Knife splashing

Chapter 326 Infiltrating Jiangxia
The so-called "centipede" is a kind of strange beast unique to the Yunmeng Lake in the legend.

Previously at the Jianghan Academy in Wuchang, Master Lin from the Wenjin Academy helped them translate the "Shan Hai Ling Ying Jing" without asking for any money. He just made a request and asked them to help find the beast.

Mr. Lin's second son was born stupid. He heard that the flesh and blood of this beast could heal people, so he traveled all over Ezhou to look for clues.

Unfortunately, nothing was gained.

Mr. Lin was very knowledgeable and friendly. Both Lu San and Li Yan respected him very much, so they agreed.

Master Lin handed over all the relevant information to them.

Sima Xiangru mentioned in his "Zixu Fu" that "below there are white tigers, black leopards, crickets, centipedes and wolves."

Guo Pu once commented: "The centipede is a large beast, similar to a fox, and is a hundred feet long."

According to Master Lin's guess, this ancient strange beast is a bit like a marten, but it is not small in size and has an extremely long body.

Li Yan found it hard to imagine that such an animal existed in the world.

The original plan was to go out with Lu San and ask the monsters and wild beasts in the mountains, but since he knew the Crocodile Master, he asked him to help look for it.

"where?"

Upon hearing the news, Li Yan hurriedly asked.

However, Lu San did not rush to answer, but shook his head and whispered: "It's hard to talk here, let's talk about it when we get back."

When Li Yan heard this, he immediately understood and stopped asking questions.

The two of them were whispering to each other, and the senior military officers nearby didn't pay any attention. Instead, they ordered their troops to return to Parrot Island Wharf, while communicating with each other and issuing orders one after another.

The information provided by the Tuo Division is very timely.

The imperial army suffered heavy losses due to its previous reckless advance.

Later, the governor of Yunyang, Yuan Qun, came out to take charge of the situation. In addition, the marshal sent by the court was also a man well versed in strategy, and the situation was immediately stabilized.

Now the imperial army has entered the mountains and forests, adopting a strategy of steady advancement, eliminating the refugees' mountain strongholds one by one. At the same time, it implements a conciliatory policy, distributes land and farm tools, and builds many villages near Yunyang Prefecture.

To be honest, life among mountain people is not that easy.

At first they could still live and work in peace, but as villages were built one after another, there were also people who exploited them, and some were even more ruthless than the government.

Moreover, there is no law in the mountains, it’s just a matter of who has the bigger fist.

Coupled with the bandits and evil cultivators who hid in the mountains and forests and acted recklessly, the Jingchu mountains and forests are no longer a paradise on earth.

The only stable villages are controlled by the Tiansheng Sect, but they worship Tianshenggong and use various brainwashing methods, which makes people live uncomfortably.

Since the imperial court established Yunyang Prefecture, it has treated the area well and many mountain dwellers have moved out, leading to the prosperity of Yunyang Prefecture today.

The Tiansheng Sect also felt threatened, so it repeatedly obstructed the movement, even spreading rumors in the mountains and forests and killing the mountain dwellers who wanted to leave.

Now that the imperial army has entered the mountains and forests, a large number of refugees have surrendered and moved away. The Tiansheng Sect has been defeated and its power has shrunk.

It is estimated that the rebellion will be suppressed within one or two months.

But if the Jingchu rebels cut off the food supply and won a few more big victories, the war would likely come to a stalemate.

Therefore, ensuring the transportation of grain and fodder along the Yangtze River and the Han River became a top priority.

With the cooperation of the Tuoshi, we can plan to wipe out the rebels...

.........

Not long after, the warship returned to Parrot Island Pier.

After saying goodbye to several senior military officers, Li Yan and his men got off the boat. Lu San then spoke up, "Master Tu said that a few days ago, a group of crocodiles were digging underground waterways and were attacked by centipedes. Only one escaped."

"She originally planned to take revenge, but there was some trouble in that place and she didn't want to get close to it to avoid causing misunderstandings."

"Oh?"

Li Yan became interested, "Where?"

Lu San replied: "Near Longquan Mountain."

Li Yan frowned when he heard this, "It's indeed a bit troublesome."

Longquan Mountain is in Jiangxia, not far from Wuchang. According to Master Tuo, this area is the territory of a great demon named Donghu Patriarch.

Of course, Master Tuo would not be afraid of the East Lake Ancestor, because Longquan Mountain was somewhat special as it was the location of the tombs of two generations of Chu kings.

There is a reason why we say two generations.

When the Emperor of the Daxuan Dynasty started his rebellion, he received help from many people. One of them was a very difficult one, Chen Youliang.

Somewhat different from the history of the previous life, Chen Youliang was quite powerful. The then Emperor Xiao Chengyou of Daxuan was very wary of him. After several struggles, he finally persuaded Chen Youliang to surrender.

After the establishment of Daxuan State, Chen Youliang was named King of Chu.

Although he was a king of a different surname, the Daxuan court was always on guard against him. First, it seized his military power, and then placed his family under house arrest in Wuchang City, forbidding them to leave the Chu Palace.

