Headless Immortal

Chapter 125 Heading North

Since the King announced his seclusion more than half a year ago, Toothless has been guarding it for a period of time.

The black-armored and white-skinned fighters were at odds with each other and often fought.

Toothless had no interest in these matters, nor did he aspire to become the new king after the king's disappearance. He watched as the situation spiraled out of control, inevitably leading to a war with the Black and White brothers.

As a bird, he was at a disadvantage fighting two water monsters in the Water Palace, so he simply decided to avoid the trouble and returned directly to his hometown, Bailudong Academy.

This stay lasted for half a year.

A few days ago, he suddenly sensed a flow of energy, and he felt it must be the King. He first returned to the water palace in Xunyang River to search for him, and then followed the trail, finally finding the King in Hejiao Village.

After hearing Toothless's description, Lu Xun understood the situation and asked, "Where are the Black and White Commanders?"

"do not know."

Lu Xun didn't look for Black Armor and White Skin; the two monsters taking up a spot was troublesome. However, he didn't have time to deal with them right now. He looked at the village chief and asked, "Do you have pen and ink?"

"Have."

The village chief quickly sent someone to invite the village's fortune teller.

Usually, the village teacher writes the letters for everyone.

In my childhood.

A middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, wearing a patched long gown and carrying writing implements, arrived at the reservoir. As soon as he stood there, he was completely stunned. On one side was a giant snake being stewed in a raging fire, and on the other side was a monster with an eagle's head and a human body kneeling on the ground, bowing to the pale-faced scholar.

He recognized the scholar; he had seen him at the village banquet.

Although he was a scholar, he had not developed a sense of righteousness in most of his life, so how dare he presume to be a Confucian scholar?

Just listening to the village chief and the neighborhood head praising him as a great scholar and a learned man, I felt indignant and lamented the decline of morality. I was even less likely to go and make a fool of myself.

Unexpectedly, now that the man-eating monster has been eradicated, even the little monster with an eagle's head and a human body has been subdued and knelt down. Only now do I finally understand that the person in front of me is truly a virtuous scholar.

"Scholar Guo, come quickly!" the old village chief called out.

"I dare not call myself a scholar; I am merely a student of the lowest level."

Guo Huai quickly stepped forward, saw the table set up, and hurriedly sat down. Before his bottom even touched the seat, he quickly jumped up and said with a restrained smile, "With a gentleman here, how dare I make a fool of myself? Please, sir, present your calligraphy."

He nervously straightened the forked brush, smeared half his hand with black ink, and smiled shyly.

Lu Xun sat down gracefully, picked up his brush, and began to write; his handwriting was truly excellent.

First, he explained the situation here and the intelligence gathered by the Jingshi Army, then instructed them to send troops to Hejiao Village. He reasoned that the Jingshi Army, having been dismantled from their formation, would certainly retaliate, or at least send someone to investigate, to prevent the people from suffering.

He folded the letter, put it in an envelope, and then stuffed it into a bamboo tube. Only then did he look at Toothless and instruct him, "Go to Zhang County and deliver a letter to Gao Qingzhi, the county magistrate, and Senior Officer Gao, asking Magistrate Niu to send troops."

"It must be handed over to Captain Gao Qingzhi."

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty."

The little monster with an eagle's head and a human body grabbed the bamboo tube, took a running start, and transformed into a night hawk, soaring into the night.

Lu Xun originally intended to let Toothless eat before leaving.

Upon hearing the scholar mention the imperial military officer and the upright official Niu of Zhang County, the village chief immediately felt relieved and asked with delight, "Scholar, are you perhaps a general of the imperial court?"

His voice was loud, not like he was asking Lu Xun, but rather like he was speaking to a group of young men from Hejiao Village.

Lu Xun replied, "I'm just acquainted with the captain."

Now everyone had no more doubts or fears.

It's good that he has a background, especially since he knows the captain and Niu Qingtian.

