Headless Immortal

Chapter 109 Rebuilding the Water Palace
Lu Xun, acting as a hands-off manager, left everything to Yang Shen and sat by the Xunyang River, gazing at the vast, misty river.

A gentle breeze scatters snow-white fur, and a rough hand clutches a wild fruit, cheeks puffed out as it chews on its sweet and sour taste.

His ears twitched, and he turned to look at the newcomer, asking in surprise, "Taoist Master?"

The visitor was none other than Chen Jing, the Taoist priest of Lushan Sect.

His black hair was tied up in a hair crown, and his five-pronged beard fluttered in the wind, giving him a handsome appearance with an air of otherworldly elegance.

Chen Jing took out two yellow pears from his pocket, tossed one over, and Lu Xun caught it with his other hand.

"Wutongshen?"

"hold head high."

Chen Jing sighed, "Before the New Year, I passed through Meilan on my way down the mountain and stopped at Master Song's place, where I caught a raccoon monster."

Lu Xun stopped chewing.

Chen Jing cupped his hands and smiled, "I have to thank the General for his help, otherwise I would have been embarrassed in this new territory."

As he spoke, Master Chen took a bite of the yellow pear and followed the red-faced ape's gaze to look at the vast river. It was indeed a magnificent landscape, a treasure land that had never been explored.

Thinking of this, he turned his gaze back and asked, "To leave or to stay?"

Lu Xun pondered the Taoist priest's words, then narrowed his demonic eyes and asked, "Is there an explanation?"

"You don't understand spiritual practice."

Lu Xun didn't hide anything: "The academy hasn't taught us yet."

He probably won't go back to the academy.

The Taoist priest revealed an expression of "I knew it," and continued, "Being a wild monster has no future."

"Are there different ways to cultivate?"

"of course."

"As there are countless paths under the frost-covered sky, there are countless ways to cultivate. For example, that old temple keeper cultivates 'smoke.' Compared to those less promising paths, martial arts should be the most universal. If we're talking about the minority obeying the majority, then humans are also a kind of monster, and martial arts also originated from monsters."

Lu Xun was immediately impressed. He hadn't expected the old Taoist to have such a simple idea: "Isn't it enough to cultivate to a higher level?"

Master Chen said, "Realm cultivation is merely the growth of a cultivator's nature and life force. To truly engage in a battle of magic, one must also consider magical powers, martial arts, magical treasures, and guardian deities."

Lu Xun grinned; he now understood: "Daoist Master wants me to be your guardian deity?"

Chen Jing shook his head: "It would be a waste of your talents to be my guardian deity. I would like to ask you to be the guardian deity of my Lushan Sect."

"Fellow Daoist, don't be in such a hurry to refuse. It wouldn't hurt to hear about the benefits."

"please say."

"First, you will receive the Jade Emperor's letter and be able to command the gods. If you perform great deeds and achieve high merit, you may also have the opportunity to be deified after your ascension to immortality. Second, you will enjoy the incense offerings from the mortal world. Third, you can choose any magical arts and supernatural powers you want. Fourth, you can have magical treasures tailored to your needs. Fifth, you will no longer have to wander and will have a place to live and work in peace and contentment."

The Taoist priest spoke at length.

Lu Xun asked, "What's the price?"

"He became a disciple of the Lushan Sect."

"never mind."

He was used to being free, and Mr. Bailu treated him well, so it was good for him to be nominally affiliated with Bailudong Academy.

Master Chen expressed his deep regret but did not insist. Instead, he handed a black token to Lu Xun: "This is the Token of Communication with the Netherworld, which can summon wandering ghosts to assist you."

Although they didn't invite the Red-Faced Ape to become the sect's guardian deity, they didn't forget to give him what they were supposed to, expressing their goodwill while also thanking Lu Xun for keeping his word.

Lu Xun took the token. The black token had a green-skinned ghost drawn on the front and an incantation and the word "command" on the back. He glanced at it and then put it in his waistband.

