Chapter 132

On the official road, two simple riders galloped their horses in the morning light.

Hooves kicked up clouds of dust.

But Fengyang Commandery city ahead gradually receded.

Zhang Jian glanced back at Fengyang Commandery, and his expression actually relaxed a bit.

Young birds must eventually leave the nest and learn to fly.

"Master, shall we take the water route or the land route next?"

Beside him, Zhang Lu was broad‑shouldered and thick‑waisted; after one autumn, his height had increased a little.

The mortise‑and‑tenon structured pack on his back looked small and delicate, somewhat out of place.

"But the weather is freezing; the water route might ice over, possibly causing delays!"

"Then let's travel a stretch of land first, and take the water route once it's clear!"

Zhang Jian wasn't in a hurry; there were still over three months until the spring imperial examination, time should be enough.

The spring imperial examination takes place when the snow melts and early spring sprouts appear.

And that is in February.

Actually, the water route would be most convenient: in spring, summer, and autumn, the White Water is navigable, leading straight into the Grand Canal; traveling by water would get you to the important Haojing region in about half a month.

However, to craft his personal magic weapon, Zhang Jian had delayed a while, so he could only set out by land.

Now possessing spiritual power, he need not worry about fatigue on the journey.

Like the previous prefectural exam held in the commandery city, which had worn him out to the point of near illness.

Meanwhile, Zhang Lu had already begun martial body training and had also cultivated another body‑forging secret art obtained from the Min King's tomb, the White Tiger Hundred Victories Strength; his bones were strong, and having gathered many spiritual fruits from the Mountain God's Mansion, this fellow was full of energy, causing trouble all day long, getting into fights.

Yet traveling by land, the two suffered no hardship.

Upon entering Shanyang Commandery and its outskirts, a representative of the Zhang family caravan came to meet them; afterwards they hired many hands to escort the pair all the way to Jixian Commandery.

From Shanyang Commandery to Jixian Commandery, passing a few checkpoints they could reach the banks of the Grand Canal.

Then directly enter Haojing via the Grand Canal.

The Grand Canal's waters surge wildly; even in freezing cold it rarely ices over, so navigation is not difficult.

But just as they were about to leave Shanyang Commandery, trouble arose.

"In this chaotic warfare, fighting everywhere, these bandits are brutal, and the government troops are just as brutal!"

In the distance, a group hid on the mountain ridge; below, one could see the valley where two forces were locked in bloody combat—partly refugees turned bandits, partly government soldiers.

Yet in the mêlée, the government troops seemed unable to gain the upper hand, while the bandits' formations were orderly, advancing and retreating with discipline, actually flanking and encircling that portion of the government troops to annihilate them.

Half an hour later, the fighting down below gradually ceased.

With the local government troops utterly wiped out, the bandits orderly cleared the battlefield, scavenging everything usable before slowly withdrawing.

"Master, it looks like there are capable people among these bandits; such combat skill is not like a rabble of civilians! On the contrary, those government troops resemble a rabble!"

Zhang Lu frowned, his expression solemn.

Zhang Jian glanced at him; Zhang Lu's studies this period had not been in vain, and a faint smile appeared in his eyes.

"It seems the situation inside and outside Shanyang Commandery is worse than expected; that Governor Cai must be having a headache right now!"

At the same time the two slowly arrived on the battlefield, gazing at the hundreds of unburied corpses in the valley, Zhang Jian's eyes flickered; he silently recited a passage of the Rebirth Sutra, while his magical power flowed and condensed into pure-soul talismans, matching the sutra, and black qi rose from the battlefield to the heavens, then, under the talismans' cover, all sank into the earth.

"Dust to dust, earth to earth!"

"Those who die today will suffer in the next life; I hope you will never encounter war again in your next life!"

Beside him, Zhang Lu muttered softly.

Zhang Jian glanced at the increasingly lively boy and gave a light hum; but as the number of salvaged souls increased, he felt that the pure-soul talisman within him seemed to emit an invisible halo, within which a majestic figure faintly coalesced.

He knew it was the divine aspect of the Ten Directions Savior Heavenly Venerable.

Such a change was truly miraculous.

His actions, to a certain extent, could be considered as accumulating fortune for the Tongshan Dao Tradition.

Therefore, the Tongshan Dao Tradition is quite generous toward such methods that accumulate fortune.

Like the pure-soul talisman, a soul‑guiding secret art, the Tongshan Dao Tradition simply slips it into the basic cultivation methods as an extra.

It does not fear that you will not cultivate to a high level.

The deeper your cultivation, the happier the Tongshan Dao Tradition lineage becomes, and the more fortune it gains.

Just then, Zhang Jian's eyes shifted, his expression changed, and he glanced toward the deep valley, where he faintly saw a lurking demonic aura.

At that moment in the deep valley, another pitch‑black figure was peeking out, its gaze falling on the many battle‑dead corpses, showing a hint of resoluteness and endurance.

But looking at the many corpses in the center, those two figures, it flickered with timidity in its eyes, yet also a hint of longing.

It could tell that the cultivator performing the soul‑salvaging method among the corpses was undoubtedly a high‑level practitioner, yet it dared not approach and disturb him.

It is a spirit snake bred and hatched in these mountains, having cultivated here for hundreds of years; yet despite that time it still cannot enter the Great Dao, which leaves it anxious, and it once considered actively contacting some cultivators to seek the secret of longevity, but after being shouted at and attacked by a few cultivators, it developed a fearful heart.

It fears that if it crawls out again, it will be subdued by demon‑slayers.

"You little demon, lurking in the dark, what do you intend?"

Just then, a faint voice sounded in its ear, making its heart tremble involuntarily, and it instinctively wanted to shrink back into its cave.

But after a moment's hesitation, the great python could not suppress its desire, slowly crawling out of the cave and winding its way to Zhang Jian's front.

It was a massive black‑patterned python tens of zhang long, its forehead bearing a towering bright red serpent crown, and at that moment a hoarse voice sounded.

"Venerable sir, I beg your indulgence; the little demon hides in the dark with no offensive intent, only because I saw you performing the rite to salvage souls, my heart was moved by your teachings, and I have deliberately revealed myself to seek the Dao!"

"Please, venerable sir, do not be suspicious! The little demon bows!"

At this moment, Zhang Lu beside him had already drawn the white blade at his waist; Zhang Jian waved his hand to stop Zhang Lu, his gaze falling on the great black snake, a hint of astonishment in his eyes.

In his sight, though the spirit snake's demonic aura was mighty, it was quite pure; it also carried a faint bloody scent, yet it bore no souls, evidently merely hunting normally in the mountains and not having truly devoured human bodies.

However, although its demonic aura was mighty, it was extremely disordered; one could tell at a glance that it lacked proper method.

Zhang Jian couldn't help but ask:

"Are you perhaps a descendant of the Poison Dragon Palace?"

"Reporting to the exalted one, this little demon is not born of the Poison Dragon Palace; it is merely nurtured from an ordinary spiritual snake in the mountains!"

"That is indeed rare!"

Zhang Jian nodded silently, though his eyes were smiling.

"Then what method do you seek to acquire? Is it the art of transformation, or perhaps the art of self-defense? Or the art of slaying enemies?"

"Exalted one, this little demon seeks the art of longevity!"