The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 217 - 154 The Cobbler’s Adventure_2

Chapter 217: Chapter 154 The Cobbler’s Adventure_2

Li Yan glanced indifferently, "Simple."

"As long as people are alive and well, not missing arms or legs, I can remain calm and discuss the matter of compensation with you."

"But if something happens to them, there’s no way to make amends!"

Guo Ai, also a tough character, sneered, "Damn it, the man is already dead, I really want to see what you plan to do!"

"Ah?!"

Hei Dan, as if struck by lightning, fell to the ground.

Li Yan’s killing intent also rose, "Want to see? Alright!"

"Brother Guo, don’t act rashly!"

Just then, another man rushed in from outside and whispered next to him, "Brother Guo, the gang leader asks you not to complicate matters. Replace the person, let them go, and settle accounts after everything is over."

Guo Ai took a deep breath.

He regained his composure at this point, remembering there was a major issue within the gang. Looking at Li Yan, he sneered and pointed his finger, then turned to leave.

"Stop right there!"

Li Yan said coldly, "This matter isn’t over, it’s neither here nor there, who the hell said you could leave?"

Upon hearing this, Guo Ai slowly turned around, his eyes full of disbelief as he stared at Li Yan, "Kid, I’m not holding you accountable today, do you really want to court death?"

"Court death?"

Li Yan laughed, his expression growing even colder, "It seems, that night, the men you lost weren’t enough."

"The Plum Blossom Knife has some renown, but I wonder, compared to Yao San, whose knife is quicker?"

He observed the opponent’s stance, now recalling that it was a quick-draw knife style from Guanzhong Dao, reportedly originating from Ezhou, used only by masters.

Upon hearing this, Guo Ai’s expression gradually became serious.

On the night of the duel, he had other important matters and hadn’t attended, but he was fully aware of how many of his men had died.

The funeral expenses alone cost quite a bit.

The funeral had continued for half a month.

But according to his men, the attacker was a Mystical Sect master, extremely brutal and ruthless, infiltrating close to the gang leader without anyone noticing.

Baodong was naturally domineering, forcibly holding back his anger due to the rules set before the duel, and also fearing this seemingly omnipotent master.

As for Yao San, he was the gang leader’s bodyguard, and also took care of some dirty work on his own.

His skills were only slightly inferior.

Rumor had it, he died under this youngster’s concealed knife.

A concealed knife?

He could only laugh at the thought.

This sort of sneaky trick only fools the uninitiated.

The youngster relied solely on the two Mystical Sect masters.

However, he dared not disobey Baodong’s command.

If something really went wrong, he feared his own life wouldn’t be spared...

"Alright, alright!"

Thinking of this, Guo Ai gave a thumbs up, "Kid, you’ve got nerve, let’s hope you’re just as tough next time we meet!"

With that, he took a pouch from his waist and threw it out, "No worries, it’s just a minor scrape, two hundred taels should suffice!"

"Let’s go!"

Though feeling frustrated, he quickly turned and left.

"The Fire Bear Gang shrank back?"

"They ran into someone tough, you see. You didn’t know? This Young Hero Li just recently gave them a hard time..."

"Oh, he’s that impressive? He looks too young for it."

"Tonight, he might even take Baodong’s head!"

The crowd of onlookers began to stir up excitement again.

With the Fire Bear Gang’s notorious reputation, ordinary people would mostly avoid them, at most standing by to watch the excitement, without speaking up.

Those stirring up the crowd were second-rate hoodlums on the streets, stealing chickens, touching dogs, kicking widow’s doors, the bad and festering kind.

Li Yan glanced coldly, picked up two stones from the ground, flicked his wrist, and sent them whistling out.

"Ouch!"

"Ouch!"

In the crowd, two men fell to the ground with mouths full of blood.

The surrounding people saw and immediately burst into laughter.

They didn’t dare mock the Fire Bear Gang.

But for such riff-raff, it’s fine to beat them up.

Li Yan no longer paid any attention and walked away with Hei Dan...

...

"Right here!"

Following Hei Dan, they turned into a small alley, walked about ten meters, and entered a courtyard on the right.

This was a cramped, ordinary house.

The courtyard was a mess, utterly disheveled.

Li Yan had just walked in when he furrowed his brow, covering his nose.

There was no helping it, the place simply reeked!

On the walls hung large and small dried hides, including those of wolves, dogs, donkeys, horses, ferrets, and rats.

