Whoosh!
Joss paper scattered across the sky, drifting on the wind.
The funeral procession moved slowly forward, the sighing wind heavy with sorrow.
Although Li Yan's family belonged to Fort Li's original lineage, his particular branch had withered down to almost no one, leaving him without any close elders.
Fortunately, with Wang Daoxuan presiding, Sha Lifei running errands, and neighbors and fellow villagers lending a hand, the old man’s funeral was conducted with the utmost care and propriety.
Selecting the burial ground, settling on the coffin, arranging the mourning hall, lowering him into the earth…
Watching the seamless succession of rites, even the worldly village head Li Huairen gave a quiet nod of approval and went out of his way to strike up a long conversation with Wang Daoxuan, trying to establish a connection.
As for Li Yan, he held back his grief and threw himself into busying about.
It seemed this was the only way he could briefly forget his sorrow.
With his closest kin all gone, he was left entirely alone between heaven and earth.
He had already endured that brand of desolation once in his past life. Because of that, even though life had been plain and meager in this one, he had chosen to stay cooped up in the village simply to keep his grandfather company.
On the night of the First Seven, he had even activated his divine ability and kept watch until dawn, hoping to catch a familiar scent of his grandfather. Yet nothing had come.
Lost in a daze, he saw the rites through to the end. Before he knew it, another month had passed.
***
It was now the eighth lunar month, and a chill had begun to creep into the air.
Rumble!
Accompanied by the dull rumble of autumn thunder, a light drizzle fell steadily.
"The ritual for building a spirit tower is no small expense…"
Wang Daoxuan sat with brush and ink, sketching and calculating. "Incense, candles, mounting paper, cinnabar ink… they must be consecrated on the altar of a major Xuanmen sect for at least five years. Naturally, we will have to pay silver to acquire them.
"Those consumable ritual implements are just one part. If we want this to succeed, we must also borrow a decent altar-calming magical artifact and locate a top-grade geomantic spiritual aperture.
"The greater the renowned mountain or the more sacred the grotto-heaven, the stronger the gathering momentum of innate gang qi, and the higher the chances of success. I happen to know the temple keeper at the Xianyang City God Temple. With his introduction, we could conduct the rite at the Mount Taibai grotto-heaven dao ground, but we cannot skimp on the required silver either…"
With that, he gave a wry smile. "We of the orthodox Xuanmen sects pride ourselves on accumulating hidden merit, yet with every single step toward the heavens, every path demands silver."
Li Yan possessed the Daluo Dharma Body, so he no longer feared the dissipation of his preserved spirit.
Wang Daoxuan knew nothing of this, so he was naturally anxious on the young man's behalf.
Seeing his distress, Li Yan shook his head. "There is no need to worry, Daoist. My divine ability has stabilized for now. Let us take it slow; rushing will only invite disaster."
Creak—!
Just then, the courtyard gate swung open.
Sha Lifei arrived through the wind and rain, clad in a coir raincoat and bamboo hat.
"Good news! Great news! It has finally blown over…"
His face beamed with joy. Hastily tossing his raincoat outside the door, he strode inside, eyes dancing with excitement. "I asked around! A few days ago, Squire Lu's concubine and Zhao Cheng suddenly sold off all their land. I heard they even swindled several households out of hefty deposits before vanishing without a trace!
"This whole mess must be over!"
"It should be over, yes…"
Wang Daoxuan pondered for a moment and nodded. "Swindling money before fleeing means they burned their bridges. Those people have likely put Guanzhong far behind them. As long as we stay cautious, nothing should go wrong."
One could hardly blame them for being so careful.
Anyone who walked the jianghu knew that whoever could mobilize such immense power—getting several of Guanzhong's deadliest saber bandits to risk their lives—wielded monstrous authority from the shadows.
Crushing the three of them would be no different from squashing ants.
"It's great that it's over!"
Sha Lifei's face flushed with excitement. "Staying cooped up in this village was driving me out of my mind! With the skills you two possess, combined with my vast network of connections, how could we fail to strike it rich?
"What do you say we head straight for Chang'an?"
The three of them had already planned to partner up and make a living in the Xuanmen trade.
With Li Yan by his side, Wang Daoxuan finally dared to take on certain jobs.
And Sha Lifei, with his thick skin, silver tongue, and deep familiarity with jianghu codes, was best suited for snooping around, digging up intelligence, and securing lucrative assignments.
Of course, making a living in Xuanmen was by no means easy.
Just like in the jianghu, you only got business once your name rang loud.
"Chang'an?"
Wang Daoxuan chuckled despite himself. "Do you even know what kind of place Chang'an is? In the days of the Great Tang, it was the gathering place of Xuanmen under heaven, teeming with extraordinary talents and masters. When Master Ye entered Chang'an alone, he carved out an illustrious reputation that echoed through eternity.
"Even though the imperial capital has since moved north, Chang'an remains a heavyweight stronghold for Xuanmen.
