Headless Immortal

Chapter 132 Jingshi Society

The man in black armor, unaware of what was going on, stepped forward out of trust in the king and stood before the towering Living Buddha of Peach Blossom Spring.

The black-armored creature with a crocodile head and human body looks much slimmer and shorter. As a crocodile from the Xunyang River, it also appears rather clumsy, lacking the ferocity and savagery of a wild beast.

Lu Xun raised his giant, winnowing-basket-like hand and covered the black-armored crocodile's head, looking up at the moon and channeling his magic power.

Transformation.

The turtle-shaped mark on its forehead emitted a magnificent light, as if forming a golden wheel. The light spots floating in the mortal world gathered and surrounded the pale golden light shield. Then the light melted into water and flowed down the head.

Hei Jia closed his eyes reverently, letting the gold paint be applied to his body.

He seemed to hear chanting in the darkness, but he couldn't hear it clearly. He only felt that as the scriptures entered his body, his magical power, which was like a small stream, transformed into a rushing river, and his black scales became even stronger.

The newly grown spots have also returned to their normal appearance, and the entire body looks as if it is clad in refined heavy armor.

Until the golden light completely merged into the body, the radiance was completely contained into a single point.

The black-armored figure looked up and roared to the sky.

"Roar."

The small river in Kaoshantun surged forth, transforming into a python that exploded into rain above.

Lu Xun glanced sideways, his eyes filled with delight. The techniques of "conversion" and "summoning generals" could indeed work together on a single demon. Moreover, with the combined power of these two masterful spells, the black-armored demon was no longer just haphazardly cultivating true energy; it could actually control the water python coil. It seemed it had at least reached the threshold of something rare.

The man in black armor knelt on one knee and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

He could clearly feel himself becoming stronger, and if he were to fight the lizard again now, he would definitely be able to drag it into the water and fight it.

Lu Xun nodded, took the water bag and refilled it with his precious blood. Then he transformed into a pale-faced scholar, his light red eyes looking at the hastily built wooden house.

The door was suddenly pushed open, and a furry-headed boy named Shu Er and Mr. Shen making faces rolled out.

The strange creature and the ghost managed a weak smile. Mr. Shen quickly got up, wiped the blood from his face, and retracted his swollen tongue, saying guiltily, "Boss Lu, haha, you weren't asleep either."

Shu Er went to pick up the fallen hat of the wealthy man.

Lu Xun remained noncommittal. With such a commotion, it was impossible to hide it from the monster and the ghost. Anyway, he didn't intend to hide anything. He looked at the sky and said, "Go to sleep early. We'll set off before dawn. If we get to Meng County sooner, we might even run into the demoness of the White Sect ahead of us."

He was just saying it casually. War is dangerous and dangerous. He would have to wait for the captain's news to send the water ghost back. It would not be wise to venture out blindly.

"Your Majesty, I will go with you."

Lu Xun looked at the black-armored man who was speaking. He originally wanted to command the black-armored man to return to Xunyang Water Mansion, but he was afraid of encountering monsters along the way. The old man who was suspected to be the River God that he had met last time said that there were powerful demons inhabiting different sections of different rivers. So he decided to bring the black-armored man along. Anyway, one more wouldn't make a difference.

In the blink of an eye, another monster joined the light and agile group.

"Go say goodbye."

The man in black armor, with his forked hands, hurried toward the River God Temple.

……

Before dawn.

The monsters set off.

They rest during the day and travel at night.

As the outline of the county town came into view, Mr. Shen, holding an umbrella, was overjoyed, yet also hesitant. He had not returned for twenty years and did not know what the Shen family in Meng County looked like.

Over the years, from initial ignorance and confusion to gradual enlightenment and self-cultivation, it was only with great difficulty that I became a ghost and was able to leave the Hejiao Village Reservoir.

"Go to the moat."

Lu Xun ordered the black-armored soldier to infiltrate the inner river of Meng County.

