Knife splashing

Chapter 462: Noisy Zouma Town

It was a drizzling autumn day, and the distant mountains looked like ink stains.

Dozens of miles southwest of Chongqing City, the terrain becomes flat, and unique purple-red sandstone can be seen in the gaps between the grass and trees.

Looking around, it's a vast expanse.

Hidden in the mist and rain, the mountain village seems to have arrived in the south of the Yangtze River.

"Gentlemen, Shapingli is just ahead."

Beggar Liu San, with bandages and ointment wrapped around his body, nodded and said, "This place is far from being as prosperous as Ciqikou, but many people have moved here in recent years. If you go through Shapingli and follow the official road, you can reach Zouma Town before dark."

He was leaning on a crutch with half of his foot hanging in the air, like Li Tieguai.

Those evil beggars were too cruel. Even though Wang Daoxuan treated him in time and saved his life, he was left disabled.

"Thank you."

Li Yan nodded and took the lead forward.

Liu San was a man of honor. He was almost beaten to death but he didn't reveal their secrets. Although Li Yan admired him, he would not have too much contact with him.

However, Sha Lifei was different. He signaled Li Yan and others to go first, and then took out a silver note from his arms. It was the one thousand taels that were robbed from Liu San at that time.

"Uncle, what are you doing..."

Liu San waved his hands quickly, "I didn't get the job done, and I also caused you to save me. I can't repay you for your kindness, how can I take more money?"

"Take it!"

Sharifei stuffed the banknote into his arms and whispered, "Take this money and do some small business."

"I have already informed Wan Baoquan. If you have any problem, you can ask him for help. No one will dare to bully you anymore."

Beggar Liu San held the banknote, his eyes reddened, "Master, why are you so kind to me?"

"What nonsense!"

Sharifei glared and cursed, then fell silent for a moment before saying, "To be honest, I was also a beggar for a while, and I was almost beaten to death. I was in a similar situation as you."

The beggar Liu San's eyes were full of admiration, "Master, you are indeed not an ordinary person. I am not qualified to follow you, but I will definitely make a name for myself in the future and will not bring shame to you!"

"Have you been kicked in the head by a donkey?"

Sha Lifei cursed: "You've become a cripple, what's the point of hanging around in the underworld!"

Beggar Liu San laughed and said, "I used to really want to go back to my hometown to farm, but after what happened, I feel like I just saved my life."

"Don't be afraid of you laughing at me. At that time, I had only one thought in my mind: if I could survive, I would never be such a coward again."

"You were once a beggar, but aren't you still doing well now?"

"Forget it, just die as you please!"

Sharifei was too lazy to say anything more, and immediately patted Liu San on the shoulder, sighing: "Everyone has their own destiny, some things can't be forced..."

He also spoke from his heart.

I thought I could be proud with the new firearms, but when facing the monster Huo Jiao, I felt powerless again.

His kung fu skills were average and he had no supernatural powers, so he was not much better than the ordinary soldiers.

After saying that, Sharifei turned and left.

The beggar Liu San behind him finally couldn't help but ask: "Uncle, can you leave your name?"

Sharifei waved his hand casually and said nothing.

Watching the figure gradually going away, beggar Liu San knelt down with difficulty and kowtowed three times respectfully.

After getting up, he wiped the mud off his face, flicked his hand casually, and the pebbles in the mud flew out and landed right in the center of the flower next to him.

After walking on the brink of life and death, beggar Liu San felt something strange. His reactions, senses, and body sensitivity were all increasing rapidly.

He had occasionally heard of this, it was called the power of the body.

Touching the banknotes in his arms and looking at the foggy Chongqing city in the distance, he felt as if a flame was rising in his heart...

…………

Wearing a Nuo mask and a wide robe, he walked forward in the rain and fog with an umbrella.

As the team passed through the fields, the people all bowed respectfully, with a hint of fear in their respect, and kept a distance from them.

The Chongqing incident was over, and both sides were punished with 15 lashes each.

A fast horse brought a message from the Litchi Ancient Road that the newly appointed governor of the court was already on the way, carrying the tiger-shaped military order.

The reason was simple. The war in the southwest had made progress again. The imperial army had invaded Qianzhou, beheaded several chieftains along the way, and sent people to appease the people.

The plan to transform the native people into officials is proceeding as usual.

Although the Yang family of Bozhou put up a stubborn resistance, the imperial army had become more and more proficient in the use of new firearms and was able to crush them with ease.

The Tusi city is strong and can be breached with one cannon shot.

The Tusi soldiers were good at mountain warfare, but the Mohist school of the Ministry of Works had repaired the Lu Ban Wooden Magpie and sent sorcerers to hover over it. No ambush could be used, and when the new gunpowder bags were dropped, there were immediate casualties.

Everyone knows that the Yang family of Bozhou can't hold on for long.

But there were also troubles. The fleeing chieftains, along with their men, became bandits and hid in the mountains. Some even entered Sichuan and robbed cargo ships along the river.

