Knife splashing

Chapter 663: Sancha River Mouth
"What, impossible!"

Li Yan's face was filled with astonishment and a little bit of disbelief.

Wu Qu is not an ordinary person.

Dan Jin master, Cangzhou Kaimen Baji successor, Huaguang Fajiao monk...

No matter which identity, it should not be underestimated.

As the protector of the "Huangquan Organization", he has extremely rich combat experience, many friends in the martial arts world, and the Cangzhou Wu family is standing behind him. It can be said that anyone who wants to take action must think twice.

How could he be killed so easily?

"Who did it!"

Li Yan clenched his fist and asked through gritted teeth.

This is one of the few good friends he has, and he must take revenge on him.

"I don't know."

Takezuka took a deep breath and said while suppressing his grief, "The bastard's death was strange. He said he received a request for help from an old friend and went to Tianjin to help him settle a dispute, but he fell asleep on the way and never woke up again."

Li Yan frowned slightly, "No wounds?"

Wu Zuka shook his head and said, "There are no traces on the body. I hired the best coroner in Jizhou, but he found nothing. There were no traces of magic on the boat either. In the end, the government closed the case as a sudden serious illness."

Li Yan continued to ask: "Senior, you are so sure that Brother Wu was murdered by someone, there must be a reason."

"Ah."

Takezuka took a deep breath and said, "I have invited a good friend who has experienced the Yin..."

"No reaction at all, I can't sense anything at all!"

Click!

Li Yan was filled with murderous intent and he suddenly crushed the back of the chair beside him.

He was not clear about the methods used by the ghosts, but no matter their souls had already entered the underworld or they had wandered around as lonely ghosts after death, there would always be a reaction.

I can't sense anything at all. There is only one possibility...

He was beaten to death!

For a moment, everyone fell silent.

Wu Qu was a generous and forthright person who did not care about details, and he had a good relationship with them.

The last time they met, they were drunk.

I didn't expect that in such a short time, we would be separated by heaven and earth.

Suddenly, everyone's heart trembled and they all turned their heads.

But the originally heartless Wu Ba had changed his appearance at this moment. He hunched his body, stood with his head down, his fists clenched, veins popping out on his forehead, and his teeth chattering.

His eyes were bloodshot, and a sense of madness was brewing.

This kid has a simple mind, but he is not stupid.

He can clearly tell who is good to him, who is his enemy, and who is insignificant.

Wu Qu was his mentor.

Although he kept cursing at the time, he was still teaching me all his skills carefully.

Wu Ba now has already learned to speak human language. Although he is not fluent yet, he has no problem communicating normally. He has also learned some etiquette. On his way here, he specially prepared some cakes and fine wine, ready to kowtow to the owner.

His weakness is his emotions, which are now showing signs of being out of control.

Bang!
Without any hesitation, Li Yan dodged and hit him on the back of the head with his knife.

This place was originally a bit dangerous, but Wu Ba had thick skin and strong flesh, and Li Yan's strength control was very meticulous, so he was only knocked unconscious without causing any physical harm.

After instructing everyone to take good care of it, Li Yan turned around and asked, "Senior, do you have any clues?"

Takezuka glanced at Wu Ba on the ground, his eyes softened slightly, and shook his head, saying, "If I had any clues, I would have already killed my enemy. Why would I wait until now?"

"That bastard has a bad relationship with me. He has been wandering around in secret for years. No one in the clan knows what he is doing in private."

"This time, I came here just to ask you something."

"I vaguely know something..."

Li Yan didn't waste any words and told the story of Wu Qu and the Huang Quan Organization.

"This bastard!"

After hearing this, Takezuka was immediately furious, his face flushed red, "Putting aside the family affairs, talking about the experience of becoming a god, secretly provoking these people, I..."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly turned his head and looked to the side.

The boy timidly grabbed his trouser legs and said, "Grandpa, don't scold my father..."

Hearing this, the old man suppressed his anger and sighed.

Li Yan looked at the boy, "Is this Brother Wu's son?"

"Ah."

The old man touched the boy's head and sighed, "His mother died early, and that bastard is wandering around all day. It's so hard to settle down, alas~"

After hearing this, Li Yan didn't know what to say.

The most difficult thing to explain in this world is the relationship between family members.

He also knew some information about Takezuka. When he was young, he earned the name "Cangzhou Iron Lion" and was only one step away from becoming a master. How could he be content with what he had to endure? He also had a hot temper and a bad character.

Wu Qu never told him about his father, and he probably had some resentment in his heart.

Thinking of this, Li Yan asked Wang Daoxuan for a coin.

This coin is quite large, with a round square hole. The front is engraved with the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger and Black Tortoise, and the back is written with the eight characters "Long Life and Wealth" and "Exorcise Evil and Bring Good Fortune" in small seal script.

This is the "Four Spirits Coin", which came from the royal family of the Tang Palace. It is filled with a strong aura and has the power to drive away evil spirits and protect the body. Wang Daoxuan found several of them during the Qingcheng cellar opening meeting. They are very precious.

