Li Yan's eyes snapped open, and he rolled up out of bed.
Just now in his sleep, his divine sense of smell had suddenly enhanced. Scents of every kind had flooded in, jolting him awake.
This was not the first time it had happened.
The night he slew the cold-altar rampaging soldier, after the substitute idol had extinguished one flame of life, his divine sense of smell had sharpened once before, though not nearly as distinctly as this time.
The earthy scent of the soil, the fresh fragrance of wheat, the sour tang of sweat from the wheat reapers in the distance, and even the venomous stench of scorpions beneath the dirt—he could distinguish them all with utter clarity.
Yet what was stranger was that sweet aroma!
The substitute idol trembled because of it, sending forth a sense of craving.
This precious substitute idol he possessed was clearly flawed and incomplete. Much of its information could only be sensed vaguely, so it had taken him a great deal of time just to figure out what it did.
Normally, it remained utterly still, hidden within his dantian.
Only when transferring injuries was activated did it play its part.
Yet this time, it had reacted on its own initiative.
Could there be some natural treasure here capable of repairing the substitute idol?
At the thought, Li Yan felt a rush of excitement, his lips growing slightly dry.
In dealing with that cold-altar rampaging soldier, the substitute idol had extinguished one flame of life. Though he still had two lives left, it was ultimately not whole.
Who wouldn't want an extra life?
If there truly was something that could repair the idol, what would he ever have to fear in the future!
He had come here seeking the Dao, never expecting to stumble upon an unexpected windfall.
However, just as he was preparing to draw closer to the estate to investigate, the scent abruptly vanished.
At the same time, torches flared to life within the Lu family estate, standing out starkly in the dark night. Voices clamored in a chaotic din.
Had something happened?
Li Yan frowned slightly, resting his hand against the hilt of his saber.
The commotion was exceedingly obvious in the dead of night. Sha Lifei also jolted awake with a start and rushed over, clumsily clutching his saber. "What is it? What happened? Bandits raiding the place?"
Li Yan shook his head. "Not sure."
By now, many others had been startled awake as well.
The old bladesman from Longyou wearing the sheepskin vest was named Shan Laoquan. His brow was furrowed tight. "Come, let's go take a look. After all, they're our hosts. If something's wrong, we can't just stand by and watch."
With that, several bladesmen told the wheat reapers not to run about, and then headed toward the Lu family manor.
Li Yan's heart stirred, and he followed closely behind.
The group arrived outside the Lu family courtyard. After they had knocked on the gate for quite some time, Steward Lu finally pushed the gate open and came out with several estate guards. With an unruffled expression, he said, "What brings you all here?"
At these words, the bladesmen were all taken aback.
Wasn't that utter nonsense?
With such a racket, only a fool wouldn't have noticed.
The Longyou bladesman Shan Laoquan narrowed his eyes slightly and cupped his hands, his voice hoarse. "We heard a commotion and came to check. Nothing amiss in the manor, I hope?"
Steward Lu's expression remained indifferent. "Nothing. A feral cat got in and made some noise. Thank you all for your concern.
"You still have to get up early tomorrow to harvest wheat. Please rest early, everyone."
"That is well, then."
The old Longyou bladesman gave a nod, turned, and walked away.
Something else was certainly going on with the Lu family, but after drifting through the jianghu for so many years, he had long learned to play deaf and dumb. So long as their wages were settled on time, he couldn't be bothered to pry into others' business.
In the end, it was nothing more than the sordid messes of a grand household.
The others, naturally, did not ask further either.
Yet just as the crowd prepared to leave, Steward Lu suddenly spoke up again. "Brother Sha, please hold on. There is a matter I wish to ask you."
"Ah? What matter?"
Completely at a loss, Sha Lifei turned back and halted.
Though the others were a bit surprised, they paid it no mind.
Although Sha Lifei's martial arts were mediocre, surviving in the jianghu relied on far more than just a blade; it took thick skin, quick wits, and a glib tongue.
He had a thick skin, a nimble mind, and a slippery mouth. No matter who he met, he could shamelessly cozy up to them and babble away, not caring whether they liked it or not, so long as he made himself a familiar face.
One should never underestimate that.
Often, when people encountered trouble and weren't familiar with the ropes of a particular trade, the very first image that popped into their minds was this familiar face.
With a few inquiries and some smooth-talking, even if he couldn't secure the job himself, he could still earn a bit of hard-earned silver as a go-between running errands.
This wheat-reaping gig, for instance, had come about because Sha Lifei chatted with folks on the road and bustled about brokering the deal, making himself a familiar face to Steward Lu.
The others left quickly, but Li Yan turned and lingered, continuing to wait.
He had a hunch that Steward Lu looking for Sha Lifei was definitely tied to what had just happened. Perhaps he could find a way to slip into the Lu family estate along with him.
He didn't necessarily have to take it, but at least he could figure out what had triggered the substitute idol's reaction, giving himself an objective for the future.
He waited for a good while until the hour of the Tiger, when the wheat reapers were already setting to work, before Sha Lifei finally emerged from the Lu residence, beaming with joy.
"What happened?" Li Yan went straight up, grabbed his arm, and asked in a low voice.
Sha Lifei hesitated a moment. "Come with me. I'll tell you on the road."
"Where to?"
"Xianyang City!"
...
"The Lu family wants to find a yinyang master."
Only after they had put Gushui Village far behind did Sha Lifei explain. "The Lu family's first madam is about to breathe her last. They want to hire a yinyang master with real skill to select a burial site and arrange the funeral affairs afterward.
"What's more, they require it to be kept quiet—no making a fuss about it. Don't you go blabbing."
