Headless Immortal

Chapter 154 The Demon Rider Shatters the Mirage in the Rainy Night

Heavy clouds and high winds obscured the moon behind the mountains, and the damp, oppressive atmosphere felt like the steam in a steamer.

The general in armor tugged at his collar and took off his helmet. He disliked moisture. The fall of Meng County had forced the spreading drought back, and even Qishan was shrouded in thick rain clouds and fog.

After all, this is Jiujiang territory.

The Xunyang River lies there, with numerous waterways flowing eastward to the sea. Of the three prefectures of Jiujiang, even Zhangzhou, the northernmost, has the least water resources. If it were Jiangzhou in the center, it would be impossible for it to be so arid.

The main road on Zuoping Road was still dark in the distance. The sound of horses' hooves pounding the clouds and mud could be heard as they galloped from the place of the Three Religions' fireworks, joining the elite cavalry led by the general and the Taoist.

However, compared to the well-trained knights who even held wooden sticks in their mouths without making a sound, this group of people looked rather undisciplined. Few of them wore armor; instead, most were dressed in tight-fitting clothes. They all had their swords sheathed and looked fierce and menacing, resembling nothing more than ruthless bandits and strongmen.

Strangely, it also contains many monks, Taoist priests, sorcerers, and... demons and monsters.

The seven-foot-tall, fat man sitting on horseback, resembling a white-haired Maitreya Buddha, was none other than the renowned Mirage Playboy. His five radish-thick fingers were adorned with different gold and silver ornaments, but his head had been shaved off at some point, making him look less like a wealthy young master and more like a newly ordained monk.

Young Master Hua scratched his head, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

A middle-aged man, who looked like a wealthy old man, was dressed in blue. Behind him were six burly men, also dressed in blue and carrying long swords, who were gazing at the distant Qishan Mountain, which was buried in the clouds.

His gaze did not linger on Qishan for long before he continued to look into the distance. Unfortunately, human eyesight has its limits, and the deeper scenery was just a murky blackness.

The gray-robed rat, lying on the horse's back, rubbed his long beard, his black bean-sized eyes flashing with cold light. He was none other than the Black Third Master of Zhangzhou.

He was once as famous as the Yellow Wind Monster of Juying Mountain, but he obviously did not think he was inferior to Shu Er. He once boasted that he would challenge the Yellow Wind Monster. After his defeat, he went to some ditch to save up his fortune.

……

Tian Yunong was pleased with himself and sat upright on the horse without feeling any jolting.

Dressed in a red robe, with slicked-back hair and a powdered face, he was none other than the man who forced the White Sect's Holy Maiden to relinquish her leadership at the Jubao Tower on Yugu Mountain. His long, powerful fingers traced across the token made of red, blue, and white.

Looking back, he saw that all forty or fifty soldiers behind him respected him, including many well-known people and monsters.

He glanced to his side and sighed inwardly. Only the Green Gang's leader was nowhere to be seen—the White Sect's Holy Maiden. It was all because of that stinky Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain causing trouble; otherwise, he really wanted to taste the White Sect's Holy Maiden.

After a divine lightning bolt struck the Treasure Pavilion, the Holy Maiden of the White Sect disappeared, presumably hiding away.

Tian Yunong curled his lip. What do you mean by "the three religions were originally one family"? The White Lotus Sect is a rotten basket that throws all sorts of demons and monsters into it, yet it wants to claim kinship with the Hongmen.

The Hongmen members are spread throughout the Jiangnan, Guangdong and Guangxi regions. Even the Green Gang is inferior to them. If the imperial court were not still powerful, they would probably have already raised their banners. They had no choice but to unite with the Green Gang and the White Sect. They specifically sought out the roots of the Three Pure Ones to connect the three families.

He sat upright on his horse, beaming with pride, waiting for General Sheng of the Jingshi Society to come and pay his respects.

Sheng Kuangxiong frowned, thinking to himself, "Why is it him?" He searched through the crowd but couldn't find the White Sect's Holy Maiden, which only increased his suspicions. He then gave Xu Daoren beside him a wink.

Xu Hong stepped forward with a smile, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Xu Hong of the Jingshi Society greets Master Tian."

"Ah."

