Headless Immortal

Chapter 157 The King is Right

Hao County.

Double-leaved forest.

They set up camp, lit fires, and cooked meals, making themselves unique at night.

Experienced martial arts practitioners would never approach.

If a traveler or merchant were to approach with curiosity, they would find that the procession was not very orderly. It did not resemble a human, nor was it a bandit, a performer at a temple fair, or a monk or Taoist priest.

Looking closely through the firelight...

A monster with a plush black bear head buried a large banner in front of the campfire, while a tiger spirit wielding a hoe dug a pit.

Wild boars, hares, jackals, tigers, and leopards worked together to set up the camp, and also built a fence to enclose cattle, sheep, horses, and deer.

The horse demon and deer demon stretched and lay down on the haystack, their hooves turning into hands as they rubbed their thighs, calves, necks, and shoulders, while complaining and grumbling.

Long journeys are physically demanding even for monsters.

Upon closer inspection, the busy and bustling creatures were all monsters who looked somewhat human and wore iron armor. Some who didn't have a complete set of armor made do with rattan armor, but the rattan armor was mostly greaves and arm armor. The internal organs were still protected by iron chainmail. Even when resting, the monsters didn't take off their armor.

"Chop more hay to line the horse pen, and don't forget the firewood, we'll need it to cook the grain later." The human-faced mountain demon led the monsters carrying knives and axes deep into the forest.

He wasn't idle either, wielding a wood-chopping knife. The old knife was pockmarked but exceptionally sharp, and relying on his strength, he chopped down a dead maple tree in a few strokes.

"Hey, I told you to kill him, why did you kill him alive?"

The old mandrill quickly stopped the pig demon from raising its axe.

When he arrived, Lord Peng instructed him to kill the trees first. He didn't care about the fate of the forest, but he had to obey Lord Peng's orders. With a few 'thuds,' the old mountain demon chopped down another poplar tree. He cut the log to about half a person's height and tied it up with the long hemp rope that Lord Peng had made.

The area around the county town was sparsely wooded, but the old forests on the mountainside were exceptionally lush. Before long, the woodcutting team led by the old mountain goblin returned with a full load.

When the mandrill went to put away the haystacks, it ran into the burrowing rat that was directing the delivery of hay.

The mouse squeaked in a high-pitched voice, "Don't fight over it, there's enough for everyone."

He was barely four feet tall, yet he carried a basket overflowing with pig feed. All the other monsters gathering pig feed were the same; some strong monsters carried baskets taller than the entire body of a ground-sinking rat.

The ground rat raised its paw and slapped a black horse across the face. The black horse didn't even look up, buried its head in the hay basket, and kept eating without feeling any discomfort.

The mouse reluctantly poured the hay into the stone trough: "Don't chew up the basket, I'll have to gather pig feed for you later."

The clay Buddha rubbed his hands together to build a large stove, which quickly dried and took shape under the heat of the flames. He then waved to Pig Eight-Nine, who was carrying a large iron pot on his back, and said, "Come on, give it a try. How's my stove?"

Zhu Bajiu is a monster wearing a loose Taoist robe and sporting a huge pig's head. He is one of the forty-eight great monsters, and instead of fighting or grabbing, he voluntarily carries the pot he brought from Shoushan City. He is acquainted with Mud Bodhisattva, and the two monsters work together perfectly. Zhu Bajiu has no hobbies; if he had to say he has one, it would be eating.

Because he was a pig, talking about food always made people laugh, so over time he stopped talking about it. Pig Eight Nine put down the big iron pot with his rough hands, picked up a large iron shovel that looked like a spade, and said with a smile, "When we parted ways at Yugu Mountain, the Bodhisattva caught up with the Great King first."

The clay bodhisattva shrugged and set up bellows beside him: "Whoever can save Zhangzhou, I'll stick with them."

Then he asked, "How much food do you think we need to make?"

Pigsy gestured to the little monster carrying a bucket beside him to pour water into the stove. While stirring it a few times with an iron shovel, he said, "Put in three hundred catties first. Then build nine more stoves, and make ten big stoves to start cooking at the same time."

The clay bodhisattva exclaimed in surprise, "Only three hundred? You brought two thousand catties with you when you left the mountain."

Pig Eight Nine shook his head: "I'm afraid three hundred won't be enough."

……

Mao Jingang is as strange as its name suggests, with long, curly hair that covers its face.

He sat with Xiong Shan Jun and Hu Wei Tai Sui, tightening the bowstrings for the monsters. The campfire brightened his eyes, and he glanced around absentmindedly. Suddenly, he asked, "The captain who has been following the king seems to have disappeared. I haven't seen the red horse in the stables."