Li Yan was somewhat surprised. "A funeral, kept quiet?"
Sha Lifei chuckled slyly. "I've actually pieced together a bit of it.
"Though Squire Lu's ancestral home is Guanzhong, he doesn't have many clan members. When he was very young, he fled as a refugee to the capital. Through a lifetime of hustling and striving, he built up quite a fortune. Because of that, after returning to his roots in his old age, he's had very little to do with the wealthy households nearby.
"His first madam is from the capital. She followed him back to Guanzhong, but she was likely driven sick with anger by Squire Lu's philandering. She's been bedridden all along, hardly ever seeing outsiders.
"Squire Lu cares deeply about saving face; he certainly doesn't want people gossiping."
Li Yan frowned. "That still doesn't make sense. Once someone is dead, what scruples are left? Whatever he says goes. A lavish funeral would actually stir up less controversy."
"Why do you care so much!"
Sha Lifei scratched his bald head. "The Lu family's business has nothing to do with us. On the other hand, I recommended Daoist Master Wang. Aside from earning a runner's tip, it also gives me a good pretext to introduce you to him."
"A pretext? Aren't you familiar with him?"
"Well... well, even acquaintances come in ranks, don't they... Hurry up, let's get moving."
With a dry laugh, Sha Lifei urged him onward.
Li Yan shook his head slightly, not minding in the least.
He had guessed long ago that Sha Lifei didn't possess nearly that much sway; to get connected with Wang Daoxuan, he would still have to employ some methods of his own.
What occupied his thoughts at the moment was whether the Lu family's strange behavior was connected to that unknown treasure.
Sha Lifei had a horse, and when leaving, he had borrowed another from the Lu family.
Though Li Yan was not an expert equestrian, he did not hold them back. By the time broad daylight broke, the two had already arrived outside Xianyang City.
This world also had a Qin Dynasty, and its antiquity was even greater.
Xianyang was the capital of the ancient Qin, situated at the confluence of the Wei and Jing Rivers. It boasted a dense population, bringing together all walks of life, and its water and land transport were highly developed.
As the two rode up, they could see from afar boats large and small plying the Wei River, as well as the towering Qingwei Tower beside the ancient city of Xianyang.
The city gates were about to open, and a great throng of peddlers and villagers from the surrounding countryside had already gathered outside, forming a long queue. Carrying shoulder poles, pushing wheelbarrows... voices clamored amidst the neighing of mules and horses.
Down at the ferry landing, dock porters were already unloading and hauling cargo.
The two had come from the south of the city, so entering required crossing the Wei River. But before they even reached the ferry, Sha Lifei halted and chuckled. "Little Brother Yan, as for going into the city to find the man, I'll have to trouble you to make the trip."
Li Yan frowned. "You're not going in?"
Sha Lifei rubbed his big bald head and said helplessly, "Didn't we just clash with Meng Haicheng yesterday? With my commanding looks, I stand out in a crowd like a sore thumb. They've got eyes and ears everywhere; the moment I step into the city, they'll spot me.
"Not that I'm afraid, mind you—I'm just worried about holding up proper business."
Li Yan let out a scoff. "You certainly know how to order people around. Fine."
It had already been mentioned earlier that they needed to conceal their movements upon entering the city; after all, this was Zhou Pan's turf. But Sha Lifei suddenly reneging on entering and making him go alone was clearly because he was scared.
With Sha Lifei's shamelessness, how could he care about Li Yan's mockery? With a grin, he said, "Little Brother Yan, you're shrewd and sharp, far better than me, but there are a few things I need to tip you off about."
Saying this, he pointed toward a large vessel out on the river.
"Xianyang is an ancient ferry crossing where all sorts of people gather, and plenty of jianghu folks travel back and forth from north and south. There are a few you must never provoke.
"That boat belongs to the Xianyang Water Transport Gang. They control the ferry crossing. Whether with the porters' guild where the coolies belong or the Xianyang branch of Taixing Coach House, they're on intimate terms, and the boatmen on the Wei River are all their people as well...
"Besides them, there's the Beggars' Gang in the city. Their beggars' den is near the mass graves north of the city. It's a bit sinister. The little beggars in town are all their eyes and ears. I'm sure you know all about their jianghu tricks, Little Brother Yan—just stay on guard against them...
"The most crucial of all is the Divine Fist Association. That old monkey Zhou Pan might have a foul reputation in the jianghu, but he's a local tyrant in Xianyang. Not only does he have ties with officialdom, but the leaders of two street thug gangs in the city are both his apprentices.
"Zhou Pan lives around Huadian Street, however, while Daoist Wang lives near the East Gate City God Temple. If you're careful, you won't run into him..."
Although Sha Lifei was slick and unreliable, he was exceptionally well-informed, quickly laying out the major and minor powers in Xianyang.
Some inner workings of the jianghu were impenetrable to outsiders, but Li Yan came from a family tradition of it; after hearing Sha Lifei's briefing, he had a clear picture in his mind.
He tidied himself up, slipped on a white vest, smeared some dust over his face as a simple disguise, and then walked toward the ferry crossing wearing a straw hat.
Sha Lifei, leading both horses, slipped into the nearby woods to wait.
Li Yan hadn't thought much of it at first. In his past life he had traveled far and wide, and in this life his father had passed down all manner of jianghu ways. Coupled with his martial prowess, he feared nothing under heaven.
Yet the moment he drew near the Wei River, his expression shifted.
Scents of every imaginable kind surged into his nostrils like an explosion.
And among them were even a few that carried that uncanny, mystical aroma...
Chapter 19