife is a simple person, never argues with others, loves to grow flowers and grass, and also likes to be clean. Who would have thought..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Madam Yan straightened her body and became stiff. She stared at the ceiling with her eyes and made a hoarse sound in her throat.

"Madam! Madam!"

The healthy woman who was holding her had never seen such a situation before. She was suddenly frightened and kept shouting.

Li Yan was also a little surprised, thinking that something was wrong.

Could it be that there is something wrong with Fei Yi, and that instead of curing the disease, he is making people sick?
At this moment, Mrs. Yan's body trembled, her throat made a gurgling sound, and she spat out a large amount of thick phlegm.

When Li Yan saw this, his pupils suddenly shrank.

There was a large pool of sputum on the ground that was sticky and yellow-green in color. In it was a transparent egg case the size of a silkworm cocoon, with a cricket pupating inside.

After coming into contact with air, the eggshell immediately turns dry and yellow.

The bugs inside stopped moving.

"insanity?"

When Yan Boyan saw it, his face immediately turned ugly, his eyes turned red, and he gritted his teeth and said, "It turned out to be a Gu, how could it be..."

“This is not a Gu.”

Li Yan, who was standing by, had a solemn expression on his face, a hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice: "Uncle Yan, send someone to the incense burner in the ancestral hall to get a handful of incense ash. Oh, and find a sewing needle."

"Lianyun, hurry!"

Yan Boyan already knew from the letter that Li Yan was a sorcerer, and thought that he must know something, so he dared not neglect it and quickly asked the maid to get it.

The maid was also frightened. She stumbled out and quickly brought back two things.

Li Yan grabbed the incense ash and sprinkled it on the eggshell.

Oddly enough, all the incense ash was absorbed by the egg sheath and kept shrinking, just like a piece of stone.

Li Yan picked it up with chopsticks and placed it on the table. Then he used a sewing needle to break the skin little by little to reveal the worm inside.

Yan Boyan, who was standing next to him, felt his scalp tingling when he saw this. Although the sun was shining brightly outside the window, he felt cold all over.

The insect's body looked like a spring silkworm, white and tender.

But the head vaguely resembles a human face.
And all the five senses are complete...

(End of this chapter)