Tian Yunong snorted, not bothering to dismount, and said in a nonchalant tone, "So, the medicinal ingredient is in Shoushan. I've heard that the lord of Shoushan..."

His subordinates chimed in at the opportune moment: "Lord Peng, also known as the Hundred-Year-Old Lord, is commonly referred to as Lord Shoushan."

Tian Yunong nodded slightly. Of course he knew, but he had to put on a good show so that people would know that he, Tian Yunong, was no less capable than the Holy Maiden of the White Sect. He would retrieve the medicinal ingredient exactly as it had been lost, and at the same time, firmly grasp the power to lead the heretical sects in Zhangzhou.

He said loudly, "The Hundred-Year-Old Marquis has sent out invitations to hold a grand conference. They are quite shrewd, hiding deep in the mountains and refusing to come out. If that's the case, why don't they attack the mountain? In my opinion, the best course of action is to use fire. With the wind fueling the fire, even if he is a three-hundred-year-old tree spirit, or even a thousand-year-old monster, he would have to move."

Sheng Kuangxiong said in a deep voice, "The Holy Maiden said that they will take the Zuoping Road to Juying Mountain."

Tian Yunong's face darkened instantly, and he shouted sharply, "Where is the Holy Maiden?!"

Sheng Kuangxiong frowned deeply, but instead of speaking, he gripped the iron spear tightly in his hand.

The atmosphere was tense, and the dark clouds overhead seemed to be piling up even thicker.

Xu Hong quickly smiled and smoothed things over, saying, "Master Tian, ​​please calm down. It was my strategist who ordered us to ambush here, saying that Boss Lu in the water would definitely be carrying the medicinal ingredient from Zuoping Road to Hao County."

Tian Yunong's face, which had been wearing a cold mask, suddenly melted: "Military Advisor Xu is indeed capable. No wonder the Minister of State values ​​him so highly and has entrusted him with the task of recruiting people from the surrounding areas and managing external affairs."

"How can he compare to the incense master, who holds the power to govern Zhangzhou, with all the three religions and heretics obeying his orders? It seems that his promotion to hall master is a sure thing."

The two exchanged pleasantries, which eased the atmosphere.

Sheng Kuangxiong remained silent. As a military general, he was not good at these superficial things and was afraid of making a mistake.

This young master Tian from the Hongmen was in a precarious position, and it would be troublesome if he caused any trouble. However, seeing those forty or fifty heretics and monsters made him feel a little more at ease.

He looked back at his troops, their ranks neat and orderly, their banners fluttering, gleaming white iron in the moonlight. They were clearly not ordinary soldiers but Iron Corpse Warriors of the Jing Shi Hui. The hundred or so riders were all elite warriors clad in armor, capable of drawing bows several times harder than ordinary men. Even their horses were magical corpses that had been refined together.

Tian Yunong raised his hand and gestured, "Set up the formation."

The chubby playboy immediately cast a spell, conjuring up an antique wooden tower. With the help of the colorful-clad sorcerer, the tower spread out into a market, and in no time a bustling market appeared at the pass. Monks and Taoists displayed their supernatural abilities, warriors performed their duties, and seductive women covered their mouths and giggled.

Tian Yunong laughed and said, "It all depends on how accurate the Jing Shi Hui's information is."

His men had laid a tight net to completely guard the pass; not even a fly or mosquito could escape, let alone a monster.

As for other sources of information, Tian Yunong turned to look at Master Hei and cupped his hands, saying, "Master Hei, please trouble some of my men to go to Shoushan to inquire."

"Easy to say."

The rat spirit in the gray official robe beckoned, and a large, fat rat emerged from its burrow, squeaking softly before disappearing back into the hole.

"Reporting to the Master, the men said that the monster in Shoushan City got very drunk last night." After a pause, Black Third Master glanced at the sky and continued, "I don't know what they were busy with during the day. The men are too weak to approach. I reckon if the news is accurate, they should come to Zuoping Road at night."

Sheng Kuangxiong was impressed. This group of people acted recklessly, but their methods were quite good. They were skilled at concealment and their mirage technique was so skillful that it could be mistaken for reality. He ordered more than a hundred iron cavalry to hide and wait for night to fall.

