Rain in April

  Tai Jin Wu let out a long sigh, unable to withstand Yang Chao's verbal attack. He grabbed Yang Chao with one hand and pointed out a golden light that bound her, then stretched out two fingers to seal her mute acupoint. He strode out of the cave entrance.

  The night was hazy, with a drizzle of rain and a gentle breeze that brought a chill. Suddenly, a loud voice boomed: "Who's there?"

  As his voice fell, several silver lights burst out from all around, flashing and transforming into beams of light that flew to his front, taking on human form. They were the over 100 heavenly soldiers under his command, kneeling in the mud and water, saying in unison: "We pay our respects to Your Excellency."

  Yang Chan's body was restrained, and she knew that Da Jinwu had been provoked by herself. At this moment, although she was in danger, her heart was filled with joy, for Yang Jia was now safe. As long as either of them was alive, they could fulfill each other's wishes. Unbeknownst to her, her mind had matured a great deal. Thinking of this, the fear in her eyes dissipated, replaced by calmness and relief.

  "Tai Jin Wu shouted at the crowd of generals: 'You all stay here and wait, if you find the demon Yang Jia, immediately capture him and take him to heaven! Don't make any mistakes!'"

  The crowd of generals received the order and shouted in unison: "Yes!" Then, it transformed into a myriad of silver lights, entering the grass and trees, transforming into trees! The Golden Crow looked at Yang Chao below and said: "I'll send you to heaven first, let's see if your clever words can move the Emperor!"

  ……

  The cold rain hit his face, like a knife stabbing into his body. He had been walking in the rain for two days and two nights. The weather was unpredictable, with heavy rain at times, never stopping! It was already deep night, the surrounding trees swayed and flickered uncertainly. The path ahead was thorny and full of twists and turns.

  Two days of rushing about, brought by Winged Dragon to an unfamiliar place, at this moment still can't find the right direction! His heart is anxious and worried, rainwater mixed with blood has made him forget the pain, only remembering to move forward, relying on feeling to walk!

  The wound torn open by the Winged Dragon, although healed with true energy, was still causing him to feel dizzy and disoriented from the non-stop exertion. At this moment, he felt a haze in front of him, as if he were about to faint, but thinking of Yang Yan being alone in the mountain cave, a mysterious power rose up within his heart.

  It was this power that supported him to move forward! His hand covered the inner elixir of Winged Flying Dragon, shook his head, made himself more awake, and continued to take heavy steps forward.

  He didn't know if this road was right or not, maybe his future was wrong, but he couldn't stop, because once he gave up, there would really be no hope left.

  He persisted like this for another night, and when dawn broke, the sky was dark and overcast with rain pouring down, the sun still obscured by the heavy rain, only a faint light ahead, the world shrouded in a layer of grey mist. Just like his current mood, which was equally heavy.

  With a splat, Yang Jiaolong fell into the muddy water once again. This time, he was unable to get up again. The wound on his chest had swollen from being soaked in the rainwater, and blood had stained his entire chest. Although his consciousness was strong, his body could no longer obey him. Yang Jiaolong let out a sigh and lay down in the muddy water, resting for a while.

  Lying in the muddy water, the mud around him stuck to his body, and that sticky feeling made him even more annoyed. Where can he rest now?

  At this moment, a white light emerged from the surrounding forest and landed just three zhang away from Yang Jia. The white light dissipated, transforming into a human figure clad in a Taoist robe, holding an eight-trigram fan. An invisible aura formed around him, causing the rainwater to scatter upon impact.

  It was the old Taoist who had accompanied Yang Jia as he exorcised demons. The old Taoist gazed at Yang Jia, who lay fallen in the mud, and sighed, saying: "This child is truly born to suffer, with many calamities and hardships; only later will he become rich and noble!"

  The old man walked to Yang Jian's side, looking at him covered in mud and blood, the corner of his mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but smile. In his heart, he thought: Is this the divine being that Master said? I've never seen such a wretched divine being before!

  Yang Jian realized that someone was beside him, opened his eyes to take a look, and the rain hit his face. In the daze, he couldn't see clearly, but saw the eight trigrams fan shaking in his hand. Yang Jian guessed that it was that unreliable old Taoist who came again, this old Taoist had said before that they had fate between them.

  It seems to be a fact that every time he is in trouble and faces danger, he appears on time. Is he his own benefactor? Just like Wu Can, they are all people with strange behavior and peculiar actions, but it is such an unreliable person who has brought himself to the pinnacle of life.

  Yang Jian weakly said: "You're here." After finishing, he slowly closed his eyes.

  The old man smiled and said: "Looking at your reaction, it seems like you don't want to see me getting similar to you?"

  Yang Jian's mouth curled up, saying: "You and I are destined to be together, Daozhang has already calculated it clearly. How could I not want to see my destiny? By the way, last time Daozhang saved me, I didn't have a chance to thank you yet. Now that I'm in this state, I'm afraid I won't be able to pay respects properly."

  The old Taoist smiled and nodded, seeing Yang Jian's serious injury still able to talk and laugh freely, he couldn't help but feel a little admiration in his heart, and also confirmed what the master said.

  The old man said: "Benefactor, you're in such a state, and yet you can still joke with me."

  Yang Jian said: "This time you see me, shouldn't be coming to talk to me, right? Or did you find out that I'm in trouble again?"

  The old man did not deny it: "Yes, I indeed knew about your current situation. This time, I happened to see you lying here and came to help you."

