Knife splashing

Chapter 547: Searching for People in Guan County
Bang!

The ox cart suddenly moved forward and left the snow pit.

Charcoal was piled up like a mountain on the huge flatbed truck.

The old man leading the cow in front turned around, rubbed his hands uneasily, and forced a smile, "Sir, thank you."

He was wearing a tattered cotton jacket, his face was dark, he was hunched over, and he had a flattering smile that revealed a mouthful of big yellow teeth.

The young man who helped him from behind, although dressed in martial arts attire, had carefully forged leather armor and a Shu embroidered cloak on the outside. He had a handsome and fair face, and looked very much like those noblemen.

This was the first time he had encountered such a thing in his life.

Every time he went to deliver charcoal, not only the wealthy, but even some ordinary people with a little wealth would avoid him.

After all, I have worn this cotton jacket for decades.

He didn't take a shower the whole winter and still had to work, so you can imagine the sour smell on his body.

The one who helped was naturally Li Yan.

"Don't be afraid, old man."

Li Yan consoled him, took out a silver ingot from his bosom, stuffed it into the old man's hand, looked into the distance, and asked, "Old man, what happened in Guan County?"

He came down from the mountain and originally wanted to go to Guan County to look for someone.

But before reaching the door, I noticed something unusual.

There were soldiers guarding the roads along the way, and the inspection outside the city gate was very strict. There were also several wanted portraits hanging on the wall, which were of Sharifei and others.

What’s strange is that the names were not clearly written. It just said that these were gangsters and that anyone who could provide clues would be rewarded with 100 taels of silver.

Li Yan realized that something was wrong and could only find someone to ask first.

"what…"

When the charcoal seller heard this, he immediately felt that the silver was a little hot, but thinking of his sick wife at home, he gritted his teeth and stuffed it into his arms, bowed respectfully and said: "I don't know much, but I heard that many people died in the house of Shunyuan Escort Agency in the city."

"Those who wander around the world have been specifically reminded not to get involved in this matter."

"Oh, thank you old man."

Li Yan nodded slightly and watched as the charcoal seller did not go into the city, but turned his car around and left quickly in the direction of traffic.

This old man has experienced a lot of hardships in the world and is also a smart man.

First, after getting the silver, there was no need to go to the city to sell charcoal. Second, he did it deliberately to show Li Yan that he would not go to the city to inform on others.

Thinking of this, Li Yan looked towards the county town in the distance again.

Shunyuan Escort Agency led Sha Lifei and his men into the city, and knowing their background, they would not act recklessly, most likely they were implicated...

Someone in the underworld is blocking the news, probably knows the inside story...

Relying on his experience in the underworld, Li Yan quickly determined some things.

But what puzzled him was that Guan County was not a big city and there probably weren't many experts there. So who was doing this?
It seems I have to go into the city to ask.

Li Yan looked around and saw that there was no one around. He immediately pinched the magic formula and stepped on the magic circle, chanting: "I am following the command of the Emperor of Fengdu. Fengdu God, Fengdu God, come quickly. The golden hammers are dancing wildly, and the iron rods are crossing. The generals and officials of Fengdu, come quickly..."

Call ~
Before the spell was over, a strong wind blew around.

The evil aura rose with a bone-chilling chill, and eight shadows vaguely formed behind him, carrying a sense of cold and majesty.

This is by borrowing the power of the Eight Generals from the Outer Altar.

Borrowing the power of a Yin general also requires different means.

There is no need to chant mantras to gain the power of blessing, but the more prepared you are, the greater the power will be.

With the help of the eight generals, Li Yan used the Northern Emperor's Mysterious Water Escape Technique.

Gradually, his figure disappeared without a trace.

In the past, when he used the Xuanshui escape technique, at least water mist would rise. If his Taoism was highly advanced, one could even see his vague figure.

And with the power of the eight generals, he could become completely invisible.

