Knife splashing

Chapter 796: Peeling off the cocoon
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Looking at the book in his hand, Li Yan's face darkened, and he crushed the armrest with a single grip.

"It's all my fault..."

Shalifei, standing beside him, was filled with self-reproach and murmured, "If I hadn't been so greedy and reckless, there wouldn't have been any loopholes in the defense."

Fatty Lin also lowered his head, "It's all because of my family's affairs that everyone has been dragged into this..."

"Stop talking!"

Li Yan raised his eyes to interrupt them, stood up and said in a deep voice, "It's no use talking about this now. Besides, this matter is not your fault. Those demons' purpose was very clear from the beginning."

“That’s right.” Kong Shangzhao nodded solemnly. “I was closer at the time, but after that old demon captured Master Wang, he would rather go to great lengths to kidnap Brother Lü. I guess they had planned this all along, knowing that he was the first to follow and had the deepest bond with Brother Li.”

As he spoke, he looked at Sha Lifei again, "As for why we didn't arrest Brother Sha, it's probably because we felt that the Taoist priest and Brother Lü were more important, one presiding over the altar and the other responsible for investigation."

Li Yan nodded and said, "Your analysis is correct. I have already sent a message to the Golden Swallow Sect. Murong Yan will arrive soon. We will ask her where the 'Red Silk Pavilion' is then."

The ghost opera troupe left a message mentioning a transaction at "Hongxiaofang," but they inquired and found that there was no such place on the Qinhuai River in Jinling. They could only inquire with Jin Yanmen.

"Young Master Li, wait!"

Just then, Qiu Mingyuan, who had been silent all along, became anxious.

Because of the matter at the Prince's residence, a large contingent of officers from the Commandery went to investigate. Fearing that they might be caught red-handed, they asked Li Yan to stay at the Prince's residence to help cooperate, but they never expected such a big incident to occur.

The Commandery also suffered heavy losses, but he only dared to send his deputy to handle the situation, while he stayed here the whole time, because he was afraid of this.

His eyes were filled with anxiety as he said, "Young Master Li, I know you are a man of great righteousness, but doing this is like falling into a trap. Without the identity of a living underworld messenger, those demons will have no more scruples."

"I have received some information that the sorcerer has strong reinforcements. The attackers this time are the troupe leader of the Ghost Opera Troupe. Even he is being driven by others, so there may be more people behind him."

"These demons are ruthless. Giving them the item will not only fail to save the person, but it might even endanger your life..."

"Lord Qiu, please stop!"

Li Yan coldly interrupted him, saying calmly, "Instead of ordering us around, you should investigate who's behind this. The Prince's invitation is clearly a setup!"

Qiu Mingyuan's heart skipped a beat, and he gave a bitter smile.

He didn't want to speak earlier because he was afraid of this matter.

Li Yan was right. Last night's banquet was likely a trap from the beginning, designed to lure Li Yan away so that the Earth Immortal could take advantage of the situation and kidnap his companion as a hostage.

He persuaded them to go, thus indirectly becoming an accomplice.

The current problem is that the leaders of the Lu family of Gusu and the Xie family of Qiantang in Jinling have both died in the explosion, and even the King of Jinling is still seriously injured and unconscious.

No one knows the inside story, and the two families are still clamoring to find the murderer.

This headless case is really hard to solve in a short time.

I had heard from intelligence reports that Li Yan was a difficult person to deal with. Right now, he was clearly suppressing his murderous intent, and there was no longer any politeness when talking to him. Continuing to persuade him would only provoke his rebellious nature.

Thinking of this, Qiu Mingyuan had no other choice.

"I'd like to speak about this Lord Qiu..."

Just then, Kuai Dayou suddenly spoke up, "Could you tell me if the maker of the thunder and fire mechanism in Captain Zhou's abdomen has been found?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Mingyuan perked up and said in a deep voice, "We have also thought of this. It is not an ordinary person who can hide such an ingenious mechanism in his belly. Zhou Dayong has long been down on his luck. For him to be able to use this method and infiltrate the heavily guarded Prince's mansion, someone must have arranged it!"

