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Back at the Dao Inquiry Hall, Li Yan immediately opened his eyes and sat up.
Sha Lifei asked hesitantly, “You… you’re really okay?”
He knew Li Yan had been faking unconsciousness, but couldn’t help worrying. No one could blame him for doing so either. Li Yan’s body was a blood-soaked mess.
Li Yan brushed it off casually. “I’m fine. They are just flesh wounds.”
He was already tearing off his bloodied clothes. The wounds had already stopped bleeding and didn’t look too serious. Of course, he had already used the Great Luo Dharma Body.
Some of Zhou Bai’s strikes had carried hidden force. They had torn his muscles and even damaged his organs. Without the Great Luo Dharma Body, he would have been bedridden for months.
His internal injuries were healed, but he left behind superficial wounds so that he could avoid suspicion.
Wang Daoxuan let out a breath of relief and quickly applied medicine to his wounds.
Li Yan didn't stop him as he turned to Sha Lifei. “Uncle Sha, go out now. First collect the gambling winnings, then spread word that I’m seriously injured. After that, buy some herbs. Remember, you need to act worried.”
Sha Lifei blinked. “Why?”
Winning easily and winning by mutual destruction gave him very different reputations.
“It’s simple.” Li Yan thought back to how Zhang Yuanshang and others had confronted the Eight Vajras after the duel. “I just wanted to trigger the conflict. They want to use me as a chess piece. Both sides were already prepared to fall out; I just happened to be the trigger.
“The Zhou Family won’t let this go. If nothing changes, the other side will be waiting for them to act so they can use it as leverage. But if news spreads that I’m badly injured, the Zhou Family won’t act rashly. They’ll just keep watch to prevent us from leaving the city.
“Zhang Yuanshang’s side won’t wait forever either; they’ll find another chance. Once things get chaotic, we’ll be safe.”
Sha Lifei immediately understood. “Oh… got it!”
He hurried out, putting on a worried expression as he headed toward the gambling house.
As soon as he left, Li Yan spoke quietly, “Daoist, Zhou Bai used some strange tricks.”
He then explained everything to Wang Daoxuan.
***
“An ape aura?” Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard thoughtfully. “That sounds like a kind of puppet technique.”
He continued, “In ancient witchcraft, everything was believed to have spirits. People used to invoke them to possess the body. This is called calling the spirits to descend. Later this technique merged with the Two Arts of the Method Immortals. As orthodox Daoism rose, the state suppressed such practices, but fragments spread among the people, evolving into techniques like spirit-writing or mirror divination.
“Puppet arts are similar where they use living energy combined with yin forces. Many variations exist, from straw figures and paper puppets to wooden constructs… Some ritualists are especially skilled in this. The Zhou Family must have hired a ritualist.”
Li Yan frowned. “He isn’t just a folk shaman?”
Wang Daoxuan shook his head. “These techniques are closely guarded. Folk shamans rely on spirits, but they’re not adept in such refined techniques.”
Li Yan narrowed his eyes. “So I miscalculated. If news of my injury spreads, the Zhou Family won’t attack openly, but they may send their ritualist against me.”
“No need to worry.” Wang Daoxuan revealed a faint smile. “You underestimate the strength of the mystic path of the Guanzhong Plains. Daoism has flourished here since Qin and Han times. Imperial tombs, temples, geomantic convergence, and powerful spiritual forces are everywhere. Most ordinary evil entities don’t dare approach. The real danger lies in ancient tombs, where forbidden arts were practiced.
“In times of chaos, tomb raiders and armies would disturb them, leading to the presence of ghost soldiers. That’s why Daoist altars in Chang’an, Zhongnan Mountain, and Mount Hua maintain vast spiritual forces. Each year, rituals pacify the dead, or hunt down evil spirits.
“Xianyang is no exception. The City God Temple worships General Meng Chong, a legendary figure even in death. To use powerful rituals here is basically suicide. Even the Zhou family would only dare small tricks, and your Thundercloud Resonance shattered them easily.
“When you sleep, hang the Three Talents Demon Suppressing Coins at your bed. Ordinary puppet techniques can’t get close to you.”
“Good.” Li Yan nodded. “For now, we stay inside and watch the show.”
Wang Daoxuan knew his intentions but warned, “Zhou Pan has reached the Jin Transformation Realm. You can’t handle him in head-on combat.”
Li Yan looked out the window calmly and sighed, “I’m not stupid. I won’t fight him directly. I’m waiting for a chance to force out the truth about my father.”
***
Meanwhile, outside, Sha Lifei quickly sensed something was off. A house across from the hall had its doors shut tight. Someone peeked out, then ducked back inside.
“Damn it…” He cursed softly and quickened his pace.
