Fantasy: Immortality Begins with Absorbing Demons

Chapter 222 Searching

At the foot of Peach Blossom Mountain, the patrol and inspection office camp.

In the camp, Huang Shanjun's orders were relayed down the ranks.

Following Huang Shanjun's instructions, countless soldiers advanced in small teams, like a tidal wave, threatening to engulf the area.

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Meanwhile, on the east side of Peach Blossom Mountain.

Han Yi was frantically planning his escape route.

"Di Yuan set off the signal firework on the east side, so I definitely can't go down the mountain from the east..." "But usually the most dangerous place is the safest place. People often blindly follow their own instincts. If we understand it that way, wouldn't going down the mountain from the east side be the safest...?"

"Impossible! Although I don't know Huang Shanjun well, how could someone who has become a martial arts master and serves as a city inspector make such a big mistake!"

Han Yi gave a wry smile. To be honest, ever since that old man Di Yuan tricked him…

Now, he really dares not underestimate anyone anymore!

"But if we descend the mountain from other directions, Huang Shanjun will probably also arrange for people to be stationed there..."

As Han Yi ran, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

To be honest, he really didn't want to confront Huang Shanjun head-on.

It wasn't that he was afraid of this person; the main issue was that, in the end, he was also a victim of the Peach Blossom Village incident, an innocent person who, along with Huang Zi'ang, was dragged into the mess by demons and evil spirits.

If he were to get into a fight to the death with a martial arts master who has been practicing for many years because of a misunderstanding, wouldn't he be unfairly blamed?

Most importantly, this is a huge, enormous black pot!

This involves the pain of losing a child and the hatred of killing one's child!

Han Yi didn’t even need to think about it. If Huang Shanjun found out that he had also been to Peach Blossom Village and came out alive, Huang Shanjun would definitely regard him as a mortal enemy!

How can I describe his current feelings...?

Han Yi felt extremely wronged. He wanted to cry but had nowhere to cry. He was even more wronged than Dou E!

"So, we need to think of a way to avoid fighting..." Han Yi turned around and made a sharp turn at the foot of the mountain road.

He doesn't dislike fighting, but he hates pointless fighting...

Ultimately, he and Huang Shanjun had no hatred between them; it was just a misunderstanding.

Moreover, his most important task right now is not fighting and killing. Now that he has just opened his meridians and entered the realm of internal energy, finding time to cultivate, increase his special moves, and learn knowledge is the right thing to do.

Of course, if Huang Shanjun really finds him,

"It seems the only option is to try using back paths to evade them..."

After thinking it over and over, he couldn't come up with a good solution.

Just look at Di Yuan alone; he led dozens of soldiers.

Han Yi knew even with his toes that Huang Shanjun would make a huge fuss and put on a grand show to find the person who killed his son.

Perhaps Huang Shanjun has mobilized the entire patrol and inspection team to completely surround the main roads and thoroughfares of this area.

Moreover, with the fireworks announcing the news from Di Yuan, Huang Shanjun will surely gather a large number of people, completely blocking Peach Blossom Mountain. Therefore, avoiding the main roads and taking less traveled paths might be the best way to escape.

"That's settled then. Let's go check the side path first to see if anyone is guarding it. If no one is watching, we'll slip away through the side path!"

If there's really no way to avoid it..."

At this moment, a cold light also flashed in Han Yi's eyes.

It was all a misunderstanding; he didn't want to be separated from Huang Shanjun by life and death...

But he's done everything he could; if he still can't avoid it...

Let's have a match then!

Strength is everything; whoever is stronger or weaker will eventually have to face off!

Martial artists are a peculiar group. Before reaching the level of internal strength, it's easy to see who is strong and who is weak; one can roughly categorize them by observing their physique, blood circulation, and aura. But after reaching the level of internal strength, things change...

Even though Huang Shanjun was a martial artist who had already entered the realm of "Jin" (internal strength), once one enters the realm of "Jin," the effects of various forms of "Jin" are extraordinary. It is not as simple as judging strength by realm. How profound or weak the "Jin" is, and how the moves determine victory or defeat, all must be seen in actual combat.

Han Yi was confident that even if he couldn't beat Huang Shanjun in a one-on-one fight, he still had the ability to escape.

Then, his figure moved like a snake darting through the grass, scrambling over a hillside and quickly disappearing into the mountain path.

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Peach Blossom Mountain, at its foot.

Soon, Huang Shanjun led dozens of teams to the place where Di Yuan had set off the fireworks.

Huang Shanjun immediately spotted the pile of flesh on the ground, a corpse smashed into a bloody pulp.

“Identity confirmed!” he said to his adjutant. “Yes, sir!” the adjutant saluted respectfully and led over a black, fierce dog.

