On the official road, two simple riders galloped in the morning light.
The horse hooves kicked up clouds of dust.
And the Fengyang Commandery City behind them grew gradually distant.
Zhang Jian glanced back at the Fengyang Commandery, and his expression seemed relaxed.
After all, fledglings must leave the nest to learn how to fly.
"Young Master, should we take the waterway or the land route next?"
Beside him, Zhang Lu was broad-shouldered and strong. Over the autumn, he had grown a bit taller.
The backpack with mortise and tenon structure on his back looked petite and delicate, somewhat mismatched.
"But it's cold and frosty, the waterway might freeze over, and there might be delays!"
"Then we'll take the land route first, and continue on the waterway once it's clear!"
Zhang Jian wasn't in much of a hurry, as there were over three months left until the spring exams, which should be enough time.
The spring exams took place when the light snow had melted, and the buds of early spring started to sprout.
In February, to be precise.
In fact, traveling by water would have been the easiest. In spring, summer, and autumn, Bai Shui was navigable, allowing direct entry into the Grand Canal, and it would take just over half a month to reach the major areas of Haojing by waterway.
However, Zhang Jian had delayed a bit to refine his Lifebound Dharma Artifact, so he had to start on the land route.
Now that he was endowed with magical power, he did not worry about the fatigue of travel.
Unlike the last time with the county exams in the Commandery City, which had worn him out to the point of almost falling ill.
Beside him, Zhang Lu had already started Body Refining Martial Dao training and had practiced another Body Refining Secret Technique, "White Tiger Hundred Victories Force," obtained from the Mian King's Tomb. His physique was strong, and with ample Spirit Fruits from the Mountain God's Mansion, he was energetic and often got into trouble, fighting and brawling.
Still, despite taking the land route, Zhang Jian and Zhang Lu had not faced much hardship.
Upon entering Shanyang County, the head of the Zhang Family caravan came to meet them, and later a sizable group of people was hired to accompany them towards Jixian County.
From Shanyang County to Jixian County, passing through several checkpoints, they could reach the banks of the Grand Canal.
Heading directly onto the Grand Canal to reach Haojing.
The waters of the Grand Canal surged turbulently, rarely freezing over, so navigation wasn't too difficult despite the cold.
However, as they were about to leave Shanyang County, trouble arose.
"With all this chaos and unrest, war is everywhere. These bandits are ruthless, and the soldiers are equally brutal!"
In the distance, standing on the mountain ridge, a group concealed their presence. Below, in the canyon, two forces were engaged in a bloody battle. One side was composed mainly of bandits, visibly refugees, while the other was the official soldiers.
But surprisingly, the soldiers did not have the upper hand. The bandit army was formations well organized, advancing and retreating with ease, and had encircled and annihilated the soldiers.
Half an hour later, the battle below concluded.
With all local soldiers wiped out, the bandits methodically scavenged the battlefield for anything useful before slowly withdrawing.
"Young Master, it seems these bandits have skilled individuals among them. Their combat effectiveness is unlike that of a ragtag group of refugees! The official soldiers, on the other hand, appeared more like a disorderly crowd!"
Zhang Lu furrowed his brows, his expression serious.
Zhang Jian looked at him, a hint of a smile appearing as Zhang Lu's recent reading had not gone in vain.
"It seems the situation inside and outside Shanyang County is more severe than anticipated. Governor Cai must be quite troubled right now!"
The two of them slowly approached the battlefield, gazing at the hundreds of unburied corpses in the valley. Zhang Jian's eyes flickered, and he silently recited a passage from the Rebirth Scripture, channeling his magic power to form Soul Purifying Talismans. Under the cover of the Rebirth Scripture, black Qi soared skywards, then vanished into the earth under the talisman's influence.
"Dust to dust, soil to soil!"
"You perish today, may your next life be without the sufferings of war!"
Beside him, Zhang Lu murmured softly.
Zhang Jian glanced at the increasingly lively scholar's attendant and snorted softly. Yet, as the number of souls led to salvation increased, Zhang Jian felt the Soul Purifying Talisman within him emit an invisible halo, faintly coalescing into a magnificent silhouette within.
He knew it was the Divine Image of the Ten Directions' Suffering Relief Celestial Venerable.
Such a transformation was quite mystical.
In some sense, his actions were accumulating destiny for the Tongshan Dao Lineage.
The Tongshan Dao Lineage was generous with methods that could accumulate destiny.
For instance, the Soul Purifying Talisman and such Soul Crossing Secret Techniques were directly attached as a bonus to basic cultivation techniques.
They weren't afraid of you advancing to profound realms.
The deeper you delved into cultivation, the happier the Tongshan Dao Lineage, and the more destiny they garnered.
At this moment, Zhang Jian's eyes shifted, and he detected a subtle demon qi lurking deeper in the valley.
In the depths of the valley, a dark figure was stealthily observing. Its gaze lingered on the many fallen bodies with a hint of hesitation and determination.
Yet, looking at the figures amidst the corpses, it displayed fear, mixed with a trace of yearning.
It could tell that the one performing the Enlightenment Technique among the corpses was a highly accomplished cultivator, but it dared not approach recklessly.
This spiritual snake, nurtured and hatched in the mountains, had been cultivating for hundreds of years, yet struggled to enter the Gate of the Great Dao, causing constant anxiety. It had considered seeking out some cultivators to explore the mystery of longevity, but after being attacked several times, fear took root.
It worried that venturing out would once again lead to being hunted as a demon.
"You little demon, peeping in secret, what are your intentions?"
At that very moment, a calm voice reached its ears, causing it to shiver instinctively, wanting to retreat back into its cave.
After a moment's hesitation, the large python couldn't suppress its inner longing and slowly crawled from its lair, slithering towards Zhang Jian.
It was a giant black-striped python, dozens of yards long. A bright red crown rose on its head, and its hoarse voice spoke.
"Esteemed one, this little demon hides meaning no offense. Having witnessed your divine work of crossing over the departed souls, this one has received an education of heart and comes forward seeking the Dao!"
"Please do not be suspicious! This little demon bows to you!"
Beside him, Zhang Lu had already drawn the white blade at his waist, but Zhang Jian waved a hand to stop him, his gaze falling on the large black snake with some surprise.
In his sight, the spiritual snake's demon qi was substantial yet relatively pure, carrying some bloodstains but no human souls, indicating it merely hunted in the mountains without devouring human bodies.
Even though its demon qi was plentiful, it was remarkably scattered, showing a lack of proper methods.
Zhang Jian couldn't help but ask:
"Are you a descendant of the Poison Dragon Palace?"
"Esteemed one, this little demon originates not from the Poison Dragon Palace, but is merely an ordinary spiritual snake of the mountains!"
"That's quite rare!"
Zhang Jian nodded silently, a smile in his eyes.
"What method do you seek? The Transformation Technique, or a self-preservation method? A technique to vanquish foes?"
"Esteemed one, this little demon wishes to seek the Longevity Technique!"