Chapter 206: The Legends

The candlelight flickered dimly inside the room, where a group of people sat around staring at one another. Li Yan and his companions were all there, along with Chen Jizu and his father, who managed the merchant guild, both wearing gloomy expressions.

Such a commotion in the dead of night had naturally alarmed quite a few people. Some had come out to watch the excitement, while Chen Jizu and his father, the owners of the guild hall, had also hurried over. Seeing the situation, they reassured everyone who had come out and persuaded the crowd to disperse.

Sitting on a chair opposite Li Yan was a fat young man, his head lowered and his face full of dejection. He was none other than the man who had recited poetry the day before yesterday. The fatty actually had a rather cheerful appearance. Dressed in a black silk scholar's robe, he was fair-skinned and plump, with a scholar's cap on his head and a pair of ebony spectacles over his eyes.

Chen Jizu's father was named Chen Yuanqing. Not only was he the master of this Jiangzhe Guild Hall, he was also a wealthy merchant.

Staring at the fatty, he said with bitter disappointment, "Tell me. When did you learn mystic arts? And when did you become a treasure-hunter?"

Li Yan and the others were also filled with curiosity. Chen Jizu had already introduced the fatty. He was called Lin Yu, and came from a prominent clan in Wuzhou that not only owned vast tracts of fertile farmland, but also operated silk workshops and all manner of shops. Quite a few of his ancestors had even served as officials.

Moreover, Lin Yu had been renowned for his talent since childhood. He had a photographic memory and was famous throughout the surrounding countryside, easily passing the provincial examination and becoming an imperial examination candidate! One could say that aside from being fat, he lacked absolutely nothing.

Yet somehow, he had become a treasure-hunter. He could even control Wood Guests to sneak into their room and spy on their treasures. Someone like him could make tens of thousands of taels whenever he wanted money. There was simply no making sense of why he would stoop to something so furtive.

Lin Yu remained silent for a long while before finally muttering, "Master forbade me from talking about it, but I've been learning since I was little. I've always kept it hidden from my family."

"No wonder!" Chen Yuanqing sneered. "You learned a few superficial tricks and decided you could go around causing trouble, is that it? You even refused to let your family attendants follow you and came all the way here by yourself. You've certainly got some nerve. Now tell me, why did you sneak into someone else's room?"

Lin Yu secretly glanced at Li Yan and the others before saying awkwardly, "The aura around them was extremely strong. I meant no harm. I was simply itching to see what they had."

Li Yan's expression changed slightly. "You awakened a vision-related divine ability? You can even see treasure aura?"

Zhao Luzi had once told him about a certain kind of person who had awakened a divine ability related to the eye and could observe auras. Unlike ordinary people, however, these individuals could not only see astral qi and killing qi, but also the treasure aura emitted by precious objects. Such people could be called natural-born treasure-hunters.

Lin Yu smiled ingratiatingly and nodded. "Young Hero, you're certainly knowledgeable and experienced. Very few people even know that treasure aura exists."

From the side, Chen Yuanqing said coldly, "You truly are recklessly bold. I will definitely tell your father about this. And which lineage did you learn from? The mountain foragers? The sea explorers? The hidden seekers?"

Keeping his expression neutral, Li Yan glanced at the old man. Han Kun had risen to become an elder of the Canal Gang entirely because of this old man's schemes, and now he could casually name all three lineages of treasure hunters. He was definitely no ordinary man!

Lin Yu nervously kneaded the hem of his robe between his fingers. Seeing that he could not hide it, he could only say dejectedly, "My master's learning was rather eclectic. He knew a little of all three lineages. Later, he followed some people out to sea and never came back. And I really have never used mystic arts to harm anyone..."

Chen Yuanqing shook his head slightly and sighed. Then, cupping his hands toward Li Yan, he said, "Young Hero Li, Lin Yu is the son of an old friend of mine, so I regard him as one of my juniors. If he has offended you in any way, please forgive him. Whatever compensation you gentlemen require, this old man will provide it."

"Old Sir, you jest." Li Yan shook his head. "Allowing us to stay here was already an act of great generosity, and besides, we suffered no losses. There is no need for compensation."

He then turned toward Lin Yu. "The only thing I'm curious about is... Whatever could make Brother Lin remain here for so long surely wasn't some beautiful woman, was it?"

