Knife splashing

Chapter 233 The troops are divided into two groups
"What did you say?"

As Li Yan spoke, he couldn't help but reveal his murderous intent.

The shop owner was startled and thought he was going to attack him, so he reached into his arms to take out the weapon.

Snapped!
Li Yan held him down and said in a deep voice: "Senior, please don't misunderstand me. It's just that this demon harmed my relatives. I never expected to hear the news here."

"Oh?"

Seeing that Li Yan didn't seem to be lying, the shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time he was startled and secretly surprised.

His skills were pretty good, having practiced the Thirty-Six Closed Hands Technique and had already reached the level of Dark Power, otherwise how could he dare to do such a business.

However, he was suppressed just now and had no power to fight back.

How old is this young man? He is still a warlock...

The origin is definitely not simple!
Thinking of this, the shopkeeper calmly withdrew his hand and said, "I wonder which relative of yours was harmed by that demon?"

Li Yan did not answer, but changed the subject and asked:

"Do you know where the demon is hiding?"

The shopkeeper shook his head and said, "I just heard about this from others, I have never actually seen it."

"Since last winter, there have been rumors of a midnight sedan chair and a ghost bride on the Ezhou Road, but their whereabouts are elusive. They have appeared in many places, from Yunyang to Hankou, from Xiangyang to Dongting."

"Few ordinary people know about it. After all, there are similar ghost rumors everywhere, so the ghost bride incident has not become a big deal."

“But in the martial arts world, many people have heard of it.”

"In early October last year, a sorcerer from the Pai Cult in Yunyang said he had encountered this demon and that several good fighters in the gang had their blood sucked dry by it..."

"In November, a farmer's family near Junshan was sucked dry by the water and turned into mummies. Rumor has it that someone saw a sedan chair flying by at night..."

"During the Chinese New Year, a bandit camp on a mountain near Xiangyang was destroyed overnight. Only one person survived. He went crazy and kept talking about the ghost bride..."

"This time in Zigui County, the son of the Wu County Magistrate went to the Baoen Guangxiao Temple outside the north gate to worship Buddha. He returned home at night after talking about Buddhism and encountered this demon on the way. According to the servant who ran back, it was the ghost bride."

Sharifi was amused. "Doesn't Magistrate Wu like to bully the people in his hometown? Why did his son worship Buddha?"

“There are always exceptions.”

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "This Mr. Wu is studying at Danyang Academy. He is a kind person. He didn't pass the exam to become a scholar, but he became interested in Buddhism and often does good deeds."

"I see."

Li Yan took a deep breath and suppressed the murderous intent in his heart.

The sedan chair in the middle of the night and the ghost bride are actually one person!

The person's name was "Hongnu". She was originally one of the incense masters of the Maitreya Sect and also a famous Golden Swallow in Chang'an City.

Later, when the Maitreya sect caused chaos, his identity was revealed, but he still sent his men to run a brothel in Chang'an.

Another identity of "Hongnv" is Zhao Changsheng's right-hand man.

His father, Li Hu, accidentally found out that all the old soldiers of his grandfather's group had met with misfortune and were wiped out in their families, so he secretly investigated and found some clues, and caught Zhao Changsheng.

"Red Girl" therefore killed the person to silence him.

Zhao Wanfang, the courtesan of Qingyuan Tower, was also a victim at the time. She once found out that the "Red Girl" had appeared in Ezhou.

Unfortunately, Li Yan felt that he had no chance of winning at that time, so he focused on improving his strength first and then taking revenge.

Unexpectedly, I met you here again.

But the road of enemies is narrow...

Seeing that Li Yan was upset, Sharifei quickly changed the subject and asked, "Senior, do you know anything about the Erbei Bay incident?"

"Know something."

Guessing that the two were not simple, the shopkeeper did not dare to fool them and said, "The reason why the seedlings cannot be planted is unknown to Taixuan Orthodox Sect, so I naturally don't know the reason."

"But the reason why this matter became so serious is all because of Danyang Academy."

"Zigui County is the hometown of the Sanlu doctor, so local students also like Chuci, and even formed a Danyang School, which is proud of it. Whenever there are Confucian scholars from other places, they will take them to Erbeiwan to reminisce about the past."

"Now that such a big thing has happened, they say that Doctor Sanlu is angry and punishes people, and even villagers have been arrested. These students are pointing all their fingers at Magistrate Wu."

"Mr. Wu couldn't stand staying in Danyang Academy anymore, so he returned home. He prayed to Buddha every day and was haunted by a demon..."

…………

After returning to the inn, Sharifei told the information one by one.

"Danyang Academy?"

Wang Daoxuan seemed to be thinking, "Although Confucianism teaches people to respect ghosts and gods and keep a distance from them, they are very good at using the words of ghosts and gods to act. Could it be that the academy is playing tricks?"

"It's not that simple." Li Yan shook his head and said solemnly, "'Red Girl' is a subordinate of Zhao Changsheng. This person's whereabouts are secretive. He has set up positions all over Shenzhou. He will definitely not do it without a purpose."