He then took Shuer to wait at the city gate. Since they had come at night, they still saw the bright moon hanging high. Many camels and beasts were lying in the pavilions and sheds. Groups of merchants dressed in light clothing squatted by the campfires, chatting happily about interesting things from all over the world. Disaster victims and refugees dragged their families along, looking longingly at the gate.

Mr. Shen looked around blankly and said in a deep voice, "So many disaster victims, Jing Shijun has committed such a great atrocity."

"Brother, you are mistaken."

A man dressed in a patched long gown, looking like a scholar, was walking over. Hearing the voice, he thought it was a pale-faced Confucian scholar speaking, so he cupped his hands in a salute and said, "Such a natural disaster is due to the incompetence of the court. Our Jing Shi Society not only gathered the disaster victims and brewed medicine to suppress the fever, but also distributed food to the people. How can it be the fault of the Jing Shi Army?"

"Seeing your imposing presence and refined demeanor, I know you must be unaware of the true situation and think we are rebellious bandits."

"Unbeknownst to them, Jing Shi Lang was a man of great talent and ambition. He received a divine revelation in a dream and had already organized the Jing Shi Society many years ago to deal with this great disaster."

"My name is Cheng Xiang..."

Before he could finish speaking, his stomach growled first.

Lu Xun, with his pale face, didn't laugh or mock. Instead, he beckoned and said, "Brother, sit down and have some food with us."

The campfire was simmering with meat soup, and the aroma made the scholar's mouth water unconsciously. His throat bobbed, and he reached out to touch the half-eaten, rock-hard steamed bun he had tucked into his robes.

Seeing the pale-faced scholar take out crispy flatbread from his cloth bag, he blushed and sat down.

Lu Xun took out bowls and chopsticks from his basket, ladled out meat soup and handed it to the masked rich man and the solid-looking water ghost. Then he gave the scholar a bowl and two sesame-sprinkled flatbreads.

Cheng Xiang, ignoring the heat, buried his head in his food and drink. He ate carefully, and at the end, he even raised his wide sleeves to cover his face and bowl, making it unclear what he was doing. Lu Xun immediately guessed what he was doing.

Sure enough, when the scholar lowered his sleeves, the bowl in his hand had been licked clean. He picked up some scattered crumbs of flatbread with his fingers, put them in his mouth, and chewed them carefully with his front teeth and fangs.

"Another bowl?"

The scholar suddenly looked up.

This time, he heard the pale-faced scholar's words clearly. The words were enunciated clearly, and the tone was slow and elegant. He figured that the words he had just heard were not spoken by the scholar.

He wanted to shake his head but handed the bowl over again. When Lu Xun ladled out another bowl, Cheng Xiang took out a porcelain bowl from his cloth bag and poured all the meat soup from it over to Lu Xun.

He licked the bowl clean, lowered his sleeves, and said with a smile, "Brother, you don't know this, but my wife is still hungry, and I have a baby crying for food and an elderly mother at home."

"Are you from the Jing Shi Hui?"

"I am a member of the Jing Shi Society. I came to the city gate to recruit new members because I am a student. My Jing Shi Society..."

"Stop."

Lu Xun raised his hand; he really didn't want to hear those long-winded arguments. He didn't want to hear about this being right, that being wrong, the imperial court, the local authorities, bandits, righteous armies… he just wanted to know what powerful demons were around, and preferably, that their wishes would be simple.

In fact, Lu Xun shouldn't be too harsh on the monsters, because the desires of great figures are much deeper.

"He who takes a man's money is bound to him; he who eats another man's food is bound to him." Cheng Xiang had a sense of shame, so he immediately stopped talking and only talked about everyday matters and the local customs of Zhangzhou.

"My surname is Ni." Lu Xun did not give his real name. He realized that he seemed to have entered the territory of the Jing Shi Hui. It was better to keep a low profile than to be caught off guard. If he were linked to them, it would be troublesome.

