Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 171 Human nature is treacherous, mountain spirits and wild monsters

Lü Qian set off from the Qinling Mountains and walked along the path towards Wudang Mountain.

Along the way, he passed through many remote and ignorant places, some of which were haunted by cults and evil people, and others were infested with bad habits and customs.

If he encounters cultists or heretics, he will draw his sword and kill them. But if he encounters bad habits or customs, Lü Qian will try to teach them a few words and plant a seed before continuing his wandering journey.

As the Tao Te Ching says, "The Tao does nothing, yet nothing is left undone." Lü Qian only did what he could do, and the rest was none of his concern.

Five days after setting off from the Qinling Mountains, Lü Qian followed the mountain road to a village.

The village is not very large, located in the mountains and forests, and is quite remote. The village appears to have 34 households, but the population is quite large.

The sun was shining brightly. Lü Qian was passing through the village and was about to continue along the mountain path when the villagers stopped him.

"Young Taoist priest, don't go any further. That mountain ahead is dangerous."

An elderly woman dressed in linen clothes but with a silver hairpin in her hair, who looked very kind, stepped forward. She pointed to a mountain ridge ahead of the mountain road with a worried expression.

Upon seeing this, Lü Qian's eyes flashed. After confirming that the people in front of him were all ordinary people, he asked curiously, "Oh, may I ask you, fellow villagers, where is the evil spirit in this mountain ahead? Could you tell this young Taoist priest about it?"

"Young Taoist priest, you are unaware of this."

A robust and honest-looking middle-aged man, holding a steel fork and carrying a musket, waved his hand and introduced to Lü Qian, "There are monsters haunting that mountain ahead, harming people. Over the years, many merchants and travelers have died on that mountain."

"I see that the young Taoist priest is handsome and still young. Don't risk your life for walking this mountain path."

As he spoke, the animal skin clothing he wore gleamed in the sunlight, and judging from its condition, it was probably made not long ago during a hunt.

"Young Taoist priest, you'd better take a detour; there are many difficulties along the way."

"monster?"

Lu Qian glanced at the villagers in front of him. Apart from the old woman and the man, the rest of them were dressed inappropriately.

Demons are beings that are not human and are transformed from other beings. Generally, they refer to creatures other than humans that have gained Qi and awakened their intelligence.

Among them are animals and plants, the most typical of which are the shamans in Northeast China.

Among the demons, there are those that are gentle and devoted to cultivation, such as the [Turtle and Snake Generals] on Lü Qian's body, and there are those that harm living beings and devour flesh and blood.

If he had encountered the latter, Lü Qian would have eliminated them as well, restoring peace to the area. But now it seems that what is causing trouble on the mountain is not necessarily mountain spirits or monsters, but more likely the cunning of human hearts.

In a flash, Lü Qian had a sudden realization. He waved his whisk and smiled at the villagers, saying, "It's alright. Although I am still young, I have learned a lot of demon-slaying skills from my master."

"Look, the peach wood sword I'm carrying on my back was a gift from my ancestor because of my great skill."

Although Lu Zu initially only said that the sword was a loan to him, in Lu Qian's view, as long as the patriarch did not take it back, it was a gift to him.

"With this sword, I have slain many demons, monsters, and wicked people. This mere mountain demon is nothing more than a piece of cake."

As he spoke, Lü Qian took off the wooden sword from his back, brandished it twice with his right hand, perfectly embodying the image of a young man who was arrogant and conceited.

Seeing Lü Qian's arrogant demeanor, the villagers present remained silent for a moment. After exchanging glances, the man in animal skin standing in front spoke again.

"Young Taoist priest, don't joke around. The monsters in these mountains are not to be trifled with."

Looking at Lü Qian's arrogant demeanor, the man said solemnly, "To tell you the truth, the monsters in these mountains are formidable. They must be over ten feet tall, with blue faces and fangs, and covered in red fur."

"His eyes were like lanterns, his claws were sharp, and he could easily split stones and break wood. Moreover, he never let any living creature he saw go unpunished."

"How does elder brother know all this so clearly?"

