Chapter 232

Yang Jian slowly stood up, his gaze calmly sweeping over the hunters who had surrounded him.

They exuded a menacing aura, clearly desperate criminals who had lived on the edge of death, but these petty tricks were nothing more than child's play to him.

He spoke calmly, "Gentlemen, I am merely a Daoist priest who has descended the mountain to search for relatives. I possess nothing of value; perhaps you should seek refuge elsewhere."

"Bullshit! Your clothes are made of the finest silk, and you dare say you're broke?"

A man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face cried out in a shrill voice, shaking the rope net in his hand as he tried to step forward.

The burly man at the head of the group lost his patience and roared, "Stop wasting time talking to him, take him down!"

Before he could finish speaking, all five of them launched an attack simultaneously.

A rope net descended upon him, two steel blades blocked his retreat, and a long spear, like a venomous snake, pierced towards his back.

This teamwork is quite skillful; an ordinary martial arts expert would likely be defeated instantly.

Yang Jian didn't even move an inch.

He simply raised his right hand slightly, made a hand seal, and uttered a single word. "Freeze!"

For a moment, time seemed to stand still.

The net that had been hanging over his head stopped in mid-air, and two menacing steel blades froze three inches to his side.

The spear tip behind him had almost touched his Daoist robe, but it could not go any further.

The five hunters remained in a charging posture, their expressions shifting from ferocious and menacing to utter terror and astonishment.

Yang Jian walked slowly to the burly man at the head of the group and lightly flicked his nine-ringed broadsword.

With a whoosh, the steel-forged broadsword instantly turned into a pile of iron dust.

"Now, do you still want my travel expenses?"

Yang Jian's voice was calm, but to the five immobilized hunters, it was no less than a demonic voice from the depths of hell.

Fear overwhelmed them instantly; cold sweat seeped from their foreheads and slid down their cheeks.

Only then did they realize that they had not provoked a Tongtian Daoist priest at all, but an immortal with all-powerful abilities!

Seeing that they were already afraid, Yang Jian casually waved his hand and dispelled the spell.

The five men immediately collapsed to the ground like five puddles of mud, tumbling and crawling to their knees before him, kowtowing repeatedly. "Immortal Master, spare our lives! Immortal Master, spare our lives!"

We were blind and ignorant, and offended the Immortal Master. We beg the Immortal Master to forgive us this time, for we have elderly parents and young children to support!

"Get lost. If there's a next time, it won't be as simple as just melting down a sword." Yang Jian waved his hand and turned away, no longer looking at them.

The five men, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, fled in panic into the depths of the dense forest.

After running quite a distance and confirming that Yang Jian was not chasing them, the burly man at the head of the group stopped, wiped away his cold sweat, and revealed a strange, sly smile on his face.

A companion leaned closer and whispered, "Brother, this Yang Jian truly lives up to his reputation; his magical power is profound. Our little tricks are no match for him at all."

The burly man snorted coldly, took out a jade pendant that shimmered faintly from his robes, and respectfully addressed it:

"Your Excellency, the test is complete. Yang Jian is calm and composed, his strength far exceeds our expectations, and he did not kill us. It seems... he is not a bad person. Please, Your Excellency, make your decision."

The jade pendant flashed with light and then disappeared.

It turns out that these people were not hunters at all, but rather heavenly soldiers sent by the Heavenly Court to test Yang Jian's true strength.

Yang Jian was naturally unaware of the scheme behind this. He continued on his way, feeling an even greater urgency in his heart to save his mother.

After traveling for another half day, a mournful wailing sound reached his ears.

He followed the sound, parted a clump of bushes, and saw a small, black Little earth dog with its hind leg tightly clamped by a huge iron jaw clamp, its fur soaked in blood.

The puppy was barely breathing. When it saw someone approaching, its eyes were filled with fear, but it didn't even have the strength to struggle.

Yang Jian's heart softened, and he quickly stepped forward.

He carefully crouched down and reached out his hand to try and comfort it.

The puppy seemed to sense that he meant no harm, and despite the excruciating pain, it gently licked his finger with its tongue, its docility heartbreaking.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here to save you." Yang Jian said softly, pointing his fingers like a sword and slashing through the air at the steel trap. With a crisp crack, the trap broke in two.

He then tore off a corner of his Daoist robe to clean the puppy's wound, took out the medicine given to him by his master from his small cloth bag, applied it, and finally carefully bandaged it with a strip of cloth.

After doing all this, he intended to leave the puppy aside and let it leave on its own.

But as soon as he turned around, the little dog limped up to him and gently rubbed its head against his trouser leg.

A low whimper escaped her throat, and her clear eyes were filled with dependence and pleading.

Yang Jian smiled helplessly, bent down and picked it up. "Well, it's fate that we met. From now on, you'll stay with me."

"Your bark is so loud, you're sure to be heard in the heavens someday. How about I call you the Howling Celestial Dog?"

The puppy seemed to understand, barking happily twice and nuzzling against his chest.

From then on, Yang Jian had a loyal companion on his journey to find his family.

Accompanied by his Howling Celestial Dog, Yang Jian arrived at a small town called Hekou Town.

The town is small, but it is quite prosperous due to its location on a major transportation route.

He stayed at the only inn in town, intending to inquire about news of Peach Mountain.

The lobby was bustling with activity, a gathering place for Three Teachings, making it the most well-informed place.

As soon as he sat down and ordered some vegetarian dishes, he heard some men dressed in gangsters at the next table talking loudly.

"Have you heard? There are rumors of a rare treasure appearing near Black Wind Mountain. It's said that the treasure emits divine light and can split mountains and shatter rocks!"

"Hey, who doesn't know that! But Black Wind Mountain is the territory of the Black Bear Monster, and it's protected by a natural barrier. Who would dare to go there to their death?"

"A magical artifact capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks..."

Yang Jian's heart stirred. His mother was suppressed beneath Peach Mountain. If he could obtain this magical treasure, wouldn't there be a greater chance of rescuing her?

He picked up his teacup, walked to the table, and politely cupped his hands in greeting. "Gentlemen, my name is Yang Jian. I am new to your esteemed place and am quite interested in the magical treasures you have mentioned. Would you be so kind as to tell me more about them?"

The men sized him up, and seeing that he was just a handsome young Daoist priest, one of them couldn't help but sneer:

"Where did this little Daoist priest come from? How dare you covet such divine treasures? Don't let a few rumors get to you and make you lose your life without even knowing why."

Another person chimed in, "That's right, hurry back to your Daoist chanting; fighting and killing aren't for you."

The crowd burst into laughter.

Yang Jian frowned slightly, but he didn't want to bother with these ordinary people.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, a gruff voice rang out from the side. "Hey, isn't this Grandpa River-Mixing Dragon King from our town? What, are you here to listen to stories today?"

A burly, muscular bully with a menacing face walked over with several henchmen, shoved aside the street thug blocking his way, and arrogantly sat down.

A pair of eyes stared at Yang Jian with ill intent; more precisely, at the seemingly ordinary jade pendant at Yang Jian's waist.

"Young man, I think your jade pendant is quite nice. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll give it to you and won't make things difficult for you!"