A black, fierce dog with a broad back and narrow waist. Its entire body is black, with two gray stripes on its tail that extend to its nose, and its eyes gleam with a dark red light.

This was a special breeding and training program conducted by the imperial court, specifically for tracking and finding people.

"Hurry!" The adjutant led the black hound to the corpse.

狺!

With just a sniff, the black dog accurately pulled a reddish-brown waist tag from the mangled corpse.

It was unclear whether the red color was the original color of the waist tag or stained with Di Yuan's blood; it was incredibly vibrant.

"My lord!" The adjutant wiped away the bloodstains, checked the information on the waist tag, and quickly came to Huang Shanjun's side. "This is Di Yuan's waist tag!"

"Moreover, judging from the marks on Di Yuan's body, it seems that someone was chasing him from behind, causing him to fall to his death from the cliff!" he continued.

"Let the canines sniff out the tracks and continue the pursuit!"

"Left and right flanks, disperse your squads and block all entrances and exits to Peach Blossom Mountain. No matter the main road or the small path, don't let a single fly get through!"

Huang Shanjun issued an order: based on the traces, Di Yuan died after falling from the mountain. In other words, the person who was chasing Di Yuan and caused his death is still in the mountain!

The person who pursued Di Yuan might be the culprit who killed the Huang family, killed his son, and knew about the Huang family's smuggling of contraband!

This person must die!

"Yes!"

Dozens of teams, hundreds of people, responded in unison, their shouts deafening.

"Central region, follow me into the mountains!"

Huang Shanjun was very satisfied with his subordinates' performance and loudly gave the order. Then, as if he had thought of something, he said to his adjutant, "Huang Wei, go and collect Di Yuan's body..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Give Di Yuan a proper burial. If he has any family or descendants, provide them with a pension and give him priority for promotion to the Patrol Inspectorate..."

"You're so kind, sir!"

"I swear to die for you, sir!"

"My lord has an order, why dare you disobey it!"

As soon as Huang Shanjun finished speaking, cheers and flattery erupted from the surrounding area.

"Silence! Today, follow me into the mountains to avenge Di Yuan!"

Huang Shanjun shouted loudly, his tone impassioned.

"Thief!!"

"revenge!!"

"Catch the thief!!" "Revenge!!"

"Catch the thief, get revenge..."

'Di Yuan, you've really done me a huge favor!'

Huang Shanjun looked around and nodded in satisfaction. The morale of his soldiers had been fully ignited, and he had also established a good image of caring for his subordinates.

Moreover, Di Yuan's death saved him a lot of trouble.

Di Yuan knew far too many secrets; he knew about the deaths of his family's convoy and had even seen the contraband being transported…

If this information were leaked and obtained by someone with ulterior motives, they might notice something amiss.

So, Huang Shanjun originally planned to deal with the perpetrator and Di Yuan together after finding the murderer!

'So, does that mean I should thank the perpetrator?' Huang Shanjun was both amused and exasperated, almost bursting out laughing. "Sir!" At that moment, Huang Wei suddenly turned around, bowed, and reported, "This is the final spot where Di Yuan fell off the cliff!"

"Is there any scent left by the perpetrator?" Huang Shanjun asked in a deep voice.

Crying, croaking…

The canine sniffed around for a few moments, then growled softly, as if trying to convey some message.

Huang Wei stepped forward to stroke it, listened carefully, then turned around and bowed respectfully.

"My lord, according to the information provided by the canine beast, the murderer who killed Di Yuan left a lingering scent on both sides of this mountain path. In my humble opinion, this person must have been chasing Di Yuan all the way here, and fled after Di Yuan's death."

The canine beasts possess an astonishing sense of smell and an intelligence akin to that of a seven- or eight-year-old child. They are spiritually connected and can convey messages. Huang Wei, however, has a talent for taming demons, which is why Huang Shanjun took a liking to him and trained him as a beast tamer. "Can you determine the direction they're going?"

Behind them, a group of elite inspectors and Huang Shanjun stood in the wind and snow, listening quietly until Huang Shanjun asked a question.

“Sir, it’s cold and windy on the mountain, so the scent has faded. The scents on both sides are almost the same,” Huang Wei said, shaking his head.

"However, there is a checkpoint on our side on the mountain road to the right. I dare to guess that perhaps this person broke in from there!" he continued.

"Alright, send two teams to stand guard here!"

The rest of you, change formation and follow me, full speed ahead!

Huang Shanjun decisively ordered that the checkpoint was not far away and they could go ahead to verify it.

He didn't believe that the person could force their way through unscathed. If the person left any bloodstains or scent, the canine beast could track them more effectively.

