Knife splashing

Chapter 682: Peach and the Devil

Peaches?!
When Li Yan heard this, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

He sneaked into the capital secretly to destroy the plan of the Jianmu demon Zhao Qingxu in advance, but the other party's identity was secret and the only clue was the "Peach Banquet".

Li Yan had no idea what kind of organization this was.

The purpose of approaching the British palace was to investigate the matter.

Unexpectedly, there was a result here.

He had a hunch that the two were closely related!
Although he was anxious, Li Yan showed a trace of sarcasm on his face, "Fellow Daoist, you are joking. This thing is just a myth or legend, most of which are fabricated by people. You use this illusory thing as a reward. Do you think I am a fool?"

"Don't worry, young man Li."

Hu Yuanyuan's face was full of sincerity. "This does sound absurd, but if I wasn't sure, how could I dare to ask you? Listen to me talk about the cause and effect, and I believe you can make your own judgment."

"Oh? Tell me about it..."

Li Yan was secretly happy, but he had an indifferent expression.

Hu Yuanyuan said in a deep voice: "I also found out about this by chance."

"Before Master passed away to Paradise, he did not pass on the position of the incense master of the capital to me. Instead, he passed it to my senior brother. He is good at forbearance and acts flawlessly, so he is more suitable for this position."

"But the world is such a trick. Within a year, he was infected with a serious illness. He asked a famous doctor from the Xuanmen Sect to use the Tiger and Wolf Method. Although he was barely cured, his foundation was greatly damaged. His cultivation declined and he became old and frail."

"After this incident, my senior brother became depressed and passed the position of incense master to me. He planned to travel around and spend the rest of his life."

"But half a year later, on a rainy night, Senior Brother suddenly appeared again. Not only had his Taoism recovered, but he even looked a lot younger!"

"He was very excited at the time, saying that the Immortal Peach Fruit really existed in the world, right here in the capital, and even some high-ranking officials were secretly taking it."

"Then he said that he had to go to Jiangnan for something. If the immortal official came to visit, we must not miss the opportunity."

"I didn't believe it at first, until the other party came to my door."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "What happened?"

Hu Yuanyuan's eyes were full of disbelief. "It was a young girl who came. She had a mysterious escape technique. She suddenly appeared in front of me and said that she was giving me a peach because of my senior brother."

"Although she didn't reveal her identity, I have seen her when I was young. She was Liu Xiangru, a famous prostitute in one of the eight alleys in Beijing, who was known for her talent in both music and literature."

"According to the time, she is already over fifty."

Hearing this, Li Yan became more suspicious, "Can you show me the 'Peaches'?"

Hu Yuanyuan hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Young Master Li's reputation of keeping his word has long been known throughout the martial arts world, so I naturally believe in you."

After saying that, he turned and entered the secret room, opened a secret compartment, and tore off all the talismans that concealed the breath inside. Then he came over with a wooden box and slowly opened it.

When Li Yan saw what was inside, his pupils suddenly shrank.

In the wooden box, there was a huge peach, about the same size as the steamed longevity peach, and it was so fresh and juicy that it seemed like juice would flow out if the skin was broken.

The fragrance fills your nose.

At first glance, it looks like a treasure from heaven and earth.

Hu Yuanyuan looked at it with fascination in her eyes. "To be honest, I have seen spiritual fruits before, but they are not as mysterious as this fairy peach. It has been stored for three months, but it is still fresh."

"According to Liu Xiangru, this peach can be kept for ten years without rotting. Although it can't make people live forever as the legend says, it can restore youth. I'm still young now, so I'm holding back and planning to take it in a few years."

Li Yan glanced at him calmly and said, "You are willing to give me such a good thing."

"I can't help it."

Hu Yuanyuan said in a deep voice: "The Yingwang Mansion is a powerful military official. Through the Jinghai Gang's control of the Tianjin dock, many people in the army benefited from it. The emperor took away the power of military equipment and food and wages, and he turned a blind eye to this."

"But if the Jinghai Gang gets into trouble, the local faction will take advantage of this to launch a massive attack. Even if the emperor doesn't take action, some people in the army will be ready to take advantage of the situation and seize power in the Yingwang Palace."

"When the time comes, Uleji will have no more protection and will definitely flee far away."

"As for what happened tonight, I'm afraid that we've already alerted the enemy, so it's inconvenient for me to show up again."

"Okay, deal!"

Li Yan nodded and agreed immediately.

He can now be sure that this "Peaches" is definitely related to Jianmu.

Besides, even if the Hu family had not commissioned him, he had accepted the mission from the underworld and it was impossible for him to let Wuleji go.

"I believe in Mr. Li."

Although Hu Yuanyuan looked reluctant, she still closed the box and handed it to Li Yan.

Seeing Li Yan put away the box, she shook her head and said, "There is one more thing I want to remind you, young man."

