Headless Immortal

Chapter 116 Visiting Friends in Jiujiang
early summer.

The chirping of insects.

The Living Buddha of Taoyuan, having cast aside worldly affairs, opened his arms and felt the afternoon breeze.

The wind carried wisps of heat.

Lu Xun removed the shackles from his body, and even his tense mind relaxed.

Even though the modern world doesn't offer him any extraordinary powers, he still feels exhausted and weary.

Fortunately, it was all worth it. He not only received protection and medical care from the capital, but he also learned from the broker about the whereabouts of the man wearing the silver-white mask and his itinerary over the next ten days.

He silently calculated that he could stay in the ancient world for at least three months before returning. Of course, he could also find a head quickly to fulfill his obsession, but that depended on fate.

Another aspect is to strengthen the power of the 'Living Buddha of Peach Blossom Spring'.

The title of Wutong Mountain Lord is clearly insufficient to make him stand proudly in the modern world.

Gulu.

I'm hungry.

"Black Armor".

Lu Xun called out, but the crocodile monster was nowhere to be seen. He frowned slightly and called out, "White Skin."

There was no response for a long time.

"Toothless General!"

I don't recall hearing a 'beep' sound from the sky.

Lu Xun stood on the small island in the middle of the river in surprise. Moss had climbed up the corner of the wall again, and weeds had grown on the leveled path. The simple hall built of huge stones and huge trees was drafty on all sides, looking like a desolate house that had been uninhabited for a long time.

The three spirits that were originally obedient have disappeared without a trace.

The nine-foot-tall Living Buddha Lu Xun looked around.

Its black and gold eyes gazed into the distance, and it flicked its tapir nose, revealing a set of sharp fangs.

"Where's the little monster?!"

In his memory, he had only been gone for seven days. When he turned back, the newly built hall was already so dilapidated.

After calculating the time, it seems that five and a half months have passed.

Half a year is a long time; even a human couldn't wait that long, so what loyalty would a monster possibly have?

This is especially true for wild beasts. When the 'king' is present, they are content; when the 'king' disappears, they naturally scatter like birds and beasts. The same applies after they are transformed into spirits and monsters.

As for the idea of ​​loyalty until death, that's obviously unrealistic. His "selection of generals" doesn't have a direct means of controlling the life and death of monsters; at most, it makes monsters close to him.

Now all alone, Lu Xun had no choice but to go into the water to catch fish to fill his stomach. He swallowed a fish in his left hand and a shrimp in his right, the fishy smell mingling with the food. He didn't find it strange at all; on the contrary, he was quite content.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, they opened the plastic bag, which contained all the secret manuals he had brought, the first of which was the "Tao Te Ching".

The other two are "Huang Ting Jing" and "Xing Ming Gui Zhi".

After flipping through it for a while, Lu Xun felt drowsy. Not to mention translating the doctrines into ancient world languages, his foundation was still too shallow. He only knew a little about various classics and historical texts, and his use of language was very rudimentary.

I couldn't help but think: 'What if I taught Mr. Bailu modern writing?'

In Lu Xun's view, Mr. Bai Lu, as the dean, must have extraordinary knowledge. If he could learn modern writing, he might be able to decipher the three classic texts.

The thought flashed through his mind but was immediately rejected by Lu Xun.

Mr. White Deer is his powerful figurehead; if he messes up the training, it could cause serious trouble.

Secondly, the script used in this other world is bound to reveal more secrets.

In the modern world, there aren't as many terrifying methods to uncover what he's hiding. This world can start from the soul, and he doesn't want to experience torture like Old Man Huang.

'soul.'

Lu Xun pondered, recalling what Liu Chengfeng had said: he could search in the ancient world for a method to repair the soul damage caused by spiritual energy pressure.

Since it wasn't convenient to return to the academy for the time being, I decided to follow the river to Jiujiang County City to visit Zhao Jia and ask the local authorities if they had any healing spells.

He plunged into the water.

He didn't need to travel by boat or sedan chair; his nine-foot-tall body swam and swam underwater, heading towards Jiujiang City along the Xunyang River.

……

The weather can change in an instant.

The clouds and rivers surged, concealing thunderous fury, as if a purifying tide, held in the mouth of the heavens, was about to spew forth upon this scorching world.

In my childhood.

Wow!
The sky suddenly darkened.

The torrential rain made the riverbanks muddy and slippery.

A giant hand emerged from the river amidst the rushing rain, its iron claws gripping the ground. A huge, dark shadow crawled out of the river, resembling an old bear with drooping, multi-lidded eyelids.

Amidst lightning and thunder, a pair of black and gold demonic eyes could be seen in the light, and an oval shell shielded it from the wind and rain.

It was Lu Xun who had crossed the river.

He casually picked up a small tree and used it as an umbrella to shield himself from some of the wind and rain.

Fortunately, he was a great demon, so he didn't need to worry about the harsh environment. Not to mention just a few drops of rain, even hail wouldn't bother him.

Given the weather in Jiujiang, there's no chance of ice or snow, so there's no need to worry about freezing to death in the wild.

