Headless Immortal

Chapter 97 Rampant Soldiers and Ghost Generals (Two-in-One)

Lei Ji frowned in surprise, about to speak, when a man emerged from the blue iron carriage and waved a flag to signal.

The centurion and Constable Zhou exclaimed in unison, "That's right!"

"There are pursuers."

"Full bow."

Lei Ji gave another order, but this time he bypassed the large iron cart and aimed at the pursuing troops behind him.

"put!"

"Put it in again."

"Put it back!"

……

The three movements were swift.

Whoosh whoosh.

The arrows behind chased into the sky and caught up with the arrows in front.

A clear sky suddenly turned into a dark cloud looming over the city.

"drive!"

The red-faced ape rode a large iron cart out of the canyon, arrows streaking past like meteors.

A muffled thud, a commotion of people falling, and the stench of blood and flesh enveloping both demons and humans.

Screams and wails mingled together.

Sturgeon Warrior and Catfish Warrior stood at the forefront. The two monsters, each holding a round wooden shield, were inevitably hit by arrows. Thump, they knelt on the ground but did not throw away their shields.

As the second and third waves of arrows were about to arrive, the toad leader's round eyes widened. It seemed to already see the scene after it was hit by an arrow, which would be very painful, and perhaps cold.

The shrimp soldiers and crab generals panicked and pieced together their armor, hoping to catch the arrows from the imperial army.

Mr. Ni, at the very front, was desperately trying to defend himself by grabbing two round shields.

"village head……"

The village head, who had cultivated true qi, helped the old man in the straw raincoat.

The armored front row of people formed a line.

A fleeting look of confusion crossed the old village chief's eyes, and a deep sorrow filled his heart, making him believe that his time was drawing near.

Long.

A tall figure blocked the path between the demons and the villagers. His body, over nine feet tall, was exceptionally robust. He faced the crowd with his back to the rain of arrows.

The towering, rock-like shadows obscured the light from the distant sky.

“Living Buddha!”

Mr. Ni exclaimed in surprise.

The living Buddha, with round eyes and a tapir-like nose, wore a smile and clasped his hands together in prayer.

Arrows rained down.

Ding ding, clang clang...

The sound of metal clashing against stone was incessant.

The monk's robe, tinged with light green, was torn, revealing a huge shield behind him that resembled a gray moon. The living Buddha, with his robe tied around his waist and arms outstretched, seemed to embrace the demon and the villagers of Peach Blossom Village, keeping the raging wind and rain outside the mountain cliffs and valleys.

The blue iron chariot quickly turned pale and disappeared in front of the army formation, throwing everyone out.

Cheng Yan, with a senior brother on each side, was busy searching in the crowd. He fixed his eyes on his grandfather and quickly called out to him.

Lao Cheng strode forward to help the two Confucian scholars from Bailudong.

"Military doctor!"

County Commandant Lei Ji ordered the army doctor to help everyone.

"Master, senior brother, how are you?" Chunlei cried as she rushed to Chen Jing and senior brother Dongsheng.

“Your senior brother was struck by a demon's spear; support him.”

Chen Jing entrusted the unconscious Dong Sheng to Chun Lei.

Chunlei cried out, "Master, let's sound the retreat!"

"What are you recruiting soldiers for? If I can't take the land deed of Qingquan Temple and establish a branch, how can I face my ancestor when I return to the mountain! What are you crying for? Get out of the way." Chen Jing flung Chun Lei aside, carried the command flag on his back, held the evil blade in his hand, and walked towards the valley with his feet in a Gangbu style. The Twelve Zodiac Soldiers formed a sharp cone-shaped military formation, looked at the Living Buddha of Taoyuan, and silently chanted incantations while holding talismans.

"Grandpa, please look after my two senior brothers." Gripping his longsword tightly, wiping away the blood, Cheng Yan turned and headed straight for the battlefield.

Lao Cheng caught Yang Shen and Ma Ye, and didn't even have time to call out to Cheng Yan.

“Master…” The young novice monk helped up the senior monk Jueming.

Jueming struggled to his feet but fell to the ground with a thud. His lips were pale and trembling as he said, "I never imagined that this fellow would combine mirages with Buddhist temple supernatural powers to create such a paradise. I have failed my master..."

His master asked him to come here to settle the karma from back then, but he was far inferior to the giant turtle in terms of supernatural powers.

