The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 244 - 170 Chaos in Chang’an_2

Chapter 244: Chapter 170 Chaos in Chang’an_2

"Ha ha ha!"

Zhao Wanfang was already beside him, laughing so hard that she couldn’t straighten her back.

"That’s enough, that’s enough."

Li Yan hadn’t expected that the first time he got drunk in his life, he would make such a fool of himself. He quickly changed the subject, "Senior, I need to ask you for a favor. It’s windy in Chang’an, and now I can only rely on you..."

"Say no more!"

Although the Night Crier was unreliable, he was competent. By the next day, he had the whole cause and effect sorted out clearly.

After listening, Li Yan felt it was somewhat absurd.

"Are you saying that it all started with an internal conflict within the Captain Bureau, and the Seal-holding Commander Guo Yuhuai intentionally leaked information, then ambushed Feng Feiyan and threw the blame on Chang Xuan?"

"Yes, he had a good plan, but he didn’t anticipate that Feng Feiyan had a backup plan. She had hidden weapons and Divine Fire Gun which killed her ambusher and then she disappeared without a trace."

"Everyone knows what’s happening now, but that’s how it is in the official circles; if there’s no evidence, it’s as if nothing happened."

"Chang Xuan has lost a weapon and is desperately looking everywhere like a mad dog, and Guo Yuhuai is also sending people to search for Feng Feiyan. It’s a race to see who finds her first..."

"The Maitreya Sect is also causing trouble inside?"

"Yes, Bai Ruoxu gathered all the people of the Maitreya Sect from Shan State and fought fiercely with Chang Xuan’s men. There were heavy casualties, and they snatched a weapon, but then he poisoned his comrades and ran off with the weapon."

"The Maitreya Sect was almost wiped out, leaving only the Fire Ghost, who was captured by Chang Xuan along with the Tomb Snake. They were stripped of their cultivation and martial arts, and are being prepared for transportation to the Capital, presumably to clear his name..."

"Anyway, the whole situation is a mess. In search of Feng Feiyan and Bai Ruoxu, both sides are troubling the Jianghu Sects all over Chang’an City."

"You have some connections with Bai Ruoxu and Feng Feiyan, and you also know Guan Wanche. To avoid being implicated, it’s best to just lay low."

"This..."

Li Yan took a sip of wine. "I really don’t know what to say."

"Ha ha ha!"

Shen Sanyou chuckled, "That’s how things are. You can calculate everything, but you can’t predict human nature. Right now, those three Commanders from the Captain Bureau are in a real mess."

"What’s with the other Commander?"

"He’s close to the Li family. Although the Li family controls a lot of power in Shan State, not everyone acknowledges their authority, such as the Commander Department. Commander Tang Yang rose to power by backing the Li family, and the others do not accept it."

"Somebody acted in secret and directed the blame toward another Commander. After all, the Li family just came into power and their foundation is not stable."

"If you get a spot for the Lantern Festival, better leave early. The chaos in Chang’an City is likely to last a long time."

"Senior, you’re not leaving?"

"Heh, I’ve lived in Chang’an for a long time. I’ve seen enough of these situations. I can’t even be bothered to watch the excitement anymore. There’s always a storm, but it eventually calms down."

"Who lives and who dies is determined by fate, and it has nothing to do with me..."

...

Shen Sanyou was right; Chang’an was indeed in chaos.

The brokers have been rounded up, many have been thrown in jail, some might be innocent, but there are too many wrongful cases to handle.

The broker, Zhao Jiu, who had once guided them to Guodu Town, was killed in a dark alley despite disguising himself.

The orchestrators were from the pugilistic world.

People took advantage of the chaos to settle personal scores through murder.

The leader of the Broker’s Association, Iron Master Gu, stepped down, and his son Iron Wind, due to his good relationship with Bai Ruoxu, was directly thrown into the big prison. It took tremendous efforts to get him out.

Years of savings turned to ashes overnight, and father and son left Chang’an and disappeared...

Li Yan also secretly visited the Crimson Yaksha.

Although she had a close relationship with Feng Feiyan, she was at a loss in these circumstances.

Even she was only safe because she was guarding the Corpse Suppressing Coffin with the protection of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect.

Raising a bunch of kids, all she could hope was for Feng Feiyan to have escaped far away.

Li Yan naturally wouldn’t go looking for trouble either.

He knew, even he himself was trouble.

Thus, he didn’t attempt to contact either the Chamberlain’s family or his nephew Hei Dan.

He spent his days hiding in the Qingyuan Building, drinking, eating, and listening to performances during his free time, and the rest of the time, he practiced martial arts and focused on cultivating his spirit, waiting for the Lantern Festival to come.

