48: Ship! (Two-in-one monthly ticket required)

Tiger Leaping Gorge.

The lesser demons were working diligently.

Over a dozen lesser demons were either scurrying around, throwing stones and piling wood, or circling the foundation, tapping and striking, or even spitting fire to forge stones.

Slowly, a Mountain Lords Cave Dwelling, built from stacked stones, rose from the mountainside.

By the time night approached the fourth watch of the night,

All the lesser demons prostrated themselves on the ground!

Behind them was the Mountain Lords Cave Dwelling they had built, using various methods and working together in tacit agreement.

Aside from some rough edges, everything else looked quite presentable.

Chen Yuan nodded in satisfaction when he saw the Immortal Cave, then waved his hand.

Specks of True Qi transformed into tiny light raindrops, entering the bodies of the lesser demons.

The prostrating lesser demons chirped excitedly, bowing to Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan sent down a command through his mind.

Immediately, these lesser demons scurried into the nearby mountain forest, disappearing without a trace.

Having finished these tasks, Chen Yuan turned, let out a roar, manifested his three-zhang-tall Tiger Lord True Body, and leaped into the completed Mountain Lords Cave Dwelling.

Then, a large amount of black Demonic Qi spewed from the Immortal Cave, slowly spreading out and covering the sky like dark clouds.

With each breath, the black Demonic Clouds in the sky also billowed.

It seemed as if a powerful Devil King was entrenched within.

On the other side, four hundred li south of Yunlu County.

Here stood a mountain named Jing Mountain.

It was over three hundred zhang high, stretched for dozens of li, and was covered in lush vegetation.

Below Jing Mountain was a small village.

Named Liu Family Village.

On this day, in a household where they were staying, two young people, one carrying a sword and the other a saber, quietly left the house under the cover of night.

"Brother, is the news accurate? Is that 'what-boat' really appearing in the nearby river?"

One of the young women, with a rather ordinary appearance, asked her elder brother, who was accompanying her out, with curiosity.

The elder brother had a long saber tucked at his waist, and black bands wrapped around his wrists, dressed like a wandering hero, his expression filled with the dust of travel.

"I don't know. The news came from Linjiang County, but I don't know who spread it. I heard that boat travels north and south, only appearing at night, specifically ferrying those with destiny. Once on the boat, one gains the qualification to seek the Dao. It's quite exaggerated."

As he spoke, his pace quickened slightly.

"Never mind, we rested a bit during the day. Let's try our luck. You also picked up on it; we saw many people's tracks on the path we took. Let's hurry, or if this boat really appears, we won't even have a chance to watch the excitement."

The young woman nodded and quickly followed her brother, disappearing into the distant mountain forest with a few leaps.

At this moment, in the courtyard of the original household, there was a cowshed.

Inside, a dark green water buffalo was chewing fodder with its mouth.

At this time, this water buffalo, with its large, dark eyes, watched the young man and woman leave with a deep gaze, its large, white-haired ears twitched, and it let out a muffled moo from its throat, then surprisingly spoke in human tongue.

"It seems there's a treasure nearby. I must report it to the Great King!"

With that, it effortlessly broke free from the rope, directly smashed through the earthen wall of the courtyard, and galloped towards the highest shadow in the distant darkness.

It was, astonishingly, a Bull Demon!

When this dark green water buffalo had galloped for seven or eight li through the mountain forest, a human voice suddenly came, panting heavily.

"Why is there a water buffalo here? Perfect, damn it, there's still some distance left, and I'm out of energy."

As the voice faded, a figure, who had been soaring through the trees, was about to leap down.

The dark green water buffalo heard this, and with a "Moo!"

It lifted its rear and kicked with both legs.

It delivered a solid kick to the descending figure.

The person was caught off guard by the kick, flying back several meters, directly breaking a tree as thick as a bowl, and letting out a groan of pain.

Then came a gritting of teeth:

"Damn it, I'm already being bullied by a stinking tiger, and now I'm kicked by you, you stupid cow. I'll slaughter you today."

The figure, clutching his aching chest, stood up from the ground. Under the faint moonlight, the sinister, enraged Face was none other than Eagle Hook Nose, Bai Wanshan, who had fled in disarray from Qingshan County.