He wiped the rain from his face with his large, scoop-like hand and asked in surprise, "How can it still be so hot with such heavy rain?"

As the saying goes, "Ducks are the first to know when the river warms in spring," and the changing seasons cannot be hidden from great monsters, especially the old turtles that live in rivers.

After traversing the ancient mountain paths, just as they were about to step onto the official road, Mr. Ni's head was transformed; his appearance as a great monster was not suitable for entering the city.

Lu Xun, who was walking briskly, was focused on his journey when he suddenly heard a greeting.

"Hero!"

Lu Xun paused and looked in the direction of the sound.

The person shouting was a middle-aged man with a pale face.

He was pulling a wheelbarrow, on which lay a young man, a huddled boy, and a little girl barely holding up an umbrella.

The woman, her clothes soaked through, gritted her teeth and pushed the cart, but she was simply not strong enough. She slipped and fell to the ground, rolling in the mud, and finally couldn't stop sobbing.

The man almost pleaded, "Brave man, please help me."

Lu Xun didn't hesitate. He strode over and saw that the wheels were stuck in the mud and blocked by a large rock. He stretched out his pale hand, pressed down on the frame, and lifted it forward.

clack.

The frame was very light as the pale-faced scholar pulled it out of the pit.

"Thank you."

The man was about to kneel down when the scholar helped him up.

Lu Xun had intended to suggest that it would be easier to unload the person lying on the cart, but since the cart was already out, he didn't ask any further questions.

Pointing to a blurry figure ahead, he said, "There's a small building up ahead. Take shelter from the rain there. The adults can handle it, but we have to think about the patients too."

He had already realized that the young man was ill.

Sui Er.

Upon arriving at the dilapidated building, which should have been a restaurant or teahouse, it's unclear why it was abandoned.

There were two groups of people inside. One group consisted of martial arts practitioners dressed in raincoats and carrying straw hats, while the other group was dressed in short-sleeved clothing and appeared to be farmers and woodcutters from the surrounding area. They were all trapped here because of the sudden downpour.

Several young people helped push the car to a small shed on the side.

The old man, holding a bamboo tube, said, "Scholar, how can you travel in such heavy rain? Have a cup of hot soup to warm yourself up, and wait for the rain to stop before you go. I don't think it will take long."

Unable to refuse the hospitality, Lu Xun accepted the hot soup. He noticed that it contained chili peppers, took a sip, and felt the burning heat of the chili peppers help to dispel the dampness and cold from his body.

He intended to say that he was not afraid of wind and rain, and then hurry on his way into the city.

suddenly.

The man in the straw hat stood up. He was five feet eight inches tall with a square face and eyes like a hawk. He glanced at the man first, then looked at the cart in the shed, and said, "Take it out. What are you keeping it for? You want to kill us?"

The man's body trembled, and a look of astonishment appeared on his face.

The square-faced man slowly pressed his hand against the long sword at his waist and asked, "Does he have a fever?" The man replied, "He's not sick."

The man with the square face took out a waist tag from his waist: "I am Zhang Bao, a constable from Jiujiang County."

The farmers and woodcutters breathed a sigh of relief, but they were still on high alert. The government officials were only slightly better than bandits and robbers; if they displeased them, they would suffer the same fate, so they remained silent.

Zhang Bao said, "If it touches the ground, it will turn into a hot corpse, and then it will bite people everywhere, which will be troublesome."

"Hold him down!"

Zhang Bao gestured for the men to hold down the man and woman, then walked to the cart and drew his long knife with a clang.

Lu Xun stepped forward and said calmly, "You can't decide someone's life or death based on just one sentence."

"You want to get involved in this?"

Zhang Baoyao narrowed his eagle eyes; he was somewhat unsure of the scholar's intentions.

However, when a scholar encounters a soldier, reason is useless, especially since the soldier is both right and powerful and used to acting domineeringly. He immediately tried to push the scholar aside, saying, "Get out of the way!"

despair.

Zhang Bao's outstretched hand was caught by a pale hand.

He was furious but also terrified.

He was, after all, a martial artist who had broken through three barriers, yet the scholar so easily took his hand.

Enraged, Zhang Bao kicked the cart, causing the young man to fall to the ground.

The man shouted, "Don't let him hit the ground!"

The young man opened his eyes abruptly as soon as he landed, roared, his mind completely blank, and lunged at the nearest constable.

Amidst the cries of men and women, Zhang Bao chopped off the young man's head, then pried open his lips, revealing four long, canine-like fangs. He shook his head and said, "If it weren't for this heavy rain, you would all have been bitten to death by him."

He then looked at the scholar standing to the side, who seemed stunned, and said, "He is actually already dead."

"You must have fled from Zhangzhou."

Zhang Bao inquired, intentionally or unintentionally.

Although he was looking at the couple and the other children, he kept an eye on the pale-faced scholar out of the corner of his eye.

The old farmer and the young woodcutter were terrified and fell silent, afraid of angering the officials. None of them dared to look at the corpse more than once. Only the scholar remained calm and composed, showing no sign of tension despite his silence. In fact, if he hadn't made the 'hot corpse' appear first, they would be fighting the scholar right now.