Lei Ji leaped onto his horse, stomped on its flanks, and the steed galloped off into the distance. He brandished his spear and roared, "Kill!"

"kill!"

The armored battle formation advanced fiercely.

Riding his horse, Lei Ji quickly passed the first few strange and unusual people who had charged forward.

The long spear went straight at the nine-foot-tall Living Buddha of Taoyuan.

The Living Buddha turned his back to meet the attack with his shell. With a 'bang,' the county lieutenant was knocked off his horse. Just as the Azure Scale Monster was about to kill him, the chilling aura of its iron claws was like steel needles piercing him. Clang! Lei Ji raised his spear to block, retreated, and tried to remount his horse, but the iron claws cut the reins, causing him to fall.

Clang.

A long sword emerged from Lei Ji's side, its cold light flashing like a shooting star.

"court death!"

Mr. Ni gripped the longsword with his iron claws, his feet moving in a chicken-like stride, and with a twist of his arm, he turned Cheng Yan's longsword into a pretzel. Taking this opportunity, he closed the distance and threw a punch straight at Cheng Yan's head.

Bang.

Cheng Yan's eyes widened. The iron fist stopped a foot in front of him, unable to advance even half an inch, all because a blood-haired ape arm blocked the fist's light and the tall Mr. Ni. Cheng Yan turned his head in surprise: "Uncle Cat!"

The one who made the move was Lu Xun, who was wearing his armor. With a twist and a shake of his arm, Mr. Ni, who was exchanging punches with him, was forced to take three or four steps back before regaining his balance.

"Lei Bo, mount the horse." Cheng Yan lifted Lei Ji up and put him on the horse.

"Good boy!"

Lei Ji exclaimed in admiration, his feet entwined in the stirrups, his eyes filled with wonder.

At this moment, the armored army was approaching. Although there were only a hundred of them, they were as black as a wall, and their neat armor formed a stark contrast with the monsters and villagers.

Battles on the battlefield weren't so fancy. The centurions, clad in heavy armor and martial artists who had cultivated true qi, still stood at the forefront, swinging their cleavers in wide arcs.

The centurion and four men lined up in a row, each holding a shield in their left hand and a sword in their right, and roared, "Kill!"

The knife struck only with a dull thud and screams.

A chorus of buzzing filled the air.

The clasp at his waist held the long spears of his comrades behind him. The spears were two zhang long, with thick spearheads and iron-wood shafts. They thrust forward and then pulled back, the white iron instantly stained with scarlet blood, the sticky, warm liquid flowing down the wooden shafts into his palms. Like a city wall, they had effectively blocked the demons and villagers in the canyon, and the black iron army was still slowly advancing inward.

Even if they wore armor and cultivated true qi, they would only turn into mincemeat in the face of such a military formation.

The hot-blooded villagers finally realized the power of the imperial army. They were disciplined and well-trained, and compared to the imperial army, the villagers of Taoyuan Township were like a mob.

Mr. Ni is right. They should have closed the entrance long ago, lived their own lives, and not had any contact with the outside world.

The old village chief roared, "Divide...!"

Village head Yuan Jie grabbed the old village chief and dragged him behind him. He used a wooden shield to block the chaotic swords in front of him, but while he could block the swords, he couldn't stop the spear that pierced through his waist. Blood gushed out of his mouth, and his bloodshot eyes were wide open: "Don't retreat, hold on!"

"Brother Yuan."

The brothers stood close together. "We can't retreat."

Yuan Jie shook his head but did not retreat a single step. He was fully aware of the disparity between the villagers and the government troops. Once they were defeated, Taoyuan Township would face a one-sided massacre.

We must withstand the fiercest offensive.

If you're hacked at by a flurry of blades, you'll be hacked back at them. Only by standing shoulder to shoulder, blade to blade, can you have a chance to survive.

The monsters fought bravely, with the Sturgeon Warrior and the Catfish Warrior forming a fortress along with shrimp soldiers and crab generals. The monsters and villagers helped each other, but the effect was minimal, and defeat was only a matter of time.

As the government troops closed in on him, the Living Buddha, who was about three meters tall and nine feet tall, leaped to the forefront of the battlefield.

The swords and axes slashed down, causing hands and arms to ache and go numb, making it impossible to hold the weapons. Even a thick iron spear held by three or five soldiers seemed to encounter an impenetrable wall, unable to advance any further. Instead, the force of the impact caused the blood-stained spear shaft to slip from their hands.