Night hadn't fallen yet, but the rain came first, pouring down like a celestial river.

Taoist Xu Hong praised, "What a wonderful mountain rain!"

……

The dark clouds of dusk swallowed the daylight, plunging the earth into a deep abyss.

The booming thunder, accompanied by the misty rain, pierced through the oppressive atmosphere, yet when it touched the demonic fog, it was as clear as day, and the sound of raindrops hitting other objects could not be heard.

At the foot of Mount Qi, on the open hillside, mist and darkness merged into one, where a troop of well-equipped cavalry stood, each carrying a lance, quiver, and strong bow. They remained unmoved by the rolling, eerie mist and the raindrops pelting their eyes, as if they were an unyielding mountain on the hillside.

A bear on the left and a tiger on the right surrounded a large monster dressed in black armor.

Hey.

The five golden demonic eyes of the Five-Tong Divine God, perched atop the demonic beast, flickered slightly. A dark shadow streaked across the sky, piercing through the rain clouds, and fell from mid-air. The eagle folded its wings and knelt on the ground, pounding the earth with one hand and placing the other on its chest in a gesture of respect. With its beak gleaming, it said, "Your Majesty, a market and a troop of unidentified soldiers have appeared at the pass leading out of the mountain."

"A rough estimate is at least two hundred people."

Xiong Shanjun was dressed in armor, carrying a large banner, and hanging a black flag with the character "Lu" embroidered in gold thread. On the back was a living Buddha image in the shape of oracle bone script, with rusted water waves along the edges.

The banner was modified from a black banner that Shoushan Gong found in the storeroom, and the words and pictures on it were all embroidered stitch by stitch.

Shu Ercha said, "Your Majesty, that is an ambush set by the Jing Shi Society."

The little mouse, who was good at digging holes, had already told him.

"Your Majesty, there is another way, we can take a detour," the Hundred-Year-Old Marquis said in a low voice, riding on the back of a moose.

He knew of three routes, but whether by water or land, it would take at least a day or two. The roads were difficult to travel, and rushing through the mountains in the rain was not a good option.

Wu Tong Lu Xun looked up at the distant sky, reached out and caught the rain in his palm, and said softly, "It's raining."

His voice seemed to blend into the rain. Then he weighed the lance in his hand and said calmly, "Since there's no way to avoid it, let's fight our way through!"

The Hundred-Year-Old Marquis made a hand seal, and the vines hung like iron chains on the locks of the iron cavalry. Then he chanted an incantation to activate the 'Beacon Fire Mountain Technique'. Azure-gold light covered the demons and their riders. The demonic mist and the azure-gold light converged into a pale blue, and the originally elite demon cavalry seemed to have been forged into a divine blade on land.

"drive."

The hoarse voice and the roar of the beast blended into one, and the cavalry formation immediately began to move, like a flying sword drawn from its sheath.

rumble.

Like rolling thunder from the distant sky, the dense, uniform light descended from the depths of the clouds, and this blue-green golden steed galloped along the official road.

……

At the Mirage Tower, a trickle of rain cascaded down the wooden eaves, forming a curtain of rain. The Taoist priest, wrapped in a rough robe, shrank back and clicked his tongue in amazement. He picked up a wine pot and said with a wry smile, "With such heavy rain, they're enjoying themselves inside while we're left on guard duty. It's just a pity for you and me; we haven't even had a hot meal."

The sorcerer at the table laughed and said, "What's so difficult about that?" He took out a plate and asked, "Brother Daoist, would you like something hot to eat?"

The Taoist with the mustache chuckled: "I've heard that the Qian family's dog meat shop in Qi County is the best in the area."

The sorcerer took out a yellow paper talisman, folded it into the shape of a dog, placed it on a tray, covered it with a colorful cloth, and chanted incantations. The shriveled colorful cloth quickly floated up and was suddenly lifted, revealing a thoroughly cooked black dog lying on the plate. The sorcerer took out two pairs of chopsticks and said with a smile, "Please."

"Wine without meat is no good either." The Taoist priest with the mustache turned over the wine pot, and not a drop of the turbid wine was left. He then casually caught the rainwater on the eaves of the watchtower, put in a pill, and gently shook it. A strong aroma of wine wafted out.