Lin Yu revealed an embarrassed smile.

Seeing his expression only made Chen Yuanqing angrier. "If you're told to speak, then speak! Your Lin Family has so many treasures already, yet you personally came here hunting for more. You've got nothing better to do!"

"But this is different!" Lin Yu immediately perked up and said mysteriously, "There's a dragon here!"

Seeing that nobody believed him, he immediately grew anxious. "It was mentioned in a booklet my master left behind. There is a spiritual treasure imbued with dragon qi somewhere in the mountains near the Yunyang Prefecture, but because the time wasn't ripe, he never acted rashly. I didn't believe it at first either and only came here out of curiosity, but I actually saw dragon qi and the shadow of a dragon!

“Do you gentlemen know the origin of Yunyang Prefecture? Legend says that in ancient times, a meteorite fell from the heavens. The night became as bright as day, with its radiance visible for dozens of li, while thunder rang out like the roar of a dragon. Where a meteorite falls, north is yang and south is yin, left is yang and right is yin.

“Yet the area around where that meteorite supposedly fell happens to coincide exactly with where the dragon qi manifests. I suspect what fell back then wasn't a meteorite at all, but a dragon. At the very least, there ought to be dragon bones or something..."

Despite the conviction with which he spoke, Chen Yuanqing clearly did not believe him. He snorted, "For someone so widely read, do you not know the nature of dragons? A dragon can become great or small, rise into the heavens or conceal itself, and possess the ability to swallow and exhale heaven and earth.

“When great, it swallows heaven and breathes out the earth; when small, it hides its form within the tiniest crevice. From ancient times until now, how many people have ever truly seen one? Thinking about such things is pointless. If you truly want to contribute to the Lin Family, then the Wood Guest your master left behind is itself a priceless treasure. It can be used to investigate spiritual treasures in the mountains. Tell your father about it, and the Lin Family will certainly take it seriously..."

"No, absolutely not!" Lin Yu grew anxious as soon as he heard that. He hurriedly stood, cupped his hands, and bowed. "Uncle Chen, my master once said that fortune and disaster depend upon each other, just like the principles of yin and yang. Blessings and calamities in this world usually accompany one another.

“My Lin Family is already wealthy and prosperous enough. We can still sustain our current fortune, but if we use the Wood Guest to obtain treasures, we may instead invite disaster. I was only curious. I just wanted to take a look."

Chen Yuanqing did not become angry at this rebuttal. Instead, he pondered for a moment before nodding. "What you say is indeed correct. Given the Lin Family's current prominence, what you lack is indeed official fortune to stabilize it. If you wish to advance any further, that cannot be accomplished in a single generation."

He then snorted coldly. "And that is precisely why you should make proper use of everything you've learned, earn a position of an official, and protect your family. Instead of hurrying to the capital to make the necessary arrangements, you wander around everywhere, wasting time, and even lied to this old man about having encountered a destined romance. Hmph, you deserve a beating!"

Lin Yu's face fell, and he no longer dared speak.

Seeing the two of them drifting further and further from the subject, Li Yan hurriedly interrupted with a smile. "Young Master Lin, would you be willing to tell us where that place is? We people of the jianghu live with fortune and disaster constantly at our side. We aren't afraid of such things."

Chen Yuanqing's expression changed slightly, but he did not stop him. Everyone coveted heavenly and earthly spiritual treasures, but he had been the one who told Lin Yu to speak up earlier, so he could hardly go back on his word.

Lin Yu's eyes lit up, and he made no attempt to conceal it. "It is located on Azure Dragon Mountain outside the city. You gentlemen are highly capable. Could you take me along so I can broaden my horizons? I don't want any treasure. I just want to see what it is..."

"Absolutely not!" Chen Yuanqing angrily rebuked him. "It seems you still haven't given up! You're not going anywhere. Tomorrow, this old man will have someone escort you straight to the capital!"

Lin Yu looked even more miserable upon hearing the old man.

Li Yan, meanwhile, was startled at first before shaking his head. "Senior Chen is right. You really shouldn't go to that place."

He then looked at Chen Yuanqing. "To tell you the truth, I visited the City God Temple during the day and accepted several assignments from the Law Enforcement Hall. One of the assignments is on Azure Dragon Mountain.

