Knife splashing

Chapter 552: First Meeting with Xiao Jinghong

In fact, Li Yan had already noticed something was wrong.

Even through the courtyard wall, he could smell several scents hidden in various key areas, even the scent of wild beasts.

Moreover, there is a murderous aura lingering around these people.

They are all sorcerers, with the same energy.

From the same sect!
Not only that, there is another strange thing.

Back then on Mount Qingcheng, Mingshanzi said that we should go to the Wu family gold and silver shop in the east of the city, where there would be someone to pick us up and make arrangements.

But they asked people on the way.

The Wu family's gold and silver shop caught fire inexplicably at night some time ago, and was robbed. No one was left alive, from top to bottom.

Combined with the man's expression just now...

The Cheng family has probably handed this matter over to someone else!
"What a coward..."

Sharifei obviously had some guesses, and after cursing, he asked in a low voice: "What should we do?"

Li Yan's face was calm, and he spoke in a deep voice: "We have arrived at the agreed time, and we have not breached the contract. According to the rules of the underworld, we must at least get the things first."

He had his reasons for getting involved in this mess.

Firstly, it is Wang Daoxuan’s inheritance.

The Cheng family treasures a book called "Five Magic Secrets", which is the Eight Immortals of Tang Yao. The ancient Qi refining technique of "Chijiang Ziyu" is the source of Wang Daoxuan's inheritance.

The Cheng family agreed to give this book as a reward, and we must get it.

Secondly, it was the Dragon Girl’s commission.

Not only do we have to compete with Lord Jiangshen for luck, but we also have to help him gather incense again. These five princes are also a help.

It is for this reason that Li Yan took the trouble to come here.

They are not nobody.

No matter what, there must be an explanation.

Not long after, the man walked out of the palace, threw out the token, and said, "Follow me."

After that, he turned around and left.

This move is extremely rude.

Snapped!
Li Yan took the token, his eyes slightly narrowed, but he did not get angry. He winked at a few people and followed them into the Prince's Mansion.

The main entrance of the Prince's Mansion has three doors, one big and two small.

According to the rules, only princes and dukes were qualified to enter through the main gate, so the main gate was closed and only the small door on the left was open.

After entering the door, there is another gate tower.

The surrounding courtyard walls are two meters high. There are several men in blue clothes patrolling everywhere. Their clothes are exactly the same as those of the person who led the way.

The difference is that two of them have muskets on their backs.

And it is a new type of musket, which is extremely similar in style to the divine musket.

When they saw Li Yan and others, their eyes were cold and they had no intention of coming up to say hello, with a hint of contempt.

"interesting…"

Sharifei chuckled and shook his head.

The man leading the way in front turned his head suddenly, but was met with Li Yan's cold eyes.

For some reason, the man felt a chill in his heart.

"Humph!"

He snorted coldly and continued to lead the way.

Li Yan looked around calmly.

He had asked before coming.

This is the front gate, which has a function similar to that of the 瓮城. It is considered the defense of the Prince’s Mansion. If thieves come, they must break through the second gate.

Generally speaking, a prince is not qualified to have soldiers to guard his house, so he can only hire servants to protect his house.

If anything, the bar is set very high.

Almost reaching the knees.

It is what is called a "rich and powerful family".

Walking through the front door, the view suddenly opens up to a deep courtyard with the ground paved with huge golden bricks and a row of green bamboos planted in the distance.

The Prince's Mansion is not large, does not exceed regulations, and is not even luxurious, but its layout is extremely tasteful.

Majesty, with a hint of elegance.

This is the front hall, used for meeting and entertaining guests.

The door of the hall was wide open, and a young man in a brocade robe with handsome and fair features sat at the head of the seat. He was reading a letter, and a maid was pouring tea beside him.

The man leading the way took a step forward and was about to report.

Li Yan and others waited in the back with expressionless faces.

It's not like they haven't met high-ranking officials, or even princes.

Naturally, one would know what was going on in this situation.

Even if you see it, you have to report it before entering.

This is the rule, symbolizing identity.

This is also the reason why Li Yan did not want to deal with people in the court.

In his two lifetimes, he never had the concept of ruler-ruler relationship in his mind, and he would never kneel when he met the emperor.

But the rules are not so easy to break.

Only one "don't kneel",
I don’t know how many people will die.

This world is far from that time yet.

"Report to the prince."

The man in blue bowed respectfully and said, "Here comes the person."

After saying that, he raised his hand and made a gesture of invitation.

Li Yan led a few people into the front hall, his face calm, and he clasped his hands and said, "Greetings, Prince."

Since you have accepted the mission, you naturally have to get the intelligence.

He had asked about this when he was in Qingcheng Mountain. This Fifth County Prince was called Xiao Jinghong. Not only was he well-read, but because his mother was from the Cheng family, he had been practicing since he was a child and even awakened his supernatural powers.

Of course, his talent for cultivation is average.

Even with the resources of the Cheng family, he could only reach the second floor.

There is no hope of going any further in this life.

