"Hey, why did Town Sea Roarer move?"
Wang Dao Xuan was a little surprised after seeing it, "Pindao also visited here many years ago. Town Sea Roarer isn't it over there in the old city?"
He was talking about the famous Cangzhou Iron Lion.
This object was built in the third year of Guangshun in the later Zhou Dynasty. It was originally a mount for Kaiyuan Temple Manjushri Bodhisattva. It also had the purpose of suppressing the sea and dispelling disasters. It was called "Town Sea Roarer" among the people. Nowadays, Kaiyuan Temple has long been destroyed by "Huichang Persecution", but Iron Lion still stands despite nearly seven hundred years of wind, frost, rain, snow and war.
Because there are many floods in Cangzhou, people offer sacrifices all year round, and "Town Sea Roarer" has become the symbol of Cangzhou.
"The Daoist priest doesn't know something."
The Cao Gang disciple explained, "Just a few years ago, strange things happened in the canal. It often fogged up in the middle of the night, and huge waves suddenly appeared from time to time even during the day. Ships were often destroyed and people were killed. Therefore, rumors spread that tampering with the canal's waterways ruined the feng shui and caused the water monsters in the river to cause trouble."
"I heard that Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect sent people to deal with it, and many people died. Later, 'Town Sea Roarer' was moved to the shore to control the things in the river."
"That's it..."
After everyone heard this, they were not surprised.
Divine Land is vast, and there are countless strange things happening from south to north. Coupled with the inconvenient transportation and information barriers, Xuanmen incidents often occur in one place and take a long time to spread to other places.
The Chengdu Prefecture war also spread quickly because it involved Nine Cauldrons and the feudal king's rebellion.
It was early in the morning, and the bronze rust stains of Iron Lion in the distance glowed coldly in the morning light.
Li Yan stood on the bow of the ship, and the moisture of Grand Canal hit his face with the smell of salt.
His eyes were slightly closed, and his hand was pinching, and the Divine Ability spread out like ripples - the back of the laborer was as bent as a shrimp, the blood stains pressed by the salt packs, and the grooves on the wooden piles of the pier over the years, all were clearly visible...
There are many water systems in Cangzhou, which belong to the Haihe River Basin. "Nine Rivers" is also an important dock hub on Grand Canal, so it is also very prosperous.
Beside the pier, the masts of salt boats and canals are as dense as reeds, and the boatmen's chants and merchants' abacuses are intertwined.
Li Yan I saw a shirtless man boarding the ship on the gangplank with three bags of salt on his shoulders. Strings of bamboo sticks hung from his waist and jingled with his steps. This was a thing used by porters on the pier to calculate their rewards.
Every time a bag is carried, a bamboo stick is given, and the final calculation is unified.
The more you carry, the more you earn.
When you are young, you can still rely on your strength to eat enough, but often you will be plagued by diseases just after middle age.
Suddenly, a muffled groan came from the distance.
But an old porter staggered to his knees, the salt bag rolled down and cracked, and the salt particles spilled into the turbid waves.
"You old fool!"
The supervisor with a sinister face was furious and shook the whip in his hand.
However, before the whip could fall, it suddenly broke in the air.
On the deck, Li Yan looked calm and threw away the remaining stones.
He has stepped into Pellet Strength. Flying flowers and picking leaves can hurt people. With the Divine Ability detection, it is not difficult to do this.
The overseer on the shore looked at the whip in his hand with a dull look on his face.
Of course, he couldn't think too much about it.
After the old porter fell to the ground, he could no longer get up and gradually lost his breath.
The porters also gathered around, showing no signs of sadness, but looking numb as they wrapped the old porter in a straw mat and carried him away.
Death from overwork, they have seen this happen too many times.
Perhaps the ending for many people is the same.
Soon, the crowd dispersed and the dock became busy again.
"Alas~"
Scholar Kong Shangzhao sighed, "People's livelihood is difficult. Instead of suffering here, it is better to go back to the hometown and plant an acre of thin farmland. At least you won't have to be beaten."
"Sir, you don't know something."
The disciple Cao Gang next to him couldn't help but said, "If you have a field at home, who would be willing to suffer this? There are many floods in Cangzhou, and the fields are frequently flooded. In disaster years, there is no harvest. In order to survive, we can only sell the fields to the landlords."
