Three Kingdoms Lords: Starting by walking into the mouth of a giant python

Chapter 75 The Resurrection Method of the Alligator

On the shore of Dongting Lake, after Li Yu finished speaking, he looked earnestly at Master Li.

"You've been possessed by a demon," Li Yu said after a moment's thought. "Years ago, when I was cultivating with my master, he told me that there was a crocodile demon at the bottom of Dongting Lake. If it licks a person's blood, it can transform into that person's shape, steal things, and do absurd things."

Upon hearing the word "Alligator Demon," Li Yu felt a chill run down his spine. Hearing further tales of "absurdity," he couldn't help but think of his beloved wife. If he recognized the Alligator Demon, he feared she would be poisoned. If he didn't, then…

"I beg the True Man to slay this demon!" Li Yu bowed again and said.

"I am not a true master," Master Li shook his head. "When I left the temple to enter the world this time, Master Ye repeatedly instructed me—that I should not act rashly before my magic is perfected. Governor Li, you should go and find another master."

After saying that, he waved his hand lightly, and a plump and strong yellow ox suddenly appeared on the open ground beside him.

The Taoist priest mounted the ox and prepared to leave.

Leaving the temple?

Master Ye?

Li Yu, though rejected, was overjoyed. He blocked the ox's path and eagerly asked, "Is your master the abbot of Xing Tang Temple, Master Ye Jingneng?"

Master Li, perched on the ox's back, smiled faintly and remained silent.

Ye Jingneng comes from the Ye family, a Taoist clan in Songyang, Zhejiang.

He was a renowned sorcerer in this world, serving under several emperors including Gaozong, Zhongzong, and Xuanzong.

He suppressed the old fox, dispelled demons, led Emperor Xuanzong on a journey of a thousand miles to see the lanterns and visit the moon palace, stopped the Brahmin monk from thirsting for the sea, and rescued the white dragon guarding the treasure, leaving behind countless stories of immortals.

Disciples such as Wang Bao were also skilled in casting spells and using talismans, and could conjure water and incantations, displaying many extraordinary abilities. One disciple, "Chang Chi Pu," once drank with the Prince of Ruyang. After finishing his drink, he collapsed and transformed into a five-dou wine flask.

One after another, strange tales and legends spread widely among the people. The abilities of Ye Jingneng and his disciples also became deeply ingrained in people's minds.

Master Li's mysterious ability to "summon a yellow ox from thin air" led Li Yu to conclude—

The young Taoist priest in front of me is definitely from a prestigious school, or he may be a disciple of Master Ye.

The phrase "the technique is not yet complete" is merely a self-deprecating remark.

"Do not act rashly" does not mean you cannot act at all.

Besides, sending him to find other monks is not an easy task.

Once Li Yu understood the situation, he immediately knelt before the yellow ox and kowtowed repeatedly. While pleading, he said, "I am willing to offer all my family's wealth to repay the Taoist priest for his service in relieving me of my calamities."

After much pleading, Master Li could no longer refuse and had to say, "I will give it a try."

The distance from Dongting Lake to Shaoyang is several hundred li. Li Yu asked how to get there.

Master Li tossed out a [divine clay block], which summoned a tall clay horse.

The mud horse was so lifelike that Li Yu was truly impressed.

After about half a day, Shaoyang City came into view.

The two dismounted from their oxen and horses and walked into the city. The further they went, the more complicated Li Yu's feelings became.

Upon reaching the entrance of the Shaoyang government office, Li Yu was filled with fear and resentment, his face contorted with rage. Only after Master Li gave a soft shout did he calm down.

The yamen runner at the gate was dozing off with his halberd in his hand. Hearing footsteps, he didn't even raise his head and lazily said, "Halt, you intruder."

Unexpectedly, the person did not stop, but instead barged straight in!

The yamen runner snapped to his senses and realized that the governor was in the hall handling official business; how could he be disturbed!

He got up and ran towards the yamen, cursing under his breath, saying that once he caught this ignorant fellow, he would give him a good beating.

