Knife splashing

Chapter 331: Liangzi Lake Strange Stories
"After the body is buried, it will take seven days to keep the body and hold the funeral..."

"We don't need to choose a location this time. The funeral and burial will take two days..."

In the small courtyard, Wang Daoxuan was talking to everyone while eating breakfast.

"These matters can be arranged by me. The Shen family has sent people, so there is no need for you to contribute. It is just right for us to conduct a secret investigation."

"On the way here, I have seen that Liangzi Lake has a vast water vein and is surrounded by mountains. It is a place with excellent feng shui and many hidden places."

"After we finish the funeral, even if we don't find any clues, we can find a place to retreat and practice firearms."

"What the Taoist said is absolutely right."

Li Yan also nodded in agreement. "Brother Lu San and Wu Ba will come with me later. We will go sightseeing nearby. Uncle Sha will stay behind to protect the Taoist priest and gather intelligence from the villagers."

As their team grows, they have more freedom to do things and can act separately and combine personnel according to different situations.

For example, Wang Daoxuan is the best at funerals, and Sharifei can both help and communicate, and there is no danger in the village.

If it is an outdoor exploration, Sharifei's long-range sniping and cooperation with Lu San can handle most situations.

As for Li Yan, who has the strongest combat power, he will act according to the needs.

The reason why he brought Wu Ba with him was because Li Yan was still worried about him and was afraid that the other party would panic and go crazy if he couldn't see Lu San.

After making the arrangements, Li Yan took Lu San and Wu Ba with him, made up an excuse, said goodbye to Master Shen, and came to the ferry in the village.

There are several small flat-bottomed fishing boats parked next to the ferry.

"Sir, this is it."

The servant sent by the Shen family hurried forward and pulled off the rope tied to the wooden stake. "This boat belongs to my Shen family. We usually use it to clean and catch river shrimps. You can use it as you like."

Longquan Mountain is located in the north of Liangzi Lake. If you go there by land, you have to cross mountains and hills for a long time. The best way is to take a boat.

Because it is a secret investigation, it is not easy to bring people with you.

"Thank you."

Li Yan smiled and nodded, saying, "The scenery of Liangzi Lake is quite beautiful. We will go around and maybe camp outdoors. We will return in a few days. Please let Mr. Shen know."

"You are too polite, young man."

The servant was about to turn around, but hesitated for a moment, then turned his head back and said, "Young man, you are a master, and I shouldn't say too much, but you are not familiar with this place after all, so I still need to talk to you about some things."

Li Yan became interested, "Is there any danger here?"

The servant replied, "This Liangzi Lake covers an area of ​​more than 700,000 mu and has a vast expanse of water. Since ancient times, many kilns have been built in the surrounding mountains."

"Some kilns belong to the Miao people and are located close to the Miao village. They don't like outsiders to get close to them. I heard that they even use Gu to poison people..."

"Also, there are three taboos to be aware of in Liangzi Lake."

"First, don't go into the water when it's thundering or raining. It's said that a long time ago, Liangzi Lake was still land and there was a Gaotang County. Later, it rained heavily and the earth dragon turned over, and it turned directly into a lake of ten thousand acres."

"So some people say that when it rains, countless wronged souls from the bottom of the lake will float to the surface to seduce people. I don't know if this is true or not, but we have been told since childhood not to go into the water when it rains..."

"The second is the old kiln site in the mountains. Kilns have been fired here since the Qin and Han dynasties. Some of them have been abandoned and strange things often happen there. Don't go near them at night..."

"The third one is the Gu jar. I heard that it was placed by the Gu woman in the Miao village. Sometimes it is placed in the water, and sometimes it is placed on the wild roads in the mountains. If you encounter it, you should stay away from it to avoid being tricked..."

Li Yan frowned after hearing this, "With so many things going on, didn't the county magistrate report it to his superiors and have someone handle it?"

The servant replied: "A monk came here before, but after a few turns, he said that Liangzi Lake was fine."

"They did seal off a few old kilns, performed some rituals outside, and said something to the people in the Miao village."

"Since then, there have been fewer Gu jars, but sometimes you still come across them. So it's better to be careful."

"I know, thank you."

Li Yan clasped his fists and then jumped onto the wooden boat.

The wooden boat is not big, about five meters long, more than enough to accommodate three people.

After seeing the servant leave, Li Yan rowed the boat and slowly sailed away from the shore.

Since entering Ezhou, they have traveled by water most of the time.

After all, Li Yan had already mastered the art of martial arts and had an extremely precise control over strength. After playing with it for a few times on the way, he had already learned how to steer the boat.

Although it was a little shaky, the speed was extremely fast.

This was a tough situation for the savage Wu Ba, who lay flat on his back in the cabin, holding onto the edge of the boat with his hands, screaming and crying for fear of falling off.

The fear of water seems to be ingrained in his bones.

Li Yan shook his head slightly and looked at Lu San again, "Brother Lu San, attract the fish to explore and see what is at the bottom of the lake."

