Knife splashing

Chapter 555: The Strange Man in the Teahouse
Chengdu is located in the northwest of Shu. Further west is the vast plateau, close to the snowy area and sparsely populated.

Since the Tang Dynasty, the "Jiannan Xichuan Road" centered on Chengdu has been the most prosperous region in China. There was a saying at that time that "Yang Yi Yi Er", and the prosperity has continued to this day.

Most of the goods from other places come from the east, so Dongcheng District is also the place where all kinds of people gather and has the most complicated personnel.

There are countless inns and guesthouses of all sizes.

Tea houses and restaurants are everywhere.

"Spicy braised rabbit, try it during Chinese New Year!"

"The sweet aroma of hot fermented glutinous rice warms the heart!"

"A bowl of sour and refreshing tofu pudding with vinegar will help you get rid of the greasiness!"

"Sugar paintings are beautiful and delicious, and they are a great way to have good luck during the Chinese New Year!"

On the streets, various hawking sounds can be heard one after another.

There are more pedestrians here and it is more chaotic.

Li Yan walked through it and at the same time used his magical powers. All kinds of smells rushed into his nasal cavity, and the smallest sound could be distinguished through his ears.

This is the warlock's greatest advantage.

Even if his magic skills are average, he can seize opportunities better than ordinary warriors thanks to his strong five senses.

Li Yan today is even more like a radar.

Walking along the street, you can clearly understand all the movements.

He could smell that there was some unknown "ingredient" in the drinks of a certain restaurant, which was very addictive...

He could hear a few pickpockets in the dark alley, discussing how to steal some silver so that they could pay less tribute to the Buddha and get more money to go home for the New Year...

He could even smell a rotting corpse buried under a large vat in a dyeing workshop. A faint resentment was constantly emanating from it, causing the owner and his wife of the dyeing workshop to be infected by the negative energy and inevitably fall seriously ill...

He could also hear the poor boy crying in his room...

All kinds of worldly affairs are at hand.

Li Yan didn't pay much attention to it.

From his past life to this life, he has traveled the world, ventured into the martial arts world, and witnessed too many injustices and tragedies.

It's not that my blood has run cold, but that I am really powerless.

Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes,
There is also injustice.

Putting aside the distracting thoughts in his mind, Li Yan suddenly stopped and looked to the left.

That is a teahouse.

Shuzhong is one of the birthplaces of tea culture. Since arriving in Shu, you can see teahouses everywhere, whether in the capital or in small towns.

The common people in Shu also love tea. No matter they are high-ranking officials or common laborers, rich or poor, their greatest pastime is to spend time in teahouses.

But the one in front of us is truly extraordinary.

The teahouse is quite large and has two floors, with flying eaves and exquisite brackets. The wooden frames are carved with intricate patterns, such as landscapes, flowers and birds, which are lifelike and look like miniature scrolls.

Copper bells are hung under the eaves and red lanterns are hung under the brackets.

The breeze blows by, crisp and pleasant.

On the lintel hangs a plaque with black background and gold characters, with the three big characters "Mingxiang Pavilion" inscribed in vigorous and powerful fonts.

The threshold is carved from a whole piece of bluestone, the surface is polished as smooth as a mirror, and the snow is neatly swept on both sides.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, also a little surprised.

This teahouse exudes one word from top to bottom: expensive!

There is not a single beggar at the door, which means he has a strong background.

It has class and background, but it is opened in such a crowded place. To put it nicely, it is a quiet place in the hustle and bustle. To put it bluntly, there is definitely a problem.

Thinking of this, Li Yan strode towards the teahouse.

"Meet sir."

The waiter at the door came to greet us quickly, smiling, "Have you reserved a seat?"

Li Yan was surprised, "Do we need to set a place to drink tea?"

The waiter was well-dressed and spoke in a friendly manner. He smiled and said, "I'm sorry, sir, the seats here must be reserved in advance."

