Headless Immortal

Chapter 133 Strange Horse, Skinny Horse, Want to Ride a Horse?
Looking back at the closed back door, the dark alleyway appeared even darker against the shadows of the towering buildings on both sides.

The clerk, carrying a basket on his back, gripped the snakeskin leather strap, staring with his large, round, clear black and white eyes. His beard trembled, and his lips moved slightly before he finally managed to ask, "Your Majesty, shall we... leave now?"

"Otherwise what?" Lu Xun retorted.

"Can……"

Shuer wanted to say something more, but swallowed the words back down.

Perhaps this is the most advantageous way to handle things for themselves, pushing everything onto the Shen family so they can follow the alley into the back mountain and leave Meng County.

However, it's hard to guarantee that the Shen family really has that much power. If that general of the Jingshi Society were to take his anger out on the Shen family, hundreds of them would immediately be dead and bleeding.

Shu Er sighed inwardly.

He once truly believed he had found a wise and benevolent ruler, but now it seems that Boss Lu is not a king worthy of his trust.

His fluffy head was filled with deep melancholy; he hadn't come out for sightseeing this time...

"Let's go."

Upon hearing the sound, Shu Er stepped into the alley.

"Not this way."

Shu Er paused, then suddenly turned around.

Lu Xun took the reins of Benlei and said calmly, "We didn't eat enough at the Shen residence, so let's go to a big banquet to fill our stomachs."

"A grand banquet?"

Shu Er scratched his head and asked in confusion, "It seems like no one invited us."

"Who said there isn't?"

Lu Xun smiled and raised his hand, his pale fingers holding an invitation card, which the doorman had handed to him on the table.

"The king stole..."

"Hey, how can you call it stealing if you're just getting a free meal?"

……

Shen Lian, dressed in the official robes of a minor official, was still appointed by the court. She sat in the carriage with her eyes closed, resting. She heard a faint voice calling out, "Husband, husband, remember, even if there is something you can't bear to say, you must silently recite the incantation. I will take you here. The army's blood and qi are like furnaces, and I can no longer go on."

"it is good."

Shen Lian opened his eyes and answered.

Shen Lian parted the curtain of the carriage and looked at the county government office, which was guarded by soldiers. It used to be the place of the county magistrate, but now it had become the residence of the Jing Shi Hui (a secret society).

As for the magistrate of Meng County, he should still be under house arrest.

A look of sorrow lingered between his brows.

He spoke with great bravado, decisively ushering the people out and even arranging for them to take a side road or alley, but in reality, he didn't have much confidence in the situation.

The commander of the Jingshi Army, even the county magistrate, was killed; why would they care about a mere clerk like him? The Shen family only managed to save their lives because someone in the province held an official position, and because they followed the arrangements of the Jingshi Society, which allowed them to stabilize Meng County.

Unexpectedly, the leader of the Jingshi Society took a fancy to Boss Lu's divine steed.

Shen Lian harbored no resentment towards Lu Xun; on the contrary, he was filled with gratitude, which is why he decided to go to the meeting alone. If the Jing Shi Association wanted to consider the sentiments of the people of Meng County, it would at most ask the Shen family to pay off a portion of their family fortune.

Putting aside the nonsense about the Shen family betraying their benefactor, the pale-faced scholar casually said "Let's go" without any fear, calm and elegant. The strange beast bowed its head as a mount, and the short man who looked like a wealthy man served as a servant. In Zhangzhou, a place of war and monsters, how could he be an ordinary person who had traveled all the way from Zhang County to Meng County?

He might just be a renowned hero in the martial arts world.

He couldn't afford to offend either of them, so he might as well quickly send the scholar down the side road while he went to the county government office to humble himself and apologize properly.

This is the safest approach.

He's getting old; his pride isn't worth much anymore.

The carriage stopped at the county government office, and only then could one see the rising sun at the end of the long street. Its golden-red rays pierced through the mist, clearing a path. The government office had been transformed into a camp, and the shouts of soldiers training could be heard, sounding very imposing.

