A Living Immortal Who Seeks No Reward for Saving People

Chapter 23: A Living Immortal Who Saves People Without Asking for Reward

Linjiang Village, Shiqiao Village.

Within the village stood an ancient stone bridge, only about ten meters long but incredibly old, said to be nearly two hundred years of age.

Gao Xian rode his donkey across the bridge, feeling the profound weight of time. The water flowed gurgling beneath, and the vast farmlands stretched out in the distance, truly a testament to Great Zhou's prosperity.

Further down the country road, an unknown number of people followed. All the able-bodied men of Linjiang Village had been mobilized to drag the colossal snake carcass from the riverbank.

Cart after cart, pulled by horses or carried by men, was needed to haul the enormous creature back from the river.

"The River Demon has been killed by an Immortal!" shouted the two burly men at the front, beating gongs as they ran.

"The River Demon has been killed by an Immortal!"

"Everyone, come quickly! The Spirit Medium and the River Demon have been slain by an Immortal! Our villages will no longer have to offer sacrifices to this River Demon!" Sun Tieshan, a man of considerable prestige in Linjiang Village, also roared.

"That's right! From now on, we'll have the blessings of an Immortal and won't have to fear the River Demon anymore."

"From this day forward, Linjiang Village will no longer have to send its own children to be eaten by this River Demon."

"Everyone, come out and see!"

The people of Linjiang Village beat gongs and drums, their celebration even more joyous than during the New Year.

Hearing the commotion, every household rushed out to see what was happening, drawing in even more people from afar.

"My heavens! Is this the River God Grandpa?" A villager, standing on the edge of a paddy field, stared at the giant snake, his knees trembling with fear.

"Oh my, the River God Lord is truly terrifying to behold." A woman took a closer look at the snake's head and recoiled in fright.

"Bah! What River God Lord? This is a man-eating River Demon." A strong man, bearing injuries, spat fiercely on the ground. He was one of those who had been beaten the worst by the black-clad thugs under the Spirit Medium that day.

Now, dragging the River Demon back, he felt a surge of strength and vindication.

Every year, they offered sacrifices to the River God. Which family in the ten-mile radius didn't harbor resentment? In the past, they were suppressed by the River God's authority and the Spirit Medium's power.

But now that the River Demon had been slain by an Immortal and the Spirit Medium was dead, looking at the dead snake, which resembled a pile of rotten flesh, they felt no more reverence. Instead, they felt utterly foolish for having been deceived by such a large snake and that Spirit Medium.

The news spread further and further. The fear of the River Demon subsided, and everyone joined the procession, beating gongs and drums.

Along the way, the crowd formed layers upon layers, with countless people coming to see. Some even traveled from other villages to catch a glimpse.

"This time, Linjiang Village has truly received an Immortal! This is a real divine being. That River God and the Spirit Medium, how many people have they caused to die over the years?"

"May the Immortal bless our Linjiang Village!"

"Good riddance to that damned River Demon and Spirit Medium."

Finally, the giant snake was brought to the plaza in front of the Shiqiao Village ancestral hall. The crowd stopped, forming layers upon layers around the outside of the hall, as if waiting for the next part of the story.

As expected, a Daoist priest emerged from the ancestral hall, clad in a Bagua Daoist robe with cloud patterns.

"An Immortal!"

"The Immortal has come out!"

"It truly is an Immortal." Seeing the Daoist's appearance, many people gasped. Apart from anything else, how could a mortal possess such looks?

Some even lowered their heads, as if such a divine appearance was too awe-inspiring to look at directly, akin to blasphemy.

After the Daoist emerged, he was followed by three children. He looked around, and several village elders stepped forward to pay their respects.

The families of the three children also came forward to express their gratitude.

"Immortal Master, we have brought the River Demon back."

The Daoist nodded. "Although I managed to force out the poisoned pill administered by the Spirit Medium, some of the poison has already entered the bodies of these three children. This poisoned pill is extremely insidious; it forces out the body's vital essence to feed the River Demon. This is also why the River Demon has grown so large over the years."

"Their vital essence is already depleted. If we don't find a way to replenish it, these three children will likely not live past eighteen and will suffer from constant illness."

