Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 174 (173) - The Third Prince (He went to the hospital for a checkup; one update today)
"I'll take the order."

Li Cunxiao controlled his throat muscles and naturally produced a deep sound.

He himself had a bounty on his head, so naturally he couldn't just show his true identity to people.

Even the face under the straw hat was specially disguised.

The man didn't say anything upon hearing this, but instead took out a scroll from under the counter, which looked very much like the one Bai Xiangshan had shown him before.

"These are the bounties offered in my Fanlou restaurant. They include both official wanted notices and private intelligence gathering, assassination, and protection services."

"If you wish to accept the order, please leave a name or code name so that you can have proof when you receive the reward."

Since the other party had said so, Li Cunxiao naturally wouldn't give his real name. After thinking for a moment, he said:
"Call me the Third Prince."

The man simply nodded upon hearing this, his expression hidden behind his Yaksha mask.

I watched as he took a booklet from under the counter and made a few marks with a pen.

He then took out a small iron waist tag with a picture of Fanlou on it and small characters engraved on the back.

"The waist tag is made of a specific ratio of raw materials and can be molded by anyone. It is your proof of acceptance of missions and receipt of bounties in the future."

Li Cunxiao took the waist token, picked up the scroll, and turned to leave Fanlou.

The second floor of this building consists of individual rooms, reserved for customers who place orders, to keep their privacy.

There are no reception facilities on the first floor. Once you have selected your task, you can come to this counter to pick it up.

"The place where missions are sent and received sells medicine and weapons. Fanlou certainly knows how to do business."

Li Cunxiao didn't go far. He found a teahouse nearby, ordered a pot of tea, and sat down by the window in a room separated by a curtain. As he opened the scroll, he also took out the waist token to examine it.

"The thirteenth of the Gengzi year? There are quite a few people making a living in Fanlou."

Stroking the five characters on the back of the waist tag, this thing looks like iron, but its luster, weight, and hardness are obviously different from iron. Clearly, the Yaksha mask wasn't lying.

The combination of the ten Heavenly Stems and the twelve Earthly Branches is a common method of recording years.

Geng is the seventh Heavenly Stem, and Zi is the first Earthly Branch. Li Cunxiao is the thirteenth person in this Gengzi sequence.

In other words, there are still hundreds of people registered at Fanlou ahead of us, and of course, those who died probably won't get their waist tokens back.

"Let's take a look at the wanted poster and the bounty first."

Unroll the scroll and scan it rapidly from right to left, reading ten lines at a glance.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the scroll had already been pulled to the end, and Li Cunxiao had a good idea of ​​what was going on.

There are nearly a hundred bounties listed here, but only two or three out of ten are from government agencies. They are mostly big-time bandits and ruthless criminals, with a minimum cultivation level of Yellow Court Perfection and some even reaching True Form Realm.

These people offer extremely high rewards, including not only gold and silver, but also rare resources such as elixirs, demonic fetuses, and spiritual herbs.

However, it is extremely difficult. Not only are the targets fierce, but most of the intelligence is also outdated, requiring a lot of effort.

Li Cunxiao wasn't a professional ghostwriter who made a living by offering bounties. He came here for two reasons: first, to complete his predecessor's mission of "eliminating demons and evil" in exchange for martial arts skills; and second, to accumulate malevolent energy.

For these kinds of tasks, you just have to be careful and do them if you come across them, otherwise just let them go.

The real money comes from private bounties.

The bounties ranged from guarding and assassinating to requesting items and even finding someone to refine pills. After looking through them, Li Cunxiao finally chose a guarding mission.

Or rather, it's an exorcism mission.

"Huangjia Village in Pingyang County has been attacked by a fourth-tier demon. We urgently need brave warriors to help slay the demon."

Pingyang County is not too far from the prefectural capital; an ordinary carriage would arrive in three days, but Li Cunxiao, with his red steed, would be several times faster.

"There's still not enough information on this."