"At that time, I can only work as a long-term laborer for the landlord. If I meet a good employer, it will be okay. If I meet a vicious one, I will not even have enough to eat. I will work on the dock. As long as I am willing to work hard, I can at least eat meat occasionally."
"This..."
Kong Shangzhao was speechless when he heard it.
He knew that this man was right.
Harvesting fields in bad years and storing grain in good years are almost all ways for landowners to make a fortune.
In my hometown of Qufu, all the land has become Kong family.
The Cao Gang disciple next to him didn't seem to notice his embarrassment and continued, "If it had been before, I'm afraid something would have happened a long time ago, but now people are running to Jinmen and along the coast. There are many workshops there. As long as you are willing to learn and work hard, you will eventually have a way to survive."
Li Yan shook his head and said, "I'm afraid it's not that good."
"That's natural."
Cao Gang disciple smiled and said, "There are many people over there, and it's very chaotic. The living quarters are like doghouses. Working every day can be tiring, but at least you have food to eat."
While talking, the boat was approaching the dock.
The Cao Gang disciple quickly raised his hands and said, "Young Hero Li, your Visiting Card, our brother has been sent to the Wu family first and will be back around noon. Why don't you find a place to rest first."
"That's fine."
Li Yan nodded and led everyone ashore.
Cangzhou is a famous martial arts holy land.
There is a strong martial arts practice in every township and village, and there are many sects.
In this kind of place, Jianghu Rules is very important. When you come to your door, you must first send Visiting Card.
After all, they are well-known now, and Wu Qu is a local presence. People need to be prepared. If something unpleasant happens, it will be very difficult for Wu Qu.
Not far from the shore, you will reach Shunhe Street.
The morning market is also noisy at the moment.
The silk and satin shop removed the door panel, and the clerk shouted about the new Lu silk goods...
In front of the grain store, mules and horses puffed out white gas, and Shanxi merchants counted sacks with accents...
The steaming steamer in the breakfast shop is opened, and the sweet aroma of golden jujubes mixed with the mellow Cangjiu wine interweaves with the smell of fodder from the livestock market to create fireworks in the market...
In the northwest corner of the pier, the morning bell of Shuiyue Temple broke through the fog, and the Changlu Salt mountains piled up in the salt field next to the temple glowed coldly white. The salt workers shouted slogans to pack the salt into the boats. The masts of the boats were like forests, and they slowly sailed towards the river.
The most eye-catching thing is a three-story high-rise building with four outstretched buildings and an octagonal turn. The second floor has a flat seat on the mountain, and the third floor has an encircling corridor and cornices that catch the morning light. It is very impressive at first sight.
After Wang Dao Xuan saw it, he stroked his beard and smiled and said, "That's South River Pavilion there. It was built by Changlu Salt Transport Commissioner Guo Wuchang many years ago. Later, the Yamen moved and became a restaurant. In the past, literati and poets would climb up the building to enjoy the view."
"I heard that there is a hidden spring in the ground. The spring is sweet and the water is deep. The Magu Wine brewed from the water is very good. It's a pity that I was short of money and didn't have the chance to try it."
"Isn't this easy to handle?"
Sha LiFei also became interested when he heard it, "I'm also greedy for what the Daoist priest said Old Sha. Let's go quickly."
After that, everyone went to the South River Pavilion.
At this time, there were not many people inside, so everyone went up to the third floor and chose a private room by the window.
Climb up and have a panoramic view of the canal scenery.
To be honest, it is not as powerful as Yellow Crane Tower, but it has a different flavor.
A large table of local specialties and wines were ordered, and everyone ate, drank, chatted and waited.
There's nothing much to explore on the left and right piers, so why not just rest here.
"The situation in Beijing is a bit complicated..."
Li Yan was drinking while telling everyone about the information obtained from Zhao Wan Fang.
"Open Sea Faction now has the upper hand, but it is estimated that the emperor was afraid that Imperial Court would be unbalanced, so he did not remove the local officials. With Three Ministries and Six Departments, all parties have gathered forces and there are many masters. Don't mess around..."