"Perhaps it's related to those sorcerers!"

"But the problem now is that Zhou Dayong has long been destroyed, and the mechanism is also in ruins, so it is impossible to find out who made it."

"Can I have a look?"

"Of course, someone's coming..."

Soon, the remains were served on a plate.

Kuai Dayou took them and examined them carefully one by one.

Just as Qiu Mingyuan said, the object was completely destroyed, and all the parts and remains were twisted and charred. However, after examining it, Kuai Dayou had a guess in his mind.

"Brother Yan, this technique is based on the methods of 'spellcasting'!"

With a solemn expression, he picked up a fragment. "Look at this Thunderfire Pearl fragment. The inside of the cast iron shell is engraved with 'Silkworm Threading Silk Pattern.' The 'Luban Book' has a chapter on unorthodox practices, which contains the 'Five Internal Organs Burning Curse'!"

"This incantation requires the organs of a living person as a catalyst. The Thunderfire Pearl is implanted three inches into the dantian, and then the meridians are bound by a secret method to delay the outbreak. That so-called divine silkworm silk is very suitable."

"I remember the Lin family disciple saying that there were sorcerers who frequented the shop, one of whom was named Chen Sanxiang, nicknamed 'Lu Ban with one ear,' and he specialized in the 'Seven Evils Cursing Technique'!"

"Oh?"

Qiu Mingyuan looked at Kuai Dayou with some surprise.

He had read all the information about the Twelve Zodiac Stars, so he naturally knew that Kuai Da had a significant identity.

A descendant of the legendary craftsman "Kuai Luban," the nominal young master of the "Xiangshan Gang" of craftsmen, a genius craftsman, but expelled from his clan for his unorthodox ways, he ended up wandering around the capital.

Unexpectedly, clues were found so quickly from the slightest traces.

And there was also that scholar, Kong Shangzhao, from earlier.

He was quite famous in the Commandery, with an amazing memory and a talent for analysis. Because he let him go so easily, Luo Mingzi even got into a conflict with several people in the Commandery.

In the current situation, it is still possible to calmly offer opinions.

Wang Daoxuan and Lü San were core members of the Twelve Yuan Chen. They thought that being kidnapped by the demons was equivalent to cutting off Li Yan's left and right arms, but unexpectedly, other talents emerged.

Thinking of this, Qiu Mingyuan solemnly clasped his hands and said, "Young Master Kuai is indeed extraordinary, but that 'One-Eared Lu Ban' Chen Sanxiang is well hidden. Do you have any clues about him?"

"Of course!"

Kuai Dayou sneered, "This old ghost cultivates the 'Seven Fiends Curse Technique.' Although it is a heretical technique that is good at harming people and has considerable power, the backlash is also extremely severe."

"The evil energy gathers together, which inevitably means he frequently takes strong aphrodisiacs. He is extremely lustful and has developed a bad habit of frequenting prostitutes. He hid a mechanism in Zhou Dayong's abdomen, so he cannot leave for too long and must still be in Jinling City."

"To mask the stench of death, they would have used large amounts of perfumes..."

"Understood!"

Qiu Mingyuan immediately understood, nodded, and left.

The fact that rough men use sachets is an obvious characteristic. If you send someone to inquire in the red-light districts and entertainment venues of Nanjing, you will surely find clues.

Furthermore, he could tell that Li Yan and the others were trying to get rid of him, so Kuai Dayoucai told him this clue without reservation. Staying any longer would only annoy him.

squeak~
After he left, Kuai Dayou immediately stepped forward and closed the door. Shali Fei, as if by telepathy, took out the Ruyi Pearl from his bag and hung it up to block any supernatural detection.

"Any other clues?"

Shalifei stared nervously at Kuai Dayou.

He desperately wanted to rescue Wang Daoxuan and the other man.

