Chapter 00167: Flying Beasts and Running Animals, Quickly Return to Position
# Flying Beasts and Running Animals, Quickly Return to Position
Chapter 167
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 167: Flying Beasts and Running Animals, Quickly Return to Position
He Lingchuan was taken aback, as if he had not held his hand steady, and the remaining small piece of green onion root fell to the ground: "What does this have to do with us?"
"The monsters in the country are causing trouble, but that’s not the main issue. The biggest hidden danger lies to the north."
Upon hearing this, Mo Zhenniansheng and Wu Shaoyi's expressions tightened, almost in unison: "Monster Kingdom!"
To the north, bordering the Great Yuan, is indeed the Monster Kingdom.
He Lingchuan enjoyed listening to stories, and while he might not be well-versed in the major affairs of the country, he had heard quite a few strange tales, many of which mentioned the northern Monster Kingdom.
Humanity established a nation known as the Human Kingdom, and the monsters, in turn, established their own governance, hence the term Monster Kingdom.
Since ancient times, humans and monsters have been intertwined, with humans exterminating monsters and monsters preying on humans in a cyclical struggle.
With the establishment of the Human Kingdom, they could gather strength from all directions to resist the monsters, especially after learning to utilize Yuan Power; solitary monsters were no longer a match for humans.
Thus, the monster races also banded together, learning from humans to establish their own kingdoms.
There are many Monster Kingdoms in this world, and the one to the north of the Great Yuan is among the strongest, known as "Beijia Kingdom."
However, the Yuan people simply refer to it as the Northern Monster Kingdom.
The lifespan of great monsters is generally long, so the reign of the Monster Kingdom often far exceeds that of the Human Kingdom.
The Northern Monster Kingdom has existed for six hundred years and has stood firm to this day, while the land beneath He Lingchuan's feet has changed hands numerous times.
However, there are always exceptions, especially with the appearance of the Emperor's Flowing Nectar, which often breaks the norm.
"Every time the Emperor's Flowing Nectar appears, the Monster Kingdom experiences severe turmoil, which inevitably affects the surroundings."
He Chunhua frowned, "The Crocodile Demon in Xianling Lake came south into Yuan territory because of the change in the Monster Kingdom's leadership, causing chaos in our country. With the situation in the Monster Kingdom shifting recently and suddenly encountering the Emperor's Flowing Nectar, it’s likely to lead to even more internal chaos."
Just as they were speaking, someone outside reported: "My lord, a message has arrived from Kuzhu County."
He Chunhua took the letter and glanced at it: "Go reply, just say we will definitely assist from the side tomorrow morning."
After the messenger left, He Yue asked, "Assist from the side? Are we going to perform a ritual or hold a ceremony?"
"With the Emperor's Flowing Nectar appearing and the monsters stirring, Kuzhu County will be preparing to issue a demon warning tomorrow morning."
He Chunhua said seriously, "As a royal court official, I should assist them."
Madam Ying approached and said, "I just heard that a village fifteen miles away was attacked this morning; bird demons broke into homes and stole children."
He Lingchuan interjected: "In the afternoon, someone in Shuanghe Town was also attacked by a mongoose and lost two toes."
"This is still in the densely populated area near Woling Pass; the more remote places are even worse."
Mo Zhejingxuan sighed, "The arrival of the Emperor's Flowing Nectar does not bring only good consequences."
"That’s why Kuzhu County needs to draft a good document to drive away the evil demons, first warning the newly emerged monsters not to act recklessly. If they do not listen, the next step will be to use force."
He Chunhua stood up, "Everyone should go to bed early tonight; we will set off before dawn."
…
The next morning, the assisting army arrived at Fengling Ferry on time.
The common people were already waiting here, ready to watch.
The magistrate of Kuzhu County led the local gentry to greet He Chunhua, exchanging pleasantries.
Then, the time of Chen had arrived.
