The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 234 - 165: Break Five, Leave the Rest Alone

Chapter 234: Chapter 165: Break Five, Leave the Rest Alone

The Jiachen year had passed, and it was now the Yisi Year.

At the break of dawn, the entire city echoed with the sound of firecrackers.

On the first day of the Guanzhong New Year, it was a tradition to rise early, eat early, and after washing up, pay respects to the ancestors and the household deities, followed by setting off firecrackers.

If any child in the family overslept, the adults would frighten them a bit, either saying, "Be careful, the master will pinch your nose" or "Watch out, the Kitchen God will paint freckles on your face."

In any case, according to this tradition, many naughty children’s noses might have been pinched by the "master"...

Sha Lifei wasn’t afraid of having his nose pinched, he was just worried about bad luck, so when he went out, he looked up at the sky, welcoming the God of Joy at the auspicious position, which was called "Going Out."

New Year’s spirit was more than just the smell of firecrackers.

Tradition, bloodline, etiquette, various small taboos, and the people’s family reunions, along with their hopes for the new year, collectively formed the New Year’s spirit.

From the first to the fifth day, there were many taboos, such as avoiding using sharp objects like needles, awls, and scissors, avoiding moving houses, breaking ground, commencing construction, burying the dead, or opening businesses.

During this time, even the Divine Tower Drum Team wouldn’t rehearse.

Therefore, Li Yan had a solid few days of rest, with the only time he went out being to visit his master to offer New Year’s greetings and having a drink with the Li family brothers.

The rest of the time, he spent at home contemplating.

As it was said, the plan for a year lies in spring.

Whether it was cultivation or the future of his team, early planning was essential.

Over the past half-year, although he faced several dangers, he also gained a lot.

He successfully entered the Mystical Sect and received an enigmatic inheritance from the Yin Bureau. The "Luo Feng Scripture" and the "North Emperor’s Scripture" were ancient and possessed immeasurable power, symbolizing a true path to Ascension.

Moreover, he had gained a preliminary understanding of this world.

The Martial Arts field was vast and profound; despite his current modest fame, he was at most a rising star in Chang’an City, not to mention the entire Divine State pugilistic world.

It seemed that Force Transformation could make one a local organizational leader.

People like Zhou Pan and Xiong Baodong were seen as unattainable figures by local pugilistic people, capable of deciding life and death.

And once one embraced the concept of "Dan," they stepped into another realm, ignoring local pugilistic affairs, at most becoming the heritage of a sect.

This level clearly formed a circle.

Perhaps, that was the true Divine State pugilistic world!

This era was not like the previous one with its information explosion. Imperial power did not extend to villages, and the information was scant; many people spent their entire lives not venturing beyond a hundred miles from their countryside.

Ordinary Jianghu people were the same, merely making a living, unaware of the powerful figures in Divine State they could never encounter at their level.

Just like the earlier Divine Fist Association banquet, Zhang Shitong could name the local true bigwigs, but he knew none of the experts from other provinces.

That was still due to the face of Old Master Zhang.

The Mystical Sect stood high, yet it was the same.

Although the Mystical Sect’s status was quite high, the majority were like Jianghu people, helping others discern issues, performing evil exorcisms, and making a living.

According to Shen Sanyou, an ordinary person without qualifications, fortune, or cultivation techniques could only achieve Dao equivalent to a three-story building in this lifetime.

Upon reaching the fourth floor, many secrets could only then be accessed.

The most alluring to Li Yan,

was none other than the Ascender.

In short, he felt as if he saw a great mountain, but the clouds and mist around the halfway mark occasionally revealed glimpses that were already heart-stopping.

What lay on the mountain?

He really wished to see.

Of course, the journey had to be taken step by step.

The box of Shariputra obtained from Xiangji Temple had already been sold out by Sha Lifei and Luo Faqing before the end of the year.

After giving Luo Faqing his share, they received a silver of twelve thousand taels. Including the previous remuneration from the Du Mansion, they currently had savings of seventeen thousand taels.

Their daily expenses were sufficiently maintained by Wang Daoxuan performing rituals for others.

This sum was indeed considerable, and if they wished, they could immediately purchase a house in Chang’an, and some shop properties, gaining a foothold.

However, soon there would be significant expenditures.

For instance, the upcoming Drum King Assembly, if they could seize a spot, they would go to Hua Mountain to purchase items when the cellar opened.

The Mystical Sect had many uses for money; good things could be used to craft magic artifacts, like the money sword Wang Daoxuan longed for, and his Demon Suppression Coin blade tassel, which could be further improved.

The less costly products could be laid by and used for rituals and ceremonies to exorcise evil and pray for protection, usually needing money.

Moreover, what was buried before included not only money but also some materials for magic artifacts, like some meteorite iron and spirit wood.

These had been nourished for many years in Cave Heaven Blessed Land, with exceptional quality.

His family-inherited treasured knife was already damaged; he initially acquired Yao San’s double knives and, through Manager Wan, found a Mystical Sect knife craftsman, looking to reforge the Guanshan Knife.

But the knife craftsman had a better idea.

Yao San’s two knives were made of fine steel, which if melted and reforged, could result in a good knife, but ultimately it was still mundane.

If during the opening of the cellar they could buy a good iron, combined with the fine steel, he could forge a magic artifact treasured knife.

Adding the Demon Suppression Coin blade tassel, even a Zombie with a body as hard as iron could have its head cut off with a single slash!

Going to Hua Mountain would certainly not be a small expense.

Additionally, purchasing Heavenly Spirit Earth Treasure, building a tower...

Li Yan feared that money would run out, so he deposited all the silver into a bank.

Therefore, the primary goal for this year was first to secure a spot in the Drum King Assembly, then, at the beginning of spring, head to Hua Mountain to buy the necessary items.

Of course, in the meantime, they must find ways to earn more...

...

The fifth day of the lunar month was commonly known as "Breaking Five."

After this day, many New Year taboos could be broken.

To the people, the day was more important for sending off the God of Poverty and welcoming the God of Wealth. Many shops and inns also chose this day to open for business.

Early in the morning, Sha Lifei threw away all the accumulated trash from New Year’s Eve to the fifth day and set off a string of firecrackers.