Tiger King Tai Sui chimed in, "The King sent him to inquire with the imperial army."

Mao Jingang looked at the Black Bear Spirit with unease and provoked, "The court already dislikes us. Why does Your Majesty insist on taking us to join the army? Are you going to sell us all? I heard our heads are very valuable."

Tiger King immediately denied it: "Your Majesty would not."

"Tai Sui, I've always known you to be a man of great courage and ambition, the king of the mountains." Mao Jingang's words were a veiled compliment, implying that Hu Tai Sui was too devoted, especially considering that Hu Tai Sui was the one who made the first move. Although they lost, it wasn't a life-or-death battle; they hadn't even used their weapons or magic.

Mao Jingang's words were like a fishbone stuck in tofu. Huwei Taisui, with his fiery temper, wouldn't tolerate it. He spat to the side, tightened his grip on the crossbow in his tiger claws, and sneered, "If you're scared, then get lost. I don't need you!"

Mao Jingang was furious, but he suppressed his anger and turned to the Black Bear Spirit, saying, "Mountain Lord, look how bold this tiger is. He started cursing after only a few words."

flap.

He Yunke transformed into an old man in a straw hat and landed on the ground. He shook his robe and scattered feathers, which were excellent for making feathered arrows.

Compared to the three oddballs, He Yunke was clearly more ethereal, wearing a straw raincoat over a long robe. He cupped his hands towards the distance and said, "You all deserve to be executed for your presumptuous discussions about the position of superior."

Mao Jingang sighed helplessly, "Old Mao He, don't bring up your sour talk."

Crane Cloud Guest cawed and spread his wings, a fine move called White Crane Spreads Wings. His long beak opened and closed: "This is called loyalty to the emperor, the teachings of the sages. What do you know! I come from Yellow Crane Tower. Do you know Yellow Crane Tower? How could you wild monsters understand? I will report you to the king."

Xiongshan-jun ignored him and continued to rub his bowstring. He was one of the cunning types among the demons and knew some about alliances and counter-alliances, so he vaguely understood the king's meaning. However, he didn't know where to begin when asked to explain it clearly, so he simply went about his own business.

"Legend has it that the Pure Yang Immortal once played the flute at the Yellow Crane Tower, which caused the cranes in the painting to dance."

He Yunke looked in the direction of the sound and indeed saw Shu Er.

Shu Er, who looked like a wealthy man, sat down with a thud and said with a smile, "I think everyone has different opinions on the king's decision. Of course we can rely on ourselves, but what will we eat and drink? We need to eat 500 catties of grain per meal. We brought more than 2,000 catties when we left the mountain. It's not that we can't bring more, but we really don't have enough. In addition, the more grain we have, the easier it is to slow down the march."

"Now that the captain is acting as a go-between, and the Three Judicial Offices are getting help from outsiders, we can take this opportunity to ride the coattails of the imperial army's momentum. Damaged armor can be replaced, food can be allocated, and injuries can be treated. Most importantly, we can get a title; we might even be able to get an official position."

Lord Xiongshan nodded, saying that licentious shrines and evil rituals were ultimately not the right path and should be officially recognized by the imperial court.

However, this was still too far off for them. The little monsters didn't understand, and the big monsters were only vaguely aware. Simply put, it meant, as the Yellow Wind Monster said, that war wasn't easy; weapons, food, medicine…

On a smaller scale, what about the waste disposal of these two hundred monsters?
How big of a pit should we dig to bury these things?

On a larger scale, if one were to encounter the imperial army on the battlefield, could a few words alone be enough to distinguish friend from foe?

Don't be fooled by their ability to crush the Hongmen gang in a single encounter. If they were to face the imperial army, they would be routed with just 2,000 cavalry, not even 20,000.

You need to prepare in advance.

Xiong Shanjun paused, then said, "Your Majesty is right!"

When Mao Jingang saw that even Xiong Shanjun, the most rebellious of them all, had this attitude, he immediately gave up his idea of ​​instigating it.

……

Wu Tong Lu Xun stood on the hillside, gazing at the path where the captain had left, lost in thought, his mind sinking into a strange space.

Toothless, with its iron feathers gathered, remained silent, like a shadow.

Unlike the Black Armor and White Skin demons who infiltrated the demon ranks with their wit and humor, or the Shu Er demons who held prestige, he never wanted to do such things. For him, standing here and guarding the Great King was the entire meaning of his 'awakening'.