The Taoist priest placed two wine cups on the table and filled each one.

"Having wine and meat is the life of a god."

"Brother Dao, you are mistaken."

"Oh?"

"Wine and meat are certainly good, but what's the point if there are no beautiful women to accompany them?" The sorcerer leered. "I heard that the magistrate of Qi County has taken a beautiful concubine. I have inquired around and found out her birth date and time. All I need to do is write it on this little man and cast a soul-summoning spell to make her serve you and me."

"Hurry and apply it..."

Before the Taoist could finish speaking, he opened his mouth wide, his pupils shrinking to a point, and he began to tremble. The sorcerer was astonished and followed the Taoist's gaze. He was shocked and horrified. Just as he opened his mouth to cry out, azure-gold arrows rained down from the sky.

In the blink of an eye, the arrow was already upon them.

Pfft!

The Taoist priest and the sorcerer were turned into sieves and nailed to the watchtower.

"Enemy attack——!"

A roar ripped through the sky, followed by a thunderclap that sounded like a startled bowstring. A rain of blue-gold arrows covered the market, tearing through walls and windows, breaking beams and pillars. Rocks tumbled down from the collapsed mountainside, and broken branches and trunks crashed into the mirage. In an instant, the entire illusion became vaguely blurred.

Playing in the water!

The rain falling from the sky was no longer gentle, but turned into cold arrows and spears, as if someone had laid a large-scale spell above the entire market in advance.

Those who wield magic are even more terrifying; in an instant, the torrential rain converged into hundreds of cold arrows and spears, like an icy prison hanging upside down in the sky.

Screams, wails, shock and anger, weeping... The heretics and monsters who had no time to react were caught off guard. Some were hit by stray arrows and bled profusely, while others were pinned down by water arrows and spears, ending up with torn flesh and blood, limbs flying everywhere, and bones and flesh crushed.

"what happened?"

Tian Yunong cried out in shock and anger, "General Sheng!"

Only three of the red-clad warriors guarding him remained, and all three were wounded. Tian Yunong had no way to rally more people; whether they were heretics, eccentrics, or demons and monsters, they were all fleeing in terror.

"Roar!"

Sheng Kuangxiong raised the banner high, roared to the sky, his eyes gleaming with silver light and his fangs bared.

He wanted to awaken the stationed cavalry, but only a few arrived sporadically. Fortunately, with the raising of the flag, the headless crowd found their leader. Tian Yunong quickly led his men closer.

"Will……"

Before Xu Hong could even utter a word, he saw Sheng Kuangxiong, who had just mounted his horse, being flung into the air by a long spear. The one-horned bull-headed monster roared and stomped on the mud and blood, which splashed onto Xu Hong's face, cold, just like the great monster sitting on the back of the beast he had seen.

With white hair and a white body, a red face and green teeth, and gilded demonic eyes filled with indifference.

bass!
As the swirling water blades swept past, Xu Hong felt dizzy for a moment, and in the blink of an eye, he saw his still upright body, with a column of blood spurting up to ten feet high.

Even after being beheaded, he remained conscious. Xu Hong couldn't say exactly how long, but at least when he was grabbed by the Snow Fur Demon Palm, he could still hear the great demon speak, saying three words: "Eh, it's you."

Who?
Do I know him?
Xu Hong searched through his memories like a revolving lantern, but he obviously couldn't find them, nor did he understand why the great demon knew him.

His thinking ended there.

Others were still pondering, including Tian Yunong. He was still in a daze, leading his remaining troops on their way, when he saw Sheng Kuangxiong, a general of the Jing Shi Hui, being impaled in mid-air by a blue lance like a tattered flag, with drops of blood flying onto Tian Yunong's face.

hot.

His heart trembled with cold.

At the same time, he also saw the 'medicinal catalyst' in the cyan-gold iron stream, but he felt no joy, only a ferocious madness, and roared: "Damn White Lotus Sect bitches!"

Tian Yunong finally understood why that bitch had so easily relinquished her command at Yugu Mountain; it turned out she had known all along how powerful the monster who had seized the medicinal ingredient was.

This was a water demon king who could summon wind and rain and change the weather, and he easily shattered his plans with his demon riders.

(End of this chapter)