Knife splashing

Chapter 752 The Three Yin Resurrection Altar

As soon as Lu Xiaowu finished speaking, someone in the banquet room snorted indignantly.

"What nonsense!"

Kong Zhenyuan of the Kong family suddenly stood up, pointed at Lu Xiaowu, and shouted: "What a madman Li Yan is! He broke into the prison and kidnapped people, and drew his sword in the street to show contempt for the law. He is clearly a rebel! We must quickly send troops to surround and suppress him to set an example!"

"Your Highness, you..."

He realized something was wrong halfway through his sentence.

His impassioned voice echoed in the hall, but the expected enthusiastic response did not materialize.

The vast banquet hall of the Prince of De's Mansion was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The officials of the Jinan government office kept their eyes down, and several gentry who were on good terms with the Kong family quietly lowered their heads. Even the usually arrogant disciples of Mingde Academy remained silent.

Kong Zhenyuan's impassioned voice suddenly hung in the air. Looking around, his heart skipped a beat.

He sensed something was wrong and secretly glanced at Prince De in the main seat.

Prince Xiao Hong slowly put down his wine cup, his expression calm. He first glanced at the slightly flustered Kong Zhenyuan, then looked at everyone, his voice not loud but clear enough to echo throughout the hall: "I have heard of Li Yan."

He paused, then continued, "He is no ordinary江湖草莽 (jianghu caoman, a term referring to people from all walks of life who have fled the martial arts world). He resolved the chaos in Chengdu, the danger in Luoyang, and even the calamity at the academy in the capital. The court remembers his merits and treats him with courtesy. There must be a reason behind this, and we must not act rashly."

These words were like a bucket of cold water, chilling Kong Zhenyuan to the bone.

His face turned from red to white, he opened his mouth, but ultimately dared not say anything more, and awkwardly sat back down.

The Kong family is now in decline, and the position of Duke Yansheng is still undecided, so how could they dare to offend Prince De?

The Prince of De ignored him and turned to look at Lu Xiaowu, his pampered eyes filled with a hint of inquiry: "Mr. Lu, since you are willing to go on this journey, you must have a plan in mind."

"I wonder if I have any chance of speaking to Li Yan and getting him... to behave for the time being?"

Knowing that the crucial moment had arrived, Lu Xiaowu stepped forward, straightened his back even more, and said loudly, "Your Highness, I... I am from the same hometown as Li Yan!"

Upon hearing this, even Kong Zhenyuan looked up at him in astonishment, let alone the others in the hall.

Lu Xiaowu remained expressionless, as if it were true: "Although we are from different villages, we are still neighbors."

“I heard of his name when I was young. Although we went our separate ways later, we still have some hometown ties. I went to explain the pros and cons to him, and reasoned with him. I thought Li Yan would give me some face.”

"Oh? You have hometown ties?"

Prince De's eyes brightened slightly, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"Very well! Since Mr. Lu is so understanding and willing to take on this important task, I will entrust this matter to you."

"With this king's token, order the soldiers of the outer government offices to temporarily retreat one arrow's length and not press further or cause trouble!"

"As ordered!"

Lu Xiaowu felt a weight lifted from his heart. He respectfully accepted the gold medal bestowed upon him by Prince De, then turned and strode away.

……

The Jiangsu-Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce was closed.

"Humph!"

Master Zhao looked at Lu Xiaowu's token, and although he was unwilling, he only let out a cold snort.

The government officials and soldiers, who had no intention of getting involved, naturally retreated quickly once they received the prince's token.

As for Lu Xiaowu, he came to the tightly closed gate alone.

He took a deep breath, straightened his appearance, and gently knocked on the door:

"I am Lu Xiaowu, and I have come by order of His Highness Prince De to meet and have a talk with Young Hero Li!"

Before long, the heavy door creaked open from the inside.

Shalifei poked his head out, recognized Lu Xiaowu, and asked in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"Master Sha"

Lu Xiaowu smiled and said, "I am here on the orders of the Prince to speak with you all."

"Then come in!"