"Oh…"

When Li Yan heard this, he became interested.

He had seen a lot of things like this in his previous life.

Some want to raise their own status. Even if there are only a few customers, they still ask you to make a reservation in advance to show that their place is extraordinary.

Some businesses are so booming that they can’t accommodate the guests.

Of course there is another type, which is to open a teahouse not for making money, but only to entertain specific guests and do brokerage business.

Li Yan's ears moved slightly, and he heard the faint voices inside, and immediately realized that this teahouse was the third type.

He smiled slightly and took out a silver ingot from his pocket. "It doesn't matter whether we have a date or not. I just want to have tea with someone and discuss business."

The waiter opposite saw him take out the silver, but he didn't even look at it, and smiled and said, "Please come in, sir."

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

Li Yan took off his hat and followed the waiter into the teahouse.

The layout inside is also very different from other teahouses.

The inner hall is extremely elegant, with seven or eight Song-style round carved tables placed inside. The tabletops are as smooth as mirrors, with cloud patterns carved on the edges, and all are accompanied by armchairs.

On the table lies an exquisite blue-and-white porcelain tea set depicting landscapes, flowers and birds. The surrounding pink walls are hung with ink-splashed landscapes and detailed paintings of flowers and birds.

There are screens between the tables and bonsai plants around them.

It is a private space without blocking the view of the wooden stage at the back. On the stage, there are no storytelling and drum performances commonly seen in ordinary teahouses, but only a woman in simple clothes playing the guzheng.

The sound of the piano carries an ancient charm, and the aroma of tea carries a fragrance.

This front hall alone shows extraordinary taste.

There were only two guests in the front hall, both dressed in gorgeous clothes, drinking tea, listening to music and talking in low voices.

Their voices were so low that they were almost drowned out by the sound of the piano.

However, Li Yan heard it clearly.

"How is it in Minzhou?"

"I heard that the red-haired barbarians who caused trouble were killed..."

"Brother Lu, what should we do about this?"

"You can't eat that kind of mine, and it's useless even if you find it. The silver given by the court is not much. I know the steward of the palace, let's see if I can introduce you to him..."

They spoke cryptically, but Li Yan knew what it was.

Overseas trade, new gunpowder mines…

None of them can be accessed by ordinary people.

No wonder there are thresholds to be set.

I just don't know who the owner of this teahouse is...

Thinking of this, Li Yan shook his head secretly.

The Cheng family was wealthy and powerful, but had also fallen into decline. A clue was given, but it was not well thought out and no mention was made of the background of the teahouse.

"Guest, are you staying here or going to the private room?"

"Let's go to the private room, it's quiet."

"Okay, please come with me."

Li Yan followed the waiter and went up the wooden stairs to the second floor of the teahouse. The teahouse had the same style, but was divided into private rooms.

"Sir, please wait a moment."

The waiter led him into a private room and then turned and left.

Li Yan sat down casually and looked around.

This private room is quite large and bright inside.

The window lattices are also exquisitely carved. Through the window, the eaves of the streets outside are covered in silver, like a picture.

There are beautiful views everywhere, and the craftsmanship of the person who built this building is extraordinary!
No matter who is behind this, at least the layout here makes Li Yan happy and he is in a much better mood.

Soon, a woman in simple clothes walked in.

Although he was not young, he had a very good temperament. He nodded slightly and asked, "What kind of tea do you usually drink?"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "What are they?"

The woman replied, "Mengding Shihua, Guzhu Zisun, Tianmu Qingding, Yandang Maofeng, Lushan Yunwu... famous teas from all over China, our shop has some in stock."

"The guest does as the host does."

Li Yan put the Dust-Breaking Knife aside and said calmly, "Drink whatever you think suits me..."

Before he finished speaking, footsteps were heard outside.

A middle-aged man in a Sichuan embroidered robe walked in quickly. He smiled and bowed as he entered the door, saying, "Sorry for the long wait." "I am Lu Qingshan, the owner of Mingxiang Pavilion. I wonder if you..."