"I have also hired a 'living ghost messenger'. The original plan was to use that idiot Xiao Chenghai to lure Wuleji out of the capital, and then have the 'living ghost messenger' take action."

"But earlier at Piaoxianglou, I just received news that this person had committed a crime and had been taken to prison, but he mysteriously hanged himself to death inside."

"Oh?"

Li Yan frowned, "Do you know what happened?"

Feng Shaoqing, who was standing beside him, bowed and said, "I came down to Piaoxiang Tower to discuss this matter."

"That man was originally a minor official in the Ministry of Rites. His identity was only revealed recently. I had someone secretly investigate and found out that he was reported for practicing witchcraft and died in an unclear manner. That night his house was robbed and the certificate was stolen."

"I have received news that many living ghost messengers have recently been exposed and died tragically in the Xuanmen Jianghu. Young Master Li, please be careful."

"Thank you."

Li Yan nodded. "But you, many people saw what happened tonight. Aren't you afraid of being exposed and thrown into prison by the Duwei Division?"

Feng Shaoqing was silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, "My godfather knows my identity."

Although he didn't say it explicitly, Li Yan immediately understood what was going on.

Although Maitreyaism was strictly prohibited, the imperial court also knew that its teachings were too easy to mislead people. As long as there was injustice in the world, this religion would revive again and again.

Tian Qianhu also mentioned this matter to him.

Nowadays, with the changing world, not only the Tianjin docks, but many coastal ports are now full of workshops.

On the surface, the people wanted to make money to make a living, but it was also because local tyrants occupied their land. The people lost their fields and their foundation, so they left their homes.

In previous years, these people would either become long-term laborers or sell themselves into slavery.

But now that there are a large number of workshops, the people will find other ways out.

This is one of the fundamental contradictions between the local faction and the open-minded faction.

Some local nobles even colluded with officials to prohibit people from leaving.

But the workshop is not so worry-free either.

The greed of businessmen is no less than that of local tyrants.

Li Yan had seen the places where the workers and the Weaver Girl lived. They were all rotten shacks with sewage flowing everywhere. There were also gangs in the city that bullied people and opened gambling houses and brothels.

Under such circumstances, it has become the breeding ground for Maitreya Buddhism.

The Maitreya sect in the capital is just gathering to do business and has no intention of causing trouble. Rather than forcing it into the dark, it is better to keep it under our noses.

I'm afraid both parties have a tacit understanding on this matter.

After figuring it out, Li Yan stopped asking questions, put away the box and nodded, "Don't worry, everyone. Wuleji can't escape, but he is hiding in the Yingwang Mansion. Is there any way to lure him out?"

Hu Yuanyuan pondered for a moment and said, "There are city gods and altars in the capital. Wuleji dare not leave the palace easily. The one who came to arrest Xiao Chenghai before was the second brother of King Ying, who assisted King Ying in managing the palace's assets. Something happened in Piaoxiang Tower, which must have aroused vigilance." "But I heard that the old princess's 80th birthday will be in a few days, and she will definitely hold a banquet to stabilize people's hearts. I want to think of a way to see if I can use the opera troupe to let Li Shaoxia sneak in."

"Okay, let me know if you have any news."

Li Yan nodded, put away the box and turned to leave.

Not long after he left, Hu Yuanyuan suddenly trembled, her head shook unnaturally, then her eyes rolled back, she turned around, and sat on the chair with her legs crossed.

Widow Wang, who was standing nearby, saw this and hurriedly and respectfully lit up her pipe and handed it over.

Hu Yuanyuan took two puffs and then said in a shrill voice, "Don't worry, he's gone. This kid is an anomaly. I was wrong about him back then. I didn't expect that he would not only survive, but also have such great skills as he has today."

Then, she changed her tone and said, "Grandma, why do you trust him so much?"

If Li Yan were here, he would have discovered that this was a sign of possession by a fairy.

However, there are also levels in the Immortal Hall. Just like summoning gods, those with low Taoism will lose consciousness, but Hu Yuanyuan can still maintain her own consciousness and even ask questions, which is a manifestation of her successful practice of this method.

"You don't understand this."

Hu Yuanyuan returned to her shrill voice, took a puff of cigarette, shook her head and said, "The Night Wandering God was forced to leave. This guy is not only a living ghost messenger, but also a heavenly official. He is the only one who can enter the Prince of Ying's Palace."

Feng Shaoqing hesitated for a moment, "What about the peaches..."

"Don't think about that!"

Hu Yuanyuan suddenly shouted, "Although I don't understand, I know that there is a destiny between heaven and earth, and the price must be high. The hexagrams have shown great bad luck several times, so don't touch that thing."

As he said this, he turned his head and looked out the window. "Something is wrong in the capital. The Heavenly Official has arrived, and the Night Wandering Gods are being controlled. I'm afraid there will be chaos."

