Five Immortal Sects

Chapter 31: Unable to Escape

Inside the city, at the General’s Manor.

In the spacious living room, General Hong wore a joyful expression as he sat in a large wooden chair, holding a piece of paper.

“Junior brother, there is news. Li Yan finally came out of the Military Advisor’s Mansion and entered the city today. I wonder what he is doing here?”

From the shadow of one of the four thick pillars in the hall, a sturdy man in a dark robe faintly emerged, his presence still difficult to detect. He had chosen a different pillar to hide behind this time, seemingly picking a new one at random each time to conceal himself. The sound of his breathing echoed softly in the hall.

“Senior Brother, let’s calculate the time. This person has spent more time than the previous disciple who stayed in the valley.”

“According to our previous calculations, the previous disciple should have taken 49 days to complete the small heavenly cycle. This aligns with the Buddhist and Taoist concepts of the 36, 49, and 81 small heavenly cycles.”

“Yes, I think the same way. This means we can confirm two points. Firstly, Ji Wenhe’s cultivation method is indeed a small heavenly cycle heart method that can be completed in 49 days, which is undoubtedly a Taoist cultivation method. Secondly, Li Yan has likely already completed the small heavenly cycle.”

“Senior Brother, if Li Yan can successfully cultivate the small heavenly cycle, does that mean Ji Wenhe truly intends to pass on his legacy to him, or is Li Yan still insufficient to be used as a poison-testing body? Moreover, how do we explain the death of the previous disciple? Is their internal cultivation method truly profound, or do they require a special physique?”

The sound of breathing ceased, and the hall fell silent for a while. After a long pause, General Hong’s voice sounded again.

“Junior Brother, I still believe your previous analysis was more reasonable. There’s no cultivation method that can’t be learned; it’s just a matter of who can learn it better. However, if their cultivation method is unique, we should take advantage of Li Yan and observe him carefully to see if we can obtain their method. If Li Yan is indeed being used as a poison-testing body, we still have opportunities to take advantage of.”

“What should we do now, Senior Brother?”

“Yes, since he’s able to enter the city today, there will be next time, and the time after that… We can’t approach him immediately, lest we seem too rash and alert Ji Wenhe. Let’s have our people keep a close eye on him and see what he’s up to this time. We’ll make our next move accordingly.”

“Yes, Senior Brother!”

The hall fell silent again, and soon, Hong Linying’s figure disappeared without a trace.

…

Outside the north city gate, “Captain Liu, you don’t need to be so humble. I’m still grateful for your guidance last time.”

Li Yan hurriedly took a few steps forward and grasped Liu Chengyong’s arm.

“No, no, it was just a casual remark. I didn’t provide any guidance,” Liu Chengyong said.

Liu Chengyong saw Li Yan’s sincere expression and couldn’t help but feel delighted. He had heard that Military Advisor Ji had taken in another disciple, supposedly from Great Green Mountain. He had previously seen the gate pass given to him by Li Guoxing, but he didn’t dare confirm it.

Now that he saw Li Yan arrive with Chen An and others from the military advisor’s manor, he was certain that his guess was correct. Although he was loyal to General Hong, Military Advisor Ji’s influence in the military was well-known. Befriending his disciple was a great advantage.

Chen An and Li Ying couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief, exchanging a glance. They had recently seen the captain’s good side, but now his temper was flaring up again, and they were unlucky to be caught in the middle.

Liu Chengyong retracted the cross-handed salute and secretly looked up at Li Yan again, sighing in his heart.

The boy from the mountain village that he met at the beginning is now an official of the eighth rank. It is not an exaggeration to say that he has risen to prominence. This is how it is easy to be an official if you have someone in the court.

Li Yan was preoccupied with his thoughts, eager to meet Li Shan and Li Yu. He didn’t know what etiquette to follow, so he could only cup his hands in respect.

“Captain Liu, I still have some matters to attend to in the city. Let’s catch up another time.”

“Oh… alright, alright. I’ll send you off, Lord Li.”

Liu Chengyong stepped aside, and the soldiers behind him also retreated.

Li Ying took a step forward, handing the reins to Li Yan.

“Young Master, please mount the horse.”