Li Yan put the money in the boy's hand and asked softly, "Child, what's your name?"

"My name is Wu Anji." The boy replied timidly.

"Hmm, good name."

Li Yan nodded and said seriously: "Your father and I are very good friends. Don't leave this coin with you. No matter what difficulties you encounter in the future, come to me with the token!"

After comforting the boy, Li Yan looked at Takezuka again.

"Please take us to Brother Wu's grave..."

……

The Wu family lives near Cangzhou City.

Like many families, they built their ancestral house in the village. Most of them were people with the same surname. They farmed and practiced martial arts, forming a clan community. There was nothing special about it.

Wu Qu's tomb is on the hill behind the village.

Jizhou grows winter wheat, which is sown in October every year and harvested in June. At this moment, the wheat ears are turning green, and the mountains and fields are full of lush green. There is a new tomb and a new tombstone on the edge of the field, with Wu Qu's name engraved on it.

Li Yan suppressed his grief, and after a sacrifice, he looked at Wang Daoxuan beside him.

He has already used his magical powers to investigate.

Wu Qu's body had already decayed a bit, and nothing unusual was found.

Wang Daoxuan had already made preparations. He first used wooden sticks to make a Bagua shape on the ground, and placed the jade pendant that Wu Qu often wore during his lifetime in it. He also grabbed a handful of soil from the tomb and scattered it around, then made hand gestures, chanted an incantation, and shook the copper coins and tortoise shells for divination.

There is no clue about Wu Qu's death.

Wang Daoxuan's hexagram was half accurate and half inaccurate, but at least it was a hope.

The copper coins fell to the ground with a clatter.

The coins that fell were also very strange, exactly three straight and three at an angle.

Two of them are positive and one is negative, and the other three are all positive.

"Master, what does this hexagram mean?"

Takezuka next to him couldn't wait to ask.

Of course he had heard of the name of the Twelve Yuanchen, and he held a glimmer of hope in his heart.

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and looked at it, thinking, "This is the Marsh and Water Trapped Hexagram. The Xiang says that a marsh without water means trapped; a gentleman will sacrifice his life to achieve his goal. Trapped by rocks, stuck by thorns; entering his palace and not seeing his wife is bad luck." Seeing that everyone looked confused, he explained, "A marsh without water means a difficult situation. According to the interpretation of the hexagram, Brother Wu should have died in a desperate situation. 'Entering his palace and not seeing his wife' can be interpreted as betrayal by someone you trust."

"I knew it!"

Takezuka snorted coldly, "He was fine at home, but suddenly he went to Tianjin and said his best friend's life was in danger. He refused to tell me when asked. He really made bad friends!"

Li Yan asked: "Senior, have you found out who his friends are?"

The Wu family is a big family in Cangzhou, and they must know a lot of tricks in the world.

However, Takezuka shook his head and said, "That bastard has already entered the Dan realm. Many years ago, he stopped associating with ordinary people in the martial arts world. I asked someone to find out, but I couldn't find out who he knew in Tianjin."

Sharifei's eyes rolled. "Brother Wu has been dealing with the Huangquan Organization most of the time over the years. Could it be that those people betrayed him?"

Li Yan said thoughtfully: "Brother Wu's guardian, the 'living ghost messenger', has been killed. Although the Huangquan organization fell apart after the incident, there may be some of his friends."

"Don't worry, senior. I know some secret codes of the Huangquan Organization. I will try them out when I get to Tianjin. If I can find the missing members, there may be clues."

When Takezuka heard this, he quickly said, "I'll go with you too!"

"No!"

Li Yan shook his head and said, "Brother Wu was murdered, and the murderer is still unknown. If it is not aimed at the Wu family, wouldn't it be a trap for you to leave with me?"

As he spoke, he looked at the silent child Wu Anji squatting beside the green grass in the distance, "Brother Wu only left this orphan, and he still needs your care."

"Don't worry, no matter who the murderer is, I will bring his head to pay tribute to Brother Wu!"

…………

Because of Wu Qu's death, the atmosphere in Wujia Village was somewhat solemn.

Li Yan and others did not stay long. After paying homage, they returned to Cangzhou Wharf and left by boat.

Everyone was in a bad mood, and the atmosphere seemed a bit depressing along the way.

Even Wu Ba, who was usually heartless, just squatted at the bow after waking up, gloomy as a stone.

Information from Linqing Customs continued to flow in through the Cao Gang channels.

This chaos was entirely caused by Eunuch Ma's heavy taxes and levies, which also forced many people to death, causing public resentment and leading to disaster.

The leaders of the Chamber of Commerce who led the riot were all thrown into jail.

There were also porters who joined in the looting, smashing, burning and beating. Some of them died directly at the gunpoint, while others were scattered and fled to nearby rivers to become bandits.

Although they were all pitiful people, this action violated the taboos of the Daxuan court and there was no way out.

Of course, Eunuch Ma was not left out either.

He himself died in the chaos of war, and the huge amount of wealth he had accumulated over the years was all confiscated. Those eunuchs and tax collectors who assisted him were all thrown into prison.

Li Yan knew that this was just the beginning.

