"Father tasked with escorting the military supplies, and we absolutely must not let Yichang run out of provisions. Though it will offend the Pai Sect, the overall situation is paramount, and we cannot afford any accidents."
"Is that so."
Upon hearing this, Li Yan imdiately understood.
The Lei Family and Cao Gang had different views from the Pai Sect.
They were descendants of the Yue Family army. Though involved in the pugilistic world, their minds were focused on achieving military exploits and consistently aligned themselves with the military.
This ti, they were particularly active in the Southwest battle, hoping that after the war, the court would recognize them and allow the descendants of the Yue Family army in Huangi County to join the military.
Han Kun offered another toast and inquired, "Brother Li, where are you headed?"
Li Yan replied, "I’ve accepted a job, helping soone in Jiangxia deal with a funeral."
Han Kun smiled wryly, "With your fa, Brother Li, do you still need to do this sort of thing?"
Li Yan casually responded, "This is the bread and butter after all."
As he spoke, he hesitated briefly, then warned, "I’ve received so information concerning military secrets, but I’m not at liberty to disclose more."
"The two of you are tasked with escorting supplies. You might need to guard against not just the Pai Sect but also demons in the river. Pay attention to movents within the army and avoid sailing at night."
"Also, it’s best not to speak carelessly about this matter."
"My employer is waiting, so I must take my leave first."
With that, he stood up, bowed, and excused himself.
The demons in the river had allied with the sorcerers from the Ghost Sect. The military needed plans to counter these creatures.
This information was supposed to be confidential, but considering his decent relationship with these two n and bound by the ethics of the pugilistic world, he felt compelled to warn them lest they unwittingly lose their lives.
"Oh, Brother Li, take care."
Seeing Li Yan’s manner, Han Kun knew better than to ask further.
Watching Li Yan and his companions leave, Lei Poshan asked sowhat puzzledly, "What did Young Hero Li an by that? Could there be so unrest among the demons in the Yangtze River? But nothing happened as we ca here."
Han Kun’s eyes narrowed slightly, "Li Yan wouldn’t speak without reason. From his deanor, there must be so hidden concerns."
"It involves the Mystical Sect; we must be cautious."
"I will promptly send a ssage within the gang to bring more magicians aboard. Here in Wuchang, our Cao Gang’s presence is insufficient, and I must also trouble Brother Lei to make so inquiries."
"We should not delay, let’s go!"
With that, he led the disciples of the Cao Gang onto the boat.
...
After disembarking at the pier, it wasn’t far to Jiangxia County.
Jiangxia, with its unique geographical location, serves as a border area between Jingzhou and Jiangdong, historically a battleground.
The original county city, destroyed several tis by the Golden Tent Wolf Country during the Da Xing Period of the previous dynasty, had long turned into ruins.
The current city walls were constructed after the establishnt of the Great Xuan Dynasty and had been expanded several tis over the century, covering a considerable area.
Of course, the group did not enter the city.
Though the Shen Family was a prominent family in Jiangxia, the city residence was only used for resting on usual days, and they did not stay as often as in Wuchang City.
Their ancestral ho was near Liangzi Lake at Shenjiaba, close to the kilns, and almost the entire village worked for the Shen Family.
Outside the city on the official road, about twenty people awaited, each clad in white garnts and carrying a sharp sword.
The leader, a man with a stern and rigid deanor, walked up imdiately upon seeing them and bowed, "Young master, the old lady asked to pick you up."
Shen Jinghong’s face suddenly turned pale, "Is there trouble?"
The man responded gravely, "The people from the second and third branches are getting restless. Now only the young master remains in the main branch, it’s better to be cautious."
Seeing this, Li Yan and Sha Lifei exchanged a look.
Well, it looks like there’s more than one problem.
Thinking this, Li Yan stepped forward and said, "Young Master Shen, as you know our rules, so things must be discussed upfront to avoid any misunderstandings later."
Such small teams like Li Yan’s were common in the pugilistic world.
If it was about escorting or delivering goods, it was called a nominal role.
If the job involved assassination or looting, it was terd as fulfilling Ge Nian.
In the Mystical Sect, however, there was a more elegant term: traveling immortals.
Many from the Mystical Sect traveled to vanquish demons, seek out mysteries, or pursue Dao for cultivation, all classified under this category.
There even existed a specific type of poetry known as traveling immortal verses.
Regardless of the type, undertaking such tasks had a clear rule: the employer must not conceal anything to avoid complications.
Similarly, they wouldn’t arbitrarily reveal their employer’s secrets.
This was a rule in the pugilistic world, and violating it could lead to violence.