Sha Lifei was a veteran who had roamed the jianghu for years. Lies rolled off his tongue effortlessly, and every turn of his mind concealed another scheme. The moment Li Yan explained things to him, he immediately understood their current situation.
At the end of the day, all they had to do was pretend. They had to feign injury, hide their edge, and sit on the riverbank to watch the flames from afar. Above all, they had to avoid becoming the firecracker lit by someone else.
Now that he understood the plan, he stopped paying attention to the people tailing them along the streets. He even deliberately acted flustered and anxious, specifically choosing the busiest roads with the largest crowds.
Before long, he arrived at the Jinbao Gambling House.
“Well now, isn’t this Hero Sha?”
“You really made a name for yourself today!”
“If I’d known earlier, I would’ve placed my bets with you…”
The moment he entered the casino, a crowd immediately gathered around him.
Most of them were not truly being friendly. In fact, many did not even know Sha Lifei at all. They were merely joining the excitement, trying to exchange a few words and become familiar faces.
Later, when talking about the day’s events, they could brag that Sha Lifei was an old acquaintance of theirs. As for Li Yan, the young man who fought on the platform, he would supposedly have to respectfully call them uncle upon meeting them.
It was much like certain people Li Yan had known in his previous life, those who crowded around wealthy people at social events just to take a photograph or exchange a sentence or two. They would then claim they were sworn brothers with the celebrities in order to swindle money from others.
Naturally, Sha Lifei understood the game perfectly. Wearing a worried expression, he cupped his fists and said, “Everyone, I have urgent matters to attend to today. Let us chat another time. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
“Of course, of course. Hero Sha, please go ahead.”
The crowd had already begun forming their own guesses from his expression. Though no one would say it to his face, they would certainly gossip behind his back. By the time night fell, news of Li Yan’s serious injuries would probably spread throughout all of Xianyang.
Sha Lifei ignored them and headed straight toward the wooden cashier counter in the back with his betting slip.
Just as he was about to cash it in, one of the casino attendants respectfully cupped his fists. “Hero Sha, please come this way. Our boss wishes to see you.”
Sha Lifei’s heart immediately skipped a beat. “Oh?”
He had expected trouble from the Iron Blade Gang or White Ape Gang on the road. He had not expected the manager of the Jinbao Gambling House to seek him out first. The Jinbao Gambling House had powerful backing, yet they had no connection to him. Why would the man want to see him?
Feeling uneasy, Sha Lifei followed the attendant into an elegant private room on the second floor. Inside sat the amiable-looking Boss Wu. A large round table had already been filled with dishes, including chicken, duck, fish, and other types of meat. Whatever it was, it was an extravagant feast.
“Hahaha!” The moment Sha Lifei entered, Boss Wu stood up and laughed. “I had a feeling Hero Sha would come around this time, so I specially prepared food and wine while waiting for you.”
Sha Lifei looked puzzled. “Boss Wu, what is the meaning of this?”
“Hero Sha need not worry.” Boss Wu shook his head. “You saw it that day as well. I have some grudges with that Yuan Qu fellow, but circumstances force me to hold back from openly turning hostile with him.
“Today, seeing your side display your might on the platform, and seeing the look on Yuan Qu’s face truly delighted this old man. I simply wished to invite Hero Sha for a few drinks.”
There was no way Sha Lifei would believe such nonsense. Those who ran gambling houses were disgusting people. Anyone who suddenly showed kindness without reason definitely had ulterior motives.
Though he did not understand the reason, Sha Lifei still shook his head. “Many thanks for Boss Wu’s generosity, but I have urgent matters to attend to. Once I collect the money, I still need to visit the apothecary.”
“Oh?” Boss Wu frowned slightly. “Young Master Li’s injuries are severe?”
Sha Lifei wore a bitter expression. “I’m afraid he’ll need several months to recover.”
Boss Wu nodded slightly and sighed, “If that is the case, then I won’t force the matter. Wang Cheng, give Hero Sha another hundred taels of silver as a token of my goodwill.”
“This… this is too much.” Sha Lifei looked embarrassed, but his hands moved without the slightest hesitation when accepting the silver.
Just before leaving, he suddenly turned back to glance at the dishes on the table and scratched his head awkwardly. “Well… I still need to order food for the others. Since Boss Wu has already prepared all this, how about I pack some to take back? That way I won’t waste time on the road.”
Boss Wui’s eyebrows twitched in annoyance. Not long after, Sha Lifei emerged from the casino carrying large bundles and packages in both hands.
The moment he left, Boss Wu hurriedly shut the room door.
Rumble.
Hidden mechanisms turned in the wall as the bookshelf inside the room slowly shifted aside. The room actually contained a concealed compartment and a secret passage.
An elegant and refined woman dressed in white slowly stepped out. If Sha Lifei had been present, he would have immediately recognized her. She was the concubine clad in white who had once stood beside Master Lu.
