Is this NPC even playable if it's not nerfed?

Chapter 198 The Hidden Southern Confucian Temple? The River God Being Escorted
"Let them run away."

"As long as it doesn't harm my Forget-Worry County, I can't be bothered with it."

Lu Yuan waved his hand, not caring where the monkey had gone.

As long as it doesn't harm his Forget-Worry County, he doesn't care about anything else.

"what?"

"What about other places?"

Peach Blossom Fairy was stunned for a moment. She thought Lu Yuan would inquire about the monkey's whereabouts in detail, but she didn't expect Lu Yuan to not care about the monkey's whereabouts at all.

"I am the chief constable of Wangyou County, and I am only in charge of Wangyou County."

Lu Yuan said calmly.

"Ok."

"It's good not to meddle in other people's business."

"By the way, where's Third Sister? Where did she go?"

"I haven't seen her since yesterday."

When Peach Blossom Fairy suddenly mentioned Hu San Niang, Lu Yuan's expression changed instantly, and he looked somewhat embarrassed.

"Her? I don't know either."

"She probably went out to play."

"Ahem, I have something to do, I'll be going now."

After Lu Yuan finished speaking, he pushed open the courtyard gate and left.

The crowd was left stunned.

"what?"

"Isn't this his house?"

"Didn't he leave work? Where did he go?"

"That's not right, he said he doesn't work overtime, what happened?"

Old Zhang looked completely bewildered.

Yi Wushuang, who was standing to the side, also stopped crying.

"Fairy, what did you say? Why did the chief constable leave? He's not even going home."

At this moment, Yi Wushuang had no intention of crying; her face was full of curiosity, and her eyes were filled with longing for the melon.

"I didn't say anything."

"I only asked about Third Sister's whereabouts, and he turned around and left. It's really strange."

The Peach Blossom Fairy looked completely innocent.

Because she didn't know what she had said wrong.

"what?"

"That's it?"

"I thought there was some gossip."

"Forget it, I'll just cry my own tears, waaaaah, I'm such a loser."

Upon seeing that there was no gossip, Yi Wushuang reverted to her dejected state, weeping and wailing as she drank bitter wine.

As the saying goes, bitter wine goes down the throat and hurts the heart, chugging it down...

……

At this very moment, inside an unnamed cave.

Hu Sanniang lay prone on the boulder, a powerful and terrifying energy emanating from within, with a strong red light faintly appearing.

Her body constantly switched between her original form and human form.

Her lower abdomen was slightly protruding, and the source of all this power was hidden inside her lower abdomen.

It was this terrifying energy that forced her into a deep sleep.

As her consciousness drifted into slumber, her breath slowly rose.

Her bloodline was cleansed by an unknown force, becoming increasingly pure, and other tails slowly grew from her original tail.

One, two, five, nine...

……

The bottom of the Qi River.

A 30-foot-tall monkey was lying on the riverbed, running wildly downstream.

Its speed is extremely fast; even birds flying at full speed cannot match it by a third.

The underwater Qi was like a torpedo, whizzing through the water. Even the fishing boats on the surface only sensed an undercurrent passing by and mistakenly thought it was a big fish passing by.

"It'll be soon, it'll be soon, I'll be able to escape."

"That monster didn't chase me, it didn't chase me."

Qi's face revealed an expression as if he were human.

A mixture of fear, anxiety, and joy mingled with his emotions.

It's hard to imagine why a monster could have such a wide range of expressions.

I do not know how long it has been.

Qi sensed that the river ahead had widened and the water had become saltier.

It knew it was about to enter the sea.

In order to survive and to escape Lu Yuan, Qi even abandoned his own territory.

It fled to the sea, escaping that terrifying land.

It has already planned out its future path.

We left Dayong and headed to Southeast Asia.

With its strength, it's entirely possible that it could make a name for itself in Southeast Asia.

Even if we can't break out, it's better than staying in Qihe and waiting to die.

Who knows if that freak Lu Yuan will come knocking on its door and punch it?

It didn't want to die.

Waiting for resurrection is too agonizing.

"The dragon enters the sea, the tiger returns to the mountain."

"I, Qi, am free!"

With a loud bang, a thirty-foot-tall monkey leaped out of the water, accompanied by surging waves, and a light rain suddenly began to fall over the surrounding area for miles.

Qi manipulated the waves and plunged headlong into the sea.

From now on, it will never have to worry or be afraid again.

Lu Yuan, you can no longer kill me.

