The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 170 - 129: Visiting a Master at Lanling Square

Chapter 170: Chapter 129: Visiting a Master at Lanling Square

"Business is this good?"

Li Yan was somewhat astonished, his brow slightly furrowed.

He didn’t care what trade the senior Li was in, as long as he possessed real skill and was willing to teach, paying a price would be worthwhile.

But from the looks of it, he feared he was very busy.

Whether he had time to teach him was another matter.

"No, something is up!"

Sha Lifei, sharp-eyed, immediately spotted something amiss and whispered, "Not a single one of those blocking the door looks sick; they seem more like onlookers."

The group exchanged glances and immediately quickened their pace.

Upon reaching the entrance and pushing through the crowd for a better look, there indeed was something going on, but it was slightly different from what they had expected.

Though Renxin Hall was manned by a Daoist Doctor from the Mystical Sect, it resembled any ordinary medical hall, with a medicine cabinet placed at the back of the main hall, a Medicine King idol on the left and a consultation desk on the right.

However, in the middle of the main hall, there was a frame resembling horizontal bars, from which a man was hanging upside down.

The man was short, dressed in coarse black clothing covered in dust, his eyes tightly closed and his face deathly pale, having already fainted.

His head was three feet from the ground, with a Lotus Lamp lit beneath him.

Two men stood by his side, both with gloomy and fierce eyes, looking unpleasantly toward the right.

Behind the consultation desk on the right, an elderly man sat, tall with gray clothing and white beard, and long eyebrows symbolizing longevity.

The elder, without raising his head, was flipping through a medical book, seemingly oblivious to the fierce gaze of the two men.

Outside, the crowd of onlookers buzzed with discussion.

"How strange, is the medical hall roasting human flesh?"

"You know nothing, the doctor sitting inside is the famed Li from Chang’an; he’s likely treating a disease."

"I’ve never heard of such a treatment method..."

"Shh, keep your voice down, those two don’t look like good folks."

The onlookers might not understand, but Sha Lifei, a veteran of the pugilistic world, immediately sensed the irregularity and whispered lowly, "Brother Yan, those men likely subsist on the dead."

"Let’s wait and see."

Li Yan, his eyes slightly narrowed, whispered his advice.

He had also recognized the true nature of those two men.

Gravedigging had its demands, primary of which was not being too tall.

Firstly, tomb tunnels are narrow; each extra inch of width required double the effort, making short stature most cost-effective.

Those grand and spacious tombs of princes and royals were dangerous and had been frequented by generations of their ilk.

Mostly, they entered the tombs of wealthy gentry and officials.

Being too tall made even standing difficult.

As for defects and flaws, those were just to fool the laymen.

The trade was dangerous, and in Great Xuan’s legal code, it was considered a serious crime, so choosing a successor was done with utmost caution to avoid treacherous individuals.

Moreover, spending a long time in the trade often led one to absorb the Yin Evil Qi, either visually manifesting malevolence or being plagued with numerous diseases, making a good ending difficult.

But what really interested Li Yan was the sick man, who emitted the smell of rotting corpses and bore the bloody scent of scratches on his back.

Had he encountered a Zombie?

Li Yan was intrigued and asked Dao Xuan in a low voice, "Daoist, how should Corpse Poison be resolved?"

Dao Xuan chuckled, "I am not an expert in this matter; Crimson Yaksha knows much more than I."

Li Yan then remembered that Crimson Yaksha was not only adept at capturing spirits and hunting monsters but also an expert in dealing with Zombies.

Crimson Yaksha, catching their gaze, shook her head and whispered, "There are many ways to cure Corpse Poison; Senior Li has chosen the most ruthless one to teach them a lesson."

So that was it...

Li Yan and Sha Lifei exchanged smiles and began to enjoy the show.

Eventually, the grave robbers’ companion could no longer contain his impatience and, with a slight bow of his fists, said, "Senior, are you perhaps jesting with us?"

Li Shiqing glanced indifferently, "Why would you say that?"

The man angrily shouted, "Let’s be direct; we respect you as a senior of the pugilistic world, don’t force us to consume the wine of punishment..."

Hiss!

As he spoke, a sudden disturbance occurred nearby.

It was the hanging man who, though unconscious, was being roasted by the candle, and a layer of oily sweat had broken on his head, dripping onto the candle.

Soon, more sweat appeared on his head.

In a short while, the sweat turned an ashy grey, and a thick stench began to spread around.

"What the hell is that? It stinks!"

"I think I’ve smelled it before; it’s the smell of a corpse..."

"Did they accidentally kill the man?"

"Idiots, they feed on the dead..."

Initially, only Li Yan could smell the Corpse Poison, but now it was spreading everywhere, making it clear to all that these people were not upstanding.

Some astute observers turned to report to the authorities.

"The old man is courting death!"

The two companions also came back to their senses, their eyes filled with malicious intent, and suddenly pulled out daggers from their waists, charging at Doctor Li.

"Presumptuous!"

Before they could get close, the young man preparing the medicine bellowed angrily, leaped forward with a sinking shoulder and dropping elbow, chest drawn in and back pulled out, his right hand striking fiercely.

The sound of two slaps, like fireworks, echoed.

The two men were unable to react in time, each receiving a slap that spun them out of the main door, their faces bloodied, falling into unconsciousness.

"Well done!"

Li Yan couldn’t help but cheer.

Splitting and Hanging Palm, also known as Smearing Face Fist, appeared to be just two slaps, but even if the grave robbers had dodged, they couldn’t have escaped.

The young man’s boxing skills were perfect.

Senior Li was definitely a master of his craft.

At the sound of applause, the young man pretended not to hear, instead crouching beside the hanging man, sniffing the sweat and examining his eyelids, before finally standing up and bowing, "Reporting to my master, the timing is almost right."

Doctor Li nodded, "Alright, administer the needles."

Without another word, the young man took the Triangular Needle from the medicine cabinet, and applied bloodletting at several acupoints on the man, including Fengchi, Baihui, Yongquan, and Zu Sanli.