Reunion with Wu Chao

In Hongku's mind, Zhang Xuezhou undoubtedly possessed a certain ability to surpass others despite being a latecomer.

However, Zhang Xuezhou's ability to catch up after starting late came to an abrupt end after reaching the Consciousness Creation Realm.

At this point, he had no choice but to follow the advice of his master and try to master as many useful Technique Method as possible, as this would be more effective than the increase in cultivation level.

The Drowsiness Technique undoubtedly played a crucial role.

Zhang Xuezhou hadn't really thought about this Technique Method before; his understanding had improved since he first started practicing it.

However, with the forced removal of Master Hongyuan's control during the battle of Hongku and the gifting of Master Hongyuan's Body Control insect to Zhang Xuezhou, the change in the medium of the spell brought about a qualitative leap in this Drowsiness Technique.

Zhang Xuezhou galloped towards Yanmen Pass, occasionally using the golden insect to cast Drowsiness Technique.

"Little thing, go!"

Upon seeing a hyena barking in the distance, Zhang Xuezhou did not hesitate to test his Technique Method.

The hyena fell into an uncontrollable drowsiness just five seconds later, and the grassland instantly became quiet.

"Wonderful! The feeling of invincibility after mastering this divine skill is just too strong!"

As they raced along, no wild horse, wolf, or dog could escape Zhang Xuezhou's clutches.

If the golden insect burrows into the nostril or ear, the person will inevitably fall into a deep sleep.

In terms of both speed and stealth, the Golden Bug's performance is impeccable.

It wasn't until the medium used for the spell appeared sickly and could barely flap its small wings that Zhang Xuezhou realized the medium wasn't a perpetual motion machine; this insect also needed to eat.

But he really didn't have much experience raising insects.

"It's a shame to lose it, but I don't know how to care for it!"

Zhang Xuezhou glanced in the direction of the Yedie River Holy Land.

The most reliable place to raise such Incantation Technique mediums is undoubtedly the headquarters of Incantation Technique. In fact, if Master Hongyuan were not dead, one could simply ask him directly for the answer.

But Zhang Xuezhou had just escaped from the Yedie River Holy Land, and even if he had ten times the courage, there was no way he would run back.

After thinking for a moment, he cut off half of the hyena's ear.

Seeing the hyena awaken from its slumber and begin barking and cursing at him, Zhang Xuezhou used Technique Method to conjure a stone and smashed it several times before finally driving the dog away.

He let the golden bug lie on the dog's ear, but the bug seemed uninterested in flesh and blood.

"Perhaps you prefer it cooked?"

After taking the Golden Crow Great Emperor's feathers and roasting them to cook the dog's ears, the results of the test left Zhang Xuezhou somewhat disappointed.

"From a food chain perspective, this small insect likely preys on flying insects, and may even feed on certain larvae..."

Zhang Xuezhou spent several minutes searching and picking through the grassland for quite a while, testing several kinds of insects and larvae, but the results disappointed him even more.

When the sound of barking dogs rang out and he saw hundreds of hyenas charging towards him, Zhang Xuezhou quickly grabbed his white horse and ran away.

"If you've got the guts, come with me to Yanmen Pass!"

Sitting on his white horse, Zhang Xuezhou even had time to spout some empty rhetoric.

But if you asked him to dismount and fight hyenas, Zhang Xuezhou really couldn't do that.

He thought about his Deer-Slaying Blade, then about the invincible thoughts he had just had while trying to control his drowsy mind, and then looked at the pack of hyenas chasing after him. Zhang Xuezhou quickly regained his composure.

"The more you know, the more humble you become. I know too little, which is why I have such arrogant thoughts!"

As someone who tends to overthink, Zhang Xuezhou paused for a few seconds to reflect.

He ultimately felt that keeping things to himself was perfectly fine.

This isn't the real world where you can spout nonsense online. If you really cause trouble, you might lose your head or your life.

He shook off the hyenas and rode his horse for two hours along some faintly visible roads until familiar mountains and city walls came into view in the distance.

Zhang Xuezhou quickly put away the white horse and then switched to walking.

There weren't many people or vehicles coming and going at Yanmen Pass; it mainly involved some merchant groups, itinerant traders, and a few daring herders.

