Headless Immortal

Chapter 101 Fish Turns to Talk, Taking Control of the Situation

Toothless slowly reduced its speed, and Lu Xun fell down about two feet above the ground.

vomit!
Lu Xun, the black cat, lay on the riverbank and vomited violently, seeing stars.

Not a single drop of oil was left.

Saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth.

Lu Xun reached out a paw to scoop up some river water and wipe his mouth, but still found the smell too strong. So he simply plunged his head into the river and washed it clean with a gurgling sound. Then he suddenly lifted it up, creating a splash.

After shaking his body like a ball of fluff, he finally felt much better.

Look at the head of Wutong Mountain Lord.

"Repair the skull."

The remaining four qian of ashes disappeared without a trace.

In the strange space, the bloodstains and wounds on the bloodstained head of the Wutong Mountain Lord were wiped away, and it was at least 60-70% restored.

After exchanging the head of the Five-Tong Mountain Lord, Lu Xun felt that his arm was still weak and painful as soon as it was touched, indicating that some of the bone fractures had not yet healed.

Cheng Yan, who had chased Hui Bao'er to the riverbank, looked at Lu Xun, who was straightening branches with one arm, in astonishment and asked with concern, "Uncle Cat, what's wrong?"

Lu Xun raised his hand to indicate that he was alright: "It's nothing."

"It's bleeding..."

Cheng Yan quickly went to find the wound medicine and the white cloth to stop the bleeding.

This movement made him wince in pain. His shoulder had been pierced by a cold arrow. Even with Aunt Zheng's magic, he had to keep his arm securely hanging in front of his chest and try not to move his shoulder, otherwise he would suffer the same pain.

He noticed Gray Baby's unusual behavior and when he went to look for Uncle Cat, he found that the cat was not there. Unexpectedly, Gray Baby twitched its nose and led him to Uncle Cat.

……

"Did my senior brother go to find the Living Buddha of Peach Blossom Spring?"

The voice came from behind Cheng Yan. He parted the reeds and approached the two.

The one with the round face is Yang Shen, and the one with the thin face is Ma Ye.

"Thank you, senior brother."

Yang Shen bowed respectfully.

Ma Ye bowed respectfully and solemnly: "Thank you, Senior Brother!"

He had been arrogant when he descended the mountain that day, but now he truly admired him; this senior ape was indeed no ordinary spirit.

Lu Xun looked at Yang Shen and Ma Ye and said calmly, "It was nothing."

Yang Shen chuckled, amused that his senior brother was still pretending to be ignorant. He decided to cut to the chase and said, "What may seem like a small favor to you is a life-saving grace to us. This gift is still too light. If you ever need anything in the future, please feel free to ask. I, Yang Shen, will never refuse."

As he spoke, he took out the powder from his pocket.

Ma Ye then used a short knife to cut out several pieces of plywood, carefully trimming the burrs to make them smooth.

The two then helped to stabilize Lu Xun's right arm.

Lu Xun did not resist. He was studying at the academy, so they were acquaintances and classmates.

As for the matter of saving lives, since he had promised the headmaster to look after the students of the academy, he would do his best. This concerned the reputation of Lu's General Store. Even if no one knew it was him, Lu Xun would not ruin his own reputation.

Lu Xun's lips twitched. The medicine seemed to penetrate his skin and flesh directly, dripping into the bone crevices. The pain made him grit his teeth and open his lips. He had no choice but to distract himself and say, "You big turtle, you're really powerful."

Cheng Yan looked at the snow-haired Yu Rong monster in surprise: "Uncle, you really went to assassinate the Living Buddha of Peach Blossom Spring?!"

Lu Xun nodded in agreement, recalling the injuries of the Living Buddha of Peach Blossom Spring, and couldn't help but marvel at his 'powerful' strength.

Even with such a huge advantage, the Living Buddha of Taoyuan was still able to defeat him.

Ma Ye said in a deep voice, "The government only ordered us to kill Ni Guai."

"Let's see what the magistrate thinks." Yang Shen stood up and put the porcelain bottle into his pocket. "It's just that the Azure Scale Monster and the Ni Monster can cooperate tacitly. But if we're dealing with the Living Buddha of Peach Blossom Spring... we need to gather everyone together. Otherwise, we'll just be throwing our lives away. Big monsters and little monsters are different."

"What senior brother said is absolutely true."

Cheng Yan clasped his hands in agreement. He didn't have any particular thoughts, but he was more concerned about the land deed for Qingquan Temple. He figured that with his two senior brothers around, he wouldn't suffer any losses.

Wu Tonglu frowned.

If things escalate, the imperial court's Demon Suppression Captain might arrive, making it much harder for him to obtain the head of the Peach Blossom Living Buddha.

He doesn't have any good solutions right now.