But even so, he was the most outstanding among the descendants of the King of Shu. However, he lived in seclusion and deliberately concealed himself, so he was unknown to outsiders.

"No need to be polite."

The Fifth Prince Xiao Jinghong was young and methodical, but he spoke gently. He nodded and said, "Everyone, please take a seat. Lanzhu, serve tea to the guests."

"Yes, the king of the county."

The maid had a gentle temperament. Not long after she left, she came in with several other maids, holding tea trays and serving tea to everyone one by one.

Li Yan was too lazy to talk nonsense. He sat down and bowed, saying, "Prince, we are all rough people and speak directly."

"Looking at this, I'm afraid you have found someone else. Who do you think we should contact regarding the agreement between us and the Cheng family?"

"presumptuous!"

The man in blue also followed him into the main hall.

Seeing the expressions of Li Yan and the others, he was already dissatisfied, and he scolded them directly after hearing the words: "Why are you so rude?"

Li Yan glanced at him coldly, "I'm talking to the prince, why are you butting in? Do you have a say here?"

We are all fellow warriors, we meet each other every day.

But seeing the other person's look, he was too lazy to give him a good face.

"you…"

Upon hearing this, the man in blue immediately clenched his fists.

"What are you doing!"

Seeing this, Xiao Jinghong in the hall frowned immediately.

Seeing that their faces were not good, the man in blue quickly bowed and saluted, "Please forgive me, Your Majesty. They were too rude."

Xiao Jinghong wanted to compete for the throne of King of Shu, so he was naturally not a fool and he knew exactly what the man in blue was thinking.

His expression eased slightly, and he shook his head slightly, saying, "You are all fellow practitioners and family members, so please don't hurt the harmony." Then he turned his head to look at Li Yan and introduced him, "This is Master Cao Yuanhuai from the Du Sect, and he is also a disciple of the Huaguang Sect. There are some misunderstandings, so please don't blame me, Young Master Li."

Dumen?

Li Yan glanced at it indifferently.

No wonder he was so arrogant, it turned out he was a disciple of Emei.

There is a saying that Emei has "five flowers and eight leaves".

The five flowers are Qingniu, Dianyi, Tiefo, Qingcheng and Huangling.

The eight leaves are Seng, Yue, Zhao, Du, Hong, Hua, Zi and Hui, which are eight character boxing styles.

The "Five Flowers" are basically sects.

Most of the "Eight Leaves" roamed the world in a rather scattered manner. Some opened martial arts schools and escort agencies, while others simply joined the Gelaohui.

The origin of this "Du" gate is also very ancient.

Back then, Zhuge Liang set up the Eight Diagrams Formation, which included the eight gates of "Rest, Life, Injury, Stop, Scene, Death, Shock, and Open".

"Du" means to block or close, so the "Du" style of boxing is good at blocking and stopping the enemy's attack.

Use fists less and palms more, block tightly, and make good use of soft power.

Most of the boxing techniques in this school have this characteristic.

Most of these people are engaged in the hanging business and are very good bodyguards.

But how is it related to Huaguang Sect?

Although the relationship between "Five Flowers and Eight Leaves" and Emei is becoming more and more distant, and even Qingcheng can be on par with Emei, Li Yan was still a little surprised that they would join another sect.

But this is someone else's family affair, and he is too lazy to pay attention to it.

After a brief introduction, Xiao Jinghong said, “There is another reason for this matter. It is not that Xiao Wang intentionally breached the contract.”

As he spoke, his face was solemn: "A few days ago, my father was ill in bed, and several brothers were ready to go. I went to visit him, but was stopped and not allowed in."

"Just three days ago, the Cheng family's secret hall in Chengdu was suddenly taken down. That night, someone sneaked in to spy on them. Fortunately, several servants fought desperately to repel the person."

"My Master is Yang Duo, a great scholar in Shu. He personally asked for protection from the righteous men the next day..."

After listening to his story, Li Yan immediately understood.

No wonder, it turns out someone has already taken action.

In addition, Yang Duo, a great scholar in Shu, was a Confucianist. It was because he asked his disciples in Beijing to exert their strength that Xiao Jinghong got the opportunity.

Now that the commodity is rare and valuable, it is natural for the Confucians to get a piece of the pie.

Although the five princes did not say it explicitly, Li Yan understood what they meant. It was Yang Duo's idea to send Du Men to take over, and he could not refuse.

And it was a critical moment at that time.

Thinking of this, Li Yan no longer wanted to intervene in the matter, and nodded, "In that case, we will leave. Please tell me where the Cheng family members in Chengdu are, as we have something to ask."

After hearing this, Xiao Jinghong was silent for a moment, then he said, "To be honest, there was a Cheng family master in the gold and silver shop at that time. He was a fourth-level Taoist master with amazing swordsmanship, and he also met with an accident."

"Xiao Wang has sent someone to notify us. It's freezing cold and the journey is difficult. I'm afraid they won't be able to get here for a while."

Then he said, "Young Master Li, don't worry. I have no intention of breaking the contract. I still ask you to come and protect me."