The courtyard was full of leather-making tools, but they had all been knocked over.

"Uncle! Uncle!"

Hei Dan, looking anxious, rushed into the small room and saw an old man leaning against the wall, his face bruised and swollen, covering his mouth and sighing.

Seeing Hei Dan, the old man quickly struggled to stand up, exclaiming urgently, "Why did you come back? Run!"

"Master, don’t worry..."

Only after seeing his master was alright did Hei Dan mumble, telling the events that had just transpired as a form of comfort.

Li Yan, after seeing this, secretly nodded.

He had already asked Hei Dan the reasons on the way.

After Li Yan had left, Hei Dan also couldn’t bear the loneliness. He quarreled majorly with his father, clamoring that he didn’t want to farm and wished to venture out and learn a craft.

Unable to persuade his son otherwise, Hei Dan’s father had to agree.

Fortunately, his uncle was a leatherworker in Chang’an, so Hei Dan left his hometown, even reaching Chang’an earlier than Li Yan.

Learning a craft was not an easy task.

Hei Dan woke early and worked late; besides learning from his uncle, he also had to help with the store’s business every day.

Going out early and returning late, he was so busy that he didn’t even know Li Yan had come to Chang’an as well.

"Young Hero Li, thank you."

Hei Dan’s uncle managed to stand up, bowing weakly.

He was not like the naïve Hei Dan. Being part of the Mystical Sect and also a half Jianghu person, he naturally had heard of Li Yan’s reputation.

Unexpectedly, his nephew had past relations with him.

"There’s no need for formalities, let’s find a place to talk."

By this time, Li Yan was already dizzy from the stench, he spoke while pinching his nose, his voice muffled, disregarding any politeness.

The world always has a Yin and Yang counterpart.

As he built his observatory, his smell superpower grew constantly stronger, making him increasingly sensitive to scents.

Foul smells were now his weakness.

The odor in this courtyard was simply unbearable.

...

"It’s really a disaster caused without any wrongdoing..."

Inside a private room at the tavern, Hei Dan’s uncle took a sip of liquor, sighing, "People from the Fire Bear Gang wanted me to craft leather for them."

Li Yan sneered, "So, the Fire Bear Gang is really overbearing to force a craftsman to work!"

"It’s not like that."

Hei Dan’s uncle shook his head with a bitter smile, "The price they offered was actually reasonable. It’s just that I ran into some trouble and couldn’t earn money no matter how much I wanted to."

Li Yan asked, "What happened?"

Hei Dan’s uncle was silent, fear flashing in his eyes. He gritted his teeth, "You might not believe me if I tell you."

"I have offended a demon!"

"I learned craft from a Shadow Puppetry troupe in Hua County. Later, by chance, I developed ear divine power and could hear the language of ghosts and gods."

"Initially, the skills my master passed on were all ordinary. One day, when the troupe members were out on a job, I drank too much alone and heard a voice, offering to teach me how to make spiritual hides."

Li Yan, curious, asked, "What are spiritual hides?"

The old man took another drink. "Spiritual hides are animal skins that possess spirituality. These creatures, even after death, their resentment does not dissipate and they often cause trouble."

"Artisans who can make spiritual hides all know how to suppress and slowly eradicate the resentment without damaging its spirituality. The hides produced can then be used to forge Magic Artifacts.

I was bold back then, following that voice’s instructions. I caught a rat with spirituality and took advantage of a moment when Heavenly Thunder struck a temple, killing a restrained serpent.

Under that voice’s guidance, I learned step-by-step how to make spiritual hides and even made a shadow puppet with them. But that brought trouble.

That thing possessed the shadow puppet, haunting at night and sucking the vitality out of the troupe’s workers.

Fearful, I took the chance to secretly inform the troupe leader.

The leader sought a Divine Han, who captured the entity and suppressed it under an old temple’s dry well, but I was also expelled for bringing trouble.

Later, I came to Chang’an, and with this craft, I managed to establish some business..."

As he reached this point, his eyes filled with fear, his voice trembling, "I never thought that after so many years, that thing would break free and find a human host, coming to Chang’an to find me."

"That thing dared to come to Chang’an?"

As Li Yan listened, he instinctively felt something was amiss.

"Mm."

The old man swallowed, "He knew about the incident back then and even cursed me, not only seizing my business but also forcing me to swear."

"From now on, I am forbidden from using the art of spiritual hides!"