Lu San and the others failed to purchase any spiritual materials, and Sha Lifeng, seeing a glimmer of hope, didn't bother to ask any further questions.

He stepped inside, and the door slammed shut behind him.

The atmosphere in the courtyard was heavy, and Kong Shangzhao paced anxiously to one side.

Li Yan and the others stood in the front hall, staring coldly at Lu Xiaowu.

Lu Xiaowu felt a chill in his heart and dared not be negligent in the slightest. He lowered his posture to a very low level and bowed from a distance, saying earnestly, "Brother Li Yan, it's been a long time. Lu Xiaowu has come on the orders of Prince De and has no ill intentions."

Li Yan nodded slightly, signaling him to continue, his eyes still sharp as a knife.

Lu Xiaowu straightened up, his tone becoming even more sincere: "To be honest, His Highness was greatly shocked to hear that you were here."

"His Highness holds you in high esteem and suspects there must be a reason for this, so he sent me to inquire."

This was his plan: to use the misunderstanding to connect the two sides and gain favor.

He had actually been keeping an eye on Li Yan's intelligence all along, knowing that Li Yan wouldn't stay in Jinan for long. What he said then was up to him. As long as he seized the opportunity, he could rise to power.

"Oh?"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "It's just a misunderstanding. The Kong family is too domineering."

"Brother Li is right..."

Lu Xiaowu sighed, “The Kong family is getting worse with each generation. To be honest, Your Highness has no intention of getting involved in these internal affairs of the Kong family. As long as the ‘witnesses’ are safe and sound and the truth about the sudden death of the Duke Yansheng is found out, that’s enough.”

He deliberately emphasized the word "witness," implying that Manager Kong's "value" lay in the truth rather than in the Kong family's private grudges.

After pausing, Lu Xiaowu observed Li Yan's expression and, seeing that he did not show any displeasure, tentatively stepped forward and lowered his voice, saying, "The reason Your Highness sent me here is actually to ask Brother Li Yan what you think is the best course of action in the current stalemate. If a solution can be found that satisfies both sides, Your Highness is willing to do your best to mediate and quell the storm."

Li Yan was still somewhat skeptical. "Is the Prince of De's Mansion really being so kind?"

Lu Xiaowu's eyes flickered, as if he had made up his mind, and he lowered his voice even further, "To be honest, His Highness has been regretting missing his chance since he heard that you are a lecturer at the academy. If this opportunity can be resolved well..."

He was also extremely shrewd and adept at reading people. He knew that when dealing with people like Li Yan from the martial arts world, one could not be as roundabout as one would be in officialdom or business. Being direct and straightforward would be the best way to gain their trust.

Sure enough, after hearing this, Li Yan and the others believed many of the claims.

After all, the steam engine had already made a splash in China, and no force wanted to miss out.

"Easy to say!"

Time was of the essence, and Li Yan no longer hesitated, saying decisively:

"The conditions are simple. First, no one may disturb this place before midnight! Second, I want these things!"

After saying that, he raised his hand and handed a piece of yellow paper covered with writing to Lu Xiaowu.

The items listed above are the many rare spiritual materials, incense, candles, and ritual implements required for the "Three Yin Resurrection Altar".

Lu Xiaowu took the list and glanced at it. Although he didn't understand its value, he immediately agreed: "With the Prince's decree in hand, the Prince's Mansion and the Jinan Treasury may be able to lend some money temporarily. As long as there is some in Jinan City, we can gather the rest. Brother Li, rest assured, we will definitely not delay your ritual!"

After saying that, he quickly left and headed to the Prince of De's residence.

When Prince De saw this, he was even more delighted.

That's just how people are; they're less likely to trust things they can easily obtain.

The more precious the things Li Yan wanted, the more he trusted Lu Xiaowu.

The power and influence of the Prince of De's Mansion goes without saying.

Under Lu Xiaowu's supervision, all the items were delivered in less than half an hour.

They also brought back several bottles of calming and soul-stabilizing incense from the Prince De's mansion!
After verifying everything, Wang Daoxuan nodded slightly.

