Knife splashing

Chapter 53: Treasure Hunter Zhao Luzi
Boom!dong dong!

Before dawn, there was a knock on the gate.

Sharifei had already changed his clothes and walked quickly to the door. He whispered through the door, "Whose friend are you?"

"Go into the mountains and forests, and eat with Boss Wan."

A somewhat hoarse voice sounded outside the door.

Sharifei opened the door quickly and saw a young man standing outside. He had ordinary features except for a straight eyebrow. He was wearing a sheepskin coat, black trousers and a bandage, and looked rustic.

Is this the treasure-hoarder?

Sharifei was puzzled in his heart, but he didn't dare to show any contempt on his face. He raised his hand and said attentively, "Brother Zhao, right? Please come in."

At this time, Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan had also walked out of the door, both dressed as if they were about to go on a long journey, and both wore bamboo hats.

When he saw the person coming, a hint of surprise flashed in Li Yan's eyes.

He couldn't smell anything from the other person!
This is strange.

According to the shopkeeper Wang of "Wensheng Pavilion", this treasure-hunting man has a skill passed down from generation to generation. His name is Zhao Luzi, and his ancestors have been traveling through the mountains for generations, specializing in helping Xuanmen craftsmen find the best wood.

Although he is not considered an expert among those who hide treasures, he is also a person of the mysterious sect and must have something extraordinary about him.

Could it be that he was carrying some treasure that could hide the smell?

This made Li Yan alert.

Now it seems that his nasal magic is not omnipotent. If an expert uses this treasure to assassinate someone secretly, he may not be able to detect him after getting close.

"No, according to the ancestral precepts, you are not allowed to enter the house."

The young man directly rejected Sharifei's invitation, stood outside the door the whole time, and did not step into the courtyard.

Sha Lifei was a little surprised. Just as he was about to say something, Wang Daoxuan stepped forward and stopped him. He smiled and said, "In that case, just follow Brother Zhao's arrangements."

Li Yan and Sharifei immediately realized that this was probably a taboo in their sect.

Some mysterious sects always have various rules because of their inheritance. They may seem strange, but they actually have their roots. Once they are broken, it will be troublesome.

"Let's go."

Zhao Luzi didn't waste any words. He just nodded and turned to leave.

"You go ahead and meet up at the place."

Li Yan gave an instruction, then lowered his hat and entered the dark alley.

Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan didn't say much. They just closed the gate, picked up their bags, and followed Zhao Luzi away along the old street.

At the other end, Li Yan entered the dark alley and walked along the wall at a very fast speed, but his footsteps were silent. He soon arrived outside a small courtyard.

He leaped up, grabbed the edge of the wall to gain leverage, jumped into the yard, and rushed directly into the left wing.

There was a man sleeping soundly in the room. He woke up with a startle when he heard the noise. He immediately supported the bed with his right hand and kicked Li Yan.

The movements are swift and violent, with a hint of monkey-like shape.

Li Yan had a blank expression on his face. He bent sideways to avoid the attack, while Guanshan's knife was unsheathed with a clang and slashed upwards.

puff!

Blood splattered everywhere, and the man fell to the ground with a groan. Blood was gushing from his right leg. Just as he was about to get up, a knife was placed on his neck.

Li Yan asked calmly: "Who sent you?"

Yesterday morning, the White Ape Gang's minions in the opposite yard had already withdrawn. I thought the Zhou family was busy with important matters and had no time to care about other things, but who would have thought that someone would come to spy in the middle of the night.

This guy's movements were light and nimble, but they couldn't be hidden from Li Yan's nose.

Li Yan followed them here last night, and in order to avoid alerting the enemy, he sneaked in to resolve the problem just before they were about to set off.

The man lying on the ground gritted his teeth and said, "Where are you from? I was sleeping at home, but you came up to commit murder. Aren't you afraid of being hunted down by the imperial court?"

Li Yan frowned, "Stop talking nonsense. I've just seen the Zhou family's Monkey Fist. The wound on your leg is still bleeding. If you get treatment in time, you can still save your life."

Seeing some hesitation in the man's eyes, Li Yan immediately put on a smile and said, "Brother, I have no grudge against you. We are just trying to make a living together. Why should I risk my life for others?"

"Are you looking for the thin-skinned coffin that the Zhou family gave you?"

"You won't kill me?"

"Not worth it."

Feeling weak from the blood on his legs, the man finally relaxed, "It was Mr. Zhou Zhou, Zhou Peide who sent me here."

Li Yan raised his eyebrows, "Not Zhou Pan?"

The man shook his head and said, "Master said, stay indoors and bear with whatever happens. We'll talk about it after this is over."

Li Yan nodded and said, "Zhou Peide is Zhou Bai's father, so it's understandable that he comes to me to seek revenge. Why doesn't he come to my house in person?" The man hesitated for a moment, but seeing the impatience in Li Yan's eyes, he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Master Zhou San hired a swordsman to follow you. As long as you leave Xianyang City, I will kill you outside the city."

"I see."

Li Yan smiled and said, "The city is in chaos right now. If I die quietly outside the city, the Zhou family won't be implicated. This is a good plan."

