Headless Immortal

Chapter 149 Heroes Arrive Here and Dare to Compete First

What comes into view is a colossal ancient tree, its branches piercing through the clouds and mist, making it appear from afar like a hidden fairy island. It is not an island, but a tree. Thousands of colorful lanterns hang from its branches, its main body is bound with silk and satin, a large cauldron lies buried before it, piled high with incense ash, and red silk and wooden plaques dangle from its outstretched branches.

The white-skinned man's eyes darted around, and he asked in surprise, "Is this Master Shoushan?"

Shu Erjian was quite talkative and said with a smile, "No. A tree is a tree. This tree existed before the Hundred-Year-Old Marquis came here, and it is older than me."

The captain with the tiger head continued, "Legend has it that a great demon king once built a city of evil Rakshasa demons. This place was a fortified outpost. After the demon city was destroyed, the northwestern landforms shifted and formed Shoushan Mountain. The banyan tree was once part of the demon city, and it has been dormant since the main body was destroyed."

Mud Bodhisattva chuckled and said, "These are all just rumors and gossip. Monsters are always unruly. If it weren't for the Corpse King's birth changing the landscape of Zhangzhou, Shoushan Gong wouldn't have been able to invite so many people."

Outside the city, a long procession stretched out, while inside, the jubilation was unstoppable. Drums and gongs resounded, and strange noises filled the air. On both sides of the long street were buildings of varying heights, and in front of the shops were servants and shopkeepers with furry heads and tails. It was a bustling scene, even more lively than a county town.

The palanquin, carried by twenty-four bull and horse demons, moved forward amidst the sounds of suona horns, with acrobatic performers forming a long procession.

The town was indeed not large. After passing the big banyan tree, you would see the steps directly opposite the long street. A gray cat spirit dressed in short clothes hurried down the steps, performing a chest-beating salute. His cat eyes were covered by his eyelids, but you could still see that he was very respectful to Shu Er: "The Marquis has long prepared a grand banquet to welcome you to the table."

The two monsters, one in black armor and the other in white, took the lead. A leopard spirit reached out and stopped them, saying in a deep voice, "Please lay down your weapons. The divine steed has its own arrangements."

As he spoke, the leopard's eyes scanned the black and white duo, then turned to look at the black tiger monster leading the red-maned one, rummaging back and forth in the tiger monster's long sword box.

The captain didn't argue and was about to unload his weapon.

The clay Buddha smiled and asked, "There should be a competition, right?"

"It will be delivered to you in time."

"just in case……"

"Don't worry, clay bodhisattva, if there is any deficiency, I will bring my head to face you."

Gong Li, who was on Ben Lei's back, rolled over and landed on the ground.

A group of monsters followed the gray cat spirit into the main hall.

The hall was long and wide, towering yet elegant, with a skylight above it that allowed the sunlight, usually swallowed by clouds, to stream in and fall directly onto the dance floor inside. Forty-eight seats were arranged in total, and guided by the gray cat spirit, we arrived at the third seat.

There was enough seating for several people, saving the trouble of splitting up with families. Opposite the third seat was the second seat, which was still empty.

"Your Majesty, please sit."

Lu Xun, without hesitation, sat down at the central table, his expression calm.

His goal is to become the Demon King, so there's no need for any pretense or underhanded tactics. What's the point of letting the heavily injured Huang Feng attract attention? The world of demons is all about strength, and the strong don't hide their true nature.

The gray cat almost spoke but held back.

He recalled the Marquis's instructions from earlier.

Time goes backwards.

The inner hall of the rear palace.

The gray cat knelt on the ground and asked in a low voice, "My lord, where should we seat Lord Huangfeng?"

"Old Huang..."

A tall and imposing figure sat at the table. Because the gray cat had its head down, its height could only be vaguely sensed. Dressed in fine silk robes, the figure put down a scroll in its hand and spoke in a deep and steady voice: "Of the three demons of Zhangzhou, Old Huang is the most capable and should sit in the second seat. It's a pity that he fought with Jing Shilang."

