The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 350 - 220 Yichang Yan Mansion_2

Chapter 350: Chapter 220 Yichang Yan Mansion_2

"Are you a friend of the second young master?"

The servant eyed him suspiciously, "Do you have any proof?"

Li Yan immediately took out the letter written by Yan Jiuling and an ancient-looking jade pendant, handing them both to the servant.

Seeing the jade pendant and the handwriting on the letter, the servant breathed a sigh of relief and respectfully bowed, "Please wait a moment, young master, I will inform the master right away."

After speaking, he took the letter and entered the courtyard.

Li Yan didn’t mind and waited patiently outside the door.

He glanced at the door knocker and plaques, lost in thought.

These plaques were all objects meant to protect the home, each one far more powerful than the Hundred Battle Plate that his family once had, and the scent of incense lingered around them, suggesting that sacrifices were held during festivals.

Ordinary evil spirits would stay far away upon encountering them.

Moreover, he realized upon getting closer that the architectural layout of the home also paid attention to Fengshui, blending elegantly with the bamboo forest.

Living here long-term would cultivate one’s character.

According to Yan Jiuling, his grandfather used to be a scholar at Bailu Academy and possibly had ties to the Confucian Mystical Sect.

Also, those two Protectors, though they appeared scattershot, moved strategically without corner or edge, temples slightly bulging and remaining silent, clearly skilled bodyguards.

While Li Yan was lost in his thoughts, the servant hurried out and respectfully bowed again, "The young master, the master has invited you in."

"Thank you."

Li Yan nodded and then entered the courtyard.

As he walked past the screen wall, the first thing that caught his eye was a courtyard which captured the rain and sunlight, followed by a spacious front hall.

The beams, brackets, and bird-replacing structures inside the hall were all exquisitely carved, depicting lifelike figures, flowers, and auspicious beasts.

In the front hall, an elderly man was sitting in a chair, dressed in a white robe and dark cap, his face vigorous and his graying long beard hanging down his chest, exuding a scholarly demeanor.

Seeing Li Yan enter, he immediately stood up, smiling, "Is this the Young Hero Li that my son mentioned? Please, have a seat."

It was clear he had read Yan Jiuling’s letter.

"Greetings to Uncle Yan."

Li Yan bowed and sat down, and soon a servant offered him some tea.

Yan Jiuling’s father, named Yan Bonian.

He instructed the servant to return the letter and the jade pendant to Li Yan, then smiled and said, "My son mentioned in his letter that Young Hero Li once saved his life in the mountains, for which I’m deeply grateful."

Li Yan calmly shook his head, "Uncle is too kind. Jiu Ling and I share a life-and-death relationship, and it was just a minor thing, not worth mentioning."

He spoke courteously, but something puzzled him.

Yan Jiuling’s mother had been suffering from madness for three years with no cure found.

Jiu Ling had traveled all the way to Yichang, worried about delays on the road, yet Uncle Yan didn’t seem to be in any hurry?

Sensing his thoughts, Yan Bonian finally spoke, "According to my son’s letter, Young Hero Li has obtained Treasure Medicine that might cure my wife’s illness?"

He obviously was somewhat skeptical.

Li Yan just smiled slightly and shook his head, "Uncle, I’m not sure about its efficacy."

"But Feiyi, a rare beast from the Classic of Mountains and Seas, which the elders of Hua Mountain Chunyang Palace personally said is a Heavenly Spirit Earth Treasure, can cure all kinds of madness and epilepsy, as well as all Gu Worms, so it should be effective."

"Oh?"

Hearing about the Heavenly Spirit Earth Treasure and Chunyang Palace, curiosity rose in Yan Bonian’s eyes, "Feiyi is a legendary creature; may I have the pleasure to see it?"

"Of course."

Li Yan wasted no time, took out a wooden box from his bosom, and after opening it, handed it over to Yan Bonian for inspection.

The dried corpse of the Feiyi had a grotesque appearance, and Yan Bonian marveled at it before returning it to Li Yan, sighing lightly, "My young friend, do not blame me, this matter is truly too mystical."

"For three years, I have also sought famous doctors and even invited several Daoist Doctors from the Mystical Sect, all to no avail, and I no longer hold much hope."

"And regarding my wife’s condition..."

He sighed, cutting off his words as if he didn’t want to continue, then stood up and said, "Young friend, you have traveled a thousand miles to deliver medicine, and as a friend of my son, your efforts are appreciated regardless of the outcome. I thank you."

"Please come with me."

Li Yan stood up and followed Yan Bonian to the backyard.

The Yan family’s estate was quite large, with a small ancestral hall in the central courtyard and a rock garden surrounded by courtyards on three sides.

They walked on, encountering few servants and maids along the way, but there were over twenty Protectors stationed at various corners and passages.

