Headless Immortal

Chapter 93: When in town, do as the Romans do
Qian Xiong clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Third Master, let us go and investigate first."

If it were a scam, wouldn't that mean the loss of the imperial army?

It would be better if those few skilled and daring individuals assessed the situation first.

County Commandant Lei Ji gazed into the distance, then looked away and nodded, saying, "Very well."

He then clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to the group of extraordinary individuals, saying, "Thank you all for your trouble."

"Please, County Commandant, take a rest."

Li Songyi was highly skilled and daring. The soft armor on his body did not hinder his agile movements. He slightly bent his leg and landed on the ground with a 'thud,' twirling his tiger-head spear.

Turning around, I saw Taoist priests and Buddhist monks floating down, scholars dressed in Confucian attire landing lightly, while swordsmen and sorceresses were more simply dressed.

Cheng Yan, who was also wearing armor, looked somewhat disheveled, but the old cat on his backpack and the gray rat standing on his shoulder lessened the comical aspect.

The eagle on my left shoulder let out a cry and took flight.

The scurrying rat and soaring eagle are eye-catching.

These strange beasts had clearly gained intelligence, their eyes sparkling; even if they hadn't become monsters yet, they were already quite intelligent.

He thought to himself, "This young man from the Cheng family is quite lucky."

For an ordinary person, it would be extremely lucky to have even one magical beast by their side, but this young man from the Cheng family had three.

"Master, Taoist priest, what have you two seniors discerned?"

Yang Shen bowed to the Taoist and Buddhist leaders.

Chen Jing stroked his beard and said in a deep voice, "Our Lushan Sect is rather mediocre in terms of illusion techniques and the ability to explore secret realms."

He then looked at Master Jueming, who was dressed in a plain monk's robe, and said, "I have heard that Donglin Temple has twenty-four rooms, among which the Illusionary Prajna Vajra Dharma is used to suppress illusions. I wonder if the Master could demonstrate his skills?"

“The Lushan sect’s Taoist methods are exquisite, and each of the five major disciplines has its own wonderful uses. Since you are so modest, I will make a fool of myself.” Jueming put his hands together, silently recited the incantation, and his eyes swept towards the peach blossom forest with a bright light. His Vajra Dharma Eyes saw through the forest for a hundred paces. The light gradually faded, and he said in a long voice, “This place was originally covered by mirages, but now it has revealed its true appearance.”

The implication is that this place was not created by illusion.

Qian Xiong raised the command flag and signaled with flags.

"Set anchor".

Lei Ji shouted loudly.

Rumble.

The massive anchor, made of iron chains, was quickly dropped.

Even the turbulent current could not shake the boat.

As the strong men turned the internal gears of the ship, the deck slowly extended and gently rested on the bank of the peach blossom grove.

In my childhood.

Hundreds of armored soldiers gathered and stepped off the deck of the official ship.

One battalion of men walked deep into the peach grove, until they were blocked by mountains at the end and could not go any further.

"Where's the road?"

County Commandant Lei Ji looked at Qian Xiong.

Although he possesses true qi, most of his skills are in battle and combat. Generally, these kinds of problems are handled by the constables of the Six Doors.

Qian Xiong held a talisman between his fingers, and it burst into flames with a slight shake of his wrist. He exclaimed in surprise, "Strange."

"try to find!"

Lei Ji immediately ordered everyone to search for the entrance to Peach Blossom Village.

Several highly skilled individuals, brought together by various circumstances, each displayed their extraordinary abilities.

Cheng Yan walked to the wall, reached out and touched it, then lowered his voice and asked, "Uncle Cat, this looks like a..."

"Squeak."

Grey Treasure, perched on his shoulder, poked its head out and pointed to a spot.

"Meow."

Lu Xun understood what Hui Bao meant and gestured for Cheng Yan to go and take a look.

Cheng Yan walked to the flat rock and reached out to feel around. Following his arm, he ran to the front and Hui Bao sniffed around. Hui Bao tapped one of the rocks with its little paws.

clack.

A gemstone the size of a pigeon's egg immediately appeared, and then ripples quickly spread across the entire wall, reminding Che Chengyan of the murals in the Zen temple behind the academy.