The magistrate of Kuzhu County ordered people to bring five fat pigs, fifteen roosters, and nine baskets of live fish, placing them by the water's edge.
He stood on a large stone at the ferry and loudly read a document.
His personal voice was not very loud and was somewhat hoarse.
However, as soon as he began to speak, the Shèjìlìng at his waist emitted a bright light.
Today was a clear day with no clouds, and the sun was high in the sky.
He Lingchuan saw a faint mass of green qi gathering above Fengling Ferry.
Upon closer inspection, this green qi was emanating from the common people and local soldiers below, as well as from the assisting army led by He Chunhua.
The Yang qi was abundant.
Suddenly, the magistrate of Kuzhu County shouted loudly, and the sound waves exploded outward, shaking the forest and the waves of the river, causing the water's surface to surge as if there were whirlpools and rapids below.
He Lingchuan did not pay much attention to what he was reciting, only knowing that it was a flowery piece of prose, with balanced couplets and a rhythmic cadence.
The only issue was whether the transformed birds and beasts could understand it.
It seemed to require a certain level of cultural literacy.
Not to mention the monsters, even he did not fully comprehend some of the phrases.
In any case, He Lingchuan translated it in his mind as a warning from Kuzhu County to the newly emerged monsters nearby, instructing them not to run wild on the common people's land, especially forbidding them from eating humans, so that monsters and humans could coexist peacefully.
Particularly, the responsibilities of the spirits of the mountains, rivers, and waters should be further enforced; whoever's territory it is, they must take responsibility, and those who neglect their duties will be dismissed, losing their offerings and Yuan Power.
The more he recited, the denser the green qi above Fengling Ferry became.
When the magistrate of Kuzhu County finished the last few words with a resonant tone, he ignited the document and threw it towards the river.
The green qi in the sky suddenly descended, sweeping past the document with a whoosh.
In an instant, the document turned into countless sparks.
When these two met, the green qi ignited, illuminating half the sky.
He Lingchuan then saw that this was a massive green kite illusion, twenty zhang long, with a wingspan of thirty zhang.
After being tempered by fire, it transformed into a fully burning fire kite, letting out a heart-shaking long cry as it swept over the mountains and river.
Wherever it passed, nothing was left unburned—forest, soil, stone, and water were all consumed.
The place where the crowd stood, originally lush and beautiful, instantly transformed into a world of flames.
Immediately, hundreds of beasts fled from the forest, flocks of birds took to the sky, and fish leaped from the water, all in a state of panic.
However, after circling once, the fire kite flew into the clouds and disappeared, and the great fire at Fengling Ferry suddenly extinguished, not even a wisp of smoke rising.
He Lingchuan focused his gaze on a small tree two zhang away that had caught fire; from branches to leaves, it remained intact.
The magistrate of Kuzhu County shouted: "Flying beasts and running animals, quickly return to position!"
This was repeated several times, and with the blessing of the Shèjìlìng, the voice shook the surroundings.
Miraculously, the hundred beasts seemed to understand, turning around and slowly returning to their original positions.
Only two large bears lumbered out, opening their massive mouths and roaring around.
The surrounding common people quickly took two steps back.
These creatures were too terrifying.
But the two giant bears did not attack; they merely nodded at the magistrate and each took a mouthful of fat pig.
They stood nearly two zhang tall, their bodies glistening with oil, not something that could be described merely by their size.
Even a nearly four-hundred-jin fat pig was easily and comfortably grasped by them.
He Yue whispered, "Generally speaking, the first to come out and take the offerings are the local spirits of the mountains and rivers. This indicates that they have accepted the magistrate of Kuzhu County's announcement."
After that, they would need to fulfill their responsibilities.
With the mountain spirits setting an example, the forest demons came forward to take their share; a pack of wolves worked together to carry away a pig, and several weasels grabbed a chicken.
