False Resurgence

Chapter 29: False Resurgence

It wasn't strange for bandits to smash down doors.

"Smashing down doors" was Jianghu slang for attacking the mansions of the wealthy.

The Great Xuan Dynasty had barely passed its hundredth year, yet land annexation was already becoming severe. Coupled with the power of clans, wealthy gentry families had become as numerous as blades of grass.

They weren't afraid of the common folk, nor did they fear the imperial laws, because the first thing any new official did upon taking office was to win them over.

Li HuaiRen of Li Family Fortress was considered decent, at least he followed the rules.

Li Yan had heard that some gentry and wealthy families were tyrannical, oppressing the common people and disregarding human life. They could arbitrarily kill someone by framing them for violating Clan Rules.

Local officials could do nothing about it.

These landlords and gentry feared only one thing: bandits.

Therefore, they built high walls and large courtyards, hired guards for defense, and frequently donated to the local Divine Fist Society to enlist Jianghu forces for protection.

But generally, bandits rarely massacred entire villages.

It wasn't out of kindness, but rather because they didn't want to kill the goose that laid the golden egg.

The common people were like grass, and the gentry were like sheep.

Where there was grass, there would surely be sheep.

They could pull off one job and live comfortably for a while.

In some places, bandits and gentry even colluded, using the pretense of "suppressing bandits" to extort people periodically.

But this time was different.

Eunuchs who came from the Capital City, living incognito, highwaymen from the Qi-Lu Area, massacring a village...

No matter how you looked at it, it wasn't just about money.

Thinking this, Li Yan frowned and continued, "Since you encountered bandits, why didn't you report it to the authorities in Xianyang City? Why did you end up in this predicament?"

"Sigh, don't even mention it..."

Sha LiFei said with a mournful face, "The Daoist Priest and I returned to Xianyang City under the cover of night. Just as we were about to report it, we found someone had already gotten there ahead of us."

"Who?"

"It was Landlord Lu's Red-Clothed Concubine, along with the head of the guards, Zhao Cheng. They were dressed in mourning, weeping, and claimed she was carrying Landlord Lu's child, asking the authorities to preside over the matter..."

"Scum! It's obvious they colluded with the bandits."

"I wanted to expose them, but the Daoist Priest pulled me away and we left immediately."

"We didn't dare take the main road, so we trekked over mountains and ridges to Li Family Fortress."

It was evident that Sha LiFei still harbored dissatisfaction and confusion.

Li Yan sneered, "The Daoist Priest did the right thing. If you had dared to show your face, it would have been difficult to even leave Xianyang City alive."

Sha LiFei was stunned. "Why?"

Wang Dao Xuan, having finished his meal, let out a burp and shook his head, sighing, "I didn't dare say much on the way. Landlord Lu is an eunuch!"

"An eunuch?!"

Sha LiFei was completely shocked, and then sweat beaded on his forehead.

Being cunning, he could sense the strangeness of the situation.

The massacre was to silence witnesses. Bandits wouldn't fear that; in fact, it would enhance their reputation. The only reason to avoid leaks was if the matter involved the imperial family, which was connected to the eunuch...

The insider remaining meant this wasn't over...

"Wh-what should we do?"

Thinking this, Sha LiFei felt a headache coming on.

Li Yan shook his head. "It's not easy. Several bandit groups acting in concert, plus highwaymen from another province, indicates this involves many parties. It's highly likely that people within the government are also involved. Getting entangled would be fatal."

"Let's hide for now until the situation calms down."

"There are too many eyes and ears in the village. Hide in the mountains. I'll bring you food, and we'll go out to gather information once things are quiet."

"Fine, it seems that's the only way."

Sha LiFei and Wang Dao Xuan exchanged glances, both helpless.

"Oh, right, Daoist Priest, I have one more thing to ask of you..."

By the time he returned to the village, the roosters were crowing.

