Catching Up

The period wasn't long, less than four years.

Rong Tianding still vividly remembers the scene when his cousin Zhang Xuezhou, whom he had never met before, first came to the Rong Household, and how the two cousins slaughtered a pig, painted pictures, and chased after a criminal.

The accident occurred on the way to Dragon Gate Village to apprehend the culprit. Rong Li, who was usually thick-skinned, was stunned to see Zhang Xuezhou fall into a mud pit and disappear without a trace.

After Zhang Xuezhou's accident, Rong Li also fell seriously ill.

During that period, Rong Tianding took over the pork stall.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this is how the Rong Household will live their lives.

The arrival of the merchant group from Wu Chao brought good news, informing the Rong Household that Zhang Xuezhou was still alive.

Although I don't know how Zhang Xuezhou ended up in the Xiong State, it's good that he survived.

This eased Rong Li's worries somewhat.

Rong Li, who had always only believed in the knife in her hand, began to pray to gods and Buddhas, and would often come to the Daoist temple to burn incense and make wishes.

"Then why did you become a Daoist priest?" Zhang Xuezhou asked incredulously.

"Well, I have a business partnership with Lao Mu," Rong Tianding said with an awkward laugh. "He also told me not to use pig's blood paintings to harm people, and to learn some real skills so I wouldn't suffer like this later."

"That makes sense. Where's Lao Mu?"

Old Mu is Daoist Mu. Judging from Rong Tianding's familiar tone, the two have a pretty good relationship.

"Old Mu is buried over there," Rong Tianding pointed to a hillside outside the Daoist temple. "He found himself a good burial place, and then I attended his funeral. He also gave me this Daoist temple!"

"He left so quickly?"

"He was burned by smoke and fire once, and his health never recovered afterward. It's inevitable that he'll have to go through this again as he gets older!"

Young people are ignorant and fearless; only when they are old enough and nearing their end do they realize how quickly time flies.

Dragon Gate Village remains unchanged, and Hibiscus City has not changed much either. But upon returning, Zhang Xuezhou felt that things had changed and people were no longer the same, and he felt a sense of melancholy for the passing of time.

Even if one is defiant and arrogant in youth, one cannot escape being buried by a handful of yellow earth decades later.

Zhang Xuezhou touched his short stubble, feeling a slight bitterness in his heart; the changes in his State of Mind were hard to describe at the moment.

But thinking about the important matter at hand, Zhang Xuezhou quickly inquired about the relevant details.

"The Corpse Jiao Canon is here," Rong Tianding said. "Daoist Mu said that the Corpse Jiao Canon is just a pile of trash in the eyes of great cultivators, but it is the culmination of his life's work and the hope for us lower-level cultivators to glimpse the path to enlightenment!"

Rong Tianding led Zhang Xuezhou back to the side room of the Daoist temple and took out the tattered handwritten book from under his pillow.

"Cousin, can you understand these scribbled symbols? Can you really develop skills from them?" Rong Tianding shook his head and said, "I keep dreaming of mass graves after learning this, and there's Daoist Mu reaching into a coffin, crying and begging me to pull him out."

"This... my cousin is amazing!"

Zhang Xuezhou quickly flipped to the Summoning Technique, and only after Rong Tianding began his narration did he notice the faint, almost negligible, Law Power aura emanating from Rong Tianding.

Under the guidance of the Daoist Mu, Rong Tianding had clearly passed the most important initial stage of becoming a cultivator.

This stage isn't particularly difficult; those with resources and connections as descendants of cultivators have a high probability of overcoming it. However, for those without a foundation, this is the beginning of countless difficulties.

And the long journey of a cultivator begins here.

Without sufficient resources, even if one struggles their whole life and ends up as a humble Daoist Mu, it's considered lucky. Most ordinary people, however, lose their lives in the ups and downs of life.

"You've entered the realm of the Corpse-Eating School's doctrines, so the strange phenomena you've witnessed are normal," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"Is this not an illness?" Rong Tianding said happily.

"It's not an illness," Zhang Xuezhou shook his head and said, "You're breaking through but not fully entering, which is why you've experienced these strange phenomena several times. But once you enter the realm, it will be difficult to see these phenomena again!"

"I was wondering why I haven't been having those kinds of dreams lately. Do you mean that this condition has disappeared?" Rong Tianding asked. "Is this normal cultivation? Is it the same for everyone else?"

