Seven Days' Lodging

Holding the feather of the Golden Crow Great Emperor and lighting it with fire, Zhang Xuezhou once again rode his horse for a night run.

"I'm going to die! I'm going to die!"

Zhang Xuezhou had no choice but to run.

If the Goat Strength Demon King Yangli causes trouble, slapping him a couple of times would be the least of my worries; a duel between us wouldn't be too much to ask.

Holding the leverage of healing the Tiger Strength Demon King, he could barely manage to deal with these matters.

But what Zhang Xuezhou feared most was that the matter would escalate to the Emperor's ears, and he also feared the Emperor's intervention.

If the Venerable One were to say, "What you promised, you must do," Zhang Xuezhou's Supreme Purity True Technique would be exposed.

If the Supreme Purity True Technique cannot be kept secret and is spread recklessly, it will invite Li Guang's revenge.

Even the Venerable One had to hide in a secret place to avoid the limelight; how could he possibly be qualified to face Li Guang?

Compared to Li Guang, offending the Goat Strength Demon King is nothing. As long as he runs away, the Goat Strength Demon King Yangli will have no way to seek justice from the Venerable One.

After weighing the options in his mind, Zhang Xuezhou felt that running the route was the easiest way.

But he was also very worried about how to make a living from now on.

His time to return to reality is not far off.

A cultivator's aura can ward off ordinary mosquitoes and rodents, but it cannot ward off ferocious beasts, mindless Demon Beast, or birds of prey such as eagles, vultures, and hawks soaring in the sky.

Lying down anywhere he randomly offered no protection for his life, especially since he needed to lie there for seven days and seven nights straight.

However, finding a safe place within the territory of the Xiong State is indeed very difficult.

Zhang Xuezhou rode his horse westward. He finally decided that he should send the Nine Treasures Wine to Hongku. He figured that staying with Hongku for a few days to recuperate should be safe.

A carriage ride westward from the Xieluosi River Holy Land will take one day or one night to reach the Yedie River Holy Land.

If a single person rides a horse, this process will obviously be faster.

It was only dawn, and the first light of day was breaking on the horizon when Zhang Xuezhou could already see the familiar area of Sacred Mountain.

Many apprentices were practicing early in the morning, some absorbing the earth's energy to cultivate their Heart Incantation, some training poisonous insects, some practicing Incantation Technique, and others discussing with each other.

In many places, these are all geniuses.

But in the Yedie River Holy Land, there are many such geniuses, and it is difficult to stand out, so they have no choice but to desperately climb the ranks.

Zhang Xuezhou his horse closer to the entrance of the Sacred Land.

There were no guards here, and the Yedie River Holy Land did not need guards. Only four apprentices were breathing heavily at the entrance.

Upon hearing the sound of horses' hooves and raising their heads, a familiar face immediately came into view.

"Wu Jin is coming! Everyone run!"

"What's there to be afraid of? He's alone this time!"

"He's wanted by the royal family; we can call the teacher to arrest him!"

"Then hurry up and go!"

Why aren't you going!

The four apprentices whispered amongst themselves, but in the end, none of them dared to move.

After being severely beaten by Wu Chao and Zhang Xuezhou, the apprentices knew that these two were ruthless and unafraid of causing trouble, leaving many with a lasting trauma.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Wu Jin!"

When Zhang Xuezhou approached on horseback, the four men looked somewhat embarrassed, and then each bowed their heads in greeting.

No matter what Zhang Xuezhou is here for, as long as he doesn't beat them up or extort money from them, everyone will still welcome him. As for the royal family of the Xiong State wanting him, that doesn't count at all in the Yedie River Holy Land. No one has the responsibility or obligation to do dangerous work for the royal family.

As for what the monks were thinking, that was beyond the apprentices' comprehension.

"Greetings, fellow disciples!"

Zhang Xuezhou jumped off his horse, patted its rump, and asked one of his apprentices to take care of the horse before asking his question.

Where is Dharma Master Hongyi?

