noffsinger Chapter 73 Where did this wild Taoist priest come from, putting on such airs?
Chapter 73 Where did this wild Taoist priest come from, putting on such airs?
"Young Master Guang, please calm down. How could I be the kind of person who kicks away the ladder after crossing the river and only takes advantage of others? Although I was unable to attend in person yesterday, I did not fail to provide the promised resources or clear the necessary obstacles." Mei Liangxing lowered his posture considerably, sweat beading on his plump face. He quickly pulled out a leather bag from his pocket and presented it with both hands. "Furthermore, I am well aware of the delay I caused, so I have prepared a generous gift to apologize and express my sincere gratitude. I hope Brother Guang and Master Man will forgive me."
He first opened the leather bag, inside were several medicinal herbs, some shaped like babies, some as red as blood, and the aroma of the herbs was overwhelming.
"I've heard that Master Man intends to use this blood sacrifice to refine a batch of 'Thousand-Year Longevity Nourishing Heart Pills.' These few powerful medicinal herbs are treasures I've kept for many years; I'm sure they will be of great benefit to Master Man."
Then, he untied the leather bag and poured out a heavy piece of ore with a dark metallic luster.
"This is 'Filthy Gold' from the depths of the Abyss, which is best at corrupting the spiritual light of magical treasures. Young Master Guang, your 'Filthy God Ruler' is incomparably powerful. If you were to obtain this gold, you would surely be able to break through formations and destroy strongholds more easily, silently destroying their very foundation."
Master Man glanced at the medicinal herbs, nodded slightly, and a genuine smile appeared on his face: "Young Master Mei is very thoughtful."
With a flick of his sleeve, all the medicinal herbs flew into the jade ring at his waist.
Zhen Guang's expression softened, and with a flick of his finger, the piece of filthy gold fell into his palm. After a brief sensing, a glint of light flashed in his sinister eyes: "Filthy gold, indeed rare. Young Master Mei's apology is somewhat sincere."
Seeing that the two had accepted the gifts, Mei Liangxing felt somewhat relieved. A smile returned to his chubby face, and his small eyes narrowed into slits: "As long as Brother Guang and Master Man don't blame me, that's good. I'll take care of all the supplies, information, and cover needed afterward. I only hope that when the ruins are opened, Brother Guang won't forget our promise..."
Zhen Guang toyed with the filthy iron ore, then casually interrupted, "Don't worry, as long as Ziyang Temple opens, we'll naturally split the profits as agreed. This deal is mutually beneficial."
"That's right, that's right." Mei Liangxing nodded repeatedly.
The Black Scorpion Monk watched this scene with cold eyes. His prayer beads paused slightly, and he felt increasingly uncomfortable. His gaze fell on Mei Liangxing's fat face, which was full of fawning smiles, and he felt an indescribable irritation.
Mei Liangxing seemed to sense something, turned to look at the person in the side seat, his gaze falling on the young monk. He put on a smile and asked, "This master looks unfamiliar. May I ask your guidance?"
Zhen Guang toyed with the turbid gold in his hand and casually said, "This is Master Hei Chai. We owe a great deal of our help with this blood sacrifice."
The black-clad monk loosened his prayer beads, clasped his hands together, and a faint smile appeared on his face: "Amitabha, this humble monk's cultivation is meager, and I dare not claim credit."
Although he spoke modestly, his gaze lingered for a moment on the bulging leather bag at Mei Liangxing's waist before he lowered his eyes and said nothing more.
......
At the city gate tower, several demons who were roasting flesh and blood around a bonfire suddenly stopped what they were doing.
"Where is that chanting coming from?"
As the sound drew closer, the demons sitting or lying down, tearing flesh or sharpening weapons near the city gate were all drawn by it.
"And there's the sound of pearls and jade... Who is this person? What a grand display!" an old goat woman said in a hoarse voice.
The demons all stood up and looked out of the city.
Under the moonlight, at the end of the mountain path, a procession of honor slowly approached.
