*Whoosh!*
Paper money fluttered through the air, drifting with the wind.
The funeral procession moved slowly, the sound of the wind carrying a mournful tone.
Though Li Yan's family belonged to the main Li clan of Li Family Fort, his branch had dwindled, with no close elders left.
Fortunately, with Wang Daoxuan overseeing the rites, Sha Lifei running errands, and help from neighbors and villagers, the old man's funeral was conducted with utmost care.
Selecting the burial site, preparing the coffin, setting up the mourning hall, and laying him to rest…
The entire process was so meticulous that even the well-informed village head, Li Huairen, gave a silent thumbs-up and spent half a day chatting with Wang Daoxuan to build rapport.
As for Li Yan, he kept busy despite his grief.
It seemed only by staying occupied could he momentarily set aside his sorrow.
With all his closest kin gone, he was left to walk this world alone.
This desolation he had experienced once before in his past life, so in this life, even if the days were plain, he had stayed in the village to keep his grandfather company.
On the seventh night, he even activated his supernatural ability to keep vigil, hoping to catch his grandfather's familiar scent, but he sensed nothing.
In a daze, he completed the funeral rites, and another month passed.
…
It was now the eighth lunar month, and the weather was turning cool.
*Boom!*
Amid the muffled thunder of autumn, light rain fell in a drizzle.
"The ritual for building a divine tower is quite costly…"
Wang Daoxuan scribbled with a brush, "Incense, candles, paper offerings, ink, and vermilion… they need to be consecrated at a major mysterious sect's temple for at least five years. Of course, we'd have to spend silver to buy them."
"These disposable ritual tools are secondary. For success, we'd also need to borrow a decent altar-suppressing artifact and find a prime feng shui spiritual node."
"The greater the mountain or blessed land, the stronger the innate stellar energy gathers, and the higher the chance of success. I know the officiant at Xianyang's City God Temple; through him, we could hold the ritual at the Taibai Mountain blessed land, but the money required can't be skimped…"
He gave a wry smile. "We of the orthodox mysterious path value accumulating hidden virtue, but every step is a hurdle, and none can be crossed without money."
Li Yan, with his Great Luo Dharma Body, no longer feared his preserved spirit dissipating.
Wang Daoxuan, unaware of this, was naturally anxious on his behalf.
Li Yan shook his head. "No need to worry, Daoist. My supernatural ability is now stable. Let's take it slow—rushing might ruin things."
*Whoosh!*
At that moment, the sound of a door being pushed open came from the courtyard.
Sha Lifei, wearing a straw raincoat and hat, stepped in from the rain.
"Good news, good news, it's finally over…"
His face was full of joy. He carelessly tossed the raincoat outside and strode in, beaming. "I got word that Master Lu's concubine and Zhao Cheng suddenly sold off all their land a few days ago. They even swindled a deposit from several families and have vanished without a trace."
"This matter must be over!"
"Probably over…"
Wang Daoxuan pondered briefly and nodded. "Swindling money before leaving means they've cut all ties. They're likely far from Guanzhong by now. Just stay cautious, and we should be fine."
Their wariness was not unwarranted.
Those in the martial world knew that orchestrating such a large operation, with several major Guanzhong blade bandits at their beck and call, meant the mastermind held immense power.
Crushing them would be as easy as squashing ants.
"Good that it's over."
Sha Lifei was brimming with excitement. "Staying in this village nearly bored me to death. With your skills and my connections, how could we not make it big?"
"Why not head straight to Chang'an?"
The three had already planned to partner up and make a living in the mysterious path.
With Li Yan's assistance, Wang Daoxuan could finally take on some jobs.
Sha Lifei, thick-skinned and smooth-talking, was well-versed in martial world customs, perfect for sniffing out lucrative gigs.
Of course, the mysterious path wasn't an easy meal ticket.
Like the martial world, you needed a reputation before anyone would come to you.
"Chang'an?"
Wang Daoxuan chuckled wryly. "Do you know what kind of place Chang'an is? In the days of the Great Tang Dynasty, it was the gathering place of the world's mysterious paths, filled with extraordinary figures. Master Ye, a lone mage, entered Chang'an and carved out a grand reputation that's echoed through the ages."
"Even now, with the capital shifted north, Chang'an remains a hub of the mysterious path."
