Knife splashing

Chapter 566: Cleaning Day, Grandmaster's Past
The Kitchen God is worshipped on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, and the dust is swept on the 24th, which means to sweep away the dust and get rid of the filth and welcome the gods for good luck.

The people of Chengdu called this day the "New Year's Day." The local customs record states: "On the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, every household sweeps the house, removes dirt, and prepares wine and fruit to worship the stove god."

It is not only for cleaning, but also means "getting rid of the old and welcoming the new".

Even the broom we use has a story.

Chengdu people make long brooms out of bamboo branches, called "New Year's Sweeping Brooms". After sweeping the house, they burn the brooms and old items in the stove, which means "sending away poverty".

"When sweeping the house, one must start from an auspicious direction, and sweep the main beam first, to 'sweep away the bad luck'. Avoid sweeping from the door to the outside of the house, to prevent 'wealth from flowing out'..."

While cleaning, Wang Daoxuan said, "We northerners value the Kitchen God Festival, and Shu people value the New Year's Day celebration. These are all customs passed down from ancient Chu."

There were servants in the palace, but Wang Daoxuan still insisted on cleaning.

According to him, he is wandering around the world and the north and south are his homes. Although he is away from home, these things cannot be cut off.

Without a sense of ritual, the festival would lose its flavor.

Li Yan and others did not object. Most of the people in their team were alone and gathered together. He was the leader, but Wang Daoxuan was more like the head of the family.

After a busy period, they had breakfast and went about their business.

According to the assignment last night, Li Yan went to gather information, Shalifi went to contact Hou Xuan, and the rest stayed in the bamboo forest cottage.

After all, they also accepted the task of protecting Xiao Jinghong.

As soon as Mingshanzi left, they became the main force.

Lu San is on guard and defends, attacking from medium range, Wu Ba protects in close combat, Wang Daoxuan sets up an altar to control the situation, and together with Du Men's group of disciples, they are enough to deal with most situations.

Li Yan left the Prince's Mansion and came to the street.

After sweeping the house, there are only a few days left to the Chinese New Year. The street markets in Chengdu are becoming more and more lively, with door gods, peach charms, and New Year pictures being sold everywhere and the sound of firecrackers never ending.

From today on, even the government will suspend lawsuits, which people call "sealing the criminal law."

Li Yan went to Mingxiang Pavilion without hesitation.

The situation in the Prince of Shu's Mansion is somewhat complicated. Not only are there masters from the "Ghost Troupe", but there are also reincarnated immortals hiding inside.

Moreover, the King of Shu has been possessed by Lu Sheng.

He was a famous alchemist in history, who lived longer than Zhao Changsheng. Who knows how powerful he was.

Li Yan did not plan to provoke again until he was sure.

Of course, we gained a lot last night. Judging from the conversation between the two members of the "Ghost Troupe", there are mainly two groups of monks under the command of the King of Shu.

One is the southwestern evil path that was collected before.

The second is the hired members of the “ghost troupe”.

The "King of Shu" has fallen out with the Dragon Worshiping Cult, and the people in the "Ghost Troupe" are not good people either. They gather together for profit and scheme against each other.

I think this matter can be used to some extent.

The most important thing at the moment is to find out what the other party is going to do.

With such a big commotion, Li Yan didn't believe that he couldn't find any flaws...

…………

The east of Chengdu City is more lively than other areas.

This place was originally a gathering place for all kinds of people, and because of the Chengdu Lantern Festival and the martial arts competition, a large number of street performers and Taoist magicians flocked here.

The streetside pubs showed no sign of closing down.

The wine flags were still flying and the sounds of finger-guessing games could be heard.

There was a snowstorm last night and it hasn't stopped today. People are coming and going on the streets, and people are pulling livestock to sell, trampling the snow into mud. The streets are bustling with people and the noise of mules and horses.

Li Yan had been here before, so he was naturally familiar with the place.

He soon realized that there were more martial artists here than the last time he came, including some sorcerers at the second level of Taoism or warriors who had reached the level of Hua Jin.

Don't underestimate this.

Although he is far inferior to what he is today, he can still be regarded as a local king in the local area, similar to the old monkey Zhou in Xianyang before.

