Knife splashing

Chapter 526: Snowy Road at the Foot of Qingcheng Mountain

The new Qingcheng Sect Master, his Taoist name is Chen Kongzi.

This is an unfamiliar name, at least Li Yan and the others have never heard of it, and it is not well-known in the Xuanmen world.

But this is normal.

There are many hidden dragons and crouching tigers in the mysterious sect. Many masters practice in the mountains all year round and have not appeared in the world for a long time, so they are unknown to outsiders.

There are also some who, when they were young, traveled under aliases, accumulated experience, and practiced in the secular world, and then resumed their Taoist names and went up the mountain.

There must have been a lot of bargaining behind Chen Kongzi's rise to power.

Of course, Li Yan didn't know these things either.

The key point is that they have been in Shu for so long that they can finally go to Qingcheng Mountain and deal with some things in advance.

For example, his long-awaited magical sword...

…………

It was snowing heavily and the mountains were covered in white.

There are few pedestrians on the mountain roads. Occasionally there are traces of wheel tracks, but they are covered with snow and become less obvious.

There was silence all around, only the snowflakes were falling.

The mountains are shrouded in mist and snow hangs on the branches.

The world was hushed, peaceful and desolate.

This is the ancient Shu Road leading from Chengdu to Guanjiangkou. Its age is unknown, but it has never been interrupted since ancient times.

If you want to go to Qingcheng Mountain, the best option is to follow the official road from Chengdu to Guanjiangkou, and then go southwest when you are close.

Or you can take the waterway from Yibin Meishan, turn from the Minjiang River to the Jinma River, and go directly to Guanjiangkou.

If you want to get there from other places, you have to cross mountains and rivers and take some nameless paths where wild animals roam.

Even the villagers in the mountains would not choose to do this.

This official road used to be quite busy, but now it is the twelfth lunar month, and with the Chinese New Year just half a month away, the number of pedestrians and business travelers on the road has naturally become sparse.

People in Shu can endure hardships, but they also know how to enjoy life.

Even if you live in a poor place, you can't complain. You have to kill pigs and sheep and prepare as much delicious food as possible to celebrate the festival.

Drink tea and play mahjong in your spare time. Only a fool would run around at this time.

What's more, the weather this year is a bit abnormal.

Some time ago, the snow came a little early.

In the past two days, it has snowed heavily. The waterfalls on the mountains along the way have all frozen and turned into icicles. It feels like we have arrived in the north...

On the official road, Li Yan and his group were moving forward.

They were wearing cloaks and hats, and were extremely conspicuous against the white snow. The only animal was the donkey carrying the luggage.

"What a damn weather!"

Sha Lifei shook off the snow on his hat, untied the wine gourd from his waist, gulped down a few mouthfuls, then wiped his mouth and said, "Brother Yan, if we go up the mountain now, can we see anyone?"

"should be no problem."

Li Yan also took a sip of wine, looked at the snow-covered mountain, and said with a smile: "Old Madam Bai has asked for us."

"Now that Qingcheng Mountain has settled down, we are preparing for next year's cellar opening ceremony. When the time comes, all the heroes of China will gather together, and no force will want to lose face in front of outsiders."

"It will be busy after the Chinese New Year. If we go up the mountain in advance, some things will be easier to handle."

Old Madam Bai, who was originally from the Siming Society, Bai Huan, was escorted all the way to Chengdu by them.

Sharifei pretended to ask casually, "Have they settled down?"

"is acceptable."

Li Yan shook his head and said, "The women of the Siming Society were disfigured due to practicing Gu magic, and they didn't want to show it in front of others. Now they have all joined Shuiyue Temple and entered Qingcheng."

"The two girls, Chaoyun and Xingyu, are highly valued and are being nurtured by Shuiyue Temple. Old Madam Bai and the others have also benefited from this, and no one dares to make things difficult for them..."

As he said that, he glanced at the absent-minded Sharifi and jokingly said, "Old Sha, do you want to ask other people?"

Sharifei chuckled and said, "You ask even though you know the answer."

Li Yan shook his head and said, "Don't worry, Miss Long is already in seclusion in the Great Snow Mountain. Old Madam Bai said that with the Qinworm, the chances are good."

"That's good…"

Sharifei muttered something and wrapped his cloak around himself.

He has grown a lot during this period.

When a person reaches middle age, to put it nicely, he is a veteran in the world, to put it bluntly, he is a pauper with nothing, so he is bold.

But nowadays, many things are beginning to be owned.

The so-called ignorance is fearlessness. When I started to practice and felt the difficulty, I realized how geniuses Li Yan and others were.

What will the future hold?
How to gain a foothold without becoming a burden?

He has been thinking all this time.

I have become more stable and consider things more carefully.

Thinking of this, Sharifei suddenly asked, "Brother Yan, are you going to the capital?"

"You mean Qiankun Academy?"

