Chapter 1328: The Letter

Chapter 1328: Chapter 956: The Letter

Zhang Chen stood under the peach tree, feeling the fleeting memory fragments transmitted by the Blood God Child, with a hint of confusion in his gaze: “Who is manipulating whom?”

Unfortunately, the memory fragments of Prince Pingbian’s mind were too chaotic, even Zhang Chen couldn’t straighten them out. The most crucial thing was that Zhang Chen didn’t dare to make reckless speculations. After all, Li Kui and Li Gui were just a thought apart, just like the Queen Mother of the West in the past. Clearly, she sent a message to the primordial chaos not to enter, but who knew it was turned into ‘enter’ by the Heavenly Dao’s thunderbolt, causing the Queen Mother of the West to become a traitor of the primordial chaos. Where could she argue her case?

No place to argue!

“The unknown has been entirely buried in the dust of history, and no one can know the truth within, except for Prince Pingbian and Zhang Kecheng, there is no third person who knows.” Zhang Chen sighed softly.

His Blood God Child can possess others, control their physical body, and read their memories, but he cannot retrieve those scattered, broken memories from the other party.

“Everything is over now, in the future I may gather the Six Paths of Reincarnation, and perhaps I can retrieve them from within to reassemble the soul, then maybe I can know the truth within.” After mumbling to himself, Zhang Chen flickered several times and disappeared from sight.

Time hurriedly passed, another seven days went by, and while Zhang Chen was idly staring in boredom, Zhou Qiucheng came to visit.

“Why are you here, sir?” Zhang Chen looked at Zhou Qiucheng with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

“The Academy sent me to invite you. The materials for repairing the passage have been fully gathered, and next is waiting for you to personally repair the passage. If there’s nothing else, come with me.” Zhou Qiucheng’s eyes were burning as he spoke to Zhang Chen.

“How could it be so fast? You know, to repair that passage, quite a few Heavenly and Earthly Treasures are needed!” Zhang Chen’s face showed surprise; the other party managed to search for all materials so quickly, it was truly beyond his expectations.

“Because some old fellows can’t hold on, their life span is about to reach its limit. If they don’t enter that new world, they’re going to die.” Zhou Qiucheng explained:

“Those are the last essence of the Great Victory Dynasty, and any slip would be unacceptable, otherwise the throne of the Great Victory Dynasty might become unsteady. Most crucially, this disaster was caused by the Third Prince, involving even the Great Victory Human King. If he can’t smooth this out, those ancestors won’t spare him and his father and son. Not only might his position as Human King be unsteady, even his blood relatives within three generations might suffer!”

“To gather various materials, the Great Victory Human King had to send messages to various places, promising positions to Dukes in different lands to gather materials with their help. Dukes from various places covet the creation of the new world and naturally do their best to assist the Great Victory court in collecting materials.” Zhou Qiucheng added.

“Can it be like this?” Zhang Chen was dumbstruck upon hearing this, a hint of inexplicable change in his eyes, then he said to Zhou Qiucheng: “Please wait, sir, I have some affairs at home to handle.”

“Go ahead, I’ll wait here.” Zhou Qiucheng said.

Zhang Chen turned and left, disappearing between the floors, heading towards Zhong Xiang’s room. He was not against helping the Great Victory Dynasty complete the passage construction of Feng Shui Grand Array. After all, the sooner the Feng Shui Grand Array passage is connected, the sooner he can complete the plunder of the Spiritual World, refine his small world, plant his Peach of Immortality and Heaven-Reaching Jianmu, preparing for the unpredictable catastrophe.

Zhong Xiang diligently cultivated, especially after Zhang Chen sent various Heavenly and Earthly Treasures, elixirs, and the Secret Techniques for cultivation Zhang Chen gifted, Zhong Xiang’s cultivation became even more rigorous.

For ordinary cultivators, what is the most despairing? Clearly, the other party has better aptitude than you, and is even harder working, is there anything more despairing than this in the world?

At least for those in the same era as Zhong Xiang, the Great Demon King Zhong Xiang was about to press down on everyone, becoming a mountain crushing everyone.

“Why are you here again? You’re not cultivating properly every day, wandering aimlessly!” Zhong Xiang opened her eyes, glaring at Zhang Chen with annoyance.

Contemporaries regard Zhong Xiang as a mountain and a Great Demon King, but Zhong Xiang sees Zhang Chen as a mountain and a Great Demon King. In Zhong Xiang’s eyes, Zhang Chen is an insurmountable peak, and as her cultivation level increases, she finds it even more difficult to catch up, unable to see through Zhang Chen’s cultivation.

Although Zhang Chen is her husband, she harbors endless resentment in her heart! Hatred that gnashes teeth!

Others having higher cultivation than you is already despairing enough, but the other party has to not work as hard as you, hardly seen cultivating each day, and yet even with your day-and-night cultivation, you cannot match a strand of the other’s hair, I ask you, isn’t it despairing!

It’s simply despair to the extreme!

Since marrying Zhang Chen, she hadn’t seen Zhang Chen cultivate, wandering like a ‘loafer’ everywhere, how could she not feel jealous and resentful?