"The monk should still be having breakfast there!"

"Take me to see the monk!"

Zhang Xuezhou pointed in a direction.

As the Daoist Lord resides in the Yedie River Holy Land, Zhang Xuezhou may seem carefree, but he still pays attention to the proper boundaries.

He could move freely around the perimeter and go to the areas where the laborers and slaves lived, but he needed an apprentice to lead the way to the dining hall, and a higher-level mage to guide him to the area of mages or venerable ones.

Anyone who runs around without meeting the relevant conditions is considered to have trespassed on the Sacred Mountain, and if they are killed, they will have no recourse.

"Your name is Wutengermu, right?"

"So my senior brother still remembers me!"

"I took your tiger-skin rug to line my carriage last time, and I think the furs from your tribe are really nice. I'll buy some more when I have time!"

"Purchase?"

What's with that look on your face?

"I thought Senior Brother Wu Jin wanted to ask me for some more. As long as he doesn't hit me, I'm fine with just giving them to him!"

"Um..."

The conversations with the apprentices were just so unpleasant.

Fortunately, the dining area was not far from the entrance of the Sacred Land. Just a few minutes later, Zhang Xuezhou saw Dharma Master Hongyi eating in the very center.

"Uncle-Master Hongyi!"

When Zhang Xuezhou beckoned to Dharma Master Hongyi, Dharma Master Hongyi was slightly taken aback.

"So it's Wu Jin!"

Dharma Master Hongyi's blank expression lasted only a second or two.

He was somewhat surprised that Zhang Xuezhou would reappear at the Yedie River Holy Land.

Few apprentices of the Yedie River Holy Land have been expelled from its gates, and Zhang Xuezhou is currently the only one who has ever returned to the Sacred Land to take a look.

But as for the other apprentices, it was one thing; Dharma Master Hongyi and the others knew why Zhang Xuezhou had been expelled from the sect by Hongku, but it was difficult to determine whether Hongku still had any connection with Zhang Xuezhou and the others.

He generally ignored ordinary apprentices, but he still treated Zhang Xuezhou, who had abandoned his apprentice, with a certain degree of politeness.

As long as Venerable Hongku remains in power, he will maintain this polite attitude.

"It's been years!"

Dharma Master Hongyi smiled and pointed to the side.

"Greetings, Uncle Hongnong," Zhang Xuezhou bowed and said.

"I dare not. Your teacher is now a respected figure, and your status is not much different from ours. You are not worthy of such a bow!"

Dharma Master Hongyi accepted Zhang Xuezhou's address, while Master Hongnong rose to return the greeting, indicating that Zhang Xuezhou could call him by his name directly.

"Junior Brother Hongnong is right!"

Dharma Master Hongyi nodded.

Whether they call Hongyi or Uncle Hongyi, it doesn't matter to them whether they use two more or fewer characters.

Hongnong was clearly trying to avoid any appearance of impropriety and did not want to be involved in the matter.

Thinking about Hongku's descent from the mountain, Dharma Master Hongyi couldn't help but become more cautious.

"Wu Jin, come and eat with us," Dharma Master Hongyi called to Zhang Xuezhou, then casually asked, "Why are you here at the Sacred Land so early in the morning?"

"I was missing my teacher, so I came to visit and give her a gift," Zhang Xuezhou said. "Is my teacher still in the Sacred Land?"

"Not here," Dharma Master Hongyi shook his head.

"He came down the mountain about twenty days ago," Master Hongnong added.

The two exchanged a glance, realizing that Zhang Xuezhou and Hongku were indeed still in contact. This was a testament to their decision not to look down on Zhang Xuezhou or to reprimand and expel him like ordinary people would.

"Have you come down the mountain?"

Zhang Xuezhou felt that the timing was really unfortunate.

He couldn't even deliver the Nine Treasures Wine to anyone's door.

But he still had to stay where he was supposed to be; having come to the Yedie River Holy Land, he would need to stay for at least seven days before leaving.