Knife splashing

Chapter 299 Growing Fame
"Po Liu Han Baling?"

Li Yan frowned, "Who is he?"

This name sounds a bit strange, not like someone from the Central Plains.

He looked at Zhang Xiaoshan, but the old man simply shook his head and said, "Why are you looking at me? I don't even recognize you."

The monk from the Law Enforcement Hall put his hands together and explained, "That man was the leader of the rebellion in the Six Garrisons during the Tuoba Northern Wei Dynasty."

After hearing this, Li Yan immediately understood.

During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty moved the capital to Luoyang, changed the surname to "Yuan", and implemented comprehensive sinicization.

As a result, the political and economic status of the military and civilians in the Six Garrisons area declined sharply. Coupled with the corruption of the Northern Wei court in the later period, large-scale military rebellions broke out.

Although it was jointly suppressed by the Northern Wei court and the Rouran, it also laid the hidden danger for the collapse of the Northern Wei regime.

Thinking of this, Li Yan suddenly felt a little strange, "Why did this poor Han Baling come to Ezhou?"

The so-called Six Garrisons are located in the Hetao and Youzhou areas.

The people who rose up in rebellion at that time, apart from the Xianbei, included the Gaoche, Xiongnu, Di, Qiang and other ethnic groups.

It does seem a little strange that you have come all this way.

The monk from the Law Enforcement Hall looked a little embarrassed, but after a moment of silence, he finally spoke: "At that time, the Six Garrisons' uprising failed, and Han Baling, who defeated the Six Garrisons, disappeared. Some people said that he was killed by a Rouran master."

"But in fact, he has already become a monk and is practicing in seclusion in the Longmen Grottoes. We never thought that he would reappear..."

"I see."

Li Yan suddenly realized, but didn't say much.

The era of the Northern and Southern Dynasties was somewhat special. Within the Taoist sect, both Buddhism and Taoism were developing rapidly.

"There are four hundred and eighty temples in the Southern Dynasties, and many pavilions are in the mist and rain." This is exactly what this era is about.

He had read some information in his previous life. In the Southern Dynasty, there were more than 3,000 temples and more than 80,000 monks and nuns. The Northern Dynasty was even more exaggerated, with 2 million monks and nuns and more than 30,000 temples.

As for the Taoist sect, there was Kou Qianzhi in the north and Lu Jingxiu in the south, both of whom were carrying out reforms and laying the framework for the predecessor of today's Taixuan Orthodox Sect.

Of course, the two sides also fought fiercely, the most famous of which was the "Laozi's transformation into a Hu" dispute.

In that era, both sides had a lot of dark history.

Li Yan was too lazy to delve deeper, so he asked, "Now that we have found the cause, what should the Law Enforcement Hall do?"

The monk clasped his hands together and said, "Senior Brother Chengjue said that this news came so suddenly that it might be related to the demon. He wants to use us to deal with Po Liu Han Baling."

"This person is extremely important, and he was able to return to life and become a monk. He must have some rare treasures on him. If we can capture him, we will know all of the demon's plans."

"He has a close relationship with the Tian family, so he might go to meet them. If you run into him, Young Master Li, be sure to ask him the reason."

Li Yan nodded and said, "Of course."

His face was calm, but he was terrified in his heart.

There are indeed many wise people in Buddhism who can immediately deduce many things based on some information.

Maybe he had guessed that he had helped the Tian family hide the news, so he pointed it out directly and asked him to pay attention.

After delivering the message, the monk from the Law Enforcement Hall quickly left.

Looking at the other person's leaving figure, Li Yan also shook his head slightly.

He had promised the Tian family, so naturally he would not go back on his word, but if the other party came to him on their own initiative, there were some things that had to be done.

And there is this poor Liu Han Baling.

The relationship with those monsters is probably not that simple...

……

Although there was an emergency, the competition was not over after all. Li Yan stayed on the mountain and could only continue doing what he had to do.