They were scattered and had no scruples at all, becoming roving bandits who occasionally burned villages, raped and looted, becoming a hidden danger.

Therefore, the new governor of Chongqing was also tasked with suppressing bandits.

Everyone knew that this was a warning from the emperor.

All under heaven belongs to the king. Chongqing Prefecture belongs neither to the King of Shu nor to the Kaihai School.

And after all this, only two companies made a profit.

First, the Duwei Division no longer acted like a coward, but instead attacked everywhere, suppressing nearby underworld forces, and its reputation gradually became apparent.

The second is the Emei lineage.

According to Li Yan's conditions, their news was concealed, and the credit for killing the monster was divided equally between Wan Baoquan, the City God Temple, and the Duwei Division.

The forces of both sides retreated, leaving a gap in Chongqing Prefecture. Emei was no longer afraid of trouble and sent a large number of troops to provide support.

Dan Hezi, the temple priest, finally lived up to his reputation.

Li Yan and his people naturally also have benefits.

The first was the captured spoils of war. Whether it was the "Dragon Snake Cards" or the private secret books of Huo Jiao and Mr. Du, they were all taken away by them.

Secondly, the power of the Shu Palace has become much more honest. The Salt Gang's Lu Jiu and the Duwei Si Liu Qian, who had been causing trouble for them, have all died.

The Shu Palace was silent, and no one cared to track down the "Ruyi Pearl".

Even so, they remained cautious and continued to pretend to be a "Yang Opera" troupe on their journey.

Along the way, basically no one dared to disturb us.

It was almost dusk when we finally arrived at our destination.

But in the distance, the mountains became steeper, the sky was dark, and the rain and fog were continuous. An ancient town stood on the hill with brilliant lights.

"That must be Zouma Town."

Sharifei held an umbrella, lifted up his Nuo mask, and shook his head, saying, "Zou Ma Town, there are at least dozens if not a hundred in Shenzhou."

"I've seen a few, but this is the first time I've seen one as lively as this."

Li Yan had memorized the map long ago and nodded as well, "This place was originally a post station, the entrance to the post road from Chongqing to Chengdu. It covers three counties, and all merchants passing by would pass by here."

“But it’s something else that makes this place famous.”

"This Zouma Town has been famous since ancient times for merchants to tell stories from all over the country and strange stories when they stopped by to rest." "Later, people from the Jianghu Ping, Tuan, Diao, and Liu schools gathered here, some to collect stories, some to paint pots on the street to make a living, and some to set up a stage in the inn. It was very lively at night..."

At this point, Li Yan suddenly remembered the mysterious old Liyuan senior, and shook his head and said, "There are many strange people in the market, maybe there are masters hiding. Let's rest for two days and ask for information, don't cause trouble."

Seeing that it was getting dark, everyone quickened their pace.

When we reached the slope of the hill, we saw other caravans travelling in a hurry.

"We are late on the road again. I am afraid there is no room left in the inn."

"Boss, why is it so lively today?"

"Alas, this is how Zouma Town is. All those idle gentlemen from the vicinity of Yuzhou come here to have fun. They are generous and the prices of the inns keep rising."

"Let's find an inn to stay for one night..."

Listening to the conversations of these caravans, Li Yan and others looked at each other in bewilderment.

Among the inns, the coachman's inn is the lowest level. It is full of coachmen who drive large carts and sleep on large bunk beds.

Not to mention the environment, the smell alone is unbearable.

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The women in the Bai family all love cleanliness. After Li Yan awakened his ability to smell, he became even more picky and was particular about his food, drink and accommodation.

Therefore, even if it costs more, you must stay in a good inn.

It's raining now. Do we really have to set up a tent and sleep outdoors?

"Let's go and take a look first?"

Li Yan shook his head slightly and led the team forward.

Perhaps because it is an important trade route, there are many merchant caravans coming and going, and it is well connected, so even if bandits come, they cannot be prevented, so this Zouma Ancient Town is not surrounded by city walls.

This ancient town is quite old and covers a larger area. You can see several huge old trees with lush and green crowns that conceal the buildings below.

The streets are all paved with stacked bluestone slabs, which must have taken a lot of effort in the beginning. However, with the coming and going of cars and hundreds of years of wind and rain, the slabs have become uneven and even rutted.

The autumn rain continued, forming puddles of varying sizes.

Looking around, there are inns of all sizes, teahouses and taverns everywhere, with bright lights, the sounds of quick-speaking and opera singing, and constant shouting.

There are also small food stalls with tents on both sides of the street, with steam rising in the rain and fog, and many diners.

"Shopkeeper, are there any rooms left?"

"Sorry, sir, it's full."

“Is this place full too?”

"Sir, you are late. I will be free in three days. If you want to stay, I will keep it for you..."

Sure enough, when Sharifei asked along the way, he found that all the inns were fully booked.

After asking a waiter, he couldn't help but complain, "This is the post road, how come we can't even stay in an inn?"

"Sir, you don't know."

