lerbook #308 - Zhang Family in Shangjing
#308 - Zhang Family in Shangjing
Upon hearing Chen Xu mention the Zhang family of the capital, Zhang Chen couldn't help but perk up, his spirits immediately lifting.
"The Zhang family? Are you referring to the Zhang family, one of the Eight Great Families of the capital?" Zhang Chen inquired, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"Correct! It is that Zhang family. I heard tell that a certain leading figure of the Zhang family is nearing the end of their lifespan. This person is the Zhang family's last pillar of stability. Once they fall, the Zhang family's influence in the imperial court will likely wane. This person is the last great mountain supporting the Zhang family in the court, and they absolutely cannot fall before the younger generation of the Zhang family has grown up. It's not just the Zhang family; all the other great aristocratic families have sent experts here as well. The emergence of the Evergreen Tree Coffin, along with the Investiture of the Gods ceremony, are both crucial junctures that will change the course of the world. How could those great families not send someone?" Chen Xu gazed expectantly at Zhang Chen, his eyes full of longing.
He genuinely didn't want to wade into troubled waters, not even a little. So, being able to shake off the Zhang family's mark and escape as quickly as possible was truly the most important thing for him.
Hearing Chen Xu's words, Zhang Chen's gaze fell on Chen Xu's wrist, a hint of curiosity in his eyes: "What a strange mark."
"I heard that the Zhang family possesses a piece of mysterious cloth, a mysterious object of unknown grade that can control all ghosts in the world and restrain all demons. This is one of the Zhang family's abilities," Chen Xu said.
"For the Zhang family to attempt to sneak into the Yellow Dawn Temple's secret chamber to search for treasures amidst the chaos is a bit of an underestimation of the Yellow Sky Dao. The Yellow Sky Dao's foundation is so profound, and its experts are so numerous, that it definitely surpasses everyone's imagination. If the Zhang family dares to set its sights on the Yellow Dawn Temple, it will inevitably invite retaliation from the Yellow Sky Dao in the future." Zhang Chen extended his palm, grasping the mark on Chen Xu. In the next moment, the golden light of a true god flickered, and the mark directly transformed into a wisp of black mist and disappeared without a trace under the illumination of the golden light.
Just as Zhang Chen broke the skull mark, in a small courtyard in the southwest corner of the Yellow Dawn Temple, a man who appeared to be in his forties suddenly had a drastic change in expression and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Lord! What happened?" At this moment, the guard beside him hurriedly stepped forward and asked with concern, his voice full of anxiety.
The middle-aged man's eyes were filled with disbelief: "Impossible! Even a Yang God True Person couldn't break my mark. How could Chen Xu escape my mark's control?"
"Chen Xu ran away? What audacity! He actually dared to ruin your Lordship's plans, causing your Lordship's divine powers to suffer backlash. We absolutely cannot spare him! This one will immediately take people to chase him back and bring him before your Lordship to be sliced into a thousand pieces," the guard beside him said with a cold glint in his eyes, his eyes full of murderous intent.
"No!" Unexpectedly, at this time, the middle-aged man stopped the guard's actions: "Since the mark on Chen Xu's body has been broken, it seems that an expert has taken action, and the other party's cultivation is very likely to have stepped above the Yang God realm. It would just be sending food if we went. Since Chen Xu has run away, then let him run. There's no need to pursue it any further."
"Then what about your Lordship's injuries?" The guard's eyes were full of worry.
"Go and invite Xie Lingyun over for a discussion. Xie Lingyun invited me to hunt gods, and now that I have suffered a serious injury, she can't ignore it. The Supervisory Division must bleed a little," the middle-aged man said after pondering for a moment.
Inside Zhang Chen's small residence.
"Good move! I knew you could do it." Seeing the trouble that had been plaguing him disappear, Chen Xu couldn't help but be overjoyed, and then he looked at Zhang Chen with a flattering expression:
"Brother, can you give me a few of those invisibility talismans?"
Zhang Chen didn't refuse. Those two brushes were of extraordinary value, and the karma between him and Chen Xu was somewhat significant. It was just a matter of invisibility talismans.
These days, Zhang Chen had indeed been idle and had drawn some invisibility talismans for future use. At this time, he took them out and directly gave them to Chen Xu: "Take these talismans and use them. If you encounter any trouble, feel free to come and find me."
Chen Xu took the invisibility talismans, his eyes looking at Zhang Chen, hesitating slightly: "If you're talking about trouble, I really do have a little. I seem to have discovered spatial fluctuations at the ancestral grave of the Prince of Pingbian's manor. There seems to be a large tomb hidden within. There might not be gods or demons buried inside, but there is definitely something mysterious buried there. I just don't know if you kid has the guts to do something big with me..."
Hearing this, Zhang Chen's eyes lit up, and a thought flashed through his mind: "That Prince of Pingbian, Zhang Shicheng, is definitely not a simple character. He failed to transform into a dragon and walk as a jiao, but he still hasn't gone to reincarnate. Could it be because he arranged a backup plan at his ancestral grave?"
"Where is the location? Once this Investiture of the Gods ceremony is over, we can join forces and do something big," Zhang Chen said, his spirits lifting.