The couple did indeed come from Zhangzhou. Their county is close to Jiujiang, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to get here.

Another dark-skinned, thin constable noticed the constable's displeasure and spoke first: "Scholar, show me your travel permit."

Lu Xun had no travel permit: "It rained heavily on the way, and I lost it."

The four constables stood solemnly, each taking their own separate positions.

Zhang Bao's expression was grave. He had planned to probe slowly first, but his subordinate had asked a direct question, so he couldn't pretend not to know. He had no choice but to concentrate. He was like a slender snake hunting a wolf, not daring to make any rash moves.

The fact that this scholar could easily stop me suggests that he is quite capable.

The atmosphere froze instantly.

Lu Xun didn't think the group would cause any trouble, but he knew he would have to take action to get away, so he said, "I'm going to Jiujiang City to find someone, Zhao Jia, a constable from the local government."

The round-faced constable exclaimed in surprise, "Chief Zhao!"

Zhang Bao breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "So you're Zhao Tou'er's friend."

Whether it was true or not, he really didn't want to fight the blood-eyed scholar in front of him.

Since there's a way out, might as well take it.

The tense atmosphere dissipated instantly.

……

"my friend?"

Zhao Jia became puzzled; he couldn't recall any of his friends matching this description.

He was five feet nine inches tall, a scholar, with pale skin and light red pupils.

He searched through his memory but couldn't find it. Besides, if there really was such a person, he could never forget him.

The old steward, observing Zhao Jia's expression, noticed his doubt and said, "He's probably a江湖人 (jianghu person) who's heard of your reputation, sir. He was brought here by Constable Zhang. If you don't want to see him, sir, I'll send him away right now."

"Brother Jia, don't forget, Master sent a message a few days ago saying he would be passing through Jiujiang," Wang Ruo whispered a reminder.

It's better to be safe than sorry. If Master sends someone, it could easily ruin everything.

Zhao Jia waved his hand slightly and said, "Let's meet him."

Walk out the door.

With a powerful stride, Zhao Jia clasped his hands in a fist salute, his stern face bearing a hint of a smile, his sharp eyes having already noticed the young man standing in front of the door, dressed in a long robe and wearing a scholar's cap.

My first impression was that she was white, her skin was frighteningly pale. Then I frowned, twitched my nose, and searched for a faint fishy smell.

Then look at the scholar's pair of pale red eyes.

Even if he's not a monster, he's definitely not an ordinary scholar.

Zhang Bao clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Boss, if I run into your friend on the road, I'll bring him over."

"hold head high."

Zhao Jia stepped out of the doorway and approached, his tiger-like eyes filled with wariness, and asked, "May I ask which group you are from?"

The pale-faced scholar sized up Zhao Jia, who was nearly six feet tall.

His figure was nearly two meters tall, with a slender and muscular physique hidden beneath his dark, fitted clothing.

Compared to then, Zhao Jia now truly resembles a martial arts master; for a moment just now, he thought a fierce tiger had emerged from the courtyard.

Zhang Bao's expression changed slightly. He took a step forward, falling behind the scholar, his hand already on the weapon at his waist.

He had stepped down from the steps because he was aware of the white-faced man's considerable strength, but now that Chief Constable Zhao was in front of him, there was no need for him to feign politeness.

Zhao Jia also saw Zhang Bao's movements and immediately realized something was amiss. He strode forward, gathering his inner energy, ready to unleash it.

The pale-faced scholar chuckled and cupped his hands, saying, "The Five Gods."

Zhao Jia suddenly stopped moving, his whole body stiffened, and a chill ran up his spine from his heels.

A terrifying thought flashed through his mind, and then he stared blankly at the pale-faced scholar before him, saying with some uncertainty, "We drank wine in the courtyard once, and I gave you a sword technique..."

"Essentials of Military Preparedness"

"It's you!"

Zhao Jia was stunned, completely unexpected, staring at the scholar with a mixture of uncertainty and expectation: "Is it really you?"

Lu Xun nodded: "It's me."

This puzzled Zhang Bao. Why did Zhao Tou'er's reaction change so drastically? He was wary just now, but he's excited now.

"Boss, he..."

He pointed at the pale-faced scholar.

“He’s my friend, no, he’s my brother.”

Zhao Jia happily grabbed Lu Xun's arm, unable to hide his overflowing joy: "Come on, come on, please come in quickly."

Zhang Bao said, "Since you're the boss's friend, that's fine. I'll be going now."

"it is good."

Zhao Jia didn't care about Zhang Bao at all and said with a smile, "I'll treat you to a drink sometime."

"Brother, please come in quickly."

"Have Aunt Chen cook four dishes, and go buy two jugs of good wine."

"I'm hosting a banquet for distinguished guests!"

Zhao Jia took out some silver from his sleeve and handed it to the old steward.

As he spoke, he stepped into the courtyard.

Wang Ruo asked, "Who's here?"

(End of this chapter)