Li Yan smiled awkwardly and said, “Let’s just tie the horse here for now. We can walk into the city.”

Li Ying was taken aback, then understood that Li Yan was afraid of losing control of the horse in the city streets, which would cause trouble.

Chen An chuckled and said, “Old Liu, we’ll leave the horses here. You arrange for someone to take care of them. If we’re not back by the time you’re on duty, please inform the brothers on guard duty.”

Liu Chengyong, being a seasoned person, smiled and agreed.

After they left, the soldiers gathered around Liu Chengyong, except for a few who were still checking the people entering and leaving the city.

“Captain Liu, is this really the person we met two months ago? He’s changed a lot,” one soldier asked.

Liu Chengyong’s eyes widened in surprise. “What do you mean ‘this person’? He’s Lord Li, of course!”

He then sighed and said, “It’s indeed him.”

One soldier said, “Captain Liu, you had some old connections with him, so maybe you can ask him to take care of you in the future.”

Another soldier asked, “Captain Liu, is this Lord Li the disciple of Military Advisor Ji that’s been spreading rumors lately?”

Liu Chengyong was bombarded with questions from his subordinates, who were all curious. He waved his hand and said, “I’ve had dealings with Lord Li before, and he’s indeed Military Advisor Ji’s disciple! Alright, alright, that’s enough questions. You’re all on duty, so focus on your work!”

Li Yan and the other two quickly walked down the street, with Li Yan’s heart racing with anxiety. He let Chen An and Li Ying lead the way to the “Natural Wine Residence”.

After half a cup of tea, the three of them arrived at the wine shop, and Li Yan quickly found the same room he had stayed in before and walked in, followed by Chen An and Li Ying.

As soon as they entered, the sharp-eyed waiter greeted them. “Ah, three officials, are you here to drink or eat?”

These waiters were extremely perceptive, having seen many people come and go. They noticed that Li Yan and the others didn’t have any luggage, with Li Yan wearing a black robe and the other two being military officials, and deduced that they were not guests but rather customers looking to drink or eat.

Li Yan stopped and looked around, surprised to find that they had only entered a small part of the wine shop’s main hall.

The interior was laid out horizontally, with seven or eight rooms connected to each other. Although it was already late in the morning, many customers were still eating and chatting, creating a lively atmosphere.

“Oh, I’m here to find Li Yu, who’s an apprentice here. Could you please find him for me?” Li Yan asked politely.

The waiter was taken aback, then carefully examined the three of them. He thought to himself, ‘Could it be that Little Yu has gotten into trouble outside? No, that can’t be right. Little Yu rarely goes out.’

Li Ying saw the waiter’s dazed expression and stepped forward, patting him on the shoulder. “We’re talking to you, are you deaf or mute?”

The waiter was startled and immediately came back to his senses, looking at Li Ying’s stern face and apologizing profusely. “Military officer, please calm down, I’ll go call him right away.”

Li Yan didn’t notice the waiter’s fear, but Chen An and Li Ying did. They were used to being rough and tumble, and their words carried a killing intent. Li Yan, on the other hand, had only pretended to be arrogant a few times in the valley, and it was all just an act.

Chen An saw Li Yan’s apologetic expression and thought back to his behavior at the city gate earlier. He smiled and said, “Young Master, these scoundrels are just trying to stall, don’t let them delay your business.”

Li Yan looked at Chen An’s puzzled expression and realized that his behavior today was a little inappropriate. He glanced at the two of them and said, “I don’t need you to teach me what to do. Just keep your distance, I want to talk to my brother without any interruptions.”

Chen An and Li Ying looked at each other, their faces falling. They thought to themselves, ‘This guy is getting sick again, and he doesn’t understand good advice.’

Before long, the waiter returned with Li Yu. Earlier, he had gone to the back hall to find Li Yu, who was a relative of the wine shop’s owner and was known for being diligent and hardworking.

When the waiter asked Li Yu if he had gone out recently or gotten into trouble, Li Yu was terrified and denied it, saying he had been staying in the back hall and hadn’t even had time to help with serving tea in the main hall.

Li Yu was initially confused by the waiter’s question about someone looking like a noble young master, but then he realized who it might be. He thought to himself, ‘Could it be Li Yan? We’re all from the same village, and he’s been making a name for himself in the military.”’

