Journey to the West: Starting with the True Lord of the Pure Land

The clamor and fighting outside the shop lasted for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before gradually subsiding and dissipating.

Only the mournful sound of the wind whistles through the treetops.

Before long, a series of heavy footsteps and cursing noises came toward "Sangengzhan".

The voice was filled with resentment mixed with fear.

"A bunch of blind fools! My brother and I are having a run of bad luck, and they dare to take advantage of our misfortune! Do they think I'm made of clay?"

A deep, muffled voice, like muffled thunder, roared, full of violence.

"Absolutely! Bah! A bunch of spineless cowards!"

Another, slightly somber but equally fierce voice followed:

"We just escaped from that Taoist priest, and now we've run into this gang of highway robbers!"

If it weren't for the fact that you and I, brothers, possess some skills, we would likely have perished in this Black Pine Forest today!

"Alright, alright, those bastards have been driven away. Hurry up and go inside, have a couple of bowls of water to calm your nerves!"

"That Taoist priest... that fellow didn't chase after us, did he?" The muffled voice from before was filled with lingering fear and bewilderment.

"They shouldn't have come after us. That fellow's swordsmanship is superb, and his fire is also quite formidable!"

But he's a simpleton, unaware of the importance of eliminating any potential threat. This time, you and I, brothers, have truly been fortunate.

As they spoke, a gust of wind swept through.

Two tall, burly figures, their bodies charred black and reeking of blood, stumbled into the entrance of "Midnight Gathering" one after the other.

The shop was dimly lit, but that was enough for the demons to see who was coming.

The first one was a bear spirit, twelve feet tall, with broad shoulders and a thick waist.

Its coat of fur, which should have been glossy and smooth, was now patchy with burnt and curled hair, emitting a foul, acrid smell.

There were several deep, bone-revealing gashes on his chest and abdomen, from which dark red blood was oozing.

Following behind was a golden-haired lion monster, its mane disheveled, yet still exuding its imposing presence.

But his long, golden fur was also quite tangled from the singeing, and his face was covered in soot and ash.

A scar runs diagonally from his forehead to his jaw, making him look even more ferocious.

The two demons walked heavily, panting heavily, clearly exhausted from their escape and fight.

Once inside the store, they seemed to have found temporary safety, their expressions relaxing slightly, but their grumbling never stopped.

The bear spirit plopped down on a bench near the door, making the cups and plates on the table jump around, and angrily said:

"Damn it! What a damn bad luck! I thought he was a fat sheep, but he turned out to be a thorn in my side!"

That Taoist priest looked so delicate and fair-skinned, yet he was so ruthless!

"How hateful! How hateful!"

The lion-like monster sat down reluctantly, its large, bell-shaped eyes still filled with fear, and said in a low voice:

"That Taoist priest is a tough nut to crack! He's incredibly ruthless!"

My fur is usually impervious to fire and water, but even a little bit of heat from his fire almost burned all my fur off!

I wonder what about the third brother...

He paused here, exchanged a glance with the bear spirit, and both saw the worry in each other's eyes.

These three demons—bear, lion, and tiger—are sworn brothers, and all have cultivated to the Golden Core stage.

They don't usually build caves or gather minor demons; they prefer to engage in risk-free businesses like highway robbery, murder, and theft.

With his fierce courage and combined attack techniques, he has earned a considerable fearsome reputation, and ordinary monsters are unwilling to provoke him easily.

Unexpectedly, I had bad luck today and ran into this Crimson Cloud Immortal.

After just one brief exchange, the three demons realized they were in trouble and had kicked a hornet's nest.

The Taoist's sword flashed with fire, and anyone who touched it was injured or killed, terrifying them to the point of losing their soul.

They immediately shouted and split into three groups, fleeing for their lives, agreeing to meet at "Midnight".

The bear spirit and the lion monster barely managed to escape, but then encountered several demons who wanted to take advantage of the situation. After a fierce battle, they managed to escape and flee to this place.

Little did they know that the tiger demon brothers, who were the fastest at escaping, were already dead and their demon cores shattered.

At this moment, the two demons were still filled with fear and were now suffering from new injuries and anger, so they were only concerned with venting their resentment.

They were completely unaware that the once bustling store had become unusually quiet.