"Li Yan."

"Oh, hello, Mr. Li."

Shopkeeper Lu clasped his fists and sat down, smiling, "Mr. Li, you look unfamiliar. Is this your first time in our shop? How can I help you?"

While they were talking, the woman had brought in a teapot from outside and placed it on the small red clay stove in the room.

There was hot water in the teapot, and steam came out after a while. Then he heated the cups and brewed the tea, all with smooth movements.

After serving tea to the two of them, they also brought over a few plates of exquisite snacks.

The tea is warm and clear in color, with a unique fragrance lingering.

When Shopkeeper Lu saw this, a hint of shock flashed across his eyes, but his expression remained unchanged. He smiled and introduced, "Mr. Li has good taste."

"This Huqiu tea is known as the 'best in the world', but the production is very small, and our small shop can only get a few taels of it every year..."

Halfway through his words, he realized he had said something wrong and quickly shut up, looking at the tea in the cup, his eyes filled with heartache.

“Good tea!”

Li Yan pretended not to notice. After taking a sip, he couldn't help but praise it. Then he took out a half-burned cloth strip from his arms and asked, "Does Shopkeeper Lu recognize this?"

That's why he came.

The gold and silver shop was burned down. Although the surrounding people put out the fire in time, many clues had been burned, leaving only a few things.

This strip of cloth is one of them.

It is made of Shu brocade and is extremely exquisite.

Shopkeeper Lu was slightly startled when he saw it, took the cloth and looked at it for a few seconds, then said in a deep voice, "Sir, why are you asking this?"

Li Yan took another sip of tea and did not answer. Instead, he turned his head to look at the tea lady and said calmly, "What do you think, senior?"

Shopkeeper Lu was startled and quickly looked at the woman next to him.

The woman also stood up, her aura suddenly changed, and her eyes became sharp, "As expected of the famous Li Yan, I wonder where I have revealed my flaws."

That’s right, this woman is the owner of the teahouse.

The other party hid very well, and Li Yan didn't notice him when he first came in, but when he was speaking, Li Yan heard another subtle voice.

"Don't mess with the artifact on you..."

The sound was sharp and erratic.

Li Yan's magical hearing allowed him to hear the words of ghosts and gods, and he immediately knew what was attached to this woman.

But when I entered the door before, I found nothing.

There is only one reason, this woman has a magical weapon on her.

You know, artifacts are rare.

Dynasties change in the human world, and any instrument related to the national sacrificial rituals and that is contaminated with the destiny of the mortal world can be called a sacred instrument.

Although China has gone through many dynasties, not many of them have survived the flames of war.

Among the few that Li Yan had seen, none of the owners were mediocre.

Hearing the woman's question, Li Yan said without changing his expression: "Although the senior's kung fu has returned to its original state, the tea-making action has revealed some of its flaws."

Of course he was talking nonsense and didn't want to reveal his supernatural powers.

The woman obviously didn't believe it, but she didn't ask any more questions. Instead, she gave a look, and Shopkeeper Lu immediately clasped his hands and left.

When he left, he closed the door.

The woman then sat down leisurely, poured herself a cup of tea, and said calmly: "There is only three taels of this Tiger Hill tea. You are drinking the last bit today. If the tea gets cold, the taste will be wrong."

Then, he picked up the half-burned cloth and said in a deep voice: "My shop has some connections. I can get some good tea from all over the place. If it is precious and top-quality, I will carefully package it when customers buy it."

"This is the seal on the gift box. Why was it burned?"

"It's related to a murder case."

Li Yan asked quickly, "I wonder if you know the identity of the person who holds this item?"

He didn't want to elaborate, but the woman flipped through it and said thoughtfully, "Have you, the Twelve Yuanchen, taken on the Cheng family's job?"

Li Yan's heart trembled, and he became alert. "How did you know that?"