After seeing Master Chen off, Lu Xun finished the fruit and ate the pear as well.

As dusk approached, he plunged into the water.

Head transplant.

With a flick of its giant hand, it parted the waves, and the river and its banks moved at will.

Its black and gold eyes shone exceptionally bright underwater.

The surging undercurrents brushed against my skin, bringing an indescribable sense of comfort.

The Living Buddha of Taoyuan was enormous. When he swam, he stirred up the mud and sand, and even changed the direction of the water flow.

However, the Xunyang River was far too wide, and a single turtle demon was insignificant within it. Thousands of sails raced past on the river, yet the treasure ships sailing along did not notice the great monster's presence. Only the fish and shrimp living in nature sensed the Eight Great Kings, but they seemed neither afraid nor fleeing; they simply parted the path in groups.

Lu Xun swam in the river, searching for the location of the former water palace.

From afar, Lu Xun saw a dark mass of buildings. He scubaded down and found it to be the remains of a shipwreck. The masts were covered with green algae, and the wood from the shipwreck had long been soaked in water. It crumbled into black mud when squeezed by hand. Half a skeleton was buried inside, submerged by sand and stones, with only a hole visible. Rusty ironware was a mass of black and red lumps.

They dug deeper and found some scattered jewels and silver, but these were useless to them.

Not to mention the water palace, he hadn't even seen a cave dwelling, which made Lu Xun wonder if such a place really existed, or if it wasn't here, but in some other section of the river.

Just as I was about to set off to explore upstream and downstream, my heart suddenly skipped a beat.

"what happened?"

Lu Xun frowned in thought. This feeling, which seemed to be a sudden impulse, prevented him from going to other sections of the river, or rather, his 'instinct' was restraining his actions.

The Xunyang River is a part of a large river with many tributaries and many sections. When it travels here, it is like a swallow returning to its nest. Why can't it go to other places?
Thinking of this, Lu Xun swam downstream. Just as he was about to cross the river, an old man with white hair and a white beard waved from the bank.

Lu Xun clearly didn't want to get involved.

He was searching for the water palace of the monk Hai and was eager to return to the modern world, so how could he possibly pay attention to an ordinary old man?

The old man chuckled and continued waving. Then, he saw the river in front of him arch into a lotus flower, and Lu Xun, who was running swiftly within it, was lifted out of the lotus flower.

An incredulous look flashed across Lu Xun's eyes. His nine-foot-tall body weighed at least two or three tons. Not to mention the water flow, even the water python summoned by the Five Tong Mountain Lord while playing in the water would only make him sway.

A master!

Needless to say.

Lu Xun stopped crossing the river and stepped onto the shore along the Water Lotus Platform. He looked around and saw no one else but the old man. The wooden boardwalk seemed to have been specially laid out for the old man.

He clasped his hands in a salute and said, "The Eighth King of Peach Blossom Village greets you, senior. May I ask what brings you here to see me?"

The old man looked at the Living Buddha Lu Xun and sighed, "You're back again."

Lu Xun was taken aback. Could it be an acquaintance? He secretly thought to himself that something was wrong. It was true that he possessed the magical powers of the Living Buddha of Peach Blossom Spring, but he had no memories at all.

I was going to bite the bullet and say something, but I was afraid of giving myself away, so I just stayed silent and stood there blankly in the sunset.

The black and gold demonic eyes scrutinized the old man.

The old man had white hair and a youthful face, with round eyes and a white beard. He wore a plain-colored robe and carried a straw hat. He held a fishing rod in his hand, and there was a fish basket next to him. There were no fish in the basket, only a small turtle crawling up and down. It seemed to be tired from playing and was lying on its back at the old man's feet.

The white-haired old man asked with a smile, "How is life in Peach Blossom Village?"

Lu Xun gave a perfunctory reply: "It's alright."

