Headless Immortal

Chapter 119 Even the wicked need monsters to temper them.
As soon as I entered.

The shade covered everyone, keeping the heat out.

The sweat on his forehead had mostly evaporated.

The waiter, with a smile on his face and a white cloth draped over his shoulder, busied himself clearing the table, wiping the chairs clean, and inviting the guests to sit down.

He reached out to help the captain carry the large box on his back, but was stopped by a look from the captain. He reluctantly withdrew his hand, brought over the teapot and teacup, and asked about the food and dietary restrictions.

Gao Qingzhi didn't order any fancy dishes with big fish and meat. He raised his hand and said, "Five catties of beef, four bowls of clear soup noodles, a steamer of meat buns, ten catties of steamed buns, and a jar of wine."

The waiter will head to the kitchen now.

"Mr. Gao, something's not right."

Deng Youfu looked around and lowered his voice, saying, "There are countless refugees in Zhang County, so why isn't there a single inn along this alley?"

Gao Qingzhi nodded slightly and said, "It's probably a shady business."

He traveled all over the country and encountered countless shady shops, most of which were involved in the sale of unsold meat. Since he had come across them, he couldn't just ignore them.

He opened the box, took out two talismans, turned the teacup over, poured water from his own water bag into it, made a hand seal, and dropped the talismans into the water. He then divided the teacup into four bowls and handed them to everyone.

"Drink it first, to prevent the alluring incense and sleeping potion."

Little Bean quickly picked up the teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

Lu Xun surveyed the inn with his wolf-like eyes, noticing that the counter was somewhat distorted, the second-floor railing was covered with mud, and the stairs were loose and crooked—all signs indicating that a fight had taken place.

He sipped the teacup of talisman water, then twitched his nose, trying to smell the aroma in the air.

Humans' sense of smell is indeed far inferior to that of spirits and monsters. Their once infallible olfactory skills were ineffective, and they could only smell a faint scent of blood and meat.

Lu Xun couldn't immediately tell what the smell was, but his body told him first that the fishy smell was the residue of a murder.

……

"Is it them?"

A swordsman wearing a straw hat and a black shirt looked down at the four people seated on his high position through two curtains.

The veiled woman changed into coarse clothes and wooden hairpins, dressing up as the proprietress.

He was unfolding the scroll in his hands at that moment.

The painting vividly depicts Gao Qingzhi's appearance. He has a leopard's head and round eyes, a swallow's jaw and tiger's whiskers, a blue horn-shaped turban on his head, and wears a blue-green battle robe with floral patterns. He carries a sword case and a waist knife.

Unfold another scroll, depicting a thin old man with a swan-like face and wolf-like eyes, his skin unusually white, his whole being resembling a leopard with its paws folded, the resemblance being exactly the same.

One person might mistake another for another because of similarity, but if two people match the portrait, then they must be Gao Qingzhi and his group.

"No mistake, it's them." The woman was beautiful, around thirty years old, and full of charm, with a touch of competence amidst her allure.

She composed herself and said, "I'll go and test the waters. We'll make our move after they've finished their meal." With that, she gracefully descended the stairs.

While we were drinking tea, the waiter came out of the kitchen carrying steamed buns.

The woman came downstairs and walked towards the four people.

Deng Youfu looked around and was surprised to find such beauty in this desolate wilderness.

The woman, dressed in a silk skirt and a short garment underneath her plain-colored dress, approached with a friendly smile, bringing a few wisps of fragrance with her. She asked with a smile, "How much wine would you like, sir? The wine I brew is quite strong; I'm afraid three or five bowls will make you drunk."

"Enough with the idle talk, just keep sifting."

The woman smiled and carried out a bucket, then put down a large bowl and used a gourd ladle to sift the wine for the four people.

The waiter placed the sliced ​​beef on the tray, then brought over clear soup noodles and a steamer of large meat buns. In the blink of an eye, the empty table was piled high with noodles, food, and wine. He said with a smile, "Please enjoy your meal, sir."

