Knife splashing

Chapter 430: Wanzhou Night Mooring
The river was surging and the cargo ship was moving slowly forward.

This is a shallow water area, and there are mountains blocking the way. There is no wind, so it is extremely difficult for the cargo ship to move forward.

Fortunately, there was a group of boatmen guarding this place all year round. When they saw the cargo ship coming, they rushed up without saying a word and said, "Boatman, three taels of silver, will you pull it?"

Clipper Zhang directly bowed, "Thank you for your hard work."

Three taels of silver was a bit expensive to be honest, but it wasn't much when divided among the twenty or so trackers, and it was hard-earned money, so "Fast Boat Zhang" was too lazy to bargain.

"It's open and bright, and I guarantee you'll be safe!"

The leader of the boat trackers smiled innocently, and quickly called his men to set up the tow ropes, and work together to pull the boat.

Their muscles were tense, their whole bodies exerted their strength, the ropes left deep marks on their shoulders, and they stepped on the rocks on the shore and shouted at the same time:
"Three feet of white cloth and four ounces of hemp, hands on stones and feet on sand.

Going up the hill barefoot, there is no way to pull the oars.

Why is this? For a better life.

Hey! Hey! Hey hey hey…”

In front of the boat pavilion window, Li Yan withdrew his gaze with a solemn expression, looked at Captain Tian opposite him, and said in a deep voice: "Captain Tian, ​​has Zhao Changsheng come to Shu?"

“Just a clue.”

Captain Tian shook his head and said, "When we were in Ezhou, we received intelligence that two years ago, Zhao Changsheng briefly appeared in Shuzhong, stayed in Wanzhou, and finally went to Chengdu."

"Two years ago..."

After hearing this, Li Yan suddenly became thoughtful.

He had heard this more than once.

Two years ago, there was an unusual movement near Dujiangyan. In Daba Mountain, the dragon energy of the army of the gods began to move. The dragon girl guarding outside Shennongjia also sensed the abnormality and tried to leave, but was suppressed...

Outside Dujiangyan, the struggle between good and evil in the southwest also began at this time. The two sides fought fiercely, which was probably related to Erlang Shen...

There was also the Emei disciple he captured in Shennongjia.

The other person's name is Wu Faluo. He became a disciple of Qingniu Temple. He went to Chengdu, but his master disappeared and he was framed. When he returned to the temple, he found that his fellow disciple had become a different person...

Almost all of these things happened two years ago.

If it were anyone else, he would not have too many associations, but Zhao Changsheng was different. The other party had lived for a long time, came back to life several times, stirred up trouble, and had set up too many hidden tricks.

Who knows, will there be any new plot?
"Have you found any clues?"

Li Yan continued to ask.

Tian Qianhu looked around and whispered, "Wanzhou didn't find anything, but he found the place where Zhao Changsheng was last seen."

"Where?"

"Shu Palace."

"Shu Palace?!"

When Li Yan heard this, he was suddenly startled.

Shuzhong is a land of abundance, and the vassal kings here are also very special, as they are brothers of the current emperor.

Because he made great contributions both in the ascension of the emperor to the throne and in stabilizing the political situation, he was highly favored.

Unlike other vassal kings, he was directly called the King of Shu.

It can be said that the strength is extraordinary.

Thinking of this, Li Yan felt even more puzzled and asked, "Could it be that the King of Shu has second thoughts?"

Captain Tian's face froze, and he waved his hand quickly, saying, "Young Master Li, it's better not to say such things. The King of Shu is deeply trusted by His Majesty, and we cannot guess."

Li Yan frowned slightly, "Captain Tian, ​​this is about Zhao Changsheng, so we should be as cautious as possible. Why do you have to speak in such an official tone to me?"

This guy must have some suspicions, otherwise why would he still stay here to investigate? It's just that there are some things he doesn't dare to say.

"Please forgive me, Young Master Li."

Tian Qianhu sighed, "In the underworld and in the government, we have no control over our lives. There are some things we can only do, but I cannot touch anything outside of my duties. If I do, I will die."

"I only deliver the intelligence. It is up to your majesty to decide."

The public sector is so troublesome.

Li Yan didn't want to dwell on this anymore, so he continued to ask, "What did you find out?"

"Sichuan Salt Gang!"

A fierce light flashed in Tian Qianhu's eyes, "There are some things that you don't know until you check them out, and you'll be shocked when you check them out."

"The Sichuan Salt Gang has expanded rapidly in recent years. Not only have they recruited various experts, but many officials in Sichuan have also been coerced by them. They also have close ties with the royal palace."

"I sent several capable men to infiltrate the palace and the salt gang, and I infiltrated the Gelaohui, which was against them, to find out what they were trying to do."

"The matter of Baidi City is actually very simple."

"Originally, Gongsun Shu occupied Shu at the end of the Han Dynasty and built a city on the mountain. Because a well in the city often emitted white steam, like a white dragon, he called himself Baidi. After his death, the locals built a Baidi Temple to worship him."