……

Dozens of nautical miles ahead, there is a small island.

There is a secluded village on the island called Zijia Village.

Zijia Village has a small population; the entire village, including men, women, and children, numbers less than a thousand.

The island is not far from the mainland, but the village has had little contact with the outside world for many years. It's not that they resist outsiders, but that the people around them resist them. The surrounding villages think that the people of Zijia Village are not mentally sound.

Zijia Village is quite peculiar.

Because the entire village, young and old, are enthusiastic fitness enthusiasts.

Not only do they work out, but they also like to read books while working out, quoting Confucius and Zengzi. When they hit someone, they will spout all sorts of strange and profound truths and show off their muscles from time to time.

Can you imagine a five- or six-year-old child carrying a millstone for training?

That's how Zijia Village is.

This applies to everyone, regardless of age or gender.

To ordinary people, they are just a bunch of weirdos, mentally unstable lunatics.

The whole village is full of lunatics.

Over time, Zijia Village became isolated from the surrounding villages.

……

In the center of the square in Zijia Village stands a statue of Confucius carved from stone.

The Confucius statue in Zijia Village is different from those in other places.

In other places, statues of Confucius convey a sense of solemnity, humility, and wisdom, often depicting a kind and benevolent elderly man.

The Confucius statue in Zijia Village is completely different; their Confucius statue is consistent with the appearance of their village.

With a fierce face and a tall stature, he was shirtless, fully displaying his terrifying muscles.

The younger generation of Zijia Village stood under the statue of Confucius. The men, shirtless, carried huge cauldrons and squatted up and down. The women, though not shirtless, were dressed loosely and carried stone mills with both hands, moving up and down.

Confucius said, “A gentleman who is not dignified will not command respect.”

Confucius once said, "If a gentleman does not use force when he takes action, he will not be able to establish authority."

Confucius once said that one should win people over with virtue.

"Now, my sons, let me see what your virtue is like."

An old man stood on top and shouted to the young people below.

As soon as he finished speaking, the men below turned around, revealing their muscular backs.

They raised their hands, trying to show off their muscles as much as possible.

The old man looked at it once, his eyes filled with disappointment.

"Ugh."

"Our Zi family is truly getting worse with each generation."

"In the past fifty years, not a single junior has been able to win people over with virtue. I am truly disappointed." The old man was greatly disappointed, and then with a forceful movement, his upper garment was instantly torn into countless pieces.

He turned around, raised his hands slightly, and the muscles on his back twitched rapidly, resembling a human face, exuding a fierce aura.

The younger generation below, far from being afraid, instead looked on with longing.

This back looks like a ghost face.

That is the back of the ghost.

This is the initial stage of winning people over with virtue.

Only by reaching the level of "ghostly back" can one enter the realm of "winning people over with virtue".

The so-called "winning people over with virtue" means that the muscles on your back can display the word "virtue," that everything you do is right, and that others must obey.

This is what it means to win people over with virtue.

This is also the highest realm that generations of Zijia Village have pursued.

This level of attainment is something only the ancestor before us in the entire Zijia Village can achieve.

The old man's face turned bright red, and the muscles behind him twitched rapidly, revealing the character "德" (virtue).

"My ancestor was invincible."

"Grandfather, may I touch your muscles?"

……

"Tell me now."

What does "A gentleman is not a vessel" mean?

The old man relaxed his muscles and returned to his original appearance. He turned around and asked his descendants below.

“Ancestor, I know.”

"What Confucius meant was that a true strongman disdains to kill his opponent with weapons; killing someone with ultimate power is the way of benevolence."

A woman below shouted.

"Good, Yong'er's answer is good. A true strong person disdains to kill their opponent with weapons."

"And the only people in the world who could do this are Lu Yuan and Confucius."

"To put it bluntly, I believe that Lu Yuan is above Confucius."

The old man said loudly.

His tone was full of admiration for Lu Yuan.

Because Lu Yuan's fighting style was just to their liking.

The power they have always sought is the kind of power that Lu Yuan possesses—the power to tear apart enemies with sheer force.

This is true winning people over with virtue.

“The ancestor is right, I think so too.”

The disciples below shouted in unison.

Just as the old man was patiently imparting his knowledge, suddenly, a huge wave surged up on the sea.

With a deafening roar, the waves crashed against the rocks.

Everyone looked in the direction from which the sound came.

A young figure rushed over from a distance.

"Ancestor, something terrible has happened! That demon monkey has come to our door!"

