The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 374 - 232: Dividing the Troops into Two Paths_2

Chapter 374: Chapter 232: Dividing the Troops into Two Paths_2

After leaving Hua Mountain, Li Yan had already realized something.

They were no longer weak.

Wang Daoxuan need not be mentioned, originally broad in experience, it was merely because of the influence of Divine Skills and lack of support from Magic Veins that he had wasted so much time.

Now at the Second Layer of Dao, he would be able to step into the Third Layer within the year.

The Third Layer is the limit that ordinary magicians can reach. Recall the City God Temple priest Qingyangzi from Xianyang City, and Luo Mingzi, who only reached the Third Layer, yet they were able to hold their own.

Several formidable Rampaging Soldiers, along with the Earth Dragon’s yin soul, and the Seven Arrows Secret Spell, ordinary magicians are no match at all.

Lv San need not be mentioned either.

Skilled in movement, at two floors of Dao, added with his magical Beast Taming Skill, the demon gourd, and the explosive Bone Flower, he fears neither group battles nor fighting alone.

In collaboration with Wang Daoxuan, they can compensate for each other’s weaknesses.

Although Sha Lifei is not a magician, his proficiency with firearms makes him a powerful force in the team; following at my side, we can withstand any storm or tempest.

The missions ahead will only grow more complex, always moving together as a group, conversely, could lead us to be led by the nose by the enemy.

"Rest assured."

Lv San spoke little but was most reliable in his actions.

Li Yan nodded, saying in a deep voice,

"Remember, prioritize your own safety at all times, don’t hesitate in any situation, if anything happens, we’ll shoulder it together!"

...

The Zigui County government office is located on the northern side of the town.

Unlike other places, due to the terrain here, one must ascend a lengthy stone stairway to enter the government building.

It doesn’t quite resemble a county government office, but rather more like the gate to a mountain temple.

The common people of Zigui County have a saying: the road to the government office is the road to the Yin Bureau, heads bowed as they enter, stripped of a layer of skin as they exit.

The main hall of the county government office, with neatly paved bluestone bricks, with "bright mirrors hang high" above, and a screen decorated with landscapes at the back, symbolizes the integrity of officials.

The wooden chair behind the public desk intricately carved, with red sandalwood plaques on both sides bearing the words "silent" and "withdraw."

A middle-aged man sits on the chair, wearing an official hat with its wings spread flat, dressed in a cyan robe with a round collar, embroidered with flying geese.

His skin is fair, slightly corpulent, with long black beards hanging down to his chest, obviously paying great attention to his appearance, it is none other than the Zigui County Magistrate Wu Dehai.

The Wu family is a major clan in Ezhou, not only is his older brother the chairman of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, but there are also several family members in official positions elsewhere.

Even though his lineage is remarkable, being born of a concubine, he was not given due attention. If not for desperately obtaining the rank of a scholar, he would not have received the family’s support to come here as the County Magistrate.

However, the family’s support did not mean it was his own.

Unsatisfied at heart, Wu Dehai had naturally made a fortune since taking office, amassing a substantial fortune in a short period of time.

By all appearances, one might say his life was glorious.

But at this moment, he was fraught with worry.

One reason was his son’s illness, and the other, the current state of Zigui County seemed stable on the surface but was actually in turmoil.

Especially, the summon from the Yunyang faction, urging him to call forth those Tusi, if mishandled, could mean shouldering the blame.

Seeing the County Magistrate’s worried expression, his advisor’s eyes shifted, speaking softly, "Honorable Magistrate, the experts from the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce will soon arrive, and with their support, these issues will surely be resolved with ease."

"Is it that simple?"

Wu Dehai’s expression darkened, his voice cold, "What sort of people they are, do I not know? Whether they can get the job done is still a question, and if their appetites aren’t satisfied, they’ll go back and complain..."

Before he could finish, a Government Official hurried up to the hall, bowed with a fist and said, "My lord, Daoist Feng from the City God Temple requests an audience."

Wu Dehai’s eyes narrowed slightly, "Oh, send him in."

Being born into a prominent family, he naturally knew what the City God Temple signified.

Due to some special reasons, Zigui County’s City God Temple was not powerful, housing no military talismans, nor had any experts stationed there, only a few Daoists of minor prowess.

However, they were from the Wudang’s Zhenwu Palace.

Any power in the city would not dare to provoke them lightly.

"Boundless longevity and fortune."

A senior Daoist stepped in vigorously, smiling as he performed a Daoist salute, "Lord Wu, humble Daoist pays his respects."

"Greetings, Daoist Feng."

County Magistrate Wu hurried down from the dais to return the salute, but his eyes glanced over to the two people behind the old Daoist.

It was none other than Li Yan and Sha Lifei.

