Journey to the West: Starting with becoming an apprentice of the Nine Heavens Demon-Subduing Patriar

He had barely shown his face when he was startled by the scene surrounding the market.

"Don't make a move, don't make a move. This humble deity is the local earth god of Luoyan'ao!"

Lu Shanjun raised his hand, and the demon soldiers all put away their weapons.

The Earth God brushed the mud off his body, bowed to the four directions, and then took out a small ebony seal from his robes.

"I heard that a murder occurred at Huangfeng Ridge, and the victim was a merchant who passed through my Luoyan'ao the day before yesterday, so I came to testify."

The caravan leader trembled.

Lu Shanjun asked, "Has the Earth God seen this person before?"

"I've seen it, not only have I seen it, but I remember it very clearly."

The Earth God approached the cart, glanced at it, and nodded repeatedly.

"It's him."

"This caravan didn't rush to Huangfeng Ridge the night before, but stayed overnight at an abandoned temple outside Luoyan Pass. The area under the jurisdiction of the minor deity is not large, and he always takes a look at any strangers passing through."

"At that time, this person had no soul fire left, and his body was shrouded in a spell that concealed the aura of death. If I were not the local deity, connected to the mountains and the earth's veins, I would hardly have been able to see him."

The crowd immediately erupted in uproar.

"Did he die before he went into the mountains?"

"But they just said the person died in the woods of the Western Hills!"

"Can a dead person be used to frame someone?"

The Earth God smiled wryly, "I am a lowly deity with limited supernatural powers, so I could only hide underground and watch. In the latter half of the night, they even blew a strange fragrance into the tents of their companions. The fragrance smelled sweet, but I didn't think it was anything good."

Lu Shanjun looked at the pale-faced man.

"Bring it up."

The pale-faced man was helped to the alchemy testing platform, and his eyes are still unfocused.

Qingxu took a drop of his heart's blood and dissolved it with his true qi.

Sure enough, a thin golden-red thread emerged from the blood droplet, with several fine, dust-like gray-white talismans wrapped around it, wriggling like tiny insects.

"Reversing Blood Fragrance, Mind-Control Technique"

Qingxu's face turned completely cold.

"Someone first disrupted its blood and qi with the Blood-Reversing Incense, and then took advantage of its mental instability to control its body with a mind-controlling technique. The claw wound on the corpse's chest must have been left at that time."

"As for the blood between its claws..."

He dipped a little in and smelled it.

"It is the blood of the deceased, but it has been outside the body for a long time."

The truth has become crystal clear.

First, bring a dead body into Huangfeng Ridge, then use evil magic to control the patrolling demon soldiers, leaving claw marks on the corpse. As long as the caravan publicly complains and the Buddhist sect steps in to "exorcise the demon," Huangfeng Ridge's reputation, built up over several months, will vanish in an instant.

What's even more ruthless is that once the demon soldiers go berserk and injure people because of the Blood Reversal Incense, the fake ones will become real.

The gazes of the onlookers changed completely.

The initial fear had been directed at the demons of Huangfeng Ridge, but now that apprehension was gradually shifting towards the monks present.

In the caravan, a thin man suddenly knelt down, his face ashen, his whole body trembling like a leaf.

"I'll tell you... I'll tell you everything..."

The caravan leader suddenly turned around.

"Seventh Brother, have you gone mad!"

"I don't want to die!"

The thin man shoved him aside and crawled a few steps toward Lu Shanjun.

"They gave us the body, and they also gave us the incense. They said if we made a big fuss, they would give us a hundred taels of gold, and that after it was all over..."

call out!

A sharp shriek suddenly rang out in the night.

A Buddhist rosary streaked through the air, moving so fast that only a golden thread remained.

Lu Shanjun's eyes turned cold, and he flicked his sleeve to create a curtain of water. However, the Buddhist beads came too fast and pierced the thin man's throat almost at the same moment the water curtain rose.

Fresh blood spurted out, staining half of the alchemy testing platform red.

The man covered his neck with both hands, making gurgling sounds in his throat, and finally managed to squeeze out half a sentence.

"It's big..."

The body fell to the ground, and the blood-stained Buddhist bead struck a stone pillar, shattering into several pieces.

At the end of the long street, the sound of footsteps echoed.

All the martial monks from the seven monks' huts arrived, holding their discipline sticks, and surrounded the alchemy testing platform.

