Knife splashing

Chapter 278: Strange Events at Sea
Looking at the fire in the distance, Li Yan seemed to be thinking about something.

Those craftsmen are indeed the key!
In fact, when he found out that the entire Xu family had been slaughtered, he had some vague guesses.

As soon as the Tian family found out that the evil magic was at work, they immediately headed for the Xu family.

Before that, the entire house had been wiped out.

Most likely, it's due to other reasons.

Now it has been set on fire again, it must be a cover-up for something.

On the other side, Lu San also jumped onto the roof. Hearing the chirping of the hawks, he also leaped a few times and came to Li Yan's side. "There is a fire over there. Many people are trying to put it out."

Li Yan nodded slightly and said, "The water in Hanyang City is indeed not shallow."

When the two returned to the pavilion, Tian Yuanwai was obviously a little flustered and asked hurriedly, "What happened, you two?"

"Someone set the fire, maybe they are trying to cover up something..."

Li Yan repeated his guess and then said, "No matter who the other party is, this matter has become a big deal. Many experts are involved. It will be found out sooner or later."

"Don't worry, Mr. Tian. We will protect you until this matter has a conclusion."

"Thank you very much."

Mr. Tian heaved a sigh of relief and then said, "To be honest, I asked someone at the Chamber of Commerce to find out."

"Over at the ancient mine of the Western Zhou Dynasty, although the King of Wuchang has sent troops to seal it off and expelled the gathered people from the underworld, he still treats those Xuanmen craftsmen with great respect."

"King Wuchang used the ancient mine as bait to invite these craftsmen to stay, and hosted a banquet for them at the Yellow Crane Tower. This was considered a great honor."

"I will find an opportunity and ask for an introduction."

"Oh?"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "What does the King of Wuchang want to do?"

Tian Yuanwai shook his head and said, "Actually it has nothing to do with the King of Wuchang. It's because the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce discovered an island overseas with an excellent location. They want to develop it as a military port and transit point for supplies."

"The court is naturally happy to have someone pay to build a military port, but that place is a bit dangerous. There was a monster in the sea that sank two ships into the sea."

"The Chamber of Commerce wants to build powerful warships and equip them with magical instruments, so naturally, the help of these Xuanmen craftsmen is indispensable."

"Sea monster?"

Sharifei became interested when he heard it, "What kind of monster?"

Tian Yuanwai shook his head and said, "I don't know for sure, but I heard that it is a kind of octopus, huge in size, that can drag the Fu ship into the water, and can also perform the spell of bewitching, which is very strange."

"Wow!" Sharifei was incredulous. "Is there such a big thing?"

He was well-versed in military books and military preparations, so naturally he was very familiar with it.

It is recorded in the Wubeizhi that the largest imperial court ship was 44 zhang long and 18 zhang wide, which was a truly huge vessel.

The Chamber of Commerce is not qualified nor does it have the technology to build such a large ship, but since it is called a Fu ship and can sail long distances, it must be not small.

Being able to tow a Fu ship into the sea sounds a bit absurd.

Tian Yuanwai sighed, "That's how it is at sea. There are many strange and bizarre things happening, and they almost cost people their lives."

"I heard that the large ship of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce encountered an overseas fairy mountain, but before it got close, it heard fairy music. Everyone who heard it was stunned and jumped into the sea and disappeared. Fortunately, there was a magician on the ship who beat the magic drum to wake everyone up and escape..."

"Although the sea trade is very profitable, it is also very risky. If something goes wrong several times in a row, all the gains from the early stage will be lost."

Li Yan asked with interest: "What is the situation outside now?"

Mr. Tian shook his head and said, "I heard that there are wars everywhere. There are many countries on the continent where the Portuguese live, and the wars are raging everywhere."

"It's the same with Goryeo. Japan has already unified the country and is harassing Goryeo at sea, eyeing its territory covetously. The ronin who fled from the war have also become pirates and harass our merchant ships from time to time. It's very annoying."

"I heard that Goryeo sent envoys to ask for help, but received no response from the court."

Wang Daoxuan asked curiously, "Isn't Goryeo a vassal state of Shenzhou? Why didn't you save it?"

"It's a long story."

Tian Yuanwai sneered and said, "During the Daxing period of the previous dynasty, when the country was in a standoff with the Golden Horde, the ruler of Goryeo at the time was trying to please both sides, but he also had evil intentions."

"When facing the Golden Horde, they paid tribute one after another, calling it the true master of Shenzhou. When they came to Daxing, although they were vassal on the surface, they were often rude, and when they paid tribute, they provoked them with words and demanded several times the reward to show the prestige of the superior country."

"The Emperor of Daxing Ai at that time was ambitious and vain. The imperial court had been in a standoff with the Golden Horde for years. The treasury was already empty, but he doubled the rewards and dreamed of having all nations come to pay tribute."

"At that time, it had become a trend in Goryeo to come to China to pay tribute. Tribute groups kept coming and going. They paid tribute in the name of tribute, but in reality they were seeking profit. Small countries in Southeast Asia also followed suit."