"You must be very tired."

"Ah."

The old man nodded slightly and said, "Making a clay Buddha is not easy. Every day, so many people worship and listen to so many wishes, good and bad. Making a living Buddha is even more difficult. Now that you've returned, it's good that you're back. Things on land are ultimately not something we water monsters can interfere with."

Lu Xun said, "I'm looking for my former water mansion."

"To become a monster again?"

There's nothing wrong with being a monster.

The old man laughed heartily: "Even monsters have to follow the rules. I won't let you cross that section of the river because it's no longer your territory. Even if you defeat the master of that section, if you continue downstream along the tributary, you'll reach Poyang Lake. The Poyang Dragon King has always had a bad temper, and he won't let you pass."

Lu Xun was taken aback, cupped his hands, and asked seriously, "May I ask who you are, sir?"

"I've long forgotten my name, just call me 'Old Man'."

"Old man."

Lu Xun clasped his hands in a salute and called out, but the doubts in his heart were still unresolved.

Dragon King, monsters, and the masters of each river section?
Mr. Ni is a giant salamander, the Eight Great Kings are a turtle spirit, the Lord of Wutong Mountain is a monster, and most of the other monsters' titles are related to themselves. Old man? What kind of monster is that? "Is this my territory?"

"Yes."

Where is my underwater palace?

"That's it."

The old man smiled and pointed, and in the distance, a small island in the middle of the river appeared in the sunset mist. The water flowed and surged from all directions, protecting the island, and a dilapidated group of buildings could be vaguely seen on the island.

Lu Xun's eyes widened. He hadn't seen the island just now. Such magic could be described as splitting a river with a single finger.

"Go."

The old man picked up the clean fish basket and put away his fishing rod, which had a straight hook at the end. No wonder he couldn't catch any fish.

The little turtle, which was basking in the sun with its four legs in the air, swelled up in the wind and quickly grew to about ten feet in size. The old man climbed onto the turtle's back, and the big turtle yawned widely, then paddled with its two claws and swam into the river.

The old man riding the tortoise backwards waved his hand, and he and the tortoise disappeared into the vast river mist.

Lu Xun was dumbfounded; this was nothing short of divine skill.

Old man?

River God!

The old man is probably the River God.

Without much thought, Lu Xun re-entered the water and stepped onto the mist-shrouded island. The former palace had long since become a pile of broken bricks and tiles, the collapsed timber was buried by piles of earth and stones, and only half of the altar remained, covered with moss and algae. The damp ground was steaming with moisture, and small crabs were crawling around.

"Di."

The cry of an eagle rang out, and the Toothless General, who had fallen from mid-air, flipped over and transformed into an eagle monster, kneeling on one knee and saying, "Your Majesty."

Lu Xun looked at himself, then at the eagle monster: "Rebuilding the Water Palace is a long and arduous task."

He stretched out his hands and pulled the altar out of the mud. He wiped away the slime with his huge hands, then cut open his palms and dripped his precious blood. The fishy smell of the blood immediately made the fish and shrimp around the island come alive.

Some amphibians quickly climbed ashore and headed towards the precious blood.

"It's too small."

Lu Xun looked at the frog that had jumped up.

Suddenly, a dark shadow rushed past. Upon closer inspection, Lu Xun realized it was a water snake and shook his head slightly.

He would have kept it if it were a water python, since water snakes aren't very big. With the king's permission, Toothless grabbed the water snake, stuffed it into his mouth like a spicy snack, and swallowed it with a gulp.

While Lu Xun was still in a daze, Toothless used both hands to grab a water snake with one hand and step on an eel with his eagle claw. Perhaps feeling that it was not enough, he pinched off the snake's head and swallowed it all into his stomach.

In just a short while, Toothless was burping from hunger.

Lu Xun was still carefully selecting his strange picks: the frog was too small, the salamander wouldn't do, and the turtle hadn't developed intelligence yet...

