The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 41 Eloquent Speech, Deceiving Demons and Ghosts (Please Read On!)

Zhou Yan tightened the reins and saw the tall monster who called himself Black Wind. He saw that Black Wind was holding a black iron flag with a large "Command" written on it in scarlet.

As the flag swayed in the wind, plumes of black smoke rose from behind it. Behind the flag, a group of monsters, each one ferocious and terrifying, lurked in the mist and rain. Zhou Yan's little yellow horse shook its head uneasily.

Zhou Yan's heart sank.

He hadn't expected there to be a third enemy behind him!
Master of the Azure Netherworld? Inspector of Kyushu?

This thing has quite the big mouth.

Zhou Yan controlled the Mountain Lord Jade Talisman, but he was completely unaware of the malice of this group of demons. Undoubtedly, these demons were different from the heavy cavalry in the other mountain range; they did not come here with murderous intent.

They were sent to offer their congratulations.

However, the two things they were congratulating were both killed by Zhou Yan.

Can they escape?

Zhou Yan surveyed his surroundings and dismissed that possibility, but he knew he could never win a fight.

Black Wind had just spotted someone riding down on horseback when he initially thought that on such a big day, this person must be there to offer congratulations. But when he stopped them to take a closer look, good heavens, it really was a person.

But if you were to describe him as a person, there was an indescribable aura about him.

Lying across the horse was a half-dead baby.

Unlike the other Kyushu envoys, [Black Wind] was very cautious. While greeting Zhou Yan, he kept an eye on him, thinking that if he was a person, he would just grab him and send him to the butcher shop.

Zhou Yan's gaze swept over these hideous monsters.

The murderous intent, malice, and karmic force were clearly visible.

The weak ones were like the hungry ghosts Zhou Yan had seen in the market, while the strong ones were roughly similar to the lamp shadow that stole the oil lamp. But the problem was, there were too many of them, and Zhou Yan's current martial arts skills were no match for them.

And then there's this Kyushu Patrol Envoy who has transformed into human form, his body shrouded in thick black energy.

Zhou Yan felt a little numb:
"There are wolves in front and tigers behind."

'These people were sent by Master Qingming. Wang Chun's things probably came from Master Qingming. Are they here to congratulate me or to deliver gifts? Regardless, since they're not directly targeting me, there's still a chance to escape.'

We need to make them hesitant to act rashly.

We definitely can't win in a fight.

Zhou Yan gripped the hilt of his sword, his fingers twitching as he suppressed his vigilance, fear, and instinctive hostility. His mind raced, but he coldly said, "I am a cultivator from the nearby mountains. I heard that a friend here is refining pills for cultivation, so I came here to ask for a batch of pills to eat."

He noticed that Black Wind clearly didn't believe him, so he deliberately said:

"I heard that someone broke into Master Qingming's market, killed some hungry ghosts, and caused trouble. Even the butcher's cook was killed."

"Why aren't you under the command of Master Qingming, listening to news? What are you doing here?"

Black Wind was taken aback. The information in those words made him somewhat believe it. He looked Zhou Yan up and down, but then his nose twitched, and he said, "This... friend, what you're talking about is indeed about our place, but why are you dressed like this..."

Black Wind, unsure of Zhou Yan's situation, said with a hint of probing and cunning in his eyes:
"Smells like a human?"

"Tsk, what a wonderful human scent, it's as if it's been marinated in spices."

"You say you're a cultivator, but what kind of cultivator are you?"

“My lord, please have a word with us.”

Zhou Yan sensed the intense hostility from these demons; they clearly intended to subdue him first. His fingers gripped the hilt of his sword, but he feigned arrogance and said:
"What kind of monsters are you, daring to ask about my origins!"

Zhou Yan knew he couldn't linger here. Seeing a monster approaching, he slammed his weapon down with unwavering confidence, smashing the monster's head until it bled profusely. He coldly said:
"Is this how Master Qingming taught you manners?"

At the same time, with a thought, he used his ghost-controlling techniques.

The scholar's soul flew out from his waist and, upon seeing this scene and the horde of monsters, froze for a moment. Zhou Yan intended to use the tiger demon's talent for controlling ghosts to disguise himself as the mountain demon and escape.

The gossipy scholar froze, looking at the monster, then at Zhou Yan.

The scholar is assessing the situation.

Zhou Yan gave a signal with his eyes.

'Scholar, let's work together to intimidate them.'

The scholar received the message, suddenly understood, gave a wink, then took half a step forward, indignantly asking loudly, "My lord, what are the origins of these monsters that they dare to block your way?!"

Zhou Yan breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the scholar understood his meaning, and then said calmly, "I am the mountain god of a mountain a hundred miles away from here."

"A patrol envoy under the command of the Lord of the Azure Netherworld."

"Why are you blocking my way?!"

The scholar 'received' the meaning behind Zhou Yan's words and understood his identity and purpose.

It's obvious that he encountered a monster while fleeing for his life, so this young man had no choice but to use the monster's skin as bait; he was truly clever.

Don't worry, my love, leave it to me!
Zhou Yan exhaled and nodded slightly.

At this point, relying solely on him was insufficient; he needed to be driven by a ghost to prove his identity.

