Headless Immortal

Chapter 110 Return
The traveler returns home.

With his head tilted to the side and his body curled up, Lu Xun felt uncomfortable being squeezed between the shelves and the walls.

He looked down and realized that his body was too bulky and large. If it weren't for the fact that this was a shop without any other decorations, the nine-foot-tall Living Buddha of Peach Blossom Spring would not have been able to stand on the floor.

I wish my house were bigger.

Lu Xun thought with some regret.

His shop is less than 50 square meters inside and out, and it is divided into two rooms, one large and one small, along the load-bearing wall.

Suddenly, before he could even remove the head of the Living Buddha of Taoyuan, he felt that there was no obstruction above him.

He easily raised his head and looked around in surprise.

The shelves on both sides were still against the wall, but they were no longer piled up in front of him, almost touching his nose. Lu Xun took off the Living Buddha's head and replaced it with Mr. Ni's head.

In his anthropomorphic form, Mr. Ni looks no different from an ordinary person, except for his blood-red pupils and pale face, which arouse suspicion.

Now, all he could see was astonishment.

The house has gotten bigger.

It's far more than fifty square meters.

Lu Xun rushed to the counter, pressed the timer alarm, and glanced at the time recorded on it.

Ninety-one hours and forty-six minutes.

Lu Xun picked up the bamboo tube and token from the ground, then looked at the gate. This time, he didn't intend to force his way in. He tried to push the gate with both hands, but if he couldn't open it, he gave up.

I already understood the problem after bumping my head like that last time.

Looking at the scene outside, where black mist filled the air and resembled an abyss, Lu Xun felt a chill run down his spine from the goosebumps on his arm.

When he was young and reckless, he was fearless. Now that he has the monster's head, he feels a sense of dread as he stares at this ethereal scene.

He got up and went back to the inner room, picked up the light green mobile phone, pressed a button to turn on the screen, and indeed, as he had thought, there was no signal.

I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, the static and hissing of the screen filling my ears.

Lu Xun turned off the TV again. Looking at the dim yellow light emanating from the old, bulky light bulb, he wondered if he should replace it with an incandescent bulb.

His little shop is so old, it looks like an antique from the last century. If you didn't know it was a general store, you would think it was some kind of small workshop, like a shoe repair or clothing repair shop.

In short, it's not modern at all.

He had previously visited a shop that traded CDs from Hong Kong to the mainland. The shop was actually smaller than his, with a wall covered in posters.

The Magic Rock Three, wielding microphones and holding bass guitars; Ekin Cheng and Jordan Chan, shirtless, posing with equipment in hand; various special effects teams, dragons in the sky and earth, airplanes and tanks, eating oil cakes; Jay Chou and Fei Yu-ching's duet "A Thousand Miles Away," "Invisible Wings" overpowering all others...

I heard that, in terms of DVD sales, whether for sale or rental, the best-selling is 'Young and Dangerous'.

Lu Xun also bought it to take a look, and only after checking did he realize that it was a movie from ten years ago. He didn't expect it to become popular again in mainland China, attracting teenagers and young people to imitate it.

Compared to these street-street films, he prefers films with more martial arts elements, such as "Fearless," which was released in the latter half of January this year.

Jay Chou's theme song is also very catchy.

There is electricity, but no internet.

Lu Xun didn't turn on the DVD player or pick up the stack of storybooks. Instead, he took out his laptop, plugged it in, turned it on, and created a new document.

Press the record button.

Lu Xun cleared his throat and said, "The second record, the third return from the strange ancient world."

List a few boxes.

1. The issue of time flow rate.

This time, he stayed in the strange ancient world for about three months, and the electronic alarm clock that kept him up kept ninety-one hours. That is, one hour in the modern world is equivalent to one day in the ancient world.

No wonder Lao Cheng said that in the past six months, if you spend seven days in the modern world, 7 x 24 is 168 hours, which corresponds to 168 days in the ancient world, so that's exactly half a year.

Moreover, even after he went to the strange world, the shop continued to operate and did not experience any 'time stop' as a result of his departure.

Second: Discoveries from the Ancient World.

Lu Xun opened the bamboo tube, which contained the sword manual left to him by the swordsman, as well as the Ape Form Fist Manual and Ape Dance Refining Method written by Sun Shen.

The black token next to him was a magical artifact given to him by Master Chen for controlling ghosts.

He hadn't used it in the ancient world, so he didn't know if he could find ghosts in the modern world. Perhaps because of the scarcity of spiritual energy, ghosts were not easy to appear.

Holding his forehead, Lu Xun chuckled. He had almost forgotten the ghost he encountered at school last time he returned; the child's grandfather's overwhelming ghostly aura filled the hallway. He wasn't sure if it was the end of the Dharma era or a spiritual revival, but clearly, with the emergence of the illusory world, modern times were no longer what they used to be.

Of course, it's also possible that things were different before.

He was just an ordinary person who didn't know that.

Which emperor, Qin Shi Huang or Emperor Wu of Han, didn't seek the elixir of immortality?

Lu Xun didn't think about it too much.

As ordinary people, we can only go with the flow amidst the great changes of the times.