Li Yan’s heart raced when he saw Li Yu’s figure, and he felt a surge of nostalgia for his hometown and family. He quickly walked over to greet Li Yu, who was crying tears of joy.

The waiter sighed, thinking to himself, ‘This kid is always crying, every time someone from his hometown comes to visit him, he gets all teary-eyed, making it seem like he’s been mistreated in the shop.’

“Brother Yan, Brother Yan, waaah…”

Li Yu ran while wiping away tears, immediately drawing the attention of the surrounding customers, who stopped what they were doing and began to stare.

Li Yan’s emotions were also stirred, and his eyes reddened as he rushed over to hug Li Yu.

Chen An and Li Ying exchanged a glance, and Chen An quickly walked over to the waiter.

“Waiter, do you have a private room where my Young Master can have a chat with his old friend?”

The two of them realized that there were too many people around, and it wasn’t a suitable place for conversation, especially with a half-grown child crying and wailing around.

The waiter hastily replied, “Yes, yes, we have private rooms on the first floor and the second floor.”

Chen An looked around at the crowded first floor.

“Then let’s take the second floor.”

He walked over to Li Yan, who was comforting Li Yu.

“Young Master, it’s too noisy here. Let’s go to the private room on the second floor to talk.”

Li Yan was also feeling that the atmosphere was too chaotic and that he couldn’t have a good conversation with Li Yu, so when he heard Chen An’s suggestion, he was delighted and thought to himself.

‘This Chen An is truly a capable person, with a keen mind.’

They followed the waiter to a private room on the second floor, where the waiter brought them a pot of tea before being asked to leave by Li Yan.

Later, Li Yan asked Chen An and Li Ying to wait for him outside the hotel, but they refused, citing the need to ensure Li Yan’s safety. In the end, they were left standing outside the door, leaving Li Yan alone with Li Yu inside.

After two cups of tea, Li Yan again bid farewell to Li Yu, who was reluctant to part with him, amidst the envious gazes of the crowd. He then set off with Chen An and Li Ying to the “Ironware Pavilion”.

After a joyful reunion with Li Shan, Li Yu left behind a few dozen silver coins, instructing Li Yan to bring them back to the village and hand them over to his parents the next time someone came to the village.

Finally, he took a stroll around the city, bought a set of clothes, and then left the city with Chen An and Li Ying, returning to the Military Advisor’s residence.

As soon as they entered the valley, Li Yan sensed a divine aura emanating from Military Advisor Ji’s residence, which quickly scanned his body and then carefully examined the package of new clothes he had just bought before disappearing without a trace.

Li Yan pretended not to notice, intentionally glancing at the first stone room, where he saw that the door was tightly shut. He muttered to himself and then headed straight to his own stone room.

As soon as Li Yan entered the room, he poured himself a cup of water and drank it down, then sat down in a chair to rest for a while before getting up to close the door.

After closing the door, Li Yan felt around again, and upon realizing that there was no divine aura present, his expression turned gloomy.

Today’s trip into the city had confirmed several points for him:

Firstly, Chen An and Li Ying were indeed spies planted by Military Advisor Ji to keep an eye on him. Although they appeared respectful and fearful towards him on the surface, they would not let him out of their sight when they were outside.

On the road, they almost sandwiched him between them, “protecting” him to prevent any potential assassination attempts from the Meng Kingdom. Even when he met with Li Yu, they stood at the most distant point of about a dozen steps away, with one of them standing outside the door and the other at the window of the private room on the second floor. Li Yan had discovered them through the door crack and window. If he had tried to sneak out through the window, he would have been discovered immediately.

It was the same when he visited Li Shan at the “Ironware Pavilion”. They stood about a dozen steps away from where he was talking to Li Shan, and every move he made was within their line of sight.

Secondly, Military Advisor Ji was already on guard against him. Today, he had deliberately bought a set of clothes, and upon returning, he discovered that Military Advisor Ji would scrutinize any new items that suddenly appeared, in order to keep everything under his control.

Li Yan thought about these things, and his brows furrowed in concern. He was being held under soft detention. How could he escape this deadly valley?