Knife splashing

Chapter 447: The Road to Shu is Dangerous
“Don’t seek truth in everything…”

Sharifi wondered, "What does this mean?"

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and shook his head, saying, "Senior, I think what you mean is that we should not take things too seriously. There are many hidden dragons and crouching tigers in Shu, and we have offended the Shu Palace. We need to keep a low profile."

Li Yan looked at the other person's leaving figure, thoughtful.

Inexplicably, he thought of the wealthy man from Chengdu.

Is he a monk who worships Erlang Zhenjun, or...

Just then, a voice beside him interrupted his thoughts.

"Young Master Li."

"Fast Ship Zhang" bowed and said, "Since you are going to Chongqing Prefecture by land, we will simply take our leave now."

Li Yan clasped his fists and said, "Brother Zhang, you have worked hard on this trip."

As he spoke, he took a wooden box from Sharifi and handed it to "Clipper Zhang", and whispered, "There are some things in it, brother, take it on the way, and open it after we leave."

"Hey, that should be done."

Clipper Zhang didn't take it seriously. After taking the box, he sighed, "Young Master Li, you are loyal and sentimental. You are a good person, but you are still a little hard-headed."

"There is a saying in the Sichuan and Shu rivers and lakes: there is no fame of a thousand miles, only friendship of a thousand miles."

“The road to Shu is difficult. Make more friends and the journey will be easier.”

"Yes, I took note of it."

Li Yan could see that Clipper Zhang said these words because he truly regarded them as friends.

"Everyone, see you later!"

"See you later!"

After saying goodbye to each other, "Fast Boat Zhang" led his disciples eastward towards Fengdu.

The Shu Palace knew that Li Yan and his party were heading to Chengdu, so the waters around Fengdu were not strictly checked.

With "Clipper Zhang's" experience, he can leave easily.

"Let's go too."

Li Yan turned his head and looked at the mountain road. "Let's go to Chongqing first, get some information, get some supplies, and then go to Chengdu by land!"

On the other side, not long after "Clipper Zhang" left, he opened the wooden box and glanced at it casually.

Then, the heart started pounding.

There are two things in the box.

A silver note worth five thousand taels.

This was relatively easy to deal with. Firstly, it was the fare for the journey, and secondly, the ship that was promised to take them had been seized by the Palace of the Prince of Shu, so they used silver to offset it.

The other is this book.

It clearly says "Essentials of the Mysterious Teachings" on it.

This book is very famous. "Clipper Zhang" has also heard of it. It is an introductory book for disciples of Xuanmen, mainly explaining various knowledge of Xuanmen.

With this book, when he encounters something, he won't be at a loss and can only use the experience passed down by the older generation to avoid it.

If any of the future generations awaken their supernatural powers, they will not miss the opportunity.

"Master, where are we going?"

A disciple suddenly asked.

"Go to Xiangyang!"

"Fast Boat Zhang" said in a deep voice: "Wandering around the world is not a good thing after all. Master, I am old and I want to settle down."

"Whoever wants the name 'Clippers' can take it..."

As he said this, he turned his head and glanced at the mountains and rivers behind him.

He suddenly felt a little sad.

It’s easy to grow old in the world, we promised to meet again, but I guess it’s hard to meet people like Li Yan again in the future...

………………

In the wild mountain suburbs, the autumn colors are thick.

It was almost dusk, the setting sun was shining obliquely, the maple leaves in the mountains were like fire, the sycamore leaves were yellow, and the scene was colorful.

The autumn wind blows gently, the fallen leaves fly, and the path is covered with golden leaves.

In the mountains, an ancient road winds through the forests and across the mountains. The stone steps are mottled in the wind, and the traces of time are vividly visible.

The sound of horse hooves echoed through the valley.

A caravan traveled along the ancient road.

They looked exhausted, the mules and horses they were leading were loaded with goods, neighing constantly, the carts and horses were rumbling, and they were walking with difficulty. Occasionally they would take a rest by the stream, drink water to quench the thirst of the horses, and wash their faces with water to wash away the dust from the journey.

The leader of the caravan was a middle-aged man. Although he was a traveling merchant, he could not hide his scholarly air.

He leaned on a stick and climbed up to look into the distance. Suddenly, he pointed to the distance and said happily, "Ahfu, look, that's the Lychee Ancient Trail."

The personal servant poked his head out to look, and saw a small path looming on the hillside in the distance. He wiped his sweat and asked, "Master, why is it called this? Is it because lychees are grown in abundance nearby?"

"That's about right. It's both production and delivery."

The middle-aged man leaned on a stick and looked around. "During the Tianbao period, Yang Guifei loved to eat lychees, so Emperor Xuanzong built a special post road for transportation."

"At that time, lychees were mainly produced in Lingnan, Bashu and Minzhou. This place starts from Fuling and reaches Chang'an via Ziwu Road."

“If lychees are separated from their branches, their color will change in one day, their fragrance will change in two days, and their taste will change in three days.”