It is not an exaggeration to say that heroes have gathered here.

Things are more complicated than you think...

Li Yan frowned slightly, lowered his hat, walked through the streets and alleys, and soon arrived outside Mingxiang Pavilion.

"Mr. Li, this way please..."

The doorman had already remembered him. When he saw him from afar, he came over and invited him into the teahouse.

Even during the Chinese New Year, there were still many people in the teahouse.

What was a bit unexpected was that on the stage there was a group of Taoists playing the sheng and the xiao, beating the fisherman's drum, and singing Buxu lyrics.

"Emperor Wenchang, a high-ranking master of the Purple Palace. He controls the records of the Nine Heavens with his jade book and golden book. He rides a red horse and descends his literary light to the Three Realms. He has great compassion and great vows, is a great saint and has great mercy. He is the Heavenly Lord of Wenchang and Zitong, and is reborn to be the Eternal Life..."

This is a tribute to Emperor Wenchang.

There are two great gods in Shu, one is Erlang Shen and the other is Wenchang Dijun.

In China, there is a saying that people worship Confucius in the north and Wenchang in the south. This saying has now spread throughout the country and is even more famous than Erlang Shen.

As if sensing Li Yan's surprise, the waiter stepped forward and whispered, "A businessman wanted to ask someone to do something for him. He knew that the businessman's son was taking an exam in the capital, so he specially asked someone to perform for him."

"Mr. Li, please follow me..."

After saying that, he took Li Yan through the front hall to the backyard.

What they didn't realize was that in the private room on the second floor of the front hall, a pair of eyes accidentally glanced at Li Yan's back, and their eyes suddenly became sharp...

When he came to the small courtyard at the back, Li Yan suddenly smelled a strange smell.

The smell is like a mixture of tea and medicinal soup.

There's even a smell of poisonous insects.

Li Yan frowned slightly and entered the courtyard.

But Liang Yu, one of the Six Idle Men of the Bamboo Grove, was seen boiling medicinal soup. The medicine pot he used was very strange, made of brass, with runes and grooves engraved on it.

In the central groove of the copper boat, there is a strange little worm similar to an earthworm, twisting wildly, with tea soup and medicine soup on both sides.

Liang Yu stared at the medicine ship and kept making hand gestures.

As the fire in the furnace boiled, the medicine and tea soup also bubbled up, spreading along the lines and converging towards the center.

By the time it reached the center of the medicine ship, it had turned into a dark and viscous liquid.

The strange poisonous insect was twisted by the heat and sucked the sticky liquid madly, and its body grew bigger and bigger.

When the medicinal soup and tea were boiled dry, the insect turned into a ball, and its skin was quickly dried by the copper medicine boat.

Li Yan now knows the nickname of Zhulin Liuxian.

Liang Yu not only knows about tea, but also practices the "Lingnan Tea Gu" and "Xiangxi Grass Ghost" methods, and is nicknamed "Tea Gu Lady".

This method of refining medicine is simply unheard of.

As for Situ Bo, who was lying on the side, his nickname was "Ghost Face".

Although Li Yan was curious, he did not speak. He stood quietly aside and waited. The relationship between Zhu Lin Liu Xian was no different from that between him and his companions, so he would naturally not harm him.

Liang Yu took out the insect pill and peeled off the cracked skin, and it immediately became a pitch-black pill.

Situ Bo took it and swallowed it in one gulp mixed with tea.

His originally pale complexion suddenly improved a little.

"This is called Soshin Pill."

Liang Yu then began to explain: "This old man has injured his soul and wants to recover his fighting power as soon as possible. Ordinary means will not work, but the hidden dangers are not small. I am afraid it will be difficult to make any progress in the future."

Situ Bo didn't care at all and shook his head, saying, "I'm old now and don't care about these things anymore."

As he spoke, he turned his head and looked at Li Yan, his tone becoming excited, "Young Master Li, have you found the trace of the traitor?"

"Yes, it's in the Prince Shu's Mansion."

Li Yan did not hide anything and narrated what he had seen.

Of course, the immortal who descended to earth was not mentioned, and only a mysterious master was mentioned. "He... he really did practice it!"

