Knife splashing

Chapter 625: The Hundred Faces of Jianghu
Longmen Inn is quite famous in the world.

The name "Longmen" actually has two meanings.

One reason is the region.

For example, at the border of Shanxi and Shaanxi, at the entrance of the Yellow River, it is said that Dayu split the mountain to form a gate here, and the Yellow River rushed through it. The terrain is dangerous, so there is the Longmen Inn...

There is also the Yumen Pass in Dunhuang, a strategic point on the ancient Silk Road, and the image of a lonely inn in the desert, which is like going out of Longmen to the west and seeing the smoke rising from the desert...

The second is the fictitious reference to "Jianghu Longmen".

After crossing this hurdle, you will enter the world of martial arts. Whether you are a rotten crab or a carp leaping over the dragon gate and soaring into the sky, everyone has their own destiny.

The Longmen Inn in Longmen Post Station is naturally the former.

Nearby is the famous Longmen Grottoes.

"This place is located at the ferry crossing of Yi River in the south of Luoyang City, with the Mangshan Mountains behind it and adjacent to the ancient Longmen Post Station. It is a water and land hub of Yuzhou, connected to the Yellow River in the north and the Funiu Mountain Road in the south..."

Dilongzi introduced while walking, and suddenly turned his head and said:
"Young Master Li, what did you think of?"

Li Yan nodded slightly, "Trouble!"

Needless to say, this kind of place is not only an important transportation route, but also a gathering place for all kinds of people in the underworld. The bandits from Funiu Mountain, the grave-dwellers from Mang Mountain, and the river bandits from the Yellow River must have come here in large numbers.

"Young Master Li is right."

Di Longzi nodded and said, "This Longmen Inn is very famous in the world of Yuzhou."

"It was originally the private residence of Pei Rong, the censor of the Tang Dynasty. His ancestors were descendants of the Taoist 'Heluo Geomancy Sect' and were proficient in the art of Fengshui and geomancy. After the An-Shi Rebellion, Pei's descendants converted the residence into an inn, named 'Qiyun Courtyard', and secretly sheltered the monks who fled south..."

"During the Southern Song Dynasty, it was purchased by Pan Jiuniang, an outer sect elder of the Meishan Sect, and renamed the Dragon Gate Inn. On the surface, it operated a wine shop, but in reality it was a stronghold for the Meishan Sect to pass secret letters with the Northern Xuanmen to fight against the Shamanism of the Golden Horde Wolf Kingdom."

"Under the foundation of the inn, the Eight Dragon Plates for Guarding the Mountain is buried. It is a formation set up by Pei's ancestors to suppress the 'Yique Demonic Flood Dragon' with the energy of Mount Mang, and to lock up the dragon's soul with the power of the Dragon Gate of the Yi River. It is said that you could hear the dragon's cry on rainy nights..."

"Later, the Wolf Country's cavalry broke through the Divine Capital, and the two sides fought a great battle there. At that time, one of the ten great masters of Shenzhou, the elder of the Quanzhen Longmen Sect, and the head of the Xuandu Temple on Mount Mang, Chen Shoujing, was trapped in the Longmen Inn by Duoji Sangbu, the direct disciple of Ba Siba and the imperial teacher of the Wolf Country."

"The enemy was numerous and we were few. Chen Shoujing fought many masters alone and was surrounded by thousands of Wolf Country cavalry. He then broke the "Eight Dragon Plate to Guard the Mountain"."

"That day, the demon dragon escaped, the Yi River flooded, the dragon energy was shaken, the ghosts of Mangshan came out, and Master Chen Shoujing also perished together with the enemy..."

"Good man!"

Everyone was shocked when they heard this, and Wang Daoxuan couldn't help but praise him.

In that turbulent era, countless thrilling stories about family and country, life and death, and righteousness took place in China.

Li Yan had also heard of Chen Shoujing's name by chance. He glanced at him and said, "Senior, if you have anything to say, just say it directly."

He knew that Dilongzi was definitely not serving as a tour guide for them, and that he must have other intentions in saying this.

