The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 85 Beneath the Chaotic Burial Mound

Chapter 85: Chapter 85 Beneath the Chaotic Burial Mound

"Halt!"

Ten miles from Chaotic Burial Mound, the three were stopped.

It was a squad of soldiers who had set up a barrier at the road junction, and, in the plains and grasslands in the distance, cavalrymen were patrolling with Tibetan mastiffs in tow.

Sha Lifei quickly dismounted, and with a teasing smile, cupped his fists and said, "Esteemed soldier, we’ve been invited by Daoist Luo of the City God Temple’s Law Enforcement Hall to attend a ceremony. Could you please let us through?"

"City God Temple..."

The blocking soldier wore a face of suspicion, "Do you have a pass?"

Sha Lifei was taken aback and looked back, where Li Yan shook his head.

Daoist Luo Mingzi merely gave a verbal invitation and had been too busy to handle anything upon their return. Li Yan went to the City God Temple to inquire about the Cold Altar Event but found no one. How could they have a pass?

"No?"

The leading soldier’s face immediately darkened, and he reprimanded, "By decree of Commander Fan, the Great Xuan Dynasty has declared martial law in Chaotic Burial Mound today to prevent any miscreants from the pugilistic world from causing trouble."

"You folks clearly don’t look like good people. If you have any sense, leave quickly!"

It was the Double Ninth Festival, and he had begged his superiors to let him visit his ailing father, only to have his plans disrupted by this sudden order. Understandably annoyed, his tone was naturally harsh.

Sha Lifei maintained his cheerful demeanor and discreetly took out a string of Copper Coins, whispering, "Esteemed soldier, please accommodate us. If you don’t believe us, send someone to ask..."

"Shut your damn mouth!"

The leading soldier’s face changed instantly as he raised the long spear in his hand, "Everyone, dismount! Block them; they’re definitely ruffians from the pugilistic world!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a team of cavalry, bows bent and arrows nocked, rode swiftly closer from a distance, their sharp arrows targeting the three men.

Li Yan frowned at this sight.

These soldiers were from the garrison in Xianyang, under the jurisdiction of the Commander Department in Chang’an. Even with rigorous training, they couldn’t compare to soldiers who had seen a hundred battles.

Like the ensign before them, who appeared to have not yet reached the level of Hidden Energy, even with the support of his colleagues, he couldn’t stop Li Yan.

However, engaging with the military would make escaping later impossible.

What was more troublesome was that the soldiers were already riled up; if they were caught, they would surely face a beating, and if they encountered someone with ill-intent, even their money wouldn’t be safe.

Li Yan was about to speak when suddenly he had a thought and looked behind.

"Hold your fire!"

The sound of horse hooves approached as a team of horsemen rushed forward.

There were seven riders in total, each clad in black brocade with silver thread embroidering the figures of Pi Xiu and Bi’an on their fronts and backs, all with profound auras and exquisite horsemanship.

The Captain Bureau?

Li Yan squinted, recognizing the attire.

The Captain Bureau was much like the Jinyiwei, ruthless and unscrupulous in its actions, bearing a rather notorious reputation in the pugilistic world. During the Spring Festival, they were referred to as "hawks" and "black dogs."

But what shocked him more was that the leader was none other than Guan Wanche.

Wasn’t he the arrest officer from Xianyang? When had he joined the Captain Bureau?

Then Li Yan remembered that Guan Wanche had already discovered evidence of Zhou Pan’s plot against his father but hadn’t said a word, leaving it to him to expose it.

Mysterious behavior. This man was surely not as simple as he seemed...

As Li Yan mused, Guan Wanche rode up, first showing his waist plate for inspection, and then coldly asked, "What’s the problem here?"

The leading soldier hurriedly cupped his fist, "Flag commander, these men were sneaking around, and we were about to apprehend them!"

Seeing Guan Wanche, Sha Lifei immediately breathed a sigh of relief and, with a cheeky grin, cupped his fists and said, "Congratulations on your promotion, Lord Guan. We’ve been invited by Daoist Luo from the City God Temple to attend a ceremony."

"A ceremony?"

Guan Wanche snorted coldly. He seemed about to say something but held back and instead said sternly, "These men are indeed affiliated with the City God Temple. I will take them to see someone. If they lie, I will personally arrest them and hand them over to you."

