Knife splashing

Chapter 247 Headless Horseman
"You guy, do you think your life is too long?"

Sharifei was a little dissatisfied at once. People in the martial arts world were especially taboo about this. When they became sworn brothers, they had to burn yellow paper and cut off a chicken's head in front of Guan Erge. Who would want to hear this?
Even Wang Daoxuan's expression turned ugly.

"Please don't misunderstand..."

The leader of the merchants had sweat on his forehead and quickly explained: "I am also a man of the world, how dare I offend Guandijun, in fact, this matter has been widely spread."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "Tell me clearly, what's going on?"

The leader of the merchants said with a bitter face: "I didn't see this incident myself, I just heard about it from others."

"It is said that after Guandijun was buried, his body was separated and could not be buried in peace. His soul wandered around Fuchuan Mountain in Yuquan Temple every night, shouting 'Give me back my head, give me back my head', which caused panic among the people of Dangyang County at that time."

"Later, the abbot of Yuquan Temple persuaded Guandi, saying that he had cut off so many heads in his life and countless souls had died under his sword. Have you ever thought about them? Guandi felt deeply ashamed after hearing this, and his soul returned to the mausoleum and never haunted the world again."

"That's nonsense!"

Wang Daoxuan, an honest man, also got angry. "Buddhism was introduced during the Han Dynasty, and it was called Futu Sect at that time. Yuquan Temple was not built until the Sui Dynasty. When could it control Guandijun?"

"this…"

The leader of the merchant group almost cried, "I have not been educated, I just heard that this is the local rumor, I hope you can forgive me."

Li Yan shook his head slightly and said in a deep voice: "Go on."

"I just heard it from others."

The leader of the merchants explained again, and then said, "A few days ago, there were a series of murders in Dangyang County. People were often walking in the middle of the night and their heads were chopped off."

"The county constables were planning to catch the murderer, but that night, a headless knight suddenly appeared from the fog. He was wearing a green robe, holding a Guandao, and riding a red horse. He chopped off the heads of several constables in succession."

"Then the headless knight shouted 'Give me back my head' and disappeared into the thick fog."

Sha Lifei cursed: "It sounds like a villain from the Green Forest Road is behind this. He dares to pretend to be Guan Erge, isn't he afraid of shortening his life!"

The leader of the merchants smiled bitterly and said, "The detectives had made the same guess before. Like you, they were also filled with righteous indignation."

"I'm afraid you don't know that every May 13th, the people of Dangyang hold a Guandi Temple Fair, called the 'Single Sword Meeting'. It is rumored that this day is the birthday of the old Guandi."

"There is also a large clan called Guan here, which is the surviving family of Guan Shengdi when he was guarding Jingzhou. Every time there is a single sword meeting, the surrounding people, officials and celebrities will come to offer sacrifices. It can be said to be a major event in Dangyang."

"After this happened, everyone in Dangyang cursed and swore to find the murderer, chop off his head and place it in Guanling as a sacrifice."

"But what happened next became a little mysterious."

"There is a Zigai Cave in Dangyang. It is a blessed place. It is said that Ge Xianweng is practicing in the mountain, so he immediately sent a sorcerer to investigate."

"They also blocked the headless knight, but in front of everyone, he mysteriously disappeared."

"Not only that, Guanling has been struck by lightning frequently during this period, and the forest behind Guanling's tomb has lost all its treetops. That's why this rumor has become even more sensational."

"The Guan family has already offered a large reward. I heard that some witches and sorcerers have already gone to check it out."

"Lightning strike?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan both looked solemn.

If a demon uses magic to escape, he can appear and disappear without a trace, but if "thunder" is involved, it will not be that simple.

Thunder represents the change of yin and yang, and all evil can be warded off. Even if the Taixuan Orthodox Sect wants to use thunder magic, they have to set up a large altar, have many high-level practitioners take action together, and even have to calculate the time.

Ordinary quacks can't do this.

"I just heard it from others, please don't blame me."

The leader of the merchants bowed, then stepped aside, lit a bonfire with his men, and did not dare to provoke them again.

Rumble!
Just then, there was another thunder outside.

The conversation was unpleasant and neither party had the heart to continue communicating. They each lit a bonfire, prepared some dry food to eat, and went to sleep wrapped in their clothes.

The strong wind, thunder and rain come quickly and go away quickly.

In less than half an hour, the thunder stopped in the sky, but it was still as gloomy as ink, and the rain was pouring down without any let-up.

At night, the rain had gathered into mountain torrents, rushing down from both sides of the mountain temple and washing the mountain road below.

At this time, everyone dared not sleep soundly anymore. They all stayed awake and watched. If they found something wrong, they would immediately evacuate in the rain.

Fortunately, the thunderstorm gradually stopped in the second half of the night.

