Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 161 Wounded but Not Killed, Three Demons Attack

Jiang Yi's gaze swept across the room and landed on the calm figure beside Liu Zi'an.

It was Jiang Jin.

This girl has grown into a graceful young woman, with a spirit in her eyes that is no less than that of her aunt, Jiang Xi.

At this moment, she was pressing her lips tightly together, her expression focused, as she carefully and slowly pulled a slender silver needle from an acupoint on Master Liu's wrist.

Over the years, Jiang Jin has truly treated the medical books left by her mother, Li Wenya, as leisure reading, turning the pages until they were frayed.

I have long since mastered the principles in books, but I have never had a proper opportunity to practice them in clinical settings, and my skills are still lacking.

But along the way, if it weren't for her using a few rudimentary acupuncture techniques to protect Master Liu's fading heart meridian and keep him alive, he would have been in dire need of life.

This guardian of Liangjie Village, who has protected the village for many years, will probably pass away on the way back to the village.

Jiang Yi silently concentrated, his two fingers together, lightly touching Liu Zhuang's main pulse point, feeling the chaotic qi and blood like boiling water.

He spoke in a deep voice, but his question was directed at his granddaughter: "What exactly happened?"

Jiang Jin carefully put away the silver needles, shook her head, and spoke in a low but steady voice:
“Grandpa, when we found Grandpa Liu, he was already like this, unconscious in the woods, covered in wounds.”

Seeing that she couldn't give a clear answer, Jiang Yi could only hum in agreement and didn't ask any more questions.

That probing thought had already circled around the main body of Liu Zhuang.

The injuries were more severe than they appeared; his internal organs were shaken, and several tendons were nearly torn apart by the brute force.

His gaze fell on the shoulders and legs of Master Liu, where his clothes were torn and his flesh was a bloody mess, and several deep claw marks that revealed the bone could be clearly seen.

There was also a wound with indented flesh and a large bruise, clearly caused by being trampled by a giant hoof.

It is certain that he was injured by a mountain spirit.

However… Jiang Yi frowned almost imperceptibly.

Given the extent of Master Liu's injuries, he must have been on his deathbed at that time.

But why didn't those beasts in the mountains, who eat raw meat and drink blood, kill him and devour his flesh after they had already succeeded?

Instead, they just left him, a perfectly healthy man, in the forest?

There's something strange about this whole thing.

However, given the urgency of the situation, he couldn't say much. He simply had Liu Zian fetch the pills, dissolve them in water, and personally feed them to Master Liu.

Then he sat cross-legged by the couch and began to mobilize the Yin-Yang dual energy that he had been nurturing within his body for many years.

That energy, gentle yet sharp, like spring water melting ice, slowly seeped into Master Liu's congested meridians, gradually clearing and dissolving the stagnant blood.

This kind of mentally taxing work is the most grueling, and half a day can pass in the blink of an eye.

The room was so quiet that only breathing could be heard, and the daylight outside was gradually dimming.

As darkness approached, the previously silent Master Liu on the bed suddenly trembled, and a low, painful groan escaped his throat.

Liu Zian and his wife perked up and rushed over together.

Then, Master Liu slowly opened his tightly closed eyes a crack, and after a long while, his cloudy eyes finally managed to focus on his son's face.

His lips moved as if he were using all his strength.

"Father!" Liu Zian bent down and put his ear close.

The next moment, a hoarse, urgent roar filled with boundless fear suddenly burst from Master Liu's throat, echoing in the oppressive room:
"Run!"

He grabbed his son's sleeve abruptly, his thin fingers turning white from the force, his eyes filled with utter horror and despair.
"Those...those three beasts...they've become too powerful! We can't stop them!"

This roar, like a cuckoo weeping blood, tore a hole in the oppressive silence of the room.

Madam Liu stood to the side, her face ashen, at a loss for what to do.

Jiang Yi, however, remained calm and composed.

He already had some suspicions in his mind, so he was not panicked at this moment.

The hand resting on Master Liu's wrist moved slightly, and a wisp of yin and yang energy, perfectly balanced in warmth and coolness, quietly passed over.

Like clear spring water poured into boiling water, the almost burning panic and agitation of Master Liu were gradually soothed.

His violently heaving chest gradually calmed down, and although the horror was still in his eyes, he was able to barely muster a sliver of consciousness.

Jiang Yi then spoke slowly, his voice steady: "Brother Liu, don't be impatient, let's talk slowly."