Li Yan was set to reveal his identity, so naturally, he wouldn’t make the visit alone; he directly sought out the temple priest Feng Lanzi of the City God Temple in Zigui County.

The situation in Zigui County was somewhat special, being close to Wushan, where many masters and sects were hidden, and moreover, this place was also the territory of the Magic Veins’ Zhushan Sect.

Several times when nurturing the military forces, their actions were sabotaged in secret. When they sent masters to suppress the chaos, there would be peace for a while.

But as soon as they left, the sabotage would begin anew.

After several such incidents, the Taixuan Orthodox Sect also realized that, regardless of the masters hidden within Wushan or the Zhushan Sect, neither welcomed them.

The nurturing of troops consumed a great deal, and with the power of Zhenwu Palace on Wudang Mountain, it was impossible to keep expending effort back and forth. They simply gave up, called back the disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall, and only left a few ordinary Daoists to maintain the incense offering.

Of course, the Zhushan Sect also cooperated.

Whenever demons wreaked havoc within their territory, they would go to suppress it, and if the Law Enforcement Hall needed to arrest someone, they would also help with the search.

This situation had lasted for many years.

But now, chaos was emerging in the Southwest, with strange events happening everywhere. Demons and evil spirits were seizing the opportunity to cause trouble. The power of the Zhushan Sect was already on the verge of being unable to maintain stability, and with the crisis in Zigui County, they couldn’t spare anyone to come.

Li Yan and Sha Lifei, at a glance, appeared to be people from the pugilistic world. Wu Dehai couldn’t help but wonder, what were they doing there with the City God Temple escorting the two of them?

"Hahaha..."

However, the temple priest Daoist Feng Lanzi seemed in a good mood, "County Honorable Lord, let me introduce you. This is Young Hero Li Yan."

"Young Hero Li is a master from the Mystical Sect, entrusted by Yichang City God Temple to handle the matter of Erbei Bay."

"Oh?"

Although Wu Dehai had some doubts upon seeing the appearance of Li Yan and his companion, he pretended to be delighted, "You’ve come at the perfect time. The issue at Erbei Bay is affecting us significantly, and I’ve been quite troubled."

"That’s easy to handle."

Li Yan wanted to attract attention from all sides; how could he be low-key? He bowed slightly and said, "We have come, naturally, to address this matter properly."

"The purpose of our visit is to ask for the County Magistrate’s assistance in summoning a few people for questioning."

"Questioning?"

Wu Dehai was a bit puzzled, "Although I, an old man, do not understand the mathematics of the Mystical Sect, I can see that the event at Erbei Bay involved a demon secretly causing chaos to disturb the peace of the people."

"Previously, the Taixuan Orthodox Sect had also sent people here, but they were deceived by them and weren’t able to find any clues."

"Young Hero Li, in such a flamboyant manner, aren’t you afraid of startling the snake?"

He was quite astute, indeed.

Li Yan sneered inwardly, but his face remained expressionless, "If I’m not mistaken, they have long since erased the clues, and those commoners, harboring resentment, won’t reveal anything rashly."

"It’s better to find the root of the problem and suppress it directly!"

Quite imperious indeed!

Seeing this, Wu Dehai felt a bit displeased inside, yet he still smiled and said, "Young Hero Li speaks wisely. How might this official assist?"

Li Yan pondered for a moment, "I suspect that Danyang Academy is involved in this matter; let’s have them come in for questioning first."

"Danyang Academy?"

Hearing this, Wu Dehai, instead of being alarmed, was pleased, and he nodded with a sigh, "That will do. I can’t interfere with the Academy, but with orders from the City God Temple, they should cooperate."

"Someone, go invite a few teachers from the Academy to come here!"

Seeing this, Li Yan became even more certain.

This County Magistrate Wu surely had an unpleasant relationship with the Academy and wanted to use Li Yan’s hand to strike at them.

Of course, Li Yan wasn’t afraid of offending any academy.

He had come to make trouble, after all!

......

As Li Yan made a grand entrance into the county government, the news also entered the eyes of those with vested interests through various channels.

Meanwhile, Wang Daoxuan and Lv San had disguised themselves and left the city.

The village of Erbei Bay was in Jiangbei, and they needed to cross the river by boat, but there was a ritual being held on the riverside, and crossing at this time would be too conspicuous.

Looking at the rolling river, Wang Daoxuan also felt some trepidation, "Brother Lv, are you sure your method will work?"

"Of course!"

Without wasting words, Lv San directly approached the river’s edge, performed a spell, and splashed the water, uttering a high-pitched call.

In no time, the surface of the river bubbled with many bodies resembling dry wood. They were a multitude of swine dragons, wagging their tails as they swam towards them...