Escape

Without sufficient coincidence, even being separated by dozens of miles could mean never seeing each other again.

Zhang Xuezhou had traveled to countless places over the years; how could he possibly know that the people of Zhang Household Village actually lived in a mountain near Shouchun City?

Seven or eight years is not a very long time, but it is enough for them to grow from children into young adults, and enough for the middle-aged to grow old. Among the elderly, some will pass away, and newborns will be born into the world.

Without consulting the archives of the King of Huainan's Household, even if Zhang Xuezhou passed through this place and was noticed by these people who were once acquainted with Zhang Household Village, it would be highly likely that the two sides would not recognize each other.

Only after considering various factors did Zhang Xuezhou dare to confirm that these people were once members of Zhang Household Village.

He watched Zhang Jiangang being led away by the drug slaves, estimated the time, and then his Yang Soul drifted and disappeared into Zijin Mountain.

There are minerals in Zijin Mountain. People mine and transport them here. The area is also involved in smelting furnaces, forging swords, metallurgy, and even casting half-ounce coins.

It's no wonder the King of Huainan could spend money so lavishly when he could print money at home.

Zhang Xuezhou looked around, his eyes scanning the many faces.

"Father is locked up here too!"

Zhang Xuezhou eventually discovered Zhang Zhong, who was in charge of casting iron next to the furnace.

Zhang Zhong, who was nearly sixty years old, was already quite old. The casting work in this place was all hard and tiring, so it was impossible for him to take care of his health.

Looking at Zhang Zhong head of white hair, Zhang Xuezhou felt a sense of unfamiliarity with his appearance.

Zhang Zhong successfully tracked down the clues, Zhang Zhong also became deeply involved, unable to even send a message back to Hibiscus City.

Lady Yourong, it is difficult to know his location.

Zhang Xuezhou fell silent for a moment, unsure how to lead the many people of Zhang Household Village to safety.

But no matter how difficult the task, even if it meant saving them one by one, he was determined to do it.

When the calculated time arrived, Zhang Xuezhou had no choice but to quickly retreat.

"You bastards, let me go! We're with the Northern Army! If you harm us, the Northern Army will stand up for us!"

Yang Po drifted for several miles, but Zhang Jiangang's voice remained loud and clear.

But after being restrained by the drug slaves and a group of guards and tied with ropes, she could only writhe and curse.

Zhang Xuezhou followed the sound.

Because of Zhang Jiangang's delay, his calculations were still a bit premature.

The drug slave, also grumbling and cursing, continued onward, carrying the troublesome Zhang Jiangang.

"Those people from Zijin Mountain just love to see us from Wuzhu Mountain make a fool of ourselves. They didn't even send a couple of people to help me carry this!"

The medicine slave was tall and strong, with individual strength at least at the level of the True Spirit Realm martial artist. However, he dared not fight him or injure Zhang Jiangang, and could only rely on force to suppress him. The journey had not been easy for him.

Zhang Jiangang cursed the medicine slave, but the medicine slave was too lazy to reply to Zhang Jiangang. Instead, he pulled together many guards from Zijin Mountain to fire a cannon.

"It's never easy getting someone, damn it..."

As he continued his grumbling and complaining, a rock the size of a human head fell from the mountainside.

The drug slave warrior reacted extremely quickly. Just as he was about to dash away to dodge, everything went black before his eyes, and his head was smashed solidly.

He fell flat on his face, and Zhang Jiangang, whom he was carrying, was thrown off.

"You wicked seed, you're getting your just desserts! Even the mountain god is going to throw stones at you!"

Zhang Jiangang also fell and got bruised and battered in the mountains, but after rolling over and getting to her feet, she felt a surge of anger when she saw Yao Nu lying on the ground.

After cursing the drug slave a couple of times, she struggled violently, trying to untie the ropes binding her.

"Gangniu!"

"Who?"

A faint, ethereal sound drifted through the air, and Zhang Jiangang quickly raised his head.

"I'm your Brother Zhou!"

"Erbaozi?"

The conversation between Zhang Xuezhou and Zhang Jiangang was awkward, since the names of their villages were all of the "the eldest brother doesn't laugh at the second brother" kind of quality, and Zhang Jiangang's name wasn't much better, nor was Zhang Xuezhou's.