Di Longzi smiled upon hearing this and continued, "There was a big fire back then, and this place was completely scorched. Now, the owner of this Longmen Inn has naturally changed a long time ago."

"After the rise of the Great Xuan Dynasty and the destruction of the Great Xing and Golden Horde Wolf Kingdoms, this Longmen Post was rebuilt. With the restoration of the ferry crossing on the Yi River, it gradually prospered."

"The current innkeeper is Miss Pei, the "Golden Fox". She claims to be a descendant of the Pei family and the leader of the Heluo Horse Gang. She rebuilt the inn for merchants to rest."

"Because of the reputation of Longmen Inn, it has also become a well-known inn in the martial arts world. The information on the Yuzhou Road is not inferior to that of Luoyang City!"

Li Yan immediately understood, "Okay, let's spread the news here first and see if there are any fish that take the bait."

According to Dilongzi, those people acted very secretly, and even with his ability on the Yuzhou Road, he could not find any clues.

They have been delayed for a long time in looking for Zhao Luzi. In order to avoid any accidents, they can only alert the enemy and lure him to come!

While they were chatting, everyone had already seen the inn.

But I saw an inn opposite, with its back against the cliff of Yi River, and the main part of it was an irregular courtyard with three entrances.

The front hall is low like a farmhouse, the back building is tall like a fortress, the wing rooms are stacked up according to the mountainside, the roofs are covered with green tiles, and the outer walls are built with rammed earth mixed with broken porcelain tiles.

In front of the door there is a three-meter-long wooden pole with a large flag that reads "Longmen Inn" hung on it. The pole is rough and cracked, and the flag has faded after years of weathering.

There is also a special stable yard on the side. Although it is covered by loess walls, you can hear the neighing of many mules and horses.

The inn was very simple and did not seem to be worthy of the fame of Longmen Inn, but people did not find it strange.

This inn was originally intended to serve horse caravans and business travelers, and was similar to the coach inns in the city. The journey was hard, and most of the inns were poor and destitute, so they couldn't afford to stay in a hotel that was too nice.

Before I got close, I heard a noise from inside.

The sounds of booing, finger-guessing games, and singing mixed together.

This time, without Dilongzi's instructions, his two disciples quickly stepped forward, one on the left and one on the right, and lifted the door curtain at the same time.

When Sharifei saw this, he almost burst out laughing.

The so-called upper beam is not straight and the lower beam is crooked.

Dilongzi is vicious and domineering by nature, but he bullies the weak and fears the strong. He also cares about his face. The disciples he accepts are not very capable, but they are good at flattering.

Before on the road, perhaps because he had some grudge against them, he always made trouble for them over trivial matters. After being secretly taught a lesson by Sharifei, he became much more obedient.

This set of movements was so smooth and flowing that it immediately brought out the majesty of Dilongzi. He was really a little impressed by him.

Sure enough, everyone in the inn was frightened.

But two people pushed the door open and walked in, dressed smartly, one on the left and one on the right, very stylish, with the demeanor of children of famous families.

For a moment, the inn was silent.

Many people poked their heads out to see who was coming.

However, Dilongzi was not in a hurry to enter the door, but instead turned sideways and raised his hand and said, "Young Master Li, please!"

Li Yan shook his head and said, "Senior, please go first."

Before, on the road, Dilongzi often did this. It seemed polite, but it was actually all fake.

If he really advances, the old man will definitely bear a grudge against him.

Li Yan was too lazy to play this game with him.

Unexpectedly, this time Di Longzi insisted and said with a smile: "I am also half a Yuzhou person. You are the guest, so of course the guest should go first."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, said no more nonsense, and strode into the room.

Dilongzi curled his lips and followed him into the door.

Suddenly, many eyes turned to him.

Just as Dilongzi said, all kinds of people gather here.

There were silk merchants wearing Liuhe hats, herbal medicine vendors wearing tung oil clogs and straw raincoats, rickshaw drivers wearing coarse cloth shorts, and even a few Persian merchants with crooked felt hats...

