Volume 1, Chapter 131: The Handlebar Mustache. (Third Update)

“See that...” Li Changsheng swallowed hard, staring up at the tunnel above.

Jiang Chen nodded. “Yeah.”

“Feels like the power isn’t weak,” Li Changsheng assessed.

Jiang Chen couldn’t sense much. “Let’s go in and take a look.”

The three moved forward, with two trailing behind.

However, the man with the mustache was already sweating in his palms.

He forced a calm tone. “I feel an overwhelming demonic aura here. There must be a powerful demon wreaking havoc.”

The chubby boss beside him quickly asked, “So, what should we do according to the Taoist’s advice?”

The mustached man waved his hand. “No need to panic. I’m here, naturally to deal with such evil beings. I’ll open the altar and perform the ritual to sever this ghostly thing!”

Jiang Chen felt the demonic aura pressing closer above his head and murmured, “I didn’t expect this fraudster to be so convincing, even opening the altar and performing a ritual.”

Li Changsheng chuckled, “Opening the altar and performing a ritual? Do you guys at Dragon Tiger Mountain still use that?”

Jiang Chen replied, “We do, but I rarely perform it.”

He only used the altar opening ritual for grand ceremonies, such as the upcoming Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Conference, where he would have to preside over the opening ceremony. On ordinary occasions, it was unnecessary and time-consuming.

If he could kill something with a single punch, opening an altar ritual would be overkill.

“Hey! You two come help!” the mustached man called, raising his hand.

Li Changsheng paused. “Has he really gotten addicted to pretending? Now he’s ordering me around?”

Jiang Chen couldn’t help but grin. “Let him have his fun.”

If not for the need to avoid alerting the enemy, Li Changsheng would have already kicked him over.

“What a lack of discernment; how do you expect to make a living like this?” a younger Taoist nearby grumbled.

“I...” Li Changsheng began to protest but was pulled aside by Jiang Chen.

“I know you want to finish them off. Wait a bit, be patient. Soon, they’ll be the ones crying,” Jiang Chen reassured him.

Under normal circumstances, Li Changsheng would have acted by now.

But helplessly, to protect the Dragon Vein, he had no other choice.

---

Soon, after a simple altar opening ritual, the mustached man began pacing back and forth with his tattered peachwood sword.

At first, Jiang Chen thought he was practicing the Seven Star Heavenly Gang steps, but it was clear he was just wandering aimlessly.

Jiang Chen and Li Changsheng crouched nearby, expressionless, while the chubby boss nervously scanned the surroundings, fearful something might suddenly leap out.

“Supreme Lord Laozi, urgent as the law commands!”

“The Celestial Master is here, Amitabha’s blessing.”

“This Celestial Master respectfully invites the three teachings’ founders to descend and subdue demons!”

Jiang Chen was nearly laughing out loud; if it weren’t for hearing Buddhist chants, he might have thought this fraudster had some skill.

Bang—

At that moment, the mustached man faced Jiang Chen and the others, oblivious to the mist behind him where something was slowly emerging, moving toward them.

“Celestial Master... behind you...” the chubby boss’s voice trembled as he backed away.

The mustached man stroked his small mustache, looking nonchalant. “Relax. I’ve already dealt with that so-called giant python. No need to fear.”

“Ah! Celestial Master! Behind you!” The chubby boss was so frightened he collapsed to the ground, but even then, he didn’t forget to run.

“What?” The mustached man turned around and saw a massive black beast—its whole body reeking of foul stench—standing upright, pressing against the tunnel ceiling.

Its form was extraordinarily robust, like a small tower crane.

“Ah?! What the hell is this thing?!” The mustached man began to retreat, but encountering such a terrifying scene for the first time, his legs gave out, and a puddle of yellow fluid stained the ground.

“Don’t come near! Don’t come near! I was wrong.” The mustached man babbled incoherently.

Jiang Chen stared at the black python and muttered, “This thing looks truly disgusting.”

The entire tunnel was filled with a fishy stench and horrible odor. The black python carried a heavy grudge—it was clearly summoned specifically to sabotage the Lingqin Tunnel.

Jiang Chen was now certain this creature was not native but an alien species, with a ninety percent chance of originating from the island nation—the foul creature manufactured by those pestilent islanders.

“Which one of us goes in?” Li Changsheng prepared to take the long sword from his necklace pouch.

Jiang Chen shook his head. “Wait a bit longer.”

The mustached man wasn’t just scared out of his mind—he was completely immobilized.

---

The black python could swallow the mustached man in a single bite.

But in the next moment, a white shadow darted out at incredible speed, emanating pure holy light. Its body was smooth but notably smaller than the black python—several times smaller.

The black python extended its head to strike, but the small white snake pressed firmly against the giant serpent’s head.

“What is that?” Li Changsheng looked at the small snake with a sudden pang of pity.

“The guardian spirit of the Lingqin Tunnel, protector of the Lingqin Tunnel,” Jiang Chen said slowly.

“Then why haven’t we seen it before?”

“Obviously. Did you see that huge black python and not get scared? Besides, that little white snake is just a small one.”

The black python struggled visibly. This wasn’t its home turf. Outside the tunnel, this small snake would have long been its dinner. But inside the tunnel, the terrain forced them to be evenly matched, locked in a stalemate.

Suddenly, the black python noticed the mustached man nearby and slowly said, “Pick up your sword and kill it. If you kill this white snake, I’ll spare you.”

“Ah?! No...” The mustached man shrank back in fear.

The black python barked fiercely, “Pick up the sword and kill it! Kill it!”

“If I kill it, you’ll spare me?” The mustached man hesitated but picked up his peachwood sword from the ground.

“Trust me. As long as you kill her, I’ll spare you. Hurry up and finish him off!”

The mustached man’s hand trembled, but he still raised the peachwood sword.

“Sorry, sorry. Don’t blame me after you die. I’m only doing this to survive. Your death is better than mine,” the mustached man muttered, closing his eyes as he stabbed at the white snake.

The white snake seemed resigned and silently closed its eyes. The black python beamed with joy, confident that once the white snake was dead, it would rule the tunnel.

Slap—

What happened next was unexpected. The mustached man’s peachwood sword was shattered into pieces by a single kick. The mustached man was kicked away, lying on the ground, conscious but coughing up blood.

“You fool, can you even believe the islanders? You’ve lived so long, and you’ve wasted your life,” Jiang Chen sneered.

...