Hui Guan finally stood up, shook his kasaya, and still showed no sign of panic.

"The evil forces have misled the public, even causing a witness to falsely accuse Buddhism on his deathbed. This matter is beyond the capacity of Huangfengling to handle."

"This humble monk requests that the mountain lord hand over the white-faced man, the corpse, and the caravan members to Dazhao Temple. Once the high monks in the temple have investigated the truth, they will provide an explanation to all parties."

Lu Shanjun looked at him and spoke coldly.

"The witness was about to speak when he was silenced by the Buddhist prayer beads. Now the master is going to take all the evidence away?"

Hui Guan clasped his hands in prayer and said, "Prayer beads are for everyone to use and may not necessarily come from Dazhao Temple. Lord Shan, you must not be led astray by demonic influence due to a moment of anger."

"What a terrible case of being led astray."

Qingxu suddenly sneered. Holding the Xuan Yue Jade Token, he walked to the center of the alchemy testing platform.

"The body was dead first and then injured; I personally examined it."

"The Vajra Zen strength in the deceased's heart meridian is also real."

"The Blood Reversal Incense and Mind Control Technique within the White-Faced Man's body are also genuine."

"The land deity of Luoyan'ao possesses the seal of the local deity, and its divine light is pure and righteous, showing no signs of being manipulated by demons or evil spirits."

He raised his eyes and looked at Huiguan.

"You keep saying that others are driven by demons and evil spirits. Does Master Huiguan think that Xuan Yue's rituals and the divine positions bestowed by the City God are all acts of demons and evil spirits?"

A hint of gloom finally flashed across Hui Guan's eyes.

"The Taoist priest is young and probably unaware of the treacherous and unorthodox practices of the world."

"I am young, but I can still distinguish right from wrong."

Qingxu flicked his whisk.

"I will report everything that happened here to Xuan Yue. The local earth god can also report today's events to the local city god and ask the underworld to investigate."

The Earth God nodded repeatedly.

"That's exactly how it should be, that's exactly how it should be done."

Hui Guan's hand, which was moving the prayer beads, suddenly stopped.

The next moment, his robe suddenly flew up and transformed into a crimson-gold cloud, sweeping towards the corpse on the cart.

"This sacred Buddhist site must not tolerate the calamities caused by evil corpses!"

At the same time, several monks rushed towards the local earth god, their staffs falling to block all escape routes.

The scene immediately descended into chaos.

The crowd screamed and retreated. A villager carrying a bamboo basket was unable to dodge in time and was struck on the forehead by a monk's staff, blood immediately flowing down his face.

The monk was about to swing his staff a second time.

One hand, however, grasped the blood-stained stick first.

Lu Shanjun stood in front of the mountain people, his five fingers slowly tightening.

Click.

The iron-tipped staff cracked in his palm, leaving a fine line.

He glanced down at the blood on the stick.

"If you only want to compete with Huangfengling for the orthodoxy and incense offerings, I, Lu, can sit down with you and discuss the scriptures and rules."

"But you shouldn't use the lives of ordinary people as a stepping stone."

Hui Guan said sternly, "When exorcising demons and protecting the Dharma, some accidental injuries are inevitable!"

"accidental injury?"

Lu Shanjun raised his head, and a sliver of azure lightning suddenly appeared in his originally calm eyes.

"The blood of the mountain people shed under your Buddhist cudgel is worth only two words?"

The stone sword behind him was drawn.

A deep rumble of thunder sounded simultaneously from seven monks' huts outside the market.

Boom!

As the early spring snow melts, water flows along the mountain gullies into the market. At this moment, the dew on the eaves, the muddy water on the ground, the ditches beside the monks' huts, and even the copper bowls of water held by the warrior monks all light up with sky-blue thunder patterns.

Hui Guan's expression changed drastically.

"Retreat! Get out of the water!"

But it was too late.

Several days ago, Lu Shanjun used thirty-six water-drawing talismans to activate the mountain spring, and then used the golden wind to spread the water vapor throughout the seven monks' huts.

The water, originally intended to neutralize the Blood Reversal Incense, has now become a lightning net covering several miles of mountain roads.

Water has no fixed shape, and thunder has no fixed pattern.

As the Tao Te Ching says, "Nothing in the world is more yielding and weak than water, yet nothing can overcome it in attacking the hard and strong." Thunder magic has never been confined to the clouds of the heavens.