Leading the way was a nine-foot-tall golden-armored general, barefoot, whose every step caused the ground to tremble slightly.
The divine general had thick eyebrows and round eyes, and his mouth was wide open as if he were smiling, but in this blood-soaked, ruined city, there was an indescribable eeriness to it.
Behind the divine general were six heavily armored warriors, each about eight feet tall, their faces indistinct, standing on either side. They steadily carried a double-eaved palanquin on their shoulders.
The sedan chair was exceptionally luxurious, with dragon patterns flowing around its body and five-colored flags hanging from its roof, moving on their own even without wind.
What's even more chilling is that a dark, monstrous dragon, its head and tail obscured, was coiled atop the sedan chair. Its scales were ferocious, and its eyes were half-open, with a faint flow of blood between them.
A person sat upright in the sedan chair, his figure mostly obscured by the curtain, only a vague outline of a large, fat man could be seen.
The leopard-headed man narrowed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing, and muttered, "Damn, this kind of imposing manner... even when that young master Guang from the Zhen family entered the city, he wasn't this impressive, was he?"
The gaunt old woman beside him frowned, her withered hands tightening their grip on the skull prayer beads. She whispered, "Fool, shut up. This Minghai City is a bloodbath now. What kind of good person dares to swagger in at this time?"
Before the words were finished, a series of chaotic footsteps came from inside the city gate.
Seven or eight demons poured out of the city, led by a burly man covered in scales with a single horn on his forehead. He had two blood-stained axes hanging at his waist, clearly having just escaped from a battle not far away.
He glanced at the procession, his face contorted with rage, and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva.
"Where did this shady Taoist come from, putting on such airs?" The burly man with the one horn grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, and reached for the axe at his waist. "Brothers, this sedan chair looks valuable. Looks like today is my day to strike it rich, hahaha..."
"Count me in, damn it, I hate show-offs the most!"
"Hehe, Old Dog is right, Minghai will not allow such a powerful person to exist."
Upon hearing this, the demons behind him were filled with lust, and they drew their weapons and rushed towards the procession with strange cries.
The leopard-headed man and the gaunt old woman, along with other demons, exchanged glances but did not move. Unlike the muscular men, they possessed some discernment.
These people all took a half step back in unison, protecting the demons in front of them.
The burly man with the single horn charged ahead, his axe carrying a foul stench, and cleaved down towards the forehead of the lucky general who had cleared the way.
Fu Jiang neither dodged nor avoided the attack, nor even stopped walking.
On its stiff clay face, the corners of its mouth stretched even wider, as if it were mocking someone.
Immediately, a dark red seal flew out from the sedan chair, and the burly man with the one horn felt a powerful pressure coming from it, and his body was immediately unable to move.
Immediately, a chilling arc of light flashed from the Bagua Xuanhua Axe in the general's hand, and a red line appeared on the neck of the one-horned strongman.
The remaining demons were so frightened that they turned to flee.
But then a dark green snake flew out of the sedan chair, emitting a chilling hiss. Fear gripped the heart, and the person felt utterly powerless to fight back.
Of the six armored palanquin bearers, the three on the left stepped forward in unison, one hand still steadily holding the palanquin pole, the other hand simultaneously drawing a long sword from their waist.
With a flash of light, three heads fell to the ground.
The three armored warriors on the right were made in the same way, and there were three more.
At the city gate, the leopard-headed man's face turned ashen, and he quietly hid his weapon behind his back.
The gaunt old woman staggered back several steps, her back pressed against the city wall, her withered lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.
Before the palanquin had even stopped, a deep and calm voice came from inside.
"Amitabha Buddha, I am passing through this place and have heard of the devastation in the city. I have come here to offer some prayers for the souls of the people."
Inside the city gate, there was complete silence.
The leopard-headed man made a soft gurgling sound in his throat, as if something was stuck there.
He wanted to say something, but he didn't dare to speak.
He had been killing in Minghai City for two days, seeing resisting cultivators torn to pieces and fleeing civilians being devoured alive, but never before had he felt such a chill run down his spine from a single sentence.