Deng Youfu felt dizzy, picked up the large bowl and drank, then grabbed a steamed bun and started eating.

Seeing this, Little Bean swallowed hard.

He was starving from the journey, so he grabbed two large meat buns and stuffed them into his mouth. Since he had already drunk the talisman water, he wasn't afraid of being drugged, so he simply ate his fill.

Gao Qingzhi picked up the meat bun, broke it open and indeed saw chunks of meat. He asked, "Shopkeeper, is this bun made of human flesh or beef?"

The woman chuckled and said, "What are you saying, sir? Of course, it's beef. In broad daylight, in this peaceful world, where would we find human flesh to feed you?"

As he spoke, he subtly placed his hand on Gao Qingzhi's shoulder, his soft palm gently caressing him. Gao Qingzhi dodged the touch without making a sound, and was about to ask something else.

Bang!
The door was violently forced open.

A group of muscular men, dressed in thin clothes and looking exceptionally wild, filed in.

The leader was a one-eyed man with a fleshy face and bright eyes. He immediately fixed his gaze on the woman standing by the four-person table and shouted, "Damn it, that bastard Zhang, how did he manage to marry such a beautiful woman?"

The man next to the one-eyed man asked sternly, "Where's Old Zhang? Tell him to come out and give us an answer."

The woman stepped forward and asked with a smile, "Who are you gentlemen asking about?"

Sanluzi shouted, "Zhang Dezhi, the innkeeper, call your boss out and tell us why we haven't received any tribute from the stronghold for five or six days. Are you trying to starve us brothers to death?"

"Don't forget, Zhang Dezhi was able to establish himself here and open an inn thanks to whose connections you owe it to."

"What about people?!"

The woman turned to look at the middle-aged man coming down from upstairs. The square-faced man cupped his hands and said, "Heroes, Old Zhang has already handed over the shop to me. They were afraid of catching the fever in Zhang County, so they went to the county town to take refuge. They said they would return to their hometown soon and open another inn."

"You are talking nonsense."

A boy, his face swollen like a pig's head, emerged from the crowd and angrily shouted, "How could my parents abandon me and go back home by myself?"

One-Eyed Dragon sneered, "My name is Cao Laizi, also known as Dragon Head Cao. I am a well-known outlaw on Qingyang Road. I don't care what your dispute is, the inn must deliver wine and meat to you on time."

He then lewdly grinned, grabbed the woman, and carried her directly to the wooden table, sweeping away the bowls, chopsticks, and teacups, seemingly preparing to take her right there and then.

The middle-aged man on the stairs was furious and reached behind him to hold down the knife.

It's always been the Holy Church that bullies people; when did thugs and hooligans become so violent towards Holy Church women? However, seeing the woman's signal, he suppressed his anger, quickly walked down the stairs, and approached her, saying, "Sir..."

As the new boss walked forward, Cao Laizi's henchmen all put down their weapons, and two of them even went to hold down the young lady. For a moment, the laughter of the bandits filled the inn.

The young woman's hysterical cries for help were heart-wrenching.

It sounded like a cuckoo crying blood, accompanied by wails of panic and fear.

"you……"

The young waiter and the old man in gray walked up to the middle-aged man.

"Don't even move."

"Let's talk about it after the old man has had his fun."

"Help, help!"

The woman's dress was torn open, revealing her white skin. She cried pitifully, her outstretched arms as if trying to grab something, her pleading eyes looking at the four people at the table.

"Too deceiving!"

Deng Youfu stood up angrily, then looked at the high school captain in the main seat, his brows furrowed.

How could the high school captain, who is usually full of heroic spirit and always ready to help those in need, be sitting here so calmly? Even if this shop is a shady place that sells cheap meat, killing someone is one thing, but treating people like this is wrong.

Little Bean opened his mouth but didn't say anything; he was the least noticeable one.

The middle-aged man knelt down in front of Gao Qingzhi with a thud, grabbed the captain's robe, and pleaded, "Great hero, save me, please save my wife."

"Don't move either. I've seen plenty of heroes out there."