Having been away from home for several years, Li Yan had already become an old hand. With just a quick glance, he could roughly understand the movements of everyone in the store.

The carriage drivers had tattoos on their arms, and next to their wine bowls were whips wrapped with hemp ropes. The iron hook on the whips was engraved with the "He Bo Tu", the symbol of the Heluo Caravan...

The man drinking with them was barefoot and had leggings, with thick calluses faintly visible on his collar and shoulders. He must be a boatman on the Yellow River...

The Heluo Horse Gang is also a considerable force in Yuzhou. Although they are called a horse gang, they actually do work on both land and water, and also run a part-time escort business.

The blind storyteller, who was huddled beside the stove holding a sanxian, had a scar hidden under his blindfold, and the peg of the string concealed a hidden arrow mechanism. He was a dealer who collected intelligence for the Pingmen.

The man sitting by the window wrapped in a sheepskin coat, smelling like sheep, chewed cold mutton with garlic cloves, with a goose-feather knife placed horizontally on the edge of the table, the handle wrapped in oily cowhide. At first glance, he was a swordsman from Kansai who traded in human lives...

There was a group of people, wearing black tights decorated with copper nails, with iron scales sewn on their wrist guards, their faces were covered in dust, and they all held pistols. They sat in a position that vaguely guarded against everyone, and they were leaning against the window.

This is a typical practice of the escort business.

Judging from his attire, he should be a Heshuo escort.

There is also a building inside the inn, the pillars of which are made of unpeeled pine wood, and a broken arrow is left at the tree scar at the corner.

The legs of the square table were all tied with rusty shackles.

This is used to prevent table-lifting and fighting. It is indeed a place of trouble!

However, Li Yan was attracted by something else.

The roof beam of the Longmen Inn is actually made of the keel of a wooden ship, and a secondary picture is engraved in the center of the beam.

Although it is very old and has long been mottled, you can still vaguely see that it is a water god driving a dragon chariot and riding a white turtle. There is also a dragon carved in the waves opposite.

"Chu Ci·Nine Songs" mentioned, riding a waterwheel with a lotus cover, driving two dragons and riding a Chi... riding a white turtle and chasing patterned fish.

This is the appearance of the god "He Bo".

The belief in Hebo originated from the worship of the Yellow River. It was incorporated into official sacrificial ceremonies during the Han Dynasty and merged with local Taoist witchcraft. For example, when Ximen Bao governed Yezhong, there was the bad custom of "Hebo marrying a woman".

But what really caught Li Yan's attention was that there was a faint smell of incense flowing on the wooden boat "He Bo Parade" statue.

This is clearly a thing to protect the house.

There are knowledgeable people from the Xuanmen sect in the Longmen Inn!

Li Yan pondered secretly in his heart, but in the eyes of others, he seemed to be arrogant and looked down on others.

"Humph!"

A cold snort came from the corner.

It was the Guanxi swordsman who was chewing mutton who muttered in a cold accent: "Where did this young kid come from? His tail is almost up to the sky."

Li Yan didn't care. This was how the Guanxi swordsman was. He would never submit to anyone even if beaten to death. He was like this before.

However, the disciple of Dilongzi next to him refused to give in.

"You deserve to be beaten for talking so much!"

A disciple spoke in a cold voice and picked up a chopstick and threw it out.

Although he had not yet achieved the state of hidden power, he united his waist and horse and shook his arms outwards, using the technique of the dagger in the sleeve.

call out!
The bamboo chopsticks broke through the air with extraordinary momentum.

Clang!
The Kansai swordsman also reacted quickly. With a clang, he pulled out half of his goose-feather sword and raised it upwards, and the flying chopsticks broke with a sharp sound.

Not in the middle, but all the way through.

This vision is truly extraordinary.

Clang clang!
At the same time, in other directions of the inn, people also drew their weapons.

There were passing merchants, peddlers with honest faces, and even a street performer with a small drum hanging from his waist.

"Oh, you are still in the same group, want to do business..."

Sharifei glanced around and lazily grasped the handle of the rifle.

