Chapter 232: Splitting Up

"What did you say?"

Li Yan could not stop a trace of killing intent from leaking out.

The shopkeeper was startled. Thinking Li Yan was about to attack, he reached into his clothes to pull out a weapon.

Li Yan instantly pinned his hand down. He then said in a deep voice, "Senior, don't misunderstand. It's just that this demon harmed one of my relatives. I never expected to hear news of it here."

"Oh?" Seeing that Li Yan did not appear to be lying, the shopkeeper finally breathed a sigh of relief.

At the same time, his heart tightened in secret surprise. His own martial skills were quite respectable. He cultivated the Thirty Six Closing Hands, and had already reached the Dark Jin Realm; otherwise, how would he dare engage in this sort of business? Yet Li Yan had suppressed him without giving him the slightest chance to resist. How old was this young man? Not to mention the fact that he was someone from the mystic path...

His background is definitely extraordinary!

The shopkeeper calmly withdrew his hand. "May I ask which relative of yours that demon harmed, young brother?"

Li Yan did not answer, instead changing the subject. "Do you know where that demon is hiding?"

The shopkeeper stroked his beard slightly and shook his head. "This old man only heard about the matter secondhand. I've never actually seen it myself. Rumors of the midnight bridal sedan and the Ghost Bride have been circulating throughout Ezhou since last winter, but its whereabouts are unpredictable.

“From Yunyang Prefecture to Hankou, from Xiangyang to Dongting, it has appeared in many places. Very few ordinary folk know about it. After all, every place has similar tales of ghosts and monsters, so the matter of the Ghost Bride never caused much of a stir. But quite a few people in the jianghu have heard of it.

"A sorcerer from the Paijiao of Yunyang claimed to have encountered this demon in early October last year. It had completely drained the blood essence of several skilled members of his sect.

"Then, in November, a farming household near Junshan had their entire family sucked dry and reduced to desiccated corpses. It was rumored that someone had seen a bridal sedan flying that very night.

"Around the New Year, a bandit stronghold in the mountains near Xiangyang was wiped out overnight. Only one man survived, and he had gone mad. He kept muttering about the Ghost Bride...

"This time, here in Zigui County, Lord Wu's son went to the Bao'en Guangxiao Temple outside the northern gate to worship the Buddha. He stayed late discussing Buddhist teachings, and encountered the demon on his way home. According to the servants who managed to escape, it was indeed the Ghost Bride."

Sha Lifei chuckled. "Doesn't Lord Wu like to oppress and exploit the locals? How did his son end up worshipping Buddha?"

The shopkeeper smiled. "There are always exceptions. Young Master Wu is kindhearted by nature, and studies at Danyang Academy. He failed to pass the provincial examination to qualify for the imperial examinations, but instead developed an interest in Buddhist teachings. He often performs good deeds and accumulates merit as well."

Li Yan inhaled deeply, suppressing the killing intent in his heart. "I see."

The midnight bridal sedan and the Ghost Bride were one and the same! This person was called the Red Maiden. She had originally been one of the Maitreya Sect's Incense Masters, and was also the famous Golden Swallow of the Yan Sect. Later, when the Maitreya Sect rose in rebellion, her identity was exposed, yet she still had her subordinates operate a brothel in Chang'an.

She had another identity as well. She was one of Zhao Changsheng's most trusted lieutenants.

Li Yan's father, Li Hu, had inadvertently discovered that the families of that group of old soldiers who had served with his grandfather had all suffered misfortune, with their bloodlines completely severed. He had secretly investigated the matter and, after finding some unknown clue, managed to catch Zhao Changsheng's trail.

The Red Maiden had killed him to silence him. Zhao Wanfang, the courtesan of Qingyuan House, had likewise been one of her victims back then. She had once uncovered a piece of information that the Red Maiden had appeared in Ezhou.

Unfortunately, Li Yan had known at the time that he stood no chance of avenging his father as he was, so he had focused on growing stronger. He had never expected to run across her trail here.

Enemies truly are bound to meet on a narrow road...

Seeing that Li Yan was still emotionally off-balance, Sha Lifei hurriedly changed the subject. "Senior, do you know any inside information about what's happening at Two Stele Bay?"