Li Yan sneaked back into his room, then pretended to have just woken up. After getting up, he fed the chickens, fetched water, started the fire, and cooked. After simmering a pot of corn porridge, he began practicing his punches in the courtyard.

First, the Ten Great Coil Exercises, followed by fighting techniques and swordsmanship.

It was as if the events of last night had never happened.

But he knew that everything had changed.

Having achieved Preserving the Spirit, he had stepped into the Xuan Gate. There were still many things to do: investigate his father's death and find the Black Hand that persecuted his family.

However, he couldn't leave yet, as his grandfather's condition was worsening.

The curse on the plaque had indeed invigorated him for a while after it was removed, but it didn't last long. These past few days, he had been lethargic and weak, often sitting dazed outside the door.

He would sit there all day, sometimes even forgetting his own name.

Coincidentally, Wang DaoXuan had arrived last night. The Daoist Priest's medical skills were decent, at least better than a country doctor's. Li Yan had asked him to pose as a traveling physician and visit today.

"Practicing medicine, healing people..."

Just after breakfast, someone came shouting from the village entrance. It was Wang DaoXuan.

He was still wearing his tattered Taoist Robe, but he carried a small cloth banner in his left hand and shook a string of bells in his right, immediately attracting the attention of the village children, who swarmed around him.

In this isolated village, a stranger was a big event.

As for his attire, it also had its significance.

The cloth banner was freshly written on, using a piece of Sha LiFei's old clothes.

The string of bells in his hand was also called a Tiger Brace. Legend had it that the Medicine King once encountered a fierce tiger seeking medical help. The tiger had a bone spur in its mouth. Fearing the tiger would injure people, the Medicine King used the Tiger Brace to pry open its mouth. After the tiger recovered, it became the Medicine King's mount.

Among the Leather Gate practitioners, those who traveled from street to street to practice medicine were also known as "bag pushers" in their own jargon.

The Tiger Brace was their symbol.

As the saying goes, "Gold changes, leather changes, all in one morning."

When Wang DaoXuan was traveling the Jianghu in the past and couldn't find work, he often pretended to be a traveling physician. This item was perfect for that.

Li Yan, who had been expecting him, immediately went to meet him and invited Wang DaoXuan into his home.

"I'm fine, I can eat and drink. What illness are you here to see?"

The Old Master was clearly resistant, unwilling and unhappy.

Li Yan quickly said a few pleasant words, and coupled with Wang DaoXuan's pleasant demeanor, the Old Master relented, albeit with a dark expression, and didn't say much more.

After a thorough examination, Wang DaoXuan smiled and said, "The old gentleman's body is quite good. It's just old age, and his spirit isn't as strong. Get some sour jujube seeds, Fu Shen, and licorice root, steep them in water, and drink some every day."

"I told you I wasn't sick! Making a fuss, wasting money."

Li Gui complained verbally, but he was clearly relieved.

After a few more words, he began to doze off and snore.

However, Li Yan had already noticed something was wrong. After leaving the room, he pulled Wang DaoXuan to a secluded spot and asked worriedly, "Daoist Priest, what exactly is going on?"

Wang DaoXuan's expression also turned grave. He stroked his beard and shook his head. "The old gentleman is indeed not sick. His Blood Essence has simply faded with age."

"But when I took his pulse just now, I secretly used my Spiritual Power and found that the old man's Divine Soul is weak. I fear this is the real reason."

"What happened?"

Li Yan was silent for a moment, then roughly recounted the matter of the curse, asking doubtfully, "The Yansheng Curse has been broken, so why is this still happening?"

After these days, he had come to trust Wang DaoXuan and told him the truth.

"Then it's not strange," Wang DaoXuan sighed. "Things like Yansheng Curses can be fierce, capable of taking a life within days, or they can subtly influence and destroy a family."

"The person who did this probably didn't want to attract attention."

"This technique not only ruins one's luck and thins the male lineage of a family, but it also attracts trouble and invites malevolent spirits. Although the old gentleman may not have noticed it consciously, he has been resisting it."