"The third round, Guanzhong Li Yan, Xicaimen!"

Following a shout from the Chamber of Commerce deacon, Li Yan leaped onto the stage.

Many eyes were watching from the audience, and many had complicated expressions.

When Li Yan came to Wuchang, his reputation had already spread. Some people did not want to provoke him, but more people were skeptical, just like the Flower Snake Yang Yun.

After all, he is too young and has no sect or school.

In this era, there are very few independent cultivators without a sect who can achieve success. Even if they have talent, they are unable to make further progress due to the lack of skills and resources.

Just like the flower snake Yang Yun before.

After the other party's death, some of his past events were gradually revealed.

This person is quite intelligent, but although he was born into the Snake Cult, he is from a small family with a master and an apprentice. He has been looked down upon many times in the world, and his behavior has gradually become extreme and he has gone astray.

But now Li Yan is shining brightly.

From now on, no one will question his strength and reputation.

The reason is simple, thunder magic!

The status of thunder magic in Taoism is self-evident.

Those who master thunder magic are no ordinary people!

Moreover, many famous martial arts masters present could see that Li Yan had already entered the realm of Hua Jin.

At this age, with this level of skills and aptitude, if anyone dares to look down on him, they are simply blind.

Therefore, on the second day's competition, before he even got on the field, his opponent had already admitted defeat, not wanting to waste energy on him.

But this time, Xicaimen did not back down.

Li Yan looked across with some anticipation in his eyes.

Soon, an old man jumped onto the stage. He was wearing a coarse cloth shirt, a white scarf on his head, had a hunchback, a thin body, and a big pipe stuck behind his waist.

The old man chuckled and said, "Xicaimen, Qin Gulu."

The other party was polite, so Li Yan naturally would not be arrogant, and he also bowed respectfully and said: "Guanzhong, Li Yan."

The old man looked around and said with a smile, "Young Master Li is quite skilled. We, the gangsters, are no match for him."

"But as the saying goes, it's better to lose the battle than the person. My Xicaimen has lost two games in a row. If the old man doesn't dare to fight, it will be a joke if it gets out."

"I have some tricks. Let's ask Young Master Li for advice."

As he spoke, he pulled out a large pipe from his waist, and took out a delicate leather bag from his arms, taking out some tobacco and putting it in it.

Li Yan did not rush to do it, but watched it with great interest.

He could smell that this tobacco was something special. In addition to tobacco leaves, it was also mixed with some mushrooms and spices. The formula was very complicated.

If nothing unexpected happens, the other party will use illusion.

Sure enough, after the old man lit the cigarette, he pinched his fingers and took a few puffs, then moved his lips slightly and blew out smoke rings.

These smoke rings condensed but did not disperse, tumbling forward in the air. Under the sunlight, they began to twist continuously and turned into wolves, insects, tigers and leopards.

"it is good!"

"It's a smoke-lighting soldier!"

Many people in the audience cheered.

Li Yan had also heard of this unique skill.

This is called "smoke play" in Xicaimen.

Ordinary people can only spray out some circles, big circles within small circles, and make things like "an arrow piercing a ring" and so on.

But if one practices magic, one can spray out smoke that turns into pavilions and even have little people singing inside, just like a dream.

If you go a step further, you can turn smoke into soldiers, which can gather and disperse invisibly. It can be considered an alternative type of soldier. Although it is combined with illusion, it has attack capabilities.

According to legend, in the Hua'e Xianghui Tower in the Tang Dynasty, there were people who played the colorful gate using this method, combined with some miscellaneous arts, to create a scene of a group of immortals ascending to the heavenly palace, which attracted the praise of the imperial concubine of the Ming Dynasty. Unexpectedly, this secret technique can still be seen today...

As he looked closely, the wolves, insects, tigers and leopards transformed from the smoke were already circling left and right above the ring, baring their fangs and claws at him, each of them vivid and ferocious.

