He became the True Lord of Ten Thousand Laws starting from Liaozhai.

"It's actually a mountain god?" The scholar had originally thought that this young man might be a spirit or ghost from the mountains.

But he never expected that the person standing in front of him was actually the mountain god of Xiaochongshan.

Before passing through Xiaochongshan, the scholar had already inquired in the city and learned that Xiaochongshan was very safe at night. Over the years, he had not heard of anyone encountering anything strange in Xiaochongshan.

Moreover, the people in the city have a very good impression of Xiaochongshan. Although the mountain is very large, they have never seen any ferocious wild animals, nor have they ever heard of any incidents of ferocious wild animals injuring people.

Some say that a mountain god is protecting them, while others say that Xiaochongshan is a very special mountain and there are no wild beasts or anything like that at all.

In short, the scholar had heard many of these claims, but he did not believe what the common people said, whether they were true or false. He only believed what he saw, and only what he could see was true.

"I had heard about it in the city before. Some people said that Xiaochongshan was protected by a mountain god, so every time I went into the mountain, I felt a warm feeling in my heart."

"It's a pity I encountered a thunderstorm and didn't feel this warmth, so I can't tell if it's real or not."

"Now that I have met the mountain god today, I have no regrets! This trip was not in vain!"

The scholar sighed, saying that he always heard people on the street say that the climate of Xiaochongshan was warm and strangely comfortable. In short, this mountain was different. The mountains in the past had a somewhat eerie feeling at night.

However, Xiao Chongshan really didn't feel any chill, and it was a rainy night. Normally, it would be a bit cold to travel during this season, but today, when he was wearing a raincoat and walking through the mountains, he didn't feel a chill at all, which was quite amazing.

Looking back now, it's likely that he was protected by the mountain god as soon as he entered the mountains.

It was unexpected that he, an ordinary mortal, would have such an opportunity.

But the scholar didn't say much, nor did he think about obtaining any special fortune or destiny; these things are things that can only be encountered by chance.

But this mountain god doesn't seem to be literate. The reason I say this is because when they first met, they greeted each other.

The mountain god's greeting was very simple; he just said one sentence.

It was from this that the scholar realized that the mountain god was actually illiterate.

"Oh, not at all, my friend, please don't say that. We had a very pleasant conversation last night, there shouldn't be any such awkwardness."

Zhang Zhengyi's attitude was very sincere, and it was clear that he genuinely liked this scholar. He didn't want their relationship to change from being equals to one of them suddenly becoming overly respectful.

Even their speech became restrained. This was wrong; in Zhang Zhengyi's view, such a relationship had lost its original charm.

Only when one truly feels equality can one speak their mind.

The scholar was also amused and burst into laughter. He never expected that a mountain god, a figure like a deity, would want to be his equal.

The scholar was young and ambitious, and in his opinion, all of this was acceptable and there was nothing wrong with it.

"Alright, brother, how should I address you?"

When Zhang Zheng heard the scholar's hearty laughter, he felt relieved. Strictly speaking, this was the first friend he made after taking human form.

The sky gradually turned white, the rain gradually stopped, and after the rain, the sky cleared, with rosy clouds spreading across the earth.

It's almost dawn.

The scholar had to continue his journey; he was heading to the capital for the imperial examinations and couldn't afford to linger too long on the road.

Zhang Zhengyi wanted to keep the scholar a little longer, but the scholar said that the imperial examination and the pursuit of official rank had always been very important matters.

Therefore, Zhang Zhengyi did not linger any longer, saying, "May we meet again someday!"

Returning to the present, Zhang Zheng felt that the memory of that night was so clear that he still cherished it now.

If only his impression of that scholar had remained from that one night, he would have been able to do nothing about how his friend's personality had changed so drastically afterward.

The scholar later passed the imperial examination and was sent to a county town for training. On his way to take up his post, he passed by Xiaochongshan again.

The god and the human, who had been separated for a long time, met again.

This time, however, the scholar no longer possessed the same high spirits he once had, and even seemed somewhat submissive when facing Zhang Zhengyi.

He always felt that every word the scholar uttered carried a hint of inferiority and a sense of superior-subordinate relationship.

He didn't like that tone, and he offered suggestions to the scholar.

But the scholar, upon hearing this, gave a self-deprecating laugh.

He said, "Brother Zhang, it's not that I've become materialistic."

"In the imperial court, every step is fraught with danger; every time you take a side, you risk being beheaded."

