Knife splashing

Chapter 698: The Old Ghost Knows the Way

King Yan...

Li Yan didn't expect to meet the prince so soon.

No matter which source of intelligence he got, he was told that there were two major problems in the capital.

One is the dispute between the overseas faction and the local faction, which involves the life and death of many families and affects the future direction of China.

The second is the struggle for the crown prince, which has always been the source of unrest.

There are three princes who have the opportunity to inherit the throne.

The first is the Crown Prince Xiao Jingheng, whose title is Zhaode. He is kind, elegant, and has great literary talent.

He was kind to others and was supported by Confucian scholars. He was considered a good choice for a benevolent ruler, but he had major flaws.

When this prince was born, Emperor Xiao Qixuan was planning a palace coup to eliminate the empress's party and relatives of the empress. The empress was frightened and gave birth prematurely, so that the prince was weak and sickly since childhood. Fortunately, many famous doctors rescued him and pulled him back from the brink of death several times.

Until now, I am still in poor health and my personality is a little weak.

It is said that the butt determines the head.

The current emperor is a powerful ruler, and his ministers dare not move. They are eager to find someone who is easy to talk to.

But Emperor Xiao Qixuan was worried that the crown prince would inherit the throne and be manipulated by his ministers.

Because of this, the matter of appointing a crown prince was put on hold until the emperor fell seriously ill last year.

But even if a crown prince is appointed now, the final decision has not yet been made.

Lingshou Prince Xiao Jingming has shown amazing wisdom since he was a child. He can handle both big and small matters in an orderly manner and balance the relationships between all parties. He is quite a wise ruler and is the emperor's favorite.

But his mother was from the royal family of the previous dynasty. If he inherited the throne, other royal families would not agree.

Then there is the Prince of Yan, who was given the title of Prince of Jinghai. He has been extremely brave since childhood, and his mother's family is also a noble who assisted the emperor in ascending the throne. He is a casual person with a strong enterprising spirit. If he comes to power, both the local faction and the open-sea faction will accept him.

But his weakness was that he was hot-tempered and easily angered, and was not liked by the civil officials.

In short, this matter has become a taboo.

Li Yan was silent for a moment, then put down his teacup, "Did no one remind the King of Yan?"

Su Yu smiled and asked, "Why do you need to remind me?"

"Ordinary people don't know, but Young Master Li should know that it is no longer a secret that there are earth immortals hiding in the Xuanmen."

"Practicing in the mountains may seem out of this world, but it is nothing more than a self-imprisonment. Longing for the prosperity of the world, but also wanting to find a chance to break out, the best way is to enter the palace of a prince or noble, and rely on the incense of the world and the protection of the dynasty."

Then he jokingly said, "Wasn't the one from the Yingwang Mansion captured by the young hero?"

"Senior knows quite a lot."

Li Yan took a deep glance and stopped nagging about it.

In fact, he had already noticed something.

With the changes in humanity and the turmoil in the Daluo Dharma Realm, many earthly immortals are bound to emerge.

But the situation is unpredictable, life and death are unpredictable, and one must pay the price for one’s choices in the end.

The most important thing now is to find a way to enter the "Nine Gates Yinxu".

Thinking of this, Li Yan picked up the teacup and took a sip, then said calmly: "We can cooperate, but we have to choose the people."

"That's natural."

Su Yu's eyes lit up and she leaned forward. "The Twelve Yuanchen's reputation has already been established, so naturally, our Jinyan Sect will not tarnish your reputation. We will screen what kind of work we can take and who we can meet. Of course, the final decision is still up to you."

Then he laughed and said, "To be honest, the more picky you are, the better it is for us."

Li Yan nodded, "Our enemies are very dangerous. If they betray us..."

"Is it 'Jianmu'?"

Su Yu's face was calm. "Those monsters are scary, but trying to overthrow Shenzhou means going against everyone. To put it bluntly, the Jinyan Sect is just a bunch of weak women. They understand the principle of preferring to be dogs in prosperous times rather than people in troubled times. You can rest assured, young master."

Li Yan was not surprised after hearing this.

Since the Battle of Chengdu, some things are no longer secret.

With the intelligence that Jin Yanmen had in the capital, it was not surprising to find Jianmu.

"besides."

Li Yan put down his teacup and stared into the other person's eyes. "I have something to do and I need your information."

Su Yu raised her hand, "Sir, please speak."

Li Yan said in a deep voice: "Do you know 'Nine Gates Yinxu'?"

Su Yu's hands froze, and her eyebrows slightly frowned, "Sir, that is not a good place, it will cause big trouble."

Li Yan looked into the other person's eyes and said, "If we were afraid of trouble, the Twelve Yuanchen wouldn't have come this far."

Su Yu was silent for a moment, then took off a jade pendant from his waist and said calmly, "Tomorrow at midnight, take this jade pendant to the back alley of the Rabbit Temple. Someone will tell you then, and it will be a fellow Taoist who is cooperating with us."

"But let me be frank. This place is under the management of the clan office. If we are not careful, our family will be confiscated and our clan will be exterminated. Neither our Jinyan Sect nor that fellow Taoist knew anything about this matter."