The centurion's precious sword snapped in two, the tip flying off in a whirl. He simply tossed aside the remaining broken blade and braced himself against a solid wooden shield. Using the shield as a weapon, he rammed into the massive, mountain-like monster before him.

The Living Buddha clenched his iron fist and slammed it forward.

The centurion gritted his teeth, held his breath, and unleashed his inner energy, roaring as he met the fist head-on.

Only when he got closer could the centurion see clearly that it was not a fist at all, but rather an eight-sided copper mace used by fierce generals in folk tales. It was bigger than his head, and the thick wooden shield looked like a small wooden board used for performances.

Sure enough, the thick wooden shield bound with iron plates exploded on the spot, and then the tall centurion holding the shield was sent flying backward.

The centurion and the county constable, two martial artists who had cultivated true qi, were flung away like rag dolls. The once formidable military formation was torn open, and a large number of soldiers fell like wheat being harvested.

The once confident and composed warriors were now filled with panic. The clanging of armor broke into chaos, and some began to fumble haphazardly, their usual order completely gone. They had never imagined that the monster was so terrifying, even more powerful than the Five Gods of the past.

The demons of Taoyuan Township were greatly encouraged, and the villagers shouted the name of the Living Buddha.

"Let's charge in!"

The Living Buddha, who could hold off ten thousand men single-handedly, glanced sideways and roared from below his tapir-like nose: "Go!"

Both the demon and the human were taken aback, their expressions showing surprise.

Mr. Ni remained clear-headed. He understood that the military formation was merely a means to besiege Peach Blossom Spring; the truly formidable forces were the Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist masters, as well as the white-haired, white-bodied Yu Rong ape demon.

The demons and villagers staying here would only be a burden to the Living Buddha. He grabbed the Sturgeon Warrior, picked up the Otter Scout from the ground, and roared, "Let's go!"

Lei Ji, seated high on his horse, watched coldly, offering no orders for his troops to desperately intercept them.

First, the soldiers were his most valuable asset, each one carefully selected from two thousand men. They were also the foundation of Meilan County and could not be lost.

Secondly, the rioters and thieves are nothing but a mob. As long as this giant monster, over nine feet tall, is killed, the demonic scourge in Meilan County will naturally be quelled.

"Surround them!"

The county magistrate's command came down.

The soldiers changed formation and surrounded the enemy without making any other moves.

He dismounted and looked at Chen Jing, who was walking towards him with a flourish, holding his spear and bowing slightly: "Daoist Master."

Chen Jing's face was filled with murderous intent. He nodded and remained silent. He had come not only to slay demons and monsters, but also to help his sect take over Qingquan Temple as a branch.

Even if I die and my soul perishes, I will have no regrets!
His black face flushed red, then turned white, and with a "poof," he spat out a mouthful of pure yang blood to empower the command flag. Chen Jing waved the flag, chanted incantations, and released talismans. The talismans empowered the Twelve Zodiac Rampaging Ghost Soldiers: "The blade slays the heavens, the fire slays the earth... all the ghosts and gods under heaven revere it, only Lushan takes charge."

“Such a powerful monster is a once-in-fifty-years occurrence.” Granny Zheng stepped into the formation, chanting the mantra: “Big fish, big fish.”

A pale golden light enveloped her body, and the little doll in the bib on her back suddenly looked fierce and menacing.

Li Song, holding a gun, approached. He was not seriously injured because of his greed for the jewels, unlike the two from the academy who fainted directly. The head monk from Donglin Temple was also too exhausted to fight. He became one of the few people in the area who entered Peach Blossom Spring unharmed.

But he was clearly not satisfied with just a bag of jewels; how could he miss such a golden opportunity to hunt a great monster?

A monster is full of treasures. Selling it to a Taoist priest can help him refine pills, selling it to a martial artist can help him make medicine, finding a mechanical apprentice can help him create a puppet, and finding a skilled craftsman can help him forge a precious weapon.

He looked at the spear in his hand. It was a good spear, but not a divine weapon. He always felt that if he could have a treasured weapon, he wouldn't have needed to come back.

Cheng Yan was about to go over when he was pulled back by an ape-like arm. He asked in confusion, "Uncle?"

Before leaving, he assured the headmaster that he would take over Qingquan Temple and turn it into an academy. Now it was time for him to make his move.

Lu Xun shook his head, signaling Cheng Yan not to go, then nodded slightly and stepped into the center of the battlefield with his claws.

