Back at the Inquiry Hall, Li Yan snapped his eyes open and stood.
"You… good?" Sha Lifei asked, knowing the faint was fake but still uneasy.
No wonder—Li Yan looked like a blood-drenched gourd, a grim sight.
"Just scratches," Li Yan said, shrugging. He tore his shirt with a few rips, revealing wounds that had stopped bleeding, less severe than they seemed.
That was after trading injuries.
Zhou Bai's claws, some laced with hidden force, had torn tendons and bruised organs. Without the Great Law Body, he'd be laid up for months.
Internal damage healed, he kept surface wounds to hide his secret, keeping Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan in the dark.
Wang Daoxuan exhaled, grabbing wound salve to patch him up.
Li Yan let him work, turning to Sha Lifei with a serious tone. "Uncle Sha, head out. Collect the betting silver, spread word I'm badly hurt, then grab some herbs—doesn't matter what."
"Look worried."
Sha Lifei blinked. "Why?"
A clean arena win versus a bloody draw changes how the world sees you.
"Simple," Li Yan said, recalling the post-fight standoff—Zhang Yuanshang's crew squaring off with the Eight Great Vajras. "I wanted to spark a fire, but they're playing me like a pawn. Both sides were itching for a fight; I just walked into it."
"The Zhou family doesn't play fair. They'll come for me. Meanwhile, the other side's waiting for them to slip, grab leverage, and hit back."
"If word spreads I'm down bad, the Zhous won't rush. They'll just watch, make sure we don't skip town."
"And Zhang's crew won't wait forever. They'll find another opening. When things get messy, we're in the clear."
"Got it!" Sha Lifei nodded, catching on. He stepped out, face twisted with fake worry, heading for the Golden Treasure Betting House.
…
"Daoist, Zhou Bai cheated…"
As Sha Lifei left, Li Yan shared his hunch with Wang Daoxuan.
"Ape scent?" Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard, musing. "Sounds like puppet magic."
"Old witchcraft held that everything has a spirit, worshipping ghosts and gods, calling them into bodies—'descending spirits.' It passed to the Immortal Way, paired with forbidden longevity arts as their two great techniques."
"When orthodox玄门 rose, sealing true gods and crushing false worship, the court hunted the Immortal Way. Their secrets leaked to the folk, evolving into things like the Golden Gate's mirror or planchette rituals, spun from descending spirits."
"Puppet magic's the same, blending living breath with dark malice—straw effigies, paper spies, wooden puppets. Many ritual masters excel at it."
"The Zhous must've hired one."
Li Yan frowned. "Not some street shaman?"
Wang Daoxuan shook his head. "These are guarded lineage arts. Shamans lean on ghost power but don't master this."
Li Yan's eyes narrowed. "I misjudged. If my 'heavy injury' gets out, the Zhous, wary of Zhang's crew, won't strike openly but might send a ritual master to work in the shadows."
"No need to fret," Wang Daoxuan said, stroking his beard. "You're underestimating Guanzhong's玄门."
"Since Qin and Han, Guanzhong's been a玄门 stronghold. Dynastic capitals, rich with geomantic dragon veins, are packed with buried kings and generals, Daoist temples, and monasteries galore."
"Big and small forces mesh, divine aura so thick no common evil dares linger. Most folk live their whole lives without seeing a ghost."
"The real danger's in old Qin-Han tombs. Back when the Immortal Way ruled, some rigged their graves with dark traps for immortality."
"In war-torn times, grave robbers and army looters could unleash zombies or ghost soldiers. So, orthodox玄门 in Chang'an, Zhongnan, and Huashan set up ritual altars, commanding vast spirit armies."
"During divine festivals, they feed restless souls or send spirit troops to raze illicit shrines and hunt evils."
"Xianyang's no different. The City God Temple holds Qin general Meng Chong, a martial legend in life, a ghost titan after, ordained City God with fearsome power and countless spirit soldiers."
