Headless Immortal

Chapter 148 The Mountain Town of Monsters
The further northwest you go, the fewer people there are. In big cities, small towns, and villages, you can hardly see any people, and there's nowhere to ask for a bowl of water.

Perhaps the heavens heard their heartfelt words, for they sent a dark cloud overhead, which, after a few drops, crashed into the mountain and turned into broken clouds and mist.

The mountain is named Qi, and it is the northernmost high mountain in Qi County. However, this is only in terms of the prosperous county town. Further west, giant trees form forests and peaks reach into the clouds, like an insurmountable barrier. The thick fog does not dissipate but rather acts like rising and falling waves, completely blocking out the sunlight and heat. Further in is the famous Shoushan Mountain.

To seize, to plunder.

The sound of axes chopping wood filled the air as a middle-aged man in short clothes worked hard, felling dead trees. Neatly stacked firewood, strung together on a carrying pole, sat beside him.

The dead tree was felled, and the middle-aged man with stubble cut it into sections and tied them to the other end of a carrying pole.

"Hey."

Suddenly, a roar like that of a wild beast erupted.

The woodcutter paused for a moment.

A short man emerged from the tall grass, carrying a wooden fork. He had droopy rabbit ears, wore tattered pants that barely covered his thighs, and bared his front teeth as he shouted, "Who told you to cut wood in Shoushan?"

He approached menacingly and poked the woodcutter with the fork in his hand.

The woodcutter chuckled and pulled a money pouch from his waist, offering it with both hands: "I know the rules."

The rabbit monster took the money bag, opened it, and saw that it contained three large coins. He nodded in satisfaction and said, "Very good."

As he spoke, he put away his fork, pointed to the bushes in front of him, and vaguely saw a stone path. He continued, "Go from here, follow the stones and you'll get down the mountain."

"Don't you usually only give directions at dusk?"

The rabbit said impatiently, "Why ask so many questions? Hurry up and go."

The woodcutter slung his axe over his shoulder, hoisted his carrying pole, picked up his machete, and parted the grass in front of him. Sure enough, he found a path and happily walked up it. He glanced at the sky and saw that it was going to rain. He shook his shoulders. This load of firewood weighed about a hundred pounds, which would be more than enough to sell for sixty coins.

The woodcutter walked briskly and soon reached the mountainside of Qishan.

Suddenly, someone asked for directions.

"Does the brave warrior know how to get to Shoushan?"

"Shoushan".

The woodcutter turned his head in slight surprise and was startled by the sight of the one-horned bull's head.

Upon closer inspection, the dark, monstrous beast appeared to be clad in heavy armor, its nictitating membranes opening and closing in its eyes. Beside it stood a white-skinned toad, dressed in a short-sleeved shirt with its chest open. At least the one asking the question was a pale-faced scholar.

The woodcutter quietly gripped the axe on his back, his bright, piercing eyes fixed on the group of monsters.

What do you want with Shoushan?

One of the officers, a man seven feet tall, stepped forward, flashed his badge, and said, "Fellow countryman, do not be afraid. We are officials from the local government."

The woodcutter relaxed slightly, pointed to the path he had come from behind, and said, "It's just inside. Follow this stone path straight ahead. If you encounter any of the school's students from Shoushan, they'll give you directions." He tucked his machete into his waistband, turned sideways, held his carrying pole upright, and moved aside to make way for him.

Watching the woodcutter's figure disappear into the mist, Gao Qingzhi exclaimed, "What amazing magic!"

It is indeed somewhat miraculous that someone can cut firewood deep in the mountains.

However, it was still the environment that shaped him. Lu Xun's eyes showed no surprise. In the ancient world with such rich spiritual energy, even without understanding scriptures and incantations, one could cultivate magical power simply by doing one thing with utmost dedication. On their way here, they passed a teahouse, and the owner was a tea cultivator.

The clay bodhisattva said with a smile, "This is probably the last person we will see."

Then he looked at the captain. Since he had ventured into the deep mountains, a world of monsters rarely visited by humans, even if Lord Shoushan respected the Earth God, he would definitely target the captain.