Linqing Customs is the number one currency customs in the world. Although the tax silver is not as much as that in the coastal areas after the opening of the sea, it still plays a vital role in the Daxuan Dynasty.

This riot will most likely trigger a new round of fighting in the court.

Of course, he was too lazy to care about these things.

Even Qiankun Academy was temporarily put aside by him.

Everyone has only one goal at this time.
Revenge for Wu Qu!
……

After another day and night, we finally arrived in Tianjin.

Everyone has heard of the name of Tianjin.

Due to the completion of the Grand Canal and the prosperity of water transport, this place became a core hub for the transportation of materials between the north and the south. Because of the opening of sea trade, a large number of chambers of commerce gathered here and built workshops in the city.

It has attracted a huge population over the years.

From Guanzhong to Yuzhou, from ordinary people to people from the underworld, they are all running here.

The early morning mist had not yet dissipated, but the canal boat had already arrived at the mouth of Sancha River.

The so-called Sancha River is the intersection of the South Grand Canal, the North Grand Canal and the Haihe River.

This is the most important port area in Tianjin.

When they looked up, they saw that the hundred-foot-wide river was crowded with canal boats.

The "manpengkuai" of the grain transport gangs and the "changlu bo" of the salt merchants were moored in an alternating pattern, with masts like a forest.

Some ships had the "Cao" flag erected on their bows, while others had the salt flag erected.

The morning mist and the salty sea breeze entangled each other, and the hustle and bustle of the dock came towards us.

On the dock, porters were crowded like ants, all bare-chested, carrying sacks of grain, stepping on the shaky gangplank to load and unload goods. The supervisors' whips hit the bluestone slabs, sparks flew, and their scoldings were mixed with Tianjin dialect:

"Hurry up! If these 800 dan of rice are not delivered to the North Warehouse before noon, the guards will not wait for you!"

Li Yan and his companions were on a Caobang cargo ship, which was mainly transporting goods and gave them a ride as a side trip.

Before we reached the shore, tax collectors arrived by boat.

Compared to Linqing Customs, the tax collectors here are much more polite in their words, but their actions are equally fierce.

They took an iron rod and poked it through the grain bag, and the yellow rice poured out.

The tax collector just took a glance and casually wrote down the words "moldy rice".

The Cao Gang disciple who had been following him all the way saw this, but he was not angry. He walked up to him with a smile on his face and quickly handed him an ingot of silver: "The canal is turbulent, so it is bound to get moldy. Please be merciful..."

The tax collector weighed the silver, glanced at it sideways, and drew a circle in the account book with a cinnabar pen.

The "moldy rice" on that ship suddenly became "superior japonica rice" and could be sent directly to the Beijing Tong warehouse to fill the gap.

Li Yan and others just watched coldly from the side.

After the tax collector left, Sharifei couldn't help cursing, "Damn it, all crows are black!"

The Cao Gang disciple smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "It has been like this since ancient times. Don't take them seriously. The imperial court has killed batch after batch, but there are always those who want to take advantage of it."

Li Yan nodded, said nothing, and looked into the distance.

In addition to the ships of the canal gangs and salt merchants, there are also a large number of merchant ships on the Haihe River.

Some of them are obviously not of Shenzhou standard, which makes them particularly eye-catching.

On top, Western sailors were using iron brushes to clean the residue from the gun barrels, and there were black people brushing the plywood.

"That's a red-haired foreign merchant ship."

Seeing this, the Cao Gang disciple hurriedly explained: "I heard that it's called the Tulip. Every time it comes to Tianjin, it brings a ship full of spices and gold, which it exchanges for porcelain and tea. It's very rich."

Then he whispered, "At the dock in Tianjin, our Cao Gang still has some face, but the real boss is the Jinghai Gang. The "pot gangs" in the city are all their subordinates, and they have the support of senior officials in the court behind them, so their power is not small."

"These people have nothing to do with our Cao Gang, and the captain has also instructed us not to clash with them..."

"rest assured."

Li Yan knew what he meant and nodded, saying, "Just send them here. We will leave after we get to the dock. No matter what happens, it has nothing to do with your Cao Gang."

The Cao Gang disciple smiled bitterly and said, "Please forgive me, Young Master Li."

He also had a vague idea of ​​what was happening in Cangzhou, and the reputation of the Twelve Yuanchen was well-known.

If something serious happens, they won't be able to handle it.

The helmsman, Chen San, is a local tyrant in Zhangqiu Town.

When I arrived in Tianjin, no one paid attention to me when I told them my name.

Soon, the canal boat approached the dock.

Li Yan and others unloaded their luggage, found a ox cart to pull it, and prepared to enter the city.

Just then, there was a commotion ahead.

I saw a tall and strong man with dark eye sockets. He walked a few steps and suddenly fell to the ground. He scratched his skin like crazy, with snot and tears streaming down his face.

There were two people next to him, and their expressions changed slightly when they saw this.

"Damn it, I'm addicted now!"

Then he pulled the man up and hurriedly dragged him to a roadside teahouse...

(End of this chapter)