"Don't worry, I know the rules!"

Li Yan smiled, took the jade pendant, clasped his fists and left.

"I'll see you off, young master."

Su Yu stood up and sent him out of Su Garden. When he came back, there was one more person in the room.

She was a little girl, who looked to be about four or five years old. She was wearing palace clothes and kneeling down to drink tea. Although her skin was as fair as a porcelain doll, she did not have the innocence of a child at all. Instead, her face was stern, her back was straight, and she had quite a dignified demeanor.

"Is the person gone?"

"Return to the ancestor, let's go."

After hearing Su Yu's answer, the little girl breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head, "He is indeed unusual. I have been in the capital for so long, and I have seen several living ghost messengers. He is the first one to sense my aura. This kid must have a secret."

Su Yu was silent for a moment. "Ancestor, this person is dangerous and has an enemy with Jianmu. Why should we cooperate with him?"

"What do you know?"

The little girl said in a deep voice: "If it was a hundred years ago, this kind of disaster star should be avoided, but it is different now. When the high tide comes, will it be safe for me to wait on the shore?"

Su Yu shook her head. "If you often walk by the river, you will get your shoes wet. Could this person be different?"

The little girl was silent for a moment. "He is not only a living ghost messenger, but also a celestial official. His magical powers are also different from those of ordinary people. Only those people in the Dharma Realm can do such things. The intelligence in Chengdu also mentioned that this person is acquainted with Erlang Zhenjun."

"Maybe he is the one who steers the boat..."

…………

When Li Yan returned to Rouyuan Posthouse, it was already midnight.

Su Yuan and his party would naturally not hide what they saw from others.

After hearing this, Wang Daoxuan's eyes were filled with worry, "This trip is still somewhat dangerous."

“Brother Yan, you are at the fourth level of Taoism. With the help of the magic circle, you can barely travel as a ghost, but your soul is still unstable. Without the protection of your body, you will be like a wandering ghost. You can’t withstand the strong wind, can’t withstand the magic circle, and have to enter that dangerous place…”

"Forget it!"

Sharifei also advised: "The damn court has made such a mess, and they are still hiding it from the public. Even if there is any disaster, they will bear it. Why should Brother Yan take the risk?"

"It's not that simple."

Li Yan was silent for a moment, "There will be a lot of dangers in the future, we can't retreat."

To be honest, he already felt the danger.

Humanity is changing rapidly, more and more earthly immortals will appear, and it may not be safe to summon soldiers from the underworld.

Just like Kong Hui, his body movements were overwhelming, and his Taoist skills must be quite good. What was even more troublesome was that the opponent must have the "Edict of the Earth Official's Pardoning Sins" on him, which could resist the capture of the Yin soldiers. Taking advantage of this gap, there was a chance to kill him.

He showed up in the open last night, clearly intending to kill him, and was ready to lead him away and strangle him, but was scared away by the numerous muskets.

In the capital, there is a more mysterious Zhao Qingxu who has not shown up.

The best way is to strike first.

Seeing everyone's worried eyes, Li Yan said in a deep voice: "I have made up my mind. Brothers, there is no need to persuade me. I still need your help in this matter."

"I'm going to investigate the 'Nine Gates Yin Ruins'. I can't be discovered by the clan office. You all need to help me cover it up..."

"We must also be on guard against the person who leads the way tomorrow night. San'er will be in charge of surveillance. The Taoist priest will set up a magic altar nearby. You will guard my body. If you find anything wrong, use the art of summoning spirits to call me back..."

"Others are responsible for support, just in case..."

Kong Shangzhao had already left with Luo Mingzi. Although Zhao Luzi was not one of the Twelve Yuanchen, he was also listening. Upon hearing this, he immediately said in a muffled voice, "Brother Li, my wife and I will also be there tomorrow night. If anyone touches your body, they can only walk over my dead body."

"No, too many people would be unsafe."

Li Yan shook his head slightly, "There is something I need you to do."

"That Fatty Lin is also a treasure hunter. He is now with Jiu Ling and is responsible for the preparation of Qiankun Academy. He has a lot of information about treasures from all over the world. You can go find Fatty Lin tomorrow and ask him to help me find a treasure?"

"What do you need?" Zhao Luzi didn't waste any words.

Li Yan said in a deep voice: "If you want the ones that contain powerful vitality, no matter how much it costs, keep them first!"

After the battle of Chengdu, he had extinguished the soul fire.

After practicing and fighting along the way, Daluo's Dharma body is already covered with scars.

We must find the right treasure as soon as possible to repair it...

…………

The next day, the sky was gloomy and it started to drizzle.

It was just after Grain Rain and approaching the Beginning of Summer, and there was a little bit of heat, but it was extinguished by the rain.

Because of climate change, people actually feel like it’s autumn.

The rain was fine and dense, weaving diagonally all over the long street.

At this time of year in previous years, the city should have been covered in flying willow catkins, but now, due to the lingering effects of the late spring cold, the new green leaves on the branches are curled up, washed shiny by the cold rain.