"Prepare your retreat in advance. After you kill Wuleji, take his head back to Northern Xinjiang. With this, I will have the nerve to take you to meet Grandma Hu San..."

…………

On the other side, Li Yan flashed out from the dark alley.

He turned his head to look at the warehouse, then left quickly.

Originally, he wanted to use the escape technique to stay and listen to what these people were saying, but he smelled a whiff of fox and knew that the immortals they worshipped were already on guard.

Of course, the more important reason is the peaches!

When he saw the peaches, the pendant in his arms began to heat up.

"You guys go and look over there!"

In the distant streets, there were still flickering lights and the sound of horse hooves.

Piaoxianglou is the property of Huweitang and has connections with the Duwei Division. In addition, with so many deaths, the situation cannot be suppressed, so the patrolling guards will naturally search everywhere.

Without any hesitation, Li Yan immediately turned around and rushed into the alley.

There are many merchants in the Qianmen area, including shops, warehouses and many inns, but they all face the street and are obviously not suitable for hiding.

Because it is close to the imperial city, in order to strengthen public security management, the court ordered the establishment of wooden fences in the streets and alleys, which were closed at night and guarded by soldiers. Because the merchants in this area were wealthy, the fences built were larger and stronger, and it was called "Dazhalan".

The towering fence naturally couldn't stop Li Yan.

Avoiding the patrolling soldiers below, he stepped on the wooden railing and soared into the air, disappearing silently into the darkness.

Behind it are crisscrossing residential alleys.

Most of them are mixed courtyards with old and dilapidated houses, but there are many people living there.

Li Yan walked around for a few times and finally found a Wang clan temple.

It was quite quiet here, except for a drunk old man who was sleeping soundly in the side room.

Call ~
As Li Yan climbed into the yard, a gust of wind blew up from the ground outside the ancestral hall.

"Borrow this precious land for a while."

Li Yan held the certificate in his hand, clasped his fists slightly, and the cold wind stopped instantly.

This is his biggest reliance for daring to sneak into the capital.

With the help of the City God, various temples, ancestral halls, and land temples, the capital has built a huge defense network. Ordinary people cannot detect it, but those in the Xuanmen have to act with caution.

But since he had both the Dragon and Snake Cards and the identity of a Heavenly Official, things became much more convenient for him.

Arriving at the other side of the ancestral hall, Li Yan sat cross-legged on the bed and immediately opened the box containing the "Peaches", then immersed himself in it.

It is still the same as before. After clearing away the thick fog, a well appears in front of us.

The black wall of the well, covered with bloody sewage, slowly rotated.

It's the evil spirit that escaped!
There is indeed something wrong with this peach!

Li Yan hurried forward and placed his hands on the edge of the well.

There was no surprise this time, and yellow silk appeared above the blood.

As soon as he touched it, an illusion appeared in front of Li Yan's eyes:
It was a dark space with ancient sarcophagi suspended in the air.

Li Yan knew that these were the ancient demons who were suppressed in the Battle of the Gods.

His sight quickly shifted to one of them.

The thing lying inside was very strange, a bit like a fetus made of clay, and it was constantly changing. There were only two steel spikes left on its body.

One is inserted into the dantian and the other is inserted into the forehead.

At the same time, the information about this demon god also appeared in his mind.

The demon god Liu Yuanheng, although he has a human name, is actually an ancient monster.

It is even older and was probably made from Xirang. Later it was worshipped by people and turned into a monster.

The demon is best at transformation. He can drill into the clay bodies of other gods, plunder incense and offerings, and impersonate other gods. He is extremely difficult to identify and is very effective.

If someone makes offerings, they will often get what they wish for, but it may also bring about terrible disasters.

This "Peach" contains its scent.

But the underworld has not yet discovered its origin and how it was made.

When Li Yan saw this, an idea suddenly flashed in his mind.

When he was in Shu, he obtained an ancient statue of the Queen Mother of the West from the Dragon Palace and the Water Palace. It was the same statue as recorded in the "Classic of Mountains and Seas": with disheveled hair, a crested bird on her head, and the God of Heaven and the Five Remnants.

The Queen Mother became a deity of fortune and virtue long ago, but the statue of the deity still has the power of incense.

If it was this devil Liu Yuanheng who was causing the trouble, then everything would be explained.

The peaches should also be a means for this.

What frightened him was that the demon god usually had seven seals to suppress seven evil spirits, but the opponent had already escaped from five of them. If there were two more, the demon god would be able to escape.

By then, I'm afraid only the gods and immortals will be able to suppress it.

And there is also the "Night Wanderer"!
I'm afraid it has something to do with this demon, which is why he is controlled.

Thinking of this, Li Yan hurriedly left the room and jumped onto the roof of the ancestral hall.

He knew that there must be evil spirit that had taken over the clay statue of the City God.

But there is more than one City God Temple in the capital, so which temple is it hidden in?

(End of this chapter)