"Yes, my lord!"

Although the soldier was reluctant, he could only order the barricade to be withdrawn.

Once the way was cleared, Guan Wanche didn’t bother with the group and, along with a few subordinates, took the lead in riding off.

Li Yan and the others exchanged glances, flicked the reins, and followed closely behind.

The distance of ten miles was truly not significant.

Soon after riding, they arrived at the base of Chaotic Burial Mound.

The area, which was once a large open space surrounded by dense woods, had been cleared.

And now, in the clearing, a three-tiered magic platform had been erected, squarely shaped with redwood columns, adorned neatly with standards, pennants, and flags, painted with the Eight Trigrams, Taiji, and the seven stars of Beidou, and even large Yellow Talismans were hanging down.

It looked gaudy to the eye, but Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan both held their breath.

Wang Daoxuan was an insider, continuously comparing what he saw with his knowledge.

Li Yan was an outsider, but his Divine Skills allowed him to sense the difference.

Where the altar stood, the rich scent of incense circled, connecting to the ground spirit veins and reaching up to the sky, as if a palace had appeared out of thin air, with an oppressive solemnity hitting them in the face.

Just standing here made him feel somewhat stifled in his breathing.

Among the three, Sha Lifei seemed the most at ease.

The saying that "ignorance is bliss" held true; he only felt the air was exceptionally fresh, and considering it was the Double Ninth Festival, as he played with the Cornelian Branch in his hand, he actually felt like he was on an outing.

Li Yan took a deep breath, "Is this the altar area?"

"Yes,"

Wang Daoxuan said solemnly, "The magic platform I use could at most create a ’momentum,’ but the Taixuan Orthodox Sect’s altar here has formed a ’pattern.’ Many ancient Magic Artifacts are offered here. This altar alone represents the accumulation of several generations of other Magic Veins."

"And this is just the City God Temple in Xianyang..."

Wang Daoxuan shook his head in awe, envy filling his eyes.

Li Yan remained composed and was not surprised.

The Taixuan Orthodox Sect had been passed down from the Han Dynasty to the present; although it had undergone numerous trials and tribulations with each change of the Red Dust Dynasty, the incense had never been cut-off.

Every dynasty of emperors had acknowledged it as the national religion; it was by no means ordinary.

Around the altar, tents were set up according to the Eight Trigrams positions. Many Daoists bustled about, some burning incense, others sweeping, and some beating chimes and reciting sutras next to the altar, all appearing very busy.

These were all novice Daoist acolytes, clearly preparing for something.

Just as the two were speaking, a Daoist emerged from the tent on the left, dressed in a dark Daoist robe with an eight-trigram hat and a sword on his back. It was Luo Mingzi.

He hurried over with a wry smile, "I’ve been so busy these days, I didn’t expect the imperial soldiers to have blocked the main roads. I’m sorry for the inconvenience caused."

"The matter at hand is more important, and I’m grateful to my senior for allowing us to observe the ceremony," Li Yan quickly replied with a clasped fist in courtesy.

Accompanying Luo Mingzi was a man from the Captain Bureau. Upon seeing them, he gave a salutation with clenched fists and said gravely, "Daoist, since it’s a misunderstanding, I’ll go back and report right away."

It turned out to be someone dispatched by Guan Wanche for verification.

Seeing the man turning to leave, Li Yan had a thought, pulled Sha Lifei to the side and whispered a few words, instructing him to follow the man.

After all, Li Yan had learned about the tragedy of Ancient Water Village while he was in the bandit stronghold and had promised to fulfill Commander Zhao’s dying wish, so naturally he would not go back on his word.

However, upon his return, he was beset with various troubles, thus he had no chance to report to the authorities.

Guan Wanche had helped him a few times and had just joined the Captain Bureau. It was the perfect opportunity to repay the favor with this information.

Luo Mingzi, seeing this, paid it no mind and raised his hand with a smile, "Let’s go. I’ve already spoken to my master Qingyangzi about your situation. He’s quite interested and might have a way to help."

Li Yan’s eyes lit up, "Thank you, senior."

Having said that, he followed Luo Mingzi toward a large tent.

......

"Hey, could you slow down a bit, sir..."

Sha Lifei was following closely behind the Captain Bureau’s Colonel.

"What’s the matter?"

The Colonel turned around and asked, his eyes gloomy.

