Headless Immortal

Chapter 25 Weighing Bone Money

Beheading is a skilled job.

Ordinary people don't understand the technology involved; they just think it's exciting and entertaining!

As soon as the horn sounded, twenty-four constables in black uniforms brought up twelve bandits, who were said to be the pillars of the bandit stronghold.

The rope was tied to the wooden stump and stood there.

The newly replaced wooden stumps in Xingtai are very flat, and you can still smell the faint, old-fashioned fragrance of the wood.

The blood-sucking felt was also newly replaced; the old one was blackened and tattered, not showing any sign of a fresh start.

The execution platform was covered with a thick layer of fresh yellow earth, and the faint, fishy smell of the soil filled the air, giving one a sense of peace and security.

Hundreds of onlookers were kept outside the execution ground by the soldiers, even though they were only twenty or thirty steps away.

Meilan County is small, not a very large place. The county magistrate sat in the pavilion, with constables on both sides providing shade. Magistrate Lü was in high spirits and spoke eloquently.

The people responded enthusiastically.

People say that they hate corrupt officials, but they hate river bandits and robbers even more.

Corrupt officials want money, while river bandits want both money and lives.

"Eighteen years from now, you will be a hero again!"

Master Lü's face immediately turned cold.

The constables from the water-pressing bandits went up and slapped him twice across the face.

clap clap!

Heartless Liang's cheeks were swollen high.

The constables put in a lot of effort.

"I don't want to die."

"It's so cold."

"..."

"Please have mercy, Your Excellency."

"Why bother begging that damn official? Whether you stick your neck out or not, you'll still get stabbed. You should know that once you become a hero from the countryside."

"You son of a bitch! You were a strong man, and you'll be a strong ghost too!"

"Hey, I've killed seventy-five people in my life, and forced countless women into marriage. Following the chieftain, I'm eating meat and drinking wine to my heart's content. It's all worth it!"

"..."

On the eaves of the pavilion, the big black cat looked up at the sun. The river tide created a cloudy scene, and the sun was not too strong. A few rays of spring sunshine made the black cat yawn sleepily.

Lu Xun wasn't really nervous; watching someone get beheaded wasn't like he was getting beheaded himself.

Of course, he didn't curse much when he was beheaded.

The knife was too fast!

As for these river bandits...

Ah.

But he should die.

He was waiting here to weigh the money for the ashes.

There are many others waiting alongside the old cat.

Some of them were carrying a burlap sack.

These people were waiting for human head blood, because they had heard that eating steamed buns dipped in blood could cure tuberculosis.

The pimps in the brothels held small porcelain basins, their eyes fixed on the scene. They too were waiting, not for human blood, but for a paste. According to folk remedies, eating this paste would cure the girls from their venereal diseases.

Witchcraft sorcerers, temple priests, and unorthodox practitioners were also busy. Their skin and bones were excellent materials for magical artifacts, and their internal organs were good materials for raising evil spirits.

Since the bandits had no family to redeem them, they could buy these unclaimed items with money.

Ok!

Apart from those who were just watching the spectacle, the rest were all 'vultures'.

Interrupted by the bandits, the magistrate lost interest in continuing to sing his praises. He hastily ended his speech, sat back in the shade of the pavilion, and without waiting for an auspicious day, grabbed the command token from the table, glanced at the clear sky, and coldly shouted, "Execute!"

The command arrow fell to the ground with a whoosh.

puff!
The executioner spat a mouthful of cold water onto his cleaver. The icy water droplets bounced off the broad blade and splashed into the exposed skin of the bandits.

Those with a weak heart would immediately defecate and urinate on the spot.

Even the bravest among them trembled, muttering incessantly about being a hero again in the next life, as if trying to convince themselves to accept death.

The seemingly tough man went mad amidst cheers and curses from thousands of onlookers.

Without controlling his strength, the executioner swung his knife and leaped up. The executioner gripped the knife tightly and sawed off the bandit's head. The screams finally stopped, but the execution ground was far from silent. Twelve round heads fell onto the newly laid thick yellow earth, the blood staining the earth brown.

"Bring in the criminal!"

Another loud song was sung.

Another batch of leaders, both big and small, were brought in, making a total of twelve.

"cut!"