After hearing this, Situ Bo became agitated and wanted to stand up, but accidentally affected his lung meridian, causing him to cough violently and his face turned red.

"You old man, what are you in such a hurry for?"

Liang Yu looked dissatisfied, but still handed over a cup of special tea.

After Situ Bo drank it in one gulp, he felt better. After calming down, he said in a deep voice: "You don't know what this traitor did."

"My lineage has a secret book, The Hundred Aspects, which was passed down from the Jiangzuo evil sect. It contains the three aspects of human, ghost, and god."

"The human face is made by peeling the skin off a living person, and then torturing him severely while he is still alive, making him full of resentment..."

"In addition to human skin, the ghost also needs to make the remaining soul into a ghost and attach it to it..."

"The Divine Appearance has an additional secret method that can refine the 'demon'. It needs to be cultivated in an extremely yin place. It is very domineering. There are nine methods of refining, such as Ghost Zhong Kui and Ghost Eight Immortals."

"That traitor practiced this method and harmed countless people. It's all my fault. If I had known earlier, I should have destroyed the secret book."

Liang Yu beside him said in a deep voice: "Now that things have come to this, what's the point of saying these things? If you know this method, you must know how to crack it."

"Tell me, I'll be ready early."

Situ Bo nodded and said, "He has transformed into the Ghost Zhong Kui. Once released, hundreds of ghosts will follow him. He is best at seducing people's souls. You can break it by taking rooster blood."

"That's fine."

Liang Yu said coldly: "When the other Taoist friends arrive, we will find a chance to stop this guy and help you clean up the mess."

"I'm afraid it's difficult to handle."

Li Yan said in a deep voice: "According to the information I heard, there are several evil masters under the command of the King of Shu, namely Nie Sangu, the blood nun master Badai Zha, the water ghost craftsman Tian Qiye, and the black sect lama Dorje Zhaxi."

“These old guys are actually alive!”

When Liang Yu heard this, his eyes were filled with shock.

Although they, the Six Immortals of the Bamboo Forest, were a team of wandering immortals and had gained quite a reputation in the past, they were still inferior to these notorious evil leaders from the southwest.

Even if they gather together, it will be difficult to defeat them.

"Not only that, there are even more powerful masters. The Black Feather Guards under the King of Shu are all carrying new firearms..."

Li Yan described the dire situation and then said, “But we also have a chance. The reinforcements from Qingcheng Mountain will arrive in due time.”

"Now, we need to find out what they are going to do first. It's best to find out from the outside so as not to alert the enemy."

"The King of Shu is holding a martial arts competition to muddy the waters. He must be trying to cover up his plan."

"Senior Liang, you are well-informed. Do you know what strange things have happened in Chengdu recently?"

"Something strange?"

Liang Yu pondered for a moment and nodded, "Indeed."

"Just yesterday, the Chengdu City God Temple suddenly closed its doors, and then the temple keeper was replaced. The Huangling Sect summoned all its disciples and detained several..."

"I know this."

Li Yan said in a deep voice: "Someone in the City God Temple was bribed by the Shu Palace to deliberately conceal the formation and secretly help Nie Sangu. Senior Mingshanzi of Qingcheng Mountain has notified them to deal with it."

"I see…"

Liang Yu nodded and continued, "Just the day before yesterday, something strange happened in Qingyang Palace outside the city. The statue of Laozi actually shed tears of blood, causing panic among the people..."

"Also, a lot of people from the underworld have come here these days, saying that there will be water ghosts at the Fuhe Wharf in the middle of the night, and people who encounter them will often be beaten black and blue while in a daze."

"Some warlocks went to suppress it, but some didn't encounter it. Those who did, without exception, fell asleep in a daze. When they woke up, their bodies were bruised and their clothes were torn to pieces..."

"That thing didn't kill anyone, so no one cares about it now. But no one dares to stay at Fuhe Wharf at midnight."

"Fuhe Wharf?"

Li Yan frowned after hearing this. "Those monsters under the King of Shu should be hiding outside the city. Maybe they are the ones trying to smuggle things in the middle of the night. I will go and take a look tonight."