Li Yan frowned slightly.

This arrangement was typical of a bodyguard tactic, scattered throughout the estate; in the event of an intrusion, a single whistle would bring nearby brothers rushing to support.

Larger estates even had rotating patrols.

But usually, such measures were only for the night.

Why set up such a pose during broad daylight...

Also, according to Yan Jiuling, he had an elder brother, a younger brother, and a sister, and their father had several wives and concubines.

Yet, the way seemed eerily quiet.

Arriving at a side courtyard to the right, a maid immediately came up to greet them.

"Have you seen the master?"

"Is the madam doing well today?"

"In the morning, she had an incident, but thankfully, Auntie Shen stopped it."

"Hmm."

Uncle Yan asked a few questions and then took Li Yan into the courtyard.

Before entering the door, Li Yan slightly furrowed his brow.

Despite the courtyard being clean and filled with many flowers and plants, an unpleasant odor still lingered.

It was the smell of a patient who had long suffered from incontinence.

Sometimes, even with careful care, the smell wouldn’t disperse.

No wonder, that old man had been hesitant earlier; many wealthy households have this problem. They’d rather die than lose their dignity, not wanting outsiders to see their disgraceful state.

It’s like the saying, "The donkey may fall, but the rack stands still."

Outside the wing-room, a robust woman was carrying a basin full of clothes out when she saw them and hurriedly nodded, "I’ve seen the master."

"How is the madam?"

"Now she’s quiet."

The robust woman quickly put down the wooden basin and tiptoed forward, gently pushing open the door.

Li Yan looked up and saw an elderly woman sitting in front of the window, wearing clothes that clearly had just been changed, staring blankly outside and murmuring incessantly, her words inaudible.

"Young friend, this is my wife."

Uncle Yan sighed, "How should we treat her?"

"Simple."

Li Yan took out the Feiyi and directly broke off a small piece, "Grind this into powder and have her swallow it."

"Is it really that simple?"

Uncle Yan felt this was unbelievable, but since Li Yan had traveled miles to offer medicine, he could hardly refuse. He then told the maid, "Lianyun, fetch the tools."

Because there was a patient in the household, the Yan family had all the necessary tools for preparing medicine. The woman, experienced from years of caring, quickly ground the Feiyi tail into powder. She concealed the powder in a bamboo spoon, cajoling while taking advantage of Madam Yan’s unguarded moment to feed it to her, then followed it with a few sips of water.

"Ah! Ah!"

Madam Yan immediately became frenzied, flailing her arms and scratching wildly while a smell of urine arose. The freshly changed clothes again became wet.

Fortunately, the robust woman was experienced and held her firmly.

Seeing this, Uncle Yan’s eyes reddened slightly as he trembled, "My wife has always been mild-mannered, never quarreling with anyone. She loves to grow flowers, tend to grass, and she also loves cleanliness. Who would have thought..."

Before he could finish, Madam Yan stiffened and stared straight at the ceiling, making a rasping sound from her throat.

"Madam! Madam!"

The woman holding her had never seen such a situation and became slightly panicked, continually shouting.

Li Yan was also surprised, thinking to himself that this was not good.

Could the Feiyi be problematic, not only failing to cure the disease but making her condition worse?

Just then, Madam Yan’s body trembled, her throat gurgling loudly, and she suddenly vomited a large amount of thick phlegm.

Li Yan saw this and immediately his pupils constricted.

There was a large pool of viscous and green-yellow phlegm on the ground, containing a transparent egg casement about the size of a silkworm cocoon with a bug inside it pupating.

When exposed to the air, the eggshell instantly dried and turned yellow.

The bug inside stopped moving.

"A Gu?"

Uncle Yan saw this and immediately looked upset, his eyes reddened as he grit his teeth, "It’s actually Gu, how could it be..."

"This is not Gu."

Li Yan’s expression was grave, his eyes flashed with a hint of murderous intent as he said solemnly, "Uncle Yan, send someone to fetch a handful of incense ash from the temple’s incense burner. Also, find a sewing needle."

"Lianyun, quick!"

Uncle Yan, already from the letter knowing Li Yan was a Magician, must know something; he dared not delay and quickly instructed the maid to fetch the items.

The maid, frightened herself, stumbled out and quickly brought back the two items.

Li Yan grabbed the incense ash and sprinkled it over the eggshell.

Strangely, the incense ash was completely absorbed by the casement, shrinking continuously as if it was a stone.

Li Yan then picked it up with chopsticks, placed it on the table, and started to break open the outer shell with the sewing needle to reveal the insect inside.

Uncle Yan, watching by the side, felt his scalp tingle. Outside, the sunlight was bright, but he felt a chill run through his body.

The body of the insect resembled a spring silkworm, pale and tender.

But its head vaguely resembled a human face,

and it had all its features...