The Living Buddha recovered extremely quickly. Despite having his shoulder pierced by a spear and his arm broken, he regained his formidable fighting power in a short period of time.

After thanking Ma Ye, Yang Shen returned to his tent. Cheng Yan didn't leave immediately but instead asked, "Uncle, do you really want the head of the Peach Blossom Living Buddha?"

Lu Xun narrowed his golden eyes, not denying it. He did indeed want the head of the Peach Blossom Living Buddha, but that didn't mean he was trying to blackmail them into dying with him.

After careful consideration, it seems that among the group of extraordinary people, only the swordsman and the monks of Donglin Temple would dare to make a move against the Living Buddha of Taoyuan.

Lu Xun stood with his hands behind his back, his voice hoarse with a beastly roar, and said, "I know what I'm doing."

The implication is that Cheng Yan is too weak to participate in his plan.

Cheng Yan stared blankly for a long time before finally speaking: "One should know how to repay kindness..."

As the ferocious red-armored figure moved, Lu Xun suddenly turned around, his golden demonic eyes staring at Cheng Yan: "I am not a big shot, and you are not a nobody. Since you call me uncle, it is only right that I save you, especially since you also saved me. Think of your parents, think of your grandparents, don't live for others, live for yourself, live for them."

"Your life is very precious!"

"Stop talking."

Lu Xun waved his hand, leaped into the form of a black cat, and walked on the green grass of the riverbank.

……

Meilan County.

County government.

The rear hall and side rooms.

Master Lü, embracing his young wife, slept soundly.

It was late autumn, a time when the air should be crisp and refreshing, but Master Lü felt unbearably hot and restless. He suddenly opened his eyes, threw off the covers, and pushed open the door to cool off outside.

Still feeling uneasy, Master Lü decided to rush out the door.

Feeling the gentle breeze, he unknowingly walked to the riverbank. Gazing at the reflection of the stars and moon in the Xunyang River, which resembled a silver river, Lü Qian suddenly felt the urge to go for a swim.

Master Lü jumped into the water and swam happily, muttering to himself, "Long confined in a cage, I've finally returned to nature. It wouldn't be bad to be a free and unrestrained fish."

A huge shadow could be vaguely seen through the mist, and a booming voice could be heard: "Your wish will be fulfilled. Do not be greedy for bait and bring shame upon your kind."

Then Master Lü turned into a fish, swimming and leaping out of the water to dive to the bottom of the river. He was having a great time and didn't know how much time had passed when he suddenly felt hungry.

After searching for a long time without finding any mayflies, Lü Qian suddenly discovered an earthworm hanging on a glaringly cold surface. He immediately realized it was a fishhook. Hunger made him hesitate and refuse to leave. He floated up to take a look and found that it was a local fisherman.

Master Lü was used to throwing his weight around and thought that it wouldn't hurt him to eat some bait, and that the fishermen wouldn't dare to do anything about it.

It swallowed it whole, and the tail was pulled up.

The fisherman immediately untied the large fish and used reeds to remove its gills.

"I am Lü Qian, the magistrate of Meilan County, the Lord!"

In my childhood.

The fishermen delivered the large fish to the county government office.

Lu Qian was overjoyed. He then saw several familiar faces, including the county magistrate, the registrar, the clerk, and the patrol inspector. He shouted for help, but the crowd ignored him and praised the fish as a rare find, urging him to cook it quickly.

The cook wielded his greasy butcher's knife.

Boom!
Lu Qian suddenly woke up and jumped out of bed.

He shouted, "Who?!"

It turned out that there were more than just him and his mistress in the room.

A huge shadow completely blocked the light from the courtyard.

call.

Three oil lamps were lit.

Master Lü saw clearly the 'person' inside the room; calling it a monster would be more accurate.

With round eyes, a tapir-like nose, and a height of over nine feet, the Living Buddha of Peach Blossom Spring sat upright. He waved his hand, and the otter scout and the thunder frog leader brought over a box. The scout pried open the lock and opened the box. The box was filled with dazzling, colorful jewels, which shone brightly under the kerosene lamp, making the eyes of Master Lü on the bed pop out.

The Living Buddha said, "Your Excellency, as long as you agree to give Qingquan Temple to this humble monk, all these gold and jewels will belong to you."

Lu Qian regained his senses and smiled calmly, his body radiating magical power as he said, "Even if I kill you, the things will still be mine. This is the county government office. I am Lu Qian, a sixth-rank county magistrate who came from the Tiger List, backed by the imperial court and commanding a large army. Do you think I am a weak scholar who can't even kill a chicken?"

The otter scouts and the frog leader were on high alert.

Those who can serve as officials in the imperial court must be cultivators who have broken through the three barriers.

The Living Buddha remained calm and laughed heartily, saying, "I've often heard that Lord Lü of Meilan County is not corrupt. Does that mean the officials in Jiujiang Prefecture are also not corrupt? One box isn't enough, how about two boxes?"