“Several commoners have disappeared there recently, and there are rumors of strange beasts roaming about, leaving everyone terrified. An expert from the Mount Mei Faith entered the mountain to hunt the beast, but he too never returned. The place is undoubtedly extremely dangerous. When we leave tomorrow, we'll stop by and investigate along the way. If it truly proves too dangerous, we'll report it to the City God Temple."

"Oh, so that's how it is." Chen Yuanqing sighed. "An old friend once told me that whenever calamity and disorder arise, strange and demonic phenomena inevitably sense it and manifest in the world. I imagine this has something to do with the chaos in Yunyang Prefecture."

He then glanced at Lin Yu. "Yunyang Prefecture is no place to linger. If you leave too late, you may end up trapped here and delay your examination. I'll make arrangements immediately and have you sent away tomorrow. Go back and pack your things! If you dare run off again, this old man will beat you until you can't get out of bed, then send you to the capital to recover!"

"Yes." Lin Yu lowered his head with a thoroughly dejected expression.

***

Early the next morning, Han Kun rushed over to the inn as soon as he heard the news.

"You're leaving already?"

Li Yan cupped his hands and said solemnly, "We also promised a friend that we would help treat his mother's illness, so we cannot afford to delay too long."

Han Kun's face filled with admiration. Turning to Chen Yuanqing beside him, he said, "This is exactly why I think so highly of Little Brother Li. Because of a promise, they traveled a thousand li to return a coffin to its homeland, even though the deceased had no family or friends and was entirely alone in this world. That sort of thing is becoming harder and harder to find in the jianghu today."

Chen Yuanqing stroked his beard. "A promise worth a thousand pieces of gold. Bladesmen of the Guanzhong Plains... It seems the chivalrous spirit of the Tang era has not yet faded."

Li Yan shook his head slightly. "Seniors, you praise us too highly."

Han Kun's expression grew solemn. "After receiving the information you gave me, I discussed matters with the chief yesterday. We're going to clean up the Canal Gang, so I won't have time to entertain you gentlemen. Leaving the prefecture early is probably for the best. Also, you'll be heading to the East River Crossing, which is territory controlled by the Raft Sect. If I went there to see you off, I would only bring trouble, so I'll bid you farewell here instead.

“The Raft Sect has been behaving increasingly erratically lately, and they're meticulously inspecting jianghu travelers passing through their territory. Once you board one of their boats, trouble will be difficult to avoid. I have an old friend there who frequently transports people throughout Ezhou. He is highly skilled at handling boats, and knows all the important waterways and overland routes in the region like the back of his hand. Go directly to him. It'll save you a great deal of trouble."

As he spoke, he handed over a token.

"Many thanks, Senior." Li Yan respectfully accepted it, thanked him, and bade him farewell. "Until we meet again."

"Take care on your way."

After bidding their farewells, Li Yan and his three companions set off. They first went to the City God Temple to retrieve Lu San's Dao Permit before heading to the East River Crossing

The atmosphere at the dock was indeed somewhat unusual. Several men carrying weapons wore gloomy expressions as they periodically scrutinized their surroundings. They were obviously members of the Raft Sect, wary that the Canal Gang might send people to cause trouble. Li Yan and his companions sensed that something was wrong and kept as low a profile as possible. Since they were carrying luggage and clearly looked like they were preparing to leave, no one came over to question them.

"It's this one."

In a corner of the dock, they finally found the boat Han Kun had mentioned. It was not a small vessel, with a cabin and white sails. Although it could hardly be called exquisite, at least they would no longer have to fear getting caught in the rain along the way.

An old man wearing a bamboo hat sat at the bow, leisurely fishing, while several boatmen bustled around nearby cleaning the deck.

"Senior..."

Li Yan had only just approached to inquire when the old man hurriedly interrupted in a low voice, "Do you have a token?"

After seeing the token Han Kun had given Li Yan, the old man immediately lowered his voice further. "Don't say anything more. Get on right now. We'll talk once we're out of the crossing."

Li Yan and the others instantly understood. Without another word, they carried their luggage aboard and entered the cabin to wait.

The old man shouted, "Raise the sail! We're leaving!"

The wooden boat then slowly pulled away from the ferry. As they left, Chen Yuanqing ran over with several men, his face blazing with anger.

Looking frantically in every direction, he cursed, "Lin Yu! Damn brat, you got some nerve alright! This is preposterous!"