Searching for the best path, starting from Renjia Town

Chapter 233 An Accidental Encounter with Zhang Zhiwei

According to the original text, the Twenty-Four Heavenly Valleys are located deep in the Qinling Mountains. As for exactly where deep in the Qinling Mountains, we'll find out when we get there.

The distance from Maoshan to Qinling is more than 2,000 li, but for Li Kunshan, it only takes a day.

Li Kunshan left Maoshan in the morning and entered Shaanxi Province in the afternoon.

"A lot of people."

Passing through a town, Li Kunshan couldn't help but smile as he watched the pedestrians coming and going on the street.

Although Shaanxi had not fallen to the Japanese during the long War of Resistance against Japan, most of the able-bodied men had been conscripted.

When Li Kunshan said there were many people, he was referring to extraordinary individuals!

Under normal circumstances, if it weren't for being right next to some sects of supernatural beings, an ordinary town probably wouldn't even have a single supernatural being.

In this small town, Li Kunshan only glanced around the street and saw groups of twenty or thirty strange people.

Judging from their aura and pace, they were not traveling together, thus ruling out the possibility that a certain sect of supernatural beings happened to be in the town.

"It's faster than expected."

There's really no need to think too much; it's obvious that these people have come for the Thirty-Six Thieves.

The Twenty-Four Heavenly Valley is not only the place where one comprehends the Eight Extraordinary Skills, but also the place where the Thirty-Six Brothers formed their sworn brotherhood.

After the thirty-six people separated, they left a secret message on their wrists, using it as a means of communication.

The specific usage is that when one person writes words on their wrist, the corresponding words will also appear on the wrists of others. As long as the writing brush is not used up, it can be used indefinitely.

It must be said that it is a very convenient means of communication.

But it was precisely because of this that their whereabouts were exposed.

Dou Ruchang, one of the thirty-six, was the head of the Secret Painting Sect. After his sworn brotherhood was exposed, he was forced by other sects to publicly rip out his heart to prove his innocence. But just as he died, a blue mark appeared on his wrist, bearing the words "Come quickly."

People speculated that this was a gathering of the Thirty-Six Thieves, and the location should still be the Twenty-Four Heavenly Valley.

It is precisely for this reason that various schools and sects have gathered in the Qinling Mountains.

"I need to hurry too."

Thinking of this, Li Kunshan's expression turned serious.

Including Wugensheng, only nine people should have arrived at this second gathering and comprehended the Eight Extraordinary Techniques.

In other words, the nine of them are likely currently learning extraordinary skills, or on their way to doing so.

Besides the allure of mastering extraordinary skills, Li Kunshan was also eager to join in the excitement.

Then we passed through the town and headed straight for the Qinling Mountains.

"Ok?"

But before they had even left the town and traveled less than two hundred miles, they suddenly encountered two people in the wilderness.

"You are……"

"It's you!"

The other party also saw Li Kunshan, and was first taken aback, then came to their senses and couldn't help but be overjoyed.

The two men, one tall and one short, were about the same age as Li Kunshan and dressed as Taoist priests; they were Zhang Zhiwei and Tian Jinzhong.

"you."

After glancing at the two men, Li Kunshan instantly understood.

Yes, Zhang Huaiyi from the Celestial Master's Mansion was among the Thirty-Six Thieves. The two of them were sent by the old Celestial Master Zhang Jingqing to find Zhang Huaiyi.

As a contemporary Celestial Master, Zhang Jingqing is not only highly skilled in Taoism, but also famously protective of his own.

Just like Li Kunshan, the real reason Zhang Zhiwei and the others were sent to find Zhang Huaiyi was to protect him.

I never expected to run into the two of them here.

However, this also suggests that the Eight Extraordinary Skills may not have been created yet.

In the original novel, Tian Jinzhong found Zhang Huaiyi and learned a tremendous secret from him, which was not only related to the Eight Extraordinary Techniques, but also had a great deal to do with them.

Afterwards, Tian Jinzhong left alone, only to encounter someone who coveted the Eight Extraordinary Skills. He was captured, tortured, and eventually became a cripple.