Lu San didn't waste any words. He pinched his fingers to perform some magic spells, leaned over the edge of the boat, and slapped the water with his palms, creating splashes of water.

Soon, schools of fish gathered from all directions.

But when they were approaching the wooden boat, they were frightened by something and suddenly scattered, without any movement.

Li Yan frowned, "What's wrong?"

Lu San looked around the water in thought, "This place is already owned by someone. The fish and shrimp won't listen to my commands. If I continue to call them, it will be a provocation. I'm afraid I'll be retaliated against."

Upon hearing this, Li Yan quickly performed some magic spells and took a deep breath.

In an instant, the smell within three hundred meters rushed into the nose.

But apart from the smell of water, there was only some fishy smell of shrimp, without any evil aura, and the bottom of the water was full of the smell of mud and soil.

"This water is quite deep."

Li Yan was a little surprised. The underwater depth of Liangzi Lake was as deep as a hundred meters, and this was not even the center of the lake. The deeper you went, the deeper it got.

The sense of smell would be hindered by soil and moisture, and a hundred meters was his limit. After driving for a while, he could no longer smell what was below.

Thinking of this, Li Yan asked again: "What could it be?"

Lu San replied: "They are nothing but fish monsters, water demons, and water ghosts who occupy this area and regard this place as their territory."

Li Yan shook his head and said, "If that's the case, don't provoke them. It's more important to do business first."

As he spoke, he exerted force on his hands, and the boat sped up and headed towards the northern waters...

…………

"Have those companies been notified?"

"Master, I haven't had time to think about it. Besides, if something happens to our Shen family, others will probably stay away from us..."

"It's their business what they do. We must be polite and courteous. Especially at this time, we must be more particular. Send someone to announce the death, and no family should be left behind..."

"Has the village's pension been paid?"

"Master, half of it has been distributed, but the second and third masters are arguing and won't let us touch the treasury silver."

"Take the Black Cloud Guards with you and tell them that this is my father's funeral. If they make trouble again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"Yes, Master!"

In the main hall of the Shen family, Shen Jinghong frowned.

In China, weddings and funerals are major life events for both royal family members and ordinary people, and they cannot be taken lightly.

This is etiquette and also a norm.

Some people think it is too cumbersome, but in fact they don’t know the deep meaning behind it.

It is precisely because of these "rituals" that the country and society can run smoothly. Once the "rituals and music collapse", there will be chaos and turmoil.

It is for this reason that throughout the dynasties, the three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism have been fighting for the right to make rules.

The same is true for folk funerals.

It seems like just burying the ancestors, but family, neighbors, colleagues, partners... wherever they have intersections, they will gather because of this matter.

There are rules for what you do and how you speak.

If a small family behaves recklessly, at most they will be criticized by the villagers behind their backs. But if a large family fails to do so, it might be the beginning of its decline.

After Shen Jinghong finished arranging everything, he looked at Wang Daoxuan next to him and said, "Master, do you think there are any other omissions?"

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and said, "Mr. Shen's arrangements are very thoughtful, except that the funeral period is a bit long, a full seven days. The weather is hot now, and I'm afraid your father's body won't be able to hold up." There are rules for the duration of the funeral, usually an odd number, three, five, or seven days.

Shen Jinghong was also somewhat helpless. "Since we want to hold a big event, we must stop for seven days, and we have to wait for some people from the Chamber of Commerce to come and pay their respects. This is related to whether my Shen family can turn things around in the future."

Wang Daoxuan pondered for a moment, "In that case, I will perform a ritual every night and stick the Snow Mountain Talisman on the coffin. It should be able to last until the burial."

"Thank you, Taoist Wang."

Shen Jinghong hurriedly thanked him and discussed the burial arrangements with Wang Daoxuan...

On the side slope of the mansion, Sharifei huddled beside the stove, drinking wine and chatting with the carpenters who came to help.

This is also the rule. When carpenters come to work, the hosts will usually treat them well, firstly to express their gratitude, and secondly to prevent them from being dissatisfied and doing something wrong.

The food and wine are not high-end goods. The rice wine brewed by the people themselves, combined with the river fish and shrimp caught from Liangzi Lake, is enough to satisfy the carpenters.

Sharifei was eloquent and soon became friends with the craftsmen.

After three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became more harmonious.

Sharifei toasted a few people with a glass of wine and said with a chuckle, "You have worked all over Jiangxia and have seen a lot. Have you seen anything strange?"

"Hey, I've seen a lot."

One of them liked to brag, and immediately said, "Although Jiangxia is not big, there are not many people in the government office. Some places are very closed, and if something happens, it will be handled according to the clan rules."

"A few years ago, there was a village in our district where a man was building a house. The beams just wouldn't go up, even pouring chicken blood on them. As a result, in the middle of the night, more than a dozen members of the owner's family hanged themselves. That scene was so devastating..."

"Shut up now."

One of the old carpenters laughed and scolded: "They are specialized in handling these matters. Don't they know more than you? Don't embarrass yourself..."

Sharifei laughed, "Old man, you are joking. We are just trying to make a living. What I am interested in is whether there are any rare monsters in Jiangxia?"