However, as soon as he took a step and looked into the doorway, he was horrified and froze on the spot.

……

Thanks to the laziness and inaction of the officials in Shaozhou, Li Yu and his companion were able to bypass the main gate and enter the government office.

Inside the room, a man, dressed in a scarlet robe and with a fish-shaped pouch at his waist, was fast asleep, slumped over a desk. On the other side, two officials were chatting idly while reviewing documents.

Li Yu and his companion suddenly burst in. The officials frowned, about to reprimand them, but when they saw Li Yu's face, they were suddenly taken aback.

How...how could he resemble Governor Li so much?

Just as he hesitated, a skeleton warrior appeared, riding a bone horse and brandishing a bone sword, and attacked the scarlet-robed man who was sleeping at his desk.

The officials were terrified and cried out, "Prefect, be careful!"

The soundly sleeping Prefect Li stopped snoring abruptly upon hearing the noise. He squinted his sleepy eyes and just as he raised his head, he saw a bone knife coming straight at him.

Startled, he instinctively raised his left arm to block it.

The knife pierced the flesh, and fresh blood splattered everywhere.

Governor Li roared in pain, overturning the court table, sending official seals, case files, and official documents flying everywhere, and slowing the pace of his skeletal horse.

Prefect Li seized the opportunity to dodge and was about to call his soldiers to capture the assassin when he saw Li Yu, who was glaring angrily.

"You crocodile demon, your deeds have been exposed! Prepare to die!"

Master Li shouted loudly, and Ding Gu turned his horse around and charged forward.

Governor Li cried out for help, summoning his registrar and the yamen runners, but Li Yu blocked them all from entering the gate.

The reason Li Yu and his companion barged into the government office was to catch the alligator demon off guard.

Otherwise, if the alligator demon is prepared and leads its troops for protection, it could turn the tables and accuse the two Li demons of causing trouble, which would be a miscalculation and backfire.

Outside, Li Yu explained to the officials and clerks of the governor's office, including the Sima, the Chief Secretary, and the other officials, about the "alligator demon from Dongting Lake impersonating an official" and the "disciples of the Celestial Master coming to exorcise the demon."

At first, the officials didn't believe it, but seeing that the civil official, Prefect Li, fought the skeleton cavalryman with his bare hands and seemed to be at a disadvantage, most of them believed it.

Inside the house, seeing that his impersonation of an official had been exposed and there was no way to turn things around, Governor Li roared and revealed his true form as a crocodile demon—

A giant crocodile, three zhang long (approximately 10 meters).

Its hawk-like gaze revealed its fierce nature.

With a slap of its long tail, the alligator demon pulverized the bone horse into a pile of bone fragments. [Ding Gu] leaped back to dodge, but before he could step forward, Li Yu waved his hand and called him back.

"You little Taoist priest, you've ruined my plans! You deserve to die!" the alligator demon uttered in human language. Then, it stomped its thick legs and opened its blood-red maw to swallow Li Yu.

"Heaven and earth are boundless, the universe borrows its laws, I subdue the serpent and send forth the concubine to protect my form. So be it!"

Li Yu pointed his fingers like a halberd, composed a catchy incantation, and summoned two [Snake Maidens] to fight the alligator demon.

The alligator demon was indeed powerful; it fought two against one and still had the upper hand.

Li Yu returned his sword and spear, joining the battle. With the combined efforts of the two snakes and the man, the alligator demon showed signs of defeat, and [Snake Queen] struck its left hind leg with a single fang of her tail.

Petrochemical, activated.

As the alligator demon fell, Li Yu seized the opportunity to thrust his spear forward and strike its right eye. The alligator demon reacted swiftly, its nictitating membrane closing in an instant.

Suddenly, the bronze spear spun and pierced the nostril at the tip of the crocodile's snout.

The alligator demon paused, and Li Yu lunged forward, using all his strength to push the bronze spear into the alligator's nose until the hilt was completely inside.

