The infinite heavens begin with American horror.

Chapter 175 The Real and Fake Fish Demons

"Alas! As a Taoist practitioner, my only aim is to help the world. I will not take such a precious thing."

The Taoist priest took the bamboo basket, looked at the two salted fish with some disdain, and immediately took the salted fish out of the basket and returned them to the village chief.

Looking at the villagers around him, the Taoist priest thought to himself that he had swindled the money out of them and it was time to slip away.

Immediately, the Taoist priest clutched the silver coins tightly in his arms, turned to the villagers, and said, "Everyone, now that the monster has been caught, you can do whatever you want with it! There are still demons in other places waiting for me to deal with, so I won't stay here any longer!"

After hearing the Taoist priest's words, all the villagers looked at the manta ray hanging in mid-air, wondering how to deal with this fish demon.

Suddenly, a villager in the crowd pointed at the manta ray and roared angrily, "Kill it!"

"Isn't it dead?"

"Kill it again!" a resident angrily pointed at the manta ray that was hanging up.

"revenge!"

"revenge!"

"revenge!"

"I! Want! Revenge!" a middle-aged woman shouted in response.

The villagers' cries for revenge grew louder and louder. The fake Taoist priest was naturally very satisfied with this scene; the more chaotic they became, the better, and no one would care if he slipped away.

"You've all got it wrong, it's not the murderer!"

Just as the villagers were getting angry and roaring for revenge, a young man with mop-like hair squeezed out from the crowd and pointed at the hanging manta ray.

"It's just an ancient fish, docile by nature, extremely optimistic, and of very good quality, it's just a pity it grew a bit too big."

The ancient fish is actually a manta ray. Manta rays and stingrays do look somewhat alike, so it's understandable that Chen Xuanzang mistook it for a manta ray.

These words immediately attracted the attention of the villagers, who all looked towards the source of the sound. Upon seeing an unfamiliar figure, one villager pointed at him and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Chen Xuanzang, an unordained Mahayana Buddhist disciple, and also an exorcist who vanquishes demons."

"Buddhist disciple? Exorcist? You look more like a beggar to me!" a villager mocked, looking at Chen Xuanzang's appearance.

They were dressed even more tatteredly than the monks. They didn't look like Buddhist disciples at all. Those Buddhist disciples were all fat and greasy. How could they be like Chen Xuanzang, looking like this?

"Hey! Don't interrupt!"

The village chief of Shuita Village waved his hand, signaling the villager to be quiet. Then he looked at Chen Xuanzang and said, "I know about the Gu Shi fish, but I've never seen one like this. The Taoist priest said it's possessed by a demon."

"Village chief, look, it really isn't the monster you're looking for..."

The Taoist priest's expression had already changed when Chen Xuanzang appeared and pointed out the "fish demon's" identity. Now that Chen Xuanzang was going to continue speaking, he was not going to let him have his way.

If these villagers knew that this ancient fish was not a real fish demon, wouldn't his impersonation of a Taoist priest be exposed, and then where would he get the money?

They might even get beaten up by the villagers of Shuita Village!

For his money, and also to avoid being beaten.

The Taoist priest, carrying a basket, jumped in front of Chen Xuanzang, feigning a sorrowful expression, and said to Chen Xuanzang, "A good father was brutally murdered by a demon, innocent victims and their families are in unbearable pain, and you still say such things? Do you have no compassion at all! Speaking up for a demon like this! You..."

"You bastard!" The village chief finished speaking for the Taoist priest, pointing at Chen Xuanzang.

As the village chief pointed at Chen Xuanzang and started cursing, the other villagers also began to curse Chen Xuanzang.

"asshole!"

"asshole!"

The shouts and curses were incessant. Chen Xuanzang was very anxious when he saw so many people cursing him. He was about to continue explaining when he was interrupted by a figure.

"Shut up!"

A woman stretched out her finger and came to Chen Xuanzang. This woman was the wife of the man who had been eaten by the fish demon.

She pointed angrily at Chen Xuanzang, her eyes red and tears streaming down her face.

Have you ever had a husband who died?

???

Chen Xuanzang looked at the woman speechlessly.

Sister, don't you want to think about the question you just asked?

I'm a guy!

How could she possibly have a husband!

"Sister-in-law, I don't have a husband."

"I sympathize with your husband being killed by a fish demon, but this really isn't a fish demon!"

Blinded by rage, the woman didn't care about any of that; all she wanted was to avenge her husband as soon as possible!

The woman continued to ask Chen Xuanzang, "Have you ever had a husband who died?!"

"Sister-in-law, you have to believe me, I really didn't..."

A loud snap interrupted Chen Xuanzang's speech.

The woman slapped Chen Xuanzang hard across the face, then slapped him again.

Once the first person took the lead, the other villagers rushed up and punched and kicked Chen Xuanzang, quickly forcing him to his knees.

"Kill him! Kill him!..."

"This fish is innocent! The monster is still in the water! Everyone, please don't go in!" Chen Xuanzang shouted to the villagers, still holding them down despite being held down by several people.

Monks, being compassionate, naturally do not wish to see innocent people die at the hands of fish demons.

Chen Xuanzang's words made the fake Taoist priest anxious again, and he walked up to Chen Xuanzang and shouted.

"That's utter nonsense! He's clearly an accomplice of the monster. Hang him up and burn him!"

As soon as he said this, some villagers immediately joined in the commotion.

"Burn him!"

"Burn him!"

"Burn him!"

"I've already killed that monster. It's absolutely safe here. Everyone can go into the water now, go!"

Despite what the fake Taoist priest said, after Chen Xuanzang's commotion, out of fear of the fish demon, not a single villager listened to the fake Taoist priest and went swimming.

What if what Chen Xuanzang said is true?

If the fish demon were in the lake, wouldn't it be doomed if it went into the water now?

Not a single villager dared to risk their life.

Seeing that things were not going well, the fake Taoist priest immediately gave his disciple a wink, clearly indicating that the disciple should go into the water to prove that the fish demon had been eliminated.

The young Taoist saw the fake Taoist's expression and understood his meaning. However, the young Taoist knew that the fish demon in the lake was still there, and that the ancient fish had indeed been killed in advance to impersonate the fish demon.

The young Taoist understood the danger of going into the water better than anyone else, so how could he not be afraid? He stood there for a long time without making a move.

"Get in the water!"

Seeing that the young Taoist was hesitant to go into the water, the fake Taoist immediately urged him on.

What are you still dawdling for!

If they didn't go into the water soon, the villagers would become even more suspicious of their identities. The fake Taoist priest wished he could just kick the young Taoist boy into the water.

Forced by the fake Taoist priest's tyranny, the young Taoist had no choice but to slowly move a few steps, just as he was about to enter the water.

A loud female voice suddenly came from behind the crowd.

"Why is it so lively here? Make way, let me see!"

Upon hearing this sound, everyone turned around and looked behind them.