Spring dew can conceal thunder, and stream water can carry thunder; within a single drop of water, there is also the birth and death of yin and yang.

Lu Shanjun's stone sword fell.

"rise."

As soon as the word was uttered, hundreds of water lines lit up simultaneously.

The seven monks' huts were instantly engulfed by lightning.

More than thirty martial monks who were about to form a battle formation froze at the same time. Thunderous intent surged from the copper bowls in their hands into their meridians and then through their internal organs along the soaked soles of their shoes.

One after another, charred figures crashed to the ground amidst the blue light.

When the thunder struck, the entire market was so quiet that only the sound of flowing water could be heard.

Within Lu Shanjun's sea of ​​consciousness, azure light spread out like a tide.

【Mysterious Heaven Water and Thunder Technique (Beginner 300/300)】

【Mysterious Heaven Water and Thunder Technique (Minor Success 1/800)】

[Annotation: Water has no constant form, and thunder takes many shapes. Using the veins of mountains and rivers to lay thunder, the meaning is clear and profound; a superior assessment.]

Lu Shanjun felt no ecstatic joy, only a sense of clarity that came naturally.

He used to think that lightning was a skill he could master.

Only now do I understand that there is thunder in the clouds, thunder in the water, and thunder even in the growth of grass and trees.

What he truly sought to cultivate was never a bolt of lightning, but rather the crucial life-or-death mechanism between heaven and earth.

Hui Guan, however, had no time to worry about any of that.

He formed a mudra with his hands, and a burst of Buddhist light surged behind him, causing a guardian Vajra, six feet tall, to rise from the ground. The Vajra's three eyes were wide open in anger, and each of its six arms held a demon-subduing weapon. The lotus platform beneath its feet caused the bluestone to crack.

"Demon, submit!"

Six magical artifacts fell simultaneously.

Lu Shanjun's figure faded away in place, and a wisp of pale golden wind swept past the shoulder of the Vajra Dharma Image.

When he reappeared, he was already three feet in front of Huiguan.

Golden Wind Escape.

Hui Guan's pupils suddenly contracted.

too fast.

So fast that the guardian deity didn't even have time to turn around.

Lu Shanjun sheathed his sword and clenched his fist.

"The First Form of Subduing the Tiger"

A punch landed on the chest of the Vajra Dharma Image.

Boom!

The Buddha's light trembled violently, and the lotus pattern on his chest shattered.

Lu Shanjun took a half step forward, his shoulder and elbow striking out simultaneously. The sixteen-foot-tall Vajra was forced back three steps, its lotus platform beneath its feet cracking layer by layer.

When Hui Guan's mouth was bleeding, he hastily bit his tongue, hoping to stabilize his Dharma form with his blood and essence.

The third punch had already arrived.

This punch seems to be the lightest.

Where the fist struck, the surrounding mountain winds froze for a moment.

The Vajra Dharma Image, with its six arms, hangs in mid-air. The Buddha's light changes from bright to dim, and finally a straight slit splits open from between the eyebrows.

boom!

The sixteen-foot-tall golden statue collapsed inch by inch.

Hui Guan was sent flying backward, crashing into the edge of the alchemy testing platform. His chest was deeply dented. He struggled to raise his hand, took out a milky white relic from his bosom, and crushed it violently.

"Great Summoning Lord, descend!"

The shattered relic transformed into a beam of Buddhist light reaching the heavens. Within the light, an old monk sat cross-legged in golden robes, with nine layers of light wheels slowly rotating behind him. Although it was only a projection, its oppressive aura caused the entire market to sink slightly.

Qingxu's expression changed.

"It's Huiyuan!"

The golden projection looked down, its voice booming like a bell, echoing throughout the mountains and fields.

"Lu Shanjun".

"Release the monks of Dazhao Temple and hand over the murderous demon; there is still room for maneuver in this matter."

"If you insist on detaining my disciples, it will be tantamount to starting a war with Dazhao Temple."

Lu Shanjun looked up at the golden statue.

"Your men framed the dead, silenced the living, and then destroyed the evidence in public after the plot failed."

"Is this the Buddhist teaching at Dazhao Temple?"

Huiyuan's expression was indifferent.

"The Buddhist sect will investigate this matter itself; there is no need for demons to interfere."

Lu Shanjun suddenly laughed.

"So, the master isn't here to reason."