They were probably young and strong men selected from the disaster victims gathered by the Jing Shi Association, and after a little training, they were incorporated into the Jing Shi Army.

The government office was decorated with lanterns and colorful ribbons, with large red lanterns hanging all the way to the street corner.

The grand spectacle was for the commander's wedding.

He had heard about this matter beforehand and sent out invitations the day before yesterday. Shen Lian guessed that it was another case of someone taking a fancy to someone's daughter and forcibly taking a woman away. He was disdainful but didn't want to express his indignation, so he could only prepare a gift.

The officer in black armor cupped his hands and gestured for them to come in: "Lord Shen, please come in."

Shen Lian stepped off the carriage on a low stool, straightened his collar, and strode toward the county government office.

He had walked this road for many years and knew it by heart, but now he was filled with sighs. When would the imperial army arrive? Could the Jing Shi Hui really keep it a secret? Or was it that the court...? Shen Lian dared not think too much about it. He was just a county clerk in charge of household registration; he couldn't possibly handle such a momentous matter.

Thinking too much was pointless. Led by the general, he entered the main hall and saw the flattened drill ground. Behind the drill ground was a palace.

Upon entering the hall, Shen Lian saw many familiar faces, but most of them were unfamiliar to him.

I heard that the chieftain of Yu County has five hundred strongmen and has gathered tens of thousands of followers. He has carefully selected several thousand strong men to form an army. The entire Yu County, along with the three surrounding cities, is like an impregnable fortress. I don't know why these rebel troops are not attacking and seizing cities and territories, but instead building walls, stockpiling grain, and gathering disaster victims...

The more this was the case, the more uneasy he became. These thousands of young men were different from the soldiers held by the county magistrate. At least half of the soldiers in the county magistrate's office were receiving salaries without working, and there were only two or three hundred soldiers left who could actually fight.

The Jingshi Army was composed of elite troops, with young and strong men incorporated into it, totaling several thousand soldiers.

Not to mention the many extraordinary individuals who came and went from the camp, and the burly warriors in their green iron armor.

"Master Shen."

Distracted, Shen Lian cupped his hands and said, "Lord Huang."

Looking over, he saw Huang Xuan, dressed in the uniform of a patrol officer, with an unhappy expression, but it was clearly not directed at Shen Lian. Huang Xuan lowered his voice and said, "Even you, Lord Shen, have been persuaded?"

“A bandit soldier is taking a concubine and he expects us to accompany him and even present him with gifts. Bah, that’s incredibly rude.”

Shen Lian smiled bitterly and remained silent. Now the entire Meng County had fallen into the hands of the Jingshi Society. Although they were called government officials, they were no different from prisoners. At most, they were still useful. To put it bluntly, they were all working for the rebels for various reasons, which meant they had boarded the pirate ship.

"Where is the County Magistrate?"

"I heard he went on a hunger strike and couldn't catch his breath. He's only surviving on ginseng soup now."

"Integrity!"

Shen Lian was filled with emotion.

Huang Xuan hesitated for a moment, then said only, "I hope Brother Shen will grace us with his presence after the banquet."

"must."

Their original plan to rescue the magistrate has now fallen through, but they still have to send out the message, otherwise the imperial court will still think that Zhangzhou is safe.

Once Jiangzhou reacts, General Di of the Jiangbei camp can lead the army. Unfortunately, the Jingshi Society is too well-packaged, and the news is tightly controlled.

"Take your seats, please take your seats first."

……

The yamen door.

The soldiers reached out to stop the scholar and demanded, "Who are you?"

The scholar was looked at with suspicion. His face was pale, and his pale red eyes were strange. He was holding a strange horse-beast with a single horn, a bull's head, and a long tail covered in scales.

The pale-faced scholar smiled and pulled out a gold-embossed invitation.
The soldiers opened the invitation and found that it was for Master Shen. They couldn't help but ask, "Master Shen went in a long time ago. Why are you only arriving now?" "Master left in a hurry and left behind the invitation and gifts."

"Okay, let's go in."

Led by soldiers, they entered the main hall of the county government office. The gifts were tied up in the courtyard, and the people were seated at the end of the table.

