Zhang Yu walked out of the dilapidated building. He hadn't walked very far when he saw Cai Pa walking quickly towards him. His figure seemed to float as he moved, as if he had never touched the ground. However, he didn't seem to be in a hurry. On the contrary, there was a sense of elegance and ease about him.
Cai Pa also saw him at this moment. His figure seemed to be incorporeal as he suddenly stopped. A look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face as he asked, "Junior brother Zhang, are you alright? Did you find something when you drove the helpers back? "
Zhang Yu clasped his hands together and said, "Thank you for your concern, senior brother Cai. I'm fine. I just encountered a spiritual creature. I've already dealt with it."
Cai Pa's expression tensed up. "Where?"
Zhang Yu turned sideways and said, "Follow me, senior brother Cai."
He brought Cai Pa back to his previous position. The latter looked up and saw the big python lying on the wall.
Cai Pa looked at it. He didn't use much strength, but his body was pulled up into the air and he arrived at the top of the wall. He examined the big python and found that it was indeed a spiritual creature. There was still a bit of spiritual brilliance left on it. The cause of death was also clear at a glance. It was killed by a sword piercing through its head.
He couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "I heard that when junior brother Zhang killed the Heavenly Salamander, the wound was also on its head. It's a pity that I didn't see such exquisite swordsmanship just now."
Zhang Yu replied, "Senior brother Cai, you flatter me. There will be opportunities in the future."
Cai Pa looked around again and couldn't help but notice the collapsed stone wall. He couldn't help but reveal a look of amazement when he saw the smooth section that was obviously cut open by a sharp weapon. He then looked at the Xia Sword in Zhang Yu's hand, and a trace of understanding appeared in his eyes.
He said, "Junior brother Zhang, such a big spiritual creature is worth a lot of gold ingots. How are you going to deal with it?"
Zhang Yu asked, "Is there any precedent in Xuanfu?"
The rules of Xuanfu were different from those of the Protectorate General and the Academy. He was still trying to figure them out.
Cai Pa smiled and said, "Normally, Xuanfu's rules are the same as those of the Protectorate General's. However, we were sent out by Xuanfu to do some work, so we can deal with all our gains on the outside. We only need to record them down and verify them with each other so that we can report back."
Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and said, "The four of us came out together this time, so the harvest should be shared among the four of us. However, I'll leave my share to the school in Xiaoshan Town. It wasn't easy for them either."
Cai Pa praised him and said, "Junior brother said it well. Well, this strange monster was killed by Junior brother Zhang alone. I shouldn't covet this share, but since Junior brother Zhang said so, I'll shamelessly accept it and give my share to Xiaoshan Town as well."
Speaking up to here, he pondered for a moment before continuing: "Don't tell Wen Guo and Wen De about this matter. It's not easy for them either. Usually, they rely on the Profound Palace to work outside to save up some savings. If they knew that we were doing this, I'm afraid that they would be too embarrassed to take it.
Zhang Yu said, "Senior brother Cai is thoughtful. We'll do as you say."
Cai Pa smiled and stepped on the python's head. He said, "Such a big python, I need to go to town to find someone to carry it. Junior brother, do you want to go back with me?"
Zhang Yu said, "No, I'll walk around a few more times to avoid any hidden dangers."
Cai Pa nodded and said, "That's good. Junior brother, you can do as you wish. I'll go and find someone." He raised his hand and cupped it, then came down from the high place. After a while, he quickened his pace and walked away.
Zhang Yu, on the other hand, walked to where the python was. When he talked with Chen Zheng, he deliberately asked him about the traces of spiritual creatures in the surrounding area. However, Chen Zheng said that there hadn't been any in the past few years. Moreover, he hadn't heard of the townspeople being eaten before. There weren't any large beasts in the surrounding area that could be regarded as food by the python. Even if there were, most of them were killed by the townspeople. Therefore, this python seemed to have popped out of nowhere.
He looked around and soon found the traces left behind by the python. Following the traces, it took him quite some time to reach a collapsed temple. The traces led to the pit below.
Judging from the remaining stone steps inside, there used to be a downward passage here. It was once buried, but it was reopened from the inside to the outside. There was no doubt that this was where the python's nest was.
He closed his eyes and sensed for a moment. He didn't find anything unusual in his heart lake, so he walked inside. Unexpectedly, it wasn't very deep, and he soon reached the bottom.
He looked around. This place was supposed to be a cellar used to store sacrificial items. There were also broken pottery jars and some exquisite gold and silver wares. The walls were painted with gray colored murals, but there were no animal skeletons as he had imagined.