Lu Qian's expression changed slightly. He did come from a good family, but unfortunately he didn't have a strong background. Otherwise, he would have been promoted last time.

If the monster really did head towards the prefectural city with several chests of treasure, the prefect might find a reason to dismiss him from his post. Wouldn't he then be like a fish on a chopping board, completely at the mercy of others? Therefore, Lü Qian lowered his eyes and asked, "What do you want?"

Qingquan Temple.

Lü Qian readily agreed: "Okay."

The Living Buddha got up and led the otter scout and the frog leader to the door.

Master Lü clearly did not want to be manipulated by the monster, and said calmly, "Good tricks. Push the Azure Scale Monster out to complete the task, and then use the illusion to frighten me, coercing and luring me to take over Qingquan Temple. I just don't know if the Azure Scale Monster, whose head was cut off, knows about these things."

The Living Buddha stopped in his tracks.

The otter scout glared angrily and was about to draw his sword when he felt the Living Buddha's palm fall.

The Living Buddha turned his head, his black and gold eyes covered by multiple eyelids, suppressing the cold light within: "Enraging me will do me no good."

"Haha, then it's a pleasure to cooperate."

"It's easy to leave without seeing him off!"

……

The morning light is dim.

The government troops, who had set up camp on the banks of the Xunyang River, gradually awoke. The swirling smoke and fog blended into a white expanse, and the frost was biting like needles.

Lu Xun, the sleeping old cat, frowned and swung his big tail to sweep away the dampness dripping from the tent. He jumped up, and Hui Bao'er, who was lying in the cat bed, rolled to the side with a purr.

His eyes, as big as black beans, were filled with doubt.

Then the black cat stretched out its paw, yawned, and then let out a big yawn.

Lu Xun couldn't hear the noisy sounds outside the camp clearly. He changed the head of the Five Tong Mountain Lord and followed the sound out of the tent, where he saw County Commandant Lei Ji organizing people to explore the collapsed passageway.

Such a large scale is clearly not something that a hundred or so people can easily dig through.

A seasoned official gave a thumbs-up, pointing to the earthen slope in front of him: "To dig through this place, it would probably take three hundred laborers working together."

Lei Ji crossed his arms, his bull-like eyes slightly narrowed, and turned his head to look at the strange man beside him: "Is there a way?"

Yang Shen cupped his hands and said, "If there were Mohists, Gongshu Masters, or other mechanical engineers, they should be able to resolve this within a day or two."

"If the county magistrate can wait, I can go to the academy and ask the academy's mechanical cultivators to arrive before sunset."

Lei Ji's face showed surprise. He didn't doubt the speed of the academy's carriage, but was surprised by the means of communication.

Carrier pigeons and birds are highly unpredictable, and even intelligent spirits are not foolproof. Yang Shen's nonchalant tone speaks volumes about his ability to contact the academy in an extremely short time.

Lei Ji shook his head slightly: "Last night I sent someone back to the county government by small boat, and the magistrate replied that he had mobilized laborers."

Yang Shen said no more. He was just making a suggestion, and even slaying demons and monsters was secondary. The main thing was to take over Qingquan Temple and build a branch school.

"Your junior brother isn't married, is he?"

The Third Master asked a question without any clear purpose.

Yang Shen was taken aback: "Which one is the county magistrate asking about?"

"The smaller one."

“Junior Brother Cheng is not married.” Yang Shen chuckled, turning back to look at the young man with wheat-colored skin who was cleaning his armor and polishing his sword. He had a resolute face, bright eyes, and was a warm-hearted and chivalrous person. He was able to shield his demon senior brother from arrows on the battlefield. Not to mention the county magistrate found him pleasing to the eye, he found him pleasing as well.

Yang Shen turned his gaze back and said, "Why didn't the county magistrate ask me?"

"Ha, the Yang family of Jiangwu can't make their own decisions based on their background." Lei Ji flicked his sleeves and hummed a folk song.

Cheng Yan not only saved his life, but was also a young martial artist who had passed three trials at the Wild Bull Realm, with unlimited potential. Coincidentally, he also had a young, unmarried daughter, a beautiful age of twenty-seven.

Yang Shen was speechless. When he saw the snow-haired ape approaching, he clasped his hands in greeting and called out, "Senior Brother."

Thanks to Lu Xun's great contributions in the campaign against Peach Blossom Village, especially his slaying of the Azure-Scaled Monster, it became common for the seven-foot-tall, red-faced, blue-toothed ape monster to enter and leave the camp.

His physique and fierce appearance alone were enough to deter people, so naturally no one dared to come looking for trouble.

Wu Tong Lu Xun nodded, gave a slightly hoarse "hmm", and then looked at the swordsman standing in front of the earthen slope gazing at the canyon.