Before daybreak, the caravan lit torches and drove their donkey carts away quickly on the muddy road.

If they were trapped in the mountains, all these trucks of goods would be destroyed.

Li Yan and others also packed their bags and went down from another mountain path. After an hour's trek, they finally arrived at the plain.

The terrain of Dangyang County is high in the northwest and low in the southeast.

They came over the hills from Yichang, and after coming down the mountain they could see Dangyang County in the distance. It was not very large, with crisscrossing fields and many scattered mountain villages around it.

However, the weather was still bad.

The sky was filled with dark clouds, as if painted with ink, covering the entire Dangyang County, making people feel inexplicably depressed.

Sharifei said, "I have already asked. Guanling is in the northwest of Dangyang, Yuquan Mountain Temple is in the southwest, and Zigai Mountain Cave is in the southeast. Where should we go first?"

Li Yan pondered for a moment, "There was a problem with the Taixuan Orthodox Dojo on Zigai Mountain. I thought it was just a one-off incident, but now this Headless Knight is causing trouble. I'm afraid there's more to it than meets the eye."

"Don't be anxious. Let's stay in the county first and get some information before we deal with it."

After making a plan, several people rode their horses immediately.

Along the way, when the locals saw these outsiders, they either lowered their heads and avoided them, or stared at them with suspicion and unfriendly expressions.

The Headless Horseman's mischief obviously had a significant impact.

When they arrived at the city gate, several people were stopped again, but when Li Yan took out the black pass, the soldiers immediately became respectful and even sent someone to lead the way for them.

After politely declining, the few people entered the city.

Although Dangyang County is also a county town recorded in history books, it has gone through several wars and was demolished and rebuilt, so its area is not large.

Because it is located inland, there is no ferry and the business is not prosperous.

After a few inquiries, the few of them headed towards the largest inn in the city, ready to settle down first before making any plans.

However, as soon as he arrived at the door of the inn, he was stopped.

"Everyone, please stay!"

I saw a man in a brocade robe riding a horse towards me, accompanied by several servants, their faces full of anxiety.

This man was tall, with solid features, a dark complexion, and a long beard that hung down to his chest. As soon as he approached, he quickly dismounted and bowed respectfully, saying, "Are you Young Master Li from Yichang?"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "Your Excellency is?"

"I am Guan Peide."

The official smiled and bowed, "I heard that Young Master Li had come to Dangyang, so I came here immediately. Please move into the manor and let me show my hospitality as a host."

Li Yan was a little confused, "I don't know the old man, right?"

"Hahaha…"

The old man didn't take it seriously, stroked his beard and smiled, "The full moon banquet of the Yan Mansion in Yichang was held. I had something urgent to do, so I sent my eldest son Guan Shanxing to attend. Naturally, I heard about Young Hero Li's affairs."

"A promise is worth a thousand gold. Giving medicine thousands of miles away is praised by everyone. If we miss such a righteous man like Li Shaoxia, wouldn't it be a pity?"

The words sounded nice, but Li Yan didn't believe it.

The other party came too quickly. His feet were covered in mud, and it was obvious that he came from outside the city and was going to do business in the city.

It was probably because the soldiers in the city let the cat out of the bag and were chased by this person. Li Yan did not try to hide it and said calmly, "Mr. Guan, is there something else going on?"

"Ah~"

Guan Peide sighed, "But I can't hide it from Young Master Li. I just arrived at the county government office and met with the county magistrate, Mr. Zhang. I heard that Young Master Li was coming, so I hurried here."

Li Yan's heart moved, "Okay, thank you for your help."

According to the merchant, the people of Dangyang County were in a panic because of the Headless Horseman incident, and the Guan family was even more furious, offering a large reward.

It seems that he is really anxious.

I just happened to come here to find out some information.

Nothing is worse than a good reputation.

What happened at the full moon banquet at the Yan Mansion had already spread among the officials and gentry in Yichang City, and they were also very good at reading the wind direction.

The Yan Mansion, the Duwei Division, the City God Temple, and even the big boss Lei Zhen all praised Li Yan, which showed that he had real skills.

How could I be negligent when I meet such a person?

The Guan family did not live in the city, but in Guanjia Village outside the city. They owned thousands of acres of fertile land and were considered a local wealthy family.

After leaving the city, Li Yan asked directly: "Mr. Guan, are you looking for me about the Dullahan?"

"Young Master Li already knows?"

Guan Peide was stunned, with surprise flashing in his eyes, "Could it be that Young Master Li accepted the mission from the City God Temple and came here specifically to handle this matter?"

"No."

Li Yan shook his head and said, "I came here for other things. I passed by Dangyang on the way and heard about this."

Guan Peide's eyes flashed with disappointment, "That's true. The southwest is in chaos right now, and all the masters have been withdrawn."

