Chapter 5

"Immortal, what do you need the young boys and girls for? Are you going to sacrifice them to the river god, oh, no, the river demon?"

The middle-aged man's expression changed involuntarily.

The old Taoist narrowed his eyes, "Who said I was going to sacrifice them to the river demon? If I did that, how could I call myself a demon-slayer? Didn't I just say that I need them to help me perform a ritual? I won't go into the details of how to perform it, as you wouldn't understand even if I explained. If you want to ensure the peace and prosperity of your land, you must cooperate with me unconditionally."

"Of course, I won't let these young boys and girls work for nothing. After I deal with the river demon, I will choose the best among them to be my disciples, and they will travel the world with me, studying the way of immortality."

After the old Taoist finished speaking, he closed his eyes and ignored the headman and others, no matter how they pleaded and inquired, he did not say another word.

The headman, helpless, got up from the ground. Of course, before getting up, he did not forget to have his attendant, who was holding the silver, place the silver and the tray respectfully on the ground in front of the old Taoist.

The headman, along with a few attendants, took a few steps back facing the old Taoist, bowed deeply, and then turned to leave the threshing ground.

At this moment, the old Taoist suddenly opened his eyes, looked at the headman who was leaving the threshing ground, and said loudly, "I have to attend the Gathering of a Hundred Immortals in three days. If you can't gather sixty-three young boys and girls within three days, I won't be responsible for the life or death of your town. You must take good care of yourselves."

The headman paused, hesitated for a long time, and finally responded with a heavy heart, "Immortal, I understand."

"Headman, are we really going to listen to this immortal and prepare sixty-three young boys and girls for him?" asked an attendant with a long face.

The headman waved his hand, "Let's go back to the village first. After we return, we'll discuss it thoroughly. Also, send two people to attend to the immortal, and don't neglect him."

The headman, along with the attendants and gentry, got into the sedan chair by the roadside and was carried hurriedly to the town of Junbao, a few miles away.

Li Wenjun, who had been watching the commotion outside the threshing ground, was still in awe of the old Taoist's fireball. As a young man, he craved attention, and to him, the old Taoist's skill was incredibly cool. If he could learn it, he would surely attract many people's attention. Just now, even the headman had to kneel and beg the old Taoist, what a great honor that was?

Moreover, Li Wenjun thought about a few days ago when he had fought a three-legged wolf to secure water. If he had mastered the fireball skill, would it have been so difficult?

He was separated from his family and would face many hardships to find them. If he could learn this skill, it would greatly help him in his search.

Thinking of this, Li Wenjun's mind was fired up, and he was about to rush to the old Taoist to beg him to take him as a disciple.

At that moment, a short, dark figure suddenly darted out, rushing past Li Wenjun, crossing the threshing ground, and kneeling in front of the old Taoist.

Li Wenjun looked closely and saw that the person kneeling in front of the old Taoist was a thin, ragged youth, with a yellowish complexion and dry, withered hair. The only thing that stood out was his eyes, which shone with a stubborn determination that made one's heart race.

"Immortal, please take me as your disciple," the youth's voice was hoarse, and he bowed his head repeatedly, pleading with the old Taoist.

Li Wenjun's heart stirred, and he put his foot back down. He wanted to see if the old Taoist was willing to take a disciple and what conditions he would set.

The youth bowed over a hundred times, his forehead turning red and swollen from hitting the hard ground. Only then did the old Taoist open his eyes. He looked the youth up and down, his face changed, and he flicked his sleeve, striking the youth. The youth was hit hard, rolling backward.

"A little beggar, you want me to take you as a disciple? Do you think anyone can cultivate immortal arts? Look at yourself in the mirror first," the old Taoist sneered, his face showing disgust. Perhaps because there were fewer onlookers, he no longer looked like a benevolent immortal.

Li Wenjun was startled. His situation was not much better than the youth's. Even if he begged like the youth, he doubted the old Taoist would be moved. Besides, the old Taoist did not seem like a good teacher. The town of Junbao had to offer three hundred taels of silver to get the old Taoist to agree to help them slay the demon.