"not me."

Kuai Dayou shook his head and looked at Kong Shangzhao, "The scholar has something to say."

Li Yan also looked at Kong Shangzhao.

Along the way, Kong Shangzhao and the other two behaved themselves. While searching for Zhou Yinyao, they helped collect some clues. But Li Yan knew that this scholar was very clever.

"Just in case..." Kong Shangzhao looked at everyone with a solemn expression. "The situation in Jinling City is currently very complicated. There are people who are colluding with those evil people and they are in high positions. We cannot easily trust them."

"Even Qiu Mingyuan is hiding something!"

Shalifei was furious when he heard this. "I always felt something was off about this old official. What, is he also suspected of colluding with sorcerers?"

"That's not it."

Kong Shangzhao shook his head and said, "Don't you think the situation in Jinling City is a bit strange?"

"The Jianmu Organization is considered a major enemy by the imperial court, and it is involved with the Yangzhou Ding. The events in Chengdu and Luoyang have caused a great deal of turmoil, and the imperial court has killed many people."

"But this time, Jinling City is in danger. The Yangzhou Cauldron has been taken away by the sorcerer, and the commander who came to investigate died mysteriously. However, the court only sent this few people, not a single expert among them."

"On the contrary, the Xuanmen sect in Jiangnan is so proactive..."

Li Yan said thoughtfully, "Something is definitely not right."

Earthly Immortals are a very special kind of being. Although they are called "immortals," they do not have the carefree life of immortals. On the contrary, because they have lived for too long, things have changed, and they have been hiding from the Heavenly Court and the Underworld, so they have become strange in nature.

It's impossible for them to regulate human etiquette and order, so many of them make deals with various Taoist sects, accept offerings and protection, and become henchmen.

However, this does not mean that the imperial court has no Earth Immortal masters.

The Prince De's Mansion, which participated in the "Peach Banquet Rebellion" in the capital, had such a presence. Given the current emperor's penchant for controlling everything, how could he not have made preparations?

It's just that it's well hidden...

Thinking of this, Li Yan said in a deep voice: "Qiu Mingyuan is probably just the people in the open. There are others hiding in the shadows. Jiangnan is an important tax-paying area of ​​the imperial court, with many open ports, but it has suffered from the chaos of Japanese pirates. Local forces are connected with the legal system of Jiangnan, and they are probably taking this opportunity to warn us."

"What a coward."

Shalifei cursed angrily, "What kind of time is this to still be scheming like this!"

Li Yan remained calm and shook his head, saying, "People with different perspectives think differently. Just take care of yourselves; we don't have time to deal with others."

Then, she looked at Kong Shangzhao and asked, "This isn't what you wanted to talk about, is it?"

"Ah."

Kong Shangzhao nodded and looked at everyone, "Qiu Mingyuan is right. Even if Brother Li hands over the warrant, he can't save Master Wang and the others. Instead, it will only make the demons more emboldened."

"But they did reveal a little!"

"Living underworld messengers are being hunted down in large numbers, yet we still managed to save one..."

Shalifei's eyes lit up, "Old Wu!"

Previously, a large number of living ghost messengers from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region were hunted down, almost wiping out the entire population. However, an old man escaped and hid in the ghost market in the capital, where he was rescued and secretly settled.

The old man's summons was broken, and most of the Jianmu people thought he was no longer a threat. However, his identity as a living underworld messenger remained. As long as he could get the summons back, he could summon the underworld soldiers again.

"Oh right, how could I forget about that!"

Shalifei said excitedly, "Brother Yan, didn't we kill a few scoundrels from the underworld before? We used the warrants we found there to make a deal and set up an ambush."

"it's useless."

Li Yan shook his head and said, "The 'Gou Die' is just a channel for casting spells. The identity of the Living Underworld Messenger is randomly generated in the Netherworld. Even the Underworld can't control it. Otherwise, the Jianmu Organization would have had a large group of Living Underworld Messengers long ago."

