Looking at the fire in the distance, Li Yan was thoughtful.
Those craftsmen are indeed the key!
In fact, when he found out that Xu Family Troupe was massacred, he had some vague guesses.
As soon as the Tian family found out that Yansheng Curse was causing trouble, they immediately went to Xu Family Troupe.
But before that, the entire house had been silenced.
Most likely, it's because of other reasons.
Now that it was set on fire again, it must be to cover up something.
On the other end, Lu San also jumped on the roof. Listening to the chirping of the fallen eagles, he also jumped a few times and came to Li Yan. "There is a fire over there, and many people are putting out the fire."
Li Yan nodded slightly and said, "This Hanyang City water is indeed not shallow."
When the two returned to the pavilion, Patriarch Tian was obviously a little flustered and quickly asked, "You two, what happened?"
"Someone set a fire. I'm afraid they are trying to cover up something..."
Li Yan recounted his guess, and then said, "No matter who the other party is, this matter has become a big deal, and many experts are involved. Sooner or later, it will be found out."
"Patriarch Tian There is no need to worry, we will protect you until the matter comes to an end."
"Thank you very much."
Patriarch Tian breathed a sigh of relief, and then said, "To be honest with you, I asked someone to inquire about it at the Chamber of Commerce."
"Western Zhou Ancient Mine, although Prince of Wu Prefecture has sent troops to seal the place and expelled the people from the Jianghu who gathered there, they are very respectful to those Xuanmen craftsmen."
"Prince of Wu Prefecture used the ancient mine as bait, invited these craftsmen to stay, and hosted a banquet at Yellow Crane Tower, which is considered a great honor."
"When I find an opportunity, I will ask someone to introduce you."
"Oh?"
Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "Prince of Wu Prefecture What do you want to do?"
Patriarch Tian shook his head and said, "Actually, it has nothing to do with Prince of Wu Prefecture. It is E Prefecture Merchant Guild who discovered an island overseas. It is in an excellent location and wants to develop it as a military port and transit supply."
"Someone has paid to build a military port, and the imperial court is naturally happy, but that place is a bit dangerous. There are monsters in the sea, and two ships sank into the sea."
"The Chamber of Commerce wants to build a powerful warship and equip it with magic weapons, so naturally it will need the help of these Xuanmen craftsmen."
"Sea monster?"
Sha LiFei became interested upon hearing this, "What kind of monster?"
Patriarch Tian shook his head and said, "I don't know much about it, but I heard from people that it is a kind of octopus. It is huge in size. It can drag Fu Ship into the water. It can also perform ecstasy. It is very strange."
"What a guy!" Sha LiFei looked in disbelief, "Is there such a big thing?"
He is familiar with the military book Records of Military Preparedness and naturally understands it very well.
It is recorded in Records of Military Preparedness that the imperial court's Fu Ship said that the larger one was forty-four feet long and eighteen feet wide, making it a truly behemoth.
The Chamber of Commerce does not have the qualifications or the skills to build such a large ship, but since it is called Fu Ship and can sail long distances, it must be big.
Being able to drag Fu Ship into the sea is a bit absurd no matter how you listen.
Patriarch Tian sighed, "That's how it is on the sea. There are so many weird and weird things that almost cost people's lives."
"I heard that Jiangzhe Merchant Guild's big ship also encountered overseas fairy mountains, but before it got close, it heard the music of fairy music. Everyone who heard it was dumbfounded and jumped into the sea without a trace. Fortunately, there was a magician on the ship who beat the drum to wake everyone up and escape..."
"Although maritime trade is very profitable, it is also extremely risky. If something happens several times in a row, all the early gains will be lost."
Li Yan asked with interest, "What is the situation outside now?"
Patriarch Tian shook his head and said, "I heard that wars are going on everywhere. The continent where Frankish people live has many countries and wars."
"Goryeo It's the same over there. Japan has been unified, harassing Goryeo at sea, and eyeing its territory. The wanderers who were exiled during the war have also turned into pirates, harassing our merchant ships from time to time, which is very annoying."
