Headless Immortal

Chapter 49 Evil Spirit
"Hey bro, wanna play a couple of rounds?"

A young man dressed in white silk robes, whose appearance was not good-looking and was even somewhat ugly, put his arm around her shoulder.

Cheng Yan appeared subtly, crossed his hands, and said, "Brother, we are going to the academy to study, read books, and practice martial arts."

Zhou Changcai held dominoes in his left hand and dice in his right, and laughed loudly: "My father said I was hopeless since I was a child, and my private tutor said I would definitely become a good-for-nothing when I grow up."

"read?"

"Read my ass!"

Zhou the spendthrift's words immediately ignited the atmosphere, and everyone burst into laughter, each boasting about their own absurd deeds, one more outrageous than the last.

The Wu family boy was the most eccentric; he stole his grandfather's concubine, so he was sent to the mountains to temper his lustful nature.

"Come on, my brother, there's no fun in the long night without playing Pai Gow."

"It's a pity that the courtesans of the Drunken Pavilion aren't allowed to accompany us here."

Cheng Yan was dragged onto the gambling table, but he wasn't intimidated at all and started betting as soon as he raised his hand.

He doesn't know how to play Pai Gow, he only plays dice.

Just as he was shaking the dice, a long black cat's paw landed on his wrist. The old cat had somehow jumped onto the gambling table and shook its head almost imperceptibly.

"Don't worry, Uncle, I know what I'm doing." Cheng Yan smiled and nodded.

Lu Xun retracted his claws.

To ensure fairness, one person shook the glass a few times, perhaps not for fairness but for fun. In any case, everyone placed bets in the hands of those who bought Dingli. Chengyan also placed a bet, but a few copper coins were not as impressive as a couple of strings of cash, and it looked rather shabby.

He was completely unaware, quietly watching the dice clock that was about to be opened.

"Two, three, three, little one!"

With a sweeping motion, he won half a string of coins.

This made Grey Baby very happy, and he picked them up one by one and bit them with his incisors.

He really is a money-grubber!

I played about ten rounds, with wins and losses, but I won more often.

Cheng Yan felt disheartened, grabbed the copper coins on the table, and got up to leave.

The crowd stopped trying to stop them.

I went up to the second floor and looked at the neighboring room with a strange expression.

Everyone else went down to play, and even he, who was considered to be a strict follower of family precepts, took a stroll around. However, the door to the next room remained closed, and the sound of reading could be faintly heard coming from it.

"Weird."

Back in his room, Cheng Yan sighed with a touch of melancholy.

Then he explained the reason.

Back then, his family was very poor. When he went to private school, rich kids would bring him all sorts of novelties, either toys or food, but he couldn't even afford a piece of candy.

The waterways of Melando are interconnected, and luckily Grey Treasure went down to find copper coins.

Lu Xun, who was holding his paws, never expected that Grey Treasure was a treasure-hunting mouse.

Having won a great victory, Grey Treasure stood up with his legs straight.

"When you're out and about making friends, you always have to have some fun." Cheng Yan patted Grey Treasure's head and casually brushed the big rat's fur. Grey Treasure happily put its paws up.

The noise in the main hall lasted for a long time, until the moon rose above the treetops.

These idle rich young masters, who spent their days thinking about how to kill time as soon as they opened their eyes, finally ran out of energy. They were like deflated balloons, staggering about, and were carried back to their rooms by their pageboys and servants.

Silent all night.

early morning.

Cheng Yan, shirtless, was practicing vigorously in the courtyard.

Every sword strike was simple and unpretentious, the horse stance was executed meticulously, without any sign of laziness.

A middle-aged man on the second floor had been paying attention to Cheng Yan for a long time until the old man's voice brought him back to his senses, and he then clasped his hands in greeting.

The purple-bearded old man was none other than Zhu Xianzhen, who had been sitting upright on one side of the main hall of the county government yesterday. He asked with a smile, "How was it?"

Sun Shen nodded in affirmation: "He's a good prospect, but what I'm more concerned about isn't him."

"Oh? Who is that?" Zhu Xianzheng stroked his beard with some curiosity.

"That's it."

Sun Shen turned his gaze to an old cat perched on the eaves. The old cat seemed to notice his gaze and turned its golden eyes toward him.

"it?"

“It’s almost become a spirit.” Sun Shen didn’t let Du Tang ask any questions before frankly stating his guess: “I’ve seen many spirits, but this one seems to have learned a complete set of Tiger Style Fist. Its body fits perfectly, and it’s practicing its skills while walking, sitting, and lying down. Given time, it might even become a master.”