An eagle should act like an eagle.

He dismissed Xin Hongyu and stopped the Hundred-Year-Old Marquis.

Lady Green Mountain had arched willow-leaf eyebrows and a pair of phoenix-shaped, triangular eyes that slanted with a smug air. She was someone who valued enjoyment, as could be seen from the fact that she had twenty-four bull demons and horse monsters carry her palanquin. At this moment, it was no different; there had to be a table set with fruit and wine, and she also had to have monsters serving her by her side.

The centenarian, who had been turned away by the toothless man, was invited to sit down by Lady Qingshan.

Lady Green Mountain chuckled and said, "The King seems to be in a daze. So does our General Eagle, the King is also in a daze."

“Your Majesty must be thinking about something,” Peng Hou defended Lu Xun. He didn’t have anything important to say; he just wanted the king to calm the restless monsters. However, the king didn’t seem to care. Instead, Shu Er volunteered to persuade the monsters and tell them the king’s intentions.

Lady Green Mountain spoke softly, her lips barely touching the paper: "Our king doesn't seem like a monster."

Peng Hou asked knowingly, "What does it resemble?"

Lady Qingshan didn't answer but changed the subject: "Lord Marquis, if the King were a monster, what kind of monster would he be?"

For example, he said, "I am a snake demon, you are a tree demon, and the Yellow Wind Monster is a rat demon..."

He chuckled, "Old Rat is doomed. He has to go back to Juying Mountain, otherwise he won't be able to unleash even 20% of his strength. As for the Marquis, why did he abandon his comfortable position as the Duke of Shoushan and insist on running away from the beautiful Shoushan? Dry land is not friendly to tree demons." "If the Corpse King isn't eliminated, it's only a matter of time before Shoushan becomes Juying Mountain." The Hundred-Year-Old Marquis shook his head. It was precisely because he was a tree demon that he had to come out. Compared to the two of them, the Green Snake didn't need to come at all. He asked, "Your Majesty could have just found a waterway to hide in. Why did you come to Juying Mountain with the King?"

Lady Qingshan lightly patted her thigh with her jade-like hand, her embroidered gold-flowing gauze dress swaying with her arms, making her oval face appear as white as jade. With her eyes lowered, she murmured, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

Ignoring the sentimentality of the two demons, Lu Xun immediately spotted the 'Taoist's' head.

The skull of Xu Hong from the Jing Shi Hui (a political organization).

Type: 蠃 (氓—人)

Quality: Normal

Trick: Tiger Taming

Spell: Windcall

Fog
The commentary states: "The prefecture was plagued by tigers, which frequently caused harm to the people. A strange man trained them and put them to use in the gathering, either as riders or with skills."

[Regarding this matter]

"Crush."

[Obtained ashes: 8 qian]

I thought we would never meet again after parting ways at Xunyang River, but things are unpredictable. It's more accurate to say that the Jing Shi Society was already preparing to start an uprising, which is why Lu Xun came to Zhangzhou to take revenge.

Then look at the general's head.

The skull of Sheng Kuangxiong from the Jing Shi Hui (a political organization).

Type: 蠃 (氓—人)

Quality: Normal

Spell: Command Corpse

Sheng Family Spear Technique
Military Strategy
Commentary: He was brave and martial in his youth. He joined the ranks of generals and was made to wear copper armor and silver pendants, turning himself into a living corpse that was impervious to water and fire, and commanding iron corpses.

[The Great General]

"Crush."

[Received ashes: 1.7 taels]

The main attraction was a black rat's head. According to Shu Er, this demon could use the rats of Zhangzhou to transmit messages, and killing it would deprive the heretics of Zhangzhou of their eyes and ears. The rat's head was large, with black hair standing on end. Unlike Shu Er's round face and short snout, Black Third Master had a long snout and pointed ears.

The skull of Zhangzhou's "Black Third Master"

Type: Furry (Rat - Demon)

Quality: Rare (Green)
Spell: Ruyi

Iron Claw
plague
Earth-burrowing
White Fire
The commentary states: It resembles a rat with black ears and a black beak, covered in markings. It is called "Rat-like," and if it is seen, it foretells a great war in the country. Eating it will cure goiter.

[Replaces Shu'er]

Seeing the ink-wash-like handwriting, Lu Xun couldn't help but smile. No wonder the head of the household knew him so well. It seemed that the two rats had quite a history. However, Black Third Master chose the heretical paths of the Hongmen, the Green Gang, and the White Sect, while the head of the household originally wanted to assassinate the White Sect's Holy Maiden but unexpectedly ended up with him.

