Please call me Huanxian

Chapter 226: Is the method of plundering by trickery outdated?

At noon, the wind stopped and the snow stopped.

After receiving the "generous reward", Xu Yuanchang and Zeng Shanlang walked out of the west gate of the village, clasped their fists and bowed to the group of people who were seeing them off, then went down the mountain.

However, less than three miles away, two people jumped out from the woods beside the road and blocked their way.

It was Taoist Luo and his young and strong apprentice who were scared away by the "ghost" last night. Taoist Luo held a short stick in his hand and said angrily: "Stranger, there is a saying that 'a strong dragon cannot defeat a local snake'. You tricked and scared us away last night. I am not convinced. We must fight today, otherwise my thoughts will not work."

Xu Yuanchang looked at Taoist Luo and his apprentice, two local tyrants who were eyeing him covetously, and his nose turned red from the cold.

It took him a whole night to figure out that he was being tricked, yet he still had the courage to come and ask for advice. He is very courageous.

Maybe he went to the village to inquire and learned that they were going down the mountain at noon today to go to Yehuling, a hundred miles away, to deal with the vicious tiger. The news has spread in the village and is no longer a secret. They deliberately chose to ambush on the road that must be taken to the west.

Xu Yuanchang was a kind-hearted man, and he had to fulfill the other party's small request, so he ordered: "Shanlang, go and learn Master Luo's skills, and don't hurt anyone."

Master Luo did not choose to hit him from behind, which must be praised.

"Yes, Shanlang understands."

Zeng Shanlang took off the bag on his back and gently put it on the snow.

"Disciple, you go ahead, don't let outsiders accuse us of not following the code of conduct and bullying children."

Taoist Luo was cautious and gave his disciple an instruction.

Zeng Shanlang took a step forward, punching with him, simply charging forward.

"Bang!" The young man who had hurriedly waved his fists to defend himself was hit by a bull and flew three feet into the air. He fell "thump" into the snow and rolled several times. He was dizzy and defeated, and couldn't get up for a while.

Zeng Shanlang used his spinning strength to knock the opponent down, but he didn't hurt him too much. He shouted:
"Watch the fight!"

He turned around and swung his elbow at the stunned Taoist Luo in the blink of an eye.

Taoist Luo quickly stepped back and swung his stick, attacking the vulnerable part of his shoulder.

“A fist fears a young man, a stick fears an old man.” He did not dare to fight with the young man, nor did he underestimate him. He was ready to fight with the young man for a few moves and then find an excuse to retreat. The young man was so powerful, what was the point of fighting him?

Zeng Shanlang took a sideways step and before the short stick could hit him, he used a mountain-stick kick to knock Taoist Luo, who was unable to retreat, several feet away, leaving him with a mouthful of snow.

By the time Taoist Luo used the short stick as a crutch to stand up, the two strangers were no longer visible on the road in the distance.

"Bah, you said you wouldn't hurt anyone, but you beat me so hard that my whole body almost fell apart."

Taoist Luo spat a mouthful of blood onto the snow.

They are all liars!

He and his apprentice limped away, supported by each other.

When your thoughts are cleared, you will realize that there is always someone better than you.

"Master, I can't control my Xuanji Fist well enough. I didn't control my strength just now and injured Master Luo."

Zeng Shanlang looked ashamed and had to work harder to practice because he lacked practical experience.

Xu Yuanchang smiled and said, "It's okay. Master Luo's skin is rough and his flesh is tough. He will be fine after a few days of rest. It's for his own good to let him learn a lesson."

If he hadn't added that sentence "Don't hurt anyone", Master Luo would probably have been lying on the ground unable to get up.

Zeng Shanlang was immediately relieved.

The two men walked on the snow without leaving any traces, crossing mountains and ridges, and arrived at Yehu Ridge where three small lakes were nearly half covered by heavy snow.

Liu Xianfeng flew back from outside after a big circle and said with a smile: "I found the lair of the evil tiger. It is hidden very secretly. There are seven ghosts guarding nearby. I also found something interesting. After I kill the evil tiger, I will take you to have a look."

She really wanted to hit the tiger to death with one blow, cleanly and neatly, so that the evil spirit could be freed.