At this moment, this fellow was seething with anger, vowing to slaughter this idiotic cow.

At this moment, the Bull Demon turned around, a muffled sound coming from its throat, its eyes beginning to turn crimson, white steam spewing from its nostrils, and an angry roar coming from its mouth:

"Where did this ignorant human come from, daring to ride your Bull Grandpa?"

With that, it let out a long "Moo!"

Instantly, the entire mountain forest began to echo with the sounds of mooing.

Then came the sound of hooves shaking the mountain forest.

Soon, pairs of crimson bull eyes appeared in the mountain forest in the night.

The furious Eagle Hook Nose quickly realized that this was a case of 'a mighty flood washing away the Dragon King's temple.'

He had come here to find his Lord, and his Lord's envoy had come here to find a Great Strength Bull Demon King.

These cattle, it seemed, were the Bull Demon's subordinates.

He quickly changed his expression and hastily explained: "So it's Brother Bull, truly a case of 'a mighty flood washing away the Dragon King's temple,' a family not recognizing its own. I've come to find your Great King..."

However, an enraged bull is incredibly stubborn. It pawed the ground with its hooves, raised its horns, snorted white steam, and charged forward with a series of moos.

Soon, the ground trembled from the bull hooves, shaking the mountain forest.

Eagle Hook Nose was already severely wounded and had traveled hundreds of li overnight, long exhausted. At this moment, he was no match for a group of young bulls.

His body was kicked back and forth by these hooves, his insides churning. Seeing that he was about to die in humiliation under the hoof of a stubborn bull, he could only let out a tragic cry.

"Lord Weiyang."

This scream echoed far through the mountain forest in the night.

Not long after, a gloomy voice came.

"Useless, how did you end up like this?"

As the words fell, a figure appeared like a ghost beside Eagle Hook Nose, and with him, an invisible wave of Qi swept out.

It forcefully blocked the horns of five or six Bull Demons.

At the same time, a violent wave of Qi descended from the sky.

A massive Demonic Beast with a bull's head and a green body, like a cannonball, crashed down.

Four zhang tall, with black horns on its head, a green body, and a dangerous Qi contained within its physique.

"Retreat!"

This Bull Demon's voice was like muffled thunder.

Then he laughed heartily, shaking the mountain forest.

"Brother Wei Yang, I apologize. So this is your person, almost accidentally injured by my young bulls."

"But your subordinate is so frail; it makes this old bull a bit hesitant to cooperate with you."

And that ghostly figure now revealed his true Face.

He wore a white gauze robe, his Face was feminine and fair, but his eyes were very strange, one red and one black.

Staring at them for too long gave one a chilling feeling!

This person was one of the Twelve Divine Envoys of the Feixian Sect, titled Wei Yang.

Wei Yang's Face was gloomy, his strange eyes fixed on Eagle Hook Nose, who was now bruised and swollen, with no part of his body intact. A red light shot out from his blood-colored eye.

Seeing this, Eagle Hook Nose was terrified.

His Lord was going to kill him!

He could only use all his strength to beg for mercy:

"Lord Weiyang, spare my life! Your subordinate has important matters to report!"

The red light stopped.

Then it retracted.

At this moment, the Bull Demon spoke in a muffled voice:

"Since you two have matters to discuss, this old bull won't disturb you."

With that, the Bull Demon departed, transforming into an afterimage and vanishing from the spot.

At this moment,

Eagle Hook Nose, Bai Wanshan, struggled to get up, crying and wailing:

"Lord, it's not that your subordinate is incompetent; this time, we were truly unlucky."

With that, he meticulously described everything that had happened in Qingshan County to Wei Yang.

"Lord, that Mountain Lord is extremely difficult to deal with, unpredictable in temper, and terrifying in aura. We were utterly powerless against him. That beast even told me to deliver a message."

"He must be showing no Face to Lord. Lord can invite the Bull Demon to kill him together."

Eagle Hook Nose spoke with such gritted teeth and bitter hatred.

And Wei Yang, upon hearing his words, his strange eyes twitched, his voice as fine as a needle,

"Is this true?"

Eagle Hook Nose quickly nodded.

"Absolutely true!"

Wei Yang, however, smiled.

