Li Yan's eyes widened as he sprang to his feet.
In his sleep just moments ago, his divine sense of smell had suddenly sharpened, overwhelmed by a flood of scents that jolted him awake.
This wasn't the first time.
The night he slew the Cold Altar Ghost Soldier, after the stand-in idol extinguished one life flame, his sense of smell had also improved, though not as dramatically as now.
The earthy tang of soil, the fresh scent of wheat, the sour sweat of distant hired fighters, even the venomous reek of scorpions underground—he could distinguish them all clearly.
But strangest of all was that sweet, fragrant smell!
It made the stand-in idol quiver, radiating a sense of longing.
The treasured stand-in idol he possessed was clearly incomplete, its secrets only vaguely sensed, requiring much effort to understand its functions.
Normally, it lay dormant in his dantian, unmoving.
It only activated when swapping injuries.
But this time, it reacted on its own.
Could there be some heavenly treasure nearby, capable of repairing the idol?
The thought sent a thrill through Li Yan, his lips dry with anticipation.
When fighting the Cold Altar Ghost Soldier, the idol had burned one life flame. Though he still had two lives left, it wasn't whole.
Who wouldn't want an extra life?
If something could restore the idol, what would he have to fear in the future?
He'd come seeking the path, but this unexpected gain was a surprise.
Yet, just as he prepared to approach the mansion to investigate, the scent vanished.
At the same time, torches flared within the Lu family mansion, glaring in the dark, accompanied by a clamor of voices and chaos.
Something happened?
Li Yan frowned, hand resting on his blade's hilt.
The commotion was striking in the night. Sha Lifei, startled awake, grabbed his blade and stumbled over. "What's going on? Bandits hitting the place?"
Li Yan shook his head. "Not sure."
By now, others were waking up.
The old swordsman in the sheepskin jacket from Longyou, named Shan Quan, furrowed his brow. "Let's go check. It's the master's house. If something's wrong, we can't just stand by."
With that, a few swordsmen told the hired fighters to stay put and headed toward the Lu mansion.
Li Yan's heart stirred, and he followed.
At the mansion's gate, they knocked for a while before Steward Lu emerged with a few guards, his face calm. "What's the matter?"
The swordsmen were taken aback.
Wasn't it obvious?
With such a ruckus, only a fool wouldn't notice.
Shan Quan, the Longyou swordsman, narrowed his eyes and cupped his fists. "We heard the commotion and came to check. Is everything alright?"
Steward Lu's expression remained even. "It's fine. Just a wild cat causing a stir. Thank you for your concern."
"You all have an early start cutting wheat tomorrow. Best rest up."
"Good to know."
Shan Quan nodded and turned to leave.
The Lu family was clearly hiding something, but after years in the martial world, he'd learned to play deaf and dumb. As long as the job paid on time, he didn't care for their drama.
It was just the usual nonsense of wealthy households.
The others, naturally, didn't press either.
But as they prepared to leave, Steward Lu suddenly spoke again. "Brother Sha, a moment. I've got something to ask."
"Huh? What's up?"
Sha Lifei, confused, turned back.
The others were mildly surprised but didn't linger.
Sha Lifei's martial skills were average, but surviving in the martial world wasn't just about blades. It took thick skin, sharp wits, and a slick tongue.
He was shameless, clever, and glib, able to cozy up to anyone, spouting nonsense to get familiar, whether they liked it or not.
That familiarity mattered.
When people faced trouble and didn't know the ropes, the first face that came to mind was the familiar one.
A bit of chatter, some tugging of strings—even if he didn't land the deal, Sha Lifei could earn a fee for running errands or making connections.
This hired fighter gig, for instance, came from him chatting up folks on the road, hustling to link up with Steward Lu.
The others left quickly, but Li Yan turned back, waiting.
He had a hunch. Steward Lu calling Sha Lifei likely tied to the earlier incident. Maybe he could find a way to slip into the Lu household.
He didn't need to take anything, but he had to figure out what triggered the idol's reaction, giving him a goal for the future.
He waited a long time, until the early hours when the hired fighters started work, before Sha Lifei emerged from the Lu mansion, beaming.
"What happened?"
Li Yan pulled him aside, asking in a low voice.
Sha Lifei hesitated. "Come with me. We'll talk on the way."
"Where to?"
"Xianyang City!"
---
"The Lu family needs a yin-yang master."