At that time, Tian Jinzhong should not have been with Zhang Zhiwei, otherwise, given Zhang Zhiwei's abilities, Tian Jinzhong would not have suffered such a terrible fate.

At this time, Tian Jinzhong and Zhang Zhiwei were still together, indicating that the timeline was earlier than that.

"Fortunately."

Having figured all this out, Li Kunshan was secretly delighted.

Why do I feel like you're smiling?

Tian Jinzhong frowned, looking at Li Kunshan with some doubt.

"Of course it's because I'm so happy."

Zhang Zhiwei, beaming with excitement, walked over and grabbed Li Kunshan's shoulder.

"I really didn't expect that we would run into each other here again."

"It's really a surprise."

Li Kunshan nodded, but his eyes were fixed on the Qinling Mountains.

The plot is progressing very quickly; if you delay even slightly, you might miss the chance to master a special skill.

He had no interest in catching up with Zhang Zhiwei and the others, so he shoved Zhang Zhiwei's arm aside and said directly.

"I'm sorry, I have other important matters to attend to, so I won't say any more to my two senior brothers. I will definitely visit Longhu Mountain when I have time. By the way, please give my regards to Master Zhang."

After speaking, he turned to leave.

Step~!

But the next moment, Zhang Zhiwei suddenly appeared in front of Li Kunshan, his narrow eyes slightly narrowed as he looked at him, a hint of smugness in his pupils.

"Ok?"

Li Kunshan frowned, wondering what this meant.

Judging from this posture, it seems like Zhang Zhiwei is about to fight him.

But he didn't remember having any grudge against Zhang Zhiwei.

Moreover, both of them are disciples of the Zhengyi sect. Even if we don't consider the monks' feelings, we should at least consider the Buddha's feelings. Even if we consider the elders of both families, any misunderstandings should be clarified first.

"Senior brother! We still need to..."

As if he had anticipated Zhang Zhiwei's actions, Tian Jinzhong looked anxious and quickly tried to dissuade him.

But he swallowed his words halfway through.

After all, the matter of finding Zhang Huaiyi must not be known to outsiders.

"Don't worry, it won't delay finding Huaiyi."

"Senior brother, how could you say that!"

"Hehe, we're all in the same boat, what's there to be afraid of?"

Zhang Zhiwei smiled again, looking at Li Kunshan.

"Didn't Senior Brother Li come here to find Zheng Zibu as well?"

"Ok?"

Tian Jinzhong was taken aback and looked at Li Kunshan with some surprise.

Li Kunshan remained silent, tacitly agreeing. It must be said that Zhang Zhiwei was even smarter than he had imagined.

It does not matter.

"In that case, let's each go find our own people. Why are you stopping me, Senior Brother Zhang?"

"Didn't I say? Finding someone won't take much time, but if we let you go this time, it won't be so easy to have this opportunity again. Don't miss this chance."

Zhang Zhiwei looked at Li Kunshan with his eyes practically shining.

Li Kunshan felt a chill run down his spine, and a sense of helplessness washed over him, like a young girl encountering a pervert. He simply asked directly.

"What exactly do you want?"

"Let's have a contest!"

"Competition?"

"Yes, let's have another match!"

Zhang Zhiwei stared intently at Li Kunshan, his expression unusually solemn.

"All these years, I've been training like crazy, just so I can compete with you again."

"no?"

Li Kunshan blinked, looking surprised.

In his memory, Zhang Zhiwei was a peerless master, one against one, so how come he's acting like a martial arts fanatic now?

"Oh~!"

Tian Jinzhong stood to the side, but sighed helplessly.

The moment he saw Li Kunshan, he had already anticipated this outcome.

As one of Zhang Zhiwei's closest fellow disciples, he knew clearly that no matter how Zhang Zhiwei acted in front of others, he could say that Zhang Zhiwei had always held a grudge about losing to Li Kunshan that time!