"Not to mention his serious injuries, his body was also shattered, and his cultivation level dropped by an unknown amount, so let him sit in the third seat."

The gray cat spirit replied, "Yes."

The Marquis said that the Yellow Wind Mountain Master should sit in three seats, but this white ape swaggered around, looking arrogant, and even made the old man in charge of the office call him "Great King".

Cat's eyes narrowed slightly. He thought to himself that perhaps the white monkey had offended Old Master Huang, which was why he was being flattered to death. So he remained silent.

The gray cat was secretly pleased with its cleverness. It clapped its hands and ordered the maid to bring out a mountain of fruits and vegetables, and then ordered the chef to cook meat dishes, some boiled and some roasted.

The aroma of meat made Lu Xun's stomach rumble, and his mouth water. Since leaving Meng County, he hadn't had a decent meal in days, eating only dry rations and jerky. The desolate landscape was devoid of any cooking smoke, and his cravings were now being piqued. However, a hint of doubt lingered in his mind. He slowly raised his golden demonic eyes and asked calmly, "What kind of meat?"

“Of course, it’s pork, beef, mutton…” the gray cat pointed them out one by one, then said, “You want to eat human flesh? We don’t have any here. The Marquis forbids little monsters from eating human flesh. Anyone who breaks the rules will be turned back into their original form and sent to the deep mountains, where they may never regain their intelligence again.”

The gray cat spirit shuddered. Animals don't live long, and without intelligence, they die within a few years.

"Where did all of this come from?"

"Some of them were caught in the mountains, but most of them were from villagers at the foot of the mountains or from the county town."

"Rob?"

"Of course, I'll buy it."

"purchase?"

The gray cat flipped its paw over, revealing a large coin. With a look of disdain, it said, "Use money, huh? Copper, silver, gold. This little piece of gold can buy a dozen sheep." The gray cat became increasingly convinced that its guess was correct, and as it left, it muttered, "Earth monster."

Lu Xun chuckled; he'd gotten a cat demon to explain currency. With that, he had no more doubts and grabbed a roasted lamb leg and a pork knuckle to eat.

"Eat up, don't be shy. How can you have energy if you don't eat your fill?"

The man in black armor and white skin quickly sat down and began to feast.

Toothless, arms crossed, coldly watched the cat demon's departing figure. Clack clack, Xuan Yu opened and closed, changing between weapons and wings. A large, snow-haired hand handed over a cooked fish. Toothless turned around in surprise and whispered, "Your Majesty."

As Wutongshan Jun tore into a lamb leg, he said, "Let's eat."

"I'll go and find out what's going on."

The captain was clearly a restless fellow. As a captain of the local authorities, his first thought was to find out useful information. He pretended to need to relieve himself and left his seat. Anyway, he had double protection now and didn't have to worry about being discovered by the monsters. Even if there were really powerful ones, he, as a court official, could still get out unscathed.

"You're talking about the Hundred Gods and Demons Gathering, will the Taoist priests come?" Lu Xun suddenly asked.

Mud Bodhisattva didn't hide anything and told everyone what had happened that day. Now, the Hongmen, the Green Gang, and the White Lotus Sect all had put up bounties for the Taoist's head. Upon hearing the news, Lu Xun clapped his hands and said, "Good!" Last time was just a joke. The Taoist's skills were remarkable; he had guardian deities and magical treasures, and he directly blew up the gathering at Yugu Mountain.

That stumped me.

Shu Er smiled and said, "Although Yugu Mountain is not far from Shou Mountain, one is in the north and the other in the northwest. If the Taoist priest is following the White Sect's Holy Maiden, he must be heading north. Even if the White Sect's Holy Maiden has handed over her power and is about to leave, she will still be heading to the southeast coast. As long as the Taoist priest is here, the White Sect's Holy Maiden will be here."

Lu Xun said, "The Daoist is quite persistent."