Call ~
A breeze blew by, and only a line of shallow footprints was seen running towards Guan County.

The city wall of Guanxian ancient city was not high. Li Yan made a detour, found an uninhabited place, and then used the force of a few steps to fly over it.

When we entered the city, we found the atmosphere even more tense.

At every corner of the streets and alleys, there were at least one or two yamen runners, as well as armed garrison soldiers, who would march in formation from time to time.

Li Yan took a few steps and then leaned against the corner.

This is a remote residence in East City. At the opposite corner, two yamen runners, one old and one young, were standing, yawning and leaning against the wall.

All the people passing by would shrink back and avoid it.

Seeing that there was no one around, the young yamen runner started to complain, "What kind of thing is this? It's been two days. If they were really in the city, they would have run away long ago. Why don't you stop, sir?"

"Oh, you don't understand this."

The old yamen runner took out a pipe, squatted in the corner, took two puffs and said, "Shunyuan Escort Agency is the escort agency of Chengdu Prefecture. Even if it is wiped out, what does it have to do with our Guan County?"

"Besides, they are not the murderers. Didn't you see the two people standing next to the captain when he collected the body? They are the real culprits."

"Whether we can catch the person or not is not important. What matters to me is that those two people are satisfied!"

"what?"

The young yamen runner seemed to understand, "Who has such great power?"

The old yamen runner knocked off the ash from his cigarette and was silent for a moment. "In this world, it is not right to meddle in other people's business, but since you call me Master, I have to make this matter clear to avoid any trouble in the future."

After that, he said mysteriously, "They are wearing official boots and holding tokens. They are from the Shu Palace."

"Shu Palace?!"

Upon hearing this, the young yamen runner's eyes widened.

Although these officials were cursed by everyone in the local area, they were still somewhat powerful and no ordinary people dared to provoke them.

But the name of Shuwang Mansion was too far away for him.

Just like the stars in the sky.

"Shh!"

The old yamen runner quickly told him to shut up, looked around to see if there was anyone around, and then scolded him, "Remember, trouble comes from the mouth, it's rare to be confused."

"Just pretend you don't know about this matter. Anyway, the master has the final say on what to do, so just pretend to be deaf and dumb..."

Prince Shu's Mansion?

Listening to the two yamen runners chatting, Li Yan frowned slightly.

The status of the Shu Palace in Shu is self-evident.

Officials from all over the country even obeyed his orders, and together with the local gentry in Shu, they formed a huge network.

Even if the imperial envoy came, he was not afraid.

If the Shu Palace gets involved, things will become a little troublesome.

If Sharifei and his men act openly, they will be wanted, and if they are restricted in their actions, they will be controlled by the other side.

I hope nothing will happen to Sharifei and the others...

Thinking of this, murderous intent rose in Li Yan's eyes.

If something really happened.

He must have massacred the Prince of Shu!

Looking at the two chatting yamen runners, Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, did not take any action, but took a detour to the county government office.

Now that time is running out, the most direct way is undoubtedly to find the two officials from the Shu Palace and ask them what happened.

But just after passing through a few streets and alleys, there was movement ahead.

"Stop this!"

"Block this way!"

"If anyone dares to move, shoot!"

There were chaotic footsteps and constant shouting on the streets.

I saw many soldiers from the garrison running wildly in a line on the street, and soon surrounded the surrounding streets and alleys. All the people who were in the way along the way were knocked down with the butts of their rifles.

"Sir, have mercy on me... have mercy on me!"

The people were beaten with blood all over their heads, in a panic, and all knelt on the ground, trembling and unable to speak clearly.

But these soldiers, as ferocious as wolves and tigers, didn't bother to pay any attention. They ran quickly, lined up at the entrance of the streets, and raised their guns.

They used ordinary firearms.

Since the emergence of new firearms, the imperial court has carried out reforms, and all the guards directly under the emperor are required to use new muskets.