"Although the imperial concubine grew up in Shu and lychees could ease her homesickness, the Litchi Road was built after the establishment of the 'One Rider in Red Dust Makes the Imperial Concubine Smile', and the Tang Dynasty went from prosperity to decline."

"The master is very knowledgeable."

The servant flattered him and then complained: "This road is too difficult to travel. Not only does it take time, but it also costs more. It's better to take the water route."

"Master, why don't I want to?"

The middle-aged man sighed, "The Sichuan Salt Gang and the Chamber of Commerce are fighting fiercely. On the waterways near Chongqing, the Paijiao and the Cao Gang are plotting against each other. Merchants are suffering a lot. We can't afford to offend any of them."

"These Shu embroidery are the foundation of my Lu family's turnaround. After the opening of the sea, the supply will be in short supply. As long as we send them to Tianjin, everything will be solved."

The servant muttered, "We are the only ones walking on this desolate road. What should we do if we run into thieves?"

The middle-aged man blinked, stroked his beard and smiled, "It is precisely because no one is walking that there are few mountain bandits. If you take the waterway, not only will the soldiers along the way rob you, but there will also be many water bandits."

"Don't worry, as long as we get on the Litchi Road from Fuling, there will be many caravans coming and going, so there's nothing to worry about..."

"Hahaha!"

Before he finished speaking, the man driving the cart in front of him suddenly laughed, then threw the reins, pulled out a hatchet from his waist, and said happily: "Master Lu, you are making a lot of noise, but do you really think that we brothers are just here to eat and do nothing?"

As he said this, he looked around and said with a smile: "Do you know why no one comes here? The government doesn't care. Anyone who dares to go this way never survives!"

When the middle-aged man saw it, he felt a chill in his heart.

He had also heard about some of the tricks of the underworld, and had vaguely guessed that when he was looking for someone in Chongqing, he might have revealed his true identity and was being targeted.

"He's only one person, what is he afraid of?"

"Yes, kill this son of a bitch!"

The other members of the caravan took out their weapons.

They help people transport goods all year round and are not afraid of using knives.

The man quickly ran out, then stood on the slope, put his hand into his mouth, and took a deep breath.

A loud whistle shook the mountains.

Damn, this guy is just scouting...

When everyone saw this, they immediately became alert.

However, there was no movement around.

"What's going on..." the man muttered and blew it twice.

However, there was still no response from the mountains and forests.

The men in the caravan looked at each other.

"catch him!"

At a shout, everyone rushed forward, waving whips and hitting with sticks, beating the man until he screamed in pain, and then tied him up tightly.

Just then, there was a noise coming from the corner of the mountain path.

Everyone looked up and saw a tall, hairy man walking out, holding an axe in one hand and a bloody head in the other.

"Monster...monster!"

When everyone in the caravan saw this, they were immediately frightened.

In the Bashu area, witchcraft and ghost magic have been prevalent since ancient times, and there are many strange stories in the countryside, such as the bear lady, the hanging-faced man, the mountain boy... There are many of them.

This thing in front of me doesn't look like a human at all.

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Could it be that there is a man-eating monster on this mountain road?
"Where are you all going?"

Just as they were about to escape, a figure flashed behind the giant. He had a bald head, a beard, and a fierce look on his face. It was obvious that he was not a good person.

But at least, he looks like a human...

The people who came were Sharifei and Wuba.

Seeing the look on everyone's faces, Sharifei muttered a curse, then stroked his big bald head and forced a kind smile, "Don't be afraid, there was a group of bandits ahead, we have already dealt with them, you can go without worry."

"We are just asking how to get to Chongqing Prefecture?"

The leader of the caravan was relieved, and did not dare to neglect him. He bowed respectfully and said, "My dear fellow, the mountain road ahead is very old, and the earth dragon turned over a few years ago, so it has long disappeared."

"Follow this road and go over that mountain. There is a village called 'Luoluo' (ancient name of the Yi people). There is a small path from there. If you follow it, you can continue the road and go straight to Chongqing Prefecture."

"Okay, thanks!"

Sharifei clasped his fists and prepared to leave.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man was moved and bowed again, saying, "Wait a minute, brave man, listen to me. If you see anything, don't say anything, especially don't offend 'Xi Po' and the big and small ghosts."

Sharifei narrowed his eyes slightly, "Is the village not clean?"

"No."

The middle-aged man explained quickly: "The Luoluo people believe in the ghost master, who is both a priest and a tribal leader. Later, the imperial court implemented the Tusi system, and the ghost masters, big and small, were appointed as Tusi officials. Xipo is the priest, also known as 'Bimo'."

"Now that the imperial court has changed the native system to Han Chinese, the Luo Luo people have resumed their old title of Ghost Lord. Although they trade with the Han people, they don't like to be disturbed. Moreover, the imperial court wants to appoint officials, which they don't like very much."

"understood!"

Sharifei understood immediately, bowed slightly, and jumped up the slope with Wuba, heading towards the dense forest on the mountain.

