Knife splashing

Chapter 561: The Kitchen God Festival, Strong Evil Wind

Mass grave in northern suburbs.

It is considered a taboo among the people of Chengdu.

During the Daxing period of the previous dynasty, the country confronted the Golden Horde Kingdom from the north to the south.

Shu was also a focus of the contention. The Daxing court built a series of mountain city fortresses based on the dangerous places in the Yangtze River, Jialing River, Min River and Tuo River basins, which were historically known as the "Four Yu" and the "Eight Pillars" in eastern Sichuan.

Kuimen Baidi City, Hechuan Diaoyu City, Luzhou Shenbi City and Wanzhou Tiansheng City are the most famous ones.

Chengdu Prefecture is close to Diaoyucheng, and Yunding City and Huaian Military City echo each other, forming a solid line of defense.

Unfortunately, there is no impenetrable fortress.

At the end of Daxing, the Wolf Kingdom of the Golden Horde had annexed the snowy plateau area and sent troops to threaten, causing the imperial court's troops to flock to the west for defense.

However, a large army of the Golden Horde, with the help of a group of shaman priests, cut through the Shu Road and headed straight for Chengdu from the north.

In times of crisis, the Divine Fist Society and Emei Qingcheng, formed by the people of the southwest and the martial arts world of Shu, cooperated with the imperial army and fought for seven days and seven nights, and finally defended Chengdu Prefecture.

Outside the northern suburbs, it was a sea of ​​blood and corpses.

Unclaimed corpses were found everywhere and were collected and buried in the mountains in the northern suburbs. Both Buddhist and Taoist ceremonies were held for a hundred days to appease the dead.

Later, the Maitreya sect rebelled and plague spread throughout Shu. Many corpses were buried here, and the mountains in the northern suburbs became a mass grave.

There are countless strange stories about this place.

Of course, most of them were just rumors spread by the people and they scared themselves. After all, at a fixed time every year, the City God Temple would send out soldiers to sweep the temple and remove the evil spirits from the mass graves.

Therefore, the appearance of this mansion is even more bizarre.

Ordinary people would never build a house here, or even hang a sign that reads "A Family of Good Deeds"...

It was obvious that Nie Sangu was very familiar with this place. She looked grim and walked straight towards the house.

Boom!
Before they got close, the door of the house burst open.

There were quite a few men in black inside, all of them were gangsters with gloomy faces. Some were moving things back and forth, while others were concentrating on preparing gunpowder. When they saw Nie Sangu, they all bowed and nodded respectfully.

This is where the gunpowder was prepared in the Palace of the King of Shu.

Nie Sangu ignored her and strode into the main hall.

But there were a few pieces of fluorite in the hall, emitting a dim blue light. It was obvious that for safety reasons, this was the only lighting option.

On both sides of the chairs in the main hall, there were three people sitting on the left and two people sitting on the right, looking at each other coldly, with a clear distinction between them.

The three people on the left are an old Tujia man, a Shu man dressed as a boatman, and a lama in a black robe and a white crown.

The two people on the right are both wearing costumes.

There was a tall man with red hair and a green face, dressed as Zhong Kui.

The other person was a woman, dressed in mourning clothes, looking very pitiful.

Seeing the embarrassed look of Aunt Nie San, the man dressed as a boatman looked gloomy, "Senior Nie, failed?"

"I underestimated that kid."

Nie Sangu sat directly on the left, took out a Yuanxiao with a strong medicinal aroma from her bosom, swallowed it in one gulp, and her skin immediately turned red.

"Woo~"

The Hua Dan, who was wearing mourning clothes, immediately covered her face with her sleeves and cried, "Poor Hua Lian Senior and several Taoist friends, it is difficult to avenge their great hatred..."

"Girl, stop pretending here!"

Seeing this, Aunt Nie's face suddenly darkened, and the scars left by the fire became distorted. "If you hadn't been messing around, there wouldn't have been any trouble!"

She was also in a bad mood.

The people on their left are all giants of the evil ways in the southwest.