"I heard that Goryeo sent envoys to ask for help, but received no response from the court."
Wang Dao Xuan said strangely, "Isn't Goryeo a vassal of Divine Land? Why not save it?"
"It's a long story."
Patriarch Tian sneered, "During Former Dynasty Da Xing, I had a confrontation with Golden Horde Wolf Country. At that time, Goryeo was just trying to please both sides, but he also had evil intentions."
"In the face of Golden Horde Wolf Country, they paid tribute one after another, calling him the true master of Divine Land. When they came to Daxing, although they professed their vassalship, they were very rude. They also paid tribute with some property, so they provoked him with words and asked for several times the reward to show the prestige of the kingdom."
"At that time, the Daxing Emperor Ai was so happy with its success. The imperial court and Golden Horde Wolf Country had been in conflict for years. The treasury was already empty, but they doubled the rewards to create the dream of all nations coming to the DPRK."
"At that time, Divine Land came to pay tribute. It had become a custom in Goryeo. Tribute groups kept coming and going. They were called tribute, but they were actually seeking profit. Small countries in Southeast Asia also followed suit."
"I, Great Xuan Taizu, was the Daxing Grand Marshal Who Conquers the North at that time. Seeing that the soldiers on the front line were running out of food and grass, I was extremely disgusted with this trend. I called these Goryeo envoys 'sticks to beat the autumn wind'."
"At Lantern Festival, he got drunk in the palace hall, beat the Korean envoys in public, was punished by Emperor Ai for fifty with a stick, and was thrown out of the palace gate in the snow. From then on, he started to think about destroying Daxing instead."
"Later, when Golden Horde Wolf Country was wiped out, Goryeo took the opportunity to cause trouble again and wanted to occupy some areas in northern Xinjiang. However, he was defeated by the imperial court and cast Jing Guan as a warning."
"Because of these things, the Daxuan royal family has always looked down upon Goryeo. Fifty years ago, the other party kept asking for forgiveness, and then the status of a vassal state was restored, but the relationship was average."
"Now that the imperial court is at war in the southwest, it can't care about them, so naturally it ignores them..."
It was indeed interesting to listen to Patriarch Tian talk about overseas scenery. In addition, the Tian family's cook was very good at cooking. He drank and chatted, and it was late at night before he knew it.
After arranging how to keep vigil, Tian Residence's lanterns were extinguished one by one...
Hanyang City On the other side, Xu Family Troupe is the big house.
A fire turned this luxurious mansion into ashes.
After the water tanker poured water, the ground was covered with mud, and broken wooden beams were still scattered across the ground, still emitting green smoke.
Many imperial Yamen Runner held lanterns.
The great monks from Wuchang Enforcement Hall are searching everywhere.
Cheng Jue stood among the ruins, looking around, with thoughtful eyes.
He was strong and powerful, like the King Kong in the temple. He was not angry but mighty, and even Yamen Runner around him did not dare to come forward.
Suddenly, Cheng Jue seemed to feel something. He turned around quickly, clasped his hands in the darkness and said, "Amitabha, senior is here too?"
In the darkness, Zhang XiaoShan slowly walked out with his hands behind his back, looked around, and said, "The movements are quite neat."
"As soon as I found some clues, I was immediately cut off."
Cheng Jue frowned slightly, "What did Senior Zhang discover?"
Zhang XiaoShan glared with a pair of dead fish eyes and said dissatisfied, "You little monk, you really don't understand the rules, why would you ask me for your empty words?"
"What on earth do you know? Stop hiding it!"
"Now True Martial Palace has to deal with the Heavenly Saint Sect, and there was an agreement at that time that he would not covet the incense here, so don't act like a villain!"
"Senior Zhang misunderstood."
Cheng Jue was not angry and said with a calm face, "They are all Orthodox Xuan Gate. To stabilize Divine Land, how could I, Baotong Chan Temple, hide it?"
