Chapter 1316: Advancing Step by Step

Chapter 1316: Chapter 944: Advancing Step by Step

Listening to Third Uncle’s sincere words, Zhang Chen’s eyes revealed a trace of a smile: “If Third Uncle is willing to make the journey, then that’s even better, the upcoming matters are in your hands. I hope you succeed effortlessly.”

With Zhang Chen’s Blood God Child secretly manipulating, Third Uncle’s efforts are bound to be a success.

Zhang Chen sent Third Uncle away and sat alone in the room, contemplating the future and pondering the calculations against the Third Prince.

Finding someone to ‘tip off’ Zhang Gaoqiu wasn’t difficult for Zhang Chen, after all, outside of Kyoto, there were still many who belonged to Zhang Shenqi’s direct lineage. Having them step forward would naturally not arouse Zhang Gaoqiu’s suspicion.

In this world, there is never a shortage of those who are afraid of death, nor is there a shortage of traitors. As long as Zhang Chen’s offer is sufficient, getting someone to betray Zhang Shenqi is not a difficult task.

Now, what Zhang Chen needs to do is wait, wait for himself to age the map.

Time flew by, and in a flash, a month had passed. During this month, the Zhang Family and the Gong Family played roles, cooperating to kill countless Imperial Palace experts, causing numerous royal experts to die in a bloody manner. This allowed Zhang Chen to quietly let out a sigh of relief, releasing all the pent-up frustration that had been in his heart.

Meanwhile, in the Zhang Family’s ancestral home, Zhang Chen looked at a middle-aged man in tattered clothes, handed him a leaf, and said, “As long as you accomplish this matter, your branch can survive in the future. I can also provide you with an endless supply of Yellow Spring Water, granting your lineage the opportunity for a bloodline awakening.”

The middle-aged man solemnly bowed to Zhang Chen, then turned and disappeared from the Zhang Family.

Watching the man’s distant figure, Zhang Chen couldn’t help but let out a faint sigh, his voice filled with emotion: “Now it’s just a matter of waiting!”

Zhang Chen’s figure flickered back to the Academy, deciding to wait patiently there.

In a luxurious mansion, Zhang Gaoqiu stood inside a room adorned with white sails. In the center of the room, numerous memorial tablets were arranged in a pattern. Zhang Gaoqiu knelt before them, with a brazier burning in front of him, where paper money was continuously burning.

Zhang Gaoqiu, emaciated and haggard, with hollowed eyes, kneeled there silently.

“Father! Mother! Rest assured, I will avenge you! I will make Zhang Chen pay!” Zhang Gaoqiu muttered numbly, with a deep-seated hatred surging in his chest.

The Zhang Family suddenly suffered a calamity overnight, with countless Zhang Family members slaughtered, even his own father was beheaded. The main line of the Zhang Family was purged, and if it weren’t for his status as a prince consort, hiding in the princess’s mansion to avoid the disaster, he might not have fared much better than his father.

All his direct brothers were dead!

“I am incompetent, I can’t even give you a proper burial!” Zhang Gaoqiu’s words were sorrowful, filled with lament.

“I have requested Father, once he uses Zhang Chen to repair the Two Realms Passage, he will support you in regaining the position of the Zhang Family patriarch,” said the young princess, Chai Wenji, appearing at the door to Zhang Gaoqiu.

“Zhang Chen has now become the patriarch of the Zhang Family and has swiftly consolidated his power within this month. Overturning him is easier said than done. Even if the royal family wishes to intervene in the succession of the Eight Great Clans, it is not an easy task,” Zhang Gaoqiu said hoarsely.

He wasn’t a fool; he knew the difficulties involved. While the royal family was powerful, intervening in the internal affairs of the Eight Great Clans wasn’t easy, or else the Eight Great Clans wouldn’t have persisted for so many years.

Upon hearing Zhang Gaoqiu’s words, the young princess said, “You’re talking about how things used to be. In the past, the Great Victory royal family had no opportunity to meddle in the affairs of the Eight Great Clans, but now with the Gong Family subjugated by the royal family, the Eight Great Clans are no longer united. There’s now an opportunity for the royal family to intervene.”

Zhang Gaoqiu sighed deeply upon hearing this, not believing that the Great Victory royal family had such capabilities.

The young princess, seeing Zhang Gaoqiu’s skeptical expression, said to him, “Zhang Chen’s threat is too great. He is undoubtedly the one who’s been causing unrest at Prince Pingbian’s Mansion. Over the past month, over a thousand experts from the Great Victory royal family have perished at the hands of the Zhang Family, all calculated by Zhang Chen. His schemes are simply incredible, and even the current Human King is extremely wary of him. To the Great Victory royal family, Zhang Chen must be eliminated, and you are the best opportunity for the Great Victory royal family to intervene in the Zhang Family.”

“If the Great Victory royal family can avenge my grievances, I am willing to pay any price. If I can ascend to the position of Zhang Family patriarch, I would willingly offer the entire Zhang Family to the royal family,” Zhang Gaoqiu said to the young princess.

“Apart from the Great Victory royal family, I’m afraid there’s no one in this world who can avenge you. Moreover, if you become the patriarch of the Zhang Family, our child will also become the next patriarch of the Zhang Family, with the bloodline of the Great Victory royal family already flowing through their veins. We have become blood relatives, and the Great Victory royal family will support the Zhang Family in annexing the remaining seven families, consolidating their Creation into one, making our Zhang Family a formidable force.”