The old Tujia man was named Badai Zha, nicknamed "Blood Nuo Master". He was obsessed with forbidden magic and destroyed several Tujia villages one after another. He was regarded as a demon by the Tujia priests...

The man dressed as a boatman, nicknamed Water Ghost Craftsman Tian Qiye, came from a little-known lineage called the "Hanging Coffin School". He often wreaked havoc on the Yangtze River and was wanted by the Xuanmen Orthodox Church and the imperial court for many years...

The black-robed lama, named Dorje Tashi, was from the "Blood Eagle Terma" branch of the Black Sect and was known as the reincarnation of the devil in the snowy regions...

Including her, they are the four great masters gathered by the King of Shu.

"Ghost Face" and "Pei Yufang" were slightly lower in status than them. As for being tempted by interests and going after Li Yan's lineage and people in the martial arts world, it was just a superficial cover-up.

The four of them had a reputation for being too brutal, so they only followed the orders of the King of Shu and acted in secret to avoid attracting the attention of the Orthodox Church.

The two people opposite are from the "Ghost Troupe".

The person dressed as Zhong Kui is named Situ Qian, a descendant of the Liyuan underworld. He is the person that Li Yan was entrusted to hunt down...

The female lead in mourning clothes was named Bai Qihong. She was from a Yin Opera Troupe in northern Sichuan and was good at "Eighteen Beats of Night Stage". Even Nie Sangu thought that this woman was a psychopath...

There are naturally reasons why both parties dislike each other.

These old guys from the Southwestern Evil Sect have always been protected by the King of Shu. They have also made a lot of profits in private over the years and have become very powerful.

The same goes for the "Ghost Painted Face". By relying on the support of the Prince of Shu's Mansion, he secretly helps the "Ghost Troupe" to raise resources.

After his identity was exposed, Nie Sangu and others thought that the King of Shu would be furious, but they did not expect that the King of Shu would send someone to contact and hire the "Ghost Troupe" to come to Chengdu for help at a large price.

Nie Sangu and the other three knew that in name it was because of lack of manpower, but in reality it was also intended to check and balance them.

Just like this incident.

Originally, Nie Sangu was in charge of Xu Yongqing, who was to be used as a trap to find a scapegoat to cover up for the King of Shu.

Unexpectedly, Situ Qian and Bai Qihong persuaded the King of Shu to let Xu Yongqing help them enter the secret room of the Cheng family's gold and silver shop, and then they attacked and killed everyone without leaving a single survivor.

Hearing Nie Sangu's question, Situ Qian, who was dressed as Zhong Kui, glared and said coldly: "Ghost woman, don't talk nonsense!"

Aunt Nie is an old senior of the evil ways, how could she swallow her anger? Her hoarse voice was like a night owl, "Don't think we don't know."

"I have already found out that the old man from the Cheng family has a grudge against you. He came to Chengdu just because he smelled something. The prince only asked you to investigate, not to take action!"

"Now, the Cheng family has been alarmed, and my bait has fallen off the hook, leaving a mess of shit for us to clean up..."

Nie Sangu escaped a disaster tonight, but she lost face and several of her protective magic tools were destroyed. She became angrier and angrier as she spoke.

At this moment, his face was as ferocious as a demon, and he was surrounded by black air.

The two people from the "Ghost Troupe" are also not easy to mess with.

The air around Situ Qian became cold and gloomy. There were rustling sounds and a few small footprints appeared on the ground...

The mourning-dressed actress weeps in tears, and laughs in a sinister way. Her face turns pale, as if covered with powder, and tears of blood flow from her eyes...

"What are you doing?"

At this moment, the "Blood Nuo Master" Badeza, who had been smoking in silence, suddenly spoke up, knocked off the ash, and said calmly: "If you want to fight, why not fight to the death now? Anyway, if this goes on, no one will end up well."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone fell silent.

Even the two members of the "Ghost Troupe" restrained their breath.

Among the four evil people in the southwest, their levels of cultivation vary.