But the young master wanted to leave the opportunity to Zeng Shanlang, what could she do?
Of course, it’s to watch a show.

Xu Yuanchang didn't pay much attention to the "interesting things" that Xiao Shumei mentioned, and asked what level of cultivation the evil tiger had.
Upon learning that he was in the middle stage of the first stage, he gave Zeng Shanlang a few more instructions.

Experience and strength are gained through fighting, especially for physical training, so of course he has to take care of his future apprentice.

After walking nearly ten miles, Liu Xianfeng asked Zeng Shanlang, who had put down his bag, to walk along the valley alone. She and the young master didn't need to go any further. There was no need for so many people to bully a small but evil demon tiger.

Zeng Shanlang had already smelled the danger in the cold air.

The hunter nature in his body stimulated him to become more focused and calm, with his body slightly bent so that he could dodge, move or punch back at any time.

Suddenly, there was an extremely oppressive roar of a tiger, which shook the trees so much that snow fell off.

A strong wind blew from above his head, and Zeng Shanlang caught a glimpse of a huge beast out of the corner of his eye. He squatted on the ground, and using his hands and feet to push himself forward, he moved about a meter to the left, avoiding a sneak attack from the demon tiger that was launched from the hillside.

"Whoosh", a black shadow followed and hit him on the head fiercely.

Zeng Shanlang jumped up about ten feet, and then "snap", the tiger's tail swept past like a whip, breaking a bunch of bushes and trees.

The tiger turned around, glared at the human several feet away, and pounced again.

Zeng Shanlang made a feint with his fist, eliciting the tiger's claws to scratch him. He had already dodged several feet to the side to try out the demon tiger's methods first.

After fighting for seven or eight rounds, the demon tiger saw that it could not gain any advantage. The slippery human jumped here and there, using the terrain of the hillside to leap up and down, refusing to engage it head-on. It raised its head and roared.

"Ouch!"

Several blurry figures and ghosts appeared from all over the gloomy forest.

"Woo woo", "Gaga", "Cack", all kinds of crying, strange laughter, and noisy sounds intertwined and echoed. The snow was filled with gray mist, making it look even more eerie and terrifying.

The sounds of ghosts and monsters come one after another, which can confuse the mind and create simple illusions.

Zeng Shanlang kept in mind the Taoist priest's reminder that when facing any ghosts or evil spirits, he should keep his mind calm and remain unmoved.

His body swayed slightly, and he staggered as if he was affected by a ghost.

The demon tiger saw the opportunity, jumped up while running, and pounced on the human who had exposed his weakness.

Zeng Shanlang had already figured out the demon tiger's attack pattern, and he slid with his feet using his skill.

He moved eight feet away and drew the sword from his waist with his right hand.

He twisted his body slightly and leaned back to avoid the tiger's palm strike and scratch. Then he moved his sword with his body and swung it upwards like lightning, using a "back flip" move to pierce the tiger's neck with a "puff".

As the demon tiger pounced by force, the sharp sword blade cut open the tiger's belly by five feet.

Zeng Shanlang succeeded in his attack, ripped open the demon tiger's belly, and jumped backwards to avoid the tiger's tail's sweeping attack.

From drawing the sword to attacking to the end, it was done in one go, as if it had been rehearsed many times.

Blood and internal organs splattered as the demon tiger slammed headfirst into the snow, struggling and roaring as it gradually lost its life.

All the ghosts controlled by the demon tiger were floating motionless.

Zeng Shanlang still had his body slightly bent, ready to attack with the tip of his sword pointing toward the tiger.

Xu Yuanchang appeared high up on the bare treetops, holding a black soul-collecting bottle in his hand and chanting a spell, collecting the ghosts into the bottle one by one. When it got dark at night, he performed a ritual to liberate the ghosts and lead them into the underworld, so that they would be freed and no longer linger in the human world and harm people.

Liu Xianfeng did not come closer. She disliked the smell of blood and deliberately teased him, "Zeng Shanlang, aren't you a martial arts practitioner? Drawing a sword and taking shortcuts is not considered a skill. With such a good opportunity, why don't you use your fists to kill the first-level demon tiger?"

