Mystical Power Mutation

Li Yan's eyes widened, and he flipped upright.

Just moments ago, in the midst of sleep, his Olfactory Mystical Power had suddenly improved. All kinds of smells surged in from around him, jolting him awake.

This was not the first time it had happened.

On the night he slew the Cold Altar Rampaging Soldier, after the Substitute Divine Statue extinguished one of his Life Flames, his Olfactory Mystical Power had improved once before. However, the change had not been as obvious as this time.

He could clearly distinguish the earthy smell of the surrounding soil, the fresh fragrance of wheat, the sweaty stench of the wheat harvesters in the distance, and even the poisonous reek of scorpions beneath the ground.

But what was even stranger was that sweet, fragrant smell!

The Substitute Divine Statue trembled because of it, sending him a feeling of yearning.

The Substitute Divine Statue he had obtained was clearly incomplete. He could sense much of its information only vaguely, so it had taken him quite some time to figure out its functions.

On ordinary days, it hid motionlessly in his dantian.

Only when he activated Injury Substitution would it display its power.

Yet this time, it had sensed something on its own.

Could there be some Natural Treasures inside that could repair the Substitute Divine Statue?

At the thought, Li Yan grew excited, and his lips even became somewhat dry.

When he had dealt with the Cold Altar Rampaging Soldier, the Substitute Divine Statue had extinguished one of his Life Flames. Although he still had two lives left, he was ultimately no longer whole.

Who would not want one more life?

If there truly was something capable of repairing the statue, what would he have to fear in the future?

He had come to seek the Dao, never expecting to gain an unexpected boon as well.

However, just as he was preparing to approach the residence and investigate, that scent suddenly vanished.

At the same time, torches sprang to life throughout the Lu Family residence, exceptionally conspicuous in the darkness. Voices surged within, a chaotic din.

Had something happened?

Li Yan frowned slightly and pressed down on the hilt of his saber.

The commotion was exceptionally obvious in the night. Sha LiFei also jolted awake and hurried over, clumsily hefting his saber. "What happened? What happened? Did bandits smash the kiln?"

Li Yan shook his head. "I don't know."

By then, quite a few others had also awakened.

The old saber-wielder from Longyou, the man in the sheepskin jacket, was named Dan Lao Quan. He knit his brows tightly. "Come on, let's go take a look. They're our employers, after all. If something has happened, we can't just stand by and watch."

With that, several saber-wielders told the wheat harvesters not to wander off, then headed toward the Lu Family estate.

Li Yan's heart stirred, and he followed close behind.

The group arrived outside the Lu Family residence and knocked for quite some time before Steward Lu finally led several guards out and opened the door. His expression did not change as he asked, "What brings you all here?"

At those words, several of the saber-wielders were stunned.

Wasn't that blatantly pointless?

With such a huge commotion, only an idiot could fail to see something was wrong.

The Longyou saber-wielder Dan Lao Quan narrowed his eyes slightly, clasped his fists, and said in a hoarse voice, "We heard the commotion and came to check. Nothing happened in the residence, did it?"

Steward Lu's expression remained calm. "Nothing happened. A wild cat got inside and made a bit of noise. Thank you all for your concern."

"You still have to harvest wheat early tomorrow morning. You should all get some rest."

"That's good, then."

The old saber-wielder from Longyou nodded and turned to leave.

The Lu Family clearly had something else going on, but after years of roaming the martial world, he had long since learned to play deaf and dumb. As long as he was paid on time, he could not be bothered with other people's business.

In the end, it was nothing more than the filthy messes hidden inside some grand, secluded residence.

Naturally, the others did not ask any more questions either.

But just as they were preparing to leave, Steward Lu suddenly spoke again. "Brother Sha, please wait. There's something I'd like to ask you."

"Huh? What is it?"

Sha LiFei was utterly bewildered. He turned and stopped.

Although the others were somewhat surprised, they paid it no mind.

Although Sha LiFei's martial arts were mediocre, surviving in the martial world did not rely on blades alone. It also required shamelessness, a quick mind, and a glib tongue.

He had thick skin, a flexible mind, and a slick mouth. He could force his way into conversation with anyone, spouting nonsense. Whether people liked him or not, he would first make himself a familiar face.

One should never underestimate that.

When people encountered trouble, they often knew nothing about the rules of an unfamiliar trade. The first image that surfaced in their minds was usually that familiar face.

After asking a few questions and weaving a few words back and forth, even if he could not secure the business, he could still earn a bit of hard-earned money for running errands and making introductions.

That was how he had gotten this wheat-harvesting job. Sha LiFei had struck up conversations with people along the road, then busied himself making introductions. After going back and forth, he had made himself familiar to Steward Lu.

The others quickly left. Only Li Yan turned around and stopped, continuing to wait.

He had a feeling that Steward Lu's reason for seeking out Sha LiFei must be connected to what had happened earlier. Perhaps he could find a way to follow him into the Lu Family residence.

He did not necessarily have to take the item. At the very least, he could find out what had triggered the Substitute Divine Statue's disturbance, giving him a target for the future.

He waited for quite a while. By the time the third watch approached and the wheat harvesters had already begun working, Sha LiFei finally emerged from the Lu Family residence, his face full of delight.

"What happened?"

Li Yan went straight over, pulled him aside, and asked in a low voice.

Sha LiFei hesitated. "Come with me. I'll tell you on the way."

"Where are we going?"

"Xianyang City!"

"The Lu Family is looking for a Yin Yang Master."

Only after they had gone far from GuShui Village did Sha LiFei explain. "The Lu Family's First Madam is on her last legs. They want to invite a Yin Yang Master with genuine ability to choose a burial site and arrange the funeral rites afterward."

