Headless Immortal

Chapter 46 Victory
"It doesn't seem to be a monster."

The old man laughed heartily.

The guards surrounding him, smelling the aroma, all swallowed hard, their hands holding the flatbread and five-spice powder instantly turning to mush, yet they remained focused on the smell.

A burly man in tight-fitting clothes stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Brave warrior, we are traveling merchants. We wonder if we could exchange a jug of fine wine for some meat with you..."

The pale-faced man didn't look away, chuckled, and said, "If you dare to eat it, then change it."

As they got closer, the strong men could see what was being roasted on the campfire.

It was a huge blue crab, as big as a millstone, with six thin legs like autumn harvest sickles and two claws like the hammers of a valiant general, which was very imposing.

Everyone looked surprised.

……

The five people sat down together.

Lu Xun took the gourd of wine handed to him by the strong man, opened it and smelled it. It was indeed good wine. Just smelling it made his blood surge and even his weak internal energy felt a slight chill.

"Brave warrior, it's not a bad deal to exchange a pot of medicinal wine for half a crab."

Upon hearing the voice, Lu Xun looked at the old man who was speaking. The old man was dressed in indigo silk robes, with a purple beard and green eyes, a square mouth, eyebrows like two sharp knives hanging down, and a pair of piercing tiger eyes.

Even though the old man had a kind smile, one could still sense a chilling aura about him, as if he were born with power.

The three guards, dressed smartly and efficiently, moved with measured steps, forming a protective triangle.

The burly, bearded man had a thin face, dark eyes like frost and stars in a cold night, distinct knuckles on his hands, round and powerful fingertips, and long, ape-like arms that almost reached his knees.

His movements were like a sick tiger, and his posture like a sleeping eagle; he was clearly a master with profound skills.

Lu Xun only found a similarity in Gao Qingzhi, the Demon Suppression Captain.

Zhao Jia has only recently entered the inner school of martial arts; although he has a foundation, he still needs to fully unleash his potential.

Is this a traveling merchant?

That's a lie.

Lu Xun didn't expose them; these people weren't legitimate merchants, and fortunately, he wasn't a legitimate 'person' either.

“You are truly remarkable, sir. Such a large blue crab must be a spirit by now. I am Zhu Xianzhen. May I ask your name?” The purple-bearded old man took a crab claw and looked at the white-faced giant.

"My name is Lu Xun."

He awkwardly crossed his hands in a gesture of respect, and Lu Xun couldn't tell if it was right or wrong; it looked very stiff.

The short-bearded, burly man cupped his hands in a fist salute: "My name is Sun Shen."

Six people shared the blue crab.

The old man was extremely knowledgeable, and his witty remarks were endless, telling many anecdotes about eating crabs.

Lu Xun could only give vague answers and couldn't keep up with the conversation. Moreover, his way of speaking was completely different. Only his accent sounded like that of a local, and his words carried a bit of banditry and arrogance.

After drinking a full cup, Zhu Xianzhen asked, "Brave warrior, the southeast is in dire need of talent right now. With your abilities, why don't you join the army?"

"I plan to study at Bailudong Academy."

"I've heard that the academy only holds entrance exams once every three years. It's not time yet, is it?"

Lu Xun told him the truth: "Uncle, you don't know this, but Qingquan Temple in Meilan County was raided and its property confiscated because it was accused of defiling respectable women under the guise of praying for children. It left behind a large area of ​​land and buildings. The academy wants to open a school here, so it is making an exception to recruit students in the county town. I went to see the notice posted at the county government office yesterday, and it was written clearly."

"I see."

The purple-bearded old man stroked his beard, smiled, and asked again, "When will the county town gates open?"

"It will open around three or five o'clock, at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM)."

"It's perfect timing for us to set off now. Shall we journey together, brave warriors?"

"No."

Lu Xun shook his head and refused.

The old man did not extend any further invitations, rose, cupped his hands in farewell, and the three well-dressed, imposing men quickly blocked off three sides.

Sun Shen glanced at Lu Xun and said, "Basic skills are very important."

……

The group returned to the camp, packed their belongings, and boarded the carriage.