This great demon is definitely not ordinary. A martial artist like Cheng Yan, who has just acquired true qi, might not be able to withstand even one move. Rashly joining the battle would be disadvantageous. It would be better to let him complete the headmaster's instructions and repay some favors.

Wutong Lu Xun's seven-foot frame was exceptionally robust compared to ordinary people, resembling a slender piece of white iron compared to the tortoise-backed Living Buddha blocking the road in front of the gorge.

The arrival of the Yu Rong monster drew everyone's attention.

The government troops have reorganized after the initial chaos.

"How can he be so similar to the Five Gods?"

"Wutongshen?"

"The great monster that we hunted down more than half a year ago had entered the county town."

"..."

The head constable summed it up with a single sentence: "There are so many monsters in the world, just like how monkey monsters all look the same."

The Five Gods are dead.

This is an indisputable fact.

“Squad Leader Cheng, your grandson seems to have an unusual relationship with the monkey demon.” The centurion was also carried over and lay down in a row.

He took a punch from the Living Buddha of Taoyuan, and his entire chest caved in. If he hadn't cultivated his true qi and had a thick wooden shield to block it, he would probably have died. Even so, he broke countless ribs, and his right arm hung limply to the side. He looked like a noodle that had been soaked in water.

Monkeys, old cats, gray rats... and eagles soaring through the sky are all related to Cheng Yan. Could it be that the Cheng family is about to produce a powerful martial artist who will forge a new path?

Lao Cheng opened his mouth but didn't know how to explain, so he could only smile and try to brush it off.

He felt a heavy weight in his heart. Although the centurion's words seemed casual, the government troops were already suspicious of the three-legged creature.

Old Cheng stroked his pipe, took a deep drag, and knew he absolutely couldn't expose Sanjiao. If forced to, he'd risk his life to let Sanjiao go. If that didn't work, he'd bring in Zhao Tou'er and Gao Xiaowei. The master was a smart man; he could probably mediate and avoid a conflict.

Yang Shen and Ma Ye, who had been unconscious, awoke under the care of the physician. They had simply exhausted their vital energy and collapsed from exhaustion. Under Lu Xun's protection, they were not injured.

The patients huddled together.

Yang Shen leaned weakly against the wheel, looking at the seven-foot-tall monster on the battlefield, thinking of the mountain chief's instructions before he descended the mountain.

Ma Ye stretched his body slightly, sat cross-legged, and silently recited classics and historical texts to restore his noble spirit.

The heavily wounded swordsman stared intently at the nine-foot-tall living Buddha who was guarding the narrow passage.

Master Jueming and the young novice monk, who were also meditating, looked over.

The fight had already started when they began speaking.

Master Chen Jing landed in front of the altar, and with his peach wood sword, he picked up a yellow talisman, which then burst into flames: "I bestow upon you the Thunder Warrior, with sword and axe at your side."

The mobilization bell.

The twelve zodiac signs, along with their rampaging soldiers, surrounded the Living Buddha.

Pointing his sword diagonally: "Suppress the demon!"

Swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, and forks were arranged in military formation.

The surging gray mist resembled a thick fog, and the twelve ghosts hid within it, shifting and maneuvering before striking with deadly force.

Lu Xun couldn't help but glance sideways. No wonder the Flower Cat was so happy not to see Master Lushan's troops.

Seeing it today, I can confirm it's true.

"Mystic Armor Shield".

The Living Buddha clasped his hands together, and a hexagonal light plate appeared on the shield behind him. The tortoise shells in front and behind him shone with spiritual light, and with a clang, they blocked the weapons of the rampaging soldiers.

The heavy fist, resembling an eight-petaled black iron hammer, struck out with a deafening roar, tearing a broad road through the mist before them. The gust of wind from the fist instantly dispersed the evil aura of the ghosts.

Fortunately, the rampant soldier was not a physical entity; otherwise, this punch would have annihilated the rampant ghost that had made the move.

The Living Buddha, nine feet tall, swung his arms like a giant windmill. With a loud 'boom,' the soldiers surrounding him were shaken back. He roared, "Precious Light!" A huge gem on his forehead burst forth with golden light, piercing through one of the soldiers. The gem split into multiple facets under the sunlight, and with a whoosh, several golden beams shot out like lasers, clearing a space.

"Aren't you going to help?!" Chen Jing was both anxious and angry.

(End of this chapter)