He would never be polite if he had the opportunity to dig up the ancestral grave of the Prince of Pingbian.
The Prince of Pingbian's manor owed him a lot, and he was just collecting a little interest.
"The specific location hasn't been determined yet, but wait for me. I'll notify you when I find the entrance," Chen Xu said.
"How did you discover the location of the Prince of Pingbian's ancestral grave?" Zhang Chen asked curiously.
Generally, the mausoleums of major aristocratic families are all built in remote mountains and forests, unknown to outsiders, so as not to be targeted by tomb robbers and to prevent opponents from secretly tampering with them. It was really not simple that Chen Xu was able to discover the Prince of Pingbian's lair.
"The Zhang family of the capital and the Zhang family of the Northern Lands seem to have some kind of relationship. The people of the Zhang family of the capital led me to worship an inconspicuous grave. They claimed to have me under control and that they could enslave me for a lifetime, never taking me seriously. But they didn't know that I knew how to read feng shui. The luck of that grave was already about to emit green smoke. It's very likely that Zhang Shicheng has obtained another good fortune, and he's probably not far from successfully transforming into a dragon and walking as a jiao," Chen Xu said in a mystical manner.
Zhang Chen glanced at Chen Xu. This kid was really his lucky star. This kid had actually found the ancestral grave of the Prince of Pingbian's manor and the Prince of Pingbian's backup plan. When the time came, he could secretly launch attacks if he wanted to take advantage of the situation to do some things.
"Go and take care of it. Once you've taken care of it, just send someone down the mountain to notify me. I will definitely rush over immediately when I receive the news," Zhang Chen said.
Zhang Chen would never hold back if he had the opportunity to strike at the Prince of Pingbian's manor.
Chen Xu didn't stick on an invisibility talisman; he just mingled in the crowd and sneaked down the mountain all the way.
Now that experts were gathered in the mountains, sticking on an invisibility talisman would be particularly glaring, like a 100-watt light bulb.
"I hope he can really dig up the ancestral grave of the Prince of Pingbian's manor. Then I can really show off my skills," Zhang Chen thought to himself, feeling a little anticipation.
Chen Xu seemed to have a constitution that attracted trouble. As long as anything was related to him, it meant constant trouble.
Time was passing little by little, and the atmosphere in the Taoist temple became increasingly tense. Countless Taoists, both big and small, were greeting the guests and leading them to rest. At the same time, in the martial arts field of the Yellow Dawn Temple, a huge sacrificial altar was gradually being built.
The affairs of the outside world seemed to have nothing to do with Zhang Chen. In his small residence, he spent his days stealing incense power and studying the Strength Warrior Mountain Moving Technique. This Strength Warrior Mountain Moving Technique was not a simple translocation divine ability, but also involved the tempering of the physical body.
To move a certain weight, one must first consider the burden on the physical body. The body must be strong enough to move heavy objects.
Otherwise, before even lifting the object, one's own body might collapse first.
Therefore, the Mountain Moving Art is also a method of forging the physical body.
“As expected of the preliminary method for the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Skill, this is a supreme art that directly leads to physical sanctification.” The more Zhang Chen pondered, the more he felt that this divine power was incredible, possessing mysterious and unpredictable power, worthy of his great attention.
“It's a pity that it can't grant immortality or extend lifespan, otherwise it would be perfect.” Zhang Chen sighed softly.
If I could cultivate the Strength Warrior's Mountain Moving Art, perhaps I could enter the spiritual world and steal that great black dog's steel fork?
Just as Zhang Chen was leisurely pondering the incantation, Xie Lingyun arrived. Xie Lingyun was dressed in a green robe, like a green elf, appearing outside Zhang Chen's courtyard.
“Why has Sister come?” Zhang Chen asked curiously.
“I have come today because I have something to ask of you.” Xie Lingyun smiled gently, like a mountain flower, appearing gentle and beautiful.
“The matter you need to ask of me must be extremely difficult.” Zhang Chen looked at Xie Lingyun with a smile.
“You are really wrong this time. The reason I took on this matter wasn't for you?” Xie Lingyun said somewhat aggrievedly, “You really take kindness for a donkey's liver and lungs, you really wronged me.”
“Oh?” Zhang Chen was immediately interested upon hearing this.
“Zhang Gaqi of the Zhang family in the capital is a direct descendant of the Zhang family in the capital. He is considered to be a person with some means and abilities among the third generation of the Zhang family in the capital. The third generation of the Zhang family in the capital are all playboys, all addicted to women and falling into a gentle trap. Although this Zhang Gaqi can't be considered a talent, his ability to handle affairs is considered outstanding in the Zhang family.” Xie Lingyun said, “Besides being fond of keeping mistresses, he doesn't have any other bad habits. However, this person is most afraid of his wife, and his reputation for being afraid of his wife has spread throughout the capital, becoming a laughing stock for everyone.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen not only did not find it funny, but his expression became serious: “Has the Zhang family declined to this point?”