"And they want it kept secret. It must not be publicized. Don't go blabbing about it."

Li Yan was somewhat surprised. "Funeral rites, and they don't want it publicized?"

Sha LiFei chuckled. "I've managed to guess a little."

"Although this Landlord Lu's ancestral home is in Guanzhong, he doesn't have many clansmen. He fled to the capital to escape disaster when he was very young, struggled all his life, and built up quite a substantial estate. Thus, even after returning to his roots, he has had little contact with the wealthy households nearby."

"His First Madam is from the capital. She followed him to Guanzhong, and I'd guess she was angered by Landlord Lu's philandering. She's been bedridden for years and hardly ever sees outsiders."

"Landlord Lu cares a great deal about his reputation. He definitely doesn't want people gossiping."

Li Yan frowned. "That still doesn't make sense. Once someone is dead, what is there left to worry about? Whatever he says goes. A grand funeral would only leave less room for dispute."

"Why do you care so much?"

Sha LiFei scratched his shiny bald head. "It's the Lu Family's business, and it has nothing to do with us. Besides, I recommended Daoist Wang and can earn a bit of money for running the errand. It also gives me a reason to help introduce you."

"A reason? Weren't you very familiar with him?"

"This... well, even familiar people are divided into different ranks, aren't they? Hurry up."

Sha LiFei gave an awkward laugh and hurried him along.

Li Yan shook his head slightly and did not take it to heart.

He had already guessed that Sha LiFei did not have nearly as much face as he claimed. To get connected with Wang Dao Xuan, he would still have to use some means of his own.

At that moment, he was wondering whether the Lu Family's strange behavior was related to that unknown treasure.

Sha LiFei had a horse, and when they left, he borrowed another from the Lu Family.

Although Li Yan was not skilled at riding, he did not drag them down. By the time the sky had brightened, the two of them had already arrived outside Xianyang City.

This world also had a Qin, and its era was even more ancient.

Xianyang was where the pre-Qin capital had once stood. It lay at the confluence of the Wei River and the Jing River, had a large population, drew in the Three Religions and Nine Schools, and possessed flourishing land and water transport.

The two rode over on horseback. From far away, they could already see vessels of all sizes traveling back and forth across the Wei River, as well as the imposing Qingwei Tower beside the ancient city of Xianyang.

The city gates were about to open. Countless merchants and villagers from the surrounding countryside had already gathered outside the city, forming a long line. Some carried shoulder poles, others pushed carts... Voices clamored, and mules and horses brayed.

At the ferry, the laborers had already begun unloading and hauling goods.

They had come from the south of the city and would have to cross the Wei River to enter. But before they reached the ferry, Sha LiFei stopped and chuckled. "Brother Yan, if we're going into the city to find someone, I'll have to trouble you to make the trip?"

Li Yan frowned. "You're not going into the city?"

Sha LiFei rubbed his gleaming bald head and said helplessly, "Didn't I just clash with Meng HaiCheng yesterday? With this mighty appearance of mine, I stand head and shoulders above the crowd and am conspicuous as can be. They have eyes everywhere. The moment I enter the city, they'll notice me."

"It's not that I'm afraid. I'm just worried it'll delay the important matter."

Li Yan let out a derisive laugh. "You really know how to order people around. Fine."

He had mentioned before that they needed to conceal their tracks when entering the city. After all, this was Zhou Pan's territory. But Sha LiFei had changed his mind at the last moment and asked him to go alone, clearly because he was afraid.

Sha LiFei's skin was as thick as a city wall. How could he care about Li Yan's mockery? He put on a fawning grin. "Brother Yan, you're much sharper than I am, but there are some things I ought to point out to you."

As he spoke, he pointed toward a large ship on the river.

"Xianyang City is an ancient ferry crossing where the Three Religions and Nine Schools converge. There are truly plenty of martial-world travelers coming and going from every direction. There are a few you absolutely must not provoke."

"That ship belongs to the Xianyang Cao Gang. They control the ferry and have close ties with both the Porters Guild where the laborers belong and the Xianyang branch of the Tai Xing Carriage Company. Even the boatmen on the Wei River are their people..."

"Besides that, there's also the Beggars' Gang in the city. Their beggars' den is near the North City Mass Burial Grounds, and there's something sinister about it. Every young beggar in the city is an informant. You should know all their tricks of the martial world, Brother Yan. Just stay on your guard..."

"The most important one is the Divine Fist Society. That Old Monkey Zhou Pan may have a bad reputation in the martial world, but in Xianyang City he's a tyrant. Not only does he have ties to the authorities, the leaders of the city's two ruffian gangs are both his disciples."

"But Zhou Pan lives around Flower Shop Street, while Daoist Wang lives near the East Gate City God Temple. You won't run into them as long as you're careful..."

Sha LiFei was slick and unreliable, but he was extremely well-informed. Before long, he had explained all the major and minor forces in Xianyang City.

Some of the rules of the martial world were beyond an outsider's grasp, but Li Yan came from a family with a long martial heritage. After listening to Sha LiFei, he already had a clear picture.

He made some preparations, put on a white robe, and smeared a little ash across his face. After a simple disguise, he took a straw hat and walked toward the ferry.

Sha LiFei, meanwhile, led the two horses into the nearby woods and waited.

Li Yan had not thought much of it. In his previous life, he had traveled far and wide, and in this life, his father had taught him all kinds of martial-world lore. With his own abilities, he feared no road beneath heaven.

However, the moment he drew near the Wei River, his expression changed.

All kinds of scents surged into his nostrils like an explosion.

Among them were even several strange, mysterious scents...