All the evil beasts in the world, I feed on demons and monsters

Chapter 409 Crane Mystery

The Huai River flows swiftly, and a light drizzle falls continuously.

As the sun rose, it dispersed the lingering demonic energy and lingering good fortune from the shore. A solitary inn stood quietly by the water.

The inn's main gate was wide open, with some untouched food still lying around. Strange footprints remained on the ground in front of the gate, along with scattered open cages and chains.

Amidst the misty air, a Taoist priest rode a blue donkey taller than a horse, wading through mud and rain as he arrived.

He simply tied his sideburns up, wore a blue robe, and had a long sword hanging at his waist. Two strands of snow-white hair were tied up, and the black and white hair ribbons carried an air of vicissitude.

The drizzling rain fell on him, soaking his Taoist robe and his hair. His wet sideburns clung to his chin, outlining a sharp and defined jawline.

The Taoist priest appeared to be middle-aged, yet his eyes were as clear as a baby's. He had a high nose and narrow eyes with upturned corners, giving them a sharp look. On his mature and handsome face, a pair of sword-like eyebrows with long, slightly white ends stood out.

Hey.

The blue donkey's hooves pounded the ground as it came to a stop in front of the inn. The donkey swayed, exhaling a puff of hot air, revealing its fangs. The Taoist dismounted, and could see scales growing on the donkey's back.

Clearly, this enormous blue donkey was no ordinary creature.

The Taoist strode into the inn, sat down, grabbed a plate of spiritual fruits, and began to eat heartily.

The donkey stood in front of the inn, its orange-yellow eyes fixed on the surging Huai River.

An elderly man with white hair and dressed in white was strolling over.

The old man had a vigorous face, and his golden eyes shone like two blazing suns in the dim rain and mist. He was burly and his blood was surging; without using any spiritual power, the rainwater that fell three feet above his head was evaporated by his blood energy.

"Coming?"

The Taoist priest wiped his mouth, swept the leftover food off the table, pointed to the person opposite him, and said, "Sit."

"These sixteen little devils have quite the skills; even my Longhu Mountain can't find these rare treasures."

The old man silently walked to the table and sat down, glancing at the Taoist priest with his eyes: "If you want to eat, you can ask the heavens for it."

"Too lazy to go."

Upon hearing this, the Taoist shook his head and said, "I won't make a fool of myself."

"If I really want to eat something good, I might as well come to you."

As the Taoist priest spoke, he grinned, waved his blue sleeve, and took out a long, rectangular porcelain plate, placing it in front of him.

The old dragon shook his head, raised his hand to reveal the straw rope he was holding, and placed a Huai River carp on the plate.

The Taoist priest beamed and immediately took out a bamboo knife, cut the fish open, and began to eat the sashimi.

"Little Xuanzhen, what brings you here?"

The old Dragon Lord sized up the Taoist, his gentle expression tinged with a hint of complexity. The Taoist before him was none other than He Xuanzhen, the current Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain.

"It's those old masters from the three sects."

He Xuanzhen swallowed a mouthful of fish sashimi and said, "Let me ask Lord Yin a question."

"speak."

"They want to ask what the current state of the souls of the dead in this southern country is?"

He Xuanzhen looked towards the rain-shrouded south in the distance and said, "Except for the first few months, when many people fled from the border of the Southern Han and were executed by the Tang army and thrown into the Huai River, not many people have come here in recent days."

"The old master said something was wrong."

Dragon Lord narrowed his golden eyes, his voice carrying a strange undertone, and said, "Oh?"

"What's wrong?"

"They say that the Southern Han Dragon Plague is a calamity sent down by Heaven. Within three months, a great disaster will surely occur due to a ghost tide, and tens of thousands of evil ghosts will spread throughout the southern country and go north to devour people."

"And now more than a year has passed."

He Xuanzhen raised his hand, pointed his chopsticks at the south, and said, "Don't talk about ghost tides. Even those purple-blooded prodigies, we haven't seen many of them on the border."

"So those old monks got anxious."

"That's why they asked me to come and talk to you. After all, you know the most about the underworld."

The Old Dragon King looked at the casual Taoist in front of him and said with a playful tone, "Really... is the old master in a hurry?"

He Xuanzhen paused with his chopsticks, chuckled, and said, "It's me." "After all, if there really are those ten thousand evil spirits, the merit I gain from leading Longhu Mountain, and even the three sects and seven schools, to kill them would be enough for me to ascend to heaven."

The old dragon lord remained silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Little Xuanzhen."

"You still have a choice now."

Upon hearing this, He Xuanzhen looked at the old dragon king and said earnestly, "Second Master."

"Thirty years ago, on the night the dragon turned over in Ha-rae County, I had no choice."

"I want to become an immortal."

When He Xuanzhen said this, the corners of his upturned eyes tightened, and his eyes were like blades, cold and sharp.

The old dragon king stared at the Taoist in front of him for a long time, then sighed and said, "There will be no more ghost tides."

"A heretical monk controlled the souls of the dead from the Southern Han Dynasty and bound the evil spirits near a temple."

"where?"

"It's no use."

Old Dragon Lord understood what He Xuanzhen was thinking and said, "The time is not right yet, killing those evil spirits will be useless."

"pity."

He Xuanzhen regained his composure and smiled, "It seems we'll have to think of another way."

"Now, a 'Taoist prodigy' has emerged in Zhongnan Mountain, whose cultivation is advancing by leaps and bounds. It is said that the Taoist prodigy has achieved perfect merit and is only waiting to cross the Dragon Gate in his cultivation so that he can ascend to heaven in broad daylight."

"I don't have much time left."

The old dragon king glanced at him and said quietly, "Even if you really want to compete for immortality, this isn't your only chance."

He Xuanzhen shook his head and said, "I must become an immortal within this hundred years."

"Then go south."

"Ok?"

The old dragon lord lowered his eyes and said, "There is a cultivator who is under the watchful gaze of the Heavenly Dao."

"Leaving early means carrying the aversion of Heaven."

“Killing him will bring merit to Heaven.”

As the old dragon lord spoke, he raised his hand and a pot of hot tea landed in front of He Xuanzhen—the same tea that Ji Ran had drunk at the dragon lord's inn.

"It can help you find that person."

"it is good."

He Xuanzhen flicked his sleeves and suddenly stood up. He didn't turn around, but simply put two fingers to his lips and let out a clear and long whistle.

Before the whistle had even finished, the blue donkey pricked up its long ears and trotted over with short, quick steps. With a flick of its wrist, it tied the teapot to one side.

"remember."

The Old Dragon Lord stood up and said, "Heavenly merits are acceptable, but Taoist merits should be used with caution."

If the same thing happens again in Helai County, your fate will no longer be in your own hands.

"clear."

Watching the old dragon king re-enter the Huai River, He Xuanzhen gently stroked the green donkey's mane and chuckled, "In the end, he's not as clever as my junior brother."

"To reach the heavens, one must exert oneself mentally and physically."

The green donkey remained silent, and He Xuanzhen said nothing more.

He stood in the middle of the table, making a finger gesture!
hum!
A surge of yin energy rose up, and in the blink of an eye, a yellow ox demon appeared in front of him with an excited expression!

It was none other than the Mountain-Moving Spirit Lord!
He Xuanzhen simply turned over and mounted his donkey, calmly saying, "From today onwards, you will be my general."

"Yes!"

After leaving the inn, the man, the donkey, and the demon set off south in the rain.

(End of this chapter)