"Zigui County, Dangyang County, and now Wuchang City, all the chaos is related to her..."
"That Lady Liu, originally nad Aunt Liu, is a magician from Jiangsu and Zhejiang skilled in the Cat Ghost Skill. She once ran a brothel in Chang’an under the Red Woman and hard my father..."
"After the fall of the Maitreya Sect in Chang’an, they killed to silence witnesses and left. Now the Red Woman has been slain by , and that Lady Liu has most likely returned to life, becoming the one in charge here..."
"The truly terrifying one is Zhao Changsheng..."
Li Yan revealed everything without holding back.
He had long understood that with his own power, he could not possibly deal with Zhao Changsheng.
For soone like this, hidden behind the scenes creating chaos, the best way was to expose their identity to the world.
The Great Xuan Dynasty was now at its peak, and the strength of the Mystical Sect far surpassed the chaotic tis at the end of the Song.
He couldn’t believe that with so many experts, they could not capture a single Zhao Changsheng.
"I have heard of this person too."
Cheng Jue said solemnly, "Recently, a ssage ca from the Capital City Law Enforcent Hall, instructing all regions to pay attention to the whereabouts of this person. It was only said to be the Vice Sect Hierarch of the Maitreya Sect, but I didn’t expect this level of identity."
Li Yan shook his head and said, "After the chaos in Dangyang County settled, I secretly reported this matter to the Capital City Law Enforcent Hall. Presumably, the ssage from there has not yet arrived."
Such things were not surprising.
The back-and-forth transfer of information from here to the capital took ti, not to ntion that the Law Enforcent Hall also required ti to make arrangents.
It was estimated that after so ti, Zhao Changsheng’s identity would be communicated to all parties.
Cheng Jue nodded and said, "I will return to report this to the abbot. The Da Song Ghost Sect’s calamity has persisted for a thousand years, and now Zhao Changsheng is secretly plotting to disrupt the Southwest war situation, intending to plunge the Divine State into chaos."
"Truth be told, the Shaolin Zen Sect has also sent a few masters to assist. This ti, we must capture Zhao Changsheng!"
The big monk had his own calculations in his heart.
Although the calamity in Wuchang City had been secretly planned by demons years in advance, they were responsible for suppressing the area, and it would be considered negligence.
If they could eliminate the scourge of Zhao Changsheng, it would be a great rit.
However, Li Yan shook his head and said, "Zhao Changsheng is extrely cunning, always acting through others and rarely showing himself. This ti should be no different."
"Only by quickly capturing that Lady Liu can we eliminate the disaster. Do you have any leads?"
Cheng Jue shook his head and said, "I know sothing about the Cat Ghost Skill, often popular among the brothel won."
"But we have secretly searched all the brothels in the three cities and found no trace of her. The fact that the other party dares to display this skill clearly shows they are well-prepared."
"There is a weakness to this skill, which is needing to constantly suppress the cultivated cat ghost to prevent backlash, often requiring cat sacrifices."
Li Yan asked again, "Have you sent officials to inquire if there are any missing pet cats among the people?"
Cheng Jue shook his head and said, "We’ve asked, and the pet cats of the people are all fine. The other side is probably using stray cats. The western Beggar Gang also replied that the number of stray cats in the city has indeed decreased, but their whereabouts are unknown."
"This Lady Liu is likely still hiding in Wuchang City!"
After hearing this, Li Yan laughed silently and shook his head, "Master, why didn’t you tell about this earlier?"
"If you don’t know the person, then ask the cats!"
...
Wuchang City, Qintai Alley.
This old alley, which had existed since the Da Xing Period when the old Wuchang City was still around, was a place of extraordinary wealth.
The story of Yu Boya eting Zhong Ziqi, "High Mountains and Flowing Water" finding a confidant, took place nearby, with an Ancient Zither Platform as a morial on Gui Mountain.
The Ancient Zither Platform was first built during the Northern Song era. Within the then Wuchang City, this alley was a gathering place for the wealthy, hence its na change.
During the Da Xing Period, the Golden Tent Wolf Country faced off along the Yangtze River’s north and south, making the three cities of Wuchang a battlefield, often changing hands.
After the Golden Tent Wolf Country broke the city, besides the Chu Royal Mansion, the most prosperous Qintai Alley naturally beca a target for plunder.
Many aristocratic mansions were burned, and all the won in their families were ravished to death by the rebel troops, filled with resentnt and rampant fierce ghosts.
Even if Wuchang City was rebuilt and rituals were perford here to dispel the fierce energy, the city’s rchants felt it was inauspicious, so no one built hos here.
Even the common folk believed the place was cursed.