Three groups were killed in succession, totaling thirty-six people!
Several more batches were distributed to the remaining two counties, and a considerable amount was also taken from Jiujiang Prefecture. Every leader was executed on the spot without hesitation. Whether they were river bandits or local bandits, to become a leader, one had to be one of their own. What does it mean to be one of their own? Only those who had paid a pledge of allegiance were considered one of their own.

……

The local government offices are indeed quite diligent in their work.

The corpses were quickly arranged neatly.

There's no need to hire a mortician to sew their heads back on. There's a pile of heads here, and a pile of corpses next to them. If you want to dip them in steamed buns, you can do so for a fee; if you want paste, you can do that too, just pay up. The rest of the items are clearly priced; you can take them after paying, and the government doesn't care what you do with them.

The throngs of people made it easy for the black cat to strike.

The cat touches and selects each one with its paw.

He has no money, so he can only be a bandit. He'll make up for it when he has the money.

Killing Chen Sheng, the Dragon of the Waves, would earn him a reward, but he didn't know if the county government would actually pay him the fifty taels. "Don't step on my tail!"

Lu Xun was in a sorry state as he squeezed his way out of the crowd.

Fortunately, everything is worth it.

……

He took advantage of the chaos to return to his cell.

This place is practically his private domain.

The skull of 'Huang Xuan' on the gate beam of Tuolong Water Village

Type: 蠃 (氓—人)

Quality: Normal

Martial arts: Southern Fist

Commentary: Therefore, it is as swift as the wind, as slow as the forest, as fierce as fire, as immovable as a mountain, as unpredictable as darkness, and as powerful as thunder.

"rape and abduction"

"Crush."

[Received ashes: 3 coins]

Lu Xun then turned his attention to the next head.

"Murder, cannibalism, especially of the heart and liver."

"Crush."

[Receive cremated remains: 1 coin]

"The beautiful concubine of the chieftain"

"..."

"Robbing an official's daughter"

"Crush."

"Living a life of debauchery and decadence"

"I want to become a carefree ghost."

"Crush!"

[Received ashes: ...]

Lu Xun was completely annihilated, leaving no one alive.

Concentrate your mind on the location of the ashes.

Cremated remains: 2.1 taels

[Should I enhance the Skull of a Three-Legged Cat?]

Lu Xun was overjoyed and replied without hesitation, "Yes."

[Spell: Cat Walk (Advanced)] → [Spell: Cat Walk (Masterful)]

"The skull of the three-legged cat has unlocked its full power."

"Gained the supernatural ability of walking by virtue of the spell: Cat Walk (exquisite skill)."

【on foot】

Type: Supernatural Power

Effect: Slightly increases travel distance (+2%)

Commentary: I have trod the mountain peaks and climbed Kunlun Mountain. The sea stretches to the horizon, a distance of ninety thousand miles. My feet will not fail you! — Wandering Sage: Xu Hongzu

Lu Xun could barely feel it, yet he vaguely felt his body becoming more resilient.

Concentrate your mind.

The Skull of a Three-Legged Cat

Type: Furry (beast - cat)

Quality: Normal

Spell: Cat Walk (Masterful)

Commentary: After three years, the animal was kept by a family. Every night, it would squat on the roof, raise its mouth to the moon, and inhale its essence. Over time, it began to behave strangely.

Mount Danyuan is abundant in water but barren of vegetation, making it impossible to ascend. There is a beast there, resembling a fox but with a mane, named Lei. It is both male and female, and eats animals that play with the law.

The contract was signed and the agreement was fulfilled. He received a gift from his employer and was granted entry into the main hall.

Two ounces of ashes are said to possess divine power and extraordinary abilities.

The power seemed to emanate from the depths of the soul, making the body feel lighter.

With a light leap and an effortless push off the ground, Lu Xun easily jumped onto the roof beam.

"This can't be the power of a special ability, can it?!"

Lu Xun immediately recognized that this was the power of the cat's walk.

Now he can maintain the cat-walking state at any time without deliberately using cat-walking.

Indeed, it was incredibly skillful.

It's just that a portion of my already meager magical power has been lost.

……

"Stop playing with the three legs, little guy. Tell me that Zhao the boss found a family that worships the Five Gods."

"Meow (go)!"

Lu Xun jumped off the roof beam.

The man and the cat then walked out of the cell.

(End of this chapter)