Upon probing forward, it was indeed clear that there was no obstruction.

"here!"

The loud, excited shouts attracted everyone's attention. Qian Xiong was overjoyed and said, "Once we wipe out the demon's lair, I will definitely report to the lord and award you a great merit."

County Commandant Lei Ji looked at the mountain but did not go forward. Instead, he said, "The space inside is narrow and it is not easy for the troops to move around. I would like to ask a few experts to lure out the monster. I will lead the soldiers to wait here."

"Half an hour later."

"If you don't send any news, I will lead a large army to attack."

Qian Xiong clasped his hands in a salute and sang, "Yes, sir."

Chen Jing took the basket from his two apprentices and said, "You two stay here."

“Master, junior brother, stay here. I’ll go with you.”

Dongsheng stepped forward.

"good."

Master Jueming also had the young novice monk stay with the army.

Just as Yang Shen was about to speak, Cheng Yan said, "Senior brother, I have to go in."

"you."

"Absolutely no problem," Cheng Yan assured him.

After all, he had practiced the sword manual for ten years, visualized the great demon, and cultivated the ape dance for many days to accumulate true energy. Now he could be considered a minor expert.

"them……"

Senior Brother Yang Shen's gaze fell on the black cat and the big rat.

"I will take good care of them."

Senior Brother Ma Ye frowned and sneered, "The confidence of a young man."

Even the monks and Taoists didn't bring their weak disciples, so what makes Cheng Yan think he can protect the fragile cat and mouse?

The naivety of youth will only be understood after experiencing the brutal baptism of the battlefield; the so-called 'care' is nothing but wishful thinking.

"Keep Grey Treasure here." Cheng Yan entrusted the mouse to his grandfather.

Then he looked at Uncle Cat.

Old Cat shook his head almost imperceptibly. He had come for this very reason, so how could he possibly stop here?

Say it.

Qian Xiong, clad in armor, led the way, followed by monks, Taoists, and students from Bailudong Academy. The sorceress, swordsman, and martial artist were not left behind, while Cheng Yan was placed at the rear.

The passageway was narrow, and a black cat lay prone on a backpack. To a human, it was dark inside, but the cat's eyes were a hazy light blue.

He could clearly see the chisel marks on the wall. It was extremely long, with a sliver of white light flickering at the end. It looked close, but after walking several dozen steps, a vast and open world came into view.

The sky is blue, the land is vast, and the rivers are clear.

The lake in front of us is not small, and a long bridge made of small boats laid flat on the water leads to the other side.

The old boatman, who was inspecting the bridge, stared at the group in surprise and asked, "Where did you all come from?"

Master Jueming stepped forward, clasped his hands together, bowed, and said kindly, "Amitabha, venerable elder, we have come here to vanquish demons at the invitation of Meilan County."

"No."

"what?"

"In a peaceful world, what demons and monsters could there be?" The old boatman chuckled as he tapped and pounded with his wooden mallet, while the cormorants beside him stretched their heads and ducked.

The bridge deck is made of solid wooden planks, and underneath are rows of small boats that are moored there.

This road must be used by many people, otherwise there would be no need for an old boatman to carry out such extensive repairs here.

"I've lived here my whole life and never seen a monster. If you don't believe me, you can go to the town ahead and ask around."

The old boatman, who had been hunched over, straightened up, pointed to the bustling town in the distance, and said with a smile, "That house with red walls and black tiles where people dry their crops in the autumn is my home."

Li Song gazed into the distance in surprise, and what came into view were orderly terraced fields and a small town built around the water, like a paradise without any trace of monsters.

He couldn't help but look at Officer Qian and asked in a low voice, "Is the intelligence wrong? This place doesn't look like a monster's den at all."

Qian Xiong took out a vertically rolled talisman from his pocket and gestured for Li Song to put it into his nose.

Li Song did as instructed, and suddenly realized that a gray, eerie aura had appeared before him.

"This talisman can detect demonic energy." Qian Xiong had prepared many of these scrolls.

Just as they were about to distribute the food to everyone, they saw Aunt Zheng wave her hand and say, "The government's methods are indeed quite good, but we are not to be trifled with either."

(End of this chapter)