The Blade-Wielding Legend

Chapter 1644 - 834: Seeking Immortals

"Where are they?!"

Li Yan grabbed the collar of the witch and demanded fiercely.

Being a living Yin messenger himself, he naturally understood the seriousness of the matter.

The power of a living Yin messenger lies in being able to summon the Yin Department Soldiers, and after completing a task, possessing the Astral Order as a life-saving trump card.

If it were only these, it wouldn’t be so serious.

The key lies in the attitude of the Yin Bureau.

If those fake Yin Constables can successfully summon the soldiers, it would mean that the Yin Bureau also has their people!

Just thinking about this makes one’s skin crawl.

The Witchess Yakimaru had already been through severe torture and was physically and mentally exhausted. Intimidated by his fierce killing intent, she completely collapsed and shouted in her clumsy Central Plains dialect, "I don’t know, I really don’t know, kill me, just kill me!"

Seeing that she truly didn’t know, Li Yan stopped pressing her, standing aside with a gloomy expression.

Crown Prince Xiao Jingheng, seeing the situation, quickly advised: "Young Hero Li, please don’t worry. I will immediately report this to the Xuan Sacrificial Officer, who monitors the changes in the Dharma Realm and has unparalleled means. Besides, the Golden Swallow Sect has many informants in the pugilistic world and will also fully investigate."

"Young hero, you have been fighting continuously for days and are exhausted. Why not stay in the mansion to recuperate for the time being? Once clues emerge, there will be plenty of time to act."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Li Yan pondered for a moment and cupped his fists in gratitude.

The Crown Prince was truthful; the power of the Xuan Sacrificial Officer should not be underestimated, commanding the Mystical Sect across the country.

Compared to him, the Golden Swallow Sect also places more importance on the Crown Prince’s orders.

At the moment, fretting is of no help.

Moreover, having rushed all the way from the Capital, his companions are already physically and mentally exhausted; it’s time for some rest...

......

Li Yan and his group were accommodated in the West Garden of the Crown Prince Mansion.

The estate was built against Yuexiu Mountain, with red walls and green tiles exuding royal grandeur.

In the summer season, and now in Guangfu, even with the minor Little Ice Age, it’s still hot.

Fortunately, the garden boasts towering ancient trees and gurgling streams, along with numerous hot spring baths.

The group washed and changed clothes, shedding the stench of the sea and blood, finally releasing their tense nerves.

Sha Lifei slumped onto a stone bench, grinning while eating fruit, "Having a good, peaceful sleep is damn comfortable!"

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and shook his head, saying, "Recuperation is not idleness; with the frequent disturbances in the Daluo Law Realm, trouble is likely inevitable in the future."

Li Yan nodded, his gaze sweeping past the courtyard wall towards the northern peak of Yuexiu Mountain.

There, the Sea View Tower, built during the Hongwu Period, stood majestically with its blue brick city walls like a giant dragon sprawled over the mountain ridge.

The Northern city walls, thickened to seven feet thirteen years ago, appeared even more impregnable, forming the magnificent pattern of "Green Mountains entering the city."

On the first day of May, with the Dragon Boat Festival approaching, the fragrance of rice dumpling leaves filled the city, drifting with the wind.

Kuai Dayou, feeling interested, immediately suggested, "After the recent battles, why not take advantage of the festival to stroll around the city?"

"Guangzhou, the gateway to the Southern Country, has such strange customs, I’ve never seen it before."

The others, upon hearing this, were eager to try, especially since most of them were from the North.

Li Yan smiled and nodded, "Okay, just make sure to stay safe."

On the first day of May, the calls of "Dragon Boat rising" echoed through the Zhujiang River.

Li Yan and his group stepped into the South City and immediately felt the bustling atmosphere.

This area follows the "All Six Veins connect to the sea" situation, with shops stretching for six or seven miles, goods and riches piled high.

On both sides of Gaodi Street, silk shops and porcelain stores lined the streets; Hao Pan Street was even noisier, with Dan Family fishermen shouting about salted fish and seafood, foreign merchants’ stalls filled with South Seas spices, the clinking of silver coins, Copper Coin raining down.

As a major hub of maritime trade, control over foreigners was naturally more relaxed than in the Capital.

Along the streets, many foreigners spoke fluent Guangfu dialect.

Sha Lifei squeezed through the crowd, clicking his tongue in wonder, "Wow, it’s even busier than the Chang’an West Market!"

As the Dragon Boat Festival approached, the streets were full of seasonal goods for sale.

An old woman squatted at the alley entrance, weaving sachets with five-colored threads, filled with sandalwood and star anise, spicy and fragrant.

At the corner, every household hung green calamus at their door, with the steam of their stoves rising.

A sturdy man was slaughtering chickens and ducks, the blood splashing on the doorstep, murmuring prayers to ancestors, "Ancestors bless us with a peaceful Dragon Boat Festival!"

Inside the courtyard, women skillfully wrapped bamboo leaves around glutinous rice, filling them with pork and salted eggs, making Cantonese rice dumplings, fragrant and tempting.

Seeing this, Wu Ba’s mouth watered as he bought a large basket and ate while walking.

After walking not much further, they heard the distant beating of drums, its echo as a team of dragon boats were "inviting dragons" from the river by strong men.

The boats were carved with scales and painted armor, with everyone burning incense and praying, prayers mixed with noise.

The atmosphere was far more enthusiastic than in the North.

Everyone was amazed by what they saw, while Wang Daoxuan explained, "In Guangfu, many Magic Veins exist, and there are many Mortal Gods they worship."

"One famous one is the ’Golden Flower Lady,’ whose origins are rather tragic. Originally a civilian girl, the inspector general’s wife was in labor for days without giving birth, and in her dream, the god said to invite the Golden Flower Girl to ensure delivery. It worked, and she was revered as a deity. Secular men did not dare marry her; she drowned herself in the lake, and later people worshiped her as a god..."

"Then there’s the Yue Cheng Dragon Mother, whose ancestral temple ranks in the top across all of Lingnan, with followers throughout the Southern region..."

"There’s also the Boluo God. Legend has it that a Boluo fleet passed by the South Sea God Temple one year. The envoy, Daxi Sikong, went ashore to worship and planted two Boluo Trees as a memorial. Because Daxi was delayed, the fleet had already left, and he stood daily on the shore watching, turning into a stone man. Villagers placed him in the temple, calling him the Boluo God. Every anniversary, male and female worshippers from all directions come to pay respects, making this a renowned temple fair in the Guangfu area."

"There’s a saying, ’First tour Boluo, second marry a wife,’ equating the temple fair with the significant event of marrying, which shows its importance."

Kong Shangzhao couldn’t help but give a thumbs up, praising, "The Daoist is indeed knowledgeable."

Wang Daoxuan chuckled silently, "We wanderers travel to various places, dealing mainly with the Mystical Sect matters. If we don’t understand the local customs, we’re afraid we’ll make mistakes. So, I’ve specially studied this, and it’s just part of it."