Upon hearing these words, the expressions of the demons in the shop were quite varied.

Countless gazes first fell upon the bear-spirit lion monster, who was spitting as he spoke.

Then they all turned to the corner by the window, where the crimson-robed Taoist was sitting quietly, picking up strands of noodles as thin as green silk with bamboo chopsticks.

The bear spirit, panting heavily, walked to the counter, took out silver ingots and spirit stones from his robes, slammed them onto the counter, and said in a deep voice:

"Shopkeeper, bring me ten catties of fried heart and liver, freshly fried in hot oil, crispy and crunchy!"

Bring two more jugs of the finest blood wine! Let's calm our nerves and get rid of this bad luck!

The shopkeeper slowly accepted the silver and spirit stones without even raising his eyelids, only letting out a soft "hmm" in his throat as a sign of acceptance.

Many monsters secretly raised their eyes, their gazes darting around, their expressions strange.

They seemed to be weighing whether the Taoist priest mentioned by the two demons was the same person as the Jiangxiao Zhenren in the shop.

The eccentric and the gossipy exchanged a glance.

The skin-puller, mustering his courage, forced an awkward smile and cautiously asked the two demons:

"Lord Bear, Lord Lion..."

Did you run into some tough trouble today? Why are you having such a hard time?

The lion monster was already irritated, and upon hearing this, its eyelids drooped even more, a fierce glint flashed in its eyes, and it was about to scold this tactless little demon.

Upon realizing that the person asking the question was a troublemaker who frequented the area, and then noticing the eccentric man to the side, he swallowed back the angry curse that was on the tip of his tongue.

He recognized the two little demons; although their cultivation was low, they were errand boys under the old Corpse Lord, three hundred miles to the north.

That Corpse Lord has a strange temperament and is very protective of his own. His cultivation has reached the Nascent Soul stage, so he is not easy to offend.

The lion-monster weighed the situation carefully and had no choice but to suppress his anger, letting out a snort through his nose, his tone still unfriendly:

"Who else could it be? It's none other than that Jiangxiao Daoist who's recently gained some fame!"

He paused, as if feeling that this explanation was insufficient, and added emphatically:

"He looks respectable, with a clean-cut face, but he's actually a kind-hearted but ruthless person!"

Seeing many eyes on him from inside the shop, including some he recognized, the lion-monster felt he had lost face and raised his voice a few decibels.

"My three brothers and I met him outside the woods today. He had an extraordinary bearing and seemed to be a man of great skill."

I had intended to invite him over for a banquet, so we could get to know each other better.

Who knew this scoundrel harbored malicious intentions, feigning agreement but suddenly launching an attack during the meal, attempting to seize the treasure my brother had worked so hard to obtain!

That fire technique was truly insidious, igniting anything it touched; his swordsmanship was equally ruthless, targeting vital points!

My brother was caught off guard and suffered a great loss, so he had to split up and escape temporarily...

Hearing the lion monster's accusations, the bear spirit immediately chimed in, pointing to several gruesome wounds on his abdomen with torn flesh and charred edges, and said hatefully:

"That's right! That fire will ignite as soon as it touches you; it can't be extinguished or shaken off!"

Even from a distance of about ten feet, the heat swept over me, almost scorching my metal body!

He glanced around the shop and, seeing that most of the demons were listening, his courage grew, and he said in a gruff voice:

"I advise everyone here to be very careful if you ever encounter someone dressed in crimson robes and wielding a flaming sword!"

That scoundrel may look respectable, but his heart is blacker than the poisonous flames of the earth!

The two demons talked back and forth, making it sound very serious.

The demons inside the shop listened with varying expressions.

Those who are shallow and prone to bullying the weak and fearing the strong may believe it to some extent, but dare not make any rash moves.

There were also those who were meticulous or well-informed, whose gazes shifted between the two demons' disheveled appearance and the Taoist priest sitting calmly by the window, sneering inwardly, pretending not to know, and lowering their heads to drink their wine.

The Taoist priest in crimson robes continued unhurriedly, picking up a mouthful of clear green bamboo noodles and carefully putting them into his mouth.

He slowly sipped the cloud-leaf wine, his expression calm as if listening to an anecdote that had nothing to do with him.

