The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 53 Hidden Treasure Man Zhao Lvzi

Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Hidden Treasure Man Zhao Lvzi

Dong! Dong dong!

Before dawn, the courtyard gate was suddenly knocked.

Sha Lifei had already changed his clothes, and quickly came to the door, whispering through it, "Where are you from, friend?"

"Drilling mountains and entering forests, following Boss Wan to make a living."

Outside the door, a somewhat hoarse voice sounded.

Sha Lifei hurriedly opened the door, only to see a young man standing outside. His features were ordinary, except for a single straight eyebrow. He wore a sheepskin jacket and black pants wrapped in bandages, looking rather rustic.

Was this the Hidden Treasure Man?

Sha Lifei mused to himself, but dared not show a trace of disdain on his face. He warmly raised his hand and said, "You must be Brother Zhao, please come in."

At this time, Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan had also come out, both dressed for a long journey, each wearing a bamboo hat.

Seeing the newcomer, a flash of surprise appeared in Li Yan’s eyes.

He couldn’t detect any scent from the other person!

How odd.

According to Manager Wang of the "Wensheng Pavilion," this Hidden Treasure Man possessed a family skill, named Zhao Lvzi, whose ancestors had roamed the mountains, specializing in finding exquisite timber for the Mystical Sect craftsmen.

While not considered a master among the Hidden Treasure Men, he was still a member of the Mystical Sect and surely had extraordinary skills.

Could it be that he carried some treasure that concealed his scent?

This raised Li Yan’s vigilance.

If so, his sense of smell was not infallible. Should a master use this treasure for an assassination, he might not even notice it when they were close.

"No need, the ancestral teaching does not allow entry into homes."

The young man directly refused Sha Lifei’s invitation, steadfastly standing outside, never stepping through the courtyard gate.

Sha Lifei found it puzzling and was about to speak when Wang Daoxuan stepped forward to stop him, smiling, "In that case, we shall follow Brother Zhao’s arrangements."

Li Yan and Sha Lifei immediately understood that this was most likely a taboo of his sect.

Some Mystical Sects, due to their lineage, have various rules. What seems bizarre often has its roots, and breaking them can lead to trouble.

"Let’s go."

Zhao Lvzi didn’t waste words, nodded, and turned to leave.

"You two go ahead. We’ll meet at the destination."

Li Yan instructed, then lowered his bamboo hat and entered a dark alley.

Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan said nothing more, closed the courtyard door, shouldered their backpacks, and followed Zhao Lvzi down the old street.

On the other side, Li Yan slipped into the dark alley, skimming along the wall at a rapid pace, yet silently, quickly arriving outside a small courtyard.

He leaped up, using the wall’s edge to flip himself over, landing inside and rushing into the left-side wing room.

Inside, a man was sleeping soundly. Hearing the sound, he jolted awake, immediately supporting himself with his right hand on the bed board, and kicking towards Li Yan.

The movement was swift, vaguely resembling a monkey.

Li Yan remained expressionless, sidestepping and bending to dodge, as the Guan Mountain Blade rang out from its sheath, slashing obliquely upward.

Thud!

Blood splattered, and the man groaned as he fell to the ground, his right leg bleeding profusely. Just as he tried to rise, a blade was pressed against his neck.

Li Yan calmly asked, "Who sent you?"

The day before yesterday morning, the White Ape Gang’s lackeys had already withdrawn from the opposite courtyard. He had thought the Zhou Family was busy with big matters and wouldn’t bother with him, yet someone had come again at midnight to spy.

This fellow moved lightly, but he couldn’t escape Li Yan’s nose.

Li Yan had tracked him down here last night, and to avoid alerting anyone before setting out, he quietly came to settle the trouble just before leaving.

The man on the ground gritted his teeth, "Where are you from, bandit? I was sleeping in my home, and you attacked me. Aren’t you afraid the court will hunt you down?"

Li Yan frowned, "Enough nonsense. I’ve seen the Zhou Family’s Zihou Fist just now, and your leg is still bleeding. If treated in time, you might save your life."

Seeing hesitation in the man’s eyes, Li Yan immediately put on a smile, "Brother, we have no personal vendetta. We’re just trying to make a living in the pugilistic world. Why risk your life for someone else’s sake?"

"For the thin-skinned coffin the Zhou Family promised you?"

"You won’t kill me?"

"Not worth it."

Feeling the weakness from his bleeding leg, the man finally relented, "It’s Third Master Zhou, Zhou Peide, who sent me."

Li Yan raised an eyebrow, "Not Zhou Pan?"

The man shook his head, "Master said to stay put, endure anything, and wait till this passes."

Li Yan nodded, "Zhou Peide is Zhou Bai’s father. It makes sense he’d come seeking revenge on me. Why didn’t he come in person?"

The man hesitated but, seeing Li Yan’s impatience, gritted his teeth and said, "Third Master Zhou hired a bladesman to have me tail you, to take you out once you left Xianyang City."

"So that’s it."