"I, Taizu of Daxuan, was the Grand Marshal of the Daxing Expedition to the North at that time. Seeing that the soldiers on the front lines were running low on food and fodder, I was extremely disgusted by this trend and called these Goryeo envoys 'extortionists'."

"During the Lantern Festival, he got drunk in the palace hall and beat up the Korean envoys in public. Emperor Ai gave him fifty canes and threw him out of the palace on a snowy day. From then on, he had the idea of ​​destroying Daxing and replacing it."

"Later, when the Golden Horde was annihilated, the Goryeo Kingdom took advantage of the situation and attempted to occupy some areas in the northern border, but was defeated by the imperial court again, so they built a Jingguan as a warning."

"Because of these things, the Daxuan royal family has always looked down on Goryeo. Fifty years ago, the other party repeatedly submitted petitions to apologize for their crimes, and only then was the status of a vassal state restored, but the relationship is still average."

"Now that the imperial court is at war in the southwest, they have no time to care about them, so naturally they ignored them..."

It was indeed interesting to listen to Mr. Tian talk about the overseas scenery. In addition, the Tian family’s chef was a good cook, and we drank and chatted, and before we knew it, it was late at night.

After arranging how to keep watch, the lanterns in the fields and houses were extinguished one by one...

…………

On the other side of Hanyang City, the Xu family mansion.

A fire reduced this luxurious mansion to ashes.

After the waterwheel had watered, the ground was full of mud, and the broken wooden beams that were scattered all over the place were still emitting smoke.

Many court runners were holding lanterns.

The great monks from the Wuchang Law Enforcement Hall were searching everywhere.

Chengjue stood in the ruins, looking around with a thoughtful look in his eyes.

He was of sturdy build and had an extraordinary aura, like a Vajra in a temple. He was intimidating without even getting angry, and the surrounding yamen runners did not dare to approach him.

Suddenly, Chengjue seemed to sense something, and quickly turned around, clasped his hands together and said to the darkness: "Amitabha, senior is here too?"

In the darkness, Zhang Xiaoshan walked out slowly with his hands behind his back, looked around, and said, "What a quick move."

"Just when I found some clues, they were cut off."

Cheng Jue frowned slightly, "What did Senior Zhang find out?"

Zhang Xiaoshan stared with a pair of dead fish eyes, dissatisfied and said: "You little monk, you really don't know the rules. You want to ask me without any reason?"

"What do you know? Stop hiding it!"

"Right now, Zhenwu Palace is going to deal with Tiansheng Sect, and they made an agreement at that time that they would not covet the incense here. Don't be a mean person!"

"Senior Zhang has misunderstood."

Chengjue was not angry at all, and said calmly: "They are all orthodox sects of Xuanmen, and their foundation is to stabilize China. How could our Baotong Zen Temple hide this?"

"Senior, do you know about the ancient mine pit some time ago?"

Zhang Xiaoshan nodded and said, "I have heard some things."

Cheng Jue said in a deep voice: "Someone is secretly causing trouble in the ancient mine, summoning demons in the mine and killing people in the martial arts world. It seems that he is looking for something."

"We went to investigate and discovered their identities."

"Who are they?"

"Jiang Xiaman."

Zhang Xiaoshan frowned when he heard this. "Are you kidding? The Jiangxia barbarians caused unrest and were dispersed long ago. Why did they suddenly appear again?"

The great monk Chengjue shook his head and said, "Senior Zhang, you don't know that although the Jiangxia barbarians have disappeared and merged into the Central Plains, there are still people who secretly believe in the ancestral gods."

"We suspect that some Miao chieftain secretly instigated these people to cause trouble in the heart of Wuchang."

"Humph!"

Zhang Xiaoshan snorted coldly, "They are nothing but old ghosts. What can they do with their small number of people?" "Could it be that your Buddhist sect cannot suppress them?"

"Senior Zhang is joking."

Chengjue said calmly, "Our Buddhist sect is naturally not short of the power to subdue demons, but these evil spirits are hiding in the dark and plotting in secret. They must have some big plan."

"If we figure out what they are going to do, we can naturally suppress it with force."

"Don't worry, senior. I have informed the county government and will spread the word. It is a demon from the southwest who is causing trouble and threatening fellow Taoist Yang Chongzi with the lives of fellow disciples. I will not let his reputation be damaged."

After hearing this, Zhang Xiaoshan showed a hint of sarcasm on his face. He shook his head and said, "Little monk, you are not honest. If you don't want me to intervene, why are you beating around the bush?"

Cheng Jue clasped his hands together and said, "Senior, you made too much noise. In just half a day, the martial arts world has been in chaos. I'm afraid those people will hide even deeper."

"I have to figure out what they want to do."

"You just think I'm in the way!"

Zhang Xiaoshan cursed but didn't bother to argue any further. "Well, this is your territory after all, I won't meddle in your business."

"I found out that this group of craftsmen once paid a large sum of money to ask the Tanyou lineage to dig up old bricks from ancient tombs and collect them secretly."

"The rest, you guys check it out yourself!"

After saying that, he turned and walked into the darkness and disappeared.

Not long after he left, a monk came hurriedly from a distance, clasped his hands together and said to Chengjue: "Brother, I am back."