Li Cunxiao got up and went downstairs, returning to Fanlou to declare that he wanted to accept the mission.

The masked figure hesitated upon hearing this, "Your Excellency..."

"Missions to exterminate demons usually require multiple people to accept."

"Can't I accept calls from a single person?"

"Yes, but it's extremely dangerous."

I know what I'm doing.

Li Cunxiao's words were flat, and the Yaksha Mask said nothing more before taking out detailed mission information.

According to the mission information, this demon had just broken through to the fourth level, but was injured by being surrounded by experts in the county, and thus fled to the countryside.

The area is currently in turmoil, with demons and bandits appearing one after another. The magistrate of Pingyang County only cares about driving the demons out of the county town and ignores the aftermath.

Huangjia Village, as its name suggests, is a place where the Huang clan lived together. They built a fortified village long ago and did not listen to the county government's rules.

Now that the demons have fled, the magistrate of Pingyang County might even feel a sense of satisfaction and naturally wouldn't send any experts to help.

The clan chief of Huangjia Village had no choice but to post a reward in Fanlou, asking for experts to help drive them away, preferably kill them.

The rewards for these two are naturally different. In addition to gold and silver, the other party is also willing to offer some spiritual herbs as compensation.

Li Cunxiao wasn't short of money, but recently he had been refining pills in the alchemy room and had become quite accustomed to the process, so he couldn't help but have the idea of ​​refining pills himself.

These spiritual herbs are worth saving up; they'll be convenient to use in the future.

"I'll take this task."

Seeing that Li Cunxiao had made up his mind, Yaksha Mask did not try to persuade him any further. He simply took Li Cunxiao's waist tag, dabbed it with cinnabar, and left a mark on Li Cunxiao's register.

"You have seven days, starting tomorrow. If you fail to settle the account by then, the task will be reissued and made available to others."

Li Cunxiao thought it was normal. After all, Fanlou was in business, and naturally they couldn't let people occupy the toilet without using it.

Watching the figure in the straw hat disappear into the distance, a soft sigh escaped from beneath the Yaksha mask, clearly indicating skepticism.

Demons are inherently stronger than martial artists of the same level, and it is difficult to defeat them with minimal cost unless three or four people go together.

That person was clearly a novice visiting Fanlou for the first time, yet he dared to single-handedly go and slay demons.

Either he possesses extraordinary skills, or he is overconfident.

But none of this concerns him, a mere gatekeeper.

Li Cunxiao was naturally unaware that in other people's minds, he was already half-buried.

After leaving Yongdingfang, they removed their disguises, returned to the escort agency, and took stock of their equipment.

The identity of "Third Prince" is a pseudonym he uses in the black market. In order to create a new persona, he naturally needs to distinguish himself from his real self.

Especially since this area is within the territory of Tiangu Temple, the iconic Little Yaksha Blade and Fire Hell Spear cannot be used casually. Similarly, the Dragon Sparrow Blade and Purple Flame Serpent Spear should be avoided if possible.

However, if you're sure you won't be exposed, then it's fine.

In any case, he has already mastered the basics of the Holy King's Wheel Fist, and with the blessing of the Cloud-Stepping Boots, he can still put up a fight against a newly broken-through fourth-tier demon.

"Unfortunately, although I have now opened three meridians, I still cannot keep up with the demand for the Wind and Fire Wheels."

As a top-grade magical treasure, the Wind and Fire Wheels are his greatest asset at present. Needless to say, they are incredibly fast for running away, and when used for combat, even reaching the Yellow Court Perfection level is no problem.

However, even if the true energy is twice that of an ordinary Yellow Court martial artist under the blessing of the wooden dragon, it is ultimately a one-shot deal.

After using the Wind and Fire Wheels, he will be completely drained and will have no power to resist for a short period of time.

So unless it's absolutely necessary, this thing can only be used as a last resort.

"We still need to keep an eye on Chili to get on the road. Fortunately, my recent studies in pharmacology and alchemy haven't been in vain."