The captain said, "I have a talisman that can disguise me as a monster."

He took out a talisman with a strange design from the box behind him and patted it on his chest. His aura immediately changed, and the life force of the living vanished as the mist twisted. He then pulled a robe from the bundle on the red-maned horse's back, wrapped it around his body, and put on the hood to cover his tall figure.

Tall and imposing, mysterious.

Mud Bodhisattva shook his head: "The captain is only concealing his aura; he also needs to make some changes to his appearance."

"Why?"

"Let this humble monk do it." The clay bodhisattva took out a lump of yellow clay from his sleeve, casually summoned mist to condense into water, mixed the yellow clay, and skillfully sculpted a mask. He walked up to the captain, measured it, and then slightly altered the size. With a flick of his finger, the mask was instantly fired into a porcelain face.

"Please put it on, Captain."

Gao Qingzhi took the mask and put it on his face. The mask seemed to come alive, and in an instant, a black tiger's head with a bushy beard appeared. The armor on his body was covered by mist and turned into the shape of a lock. His hands also turned into tiger paws. He raised his arm and looked at it carefully, and exclaimed in surprise, "Good stuff."

He touched his throat; now his voice carried a booming, animalistic roar.

Hey.

Xuan Yu, who had just passed through the clouds, rolled on the ground less than six feet away from the ground and transformed into a monster with an eagle's head and a human body. He knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I have seen monsters appearing on forty-eight small paths. Beyond the pass ahead lies the territory of Shoushan, where a small town can be seen on the mountaintop."

"city?"

Toothless replied, "It's even bigger than Zhangjiabao."

Lu Xun, holding the reins of Benlei, stepped forward, parting the mist beneath his feet. The spiritual energy grew even denser, with faint glimmers of white light visible, and chirping sounds emanating from the tree trunks and treetops. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw tiny white figures, each the size of a palm, some sitting, some standing, some squatting, some lying down…

Shuer explained, “Your Majesty, rest assured, these are all spirits of trees, harmless to humans and animals.”

Lu Xun nodded and continued on his way.

"Be careful."

Red Cloud's horse stumbled into empty air and hurriedly moved closer. It turned out that the misty miasma had turned the ground into a swamp, and it almost sank in. Even though it was so close, it was still impossible to guard against it, not to mention the viscous substance deposited by the vast sea of ​​clouds, which clung to the bodies of the monsters.

Head transplant.

Lu Xun transformed into the red-faced, green-toothed Lord of Wutong Mountain. The mist retreated as if it were a subject bowing down, and the view cleared up immediately.

The golden demonic eyes glanced at the path, and the rough demonic claws led Benlei forward. On Benlei's back sat a girl, none other than Gongli of the Merfolk.

Gong Li followed the monster's address: "Your Majesty, you should ride..."

Mermaids are also demons. Although she is young, she is certainly able to distinguish right from wrong. What kind of little demon is she, riding on the king's mount? It's really inappropriate for the king to lead her horse.

Originally, we were worried that she wouldn't be able to handle the long journey, but now that she's arrived in Shoushan, we should make a grand entrance.

Lu Xun waved his hand: "You sit down."

Respecting the elderly and caring for the young are traditional virtues.

Furthermore, Gong Li is very important. This is not only because of the Corpse King of Jing Shi Hui, but also because of the conch shell treasure she carries, which can unleash a torrent of river water.

Although Wutong Shen was far inferior to Taoyuan Living Buddha in hand-to-hand combat and kung fu, his water control technique was superb, and he had few rivals as long as there was enough water.

The decisive weapon that can decide the outcome must be properly appeased.

Lu Xun didn't hide anything from others and said to the black-headed monster carrying a sword box and a long sword, "If something really happens in a moment, I would appreciate it if you could take care of me."

Although the Black Armor and White Skin creatures received double buffs, they could only reign supreme among ordinary creatures. Toothless, being a feathered creature, possessed high attack but low defense. Shu'er was severely injured, and Mud Bodhisattva, intending to eliminate any future troubles, could only entrust Gong Li to the captain.