Judging from the size of the underground cavern, it was barely big enough to accommodate the giant python. However, it was still a little too narrow for a nest. Moreover, from the traces left behind, it could be seen that the giant python did not stay here for long.
Could it be that this python really wandered here from somewhere else, or … underground?
He couldn't help but think of the dried ancient lake and the underground river.
While thinking, he was unconsciously attracted by the paintings on the wall. The people in the paintings were wearing the costumes of the Itans, but their gestures were pointing in a certain direction under their feet.
But there was something wrong with this.
The Itans were a race that believed in the gods of the sea. They were very afraid of the power from the abyss and the underground. Therefore, all the murals painted by the Itans never had a downward posture. All the figures were looking forward or looking up to the sky. Even if they were kneeling, their heads were facing up and their hands were raised high.
Once such a situation occurred, it was either fake or there was some special purpose behind it.
He walked closer and looked at the place where the figure's gesture was pointing. He found a protruding part that was roughly diamond-shaped. So he raised his hand and wiped it. A few pieces of wrinkled skin fell off, revealing a small piece of gold inside.
After all the cover was brushed off, the thing finally revealed its true appearance. It was a palm-sized gold plate with a string of strange characters engraved on it.
The reason why it was a string was because the characters were like twining branches. It seemed to be one, but it also seemed to be many.
He had a feeling that the appearance of the python might be related to this thing.
If so, this thing shouldn't be left here.
He thought about it and carefully peeled it off the wall. He wrapped it in a cloth and put it in his sleeve. He planned to find time to go to Xuan Wentang to check the documents to see where the characters came from.
Because there was nothing else, he walked out. When he returned to the original place, the people who came to carry the python had already arrived. He simply returned to Xiaoshan Town with the crowd.
When the townspeople heard that the newly arrived Taoist Masters of the Profound Palace had killed a large spiritual python, it immediately caused an uproar. They all rushed over to watch the show, and when they saw how large the python was, they couldn't help but express their gratitude towards Zhang Yu and his group.
They didn't know that there was such a spiritual monster so close to them. If it came out to eat people, there was nothing the town could do about it.
For this matter, the mayor held another banquet that lasted until the evening.
After the banquet was over, Cai Pa called Zhang Yu and the Wen brothers over for a discussion. Other than the giant python in the ruins today, they didn't find anything special in the other three directions.
Wen De said excitedly, "Lord Zhang is really amazing. When we came out in the past, those gentlemen weren't as powerful as Lord Zhang."
When he heard that he had a share of this python, he was overjoyed. Since just now, he had been constantly sending good words to it. Even his cousin couldn't stand it anymore after smelling it.
However, he didn't care. In his opinion, he had already received benefits, so shouldn't he say a few more good things? If he could get benefits by saying a few words, he was willing to do it every day.
Cai Pa chuckled and suggested, "Junior Brother Zhang, Martial Nephews, we can stay here for half a day tomorrow. If we don't find anything else, we can leave this place and go to the next garrison town as soon as possible. What do you think?"
The three of them had no objections.
Seeing this, Cai Pa didn't say anything more. After they separated, they went back to rest.
The next day, everyone got up early and went to investigate in all directions. They also didn't find anything strange. Therefore, after noon, the group bid farewell to the townspeople and left under the reluctance of the townspeople.
After Zhang Yu walked for a while, he turned back and saw that many townsfolk were still there, waving their hands to send him off.
He knew that the townspeople of Xiaoshan Town were warm to them because they brought a link to the civilized world.
Although these townspeople were able to eat their fill and wear warm clothes, they were surrounded by loneliness and desolation. Their lives were constantly in danger.
However, whether it was the Protectorate or the Xuanfu, they had to maintain this place. Because once the footprints of civilization retreated, this place would once again return to the wilderness.
Not only here, but all the stations they were going to go to were like this. They were like nails, torches, firmly wedged into the wilderness, allowing the light of civilization from Tianxia to continue to be maintained on this land.
And wasn't the Dongting Protectorate itself the same?
After Xiaoshan Town gradually disappeared from sight, the group continued to head southeast.
After an afternoon of running, a wide river running east-west appeared in front of them. This was the Ji River. Like the Flood River north of Auspicious Light City, it was a tributary of the Dan River.
The group of people walked along the river and soon saw a rainbow-shaped wooden arch bridge that spanned across both sides of the river. However, there seemed to be people guarding the bridge at this moment. Before they could get close, a few warning shots of handguns rang out.
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