After saying that, he swung the knife to wipe off the blood stains, sheathed the knife, pushed the door open, strode out, jumped over the courtyard wall and disappeared.

The man heaved a sigh of relief and bandaged himself in haste...

…………

It is late autumn and the weather is getting colder.

Compared to the South Gate with a ferry, the North Gate of Xianyang is much quieter, but there are still villagers from nearby coming and going, driving ox carts to sell firewood.

Li Yan lowered his hat and walked out of the city gate, then walked along the official road. After walking less than a few miles, he saw Wang Daoxuan and others beside the woods on the side of the road.

Since arriving in Xianyang, they have been very poor.

Among the people working in Gushui Village, only Li Yan got a horse, which he had to sell, while Wang Daoxuan and Sha Lifei didn't get even a penny.

The Chunfeng Troupe had to use the divine drum Yunleiyin to take over the task of inviting gods. Fortunately, Sharifei won some money from the bet, which was barely enough for their living.

They couldn't afford to buy horses, but fortunately the Taixing Coach and Horse Shop in Xianyang City was on the same side as Zhang Yuanshang, so they were able to rent a few horses without paying a deposit.

The three of them didn't waste any time and rode their horses. Before noon, they arrived near Chunhua County.

At this time, Zhao Luzi, who had been silent all the way, finally spoke up and pointed to a mountain range in the distance and said, "The lightning-struck tree is in the mountain ahead."

"So it's Yetai Mountain."

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and smiled, "This mountain is also famous in Taoism. There have been many temples here since ancient times. People in Guanzhong call gods "ye", so Yetai is the altar of gods. Tang people often took tea here, and it is commonly called Shentu Ridge."

"Also, there is a little-known legend about this place. According to the Xuanmen legend, Juelong Ridge, where Grand Master Wen of the late Shang Dynasty died, is located here."

Sharifei's eyes lit up when he heard this, "Are there any treasures?"

Wang Daoxuan laughed dumbly, "Even if there is, someone has already got there first. In Guanzhong, everything on the ground has been seen by everyone."

"As for the stuff underground, those who can afford to provoke have already been emptied out, and those who can't afford to provoke will die if they go in. Only in Qinling Mountains are there some things that have not been discovered yet."

"Brother Zhao should know this kind of thing best."

As he said this, he looked at Zhao Luzi who was standing beside him.

Zhao Luzi was obviously not good at speaking. When he saw everyone looking at him, he scratched his head and said in a hoarse voice: "My family is a mountain-climbing family. We have never dealt with those grave-dwelling people. But the Qinling Mountains are indeed dangerous. My father entered the Qinling Mountains and never came out."

"Brother Zhao, I am in deep sorrow."

Li Yan was very interested in this treasure-hiding business. After all, his Daluo Dharma body needed to absorb treasures from heaven and earth to repair itself. Seeing that Zhao Luzi finally opened his mouth, he hurried to get close to him.

Zhao Luzi was a thin-skinned man. After being flattered by Li Yan and joined by Sharifei, he started mumbling some things about the treasure-hoarding man.

The business of holding back treasures has existed since ancient times.

In ancient times, tribal priests discovered the miraculous uses of some treasures from heaven and earth and regarded them as gifts from God. However, they did not know how to obtain them, so when they wanted to obtain them, they often communicated with ghosts and gods for guidance.

They recorded all these secrets on oracle bones.

Later, during the Qin and Han dynasties, the alchemy was at its peak. In search of the elixir of immortality, those alchemists traveled thousands of miles to strange and secluded places, and gradually compiled their records into books.

According to legend, the missing imperial seal was made from a treasure from heaven and earth.

The treasure-hunting sect is divided into three factions according to its sects: chasing mountains, exploring the sea, and searching for secluded places.

Mountain herders only go deep into the mountains, sea explorers are good at searching for treasures underwater, and those who seek secluded places specialize in looking for old tombs, caves, and ancient relics. Each has his own specialty.

Another point is that because China is so vast and its climate and scenery are so different, people who like to hold treasures only stay in places they are familiar with.

For example, if a treasure-hunting person in Guanzhong runs to the areas outside the Great Wall where there are white mountains and black waters, and encounters something he doesn't understand, he will be completely in the dark.

As for the Xunyou sect, they are different from the professional tomb robbers. Their main goal is to find the natural treasures unearthed in the ancient tombs and caves. Finding silver, money and antiques is just a by-product.

If you come across something ominous, you won’t bring it out no matter how valuable it is.

After entering Chunhua County, they went straight to a carriage and horse inn, planning to leave the horses there first. In addition, they also had to make an appointment in advance to transport the wood.

After all, according to Zhao Luzi, the jujube wood struck by lightning was quite large, and even if they found it, it would be impossible for them to transport it out.

While they were discussing, a waiter beside them couldn't help but say, "My guests are going to Yetai Mountain. Please forgive me for being so nosy, but the mountain is not peaceful."

Li Yan raised his eyebrows, "Why is it so uneasy?"

The clerk glanced at the shopkeeper, and seeing that he did not stop him, he lowered his voice and said, "Have you heard of... the red-haired and bloody-faced man?"

(End of this chapter)