The Duwei Division also received quite a few. I heard that now a thousand-household unit basically has more than a dozen.

The few armies most loyal to the court were also well armed.

As for the eliminated muskets, they were distributed to local garrisons.

Although they were all old weapons, some of which had been used for many years, and each time they fired a gun, they had to go through a tedious process of reloading, and even often misfired, but their fighting methods were different. They were divided into three columns, and actually used the "three-stage attack".

Li Yan was not surprised by this.

Although the Great Xuan Dynasty has enjoyed peace for a long time, there are still many good generals in the army, and some of the old guys from that time are still there.

During the battle in the southwest, they must have figured out how to use it in actual combat.

The place they surrounded was a street. Compared to other places, it was relatively clean inside. The street was paved with bluestone slabs, and even the snow had been cleared away, revealing the stone pavement.

There is only one big house here with red lanterns hanging outside. Rows of bacon and smoked ham are hung on wooden racks in the yard.

Looks like preparing for the festival.

Li Yan was a little puzzled. Who was worth such a big fuss?

"Leizi, disperse, pull!"

Just then, shouts suddenly came from the house.

He is a gangster!
Hearing this codeword, Li Yan immediately understood the identity.

He frowned slightly and prepared to take a detour to leave the place.

He had no interest in getting involved in these matters. Besides, Sharifei and the others were still missing, so he had no time to waste here.

But at this moment, a captain of the guards came out with a gloomy face and shouted loudly: "Hou Xuan, you are guilty!"

"Damn it, why don't you do something else? You're hanging out with those traitors. Did you do the Shunyuan Escort Agency thing?!"

Li Yan paused, thoughtful.

All I heard was a rough voice coming from inside, "Bullshit, Zhao Peng, that dog official, wanted to curry favor with the Shu Palace, so he framed people at random. Don't you even look in the mirror to see if others think highly of you?"

When the centurion heard this, his face immediately turned ugly.

He was just pretending and planned to capture the person.

Hou Xuan is a local tycoon. He took this opportunity to squeeze out some money, which not only saved the Shu Palace's face, but also allowed him to have a good New Year.

When I feel better, I will lock him up and release him next year.

But some words, once spoken, can completely tear the relationship apart.

Upon hearing this, the surrounding soldiers also looked at him secretly.

Seeing this, the centurion's eyes were filled with murderous intent, and he said in a cold voice: "The traitor Hou Xuan, who colluded with the evil bandits and caused chaos in the area, must be killed without mercy!"

"What are you still doing? Take action!"

At the command, a team of soldiers marched out.

Some people in front of them were holding shields, some behind them were holding steel knives, and at the very end were holding muskets.

It can be seen that this is a military formation specially designed to deal with people from the underworld.

They had no skills to move lightly, and at most they had practiced some boxing and kicking. They couldn't climb over the high walls and courtyards here, so they could only tiptoe and prepare to knock on the door.

Whoosh whoosh!
Suddenly, several cloth bags were scattered from the yard, and at the same time someone threw darts and broke the bags into pieces.

In an instant, white powder fell like snowflakes.

"Be careful, it's lime!"

The soldiers quickly closed their eyes and raised their arms to block.

However, when the dust fell on the skin, it immediately caused unbearable itching, making the soldiers extremely uncomfortable. They kept scratching, and even their weapons fell to the ground.

"They're all idiots!"

The captain of the garrison became furious upon seeing this. After cursing, he turned around and took out a bundle from a soldier's backpack.

It turned out to be a bomb.

Well, now everyone is playing this!
Li Yan was speechless.

He had seen the soldiers of the garrison fighting before, and they were completely different from what they were like now.

I learn really fast...

Although he complained in his heart, he did not sit idly by.

After finding a secluded place, Li Yan showed up, made some hand gestures, and eight paper figures of Chu Ling rose into the air from his waist.

At the same time, he chanted: "The wind god is coming, the earth god is leaving, the wronged souls are being captured, hurry!"