Li Yan then said in a deep voice, "Thank you for your trouble. Please convey my gratitude to Your Highness. I will send a letter to the academy later."

"Thank you very much, Brother Li!"

Lu Xiaowu was overjoyed. Suppressing his excitement, he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I will leave now. Rest assured, with the prince's order, no one will disturb me."

After that, he left in a hurry.

"Tsk tsk." Staring at the other person's back, Shalifei narrowed his eyes. "There's something strange about this kid. Is he trying to double-cross us?"

"It doesn't matter."

Li Yan calmly said, "There are plenty of people like this. One more won't make a difference. As long as he does a good job, that's enough."

"Get ready, we'll use magic to save them tonight!"

…………

In the dead of night, Jinan was plunged into darkness.

Only the front yard of the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce was still brightly lit.

In the bluestone courtyard, Wang Daoxuan dismissed all irrelevant people and drew a triple magic array in the center of the courtyard using cinnabar mixed with chicken blood.

The outer formation is the Three Talents position, where copper coins, a peach wood sword, and a soul-guiding bell are placed respectively;

The central formation is covered with five-colored soil arranged in the shape of a yin-yang symbol.
At its core, the "Five Directions Luofeng Flag" unfolds in the wind, its black background and gold patterns moving even without wind.

Wang Daoxuan checked it again and again, being extremely cautious.

This "Three Yin Resurrection Altar" is a method of exorcism from the "Five Divine Techniques," specifically used for chasing away souls. It is extremely powerful, but because it is still an ancient system, it places great emphasis on the individual's cultivation level.

If it weren't for the Five Directions Luo Feng Banner, a powerful magical artifact, he wouldn't have been able to use it.

After carefully checking and confirming that everything was correct, he took the blood-stained undergarment of Manager Kong, cut it into triangular talismans, and then folded three yellow paper cranes from the yellow talismans. He said in a deep voice, "This 'Three Yin Tour Technique' is to connect Yin and Yang by borrowing the Earth God's banner."

“Young Master Yan, Third Brother, and Young Master Lin, the three of you have the strongest supernatural abilities and are the most suitable. Remember, the three of you must guard the three positions of Heaven, Earth, and Man, and use your souls to travel on paper cranes to trace the living soul. Young Master Yan, you should occupy the Heaven position to be in charge of sensing, Third Brother, you should occupy the Earth position to explore the path of the underworld, and Young Master Lin, you should guard the Man position to observe worldly ties.”

"Rest assured, Daoist Master." Li Yan and Lü San nodded solemnly.

Fatty Lin was also filled with a mixture of trepidation and excitement.

At midnight, when the Yin energy was at its peak, Wang Daoxuan bit his index finger, flicked blood onto the banner, brandished his magic sword, made a hand seal, and said in a deep voice: "The might of the five directions opens the way, Luo Feng commands the breaking of the barrier! Essence and blood become the boat and the rope, the three Yin bind the soul and send it to the kite!"

Wow~
Suddenly, a strong wind arose in the courtyard, causing five religious flags to flutter wildly and scattering the paper money scattered on the ground like butterflies.

Li Yan and the other two sat cross-legged at the center of the formation, with talisman pouches hanging from their waists and paper cranes held in their hands.

Wang Daoxuan continued to walk the steps of Yu, reciting: "The heavenly position is broken by the fire of the smelting fire, the earthly position follows the traces of worldly ties, and the human position is locked in the wilderness to reveal the truth."

Black mist surged from the Five Directions Luofeng Banner, enveloping the three of them.

At the same time, Li Yan and the other two closed their eyes, feeling their minds sinking.

"rise!"

With a flick of Wang Daoxuan's sword, the three paper cranes took flight, enveloped in black mist, and disappeared into the night sky.

On the rooftop of a tall building in the distance, Zhao Tong, the Master Zhao, watched all this with a blank expression.

He had calmed down by now and knew that finding out the real culprit behind the Duke Yansheng's death was the most urgent task.

We'll deal with these people after this is all over...

…………

When Li Yan opened his eyes again, he felt a strong wind blowing around him.

