Chapter 651 Zhangqiu Ancient Town
There is a saying in the Daxuan Dynasty, “There are Suzhou and Hangzhou in the south and Linzhang in the north”.

The so-called “Lin Zhang” refers to Linqing in Liaocheng and Zhangqiu in Yanggu.

During the Daxing period, with the opening of the Huitong River section in Luzhou, the Grand Canal was able to flow through the three towns of Zhangqiu, Acheng and Qiji in the eastern part of Yanggu County. As a result, the three towns prospered rapidly and became three famous towns on the canal.

Especially this picture of Qiu Zhen.

It is located on the north bank of the Yellow River and is the wharf for entering the Huitong section of the Grand Canal. It is an important cargo distribution center.

Most of the bamboo, wood, citrus, rice, tung oil, silk, tea, etc. produced in the south of the Yangtze River were unloaded here and transported by land to Jinzhou, Shanzhou, Yuzhou and Luzhou.

Goods from the inland, including local black dates, donkey-hide gelatin, Jiaozhou sea salt, etc., were also shipped here and shipped to the south. Therefore, it was the most prosperous, and even a small town had nine gates and nine passes, seventy-two streets, and eighty-two alleys.

Since ancient times, docks have been a gathering place for all kinds of people.

Zhang Qiuzhen is no exception.

Especially this place is located in Yanggu County.

The name of Jingyang Ridge spread far and wide along with the “Water Margin”.

Since the Song Dynasty, the chivalrous spirit of Liangshan has never dissipated.

At this moment, the dock is filled with sails and masts.

Porters sweating profusely, animals neighing one after another, merchants speaking in a cacophony of different languages…the entire dock is bustling with noise, a scene of prosperity.

And this is just the pier.

In the distance, on the Huitong River, there are many ships waiting to dock.

There were so many of them that they even crowded the entire river.

“Zhangqiu Town was originally called Zhangqiu Town.”

On the deck of a large ship, Chen San, the leader of the local Cao Gang, who is known as “Langli Jiao”, smiled and introduced: “This place rises in water every autumn, so it is called ‘Zhangqiu’. Over time, it became Zhangqiu.”

His smile was gentle, even a little flattering.

If the nearby gangsters saw this, they would be shocked.

This Chen San is no good person. He was born in Ziwu Gate and is considered a top-notch person in Yanggu County.

Yanggu County is adjacent to Liangshan.

As the saying goes, “When you drink the water from Liangshan, you will stretch your arms and kick your legs.”

This place has been rich in martial arts culture since ancient times.

Banjiudian, located in the north of Liangshan Mountain, is the hometown of Cheng Yaojin.

During the Song Dynasty, the martial spirit was particularly strong.

During the Xuanhe period of Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty, heroes from all over the world gathered at Liangshan Marsh, and it was a place where many masters gathered and became famous in the martial arts world.

But at that time, there were more masters than just the 108 heroes on Liangshan Mountain.

In the northern part of Liangshan, at Jianfu Temple on Liugong Mountain, there lived an old abbot named Yuan Tong, who was one of the top ten great masters in China at that time. He traveled far and wide and was invincible in the world.

After every battle, the Liangshan heroes would go there to rest and practice their martial arts.

Abbot Yuan Tong absorbed the strengths of the heroes’ kung fu and created Liangshan kung fu. Because this kung fu was mostly practiced at midnight and noon, it was called “Ziwu Gate”.

After Song Jiang and others were killed after they surrendered, Yuan Tong took their descendants to Liugong Mountain for protection.

The heroes of the water marsh who escaped the disaster also went to Jianfu Temple to become monks and live there.

At this point, Liangshan Ziwu Gate had its foundation.

This style of Kung Fu all bears the names of Liangshan heroes, such as Wu Song’s Fist, Wu Song’s Drunken Fist, Zhishen’s Fist, Zhishen’s Stick, Yang Zhi’s Sword, Yanqing’s Fist, Yanqing’s Stick, Lin Chong’s Spear, Li Kui’s Axe, Shi Qian’s Light Body Technique, Sun Erniang’s Double Swords, etc.

Chen San was originally a master of the Ziwu Gate, and as he was well versed in water, he earned the nickname “Dragon in the Waves”.

This means that he is more ferocious than the original “White Shark in the Waves”.

With the support of his sect and his own abilities and means, he was appointed the leader of the Cao Gang.

The Grand Canal is the foundation of the Cao Gang.

Being able to become a leader and control a section of the river, you can imagine his ability.

But now, he looks humble.

Next to him was Li Yan, who came by boat from Yuzhou.

“Young Master Li.”

Seeing that Li Yan didn’t say anything, Chen San pointed to the town in the distance and said, “The streets in Zhangqiu Town are named after what they sell, such as Rice Market Street, Sugar Market Street, Firewood Market Street, Bamboo Pole Lane, etc. Which one do you think is suitable to live in?”

“Just be quiet.”

Li Yan nodded and lowered his voice to say: “It doesn’t matter where we live. We are not so particular when we are traveling around the world. It would be better for Captain Chen to find out the truth as soon as possible.”

“Yes, yes, I know.”