What puzzled He Lingchuan the most was that a large group of goats wandered out of the forest and, in front of everyone, devoured over a dozen fish and two chickens…
"Wait, do goats also eat meat now, or are goat demons omnivorous?"
Wu Shaoyi whispered, "It's not surprising; some people from the Western Regions told me that in their customs, goats are merely a disguise transformed by evil spirits."
The flying birds in the sky also descended, taking the fish from the baskets.
There was a huge flock, their wings creating a gust of wind.
Ordinary birds would never dare to come so close to humans.
Only the water remained still.
He Chunhua stepped forward and asked, "Has the water spirit not come?"
"The water spirit in this section of the Hongchuan may have perished in the great battle at Woling Pass some time ago."
The magistrate of Kuzhu County sighed, "The water spirit's tablet has already been broken, and the position is vacant; we need a new water spirit."
After saying this, he instructed the soldiers to move the remaining live livestock to Wuxin Pond not far away.
That place was also a lagoon, away from the main shipping route.
He Lingchuan followed, seeing the soldiers walk onto the pier and push the live livestock into the water, leaving only one fat pig.
The originally calm pond suddenly boiled.
From time to time, huge fins and mouths broke the surface, but before anyone could see what they were, they disappeared again.
Vortices of various sizes appeared in the pond.
Now He Lingchuan understood that the water monsters were fighting beneath.
Sometimes bubbles would surface, and sometimes blood would emerge!
Dark red or dark green blood.
He asked He Yue, "Could it be that the original water spirit here was killed by our old acquaintance?"
He Yue smiled bitterly, "Most likely."
The Giant Crocodile had been invited to participate in the battle at Woling Pass; although it was an amphibious monster, its home ground was definitely in the water.
The original water spirit of Hongchuan had been officially recognized, opposing the rebel army, so the Crocodile Demon certainly could not tolerate it.
This creature was quite ferocious; it had likely taken down at least two water spirits.
It itself had also been driven out by the Northern Monster Kingdom.
Thinking of this, He Lingchuan felt a sense of longing, wondering if the legendary monstrous beings he had heard about in stories truly existed in the Northern Monster Kingdom.
He Chunhua also turned his head, quietly joining their discussion: "The original spirits of the mountains and rivers in Kuzhu County were not those two black bears."
"The original spirits were also killed?" He Lingchuan was taken aback, "Being a spirit of the mountains and rivers here is truly a high-risk profession."
"No, they didn't die; it was a patterned tiger."
He Yue asked in surprise, "Then why didn't it come out today?" It seemed inappropriate, given the importance of the day.
The spirits of the mountains and rivers were supposed to assist the local officials in maintaining stability while demonstrating their dominion over their territory, which would intimidate the new monsters and prevent them from causing trouble.
The magistrate of Kuzhu County had previously used the Shèjìlìng and expended a large amount of Yuan Power to create such a grand spectacle with the fire kite, aiming to warn those ignorant new monsters, making them aware of humanity's might and daring not to prey on humans anymore.
This was not only for the officials and humanity but also for the smooth governance of his own territory, which is why the spirits of the mountains and rivers generally cooperated actively.
"It is said that it has resigned and left for the Northern Monster Kingdom."
He Lingchuan asked, "Why?"
"You would have to ask it directly."
He Chunhua smiled, "But if I say that the hidden dragon will not remain in the abyss forever."
As everyone spoke, the waves in Wuxin Pond gradually calmed.
The water's surface showed many ripples, and sometimes high fins appeared, indicating that many water creatures had already left.
At this moment, a large black fish swam close to the shore, its head as big as a basket, facing the magistrate, remaining motionless.
He Lingchuan noticed that it had many scars on its body.
The magistrate of Kuzhu County asked it: "Have the other water creatures submitted?"
The large black fish nodded up and down.
"Are you willing to take on the position of water spirit and ensure the safety of ships at Fengling Ferry?"
The large black fish nodded again.
(End of Chapter)