Especially after hearing news about Li Kunshan repeatedly, each time it was an astonishing leap forward, which constantly stimulated Zhang Zhiwei's nerves.

Just as Zhang Zhiwei said, he has been practicing like crazy every day for years, all in order to be able to turn the tide!

Who would have thought that Zhang Zhiwei was actually so competitive at heart?

It's truly surprising that someone as arrogant as Zhang Zhiwei could turn into this.

Even Zhang Jingqing hadn't expected that what was originally a spur-of-the-moment idea would have such a good effect, and it seemed to have been too good.

However, to be fair, Li Kunshan is truly exceptional.

Trees compete with each other to grow upwards, and equally talented trees naturally refuse to fall behind.

"It seems there's no escaping it."

Seeing Zhang Zhiwei's eager expression, Li Kunshan knew that if he didn't fight, he wouldn't be able to leave. He sighed helplessly and immediately got into a fighting stance.

"Then let's get started."

"Right here?"

Zhang Zhiwei, on the other hand, was taken aback and frowned as he spoke.

"If the two of us were to fight, it would be so big that the earth would shake. We need to find a suitable place."

"There's no time like the present, and the same goes for the location. This place is spacious enough, and there's no one around for miles around, so it's just right."

"Indeed, Senior Brother Li's cultivation has become increasingly refined, which is truly exciting."

Zhang Zhiwei's eyes widened, and his expression became increasingly excited.

The fact that Li Kunshan could determine that there was no human habitation within a hundred miles indicates that his methods could instantly detect an area within that hundred miles.

Zhang Zhiwei admitted that he did not have that ability.

Of course, while this skill is impressive, it doesn't have much impact on fighting!
Actually, what Li Kunshan just said wasn't accurate either. It wasn't that there were no people at all, but rather that there were no ordinary people.

Now a large number of extraordinary people have gone to the Qinling Mountains to hunt down the Thirty-Six Thieves. This place is only two or three hundred miles away from the town we just left. How could there be no one here?

In Li Kunshan's view, these people were no big deal; if they were affected, it was simply their bad luck.

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Li Kunshan was anxious and didn't waste any time. With a soft shout, he rushed forward.

"bring it on!"

Zhang Zhiwei was filled with excitement, and the next moment, golden light surged around his body—it was the Golden Light Mantra!
Compared to back then, Zhang Zhiwei's golden light wasn't necessarily much thicker, but its solidity was worlds apart.

At this moment, the golden light was no longer just simple light and air; it was practically a solid gemstone!
Bang~!

The next moment, their fists collided heavily, producing a muffled thud.

There were no fancy moves, just a pure clash of strength.

Boom~!

The impact spread the next moment, and the ground trembled.

The two did not separate immediately, but instead pressed together and began to wrestle.

Boom~!

A moment later, there was another loud roar, and the ground beneath their feet suddenly cracked open.

"Oh my God!"

Tian Jinzhong, who had already retreated two or three hundred meters, widened his eyes upon seeing this and quickly retreated another hundred meters.

Even so, the shaking of the ground still made him sway.

"Haha! As expected of Senior Brother Li! You really didn't disappoint me!"

At that moment, Zhang Zhiwei's excited voice rang out.

Boom~!

The next moment, countless bolts of lightning flashed, and violent arcs of electricity instantly swept across an area of ​​hundreds of meters!
"I go!"

Tian Jinzhong was almost caught in the crossfire and was startled again.

Boom~!

Before he could react, another loud bang followed, and lightning surged around Li Kunshan as he unleashed his lightning magic without hesitation.

"not good!"

When the two bolts of lightning intertwined, Tian Jinzhong's expression changed drastically again.

Boom~Boom~!

Sure enough, the next moment, under the collision of lightning, there was a violent explosion that sent everything flying.

In an instant, the area doubled again, and lightning filled an area of ​​a thousand meters in radius.

"Phew! Luckily I ran fast."

On the edge of the thunderstorm, Tian Jinzhong looked at the Shrinking Earth Talisman on his leg and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

If he had reacted any slower, he would have been struck by lightning.