Li Yan pondered for a moment, "A while ago, Yan Jiuling sent a letter saying that after this year's examination, he will go to Qiankun Academy to take up a position."

"Qiankun Academy will officially open in April or May. If you have time, you can go and have a look. After all, we will have to deal with each other in the future."

"This matter cannot be taken lightly."

Sha Lifei said in a deep voice: "We have witnessed many changes in the Xuanmen and the Jianghu along the way, all of which are related to the changes in humanity."

"What exactly is this humanitarian reform? I don't know, Old Sha, but it is definitely related to the imperial court."

"If we establish contact with Qiankun Academy, we can at least find out what is going to happen, so that we won't be taken advantage of by others."

"makes sense."

Li Yan thought about it and nodded in agreement.

They are a team of wandering immortals, traveling around, practicing and gaining experience, half a step into the martial arts world, half a step into the mysterious world. Although they have made the acquaintance of some court officials, they are destined not to step into the quagmire of the imperial court.

However, he has already felt the power of humanitarian change.

Even the Daluo Dharma Realm will be affected.

In this era, there is no turning back for anyone.

The Duweisi was the emperor's henchman.

The Law Enforcement Hall is the forbidden area of ​​the Xuanmen sect.

Only the newly established Qiankun Academy is most suitable for them. They can advance and retreat freely without being drifted by the storm.

Of course, we have to wait for the events in Shuzhong...

.........

The mountain was blocked by heavy snow, and the road was difficult.

Although everyone had great leg strength, they had only covered half the distance after walking for a whole day. Before they knew it, the wind and snow were getting stronger.

"San'er, find a place to stay."

Seeing that it was getting dark, Li Yan turned around and reminded.

Lu San nodded, picked up the eagle whistle on his neck, pinched the Yang Jue and blew it. The ups and downs of the whistle immediately echoed among the mountains.

“Chirp! Chirp!”

There were several eagle cries in the sky.

The falcon became more and more majestic, flapping its wings in the air, flying back and forth a few times, then flapping its wings and landing, chirping on Lu San's shoulder.

"There is a ruined temple in the mountain ahead."

Lu San frowned and said, "But there is a carriage parked outside the temple."

"Most likely they are passers-by on the street. It's okay to pick up a companion."

Li Yan didn't care. After giving some instructions, he led everyone to quicken their pace and follow the falcon.

After about three incense sticks, the sky had completely darkened. The wind and snow howled on the mountain path, blowing straight into people's bones.

"Go this way."

Seeing the eagle's signal, Lu San pointed to the right.

I saw a mountain path on the right, leading to the middle of the mountain. The woods on both sides were covered with snow, and the road was also white.

This mountain road was probably abandoned, and with the heavy snow covering it, they would have probably missed it if there hadn't been falcons scouting it.

Leading donkeys and carrying luggage, the group walked through this almost deserted mountain road, taking one step forward and one step back.

After walking a short distance, a large flat area suddenly appeared in front of us. With the mountain behind it and the valley in front, there was a large mountain temple built there.

Generally speaking, mountain temples are not of uniform size.

The names of some famous mountains and rivers and mountain gods have appeared in history books. The temples built there are like palaces, with strong incense. Temple fairs are held every year to attract pilgrims from all over the place.

In some places, the mountain god has no name, or even only has a shrine. Occasionally, a hunter passing by will light three incense sticks reverently.

This mountain temple is of medium size, with a main hall, two rows of side rooms, and an adobe wall outside.

Mountain temples like this basically have resident temple priests, and even serve as inns, where passing merchants and travelers can stay the night and earn some money from incense offerings.

However, the one in front of us is abandoned.

The adobe wall outside was half collapsed and covered by heavy snow.

There was a carriage parked outside the temple. It still looked brand new, but the horse pulling the carriage was nowhere to be seen, and the temple was pitch black.

Li Yan sniffed and frowned:
"There's a smell of blood, be careful!"

As soon as the words fell, everyone dispersed immediately.

Lu San raised his hand and the falcon soared into the sky, checking the surrounding mountains and forests to see if there was an ambush.

However, Sharifei and Wuba protected Wang Daoxuan without making a sound.

Li Yan first came to the carriage and lifted the door curtain with the handle of the knife, but saw a mess inside, with bloodstains and signs of a struggle.

He frowned, and came to the dilapidated temple again, jumped in, and after checking it out, he said, "It's okay. There are a few dead bodies. They must have been killed by bandits."

Sharifei and others then entered the temple.

This mountain temple is in ruins and can only barely block the wind and snow. The windows and doors of the main hall have been removed and used to chop firewood for making fire.

In the half-collapsed wing on the right, there were several bodies lying, including men and women, old and young.

This was obviously a family, rushing back home for the New Year, but unfortunately they encountered bandits and were robbed of everything.

Their clothes were stripped off, and the two women had obviously been violated. Their bodies were in a mess, and their faces were filled with fear and despair.