Shen Jinghong’s face turned pale, and he hurriedly said, "Young Hero Li, please don’t bla . It’s not that I intended to hide anything; I just didn’t expect internal strife at this ti."
"In my Shen family, there are three branches. My father oversees the major affairs and the family property is inherited by my eldest brother’s branch. Initially, our family status had declined, and it was all thanks to my father’s efforts over the years that the Shen family gradually grew."
"They... alas."
Li Yan glanced at the n, "Forgive my intrusion, but what’s the deal with these guards of the Shen family?"
He had a reason to ask.
Typically, large households hired Protectors from among the followers of the pugilistic world. If more powerful, they would have their own martial arts schools or even a reputation in the local pugilistic world.
But these n, wielding long swords, had identical stances and even their positioning was ticulous.
This was sothing usually only seen in the military.
The Shen family’s internal strife did not concern them, but training private soldiers could lead to accusations of rebellion, which they definitely wanted to avoid.
Especially given the complex situation in Ezhou currently.
"Oh..."
Shen Jinghong suddenly understood and shook his head, "Young Hero Li, you needn’t worry about this matter. Almost everyone in Jiangxia knows about it."
"My Shen family also has a history, descending from ’Black Cloud Capital’, so so Secret Techniques have been lost, but the martial skills remain."
"After my father’s condition improved at ho, he trained a group of Protectors who have chased away bandits several tis. Without this, it would have been difficult to establish ourselves near Liangzi Lake."
"I see."
After listening, Li Yan looked at these n with so surprise.
"Black Cloud Capital" was an elite force under Yang Xingmi during the late Tang Dynasty.
During that chaotic era at the end of the Tang Dynasty, various military governors and warlords ruled over different regions, with both the Demon Path and the Proper Xuan Sect involving themselves in the wars.
In that age when Martial Artists ruled, power was asured by strength, and nurous Secret Techniques of the Xuan sect were used in the military, giving rise to many elite troops.
"Stable Overlord Army" under Liu Rengong, "Court Army" and "Falling Goose Army" for Zhu Wen, "Silver Spear Army" under Yang Shihou, "Golden Spear Army" under Li Cunxu, and "Iron Forest Army" and "Black Crow Army" under Li Keyong...
Each army integrated Xuan Sect Secret Techniques.
In the Xuan sect, they had a common na:
Late Tang Dynasty Xuan Soldiers!
It was a bloody era, and Xuan Sect Secret Techniques were even used to slaughter ordinary people. More heinously, so practiced Evil Techniques that involved cannibalism, and Demon Path techniques proliferated.
In short, it was chaotic.
His Netherworld Fire Pistol was also invented during that ti.
Yang Xingmi’s "Black Cloud Capital" consisted of five thousand n, each highly skilled, clad in black armor, wielding Black Cloud Swords, and using Xuan Sect Secret Techniques, which made them extrely lethal.
The Shen family actually had such a background.
Looking at the swords these n carried, the blades were wide, resembling the legendary Black Cloud Swords.
However, these n did not carry the aura of Astral Bane, and they were surely not from the Xuan sect, definitely far inferior to the original "Black Cloud Capital."
Thinking this, Li Yan nodded, "Unexpectedly, Young Master Shen also cos from a learned family; no wonder you can fend off demons."
Shen Jinghong gave a bitter smile, "Our inheritance has long been fragnted; it’s just ordinary Swordsmanship, only good at combined attacks."
"To be honest, I’m not skilled in unard combat. My father didn’t force it, so I haven’t even reached the novice level."
"If we really had the original ’Black Cloud Capital’, my Shen family would probably have been destroyed long ago."
Li Yan nodded, "Young Master Shen is quite perceptive."
The Secret Techniques of the Late Tang Dynasty Xuan Soldiers, those stemming from the Demon Path and more brutal, have been classified as Forbidden Techniques by the Proper Xuan Sect.
Even the regular ones were incorporated into the Military School’s Secret Techniques and taken by the court.
For ordinary people to possess them ant courting death.
Having understood the situation, Li Yan did not speak further.
The land around Jiangxia was situated on the Jianghan Plain, flat terrains with fertile soil, crisscrossed by rivers and dotted with lakes—a true land of abundance.
Traveling by boat, they approached Shen’s settlent by evening.
This village, near Liangzi Lake, with several rivers intertwining around it, was built against the mountains, surrounded on three sides by water, resembling a dam.
As he entered the village, Li Yan narrowed his eyes.
In the village, nearly every household was mourning, paper money was scattered everywhere, spirit halls were visible everywhere, and the sounds of mourning music and chanting were incessant.
The entire village was enveloped in an atmosphere of sorrow...
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