"I'm afraid they have other plans!"

"Ah~"

Sharifei scratched his head. "Wu County Magistrate, private salt dealers, chieftains, 'Red Girl', academy... Where should I start to investigate this mess?"

Li Yan said in a deep voice: "Since it's a tangled mess, cut it off with a sharp knife!"

As he said this, he looked at Wang Daoxuan and said, "Master, to deceive people with evil words and worship evil gods, can you use the Seven Arrows Secret Spell?"

Wang Daoxuan pondered for a moment, nodded and said, "The other party used the control of the wood spirit to harm people, and it is related to the chaos in the southwest, so it can be used."

"That's good!"

Li Yan said in a deep voice: "The chaos in Zigui County is shrouded in mystery. I'm afraid there are more than one party causing trouble. So let's just make a show of force to scare the tiger away."

"From now on, we will act separately."

"Uncle Sha and I revealed our identities and attracted the attention of all those evil spirits."

"The Taoist priest is experienced and can secretly go to Erbei Bay in advance to investigate the matter. Brother Lu San will protect the Taoist priest's safety and contact us at any time. If you encounter an enemy, you can directly use firearms..."

Since leaving Huashan, Li Yan had discovered one thing.

They are no longer weak.

Needless to say, Wang Daoxuan originally had extensive knowledge, but because of the influence of his supernatural powers and his inability to support his meridians, he wasted a lot of time.

Now I have reached the second level of Taoism, and this year I will be able to enter the third level.

The three-story tower is the limit that ordinary sorcerers can reach. Think about the Xianyang City God Temple priest Qingyangzi and Luo Mingzi, they were only at the three-story tower, but they were already able to stand on their own.

With a few powerful soldiers, the earth dragon ghost, and the seven arrows spell, ordinary warlocks are no match for them.

Not to mention Lu San.

He has good skills and is at the second level of Taoism. With the magical beast-taming technique, the magic gourd, and the firearm bone flower, he is not afraid of fighting in a group or alone.

With the cooperation of Wang Daoxuan, the disadvantages of both sides can be made up.

Although Sharifei is not a warlock, he is adept with firearms and is a powerful offensive force in the team. With him by his side, he can withstand any storm.

The tasks in the future will become more and more complicated. If we always act together, we will be led by the enemy.

"rest assured."

Lu San doesn't talk much, but he does things in the most prudent way.

Li Yan nodded and said in a deep voice:

"Remember, always put your life first. Don't be shy about anything. If anything happens, we will shoulder the responsibility together!"

…………

The Zigui County Yamen is located in the north of the city. Unlike other places, due to the terrain here, if you want to enter the Yamen, you must walk up a long stone staircase.

It doesn't look like a county government office, but more like a mountain gate.

The people of Zigui County have a saying: The road to the government office is the road to the underworld. Go in with your head down and come out with your skin peeled off.

The main hall of the county government office is paved with neat bluestone bricks, with a "bright mirror hanging high" above and a screen with landscape patterns at the back, implying that the officials are honest and upright.

The wooden chair at the desk is exquisitely carved, with reddish-red wooden signs on both sides reading "Silence" and "Avoid".

Sitting on the chair was a middle-aged man, wearing a black gauze hat with the wings spread out on both sides, and a green round-necked robe embroidered with clouds and geese.

He has fair skin, is slightly plump, and has a long black beard that falls to his chest. It is obvious that he pays great attention to his appearance. He is Wu Dehai, the magistrate of Zigui County.

The Wu family is a big family in Ezhou. Not only is his elder brother the president of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, but there are also several members of the family serving as officials in various places.

Although he came from an extraordinary family, he was not taken seriously because he was born out of wedlock. If he had not worked very hard to pass the imperial examination, he would not have received the support of his family and come here to serve as a county magistrate.

However, belonging to the family does not mean it belongs to him.

Wu Dehai was unwilling to give in, so he naturally made a lot of money after taking office. In a short period of time, he had accumulated a considerable fortune.

Logically speaking, it is a very glorious time.

But at this moment, he looked worried.

One reason was his only son’s illness, and the other was that although Zigui County looked stable today, it was actually in turmoil.

Especially the messenger sent from Yunyang, who urged him to invite those chieftains to come. If one of them fails to handle it properly, he will probably have to take the blame.

The master beside him saw his expression, his eyes moved, and he whispered: "County Master, the masters of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce will be here soon. With their support, these problems will surely be solved."

"How can it be that simple?"

Wu Dehai looked unhappy and said in a cold voice: "I don't know what kind of people they are. It's still unclear whether I can get the job done. If I can't feed them, they will definitely gossip when they go back..."

Before he finished speaking, a yamen runner quickly walked up to the hall, bowed and clasped his fists, and said, "Sir, Taoist Feng from the City God Temple wants to see you."

Wu Dehai narrowed his eyes slightly, "Oh, please come in."

He came from a large family, so he naturally knew what the City God Temple represented.