"I know a little." Having guessed that the two of them were not ordinary, the shopkeeper no longer dared brush them off. He explained, "Even the Taixuan Orthodox Sect couldn't determine why the seedlings won't survive, so naturally this old man doesn't know the cause either. But the reason this affair became such a big deal is entirely because of Danyang Academy.

"Zigui County is the homeland of Lord Sanlu, so local scholars are particularly fond of the Songs of Chu. They've even formed a Danyang School around it, and take great pride in the tradition. Whenever Confucian scholars from elsewhere visit, they invariably bring them to Two Stele Bay to reminisce about antiquity.

"Now that something this serious has happened, with people even claiming that Lord Sanlu was enraged and had sent down punishment, and even the villagers being arrested, these scholars have directed all their anger at Lord Wu.

"Young Master Wu only returned home because he could no longer remain at Danyang Academy. Normally, he spends his time worshipping Buddha and praying for blessings, only to end up being targeted by a demon..."

***

After returning to the inn, Sha Lifei relayed everything they had learned.

Wang Daoxuan revealed a thoughtful look as he mumbled, "Danyang Academy? Although Confucianism teaches people to respect ghosts and gods while keeping their distance from them, Confucians are quite adept at using the words of ghosts and gods to accomplish their aims. Could the academy be behind this?"

"It's not that simple." Li Yan shook his head and said solemnly, "The Red Maiden is Zhao Changsheng's subordinate. That man keeps his movements secret and has laid plans all across Shenzhou. He definitely wouldn't act without a purpose. They're probably plotting something else!"

"Ah..." Sha Lifei scratched his head in confusion as he picked up the thread. "Lord Wu, illicit salt smugglers, the native people rebelling, the Red Maiden, the academy... This whole thing is a tangled mess. Where are we supposed to start investigating?"

Li Yan declared, "If it's a tangled mess, then we cut straight through it with a sharp blade!"

He looked at Wang Daoxuan and asked, "Daoist, if someone uses demonic lies to deceive the people and conducts illicit sacrifices to an evil god, can you use the Secret Curse of the Seven Arrows?"

Wang Daoxuan thought for a moment, then nodded. "The other party used a Wood Wraith to harm people, and is connected to the unrest in the southwest. Naturally, we can use such curses on people like that."

Li Yan decided solemnly, "Good! The chaos in Zigui County is shrouded in layers of fog. I'm afraid there's more than one faction stirring up trouble. In that case, we might as well beat the grass and startle the snake.

"From now on, we'll split up. Uncle Sha and I will openly reveal our identities and draw the attention of all those demons and monsters. Daoist, you're experienced, so you can secretly head to Two Stele Bay ahead of us and investigate the matter thoroughly. Brother Lu San will protect you and stay in contact with us at all times. If you encounter enemies, use the firearms immediately!"

Ever since they had left Mount Hua, Li Yan had realized that they were no longer weak. There was no need to say much about Wang Daoxuan. He had always been extremely knowledgeable and experienced. It was simply that his divine ability had held him back, while he also lacked the backing of a proper orthodox lineage, causing him to waste many years.

However, now, he had reached the second level of cultivation, and would be able to construct the third floor of his inner temple soon. ℯℯ𝘭.

The third floor was the limit of ordinary practitioners. Qing Yangzi, the temple attendant of the Xianyang City God Temple, as well as Luo Mingzi, had only been at the third level of cultivation, yet they were both capable of holding their own in an entire region.

With several formidable spirit soldiers, the Earth Dragon's soul, and the Secret Curse of Seven Arrows, ordinary ritualists were simply no match for Wang Daoxuan.

There was even less need to mention Lu San. His martial skills were decent; his cultivation had reached the second level of cultivation; and he also possessed his miraculous beast-taming arts, the Demon Gourd, and a firearm mace. Whether fighting alone or against a group, he had nothing to fear.

When he was paired with Wang Daoxuan, they covered each other’s weaknesses perfectly.

Although Sha Lifei was not a cultivator, he was skilled with firearms, and was likewise a powerful source of offensive strength within the group. With him at Li Yan's side, they could withstand any violent storm that came their way. Their missions would only become increasingly complicated in the future. If they always stayed together, they would only allow their enemies to lead them around by the nose.

Lu San was a man of few words, but he was the most dependable when it came to getting things done.

"Don't worry."