  Yang Jian's heart was filled with joy, and suddenly some sinister thoughts flashed through his mind! He opened his eyes, looked at the old Taoist and said: "Taoist priest, why do you always appear when I'm in trouble?"

  The first time was when he met the 500-year-old Huozi Jing, the second time was the three demons of Xuan Yuan Mu, and this is the third time! Is there really a connection between them? Or did he intentionally arrange for these encounters to happen? Yang Jia thought again about the old Daoist who brought him into the illusion.

  The old man just smiled and replied: "It's fate!"

  Yang Jian didn't think much about it either. Whether he had utilitarian value or Lao Dao truly helped him, his worries were now all on Yang Chan's body.

  The old man continued: "I'll heal your wound first." He bent down, and the aura around him spread out, also blocking the wind and rain for Yang Jian.

  The old Dao tore open his clothes, saw his wound, and was stunned for a moment. He stared at the upper wound on his chest without blinking. Yang Jian looked at him in a daze and said, "Daozhang, I am a man!"

  The old man remained unmoved, and calmly said: "This is a wound caused by the Winged Flying Dragon's claw. Have you encountered the Winged Flying Dragon?" The old man looked at Yang Jia in surprise, he naturally knew that the Winged Flying Dragon was a ferocious beast, if Yang Jia had encountered it now, he would surely die! Now he saw the wound caused by the Winged Flying Dragon.

  Yang Jian, however, was not dead yet. He thought to himself, "Could it be that this little brat killed Winged Flying Dragon?" He felt Yang Jian's pulse and after a moment, he knew that although there were some scattered and unsteady true energy within Yang Jian's body, this true energy was no match for Winged Flying Dragon!

  Yang Jian nodded and said: "I killed a monster that looked like a dragon with two wings, but it was not very powerful!"

  The old man suddenly burst out laughing and exclaimed: "Good good good!"

  He immediately opened his palms, and a true energy emerged from the center of his palm, entering Yang Jian's body. Yang Jian only felt a warm current entering his own body, and his whole body felt warm and cozy! The warm current guided the scattered true energy to disperse, rotate several times, and gather in the dantian! The pain on his chest and shoulders also disappeared completely.

  In just a moment, Yang Jian felt his spirit was full! All fatigue disappeared, and he couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

  Lao Dao withdrew his true energy, stood up, and the aura around him also moved. Yang Jiaolong thanked him: "Thank you, Master Lao, for saving me once again. This is not the first time you've saved my life, I really don't know how to repay your kindness?"

  The old man shook his head and said: "No need to repay, the road you want to take is ahead, hurry up!"

  He pointed to the back of Yang Jian and then turned into a white light that disappeared into the sky. Yang Jian looked at where he had disappeared, feeling lost and regretful. The old Taoist had saved him once again, without asking for anything in return, and left calmly. But Yang Jian himself had been doubting him, which was really unreasonable, and he couldn't help but blame himself.

  Just now, the old Taoist pointed to his back, and Yang Jia thought: "Could it be that the Taoist master even knows where I want to go?" With a guilty conscience, he followed the direction indicated by the old Taoist. At this moment, the heavy rain was pouring down, but Yang Jia rushed forward with all his might. The worried heart in his mind had never been put down.

  ……

  Clouds surge and waves rise, halos shine for thousands of miles, nine thousand miles above, misty fog surrounds, immortal clouds scatter. Beautiful wheels, beautiful splendor!

  A Taoist priest in a green robe and red face was hurrying across the clouds, his eyes filled with anxiety! As he scanned the mortal world below, one or two rays of golden light shot out from his eyes, but he shook his head and sighed, and the worried look on his face grew even more intense.

  Suddenly, another white-haired old Taoist appeared in the distance. Seeing the blue-robed Taoist, he called out: "Taiyi Shidi." His voice was calm and gentle, yet it carried a weight of a thousand pounds, and the blue-robed Taoist could hear him clearly even from a hundred miles away.

  The Taoist priest known as "Taiyi Shidi" was none other than the Taiyi True Person from the Golden Light Cave of Qianyuan Mountain. The Taiyi True Person heard the sound and searched for the person, with lightning-like speed, and saw the old Taoist priest 100 miles away. The anxiety on his face disappeared instantly, and he smiled, also responding in a soft voice: "Yu Ding Shixiong."

  The echo was faint, the voice was like a silk thread, and it went straight into the ears of the old Taoist with the long beard. The two were hundreds of miles apart, yet they could talk and laugh together, their hearing was extremely keen! That Daoist who was called "Yu Ding Shixiong" (Jade Cauldron Elder Brother) was precisely Yu Ding Zhenren (Jade Cauldron True Man) from the Golden Cave of Jade Spring Mountain.

  The two of them flashed by in an instant and arrived before him. The master and his brother met, exchanged a glance and smiled, as if they had been reunited after a long separation, feeling joyful in their hearts.

  "Junior brother, it's been ten years since we last met at the Jade Void Conference. I've truly missed you."

  The Yu Xu Conference is a grand assembly held once every thirty years, established by the Yuan Shi Tian Zun of the Kunlun Mountains Yu Xu Palace. It is a festival for the disciples of Xuan Jiao to gather together and share their feelings, considered one of the most important festivals in Xuan Jiao.

  This year marks the tenth anniversary of the last Jade Void Conference! The True Person of Taiyi nodded and sighed, "Time flies like a flash, I often miss my senior brother too."