Dong! Dong dong!
The sky had not yet brightened when the courtyard gate was suddenly struck.
Sha Lifei had already changed into his traveling clothes and hurried to the door. Speaking softly through the gate, he asked, "Which friend is this?"
"Drilling mountains, threading forests, eating at Boss Wan's table."
Outside, a somewhat hoarse voice answered.
Sha Lifei quickly opened the gate. Standing outside was a young man with plain features, distinguished only by a single, straight eyebrow. He wore a sheepskin jacket and black trousers wrapped with bandages, looking utterly rustic.
This is the treasure seeker?
Sha Lifei's heart stirred with doubt, but his face betrayed no hint of disdain. With warm courtesy, he raised a hand and said, "Brother Zhao, I presume? Please, come in."
At that moment, Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan emerged from the house, both dressed for a journey, each wearing a conical hat.
Upon seeing the visitor, a flicker of surprise passed through Li Yan's eyes.
He could detect no scent from the man!
That was truly strange.
According to Manager Wang of the "Voice-Sniffing Pavilion," this treasure seeker, named Zhao Donkey, came from a family trade. For generations, his ancestors roamed the great mountains, seeking out the finest timber for the craftsmen of the Mysterious Sect.
Though not considered an expert among treasure seekers, he was still a member of the Mysterious Sect, and surely possessed some extraordinary quality.
Could he be carrying a treasure that conceals his scent?
This thought put Li Yan on guard.
It seemed his supernatural sense of smell was not infallible. If a skilled assassin used such a treasure to mask their presence, they could approach him undetected.
"No, my family's teachings forbid entering another's home."
The young man flatly refused Sha Lifei's invitation, remaining outside, not stepping even half a pace across the threshold.
Sha Lifei found this odd and was about to speak when Wang Daoxuan stepped forward, gently stopping him with a smile. "In that case, we'll follow Brother Zhao's arrangements."
Li Yan and Sha Lifei immediately understood—this was likely a taboo of his sect.
Some sects within the Mysterious Sect, due to their traditions, adhered to peculiar rules. These might seem strange, but they were rooted in reason, and breaking them could bring trouble.
"Let's go."
Zhao Donkey wasted no words. With a nod, he turned and walked away.
"You two go ahead. We'll meet at the destination."
Li Yan gave a brief instruction, then pulled his hat low and slipped into a dark alley.
Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan said nothing more. They closed the courtyard gate, shouldered their packs, and followed Zhao Donkey along the old street.
Meanwhile, Li Yan darted into the alley, moving swiftly along the base of the walls. His steps were silent, and in no time, he circled around to a small courtyard.
With a single leap, he grabbed the top of the wall, vaulted over, and landed inside. He rushed straight into the left wing room.
Inside, a man was fast asleep. Startled awake by the noise, he sprang up, his right hand pressing against the bedframe as he launched a swift kick toward Li Yan.
The move was fierce, faintly resembling the form of a monkey.
Li Yan's expression remained impassive. He sidestepped, bending to dodge, while his Guanshan blade rang out with a clang as it left its sheath, slashing upward diagonally.
Splurch!
Blood sprayed, and the man let out a muffled groan as he collapsed, his right leg gushing blood. As he struggled to rise, a blade rested against his neck.
Li Yan asked calmly, "Who sent you?"
Yesterday morning, the lackeys from the White Ape Gang in the courtyard across the street had withdrawn. Li Yan had assumed the Zhou family was too preoccupied with larger matters to bother with him. Yet, in the dead of night, someone had come to spy.
This man's movements were light and agile, but they couldn't fool Li Yan's nose.
The previous night, Li Yan had tracked him here. To avoid alerting others, he waited until just before departure to deal with the problem.
The man on the ground gritted his teeth. "What kind of bandit are you? I'm sleeping in my own home, and you come in to attack me. Aren't you afraid of the authorities?"
Li Yan's brows furrowed. "Enough nonsense. I've just seen the Zhou family's Monkey Fist. The wound on your leg is still bleeding. If treated in time, you might save your life."
Seeing hesitation in the man's eyes, Li Yan softened his tone with a smile. "Brother, I have no grudge against you. We're both just making a living in the martial world. Why throw away your life for someone else?"
"What, for the Zhou family's promise of a flimsy coffin?"
"You won't kill me?"
"Not worth the trouble."
Feeling the weakness from the blood loss in his leg, the man finally relented. "It was Third Master Zhou, Zhou Peide, who sent me."
Li Yan raised an eyebrow. "Not Zhou Pan?"
The man shook his head. "The master said to stay behind closed doors, to endure everything until this period passes."
Li Yan nodded. "Zhou Peide is Zhou Bai's father. It's understandable he'd seek revenge. Why didn't he come himself?"
The man hesitated, but seeing the impatience in Li Yan's eyes, he gritted his teeth and said, "Third Master Zhou hired a swordsman. I was told to follow you. Once you leave Xianyang City, they'll deal with you outside."