The lion-monster cursed for a while, but seeing no one respond, he grew bored and waved his hand irritably.

"Enough! Why bring up such bad luck! Shopkeeper, hurry up with the food and wine!"

His gaze involuntarily drifted towards the shop entrance, and he whispered to the bear spirit:

"Big brother, why hasn't third brother arrived yet? Could it be...?"

The bear spirit's heart sank, but he forced a smile and said:

"Perhaps...perhaps we've taken a roundabout route."

No matter how powerful Jiang Xiao is, he can't possibly be in three different directions chasing us. Let's wait a little longer, just a little longer.

Even so, he couldn't hide the surprise and uncertainty in his eyes.

Not long after.

The waiter then carried several large, rough earthenware bowls and two unopened jars of wine to the table of the two demons, Xiong and Shi.

The bowl is piled high with thick, golden-brown, fried pieces of heart and liver, steam rising with a strong, meaty aroma.

Even before the wine jar was opened, a pungent smell of rust mixed with a sweet, cloying stench of blood could be detected.

The bear spirit and the lion monster, having narrowly escaped death and fought another battle with humans, were already starving.

Seeing the blood and flesh before him, the bear spirit swallowed hard, opened its mouth wide, and stretched out its large black-haired hand to grab it.

His hand was halfway up the ground when he suddenly stopped, his big, round eyes widening in surprise, and he let out a soft "Eh!"

"this……"

The lion monster also sensed something was wrong and peered closer.

The large bowl was piled high with hearts and livers, weighing more than ten pounds, and probably more than twenty pounds.

The two jars of blood wine beside them were also much larger than usual, with large bellies and thick necks, and the seal mud was still damp.

The two demons exchanged a glance, their expressions a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.

The shopkeeper of Sangengzhan is always a man who makes sure the money is exchanged on time and never gives an inch. Why is he being so generous today?

Could it be that they took pity on the brothers because they were regular customers and were in such a sorry state that they were showing some kindness?

The bear spirit's doubts flashed for a moment before being overwhelmed by the surging appetite and the joy of gaining an advantage.

He grinned widely, his face bulging with fat, and turned to shout at the tall, thin figure behind the counter:

"Thank you so much, shopkeeper! I never expected you to be so kind-hearted despite your cold exterior!"

He's a hundred times better than that kind-faced but ruthless so-called "True Man" who only knows how to use sinister fire!

His voice was loud and clear, filled with the exhilaration of surviving a disaster and a desire to please.

Although the lion-monster sensed something was amiss, he was too hungry and had plenty of wine and food to think about it.

It was only because the eccentric and reclusive shopkeeper was in a good mood that he took extra care of him.

He also gave a slight smirk as a way of thanking him.

The shopkeeper continued to slowly and methodically wipe the seemingly endless white porcelain wine cup in his hand.

He showed no reaction to the bear spirit's flattery and thanks, not even twitching his shoulder.

The two demons, having been rebuffed, didn't seem to care.

In their view, the shopkeeper had always been this gloomy and unapproachable, and not scolding him was tantamount to acquiescing.

I didn't have time to think about it at the moment; my stomach was already rumbling with hunger because of the strong aroma.

The bear spirit couldn't wait to grab the largest piece of fried heart and liver from the bowl.

The lion monster also picked up a jar of blood wine, broke the mud seal, and the rich smell of blood mixed with the aroma of wine spread out.

Just as the two demons were about to devour their food...

A clear and peaceful voice rang out from the corner by the window, which had been unnoticed for so long:

"The last meal before death should be quite lavish."

Humans are like this, and so are demons…

As soon as he finished speaking, all the noise in the store—the clinking of cups and plates, the sounds of chewing and swallowing, the whispers—came to an abrupt halt.

All the demons, regardless of what they were doing before, were now frozen in place, their eyes turning to the source of the sound.

His eyes held a mixture of astonishment, understanding, and barely concealed excitement.

"despair."

A very soft, crisp sound.

Chen Jiao gently put down his wine cup.

In this sudden, deathly silence, it sounded exceptionally clear, even somewhat jarring.

The bear spirit's hand, which was holding his heart and liver, froze in mid-air.

The lion-monster was about to drink the blood wine when it suddenly stopped.

The joy on the two demons' faces faded like the tide, leaving only a terrifying paleness and stiffness.