In my childhood.

Forty-eight tables were occupied by a dozen or so people, each accompanied by a little demon. The atmosphere suddenly became lively. At the same time, zithers and sheng were played. A dancer in a long robe walked out gracefully and hopped into the dance floor with lotus-like steps. Her white and round skin was visible through her flowing sleeves and gauze. Her eyes were alluring as she looked around, as if she were flying in a pillar of light.

A magnetic, languid voice came in layers: "You all go too."

"As Your Majesty commands."

Two handsome young men standing behind Lady Qingshan stepped onto the dance floor.

The handsome man on the left and the clear-eyed woman on the right are indeed good-looking. They stand out against the backdrop of a group of demons and monsters, but unfortunately, they are all transformed appearances, which obviously have a kind of disharmony due to being pieced together.

At first glance, they were stunning, but upon closer inspection, their hair was slicked back and their faces were powdered. The two dancers were indeed excellent, even overshadowing all the other dancers. The demons dared not speak out against them, as most of those present were male and no one wanted to watch two grown men dance. They could only think this to themselves. Meanwhile, Lady Green Mountain was sitting in the second seat, watching with great interest.

Suddenly, she turned her gaze to the white ape across the table, scrutinizing it closely with her phoenix-shaped eyes, and raised the wine cup with her jade-like hand.

Wu Tong Lu Xun was eating when You Zhao picked up a wine glass and gestured slightly.

When they entered the city, a white veil obscured their view, but now they could clearly see the appearance of Lady Qingshan: an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, a rosy complexion, and a touch of vermilion lips. Her phoenix-shaped, triangular eyes pierced through her gentle demeanor, revealing a sharp edge and angularity.

Shu Er reached out to stop him, saying, "Oh dear, Your Majesty, this is not advisable."

The clay bodhisattva grinned mischievously and teased, "So, will Your Majesty lift it or not?"

Shu Er grinned and said, "You big monk, you're a monk after all."

“Amitabha, this humble monk is not human, but a strange monk.”

Lu Xun asked, "What do you mean?"

"The Lady of Green Mountain has countless male lovers; she has clearly taken a liking to the King."

Gong Li stretched out his ears: "Grandpa Rat, what is a male concubine?"

"Kid, don't ask questions like that."

"Oh."

Snapped.

He shouted loudly, "Good!"

The person clapping was also a woman, which drew the attention of the crowd of monsters. Lu Xun and his group, who were whispering, also looked over. The one speaking was a swaying woman, with a different kind of bewitching beauty.

Lu Xun frowned slightly; the woman looked somewhat familiar to him.

"Your Majesty, this is the one from the Xin family."

"hold head high."

Lu Xun nodded slightly. He remembered that it was the Xin family fox disguised as a man in front of the City God.

Xin Hongyu was glared at by the man in the seat, so she lowered her voice and posture: "Father, look at how well she dances."

"Nonsense," the man scolded in a low voice, then added, "What's the rush to take sides?"

Lady Green Mountain may have had the intention of making a preemptive move and testing the monsters' reactions, which is why she released two handsome male companions to overwhelm them with a dance. With the monsters remaining silent, how could the Xin family of Old Gangshan easily express their opinion?

Xin Hongyu, however, believed that Lady Qingshan was bound to win. She had observed the three most promising families. Her eyes darted to the third seat and saw the black and white monsters, the black eagle and the girl, as well as the white ape sitting at the central table. This one seemed to be called 'Boss Lu'. How could he be seated at the third seat?

……

Lu Xun's mind was half-immersed in the strange space. The black-armored, white-skinned creature had done a good job, reaping quite a few heads for him. Unfortunately, those whose corpses were left to be dumped in the moat were all 'ordinary'. The two killed by Toothless only yielded a little over one or two taels of silver at most. After grinding them up, he obtained a total of five taels and six qian.

He left behind the corpse monster's head that had been flung away in the county town.