Call ~
As soon as the spell was cast, a strong wind suddenly blew around.

The evil energy rose from the ground, turned into billowing black smoke, gathered on eight paper figures of Chu Ling, and then turned into eight gusts of dark wind that whistled out.

In an instant, the entire alley was dark.

Eight straw spirit paper figures flew up and down, and the wind was howling, blowing up the snow on the ground and making the soldiers sway left and right, unable to open their eyes.

Not only that, the strong wind also brought a chilling chill.

The soldiers were shivering with cold, seeing hallucinations and the wind whistling in their ears. They couldn't even stand steadily, let alone continue attacking.

This is the "Fengdu Eight Generals' Chase and Capture Method".

If you set up an altar to perform a ritual, you can summon the eight generals from the inner and outer altars to search mountains and destroy temples, capture demons and evil spirits, or fight with the enemy.

If used on the Chu Ling paper figurine, it can attack and block the enemy.

"How dare you, you monster!"

The captain knew that someone was plotting something, and although he was afraid, he still shouted angrily.

He also has the confidence.

Although Guan County is remote, it is rich in cultural heritage.

There is a temple of Erlang Shenjun on the mountain, a temple of General Yang Si, the god of water, on the riverside, and even the City God Temple in the city, which has been worshipped for hundreds of years and is an orthodox secular god with a reputation in the capital.

Over the years, no evil spirits have dared to act recklessly.

But something strange happened a while ago.

Anyone who does evil in the city will surely suffer.

Just as he expected, Li Yan frowned slightly after taking two steps. He looked not far away and sensed the strong smell of incense.

In the past, it was a problem.

But for Li Yan today, this is not a problem at all.

He directly pulled out the certificate from his arms and said in a cold voice: "The heavenly officials enforce the law, the secular gods retreat!"

Call ~
A breeze blew by, and the aroma of the incense dissipated immediately.

This is another benefit of "Tianguan".

Patrolling on behalf of the gods is no joke. No earthly gods can interfere, and no information can be leaked.

After shouting at the City God to leave, Li Yan ran as fast as he could, moving his ears slightly, and jumped up from the other side of the city wall.

After a while, they arrived at a nearby slope.

Wow!
The snow and mud slid down and a piece of wood flew out.

Afterwards, a group of dusty people came out. They were Hou Xuan and his trusted subordinates.

They had no intention of breaking out originally, but to divert their attention and leave through the secret passage, which gave Li Yan a chance to lend a helping hand.

Hou Xuan was the first to come out. Seeing Li Yan standing next to him, he was startled at first, but then an idea flashed in his mind, and he quickly bowed and asked, "But is it Young Master Li?"

"Where are Sharifi and the others?"

Li Yan didn't bother with nonsense and asked directly.

"I will send them out of the city and put them in a teahouse..."

Hou Xuan briefly recounted the incident and gritted his teeth, "Something must have happened on the mountain, otherwise the Shu Palace would not have troubled me."

"Thank you!"

After Li Yan asked clearly, he waved his hand and a paper figurine of Chu Ling flew into the air and landed in Hou Xuan's hand.

"Take this and I'll come find you later. I'll definitely reward you handsomely!"

"Young Master Li..."

Just as Hou Xuan was about to speak, the figure in front of him rushed away.

He was stunned, then shook his head slightly.

Li Yan, who was in the distance, ran out not long ago, then immediately put on his armored horse, used the Northern Emperor's magical speed, and headed towards the tea mountain.

The tea mountain was not far from the county town, and he walked very fast, arriving at the tea garden in no time.

After the battle, this place is in ruins.

Li Yan frowned slightly, used his ability of smelling, and sniffed, trying to find the scent of Sharifei and the others.

But then, he raised his head and said in a deep voice:
"get out!"

Wow!
With the sound of flapping wings, a blood parrot flew down from a distant treetop...

(End of this chapter)