The crocodile demon roared fiercely, its head thrashing wildly, but it couldn't shake off the bronze spear no matter what it did.

[Snake Princess] The red fish took advantage of the chaos to petrify its long tail, and the alligator demon smashed it away with one of its tails, breaking the long tail in two and spraying out alligator blood.

The alligator demon seemed to have gone mad, shaking its head and tail, smashing doors and windows, and making the walls of the house teeter on the verge of collapse.

Li Yu led the [Snake Princesses] away, but the alligator demon took advantage of the chaos to escape to the backyard.

Li Yu and [Snake Princess] pursued relentlessly, and Li Yu and a group of officials from Shaozhou also followed.

After the crocodile demon assumed office, he embarked on a massive construction project in the area. He built mountains and dug ponds, planted bamboo and lush vegetation, and constructed pavilions, waterside terraces, ladders, and towers. People secretly mocked him, saying that he was "busy with official documents and extravagant with scenic spots."

In fact, the area has a well-developed water system, and the bottom of the pool is secretly connected to the Zi River, which is the escape route that this monster left for itself.

The alligator demon fled in a sorry state, leaving a trail of blood. It was overjoyed to see water and was about to plunge in when it saw a commotion erupting in the inner courtyard. A group of women were escorting a dignified and beautiful woman as they hurried in.

The alligator demon looked at the woman, opened its huge mouth, and before it could speak, the women scattered in terror. The woman's eyes rolled back, and she fainted.

The alligator demon tried to advance, but Master Li had already arrived, so it had no choice but to leap into the water and escape.

"Heaven and earth are boundless, the universe borrows their laws, restraining hair and sending forth fur, to assist and protect my form. So be it!"

Master Li chanted an incantation, summoning ninety-eight [long-haired men] who, together with the [Snake Princess] Red Fish, plunged into the water to chase the alligator demon.

As for [Snake Princess] Yaya, she took back [Fanghu].

Li Yu and a group of officials arrived shortly afterward and circled the waterside pavilions. Upon seeing the woman who had fainted, Li Yu hurried over to her.

When the woman awoke, she cried, "Li Lang, just now a giant crocodile tried to eat people!" Li Yu did not respond, but stared blankly at her swollen belly.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The alligator demon ultimately failed to escape and was killed by [Snake Princess] Red Fish, then dragged back to the governor's mansion by [Long-haired Man].

Li Yu drew out the "Nose Spear," and the long shaft of this [family heirloom bronze spear] turned into a deep emerald green, like green bamboo or soft jade.

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Demon-Slaying Spear

[Rank] Mysterious.

[Attributes] Sharpness 88, Hardness 68, Texture 55, Toughness 60. When there is an invasive attack, the destructive power is multiplied.

[Description] Strike its nine orifices, and it can be killed on the spot.

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The slaying of the alligator demon caused a sensation throughout Shaozhou.

Countless people flocked to see the alligator demon, and Li Yu, the governor of Shaozhou, hosted a grand banquet that stretched along the entire street. He personally dissected the alligator's corpse, sharing the flesh with everyone and dismantling the bones to make soup for them to drink.

After eating the alligator meat soup, Li Yu noticed that the [attributes] had not changed, so he took his leave.

"[System]: Congratulations to the player for obtaining [Alligator Resurrection Method]."

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The Method of Resurrecting the Alligator

[Rank] Mysterious.

[Attribute] By licking the blood of living beings, one can imitate their appearance. Or, at the cost of one [lifetime], one can create another living being.

[Description] Li Yu, a native of Dunhuang, served as the prefect of Shaozhou during the Kaiyuan era, taking his family with him to his post. While boating on Dongting Lake, he went ashore on a sunny day. His nose bled, and he was licked by a river alligator. Suddenly, a snipe reappeared…

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Yesterday was a day of nucleic acid testing for everyone and a night shift, so I wrote a chapter in fits and starts and didn't get to do it.

I'm so sorry.

The next chapter will be around 22:00.

(End of this chapter)