[Skull of the Blood Corpse Monster]

Type: Winner (Demon-Corpse)

Quality: Rare (Green)
Spell: Silver Armor

cannibal
Demon Blood
raging flames
Resurrection
Commentary: The iron-clad warriors devoured each other, giving birth to a monster with copper skin and iron bones, possessing immense strength. The monster ate wild dogs, causing the seven souls to reunite and give birth to a blood soul. The soul then attached itself to the physical body, neither a zombie nor a corpse, and was not bound by the Corpse King.

Lu Xun kept the monster because he was drawn to this last sentence.

It's inevitable to encounter the Corpse King of the Jing Shi Society, which is why these five spells are rare. They can be used to move through hordes of corpses, serve as excellent disguises, and even hide among the corpses at crucial moments to seek opportunities.

As he pondered, the noise inside the hall grew even louder.

A tiger-like monster clad in armor walked up beside him. The black tiger sat down next to him, took a big gulp of fruit wine, and then said, "That's about enough. All forty-eight monsters have taken their seats, and the lesser demons outside are already enjoying the feast."

Lu Xun clicked his tongue in amazement: "That's quite a sum."

Just providing a full meal is enough to make the little monsters flock to it.

The man in black armor asked, "What are those little monsters doing here if they have no power?"

We can't just be trying to make a living.

The captain actually had an answer: "Escape."

Mud Bodhisattva nodded: "That's right. Zhangzhou has been ruined like this. Not to mention the people are suffering, even the little monsters have no place to live, so they all came."

……

"A cheesy, affected tune, neither male nor female singing and dancing, the food and wine are alright, do they think we are reincarnated starving ghosts?"

Finally, someone couldn't stand the loneliness any longer. The one who spoke was a huge monster with an ugly head and a body eight feet tall, wearing a patchwork of tattered pale yellow armor.

Standing on the high platform steps, the lynx official reassured, "Mountain Lord, please calm down."

The ugly man tossed his head, revealing a brown bear's head. His gaping maw crushed the bone, spitting it out beside him: "Monsters should speak with strength, not with these tricks of bribing demons..."

Before Xiong Shanjun could speak, the curtain behind the high platform was lifted by a servant, and a tall, imposing figure emerged, standing a full thirteen feet tall.

He wore a dark blue brocade robe and high-top tiger-head boots. His features were upright, but his skin was not human; instead, it was made of metal, iron, and wood. His long, lush hair was tied into a cloud-like bun. He said with a smile, "Zhangzhou is desolate, with three hundred miles of barren land. Countless little demons are displaced. As fellow demons, I thought of offering some protection and arranging official business. That's why I kept you all waiting. Please forgive me."

"Your Excellency is truly righteous!"

The monsters inside the hall, whether genuine or feigning, all shouted in unison.

Lord Shoushan was quite old, and those present today all received his favors to some extent back then. They have nothing to say about it, nor will they really delve into what Lord Shoushan had arranged.

The centenarian lord beckoned, and the mountain rabbit warriors brought up wooden buckets bound with iron hoops, while fruits were carried up in the small baskets of a cart.

The centenarian Marquis picked up a wine cup, rose from his seat, and said loudly, "Seeing the earth cracked and the sky devoid of rain, at this time of great suffering, we demons should unite to fight this great calamity and restore Zhangzhou to its former glory. Come, drink this cup to the brim and form a life-and-death alliance!"

"Dry."

"Dry!"

The monsters inside the hall all stood up, raised their wine cups, and made bold pronouncements.

The captain standing next to Wu Tonglu felt a mix of emotions.

On one side, internal strife rages on, even the Jing Shi Society is a man-made entity. On the other side, demons have sworn a blood oath, united as one, a sight that evokes sighs and makes Gao Qingzhi lament when there will be no more strife and when the world will be at peace.

The forty-eight inner palace demons raised their heads and drank the wine dry, each with their own feelings, but they all knew that this might be their only chance in this life to become a demon king.

(End of this chapter)