Lu Xun looked at Shen Huo, the water ghost, and said, "You are going north to Meng County, and I am also going north to investigate the source of the drought. Let's travel together."

Shen Huo presented the wooden box with both hands, inside which was a piece of greenish-gold essence: "May I ask how Your Majesty is addressed?"

"My surname is Lu, you can just call me Boss Lu."

Where is the body?

"It's underwater."

Lu Xun jumped into the reservoir to dig up Shen Huo's remains.

Just as Shen Huo had said, the remains had long since become mushy and would crumble at the slightest touch. So he put them in a jar, saving him the trouble of cremation. He filled a whole jar before returning to the shore. He shook off the water from his body, and with a burst of magic, most of it dried off.

The large snake over there has already started to smell delicious.

Most of the village's iron pots are set up here.

Lu Xun wasn't afraid of getting burned, so he picked up a big piece of meat and took a bite.

The serpent was invulnerable to weapons in life, but after death, its body was no longer comparable to iron. After its scales were scraped off, its flesh was similar to that of a crocodile, but even chewier. It felt like tearing apart rubber rather than eating meat.

It's non-toxic, but it's likely to cause internal heat.

"Cook it a little longer."

"General, these are scales scraped off the snake, and these are snake tendons." The village blacksmith brought over several large baskets, which were filled with relatively neat scales and large pieces of whole snake skin. He said happily, "The scales are impervious to swords and spears. If they are made into armor, they can stop arrows."

"If we find good materials, this tendon can also be made into a powerful bow and crossbow."

The blacksmith was a man with bronze skin, clearly tanned from being roasted in a furnace.

Lu Xun opened the box in his hand: "Can you forge a short sword?"

The village blacksmith shook his head as soon as he started working, saying, "The village furnace is too small to refine such fine gold."

Lu Xun felt a little regretful, but he didn't make things difficult for the blacksmith. He sat down cross-legged and waved to the water ghost: "Eat before you go."

Shen Huo nodded and approached, sitting cross-legged. Looking at the large pot steaming before him, he sighed, "I saw this kind of giant snake back in Xian Mountain. At that time, General..."

The water ghost paused, glancing at the pale-faced scholar beside him, seemingly observing the scholar's reaction. However, unexpectedly, the pale-faced scholar's pale red eyes were fixed on the steaming pot, and he did not ask any further questions.

Lu Xun has never been interested in other people's origins, nor is he curious about his employer's secrets.

The village chief distributed bowls and chopsticks, skewered a piece of cooked snake meat, and helped carry the wine jars he had brought. He arranged the large bowls neatly, filled them one by one, and said with a smile, "These are all homemade plum wines. They won't make you drunk, and they certainly won't delay the great scholar's journey."

"drink."

"Dry!"

The young and strong men all raised their large bowls.

Lu Xun tilted his head back and drank, transforming into the appearance of the Living Buddha of Peach Blossom Spring.

Its towering figure resembled a small mountain, and its large, winnowing hands scooped up large chunks of snake meat.

The iron pot was like a small bowl for drinking in front of him. He opened his mouth, revealing a mouthful of sharp fangs, and crunched on the snake meat, tearing off a large piece.

"eat."

Having experienced life and death, the young men and women of Hejiao Village were no longer afraid of the Living Buddha Lu Xun. On the contrary, the blacksmiths, chefs, and private school teachers who had just come from the village were dumbfounded and wanted to flee in panic. However, they were infected by the great demon's generosity and began to eat and drink under the influence of alcohol.

Lu Xun ate very quickly, without chewing carefully. His gaping maw was like a meat grinder, munching on pieces of snake meat until the whole pot was gone.

This is no longer a display of lavish eating; it is clearly a great demon feasting.

Fortunately, the village head had the foresight to not only hire a chef but also bring over all the village's large pots to cook meat soup.

Half of the large snake went into his stomach, and the warm feeling made Lu Xun let out a satisfied burp.

