plumnovel Chapter 71 Unscrupulous Officials, Monkey-Eating Owl
Chapter 71 Unscrupulous Officials, Monkey-Eating Owl
"Upon investigation, it was found that the abbot of Lingfo Temple was a spy infiltrated by the Western Sect, intending to collude with evil spirits to cause a flood and harm the people of Jiangnan."
The exorcists are still investigating spies in the temple and have no time to deal with evil spirits.
Furthermore, since the abbot of Lingfo Temple was executed, the Westerners have become aware of this and have launched a disturbance along the Yangtze River, harassing merchant ships and harming their neighbors.
Soldiers from various prefectures along the Yangtze River are currently engaged in defense and monster hunting along the riverbanks.
"Sadly, the Western Religion's monsters are cunning and hide deep in the mountains, making them difficult for soldiers to capture. We are now calling on righteous people from the people to go into the mountains to capture the monsters."
As Judge Shen spoke, he clapped his hands, and two yamen runners came out from behind the hall, carrying two heavy trays covered with red cloth.
With a faint smile, Judge Shen suddenly lifted the red cloth, instantly filling the hall with dazzling colors and golden light.
A collective gasp filled the lobby.
On the tray were neatly stacked gold ingots, glittering so brightly they dazzled the eyes.
The other plate contained pure silver, worth at least three to five hundred taels.
The house is filled with gold and silver.
The previously boastful knight-errant forgot to bring his wine gourd to his lips, his eyes fixed on the pile of gold.
The butcher dropped the toothpick from his hand, his mouth agape for a long time before he finally uttered in a muffled voice:
"Goodness, I couldn't earn this much even if I slaughtered pigs my whole life."
Song Quyou glanced at the butcher, who was burly and had a dark face, looking very much like the dark-faced man who had caused trouble in front of Lingfo Temple with his wife.
The scholar-like man remained calm, gently waving his iron fan, though a hint of eagerness flickered in his eyes.
On the contrary, the Taoist priest and the Buddhist monk inside the house kept their eyes closed, seemingly unmoved.
Judge Shen placed his hand on the gold and silver, his gaze sweeping over the crowd below, and slowly said:
"This is just the initial capital prepared by the government for you all. There will be a generous reward after the matter is completed."
Furthermore, the Demon Extermination Guard has announced that anyone who slays ten or more demons can be registered in the Demon Extermination Guard and receive a salary from the imperial court.
Upon hearing that he could become an official, the composed scholar stopped waving his iron fan, snapped it shut, and stared intently at Magistrate Shen with eager eyes.
Seeing that everyone was interested, Magistrate Shen pressed his advantage and said:
"You all need to be extra careful when you go into the mountains. Soldiers will be waiting for you at the foot of the mountain. If there is any danger, you can go to the barracks at the foot of the mountain immediately, or you can go to the riverbank to seek the protection of the patrolling county soldiers."
Furthermore, for every demon you slay, you must cut off its head as proof. The government will calculate your merits accordingly, without deceiving anyone, young or old.
As soon as Judge Shen finished speaking, a chorus of agreement immediately filled the hall.
The wandering swordsman raised his gourd again, took a swig, wiped his mouth, and laughed:
"I'm short on cash right now, and slaying demons can even improve my future. Where else can I find such a good deal?"
The scholar stood up and laughed loudly, "'I'd lift Mount Tai for meat and pour the Eastern Sea for wine.' I'm determined to enjoy this imperial salary."
……
For a moment, the hall was filled with grand pronouncements, and the atmosphere was so enthusiastic that it was as if gold and silver had already been distributed and official titles had been awarded.
Song Quyou's gaze passed over the pile of gold and silver and landed on the Taoist priest and the monk from before.
The two men remained seated with their eyes closed throughout, neither seeing nor hearing, and unmoved.
Song Quyou's brows suddenly furrowed. The old beggar who had been lying on the floor in the main hall had somehow appeared beside him without his noticing.
The old beggar leaned against the corner of the wall, his disheveled hair covering his face, revealing only one cloudy yet inexplicably bright eye, which was scrutinizing him with a half-smile.