It has to be the kind that has gained wisdom and knows how to absorb and exhale the moonlight, so that the general can play its greatest role. Small fish and shrimp are useless, until a piece of dark wood slowly floats up, revealing a pair of vertical eyes.

Head transplant.

Wutong Mountain Lord raised his hairy claws.

Playing in the water.

The water surged into a pillar and grabbed the water beast hidden underwater. Sensing the danger, the water beast tried to escape, its two-meter-long body struggling to break free of its restraints.

"it is good!"

Lu Xun was overjoyed; this black crocodile was indeed the most qualified one.

To appoint generals.

A sphere of azure light condensed in Wutong Lu Xun's hand, and he flipped it over and struck the black crocodile.

The Yangtze alligator roared, its front paws slowly transforming into human-shaped arms, and its hind legs straightening up, its bones cracking and its flesh swelling.

A few moments.

A muscular, ferocious black-armored crocodile monster appeared before Lu Xun. Its size was no weaker than Lu Xun's, but its combat power was definitely limited. It would be good if it could be stronger than a martial artist who had haphazardly cultivated true qi.

The black crocodile lay prostrate on the ground, its hands resting on Lu Xun's calves, and said in a deep voice, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"Do you have a name?"

"No."

"Then let's call it... Black... Armor."

"Black Armor Commander".

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Black Armor stood up happily. It didn't know how it could speak. In short, it wanted to get close to the Green-Toothed Ape Monster in front of it, just like before it left the tribe, there was always a Crocodile King who could eat first, and then the other crocodiles would eat what the King left behind.

Its feelings towards the ape-like monster are now very similar to those it once did.

"Cuckoo."

On the other side, a white toad had already licked the precious blood off the altar.

Black Armor was furious and wanted to kill the toad.

Lu Xun raised his hand to stop the black-armored man, looked at the toad, which was the size of a millstone, and said with a smile, "I didn't expect to attract such a powerful monster."

First, use the water flow to weave a large net to catch the toad.

To appoint generals.

A green light condensed in his palm and was released to envelop the white toad.

The panicked toad struggled violently, but it was clearly unable to break free from the masterful water magic, and the toad rolled around like an inflated balloon.

Its arched legs suddenly grew so thick that they could lift its body up, and its two short claws, which were only good for poking its head, turned into long hands that could grab its back.

From a naive little sprite to a true monster, the five-foot-tall toad monster's eyes darted around, and it immediately quieted down, prostrating itself on the ground and respectfully calling out, "Your Majesty, I also have no name."

"Okay, I'll give you a name too."

"Since you're all in white, let's call you White Skin. White Skin Leader." Although Lu Xun didn't have that many monsters, he was clearly no longer a lone commander.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, I have a name now!"

The white toad was overjoyed, celebrating its new life.

Seeing the two happy monsters, Toothless was glad that he had feathers, otherwise he would have had to follow the color.

Lu Xun, who wanted to continue recruiting generals, finally found a catfish of considerable size. However, when he tried to condense the azure light, he found that he could not do it no matter what he did.

'Is there a limit to the number of generals that can be selected?'

Four monsters are enough.

Head transplant.

Lu Xun, now the Eighth Prince, said loudly, "Get to work, rebuild the Water Palace."

Seeing that the efficiency was really too poor, Lu Xun asked Wuya to go to Zhao Jia's house to get a shovel and a pickaxe.

I've been busy for two days.

The water mansion was first completed.

Lu Xun wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at the mist surrounding the island in the sunset. That feeling of dizziness came over him again.

He quickly instructed, "Don't kill people, and especially don't eat people. Cultivate yourself well!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the area around him began to twist and turn.

As the tide recedes, the island becomes indistinct, and the frost burns to ashes.

Lu Xun grabbed the bamboo tube and the token, swung his arms, and ran on all fours.

A glimmer of light suddenly expanded from the black and red ashes.

(End of this chapter)