Unable to Escape

Inside the city, Marshal Yuan's residence.

In the spacious reception hall, Marshal Hong wore a pleased expression. Holding a sheet of paper, he sat in the broad wooden chair at the head of the hall. "Junior Brother, there's news. That Li Yan finally left the Strategist's residence and entered the city today. I wonder what he's come here for?"

In the shadow of one of the four thick pillars in the hall, the blurry figure of an exceptionally burly man in a black robe flickered into view. The pillar he was hiding behind was not the same one as last time. It seemed he casually chose a pillar each time and concealed himself behind it. His deep, echoing voice reverberated through the hall.

"Senior Brother, judging by the timing, this man has stayed in the valley considerably longer than that disciple last time. Based on our previous deductions, that disciple ran into trouble after forty-nine days. This also corresponds with the Buddhist and Daoist theory of constructing the furnace through the thirty-six, forty-nine, and eighty-one Lesser Celestial Circuits."

"Mm, that's what I think as well. If so, two things can be confirmed. First, the cultivation method Ji Wenhe practices must be a method for entering the Lesser Celestial Circuit that can be mastered in forty-nine days. It's undoubtedly a Daoist cultivation method. Second, Li Yan should have already completed the Lesser Celestial Circuit."

"Senior Brother, those two points should indeed be certain now. But there are still two things we can't determine. First, if Li Yan can cultivate until he successfully completes the Lesser Celestial Circuit, is Ji Wenhe truly preparing him as a successor, or is Li Yan still unqualified to serve as his poison-attracting vessel? Second, if Li Yan can cultivate successfully, does the previous disciple's death show that their internal cultivation method is truly profound and beyond the comprehension of ordinary people?"

"You're right, Junior Brother. These two points will greatly affect our actions from here on. If Li Yan is still meant to be used as a poison-attracting vessel, then we'll have an opening to exploit. If his cultivation method is unique, then we must make good use of Li Yan and proceed step by step, lest we obtain the cultivation method from him yet remain ignorant of its secrets."

"Then, Senior Brother, what should we do now?"

"Mm. Since he was able to enter the city today, there will be a next time, and a time after that. We can't approach him immediately this time, lest we act too rashly and arouse his suspicion, while also alerting Ji Wenhe. Have our people keep a close eye on him and see what he's here to do this time. Then we'll make our next plan."

"Yes, Senior Brother."

The hall fell silent. A while later, Hong Linying's figure flickered and vanished as well.

"Captain Liu, you don't have to be so formal. I was fortunate to receive your advice the last time I entered the city. I haven't even had a chance to thank you yet."

Li Yan hurried a few steps forward and supported Liu Chengyong by the arm.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. This subordinate didn't offer any advice. I merely said a few casual words." Seeing the sincerity on Li Yan's face, Liu Chengyong was overjoyed. He had heard some time ago that Strategist Ji had taken another disciple. Supposedly, the disciple was from Great Green Mountain. The road pass Li Guoxin had shown him that day immediately flashed through his mind, but he had not dared to be certain. Now that Li Yan had arrived, accompanied by Chen An and the others from the Strategist's residence, he naturally understood at once that his guess had been correct.

Although he belonged to Marshal Hong's faction, everyone in the army knew of Strategist Ji's prestige. What a tremendous benefit it was to befriend his disciple as well.

Seeing this, Chen An and Li Yin secretly breathed a sigh of relief and exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with grievance. Recently, it had been rare for them to receive even a pleasant look from this man. Today, his nerves had finally connected properly again—so why had the two of them been so unlucky?

Liu Chengyong withdrew his clasped-hands salute and secretly glanced at Li Yan again. He could not help sighing inwardly. The village boy he had encountered back then was now a prestigious official of Subordinate Eighth Rank, Lower Grade. It would not be an exaggeration to say he had risen to prominence. Having someone in the court really does make becoming an official easy.

With matters weighing on his mind, Li Yan wanted to see Li Shan and Li Yu as soon as possible. He did not know what etiquette to use at this point, so he could only clasp his fist. "Captain Liu, I still have some matters to attend to after entering the city. How about we speak again next time?"

"Oh, yes, yes, yes, of course, of course. Then this subordinate will see Lord Li off." Liu Chengyong stepped aside, and the soldiers behind him withdrew their spears and moved back.

Li Yin stepped forward and handed the reins to Li Yan. "Young Master, please mount."

Li Yan gave an awkward smile. "Let's tie the horses up here for now. We'll walk into the city."

Li Yin paused, then understood. Li Yan was afraid his riding skills were too poor. If he lost control on the main streets inside the city, he might cause trouble.

Seeing this, Chen An laughed heartily. "Old Liu, we'll leave these horses here. Make the arrangements. If we haven't returned by the time your shift ends, please inform the brothers taking over duty."