As soon as the Daoist spoke, the families of the three children, who were kneeling behind him, were struck as if by lightning.

"How could this happen?"

"How can these three children be so ill-fated!"

"They were just saved, and now..."

The families of the children, ordinary fishermen and farmers, descended into panic, only knowing how to weep.

Several village elders, who appeared educated, immediately said:

"Immortal possesses great divine abilities. Please think of a way. In the future, our village will surely build a temple and shrine for the Immortal Master and offer sacrifices annually."

The Daoist's brow twitched slightly. If someone were to truly worship and believe in him, would his Incense and Fire Divine Diagram be able to gather incense power more quickly?

However, the Daoist did not respond, as if he paid no mind to such matters, dedicating himself solely to slaying demons and exterminating devils, and saving the common people. As for whether a temple would be built, it depended entirely on their sincerity.

He turned his gaze towards the giant snake placed in front of the ancestral hall's plaza.

"This River Demon was nurtured by devouring humans and their vital essence. I had already foreseen this situation, which is why I instructed you all to bring the River Demon back."

"I will soon set up a furnace to refine pills. Using the blood and essence of this River Demon, I will replenish the vital essence of these three children. Not only will their vital essence be abundant in the future, but they will also be more intelligent than ordinary people, excelling in martial arts or studies."

"However, refining pills requires a bronze cauldron or furnace, and I don't have some of the herbs yet."

Gao Xian had tried refining pills a few times on the way. Besides making a few more batches of the wound-healing Life-Reviving Pills for backup, he had also been studying this Rejuvenation Pill.

However, the Depraved Flower Immortal Scripture warned extreme caution regarding this particular pill.

This type of Spirit Pill was one of the few that required the blood of exotic beasts for its refinement. It stated that only the blood essence could be extracted, not the spiritual essence within the blood of fierce beasts. The spirit of such ferocious exotic beasts would instead pollute the pill's Spiritual Essence.

When combined with the Spiritual Essence of herbs, once refined, it could strengthen the foundation, cultivate the origin, and increase cultivation.

For martial artists who consumed it, coupled with Breathing and Qi Circulation Techniques, it could improve their physical roots and bones, leading to rapid progress.

For ordinary people, it would strengthen their foundation and cultivate their origin, filling them with vital energy, making seven times a night not a dream.

This was also why Gao Xian had brought back the corpse of this giant snake. Such a large exotic snake would likely yield enough ingredients to refine many Rejuvenation Pills.

Originally, Gao Xian had been troubled by the other conditions for refining pills. But now, with the villagers from the surrounding ten miles, everything was resolved. He only needed to produce three pills to save people when the time came.

The elders of the village were overjoyed by this revelation, realizing they had encountered a true Immortal who could even refine Elixirs.

Although the benefits were given to the three children, the village was a close-knit clan. With three promising talents emerging, they would lead the entire clan to rise.

The elders immediately said, "An Immortal has descended upon our village, first ridding our ten miles of the River Demon, and now refining Elixirs for our children. We, the elders and everyone in the village, are immensely grateful. How could we possibly trouble the Immortal further?"

"Please rest assured, Immortal. We will deliver everything you need before nightfall."

The families of the children only came forward to express their thanks after the elders had left. Gao Xian raised his hands again.

"No need for thanks. This humble Daoist descended the mountain this time precisely to slay demons and exterminate devils, to accumulate merit, not for anything else."

The other villagers looked at these three families with envy and jealousy.

What had initially been a disaster had unexpectedly turned into a blessing in disguise, and they had even received three Elixirs from an Immortal for free.

The Immortal had said that after swallowing the Elixir, they would no longer be ordinary people. Whether studying or practicing martial arts, they would be able to become superior individuals.

This was enough to make anyone jealous.

The onlookers from the surrounding ten miles gazed at the Immortal, who sat cross-legged in meditation, with fervent eyes. They felt his demeanor was extraordinary, possessing the true bearing of an Immortal.

Thinking back to the Spirit Medium and the River Demon, one only knew how to bully the villagers, demand offerings, and even demand human blood sacrifices.

The other was wholeheartedly saving people, seeking no reward.

The difference was simply incomparable.

"Truly a living Immortal on Earth!" the crowd couldn't help but exclaim.