The swordsman wore a bamboo hat and a tattered dog-skin cap. His skin was rough, his lips were chapped and peeling, and his messy hair was all hidden under the hat, revealing only a pair of sharp eyebrows and bright, phosphorescent eyes that seemed to be measuring something. Then, the swordsman picked up a shovel and split the earth and rocks with a single shovel strike.

clack.

Footsteps sounded.

The swordsman paused slightly, glancing sideways. He saw a figure in dark blue armor, and planted his shovel in the ground. His voice, though still cold, was no longer silent: "What is it?"

After all, the Yu Rong monster had saved him on the bridge, and not all monsters are the same.

He wanted to kill the monsters of Peach Blossom Spring.

Lu Xun approached and said, "Let's chat."

The swordsman asked, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Why do you hate the monsters of Peach Blossom Spring so much?"

The swordsman's eyes, hidden beneath the brim of his hat, flashed horizontally before slowly retracting. He then picked up the shovel and said calmly, "You saved my life, so you can take it if you want, but only after I've finished my business."

Lu Xun said, "I have a suggestion."

The swordsman frowned: "What?"

“Kill the Living Buddha of Taoyuan.”

The swordsman paused, staring at the silver-furred ape-like monster, its eyes fixed on the serious, gilded demonic pupils. Suddenly, he asked, "You also have a grudge against him?"

"No enmity."

The swordsman was taken aback and asked again, "Are you here to uphold justice and vanquish demons?"

He knew that Confucianism also promoted this; otherwise, wouldn't the Six Arts of a gentleman have been learned in vain?

"No."

"Could it be to maintain the stability of the imperial court?"

Lu Xun shook his head.

"That……"

"I need money."

The swordsman didn't ask any more questions; he already had the answer.

It's hard to imagine an ape monster saying 'I need money,' but he believed the reason.

"My name is Zeng Tie."

The swordsman spoke again, and Lu Xun finally learned his name.

In the swordsman Zeng Tie's story, he originally had a fairly happy family, and Peach Blossom Village was indeed a paradise. However, as more and more people cultivated true qi, people seemed to be divided into different classes. At first, those gentlemen who cultivated true qi were quite polite, but they gradually changed.

The workload increased while the food supply decreased. His mother was forced to serve him because of land issues, and his father was beaten and had his leg broken when he went to demand an explanation.

Zeng Tie's whole body seemed to be burning with fierce fire, like a piece of real iron being refined in a furnace, but his voice was still icy: "Later, I heard that they all died. My father died first, and my mother followed. That old bastard seemed to have observed enough, and killed those evil men as well."

"All dead."

"How is he still alive?!"

Master Jueming put his hands together and said, “Alas, when will this cycle of revenge end, benefactor? Hatred is like a piece of red-hot iron held in your palm; the first thing it will hurt is yourself.”

The swordsman said coldly, "Since it's red-hot iron, I'll forge it into a sword for killing."

Master Chen Jing jokingly asked, "What, Master, are you going to protect Buddhist disciples?"

Master Jueming tried his best to make amends. He later understood what his master meant. It was not that he was asked to kill the Eighth King, but to guide him back to the Buddhist path. Killing was indeed simple and effective, but it was only a temporary solution: "No one is perfect. He just made a mistake in the process of understanding the world."

The old woman Zheng took over and said loudly, "If you do something wrong, you should be punished. Otherwise, what's the point of having an official government?"

Master Jueming fell silent. What he regretted most was that he hadn't understood his senior master's meaning at the beginning; otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up in this situation.

Granny Zheng looked at the swordsman, then shifted her gaze to Lu Xun: "Count me in, I don't mind having too much money."

“And me,” Li Song laughed. “We should take advantage of the Eighth King’s weakness and wipe out the demon’s lair in one fell swoop.”

Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism can be abandoned and left, but he, a local, has nowhere to go. With such a monster's den constantly lurking around him, he can't eat or sleep in peace. He might as well agree to the ape monster's suggestion.

Master Chen Jing cupped his hands and said, "It is my duty to slay demons and eliminate evil, to help the weak and punish the strong."

Yang Shen and Ma Ye said in unison, "The students of Bailudong Academy will follow our senior brother's lead without question!"

Lu Xun grinned and laughed silently.

He thought he could only win over swordsmen as allies, but he didn't expect that apart from the head monk of Donglin Temple, everyone else was interested in killing the Living Buddha of Taoyuan.

……

County Lieutenant Lei Ji, leading the centurion, the head constable, and several personal guards, approached and saluted, saying, "Gentlemen, let's board the boat and return to the county town first. The magistrate has already prepared a victory celebration banquet at the county government office."

Now we have to wait for the county government to recruit and dispatch laborers.

Such a large project would take at least ten days to half a month to complete, so it wouldn't be appropriate to leave these extraordinary people camping by the river.

(End of this chapter)