Zhao Wanfang sometimes kept him company; at other times, she mysteriously left. His room in the Qingyuan Building seemed to be deliberately neglected, with few guests ever coming close.

Li Yan had his suspicions.

Zhao Wanfang had likely joined some Goldfinch organization, leveraging its power to gradually acquire the ability for revenge.

Li Yan paid no attention and asked no further questions.

In the pugilistic world, not everyone was merely trying to earn a living. Having a reason to live was enough...

...

Time felt both slow and fast, and before they knew it, the Lantern Festival had arrived.

Just two days prior, faced with the chaotic situation in the city, Governor Li Siyuan and Prince Chang’an could no longer stand idly by. They summoned the Captain Bureau and officials from various government offices and scolded them furiously.

After all, this Lantern Festival hosted the Drum King Conference, gathering people from different sects of the Mystical Sect. Although they were all side doors, a complete mess would tarnish Chang’an’s reputation in other states.

Following their instructions, peace was naturally restored in Chang’an City.

Orders from the Capital’s Captain Bureau followed suit.

Chang Xuan had previously presented a new training method for firearms and had arrested all the followers of the Maitreya Sect in Shan State in one fell swoop, but he had lost a Divine Fire Gun, received a caning as punishment, and was then tasked with investigating the missing weapon to rectify his mistake...

Seal holder and Thousand Households, Guo Yuhuai, received a series of reprimands and was stripped of his seal-holding rights. Although he tried to disassociate himself, his superiors were already displeased...

Another Thousand Households officer was directly transferred to a remote, desolate place as a warning against the Li family meddling with the Captain Bureau...

Overall, it seemed the leadership highly valued Chang Xuan’s abilities. Despite appearing to whip him, they were actually protecting him; to stabilize the garrison in Shan State, a new Thousand Households officer would be parachuted in from the Capital.

In this internal strife, no one was a winner...

Of course, the common folk could neither see clearly nor care about the court’s affairs; what truly attracted them was the Drum King Conference.

On the fifteenth day of the first month, the Lantern Festival.

Although the real excitement was in the evening, the streets were already bustling before dawn.

Especially on Vermilion Bird Street.

This turmoil did not affect the Chang Chun Association.

They were primarily an organization of performers from the pugilistic world, hosting artists from various places, arranging performances for the Lantern Festival, and managing sales territories, keeping everyone in the Chang Chun Association extremely busy.

The five-kilometer long Vermilion Bird Street, from the previous night, had disciples from the Chang Chun Association marking territory with white ashes.

Deciding who performs where and who sells what, they had to consider both the reputation of the fellow artists from other states and the local artists.

In addition, they had to avoid interfering with the inspection routes of the government soldiers and not occupy areas designated for the public to watch.

All aspects needed thorough consideration.

Performers were particularly eager for this day.

Donned in their cleanest attire, as soon as the Chang Chun Association’s territory markings were completed, they entered with their tools in hand.

Despite the previous turmoil in Chang’an, they were merely spectators.

Today was their battlefield.

Whether the next few months would be spent drinking and feasting or subsisting on bran depended on whose skills stood out today.

Within the Gold Sect, there were the silent gold, chewing gold, Qiangjin, pouch gold, Old Zhou, and various fortune-tellers, letter guessers, and physiognomists that could be seen every few steps...

In the Leather Sect, those laying down flat bets, pushing bundles, playing with green figure diagrams, selling wolf packs, and plucking teeth or tooth worms each had their unique stretch of road...

Needless to say about the Xicai Sect, the juggling troupes and Ancient Colorful Magic performers were to fully showcase their skills today...

Those performing tricks and singing with large drums were no exception.

The entire Vermilion Bird Street had turned into a fairground.

By the time of the Chen hour (07:00 to 09:00), Vermilion Bird Street was already somewhat crowded, seemingly with all of Chang’an’s populace out and about.

"Goodness, it’s really packed today."

"Tsks, I heard this year is different. Quite a few masters have come from other states. Our Shan State is also brimming with notable performers. There’s bound to be fierce competition."

"Stroll along Vermilion Bird Street during the day, and at night, there’s a Demon-Suppressing and Blessings-Invoking Parade that will spread out across the city. If you miss something during the day, some sights won’t be seen at night..."

"When does it start?"

"During the Si hour..."

Among the crowd, Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan were also squeezing in to watch the excitement.

With a temporary lull in Chang’an City, Li Yan had notified them to come and celebrate the Lantern Festival today before leaving after the festivities.

Meanwhile, near Mingde Gate outside the city, squadrons from the Divine Tower had gathered, each with distinctly different towers and accompanying drum teams.

They kept their distances and eyed each other, each look filled with scrutiny...