He seemed to shrink to a tiny size, yet the paper crane beneath him had wingspans of over three zhang (approximately 10 meters). Around him, rolling black clouds surged, and one could vaguely see armored figures within them. Ahead lay endless darkness and thick fog.

Li Yan was not flustered upon seeing this.

These are the Yin soldiers guarding the Five Directions Luo Feng Banner, riding cranes to chase away souls; they couldn't be safer.

The only problem was that the white fog ahead seemed endless.

Li Yan rode on the back of the paper crane, made hand seals, concentrated, and exerted all his olfactory and auditory powers.

They have the essence and blood of Manager Kong as a medium; as long as the direction is right, they can find the other person's soul.

On the other side, Lü San experienced the same thing, but he was not panicked either, and used his supernatural hearing ability to listen with all his might.

However, they still came up empty-handed.

As for Fatty Lin, he was initially panicked, but after realizing he was safe, he cautiously observed his surroundings, glancing at the ghostly soldiers protecting him in the black mist and then carefully examining the texture of the paper crane.

My natural curiosity kicked in again.

After being busy for a long time, I finally remembered to use my supernatural powers.

He could become a treasure hunter even through secret cultivation, which shows his extraordinary talent.

Awakened supernatural powers are extremely rare, allowing one to perceive the aura of treasure, which is why she became acquainted with Li Yan.

He originally thought he was just a bystander, after all, Li Yan and Lü San were both more skilled than him.

But after using his supernatural powers, he immediately made a discovery.

"what?"

Fatty Lin couldn't help but rub his eyes.

He saw a golden light shimmering in the mist below.

Could it be that we can find some treasure here?
Lin Pangzi was excited. He pressed the paper crane button, and it immediately flew downwards.

As the thick fog dissipated, a desolate wasteland appeared before us, filled with withered locust trees and scattered graves.

The paper crane carried him across the sky, and suddenly he saw a temple appear in front of him.

The temple was small, with a hole in its roof where grass had grown, making it dark and gloomy; it had clearly been in disrepair for a long time.

"Hehehe~"

Suddenly, the sound of children playing came from the dilapidated temple.

Fatty Lin swallowed hard and slowly approached on his paper crane.

The closer one gets, the larger the ruined temple becomes, like the dwelling place of giants.

He saw the faded clay statue of a god lying askew on the ground, holding a clay gourd in its hand, which shimmered with a precious light.

A scent emanated from the gourd, and the talisman pouch at his waist pulsed continuously.

"found it!"

Before Fatty Lin could even feel happy, Wang Daoxuan's voice rang out from the sky once more.

"At midnight, the path to the underworld stretches for a thousand miles, and the soul leaves the body—return!"

The scene before my eyes spun and vanished rapidly, and the paper crane beneath me burst into flames.

Lin Pangzi felt his vision go black, and when he opened his eyes again, he was already in the courtyard.

Everyone else stood by, watching him.

"found it!"

Fatty Lin quickly stood up: "The Earth God Temple outside the city! Manager Kong's soul is stuffed into the magic gourd!"

"Let's take the first step!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Yan immediately took out a set of armored horses, tied them around his waist and legs, then stepped into a ritualistic manner, made hand seals and chanted: "No! Six Jia Nine Chapters, Heaven is round and Earth is square, Four Seasons and Five Elements, Sun and Moon are the light, Yu's steps open the way, Chi You avoids the army, Azure Dragon supports the chariot, White Tiger supports the talisman..."

It was the Northern Emperor's Divine Speed ​​Technique.

With his current level of skill, he is already able to lead others in performing his techniques.

"what!"

Before Fatty Lin could react, Li Yan grabbed his clothes and leaped into the air.

In the distance, Zhao Tong suddenly focused his gaze.

In his eyes, two figures, enveloped in black wind, rose from the Chamber of Commerce, leaping and bounding across the rooftops as if flying through the air, and disappeared in the south of the city in the blink of an eye.

"Escape technique?"

Zhao Tong frowned slightly, made a hand seal, and vanished in a flash...

(End of this chapter)