"Brother Zhang, I'm also trying to gain a foothold in the imperial court."

Zhang Zhengyi nodded helplessly. Yes, this was his life, and he had compromised with it. He shouldn't have meddled in other people's business; in fact, he shouldn't have asked about it at all.

Taking office was a matter of utmost urgency, so the scholar didn't stay long. He simply chatted with Zhang Zhengyi before leaving.

Furthermore, he left Zhang Zhengyi many books, most of which were sacred classics, books of sages and worthies that Zhang Zhengyi had read.

Furthermore, many of the books were copied from the Hanlin Academy by him and are priceless treasures.

Although the scholar has changed a lot, his inherent kindness remains unchanged.

This made Zhang Zhengyi somewhat relieved. He didn't know what the outside world was like; he could only wander around within the area of ​​his own mountain.

But day after day, year after year, time flew by, and Zhang Zhengyi had long since explored every part of Xiaochongshan.

Zhang Zhengyi's initial thoughts and values ​​were established from these books.

This was the second to last time Zhang Zhengyi had seen this scholar.

The last time I saw the scholar was forty years later.

The scholar's hair was completely white, and his eyes were full of greed. This time, he did not come alone; he brought a group of Taoist priests with him.

He was about to die, but someone told him that as long as he could capture ghosts, other demons, or wild gods, he could survive.

This would allow them to prolong his life using a secret method.

The scholar believed it; as far as he knew, this was the only place where he was certain there were wild gods.

Therefore, he came with the Taoist priests.

The purpose was to capture Zhang Zhengyi alive, to use him in medicine, and to prolong his life.

Human greed was amplified to an extreme at this moment. The scholar did not want to die, but there was nothing he could do.

The only option left is to betray my former friends. The mountain god is a legitimate deity, at least in the scholar's opinion.

Zhang Zheng is an upright and righteous man, a truly good person. If he were used as a tonic, it might extend one's lifespan even further!

Once this thought took root in his mind, the scholar could no longer calm down.

If there are already things available, why bother searching for them? If there are already things available, why go through all the trouble of searching for other ghosts and spirits?

Zhang Zheng was extremely disappointed. He never expected that his former best friend would turn into such a horrible sight.

Therefore, he killed everyone with his own hands, and finally ended the life of his former best friend.

And that's the end of the story.

Human nature is changeable; humans are the most complex creatures.

From then on, Zhang Zhengyi never again talked about getting to know an ordinary person; he began to dedicate himself to enlightening the spirits and monsters in the mountains.

Not only that, he also began to teach the spirits in the mountains, educating them to be good. From beginning to end, Zhang Zhengyi always advocated equality for all.

But he knew that such equality was impossible. Perhaps it was possible if the other party's background or cultivation level were unknown.

Zhang Zhengyi's thoughts drifted further and further away. He had lived long enough, and even now, he didn't know what he really wanted anymore.

The spirits and monsters in Little Chongshan are all benevolent, or perhaps they have attained supernatural powers and are pursuing the Great Dao.

Zhang Zhengyi no longer knew what he wanted.

His thoughts returned to the present.

Ultimately, we have to face reality.

"Ugh, I'm going to die."

Zhang Zhengyi chuckled self-deprecatingly. He never expected that his death would be so uneventful, but rather that a passing demonic monk could take his life so easily.

It's really bizarre; this world is full of too many surprises.

He waved his hand, no longer thinking about these things. He invoked the power of the mountain god, and in a flash, he arrived directly at Ping Shui Temple. Since Mr. Xu was not in the temple, he did not intend to be so polite.

The most important thing is to make arrangements for Li Jiangyuan as soon as possible.

......

For five days in a row, there was no movement in the city.

All the spirits in Little Chong Mountain have been driven away; now, only some unintelligent wild beasts remain in the mountain.

In Zhang Zhengyi's view, there was no need to move these wild beasts. They were born and raised in Xiaochongshan. If they left Xiaochongshan, they might eat people or something.

Rather than letting it out to cause harm, it's better to leave it in Xiaochongshan and let it fend for itself.

Zhang Zhengyi had been living in Ping Shui Temple these past few days, waiting for his death to come, while also harboring a sliver of hope.

He was hoping that Mr. Xu would return soon. If Mr. Xu returned, he should be able to deal with this evil monk.

However, the little master of the Heart Mirror has not been properly nurtured, and there is not even a trace of recovery.

