Knife splashing

Chapter 528: News about the Sword Immortal

After the heavy snow stopped, Qingcheng Mountain was covered in silver.

The snow presses down on the pine branches, the green and white complement each other, the clouds rise, and under the sunlight, it looks like an ink painting.

The ancient road winds between the mountains, covered with snow. It is rarely visited by pedestrians, and there are occasional footprints left by small animals.

Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan walked on the snow in the mountains with a crunching sound. They looked at the vastness around them and felt relaxed.

“What a great place…”

Wang Daoxuan exhaled a breath of white air, and with a smile on his face he exclaimed: "Qingcheng is the most secluded place in the world, it really lives up to its reputation, and it also has its own charm in winter."

"We'll talk about romance later."

Li Yan looked around and shook his head, saying, "Where on earth is Shuiyue Temple? It's in this desolate mountain, and no one is asking."

When he arrived at the foot of Qingcheng Mountain, he realized that he had miscalculated.

It was freezing cold, with heavy snow blocking the mountain. There was no one on the road, and the road to Qingcheng Mountain was not like in his previous life, with signposts.

The two couldn't find Shuiyue Temple and even got lost.

"How about we go straight up the mountain?"

Wang Daoxuan looked into the distance and shook his head, saying, "It will be dark soon. There should be a Taoist temple at the foot of Qingcheng Mountain for the people to burn incense. Let's go there first and ask around."

Li Yan pondered for a moment and nodded, "Okay."

He originally wanted to go to Shuiyue Temple first to see Old Madam Bai Huan, and then ask Master Xiaoyue about the situation on the mountain to avoid making any mistakes.

But looking at the situation, we can only go up the mountain first.

The two men came up with an idea and stopped running around. They returned to the main road and headed towards Qingcheng Mountain along the main road.

Qingcheng Mountain was shrouded in clouds and mist, and the distant mountains looked like light ink. In addition, it was cloudy in winter and the sun was not visible, so the sky became a little dim as dusk approached.

The two walked up the slippery stone steps and saw faint lights in the distance and a building hidden among the snowy branches.

However, Li Yan and the other man did not rush to approach.

I saw a Taoist sitting cross-legged in a pavilion not far away, with a long sword on his back. It was a very cold day and he was only wearing a thin Taoist robe.

He looked quite old, with a vigorous face and somewhat gray hair. He was standing alone in the pavilion.

But Li Yan did not dare to underestimate him at all.

In this kind of weather, he can still guard the mountain gate here, which at least shows that his kung fu has been trained to the point where he is immune to cold and heat.

Li Yan himself doesn't have this ability.

Sure enough, when he heard the two men stop, the Taoist slowly opened his eyes, stood up, walked over, and bowed slightly: "My two Taoist friends, what are you doing up the mountain?"

This Taoist had already realized that Li Yan and the others were sorcerers.

If it were an ordinary person, he would not show up at all.

"I am Li Yan, and I am here to pay my respects to you."

Li Yan took out a visiting card from his arms.

There was also a letter from Wudang headmaster Yu Chanzi tucked behind it.

The Taoist took it and looked at it for a few seconds, then smiled. "It turns out to be the young hero Li who has recently become famous in the martial arts world. I have also heard of him while I was in the mountains."

"I am Mingshanzi. It is freezing cold. Please follow me, young man. We can rest in Jianfu Palace for one night. It won't be too late to go up the mountain tomorrow."

"Thank you, Taoist Master."

Li Yan and the other man quickly bowed to express their gratitude.

Led by the Taoist priest, the two turned to the right side of the mountain road.

Not far away, we saw a palace standing at the foot of the cliff. On the gate archway were the three words "Jianfu Palace" written on it.

The couplets on both sides read "The weather is cold and the jade flute is playing, but the green phoenix is ​​staying" and "The road along the clouds is near, and Du Laoqian comes to remove her white hair".

The architectural style is typical of Shu.

Seeing that the two seemed very interested, Mingshanzi introduced with a smile: "It is said that this place is where the immortal Ning Fengzi practiced. It was first built in the Tang Dynasty and was originally named 'Zhangren Temple'. It was renamed 'Jianfu Palace' in the Southern Song Dynasty."

It was already evening, and inside the Taoist temple, there were sounds of wooden fish and the young Taoists performing evening prayers.

"Uncle Master."

The Taoist boy at the door saw the three people and hurried forward.

"These two are fellow Taoists who are going up the mountain."

Ming Shanzi smiled and said, "Go and prepare two good guest rooms and some vegetarian meals."

"Yes, uncle."

After the Taoist boy left, Mingshanzi led the two into the palace and briefly introduced them: "Master Ning Fengzi is the main god of Qingcheng and the main deity in the palace. There is also Senior Du Guangting. The halls behind are dedicated to Taishang Laojun and Donghua Emperor respectively."

"The mountain has been closed due to heavy snow recently. There are no guests, so the guest rooms are inevitably covered with dust. We need to clean them up. Please follow me and have some tea."

After that, he took the two of them to a quiet room and poured tea for them personally.