After these words were spoken, not only Li Yan, but even Du Men Cao Yuanhuai was stunned for a moment, with a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes.

Naturally, he had heard of Li Yan's reputation.

But because of this, we cannot cooperate with it.

When he came, his master had told him that Xiao Jinghong might be the next King of Shu, and if he did this well, it would be his chance to stay at home.

The reputation of the Twelve Yuanchen has been well-known in the world during this period.

If it succeeds, who will it belong to?

Besides, it is also against the rules of the underworld.

"Listen to me, both of you."

Without waiting for them to speak, Xiao Jinghong said solemnly: "My elder from the Cheng family is not only highly skilled in Taoism, but also has several disciples. However, Xiao Wang has sent people to investigate and found that he doesn't even have the strength to fight back!"

"The enemy is not easy to deal with. At this critical moment, I cannot do without your help."

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

"So good."

Xiao Jinghong smiled and said, "I have heard of the name of the Twelve Yuanchen. There is a master named Dumen in the front house of the palace, who can ensure safety. The back of the palace is a wasteland, close to the city wall, and it is also a weak point."

"The king ordered people to plant a bamboo forest there and build a small bamboo house. It is very elegant. You can stay there."

When the blue-clothed man Cao Yuanhuai heard this, all his dissatisfaction disappeared.

To be honest, the Prince's Mansion is not big. They and their fellow apprentices live here, three to a room, which is a bit crowded.

The small bamboo house at the back is more spacious and comfortable.

But some things cannot be judged by appearance alone.

Although the small house in the bamboo forest was also the property of the prince, it was not located in the palace. This showed the difference in relationship.

His purpose was to take this opportunity to curry favor with Xiao Jinghong, so he always regarded himself as a subordinate, and did not want the Twelve Yuanchen to steal the limelight.

Li Yan nodded and said, "Okay, I'll follow the prince's wishes."

After making the arrangements, Xiao Jinghong immediately ordered the servants to take them out through the small garden of the Prince's Mansion and leave through the back door.

After going out of the small door, the view in front of me suddenly became clear.

But there are bamboo forests surrounding it, which are very dense and have fences set up. Through the towering bamboo forests, you can see the city wall of Chengdu in the distance.

There is a large open space in the middle of the bamboo forest, with a pond dug in the middle. It is frozen in the cold winter.

But under the ice, you can still see colorful koi swimming.

Next to the pond, several rooms of different sizes were built, which looked a bit like a thatched cottage. Small red lanterns were hung on them, reflecting the snow-covered bamboo forest, which was very elegant.

Li Yan is also a person who pays attention to details. He fell in love with this place at first sight.

After entering the bamboo forest cottage, I felt even more satisfied.

Although the room was a bit plain, the furniture was antique and spotlessly clean, and there was even a faint scent of sandalwood.

Since leaving Jinzhou Guild Hall, I haven’t stayed in such a clean room. At least my nose is not hurt.

"Gentlemen."

The servant smiled and bowed, saying, "The prince has already given instructions. Hot water and food will be delivered soon. After this matter is completed, we will definitely hold a welcoming banquet for you gentlemen."

"It's okay. Thank the prince for us."

Li Yan nodded slightly and sent the servant away.

As soon as the servant left, Sharifei sneered, "Brother Yan, this Fifth Prince is really cunning."

"Knowing that Du Men was seeking power, they were placed in the mansion and squeezed to the front to strengthen the defense."

"Knowing that we seek profit and are not used to the palace's rules, we are arranged here knowing that we will not complain."

Li Yan nodded and said, "After all, if you want to fight for the position, how can you do it without some brains?"

"It doesn't matter. Since Du Men wants to show off, let them suffer more. We will just watch. As long as we can save the people and get the things, that's all."

"The end of the year is approaching, so I can take this opportunity to rest and recuperate."

"San'er, Taoist priest, set up defense first."

"Lao Sha, follow me and keep an eye on the surroundings in case the enemy attacks with firearms..."

After hearing this, everyone stopped talking and went about their own business.

Lu San released falcons to conduct reconnaissance on the beginning of winter, and asked the rats and the rats to gather the rats and hide in the surrounding bamboo forests.

Wang Daoxuan set up a simple formation in the bamboo forest...

Sharifi, guided by the falcon, climbed to various high points...

Everyone cooperated well and did things in an orderly manner.

All of this was seen by the servants.

He asked someone to put down the hot water and food, and then went to the study in the back house of the palace to describe the performance of Li Yan and others.

Inside the study, there was a woman in palace dress, who was grinding ink for Jamel Xiao. She had average features, but a gentle temperament.

After the servant left, the woman smiled and said, "We have taken into account the beast control, feng shui formation, and firearms. It should be foolproof."

"After all, it's famous."

Xiao Jinghong didn't seem surprised. He put down the book in his hand, sighed slightly, turned his head and looked at the woman, "Ah Man, if it weren't for you, I really don't want to fight for the position of King of Shu."

"Is this really the only way you can survive?"

(End of this chapter)