Li Yan smiled, "Right now, the city is in chaos. If I quietly died outside the city, it wouldn’t implicate the Zhou Family. Quite a clever plan."

With that, he flicked the blade clean of blood, sheathed it, and strode out the door, jumping over the courtyard wall, disappearing without a trace.

The man sighed in relief and hurriedly began to bandage himself...

...

It was late autumn, and the weather was getting chilly.

Compared to the South Gate with its docks, the north gate of Xianyang was much quieter, though still trafficked by local villagers trading firewood with ox carts.

Li Yan lowered his bamboo hat as he exited the city gate, walking along the official road. After walking for only a few miles, he saw Wang Daoxuan and the others by the roadside forest.

Since arriving in Xianyang, they were quite poor.

The work in Ancient Water Village only earned Li Yan a horse, which he had to sell, while Wang Daoxuan and Sha Lifei hadn’t even earned a copper coin.

The task from Spring Breeze Class involved summoning a spirit with the Divine Drum, but Sha Lifei luckily won some money by betting, barely enough to get by.

They couldn’t afford a horse, but luckily, because Taixing Carriage Shop in Xianyang supported Zhang Yuanshang, they could rent horses without a deposit.

The three didn’t waste words, urging their horses forward, reaching the vicinity of Chunhua County by midday.

At this point, Zhao Lvzi, who had been quiet as a clam, finally spoke, pointing to a distant mountain range, "That Thunderstruck Wood is in the mountain ahead."

"So it’s Yetai Mountain."

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and smiled, "This mountain is also somewhat famous among the Mystical Sect. Various temples have stood here since ancient times. The locals of Guanzhong call the deity ’Master,’ so Yetai is the Divine Platform. It’s also known as the Divine Rabbit Ridge, where Tang people often pick tea."

"There’s also a lesser-known legend. In Mystical Sect folklore, Juelong Ridge, where Grand Preceptor Wen Taisheng died during the Late Shang, is said to be here."

Sha Lifei’s eyes lit up at this, "Is there treasure?"

Wang Daoxuan chuckled, "Even if there was, it would have been taken long ago. In Guanzhong, everything on the surface has been thoroughly examined."

"As for what’s underground, what’s manageable has been emptied out long ago. What isn’t, going in would mean certain death. Only Qinling still has undiscovered things."

"Zhao, you should know these things best."

He said, turning to Zhao Lvzi.

Zhao Lvzi was clearly not good with words. Seeing everyone looking at him, he scratched his head and spoke in a hoarse voice, "My family heritage is the Mountain Rushing Lineage; we haven’t dealt much with grave robbers, but Qinling is indeed dangerous. My father went in and never came out."

"Condolences, Brother Zhao."

Li Yan was intrigued by the Hidden Treasure trade, needing Heavenly Spirit Earth Treasures to repair his Daluo Dharma Body, and was keen to be friendly with Zhao Lvzi, who had finally started talking.

Zhao Lvzi, being thin-skinned, began muttering about the Hidden Treasure trade under Li Yan’s praise and Sha Lifei’s chiming in.

The Hidden Treasure trade has existed since ancient times.

In ancient times, tribes’ priests discovered the uses of Heavenly Spirit Earth Treasures, considering them divine gifts, though they had yet to understand how to obtain them. They often communicated with Ghost Gods for guidance.

These secrets were recorded on oracle bones.

In later times, during the peak of the Fang Xian Dao in the Qin Han period, Fangshi sought the Immortal Elixir by traversing mountains and rivers, diving into mysterious places, gradually organizing their findings into books.

Rumor has it that the missing Imperial Seal was crafted of Heavenly Spirit Earth Treasure.

The Hidden Treasure Lineage is divided into three branches: Mountain Runners, Sea Explorers, and Xun You.

Mountain Runners drill into the mountains; Sea Explorers excel at underwater treasure hunting, while Xun You focuses on ancient tombs, caves, and relics, each with its expertise.

Moreover, because the Divine State is vast, with diverse climates and landscapes, Hidden Treasure Men only operate in familiar places.

For instance, a Hidden Treasure Man from Guanzhong, if he went to the White Mountain and Black Water area outside the pass and encountered things he didn’t understand, would be groping in the dark.

As for the Xun You branch, unlike specialized grave robbers, their main goal is to find the Heavenly Spirit Earth Treasures born in ancient graves and caves. Finding coin artifacts is simply incidental.

If they encounter anything ominous, no matter how valuable, they won’t take it out.

They entered Chunhua County directly to a carriage and horse shop, planning to store their horses and arrange to have the wood transported.

According to Zhao Lvzi, the Thunderstruck Jujube Wood was substantial, and even if they found it, it would be impossible for just them to carry it out.

While they were discussing, a nearby attendant couldn’t help but speak, "Gentlemen, you’re planning to go to Yetai Mountain. Forgive my rudeness, but the mountain is not very peaceful."

Li Yan raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean by not peaceful?"

The attendant glanced at the manager, who didn’t stop him. Then he lowered his voice and said, "Have you heard of... the Red-Haired Bloodface?"