"The Taoist priest is too polite."

Li Yan bowed slightly, feeling a little strange.

There is no need to mention Qingcheng's important status in Shu.

He didn't think that his reputation in the world was enough to deserve such courtesy from others.

Sure enough, the Taoist smiled slightly, stroked his beard and said: "My friend, don't worry. To be honest, I am always on the mountain, guarding the mountain on my own initiative, just waiting for you."

"Waiting for me specifically?"

Li Yan's heart skipped a beat, "Please explain clearly, Senior."

Ming Shanzi did not hide it and smiled and said, "My surname is Cheng, and the head of Dian Yi Sect, Cheng Yuanxing, is my brother."

The Cheng family...

Li Yan was alert and suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. Senior Cheng's divination skills are amazing. He also helped us get rid of the entanglement of the Shu Palace. It's a pity that we have no chance to meet."

After leaving Fengdu, the Shu Palace sent people to block the river, so they did not go up the mountain.

Li Yan specifically pointed this out, firstly to show his gratitude, and secondly to express his doubts. The relationship between the two parties was not that serious.

Of course Ming Shanzi understood what he meant. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "My friend, there is no need to be on guard. I am waiting for you here because I have something to ask you."

Li Yan nodded and said, "Please speak, senior."

Ming Shanzi clenched his fists, his eyes became excited, and he asked in a trembling voice: "My friend, have you met the ancestor of our Cheng family?"

"Cheng Jianxian?"

Li Yan was somewhat surprised and shook his head, saying, "I have long admired the heroic figure of the Sword Immortal, but unfortunately I have no chance to see him. Where did you hear the news from, Senior?"

Ming Shanzi said in a trembling voice: "It was the ancestor who sent a message, mentioning you."

"what?!"

Li Yan was taken aback, and became even more confused. "To be honest, I really didn't see Jianxian Cheng. Maybe he heard something about me?"

"No."

Ming Shanzi was a little anxious, and shook his head and said, "The ancestor sent a message saying that he traveled everywhere and saw heroes and heroes rising up everywhere in the world, and dragons and snakes came out of the land. I'm afraid that the changes in the world are not far away."

"He asked the Cheng family to give up the fight for the position of Qingcheng Sect Leader. He also mentioned you, saying that you have a black evil spirit under your feet and a thunderbolt on your head. You might be a person who will be doomed, so he asked the Cheng family not to provoke you."

Hearing this, Li Yan's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

He knew that this Cheng Jianxian must have seen him.

Others might be confused by what he said, but he knew exactly what was going on.

But the Dragon Snake card is carried with you at all times.

This technique of looking at Qi is simply horrifying!
Thinking of this, Li Yan also swallowed his saliva, "Senior, could you please remind me what the Sword Immortal looks like?"

Ming Shanzi hesitated for a moment and sighed, "Since the ancestor mentioned my friend, there is no need to hide some things."

"Many years ago, my ancestor said that he vaguely felt the opportunity to become a god, so he resigned from the position of the head of Shushan and devoted himself to cultivation."

"My ancestor was a sword immortal, so he was naturally handsome and like a banished immortal. But later on, I don't know what happened. He no longer mentioned becoming a god, but just lived in seclusion in the back mountain of the clan, reading old books."

"We thought that our ancestor had failed in his attempt to become a god, and no one dared to mention this matter again. Our ancestor rarely showed up, but according to the disciples who went to deliver food to him, his body was getting weaker and weaker, and he was blind..."

Bang! Li Yan lost his grip on the teacup and it fell onto the table...

…………

Guan County, Qingjiang Inn, in the lobby.

Bang!
Sharifei slammed the table hard, his eyes widened, and he cursed: "You bunch of idiots, I said it's none of my business, why are you still like this!"

On the opposite side, several yamen runners were facing a formidable enemy.

The head constable, a man with a face full of flesh, was not afraid at all when he heard this. He grasped the hilt of the knife and said coldly, "How dare you!"

"A gangster, are you planning to resist arrest?"

He spoke firmly, but his body was shaking slightly. He was obviously very scared, but he was holding on and refused to retreat.

"Captain Wan, we can talk it over."

Wang Tianzuo of Shunyuan Escort Agency saw this and hurried forward, smiling and saying, "This is a misunderstanding. I can testify to this. If we were the murderer, why would we report it?"

As he spoke, he had already stuffed in a silver ingot.

"Come on this!"

The head constable pushed him away, threw the silver on the ground, and said to Sharifei with gritted teeth: "You have committed a crime. If you have the guts, kill us. Otherwise, surrender!"

Wang Tianzuo's face darkened immediately when he saw this. "Captain Wan, there are some things that you cannot interfere with."

At this moment, he had already vaguely guessed the reason...

"Humph!"

Apparently, Captain Wan knew Wang Tianzuo. Seeing this, he snorted coldly, "Brother Wang, this matter is also not something your Shunyuan Escort Agency can interfere with. Just listen to me and leave."

Wang Tianzuo narrowed his eyes, "What if I don't?"