Even if they don't suffer serious injuries, they will definitely experience physical pain.

"This battle..."

While pondering, look at the field again.

The lightning grew increasingly chaotic, and the two fighters moved with incredible speed, making it impossible to track them. This demonstrated the intensity of their battle.

Knowing that Zhang Zhiwei would not give up until a decisive victory was achieved, Tian Jinzhong simply stopped thinking about it and watched the battle from the sidelines.

After all, there aren't always opportunities to see such battles.

"what happened?"

"Have we found it? Let's go check!"

Meanwhile, other extraordinary individuals in the vicinity heard the commotion and, surprised, many rushed over to the scene.

"You think you can just jump on any bandwagon? You idiot!"

However, some people recognized that this was the Zhengyi Thunder Technique.

The Daoist master of the Zhengyi sect was not someone ordinary people like them could afford to offend. Instead of coming to join the fun, they wisely kept their distance.

……

Boom~!

Twenty minutes later, with a loud bang, all the lightning was suddenly released, and the sky and earth changed color in an instant.

Having already retreated several times, Tian Jinzhong had no choice but to do his best to support the golden light to defend himself.

Fortunately, he was quite capable; otherwise, he wouldn't have been assigned to come with Zhang Zhiwei to take Zhang Huaiyi back.

However, other bystanders who were just there for the spectacle were not so lucky; they were caught in the lightning strikes, and many were seriously injured.

"This is... my senior brother!"

The thunderstorm passed quickly, and the field returned to calm. In the distance, a figure was seen lying on the ground. Tian Jinzhong's expression changed drastically, and he shouted and rushed over.

"You're such a troublesome guy."

Li Kunshan wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked at Zhang Zhiwei who was lying unconscious on the ground with a faint smile on his lips, and couldn't help but shake his head.

Compared to before, Zhang Zhiwei is more than ten times stronger.

Li Kunshan couldn't help but suspect that his existence had inadvertently brought forth a peerless expert decades in advance.

In the end, Li Kunshan was even unable to control his movements, which resulted in Zhang Zhiwei being seriously injured.

"Brother!"

Tian Jinzhong ran over and hugged Zhang Zhiwei, his face full of anxiety.

Then he looked up at Li Kunshan, his face full of anger.

What did you do to your senior brother?!

"Don't worry, he won't die."

Li Kunshan sighed helplessly, then added.

"However, he probably won't be able to get out of bed for the next month."

"...One month!"

Tian Jinzhong was taken aback, then his eyes widened.

"What about the task Master gave us?!"

"I'm sorry, it seems you'll have to do it yourself."

"But……"

Tian Jinzhong opened his mouth, looking troubled.

"How can I go looking for Huaiyi and take care of my senior brother at the same time?"

"Don't worry, I will take care of getting Zhang Zhiwei back to Longhu Mountain safely."

Although it wasn't his intention, he did do it.

Li Kunshan was also responsible, and then a Blood God Child was separated from him.

"This...this is the only way."

Tian Jinzhong frowned for a long time before finally nodding.

A short while later, after Li Kunshan gave Zhang Zhiwei some basic treatment, Xue Shenzi took him back to Longhu Mountain.

"Farewell!"

As for Tian Jinzhong, just as Li Kunshan had said, he went to find Zhang Huaiyi on his own.

"…It's me?"

Seeing Tian Jinzhong's departing figure, Li Kunshan suddenly realized what was happening.

The reason why Tian Jinzhong went to find Zhang Huaiyi alone, instead of with Zhang Zhiwei, was actually because of him!
At least in this world, that is certainly true.

Doesn't that mean that Tian Jinzhong's tragic end was also related to him?

"no!"

Thinking of this, Li Kunshan shook his head; he didn't want to get involved in this karma.

Then another Blood God Child was secretly dispatched to follow Tian Jinzhong. At a crucial moment, this Blood God Child would intervene to ensure Tian Jinzhong's safety.

"go!"

Once everything was settled, Li Kunshan immediately set off for the Qinling Mountains.

(End of this chapter)