"The demon monkey demands that our village sacrifice ten pairs of boys and girls, or he will slaughter our entire village."

The young man was so angry that his face turned red as he poured out his grievances to his ancestor.

"A demonic monkey? What demonic monkey? How dare it offend my Zijia Village? Does it have a death wish?"

The old man was furious upon hearing this.

There are actually some monsters in the world who are so blind as to come to their island and court death.
Could it be that my fist isn't strong anymore?

The old man clenched his fist, and it hardened.

"It is the river god of the Qi River, Qi."

"Very well, very well, a mere acquired-realm spirit dares to cause trouble for my Zi family."

"My fists don't have eyes."

The old man roared, his muscles turning bright red, and wisps of white steam rose from his pores.

This white mist is none other than the righteous spirit.

This righteous energy circulates within the cells of their muscles in ways that are incomprehensible to ordinary people. They use the power of this righteous energy to temper their muscles, thereby making themselves stronger.

This is a unique cultivation method of their Zi family.

This is also one of the reasons why their family has become estranged from other Confucian and Taoist families.

"Ancestor, kill that monkey, skin it, and boil it into soup."

"Beat its testicles, pull out its tendons, and soak them in alcohol to drink."

The old man bent his legs slightly, and with a bang, the floor beneath his feet cracked instantly. The old man quickly rushed towards Qi's location.

At that moment, Qi, who was manipulating the waves along the coast, sensed the impending crisis.

A figure descended from the sky and punched it in the face.

This familiar entrance caused Qi Hehe to involuntarily take a half step back. When it realized that the person was not Lu Yuan, it immediately flew into a rage.

It swung its sharp claws and charged towards the old man.

It wants to skewer this old thing and roast it.

"boom……"

Fist clashed with claws, sending a powerful shockwave sweeping across the surrounding sea.

Both sides retreated half a step, and then launched another attack.

"Bang bang bang..."

You punch me, I claw you.

The fight was quite lively.

After exchanging no less than a hundred blows.

The old man suddenly shouted.

"A righteous spirit helps me."

Suddenly, the white mist that had been scattering around flew towards the old man's body and poured into him. In an instant, the old man's size increased several times over.

Righteous energy, like true qi, flowed through every inch of his body.

His power was instantly amplified several times over.

"A righteous spirit, you actually possess a righteous spirit."

"That's not right. Where would a brute like you get any righteous spirit?"

The River God of Qihe looked at the old man with disbelief in his eyes.

Is this strong sense of righteousness normal?
This shouldn't be the case.

Isn't righteous spirit only something that can be transformed through literary talent?
This old man has neither literary talent nor literary flair.

Where does this righteous spirit come from?
The borrowed righteousness is different from the righteousness one cultivates oneself; you can tell the difference at a glance.

The old man before them possessed an aura of righteousness that he had cultivated himself, not borrowed.

Qi was able to discern this.

That's why it couldn't believe its eyes.

"idiot."

"As long as a person acts uprightly, does the right thing, and is honest, they can have a strong sense of righteousness simply by reading books."

"You're such a piece of trash, you'd never understand."

"Punch me."

With the support of righteous energy, even Qi could hardly withstand the increasingly rapid punches.

The battle continued until the morning of the next day. In the end, Qi was beaten half to death by the old man's relentless punches. His limbs were smashed, and most of his body was ruined. After he could no longer move, the old man summoned the strong men of the village, who tied him up with specially made ropes.

"Quickly bring the boat over and send this demon monkey to the Wangyou County government office as soon as possible."

The old man gave the instructions.

The spirit is a treasure trove, but the old man knows that it is also poisonous. He can kill the spirit, but he has no way to deal with it.

Once the spirit dies, his entire village will be ruined.

He doesn't want to move.

He could only tie up the demon monkey and send it to Wangyou County, where the officials would handle it.

The old man remembered that Lu Yuan possessed a Heavenly-level divine weapon, which was the best way to deal with spirits and monsters.

Lu Yuan wouldn't refuse him.

After all, spirits and monsters are top-quality nutrients for advancing Heavenly-level divine weapons.

……

At noon, a boat sailed upstream, and the items on board attracted the attention of many players.

"Holy crap, the River God has been captured."

"Who did this? This is so unfamiliar. I never thought that someone other than Lu Yuan could capture the River God."

"Brilliant."

"Them? From Zijia Village."

"Zijia Village? I don't know it."

"You don't know Zijia Village? Then do you know Nan Kong?"

……

(End of this chapter)