Chen San looked solemn and nodded quickly.

That’s right, this Chen San has another identity, which is a captain in the Duwei Division.

The relationship between the Cao Gang and the imperial court was already ambiguous. Most of the time, they relied on the imperial court’s business to survive and cooperated with the imperial court, one openly and the other secretly, to jointly maintain order on the canal.

Chen San was able to succeed smoothly, and Duwei Si’s secret identity also helped a lot.

Li Yan and others were escorted by the Heluo Chamber of Commerce. As soon as they left Kaifeng, Chen San came over.

However, he was ordered by the capital to contact him and secretly investigate the “Jianmu” organization.

Ever since Li Yan entered the underworld, he had a feud with this organization, and it has become a situation of life and death.

If he were alone, he would inevitably be passive.

At least in this matter, cooperating with the court is the best option. Therefore, after obtaining information from Wang Xuanmo, he immediately reported it to Priest Xuan. The court was tracking down Zhao Changsheng, so he immediately dispatched elite troops to cooperate.

“I have sent someone to Qufu.”

“The Kong family was granted an imperial title by the imperial court and they are very cooperative. We are investigating the ‘Kong Hui’…”

“There are also Japanese monks who escaped. The Cao Gang brothers are keeping an eye on them…”

He did not dare to be negligent and explained his arrangements one by one.

Those who can participate in this operation are the elite from the Law Enforcement Hall and the Commandant’s Office.

He also had some connections in the capital, and knew that although Li Yan came from a humble background, he was a prominent figure in the Taoist world, and had close relationships with some important officials in the capital, so he was not someone he could afford to offend.

Therefore, I acted like a subordinate all the way.

As they were talking, the ships ahead finally dispersed.

After the ship docked, the people in the cabin walked out one by one.

In addition to Li Yan and others, Zhao Luzi and his wife were also among them.

On the dock, there was a mix of good and bad people, and their imposing manner immediately attracted a lot of attention.

But when they saw Cao Gang leader Chen San personally leading the way, those who were smart quickly avoided his gaze.

Chen San did not bother to pay attention. With the disciples of the Cao Gang leading the way, he led everyone directly into the city and came to a large courtyard with three entrances in the east city. It was built with blue bricks and gray tiles, carved beams and jade buildings, as well as rockery and flowing water. It was very magnificent.

“Young Master Li, this is my Chen family’s old house.”

Chen San smiled and said, “You all want some quiet time, but an inn is bound to be crowded with people. After thinking about it, this is still the right place. You all can stay here with peace of mind. If you need anything, just tell the housekeeper.”

Then he whispered: “The imperial court’s order came urgently, and I have some arrangements. In case those Japanese escape…”

Li Yan nodded and said, “Master Chen is busy.”

“I’ll welcome you all tomorrow.”

Chen San clasped his fists with a serious look, then hurriedly left with his men.

This is the benefit of cooperating with the imperial court. Although Chen San and his people are no match for the old monsters of “Jianmu” in terms of military strength, they are scattered all over Shenzhou. Once the imperial court issues an order, a dragnet can be formed.

Especially this information, if Li Yan were to look it up himself, it would take an unknown amount of time.

In the past, they had to be ordered around by others, but now they can rely on the power of all parties.

“Everyone, I am Chen Fu.”

As soon as Chen San left, the old housekeeper came up to greet him and said, “The guest rooms have been cleaned for you, and the wine and food have been prepared. You just need to wash up and give the order to eat.”

“Good work.”

Everyone in the Chen residence had obviously received instructions in advance and knew that they were honored guests, so they did not dare to be negligent in the slightest.

After settling down, Li Yan came to the room of Zhao Luzi and his wife.

The two men were tortured in the fake underworld palace, and their vitality was damaged. They did not participate in the Battle of Luoyang, and they woke up and slept all the way. They only got slightly better yesterday and were able to walk on their own, but they were still pale and looked deficient in qi and blood.

Seeing Li Yan coming in, Zhao Luzi quickly stood up, but his eyes were a little evasive.

“Why are you so distant, Brother Zhao?”

Li Yan burst out laughing and pulled Zhao Luzi to sit down.

Zhao Luzi’s face turned red. He was silent for a while before he spoke: “When we went to Guanzhong, you asked me to accompany you. I didn’t want to break my oath, but now all the taboos in the sect have been broken. I’m sorry to make you laugh.”

Li Yan shook his head slightly, “What did you say?”

“Times have changed. Sticking to tradition is respectable, but it depends on the situation. I haven’t asked yet. With your personality, Brother Zhao, you won’t break your oath easily without a reason, right?”

Having said that, he glanced at Feng Feiyan calmly.

Feng Feiyan’s face turned pale and she lowered her head.

“It has nothing to do with my wife.”

Seeing this, Zhao Luzi hurriedly held Feng Feiyan’s hand and explained, “We are getting married, and I originally wanted to send a message to Brother Li to have a wedding banquet, but I got the news that you are fighting against the Tiansheng Sect in Ezhou.”

“I was worried and planned to go to help, but when I passed Qinling Mountains, I almost died.”

“Oh?”

Li Yan frowned, “What happened?”