With his giant hand, he picked up the large pot that was only used at village banquets and drank the broth as well. The many wounds on the Eighth Living Buddha's body scabbed over, and with a gentle wipe, the newly grown flesh was pinkish.

Then, the living Buddha, who was about ten feet tall, transformed into a pale-faced scholar.

The scholar wiped his mouth, clasped his hands in greeting, and asked, "Village chief, do you have any good horses here? If not, a donkey will do."

Gao Qingzhi originally intended for him to ride the red-maned horse, saying it had demon blood and could travel a thousand miles a day and eight hundred miles at night. However, the red-maned horse was very stubborn, so Lu Xun did not ride it.

The county government also had ordinary horses, but they were all sickly, probably due to fever, which is why he traveled alone.

Given his pace, he wouldn't be slow if he really ran, but he still needed to carry a water ghost and an urn of ashes, so he was thinking of finding a donkey or horse to ride. Besides, the road ahead was going to be difficult, so he needed to conserve his energy.

"There are no military horses in the village, and most of the donkeys have contracted fever."

The village head interjected, "Zhangjiabao, forty li to the north, there's a place that specializes in raising horses for military households." The village chief glared at the village head before saying, "Zhangjiabao is used to dealing with bandits; it's hardly a good place."

"It's out of the way."

Lu Xun waved his hand. He didn't care about the other party's identity when doing business, as long as they didn't want to be double-crossed.

He looked at Mr. Shen with some suspicion: "Can you walk on dry land without water?"

"All the boss needs is an umbrella."

Lu Xun took the sun umbrella out of the basket on his back.

Mr. Shen immediately transformed into a wisp of black smoke and attached himself to the umbrella.

"That makes things much easier." Lu Xun put the urn into his basket, and the village chief gave him a water bag to drink on the way.

Lu Xun slung his basket over his shoulder and stood up, saying, "My man delivers messages very quickly. When he returns, you can tell him my whereabouts. I believe the government troops will arrive soon."

After giving some instructions, we set off again.

"Please be careful on your journey, esteemed scholar."

……

Zhangzhou.

Hao County.

The camp was set up in layers, and inside the pavilions of the city walls.

A pair of eyes suddenly opened, and the array plate in front of them suddenly burst into a series of flames. Then, the southwest corner dimmed, but it did not completely go out.

The figure in the long robe stood up, his brows furrowed.

These twelve dry formations secure the water source, and the guardian monsters in each corner are formidable forces even if placed outside, making them impossible for ordinary cultivators to handle. It is remarkable that they were able to eliminate the 'Meteor Serpent' in such a short time.

The person who comes must at least be a colonel who can be ranked as a centurion in the local government.

"Strange, our spies report that there has been no movement from Jiujiang County."

If he were truly a high-ranking officer from the government, it's impossible that he wouldn't have destroyed the foundation of the formation while doing so.

The figure formed hand seals, using an array to activate the foundation stones of River Corner Village. The blurry phantom twisted into an image, revealing a scholar-like figure standing on the riverbank.

"A Confucian scholar?"

The scholar glanced to the side, revealing a pair of pale red eyes.

"Someone is coming."

Immediately, soldiers in armor entered the pavilion, cupped their hands, and addressed the strategist as "Military Advisor!"

"Tell the soldiers of Jingshi Army that if they encounter a red-eyed scholar, they should kill him without mercy."

"Order General Xu to take ten strongmen to Hejiao Village in Zhang County to re-stabilize the great formation."

After issuing two orders in succession, the strategist asked again, "Where is the holy maiden that the White Sect promised to marry into our family?"

The general cupped his hands and said, "Reporting to the strategist, they are disguised and have approached Zhangjiabao, less than 700 li from our Haozhou camp. Zhangjiabao is willing to submit to the righteous army and is making efforts to find women with Yin blood. It is estimated that the Holy Maiden of the White Sect will escort them to Hao County."