"I have also been to the Zigai Cave, but the above families were in the same situation. The disciples they sent were not very capable and were almost killed by the Dullahan."

Li Yan was thoughtful, "Did they find anything strange?"

Guan Peide smiled bitterly and said, "If I could find the reason, why would I be so anxious?"

"Next month, the Guanling Temple Fair will be held, and the gentry from Jingzhou and Yichang will come to participate. If this matter cannot be resolved, the rumors will inevitably spread."

"Our ancestor is the Guan Sheng Emperor bestowed by the imperial court. If we let the thieves succeed, how can our Guan family face our ancestor with dignity?"

"makes sense."

Li Yan nodded and asked about the matter in detail.

The course of events was pretty much the same as what the merchant had said, that is, the Headless Knight dressed up as Guan Yu and went around killing people. He came and went without a trace, causing panic.

During this period, Guanling was often struck by lightning.

The Guan family is extremely anxious.

Li Yan said in a deep voice: "I heard that Mr. Guan offered a large reward, and many witches and sorcerers came. Have you found anything?"

"Hey~ Don't mention it."

Guan Peide said angrily, "I am also very anxious and at a loss as to what to do. Even the authentic Xuanmen disciples on Mount Zigai can't find the cause, so what can they do?"

"Most of them are scammers, using underworld tactics to defraud people of their money. Fortunately, I have people in the Guan family who are also underworld figures, who exposed their scams."

"There is a fortune teller who is well-known far and wide. She is really capable, but she was so good at fortune telling that I don't know what taboo she encountered. She fainted and has not woken up yet."

"Oh, where are the people?"

"It's at the farm, and someone is waiting for it."

After hearing this, Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan looked at each other.

Wen Mi Tongshen had, without a doubt, awakened a rare spiritual root, and was able to sense information through spells and objects that were difficult for ordinary sorcerers to perceive.

Among the six supernatural powers, this is the most mysterious.

He encountered a strange thing and fell into a coma. There must be a big problem...

…………

Guanling is fifteen miles north of the city, and Guanjia Village is seven miles outside the city. Not long after, everyone arrived at the village.

This village is very old, and the bases of many of the people's houses are built on huge rocks, which are clearly dismantled from ancient military forts.

The layout of the village is also very particular.

One can vaguely see the military formation, which is strict and orderly.

There are several large open spaces in the village, where young men practice boxing and martial arts, shouting loudly with their bare chests and muscular bodies.

However, what he practiced was Tang Shou Quan.

This fist is also called "Tangshou Fist", which means "a free-hand technique of blocking and intercepting". Because it was very popular in the Tang Dynasty, it was renamed "Tangshou Fist".

Seeing Li Yan's doubts, Guan Peide said a little embarrassedly: "After years of war, our ancestors' martial arts have long been lost, so the Guan family's children mainly practice Tang Shou Quan."

Just then, they passed a house.

I saw a group of people gathered there, helping to put up the beams.

Li Yan was about to leave, but he sniffed and suddenly stopped, narrowing his eyes and asked, "What's going on here?"

Guan Peide said, "It's a family from another family in the village named Wu. They were building a house a few years ago and started putting up the beams."

"Although there is something going on in the village, we can't delay."

"Well, let's take a look first."

Li Yan dismounted without saying a word and stood by to watch.

Although Guan Peide felt a little strange, he had no choice but to follow.

The etiquette of raising beams when building a house in Ezhou is usually led by carpenters.

I saw that the host had placed a square table in the middle of the main room, with two bricks on the table and a wooden beam placed across the table.

In addition, there is an incense bowl, two red candles, two tea bowls, a bunch of incense in the bowls, a piece of yellow mounting paper, a wine pot, three wine glasses, two bags of baba and other offerings.

The carpenters stood on either side, and a rooster was tied up and thrown under the table.

The host was a thin and dark man. He lit the candles and incense, knelt down respectfully with a pious face, and kept muttering to himself.

The carpenter walked to the table and shouted: "Don't say Lu Ban came late, it's time to build the beams. Don't say Lu Ban came early, it's just the right time to build the beams!"

After saying this, he hung a five-foot-long cloth on the beam from the top to the bottom, and tied the axe to the beam handle.

He lit a few sticks of incense, bowed to the beams, and shouted: "Good wood listens to the wind, good wood calls, listen carefully and you will hear clearly.

"You were born on a fairy mountain and grew up under a steep cliff. You are a rare talent. Your potential is ripe and you are ready to be of great use. You should ensure that everything goes well. I hereby present you to you!"

After saying that, he took the rooster from under the table and held it in front of the table.

As he shouted, he pinched the cock's comb and smeared the blood on various places on the wooden beam, chanting: "The golden rooster flies over the beam, and my descendants will be in the court!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his eyes widened.

I saw scarlet blood oozing out of the wooden beam...

(End of this chapter)