..........

Soon, Huang Shanjun and his group arrived at the mountain road checkpoint.

The scene before him not only filled him with rage and fury, but also stirred up his men, filling them with hatred.

The scene was one of utter devastation: broken crossbow bolts, severed limbs, and crimson blood mingling with the snow, eventually congealing into a bloody mud that covered the ground.

Huang Shanjun stared at the blood-soaked ground with a grim expression.

In the dead of winter, the biting wind seemed particularly weak and powerless in the face of the stench of blood, which permeated the air and lingered over the area.

An elite crossbow squad, plus Yan Hong, a near-martial arts master.

More than twenty skilled fighters, plus a late-stage Blood Refinement expert, perished here.

Although Di Yuan was dead, Huang Shanjun was not very angry. After all, in his mind, Di Yuan was someone who was destined to die.

Yan Hong, on the other hand, was Huang Shanjun's true confidant! It should be noted that Yan Hong was truly only one step away from achieving the ultimate skill and mastery of internal energy!

In name, he wanted Di Yuan to be in charge of setting up the checkpoint to arrest people, but in reality, Yan Hong was the real person in charge.

"Can we find any traces left by the killer?"

Huang Shanjun looked at Huang Wei, who was leading the dog and carefully searching the scene.

The black dog's nose sniffed the air, but found nothing.

"M-Sir..." Huang Wei's tone held a hint of fear that even he himself didn't realize, "No, there's no trace of any enemy! The murderer seems to have appeared out of thin air and then mysteriously disappeared!"

"this…..."

Huang Shanjun's expression became even more grim.

Yan Hong, a peak Blood Refinement cultivator, along with an elite crossbow formation, managed to resolve the situation so easily, without leaving a trace...

..

There is no other possibility but a martial arts master!

These dead men, as soldiers, would not have said anything if they had died honorably on the battlefield or encountered accidents while on missions.

But what if a high-level martial artist, taking advantage of their strength, maliciously tricks and kills his patrol squad...?

This person is utterly shameless!

Bang! !

Huang Shanjun slammed his fist into the stone pillar on the side.

The stone pillar snapped in two, sending countless fragments of stone and ice flying everywhere with a crackling sound.

"Sir, an examination of the body revealed numerous lacerations. Based on the marks, the perpetrator appears to have used a heavy weapon, such as a greatsword or broadsword!" A medical officer stepped forward and reported in a low voice. "Heavy weapon..."

Huang Shanjun carefully pondered these three words, and suddenly, something occurred to him.

When Di Yuan was in Peach Blossom Village, he examined the remaining traces and made this inference.

'The strength of the person who killed the Huang family is unknown, but judging from the traces, they must have been tall and skilled in using heavy weapons…'

"Could it be that the person chasing Di Yuan is really the murderer who killed my son?" Huang Shanjun immediately perked up. Although he had seen the communication fireworks that Di Yuan had just set off, he still couldn't be sure when he went up the mountain.

Now he has confirmed that the person who killed Di Yuan is also the person who killed his son!

"It's fate, it's fate!" he thought to himself. With old and new grudges piled up, he now hated this person to the core.

"Sir, we've blocked off the roads in this area, so the murderer must still be in these mountains!" Huang Wei stepped forward and suggested, "If we search the mountains in small teams, we'll definitely find him!"

"This plan is flawed..."

Huang Shanjun glanced at the dim sun, which had no warmth at all, and said calmly, "You're too slow... that will take too long... I'll go and intercept this person first."

"Sir, isn't this a bit too risky?" Huang Wei asked hesitantly.

"It's alright. I haven't stretched my muscles in a long time. A martial arts master at the entry level? Ha."

Huang Shanjun took off his armor, helmet, arm guards, and leg guards, and threw them all to Huang Wei.

Wearing only a gray outfit, he stretched his body and took the weapon that his adjutant was carrying.

This is a long spear with a silver, flat, ridged head that gleams sharply. It is over two feet long. The shaft is thick and long, topped with a black tassel. The handle is ten feet long and has strange patterns on it, forged from fine iron. The spearhead and shaft are separate, and it weighs about a hundred pounds.

"It's alright, I've encountered many martial arts masters before..." Huang Shanjun sneered. "Pass down the order: the logistics medics collect the bodies and check their identities. Then, everyone, conduct a search and patrol!"

Click!

The spearhead and shaft fit together perfectly, forming a formidable and indestructible weapon.

Huang Shanjun shouldered his long spear, bent over, and stooped.

boom! !

Two small craters suddenly appeared in the ground, and the person transformed into a sharp arrow, rushing in the opposite direction.

Under the shimmering light, people instantly turned into phantoms and vanished.