Cheng Xiang didn't press further. The horse-like beast alone was enough to show that this person was either highly skilled or from a prominent family, neither of which was someone he could afford to provoke.

The clerk chimed in, "I heard that this drought was caused by an earth dragon rising from the ground, resulting in scorched earth." "Legend has it that in the East Sea there is a sacred Fusang tree, inhabited by a three-legged golden crow. When Ziwei (a mythical creature) lost her virtue, she frightened the golden crow, causing it to shed its feathers. The feathers fell on Zhangzhou, forming a parched land, all because of..."

Cheng Xiang wanted to criticize the imperial court and the officials of Zhangzhou, but he stopped himself when he remembered what 'Mr. Ni' had said. He continued, "In short, the drought will be under control in a while."

With a creaking sound, the gates of Yu County slowly opened, and the caravan of camels gathered below the city immediately became noisy, getting up to count their goods and forming a long queue to the sound of camel bells.

Lu Xun was surprised. Everyone says to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune, but he didn't expect that the business in the disaster-stricken area would actually improve.

An old official dressed in black was registering people at a table, while two rows of soldiers not belonging to the county government were stationed at the city gate.

When it was Lu Xun's turn, the scholar Cheng Xiang said something, and the old official registered them and quickly let them pass. However, the soldiers on the city wall kept their eyes on Ben Lei.

The reason is that Benlei looks nothing like a horse; it looks more like a demon or monster.

Lu Xun led Ben Lei into the county town and turned to ask, "Do you still remember where your home is?"

“I remember, but in just twenty years, things have changed so much. I just don’t know anything about the Shen family…” Shen Huo’s voice trailed off. He still had faith in the Shen family, but that was before. Now, the Jing Shi Hui controlled Meng County, and even the county officials had to follow the Jing Shi Hui’s orders. Could the Shen family really be safe and sound?

Although there were many refugees in the county town, there were no mountains of corpses. Fortunately, Jiujiang is in the south, and it was a drought, so people wouldn't freeze to death day or night, and there was no need to prepare cotton-padded clothes.

You can also see constables diligently patrolling the streets.

The buildings, arranged in rows and varying in height, are mostly shops, and business is quite good.

Lu Xun narrowed his eyes, putting away his contempt. The fact that the Jing Shi Army could govern the county town so well showed that there were indeed capable people in the Jing Shi Army. He originally thought they were just a bunch of insignificant bandits, but now he saw that they really resembled a righteous army. With such order and the practice of not harming the slightest thing, it was no wonder that Cheng Xiang supported the Jing Shi Society so much.

The methods employed by the Jingshihui were clearly far superior to those of the Taoyuan Living Buddha.

"Boss, over there, that's my home."

Hearing Mr. Shen's call, Lu Xun came to his senses. At the east end of the big locust tree, there was a mansion with blue stone, red tiles, and whitewashed walls. Lanterns surrounded an old plaque that read "Shen Mansion".

Lu Xun had heard Shen Huo mention this before, so he wasn't surprised. He went up to knock on the door while the steward led Benlei and another fine horse.

The door knocker rang as the beast swallowed it.

dong dong.

With a creak, the lacquered door opened a crack, and half a figure peeked out. It was an old man whose cloudy old eyes scrutinized the scholar standing at the door. As if remembering something, he said, "How can you be so ignorant? My master is a clerk in the county government. You shouldn't be here spreading your doctrines..."

Lu Xun crossed his hands and said, "I am not a member of the Jing Shi Hui. I have been entrusted by someone to return the remains of your Mr. Shen Huo."

The old gatekeeper exclaimed in surprise, "Ah, who is it!"

"Shen Huo".

Having heard clearly, the elderly doorman hurried to the lobby.

Lu Xun, who was left out, was not annoyed. He took two steps back and returned to the steps.

Shen Huo, who was using an oil-paper umbrella to shield himself from the sunlight, was lost in thought. Thirty years had passed since he joined the army, the plaque of the mansion was old, and he didn't recognize the gatekeeper. He thought about his parents... Just as he was deep in thought, the gatekeeper who had left led an old man dressed in silk to him.