In ti, it beca a gathering place for the Beggar Gang, with various decrepit houses crowding along the streets, so abandoned old mansions emitting a foul stench.
"Gentlen, this is the place."
The head beggar of the western faction in Wuchang City, Zhou Scabface, cautiously led the way ahead, wearing a flattering expression, "I saw a few stray cats fighting for food here before; later, they were spooked by sothing and fled upon seeing people."
Behind him were a group of monks from the Law Enforcent Hall, along with Cheng Jue, Li Yan, and Lv San.
Upon hearing this, Li Yan looked ahead to find a spread of broken walls and rubble, overgrown with wild grass and trees, littered with trash and reeking.
Zhou Scabface cautiously added, "This was originally a yizhuang, later burned down in a fire and abandoned."
Li Yan nodded and looked at Lv San.
Lv San did not waste words and imdiately stepped forward, forming a hand seal and emitting a strange sound from his mouth, like the sound of a xun, carrying an ancient rhythm.
Li Yan watched for the first ti, knowing it was undoubtedly a magic thod Lv San had recently learned, clearly different from the current Mystical Sect’s spells.
Whoosh!
Under the surprised gazes of the crowd, the previously silent abandoned yizhuang quickly ca alive.
From holes in the ground, rats erged...
From the shadowy parts of the forest, snakes and stray dogs appeared...
Caw! Caw! Caw!
From the sky, a dozen ravens flapped their wings and flew...
Even Zhou Scabface was surprised, and so was Cheng Jue to so extent, witnessing this.
He knew Lv San could speak the language of birds and beasts and command rats to alert but did not expect such capability.
However, his brow soon furrowed, and he turned to Zhou Scabface, "What’s going on?"
All sorts of animals were running out, yet there were no cats.
"This..."
Zhou Scabface said awkwardly, "Master, the recent sightings of cats in the city have only been here, I truly don’t know."
"Wait!" Suddenly, Li Yan raised his hand.
On the roof of a rundown house, a small head peeked out, full of vigilance as it looked at them.
It was a little tabby cat.
Seeing this, Lv San’s tone imdiately turned gentle with his mouth sounds.
Finally, the little tabby cat stumbled down, not only skinny as a twig but also limping on its hind legs, its fur matted, eyes sowhat cloudy.
A flash of anger lit up in Lv San’s eyes, and he carefully placed ready water and shredded at on the ground.
The kitten, clearly starved, began vomiting after a few bites, wobbling unsteadily as if having difficulty standing.
Anyone could see that the kitten was not long for this world.
Lv San sighed, altered his tone again, and the kitten owed in reply, seemingly telling them sothing.
With care, Lv San led the kitten, speeding toward another street.
Seeing this, everyone followed.
They weaved through several alleys, gradually reaching a more prosperous area where city commoners resided.
Finally, Lv San stopped, stroking the kitten, coldly staring ahead, "Those who capture cats are right here!"
Ahead was a sizable butcher shop, with a large yard behind and a row of pork stalls in front, where a dozen townsfolk lined up to buy.
Noticing the group’s daunting approach, the townsfolk sensed trouble, moving aside but staying nearby to watch.
The butcher was a burly man, greasy all over with a bushy beard. At the group’s arrival, a fierce light flickered in his eyes.
"Exposed, run!"
With that, he turned, kicking through the greasy pork scraps and removing a greased cloth, pulling out a bamboo pole from inside.
Netherworld Fire Pistol?!
Li Yan’s eyes narrowed, and with a flick, he sent a flying blade spinning forth.
They were separated by no more than twenty yards, and Li Yan employed Hidden Energy. The speed was astounding. The butcher hadn’t even fully turned before the blade pierced his head, and he fell to the ground.
His henchn scattered in every direction.
"Don’t let a single one escape!"
Cheng Jue ordered coldly, and the monks leapt out.
The monks, being Martial Monks from Baotong Zen Temple, easily dealt with these pugilistic world scoundrels, quickly subduing them all.
So of them directly dashed toward the back courtyard.
Li Yan did not follow, instead forming a spell, taking a deep breath, and within two hundred ters around him, he inhaled all the scents.
"There’s an underground tunnel!"
He suddenly opened his eyes, leaping forward briskly, clutching a spell, with electrical arcs crackling on his fists.
Upon landing, he smashed down violently.
Boom!
A loud crash and debris scattered.
The ground caved in, revealing a gaping hole.
Everyone rushed closer to peer inside.
Whoosh~
From the pit, black smoke suddenly arose, with pairs of glowing green eyes flashing in the darkness, as a chill spread outward.
The rain still drizzled from the sky, with water on the ground quickly frosting over, forming countless tiny footprints...
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