Headless Immortal

Chapter 75 Chasing the River and Capturing the Monster

The shadow drew ever closer, accompanied by the rising mist and steam of the river tide.

A slender figure, about five feet seven or eight inches tall, wearing a straw hat and raincoat, emerged from the damp mist.

His eyes, perched on the two poles of his straw hat, glanced at it briefly before focusing on the wooden box in front of him.

Wu Agui was startled.

The monster arrived before the thousand taels of silver his family would send.

The man in the straw hat opened the box and nodded in satisfaction when he saw the gleaming silver.

Then I scooped out a handful.

He walked up to Wu Agui and said, "Extend your hand."

Wu Agui dared not disobey and quickly stretched out his hands in a cupping gesture.

The man in the straw hat poured the silver into Wu Agui's hand, then picked up the wooden box on the ground, and his figure disappeared into the fog again.

Ripples spread across the river at the dock, and the mist disappeared along with the man in the straw hat.

Wu Agui remained stiff in his posture. He looked at the silver in his hand, fifteen ingots, each weighing ten taels.

"Brother Wu," Cheng Yan called out, bringing him back to his senses.

Wu Agui quickly stuffed all 150 taels into Cheng Yan's hands: "Thank you for your great help, Brother Cheng."

"We're from the same hometown and share the same lodging, how could I..."

"Please accept this, Brother Cheng." Wu Agui shook his head and covered his wrist. He wanted to keep his promise and also didn't want to offend Cheng Yan.

Once he cultivates true qi, he will be different from ordinary people. If he wants to maintain this friendship, he must keep his promise and never ruin things for a little money.

Unable to refuse any longer, Cheng Yan put the silver into his treasure bag: "Alright, I'll keep it."

The big black cat jumped down and sniffed around.

The faint scent thread in the cat's eyes was gradually dispersed.

The moisture obscured most of it, making it impossible for Lu Xun to find it clearly.

Old Cat Lu Xunchong nodded to Cheng Yan, then snatched Grey Treasure and disappeared into the night.

Wu Agui exclaimed, "Hey, Brother Cheng, your cat has taken away the mouse you were raising!"

Cheng Yan started to speak, but then abruptly stopped himself: "Uncle..."

He then said, "It's alright."

……

As Lu raced along the water, he pondered, 'I shouldn't have smashed the toad's head.'

The Straw Raincoat Monster is clearly from the water. The Three-Legged Old Cat isn't a good swimmer, and the Five-Tong Mountain Lord is too conspicuous. The original Toad Head is the best; it can be quite effective in the water.

However, since he used them all to strengthen Wutong Mountain Lord, there's nothing to regret.

At that time, what he needed most was strength.

It's just that I'm suffering now.

After searching for a while, the smell became even fainter, and the pale mist lingering around the tip of the nose was almost imperceptible.

Lu Xun stopped by the river and put Hui Bao down.

"Meow?"

"Squeak."

Grey Treasure had long since memorized the taste of gold and silver.

This is the most basic thing for a treasure-hunting mouse.

Lu Xun brought Grey Treasure along precisely because he felt it would be useful.

The cat gently caught the mouse in its mouth and ran in the direction the mouse pointed.

With Hui Bao leading the way, Lu Xun's goal became clear, and he didn't take a single detour.

Although it wasn't noticeable under normal circumstances, he didn't feel breathless during long journeys thanks to his special abilities.

In my childhood.

The water flowed upstream to a riverbank it had never seen before.

Even though it's already late autumn, I can still see peach blossoms falling into the river.

The peach blossoms stretched for hundreds of paces along the bank, the fragrant grasses were lush, and fallen petals were everywhere. Suddenly, Grey Treasure became excited, struggled to jump from the cat's mouth to the ground, and ran joyfully towards the peach grove.

Lu Xun, the black cat, followed.

A mouse and a cat, one in front and one behind.

Before long, we arrived at the end of the peach grove.

The moon frost illuminated the gleaming silver.

The man in the straw raincoat took off his bamboo hat, revealing a pair of high-set eyes. His shrimp-like head, resembling a human, was puffing up with bubbles and was speaking indistinctly to the person in front of him.