"When Emperor Xuan came to power, he designated this as an obscene sacrifice, demolished the temple, and built the 'Three Merits Temple' to worship the river god, the land god, and Ma Yuan."

"There is the Daning Salt Field in the Wuxi area, but it is controlled by the local Tujia nobles, and the salt gang has been difficult to infiltrate for many years."

"Over the years, the Shuzhong Chamber of Commerce has made a fortune by opening up the sea, and has had many conflicts with the Salt Gang. So it joined forces with the Gelaohui and the Cao Gang, and gradually took control of the eastern Sichuan area."

"The newly appointed governor of Kuizhou visited Baidi City and thought that the story of entrusting an orphan to someone else in Baidi City was well-known throughout the world, so the 'Three Merits Temple' should be demolished and the 'Yizheng Temple' should be built to enshrine Liu, Guan, Zhang and Wu Hou."

"The Shuzhong Chamber of Commerce catered to their wishes and started the reconstruction, but the Salt Gang saw an opportunity and went to lobby the Tujia nobles in Wuxi, saying that Baidi City should worship Baidi Tianwang, also known as 'Linjun'."

"Those Tujia nobles were tempted, but they knew they were no match for the Shuzhong Chamber of Commerce, so the Salt Gang intervened."

As he spoke, Tian Qianhu frowned and said, "I originally thought it was just an ordinary fight in the martial arts world, but after arriving here, I found it strange."

"Smuggling salt is not about salt, but about trade routes and connections. The Sichuan Salt Gang's headquarters is located in a place with many salt ponds, so there is no shortage of salt. Why do you go to so much trouble to enter Wuxi..."

"For the elixir of immortality!"

Li Yan said coldly: "They want to find the immortality elixir of the ancient Wuxiang Kingdom. That's why we are fighting them."

"It turns out that the one who really wanted to take action was the King of Shu. If I remember correctly, this King of Shu is not young anymore."

"I see…"

Tian Qianhu frowned, a trace of disgust flashed in his eyes, "Many people have died because of this matter, but I didn't expect it was because of this absurd thing."

After that, he was silent for a while. "The King of Shu suddenly wanted to find the elixir of immortality. Maybe it has something to do with Zhao Changsheng. I will continue to investigate this matter. Young Master Li, be careful on the road."

"This is a token. I have a spy in the Salt Gang. If someone comes looking for you with this order, as long as we can match them, there will be no problem."

After handing him a semicircular copper buckle, Tian Qianhu jumped onto the boat and left quickly.

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

He suddenly remembered the words of Wudang headmaster Yu Chanzi.

"'Humanitarian change' is coming, and we must not be careless."

"Senior, what is 'humanitarian change'? Did it happen because of the opening of the sea and firearms?"

"Everything in the universe has its birth and death, its beginning and its end. 'Humanity change' is both a catastrophe and a beginning."

"By then, people's minds will change, dragons and snakes will rise from the land, and gods and ghosts will appear..."

…………

Not long after Tian Qianhu left, Li Yan and his crew's cargo ship also passed through the shallow water area and continued along the river.

The delay in Baidi City obviously wasted time, and when they were about to approach Wanzhou, it was almost dusk.

But at the corner of the river bank, there stands a city.

The city is not big. It is high in the north and low in the south, wide in the south and narrow in the north. It is built on the mountain and faces the river to the south.

Near the city, the coast is full of rocks, connected into a piece, uneven, and there are springs on it, bubbling with water. When Wang Daoxuan saw it, he couldn't help but stroke his beard and said, "The yin is embracing the yang, the jade belt is entwined, and the ground is gushing with golden springs. What a good feng shui!"

This is Wanzhou City, named after its name which means "the great river reaches here, and all rivers converge here". Although the city is not big, it has always been an important port on the Yangtze River in Shu.

Feng Shui goes without saying.

Li Yan and others are concerned about other things.

The dock here is of typical Shu style.

Built with bluestone, hundreds of long steps lead to the city gate. Under the ancient city wall, people build houses on the hillside, with candlelight flickering and a bit messy.

There are a large number of ships docked at the pier.

It's so densely packed that you can hardly see the end.

Fishing lights are like stars, people are bustling around, and the sounds of Shu are noisy.

“Something is wrong…”

"Speedboat Zhang" frowned when he saw it and said in a deep voice: "I've been to Wanzhou Wharf before. Although it's prosperous, it's not like this. Something must have happened."

"Xiao Si, go and ask around."

"Yes, master."

A disciple clasped his fists and left, first using a bamboo pole to jump onto the rocks along the coast, then ran to the pier and joined the crowd.

After a while, he returned and said, "Master, there was an incident on the river ahead. I heard that there were bandits robbing, and several merchant ships were overturned and happened to be docked on the shallows."

"All the ships are stuck here and can't get through for a while."

"What a coincidence..."

"Clipper Zhang" snorted coldly, "Robbery is fine, but they also want to overturn the cargo ship. It's obvious that they are deliberately blocking the waterway."

"Young Master Li, this is most likely the work of the Salt Gang."

Li Yan pondered for a moment, turned his head and looked at the setting sun, with a hint of murderous intent in his eyes, "The sun is about to set. If they dare to take action, they will be courting death."