Several more people rushed up, pulled out razor blades, and surrounded the four.

The tall, thin man with many pockmarks, Sanluzi, said with a smile, “You are all from wealthy families, unlike us who have nothing to lose. It would be troublesome if we were to lose our lives. Why don’t you leave your money behind?”

A claw went straight for the box wrapped in black cloth that had landed next to Gao Qingzhi.

Gao Qingzhi raised his hand to block, then with a flick of his wrist, he pulled Sanluzi forward, sending him tumbling to the side.

Then he slowly withdrew his hand, pressed it on the box, and said with a half-smile, "What, does Feng Qiniang, the branch leader of the White Lotus Sect, need me, Gao Qingzhi, to save her?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Cao Laizi, who was taking off his pants, froze.

It turned out that an iron hairpin had pierced Cao Laizi's chest.

Seven Sister kicked the bandit leader in the head, and the bandit leader fell to the side.

She unbuttoned her clothes, revealing her close-fitting outfit underneath, and laughed loudly, "Gao Qingzhi, no wonder you've lived so long." Ordinary people would be furious to see a beautiful woman being insulted, even if it were a useless eunuch. But these two were different; one sat calmly, while the other looked like he was watching a show.

Her willow-leaf eyebrows arched, and her frosty eyes stared at the old man: "Old ghost Song, you've killed too many people, are you about to pass out?"

Lu Xun was watching the commotion when the woman became angry at him for not helping. If it were just an ordinary person being bullied, he would definitely have stepped in to help.

Now all that's left is Ditto scratching his head.

Then, staring at the woman's neck, he pondered where to begin the cut to cleanly and decisively sever the beauty's head.

The bandits and robbers were in complete chaos, and a large group of them tried to run towards the door.

A shadow loomed over.

A burly man, nearly eight feet tall, blocked the gate, his arms gripping the bolt, exuding an aura of invincibility. Suddenly, he yanked the gate inward, and a group of people fell over with a yelp.

The burly man had flesh as hard as iron and stone, a bushy beard, and a scar that divided his egg-sized nose into two parts, one large and one small. His ferocious face would give even a child nightmares.

Deng Youfu exclaimed in horror, "Man-eating bear, Miao and Manchu!"

Miao Man spat and glared at them fiercely: "I was just worried about not having enough to eat."

He pulled out a spiked club from somewhere and smashed it down, splattering blood onto the steamed buns on the table.

Little Bean was completely terrified, trembling and too scared to move, a warm liquid flowing down his trouser leg onto the ground.

This prompted the young man to burst into laughter: "There's a virgin here."

The refined-looking young man put on an iron mask, and a metal fan struck his head, instantly causing it to bloom.

Deng Youfu then looked at the scholar: "The Iron-Faced Scholar, Wang Fangxi."

In the blink of an eye, a dozen or so bandits were lying sprawled on the ground.

Sanluzi immediately realized he had kicked a hornet's nest and knelt down: "Grandma, I was blind and didn't recognize you. I beg you to have mercy and let me go..."

"Noisy."

Feng Qiniang slashed her short knife across Sanluzi's throat and cut his neck.

“You, you are…” Deng Youfu pointed at the five people, speechless with disbelief.

“We are the Holy Church envoys of the Zhangzhou branch.” The middle-aged man took out a long sword and stared intently at Gao Qingzhi: “I have spent six years fighting my way through Shaanxi and Gansu, killing hundreds of heads in Guanzhong, before I finally mastered the Great Sword Technique. Today, I will use this sword to take your life, and you will not have lived in vain.”

Gao Qingzhi's expression was serious as he called out the other party's name: "The Knife-Wielding Demon, Kong Hui."

"So this hunchbacked old man is the monkey trainer who practices monkey boxing..."

The monkey trainer cupped his hands and announced his name: "Juan".

A whistle rang out, but the monkey didn't appear. This meant that his monkey was hiding somewhere, secretly watching. Even Gao Qingzhi, who was skilled and daring, couldn't ignore the monkey's influence.