The purple-bearded old man wasn't surprised at all, and said with a smile, "Cats and tigers are of the same family, and they are both born from the essence of heaven and earth, so there's nothing strange about it."

The old cat rolled over and landed on the second-floor railing from the roof.

Cheng Yan, wiping his sweat with a handkerchief, climbed the stairs and greeted the purple-bearded old man with a simple bow, but that was all.

The old man was clearly someone of status. Forcing someone to do something isn't a good business practice.

He wasn't without aspirations, but he knew in his heart that what he was standing on was the reality. Studying, practicing martial arts, and building a solid foundation were what he should be doing at his age.

Sun Shen, arms crossed, nodded: "Your swordsmanship is quite good, but you're missing something in your heart."

Cheng Yan was taken aback: "What?"

"How disgusting!"

"The 'Dai Jing' says: 'A sharp and prominent head and horns, a deep-seated hatred. Hatred, ferocity, killing... are all evil. You are too proper. When it comes to using martial arts, you may not be able to control violence.'"

"I will teach you a method. You can visualize a great demon and see how it uses its power."

Cheng Yan looked at the other person in surprise, then bowed deeply: "Thank you, senior. May I ask where I can find a map of great demons?"

Sun Shen shook his head and said, "A map can never compare to actually seeing someone in person. Opportunities are rare, and it also depends on one's own fate."

"Big……"

The county magistrate stepped into the main hall and was about to speak when he saw the purple-bearded old man glare at him. He immediately stopped talking, stepped forward respectfully, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "The carriages and horses are ready."

Seeing that Sun Shen had finished giving his instructions, Zhu Xianzheng nodded and said, "Let's go."

"Big monster?"

Cheng Yan shook his head helplessly. He grew up in Meilan and had only heard of one great demon in all these years. It was his grandfather who told him about it. Great demons with real power are not so easy to find.

Disappointed, Cheng Yan turned to look at the black cat on the railing and sighed, "Uncle Cat, I wish you were a great demon."

The old cat jumped down from the railing and looked back at Cheng Yan, who was standing at the door of the side room.

Then the yamen runner began banging on the broken gong.

"Students of the academy, pack your bags and board the train!"

……

The county government prepared two carriages, one of which was for the teachers at the academy.

The rest were donkey carts and oxcarts, but thankfully they weren't made to walk.

Cheng Yan, carrying a book basket on his back, boarded the donkey cart.

He was one of the first to board the train. Besides the old man driving the train, Zhou Changcai, who had invited him to play dice the day before, and Wu Agui, who had stolen his grandfather's concubine, arrived one after another.

Both were accompanied by pageboys who carried large and small bags and secured good spots.

Another future classmate was also there early. Although he was wearing a long gown, it looked like it had been patched up. The old gown was faded from washing, and he was only carrying a clean bundle on his back.

After boarding the vehicle, he bowed to everyone and then sat down, taking out a fluffy book from his bundle and starting to read.

"How strange!" Cheng Yan exclaimed in surprise, while Zhou Changcai and Wu Agui were even more astonished.

They had seen impoverished and struggling students before. The academy held an exam every three years, and those who passed were exempt from miscellaneous fees, which meant the academy was essentially supporting their education.

But this time it's not about taking an exam, it's about donating money.

The academy received special permission from the Meilange Academy for this occasion.

You have to spend money to squeeze in.

"How many taels of silver did Brother Wu's family spend?"

"Not much, not much, exactly one hundred taels."

"Where is my brother?"

Wu Agui interjected, "This is the precious grandson of Chief Cheng."

"So that's what you've come from, brother." Zhou Changcai immediately changed his tune.

Cheng Yan cupped his hands and said, "I am also using money."

The two were even more puzzled, and both looked at the man in tattered clothes.

"My name is Lü He."

"Your surname is Lü, could it be that you have some connection with the master...?"

Lü He shook his head: "We are not related."

"That……"

Lu He hesitated for a moment, but still managed to explain: "It's because my father and I were fishing on the Xunyang River, and by chance we caught a lot of old clams. We sold the clams and pearls to raise the money for tuition."

He originally thought he could take the exam on his own, but since the exam was still a year or two away, his family decided not to wait any longer and used the money to send him in.

This was a huge gamble for a family that made a living by fishing, and it's remarkable that Lü He's father had such courage.

"I see."

Zhou Changcai and Wu Agui suddenly realized.

Lu Xun, the old cat, lingered for a while, and Cheng Yan looked at the old cat, hesitant to speak.

(End of this chapter)