Master Liu took a few deep breaths, his eyes still somewhat unfocused, clearly still shaken.

He said in a hoarse voice, "Those three demons... their growth rate has far exceeded my expectations. I finally managed to find them, but... I'm no match for them..."

His words were broken and intermittent, conveying a sense of desolation at the end of a hero's life.

Jiang Yi remained calm and composed, only asking with a doubtful tone, "Could the lair of that three-headed old demon be located in those mountains and forests?"

His question was very carefully crafted.

According to Jiang Jin, the forest where they encountered Master Liu was not too far from Liangjie Village, and the forest looked ordinary, showing no signs of being a demon's lair.

Master Liu was already unconscious at the time, so naturally he didn't know where the mountain forest the little girl was talking about was.

Upon hearing this, he shook his head firmly without even thinking.

“No…” he struggled, “The place where I fought them was almost out of these mountains, near Gongzhou in the east, at the intersection of three main roads…”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's suspicions sank even deeper.

He immediately turned his head and said, "Jin'er, you will find out the exact location of Master Liu's house. Tell him in detail."

Jiang Jin didn't dare to delay and quickly described the location of the mountain forest and the surrounding terrain features in detail.

Master Liu listened quietly, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper, the fear in his eyes gradually replaced by a deep confusion.

After a long pause, he seemed to be talking to himself, and said in a deep voice:

"So... those three demons didn't actually try to kill me."

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's heart sank even further.

It's not just that they didn't kill him; judging from the way they've done it, they've clearly moved him to a new place and safely delivered him right under the noses of Liangjie Village.

But Master Liu couldn't care less about any of that.

The strange thing he finally understood didn't put his mind at ease; instead, it fueled a deeper fear.

He grabbed Jiang Yi's sleeve, his eyes filled with pleading and determination:

"Brother Jiang! Take my advice, quickly... quickly take the villagers and leave! Get far away from here!"

His voice was hoarse and filled with fear, "I...I'm afraid I can't suppress this mountain, I can't protect this pure land!"

“Those evil spirits love to eat human flesh and blood... Now that I'm no longer a deterrent, how could they let go of the entire village of Two Realms’ blood and flesh!”

Although he didn't understand why the three-headed old demon would let him go, the horrific scene he witnessed in that lair had become an unforgettable nightmare for him.

Upon hearing this, even Jiang Yi's usually calm heart couldn't help but sink a little.

The Jiang family has had a relatively peaceful life over the years, though not entirely smooth sailing.

When people have been living a stable life for too long, they inevitably develop a sense of complacency and no longer take the three evil spirits entrenched in the mountains seriously. Now, seeing Master Liu's appearance, it's as if a bucket of ice water has been poured over his head, and he is suddenly jolted awake.

The three-headed old demon's growth rate was actually much faster than ours!

Although we have made some progress over the years, we have never been able to break through that barrier and enter the realm of the gods.

In the end, we are still just ordinary people.

As for Master Liu, having immersed himself in the divine will for many years, his cultivation has been honed to perfection, reaching the pinnacle of the mortal realm.

Despite being severely injured, he barely survived thanks to the fact that his opponent showed mercy for some unknown reason.

Based on this, it's likely that their own family, young and old, wouldn't fare much better against that three-headed old demon.

As we spoke, the sunlight outside the window, which had been stripped of its last trace of warmth, was replaced by a deep indigo.

In the midst of this deathly silence, a low, muffled sound, as if coming from the depths of the earth, broke the tranquility of the room.

The sound was initially faint, like countless pebbles rolling across the sand.

Then it grew louder and louder, forming a wave that sent chills down your spine, and even the floor tiles under your feet seemed to tremble slightly.

Before anyone inside could react, the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside and slammed against the wall with a loud bang.

The tall attendant who had been waiting outside staggered in, his weathered face drained of color, leaving only horror.

"Master...Master! Outside...outside is surrounded! It's all...all those beasts!"

This sentence was like a bucket of ice water poured over someone's head in the dead of winter.

One moment they were talking about the three-headed old demon, and the next, his army was already blocking the doorway.

This decisive and efficient demeanor showed no trace of the unruly nature of wild mountain spirits; it was clearly the work of a well-trained army!
The man, leaning against the doorframe, took a few more breaths before finishing his sentence:

"They...they just circled around, not making a move...but...I saw more shadows heading...towards the village!"

Upon hearing this, the color finally drained from Jiang Yi's face, which had always been as calm as an ancient well.