The ferocious Miao barbarians grinned and said, "I told you we should just charge straight in, but you wouldn't listen."

The thick iron mace still carried the stench of the recent battle. Miao Man strode closer, grabbed a meat bun, and stuffed it into his mouth: "I'm treating you to good meat, why aren't you eating?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the spiked club swept across, seemingly about to crush the four people in front of him together.

boom.

The captain kicked the table away, ducked down, and drew his long sword, aiming straight for Miao Man's side.

"kill!"

The wielding demon charged straight at him with a steel blade.

The metal and stone struck each other, sparks flying, and a clanging sound that made one's teeth ache.

Miao Man swung his arm with such force that he charged straight at the captain who was blocking the sword in a bow stance.

The captain rolled to the side, dodging the fatal blow. Then, a yellow shadow jumped down from the roof beam and stretched out its sharp claws to run towards the captain's back.

The yellow monkey rips out the heart.

A flash of contempt crossed the monkey trainer's eyes. Even the renowned captain Gao Qingzhi of Jiujiang was no more than this; he too would suffer a bitter defeat under their combined attack.

despair.

A pale arm stretched out and grabbed the monkey's head. The monkey squealed, but the white-skinned old man moved his knuckles, and the half-person-tall monkey went limp and died.

The monkey trainer, Juan, shouted sternly, "Huang Bao!"

He leaped forward and pounced straight at them.

Lu Xun threw the monkey carcass over and stepped forward to meet it.

One side uses the Hunchback Monkey Fist, and the other side uses the Ape Fist.

Lu Xun used his long-range attack, striking first and arriving first. As soon as they exchanged blows, Lu Xun frowned, realizing that his ape-style fist technique was at a disadvantage. The hunchback's speed was frightening, and his strength seemed limitless.

"This is tough, let's fight side by side!" Feng Qiniang, wielding two swords, leaped into the fray, her swords flashing like dolphins in the waves, one wave after another.

Lu Xun was already struggling to deal with a monkey trainer, and now a woman with even higher martial arts skills had appeared. Three or four knife wounds immediately appeared on his body.

"careful!"

Gao Xiaowei flipped over to block the three men, his longsword slashing and twisting to help Lu Xun deflect Feng Qiniang's twin blades. The two were then surrounded by the five men, back to back.

"How could that old man fight back?"

"Isn't the triple backlash enough?"

"It's alright, I think they're just at their last gasp."

Everyone spoke and acted together.

The whistling sounded again.

A large black macaque scurried in through the gap, its sharp claws aimed straight at Gao Qingzhi.

Stab it!

The monkey flipped and jumped onto the monkey trainer's shoulder, displaying the skin and flesh that had been removed.

The captain was unharmed, but Lu Xun had a large, bloody hole in his chest; he had just switched places with the captain.

Juan laughed: "You didn't expect that, did you? How could a monkey trainer like me only have one monkey to perform with?"

The captain's expression was more solemn than ever before.

Old man Lu Xun lowered his voice: "This body is really useless."

His loose martial arts skills were passable for killing bandits, but when it came to fighting real masters, the limitations of this executioner's body were too great. He now understood why cultivators specialized in only one skill.

"Kill them!"

Head transplant.

Five people and a monkey rushed forward.

puff.

A burst of blood bloomed in mid-air, and fresh blood gushed out.

Feng Qiniang thought she had finally succeeded and laughed as she brandished her twin swords.

Just as the wielding demon was about to press his advantage, he saw a snow-haired arm pierce straight through the iron-faced scholar's intestines.

To the astonishment of the monkey trainer, a seven-foot-long, white-haired ape-like monster leaped into the air, the scholar's limp corpse still hanging from its long fist.

Fresh blood flowed down the ape's arm.

Tick, tick.

clack.

The body was tossed aside like a rag.

Its gilded demonic eyes flickered slightly, surveying the crowd with disdain.

A deep, rough voice, mixed with a magnetic roar, rang out: "Still as exhilarating as this!"

(End of this chapter)