“It's not just the Zhang family. In fact, the eight great families, and even the descendants of various founding meritorious officials, are all immersed in the glory and wealth left by their ancestors, unable to extricate themselves. They are being eroded and devoured in that mortal world. Where is there any ambition?” Xie Lingyun said.
Zhang Chen was thoughtful upon hearing this. He thought of the Eight Banner children of his previous life, who directly fell into depravity after entering the Central Plains.
People can easily obtain power, so who would bother to practice martial arts diligently? Who would bother to cultivate painstakingly?
Even if you cultivate hard day and night, you will only live for a hundred or eighty years, no different from ordinary people.
As for martial force?
Can it withstand crossbow bolts? Can it withstand thousands of troops?
It can be said that the founding meritorious officials do not lack the motivation to move forward, but there is simply no need to move forward. As long as they don't court death, they will enjoy endless glory and wealth, so why bother to work hard?
Besides, they share the same fate as the country, who would dare to be ambitious? Do they want to rebel?
Seeing that Zhang Chen was thoughtful and quickly understood the key, Xie Lingyun couldn't help but secretly sigh at Zhang Chen's intelligence. The other party had been trapped in a small mountain village for ten years, and had long lost the guidance and cultivation of a large family's children, but still had such intelligence, quickly understanding all the key points. It was really rare.
“This is a true dragon! Even if he is trapped in this barren land, he is still slowly rising. This is definitely the most valuable investment in my life.” Xie Lingyun said secretly in her heart.
“Zhang Gaqi's divine power has just been broken, and his three souls and seven spirits have suffered injuries. If he can be washed with the Water of the Yellow Springs, he can quickly recover from his injuries.” Xie Lingyun's eyes looked at Zhang Chen. Her intention was obvious, she wanted to see if Zhang Chen would take into account the friendship between clansmen and help Zhang Gaqi recover from his injuries.
“According to seniority, this Zhang Gaqi is the same age as your father, and can be considered your uncle. If you want to return to the Zhang family in the capital in the future, or want to use the power of the Zhang family to do something, this is the best opportunity for you to build a relationship between the two parties.” Xie Lingyun looked at Zhang Chen, waiting for Zhang Chen's choice.
Zhang Chen was silent upon hearing this, tapping his fingers on the table, quickly thinking about the gains and losses.
Seeing Zhang Chen hesitating, Xie Lingyun also knew Zhang Chen's difficulties. After all, the Water of the Yellow Springs was of great importance, and even fathers and sons would turn against each other, so she said, “The Zhang family in the capital has a secret treasure, said to be of the eleventh order. Logically speaking, if your father had not been demoted, this artifact would have been passed on to you in the future. Don't you want to return to the Zhang family and take that secret treasure away? If you can return to the Zhang family, even if you can't control that secret treasure, you will be qualified to use the secret treasure to awaken your bloodline, so as to inherit the secret treasure's inheritance.”
An eleventh-order secret treasure, Zhang Chen was a little tempted. He was not tempted by the eleventh-order secret treasure itself, but by what skills the eleventh-order secret treasure would drop.
“Don't worry, as long as I'm alive, no one in the Northern Lands can touch you in the slightest. Although the Water of the Yellow Springs is precious, my Bureau of Inspection can still protect it.” Xie Lingyun knew Zhang Chen's worries and said from the side:
“Moreover, although Zhang Gaqi's reputation is a bit tarnished, he still has a bottom line. You are his own nephew, even if he really has greed, he will not kill you. Moreover, in the Northern Lands, within this Yellow Dawn Temple, he will not have a chance to attack…”
“No need to say more, I'm not afraid that he will be greedy for the Water of the Yellow Springs.” Zhang Chen interrupted Xie Lingyun's words.
The Water of the Yellow Springs is located within the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation. If Zhang Gaqi really has greed, he will probably die without a burial place.
Don't talk about Zhang Gaqi, even a Yang God True Person who enters would only have their life taken.
Afraid?
What is he, Zhang Chen, afraid of?
“Just do as Sister says, give him a little Water of the Yellow Springs, but not too much, give him ten drops.” Zhang Chen set the tone.
To be honest, he was still very tempted by the Zhang family's secret treasure.
As Zhang Chen spoke, he took out a jade bottle and carefully put ten drops of the Water of the Yellow Springs into it, and then gave it to Xie Lingyun.
However, Xie Lingyun did not take the jade bottle, but said with a smile: “Things are not done this way. Although we have decided to help Zhang Gaqi, rushing to help is not a good deal. We still need Zhang Gaqi to take the initiative to ask for help.”
Zhang Chen was stunned upon hearing this, and then secretly praised the other party for handling affairs flawlessly, thinking so comprehensively.
The two discussed the details again, and after finalizing all the key points, Xie Lingyun bid farewell and left.
It is said that Xie Lingyun left Zhang Chen's small residence, and along the way came to Zhang Gaqi's guest room. She saw Zhang Gaqi sitting cross-legged in the room with a pale face, and in front of him, a stick of incense was slowly burning.
“Consider yourself lucky. I really found something that can quickly heal your soul, but this thing is very precious. If you want it, you still need to personally visit.” Xie Lingyun sat opposite Zhang Gaqi.