Li Wenjun's father was a craftsman. He had told Li Wenjun about the hardships he endured to learn his craft, the free labor he did for his master, and the many years of hard work it took to master a skill to support his family. His father had only learned the skill of making leather clothes and armor, while the old Taoist's skill was to slay demons and was incomparable.

To learn from the old Taoist and master his skills, how much silver would he need to offer to make the old Taoist agree?

It seemed that he could not rely on this old Taoist to learn the immortal arts and needed to find another way.

Li Wenjun was pragmatic. Knowing it was impossible, he did not want to waste time on the old Taoist. He tightened his bag, bypassed the threshing ground, and walked down the main road toward the town of Junbao, a few miles away.

The road to Junbao was straight, with lush and tall locust and willow trees on both sides. Li Wenjun was surprised to find a group of people gathered under each tree. They were all refugees, with numb expressions and ragged clothes. Most were adults, with few women, children, or the elderly. The few children were listless and lacked vitality.

Li Wenjun felt a heavy heart. He wanted to help them, but he had very little to his name and could barely support himself, let alone help others. All he could do was harden his heart, avoid looking at them, and walk quickly toward the town of Junbao.

The closer he got to the town, the more refugees he saw on the road. When he reached the town entrance, Li Wenjun suddenly shivered. He saw several poles by the roadside, with human heads impaled on top. Below the heads hung a white cloth strip with black characters: "Death to those who enter Junbao without permission."

Li Wenjun, who could not read much, could still feel the murderous intent in those words. He instinctively shrank his neck and decided to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible.

At the town entrance, there were guards with weapons blocking the street.

Perhaps because Li Wenjun's clothes were relatively clean and he did not look like a refugee, the guards did not stop him. They only made him pay five copper coins as an entry tax and let him in.

Li Wenjun first went to a noodle shop on the street, ordered two bowls of knife-cut noodles, and ate them ravenously, finishing both the noodles and the broth. Still unsatisfied, he asked the boss for a bowl of noodle soup, drank it until his stomach was full, and let out a series of burps before reluctantly putting down his bowl and chopsticks.

The noodle shop owner charged Li Wenjun fifty copper coins for the two bowls of noodles, nearly ten times the normal price. This was not because the owner was bullying Li Wenjun, but because the influx of refugees had caused the price of food in Junbao to rise. This was the current price.

After paying for the noodles, Li Wenjun left the shop and wandered around the town, hoping to find a place to sell the wolf skin and gather more silver to continue his journey.

While Li Wenjun was eating at the noodle shop, the headman of Junbao had returned to his house and invited the town's respected elders and gentry.

The headman did not hide anything and recounted everything that had happened at the threshing ground. Finally, he said, "This is the situation. It concerns the lives of over 1,500 people in our village. I cannot make this decision alone, so I have invited all of you to discuss it and help me make a decision."

A middle-aged man in a scholar's robe said, "Headman, the drought is not just a problem for Junbao. It is a national issue. We should not bear the burden alone. I suggest we report this to the county magistrate immediately and let him decide. If we need to gather young boys and girls, it should be a county-wide effort."

The man sitting next to the scholar, a shrewd and wealthy man, snorted disdainfully.

He said, "Scholar, you are talking nonsense. Our town is over a hundred miles from the county. Even on a fast horse, it would take half a day to make the round trip. Besides, will you see the county magistrate as soon as you get there? Even if you bribe the gatekeeper, he might delay reporting you for a day or two. Moreover, how can you be sure the county magistrate will agree to your request? If he doesn't believe the Taoist's claims, what will you do? How will you prove it to him? Can you bring the Taoist to the county office?"

The headman quickly said, "Let's not argue. Going to the county is too time-consuming. We need to focus on the immediate situation. Gentlemen, the Taoist needs sixty-three young boys and girls to perform the Seven Stars and Nine Palaces Array. Do you think this is reliable?"

Everyone looked at each other, no one spoke. They all found the matter suspicious, but none of them understood immortal arts and did not dare to comment rashly, fearing they might mislead and bear the responsibility.

Seeing everyone's silence, the headman said unhappily, "Gentlemen, are you leaving the decision to me alone? If you don't speak up, and I make a decision, you cannot refuse to comply."

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