Zhao Luzi and Feng Feiyan looked at each other, and a trace of fear flashed in their eyes.

After taking a sip from the teacup on the table, Zhao Luzi slowly said, “You know, my family of mountain hunters spends most of their time sleeping in the wilderness. Even when we are on the road, we don’t take the official road, but the mountain road.”

As he spoke, his eyes turned red. “My father entered the Qinling Mountains and never returned. Before he left, he made me swear that I would never leave Guanzhong. Since I broke the oath, I thought about looking for him.”

“My lineage always leaves secret marks when entering the mountains, so as to avoid entering a dangerous place and being unable to leave. As a result, I really found the mark. Although many years have passed, it is still clear.”

“We followed the marks and found the treasure house of the previous dynasty, Daxing, but it had been blown up. There were also repressive runes left by the Taixuan Orthodox Church…”

“Is that the trap?”

Li Yan was stunned and asked immediately.

When he was in Guanzhong, a master of the Maitreya Sect massacred Gushui Village. He obtained a map from a eunuch who escaped from the capital and led many Qinling bandits into the mountains to dig for treasure.

As it turned out, the so-called treasure was nothing more than a trap left by the previous dynasty Daxing, which also suppressed a powerful drought demon, and almost caused the Qinling dragon veins to shake. Fortunately, Taixuan Orthodox Sect took action, dragged the coffin out, and placed it on Huashan to suppress it.

Also because of this incident, he got an opportunity on Mount Hua.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Luzi also found that place.

“Was my uncle harmed by the drought demon?” Li Yan asked.

“No.”

Zhao Luzi shook his head and said, “That fake treasure house was just a trick. I used the secret method of driving away mountains to find it, and found the secret code left by my father in the back mountain. I continued to search, and as a result, I saw something strange…”

“That night the moonlight was very bright. I saw a Taoist in a white robe meditating on the mountain. He could exhale clouds like a monster, refine his inner elixir, and absorb the moonlight…”

“My wife and I were scared and turned around to leave, but suddenly some evil soldiers appeared in the mountains and rivers. Although we used secret methods to avoid them, I was also seriously injured. It was my wife who carried me out of Qinling alone…”

“After getting on the official road, I realized something was wrong. We were locked in a curse. Before midnight, I felt something was prying at the door. To prevent any accidents, we had to get away as soon as possible.”

“That’s how we ran all the way to Yuzhou. Because I was fighting against the evil soldiers, my mind was damaged, so Yan’er could only take on some dirty work to raise money to help me heal my wounds. In the end, she was kidnapped.”

“I see.”

Li Yan suddenly realized and bowed to Feng Feiyan, saying, “Thank you.”

He knew that he had wronged the woman.

I didn’t expect that Shopkeeper Feng was such a kind and righteous person.

Looking at the couple, Li Yan asked, “What are your plans for the future?”

Zhao Luzi’s eyes were somewhat confused. “Yan’er is an ordinary person. I was also injured. It is difficult for me to make any progress in this life. It is too dangerous to continue to hide treasures. Maybe I should find a place to do some small business…”

Li Yan pondered for a moment and said, “I have a suggestion.”

“It’s a pity to bury your abilities, brother. Besides, the humane changes in Shenzhou are coming, and the wilderness will become more and more dangerous. We are going to the Qiankun Academy when we go to the capital.”

“They teach all kinds of mystical knowledge there. Why don’t I help you find a position there and teach you some lessons on distinguishing spiritual woods? Are you willing?”

“what?”

Zhao Luzi was stunned. “I… can I still teach in the academy?”

“That’s natural.”

Li Yan smiled and said, “Qiankun Academy is not ordinary. Brother, you don’t want to leak your family’s skills. I’m sure they will be very happy to teach you some skills for survival in the wild.”

He had seen what Zhao Luzi was capable of.

Putting aside Biebao’s methods, the knowledge of his ancestors alone is enough to attract people.

It is too dangerous to follow them. With the protection of Qiankun Academy, it will be much safer.

After explaining the origin of Qiankun Academy, Feng Feiyan winked at Zhao Luzi and he agreed.

“correct!”

Just as Li Yan was about to leave, Zhao Luzi suddenly spoke up, “I remembered one more thing.”

“That night, the Yin soldiers passed through the border. I vaguely saw their attire. They seemed to be dressed as Qin soldiers.”

“Also, I heard that Taoist said half a sentence loudly…”

“What?”

“Your Majesty, my teacher Xu Fu…”

“what?!”

Li Yan stood up suddenly, his eyes full of disbelief.

…………

After returning to the room, Li Yan’s face was still gloomy.

Qin Army Yinbing, Your Majesty…

It was hard not to remind him of the legend of Qinling:

The Qin King’s Immortal Palace!
To others, it might just be a legend, but he knew that the place really existed and had a deep relationship with the Dark Cult.

Could it be that the First Emperor was also hiding in it?
Also, Xu Fu was related to the “Jianmu” organization and might even be involved in it.

His apprentice, naturally.

The First Emperor hated it to the core.

What did Xu Fu’s disciple go to Qinling Mountains for?
(End of this chapter)