Song Quyou felt a slight chill in his heart, but his face remained calm as he simply pulled his longsword closer to his chest.
The old beggar leaned closer, sat down next to Song Quyou's chair, and stared at the long sword in Song Quyou's arms, saying:
"Young man, that stick you're carrying is really straight. How about we trade?"
Song Quyou lightly touched the scabbard with his finger and said calmly:
"Old man, you're joking. It's just something for self-defense when you're out and about. If you were to switch with me, neither of us would find it convenient to use."
The old beggar grinned, revealing a few yellow teeth, then hugged the greasy dog-beating stick closer to his chest and said in a low voice:
"Young man, things are in chaos along the river lately. It's not peaceful in the water or in the mountains. Everyone's fighting for territory."
"Besides, these officials are really wicked. Their own children eat government food and occupy positions, but when trouble comes, they make us, who have no connections, risk our lives."
As he spoke, the old beggar took out a dark black sesame candy from his pocket and handed it to Song Quyou.
Song Quyou smiled faintly, showing no disgust, and naturally put the sesame candy into his mouth. Although the sesame candy was a bit hard, it was full of sesame flavor after being chewed.
The old beggar lowered his voice to a whisper: "If this old beggar has a word to say, don't be a troublemaker, and don't covet gold, silver, or official positions."
Those truly capable individuals in this hall are perfectly aware of the situation.
After saying this, the old beggar stood up, leaning on his cane, and swayed as he walked to another corner, humming a tuneless little tune:
"A house full of gold and silver is not as good as a piece of candy from the celestial beings..."
Song Quyou chewed on the sesame candy, his gaze sweeping across the hall without making a sound.
Judge Shen was still explaining the rules for entering the mountains.
The crowd below was already itching for a fight, wishing they could immediately grab their knives and head up the mountain.
The wandering knight tied the wine gourd back to his waist, the butcher began sharpening his knife, and the scholar with the iron fan stood up and bowed to Judge Shen, spouting generous words of "willing to serve the court."
Song Quyou turned his gaze back to another corner of the hall, where the old beggar had found a secluded spot where no one would notice him. He was curled up, his dog-beating stick resting on his lap, his disheveled hair covering his face, and he had fallen asleep, snoring softly.
……
Sunset.
Judge Shen divided the group into several teams and arranged routes for them to enter the mountains.
When it was Song Quyou's turn, the clerk who was leading the way saw that he was wearing a bamboo hat and was taciturn, so he assumed that he was a wandering Taoist priest and casually put him into a group of four. The leader of the group was the scholar with the iron fan, whose surname was Lu.
Scholar Lu, holding an iron fan and full of vigor, cupped his hands to the crowd and said:
"Gentlemen, if we work together in this mountain expedition, we will surely be able to slay the demon and achieve merit in no time."
The wandering swordsman, surnamed Liu, carried a goose-feather saber, took a swig of wine, and laughed:
"Scholars are good at talking. We don't care about official positions. We just want real money."
The butcher, surnamed Wang, chuckled as he carried a cleaver, "That's right, that's right."
Song Quyou lagged behind at the back of the group, his straw hat pulled low, silently following along.
Heading northwest out of the city, the terrain gradually rises and the forests become denser.
Although the mountain is not particularly steep, it stretches for dozens of miles with ravines and gullies, making it an easy place for evil spirits to hide.
……
As Shen Tongpan watched the groups of people ascending the mountain, he shook his head and sighed softly, his mind filled with countless thoughts:
The government was willing to spend a lot of money, use force to recruit people, and promise them official positions in order to get them to come up the mountain. For the usually stingy officials, there was no such good deal.
As for the true situation, the extent of the demonic threat, and the news of the great losses suffered by the demon-slaying guards, I will keep quiet as much as possible to avoid causing panic.
It's a pity about these people; it's unknown how many will survive.
The various sects and factions in Zhongtian disobeyed the imperial court's orders. Although the demon-slaying guards in various regions were quite capable, they were ultimately outnumbered and no match for organized groups of demons.
In the end, all that was left was to send this group of unorthodox individuals to their deaths by finding the Western Sect's demon soldiers.