"Qiankun Academy, we are being stared at by many eyes. When we arrive in the capital, we will definitely fall into the eyes of some interested people, so I plan to find a place to stay first and contact Elder Hetian and Brother Yan..."
The capital is no different from other places. Divine Land Top Ten Grandmasters has three people who live there all year round, not to mention the Daoist sects from all over the country, the personnel stationed in the capital, and Divine Mechanism Camp who have all changed into Divine Firearm.
In short, dragons and tigers gather together, undercurrents surge, and it is not that easy to mess with.
Before I knew it, two hours had passed.
Near noon, I heard a sudden noise coming from below.
Immediately afterwards, there was the sound of horse hooves and a large number of footsteps.
Everyone quickly gathered in front of the window to watch.
I saw a large number of guardsmen coming from Official Road northwest of the pier, running forward, obviously in a hurry, and on the canal in the distance, huge naval warships also appeared.
The gongs and drums sounded, and all the people and porters on the pier were pushed to both sides.
Someone ran too slowly and was whipped to the ground.
The soldiers didn't waste any time and lined up to board the ship.
"Is... something happened?"
Sha LiFei asked with some uncertainty.
At this moment, a Cao Gang disciple hurriedly went upstairs, clasping his fists with a thankful expression on his face and saying, "Everyone, it's a good thing we left early, something big happened over there at the customs clearance!"
"Several major chambers of commerce, as well as merchants in the city, banded together to cause trouble in front of the tax superintendent. They also hired several officials to help them calm down the situation, and used the evidence they collected to force Eunuch Ma to make concessions."
"The two sides were in a stalemate. Behind those chambers of commerce, there were also the ministers of the DPRK and China supporting them. Eunuch Ma did not dare to cause chaos. But unexpectedly, the cars in the city Porters Guild also started to cause chaos."
"They attacked the tax prison and used gunpowder. I heard that there were countless casualties. Eunuch Ma were all hanged up. Heavenly Lantern. People from the Cangzhou Guard Station were also ordered to quell the chaos first..."
After everyone heard this, they immediately looked at each other.
Li Yan also frowned.
He felt something was wrong at Linqingguan, but he didn't expect it to be so big.
Zhao Wan Fang went there, probably for this reason...
Thinking of this, Li Yan asked in a deep voice, "You Cao Gang didn't receive the message?"
Cao Gang is one of the top forces on Grand Canal.
No matter what happens, they can't hide it from them.
"The blame lies here!"
The Cao Gang disciple looked around and said in a low voice, "Our helmsman didn't know anything about this beforehand. When we asked the brothers on this waterway, they were also confused."
Li Yan It suddenly became clear, "Someone is deliberately concealing information."
"Hmm."
This Cao Gang disciple is Chen San's right-hand man, and he said with a worried look on his face, "I'm afraid that someone is pulling the strings. Linqing Customs is the first bank checkpoint on the canal. For such a big matter, we Cao Gang didn't get any information in advance. It's a bit bad."
"Don't worry."
Li Yan remembered some of Zhao Wan Fang's words and looked at Northeast side thoughtfully, "It is estimated that the source is still in the capital, above Imperial Court. Someone wants to use this matter to stir up trouble."
"It probably has nothing to do with us, just be careful."
"What Young Hero Li said is absolutely true."
Although this Cao Gang disciple agreed, he was still worried. He clasped his fists and turned around to leave, probably because he wanted to continue collecting information.
After something like this happened, no one wanted to run around and cause trouble.
Waiting until almost noon, the disciple Cao Gang who sent Visiting Card finally came back.
There were two other people traveling with me.
An old man, wearing a coarse cloth, although he has gray hair, he has a large frame and a beard like a lion's mane. He looks like a mountain when he walks, and a domineering and fierce aura hits his face.
Beside him stood a thin boy with a timid face.
The boy's facial features are somewhat similar to Wu Qu.
The disciple Cao Gang who was leading the way was trembling, his eyes full of fear, he swallowed and said, "Young Hero Li, this is..."
"I Wu Zhong!"
The old man pushed the disciple away and said in a deep voice, "Wu Qu is my son."
"I've met my uncle!"
Li Yan Hearing this, he quickly stood up and clasped his fists respectfully.
The relationship between Wu Qu and him can be regarded as both a teacher and a friend.