My mind cleared up in an instant.

For some unknown reason, these monsters might not directly target Liu Family Village.

But the villagers had long coveted it.

My entire family is still in the village!

He dared not delay any longer. He hastily told Jiang Jin, "Stay here and don't wander off!"

Before the words were even finished, the person had already transformed into a green shadow, darting out from the wide-open door and instantly disappearing into the deepening night.

Behind him, Master Liu struggled to get up from the bed. His injuries aggravated his pain, causing him to gasp, but he still urgently called out to his son:

"Zian! What are you standing there for! Hurry up! Go with your Uncle Jiang!"

Jiang Yi's figure, like a night wind that glides close to the ground, silently swept to the entrance of Liu Family Village.

The torches were burning brightly, illuminating several tense faces.

The short, stout attendant, leading seven or eight burly servants, each wielding a broadsword and club, stood menacingly at the doorway, confronting the darkness outside.

However, the knuckles of his hand, which was gripping the weapon tightly, had turned white, revealing a hint of bravado masking inner weakness.

Jiang Yi paused, his gaze passing over the heads of the men and landing in the darkness outside the manor.

With just one glance, he spotted a familiar face among the demons.

It was over ten feet tall, with its entire body covered in tangled, coarse, black fur that looked as if it had been scorched by fire.

With its fangs pointing outwards and its eyes bloodshot, it was indeed the black bear demon.

After several years, the beast's size has become even more astonishing; squatting there, it looks like a small mountain of flesh.

What made Jiang Yi's heart skip a beat was not its fat body.

Instead, in its bear eyes, which were like copper bells, some of its wildness had faded, but it had gained seven or eight points of profound humanity and spiritual light.

When he looked over quietly, he resembled an old man pondering a game of chess.

What's even more startling is its awe-inspiring earthy charm.

It simply stood there quietly, its massive body seemingly rooted to the earth.

With each barely perceptible breath, the dust beneath his feet would gather and swirl as if alive, like subjects paying homage to their king.

As he paused, a gust of wind swept past him from behind, and Liu Zian had already caught up.

With his left hand he held his father's heavy iron fork, weighing 120 pounds, while with his right hand he threw an ordinary long stick directly at Jiang Yi.

They tossed it and caught it, too lazy to say a word.

Jiang Yi weighed the wooden stick in his hand, and in the next instant, the two of them moved in a flash, like two arrows released from a bow, shooting straight into the eerie atmosphere outside the manor.

The black bear spirit stood upright, roared, and its massive, fan-like paws slammed down with immense force.

Instead of retreating, Liu Zian advanced, flicking his steel fork to create a large, bowl-sized flower shape, and charged straight at the attacker. The 120-pound fork was wielded with great force in his hands.

The sound of metal clashing was so loud it hurt one's eardrums.

Jiang Yi is not on the same path as them.

A wisp of black and white energy quietly coiled around the long staff in his hand.

Sometimes it is as light and ethereal as a feather, dispelling the fierce wind that blows against your face;

Sometimes it is as heavy as a mountain, and when it is struck, it can shatter the bones of an ignorant little demon.

But the bear demon was no longer as clumsy as it used to be.

It slapped the ground with both hands, and three or five earthen walls rose up, blocking the two people's way.

With a muffled roar, the fearless little demons around them received the order and pounced on the attack like madmen.

For a time, they were evenly matched and it was difficult to determine who was better.

Jiang Yi's anxiety, however, burned like boiling oil meeting fire, growing ever stronger.

With his family still in the village, their fates unknown, he had no time or inclination to waste his time with this beast.

Besides, this ordinary wooden stick was ultimately not very handy.

He immediately refused to continue the argument.

With a feint, forcing the bear demon back half a step, Jiang Yi suddenly lowered his body, spun his long staff, and forcefully drew a path through the demon horde, charging towards the village.

Liu Zian saw it clearly and swung his steel fork even more frantically, keeping the pursuers behind him tightly in check.

However, without the help of others, it is ultimately impossible to support the whole tree alone.

After only a dozen or so rounds, he was forced to retreat step by step. The bear demon slammed his palm onto the fork, causing his blood and qi to surge, and he was forced back to the manor.

Strangely, the bear demon neither pursued nor attacked the manor gate.

It let out a low growl and then crouched down in its original spot, its bear eyes staring intently at the gate of the manor, like a very patient jailer.

(End of this chapter)