That sound...

They were like rusty puppets, their necks turning extremely slowly toward the table by the window.

The light filtering through the trees shone through the window paper, casting a dim glow that perfectly outlined the person's silhouette.

Dressed in a crimson robe, spotless, she sat serenely.

That refined and otherworldly face now wore a faint, almost gentle smile.

A simple, ancient-looking longsword leans casually against the table, its scabbard gleaming with a dark red light.

It was none other than the "kind-faced but black-hearted," "malicious," and "heart blacker than the earth's lungs and fire" that they described!

He had been here all along.

We ate noodles quietly, drank wine quietly, and listened quietly as they fabricated stories, slandered and cursed us.

The bear spirit's facial muscles twitched uncontrollably, and the hideous wound on his abdomen seemed to start to ache again, with a burning sensation shooting up his spine to the top of his head.

The lion-like monster's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

His earlier impassioned words about being "kind-faced but ruthless" and "harboring evil intentions" now turned into ice water, pouring into his chest and freezing his limbs.

The shop was filled with strange customers, all holding their breath in concentration.

His gaze swept back and forth between the ashen-faced bear and lion demons and the composed, seated True Man Jiangxiao.

In the corner, the eyes of the two oddballs, the goofball and the troublemaker, gleamed with amusement, as if they were enjoying a good show.

The shopkeeper continued wiping his cups.

His eerie green pupils seemed to shift slightly towards the window for a moment, but his withered face remained expressionless.

…………

…………

"Wh...what?"

Upon hearing the shopkeeper's words, the lion-monster stared at the pale, withered face behind the counter, his eyes filled with disbelief, almost spitting fire.

"All rooms are booked today?!"

The bear spirit was even more anxious than him, rushing to the counter and slamming his large palm-leaf fan on it, causing the gleaming white porcelain cups to bounce slightly.

He said urgently, "Shopkeeper! You mustn't be trying to deceive my brother and me!"

"At this time of day in the past, the place has never been full! We'll pay more spirit stones! Double! No, triple!"

The two demons were no longer as indignant and passionate as they had been when they were spreading rumors, and they no longer cared about the mountain of fried hearts and livers and blood wine.

Upon seeing the Taoist priest sitting peacefully by the window, I recognized his striking crimson robe and the ancient sword leaning against the table.

The two demons felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave; two of their three souls were frightened away, and five of their seven spirits flew away.

All those slanderous words from before have become invisible slaps to the face, burning with pain and a death sentence.

The Immortal Jiangxiao simply sat quietly by the window, neither speaking nor moving, which only made them more terrified.

Out of the store?

The forest outside was deep and dark; I feared that the moment I stepped out, the deadly sword light and the plague-like evil fire would attack.

Staying in this shop at midnight at least allows one to rely on the shop's rule of not fighting, providing temporary refuge.

All the strange customers in the shop held their breath and watched.

The one-eyed wolf demon narrowed its remaining eye, a nearly silent sneer spreading across its lips.

The shopkeeper ignored their questions and simply placed the gleaming wine cups aside.

Then he slowly bent down, took an object out from under the counter, and gently placed it on the counter with a clatter.

It was an iron ring, about the size of a bowl, rusty, with its edges worn smooth.

In the past, a dozen or so thin, bluish-black pieces resembling locust leaves would always hang on this iron ring; those were the keys to the "Midnight Gathering" guest rooms.

The two demons stared intently.

The iron ring was completely empty; not a single locust leaf, which should have been hanging there to represent the keys to each guest room, was there.

The shopkeeper raised his eyelids, the two points of ghostly fire calmly looking at the bear-lion monster, and repeated himself, his tone flat and even, yet carrying an undeniable air of authority:

"Yes, it's full."

window.

Chen Jiao gently put down the cup of wine in his hand, which was still emitting a faint mist.

His gaze swept over the two demons standing frozen in front of the counter, and over the empty iron ring in the shopkeeper's hand.

Finally, it landed back on the table in front of it.

On the desktop.

Besides a pot and a cup, seven locust leaves lay quietly.

The leaves are neatly arranged in a row, and in the dim light, they gleam with a warm and restrained luster.

He has been adhering to the principle of "cutting the weeds and eliminating the roots" for a very long time.