The captain nodded silently; this was why he had come. The path merged into a wide stone-paved road, which rose a few steps and then leveled out again. Standing in a small pavilion beside the steps was a tree-man holding a long fork. Its hands and feet were human-like, but its body was still that of a tree. Its head was covered with lush foliage, and one could barely make out the lines that made up its face.

White-skinned Frog Frog laughed, "There are guards too."

The man in black armor pointed at a hunched figure in the distance and lowered his voice: "What kind of monster is that?"

"It's a dog demon, isn't it?" the white-skinned man whispered.

"That that..."

"Fox demon."

"Hey, her neck is so long, she's hanging from a tree."

"A snake demon."

"What a strong ox! What kind of monster is this?"

Lu Xun glanced back at them, and the two monsters immediately shut up and obediently followed beside him. The white-skinned one fawned and approached, saying, "Your Majesty, let me lead you."

"I can do it too."

Lu Xun searched among the Black and White Duo for a while before handing the reins to the Black Eagle Toothless.

The two monsters were not dissatisfied and stepped forward to act as vanguards. Mud Bodhisattva opened his arms, hugged one on each side, and said with a smile, "This bull monster is a dragon, but it's a pity his father is not the Dragon Lord."

The black crocodile and white frog wanted to ask but didn't dare, which is why they were warned by the king.

Gao Qingzhi, sporting the black tiger demon head, asked in surprise, "Dragon Lord?"

"Did the captain know?"

Gao Qingzhi said, "The title of Dragon Lord should not be taken lightly. Only the ruler of rivers and lakes dares to claim it. The most famous one in Jiangzhou is the Dragon Lord of Poyang."

Lu Xun interjected, asking, "Is there anyone you can call 'old man'?"

Gao Qingzhi shook his head: "Uncle? I haven't heard of him."

As the path merged into the main stone road, more and more monsters appeared on the road, forming a dense, bustling scene that reminded Lu Xun of going to the market when he was a child.

Rural markets are held once a week, usually on abandoned or unimportant sections of the main road. They are incredibly crowded, with people packed shoulder to shoulder. If you get separated from someone, you can only meet up at the market entrance. Because we were young and didn't have good communication devices, we had to go home separately.

Looking at the scene that resembled a hundred thousand tributaries converging into a monstrous river, Lu Xun asked with concern, "Your injury..."

He noticed that Shu'er had been avoiding the question. He had clearly seen him use the precious blood of the Living Buddha of Taoyuan to heal his wounds last time, but he hadn't asked. So Lu Xun didn't bring it up either. However, this scene was completely unlike anything in the human world. He couldn't help but worry about Shu'er's health. He thought it would be better to drink some of the precious blood first.

Even if it only has a slight effect, or even just acts as a placebo, it's still good.

Shu Er smiled and sighed, "The injury isn't here. Don't worry, Your Majesty, I can still hold on."

Wu Tonglu Xun and his group seemed to be quite powerful.

A red-maned horse, a divine beast, carrying a young girl on its back, was quite eye-catching. Any monsters who tried to get close to them were stopped by the black-armored and white-skinned figures. Putting everything else aside, the black-armored figure looked like a demon general, and the white-skinned figure was no less impressive. Its arms, as thick as a normal person's thigh, were covered with a layer of stone skin, making it look like a commander.

Some demons recognized the Mud Bodhisattva. Seeing that the Mud Bodhisattva had lowered its head, they figured that the girl sitting on the back of the demon beast must be a little demon king, or a descendant of some family who had come out to make her way in the world. Little demons couldn't afford to mess with someone with such a background, so they simply kept their distance and stopped being polite.

The group grew larger and larger, and the demons and monsters moved forward in perfect unison.

The towering Wutonglu, with its demon-seeking eyes, swept across the area, identifying numerous monsters: pythons, snakes, and centipedes that slithered along winding paths; birds that folded their wings and hopped about on their feet; beasts covered in scales and fur; and even insects that, though small, moved with incredible speed, all converging together.