Li Cunxiao smiled slightly and took out a porcelain bottle from his bundle. Inside were more than twenty yellow pills, but they didn't smell like anything.

You should love what you do. Since you've accepted someone's task, and with demons lurking around, time waits for no one.

That afternoon, Li Cunxiao said goodbye to Zhang Lishi and then led his horse away from the escort agency.

Once outside the city, he found a secluded stream in the woods, quickly changed his clothes, put on a straw hat, and disguised his face.

Finally, he took out a yellow pill and scooped up a ladle of water from the stream.

"Boom"

The pill dissolved quickly in water, turning into a yellow paste.

Chili blinked its big eyes, and when it heard its owner say "Don't move," it obediently watched Li Cunxiao apply the paste to its body.

The paste looked thick and heavy, but it was easy to spread and dried quickly. In just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the originally dark red horse turned into a brownish-yellow horse.

"The special dye cannot be washed off with water; only my special oil can dissolve it."

Li Cunxiao looked at the completely transformed Chili and nodded in satisfaction.

He can only barely be called an alchemist now, and he only has one formula, the Qi and Blood Pill, so it's too early to talk about inventions and creations.

But after all, he is well-versed in pharmacology, so preparing a dye is a piece of cake for him.

Chi Li looked at the yellow horse reflected in the stream with great curiosity, twisting its body and turning over and over, looking quite intrigued.

"Go!" Li Cunxiao mounted his horse, and the red steed beneath him immediately galloped out of the woods.

Once on the official road, the speed gradually increased, with the wind whistling on both sides, and the scenery seemed to be a ribbon constantly flying by.

We will arrive at Huangjia Village tomorrow morning.

"Village chief, is there any news?"

"Yes, village chief, that demon is hiding in the water and has blocked the roads. The village's goods can't get out. We can't just keep waiting like this, can we?"

"That damned magistrate! He drove the demons to our Huangjia Village and now he doesn't care about their lives!"

"."

The cacophony of sounds filled his ears, and the white-bearded village chief and clan leader, seeing the chaotic villagers, felt his head spin.

The Huang clan in Huangjia Village is not a particularly prominent clan; it's just that half of the people there share the surname Huang, and the rest are mostly from other places who have married into the family and gradually integrated together.

The village itself has little foundation; there are only two muscle warriors. As for his internal organs, he has only refined his spleen to a minor level.

Back then, he only managed to break through by chance after accidentally obtaining a flawed mid-grade martial arts manual.

Now, more than forty years have passed since that breakthrough, and he has gone from middle age to old age.

If the five internal organs are not in perfect harmony, and one cannot achieve complete purity, then the vital essence will dissipate, and a decline in combat power is inevitable.

Moreover, he was brave and fierce in his youth, and fought with others, leaving him with many hidden injuries.

In the early years, when the world wasn't so chaotic, Huang Chao and the Ming Cult hadn't started their uprising, and life was relatively peaceful, it was only then that he, a half-baked man, was able to secure his position as village chief.

Over the past forty years, many of his generation have died, and some of the unfortunate villagers have lost two generations.

When demons attack, Huang Chang, as the village chief and clan leader, has an inescapable responsibility.

But the older people get, the more afraid they become of death. It's impossible for them to take over on their own, and the magistrate of Pingyang County is someone who doesn't care about anything.

Left with no other choice, Huang Chang, who had ventured out into the world in his youth, had to issue a reward.

But that was a fourth-order demon after all. Even if it had just broken through not long ago, it would still take several experts at the Yellow Court Realm working together to subdue it.

With this back and forth, it's uncertain whether the village can hold out until reinforcements arrive.

What worries him even more is that even if he wins, what if those martial artists are not satisfied with the reward and decide to plunder on a whim? His helpers will become enemies, and he will be inviting trouble. That would be the end of him.

Unfortunately, there was no other way.

Tiangu Temple has a good reputation, but Huangjia Village is not the only place in Songzhou that has suffered disaster; demons are eating people everywhere.