Chen Youliang was unable to move and died in depression, but after his death he was buried with great ceremony in Longquan Mountain by the imperial court.

Chen Youliang also had another identity, he was the leader of the Maitreya Sect at that time.

After Chen Youliang's death, his son Chen Li inherited the position of Maitreya leader and rebelled, but was suppressed and killed by the imperial court.

Although he was also named King of Chu and buried in Longquan Mountain, the Chen family's bloodline was cut off because of this incident. The Maitreya Sect completely turned into darkness and became hostile to the Daxuan court.

The second generation King of Chu was replaced by the Xiao royal family.

However, the imperial court was also wary of these princes and had carried out clan reforms early on.

One is to change the title, for example, the King of Chu was changed to the King of Wuchang, and similarly, there was the King of Chang'an in Shanzhou.

Second, the fief was reduced to only the city where it was located. The expenditure of the royal palace also depended on the tax revenue of the fief, and the royal family was evaluated every year, and those who failed would be deprived of the throne.

After several rounds, the power of the princes could no longer threaten the central government.

Only three kings of Chu were buried on Longquan Mountain. If the current King of Wuchang is buried there, it can only be called the Tomb of King Wuchang.

The royal mausoleums naturally cannot be without the mausoleum guards.

If the Crocodile Master wanted to become the God of Han River, he needed the help of King Wuchang, so he was naturally unwilling to get close, which led to misunderstanding.

Hearing about that place, Li Yan also had a headache, "It's indeed a bit troublesome, but I have to go."

"Well, let's find an excuse to go there, stay there and then investigate secretly. The 'Chuan' should not be in Longquan Mountain, so we can avoid the Mausoleum Guards."

As they were talking, they had already returned to the Tian family mansion.

They originally planned to rest in Wuchang City, but since they had heard the news about the "centipede", they naturally had to change their plans.

"Young Master Li is leaving?"

In the main hall, Mr. Tian was obviously reluctant to leave.

Li Yan smiled and bowed, saying, "The matter of the Tian family has been settled. It is not appropriate for us to stay here any longer. Besides, we are a Xuanmen family, so we have to take on some work to make a living."

Mr. Tian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Young Master Li, you are joking. With your abilities, you will be honored guests wherever you go."

"To be honest, the story of my family has long been spread throughout the three cities of Wuchang. In addition to Young Master Li's current fame, many people have secretly sent messages to me, hoping to get to know him. I would like to ask you to help me deal with the matter."

"Oh?"

Li Yan pretended to be surprised and asked, "There is such a thing?"

"If a business comes to our door, we should do it. Please ask Mr. Tian to introduce us and we will see if we want to take it."

"Okay, I will make arrangements now!"

Mr. Tian was very enthusiastic and went out immediately.

Just as he said, Li Yan and his team have now gained considerable fame in the three cities of Wuchang.

As soon as the news was released, people came to the door one after another.

Most of the people who came were wealthy people in the city, and they wanted to entrust them with a variety of tasks. Some wanted to choose a place to look at Feng Shui, but finding a tomb was a time-consuming and laborious task. Even though Wang Daoxuan's Feng Shui skills had improved a lot, they still politely declined...

Some of them had sick relatives who were already terminally ill. They heard from somewhere about the story of Li Yan saving Mrs. Yan's family, so they came to ask for help.

Unfortunately, Li Yan knew nothing about medicine, so he could only tell them the truth and recommend them to find a Taoist doctor...

Even worse, some people even want them to cast curses to harm others.

This kind of thing is naturally rejected directly.

Finally, in the evening, another young man came.

He was dressed in mourning clothes, with a hemp rope tied around his waist. He was gentle and polite, with a bitter look on his face. After entering the door, he bowed deeply to Mr. Tian and said, "Hello, Uncle Tian."

Mr. Tian obviously knew this person and was a little surprised, "Jinghong, why are you here? Where is Brother Shen?"

The young man turned pale and said in a trembling voice, "My father is gone."

Tian Yuanwai was shocked. "What happened? I saw him at the Chamber of Commerce a few days ago. Could he have fallen ill?"

"It's a disaster from heaven!"

As the young man spoke, he burst into tears. "The kiln at home was attacked by evil spirits. My father and brother were killed by them. The servants fought hard to retrieve the bodies."

"My nephew went to Parrot Island to deliver goods, which is why he escaped. Now he is preparing to return to Jiangxia to handle the funeral."

Li Yan and Sha Lifei were both there, and they understood immediately after hearing it.

This time, the Ghost Cult united several forces and also bewitched the Miao people of Jiangxia to follow suit, killing people and performing bloody sacrifices everywhere in an attempt to revive the zombies in the Barbarian King's Tomb.

The Miao villages in Jiangxia and the Han villages near the Barbarian King's Tomb all suffered, and some were even massacred.

This young man was obviously caught in the crossfire.

After hearing this, Mr. Tian also sighed, "I just got through a disaster, but I didn't expect Brother Shen to have this happen."

"Jinghong is here to announce the death of a deceased person. When I get there, I will definitely go to offer my condolences."