"What a beast!"

When Wang Daoxuan saw it, he immediately frowned.

"It should be the internal thieves colluding with the external bandits."

Sharifei was experienced and made some guesses after just one look. "The clothes were stripped off, which means they are very valuable. There are no calluses on their hands, which means they are all people who enjoy a good life. There is no corpse of any servant..."

"Look at this body. He must have been killed yesterday."

Wang Daoxuan was a little puzzled. "It's winter now. The bandits in the mountains should have all gone to hide in their closets for the winter, right?"

In Green Forest Road, the Lanzi Sect has the habit of hibernating.

Every autumn, the bandits would take their holidays.

The big boss gathered everyone together, distributed the money (red cabinet), hid the long weapons, and agreed to enlist the people in April of the following year.

These bandits, if they have families, would lie to their neighbors, saying that they have been doing business in other places all year and will be back home for the New Year.

Those who had no home would spend the winter in the village in groups of three or five, or go to live with relatives and friends, or go to find prostitutes they liked.

There are even some who "help out".

The so-called "Labangtao" means one woman has two husbands.

Normally, the woman had a legal husband, but when the bandits came, they would immediately take over her bed, while her husband would be responsible for fetching water and doing chores to serve her.

In cases like this, the original husband is usually in poor health and has lost the ability to support the family, and the family can only survive by relying on the cuckold.

In short, snakes have their own ways, and rats have their own ways.

After hibernation, the bandits must gather together to count their numbers.

Once you enter a den of thieves, it is almost impossible to get out.

If the head of the household found out that someone was absent, he would send someone to find out what happened. If someone was killed, he would hunt down the murderer and chop off his head as a sacrifice to his brothers.

If someone informs on others or betrays them, they will find a guarantor and the person himself and kill him to serve as a warning to others. Similar murders occur in various places almost every year.

At the same time, ordinary people have also gained experience.

Just like wild animals overwintering and fattening up in the autumn, the bandits were also as ferocious as crazy beasts and came in large numbers.

Therefore, we need to hire more escorts when traveling in autumn.

In winter, the only trouble is that traveling becomes difficult.

Robbery in this kind of weather is breaking the rules.

"I'm afraid they're not bandits."

Sharifei shook his head and said, "It's almost the New Year, and everyone wants to return home in glory, bringing a lot of wealth with them, which makes the servants jealous."

"Then we can ask someone to report it to the police, but this is in the middle of nowhere. If the victim doesn't make arrangements, the police won't bother to investigate. It will probably be another unsolved case."

He has been traveling around the world and this kind of thing is commonplace.

Although it was a bit disgusting, everyone still carried the bodies out one by one, dug a pit and buried them outside the temple, and then Wang Daoxuan chanted sutras to pray for the souls to be reborn.

After finishing all this, it was already dark.

Everyone lit a bonfire in the mountain temple to escape the windy and snowy night.

Although it was freezing cold, they were already used to it, so they stewed a big pot full of bacon, sausage and sauerkraut, heated up the sesame cakes, and ate while chatting with strong liquor.

Before they could say a few words, Li Yan and Lu San raised their heads at the same time and looked outside the courtyard.

"somebody is coming!"

Li Yan reminded in a low voice.

Everyone remained calm and put their weapons at hand.

"Hurry, hurry, it's here!"

Soon, shouts were heard outside, followed by the flickering of fire in the darkness, accompanied by the neighing of mules and horses.

But it was a caravan of considerable size.

"My Lords, I remember there is a dilapidated temple here..."

A flattering voice sounded from the front.

"Stop it all!"

Suddenly, an old man in a black robe walked out of the caravan. He had a serious look and exuded a sense of majesty.

He held a long knife in his hand, sniffed first, then looked at the carriage next to him and the pile of earth where the bodies were buried, and frowned.

Swish!
He made a gesture, and many of the men in the caravan immediately drew their weapons, and some even drew their bows and arrows, aiming at the ruined temple.

"This is…"

The coachman who was in charge of leading the way suddenly became a little nervous.

The old man ignored him, but bowed to the ruined temple and shouted, "He Wu!"

"Friends in the temple, may I ask which path you are taking?"

Shalifi came out of the temple wrapped in a cloak and said impatiently, "Brothers from the escort agency, we are not bad people, we are just travelers in the snow and wind. Come in if you want."

However, the old man still refused to move. He glanced at the pile of dirt and said in a deep voice, "There is a corpse in the dirt. Are you fake Taoists ambushing me?"
"Yo~"

Sharifei was also stunned for a moment, and then he bowed and said, "So you are also a fellow Taoist. This matter has nothing to do with us, so there is no need to worry."

The old man was obviously a little unconvinced, but when he saw Li Yan and others in the hall through the broken door, he suddenly remembered something and his expression became respectful.

"May I ask you, is this the Twelve Yuan Chen?"

(End of this chapter)