The hall was large enough, with eight pillars supporting its round wooden beams, and nearly thirty tables were set up in front and behind, extending all the way to the courtyard for a banquet.

Seeing the extraordinary nature of Benlei, the officer dared not neglect them and arranged for the two of them to enter the hall. Although it was a lowly seat, they were not forced to sit in the courtyard outside.

The pale-faced scholar and the sallow-faced rich man stood side by side.

Before them were several upper-class seats, with about ten people taking their seats one after another.

Golden rays of light poured in through the main gate, forming a flowing river. All the seats were dark, except for the stage, which basked in the light.

The singers and dancers swayed gracefully, their light gauze fluttering to reveal their snow-white skin. The melodious tunes of orchestral instruments slowly faded away as the tassels faded, and the drums and music became more exciting, quickening their light steps.

She moved nimbly and twirled, her slender waist reflecting a fleshy glow, suddenly gathering in one place, like a bud about to bloom.

A beautiful woman in a long red dress flew out from among the flowers. A long silk scarf surrounded the beam, swaying in the breeze like a goddess. Her gaze was radiant, and her frown was pitiful. She moved with the music.

Lu Xun, however, was not in the mood to appreciate it. He looked at the chicken, duck, fish and meat on the table and unceremoniously reached out with his chopsticks.

He hadn't eaten much at the Shen residence, and his empty stomach had been rumbling for a long time.

In no time, the chickens, ducks, and geese on the table disappeared, leaving not even bones. The servant standing nearby stared in disbelief and nudged the whole, untouched chicken and duck on his own table.

"Loss of appetite?"

Lu Xun didn't snatch it. Instead, he replaced the plate on the next table with his empty plate. He needed to be full to have energy. Even if he didn't have a good appetite, he had to eat something so that he wouldn't go hungry later.

"No."

Shu Er pointed, but then realized something was wrong and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid this is bad."

Lu Xun paused, grabbed his wine glass, and took a big gulp to suppress the greasiness. He asked, "What's wrong?"

He squinted his pale red eyes and carefully examined the interior of the hall.

The main hall seemed to have been originally a combination of the central hall and the rear hall, making it even more spacious. Behind it, against the wall, stood fully armored soldiers, one every five steps, totaling about twenty. To the left and right stood servants, their heads bowed and eyes lowered.

"Your Majesty, look, there's an old man in a gray robe with a cane."

Lu Xun looked over and saw an old man wearing a gray robe with skin like dried tree bark, and a withered bone cane standing beside him.

Inside the skull, a faint green flame glowed, and wisps of white smoke could be seen drifting through the opening and closing of the teeth. Grimaces coalesced into tiny children, gathering around the old man. As the old man placed the food and wine on the table, tiny hands reached out to take them.

"In Meng County, there is a Lonely Mountain called Skull Mountain. This man is known as the Old Man of Lonely Mountain. He gathers lonely souls and raises hundreds of ghosts, intending to establish his own government and challenge the Meng County government." Shu Er solemnly stated the old man's name, while reminding 'Your Majesty' not to look at him too much, as even a glance from such a powerful figure would be felt.

"That mountain of flesh, that huge man."

Lu Xun followed the sound to find his target and saw someone even more unrestrained than himself.

The man sat in the shadows like a mountain of flesh, his giant hands holding a roasted pig's leg like a winnowing basket. A whole sheep looked like lamb chops to him, and even the drinking cup was a wooden barrel. The pile of meat in front of him was visibly decreasing.

"The leader of the Jiangbei Ring Mountain Green Forest Road is known as the Jiangbei Golden Beam. The entire ring mountain to Wulao Peak is under his control. There are hundreds of mountain strongholds of various sizes, and the bandits and robbers under him number in the tens of thousands."

"That burly man is the leader of the river bandits on the Xunyang River."

"The young man with slicked-back hair and a folding fan is the young master of Ma Family Village. The Ma family runs a charitable estate and is said to have connections in western Hunan, selling rare items such as opium."