Liu Chengyong was a worldly man himself and readily agreed with a smile.

After they left, apart from the soldiers still inspecting those entering and leaving the city, the rest moved closer to Liu Chengyong. "Captain, was that really the same person we met some time ago? He's changed quite a bit in the two months since then."

Liu Chengyong sighed as well. "It really was him. It feels like it happened only yesterday."

"Captain, you thought highly of him back then, so there's still that old connection. Perhaps he'll look after you a little in the future." One of the soldiers spoke. He had also been on duty that day.

"Captain, a few of us weren't on shift with you that day. Did you really meet Lord Li before?" another man asked.

"Captain, is this Lord Li the disciple recently taken by the widely renowned Lord Ji?" several other soldiers asked.

After finishing his sigh, Liu Chengyong immediately felt a headache from the questions of his subordinates. These brothers of his were good in every way: when battle came, they obeyed every order, and when facing the enemy, they fought to the death. They were simply too lax in ordinary times, to the point that they barely had any sense of rank. He waved his hand. "I really did meet Lord Li once, and he is undoubtedly Lord Ji's disciple. All right, all right, stop asking questions. You're on duty. You, you, and you—lead these horses to the gate passage and keep a close watch on them."

The three of them hurried along the street. Li Yan was anxious, so he had Chen An and Li Yin lead the way toward Natural Wine House. Half a cup of tea later, they arrived before the tavern. Li Yan recognized the street-facing storefront he had visited last time and walked inside, with Chen An and Li Yin following close behind.

As soon as they entered, the sharp-eyed waiter came over to greet them. "Yo, three officers! Are you here to drink or eat?"

How keen an eye did these serving men possess? They had seen all sorts of travelers from north and south, and their minds were exceptionally quick. At a glance, they could tell that the three men carried no luggage. The first wore a black robe, while the two behind him were soldiers. Naturally, they knew the three were not travelers stopping for lodging, but had come to drink or eat.

Li Yan stopped and looked around. Heavens, he had only observed the place from outside last time. Now that he had entered, he realized that the storefront they had come through was only one of the tavern's street-facing rooms. Seven or eight storefronts stretched horizontally inside, each connected to the next. It was already past noon, and many diners had nearly finished eating, but the sounds of finger-guessing games, drinking calls, conversation, and laughter still filled the place. It remained exceptionally lively.

"Oh, I'm here to find Li Yu, who's studying here. Please help me call him over," Li Yan said politely.

The waiter froze, then carefully examined the three men before him. Could Little Yu have gotten into trouble outside? No, that can't be. That child rarely even leaves the place.

Seeing the waiter standing there in a daze, Li Yin stepped forward and slapped him on the shoulder. "Our young master is speaking to you. Are you deaf or mute?"

The waiter jumped in fright and snapped out of his daze. Seeing Li Yin's unfriendly expression, he hurriedly apologized. "Officer, please calm down, officer, please calm down. I'll call him right away." He did not notice Li Yan looking at him apologetically, and turned toward the back hall.

Li Yan had never acted so overbearingly without cause. In the valley, he had only been forced by circumstances to put on an arrogant act a few times before Chen An, Li Yin, and several women whose temperaments he already knew. As for men like Chen An and Li Yin, who were accustomed to fighting and killing all day, they had little patience with ordinary commoners. Even when speaking normally, they carried an air of slaughter.

Chen An saw the apology on Li Yan's face. Recalling Li Yan's attitude toward Liu Chengyong at the city gate, he had thought his master's nerves were finally connected to the normal line today. He smiled and said, "Young master, these wretches are dawdling for no reason. Don't let them delay your business."

Li Yan noticed Chen An looking at him doubtfully, and his heart tightened. He understood that his behavior today had been somewhat inappropriate. He was supposed to be someone with a somewhat violent temperament now. Thus, he sidelong-glanced at the two men.

"Do I need you two to teach me how to handle my own affairs? All right, stay farther away from me. I want to talk with my brother for a while. Don't disturb my peace."

Chen An and Li Yin looked at each other, their expressions immediately turning bitter. Well, this master's illness has struck again. Why can't he understand good intentions?

Before long, the waiter brought Li Yu over. After finding Li Yu in the back hall, he had asked whether Li Yu had gone out recently or caused any trouble, and told him that a man who looked like a noble young master had brought two soldiers to look for him.

Timid by nature, Li Yu immediately turned pale with fright. He swore to the heavens that he had not gone out recently and had remained in the back hall the entire time, without even having time to help carry tea to the main hall. Only then did the waiter relax.

At first, Li Yu had not understood what "a man who looked like a noble young master" meant. Surely a person either was one or was not. But after coming to his senses, he thought of someone and immediately grew excited. The villagers had often mentioned Li Yan to him over the past few months. Li Yan had joined the army and even taken the famous Strategist Ji as his master. Given the bearing of Li Yan, himself, and Li Shan—all born in a poor mountain village—did wearing fine clothes make someone a noble young master? Not even after another year, let alone two months.