Li Yan nodded and said solemnly, "Remember, staying alive comes first at all times. There's no need to hold back or worry about taboos. No matter what happens, we'll bear the consequences together!"

***

The Zigui County courthouse stood on the northern side of the city. Unlike in other places, because of the local terrain, anyone wishing to enter the courthouse had to climb a long flight of stone steps. Thus, rather than a county courthouse, it looked somewhat like the entrance to a mountain monastery.

The people of Zigui County had a saying: The road to the courthouse is the road to the Underworld. Enter with your head bowed, and come out missing a layer of skin.

The main hall of the county courthouse had a floor neatly paved with blue-gray stone tiles. Above hung a plaque: The Bright Mirror Hangs High, while behind it stood a screen painted with a landscape, symbolizing the integrity and uprightness expected of an official.

The magistrate's desk and wooden chair were exquisitely carved. On either side stood dark-red wooden placards bearing the words: Silence and Make Way.

A middle-aged man wearing a black gauze official's hat, its two wings extending horizontally to either side, was seated in the chair. He wore a blue round-collared official robe embroidered with a cloud goose.

He was somewhat plump, with a fair complexion and a long, jet-black beard hanging down over his chest. He clearly paid considerable attention to his appearance in everyday life.

This was none other than Wu Dehai, the Magistrate of Zigui County.

The Wu clan was a major lineage in Ezhou. Not only was Wu Dehai's elder brother the president of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, several other members of the clan also served as officials in various regions.

Although Wu Dehai came from an illustrious family, he was born of a concubine and thus received little attention. If he had not fought tooth and nail to pass the provincial examination and become an official, he would never have received his family's support and been appointed magistrate here.

However, what belonged to the clan did not necessarily belong to him. Unwilling to accept that, Wu Dehai had naturally lined his pockets after taking office. He had already amassed a considerable fortune in a short period of time. By all rights, he could be considered to be enjoying boundless success.

Yet at this moment, his brows were knitted with worry.

The first reason was his only son's illness. The second was that although Zigui County appeared peaceful on the surface, it was actually precariously positioned amid gathering storms. In particular, the superior official sent from Yunyang Prefecture had been pressing him to summon the natives. If anything went wrong in the process, he feared he would end up taking the blame.

Seeing his expression, the adviser beside him had a thought and said quietly, "Lord, the experts from the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce will be arriving soon. Once they're here to hold the fort, all these problems will surely be resolved."

"How could it be that simple?" Wu Dehai's expression darkened as he said coldly, "Do you think I don't know what kind of people they are? Whether they can actually get things done remains to be seen. Moreover, if they aren't sufficiently fed, they'll certainly go back and start making all sorts of remarks..."

Before he could finish speaking, a courthouse runner hurried into the hall, bowed, and cupped his fists. "My lord, Daoist Feng from the City God Temple requests an audience."

Wu Dehai narrowed his eyes slightly. "Oh? Quickly, invite him in."

As a descendant of a great clan, he naturally knew what the City God Temple represented. At the same time, due to certain special reasons, the City God Temple of Zigui County was not very powerful. It neither maintained enforcement spirit troops nor had any experts stationed there. Only a few Daoists of shallow cultivation remained to tend the temple.

However, they came from the True Martial Palace of Mount Wudang. None of the factions in the city would lightly provoke them.

"Immeasurable Longevity and Fortune." An elderly Daoist strode inside with a smile and performed a Daoist salute. "Lord Wu, this humble Daoist pays his respects."

Magistrate Wu hurried down from the hall. "Greetings, Daoist Feng."

However, even as he greeted the old Daoist, his eyes drifted toward the two men behind his guest. Those two were none other than Li Yan and Sha Lifei. Since Li Yan intended to openly reveal his identity, he naturally would not come knocking on the magistrate's door alone. Instead, he had gone to visit Feng Lanzi, the temple attendant of Zigui County's City God Temple.

The situation in Zigui County was somewhat unusual. Since it was close to Mount Wu, it was a pond containing many hidden experts and sects. The region was also the territory of the Zhushan Sect.

Several attempts to maintain enforcement spirit troops there had been secretly sabotaged. Whenever experts were dispatched to suppress the trouble, things would remain peaceful for a while. But as soon as they left, the arrangements would be sabotaged again.

After going through this charade several times, the Taixuan Orthodox Sect understood that neither the hidden experts of Mount Wu nor the Zhushan Sect welcomed them.