Nie Sangu is notorious for her evilness, but she is less ferocious than the other three. The one who is recognized as the most terrifying is the "Bloody Nuo Master" Bade Zha, followed by the water ghost craftsman Tian Qiye and Doji Zhaxi.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Badeza nodded slightly and looked at Situ Qian, "Master, when will you come to Chengdu?"

Facing this expressionless old man, Situ Qian's heart also sank. He bowed slightly and said, "The class leader sent a message saying that when the Yang family was captured, they had already gone to Jiangsu and Zhejiang for other important matters."

"Chengdu will be mainly managed by the two of us. If the matter cannot be done, the remaining silver will be returned in full."

"gone?"

Badeza's eyes narrowed slightly, which was not surprising.

From the information he got, the new "ghost troupe" was quite large and was profit-driven. They would do things for whoever paid them the highest.

There must be someone in Jiangsu and Zhejiang who offers better conditions.

As for breaking one's word, these people don't care at all.

Of course, they are happy to see this.

Thinking of this, the old man Badeza said in a deep voice: "This commotion is not small. The people of the Orthodox Church may have been alarmed. The most urgent task is to complete the prince's great task."

"It's the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and we must not make any mistakes. Tomorrow we will worship the Kitchen God and hold a banquet in the palace. It's inconvenient for the prince to show up. I'm afraid those princes are eager to try. You two are both strangers, so you should enter the palace to protect the prince..."

"Master Tian Qi, Master Duoji Zhaxi, those two people from the Dragon Worship Sect left. I'm afraid they have developed other intentions. Find a way to find them and get rid of them as soon as possible!" Master Tian Qi, the Water Ghost Craftsman, narrowed his eyes slightly, "I can't deal with those two. This can't be done."

The old man Badeza laughed hoarsely, "Brother Tian, ​​you are joking. I also know something about your layout in Huangquan. Isn't it a good opportunity to lure those two people out and let them both suffer losses?"

Upon hearing this, Master Tian Qi, the water ghost craftsman, stopped talking.

The old man Badaiza looked at Aunt Nie again and said, "Aunt Nie, you have already appeared in Chengdu Prefecture. You need to stay out of the spotlight for a while. Come with me."

Nie Sangu was still thinking about getting people to take revenge and kill Li Yan. She was a little unhappy when she heard this, "What are you going to do?"

Old man Badeza lit up his pipe and took two puffs.

"The Yang family is destroyed, and the Kaihai faction is making its move. The remaining evildoers have been escorted to Chengdu. Once they arrive in Chengdu, that's when they'll start their attack."

"We have been able to live in peace these years because of the protection provided by the palace. Those remnants must not make it to Chengdu alive!"

………………

Crackling!

Before dawn, firecrackers were already ringing.

In the side room, Li Yan got up early as usual and practiced the ten major exercises of Red Fist.

The reason why he was able to make great progress was due to his daily hard training, and he used the Daluo Dharma body to explore the edge of danger.

Just like now, pushing Taishan, Qianbaquan, Quedianlong, Yanzikouni... still the same postures, already perfected.

But the difference is that at this moment, Li Yan's muscles all over his body are trembling, and bursts of roars are emitted from the fascia to the outside, as if thunder is roaring inside his body.

His skin turned red and sweat turned into white mist.

At this moment, he has completely mastered the Dayun Leiyin, and combined it with the Ten Great Pan Gongs, embarking on a path that his master, Madam Li, had never imagined.

Ordinary people would probably be shocked to see such practice.

It's like risking your life. If you're not careful, you'll end up disabled.

In fact, this is exactly the case.

Every time when you push your body to its limit, you will feel a piercing pain in your body, which is a sign that your fascia has been torn.

Fortunately, the Daluo Dharmakaya repaired it in time.

This state of extreme wandering is the best way to increase your skills.

Today, the Daluo Dharma body is damaged, mostly due to practicing martial arts.

In the next yard, the disciples of Bagua were also practicing, wading through mud, walking around a pillar, beating an iron man... they were practicing very enthusiastically.

But soon, they all stopped and listened.

Rumble~
"Brother, is there thunder?"

"It seems to be in Mr. Li's room..."