When Li Yan saw Li Yu's figure, excitement surged through him. After several months without leaving the valley, seeing his childhood companion once more stirred homesickness in his chest. He could not help missing Great Green Mountain, the little mountain village, his parents, the villagers, and every blade of grass and leaf there. He hurried a few steps forward to meet him.

Li Yu entered the front hall and saw, from far away, a man standing by the counter. He wore a black robe and had an ordinary face, but that face was so familiar. Although the air around him had changed somewhat, Li Yu recognized him at a glance. Tears immediately streamed down his face, and he ran over with sobs. The waiter beside him sighed. This child was good in every way except that he loved to cry. Every time someone came from his hometown to visit, his eyes filled with tears, making it seem as though he had suffered some enormous grievance in the tavern.

"Brother Yan, Brother Yan, sob..." Li Yu ran while wiping away his tears. The surrounding diners immediately stopped what they were doing and turned to watch.

Li Yan was likewise overwhelmed with emotion, his eyes slightly reddened. He reached out and embraced Li Yu as he rushed over.

Chen An and Li Yin exchanged a glance. Chen An then quickly walked up to the waiter.

"Waiter, do you have a private room? My young master would like to enter and speak with an old friend." The two of them could see that there were too many people here for conversation. Besides, with a half-grown child crying and sobbing in the middle of the place, who knew what others would think?

The waiter hurriedly answered, "Yes, yes, yes. There are rooms on the first floor, and rooms on the second floor too."

Chen An glanced at the noisy diners on the first floor. "Then the second floor."

He took a few steps to Li Yan, who was comforting Li Yu. "Young master, there are too many people here and it's noisy. Let's talk in a private room upstairs."

Li Yan also felt that the place was too noisy for him to speak properly with Li Yu. Hearing Chen An say this, he was naturally delighted. Chen An really knows how to handle matters. His thoughts are as clear as crystal.

They followed the waiter to a private room on the second floor. After bringing over a pot of tea, the waiter was sent out by Li Yan. Li Yan then told Chen An and Li Yin to wait for him outside the tavern, but unexpectedly, the two rejected him outright. Claiming that they had to protect Li Yan's safety, they could not leave his side for even a moment. In the end, they could only be shut outside the door, while Li Yan remained inside to talk with Li Yu.

After two cups of tea, Li Yan finally left under Li Yu's reluctant gaze. He then headed with Chen An and Li Yin to the Ironworks Pavilion. After finding Li Shan and sharing another joyful reunion, Li Yu left several dozen taels of silver behind, to be taken back to the village and given to his parents when the villagers next came. They then wandered around the city for a while. Li Yan bought a set of clothes, and after leaving the city with Chen An and Li Yin, retrieved the horses and returned to the Strategist's residence.

As soon as he entered the valley, Li Yan sensed a Divine Sense emerge from Strategist Ji's room. It swept rapidly over his body, then carefully circled the bundle of newly purchased clothes in his hands before disappearing without a trace.

Li Yan pretended not to notice. He even deliberately glanced toward the first Stone Chamber, and after seeing its door tightly shut, muttered a few words before walking toward his own Stone Chamber.

After entering, Li Yan casually poured himself a cup of water and drank it. He then sat in a chair and rested for a while before getting up and closing the door.

After shutting the door, Li Yan sensed again. When he found that no Divine Sense had appeared, his expression darkened.

Today's trip into the city had confirmed several points for him.

First, Chen An and Li Yin were indeed spies Strategist Ji had planted beside him. It would be a mistake to think that their outwardly respectful and somewhat fearful attitude meant anything. Once outside, the two would never allow him to leave their field of control. There was no need to mention the journey itself—they had practically sandwiched him between them under the guise of "protecting" him, supposedly to prevent an assassination by Meng Kingdom "spies."

Even when he met Li Yu, the greatest distance they put between themselves and him was outside the private room at the tavern. Moreover, through the crack beneath the door and the windows, Li Yan had discovered that one of them stood outside the door while the other stood downstairs, directly opposite the private room. Even if he had secretly jumped out the window, they would have discovered it immediately. The same was true at the Ironworks Pavilion. They stood several dozen paces away while he spoke with Li Shan, keeping every one of his movements within their line of sight.

Second, Strategist Ji had already taken precautions against him. Today, he had deliberately bought a set of clothes, and after returning, he discovered that Strategist Ji's Divine Sense probed any suddenly appearing new item with extra care, ensuring that everything remained within his control.

Thinking of this, Li Yan could not help knitting his brows tightly. He had been placed under house arrest. How could he escape this deadly valley?