The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 299 - 195 Case Within a Case_2

Chapter 299: Chapter 195 Case Within a Case_2

It was no wonder he found it strange; the whole situation reeked of oddities.

If they were versed in such spells, they wouldn’t have needed to show themselves at all. They could have simply bewildered the rich landlord and had him hand over the treasure—why bother with murder?

"Theft was merely a distraction!"

Li Yan pondered for a moment, then spoke, "Everyone, follow me."

With that, he led the group to the backyard.

As the wealthiest man in Shangjin County, Hu’s residence was, of course, built with grandeur, complete with a small garden in the backyard that boasted both a pond and a miniature rockery.

Li Yan walked around the rockery, pinched and performed the Yang Jue, took a deep breath, and then pointing to a spot, he said, "There’s a secret chamber here. Dig it open and take a look. Those people must have come for this thing."

"Quick, get to work!"

County Magistrate Guo hastily summoned men to dig.

The constables and soldiers went into action, dirt flying everywhere.

Soon, they unearthed a secret chamber two meters underground, with only two chests inside and nothing else.

County Magistrate Guo quickly stepped forward to open them.

Inside the chests were objects wrapped in oiled cloth.

He sliced one open with a knife, and out poured something with a rattle.

Most of the fallen items were only the size of coins, their surfaces black and smooth, angular, all shaped like trilobites.

Coal spirit!

Li Yan’s eyes lit up; he hadn’t expected it to be these things.

"What is this?"

County Magistrate Guo picked one up, full of confusion.

"Let me take a look!"

Without another word, Li Yan stepped forward and grabbed several pieces.

Indeed, strands of luck were absorbed by the Daluo Dharma Body.

He felt pleased inside, but his face remained expressionless.

The origin of these things was made known to him by Zhao Lvzi.

Coal spirits often formed near coal mines, sometimes emerging from the ground, glowing from their behinds just like fireflies in a chaotic flight.

If someone accidentally startled them, they could dissipate one’s fortune and also explode.

Moreover, these things were also an essential ingredient in the new gunpowder recipe!

Of course, they also had another characteristic: the dissipation of fortune was slow. Zhao Lvzi, when he found them, carried them for a month or two and could still absorb their luck.

And this batch of coal spirits, evidently newly acquired, still contained plenty of fortune; Li Yan unobtrusively rummaged through the chests with both hands.

Quickly, he absorbed all the fortune from the coal spirits in the two chests.

Although the fortune contained in these things was minor, merely faint traces, their large quantity added up to a significant amount, enough to completely restore the Daluo Dharma Body.

Back at Hua Mountain, ignorant of the details, he had fought against the fortune of the White Emperor and although he later gained considerable benefits, his Daluo Dharma Body had extinguished a light of soul fire and became fragmented.

Now, it was fully restored.

Of course, the soul fire was not yet replenished.

County Magistrate Guo, full of expectation, asked, "Mr. Li, have you discovered anything?"

Given the importance of coal spirits, Li Yan naturally played dumb, shaking his head, "Nothing, just some peculiar coal; I thought there might be treasure hidden here."

County Magistrate Guo was immediately disappointed upon hearing this.

Of course, he had his suspicions; that group of thieves used spells to harm people and hid in the White Dragon Temple, probably all for these things.

Further, upon closer consideration, Hu seemed a bit off.

It was he who introduced the ascetic monk to everyone.

Could it be an inside job?

Or perhaps, there was a greater conspiracy at play!

With this thought, County Magistrate Guo felt an inexplicable pounding in his heart.

...

"Brother Yan, what exactly happened?"

Back at the inn, Sha Lifei asked eagerly.

Without beating around the bush, Li Yan took out the Hook Paper and shook it.

Wang Daoxuan and Sha Lifei immediately understood it was a task for a living Yin messenger; only Lv San was still completely clueless.

Since they were all companions now, Li Yan no longer concealed anything and talked about the task he had to perform as a living Yin messenger.

"Oh, I see."

Lv San scratched his head, somewhat curious after hearing the explanation.

Naturally, he wouldn’t object. Since they were together, they had to stick together to keep warm, and everyone would help whoever wanted to enhance their strength.

Regarding the money earned, a portion was for daily expenses, and the rest was for the spiritual practice funds of the group.

If someone grew tired of this dangerous life and wanted out, they could take their corresponding share from the funds.

This was the rule Li Yan had set for the team.

He knew his own temperament. To set up a large organization, scheming and engaging in intrigue was something he couldn’t and didn’t want to do.

However, he was confident in forming a team with like-minded companions and treating each other fairly.

After explaining the matter to Lv San, Li Yan gave a slight smile, took out a paper-wrapped package from his bosom, and handed it to Sha Lifei.

"Take this, keep it safe, and don’t let anyone discover it."

Sha Lifei was taken aback, "What do you need this for?"

Li Yan’s expression grew serious, "This thing is called coal spirit, a kind of Heavenly Spirit Earth Treasure, and what’s more, it’s likely one of the ingredients in the new gunpowder formula."

"What?!"

Sha Lifei was invigorated by this information and took a piece of coal spirit from the paper wrap to examine it closely, brimming with interest, "This thing looks just like coal, yet it can make gunpowder?"

He even tried to slice a piece with his knife.

"Don’t mess around!"

Li Yan quickly stopped him, shaking his head, "This thing can explode; if you mess up, not only could we be in trouble, others might discover it."

"Alright."

Sha Lifei reluctantly stowed the paper wrap and then, furrowing his brow, shook his head, "This matter seems rather big; it’s related to your living Yin messenger task and involves the new gunpowder. The waters are quite deep."

"Yes," Li Yan agreed, rubbing his forehead, equally vexed.