A fierce ghost drifted past, then a living corpse leaped away; the fox on the steps turned its head, and the jackal below the stone path raised its head.

At a glance, there are more than a hundred demons.

……

City walls, river.

The suspension bridge is laid flat.

There are tree-man figures on the watchtowers, each with a different bird perched on their shoulder.

A junior officer with a wild boar's head held a sword at his waist, while a mountain rabbit warrior guarded the city gate. Inside the gate stood an official with a squirrel's head and wearing a long robe.

"It's more than just a small town; in my opinion, it's practically a large city." The white man clicked his tongue in amazement, while his attitude towards Shu Er became even more respectful.

The three great demons of Zhangzhou, since the old gentleman is on par with them, must have been quite powerful in the past. After witnessing the Jiang Liushui Mansion and many other demons, don't underestimate them just because they were badly injured.

Black Armor shook off White Skin, stepped forward, and grinned foolishly, "Your Majesty, let's go into the city."

Just as they were about to step onto the suspension bridge, a commotion erupted behind them, disrupting the orderly queue. The demons and monsters, not daring to complain, quickly made way, some even scrambling to the side like water parting.

Two old mandrills led the way, followed by eight maids of different appearances carrying flower baskets, their petals falling and scattering across the wide stone path.

A large, lacquered blue sedan chair was carried out from the procession behind them, with twenty-four ox-headed and horse-faced demons each carrying a pole. The sedan chair had a solid wood roof and a palanquin base, and was surrounded by pale white gauze curtains. As the ox-headed and horse-faced demons moved, the white gauze fluttered, and the blue silk inside could be vaguely seen flashing.

"The Goddess of Green Mountain has arrived."

Behind the bull demon and horse demon were snake demons, with a forest of long spears slung over their shoulders. In Lu Xun's eyes, it looked like the snake demons were carrying his own tails as they walked. It must have been really tough for them.

The sedan chair walked onto the suspension bridge.

"and many more."

Suddenly, a magnetic, husky voice, tinged with a lazy and aloof quality, rang out.

A jade-like hand parted the white veil, revealing half of a stunningly beautiful face. Pale blue eyes lowered their gaze: "It's truly rare to see such a lovely person from the sea come to this fiery land." Then, her eyes flickered slightly, and she asked in surprise, "Old Master Huang, you actually came to participate in this Hundred Gods and Demons Gathering? I thought you had already met your demise."

Shu Er smiled brightly: "He's not dead yet, so here he is."

Her gaze swept over him briefly, then she slowly withdrew her hand and said calmly, "With you here, it's as if you've witnessed it."

"Let's go."

The departure of the massive group caused the silent demon horde to gasp for breath and begin to murmur amongst themselves, all saying that the Demon King of Zhangzhou was either the Hundred-Year-Old Marquis or the Green Mountain Lady.

The old squirrel official's voice wasn't loud, but it flew far away: "Don't panic, don't panic, keep your invitations safe."

"Those with invitations can go first, while those without invitations can wait outside the city; they will also have a chance to enter."

The pig-headed officer wasn't so good-natured. He tossed the monster trying to sneak in aside and was about to make a move when he saw two monsters, one black and one white, standing in front of him. The pig-headed officer frowned, about to lash out, when he saw the two monsters step back and make way, and a smiling monk walked over and handed him an invitation.

The pig-headed monster paused for a moment before handing the post to the old squirrel.

The squirrel opened it and sang, "The Lord of Juying Mountain and Huangfeng Mountain has arrived."

Shu Er took a half step back, crossed his arms, and said, "Your Majesty, let's enter the city."

Squirrel Officer and Pig-Headed General were stunned for a moment. Had they misunderstood? Wasn't everyone saying that the Yellow Wind Mountain Master was a yellow-skinned rat? How come the rat called the white ape "King"?

While they were still in a daze, Lu Xun and his group had already crossed the city gate and entered this monster city.

(End of this chapter)