"You stay here. Lao Sha, follow me ashore. Senior Zhang, what supplies do you need? I'll buy them all."

"Clipper Zhang" was a little confused as to what the connection was between the darkness and the enemy's desire to commit suicide, but he did not ask any further questions and quickly wrote out a list.

He had already seen that Li Yan and the others were experienced in the martial arts world and were also members of the Xuanmen sect. Even if they encountered any problems, they would be better at handling them than himself.

After taking the note from "Clipper Zhang", Li Yan turned his head to look at the cabin again. He saw a female disciple coming out and making a gesture, and then he left with peace of mind.

He was about to leave, and Bai Huan, the most accomplished old woman on the ship, naturally took over the responsibility of defense.

…………

"Baomian, Baomian!"

"Grilled crispy fish, would you like one?"

"Princess, princess..."

Before I got close, the noise was overwhelming.

Li Yan winked and asked the eloquent Sharifei to go ahead and inquire about the news, while he followed behind, always paying attention to the movements around him.

If it was really the Salt Gang who was behind this, they would definitely send people to launch a sneak attack.

He pinched the Yang Jue and took a deep breath.

All of a sudden, all kinds of smells flooded into my nose.

This guest house travels back and forth from the south to the north, and is sailing all year round. Not to mention the sour smell on his body, mixed with the smell of charcoal fire and grilled fish at the dock, it almost made Li Yan fall.

But he still keenly discerned some things.

There was a sinister aura about several boats and a group of old customers squatting on the dock steps smoking their pipes.

These are the traces left by frequent use of magic.

Real sorcerers are far less common, especially in a small city like Wanzhou. There are only one or two at most, and they usually take on jobs and do things.

It's so dense, there must be something wrong.

But as the saying goes, a true man never reveals his true face. The smell of these people could not be hidden from experts. At most, they were ordinary sorcerers who had just built a building.

Finding these people is not enough...

And after some inquiries, Sharifei found out the reason.

However, a large number of ships were stranded here. Wanzhou City was not big and could not accommodate them all. The county government was also afraid of accidents and therefore prohibited them from entering the city.

But the people living under the city found an opportunity.

They prepare the food at home and carry it directly to the dock to sell. Even if they can only earn a few copper coins, it is still considered income.

Not being able to enter the city was a problem, so Sharifei took the note and asked several households before he bought some supplies. He then hired a few porters to deliver the supplies to the boat along the river bank.

The pier is a busy place. With so many people gathered together, there are naturally many wandering people. Some people carry lanterns, paint pots on the ground, and set up stalls to perform.

They are all people of the underworld. Those who sell fake medicine or cheat in gambling will naturally not come out to make a fool of themselves.

Basically, they are all street performers.

Li Yan was planning to leave, but there was a burst of applause from the crowd, and then many people gathered together, which immediately attracted his attention.

I saw a young man standing by the dock. He looked handsome, but his brows were drawn back, and he looked like a person who had been bullied.

He covered his face and wailed, "Junior Sister Liu, I am sincere. If you agree, we will get married tonight!"

"Pooh!"

The famous girl standing opposite him blushed, "Mr. Cui, you have no shame. I've heard you say this to several people."

"Really, I really mean it."

The young man was immediately anxious, raised his hand and pointed to the sky and swore: "Grandmaster, I, Cui Song, am willing to marry Junior Sister Liu. If I tell even a single lie..."

"Hahaha!"

The people around him were immediately amused and started to make a noise, "Brother Cui, your name is notorious in Wanzhou City. People in the Jinlan Society say that you are only one step away from becoming a flower-stealing thief."

"It seems that you are not in a hurry to get married, but to enter the bridal chamber...hahaha!"

"Bah bah bah!"

The girl's face suddenly turned red. She kicked the young man hard, turned around and jumped onto the boat, disappearing without a trace.

When Li Yan saw it, his eyes narrowed slightly.

It seemed that the woman was just kicking out with hatred, but she was using a snake-like step. Between kicking and retracting, it was like the tongue of a snake, graceful and agile.

It is the Emei Snake Fist.

Sure enough, after entering Shu, the number of Emei disciples increased a lot.

"Ouch~"

The young man, Cui Song, was kicked and immediately grimaced, making the people around him laugh.

He was not angry, but smiled bitterly and clasped his fists and said, "My fellow comrades, please stop ruining my business. If I don't find a wife this year, oh~"

"How difficult is it to find a wife?"

A man who looked like a wealthy businessman in the crowd said with a smile: "Brother Cui is from the Dian Yi School, and he is also a disciple of a famous family. Come with me to Chengdu, there are many girls who like him."

"But there is something I want to ask you. I heard that you have seen the 'Gray Robe Mad Monk'?"

Li Yan had been planning to leave, but when he heard the name, his body stiffened and he stopped immediately.

There are strange people in Shu, one of whom is this "crazy monk in gray robe", and he also has another identity, that is, the senior living ghost messenger, the disciple of Xing Hepu...

(End of this chapter)