Everyone knows Tiangu Temple has a good reputation, so there's always a queue; it's a case of "distant water can't quench immediate thirst."
"Quiet!"

Huang Chang was agitated and snapped at him.

Having been the village chief for many years, he still possessed considerable authority.

The villagers were also frightened by the immediate crisis and panicked for a moment.

Only then did they remember that the village chief was the only expert in internal organs here, and they all cowered in fear again.

"What's the rush? What's the fuss about? Do you think your anxiety will kill the demons?"

Seeing that the villagers had become obedient, Huang Chang softened his tone and was about to say a few words of comfort when he suddenly saw a falcon flying in from the horizon.

As they got closer, the falcon automatically slowed down and threw down a bamboo tube the size of a palm.

Huang Chang was overjoyed and quickly reached out to catch the bamboo tube. Just as he was about to open it, he noticed the eager expressions of the surrounding villagers and immediately coughed.

Seeing that everyone had behaved again, he took it out and read it quickly, his expression becoming extremely interesting for a moment.

"Village chief, has someone come to help us?"

"Village chief, who are these people?"

"village head."

Huang Chang immediately put on a smiling face, but rolled up the paper in his hand so that no one around him could see what was written on it.

"That's right, experts from the city have already come to help us. In two more days, we'll be able to drive that beast away!"

The villagers immediately became excited and started chattering away. Huang Chang managed to give them a few perfunctory replies, then found an opportunity to slip back to his residence.

He had barely stepped into the house when his face darkened.

"Tell the young master and young mistress to pack their things quickly, and later, when the militia are on patrol, to go and hide at my in-laws' place!"

The steward was puzzled by this, but dared not ask any further questions and hurriedly went to urge the servants.

A short while later, Huang Chang's son came running over, looking terrified.
"Father, have demons invaded the village?!"

"No, it's that help is coming."

"what?"

Young Master Huang was initially delighted, but then became puzzled.

"Then you should return it?"

Huang Chang sighed, "It's true that the helper was Huang Tingjing."

"But there was only one person."

"Only one person?!"

Young Master Huang was now truly anxious. Although he lacked martial arts talent and had only reached the Muscle Realm after all these years, he still knew how powerful demons were.

To put it simply, just half a month ago, when the demon was driven over by the people of Pingyang County, he still managed to catch a glimpse of it from afar.

The strange fish, five or six zhang long, could move freely on the ground. Its huge mouth could eat a fat pig as easily as eating a snack.

After it arrived, the demon took over the nearby river.

The villagers can't get out, and outsiders can't get in.

They finally got help, but it turned out there was only one person?

How could a martial artist possibly defeat a demon of the same level all by himself?
"My son, we can't afford to offend either demons or Huangting martial artists."

"You should go out and hide for a few days. We can deal with the rest when that person comes."

Young Master Huang ran away in a panic, and Old Master Huang lay in bed all night unable to sleep.

I barely managed to get through the night, and after a short, half-asleep nap, I was startled awake by the butler.

"Master, a swordsmith claiming to be from the capital has arrived!"

"What?! They arrived so quickly?!"

Huang Chang jumped out of bed in a flash, not even bothering to wash up, grabbed a piece of clothing and rushed out, completely baffled.

Ghostwriters are usually rough, bloodthirsty men who do their jobs for money, but they wouldn't be this dedicated. They received the message yesterday and arrived today, having traveled overnight?
"You are Huang Chang, the village chief of Huangjia Village?"

A large group of villagers had already gathered outside the gate, forming a circle a dozen steps apart, watching the man in a straw hat riding a tall yellow horse.

"Yes, yes, that is me. Brave warrior, have you come for that demon?"

Huang Chang discreetly observed the guest on horseback, but unfortunately, his understanding was insufficient, and he couldn't discern anything from him.

"You must be weary from your journey, sir. Please come to my residence."

"No need," Li Cunxiao interrupted the other person directly, his gaze intense.

Where are the demons?

(End of this chapter)