Call ~
A strong wind blew, and a tiger transformed from smoke pounced towards him. Li Yan drew his sword and chopped it off with a clang.

Ding!
Fire splashed, and he seemed to cut through something, and then the blade cut through the smoke and the tiger disappeared in an instant.

His Dust-Breaking Sword is made of Hundred-Chain Meteorite Steel as its blade, Shoushan Copper Essence as its core, and is surrounded by thunder and lightning. It has the power to destroy evil.

Even with a normal swing, it was comparable to the Guanshan sword blessed by the Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Coin Blade Spike.

After the smoke and cloud tiger dissipated, it gathered again, but it was already hazy and only its shape could be vaguely seen. It could not last half a breath before it quickly dissipated.

Li Yan's gaze was directed towards the ground.

There, there was a cross-shaped rotating flying knife, which had been split into two pieces by him.

Li Yan understood instantly that this thing was the threat, and the so-called smokescreen was just a cover-up.

But he was able to hide his weapons so well that even he couldn't smell them. Most sorcerers would probably be in trouble the moment they came into contact with them.

"Young Master Li is very capable."

The old man didn't expect that Li Yan didn't even try to hide.

Of course, he performed this technique in broad daylight, so he was naturally not afraid of being seen. He waved the big pipe in his hand, and suddenly the wind whistled above the ring, and all kinds of monsters transformed from smoke rushed over.

Li Yan had already taken out the Divine Tiger Order, pinched the magic formula, and quickly chanted the spell: "Nuo Gao, three stars on the left, three prisons on the right, turn the world upside down..."

This is the Northern Emperor's protective spell, which has the ability to attack the soul. With Li Yan's current level of Taoism, its power will naturally increase.

"Roar!"

Everyone saw that around Li Yan, a sudden strong wind blew, stirring up the smoke and forming a vortex, and then a tiger's roar suddenly sounded.

It's like a tiger coming down the mountain, and all the beasts are lying in wait.

The smoke wolves, insects, tigers and leopards that pounced on them suddenly exploded and dissipated, leaving only a number of cross-shaped rotating blades flying up and down.

Li Yan stood still, holding the sword in his hand, and blocked all the blades with the clanging sound.

On the other side, the old man from the Xicai Gate also smiled slightly, "Young Master Li is indeed a righteous man from the Xuanmen Sect. I am sorry to have embarrassed you with my tricks."

After saying that, he bowed and jumped off the stage.

Everyone in the audience understood immediately and secretly called him an old fox.

When the old man came on stage, he had no intention of winning, but he couldn't lose face, so he used this rare skill of turning cigarettes into weapons.

It was not shameful for Li Yan to break it with the orthodox method of Xuanmen, after all, his Xicai Sect was originally a side sect in the martial arts world.

Moreover, "turning cigarettes into soldiers" is not that simple. If it happens at night, it can even drive away ghosts and spirits, which is even more secretive and terrifying.

After the news spread, no one dared to underestimate Xicaimen. After all, "turning cigarettes into soldiers" was only one of their secret methods. Who knew whether they had mastered the other legendary methods.

This time, it had the feel of a competition between two people in the martial arts world.

With such an example in mind, those who came on stage later no longer engaged in life-and-death fighting, but instead displayed all kinds of extraordinary feats and skills, which were a feast for the eyes.

Of course, Li Yan was not idle either.

Although Zhang Xiaoshan had gone on strike and no longer gave any instructions, he had already helped him break through the barrier.

It’s like climbing over a hill and seeing a flat plain ahead.

Whenever Li Yan had free time, he would either concentrate on practicing or perfect his skills based on what he had seen in the past few days.

Although he was on the mountain, news kept coming from down the mountain.

The Ezhou Chamber of Commerce was attacked that night, but after being repelled by Lu San, no one came to harass them again, and it was safe for the time being...

Over there, Sharifei was busy following Master Lu in making preparations for refining the weapon and processing various materials.

