Journey to the West: Deer Power Immortal, Starting from Becoming a Disciple of the Supreme Lord Tais

Hearing the neighbors' request, Lu Qingxuan knew that if he didn't deal with the so-called River God, today's events would happen again, so he simply agreed.

"How long until the date set by the River God?" Lu Qingxuan asked.

"Two more days," said Madam Zhou.

If the date hadn't been approaching, the short, fat man wouldn't have been pressuring him like this.

Lu Qingxuan nodded. In that case, there was still time. With his speed, as long as no other accidents occurred, helping the other souls return to life within a day was not a problem.

Having made up his mind, Lu Qingxuan did not hesitate any longer. He turned to the crowd and said, "Everyone, I still have some trivial matters to attend to. Once I have finished them, I will definitely eradicate this scourge from its roots."

"I wonder how many days it will take? If it takes too long, I'm afraid we won't be able to do anything to those people..." a neighbor worried.

"If nothing unexpected happens, we will return in a day. During this time, everyone should keep their doors closed and avoid arguing with those people," Lu Qingxuan said.

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly, keeping Lu Qingxuan's instructions firmly in mind.

...

Lu Qingxuan traveled about thirty miles west and arrived at the second house.

It was already past midnight, and the village was pitch black, with only a few households still having oil lamps lit.

He landed in front of a dilapidated mud-brick house and saw a white cloth hanging on the gate, clearly indicating that a family was holding a funeral.

He knocked on the door, and after a short while, a haggard-looking young man opened it.

Upon seeing that it was a Taoist priest, the man was taken aback at first, and then said in a hoarse voice, "Taoist priest, my family does not have spare money for performing rituals. Please go elsewhere."

Lu Qingxuan waved his hand and said, "This humble Taoist is not here to perform a ritual. May I ask if there is a seven or eight-year-old child missing in this family?"

The man's face changed drastically, and he said in a trembling voice, "How did you know, Daoist Master? My son, Gousheng, contracted some strange illness half a month ago, and died in less than ten days..."

Lu Qingxuan said, "I have come here for your son. His soul was taken away by someone, but I have now rescued him and brought him back to life."

The man was first startled, then overjoyed, but after a moment's thought, he felt it was somewhat absurd.

Gou Sheng watched himself die, so how could it be that his soul was captured?

"Is what the Taoist priest said true? Can my child really be brought back to life?" the man asked cautiously.

"nature."

Lu Qingxuan didn't waste any more words and went straight into the courtyard. Inside the main room, there was a small coffin with several hard, dry steamed buns and a bowl of water in front of it.

The man followed behind and called his wife out. The couple looked at Lu Qingxuan with a mixture of disbelief and skepticism.

Lu Qingxuan opened the coffin lid and saw a seven or eight-year-old boy lying inside, skin and bones, with a pale and ashen face.

Without hesitation, Lu Qingxuan took out the jade bottle, released the boy's soul, and performed the revival, medicine feeding, and energy replenishment all in one go.

In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the little boy opened his eyes, sat up abruptly, and rushed into his mother's arms.

The woman held her son, tears streaming down her face, while the man knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly to Lu Qingxuan.

Lu Qingxuan helped him up, left him a few pills, and then took his leave of the village.

Over the next day, Lu Qingxuan visited five villages. In two of these villages, the people's bodies were so decayed that they could not be revived. In the other three villages, he managed to revive them using the Resurrection Pill.

Lu Qingxuan felt regretful about this, but there was nothing he could do.

The reason those three people were able to be saved was entirely because their souls had not been taken away for long, and even though they were dead, their physical bodies were still intact.

As for the remaining two, their souls had been separated from their bodies for at least a month, and their physical bodies were decaying, so even the resurrection pills would be of no use.

It was nearly dusk, and the western clouds looked as if they had been burned, their redness dazzling.

Lu Qingxuan mounted a cloud and headed towards the county town.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the gray city walls of the county town came into view.

The pomegranate tree in front of the Zhou family's house still stands there, but the area under the tree is deserted, with none of the troublemakers from yesterday.

Lu Qingxuan walked to the Zhou family's door and gently knocked three times.

Before long, Madam Zhou opened the door. She was both surprised and delighted to see Lu Qingxuan and quickly invited him inside.

"Master Dao is finally back. I wonder if you've taken care of your business?" Madam Zhou asked as she poured tea.

"I guess that's settled then." Lu Qingxuan didn't go into details, but instead asked if those people had come back after he left.

Madam Zhou didn't hide anything: "After you left, those hooligans stopped causing trouble, but the neighbors were still worried and would come to ask about it from time to time."

Lu Qingxuan nodded without giving it much thought. He knew what the neighbors were thinking; they were afraid that if he left, the matter of the River God would not be resolved.

Taking the tea and taking a sip, Lu Qingxuan asked, "Has Brother Long and his gang made any moves?"

Madam Zhou shook her head: "I didn't see them. I only heard from Aunt Wang next door that the short, fat man wandered around the streets today, but he didn't dare to go near any of the houses because they were closed. He left cursing and swearing."

Lu Qingxuan smiled slightly, but he knew in his heart that those people would not let it go. There was only one day left before the river god's sacrifice, and those guys would definitely make another move.

He immediately put down his teacup and said, "Madam Zhou, I have some business to attend to tonight, so please close the doors and windows."

Although Madam Zhou did not know what Lu Qingxuan was going to do, she did not dare to ask any questions and simply nodded in agreement.

In her view, since Lu Qingxuan had already agreed to this matter, he would not go back on his word. Otherwise, given his profound skills, if he hadn't agreed in the first place, they would have been helpless.

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

Lu Qingxuan left the Zhou family's residence without making a sound and headed towards the county government office.

Since the county magistrate had witnessed the River God's manifestation, he must know some secrets. Since he was going to take action against the River God, he needed to know himself and his enemy.

Upon arriving at the county government office, Lu Qingxuan's spirit left his body and went directly to the county magistrate, who was currently talking with his advisor.

"Master, a letter came from Long Da today saying that the Taoist priest should have left, and his whereabouts are unknown."

Magistrate Qian snorted coldly: "It's good that they've left. It would be best if they never came back. Tomorrow is the day of the sacrifice. As long as the boys and girls are sent over smoothly, this county will be at peace."

The clerk stroked his beard and hesitated, saying, "Master, I'm still a little uneasy. Since that Taoist priest was able to revive Zhou Mingyuan, he must have some real skills. What if he comes back and causes trouble..."

"He dares!"

Magistrate Qian slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacup to bounce three times: "I am, after all, an official appointed by the imperial court. What can a mere Taoist priest do to me? Besides, you have seen the River God's methods. If that Taoist priest dares to come, the River God will deal with him."

The clerk smiled obsequiously, "What you say is true, sir. But I've heard that he used to have some reputation in Wangjia Village, and the news has been spreading like wildfire..."

Magistrate Qian's face darkened, and after a long while he said, "Let it be spread. Once the sacrifice is over, the people will see the River God appear and will naturally forget about the Taoist priest."

"As for tomorrow's sacrifice, go tell Long Da first thing tomorrow morning to keep a close eye on those families on East Street. If any of them don't know what's good for them, make an example of the Zhou family to warn others."