Situ Bo nodded and said, "It's not far from here to Fuhe Wharf, there's no need to rush. Today is a holiday, so why not have a quick meal and go in the evening."

"Okay, then I'm sorry."

Li Yan couldn't refuse the senior's invitation.

It was called a simple meal, but in fact it was a grand banquet. Li Yan did not drink because he had business to attend to in the evening.

But being with these two seniors is not boring.

They told about the evil ways in the southwest, especially the information about the four old demons, and also talked about many old stories of the Xuanmen martial arts world.

The most numerous are the Ten Great Masters of Shenzhou.

Li Yan had never had any idea about these masters, but now after hearing the stories from masters of the same era, he realized how powerful they were.

Lu Hongyuan, the owner of Mingde Martial Arts School and the son-in-law of Confucius Mansion in Luzhou, borrowed the Confucian spirit to integrate Xingyi, Bagua and Tai Chi, and was known as the way of civil and martial arts. In the past, he competed with Huo Yin for the position of the president of the Divine Fist Association, and also killed the remnants of the Golden Horde Wolf Kingdom...

Needless to say, Cheng Jianxin conquered the southwest with one sword...

Huo Yin's fists are invincible, and he is also the emperor's bodyguard...

Liang Zan, the master of Southern Fist, once fought against the monsters of Southeast Asia alone...

Wu Shuang, a Tai Chi master, was as good as any man. She was also extremely graceful and was called "unparalleled in the world"...

Sun Cunhuan, the master of Xingyi, has mastered the art of boxing...

Chen Yuanlu, the owner of Qiankun Martial Arts School, was a master of Qiankun spear, stirring up the world. He once fought with Cheng Jianxin and lost by only one move...

Dong Changxing, the master of Baguazhang, once defeated everyone in the capital city and no one dared to challenge him. Even when Huo Yin took action, it was a draw. Since then, Baguazhang has flourished in the capital city...

Wan Shengying, the founder of Wan Sheng Quan, the chief escort of the escort agencies of the thirteen provinces in the north and south, once killed the thirteen water monsters of Taihu Lake in one night. Since then, his escort flag has been popular all over the world, and he has a close relationship with the Shanxi Merchants Association...

Hao Cunzhen, a sloppy Taoist priest wanders around the world.

People in the martial arts world have only one evaluation of him: the reincarnation of Sanfeng!

All of these people are great masters who dominate the world. It is very troublesome for Xuanmen to encounter them, and even the imperial court has to give them face.

Li Yan was fascinated by what he heard.

Liang Yu, who was standing next to him, saw this and shook his head and sneered, "What's the point of being invincible in the world? The world is full of ups and downs, and there will always be new people who will surpass the old ones. They are already old, and the future belongs to you young people."

"Perhaps soon, a new top ten grandmasters will appear. If you are interested, go grab that title."

"Senior is joking."

Li Yan was a little speechless, and turned his head to look out the window, "It's getting late, I'll go to Fuhe Wharf first."

“Be careful on the road. As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood.”

"Yes, don't worry, two seniors."

After saying goodbye to the two, Li Yan left Mingxiang Pavilion.

Night had already fallen by then, and Li Yan left the West City before the city gate was about to close.

Outside the city of Chengdu, there is not just a vacant lot of land. Many poor people from Chengdu gather there and shanty towns are built according to the areas.

This was originally a temporary arrangement to house nearby disaster victims during a flood decades ago. Over time, more poor people gathered there, forming a large slum area.

In these places, there are no officials to supervise, public security is chaotic, and many local gangs have grown up, which is also one of the characteristics of Chengdu.

Looking around the shanty town, you can vaguely see tiny dots of candlelight.

"Woo~Dad!"

There was crying in the night sky.

After hearing this, Li Yan sighed in his heart.

He knew that the weather this winter was unusually cold, with constant wind and snow, and he didn't know how many people would not survive the New Year.

Keep walking forward and you will soon reach Fuhe Wharf.

It was pitch black here, with no one in sight.

But Li Yan stopped and his expression became strange.

He could vaguely smell the smell of roasted mutton...

(End of this chapter)