However, there was no rush to act.

On the contrary, all the Heshuo escorts changed their expressions.

These people seemed to be targeting Li Yan and others, but they were all disguised and occupied positions that vaguely surrounded them.

"Copy guy!"

The escorts held the front end of the gun handle at the same time, and with a shake of their hands, they stretched out two feet, and grabbed it with the other hand, pointing it in all directions, like a hedgehog formation.

The leading escort suddenly raised his foot and stepped on the bench. The three-ring copper plate on his waist clanged and he looked around with a serious expression:
"Everyone, which tile are you leaning on? Which incense stick are you worshipping?"

Li Yan and others did not expect that they would encounter this incident accidentally.

Dilongzi wanted to show off and spread the word, but when he encountered this, he felt as disgusted as if he had eaten shit. He immediately said impatiently: "If you want to do business, get out of here and don't be an eyesore here."

"Old guy, you're looking for death!"

The young peddler's eyes were suddenly filled with murderous intent.

"You are looking for death!"

The disciples of Dilongzi also had gloomy expressions.

But just as they were about to take action, a charming and aggressive voice came from upstairs, "Hey, are you going to destroy my store again?"

Everyone looked up and saw a woman appear on the second floor.

Not "girl", but woman.

She was dressed in red, with her hair in a bun and a gilded copper hairpin with a dragon pattern. Her phoenix eyes slanted into her temples, her nose was as high as a knife, and her red lips seemed to be smiling.

There is a shallow scar on her left cheek, which is covered by flower ornaments. Instead of being ugly, it adds to her wildness and an indescribable charm.

"Young man, I advise you to hold on."

She moved in her red embroidered shoes, the outline of her legs faintly visible under her crimson skirt, and swayed as she walked down the stairs, while she spoke: "This is Senior Di Longzi, the elder of the Tongtian Sect."

"He has killed more people than you've ever seen. I've collected three corpses this month, but I don't have money to wrap you with straw mats..."

Li Yan knew that this must be the shopkeeper, Madam Pei.

As he was talking, the other party had come downstairs and said with a half-smile, "Senior Dilongzi, please calm down. There was news from Luoyang a while ago that a Xuanmen sorcerer killed someone, which is quite a problem."

"Warlock?!"

When the Guanxi swordsmen heard this, their faces suddenly changed.

There are many people in the Xuanmen of Shenzhou, but compared with the entire martial arts world, they are very rare. Their magic is dangerous, and even ordinary people in the martial arts world are unwilling to provoke those at the bottom of the Xuanmen.

What's more, this old man seems to be of considerable background.

"Thank you!"

"excuse me!"

He bowed to Madam Pei and Dilongzi respectively, said hello, then turned around and left with his brothers.

"Wait a minute."

But Madam Pei suddenly spoke, smiling but with cold eyes, "Remember to stay away. You are not welcome on Heluo Road anymore."

Giving a reminder is to give others a way out, but as the leader of the Heluoma Gang, he naturally doesn't want to see this gang doing business without any capital.

"it is good!"

The swordsman nodded in agreement, turned around and ran away.

After driving away the gang, Madam Pei looked at Di Longzi, bowed, and said in a delicate voice: "I handled it without authorization, please don't be angry, senior. After all, this is a small business and can't afford to be tossed around."

"Just kidding."

Dilongzi glanced at him calmly, his eyes flickering upstairs, "I have always convinced people with virtue, how could I kill indiscriminately."

"That is."

Madam Pei responded with a remark, then looked at Li Yan, covered her mouth and giggled, "This handsome young man looks unfamiliar. Let me guess... Could it be that you are the famous Li Yan, the young master of Sichuan and Shu?"

"Everyone, is this the Twelve Yuanchen?"

Li Yan frowned slightly, "Ms. Pei is indeed well-informed."

"Hahaha…"

Madam Pei laughed so hard that her body shook. "I also know that you are more famous in Pingkangfang, Chang'an."

When Li Yan heard this, the corner of his eye twitched.

"Has the Night Cryer been here?"

(End of this chapter)