"I see."
Li Yan smiled. "With the city in chaos, if I die quietly outside, it won't trace back to the Zhou family. A clever plan."
With that, he flicked the blood from his blade, sheathed it, and strode out, leaping over the courtyard wall and vanishing.
The man let out a breath, hurriedly bandaging his wound…
Deep autumn had set in, and the weather was growing cold.
Compared to the bustling south gate with its docks, Xianyang's north gate was far quieter, though villagers from nearby still came and went, driving oxcarts to sell firewood.
Li Yan, hat pulled low, passed through the gate and followed the official road. After traveling a few miles, he spotted Wang Daoxuan and the others by a grove near the roadside.
Since arriving in Xianyang, they had been strapped for cash.
The job in Gu River Village had earned Li Yan a horse, which he sold, but Wang Daoxuan and Sha Lifei hadn't made a single copper. The Spring Breeze Troupe's ritual job was paid with the divine drum's thunderous sound, but thankfully, Sha Lifei's gambling had won enough to scrape by.
They couldn't afford horses, but fortunately, Xianyang's Tai Xing Carriage House was aligned with Zhang Yuanshang, so they rented a few mounts without a deposit.
The three wasted no time, spurring their horses onward. By noon, they reached the vicinity of Chunhua County.
At this point, Zhao Donkey, who had been silent as a gourd the entire way, finally spoke, pointing to a mountain range in the distance. "That lightning-struck wood is in those mountains."
"So, it's Yetai Mountain," Wang Daoxuan said, stroking his beard with a smile. "This mountain has some fame in the Mysterious Sect. Since ancient times, it's been home to many temples. The locals call the deity 'Grandfather,' so Yetai means 'Divine Platform.' In the Tang dynasty, people often came here to gather tea, calling it Divine Rabbit Ridge."
"There's also a lesser-known legend in the Mysterious Sect. It's said that Dragon-Slaying Ridge, where Grand Tutor Wen met his end in the late Shang dynasty, is right here."
Sha Lifei's eyes lit up. "Is there treasure?"
Wang Daoxuan chuckled. "Even if there was, it's long been claimed. Here in Guanzhong, everything above ground has been picked clean. As for what's underground, anything worth taking has been dug up, and anything too dangerous to touch means death for those who try. Only the Qinling Mountains still hold undiscovered secrets."
"These things, Brother Zhao should know best."
He glanced at Zhao Donkey.
Clearly not one for words, Zhao Donkey scratched his head and spoke in his hoarse voice. "My family's trade is mountain-running. We don't deal with grave-robbers. But the Qinling Mountains are indeed dangerous. My father went in and never came out."
"My condolences, Brother Zhao," Li Yan said, intrigued by the treasure-seeking trade. His Great Luo Dharma Body required celestial treasures to restore itself, so when Zhao Donkey finally spoke, Li Yan seized the chance to build rapport.
Zhao Donkey, thin-skinned, was flattered by Li Yan's enthusiasm and Sha Lifei's encouragement. He mumbled a bit about the treasure-seeking trade.
The trade of treasure seeking dated back to ancient times.
In antiquity, tribal shamans discovered the wonders of celestial treasures, viewing them as gifts from the gods. Lacking proper methods, they sought treasures by communing with spirits for guidance.
These secrets were recorded on oracle bones.
Later, during the Qin and Han dynasties, the Way of the Immortal Alchemists flourished. Alchemists scoured mountains and rivers, venturing into strange and secluded places to find elixirs of immortality, gradually compiling their findings.
It was said that the lost Imperial Jade Seal was crafted from a celestial treasure.
The treasure-seeking trade split into three branches: mountain-runners, sea-probers, and shade-seekers.
Mountain-runners ventured into great mountains, sea-probers sought treasures underwater, and shade-seekers hunted for celestial treasures in ancient tombs and ruins, each with their own expertise.
Moreover, due to the vastness of the divine land and its varied climates and terrains, treasure seekers operated only in familiar regions. A Guanzhong treasure seeker, for instance, would be lost in the unfamiliar landscapes of the Northeast's white mountains and black waters.
As for shade-seekers, they differed from professional tomb raiders. Their primary goal was celestial treasures birthed in ancient tombs and caverns. Gold, silver, or antiques were merely incidental finds.
If they encountered ominous objects, no matter their value, they would not take them.
Entering Chunhua County, the group headed straight to a carriage house to stable their horses and arrange for men to transport the timber.
According to Zhao Donkey, the lightning-struck jujube tree was sizable. Even if they found it, they couldn't move it themselves.
As they discussed, a nearby worker couldn't help but speak up. "Gentlemen, if you're heading to Yetai Mountain, forgive my boldness, but that place isn't safe."
Li Yan raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
The worker glanced at the shopkeeper, and seeing no objection, lowered his voice. "Have you heard of… the Red-Haired Blood-Face?"
*(End of Chapter)*