Vampire Cultivation Notes

All the villagers were armed.

Li Dalang personally carried a five-stone hard bow, with a slingshot on his left waist, a steel fork on his right waist, a dagger strapped to his feet, and a leather armor, leading the way fully armed.

Upon reaching the foot of the hill, he signaled to the villagers to start chanting and shouting, while those behind them stepped forward to beat drums and gongs.

"The sky is desolate! The wilderness is vast and desolate!"

"Deliver your family's grain to the government granary!"

"Master is short! Parents are long!"

"Why did you kill my wonderful parents?"

"—You killed my wonderful parents!"

"...

These folk songs, sung amidst the chaos of recent years, created quite a lively atmosphere.

In addition, the booming sound of gongs and drums made the back mountain extremely noisy, disrupting all peace and quiet.

The reason for this is that about three months ago, a huge snake came to the back mountain. When the woodcutters and herb gatherers on the mountain saw it, they were so frightened that they lost half their souls. They thought that it was tens of feet long and its waist was as thick as a water vat, and that it could swallow seven or eight cows in one gulp.

If this continues, it will cause widespread panic. Today, Li Dalang will lead his men out to eliminate this scourge.

He had already discussed and made arrangements with others before he arrived.

That snake is unaware of its danger; it would be best if the crowd could scare it away with torches and drums.

When the news spreads, people will say that Li Dalang of Weize Township's act of slaying the snake is a legend in this chaotic world, and it may even win the hearts of people far and wide.

"hiss--"

Amidst the sounds of gongs, drums, and shouts, a roar erupted from the hilltop.

A sudden gust of cool wind swept through the night, causing the tree branches to sway incessantly.

Li Dalang was startled and hurriedly called to his men, "Have you all heard an unusual roar? It was neither a tiger, nor a bear, nor a leopard."

As the crowd around him enthusiastically banged on the gong, he shook his head and said, "No."

The voice just fell.

On the hill directly behind, a huge, thick snake had already flown out!

It really felt like flying!

Although it wasn't as exaggerated as the rumored dozens of feet tall, it was still no less than ten feet tall. Its body was thicker than an ancient tree, and its earthen-yellow body shot up and came down the slope from the mountain, crushing the grass and trees and kicking up a large amount of mud and rocks.

"My dear mother!"

"I am dead!"

Dozens of villagers booed and then fled from the shadow of the snake, crying and screaming.

Who would dare to fight such a monster?

No, there is one person.

Below the hill, Li Dalang drew his bow and nocked an arrow, then shot it into the belly of a crawling insect descending the mountain.

With a clang, sparks flew in the night.

"Scales? I thought it was some kind of earthworm that had come to life, but it really is a long snake?!"

Li Dalang put down his bow and arrow, realizing that his actions had failed to provoke the villagers to fight back, but instead had attracted the attention of the snake, which came straight for him. He couldn't help but feel bitter.

My life is over!

...This would be perfect for covering for the villagers, and hopefully they can help support my mother in the future.

In an instant, Li Dalang had this thought in mind. He immediately threw away his bow and arrows, drew his sword, and with all his might, slashed at the head of the long snake that was approaching.

boom!

Li Dalang was hit by the snake and immediately flew backward, smashing a roadside cedar tree and falling into a ditch.

The waist knife had been flung away somewhere, its whereabouts unknown.

The man coughed up a mouthful of blood and was almost completely unconscious.

As he lay dying, looking up at the sky, he saw the long serpent relentlessly approaching, its mouth open and roaring angrily, revealing its sharp teeth.

"...So it was an eel that had become a spirit?"

Li Dalang thought to himself that the world was becoming increasingly strange.

Just then.

A voice, filled with surprise and joy, drifted softly through the night.

"In this mortal world, there is actually a demon with such qualities... It is fitting that this humble Taoist serve it."

Amidst the bright white light of the full moon, a figure descended from the sky.

The man had a full head of white hair, wore a black and white cloak with wide sleeves that flowed in the wind, had a long sword without a guard at his waist, held an amber-white silk whisk in his hand, and wore black sandals with cloud patterns. He landed in front of the muddy ditch.

He raised his hand and pressed it down on the head of the roaring eel spirit.

An immortal stroked your head and bestowed upon you immortality!

It was unclear what method was used, but the serpent, which had been furious just moments before, instantly quieted down and bowed its head to the ground in submission.

"What an amazing skill!"

Li Dalang's eyes widened. Although he could smell a faint scent of blood, he knew it must be from his own mutilated and bleeding body.

To witness such a scene of immortals subduing demons at the moment of death is to have lived a life that was not in vain.

It's a bit of a pity that we couldn't see the true immortal's face clearly.

As if hearing what he was thinking, the immortal turned around, put one hand behind his back, and laughed, "These kinds of demonic beasts love to move when the moon is full, so they greedily absorb some of the moon's essence to cultivate. You have disturbed its peace, no wonder it is angry with you."

Blood spilled from Li Dalang's mouth as he said, "Immortal! I earnestly hope that you can take this beast with you when you travel, for we villagers can no longer bear it."

The immortal said, "How strange! Your fellow villagers have all abandoned you, so why bother advocating for others?"

Li Dalang said, "It is because my mother is still alive, and because I am a country bumpkin who has always been cowardly, and I am also concerned about my family, so what is there to complain about?"

The immortal nodded and said, "A dying man's words are good; this is what you think."

After speaking, the immortal swept his whisk and descended into the muddy ditch as if he were sliding down, raising his hand to investigate.

Li Dalang had lost too much blood and was already delirious, only murmuring, "Immortal, I am about to die... can I still be saved?"

"The spine is broken, the skull is cracked, the internal organs are shattered into eight pieces, the six bowels are torn apart, and between the hands and feet is a pile of rotten flesh and broken bones."

Just as Li Dalang was about to give a bitter smile, the immortal said again, "However, this humble Taoist can save you."

The superior Rejuvenation Pill was already in his hand. With a flick of his whisk, he put it into Li Dalang's mouth, making him swallow it with difficulty.

A cool sensation emanated from my abdomen and spread throughout my body.

Li Dalang jolted awake, his consciousness returning from its deathbed state.

The immortal said, "This elixir can completely heal your internal organs. Although your bones are broken, there is still a chance for them to grow. Go and rest well."

Unable to rise immediately, Li Dalang, upon hearing this, could only hurriedly reply, "I do not know the immortal's name, how can I possibly repay you in the future! Although I am a rough and uncouth man, I have been literate. A true man who does not seek to repay kindness is not a true man!"

The immortal shook his head and laughed, "I am not an immortal, but just an ordinary cultivator in this world. I happened to pass through your precious land and saw that the scenery was beautiful, so I wanted to stay for a while."

"I find your kindness and righteousness truly commendable. Once you have recovered, you may come to the back mountain to speak with me."

Having said that, the immortal turned around, stood atop the long snake's head, and rode the beast toward the hillside.

Li Dalang stared wide-eyed as he lay in the muddy ditch, gazing up at the hillside.

About half an hour later, some of the villagers who had fled earlier came looking for him. They found that Li Dalang was still alive in the ditch, and the snake had disappeared. They were amazed and quickly and carefully carried him away.

On the way, someone cautiously inquired about the long worm.

After pondering for a long time, Li Dalang shook his head and said, "That thing is no longer a threat."