The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 293 - 193: Ancient City Blood Case

Chapter 293: Chapter 193: Ancient City Blood Case

On the bed, Li Yan suddenly opened his eyes.

He turned over and got up, grabbing his Duan Chen Blade as he approached the window, opening a crack to look outside.

That sound of the gong was not unfamiliar to him.

In every state, prefecture, and county city of the Great Xuan Dynasty, there were night watchmen roaming the streets. They not only beat the gongs to tell time but also patrolled and sounded alarms.

For instance, if there was a fire at midnight or if thieves were stealing, they would sound the gong to alert people.

There was no fire in the city, which meant something must have happened.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before a firelight lit up in the distance.

In the drizzling mist, the torches flickered and there was a din of voices.

Travelers of the pugilistic world, whether merchants or Jianghu people, had to maintain a degree of vigilance, so many in the inn were suddenly awakened.

Soon, there was a knock on the door outside.

Li Yan opened the door to find a bleary-eyed Sha Lifei.

"Is everything all right over here?"

"Yes, nothing’s wrong. What happened?"

"I heard there’s been a murder in the city, and it’s quite a commotion."

"Oh." Li Yan nodded calmly, saying, "Tell everyone not to meddle; it’s none of our business."

It wasn’t that he was indifferent, but such matters were too common.

This wasn’t some remote countryside, and a murder wasn’t a big deal.

The Cao Yun Pier had always been a place rife with trouble.

It wasn’t just the Jianghu disputes; there were also many killings over financial disputes.

Such matters were for the government to handle.

Since they were Jianghu people and magicians of the Mystical Sect, involving themselves carelessly might arouse suspicion. It was best to stay out of it.

Sha Lifei, being an experienced Jianghu person, naturally knew what to do. He explained the situation to the awakened Lv San and Wang Daoxuan, then returned to his room to rest without paying further attention.

After several days of travel, they were a bit fatigued, and with the continuous drizzling rain making travel unwise, they simply rested comfortably.

This nap lasted until mid-morning.

Upon waking, they were full of energy, but then they felt the pangs of hunger in their empty stomachs, which was rather uncomfortable.

Sha Lifei immediately called for the waiter, "Can we find out if there’s any good breakfast around here?"

The waiter replied with a smiling face and enthusiastic expression, "Of course, our region’s special breakfast is Yunyang Sanhe Soup."

"The so-called Yunyang Sanhe Soup, once you have it once, you’ll crave it again. Judging by your accents, you must be from Shan State. If you come here and don’t try it, it’ll be a pity."

"There’s an old Wu Family restaurant in the east of the city. The Sanhe Soup there is the most famous in Shangjin. You usually have to queue, but since you’re late today, you might not find many people there."

Sha Lifei laughed and said, "You’re quite a talkative waiter. Since you put it like that, we must go and try it."

Li Yan, always a foodie, naturally did not object.

The group left the inn and made their way down the damp street. After a while, they arrived at the Wu Family restaurant the waiter had mentioned.

The shop faced the street; it was built with blue bricks and old tiles, with carved wooden doors. The door panels had a thick patina, indicating many years of use.

Even before stepping inside, the fragrant aroma wafted toward them.

Li Yan nodded with satisfaction; although it was a small local eatery, it was at least clean.

There was a saying in the Mystical Sect, that those with heightened senses often had a cleanliness obsession.

He was the same, and the corners and crannies that ordinary people might overlook were noticeable to him with his keen sense of smell.

If there was anything foul or moldy, it would be unbearable for him, and no matter how tasty the food, he would walk away.

The inside of this establishment was quite clean.

However, Wang Daoxuan frowned slightly, glancing at a recessed area at the base of the opposite wall, where there were traces of incense ash. He immediately tugged on Li Yan’s sleeve, giving him a pointed look.

Li Yan understood immediately.

This shop likely had something being worshiped.

In the Mystical Sect, whether one was worshiping immortal homes, nurturing Gu, or raising small spirits, a clean environment was necessary to prevent disruption.

Otherwise, over time, the things being nurtured would also be affected.

Raising Gu or spirits was not uncommon, as many Magic Veins in the Mystical Sect practiced it, but the court strictly forbade civilians from raising and using Gu. Mystical Sect members were also prohibited from teaching civilians this method.

This had its historical reasons.

This shop opened for business in a bustling Cao Yun hub, with many Jianghu people passing through, so undoubtedly, there were magicians of the Mystical Sect too.

Doing such a high-profile activity couldn’t escape the notice of experts.

Then there was only one possibility: they worshiped a household god.

The custom of worshiping household gods existed in both the North and South, equivalent to household guardians, not ghosts but a kind of small Divine Astral setup.

Of course, cultivating such spirituality was not easy, either.

The genuine method of worshiping household gods required holding precepts.

Both Buddhist and Tao practices had this approach. For instance, in the Taixuan Orthodox Sect, to practice certain special Magic Methods, one must first hold precepts such as the Cave God Precepts, the Three Altar Great Precepts, the Killing Life Precepts, and the Middle Extreme Precepts...

The more rigorous the rules, the stronger the Magic Method.

In Buddhism, the Law Sect was representative, placing great emphasis on passing down precepts.

Worshiping a household god was referred to as family rules and customs.

If the household’s atmosphere was improper, with people’s hearts wicked and evil thoughts growing despite holding precepts, then the entities worshiped could instead cause harm.

This establishment had already achieved some scale, suggesting that they conducted business quite honestly.

Moreover, there had to be someone from the Mystical Sect guiding them.

Indeed, in the back courtyard, there was a small shrine, with flickering candlelight and curling fragrant incense. On the tablet was inscribed "Place of the Heaven, Earth, Monarch, Parent, and Teacher."

The God Card was darkened by incense smoke, indicating its age, but it was very clean, showing that it was often polished.

In front of the offering table, an old woman was praying with folded hands.

Just as Li Yan and the others crossed the threshold, the incense tip suddenly flickered and burned violently, shortening by three inches in the blink of an eye.

The praying old woman’s expression changed, and she hurried into the front hall. Seeing Li Yan and the others, her eyes were full of vigilance. She carefully bowed her hands and asked, "What brings guests here?"