Turning back to take stock, he found that all three goals he had set—reading and writing, practicing martial arts, and most importantly, making money—had been achieved.

He can now translate the texts from both sides side by side, but he still can't figure out some proper nouns, and he also has questions about meridians and acupoints.

The translation of the martial arts manual can be put on hold for now, lest it mislead people. Practicing the wrong martial arts manual can be fatal.

As the person who provided the secret manual, he had to be responsible for the lives of others, and also for the reputation of his own shop.

His martial arts skills were passable, and with his mastery of Monkey Fist, he gained the supernatural ability 'Tongbi' (通臂, meaning "through-arm"), making him stronger than most modern masters.

Third: The impact of the 'unknown'.

Lu Xun stood up and called out, "Big Brother."

The interior space expanded once again.

"big big big!"

The wall trembled slightly and showed no further signs of extending, seemingly having reached its limit.

Lu Xun got up and measured it. The original small house was only fifty square meters, just right for two people. It would be too crowded for one more person. Now it was estimated to be one hundred square meters, which was double the size. The doubled space was enough to accommodate two or three more people.

"It's amazing!"

Lu Xun was overjoyed and rearranged the three rows of shelves, nodding in satisfaction. It looked much better now.

Now that the space is larger, he has also organized all the books that were piled up behind the counter: Jin Yong, Gu Long, Wen Ruian, Liang Yusheng...

Now we can also display five genuine secret manuals.

"Essentials of Martial Arts: Sword Techniques", "Records of the Earth Official's True Qi", "Ape-Shaped Fist", "Assassination Sword Techniques", "Ape Dance"

You can also put the black tokens up there, and sell them to someone who knows their value.

He no longer cares as much about the price as before, now that he has the means to make money.

Part 4: Regarding head lifting

Lu Xun kept this in mind and compared the tiger's head, bear's head, raccoon's head, three-legged cat's head, and the head of the Five-Tong Mountain Lord. He discovered a problem: the raccoon's head was 'fur', and the three-legged cat's head was also 'fur'. Similarly, the tiger's head and bear's head were also 'fur', and the Five-Tong Mountain Lord was also a furry creature.

Therefore, he speculated that it might be because they are of the same type that the 'energy' accumulated from devouring is more than the 'ashes' obtained from decomposition.

Actually, he hesitated when facing the five shrimp soldiers and crab generals, but since the Peach Blossom Living Buddha couldn't activate the enhancement at that time, he simply shattered them all.

Looking back now, I think I should have kept a portion of it to verify my hypothesis.

It was also because he had obtained too many heads and was too excited about improving the magic of Wutong Mountain Lord. He can only test and verify this later when he has the opportunity.

After saving the document, shutting down the computer, and turning on the recorder, Lu Xun sat in his chair, tilted his head back, let out a long breath, rubbed his forehead, and relaxed his tense nerves slightly.

The ancient world was exciting, but after returning to the county town, I lived a life of constant uncertainty. The demons and monsters there truly possessed magical powers and supernatural abilities, and a slight misstep could mean certain death.

Back in the modern world, even just in his own little shop, he felt enveloped in safety. If it weren't for the appearance of the illusionary world, he would probably be even safer.

This is not the fault of the larger environment; it's all just drifting along in the tide of the times.

Injustice has its head, and debt has its owner.

The lightness in Lu Xun's eyes vanished. He really wanted to sleep soundly, to turn the world upside down and not care about day or night. However, when he thought of his mother still lying in the hospital, his father missing and his fate unknown, and his enemy still living a carefree life, the fire in his heart burned fiercely. He ripped off Mr. Ni's head and replaced it with the head of a living Buddha.

Let's set a small goal: make a thousand pearls!

Lu Xun took a kitchen knife, then rummaged through the small warehouse and found a burlap sack. He laid out soft foam on it, cut open his palm, and blood gushed out like a spring, dripping out in a large pool.

Looking at the white beads, he felt that this little bit of pain was nothing.

Can we raise eight million?
We can set aside our grudges for now, but we must save the people.

Black Gold stared at the sack. He thought of the Eighth King who had passed away in Meilan County, his body turning into a small treasure mountain. He certainly couldn't abandon his martial arts, and 'suicide' might actually kill him. However, with an arm and a leg, and with magic to stop the bleeding, it should be no big deal.

"It must hurt a lot, right?" Lu Xun picked up a pot scrubber, about the thickness of an adult's arm, woven from dried sorghum stalks. He held it horizontally in his mouth, tried it out, and felt it wasn't safe enough, so he wrapped it with a towel twice before biting it down again. Then he held a kitchen knife in his right hand and measured it against his arm.

Even the sharp blade couldn't help but raise goosebumps when it touched my skin.

Lu Xun considered himself a ruthless person, having experienced several life-or-death battles, but this was the first time he had ever operated on himself.

The coldness against his skin sent a shiver down his spine, despite his two- or three-ton weight. He knew that whether he stuck his neck out or not, he would be stabbed anyway. So he chopped it off. His black and gold eyes snapped open.

Knife up and down.