For a moment, the atmosphere in the inn was as gloomy as water.

When the other guests saw this, they felt a chill in their hearts and retreated one after another.

At the same time, Lu San also had an idea and whispered in Sharifei's ear: "There is an ambush outside, a hundred guards, and they are carrying muskets."

"Ah."

Sharifei nodded slightly and gave a look.

He now understood what was going on.

Previously, they discovered a murder case in the ruined temple.

With the intention of accumulating good karma, they took some items from the carriage and after arriving in Guan County, they immediately went to the county government to report the case.

There was nothing when I went there.

Near the end of the year, the county government office was very deserted. The bailiffs on duty took notes casually and seemed not to take it seriously at all.

But just as they settled down at the inn and were halfway through their meal in the lobby, a large number of yamen runners rushed in, saying that they were involved in a murder case and wanted to arrest someone.

If you think about it, you know there is something fishy going on.

It is impossible to surrender without restraint.

The word "official" means you have to open your mouth. Once you arrive at the yamen, if you are labeled a criminal, you are a criminal. You never know what measures will be taken against you next.

If that doesn't work, we can only break out of the siege.

"Report!"

At this moment, a bailiff rushed in breathlessly and hurriedly said, "Captain, the human trafficker has been caught."

"What did you say?"

Captain Wan was stunned, obviously a little bit unbelievable.

The bailiff hurriedly whispered, "Those servants were tied up and thrown in the hall, crying and shouting, and admitted everything."

"They said they lost money in gambling and had a hard time at the end of the year, so they wanted to kill the master because of the money. The master wants you to go back immediately."

"Who the hell…"

Captain Wan cursed halfway and quickly shut up. He then gave Sha Lifei and the others a fierce look and said unwillingly, "Retreat!"

After saying this, he left the inn with a group of yamen runners.

"Sir, look at this..."

The shopkeeper who was hiding behind the cabinet came out cautiously.

"fine."

Sharifei waved his hand and said casually, "It's really unlucky. The shopkeeper should prepare another banquet and send it to our room."

After saying that, he winked and took a few people back to the room.

"That Wan guy is a bait!"

As soon as he entered the room, Wang Tianzuo sneered, "This guy is very greedy. He doesn't even want the money. He came up with his head. Most likely someone promised you benefits and wants to cause trouble for you."

"It should be the Prince of Shu's Palace."

Sharifei looked out the window and said in a deep voice, "Someone has recognized us. It is not something a county can do to mobilize the soldiers of the garrison in such a short time."

"There are people from the Shu Palace in Guan County."

Upon hearing this, Wang Tianzuo said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Brother Sha. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have come to Guan County."

Sha Lifei shook his head and smiled, "Why do you say that, brother Wang? To be honest, we came to Guan County for another important matter."

They came to Guan County to look for clues about Erlang Zhenjun.

This matter is secret and naturally cannot be told to Wang Tianzuo.

But he did not run away in the moment of crisis, but stood up and stood with them. No matter where he went, he could be called a hero.

"Oh I got it."

Wang Tianzuo felt better, but he was also very tactful. He did not ask any more questions, but said with a worried look on his face: "Since the people from the Shu Palace are here, I'm afraid there will be more tricks later."

"Brother Sha, it's better for you to leave the city overnight. I have some connections here and can arrange it immediately."

"Not urgent."

Sharifei picked up the teacup and took a sip, looking out the window thoughtfully, "Those garrison soldiers haven't withdrawn yet. If they leave now, they will probably be charged with some crime."

“I’m more curious about who is helping us?”

The criminal will definitely not run to the county government to confess his crime on his own.

Being able to learn the news in such a short time, and arresting these servants and throwing them to the county government office, he is definitely not an ordinary person...

"coming!"

Lu San suddenly spoke and looked outside the door.

Boom boom boom!
There was a knock on the door, and then the wooden door creaked open, and a middle-aged man in white walked in. He had regular features and looked very handsome.

"I've met you all."

He smiled slightly, held the fan and bowed, looking around, "Horse, Ox, and Dog are all here, I wonder where Young Master Li is?"

Sharifei's heart skipped a beat, and he clasped his fists and said in a deep voice, "It was you who helped us out, right?"

"We have never met before. May I know your name?"

The man smiled slightly and shook the folding fan in his hand. On it were eight big characters written: "Shapeless shape, shapeless image".

This sentence comes from "Laozi".

"The rope is beyond name, and returns to nothingness. This is called the shape without shape, the image without image, this is called the vagueness."

When Wang Tianzuo saw this, his expression suddenly changed.
"Mr. Wuxiang!"

When Sharifei heard this, he immediately became alert.

He had heard Li Yan talk about this person.

This "Young Master Wuxiang" was a famous underworld master in Chengdu Prefecture. At that time, he was fighting for the "Qin Bug" in the Wuhou Temple and lured Tang Ling away to kill the Prince.

Zou Shaohai, the president of Shenquan, has warned people not to associate with this person.

What does this guy want to do by looking for them?
(End of this chapter)