"Some time ago, did senior know about the ancient mine?"
Zhang XiaoShan nodded and said, "I've heard a lot about it."
Cheng Jue said in a deep voice, "Over there in the ancient mine, someone is secretly causing trouble, summoning demons and ghosts in the mine, killing people in the world, and seems to be looking for something."
"I went to investigate and found out their identities."
"Who are they?"
"Jiangxia Barbarians."
Zhang XiaoShan Hearing this, his brows suddenly furrowed, "Are you kidding me? Jiangxia Barbarians The Han Dynasty was in turmoil and had been dispersed long ago. Why did it suddenly appear again?"
The great monk Cheng Jue shook his head and said, "Senior Zhang is unaware of something. Although Jiangxia Barbarians has disappeared and merged into Central Plains, there are still people who believe in Ancestor God secretly."
"We suspect that some Miao chieftains secretly instigated these people to cause trouble in the hinterland of Wuchang."
"Hmph!"
Zhang XiaoShan snorted coldly, "It's just a ghost. What can they do with their few people?"
"Is it possible that your Buddhist sect can't suppress you?"
"Senior Zhang is joking."
Cheng Jue said with a calm face, "My Buddhist sect is naturally not short of the power to subjugate demons, but these Demons and Monsters are hiding in the dark and planning secretly. They must have a big plan."
"If you figure out what they want to do, you can naturally suppress them with force."
"Senior, don't worry. The poor monk has informed the county government and will spread the news to the outside world. There is a demon from the southwest who is causing trouble. He is threatening fellow Daoist Yang ChongZi with the lives of his brothers. He will not let his reputation be damaged."
Zhang XiaoShan After hearing this, there was a trace of ridicule on his face, he shook his head and said, "The young monk is not honest. You don't want me to interfere, so why beat around the bush?"
Cheng Jue clasped his hands together and said, "Senior's movements are too great. In just half a day, the world has been full of chaos. I'm afraid it will make those people hide deeper."
"The poor monks have to figure out what they want to do."
"You don't think I'm in the way!"
Zhang XiaoShan cursed, but didn't bother anymore, "It doesn't matter, it's your place after all, so I won't mind my own business."
"I found out that these craftsmen spent a lot of money to hire Mystery Exploration Branch to dig up old bricks from ancient tombs and collect them secretly."
"You can check the rest yourself!"
After that, he turned directly into the darkness and disappeared.
Not long after he left, a monk hurriedly came from a distance, clasped his hands to Cheng Jue and said, "Brother, I'm back."
Cheng Jue asked, "Meditation Hall How is it over there?"
The monk whispered back, "The Buddha statue still has blood and tears."
Cheng Jue took a deep breath and his eyes became solemn, "Gods and Buddhas warn that there will be a disaster in Wuchang. We must find out what the demon is going to do."
"All the clues here have been destroyed. Keep an eye on the Tian family. Their side may be related to this matter."
"Yes, senior brother."
The next morning, the sky was a little gloomy.
Li Yan looked up after going out, but his eyes showed joy.
From the looks of it, it's probably going to rain in the next few days.
There may be "Dragon Boat Festival Thunder" at that time, which is a good time to practice.
After the meal, a servant came to report in a hurry with a happy face, "Master, the eldest son is back."
Patriarch Tian had a complicated face and was about to go out, but he snorted and sat in the front hall with gloomy eyes.
Soon, a young man entered Tian Residence.
He was wearing a Confucian robe, his face was very similar to Patriarch Tian, he was a little fat, his face was full of dust, and his steps were equally hurried.
After entering the door and seeing Patriarch Tian, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly knelt on the ground and kowtowed several times, "Father, the child is back."
"Hmph!"
Patriarch Tian snorted and lowered his head pretending to drink tea.
Li Yan and others have also come to the front hall.
Seeing this situation, I laughed secretly in my heart.