"Not bad, such a variable has appeared; how interesting."

"Lord, your subordinate doesn't quite understand. This tiger suddenly appeared, disrupting the plan. Shouldn't it be a roadblock?" Eagle Hook Nose, fearing Lord Weiyang's smile, quickly asked.

Lord Weiyang naturally disdained to explain to a subordinate, merely letting out a cold snort.

"When associating with these beasts, you need to use your brain."

"Later, this envoy will take you to bid farewell to that Bull Demon."

"Isn't Lord going to ask this Bull Demon to act?"

"Shut up!"

Wei Yang was impatient.

In his heart, he sneered.

This bull in Jing Mountain wants too much. Now that there's a Mountain Lord in Qingshan County, he seems to be cunning as well.

He had a brilliant idea in his mind: 'One peach kills three scholars!'

"Let's go!"

With that, he took Eagle Hook Nose, preparing to meet the Bull Demon from before.

However, when Wei Yang brought his subordinate, Eagle Hook Nose, to the Bull Demon's Immortal Cave, they were informed by the opponent's lesser demons:

"The Great King has gone out on business!"

And at this moment,

A Demonic Wind was descending from Jing Mountain.

The Bull Demon from Jing Mountain, along with one of his young bulls, was rushing through the mountain forest in the night.

"Are you absolutely sure you heard correctly?"

The Bull Demon's voice was like muffled thunder.

Beside him, a dark green water buffalo spoke in human tongue, its voice muffled:

"Great King, this humble one heard it with my own ears from two cultivators, so I quickly ran to report."

"Good, you're truly my good boy."

"Humans are cunning. If they're willing to venture into these deep mountains and old forests, there must be a treasure."

"A boat that can lead to the Dao, this old bull wants to see it too!"

The Bull Demon's eyes, wide as copper bells, were filled with joy. He patted the young bull's head with his large hand, then laughed heartily and rushed towards the Nu River below Jing Mountain.

At the foot of the western side of Jing Mountain, a river flowed eastward.

It was the Nu River!

At this moment, in the night, in the dark mountain forests on both sides of this wide river section, leaves rustled, and human figures vaguely flickered.

Even more, the neighing of horses could be heard!

Looking closer, among the rustling leaves, human figures were treading on treetops, moving swiftly along both sides of the river.

It seemed they were following something along the river surface.

There were also those riding fast horses, shouting and moving along the river surface.

Among them were the brother and sister who appeared in Liu Family Village.

The brother and sister walked lightly, treading on branches, frequently looking into the distance, running upstream against the current of the Nu River.

These figures hidden in the mountain forest were all searching for something.

However, on the river surface under the night, there was only the surging Nu River.

Nothing else.

As dawn was about to break,

Someone finally stopped.

And let out a frustrated sigh.

"It's almost dawn!"

"Even if the rumors from Linjiang County are true, there's no chance now."

"Forget it, forget it, let's go back home. It's all just tricks to fool people."

"I don't know who spread it. How could such an ethereal thing exist?"

Some people stopped their search on the river and expressed their frustration.

Frustrated that they had made a wasted trip because of such an ethereal rumor.

And also frustrated that this thing was not real.

The cause of the matter was a rumor from Linjiang County a few days ago, that a fisherman, before dawn, went out to fish.

On the way, a white mist suddenly rose from the river.

He lost his way in the white mist.

Then, he saw a large boat approaching from the white mist.

It was brightly lit.

Inside, faint sounds of laughter, crying, madness, and chanting could be heard.

Noisy, like demonic sounds entering the ears.

He felt dizzy and disoriented, then a large wave suddenly crashed.

Flipping his fishing boat.

He fell into the water, but found that he, who was usually an excellent swimmer, couldn't break free from the river surface.

Just as he was about to drown, someone on the brightly lit boat rescued him.

And brought him into the cabin.

He vaguely saw many Faces.

Talking loudly about something.

Sometimes laughing, sometimes arguing, like a thundering bell, making his head and ears swell, causing him to directly faint.

(PS: This chapter is almost two chapters long, just to ask for continued reading. Tuesday is coming soon, a crucial day. Please support me, everyone. Thank you! Happy Dragon Boat Festival.)