Headless Immortal

Chapter 102 Hongmen Banquet

Led by the county constable, the group boarded the bow of the ship via a lowered deck.

The laborers untied the thick hemp ropes that were tied to the wooden stakes on the shore.

Da da da!
The anchor chain was retrieved by bare-chested laborers inside the government's treasure ship, who turned the wooden wheel to retract it. The treasure ship, which had been moored there, slowly sailed away from the shore.

Standing behind the railing, Lei Ji watched the camp recede into the distance. In the crudely constructed watchtower, armored soldiers waved their flags. This squad was the soldiers left behind to guard the gorge.

"Gentlemen, please make yourselves at home." Lei Ji crossed his arms and entered the cabin.

Without the interference of government officials or county magistrates, the swordsman stood beside Lu Xun, holding his sword without saying a word.

Yang Shen and Ma Ye also gathered around.

Lao Cheng and Cheng Yan need no further explanation; they are undoubtedly Lu Xun's staunch supporters. Wealth, status, life, and death all depend on the Five Gods.

Even if Cheng Zi is old and has hidden injuries, Lu Xun will never abandon him. Although Cheng Yan is still weak, he has at least cultivated true qi, has a background from the academy, and most importantly, is young, so Lu Xun has an even greater responsibility to save his life.

These are the foundations upon which he establishes himself in this other world.

Lu Xun gradually realized that he didn't seem to have arrived in the 'Illusionary Realm,' or rather, not the 'Illusionary Realm' that existed in the modern world. As a middleman, he knew a bit about the Illusionary Realm. He had never heard of an Illusionary Realm existing so vastly and systematically; it was practically an undeveloped alternate world.

I wonder if other travelers from the Illusionary Realm can enter here. If not, wouldn't that mean he has the whole world to himself?

Without dwelling on his emotions, suppressing the excitement in his chest, Lu Xun looked at the others with his gilded demonic eyes.

Granny Zheng had no interest in Qingquan Temple; she just wanted to make a fortune to build up her wealth.

Li Song looked around, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. He figured Qingquan Temple wouldn't fall into his hands. However, if he had enough treasure, he could choose other places. There was no need to offend Bailudong Academy for the sake of Qingquan Temple, especially since they had the advantage in numbers.

He was willing to stir up trouble if Buddhism and Taoism joined forces against them, but who would have thought that this white-haired monster would gain power so quickly that even Buddhism and Taoism had to give way? He now prefers to befriend local yamen leaders like Uncle Cheng; after all, they are acquaintances and can be considered relatives in the county.

This is the situation that Yang Shen and Ma Ye are willing to see.

They came down the mountain with a mission: to take over Qingquan Temple and turn it into a branch school so they could enter the Jiazi class. Now that the senior students from the academy were willing to step forward, they were naturally happy.

Yang Shen said, "Senior brother, why don't we climb over the collapsed wall and enter Peach Blossom Spring again?"

Although the canyon could hold off a large army, it couldn't stop them.

Lu Xun shook his head and said, "There are still soldiers and demons in Peach Blossom Village. We won't gain any advantage if we sneak in."

Without government troops to protect them, the villagers of Taoyuan Township are even more difficult to deal with than bandits. In addition, with the arrogant roar of the demons, if he leads his men into Taoyuan now, it would be suicide.

He didn't believe that Peach Blossom Village only had this one entrance; there must be other entrances and exits as well.

He explained, “We’re preparing for both possibilities. On one hand, we’ll wait for the laborers in the county town to dig open the gorge. On the other hand, I’ll have General Toothless find another entrance so that we can lead the government troops to suppress the demons and give us the opportunity to fight the Living Buddha of Peach Blossom Spring alone.”

"What does the constable think?" Lu Xun's gaze fell on Qian Xiong.

The weathered constable opened his mouth, his disappointment undisguised. He sighed softly, crossed his hands, and asked in a questioning tone, "General Toothless?"

Lu Xun pointed at the eagle circling in the sky.

Qian Xiong immediately clasped his hands in greeting and said no more.

The great demon had made excellent arrangements, and he had no reason to stop it. He had initially wanted to try and regain command of the small team, but after thinking about it, he decided to give up.

If he were competitive, he wouldn't have been assigned to retire in the small county of Meilan. It's good enough that he managed to do this job well.