Zeng Shanlang put away his sword, took out a piece of clean linen to wipe the bloodless blade, with an expression of undisguised satisfaction on his face, and said, "The Taoist priest taught us that we should always protect ourselves and kill the enemy efficiently with our brains. We should not show off our skills and put ourselves in danger. So we should use fists or swords, depending on the situation. We should not suffer for the sake of saving face."

He originally wanted to try to kill the demon tiger with his fists and fight like a real physical cultivator.

The appearance of many minions made him change his mind in time. He was taught in the Bailingu style, and physical training requires fighting with the brain.

Instead of using his muscles to fight the demon tiger head-on, he got scars all over his body to show his bravery.

Even if I win, I will be laughed at and criticized by Aunt Liu.

Liu Xianfeng waved his hand, signaling the little fellow to pass, and said, "I'll give you half an hour to pack up the spoils. The young master and I will go to look at something nearby."

He casually threw a red willow branch into the snow, causing it to take root and grow green leaves.

In a moment, the roots of the red willow spread over an area of ​​thirty feet, forming a protective formation.

She carefully explored the area within ten miles and found no monks lurking. She also checked the stream covered with snow.

After giving Zeng Shanlang a few words of advice, Liu Xianfeng and Xu Yuanchang walked around the foot of the mountain and headed to the back mountain. Covered with heavy snow, the vegetation in the valley appeared more lush than in other places.

Xu Yuanchang noticed that the spiritual energy here was a little unusual. He used the clairvoyance technique and the phantom pupil technique to observe carefully. He pointed to the left under the suspended rock and saw a trickle of water under the weeds. He said, "There is something strange in that place."

Seeing that she could not stump the young master, Liu Xianfeng solved the mystery herself.

"There is a spiritual spring hidden behind the rock. The evil tiger drank the spiritual spring water and became a monster. I explored the spiritual spring through the cracks. There are no unknown treasures hidden in the depths. I also found a closed cave over there. It is quite old and empty. The only cushion has decayed into dust."

She likes treasure hunting, and has become much more cautious since she encountered danger several times.

As her cultivation level advanced to the third stage, she was able to make more sophisticated use of trees and wood energy. She no longer had to risk her real body and gradually became bolder.

Xu Yuanchang followed the direction of the little tree spirit's finger and looked at the mountain wall diagonally opposite. More than ten feet above the ground, there was some snow rolling down from pine trees, indicating that that was where the secret cave was closed.

"I finally found a spiritual spring in the wild, but unfortunately I can't take it away. Eh, I was so happy for nothing."

Liu Xianfeng imitated Meng Yiyi's pouting expression to express her disappointment.

Xu Yuanchang smiled and consoled: "Since we can't take it away, let's sell all the spiritual springs at once and put the money in our pockets."

He took out the communication talisman, recited a few words silently, and then sent it to Heixiayi who was far away in Lianshan City, Daning.

It's just a small matter, there's no need to disturb Elder Mei's peace.

Liu Xianfeng immediately became interested, and came closer and asked in a low voice: "How much can you sell it for?"

There was a bright light twinkling in his eyes.

Her mindset was one of taking in, not giving out. She never thought that if she couldn't use the money, she could sell it for money.

Xu Yuanchang had no experience in selling spiritual springs, so he guessed, "It should be around thirty or twenty thousand."

"Sell, must sell!"

Liu Xianfeng was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling. This was what he called finding a big bargain. There are always surprises in life. He planted two red willow branches and used magic to hide and protect this area.

The two of them chatted and laughed and turned back to the foot of the mountain.

Zeng Shanlang had peeled off the entire tiger skin and collected useful items such as tiger teeth, tiger claws and tiger gall.

Liu Xianfeng looked in the direction they came from and said, "The guards and hunters sent by Mr. Xiong followed the footprints you left behind and found you."

She showed the boy the location of the tiger's den and disappeared into the trees.

Two guards and five strong hunters, holding pitchforks and bows, carefully walked through the snow and appeared at the mountain pass. They had been rushing here early in the morning and saw the young man waving at them. There was a skinned giant beast lying in the snow and a tiger skin spread out on the bushes.

Several people were extremely surprised and delighted. They thought that Taoist Master Xu was truly an extraordinary person. They hurriedly ran to pay their respects to Taoist Master Xu, who was floating in the air on the hillside.