The other party carefully taught many of the uses of martial arts and God Ascender's rules, and even introduced him to "Yellow Springs Organization". Although it didn't work out later, there were other reasons.
Moreover, Wu Ba's kung fu was also taught by the other party.
"Hmm."
The old man Wu Zhong nodded and said in a deep voice, "That bastard Zi Hour often told me that he has a brother with extraordinary talent, but it seems he still has no vision. At such a young age, he has already reached Pellet Strength, and I can't compare to him."
"Senior has given me too much praise."
Li Yan humbly said something, and an unpleasant feeling arose in his heart for no reason.
Wu Qu never talks about his family affairs, but he can know some information by just collecting some information.
The Cangzhou martial arts family Eight Extremities Fist is considered the best in the world.
Needless to say, this is Wu Zhong, the head of the Wu family who was once nicknamed "Iron Lion". Unexpectedly, he is still alive now. Even though he is old and his blood has declined, he still has the realm of Firm Strength.
No wonder some people say that this person was only one step away from being a master back then.
What makes Li Yan strange is that given the other party's seniority and status, even if he has a good relationship with Wu Qu, there is no need to make a special trip to meet him. Something must have happened...
While he was thinking, Wu Zhong looked at Wu Ba, his eyes full of fierceness.
"I'm here for two things."
"First, that bastard passed on his family's secret knowledge to outsiders, and he was still the leader. Many people were dissatisfied. I will give you a punch to see if you are qualified to practice. If you can accept it, the matter will be over."
Li Yan frowned slightly and looked at Wu Ba.
He did not think carefully about this matter at the time.
He only thought that Wu Qu could make the decision, but he didn't consider the reaction of the Wu family.
"Okay!"
Before he could speak, Wu Ba had already walked out.
At this moment, Wu Ba's muscles all over his body were bulging, and his eyes were bloodshot with excitement.
Ever since Wu Zhong entered the door, he felt a sense of provocation.
It's a wonderful feeling.
It's like a beast invading another beast's territory.
Seeing Wu Ba's appearance, Wu Zhong narrowed his eyes slightly and his face turned cold, "Those who practice martial arts are best at cultivating their minds. They don't even have a clear head. Even if they have brute strength, what's the difference between them and animals?"
However, Wu Ba didn't seem to understand at all, and the smell on his body became even more violent.
"Hmph!"
Wu Zhong was a little impatient, snorted coldly, and raised his hand to strike.
His movements seemed unpleasant, but to everyone's ears, they were like a giant millstone pressing down, with an unrivaled momentum. When people saw it, they would only have the thought of running away.
Li Yan's face became solemn and his muscles tightened unconsciously.
This is an expression of extreme concentration of boxing intention.
Just like back then, Sword Immortal Cheng could hurt someone with just Sword Intent.
It is also the training route after Pellet Strength.
"Roar!"
Wu Ba was stimulated by the fist, his muscles all over his body swelled, and he raised his elbows to resist.
Boom!
It was like the roar of war drums, shaking the entire corridor.
Wu Zhong The old man's white beard was shaken by the wind of fists, and his eyes were slightly surprised.
Wu Ba's physical talent is too exaggerated, far beyond his imagination.
Even so, Wu Ba was at a disadvantage, his face turned red, he stumbled back, his huge body lost balance, and he was about to hit everyone.
Li Yan raised his hand with a calm expression, Undying Imprint Method Martial Power changed around to resolve the force.
But in the eyes of everyone, he just gave a gentle support, and Wu Ba suddenly stopped.
There is no effort, giving people a weird feeling of lightness.
"Okay!"
An expert in the doorway, Wu Zhong couldn't help but praise, then looked at Wu Ba, and said solemnly, "I understand how that bastard feels. You are a bit weird, and I want to see how far you can go."
"If you step into Pellet Strength in the future, you can come to the Wu family to find me."
As he said that, he looked at Li Yan again, his eyes becoming more and more gloomy, "The second thing I came here to do is to ask you clearly what trouble he got into outside?"
Li Yan suddenly thought, "What happened to Brother Wu?"
Wu Zhong gritted his teeth, and in his eyes murderous intent found it difficult to suppress,
"That bastard was killed..."