“Will the Great Victory royal family still allow such a powerful Zhang Family to exist then?” Zhang Gaoqiu was no fool and questioned in return.

“Of course, there is a price. At that time, the Zhang Family will go to the Northern Land, to keep the demon race in check forever for the Great Victory royal family,” said the little princess.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Gaoqiu was stunned for a moment before saying, “If the Zhang Family can indeed swallow the other seven families and act as shepherds in the Northern Land for the royal family, it may not necessarily be impossible.”

Just as they were speaking, a guard suddenly rushed in from outside, speaking hurriedly, “Princess, Prince Consort, a beggar has come outside claiming to be the Prince Consort’s maternal uncle, named Zhang Haqi. He is begging fervently and insists on meeting the Prince Consort.”

“Zhang Haqi?” Zhang Gaoqiu was startled upon hearing this and stood up abruptly, “This person is one of my father’s trusted confidants. Where is he? Quickly invite him in.”

The guard departed to carry out the order, and Zhang Gaoqiu was seen walking back and forth in the ancestral hall, his face excited, his voice hoarse, “Zhang Haqi is one of my father’s confidants, dispatched abroad for official business. It’s unexpected that he managed to escape a disaster.”

Upon hearing this, the little princess Chai Wenji looked solemn, “Don’t be excited. We still don’t know how he survived Zhang Chen’s clutches, nor if he betrayed your father.”

Zhang Gaoqiu was stunned upon hearing this, then took a deep breath, quickly regaining his composure, and said, “You’re right, we’ll have to see.”

As they were speaking, a ragged person, resembling a beggar, emitting a foul odor, disheveled and unkempt, walked over from the outside.

Upon seeing Zhang Gaoqiu, that person suddenly trembled with excitement, his eyes fixed on Zhang Gaoqiu, and cried out mournfully, “Gaoqiu!!!”

“Uncle… why are you in this state?” Zhang Gaoqiu looked at the beggar before him, his eyes filled with disbelief. Is this the once pampered and high-spirited Zhang Haqi? There was no trace of his former self, and even if the person spoke, Zhang Gaoqiu wouldn’t have recognized him face to face.

At this moment, he suddenly had a faint suspicion about how Zhang Haqi escaped Zhang Chen’s pursuit.

“It is me! It is me! Zhang Chen, that little brat, dispatched people pretending to transmit your father’s orders to assassinate me. Luckily, I was clever enough to secretly uncover their plot and narrowly escaped disaster. Zhang Chen’s lackeys relentlessly pursued me. I disguised myself as a beggar all the way, narrowly escaping death. It was only after making inquiries in Kyoto that I discovered the Zhang Family had changed dramatically; your father and others had all met tragic ends. I had nowhere to go and could only come to you.”

“Uncle!” Zhang Gaoqiu looked at the disheveled Zhang Haqi, his heart cleared of doubts, uttering a mournful cry, and threw himself into Zhang Haqi’s arms.

“I was relentlessly pursued, severely injured multiple times, contemplating death as the only relief. But I couldn’t die! Years ago, your father entrusted me with a critically important task. I left Kyoto for that purpose, thus narrowly escaping catastrophe. This matter is of great significance, and before it’s fully resolved, I can’t die!” Zhang Haqi pulled out a bloodstained package from his chest and handed it to Zhang Gaoqiu: “Years ago, your father discovered an ancient hidden treasure containing the legendary Power of Reincarnation. He ordered me to find it. If we can locate that treasure, it might strengthen the power of the Zhang Family and resolve our family’s crises. But despite my efforts, I couldn’t find the whereabouts of that hidden treasure. Now I am entrusting it to you. You must find the hidden treasure; it may give us a chance to kill Zhang Chen and avenge the patriarch!”

Zhang Haqi pressed the oilcloth package into Zhang Gaoqiu’s hands, then coughed up black blood, flipped over, and died.

“Uncle!” Covered in black blood, Zhang Gaoqiu stared at the limp Zhang Haqi, quickly dashing over to hold him. Only then did he see Zhang Haqi’s body covered with terrifying, grotesque knife wounds, with maggots writhing in the wounds, emitting a foul, rotten smell. He had long since lost his vitality, surviving only by sheer will, using the Zhang Family’s soul-bound bloodline trait to forcibly hold onto the last breath of life.

“Uncle!!!” Zhang Gaoqiu held Zhang Haqi’s body, repeatedly crying mournfully, seething with deep-seated hatred, “Zhang Chen, I will extract and refine your soul, I will tear you to pieces, I will rip your tendons, flay your skin, crush your bones to dust.”

Zhang Gaoqiu’s voice was filled with rage and murderous intent, now with no doubt about Zhang Haqi.

“The deceased is gone, don’t mourn. Another debt has been added to Zhang Chen’s account,” sighed Chai Wenji, “Kill Zhang Chen someday and avenge him!”

Zhang Gaoqiu wailed dryly, but his tears had long dried up, unable to shed even a single drop.

“The most important thing now is to find the treasure your father left behind, to strengthen your power, so that you may have a chance to avenge your father,” Chai Wenji said to Zhang Gaoqiu.