The old carpenter shook his head and said, "What can there be? There are only wolves, insects, tigers and leopards. As long as you don't go into the mountains, you'll be fine."

The man who was confronted was a little unconvinced, "Who said there wasn't?"

"Oh?"

Sharifei became interested when he heard this and quickly poured wine, "Brother, tell me about it."

The man was a little hesitant at first, but as he was drunk and everyone was watching him, he whispered, "Don't talk nonsense about this matter."

"A while ago, I took a job in Baihewan, making a dozen coffins temporarily, and I encountered a strange thing."

The old carpenter next to him sneered and said, "How rare is it? A while ago, the demons were causing chaos and many people died. The county didn't have enough coffins. Everyone here has taken on a lot of work."

"I made at least twenty thin-skinned coffins..."

"What do you know?!"

The man's face turned red and his neck became thick. He glared and said, "I saw the dead man in the coffin. He was not wounded by a knife, but bitten by a wild beast."

"There were several corpses, half of their bodies were bitten off, and they were patched up with wood, which I made myself."

"I also saw a tooth mark. One of the teeth was as thick as a fist. I don't know what bit it."

"Damn, it's scary just thinking about it..."

"White River Bay?"

Sharifei thought, "Where is the village?"

The man replied: "It's just north of Liangzi Lake..."

As he was speaking, there was suddenly a noise in the yard.

Sharifei frowned and quickly got up and entered the Shen family mansion.

The carpenters also wanted to join in the fun, but were stopped by the Shen family's servants.

Sha Lifei quickly came to the side yard, only to see that the swordsmen of the Shen family had cordoned off the yards where the second and third rooms were located, forbidding them from going out.

The people from the second and third rooms also cursed loudly.

"Where do you get the courage?!"

"Let the little bastard come out to see us!"

"That is, what right does he have to make the decision?"

Sharifei came over and listened, and then he understood the cause and effect.

However, it was Shen Jinghong who was holding a funeral and wanted to use the money in the treasury. These people were anxious and wanted to stop him, but they were blocked in the yard.

"A bunch of fools..."

Sharifei cursed in his heart, his face full of sarcasm.

These guys haven't figured out the situation yet. Although Shen Jinghong is weak, he is ruthless and will do bad things when he is pushed into a corner.

When the old housekeeper delivered the compensation in the morning, he blamed the delay on the two families, and he had already lost the support of the people...

The people sent out to report the death would also cry about it.

These two families were in the wrong to begin with, and now even the old lady doesn't want to pay attention to them. I'm afraid she will kick them out once the funeral is over.

Shen Jinghong can still leave a good reputation.

If they tried their best to help, they might even get some money, but now that they are causing trouble, they might not get even a penny...

Sure enough, the Shen family swordsmen had obviously received orders, and when they saw someone trying to rush out, they attacked back without mercy.

The old housekeeper also came over after hearing the noise and said in a cold voice: "The old lady has ordered that anyone who dares to make trouble again must pack up and leave now!"

After hearing what the old lady said, the people from the second and third rooms lost their arrogance and had to hold back their anger and go back.

After returning to the house, the fat and thin old men were all extremely angry, but since what happened last night, the old lady of the Shen family no longer wanted to see them.

If you want to do something bad, you have no place to start.

At this moment, Shen Jingcan's eyes rolled and he suddenly said, "Father, Third Uncle, Shen Jinghong is really trying to push us into a dead end. If we continue to make trouble, we will end up in trouble."

"We have to find a way out."

"Where's the escape route?"

"It's not like Shen Jinghong doesn't want Uncle's treasure. Instead of arguing here, why don't we go find it?"

"If I had found it, would I still have to endure this?"

…………

On the other side, seeing that there was no more excitement to watch, Sharifei returned to the house, picked up a pen, wrote a note and put it into the bamboo tube.

In order to facilitate the delivery of messages, the falcon remained in the Shen family.

After Sharifei tied the bamboo tube, the falcon suddenly soared into the sky, circled several times over the lake, and flew towards the north.

On the northern shore of Liangzi Lake, Li Yan and his two companions had just disembarked.

Seeing the falcon falling, Lu San quickly raised his arm to catch it, then took out the bamboo tube and handed it to Li Yan.

"White River Bay?"

After reading it, Li Yan nodded and said, "It's just right. Let's go ask around before it gets dark."

Upon hearing this, Lu San released the falcon again.

The strength on Sharifei's side is relatively weak, so Yingshuan has to stay in the Shen family so that they can be notified in time if anything happens.

They dragged the boat ashore, covered it with branches, and then walked along the river bank and the forest, preparing to find someone to ask for directions.

However, before they had walked far, the savage Wu Ba suddenly shuddered, lowered his body, and growled at the forest.

Li Yan quickly made a gesture and took a deep sniff.

"Be careful, there are wild animals."

As soon as the words fell, a dark shadow appeared in the shadows of the woods in the distance. It was so vague that it could not be seen clearly, and it was waving at them gently...

(End of this chapter)