All you need to do is prove your identity...

Before the thought had even settled, Yin Zichuan straightened his chest, raised his head, clasped his hands in a salute, turned around, glared angrily at the black wind and the group of monsters, took half a step forward, his aura changed, and let out a sharp shout, which even had a hint of golden jade in its tone, saying:

"quiet!!!"

Zhou Yan: "..." No, wait a minute...

Damn it? ? ?

Black Wind: "Huh??!"

Yin Zichuan roared, his voice sharp and piercing, which actually suppressed the monsters. The scholar stepped forward with a steady, dignified gait, his brows revealing the fierce spirit unique to scholars of the Han and Tang dynasties. He shouted:

"You vile creatures, mere beasts turned spirits, how dare you come here and disturb the carriage of my revered lord?!"

Black Wind said: "???"

Yin Zichuan said, “You are nothing but creatures with fur and horns, monkeys in crowns, blocking the mountain path and making a racket, treating the rituals of the mountain god here as nothing.”

"Master Qingming, you are a powerful figure in your own right. Haven't you been taught any manners?"

"Is it still the word 'rules'? Have you chewed it up and swallowed it, turning it into foul air that you spew out from your lower bodies?"

The black wind paused, and the monsters also hesitated. If Zhou Yan had backed down, they would have attacked instead. Now, Zhou Yan casually used the supernatural power of the cougar, which is common among tiger-type monsters. This scholar ghost is so eloquent and aggressive.

It really doesn't seem like a lie.

If he weren't a mountain god, where else could such a eloquent and well-mannered advisor ghost be found?

Could it really be a mountain god who knows the keeper?
Black Wind was taken aback. At this point, he no longer cared whether Zhou Yan was a human in disguise, and angrily said, "You've gone too far..."

The scholar retorted, "Too much?"

He walked to the front, pointed at the black wind with his finger, and pointed at the group of demons: "Look, look! Their fur is tangled like weeds, their scales stand up like thorns, their clothes barely cover their bodies, and they look like beggars!"

Then, with a respectful bow from afar, he solemnly declared, "My mountain god is a deity of heaven and earth, a ruler of this region, and holds a position equal to that of a king! When he travels, he shall be accompanied by a retinue to clear the way and clean the streets; when he resides, he shall be offered incense and worship, and all sounds shall cease."

"Master Qingming, a powerful figure of your region, how dare you be so uncouth! Which master has been indulging you, or have you disregarded his teachings and caused him to lose face in public? If I see you again, I will certainly report you on behalf of my husband!"

Zhou Yan's lips twitched.

He had seen trolls in that era, but many online trolls couldn't say much in real life. This was the first time Zhou Yan had ever seen a max-level troll like this, who was clearly a fraudster but still pointed at the other person's nose and spewed insults with such arrogance.

Is this a scholar from the Tang Dynasty?

They forced him to comply.

Black Wind roared, "Fine, I'll wait for you to go and tell the shop owner."

Yin Zichuan said arrogantly, "Just you wait and see."

Zhou Yan spoke at just the right moment, saying, "Zichuan."

Yin Zichuan bowed respectfully and said, "Young Master."

Zhou Yan said, "There's no need for that. I'm an old acquaintance of Master Qingming. I received a lot of hospitality from him back then. I've already met Wang Chun today, and I'll see Master Qingming again another day."

"Let's go, Zichuan."

Zhou Yan is a man of great integrity and magnanimity, but he lacks experience in the ways of the world.

Especially given his lack of experience in officialdom, Yin Zichuan noticed this situation and took a half step forward, looking at the monsters, and said, "My lord can release you, but I am your subordinate. A subject must die for his lord's honor, and I cannot remain silent!"

“You have offended my revered deity and even intend to force him to reveal his identity.”

"What an insult?!"

"If you don't give me compensation, this isn't over today."

At this final blow, Black Wind couldn't see any flaws at first glance and was completely fooled. After groaning for a while, he had no choice but to remove a small gourd, his face twitching with pain, and said:

“I received this from an old Taoist priest a hundred years ago.”

"It's a pretty good wood-type spiritual item."

"Then, I will offer it to the mountain king."

Yin Zichuan snatched it away and presented it to Zhou Yan with both hands.

His lips moved silently: 'Young hero, if you don't show it like this, you might arouse suspicion. Just don't go overboard.'

Zhou Yan picked it up and nodded calmly.

He spurred the little yellow horse forward, and the demons all bowed their heads in obedience, truly regarding him as a mountain lord. Yin Zichuan, the talkative scholar, accompanied Zhou Yan, looking quite dignified, and walked openly and legitimately out from among the demons.

As the black wind watched Zhou Yan leave, he was stunned. But after they parted, the closer he got to Wang Chun, the more he realized something was wrong.

Something is wrong...

Finally, he saw the cave filled with the smell of blood, and saw the dead tiger. After a moment of stunned silence, he cried out:

"wrong!"

"We've been scammed!!"

The monster turned and stared at the way it had come from, its eyes turning red:

"My money is my treasure!"

"Chase them! Chase them! I want them dead!!!"

　I'll move the evening update to noon, releasing two chapters in one go at noon. Please read on!
　
(End of this chapter)