Zhong Xiang hates that she can’t break up time and use it. With twelve hours a day, she spends one hour eating, one hour washing, and spends the remaining ten hours cultivating, even substituting meditation for sleep, yet her rigorous cultivation cannot match that loafer, can she not be jealous?

She was jealous till she bled!

Simply envious, jealous, and hateful to the extreme!

Thus, seeing Zhang Chen wandering here again, Zhong Xiang couldn’t help but voice a complaint.

“The Great Victory court has already gathered the materials, I’m about to begin construction of that passage to the new world, which will mean I can’t return for some time, so I’ve left you some resources.” Zhang Chen smiled, pulling out Yellow Spring Water from his robe: “This is Yellow Spring Water, it can assist in your cultivation. From now on, all matters large and small of the Zhang Family are entrusted to your hands, decided entirely by your word.”

“I’m afraid I can’t convince everyone, after all, I’m just a woman…” Zhong Xiang took the Yellow Spring Water, her face showing hesitation.

Zhang Chen chuckled at her words: “You wield the Yellow Spring Water, which equates to holding the lifeblood of the entire Zhang Family, who would dare not comply with you?”

“Besides, you represent my face. If you encounter issues, you can seek out the Gong Family Patriarch; he is my person, and will surely solve any troubles for you.” Zhang Chen patted Zhong Xiang’s head.

Upon hearing this, Zhong Xiang was stunned, her eyes incredulous as she looked at Zhang Chen, filled with astonishment: “Isn’t the Gong Family an arch-enemy of the Zhang Family? How can they be yours?”

“Therefore, never judge relationships merely by surface appearances; the waters of this world run deep, one wrong step can lead to eternal ruin.” Zhang Chen sighed solemnly.

Not just Zhong Xiang, who outside could have guessed that the Gong Family was actually under Zhang Family’s control, dominated from the shadows?

If anyone attempted to conspire against the Zhang Family by teaming up with the Gong Family, they’d be unaware of their impending downfall.

Zhang Chen instructed Zhong Xiang on many matters before stepping out, where he saw Zhou Qiucheng standing under a tree admiring the flowers.

“Mr. Zhou, shall we go?” Zhang Chen addressed Zhou Qiucheng.

Zhou Qiucheng nodded upon hearing, and together with Zhang Chen, stepped out of the courtyard and boarded the carriage. Then Zhou Qiu Cheng turned to Zhang Chen, his expression shifting as if wanting to speak yet holding back.

“Is there something you wish to say?” Zhang Chen inquired, noticing Zhou Qiucheng’s expression.

After pondering slightly, Zhou Qiucheng finally spoke: “There’s much I don’t know how to convey to you.”

“What’s there that can’t be said between us?” Zhang Chen replied with a smile.

Upon hearing Zhang Chen’s words, Zhou Qiucheng elaborated: “You’re going to repair the passage, which is a good thing, originally your path to exoneration. Yet now I sense a change in circumstances; you need to prepare early. Initially, the Emperor intended your release to leverage you in dividing the Zhang Family, thereby splintering the Eight Great Clans. Now that they’ve fractured internally, you’ve unexpectedly succeeded in usurping power, becoming the Patriarch of the Zhang Family. This change in your status will likely alter the Human King’s attitude toward you.”

Zhang Chen understood Zhou Qiucheng’s meaning, and upon hearing this, a mysterious smile appeared on his face: “Do you think I’m unaware of what you say, sir? Even if you hadn’t mentioned it, I would plan ahead. Merely, it’s surprising for you to utter these words to me today, truly unexpected.”

Zhou Qiucheng controls the Jinling Academy, equivalent to being someone of the Great Victory court, now speaking such words to Zhang Chen, how could Zhang Chen not be surprised?

After hearing Zhang Chen’s words, Zhou Qiucheng chuckled wryly, shaking his head: “You thought I belong to the court, but you’re mistaken. I only serve myself. It was my possessing the Exquisite Tower that court began to recruit me, not the other way around. The difference is significant, do you understand?”

Zhang Chen momentarily grasped this, yet didn’t completely trust Zhou Qiucheng, knowing the stakes of future strategies were high, with potential ruin upon the slightest misstep. Hence, Zhang Chen only partially believed Zhou Qiucheng’s assertion.

“How is Brother Zhou Zhen?” Zhang Chen shifted the topic, inquiring.

“That lad has been settled, hidden away with a concealed identity. I foresee major upheaval in Kyoto, so it’s better for him not to involve himself.” Zhou Qiucheng replied.

Zhang Chen glanced at Zhou Qiucheng, surprised at Zhou Qiucheng’s clever foresight, sensing the disturbance before it happened.

As they conversed, the carriage reached the Academy’s entrance, where a large convoy of carriages gathered, each one luxurious, the steeds appearing as divine stallions, the convoy stretching several miles.

Furthermore, a hundred thousand samurai clad in black armor, emanating a murderous aura, surrounded the Academy, completely sealing it off.

“What is this?” Zhang Chen asked, surprised by the samurai blocking the mountain path.

“The matter of the new world is significant, the court certainly dispatches military forces in advance to seal the mountain, preventing anyone from taking advantage during chaos. Within Kyoto, the greatest power is the military!” Zhou Qiucheng answered.