"Furthermore, my warrants are special, so they will definitely be on guard."

"Old Wu's move is brilliant, but he's far away in Cangzhou. It would take at least a few days for them to go back and forth. The transaction has to be completed tonight, and there's simply not enough time."

Upon hearing this, Shalifei was immediately at a loss. "What should we do?"

"rest assured."

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "They've miscalculated more than just a little bit!"

As he spoke, he looked at everyone and said, "Back in the Taishan Secret Realm, my authority as a living underworld messenger has been upgraded. I no longer need to use summoning documents; as long as I sense an underworld offender, I can summon the underworld's troops."

"What!"

When everyone heard this, they were immediately overjoyed.

Li Yan's face remained solemn. "Those demons are very cunning and may be on guard. So there will definitely be a big battle tonight. The most urgent thing is to find out exactly where 'Red Silk Workshop' is!"

As he spoke, his ears twitched slightly as he looked towards the door.

Everyone heard footsteps approaching from afar.

Shalifei immediately stepped forward and carefully put away the wish-fulfilling pearl.

Sure enough, the voice of a minor official from the Commandery quickly rang out outside, "Young Master Li, Manager Murong of Qiyan Tower has come to visit."

Li Yan got up and opened the door, only to see a middle-aged beautiful woman led into the courtyard by a minor official from the Commandery, followed by a cold-faced woman. These were none other than Murong Yan, the leader of the Jinling Golden Swallow Sect, and Wang Lu, a demon hunter and disciple of the Earth Immortal Zhou Yinyao.

"please."

Li Yan invited the two into the room and, without wasting words, directly explained the reason.

"Red Silk Workshop..."

Upon hearing this, Murong Yan's expression changed drastically. "Impossible, that place has long since disappeared."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly. "It seems you know, senior?"

Murong Yan shook her head. "Given the magnitude of this incident, and the relationship between the Golden Swallow Sect and Young Hero Li, I will naturally speak my mind. This 'Red Silk Pavilion' is a sinister and secret place..."

"Legend has it that during the Southern Dynasties, the Imperial Textile Bureau rushed to make a 'Vermilion Bird Holding Silk Curtain' for the palace, which drove three hundred embroiderers to their deaths. From then on, the strange story of 'gold powder as boats and blood and tears as oars' began on the Qinhuai River."

"It is said that every time the moon is full, a mysterious painted boat will appear on the Qinhuai River outside the city. Passersby are often lured in and never come out again."

"But during the Song Dynasty, Lin Lingsu, the Grandmaster of the Shenxiao Sect, came to Jinling and led many Xuanmen masters to seal it off using the Jinling geomantic veins. It has never appeared since."

"It was already a town established during the Song Dynasty?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yan frowned immediately.

Murong Yan said helplessly, "That 'Red Silk Workshop' is very strange. No one knows when it will appear, nor does anyone know exactly where it is, let alone after so long."

"Those sorcerers chose this place probably to prevent you from making preparations in advance. If I'm not mistaken, you'll likely be led there alone tonight."

"This matter is too passive; we need to consider it further."

Just then, Wang Lu beside him said in a deep voice, "This is my master's judgment. My master said this matter is extremely ominous. He is currently setting up rituals and cannot take action. I advise you to consider the overall situation..."

"Okay, stop talking!"

Li Yan's eyes turned slightly cold. "Abandoning my comrades? I am not that kind of person!"

Seeing this, the two women stopped trying to persuade him, clearly anticipating Li Yan's attitude.

After they left, a hint of excitement flashed in Kong Shangzhao's eyes.

"Brother Yan, I might have a clue!"

As she spoke, she looked at everyone and said, "When I was organizing Zhao Changsheng's information at the Commandery, along with the news about Murong Yan, it reminded me of something."

"In his previous life, Zhao Changsheng was Zhang Huaisu, the leader of the Ghost Cult of the Great Song Dynasty."

"His connection with Jinling City goes quite far..."

(End of this chapter)