One of the responsibilities of their Captain Bureau was to monitor the pugilistic world.

Officials and bandits do not travel the same path. Although Sha Lifei was not a bandit, it was clear that this Colonel held little regard for those from the pugilistic world.

Sha Lifei didn’t mind and said with a chuckle, "Why so angry, sir? I have a great contribution to present to Lord Guan."

The Colonel’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he snorted coldly, "Then follow me."

With that, he turned and walked away.

Sha Lifei kept pace with him and soon they arrived beneath a small mound.

Atop the mound stood several people on horseback. With a wave of their hands, large hawks and falcons soared into the air, squabbling over chunks of meat thrown by them before winging away.

Guan Wanche was among them.

Sha Lifei watched with envy.

He had heard of these creatures. Since the foundation of the Great Xuan Dynasty, the court had gathered strange and wondrous experts from all over, including those adept at falconry. This skill was then passed on to the Captain Bureau.

With the support of the court’s vast human and material resources, the Captain Bureau greatly developed the art of falconry. They not only had golden eagles that could kill fierce beasts but also swift falcons adept at reconnoitering, as well as a variety of hounds.

Thus, the Captain Bureau was also known as the "Hawks and Hounds" in the pugilistic world.

Yet, despite all that, the allure of these birds of prey to men was undeniable.

Sha Lifei’s mind raced with thoughts of trading the information for a hawk, but recalling Li Yan’s instructions and the Captain Bureau’s fearsome reputation, he dismissed the idea.

"What is it?"

Guan Wanche gave him a cursory glance.

He had once been brothers-in-arms with Li Hu and was well aware of the latter’s misfit junior brother who had never impressed him much, nor had they any close ties.

Sha Lifei said with a smile, "Sir, it might be better to step aside to talk."

Upon hearing that and seeing the one-eyed man beside him, Guan Wanche’s expression immediately soured, "I conduct my affairs openly, what is there that cannot be said right here!"

As a new member of the Captain Bureau, he wouldn’t allow his conduct to become the subject of gossip.

Sha Lifei’s intention had been good, but he unexpectedly was reprimanded. Feeling indignant, he thought scornfully that this coward better not regret missing out on the credit later on.

So be it. As long as the message was delivered, the favor would be repaid.

With that thought in mind, he no longer held back and recounted the events in Ancient Water Village, the situation with the bandit stronghold, the rooster-headed snake, and the mysterious magician, without omission.

As soon as he finished, all the members of the Captain Bureau present changed their expressions.

The one-eyed man slowly turned his horse around and said ominously, "Is there any falsehood in your words?"

"Every word is true!"

Sha Lifei said, clenching his fist, "With such a matter, how would I dare to speak rashly? I didn’t want to cause trouble, it is solely to repay the kindness to Lord Guan that I came."

In fact, after speaking out, he felt a bit regretful. After all, Guan Wanche’s status had risen, and he might need his help in the future, thus he added this conciliatory remark.

The one-eyed man nodded, "Reward him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a subordinate took a pouch from his belt and tossed it at Sha Lifei’s feet with a swoosh, the mouth of the pouch burst open revealing snowflake silver.

Sha Lifei’s eyebrows raised, "Kindness and justice are not for sale, even for a thousand pieces of gold!"

The one-eyed man looked approvingly at him, nodding, "Not bad, a true man. I advise you, pretend ignorance of this matter upon your return, lest it brings disaster upon you."

Sha Lifei clasped his fists and turned to leave.

Halfway through, he touched his chest, his face full of sorrow, and thought to himself: My heart aches, you coward, the price of playing the hero is too high... I won’t do it again...

After he left, the one-eyed man’s expression returned to calm:

"Wan Che, what do you think?"

Guan Wanche saluted with his fist, "These people are likely remnants of Maitreya."

The one-eyed man nodded, saying in a deep voice, "Same as I thought. The one who commands the rooster-headed snake calls himself Dugu Qian, nicknamed "Tomb Snake", one of the sixty-four Incense Masters of Maitreya. He escaped an encirclement years ago, and it seems his Dao has greatly improved."

"Remnants of Maitreya have been purged generation after generation, only to rise again like weeds in the wind with spring, ungrowable, with their traces in every corner of Divine State, posing no real threat."

Saying this, he sighed, "The real trouble with this matter lies in the Capital!"