A great halo shone brightly behind Huiyuan.

"The principles of the world require the strength to bear them. Although Huangfeng Ridge has gathered nine hundred people, in the eyes of Dazhao Temple, it is nothing more than a demon's lair."

"Lu Shanjun, have you thought this through?"

After he finished speaking, the surrounding area fell silent.

Qingxu gripped his whisk tightly, about to speak, when he saw Lu Shanjun draw his sword again.

The stone sword was simple and unadorned, without any celestial aura or the cries of dragons and phoenixes.

Lu Shanjun simply gripped the sword hilt with both hands and slashed upwards. The golden wind and water thunder converged, transforming into a streak of azure-gold sword light that cleaved straight through the nine layers of Buddhist wheels.

Click!

Huiyuan's golden body split open from between his eyebrows.

A hint of anger finally appeared on that indifferent face.

"you……"

"Fight if you want."

Lu Shanjun pressed down with his sword, and the nine-layered light wheel shattered with a crash. Huiyuan's voice was also drowned out by the boundless Buddhist light.

With the stone sword held horizontally in front of him, Lu Shanjun's voice traveled through the mountains and fields in all directions via the water and thunder.

"All demons of Yellow Wind Ridge, heed my command!"

"The Dazhao Temple held a ceremony to spread incense and bloodshed, using evil magic to bewitch people. They committed murder and fabricated evidence, and when their crimes were exposed, they silenced the witnesses. They forcibly seized the land deity and beat the mountain people with sticks."

"Their methods are wicked, and their virtues are lost."

"Today is neither a battle between Buddha and demon, nor a contest of magic within a temple."

"Some people are using the name of compassion to commit evil deeds."

Lu Shanjun's gaze swept across the market, over the still-shaken merchants and travelers, and over the mountain villager whose head was covered in blood and who was still being supported by his family.

"From this day forward, all monks' quarters, branch temples, and incense altars of Dazhao Temple within Huangfengling are to be sealed off."

"Those who stubbornly resist..."

"Let's all punish them!"

After the last three words were uttered, the mountains fell silent for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, a deep, muffled roar came from the eastern mountain.

Black Mane carried the mountain-splitting axe and walked at the front, followed by more than two hundred wild boar demons.

"Black Stone Village obeys!"

The trees on the western hills swayed in the breeze.

Tiger Two, clad in armor and wielding a knife, led the patrol team across the mountain ridge.

"Baihujian obeys!"

Amidst the jumbled rocks to the north, Huang Sanyi's robes fluttered, followed by hundreds of lesser demons carrying torches.

"Huang Fengdong obeys!"

Fires lit up one hilltop after another.

The firelight, which was initially scattered, quickly merged into a vast expanse, like a galaxy flowing down from between the mountains.

All nine hundred lesser demons descended the mountain.

Some wore armor, some carried weapons, while others wore the short clothes they wore when working in alchemy rooms, mines, or fields. The men and horses were not well-organized, and their weapons were not as good as those of the warrior monks of Dazhao Temple.

This time, however, not a single demon showed any hesitation in its eyes.

In the past, they came down the mountain to obey orders.

I came down the mountain today to protect the spiritual wheat I planted, the Yellow Sprout Pills I refined, and the roads I repaired. I also wanted to protect the "fellow Daoist" that I had finally earned over the past few months.

The mountain wind howled, and the torches blazed like dragons.

Qingxu stood on the alchemy testing platform, looking at the hordes of demons swarming across the mountains and fields, his expression very complicated.

He suddenly realized that from the moment Lu Shanjun examined the corpse, this battle was no longer a matter of a group of demons fighting for territory with the Buddhist sect.

Huang Fengling had the upper hand.

They also gained an early advantage and won the hearts of the people.

From now on, if anyone mentions Lu Shanjun gathering demons to cause trouble again, they should first ask the corpse with the faked claw wounds, the witness who was silenced by the Buddhist beads, and whether the City God's Divine Register and Xuan Yue Dao Fa recognize it.

Lu Shanjun sheathed his sword.

In the distance, the bell of the Dazhao Temple branch rang urgently.

A sound.

Two sounds.

Third tone.

The nine hundred demons of Huangfeng Ridge departed to the sound of the bell.

After that night, there was no turning back between the Buddhist sect and Huangfeng Ridge.

But Lu Shanjun had been waiting for this day for far too long.