"The plump, fox-faced woman with slanted eyes is the owner of Zhujiabao, and it is said that she specializes in the trade of 'people'."

"That sorcerer in colorful clothes was called Deng San'er."

"The black-robed man's murderous aura."

"..."

The officials recounted their origins one by one, and even those whose names they couldn't name had stories to tell, which impressed Lu Xun.

He was like a walking encyclopedia when he brought the steward with him. He glanced to the side and saw the steward break off a chicken leg from the table and pass it under the table, where a pair of little hairy paws caught it.

Lu Xun couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed that the magistrate's background was not simple either, so he asked, "And you?"

Shu Er chuckled: "This old man is just a yellow-skinned old mouse."

Lu Xun didn't press further, his expression serious; he wasn't there to joke around.

Shu Er continued, "This chieftain of Meng County is even more remarkable. He has five hundred strongmen under his command, and he himself was a famous Jiangbei martial artist twenty years ago. He has three swords: Hou Ming, who wields the Fenjiang Sword, is his junior brother; Wan Chaowu, who wields the Suishan Sword, is his brother; and Guan Banyang, who wields the Pojun Sword, is his disciple."

"I didn't actually expect him to join the Jing Shi Hui."

"Perhaps he was originally a member of the Jingshihui (a secret society).

Just as the two were discussing...

Hahaha!
Before the person even arrived, their hearty laughter rang out.

A robust and tall figure emerged from behind the screen at the head of the room. The man had a long face, a neatly tied high ponytail, a bold nose, a lion's mouth, horizontal eyebrows, and a pair of owl-like eyes that gleamed with a cold light. He clasped his hands in greeting and said, "I have kept you all waiting. I was simply too busy with military affairs to spare the time."

Without a hint of apology, Jin Daokuoma sat in the head seat.

"Meat Mountain" Huang Jinliang showed little reverence and said through his open mouth, "The brothers thought the commander was trapped in the gentle embrace of a beautiful woman and couldn't get out."

"The reason I have gathered you all here is that the Celestial Masters have already set off and are on their way, and we need your help to stop them."

Wan Chaohai was not offended and waved his hand to continue, "Not only that, the Jiujiang local authorities have also taken action." As he spoke, he beckoned a row of servants to come forward and hand out thick white silk.

Lu Xun also received a stack.

It depicted portraits of Taoist priests from the Celestial Masters sect, as well as a high-ranking officer. He also saw Zhao Jia and the commander of the garrison in Jiangzhou...

Until a piece of silk was pulled aside, revealing a pale-faced, red-eyed scholar—kill him on sight!
……

Wan Chaohai had already stood up and walked up to Inspector Huang Xuan, holding up a wine cup and throwing something down, saying with a smile, "Lord Huang, this is yours, isn't it?"

Huang Xuan looked closely and saw that it was the secret letter he had written to Jiangzhou.

The secret letter was covered in blood.

Cold sweat poured down his forehead.

Wan Chaohai grabbed Huang Xuan, and from who knows where, he pulled out a short knife. With a whoosh, Huang Xuan's hand fell to the ground and was caught in his grasp.

Squeezing blood into the wine bottle like squeezing juice, ignoring Huang Xuan's screams, Wan Chaohai said lightly, "I told you, if you gentlemen cooperate well, nothing will happen."

Why do some people always think they're so clever?

"Don't you agree, Lord Shen?"

Wan Chaohai strode over, swirled the blood wine in his hand, drank it all in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and lowered his gaze: "I heard that Lord Shen has acquired a divine steed. I wonder if you would be willing to part with it?"

"I am not the kind of person who would seize by trickery or force, but this matter is of great importance, even more important than my own head, Wan Chaohai."

Shen Lian looked up and saw a pair of bloodshot eyes. After the commander spoke, he could see fangs flashing. Hearing the wails of Lord Huang beside him, he clenched his fists, his body trembling involuntarily. He stammered, "My Shen family's Shen Yushu is in Suzhou..."

A sudden sound rang out.

"Master, the divine steed is tied up at the door."

(End of this chapter)