This greatly troubled Zhang Zhengyi. His original plan was to awaken Xin Jing as soon as possible, so that when the evil monk came to take his life, there would be some time to spare, allowing Xin Jing and Li Jiangyuan to leave together.

But imagination is always beautiful. Zhang Zheng didn't know how Xu Yi usually nurtured Xin Jing's primordial spirit. Following the methods he had learned, he couldn't restore Xin Jing even a little bit!

Li Jiangyuan was very well-behaved; during these days, Zhang Zhengyi had been the one teaching him.

Zhang Zhengyi explained many principles to Li Jiangyuan, all of which were about persuading people to do good.

He thought Li Jiangyuan was still young and had great potential, but little did he know that although the child was young, he already had his own set of ideas.

He only listened to the principles Zhang Zhengyi told him, keeping what he liked and filtering out those ideas he didn't agree with.

He felt that Grandpa Zhang was too kind, which was also wrong.

However, he didn't say it, but he still showed that he really liked Grandpa Zhang during these past few days of study, and he completed Grandpa Zhang's tests very well every day.

It's all about reviewing yesterday's knowledge.

Mr. Xu did not return, nor did Mr. Xin Jing. Only Grandpa Zhang played with a golden bead every day. The golden bead gave off a very familiar feeling, but he did not know what it was.

These days are getting harder and harder.

Grandpa Zhang wouldn't let him go home, saying that his mother wanted to leave him here for ten days so he could properly cultivate himself.

These days, Zhang Zhengyi hasn't taught Li Jiangyuan any cultivation techniques. Firstly, his cultivation methods are only suitable for creatures like mountains, not for someone like Li Jiangyuan, so he doesn't dare to easily teach him any cultivation knowledge.

With someone like Xu Yi as his master, Zhang Zhengyi didn't need any cultivation techniques, so he didn't want to make a fool of himself.

early morning.

"Jiang Yuan, I'm going to test you again today."

The process was the same as always, and Li Jiangyuan and Yun Song were already very familiar with it, although Yun Song had taken these courses before.

But Grandpa Zhang told him not to interrupt and to pretend he didn't know anything.

Otherwise, it will affect Jiang Yuan's studies. If Li Jiang Yuan can't learn it, he will be beaten.

Yun Song was timid. As soon as he heard that it might affect Li Jiangyuan, he became scared and dared not cause any trouble.

This is Zhang Zhengyi's method for dealing with Yun Song.

In just fifteen minutes, all the courses had been examined.

Zhang Zheng praised the child repeatedly, saying that the child had a high level of comprehension and would make rapid progress in cultivation in the future.

It has to be said that Xu Yi is really good at judging people; he admires Xu Yi more and more.

I just don't know when Mr. Xu will be back.

He was filled with fear day and night, and could not sleep at all.

He was trying to comprehend the Great Dao, hoping that he might be able to enter the realm of supernatural powers at this critical moment of life and death.

If that's the case, even if that demonic monk really attacks Xiaochongshan, he can still be stopped.

Even if it costs them their lives, they can still get a bite out of him.

However, during this period, Zhang Zhengyi somehow became unable to even achieve enlightenment.

He could only force himself to calm down and teach Li Jiangyuan; he didn't want to show these troubles in front of the child.

Li Jiangyuan is still young, and we can't let him worry about these things. It is precisely because the child is still young that Zhang Zhengyi wants to protect Li Jiangyuan.

But this day was bound to come.

It was not yet noon.

But then they heard someone knocking on the temple gate.

'Clang clang clang'

'Clang clang clang'

After knocking several times, Zhang Zheng took a deep breath and slowly got up.

Those outside couldn't see him clearly, not even the Mountain God's authority could. In fact, Zhang Zhengyi didn't even know when he came up the mountain. He suddenly appeared out of thin air at the entrance of Ping Shui Temple.

Then it can only be the demonic monk.

Li Jiangyuan looked at Zhang Zhengyi with a puzzled expression, but Zhang Zhengyi gave him a reassuring look, indicating that he could rest assured.

Li Jiangyuan was puzzled. He followed behind Zhang Zhengyi, thinking that it might be Mr. Xu who had returned.

But why would the master knock on the door if he's coming? Could it be that his mother is here to see him?

Many possibilities came to mind in Li Jiangyuan's young mind.

When Zhang Zhengyi opened the temple gate, a familiar figure came into view: a monk dressed in bright colors.

"You've arrived."

......