"Perhaps the reason you've been able to live peacefully until now is that the old gentleman was protecting you."

"After all, he's an ordinary person. It's like drawing a bow and nocking an arrow, ready to shoot but not yet released. It consumes spiritual energy and Blood Essence to maintain. After the Yansheng Curse was broken, there might have been a period of relief, but his Divine Soul has been over-expended. Coupled with his old age, I fear his time is running out..."

Although Li Yan had his suspicions, his heart still trembled. "Is there any way to save him?"

"It's difficult," Wang DaoXuan shook his head. "This is not an illness, but the approach of his end. Spend this time well with the old gentleman."

"Remember, if the old gentleman suddenly wants to eat something cold, then you should prepare for his passing."

"Why?"

"It's a sign of the soul's departure, a False Resurgence."

As soon as he sent Wang DaoXuan out, he was stopped by a group of villagers.

Medical treatment was difficult for the villagers. For a common headache or cold, they usually treated themselves with folk remedies and only went to the city for treatment if they couldn't bear it any longer.

Since a traveling physician had finally come, they naturally wanted to invite him.

Li Yan was in a bad mood and couldn't be bothered to deal with them.

He returned to his room and saw his grandfather still sleeping soundly. After a moment of silence, he turned and went to the stable behind the house. He took the horse that Landlord Lu had given him and found Du DaYa, who was driving the cart.

"Uncle Du, please sell the horse for me and do me a favor."

"Tell me, Yan XiaoGe."

"Hire an opera troupe to perform in the village for a few days."

"Remember, find another excuse..."

Two days later, an opera troupe arrived in the village.

According to the troupe leader, he had been wandering the Jianghu in his youth and was starving when someone at Li Family Fortress gave him food, saving his life.

Now, he claimed to be repaying the kindness by performing for five consecutive days.

The villagers didn't care about the reason. They didn't care who did a good deed; they just wanted to watch. After all, they rarely had the chance to see such performances. Even people from surrounding villages traveled over ten miles to join the fun.

Every night, Li Family Fortress was brightly lit with candles and filled with the sounds of people.

If nothing else, Grandpa Li Gui was overjoyed.

The Old Master had no other hobbies besides watching opera.

In previous years, as soon as he heard opera was being performed somewhere, he would leave early, taking Li Yan with him in a donkey cart to watch. However, his health had declined in recent years, and his legs were inconvenient, so he could only stay home.

He would occasionally mention that he wanted to go to Chang'an to watch opera when he had the time.

Li Yan couldn't invite famous actors from Chang'an, but a local troupe from Lan Tian would suffice.

Investiture of the Gods, Shooting the Nine Suns, Tale of Loyalty and Righteousness...

For several days, the rough Qinqiang echoed throughout the village.

The Old Master certainly got his fill. Even after the opera troupe left, he was still singing at home:

"With a single command, the mountains and rivers tremble, Soldiers don donned their armor and mounted their steeds, Young and old, all let out a mighty roar, Urging the troops to the front lines..."

His pitch was off, but his voice was desolate and heroic, as if recalling the days of clashing swords and iron horses in his youth. After each song, he would stare blankly into the distance.

"Yan'er, I feel so hot, I want something cold to eat..."

Hearing this, Li Yan's tears fell. He forced a smile through his grief and said, "Grandpa, you want something cold? That's easy. Watch me get it for you."

Making ice with niter was not a rare skill; such methods existed in the Jianghu.

Li Yan procured some and even mixed it with maltose.

The Old Master ate heartily and then looked at him with reluctance:

"Child, after I'm gone, you'll likely follow your father's path. It's fate, and I can't stop it. But there are a few things you must remember."

"Tell me, Grandpa." Li Yan was already kneeling on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

The Old Master looked into the distance and said in a hoarse voice:

"Child, from now on, you'll be alone. Remember..."

"Better to be hated than pitied!"

"Better to be feared than bullied!"