The Oriole Lurking Behind
"Hahaha!"
Laughter echoed throughout Fengxize at night.
It was rare for Zhang Xuezhou to lose his composure and laugh.
This explains his emotional outburst.
Whether it's Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, the Emperor Qin, the Gaozu Emperor, or 'Bai', they are all difficult problems for him to face.
In the short span of a day in Feng Xize, 'Bai' had already been taken away and his mind was certainly not on him and Li Shaojun. Emperor Gaozu had severed his connection with Emperor Qin and was also scattered in the midst of the war.
Having solved three difficult problems in one go, Zhang Xuezhou was overjoyed.
This was also the joy he felt after successfully escaping from a life-threatening situation.
Zhang Xuezhou even looked forward to returning to the real world. He wanted to see the situation of the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, to see what changes had occurred in their souls, and whether the threat to him had been greatly reduced.
He had been lying in the swamp of Fengxize for a long time, and the muddy water and the Yellow Spring water had almost soaked half of his body, but these substances had not even broken through the seal of divine robes, let alone caused any damage to Zhang Xuezhou.
His cultivation path was all about survival, and this method of cultivation made him far more capable of fighting against others.
He might be a bit disheveled when fighting with others, but as long as he can't be killed, Zhang Xuezhou will be the last survivor.
"This luck, all of this luck is mine!"
The golden light of fortune had ceased to rise in Fengxize, but Zhang Xuezhou continued to take what he could, even taking the pot from Emperor Gaozu.
Aside from the fact that 'Bai' didn't die completely after being suppressed, resulting in him not being thoroughly drained, everything else was fine.
Zhang Xuezhou wasn't particularly ungrateful to 'Bai'. He had used 'Bai's' favor from the waters to some extent, but he also rescued 'Bai' from the oppression of Emperor Gaozu. As for sending 'Bai' to the hands of the two leaders of the Western Sect, who were like living devils, that's another matter. After all, without the intervention of these two leaders, 'Bai' would not have been able to escape Emperor Gaozu's suppression.
Of course, Zhang Xuezhou felt that he had been quite kind to Emperor Gaozu.
Without Bai's coercion, Li Shaojun would not disrupt the court or plot to overthrow the Great Han Dynasty.
Although Li Shaojun's abilities are limited and he doesn't seem capable of overthrowing the Great Han Dynasty, it's better to avoid trouble and prevent him from causing unnecessary chaos.
Zhang Xuezhou considered the situation in his mind and realized that although many people had died or were injured, the outcome was actually quite good for everyone.
He opened his arms, and mud, water from the underworld, and dust fell continuously onto him.
"I can take one more step forward!"
Zhang Xuezhou did not look towards Chang'an City, nor did he turn his gaze to the South Heavenly Gate, which he lacked the authority to pass through. Instead, he looked towards the west.
He only needs to return to Kunlun to collect all the Drunken Peach to brew the Nine Treasures Wine.
Having learned from past failures in brewing, and with the added blessing of good fortune and the defeat of Emperor Gaozu in battle, Zhang Xuezhou felt that the probability of his brewing success this time was extremely high, and there was also a good chance that Sole Self Realm.
After a battle, there is always a period of quietude, which can also be called a development period or a period of avoiding battle. Zhang Xuezhou couldn't check the status of his physical body for the time being, but he didn't mind waiting a little longer.
He turned his gaze toward the Western Kunlun Mountains, but ultimately had to put his plans aside for the time being and prepare to find a place to spend the next twelve days.
Zhang Xuezhou reached into his Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag and found the Liangyuan Token.
Feng Xize was within the territory of State of Liang, so there was no problem for him to stay at Liang Garden in Suiyang for twelve days for free.
Liangyuan not only provides food and drinks, but also offers quite good accommodations and is relatively safe.
With a leap, Zhang Xuezhou rode the waves and sped away.
"He must be a remnant of the Heavenly Court!"
Feng Xize's gaze was dim, but after Zhang Xuezhou disappeared into the distance, a woodcutter dressed in coarse cloth emerged from the darkness. He had thick layers of dry grass tied to his legs, carefully crossed a patch of yellow mud, and stood where Zhang Xuezhou had been lying.
He crouched down, and a very fair hand slowly pressed down.
Compared to his previous caution, he no longer cared about the poisonous Yellow Spring water in this muddy swamp.
"There must have been a battle taking place here. I wonder who he's fighting. It's a pity I can't get close with my Great Meteor Strike, otherwise I would have been pulled into it. My bow and arrows..."
The woodcutter's face was twisted with bitterness.
He touched the sword at his waist and then looked at the wooden bow on his shoulder.
A sword can injure, but it's difficult to get close; a wooden bow can shoot from a distance, but its power is insufficient.
For some faction members, there's no need to ask so many questions; just strike if you can.
The other party was dressed in the ancient golden robes of the Heavenly Court, making his identity too easy to identify. Unfortunately, he lacked the ability and could only watch the other party leave, unable to take advantage of this opportunity to achieve his own goals.
What should I do?
The woodcutter looked up.
Looking around, it seemed as if he was the only person left in the world.
He lost the ability to return, and he no longer possessed any personal strength; everything that belonged to him had been destroyed.
"I shouldn't have done this. How could I have lost? How could I have lost like this? I..."
He made no careless mistakes, all his choices were perfect, and he had the upper hand at the time, but in the end, he failed miserably.
If time could be turned back, none of the choices would change.
The bewildered and bitter expression on his face gradually faded, and he slowly walked out of the swamp, relying on the thick grass beneath his feet.
After glancing at the dark night sky, the woodcutter began to run, heading in the direction Zhang Xuezhou had gone.
"If I can catch up with him and gain his goodwill, maybe I can find a viable path!"
Regret will not bring about any change, and despair will not help in the slightest.
The woodcutter eventually managed to change his mindset and turned his attention to the celestial cultivators who were once known as remnants of the former Heavenly Court order.
He didn't want to know what the other person was there for or what they wanted to achieve; he only wanted to gain their goodwill.
If one borrows someone's luck through intimacy, hope may be born from despair.
After stumbling and struggling for so long, this might be the only straw he could grasp in his desperate situation.
"He's heading towards Suiyang. Even if he takes off his clothes, the aura of his magical power won't dissipate. I'm sure I can find him!"
He strode swiftly through the desolate area, only pausing for a moment when a long monument came into view in the distance.
After reading the inscription on the monument, he understood some of its contents.
The world is indeed changing. The Qin Dynasty was invincible a hundred years ago, but it did not fall into ruin after Qin. Instead, heroes continued to emerge. The inscription records their feats of slaying dragons and snakes, and also includes some extremely exaggerated descriptions of themselves.
"Liu Ji was quite a figure; he erected his own monument and can still enjoy long-lasting incense offerings in this rotten, foul land!"
The woodcutter touched the long stele, then touched the name of the stele erected for his act of slaying the snake.
He grabbed a handful of incense ash from the ground and muttered incantations. As he did so, his fair right hand gradually turned pale yellow, and his facial features gained a touch of cynicism.