Chengjue asked, "How is the Zen Hall?"

The monk whispered back: "The Buddha statue still has tears of blood."

Cheng Jue took a deep breath, his eyes becoming serious, "The gods and Buddhas have warned us that Wuchang will be in great trouble. We must find out what the demon is going to do."

"All the clues here are ruined. Keep an eye on the Tian family. They may be related to this matter."

"Yes, senior brother."

…………

The next morning, the sky was a little gloomy.

After Li Yan went out, he looked up and there was joy in his eyes.

Judging from the appearance, it will rain in the next few days.

There might be a "Duanyang Thunder" at that time, which is a good time to practice.

After dinner, a servant came in with a happy face and reported, "Master, the eldest son is back."

Mr. Tian had a complicated expression on his face. Just as he was about to go out, he snorted and sat in the front hall with gloomy eyes.

Soon, a young man entered the house.

He was wearing a Confucian robe, and his face was very similar to Mr. Tian's. He was a little fat, his face was covered with dust, and his steps were also hurried.

After entering the house and seeing Mr. Tian, ​​he immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and quickly knelt on the ground, kowtowed several times, "Father, the child is back."

"Humph!"

Mr. Tian snorted and lowered his head pretending to drink tea.

Li Yan and others have also arrived at the front hall.

Seeing this, I laughed secretly in my heart.

Mr. Tian's eldest son, named Tian Wei, was extremely intelligent since childhood and entered Wenjin Academy to study at an early age.

Whenever Mr. Tian talked about it, although he called the son an unfilial son, his eyes were full of pride.

Ultimately, it was all because of a marriage.

Tian Wei knew his father's temper, so he didn't say much. He stood up and bowed to Li Yan, saying, "This must be Mr. Li, thank you for helping my family out of this difficult situation."

"Humph!"

When Mr. Tian heard this, he immediately scolded, "Your mother is sick in bed. If you are really filial, why are you hiding in the academy and not coming back?"

Tian Wei's face turned bitter, and he quickly bowed and said, "Father, please calm down. I am really sad."

"The young lady of the Zhao family holds a grudge and often asks a few young masters to harass her. I don't want to bother with them, lest it ruin the reputation of my Tian family, so I have to hide in the academy."

"Also, a Feng Shui master came from Ganzhou and is visiting the academy. I have been with him these days, so I thought of inviting him to come and take a look at our home."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Tian's expression eased slightly, but he also said indignantly: "This matter is also my fault. When the matchmaker came to our house, she said that the daughter of the Zhao family was well-educated and well-mannered, but I didn't expect that she would have such a temper."

"The Zhao family is a famous family, how could they be so spoiled and allow their daughter to do whatever she wants?"

"Well, go see your mother."

"Yes."

Tian Wei hurriedly bowed and hurried to the backyard.

When Li Yan and others heard this, they knew that there must be something wrong with this marriage, but after all, it was someone else's family affair, so they were too lazy to ask more questions.

After a while, the servant came again to report: "Master, the young lady and her husband are here."

A hint of joy appeared on Mr. Tian's face, and he quickly stood up.

As soon as I walked to the front of the hall, I saw a man and a woman coming in, followed by servants carrying large and small bags.

"I met my father."

"Meet my father-in-law."

"We are family, no need to be polite."

Facing his daughter and son-in-law, Mr. Tian's attitude was obviously much better, and he took them to introduce them to Li Yan.

His daughter is of average appearance, but has a gentle personality.

Tian Yuanwai's son-in-law was also a man with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and he looked very powerful. His name was Liu Yizhong, and he was a captain of the Wuchang Guard.

This man was originally a distant relative of the Tian family. His family ran an escort business, but later his family fell into poverty and he went to the Tian family for refuge.

Seeing that he was a promising talent, Mr. Tian betrothed his daughter to him. After some work, he was promoted to a captain in the Wuchang Garrison.

The couple lived a good life, which was a source of pride for Mr. Tian.

Facing Li Yan, the couple expressed their gratitude again.

The news that came later made Mr. Tian look extremely ugly.

The servant came back and said that his second son, who had been practicing in seclusion on Mulan Mountain, had officially become a monk and had completely renounced worldly ties.

According to the big monk guarding the gate, his son said his Buddhist name was "Bukong" and that he would pray for the Tian family in the Zen hall.

"If you are unfilial, how can you become a Buddha?"

When Mr. Tian heard this, he became furious and his face turned blue with anger.

His daughter quickly advised, "Don't be upset, father. You know my second brother's personality. He has been indifferent since he was a child. He often said that he wanted to cut off the worldly affairs. Maybe this is our destiny."

"That's all."

Tian Yuanwai waved his hands impatiently and said in a deep voice: "Hurry up and pack up, we will go to the ancestral tomb now, so as not to miss the time."

The Tian family had already made preparations, and several large carts were filled with various sacrificial offerings.

After leaving the farmhouse, everyone headed towards the north of the city.

The Tian family's ancestral tomb is located in a small mountain village in the north of Hanyang City, more than 200 miles away from the city.

This round trip will take at least four or five days.

As they left, several monks from the Law Enforcement Hall secretly followed behind them...

(End of this chapter)