Sharifi was very excited in his letter. It was obvious that he had learned a lot secretly. In the future, he would be able to prepare some common things by himself...

Po Liu Han Baling's identity was revealed, but after leaving Mulan Mountain, he disappeared without a trace and was never seen again.

As for those evil spirits, they seem to have stopped their activities. No one knows where they are hiding or what conspiracy they are planning.

In this way, the three cities of Wuchang were temporarily in a stable state.

More and more caravans and literati came from all over Ezhou. After all, the annual Dragon Boat Festival is the grandest festival in Ezhou, even more so than the Chinese New Year.

On the fourth day, the competition stage remained the same.

The person who came on stage was a Xingyiquan master who had already reached the state of Huajin. He was a famous bodyguard of the Hankou Escort Agency.

Neither side used any magic. After all, Li Yan had just entered the stage of Hua Jin, and his moves were not as sophisticated as the others. It took him a lot of effort, relying on his young age and strong blood, to force the other person off the stage.

So far, this goal has been achieved.

All four places are in hand. Once the new firearms and magical weapons are refined, the strength of their team will increase dramatically.

On the last day, Li Yan also met his real opponent.

"The seventh round, Guanzhong Li Yan, Yanmen!"

As the Chamber of Commerce deacon shouted, a man suddenly jumped onto the stage.

This man was not tall, but had strong muscles all over his body, thick eyebrows and big eyes. He was wearing a martial arts robe and was obviously in his prime.

He looked at Li Yan on the stage, his eyes full of solemnity, and said with a cupped hand: "Cangzhou Wu Qu, Baji, Huaguang Sect!"

Li Yan solemnly bowed, "Li Yan from Guanzhong, Pi Gua Hong Quan, a casual cultivator!"

He is not the only one who became famous in this Guishan Arena Competition.

All the old-established underworld forces have outstanding talents.

For example, in the Wudang Escort Agency, there is a lay disciple who has inherited all the skills of Zhang Xiaoshan and has mastered the Bagua Willow Leaf Cotton Silk Palm.

Although he is not as good as Li Yan, he is already outstanding among the younger disciples.

Of course, there are also some masters in the green forest.

When they help others to fight, they are not just seeking money.

If you become famous this time, your value will increase when you get jobs in the future.

In the past few days, someone who has become as famous as Li Yan is the middle-aged man in front of him, Wu Qu.

This man came from a famous family in Cangzhou. He traveled around the world. His Bajiquan was powerful, and his Huaguang method was equally sharp. The combination of the two made him even more ferocious.

Even Zhang Xiaoshan said that this person was not easy to mess with.

Although he didn't know why the other party would get involved with the Yanmen, which had a bad reputation, Li Yan knew that Wu Qu was most likely the kind of ruthless person who wandered around pursuing the master level.

After the two sides exchanged greetings, Wu Qu did not rush to attack, but looked him up and down, and suddenly asked: "Brother Li, is Pi Gua from Cangzhou?"

Li Yan did not hide it, "From the Ma family in Cangzhou."

Mrs. Li’s family name was Ma, and they were also from a famous family in Cangzhou. An expert could naturally tell that Li Yan was her disciple.

Wu Qu nodded seriously and said, "It is true. I thought the Ma family's Pi Gua had been lost, but I didn't expect that there is still someone to carry on the tradition."

"That's great, let's try to see if your hack is strong enough!"

After saying that, he stepped forward with his right foot, and at the same time, he pushed forward with both hands, raised his right fist, and aimed his elbow at Li Yan.

Judging from the posture, it is obvious that they are going to compete with fists and feet first.

Li Yan was naturally not afraid and assumed a chopping and hanging stance.

Everyone in the audience was also concentrating.

Pi Gua requires opening the gate, and Baji requires opening the gate. When the two fight, it is a head-on collision to see who can break the other's posture first...

(End of this chapter)