The strategist said, "Ordinary women are useless. All of them combined are not as good as the Holy Maiden of the White Sect. As long as Jing Shilang obtains this woman's blood, not to mention Zhangzhou, even Jiujiang County will be no match for her."

"Order Generals Zhao and Liu to lead fifteen elite warriors to provide support."

"Here."

……

midnight.

County government.

Gao Qingzhi stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, pondering how to delay for another half month before finding an excuse.

The imperial court has not yet replied, and there is no news from Lu Xun either.

Although his expression remained normal, he was extremely anxious inside, wishing he were the one on the front line. It wasn't that he didn't trust Lu Xun, but rather that Lu Xun was an expert in exorcising demons and monsters, and it was really inconvenient to have him sitting in the county government office.

He picked up the gourd from his waist, thought for a moment, then put it down and sighed deeply.

"Who?"

"it's me."

Niu Xiaoting walked to the captain's side and said with a solemn expression, "Captain, this matter cannot be delayed. I'm afraid the court will still think this is just an ordinary drought."

"We should carry out the execution quickly. Only if I die can you return to the capital as soon as possible to report back and explain the advantages and disadvantages."

Gao Qingzhi shook his head. Although he didn't understand the intricacies of the imperial court, he knew that the officials wouldn't suddenly realize the truth just because a county magistrate had died.

Just as I was about to say something, I suddenly heard the sound of wings flapping.

A large, black eagle leaped into the courtyard and asked, "High School Lieutenant?"

Gao Qingzhi shielded Niu Xiaoting to the side, his hand already on the long sword at his waist. When he heard Ye Ying call him, he paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "Not bad."

The eagle landed and rolled, transforming into a monster with an eagle's head and a human body. It presented a bamboo tube with both hands, saying, "The King has sent me to deliver a letter to the Zhang County government office, to be given to Gao Qingzhi, the Earthly Division Demon Suppressor."

"Your Majesty?"

Gao Qingzhi was skeptical, but he quickly opened the bamboo tube and read through it.

Niu Xiaoting had certainly seen monsters before, but he had never seen one as articulate and audacious as the Eagle Monster.

Normally, monsters would avoid government offices and dare not charge into military formations, but I never expected that one would directly rush into the county government office. The surprise in my eyes was quickly concealed, and I guess this was a tactic of the local government.

Gao Qingzhi's expression changed as he handed the letter to Niu Xiaoting.

Niu Xiaoting was busy looking at it.

"what?!"

"The three counties have already fallen into the hands of Jing Shijun."

"Jing Shilang, the drought demon..."

Gao Qingzhi said with his hands behind his back, "I didn't expect things to be this serious."

"Send troops to Hejiao Village first. I will ask the local officials of Jiujiang County for help. I'm afraid it will require the assistance of Commander Wei Zhenfu."

Where is your king?

The eagle monster said, "My king has continued his journey north."

"I'll go help him."

Gao Qingzhi turned to look at Niu Xiaoting and said seriously, "We two want to save your life, but it's also for the people of Zhangzhou. I can't stay at the yamen now, so we have to rely on you for the soldiers' support. Lord Niu, do you understand the stakes involved?"

Niu Xiaoting nodded solemnly, his righteous spirit burning brightly, and he appeared almost in a tangible form: "Keep in touch."

Gao Qingzhi grinned. Just as he had guessed, this Lord Niu was definitely a master. His aura was almost forming the shape of a wolf's smoke. He said loudly, "Bring me my Red Cloud!"

With a sword case on its back and a knife at its waist, a gray-haired gyrfalcon on the horse's head was preening its wings.

Gao Qingzhi, who had just mounted his horse, said, "I'll have Xiao Hui deliver the message to you."

Niu Xiaoting nodded: "Okay."

In the sky, nightjars with flapping wings circled.

"drive!"

Niu Xiaoting watched the captain disappear into the darkness.

The captain's words flashed through my mind.

two.

If Old Master Song is lying in the back hall of the yamen, then who is heading north ahead?
(End of this chapter)