When Zhang Xuezhou arrived at Yanmen Pass, it was the hour of Si (9-11 AM). At this time, only a few itinerant merchants carrying large and small bags were passing through, and they were being checked by the guards at Yanmen Pass.

This made him walk faster and get to the back of the line.

"So, you're a merchant too, old man?"

Finding an oasis on the grassland is not easy; when Zhang Xuezhou was fleeing, he couldn't find a water source to wash away Hongku's disguise.

This allowed him to continue wearing Hongku's mask and even had the soldiers guarding the city look back and forth.

"Yes, I also do trading," Zhang Xuezhou nodded.

"And what about your goods?" the sergeant asked.

"It got robbed!"

"You... you're so old, why don't you do something better? Why do you have to go to those barbarian lands in the Xiong State to make your fortune!"

The soldiers sighed, while another soldier shook his head warily.

"Judging from your rich attire, you must be a prominent merchant from somewhere. What is your name? And where are you from?"

Zhang Xuezhou looked old, but even though the clothes he wore were tattered and simple, they were still those worn by a Hongku monk from Sacred Land, and were therefore of extremely high quality.

If you disregard Zhang Xuezhou's travel-worn and somewhat disheveled appearance, he does indeed have a certain air of wealth and status.

Such people are unlikely to become itinerant merchants; they are more likely to be the leaders of a merchant group.

The sergeant's questioning clearly involved further verification.

This was something Zhang Xuezhou found difficult to respond to.

If the smear on his face is not removed, neither his 'certificate' issued by Yanmen Pass nor his 'certificate' from Shu County City will be valid.

But removing the coating would also cause him considerable trouble with his two joints.

Zhang Xuezhou's "festival" involved serious deficiencies in customs clearance, seals, and other aspects.

The checkpoints are looking for these kinds of suspects.

"I come from Shu County, and I am Du Gou, the manager of the Zhao Master Merchant Guild in Shu!"

Zhang Xuezhou considered that Dong Zhongshu should have already given up the identity of Du Gou, so he had no choice but to adopt this identity as a temporary solution.

"Our merchant group started from Shu County, passed through Ba County, then Jiangxia, Huainan, Chu, and Yan, and finally reached the Northern Border," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"Then what?"

"Then we went around selling goods and even crossed the border, but got lost," Zhang Xuezhou said, spreading his hands. "Some members of the merchant group were killed, some disappeared without a trace, and we can't even find our young master, Zhao Liang!"

"You've come all the way from Shanggu County in the Northern Border to our Yanmen Pass?" the soldier asked in surprise.

"We can't go back to Shanggu County, so we had no choice but to come here," Zhang Xuezhou said. "I figured I knew General Zhang Qian of Yanmen Pass, so surely Yanmen Pass should be accessible to us displaced merchants!"

"Since you know General Zhang, then there's no major problem!"

Zhang Xuezhou gave a lot of information, but the content was too empty and he didn't extract any relevant details. However, the information in Zhang Xuezhou's last sentence was very significant.

If any high-ranking officer in the Western Border Military District knows this person, it's equivalent to an important guarantee; if problems arise, the guarantor can be contacted directly.

Whether Zhang Qian could act as a guarantor for the other party is not difficult to verify after a message is sent.

After some verification, the captain of the city gate guards grabbed a horse and rode off to conduct further verification.

Zhang Xuezhou had no choice but to wait at Yanmen Pass.

He stood obediently outside the city gate, occasionally chatting with the idle soldiers.

Only when he heard a familiar voice did Zhang Xuezhou quickly turn around.

The people who came were not Zhang Qian, but two ascetic monks carrying staffs.

"May Buddha have mercy! We come from the West, wishing to beg for alms and spread the Dharma in the East. We hope you will grant us passage. May Buddha bless you!"

May Buddha bless you!

Of the two sentences, the one before and the one after, Zhang Xuezhou was familiar with the latter's echoing voice.

He looked up and saw Wu Chao, holding a staff and wearing a monk's robe, standing behind a tall, strong monk with a middle-aged to older face. His eyes kept turning around, which matched his bald head with a golden ring very well, making him look extremely lively.