Yang Shen said loudly, "Senior brother, your considerations are thorough."

Master Chen Jing clapped his hands and exclaimed, "In such a short time, he can run away but he can't hide!"

Master Jueming's expression changed. The monk wasn't here. The monk hadn't run away.

Lu Xun clasped his hands in a salute and said, "I will inform you all once I have news from my eagle."

After exchanging pleasantries, they each returned to their cabins.

On the road.

With his leather satchel on his back and ancient scrolls in his arms, Chunlei could hardly contain his excitement. His voice trembled as he said, "Master, is this the great demon you were talking about who can speak human language?"

Chen Jing did not blame Chun Lei for talking nonsense, but stopped him, saying, "What monster? He is a legitimate student of Bailudong Academy." He continued, "When you are out and about, be careful what you say, or you will end up like that Master Jueming."

Seeing that Chunlei didn't understand, Chen Jing asked again, "Is Master a petty person?"

Chunlei shook his head. Although his master's temper wasn't the best, he was indeed an honest person.

Chen Jing said in a serious voice, "His words will overshadow the brilliance of my Dao. The struggle for the Great Dao is not just about fighting and scheming, but also about every word, action, scripture, and text. I'm being polite; if it were someone less polite, hmph."

The Taoist priest, with his hands behind his back, said, "Go see your senior brother."

Chunlei quickly followed. He was still at the first stage of the Daoist path, completely bewildered by the Dao, like looking at a mountain or the sea. However, he knew he couldn't call someone a great demon to their face. The young man still couldn't hide his excitement and said, "Master, Master, this senior brother from Bailudong Academy is really amazing."

Chen Jingkuan comforted him, saying, "Don't envy others. Just learn your own skills and master the military manual, and you will become powerful too."

……

The treasure ship docked, and people boarded carriages and drove from the east dock into the county town.

The county was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and the people lined the streets to welcome them.

The corpse of the Azure Scale Monster was hung high on a wooden pole and placed on a cart converted from a prison van.

County Commandant Lei Ji rode a tall horse at the very front, followed by over a hundred soldiers lined up in neat rows. Next came the carriage carrying Lu Xun and his men, then the oxcarts pulling armor, and the donkey carts carrying the bodies. At the very back were the laborers, boatmen, and sailors who had done the work...

There were only three bodies: one was severely injured by a monster during close combat, and the other two were killed by the Living Buddha of Peach Blossom Spring.

This was a rare victory. The government, along with extraordinary individuals, eliminated the great monster that had been entrenched in Meilan County and solved the case of the frequent murders of fishermen. From then on, the people of Meilan could go fishing on the Xunyang River with peace of mind.

Enjoying the cheers, the county magistrate glanced back at the monster's corpse, lightly tapped his heel against the flank of his horse, and crossed the long street to the county government office.

Lord Mei Lan, Lü Qian, was waiting in front of the county government office early in the morning. The water and fire brigade officers lined up on both sides of the office, holding long sticks and looking straight ahead.

Lei Ji quickly dismounted and rushed forward, bowing with his hands clasped and saying, "I have not failed in my mission."

Master Lü grabbed the county magistrate's arm and beckoned the strange and unusual people who had stepped down from the carriage: "Take your seats."

The Buddhist and Taoist priests came down first, followed by the martial artist, the sorceress, the Confucian scholar, and the junior master. It wasn't until Yi Xue, with his long, ape-like arms, lifted the curtain and stood out from the crowd with his seven-foot-tall figure that Lü Qian's pupils shrank slightly, but he still greeted him warmly: "Please come in quickly."

He had some expectation when he received the message last night, but he was still shocked when he saw it today.

Wu Tonglu Xun bowed slightly.

……

During the banquet.

The servants and maids were all terrified. Even though the master said that the monkey monster was a student of the academy, they still dared not approach, which saved Lu Xun trouble.

Master Lü raised his cup, delivered another impassioned speech, and then drank it down in one gulp.

Everyone drank their wine heartily.

Towards the end, the county magistrate bowed and said, "The monster has not yet been eliminated, and its lair has not been wiped out. I implore Your Honor to conscript laborers..."