"Well... well, I saw it from afar when I was hunting a few days ago. It almost scared me to death. Luckily, I ran fast and survived."

The man tugged at the animal skin on his body, his eyes darting around, and said fearfully, "We've passed by several Taoist priests with supernatural powers like you, but they've all disappeared without a trace."

"Young Taoist priest, you'd better leave quickly."

As he spoke, he stretched out his rough palm and was about to shove Lü Qian back, but Lü Qian turned and flashed behind the hunter.

He glanced at the distant mountains, flicked his whisk, and continued walking along the mountain path. "It's alright, I will subdue this monster and restore peace to everyone."

Before he finished speaking, he had already walked several feet away.

Watching Lü Qian's retreating figure, the silent villagers exchanged glances. The man gritted his teeth, waved to the crowd, summoned several burly men, and the group chased after Lü Qian's retreating figure.

"Young Taoist priest, don't worry. We'll send someone to help you out and see you off."

Lu Qian walked in front, and the man led several people behind him. In the blink of an eye, their figures disappeared on the rugged mountain path.

"Did we go a bit too far this time? This little Taoist priest looks only fourteen or fifteen years old, which is too young."

"Whatever, this brat asked for it, he can't blame us."

"Yes, I saw his outfit just now. It should be enough to get us a lot of money and rice, enough to last us for a while."

……

The villagers who remained behind whispered among themselves for a while, looking towards the mountains, before returning to their homes to await news from the group.

On the other side, Lü Qian led a few people through the mountains. The mountain path was rugged and difficult to traverse, and they passed through the forests and rocks.

Before long, Lü Qian smelled a putrid odor, an odor like rotting flesh that had been piled up for a long time and fermented.

He twitched his nose and followed the scent to a cave.

Outside the cave, several mutilated corpses lay scattered about, their entrails torn out and scattered everywhere. However, none of these corpses had any clothing or belongings to cover their bodies.

"Young Taoist priest, this is the monster's cave."

The hunters trailed behind Lü Qian, pointing to the cave and saying, "The monster is inside. Please, Taoist Master, use your magic to subdue it. We'll wait for you outside."

Lu Qian looked at the chaotic scene outside the cave, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He responded calmly, then took a step and walked towards the cave.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

As Lü Qian reached the cave entrance, the hunter and the burly man behind him suddenly fired at Lü Qian's back, grinning maliciously at him.

"Young Taoist priest, you are too kind-hearted."

The next moment, before they could even see the bullet pierce through Lü Qian's body, Lü Qian, who was originally standing in front of the cave, suddenly flashed and disappeared into the ground like a gust of wind.

Where are they?

The hunters, guns in hand, stepped forward, scanning the cave entrance with wide eyes, but they couldn't spot Lü Qian.

"It's here!"

Lu Qian's voice came from behind them. They turned around and saw several swirling black holes surrounding Lu Qian.

At this moment, Lü Qian's expression remained calm. When the others turned around, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and with a flick of his sleeve, the several vortex black holes suddenly burst forth.

"Here are your bullets."

"call out--"

"ah--"

Several streams of fiery light suddenly shot out from the vortex black hole, striking the vital points of the group from various angles.

In an instant, the men who had been holding guns burst into bright red blood and fell to the ground amidst screams.

After killing several people, Lü Qian felt a surge of relief and a sense of exhilaration.

In this world, there are indeed demons, and many of them are harmful, but what is more treacherous and terrifying than these demons is the human heart.

He had once heard someone say that the word "morality" (道德) has two parts: "Dao" (道) and "De" (德). "Dao" (道) is not distinguished between good and evil, while only "De" (德) is distinguished between good and bad.

Lu Qian has his own principles and virtues. Now that these people are plotting against him, he should be prepared to be purged.

"Retribution may be delayed, but it will come."

Lu Qian shook his head as he looked at the corpses on the ground. Just as he lifted his foot to continue along the mountain path, a foul gust of wind suddenly blew by.

"Um?"

He frowned and sensed his surroundings. After a moment, he looked at the cave behind him and smiled. "I didn't expect there to be a monster here."

"A mandrill that has cultivated itself into a spirit!"