"Crush"

[Received ashes: 4.5 taels]

The heads of the piled-up iron corpses and their minions were also crushed. Since he did not order a pursuit, most of the heretics, demons, and monsters had fled, and the iron corpse warriors obviously did not yield much profit.

[Ashes obtained: 7.3 taels]

The total was fourteen taels and three mace, plus the ashes that had been stored beforehand.

Lu Xun looked at the pile of ashes.

Cremated remains: 24 taels and 1 mace

Now we can safely enhance the magic of the Living Buddha of Peach Blossom Spring.

Head transplant.

Wutong Lu Xun transformed into a living Buddha who was ten feet tall.

"strengthen."

[Spell: Peach Blossom Spring (Mastery)] → [Spell: Peach Blossom Spring (Transcendental Mastery)]

[Gained supernatural power: Magic Palm due to the spell: Peach Blossom Spring (Masterful)]

【Dharma Palm】

Type: Supernatural Power

Effect: Slightly increases Buddhist teachings and spells (+4%)

Commentary: The forty-eight thousand temples of the Southern Dynasties are all thanks to my efforts. I renounced worldly life four times before being redeemed to become emperor. Heaven and Buddha, why not use your meager power to bless your disciple and rebuild a Buddhist kingdom on earth? —Emperor Wu of Liang: Xiao Yan

"strengthen."

[Spell: Six Paths (Mastery)] → [Spell: Six Paths (Transcendental Mastery)]

[Gained supernatural power: Six Paths (Mastery) through magic]

[Six Channels]

Type: Supernatural Power

Effect: Slightly increases the five senses and six perceptions (+4%)

Commentary: The cliffs are steep and rugged, the secluded valleys are shrouded in mist. A wondrous hermit dwells on the crimson cliffs, a Zen master in the azure chambers attains enlightenment. External things are not of great sorrow, solitary wandering is not the path to enlightenment. Where is Shariputra found, where is Vimalakirti who suffered injustice? —Zhang Bogong, the Recluse of Wuyang

The skull of the "Living Buddha Eight Kings" of Taoyuan Township has unlocked all its power.

This was the first time Lu Xun had ever seen a supernatural power with the same name as a spell. At first, he didn't think much of "Six Powers," just that it was a name like the Five Powers of the Five Powers God. Later, he discovered that it was a profound spell that actually contained the six supernatural powers of Buddhism.

These are: Divine Eye, Divine Ear, Telepathy, Knowledge of Past Lives, Divine Footwork, and Extinction of Defilements.

The six elements combined into one are called the Six Connections.

Perhaps due to the Eighth King's insufficient mastery of the arts, even with his Six Supernatural Powers enhanced to an extraordinary level, Lu Xun still lacked the ability to do as he pleased. At most, he could hear more clearly, see further, and his telepathic abilities could influence the recipient more deeply. It seems that to manifest the supernatural powers described in Buddhist scriptures, an even more powerful mind is required.

Living Buddha Lu Xun suddenly turned around.

As the Green Mountain Goddess was drinking, she caught sight of those black and gold demonic eyes, and her heart trembled. She frowned, unconsciously using her magic to resist, her confusion and surprise evident, even tinged with horror. She thought to herself, 'Has he suddenly understood something, or what?'

There wasn't such a sense of oppression back in Shoushan City, but now he truly has the aura of a demon king. Thinking of this, Lady Qingshan decided to search for Lord Shoushan.

"It seems Your Majesty has reaped considerable rewards." The centenarian clasped his hands in a salute, stroking his beard with a smile.

Lu Xun nodded slightly: "I have some insights."

Tick-tock.

Oh!

A tall horse of exotic blood tore through the darkness, its red mane fluttering, its hooves clashing, and it was almost upon them.

As the burly figure on horseback pulled on the reins and gave a soft "whoosh," the red-maned horse reared up on its forelegs and stopped upright in the moonlight. The captain on horseback spread his cloak and dismounted with a whoosh.

Toothless, who was guarding Lu Xun, folded his wings and formed an iron sword. His ears twitched slightly, and he lowered his voice: "Your Majesty, Lin Hou still has a few riders."

Lu Xun nodded; his clairaudience had also heard it.

The one who dismounted was the captain. Gao Qingzhi reached out to comfort Hongyun, then flung his cloak behind him, the sword case wrapped around the cloak and trailing behind him. He cupped his hands and smiled broadly, "Boss Lu, I have not failed in my mission. The General invites you!"

(End of this chapter)