Lu Qian raised his hand to stop the county magistrate's request, stood up, looked around, and said, "Taoyuan Township is also under the jurisdiction of this county. This county cannot bear to fight each other and cause unnecessary bloodshed. Therefore, last night we met with the Living Buddha of Taoyuan Township and reached an agreement with him to let him build Qingquan Temple into a temple. From now on, he will only eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures and will no longer disturb the people."

Qian Xiong exclaimed in horror, "What?!" They were fighting desperately ahead, and when they turned back, the lord and the Living Buddha of Taoyuan Township had reached an agreement?
If it weren't for the Snow-haired Yu Rong Monster, the casualties in this battle would likely have been extremely heavy.

Keng.

With his longsword half-drawn, the swordsman stood up.

His rough, large hands gripped the tattered hilt of the sword tightly, and his phosphorescent eyes were fixed on Magistrate Lü Qian, as if he would suddenly attack and kill if Lü Qian uttered even half a word more.

No matter if you, Master Lü, are a county magistrate who rose through the ranks of the Tiger List or a Confucian scholar who has mastered the power of magic, blood will spill within five steps of you.

The swordsman's powerful true energy surged like flames.

The county constable stood up first, followed by two centurions who stood up without hesitation. At the same time, the three constables of the county government pressed their waist knives, the cunning and treacherous clerks of the six departments had different expressions, and the three classes of yamen runners who were on the left and right stood in a horse stance, almost like a taut bowstring about to be released.

No matter what decision Lord Lü makes, as long as he remains the county magistrate, they will support him.

Crash.

The atmosphere at the banquet was tense and menacing.

As they took their seats at the victory celebration banquet, most of the prominent figures stood like a forest of swords and spears. However, the yamen runners and soldiers of the government surrounded the magistrate who was speaking, while the extraordinary individuals were surrounded by 'tigers and wolves,' as if they were just waiting for Magistrate Lü, who was raising his glass, to give the order so that they could chop everyone into mincemeat.

Cheng Yan, sitting on the stool, was terrified. Just a moment ago they were all happy and celebrating their great victory, but in the blink of an eye, the situation had turned tense.

His gaze first searched for his grandfather, and seeing that his grandfather had his hands tucked into his sleeves, he then looked at his third uncle not far away. His third uncle was a very strong man, standing at seven feet tall, and looked as ordinary as an ordinary person standing when he was sitting.

Uncle San used to be a black cat that would lie on his backpack, but now he's a real monster.

This reminded him of the idea he had at the post station before going to the academy; he never expected it to actually come true.

Uncle San's face was calm, and Cheng Yan couldn't tell what kind of expression was hidden behind that ruddy face and green teeth.

Lu Xun was not as indifferent as he appeared. This was the instinct of the Five Paths God's body. No matter how shocking the news was, it did not make it show much emotion when it heard it. It was as if it was still that arrogant monster, and its golden demon eyes did not waver in the slightest.

His heart sank. He had witnessed the power of the government before. If the bandits were a rabble, then the hundreds of armored soldiers were an elite force. The centurion and the head constable had both cultivated true qi.

The Living Buddha of Taoyuan was already extremely difficult to deal with. The local militia and demons made it impossible for them to make a move. They originally thought of relying on the power of the government, but now that the government is also protecting him, they have to see how others react.

Lu Xun's gaze swept over the crowd.

Elder Chen Jingdao remained silent, the sorceress squinted and pondered for a moment, and Li Song turned his head away from them.

Master Jueming was overjoyed. He put his hands together and said, "Excellent, excellent! Magistrate Lü is truly a rare and upright official who cares for the people of Meilan County. I believe that the people of Taoyuan Township will also be grateful for Magistrate Lü's love for the people. Magistrate Lü's act of avoiding unnecessary killing is a great merit."

Jueming never expected to find a turning point at the county government office. He had thought the Eighth King of Taoyuan Township had already been sentenced to death, and that the government was just waiting to dig open the tunnel and drag out all the demons and village militia hiding in their shells. Life is truly miraculous; it's as if one can already see one's own demise, and therefore tries one's utmost to avoid it.

He didn't know what method the Eighth Prince had used, but the good news was that the situation had turned around.