"That's all, that's true. This is indeed a situation that happens during cultivation; everyone encounters it!"

Zhang Xuezhou shook his head repeatedly.

He suddenly remembered something and gave some more instructions.

"The Corpse-Eating Sect acted in ways that were both righteous and wicked, and may have offended the imperial court, leading to their extermination. Their current lineage is in the hands of a cultivator from the Agricultural Sect named Xu Ji," Zhang Xuezhou. "If you wish to obtain a more complete cultivation manual from the Corpse-Eating Sect, you can seek out this person in the future!"

Where is this person?

"He might still be wandering around Ba County," Zhang Xuezhou pondered. "But I made a promise with Xu Ji's son, Xu Yuan, to meet in Chang'an City. If he keeps the promise, I can see him in a year and a half, and then it might be possible to see Xu Ji."

The world is vast, and without an agreement, many people's passing by will be forever, with little chance of ever meeting again.

If Zhang Xuezhou were to search for Xu Ji, Zhang Xuezhou would be completely clueless.

But the promise made to Xu Yuan brought a glimmer of hope.

If Rong Tianding is interested, as an outer disciple of the Corpse-like School, borrowing the book to read it might not be a problem.

"Cousin, you seem quite familiar with cultivation. Have you been cultivating all these years?"

Having lived in Hibiscus City for so long, Rong Tianding's knowledge was indeed limited. He mostly heard Daoist Mu talk about old stories and boasted about rumors that even Daoist Mu himself found hard to believe.

Upon seeing Zhang Xuezhou again, Rong Tianding discovered that Zhang Xuezhou had not only gained more knowledge and experience, but also more connections, and might even possess the abilities of a cultivator.

The fact that Zhang Xuezhou is so familiar with the Corpse-Hero School, to which Daoist Mu belongs, can only mean that he has experienced a great deal recently.

The reunion after several years filled Rong Tianding with joy, but the two had so much to say that they didn't know where to begin, so they could only chatter Zhang Xuezhou and Rong Tianding about whatever came to mind.

Zhang Xuezhou also briefly mentioned his busy travels over the years.

Have my parents ever come back to Hibiscus City to look for me?

After finishing his rambling conversation, as he prepared to enter the city to see Rong Li, Zhang Xuezhou also asked about his parents.

"We haven't heard from my aunt and uncle for years," Rong Tianding shook his head repeatedly. "They haven't come to see us at all, and no one has even relayed their messages."

"Like this?"

The news that Zhang Zhong and Lady Yourong had not returned to Hibiscus City for more than three years caused Zhang Xuezhou's expression to change slightly.

Zhang Xuezhou had originally worried that Zhang Zhong and Lady Yourong would hear of his disappearance, but unexpectedly, it was Zhang Xuezhou who needed to worry about his parents' safety.

The investigation into the disappearances in Zhang Household Village may involve cultivators, which poses a high risk to Zhang Zhong and the Lady Yourong.

The lack of communication for so long suggests that Zhang Zhong and Lady Yourong have either met with misfortune or may be with the others who disappeared from Zhang Household Village.

As Zhang Xuezhou belatedly reflected on everything that had happened several years ago, he couldn't help but frown deeply.

"The parties involved in this matter back then included the Xieluosi River Holy Land, the Great Han Dynasty, the Kunlun Heavenly Court, Jin Chang, who also seemed to be entangled with my adoptive father in the vicinity at the time..."

If he wanted to find clues from that year, Zhang Xuezhou could think of some related parties.

After pondering various options, he finally decided to use the tedious method of asking them one by one.

If he could find out the whereabouts of everyone in Zhang Household Village by asking around, he might be able to find his parents.

When Zhang Xuezhou was filled with worry for his parents, he felt that many other things did not seem important.

"My senior brother and Master Dong are also skilled at tracking. When we get back, we should ask Master Dong first to see if he has any ideas on how to find our parents!"

Zhang Xuezhou was worried, but Zhang Xuezhou wasn't too flustered.

Having cultivated for so long, he wouldn't say he's incredibly powerful, but his interpersonal relationships aren't bad. He knows a number of great cultivators, whether they have a grudge against him or not.

In the Zhang Household Village incident, Zhang Xuezhou had connections with almost every related party.