The old man, followed by his servants and maids, rushed through the gate and hurriedly asked, "Who brought back my second brother's body?"

Lu Xun cupped his hands and asked, "And you are, sir?"

My name is Shen Lian.

"Your brother's remains are..."

"This is not the place to talk. Please come in quickly." Shen Lian ordered his men to open the gate and welcome the distinguished guest in, and instructed his servants to fetch the horse.

Benlei snorted, and the servant was too frightened to approach. The strange horse, which looked like a bull with a single horn, opened its mouth and revealed a mouthful of sharp teeth.

"Don't be stubborn, I'll come pick you up in a bit."

Benlei finally quieted down.

Upon arriving at the main hall, Lu Xun took out the urn from his basket and placed it on the table, saying, "These are Mr. Shen's ashes. He fell into the water in Hejiao Village, Zhang County, and I retrieved them when I passed by."

"This..." Shen Lian was taken aback and asked, "Do you have any proof?"

Without any evidence, it's hard to believe that these are his second brother's ashes.

The old steward also seemed suspicious of the scholar and the masked, straw-hatted rich man, wondering if their evasive behavior might be that of swindlers.

Unexpectedly, the oil-paper umbrella slowly opened, and a phantom figure solidified—it was none other than the drowned ghost Shen Huo. Shen Huo opened his mouth and said, "Fifth Brother!"

Shen Lian was startled at first, then suddenly stood up: "Second Brother!"

"Brother."

The two brothers embraced and wept bitterly.

This caused Lu Xun and Shu Er, who were sitting there, to exchange bewildered glances. However, having fulfilled his promise by bringing the person back, he relaxed slightly and began to plan his next move.

Should we continue north, wait for Toothless to bring news from the academy, or go to the Jiangbei camp to find Gao Qingzhi?
The two brothers seemed to have endless things to say about family matters when Shen Huo suddenly asked, "Why does Fifth Brother have such a strong ghostly aura?"

Shen Lian's expression froze. He glanced at the pale-faced scholar and the masked rich man beside him, and then ordered, "Quickly prepare a banquet. We'll talk at the table."

It was already early morning when they took their seats. The sun was blazing, and the water ghost dared not come out of its umbrella. Fortunately, the Shen mansion was large enough to dig a pond to raise the ghost. Looking at the locust wood objects, the soft mud exuded evil, and the incense sticks and paper slips all had the seals of Taoist temples and monasteries...

Shen Huo asked doubtfully, "You've prepared so thoroughly."

There's probably more than just him in the house.

Just as he sat down, the gatekeeper rushed in to report that the leader of the Jing Shi Hui had invited him to a banquet.

"Attending a banquet?"

"Yes, I heard from the young officer that the commander has taken a new wife, and he intends for her to be his principal wife. The young officer also told you, sir, to bring a gift with you. He also said, he also said..."

Seeing the gatekeeper hesitate, Shen Lian frowned and asked, "What else is there to say?"

The gatekeeper glanced at the pale-faced scholar before speaking: "That young general also said that the chieftain lacks nothing except a suitable divine steed. If you, sir, can present him with a divine steed, the chieftain will be so pleased that he will remove that damned county magistrate and make you the magistrate of Meng County."

Shen Lian's expression immediately darkened and turned ugly.

Lu Xun reached out with his chopsticks, picked up a peanut, and deftly put it into his mouth.

Crunch it.

He didn't want to provoke the Jing Shi Hui, but he didn't expect them to set their sights on his belongings and try to seize them by force.

Lu Xun said, "Mr. Shen, there's no need to make things difficult for me. I'll go with you."

"Do not."

Master Shen shook his head, stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "The Shen family will not keep you any longer, sir. You should leave quickly through the back door. I can handle it; I doubt they would dare to kill any government officials."

(End of this chapter)