Yang Shen frowned, seeing Wu Tong Lu Xun's golden eyes, but said nothing. Ma Ye opened his mouth, wanting to ask about the ownership of Qingquan Temple, but remained silent at his senior brother Yang's prompting. The current situation was very unfavorable for them; they might be arrested by the county officials as accomplices of the swordsmen.

They could only sigh helplessly at the look in Senior Brother Ape's eyes.

Plans can't keep up with changes, so if we want to open a branch school, we need to find a new location.

Lu Xun didn't bother to look at the expressions of the Cheng family grandfather and grandson; he didn't need to. He just hadn't expected that the newly assembled group would disintegrate with a single sentence from the county magistrate.

People's hearts are broken and it's hard to lead the team.

It is better to rely on yourself than to rely on anyone.

……

Seeing that no one made a move, only a slovenly swordsman wearing a dog-skin hat stood up angrily and drew his longsword a foot from its sheath.

Master Lü remained calm, a hint of mockery and disdain flashing across his drooping eyelids. He believed that chivalrous people broke the law with their martial arts, and that the imperial court had always cracked down hard on chivalrous individuals. Did they really think that he, Lü Qian, was just a powerless commoner, or that he was a Confucian scholar who had gained magical powers through his studies?

What good is his profound Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist background if he has the backing of the government?

At the sound of a command, the swordsman would be hacked to death on the spot.

Just right.

He needs to kill someone to establish his authority.

Gaba.

A chilling sound rang out in the otherwise quiet banquet hall, drawing everyone's attention.

The silver-backed, snow-haired ape stretched out its arms and put the braised pork knuckle in the middle of the table into its mouth. The four-pound braised pork knuckle looked like a small chicken leg in its hands. With a slurp, the fluffy chunk of meat went into its stomach. With a snap of its blue fangs, the bone shattered like a biscuit. With a crisp chewing sound, a large cylindrical bone disappeared.

Not yet full, Wutongshan Jun reached for the roasted lamb and suckling pig, opening its blood-red maw and tearing off large pieces of meat with its fangs, not even leaving the bones behind.

His savage and uncouth eating manner made the people in the banquet hall realize that this was not a refined and easy-going academy student, but a great monster who would devour anyone who would eat him.

After finishing three meat dishes, Wu Tong Lu Xun slowly stood up, wiping the meat juice from his mouth with his rough, hairy hands. His golden demonic eyes fell on Master Lü, his fangs bared, and a deep, hoarse voice mixed with inexplicable beastly roars echoed throughout the hall: "Does the government even care about the fights between monsters?"

A chill ran down Lü Qian's spine. The complex emotions in his eyes vanished, and his pupils narrowed slightly, as if he were a weak mortal being stared at by a tiger. The pride, contempt, and calm that had just risen within him were all replaced by a faint fear.

Despite the goosebumps rising in his hair, he neither looked at them nor tried to soothe them, but instead looked first at the constables and soldiers of the county government.

County Commandant Lei Ji was serious, even nervous, his body tense.

The constables and centurions gripped their weapons tightly.

The tense standoff disappeared, replaced by a spreading mist.

If the shadows just now suppressed the swordsman's killing intent, then now a thick fog is enveloping everyone.

Swordsman Zeng Tie glanced sideways at Wutong Mountain Lord, who had risen and was looking down at the crowd. He never believed in other people's promises, and his agreement to join forces with the monsters was solely for the purpose of killing the Eight Great Kings. Therefore, when he rose from the banquet, he never placed his hopes on these extraordinary people. He knew that he could only rely on himself.

But to say that there are no longings and excitement in one's heart is impossible to lie to oneself.

Indeed there is.

He so wished that everyone could stand up.

Someone stood up—no, a monster stood up.

The swordsman stared blankly at Wu Tong Lu Xun.

Master Lü cleared his throat and said, "No."

He said those two words with a heavy heart and with great reluctance, but he still had to say them.

Because what he felt at that moment was not murderous intent, but a sense of calm.

Those golden, demonic eyes held no reverence for the government, nor fear of the county magistrate's large and powerful presence. They were not filled with the hatred of a swordsman, nor were they burning like fire; they were like the surface of a calm lake, unified from the inside out.

He understands.

This is the prelude to murder.

Wutong Mountain Lord asked, "When will he arrive?"

Lü Qian replied, "In three days."

(End of this chapter)