"Orthodox sects, regional lineages, unorthodox cults—countless formidable figures lurk there. It's truly a den of tigers and dragons. We're simply not qualified."
"Let's go to Xianyang."
Li Yan suddenly spoke, his gaze cold as he looked out the window.
"Daoist Wang's home is in Xianyang, and he knows the lay of the land."
"Besides, I have some things to figure out…"
…
Xianyang, the old street near the City God Temple.
Shops dealing in incense, candles, and funeral or wedding goods operated differently from other businesses. They waited for customers to come to them, never hawking on the streets.
"Selling coffins, selling coffins, buy a big one, get a small one free…"
Anyone daring to shout like that would have their shop smashed the same day.
Not only that, even speech had its rules.
For instance, if someone came to buy a coffin, you'd ask, "Who are you preparing this for?"
If a coffin was ordered, even if it sat for years, it had to be stored properly. You couldn't deliver it without the customer's notice.
There were also taboos that couldn't be casually violated.
Thus, business on this street wasn't exactly thriving, especially in these rainy days. Familiar shopkeepers gathered to play chess and chat.
"Hey, heard the news? Old Frump Wang is back."
"Wasn't he dead?"
"Nope. They say he was out getting coffin wood and dodged a disaster."
"That fool's got some dog-shit luck."
"That's not all. I heard he's teamed up with two others and is poking around, looking to take on some business."
"Heh, with his meager skills…"
The shopkeepers' words dripped with mockery.
Running related businesses, they were half-insiders, aware of mysterious path dealings and even connected to some practitioners.
Introducing jobs earned them a cut.
They knew Wang Daoxuan was of the mysterious path, but their taunts grew harsher than the last.
It wasn't personal—just human nature.
Mocking a down-and-out mysterious path figure made them feel smug, their words carrying a bit more weight.
Outside, a man with an umbrella passed by.
Hearing their chatter, he gave a cold glance but paid no mind.
It was Li Yan.
They had been back in Xianyang for seven or eight days, tidying up Wang Daoxuan's old house to settle in and starting to gather information.
Unfortunately, mysterious path business wasn't easy to come by.
Big shots went straight to the Great Mysterious Orthodox Sect, or at least to disciples of well-known lineages.
In many villages, local witches and shamans held sway. Unless they faced something they couldn't handle, they wouldn't let outsiders encroach, and a challenge might lead to a magical duel.
Mysterious path conflicts were no less bloody than those in the martial world.
The only difference was that ordinary folk rarely witnessed them.
Li Yan wasn't in a rush. He spent his days mingling in teahouses and taverns, first to hear of any jobs, and second to gather information on Zhou Pan of the Divine Fist Society.
The brothel in Chang'an where his father died had been burned to the ground.
Now, the only lead was Zhou Pan, who had acted suspiciously at the time.
But Zhou Pan wasn't easy to deal with.
This old monkey had reached the level of refined strength, held sway in both the underworld and legitimate circles of Xianyang, and commanded a large group of disciples. Even street thugs followed his orders.
To pry anything out of him, the right moment had to be found.
Lost in thought, Li Yan returned to the Inquiry Hall.
"Business is here!"
Before he could step inside, Sha Lifei came running from the street, frantic.
Back in the courtyard, facing their gazes, Sha Lifei grinned smugly. "See? It takes Sha Lifei to get things done!"
"There's a theater troupe from Huayin planning to set up in Xianyang. I know someone in the troupe, and they need help from someone in the mysterious path."
Li Yan's eyes lit up. "A shadow puppet troupe?"
Huayin troupes mostly performed old-style opera.
While both Qin opera and old-style opera hailed from Guanzhong, they were distinct. Qin opera was from the western prefecture, a traditional play, while old-style opera from the eastern prefecture was for shadow puppets.
He'd seen one in Lantian County, quite fascinating.
"Yeah."
Sha Lifei nodded, animated. "This job might not pay much, but you know, theater troupes are tied to the Liu family. If we do it well, won't our reputation spread?"
Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard. "Good news. What do they want?"
Sha Lifei chuckled. "They say they want to 'install the filth' and invite a deity."
Wang Daoxuan's face changed instantly.
"This job, we can't take!"
*(End of Chapter)*