As soon as it was daybreak, Zhao Luzi put on his straw raincoat and left the city.

The address of Qiankun Academy is not in the capital, but in the eastern suburbs, just like the newly built Shenjiying.

The place is heavily guarded and staffed by masters of Xuanmen. It is surrounded tightly and has strict inspections.

Even with a warrant, it would take Zhao Luzi two days to travel.

As for the others, they all stayed obediently in Rouyuan Posthouse.

The collapse of the "Peach Banquet" at the Prince of England's palace and the destruction of the incense hall of the "Anchor Club" caused rumors among the people of the capital. The court officials were even more worried. In addition, the Five Battalions of Soldiers and the Imperial Guards were patrolling everywhere, so even the city foxes and community rats became obedient.

As for Kong Hui, he disappeared again after that night.

Luo Mingzi was busy with interrogations and investigating cases, and no one disturbed him the whole day.

Before we knew it, night had fallen again.

Li Yan and others were ready. When it was late at night and everyone was asleep, they climbed over the wall one after another.

The Rabbit Temple in Beijing is adjacent to the Dongyue Temple, located on the north side of Chaoyangmenwai.

The crowd dodged the patrolling soldiers along the way and as soon as they exited Chaoyang Gate, they began to disperse.

Wang Daoxuan came to the courtyard he had rented in advance during the day, and took Long Yaner and Wu Ba to set up the altar and formation...

Sharifei found a high point nearby, set up his magic fire gun, and put on the heavenly and earthly treasure robe that could conceal his aura...

As for Lu San, he summoned the falcon Lidong to circle in the night sky, and called the rats to scatter everywhere...

After everyone was ready, Li Yan strode to the back alley of the "Rabbit Temple".

It was not yet midnight and the Rabbit God Temple was empty.

Li Yan was not in a hurry either. He held the Duanchen Sword and closed his eyes waiting.

Bang~Bang~Bang~
"At midnight, beware of fire and theft."

The voice of a night watchman was heard in the distance, and then Li Yan smelled a foul odor.

He opened his eyes and saw a person walking slowly from the depths of the dark alley.

This is an old beggar with sores all over his face and tattered clothes.

His hair was disheveled, dirt formed grooves on his face, and when he opened his mouth, he saw a mouthful of yellow teeth. "A token of my love!"

Without saying a word, Li Yan took out the jade pendant from his arms and threw it over.

The beggar hooked the jade pendant with his bamboo stick, and after carefully examining it for a few times, he glanced at Li Yan and said, "Nine Gates Yinxu is not a good place. What are you going in there for?"

Li Yan frowned slightly, "You talk too much."

This person's Taoism is not as good as his, only three stories high, so he should be a side door, and can be considered a strange person.

But no matter what his identity was, Su Yu must have paid enough.

It is a basic rule to take money to do something and not to ask too many questions.

"whispering sound!"

The old beggar spat with disdain, "Boy, it's not that I'm nosy. I've been wandering for half my life and have seen both good and bad people. Whether you kill people or set fires, or do good deeds, it has nothing to do with me. But that place is not ordinary, and there are many taboos."

"If you want to go deep into it and investigate the dragon veins of the imperial court, you will be courting death. I will only speak frankly."

"If you want to see it and get some benefits, tell me the taboos and methods one by one."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "Investigate a case and find someone."

"Find someone?"

The old beggar was amused, "There are monsters and demons, gods and ghosts in there, but no living people."

"Forget it. I'll explain it to you in detail after suffering a little loss today."

As he spoke, his expression became serious, "There are three taboos when entering the Nine Gates Yinxu."

"That is a forbidden area designated by the imperial court. Ordinary people cannot see it, but every three quarters of an hour, the City God will patrol the streets. Once a ghost is discovered, he will be killed. The Nine City Gods are connected to the great formation of the state. Even if immortals and gods descend to the earth, they cannot escape the 'Zhenwu Demon-Slaying Sword' on the top of the Jinshen Palace, so don't waste time..."

"If you want to enter the 'Nine Gates Yinxu', you must follow the oil-stealing rat spirit. It will follow the night watchman and circle along the nine gates. If you don't find the oil-stealing rat spirit, no matter what it calls you, you must not respond..."

"Once you enter the Nine Gates Underworld, you can only follow the Rabbit God. This is the only good god inside and he won't make things difficult for you. But you can't be sure about the other gods. If you are still trapped inside after midnight..."

"Once the sun rises, you'll never be able to get out again!"

"That's all I've said, so you can take care of yourself!"

After saying that, he bowed, turned and left.

Looking at the other person's limping figure, Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "Senior, could you please leave your name? I may need your advice in the future."

He had a feeling that this old beggar's identity was not simple.

Priest Xuan didn't want to get involved in a place like the "Nine Gates Yin Ruins", but the other party seemed to go there often.

"I won't mention the names in the past."

The old beggar didn't even turn his head. "Just call me 'Old Ghost of the Capital'."

As he was talking, he disappeared, as if blending into the darkness...

(End of this chapter)