"Working harmful magic in Xianyang's limited to curses or mishaps. Sending spirit armies? That's suicide."
"The Zhous dared only a small trick. Your hidden force mantra spooked it, shattering their puppet spell."
"Sleep with the Three Powers Demon-Suppressing Coin at your bed's foot. No puppet trick can touch you."
"Good," Li Yan nodded. "We'll hunker down, watch the drama unfold."
Wang Daoxuan knew his plan, frowning. "In Xianyang, with the Coin,玄门 tricks are no threat. But Zhou Pan's hit transformation force. You can't take him."
Li Yan gazed out the window, calm. "I'm not stupid enough to brawl him. I just need a shot to make him spill the truth from years back…"
…
Outside, Sha Lifei sensed trouble.
Dusk settled, old alleys alive with cooking smoke, but the house across the Inquiry Hall was locked tight.
A head peeked over the gate, ducking when he looked.
"Damn cowards," Sha Lifei muttered, picking up his pace.
A martial world veteran, all talk and cunning, he'd pieced together the situation after Li Yan's tip.
Play sick, keep low, don't get caught in the crossfire.
With a plan, he ignored the spies, faking a frantic look, sticking to busy streets.
Soon, he hit the Golden Treasure Betting House.
"Hey, Hero Sha!"
"Big day, huh?"
"Should've bet with you…"
A mob swarmed him at the door.
Not out of warmth—most didn't know him. They were just buzzing, sniffing for clout.
Later, they'd boast Sha Lifei was a buddy, claim Li Yan, the arena star, called them uncle.
Like folks in Li Yan's past life, cozying up to the rich for a selfie, then spinning tales of brotherhood to scam.
Sha Lifei knew the hustle, forcing a grim look, clasping fists. "Friends, got urgent business. Catch you later, sorry."
"Go ahead, Hero Sha."
His face tipped them off. They'd keep quiet here but gossip later. By night, Li Yan's "injuries" would blanket Xianyang.
Sha Lifei brushed past, heading to the counter with his betting slip. Before he could cash out, the clerk bowed. "Hero Sha, our boss wants a word."
"Huh?"
Sha Lifei's stomach dropped.
He'd braced for Iron Blade or White Ape goons, not Boss Wu from the betting house.
Golden Treasure had heavy backing.
No connection to him, though. Why the invite?
Wary, he followed the clerk to a second-floor private room.
Boss Wu, all smiles, waited inside, a feast of chicken, duck, fish, and meat spread across a huge table.
"Hahaha!" Wu stood as Sha Lifei entered. "Knew you'd swing by, Hero Sha. Got this spread ready for you."
Sha Lifei squinted. "Boss Wu, what's this about?"
"No stress," Wu said, waving it off. "You saw my run-in with Yuan Qu. Can't cross him openly, though."
"Your arena win today, and Yuan's sour face, made my day. Just want to share a few drinks…"
Sha Lifei wasn't buying it.
Casino bosses were sharks. This niceness had a hook.
Not sure what, he shook his head. "Thanks, Boss Wu, but I'm in a rush. Gotta grab the cash and hit the pharmacy."
"Oh?" Wu's brow creased. "Young Li's hurt bad?"
Sha Lifei's face sagged. "Might be down for months."
Wu nodded, sighing. "Won't keep you, then. Wang Cheng, toss in an extra hundred taels—my little gesture."
"No way, that's too much," Sha Lifei protested, but pocketed the silver fast.
As he turned to go, he eyed the feast, scratching his head. "Uh, need to grab food for the crew. Since you're treating, mind if I pack some? Saves me a trip."
Boss Wu: "…"
…
Minutes later, Sha Lifei left, arms loaded with food parcels.
As he stepped out, Wu locked the door.
Click, clack.
A bookshelf slid open, revealing a hidden passage.
A woman in white emerged, her face calm and refined.
If Sha Lifei saw her, he'd know her: Master Lu's concubine.
*(Chapter End)*