"Orthodox Xuanmen sects, provincial lineages, unorthodox and sinister factions—the formidable figures gathered there are beyond count. It is truly a den of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. We are simply not qualified."
"Let us go to Xianyang,"
Li Yan spoke up suddenly, his gaze cool as he looked out the window.
"Daoist Wang's home is in Xianyang; he knows the lay of the land.
"Besides, there are a few matters I need to clear up…"
***
Xianyang, on the old street near the City God Temple.
The shops dealing in incense, candles, and red-and-white rites differed from ordinary businesses. They waited for patrons to come to their doors; no one ever hawked their wares in the street.
"Coffins for sale! Buy a big one and get a small one free!" Whoever dared call that out would have their shop smashed to pieces that very day.
Furthermore, even spoken words carried strict etiquette.
For instance, if someone stepped in to buy a coffin, one had to ask: *For whom are you making arrangements?*
And when a coffin was reserved, even if it sat in the back for years, the shopkeeper had to look after it with utmost care. Unless notified by the customer, one must never deliver it unbidden.
There were many other taboos that could not be violated lightly.
Consequently, business along this street was never bustling. Especially during these past two days of continuous drizzle, familiar shopkeepers gathered together to play chess and chat.
"Hey, did you hear? Wang the Mope is back."
"Didn't he die?"
"Nope. Word is he was out ordering a coffin and happened to dodge the disaster."
"That blockhead sure has dog shit luck."
"That's not all. I heard he brought two others with him. The past couple of days, they've been poking around everywhere, trying to rustle up some business."
"Heh, with the pathetic little he knows…"
The shopkeepers on the street sneered with undisguised contempt.
Running related trades made them half-insiders. They were familiar with Xuanmen affairs and maintained ties with various practitioners.
Introducing a client earned them a tidy cut.
They knew Wang Daoxuan was of Xuanmen, yet their mockery grew nastier with every word.
It was born of no deep-seated grudge, merely human nature.
Belittling a down-and-out Xuanmen practitioner gave them a swell of satisfaction, lending an unearned edge of arrogance to their talk.
Outside the shop, a figure passed under an umbrella.
Hearing their conversation, he cast them only a cold glance before moving on, paying them no mind.
It was Li Yan.
They had returned to Xianyang City seven or eight days ago. After giving Wang Daoxuan's old residence a quick clean, they settled in and immediately began asking around for news.
Unfortunately, Xuanmen business was tough to come by.
Whenever influential figures ran into trouble, they went straight to the Taixuan Orthodox Sect. Those of lesser standing turned to rising disciples of established lineages.
As for the countryside, village shamans and spirit mediums held sway.
That was their turf. Unless confronted with something they could not handle, they never allowed outsiders to meddle, lest it erupt into a duel of arts.
Struggles within Xuanmen were every bit as bloody as those in the jianghu.
The only difference was that ordinary folk rarely witnessed them.
Li Yan was in no hurry. Each day, he idled about the tea houses and taverns, firstly to hear whose family might need ritual work, and secondly to gather information on Zhou Pan of the Divine Fist Association.
In Chang'an City, the brothel where his father had died had burned to ashes.
The only lead left was Zhou Pan, whose behavior back then had been highly suspicious.
Yet Zhou Pan was not an easy man to deal with.
That old monkey had not only refined his martial arts to the realm of transformative jin, but he also held sway across both the legitimate and underworld circles of Xianyang City. He commanded a vast pack of disciples, and the street thugs jumped at his beck and call.
To pry answers from him, Li Yan needed the right opportunity.
Lost in thought, Li Yan arrived back at Wendao Hall.
"Business is here!"
Before Li Yan even stepped inside, Sha Lifei came dashing down the street in a flurry.
Back in the small courtyard, under the eyes of the other two, Sha Lifei beamed with pride. "Well? I told you it takes Sha Lifei to get things done!
"There's a theatrical troupe from Huayin planning to set up a tent and raise their poles in Xianyang City. One of their members happens to be an acquaintance of mine, and they need help from someone in Xuanmen."
Li Yan's eyes lit up. "A shadow puppet troupe?"
Troupes from Huayin mostly performed Laoqiang.
Though both Laoqiang and Qinqiang originated in Guanzhong, they were entirely different arts.
Qinqiang came from the Western Prefecture, while Laoqiang came from the Eastern Prefecture. One was traditional theater, while the other was shadow puppetry.
He had seen it once in Lantian County; it was fascinating.
"That's the one!"
Sha Lifei nodded excitedly. "This job might not pay much silver, but as you know, all theatrical troupes belong to the Willow Gate. If we handle this well, won't our reputation be made?"
Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and smiled. "A fine thing indeed. What do they need done?"
Sha Lifei chuckled. "I hear they want a viscera consecration to invite their deity."
Hearing that, Wang Daoxuan's face instantly dropped.
"This job—we cannot take it!"
Chapter 30