The woman put the cloth down and sneered, "Why, you don't even want to call me senior?"

Seeing Li Yan's back tense, she shook her head and said, "Don't worry, I'm not interested in the Cheng family's affairs. Each of these tea ribbons was woven by the embroiderers in the teahouse. They should be able to recognize them."

After saying that, he got up and went out with the tea belt, said something to Shopkeeper Lu who was guarding the door, and then returned to the room.

Li Yan was relieved to see that he agreed to help, and then he bowed and said, "Excuse me, I don't know your name, senior."

This woman was carrying a magical weapon. He couldn't tell how powerful she was, but he could vaguely sense a hint of threat. She was definitely not an ordinary person.

"My name is Liang Yu."

The woman lowered her head and continued to brew tea. "This 'Mingxiang Pavilion' was opened as a joke many years ago. I have been living in seclusion here. Usually, it is Shopkeeper Lu who comes to visit. Only a few people in Chengdu know me."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "The great man hides himself in the city. Senior, you are so elegant. I wonder why you are coming forward to help me?"

"Not urgent."

The woman said calmly, "I'll take you to see someone later."

Seeing this, Li Yan didn't ask any more questions.

The waters of Chengdu are indeed deep. I never thought that I could see a hermit master just by drinking a cup of tea.

Since the other party has shown up, there must be another cause and effect.

For a moment, the room fell silent.

Liang Yu didn't waste any words and just made tea silently.

Unconsciously, Li Yan was fascinated by what he saw and his eyes became serious.

The other party did not show off his kung fu skills, but his movements in making tea were extremely delicate, without any unnecessary movements.

Such a powerful control is truly rare.

This woman,
He is definitely a martial arts master!

When the pot of tea was almost finished, the shopkeeper Lu finally came in with a note in his hand and handed it to Liang Yu respectfully.

Liang Yu took a casual look at it and handed it to Li Yan.

After Li Yan took it, he suddenly became thoughtful.

The note clearly read: Xu Yongqing, Chief Secretary of the Prince of Shu's Palace.

This result is somewhat unexpected.

Why did the Chief Secretary of the Prince of Shu's Palace take action against the Cheng family?

He was puzzled, but the woman Liang Yu stood up and said calmly, "Come with me."

Li Yan didn't say anything and stood up with the Duanchen Sword in hand.

Although the mysterious woman Liang Yu helped him, he had to be wary of the current situation in Chengdu Prefecture.

As long as the opponent makes any unusual movement, immediately use the Soul-Catching Thunder Rope.

The woman Liang Yu seemed unaware and took him down the stairs at the back of the second floor, through a door, and to the backyard.

The backyard of the teahouse is actually connected to a small courtyard of a private house.

Seeing that there was no one around, the woman Liang Yu finally spoke: "You don't need to be on guard. I'll treat you to good tea and help you find someone. I'm just repaying you a favor."

Hearing this, Li Yan became even more puzzled.

He didn't remember helping this woman.

As you enter the courtyard of the house, the strong smell of medicine immediately hits your nose.

Outside the left wing, a woman was boiling some medicine. When she saw them, she quickly stood up and saluted, "Meet the Madam."

"Ah."

Liang Yu nodded and took Li Yan into the house.

The room was also elegantly decorated, but there was a lingering fishy smell, and there was an old man with a white beard sitting on a recliner with a dark face.

At first glance, it was obvious that he had been poisoned by some powerful poison.

Li Yan became more and more confused. He really didn't know this person.

When the old man saw him, he sighed slightly, "Once Chongqing Prefecture saw you, they knew you were extraordinary. You have indeed made a name for yourself."

"So it's you, Senior."

Upon hearing this voice, Li Yan suddenly realized.

In Chongqing Prefecture, he once helped a drama troupe.

At that time, there was an old opera artist who was good at changing faces and was also hiding in the dark, ready to take action.

It’s the person in front of me!

(End of this chapter)