Far from Gushui Village, Sha Lifei explained. "The mistress is on her last legs. They want a skilled yin-yang master to pick a burial site and handle the funeral arrangements."
"And it's gotta be discreet. Don't blab, alright?"
Li Yan was puzzled. "A funeral, kept quiet?"
Sha Lifei grinned. "I've got some guesses."
"Master Lu's from Guanzhong but has no clan to speak of. Fled to the capital young, hustled his way to wealth. After returning to his roots, he keeps to himself, rarely mingling with other rich folk."
"His wife's from the capital, followed him to Guanzhong. Probably got sick from his philandering, been bedridden, barely sees outsiders."
"Master Lu's big on appearances. Doesn't want gossip."
Li Yan frowned. "That doesn't add up. She's dying—what's there to hide? A grand funeral would quash any talk."
"Why care so much?"
Sha Lifei scratched his bald head. "It's their business, not ours. I recommended Priest Wang, earned a finder's fee, and got an excuse to introduce you."
"An excuse? Aren't you tight with him?"
"Well… even friends have ranks, you know… Let's go."
Sha Lifei gave a dry laugh, urging him onward.
Li Yan shook his head, unbothered.
He'd guessed Sha Lifei wasn't that connected. To link up with Wang Daoxuan, he'd need to pull some strings himself.
What occupied him now was whether the Lu family's odd behavior tied to that mysterious treasure.
Sha Lifei had a horse and borrowed another from the Lu family.
Li Yan wasn't skilled at riding but kept up. By dawn, they reached the outskirts of Xianyang City.
In this world, the Qin Dynasty was even older.
Xianyang, the ancient Qin capital, sat at the confluence of the Wei and Jing Rivers, bustling with people from all walks of life, a hub for water and land trade.
Riding in, they saw boats of all sizes on the Wei River and the towering Qingwei Tower beside the ancient city.
The city gates were about to open, already crowded with vendors and villagers from nearby, lined up with baskets and carts, voices loud, mules braying.
At the docks, porters were unloading cargo.
Coming from the south, they needed to cross the Wei River to enter the city. But before reaching the docks, Sha Lifei stopped, grinning. "Little brother Yan, mind making the trip into the city to find him?"
Li Yan raised an eyebrow. "You're not going?"
Sha Lifei rubbed his bald head, sheepish. "After yesterday's clash with Meng Haicheng, my dashing looks stand out too much. Their eyes are everywhere—they'd spot me the moment I enter."
"Not that I'm scared, just don't want to mess up the job."
Li Yan scoffed. "You sure know how to delegate. Fine."
They'd agreed to keep a low profile in the city, given it was Zhou Pan's turf. But Sha Lifei bailing at the last minute was clearly him chickening out.
Thick-skinned as ever, Sha Lifei ignored the jab, grinning. "You're sharp, little brother Yan, way better than me. But a few things you should know."
He pointed to a large ship on the river.
"Xianyang's an old port, crawling with all sorts. Plenty of martial world folks passing through. A few you don't mess with."
"That ship's with the Xianyang Boat Gang. They control the docks, tight with the porters' guild and the Taixing Caravan's local branch. The boatmen on the Wei River? All theirs."
"Then there's the Beggar Gang. Their nest is near the northern mass graves, a bit spooky. The city's little beggars are their eyes. You know their tricks—watch out."
"Most important is the Divine Fist Association. Zhou Pan's got a bad rep in the martial world, but he's a big shot here. Tied to the authorities, and the leaders of the city's two thug gangs are his disciples."
"But Zhou Pan lives on Flower Shop Street, while Priest Wang's near the East Gate City God Temple. Stay sharp, and you won't cross paths."
Sha Lifei was slippery but well-informed, quickly laying out the city's major players.
Some martial world ways were opaque to outsiders, but with Li Yan's family background, Sha Lifei's rundown gave him a clear picture.
He tidied up, donned a plain white robe, smudged his face with dirt for a simple disguise, and headed to the docks with a straw hat.
Sha Lifei, leading both horses, slipped into a nearby grove to wait.
Li Yan thought little of it. In his past life, he'd roamed widely; in this one, his father taught him the martial world's ways. With his skills, he feared nothing under heaven.
But as he neared the Wei River, his expression shifted.
A flood of scents hit his nose like an explosion.
Among them, several carried that mysterious, otherworldly quality…
**(End of Chapter)**