Sun Shen said, “Your Excellency, this man is extremely bandit-like. He speaks with a local accent but has no manners whatsoever. His speech is incoherent and mixed with slang. He is probably a river bandit from the Xunyang River.”

"How good is his martial arts?"

“His steps are unsteady, his reactions are slow, and there’s a glint in his eyes; he’s probably just starting out with internal energy.” Sun Shen said, shaking his head as he added, “He’s too old and doesn’t have a solid foundation. He skipped the three stages of martial arts and stumbled into the realm of internal energy by sheer luck. He’ll basically be stuck there for the rest of his life and won’t achieve anything more.” The purple-bearded old man chuckled, “There are also those who achieve great things later in life. Don’t jump to conclusions. He’s eager to learn; he won’t be bad.”

"Enter the city."

Sun Shen asked in surprise, "Why not go directly to the academy?"

The original plan did not include going into the city, otherwise they would not have camped here.

"Since the academy plans to recruit a group of students, we can escort them to the Five Old Peaks."

The old man with the purple beard stroked his beard and sighed, "I heard that Mei Lan County in Jiujiang has achieved remarkable political success, first suppressing the river bandits and then cracking down on the monsters that robbed tax silver. He must be a local official with great strategic acumen."

……

"What?! Another monster?!"

The county magistrate rushed into the main hall, and before he could even put on his shoes, he jumped up in fright: "Quickly, go and fetch Constable Qian!"

He really didn't want to let Zhao Jia leave, but with the order from above, he could only resign himself to his fate and respectfully send him away.

Zhao Jia was already a seventh-rank military officer. Even if he hadn't left, he still had to consider the influence within the yamen and couldn't just order people around at will.

Entering the main hall was a middle-aged man in a black robe, with an unshaven beard. He clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Qian Xiong greets Your Excellency."

Magistrate Lü immediately ordered Constable Qian, who had been transferred from the prefectural city, to investigate.

Qian Xiong, who looked to be just passing the time, still found some clues after arriving at the alley. He took out a yellow talisman, rubbed it, lit it, and smelled it.

"There is a faint demonic aura coming from the water; it must be a demon with some spiritual power."

Who are the witnesses?

"I……"

Wang Si was pulled out by the soldiers.

Qian Xiong took out a small notebook from his pocket, moistened his fine brush with river water, and asked for details. While listening to his dictation, he drew a picture beside him, and soon a lifelike image of a straw hat appeared.

Wang Si exclaimed excitedly, "That's it!"

Qian Xiong, squatting by the river, looked at the stream at his feet: "Do you remember the person who fought the little demon in the straw hat?"

"The man in the straw hat was blocking my view, so I couldn't see him clearly. His accent sounded strange, yet inexplicably familiar. It was as if I'd seen him somewhere before."

Wang Si frowned. The man's accent was a bit strange, sounding like a local but with an indescribable emphasis. This wasn't the first time he'd heard it.

"Oh?"

Qian Xiong's eyes lit up. He took out a yellow talisman and looked at the person next to him, saying, "A bowl of water."

The constable quickly brought over a bowl of water.

Qian Xiong brewed a talisman and said, "Drink it and think carefully."

Strangely, Wang Si, who didn't remember clearly before, suddenly remembered something after drinking the talisman water and exclaimed, "I remember seeing him somewhere before!"

……

The next morning.

Lu Xun, who had wandered around the mountains and forests without finding any other monsters, was about to enter the city when he saw a wanted poster already posted at the city gate.

He had short hair, a long face, and regular features. His thick eyebrows framed a pair of sharp eyes.

It's at least 80% similar.

Obviously, it was no longer possible to continue using one's physical body to move around the county town.

Lu Xun immediately switched to the head of the three-legged old cat and took a closer look.

They discovered that only his human form was depicted, and they did not recognize him as the Five Tong Mountain Lord.

"Meow."

All I can say is how I meow, then I turn and go into the city.

Nobody noticed a black cat running across the roof.

It took quite a while to get back to the courtyard.

There were already people waiting inside the courtyard.

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed Lao Cheng, dressed in a dark-colored jacket.

(End of this chapter)