"who!"

The person in the shadows turned their head and, by the moonlight, could see a catfish's head, its plump body resembling a crouching bear.

The catfish warrior, shirtless with tattered blue and red cloth wrapped around his waist and a thick knife tucked under his arm, stared wide-eyed at a corner of the peach blossom grove, his fat hand slowly gripping the knife.

"Come out." Suddenly.

A large black cat leaped out from behind a tree and pounced on a gray mouse in a few swift movements.

After catching the mouse, the round-faced creature turned to look at the two demons.

"It's a cat."

The shrimp soldier let out a long breath, his tense body relaxed slightly, and he withdrew his pincers from the iron fork.

Ayuki noticed that it was a black cat catching mice, but didn't pay any attention to it.

After counting the silver, he scolded, "How come you only collected such a small amount of silver?"

"That's quite a lot already. I don't know how, but those who received the jewels either died or fled. Some spent all their money early on, and some even hanged themselves with a noose." "Not to mention the money, we don't even know where the jewels they were given at the beginning went."

The shrimp soldiers and crab soldiers complained incessantly.

"Mr. Ni is investigating."

"You should stop complaining so much."

The catfish immediately instructed the little demon standing at the cave entrance: "Hurry up and move it inside."

The two water monkeys lifted the box and headed towards the entrance of the cave.

The shrimp soldiers and crab soldiers each took the box containing the silver, cleaned up the mess, and then crawled into the hole.

There was no movement for a long time.

Lu Xun, who was crouching in the tree, jumped down from the tree trunk and came to the foot of the mountain.

There should have been a cave just now, but now it's smooth and flat without any gaps.

After searching for a long time without finding a clue, I left the peach blossom grove.

As soon as you leave the peach grove, you see a misty fog, and the upstream river flows swiftly for miles. The peach grove behind you slowly disappears into the fog.

When he turned back to look for it, the path had vanished, and all he could see was a vast expanse of reeds.

That's strange.

Lu Xun was very surprised.

He really didn't plan to make a move right now.

It's not that I look down on a few minor demons; my real purpose isn't their ashes.

The last time he killed the crab soldiers, it didn't solve the problem.

Instead, other lesser demons killed the fishermen.

……

Since Cheng Yan had promised to help, Lu Xun naturally had to protect Wu Agui's life first.

I had planned to follow the little demon to its lair to eradicate it completely, but I never expected there to be such a mirage concealing it.

Now, not only is the cave dwelling gone, but even the peach blossom grove that once guided us is nowhere to be seen.

Fortunately, Wu Agui's life was saved.

Secondly, he already knew the origins and destinations of these minor demons, so he could be considered to have gained something.

"Squeak."

A look of confusion flashed in Grey Bean's eyes. She sniffed the air, spread out her little paws, indicating that she was powerless to help.

“I’ve caught them by the tail.”

Lu Xun forgot that he was in the form of a black cat, and couldn't utter a single word, let alone a long sentence.

It spoke nothing but meows, then picked up Gray Baby and headed into the city.

……

Chengyan went home to visit his parents and mother-in-law, and told his grandfather about the academy's plan to buy Qingquan Temple.

I was thinking of asking my grandfather to put in a good word with the old man.

At least Grandpa is now one of the foremen in the three shifts of yamen runners.

If it were in the county government office, others would respectfully address him as "Master".

Moreover, their family, backed by Uncle Zhao, the flag bearer of the Three Judicial Offices, still held some influence.

Old Cheng puffed on his pipe, the golden-red tobacco shimmering in the light, and exhaled a long puff of thin smoke: "Did your third uncle come back with you?"

“Yes,” Cheng Yan replied.

Lao Cheng said, "Let's talk about it when your third uncle comes back."

“I’m not a child. What’s wrong with me telling you this, or me telling Uncle Cat?”

"This matter involves a lot of people..."

"Uncle Cat, Uncle Cat is back."

Cheng Yanben was about to argue a bit more when he turned around and saw a big black cat with Grey Treasure in its mouth on the eaves.

Old Cheng instructed, "Old woman, get some food for his third uncle."

"Take out the wine hidden in the cellar."

(End of this chapter)