Due to some special reasons, the City God Temple in Zigui County is not very strong. It has neither soldiers nor masters stationed there. There are only a few Taoists with weak Taoism skills stationed there.

However, they came from Wudang Zhenwu Palace.

No force in the city will be easily provoked.

"Infinite longevity and blessings."

An old Taoist strode in, smiling, and bowed, "Master Wu, I am honored to meet you."

"Meet Taoist Feng."

Magistrate Wu hurried down the hall and returned the greeting, but his eyes glanced at the two people behind the Taoist priest.

It was Li Yan and Sha Lifei.

Li Yan wanted to make his identity clear, so he naturally would not go alone, but went directly to find Feng Lanzi, the priest of Zigui County City God Temple.

The situation in Zigui County is somewhat special because it is close to Wushan Mountain, where many masters and sects are hidden, and this place is also the territory of the Zhushan Sect of the Fa lineage.

Several times the Sheling troops were raised, they were secretly sabotaged. Experts were sent to suppress them, and the society was able to maintain peace for a while.

But as soon as people left, it was destroyed again.

After several twists and turns, the Taixuan Orthodox Sect also realized that neither the masters hidden in Wushan nor the Zhushan Sect welcomed them.

Maintaining soldiers and horses is very costly, and with the strength of the Zhenwu Palace in Wudang Mountain, it is impossible to go back and forth like this, so they simply give up, recall the disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall, and only leave a few ordinary Taoists to guard the incense.

Of course, the Zhushan Sect also cooperated.

Whenever there are demons causing trouble in the territory, they will go to suppress them. If the Law Enforcement Hall wants to arrest someone, they will also cooperate in the search.

This situation has continued for many years.

But now, chaos has emerged in the southwest, strange things are happening all over the place, demons and evil spirits are taking the opportunity to cause chaos, the power of the Zhushan Sect is already somewhat unsustainable, and even when there is chaos in Zigui County, they cannot spare anyone to come.

Li Yan and Sha Lifei were obviously gangsters at first glance. Wu Dehai couldn't help but wonder why the City God Temple brought these two people to find him?
"Hahaha…"

The temple keeper, Taoist Feng, was in a good mood. "Your Excellency, I would like to introduce you to this young hero, Li Yan."

"Young Master Li is a master of the Xuan Sect. He was entrusted by the Yichang City God Temple to come and handle the matter of Erbei Bay."

"Oh?"

Although Wu Dehai was somewhat suspicious when he saw the appearance of Li Yan and the others, he pretended to be surprised and said, "You two came at the right time. The incident in Erbei Bay has a great impact. I am having a headache."

"Easy to say."

Li Yan wanted to attract everyone's attention, so how could he keep a low profile? He bowed slightly and said, "Since we are here, we must naturally handle this matter."

"This time, I came to ask the county magistrate for help and summon some people to question them."

"Question?"

Wu Dehai was somewhat puzzled. "Mr. Li, although I do not understand the mystical arts, I can see that the incident at Erbei Bay was caused by a demon who was secretly causing trouble and disturbing the people's hearts."

"The Taixuan Orthodox Church had sent people here before, but they kept it a secret and we couldn't find any clues."

"Young Master Li, you are making such a big fuss, aren't you afraid of alerting the enemy?"

But he is also a shrewd person.

Li Yan sneered in his heart, but his face was expressionless. "If I'm not mistaken, they have already erased the clues. Those people are full of resentment, and I won't be able to get anything out of them if I rashly go to their house."

"It's better to find the root cause and kill it directly!"

What a bad temper!
Wu Dehai was a little unhappy when he saw this, but he still smiled and said, "Young Master Li, what you said makes sense. I wonder how I can cooperate with you?"

Li Yan pondered for a moment, "I suspect that Danyang Academy is related to this matter, let's ask them first."

"Danyang Academy?"

After hearing this, Wu Dehai was not surprised but happy. He nodded and sighed, "That's good. I can't mess with the people from the academy, but with the order from the City God Temple, they should cooperate."

"Someone, go and invite the teachers from the academy to come over!"

Seeing this, Li Yan became more certain.

The magistrate of Wu County must be unhappy with the academy, and he wants to use his own hands to strike back.

Of course, he was not afraid of offending any academy.

This time I came to cause trouble!

.........

Just as Li Yan entered the county government with great fanfare, the news also reached the eyes of interested people through various channels.

Wang Daoxuan and Lu San disguised themselves and left the city.

Erbeiwan Village is in the north of the river and one needs to take a boat to cross the river, but there is a ritual going on on the shore and crossing the river at this time would be too conspicuous.

Looking at the rolling river, Wang Daoxuan felt a little uneasy, "Brother Lu, will the method you said really work?"

"It works!"

Lu San didn't waste any words and went straight to the riverside. He made some hand gestures, splashed water and made some chirping sounds.

Soon, dead tree-like bodies appeared on the surface of the river. They were many pig dragons, wagging their tails and swimming towards them...

　Thanks to the leader bobby1994 for the reward. I can't finish it today. I will add another chapter tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)