Knowing that the young man could not take the tiger's body away, and was willing to give the tiger to them as a trophy as a hunter, the young men were overjoyed and thanked him profusely. They skillfully helped to tan the tiger's skin with snow and remove the blood, grease and other debris on it.

Two of them were sent to follow the young man to the tiger's nest to collect the human bones that had been killed by tigers over the years and take them back for burial.

The other five people cut wood to make a frame and put oilcloth on it to serve as a seesaw.

After working hard for half an hour, Zeng Shanlang accepted a gift of a hunting bow and a pot of arrows, and watched the men dragging the tiger back. He felt the joy of returning with a full load.

Deep down, he always considered himself a hunter, and entering the deep mountains and forests made him feel as comfortable as returning home.

It seemed that even the boring exercises to strengthen the Qi and blood had become a little easier.

After waiting for another half an hour, Hei Xiayi's reply arrived, suggesting that Xu Yuanchang sell the discovered spiritual spring to the monster hunters of Jianshan Kingdom, and let Jiang Quan of Donglaifang negotiate. He could just sit back and reap the benefits, and also get a favor, etc.

Xu Yuanchang had the same idea, and he accepted the advice immediately and sent a message to Jiang Quan.

He let Hei Xiayi know about this out of caution while in a foreign country, just in case.

In less than an hour, two men from the Sanchonglou sent by Jiang Quan hurried over.

They were familiar acquaintances I had met before, their names were Shen Keli and Zhao Yi.

After a warm greeting and checking the spiritual spring hidden in the rock to confirm the level of spiritual energy, Zhao Yi produced a handwritten letter from Jiang Quan, and the two of them signed their names at the end as a token of handover of the spiritual spring.

This place does not belong to the jurisdiction of Donglai County, and they must still make some operations to maximize the benefits of Lingquan.

It will take about half a month, so there is no rush.

Xu Yuanchang accepted the letter and left with Zeng Shanlang.

It was already dark when we checked into the inn in a small town fifty miles away.

The rabbit in the ring space kept muttering.

"The spiritual spring was found on someone else's territory, and the transaction was completed in a few words. There was no need to pay on the spot, and there was no need to worry about not receiving the money. I don't understand. Is bullying the weak and robbing people by trickery outdated?"

Xu Yuan just smiled but said nothing.

Times are changing, and the relationship between strength and weakness in this era is very different from that eight thousand years ago.

He simply used his power and platform to put himself on the side of common interests.

The law of the jungle still prevails in this world.

If a casual cultivator discovered a hidden spiritual spring, would he dare to hand it over openly like him without even asking for a deposit?
The next morning, after Xu Yuanchang finished his morning lessons, he pushed the door open and walked out, breathing in the fresh cool air, feeling refreshed.

Inspired by the changes in the combination of clairvoyance and illusionary pupils that Rabbit had taught him, he had been thinking about trying different combinations of illusion spells for the past two months.

After condensing the prototype of the phantom heart, good progress has been made.

He is able to perform the Great Fighting Technique in the air while creating three or five different silhouettes that are difficult to distinguish between true and false, and perform more complex and disordered movements to confuse his opponents.

When releasing the Nanli Fire Technique, you can combine it with the Illusion Fire Technique to enhance the fire.

The dream technique that he had mastered could be superimposed on the enchantment technique to achieve the effect of catching the opponent by surprise. This was the method he used to influence the puppet and gain temporary control over it last time.

Without anyone to guide him, he took detours and wasted a lot of time.

Liu Xianfeng walked out from the red willow tree in the corner of the guest house and said, "Zeng Shanlang suddenly went into seclusion. He may be delayed for a day or two."

If it were normal, Zeng Shanlang would have been practicing boxing in the yard to temper his qi and blood. Why would he stay indoors?
"Oh, that's good. Every small advancement of a body cultivator comes from hard training and tempering. It's much more difficult than that of a Qi cultivator. He is considered fast."

Xu Yuanchang used his spiritual sense to look at Zeng Shanlang who was standing still with his boxing stance in the next room, and said happily.

Zeng Wanglou helped the young man cleanse his marrow and strengthen his bones, and adjust his body.

Zeng Shanlang's physical training journey before the third floor will be relatively smooth.

……

(End of this chapter)