Maintaining troops required enormous resources, and even with the strength of True Martial Palace on Mount Wudang, it was impossible to keep wasting effort like this. Therefore, they simply gave up, recalled the disciples of the Enforcement Hall, and left only a few ordinary Daoists behind to maintain the incense offerings.

Of course, the Zhushan Sect was cooperative in its own way. Whenever demons or monsters caused trouble within their territory, they would suppress them. If the Law Enforcement Hall came to arrest someone, they would also cooperate with the search.

This arrangement had persisted for many years.

But now, signs of chaos had already emerged in the southwest. Strange incidents were occurring everywhere, while demons and evil spirits were seizing the opportunity to cause trouble. The strength of the Zhushan Sect was already becoming insufficient to keep the situation under control. Even though trouble had broken out in Zigui County, they could spare no one.

Li Yan and Sha Lifei obviously looked like men of the jianghu, so Wu Dehai could not help wondering why the City God Temple had brought the two of them to see him.

"Hahaha..." Daoist Feng, however, seemed to be in a good mood. He quickly made the introductions, "Lord Wu, allow me to make an introduction. This is Young Hero Li Yan, an expert of the mystic path. He was entrusted by the Yichang City God Temple to come here and deal with the matter at Two Stele Bay."

"Oh?" Although Wu Dehai had his doubts after seeing what Li Yan and Sha Lifei looked like, he put on an expression of delighted surprise. "You two have arrived at exactly the right time. The matter at Two Stele Bay has had a considerable impact, and this official has been racking his brains over it."

Since Li Yan intended to attract the attention of every faction, there was no reason for him to keep a low profile. He cupped his hands slightly and slightly bowed his head., replying "Easy enough. Since we've come here, we naturally intend to resolve this matter properly."

"The reason we came today is to ask for the County Magistrate's assistance in summoning several people for questioning."

Wu Dehai looked somewhat puzzled. "Questioning? Young Hero Li, although this old man does not understand the arts of the mystic path, even I can see that the events of Two Stele Bay were caused by some evil practitioner secretly making trouble and disturbing the people. The Taixuan Orthodox Sect previously sent people here, but the perpetrators managed to hide everything from them. They couldn't find a single clue.

"If Young Hero Li makes such a great show of things, aren't you afraid of startling your enemies?"

He was indeed a shrewd man.

Li Yan sneered silently, but his face remained expressionless as he explained, "If my guess is correct, they've already erased all the clues. The villagers now harbor resentment in their hearts, so if we rashly go knocking on their doors, we won't get anything out of them anyway. We might as well find the root of the problem before eradicating it!"

What a temper!

Wu Dehai was already somewhat displeased at Li Yan’s words, but he continued smiling. "Young Hero Li makes a good point. How would you like this official to cooperate?"

Li Yan thought for a moment before replying. "I suspect Danyang Academy is connected to this matter. Summon some of their people here for questioning first."

"Danyang Academy?" Rather than being alarmed, Wu Dehai was now secretly delighted. He nodded and sighed. "Very well. This official cannot afford to provoke the people of the academy, but with an order from the City God Temple, they should cooperate.

"Men! Go invite several instructors from the academy here!"

Li Yan was now even more certain. Magistrate Wu and the academy had definitely fallen out with each other. Wu Dehai was clearly intent on using Li Yan's hand to knock them down a peg. Of course, Li Yan was not afraid of offending some academy. He had come precisely to stir up trouble!

At the same time that Li Yan openly and conspicuously entered the county courthouse, word of his arrival traveled through various channels and reached the ears of those who were paying attention.

Meanwhile, Wang Daoxuan and Lu San disguised themselves and left the city. The village at Two Stele Bay lay north of the river, so they needed to cross by boat. However, a ritual ceremony was still being held along the riverbank, and crossing the river at this time would attract too much attention.

Looking at the surging river, Wang Daoxuan could not help feeling somewhat apprehensive. "Brother Lu, will that method of yours really work?"

"It will!"

Lu San wasted no more words. He walked straight to the riverbank and formed a hand seal. He then slapped the surface of the water, and began making strange calls with his mouth.

Before long, one log-like body after another surfaced from the river. A large group of Chinese alligators parted the waters with their swishing tails as they swam toward them.