The waiter was not angry either, he nodded and said, "In the past two days, the two gangs of Pingmen have been fighting each other, using all their tricks and taking out all the hidden treasures in the bottom of the box."

"Traveling merchants will not miss it. They want to listen to it to their heart's content even if it takes two days. Even some young masters in Chongqing Prefecture have called in in advance and booked rooms."

"It's just a storytelling. Is it necessary?"

Sharifei was speechless.

The waiter was surprised and said, "You don't know, it's 'Li Tiezui' and 'Kuaiban Liu'. They have their own strengths. Even if they come to Chengdu, it's hard to get a ticket."

Li Tiezui...

After hearing this, Li Yan seemed to be thinking about something.

When he was in Wanzhou, Cui Song once mentioned to him that a strange man in Shu, the "Gray-robed Mad Monk", had appeared in his dream and asked him to eradicate the evil spirits.

The "Gray-Robed Mad Monk" was a strange man in the Tang Dynasty and a disciple of Xing Hepu.

Even Xing Hepu himself admitted that the divination skills of the "Gray Robe Mad Monk" were even more powerful and should never be provoked.

Xing Hepu obtained the Buddhist Scripture Forest of Patriarch Wang Chan and knew some secrets of heaven and earth concerning the Daluo Dharma Realm. The "Gray Robe Mad Monk" should also know this.

Li Yan came to Zouma Town, not only because it was the main road leading to Chengdu, but also because he wanted to find out some information.

Cui Song of the Yi faction said that he learned the story of the "Gray-robed Mad Monk" from Li Tiezui in Zouma Town.

This "Li Tiezui" was one of Li Yan's targets.

Thinking of this, Li Yan took over the conversation and said, "We really can't miss it. May I ask where else we can stay if we want to stay in a hotel?"

Although the waiter had a good attitude, he was obviously annoyed by the questions and said with a smile, "There is definitely a place, but I'm afraid you can't stay there, even if you have money."

Sharifi laughed, "Tell me, there is no place like this that men like us can't live in even if we pay money!"

The waiter pointed to the north and said, "There is a Zouma Post in the north of the city. Although the court wants to reform and merchants can live there, Zouma Post is not short of money, unless you have official documents from the court."

The way Li Yan and his entourage were dressed, it was obvious that they were a traveling Yang opera troupe, so it was natural that they could not have any official documents from the imperial court.

Sharifei asked impatiently, "What else?"

The waiter's heart skipped a beat, and he knew his tone was bad, so he nodded quickly and said, "Please forgive me, it's not easy for the remaining two to stay."

"One is the Sun Family compound in the east of the city. They are not only wealthy merchants from the salt gang, but also famous people in the underworld. They are well-known and have good connections. If you are a well-known person in the underworld, they will provide you with food and lodging, and even some money for your trip..."

"The other one is the Chengnan Guild Hall, which is not only the Xie clan's ancestral hall, but also the Jinzhou Guild Hall, which only receives merchants traveling to Jinzhou."

"Hey, what a coincidence!"

Sharifi laughed, "We can actually live in it!"

…………

The Jinzhou Guild Hall is not very large. It has only three entrances and three courtyards, and it is a typical Jinzhou building.

High walls, large courtyards, small windows, and a closed gate with piles of earth and rocks form a fortress that can resist the invasion of bandits.

At this time, the door of Jinzhou Guild Hall was half open. Under two huge red lanterns, there stood two men, wearing black clothes and red belts, with sturdy bodies and sharp eyes.

Li Yan and his group all wore Nuo masks and wide robes.

Anyone would be frightened to see them coming from the dark night, rain and fog. The two men immediately held down the hilts of their knives and said in a deep voice, "Please stop, what can I do for you?"

Li Yan took out a copper plaque from his bosom and said calmly, "Daoist Hu Ming from the Jade Emperor Temple gave me this plaque, saying that all Jinzhou Guild Halls in various places can stay."

When they were in Wuchang, they commissioned master craftsmen from Jinzhou to make firearms, and helped the Jade Emperor Temple to connect with the Wuchang Palace to purchase treasures.

The other party gave him a sign, but he didn't know if it would be useful.

"Oh?"

The man took the sign carefully and nodded respectfully, "Please wait a moment, I'll be back soon."

After saying that, he entered the courtyard with the sign.

After about half an incense stick of time, he hurried back, followed by an old man with a kind face and gorgeous clothes.

The old man didn't seem to care about Li Yan and the others' attire at all. He smiled and bowed, saying, "I am Xie Zhengyuan. I didn't know that you were coming. I hope you will forgive me for not welcoming you."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and said, "Please come in, everyone. The room has been cleaned up and it happens to be relatively empty at this time."

"Good work."

Li Yan was also a little surprised and led everyone in.

Sharifei asked curiously, "Boss Xie, aren't you afraid that we are bad guys?"

The old man stopped, smiled slightly, and turned around and said, "How could the famous Li Shaoxia in Ezhou be a bad guy?"

(End of this chapter)