The young man's name was Shen Jinghong. He shook his head and said, "My nephew came here for something else. He wanted to ask Young Master Li for help in handling the funeral."

"Originally, I dared not trouble Young Master Li with this matter. But the servants at home sent me news that my father died with his eyes open. After being placed in the coffin, the body actually sat up. His whole body was stiff and could not be pressed down."

"My mother invited a Taoist priest to help. She said that my father had unfulfilled wishes and was holding a grudge in his heart. Even if he was buried, he would turn into a zombie. We can only cremate him."

"My mother wanted my father to be buried in peace, so she asked me to find a Taoist master in Wuchang. I happened to hear about Uncle Tian's news, so I came to ask for help."

"The corpse died with its eyes open?"

Mr. Tian was stunned and turned to look at Li Yan.

Li Yan had never heard of such a thing, so he had to ask Sha Lifei to invite Wang Daoxuan, who was reading a book in the house.

After listening to him, Wang Daoxuan inquired carefully again and nodded, "It does seem like he has an unfulfilled wish and an obsession. I can try to perform a ritual, but whether it will succeed is another matter."

Li Yan immediately stood up and said, "Okay, we'll take this job."

…………

The river is surging and the Parrot Island Pier is gradually disappearing into the distance.

Mr. Tian and his family, who had come to see him off, were no longer visible.

Li Yan stood on the deck and looked at the river in the distance.

When they came, they went from Dangyang through Jingmen to Hanshui, and then took a boat directly to Hanyang and Wuchang from Hanshui, without taking the Yangtze River waterway.

The reason is very simple. If you go along the Yangtze River, you have to go down into the territory of Xiangzhou, pass Yueyang, and make a big detour.

Jiangxia, where Longquan Mountain is located, can be reached by land, but the fastest way is undoubtedly to take a boat along the Yangtze River.

"Tsk tsk, what are you afraid of?"

On the deck, Sharifei was joking.

On his other side, the savage Wu Ba was lying on the wooden board, holding on to the edge of the boat and looking at the river. He was full of curiosity but did not dare to stand up.

Wu Ba grew up in Shennongjia. Yesterday, he was able to stand steadily on the stable imperial warship. But today, when he got on a small boat, he suddenly swayed from side to side and was too scared to get up.

As if he sensed Sharifei's ridicule, Wu Ba pointed at the river surface, chewed garlic and said loudly: "Hey Deure..."

Sharifi chuckled, "It's not Deure, it's water!"

The savage only knows how to speak Shang dialect. In the past two days, both Lu San and Sharifei have been teaching him to speak.

Unfortunately, the savage Wu Ba was used to the tongue-rolling sound, and no matter what he said, it felt like there were springs in his mouth, and he couldn't even utter some basic syllables.

It takes time to learn Mandarin.

Fortunately, after two days of getting along, Sharifei's prejudices were much less. The reason was simple: the savages helped him share a lot of work.

Even though this savage eats a lot, he also has amazing strength.

Their luggage had been reduced a lot after they made the magic weapon, but it was still quite a lot, and they couldn't do without mules and horses.

But the savage Wuba carried it behind him easily.

And it's not strenuous at all.

As long as they have enough food to eat, they will be very obedient.

Sharifei was naturally very happy about this. This alone could save them a lot of effort.

Of course, Li Yan did not let his guard down.

After all, the other party was a human-goddess, and he had awakened his magical powers. His physique was as strong as a monster, so he was noticed by the monster and kept.

Whether it will go crazy and get out of control remains to be tested by time.

Besides them, there was Master Shen Jinghong and some servants and guards of the Shen family on the boat. They were all a little afraid of the wild man Wu Ba and kept away from him.

Li Yan didn't care. After all, they were doing this to conceal their whereabouts. They also had to look for centipedes in private, so it was better to be quiet.

In less than half an hour, they arrived at Jiangxia Pier.

Compared to Parrot Island Pier, this place is obviously much smaller.

But Jiangxia is also ancient and is one of the birthplaces of Chu culture. It is often mentioned in historical books and is known as the "first county in Chu". It is also an important port.

The pier is very old and is built entirely of huge bluestones. It is weathered and covered with moss, and there are many large and small boats.

Before we even docked, there was a commotion on the dock.

I saw a large group of men holding sharp knives surrounding a small restaurant on the dock, scaring the surrounding people away.

The leader had half of his face covered with tattoos. He was tall and only wore a vest. His muscular body was covered with scars.

He held the knife in both hands and stared at the restaurant viciously.

"This is it, don't let the idea slip away!"

At the command, the men rushed in with knives.

Bang bang bang!
But as soon as a few people entered, they flew out with a series of muffled sounds, rolled on the ground for several times, groaning in pain.

Then, several men walked out of the inn.

The leader was a middle-aged man. He glanced around and said coldly, "I'm not even angry yet, but 'Old Wei' is already provoking trouble. Is he tired of living?"

When Li Yan saw this, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

The one who came out was Han Kun, the elder of the Cao Gang...

　The second one is more likely

　　
　
(End of this chapter)