The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 371 - 231 Zigui Suspicions

Chapter 371: Chapter 231 Zigui Suspicions

By the riverbank, various sizes of boats were moored.

Incense smoke curled up on the shore, accompanied by the sound of gongs and drums. Several figures clad in red robes and wearing crowns, known as Duan Gong, were leaping and performing rituals.

They flipped and spun, weaving through the air in coordination with dazzling hand seals, creating an atmosphere of mystery and solemnity. Occasionally, all kinds of pastries were thrown into the water.

This was the Duan Gong Dance, originating from court dances of the Kingdom of Chu.

The Duan Gong Dance was divided into the Upper Altar and the Lower Altar.

The Upper Altar was for paying homage to the deceased and ferrying the spirits of the dead, performed with solemn and serious movements.

The Lower Altar was for exorcism and warding off evil, inviting good fortune with light and carefree movements.

The dance being performed was the Lower Altar Duan Gong Dance.

At the same time, several men dressed in Confucian robes, wearing tall crowns and holding scriptures, stood by the river, chanting mournfully:

"The day ends as my heart longs for return, awake with thoughts at the extreme shores, fish-scaled roofs above dragon halls, purple shells arching over pearl palaces. What spirits dwell in the water, riding white turtles chasing literary fish..."

The crowd of onlookers was large, all solemn and silent.

Many among them were dressed like boatmen and fishermen.

Of course, there were also whispered private conversations.

"Is that thing still around?"

"Yes, I heard it destroyed boats and ate people in the Xiling Gorge. They’ve called a mage to subdue the demon."

"It wouldn’t come to our Zigui County, would it?"

"Who knows, but no one dares to go towards Yichang anymore. They invited the Duan Gong today to ensure a safe passage for ships heading to the Bashu region..."

Li Yan and others were also among the crowd.

The conversations around them were some in the local dialect, completely incomprehensible, and some mixed with the official language that they could barely understand.

As the Duan Gong Dance was being performed, there were also a few boats on the river.

The bows of the boats were adorned with red cloths, incense burners in place, and they worshipped a divine statue, the ship workers uniformly sacrificing paper money and colorful pastries.

"It’s people from the Pai Sect."

Sha Lifei said softly.

Li Yan nodded without speaking.

It seemed the trouble caused by the River Demon had also affected this place.

Onshore, the Duan Gong Dance continued, intended to last for three days and three nights, while the people of the Pai Sect had already set sail.

The prow was propped with bamboo poles as someone sang loudly, "Weigh anchor now!"

The surrounding ship workers chanted, "Heave ho, heave ho~"

"Pulling the towline now!"

"Heave ho, heave ho~"

"The ship is departing now!"

"Heave ho, heave ho~"

"Steady the rudder now!"

"Heave ho, heave ho..."

Accompanied by the robust songs of the Yangtze River, the workers managed their tasks well, steering the massive cargo ship toward Bashu.

At that moment, the river fog was thick, quickly hiding them from sight.

"People from the Pai Sect are really bold."

"What choice do they have? They can’t just stay out of the water forever..."

Just then, the sound of birds chirping arose.

Seemingly attracted by the hustle on the shore, a Chinese cuckoo flew from the mountains, landing on a tree branch, preening its feathers and calling incessantly.

"The cuckoo has arrived."

"It’s the Qingming festival, yet strange events continue, with water demons emerging, alas~ an ominous sign indeed..."

"Ha, the Three Lus Doctor will take care of them!"

"Shh, do you have a death wish..."

Many among the crowd looked sad and angry.

There were occasional low murmurs, all very cautious.

"Let’s go."

Li Yan shook his head slightly.

After leaving the crowd, Sha Lifei muttered, "The atmosphere in Zigui County is certainly off."

"Brother Yan, should we head directly into the village or stay in Zigui County first to gather some information?"

Li Yan pondered for a moment, "This matter has caused quite a stir, and the people are panicky. All eyes are watching, and the demons responsible must also be prepared."

"If we proceed rashly, we might alert them, and with the local labor force detained in Yichang Prefecture, they will surely harbor resentment, and we cannot act in the name of the City God Temple."

"Let’s gather some information first and then change our identities!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately nodded in agreement.

...

Zigui County was an ancient city in Guizhou, located near the Yangtze River, with numerous water channels inside. The arrivals included not only local Han people but also many from the Tu Clan.

Due to its proximity to Bashu, there were many speaking the Bashu dialect.

Descending from the hill by the river and taking a detour, they approached the dock from the side, and looking up, they saw an ancient city built against the mountain.

It wasn’t a large city, constructed of stone, filled with ancient charm, sturdy and solid, smaller at the halfway point and larger below, resembling a gourd.

Wang Daoxuan looked up, stroking his beard, "Before coming here, I specifically inquired—this city has quite the history."

"In the past, when the Saint of Guan died, Liu Xuande personally led an army of seven hundred thousand from Shu to advance east to attack Wu, and built this city from the scooped earth, thus it’s also called Liu Bei City."

"Zigui County was originally on the opposite shore at the old King of Chu’s city, but after celestial anomalies, with heavy rains for several days, the city collapsed, and the river water backfilled to become a lake, hence the move to this location."

"It was originally a mud city, but after several renovations, it became what it is now."

Sha Lifei, uninterested, glanced around and whispered low, "Dao master, whether it be Zhang Fei or Liu Bei City, all I know is something is not right here..."

A small merchant team arrived from the shore, all speaking in the Bashu dialect, with mules and horses pulling several large carts filled with miscellaneous items.

In the distance, several government officials were leading hunting dogs their way.

"We have a problem, let’s leave!"

Li Yan had already sensed something amiss and quickly led everyone away.

"Stop!"

Just as they retreated to the roadside, a loud shout was heard.

It wasn’t directed at them, but one of the officials suddenly drew his sword and stopped the Bashu merchant team.

"Lord, what’s the problem?"

"Inspection!"

"This... Could you make an exception?"

The leader of the merchant team, a middle-aged Han man.

Not tall, dressed in worn coarse cloth with a white cloth wrapped around his head.

"Men and women in West Sichuan wrap their heads in white, a tradition honoring Marquis Zhuge."

This was a characteristic of Han people’s attire in Shu, commemorating Zhuge Marquis, a custom that had persisted to the present.