"Come on!"

Watching the two disappear, the middle-aged man hurriedly greeted them in a low voice.

The caravan sped up and soon turned the mountainside. When they saw the scene ahead, their eyes widened.

On the mountainside, there were large amounts of broken limbs and arms, the ground was in a mess, and weapons such as bows and arrows, and machetes were scattered everywhere.

"Brother! Brother!"

Seeing a head rolling on the ground, the captured man burst into tears and struggled frantically.

Bang!
The man from the caravan nearby knocked him unconscious with a stick, and then said to the middle-aged man: "Mr. Lu, I'm afraid we have run into a martial arts expert. Don't make trouble. Let's leave Fuling quickly and go to Ziwu Road."

"Yep."

The middle-aged man's face turned pale and he quickly led the caravan away.

Behind him, the stumps on the ground gradually attracted wild beasts to eat them...

………………

In the dense forest, Li Yan and his group were resting.

"We didn't go the wrong way."

Sharifei recounted what had happened, pointed to the distance and said, "After crossing that mountain and passing a Luoluo village, you can continue on the road..."

After leaving Fuling, everyone went to Chongqing Prefecture.

The mountain road was dangerous and there were many forks in the road. Some were ancient post roads that had been abandoned, and some were built by local people. The road was surrounded by clouds and fog and we finally got lost.

Fortunately, we have Lu San’s eagle Lidong, and the general direction is correct.

As for those bandits, they originally wanted to ambush the caravan, but when they saw that there were many women in Li Yan's team, who were wearing white clothes and masking their faces but had graceful figures, they became lustful and wanted to rob them of their money and rape them.

Needless to say, with Sharifei leading the charge, Wuba killed them all by himself.

Li Yan had supernatural powers of hearing, and had heard everything the caravan had said. He frowned and shook his head, saying, "Things don't seem peaceful over in Chongqing. Several forces are fighting fiercely, and we might be affected. We'd better get ready as soon as possible."

"Young Master Li is right."

The old woman Bai Huan smiled and said, "Yang Opera Troupe is popular in many places in the southwest. Bashu has a small population but a large population, and the customs of each village are different. If we want to travel by land, we will inevitably pass by."

"If you dress up as a Yang Opera Troupe, you will be respected wherever you go."

"That's daring!"

Sharifei said happily: "Thanks to my cleverness, when I was in Fengdu, I asked Brother Changgui to prepare some costumes for us. We can dress up and free up some empty suitcases."

After saying that, he led his men forward and unloaded several wooden boxes from the mule. When they opened them, they were filled with costumes, props, cloaks, Nuo masks and other items.

The old woman Bai Huan said, "All Yang Opera troupes need to wear Nuo masks. If they travel around frequently and are really talented, they will wear cloaks and Nuo masks all the time."

"First, it is mysterious and shows our identity. Second, it is also a form of cultivation. It is just right for us to conceal our identity. No matter which village we go to, we will be respected."

"This Yang Opera was derived from Nuo Opera. It is mostly for welcoming gods, paying tribute to gods, sending gods off, praying for blessings and eliminating disasters. It is also divided into blessing plays, birthday plays, official promotion plays, wedding plays, child-bearing plays, and entertaining plays, etc."

"The play is divided into the inner and outer altars, a total of 24 plays, that is, 24 rituals. The outer altar performances are handed over to me, and the inner altar is presided over by Taoist Wang."

“Even if you meet someone who is really picky, you can’t tell the difference…”

After the explanation, everyone put on their cloaks and wore Nuo masks. It was getting dark, like a group of evil spirits in the forest.

"This is good!"

Sharifei looked around and said happily, "I'm walking along the road and I'm scared to death of the people I meet. How dare I come up and provoke you?"

"Let's go."

Li Yan put on the Nuo mask and looked forward, "Get to the village before dark. If they don't allow us to stay overnight, we will leave at night."

After hearing this, everyone set off immediately.

Because of the obstruction of the Salt Gang, they had already been delayed for a long time on the road. It was already October, and they still had a long way to go to reach Chengdu.

"Cough cough!"

Not long after walking, a cough was heard from the front.

A woman wearing a Nuo mask was immediately helped by others, climbed onto the mule's back, and fell into a deep sleep.

Li Yan frowned and walked to Bai Huan, "Senior, is she incurable?"

The one who was coughing was Long Yaner.

At that time, the other party gave up the golden silkworm Gu to help everyone buy time and kill the possessed master of Qingniu Temple, but after coming out, the situation became worse and worse.

The old lady Bai Huan sighed, "My life Gu is damaged. It's like this. Unless there is another opportunity, I'm afraid it won't get better in this lifetime."

"Alas, you are also a poor child. I will tell you something later..."

As they were talking, they had already climbed up the ridge.

"Hey, what's the fire?"

Wang Daoxuan looked up and was a little surprised.

I saw a blazing fire rising into the sky on the opposite hillside, which was extremely eye-catching in the dark night...

(End of this chapter)