This was done to buy time, allowing more demon-slaying guards to arrive and cooperate with the army before finally eliminating the evil spirits.
As for Lingfo Temple, it was originally a famous temple in Qiantang County. If a Western spies could sit in the position of abbot, how many snakes, insects, rats and ants were not exposed under him?
How many of these Western sects, who especially like to subdue evil demons as protectors, are hiding along the banks of this great river?
Foreign religious sects may seem harmless and benevolent in their efforts to educate the people, but ultimately they are undermining the very foundation of the nation.
……
Song Quyou and his party entered the mountains.
The mountain road leads deeper and deeper.
At first there were small paths trodden by woodcutters, but later even those paths disappeared.
It was early spring, after all; there were no insects chirping, only a cool breeze.
The surrounding mountains and forests were bare, with no new leaves yet.
Although the woods were dense, light still penetrated through, so it wasn't too dark in the mountains.
After walking for about half an hour, it became completely dark.
Lu Shusheng led the way, clearing the path with his iron fan, pushing aside the withered branches, and encouraging himself as he spoke:
"Please don't panic, everyone. In my younger days, I traveled through Lingnan, and traveling through mountainous areas at night was a common occurrence for me..."
Before the words were finished, a mournful cry suddenly came from deep in the forest.
The sound was high-pitched and drawn-out, like a baby crying at night or a wild cat calling in heat, echoing and swirling through the mountains and forests, making it impossible to discern its direction for a moment.
With a clang, Liu Youxia drew his goose-feather saber, the blade gleaming coldly in the twilight.
He shouted loudly, as if to embolden himself: "You're playing tricks, get out here now!"
Butcher Wang, gripping his cleaver, spat on the ground, his massive muscles trembling, and roared:
"Damn it, get out here, or I'll chop you up with one stroke."
Song Quyou stopped.
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping across the surrounding tree trunks beneath his straw hat. The bare branches swayed in the night wind, casting messy shadows.
But there is a shadow.
The shadow was thicker than the tree trunk and was wriggling slightly, as if a large fruit was growing on the trunk.
"In the tree," Song Quyou said in a very soft voice.
The group of people all looked up at the same time.
On the tree trunk three zhang above their heads, there was a dark, lumpy thing, about the size of a three or four-year-old child, lying on it. Its two paws were bent back against the bark, pressing down on a limp, boneless monkey, which was dripping red sap.
The creature's head spun around a few times before stopping, revealing a cat-like face with two eyes that had no pupils. They looked like two clumps of cotton that had rolled around in a coal pile, black with messy white patches, making it appear particularly listless.
But its mouth stretched from ear to ear, revealing a dense array of tiny, sharp teeth in its pointed beak, and from its throat came a cry like that of an infant.
After crying, she didn't forget to tear at the monkey at her feet.
"My goodness! This thing is so ugly! Even uglier than the kid next door. Do you think any bird would like you looking like that?" Butcher Wang exclaimed in surprise.
Hearing the mockery, the creature opened its beak, its infant cry suddenly turning into a shrill scream, and with a loosening of its claws, it pounced straight at Butcher Wang.
Under the moonlight, the strange bird spread its wings, which were half a meter long, in mid-air, stirring up a foul wind.
Although Butcher Wang was sharp-tongued, he was quick to react. He held the cleaver horizontally in front of his chest and suddenly parried, with a "clang" that sent sparks flying, as if he had struck iron or stone.
The bird was incredibly strong; it jolted him back three steps, causing his back to slam into an old tree, which shook the branches.
Liu Youxia reacted even faster, twirling his goose-feather saber and seizing the moment when the strange bird landed, he slashed at the back of its neck.
The blade penetrated half an inch into the flesh, but could not go any further.
The strange bird, in pain, suddenly cried out ten times louder, piercing the eardrums, and flung Liu Youxia, sword and all, away.
"Damn it, this hairy beast has become a spirit!"
Liu Youxia rolled to his feet, a bloody gash on his shoulder from the strange bird's wing, but he ignored it, took another swig of wine, and charged forward again with his knife.