The knife slashed straight into his arm, reaching the hilt, and blood gushed out like it was free, soaking the sticky, slippery wooden hilt.

The towel-wrapped cooking broom was ground to dust by the fangs. Lu Xun felt his body stiffen instantly, and large beads of sweat suddenly appeared on his forehead. A low growl was brewing in his throat.

The cleaver looked like it was embroidered, and the handle was so slippery that it was impossible to grip.

Lu Xun flipped his hand and gripped the knife handle, crossing his arms and pulling the handle down as if he were pulling down a sluice gate.

"Ugh!"

The arm was practically sawed off.

boom.

The thick arm landed on the ground.

With most of his magical power drained, the gem on his forehead emitted a golden light, the bleeding stopped instantly, and his severed arm froze into a solid piece of jade.

The gushing blood rained down like pearls, hitting the floor.

Almost the instant his arm transformed into a jade mine, Lu Xun made a mental movement.

Head transplant.

Lu Xun, now Mr. Ni, staggered a few steps and grabbed the counter behind him, the immense pain seemingly not completely gone.

Perhaps the hallucination was still lingering, for his pale face appeared even more ashen under the dim light, and his hoarse, owl-like laughter echoed throughout the shop: "Haha, hahaha!"

Although he wasn't a serious jade dealer, he recognized several of the mineral veins formed from this arm: warm white jade, jadeite, agate, field yellow jade, chicken blood jade, turquoise... just the ones he could name were all quite valuable.

……

The dim streetlights couldn't illuminate the darkness of the night.

An elderly man, dressed in a thin shirt and a dark hat, avoided the light of the streetlights and disappeared into the darkness in the night wind, his steps labored, as if each step was both resolute and hesitant.

Looking at the vast streets, the lights of varying brightness, and the occasional barking of dogs and meowing of cats, the atmosphere felt even more desolate.

He didn't know where his future lay. After being driven out of his home by those people, he had nowhere to go.

He wanted to go to the hospital, but once inside, it felt like stepping into a furnace, as if they were trying to extract a tael of gold from him. He had neither gold nor money.

I wonder if there's even a couple of pounds of firewood left to burn after this old bone has been boiled dry.

That wasn't the hospital's fault, it was his fault.

If he were a little younger, even ten years old, he could still carry sandbags and unload trains.

He did that job when he was young; it was definitely not a job a human being should do.

But what should people do then?

Lost in thought, the old man unconsciously walked to the dim light source. There were two glass doors, and the wind chimes hung there like dying vultures. Not only was life unattainable, but even death was beyond his reach.

Perhaps this is the end of the road, the old man thought.

For some reason, a surge of power welled up in his chest, and his body seemed to ignite like fire. He glanced at the door, hoping to beg for some food and find a stranger to confide in about the almost hopeless situation in his heart, or at least to make his heart a little happier. He still had to live.

dong dong!

The young man inside the shop suddenly turned around.

What eyes they were! Crimson red like jewels.

The old man hesitated, then looked back at the street. The black fog was thick, and he felt as if he had entered another world.

The young man strode to the door, his pale hand gripping the cold doorknob. He easily opened the door and said with a smile, "Please come in, sir."

The old man looked at the shelves piled up inside; it turned out to be a general store. But he didn't step inside. He couldn't buy anything. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but his simple heart told him that if he went in and didn't buy anything, it would embarrass the owner. He should indeed turn around and leave.

Lu Xun noticed the old man's hesitation and his kindness, and said, "No need to buy anything, come in and have a glass of water before you leave."

He turned to get a bottle of mineral water, and the boiled water was just enough to make three packets of instant noodles.

"I haven't eaten either, please don't mind, old man." Lu Xun handed the old man a bowl, then picked up the small aluminum bowl and started eating himself. He turned on the TV, and finally, the TV had a signal.

Suck, suck.

Lu Xun heard the old man laugh, and he laughed along, but as soon as he started to laugh, he turned his head and found that the old man was not laughing.

The old man's voice was almost laughter, but it sounded more like a painful groan, turning into a low sob. He covered his face with his withered hands, and his voice was very weak, even his wailing was so cautious.

Lu Xun's smile froze, slowly crumbling, and he could only remain silent.

The old man's lips trembled, tears welled in his eyes, and he choked out, "I'm sick, but I don't have money for treatment."

“My husband needs major heart surgery. The leader of that cult said he could be cured without surgery, and that many of his followers had been cured. I gave him money, but they didn’t cure him. They even took over my house, so I’m afraid to go to the hospital. I deserve to die!” The old man slapped himself hard.

suddenly.

A pale hand gripped the old man's wrist. The old man looked up and saw a pair of bloodshot, scarlet eyes.

Like a raging fire.

Lu Xun felt the anger in his chest was about to burst out.

He hates people who don't keep their promises more than anything else in his life.

He said, almost emphasizing each word, "You shouldn't die, the one who should die is the liar!"

"Don't worry, we have money."

Lu Xun got up and pulled a sack from the corner of the wall. He tore it open, and inside were countless pearls and jade stones, red, white and green mixed together, shimmering with iridescent colors under the yellow light.

"We have plenty of money!"

(End of this chapter)