During this period, Li Yan had a great reputation in the Shu martial arts world.

Although they came from the capital following Censor Wang, they had also heard of his name. When they saw his age last night, they couldn't help but feel a little unconvinced.

The more unconvinced I am, the more curious I become.

"What are you doing!"

A scolding sound was heard, and two Baguamen masters from last night came over with their hands behind their backs, their eyes sharp and their faces gloomy.

The young disciples quickly lowered their heads and continued practicing.

The two masters listened attentively, looked at each other, and their expressions became more solemn.

They are well-informed and certainly know what this represents.

But considering Li Yan's age, it's really incredible...

Inside the side room, Li Yan didn't bother to pay attention to these people. After finishing his practice, he sat cross-legged facing east to concentrate his mind.

The way of spiritual practice is nothing more than to learn from heaven and follow the ways of earth.

The right way is to have both movement and stillness, and both giving and taking.

After doing all this, the darkness completely faded away. Li Yan packed up his things and pushed the door open to walk out.

The disciples of Bagua Sect had already left.

Only a middle-aged man was guarding a key position last night.

After seeing Li Yan, he hesitated for a moment, but still said, "Brother, today we are offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God, and the stoves have been extinguished. If you are hungry, we have some cakes and tea here."

When others showed goodwill, Li Yan naturally would not act arrogant. He smiled and clasped his fists and said, "That's great. Thank you very much, senior."

"There, you're welcome."

"My name is Li Yan, may I ask..."

"The Bagua Sect of the capital, Dong Cunshan."

"I've heard of you for a long time. You are a descendant of a famous family. I've heard of Senior Dong's name like thunder..."

"Grandpa is old and has not been concerned with worldly affairs for a long time..."

The two drank tea and had breakfast, and soon started chatting.

Li Yan was also somewhat surprised.

No wonder these Bagua Sect disciples are somewhat arrogant. They have reason to be proud because they come from the Dong family of Bagua Sect.

His master Dong Changxing is one of the ten great masters in China.

The reason why Censor Wang was able to invite these people to guard him was probably because Kai Hai, who was behind him, had sent a strong force.

Both of them were interested in making friends and they had a very pleasant conversation.

"Lord Wang is here. I will go and take my leave."

"The Lord is busy with official business and has left."

After Dong Cunshan explained, he said solemnly: "Little brother, we are foreigners. Although we are here to protect the law, we are in the capital and cannot control many things. So we only protect the safety of the censor and cannot interfere in other matters."

"There is a lot of evil spirits in Chengdu, so be careful."

"No matter how strong the evil wind is, good will always prevail over evil!"

"Okay! Take care!"

After saying goodbye to Dong Cunshan, Li Yan left immediately.

As you leave the Chengdu government office, the festive atmosphere hits you.

In the distance, the candy vendors have set up their stalls, and the steaming hot air with a sweet aroma permeates the streets...

Opposite the restaurant, there was a stall full of incense and candles in front of it, burning red paper with golden words "Say good things to the gods", yellowed images of the Kitchen God, and chickens and horses...

Amid the blast of firecrackers, the shopkeeper and his employees knelt down.

The twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month is the day to worship the Kitchen God.

There is also a custom in Chengdu that people would bring the Yuanxiao they made themselves and give them to others as gifts on this day.

Women on the street came visiting each other with lunch boxes in their hands. Li Yan could smell the sweet aroma of Yuanxiao even through the lunch boxes.

In my mind, I couldn't help but think of the old witch from last night.

The red firecracker paper sprinkled on the white snow created a festive atmosphere. Walking past the teahouse, there were people bragging.

"Do you know that there was a fire at the palace's Changshi's house last night?"

"what happened?"

"I heard that he did too many immoral things and attracted the wrath of the Kitchen God, who burned the Xu family to ashes, leaving no one alive."

"Good! It would be great if all the evil people in this world were to die!"

Li Yan shook his head slightly and looked towards Chengdu Prefecture shrouded in the cold fog.

"This New Year is not easy..."

(End of this chapter)