However, once they mutually agreed to verify each other's identities, it became very convenient to become familiar with them.

"Brother Zhou, where are you? Help me!"

If Zhang Xuezhou were the one pinned to the ground, Zhang Jiangang would feel that calling her Erbaozi was perfectly acceptable, but since she was tied up with rope, she would have to be more polite when asking for help.

Zhang Jiangang racked his brains for a while before awkwardly addressing him as Brother Zhou.

"Wait a minute!"

Zhang Xuezhou pointed his hand at his own body, and the Yang Soul Body rapidly extracted the Law Power that had built up his Yang Soul within its effective range.

The layers piled up rapidly, and his body solidified.

With a light step, Zhang Xuezhou landed firmly on the ground.

He searched the drug slave's body, took out a short-handled herb-gathering knife, and cut the hemp rope directly.

"Brother Zhou, you're so old now! Where are you usually kept? I've never seen you!"

Zhang Jiangang felt that the moment he turned his head, Zhang Xuezhou appeared.

After a careful examination, she realized that apart from his tone, Zhang Xuezhou was completely unrecognizable from years ago.

"You look like you've eaten well, your skin is so fair and tender, have you gained some strength?"

Zhang Jiangang patted Zhang Xuezhou's body, only to feel as if his palm had hit a puddle of water, almost sinking in. This startled the usually carefree Zhang Xuezhou, and she dared not pat him again, fearing she might accidentally kill him.

"How many people from our village live in Zijin Mountain?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.

"Eighty... ninety... it seems to be over a hundred. You learned to count from the Third Elder, so you have to count it yourself. I can't count it at all," Zhang Jiangang said with a headache.

I knew asking you was pointless!

Zhang Xuezhou was also troubled by the village's illiteracy rate.

The illiteracy rate is a headache, but the biggest problem is how to get people out of the Beishan area.

Let alone escaping with dozens or hundreds of people, even leaving with Zhang Jiangang quietly would be a difficult task.

He glanced at the medicine slave, then kicked him into a ditch beside the mountain road, causing the medicine slave to be knocked unconscious by falling rocks.

Listen to my direction, I'll see if I can get you out of here!

Zhang Xuezhou pointed to the outside of the North Mountain.

Zhang Xuezhou didn't know how the people of Zhang Household Village had been identified as human by Jin Chang and then turned into medicine people, but Jin Chang had already gone to search for the Yin-Yang Sacred Land.

If Zhang Jiangang can escape the Beishan area, it might mean he's safe.

Zhang Xuezhou didn't dare to cause any big trouble at this point. He thought he would try it out first and see if Zhang Jiangang could use his instructions to take a shortcut through blind spots to avoid patrols.

In places where passage was impossible, Zhang Xuezhou could only resort to using the deterrent effect of his realm.

No matter what, he possesses the oppressive power that only those at the Divine Ability Realm can have, which can deter and influence cultivators at the Consciousness Creation Realm. Even if Huainan has many talented people, it is impossible for them to be so extravagant as to have great cultivators as their guards.

If he really encounters someone he can't beat, Zhang Xuezhou will have no choice but to accept it.

"Are you going to take me out of this mountain? There are many men with knives watching along the way. My mother is still inside, and so is your father..."

"Stop worrying about all that, or I'll go find Zhang Cigong to beat you up!"

"Oh!"

Zhang Xuezhou said something harsh, which made Zhang Jiangang quiet down and stop asking questions.

Don't look back!

Zhang Xuezhou gave a warning.

A surge of Law Power rippled through the air, and his solidified body rapidly dissipated.

The primary prerequisite for saving others is ensuring one's own absolute safety; Zhang Xuezhou clearly wouldn't put himself in danger when attempting a rescue.

But Zhang Xuezhou doesn't have much time left.

He lured Li Shang into taking a risky gamble by offering him human medicine. As he had predicted, Li Shang was eager to try his hand at alchemy, which led Zhang Xuezhou to the location of the medicine people.

Even if Zhang Jiangang goes missing, and another medicine slave is knocked unconscious by falling rocks, Li Shang's attempts at alchemy will not stop.

Perhaps today, or perhaps tomorrow, Li Shang may summon someone to check, or he may come in person.