The eldest son of Patriarch Tian, named Tian Wei, was very smart since he was a child and enrolled in the Wenjin Academy to study early.
Patriarch Tian Whenever I talk about it, although I sound like an unfilial son, my eyes are full of pride.
In the final analysis, it was because of a marriage.
Tian Wei had known about his father's temper, so he didn't say much when he saw what happened. After standing up, he bent down to Li Yan and said, "This is Young Hero Li. Thank you for your help in relieving my family's crisis."
"Hmph!"
When Patriarch Tian heard this, he immediately cursed, "Your mother is sick in bed. If you are really filial, why are you hiding in the academy and not coming back?"
Tian Wei looked bitter and quickly said, "Father, please calm down. The child is really suffering in his heart."
"Then Miss Zhao has a grudge and often harasses a few young masters. I don't want to argue with them to avoid ruining the reputation of my Tian family, so I have to hide in the academy."
"In addition, Feng Shui Master came from Ganzhou and was a guest in the academy. His son has been with him these days. I thought about inviting him to come to our house."
Patriarch Tian heard this, his face softened a little, and he said angrily, "This matter is also my fault. Fortunately, when the matchmaker came to the door, she said how well-informed and courteous the Zhao family's daughter was, but she didn't expect to have such a temper."
"The Zhao family is also a well-known family, how could they be so coddled and let their daughter do whatever they want?"
"That's all, go see your mother."
"Yes."
Tian Wei quickly handed over his hands and hurried towards the backyard.
Li Yan and others heard about it and knew that there must be something wrong with this marriage, but after all, it was a family matter and they didn't bother to ask more questions.
After a while, the servant came again to report, "Return to the master, the young lady and the uncle are here."
Patriarch Tian showed a hint of joy on his face and stood up quickly.
As soon as I walked to the front of the hall, I saw a man and a woman coming in, followed by a servant carrying large and small bags.
"I met my father."
"I met my father-in-law."
"I'm a member of the family, no need to be polite."
Patriarch Tian's attitude towards his daughter and son-in-law was obviously much better, and he took them to introduce Li Yan.
His daughter is of average appearance and gentle in temperament.
And the son-in-law Patriarch Tian was also born with sword-shaped eyebrows and starry eyes, and was very powerful. His name was Liu YiZhong, and he was Wu Prefecture Garrison Qianhu.
This man was originally a distant relative of the Tian family, and his family ran an escort business. Later, his family fell into ruin and he defected to the Tian family.
Patriarch Tian saw that he was a man of talent, so he betrothed his daughter to him. After some work, he joined Wu Prefecture Garrison and became a thousand households.
The couple lived a good life as a child, and speaking of it, they can be considered Patriarch Tian's pride.
Facing Li Yan, the couple expressed their gratitude again.
The news that came next made Patriarch Tian look extremely ugly.
The servant returned and said that his second son, who was practicing in seclusion at Mount Mulan, had officially become a monk and had completely eliminated all ties to the world.
According to the great monk guarding the gate, his son said that his Buddhist name is "Bu Kong" and he will pray for the Tian family at the Meditation Hall.
"How can you become a Buddha if you are unfilial?"
Patriarch Tian was furious when he heard this, his face was livid with anger.
His daughter quickly advised, "Don't be upset, father. You also know my second brother's temperament. He was dull and indifferent since he was a child. At that time, he often said that he wanted to cut off from the world of mortals. Maybe he is destined to do so."
"That's all."
Patriarch Tian waved his hand impatiently and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, hurry up and clean up. Let's go to our ancestors' graves right away so as not to waste time."
Everyone in the Tian Mansion had already made preparations, and several large carts were loaded with tributes for various sacrifices.
After leaving Tian Residence, everyone headed towards the north of the city.
The Tian family's ancestral tomb is located in a small mountain village in the north of Hanyang City, more than two hundred miles away from the city.
This round trip will take at least four or five days.
And as they left, several monks from the Enforcement Hall followed secretly...