The strange bird was slashed, and black fluid seeped from its neck, yet it grew even more ferocious, its cries of pain growing ever more piercing, and the foul wind whipped up by its wings sent the withered leaves flying everywhere.
Seeing that the three of them were covering their ears and looking flustered, Song Quyou decided to help them and uttered a single word:
"ban!"
The strange bird, which had been wide open, now closed its mouth, and its piercing shriek turned into a low, mournful whine.
Although it had lost its shriek, its ferocity remained undiminished. Its enormous wings still flapped wildly, and the foul winds it stirred up made it difficult for the butcher and the wandering knight to open their eyes and stand firm.
Blinded by the stench, Butcher Wang swung his cleaver wildly in fright.
The wandering swordsman Liu was quite composed. He half-squatted, holding a knife in one hand and shielding himself from the wind with the other, while half-closing his eyes to observe the strange bird's movements.
"Brother Wang, Brother Liu, don't panic."
But then Lu Shusheng unfurled his iron fan, revealing patterns on its surface that were actually talismans. He then began chanting incantations:
"The profound origin of Heaven and Earth, the root of all Qi. Through countless eons of cultivation, I will attain my divine powers..."
The iron fan swung violently at the strange bird, and a golden light flew out from the fan, striking the bird's side and burning a patch of it black.
"Brother Lu, what excellent skills you have!"
With a shout of praise, Liu Youxia took advantage of the strange bird's staggering pain and swung his goose-feather saber horizontally across its waist, the strike carrying all his might.
The sharp blade sliced into the dark flesh, splattering out a foul-smelling liquid.
Butcher Wang opened his eyes, the cleaver stabbing in from the side, cursing under his breath:
"You fucking howl like that, it sounds like my wife is in postpartum confinement, it's driving me crazy."
With the three of them attacking together, the strange bird's cries gradually weakened, and its wings flapping power was mostly exhausted. Finally, it collapsed into a pile of fallen leaves, twitched a few times, and then lay still.
The dark liquid soaked the ground, emitting a pungent, fishy stench.
Panting heavily, Butcher Wang stepped on the monster bird's corpse, pulled out his cleaver, the blade stained with thick black blood.
He leaned closer and sniffed it, nearly vomiting up his food. He rubbed it disgustedly on the fallen leaves, but finding it wouldn't get clean, he stuck it back into the soil and poked at it repeatedly.
"This beast's blood is rotten."
Liu Youxia leaned against a tree, tore off a strip of cloth to bandage the wound on his shoulder, but his mouth didn't stop. He looked at Lu Shusheng and grinned:
"Brother Lu, this fan is actually a magical artifact. That golden light just now was far more effective than my broken sword."
Scholar Lu closed his iron fan, waved it lightly twice, a hint of smugness on his face, but feigned humility and waved his hand, saying:
"Not at all, not at all. My ancestors had some affinity with Taoism and passed down some minor skills. I hope Brother Liu won't laugh at me."
Brother Wang's strength is truly astonishing; he withstood the strange bird's attack without sustaining a scratch.
Wang the butcher grinned from ear to ear at the praise, patting his chest with his cleaver, making a loud thud: "That's right, I slaughter pigs all day long, and I can carry half a carcass of pork for three miles without getting out of breath. I have that much strength."
Amidst their mutual boasting, Song Quyou had vanished without a trace.
Liu Youxia suddenly exclaimed "Huh?" and looked around, asking, "Where's that brother wearing the bamboo hat?"
Butcher Wang pulled his cleaver out of the ground, wiped it on his trouser leg, and looked around. "Strange," he muttered, "it was just standing there a moment ago, how did it disappear in the blink of an eye?"
Lu Shusheng frowned slightly, tapped his iron fan in his palm, and said, "Could it be that they were frightened and scattered when the strange bird swooped down?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a rustling sound came from the bushes a dozen steps ahead.
The three immediately became alert. Liu Youxia brandished his wild goose feather saber, Wang Tufu gripped his bone-chopping knife, and Lu Shusheng half-opened his iron fan. The three of them slowly approached from a triangular formation.
The bushes were parted, revealing a straw hat.
Song Quyou was squatting there, picking up a twig and poking at the gray-white skull on the ground.