Chapter 1065 - 693: Farewell to Xie Lingyun

With a trump card in hand, there is no panic in the heart.

Zhang Chen possesses the Sun True Flame that can harm even a Twelfth Tier expert, along with an Innate Spiritual Treasure by his side, and a God-Beating Whip soon to be refined; when that time comes, he wouldn’t fear these Divine Spirits.

Tushan Qing saw Zhang Chen’s calm demeanor, realizing that he must have a plan, and gradually felt reassured.

"Alright, I must continue on my journey. I heard the news halfway through and feared you weren’t prepared, so I came to inform you ahead of time. Now that you are aware of the secret, I will not stay any longer." Tushan Qing hurriedly came and hurriedly left, turning away and leaving Zhang Chen staring at Tushan Qing’s back in silent thought.

Zhang Chen returned to the Exquisite Tower to continue comprehending the Mystery. Life seemed to have quieted down, but seven days later, Chongzheng Academy had an unwelcome visitor for Zhang Chen: Zhang Gaqi.

When the steward Ma Jiu came to relay that someone awaited him at the mountain’s base, Zhang Chen was a bit surprised, pondering over which old acquaintance it might be. But upon arriving at the academy’s entrance, he spotted Zhang Gaqi.

"Fourth Uncle!" Zhang Chen walked up and greeted.

"I have come to fetch you," Zhang Gaqi spoke solemnly.

"Fetch me?" Zhang Chen looked at Zhang Gaqi in astonishment.

Zhang Gaqi, with a serious demeanor, said, "Prince Pingbian petitioned Emperor Dasheng, stating that as long as you are slain, he would lead the Northern Land in allegiance. Prince Pingbian even petitioned our Zhang Family, saying that if we were to hand you over, he would allow our Zhang Family to choose a direct bloodline to inherit everything from Prince Pingbian’s Mansion and become the new Prince Pingbian."

Zhang Chen had already heard of this news, so he wasn’t much surprised by Zhang Gaqi’s words. After all, Prince Pingbian’s plan wouldn’t be easily achieved, as neither the Yellow Heaven Dao nor the Demon Race would allow the Northern Land to fall and be reclaimed by the court.

"So what’s the plan? Fourth Uncle is here to catch me and present me to Prince Pingbian for execution?" Zhang Chen asked.

"Some in the Zhang Family are blinded by profit, but others remain clear-minded," Zhang Gaqi said. "I came today to take you back to the Zhang Family. In Kyoto, with the protection of the elders, along with the Grand Steward and the Xie family against any threat, who could do anything to you?"

Hearing Zhang Gaqi’s words, Zhang Chen’s eyes softened.

"I’m not leaving; Jinling City is quite good." Zhang Chen had yet to achieve his goal at Chongzheng Academy, why leave so carelessly?

"You must leave!" Zhang Gaqi insisted with determination. "If you don’t leave soon, you might not be able to leave at all."

"Why is that?" Zhang Chen asked, perplexed.

"Hu Li the Immortal has already established his Twelfth Tier, and as the Demon Race army crossed the Yellow River at his command, chaos has erupted in Jiangnan adjacent to the Yellow River. It won’t be long before the war reaches Jinling. Even though Chongzheng Academy has a Treasure Tower, it cannot withstand Hu Li the Immortal at the Twelfth Tier. Staying here is a death sentence!" From Zhang Gaqi’s perspective, Zhang Chen was still the weak child of the Northern Land, constantly bullied and surviving by keeping a low profile.

"You have no idea how cruel these Demon Race members are. Wherever their army passes, the people become their food, leaving less than one percent of humans alive. Though you have means, in front of the Demon Race’s Demon Kings, it’s still not enough. Even if you could escape yourself, what about your younger siblings, or your stepmother?" Zhang Gaqi persuaded Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen laughed upon hearing Zhang Gaqi’s words. Hu Li the Immortal? He and Hu Li were ’good friends,’ how could Hu Li hurt him?

"I’m not leaving! Isn’t the Royal Family still here? The Royal Family wouldn’t sit idly by and watch Jiangnan fall. With the Northern Land already fallen, if Jiangnan falls too, how much land would the Great Victory Dynasty have left? The Great Victory Royal Family wouldn’t just stand by." Zhang Chen rebutted Zhang Gaqi’s words.

"Why are you so stubborn?" Zhang Gaqi exclaimed, frustration building as he saw Zhang Chen unmoved.

"Why doesn’t the court mobilize the Twelfth Tier Mystery to suppress the Demon Race?" Zhang Chen voiced his doubt.

If the Demon Race had only been causing chaos in the Northern Land previously, the court might have watched as they clashed with the Yellow Heaven Dao and Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, but with the Demon Race crossing the Yellow River into Jiangnan now, the court couldn’t possibly just stand by, could they?

"The court? Under the current situation, do you still rely on the court? Although the court has three Twelfth Tier Mysteries, they are stretched thin. One must remain in the Imperial Palace for the Human King’s safety. Another to guard against the mysterious Demon Race ancestor in Kyoto. The third Mystery is guarding a grand tomb. How could the court have time for Jiangnan’s turmoil?" Zhang Gaqi explained why the court hadn’t intervened.

"I see," Zhang Chen realized.

"Come with me! Jiangnan is about to fall into chaos; staying here, you may inadvertently be swept into that chaos, and not even the Celestial King could save you then." Zhang Gaqi shook his head earnestly.

By now, Zhang Chen believed Zhang Gaqi’s invitation was genuine, yet he didn’t wish to follow.

"Sorry to disappoint you. I won’t leave; there’s no need to persuade me further." Zhang Chen replied.

Seeing Zhang Chen’s ’don’t bother persuading me’ expression, Zhang Gaqi felt a wave of disappointment and shifted the topic: "If you refuse to leave, then I’ll take your younger siblings with me. Surely, you can’t leave them here to die with you?"

Zhang Chen stared intently at Zhang Gaqi for a long time, then shook his head: "To be honest, I don’t trust you! I also don’t trust the Zhang Family of Kyoto."

Zhang Gaqi was so angered by these words, his eyes stared blankly at Zhang Chen, and for a moment, he was too furious to speak.

"If Fourth Uncle has nothing else, you should head back early." Zhang Chen turned and walked towards the academy, leaving Zhang Gaqi standing at the gate of the academy, showing a wry smile as he watched Zhang Chen’s back.

However, Zhang Chen’s peaceful days had not lasted three days before another acquaintance came to his old residence.

Deep into the night

Zhang Chen sat solemnly in the study, circulating the spell as he comprehended the Law of Heaven and Earth, when suddenly he shifted his gaze toward the courtyard, revealing a hint of caution in his eyes.

Zhang Chen slowly stood up, with half of the Immortal Slaying Sword pinched between his fingers and concealed within his sleeve, his eyes fixed on the direction of the door as a series of knocks broke the silence of the night.

"Come in!" Zhang Chen calmly said.

"Little brother, you are indeed composed. If someone knocked on the door in the middle of the night, most people would have started fighting by now." A lighthearted female voice came from outside the door, and Xie Lingyun, dressed in men’s attire, pushed the door open and walked in.

A golden light flickered in Zhang Chen’s eyes, confirming it was indeed Xie Lingyun, before he put away the Immortal Slaying Sword from his sleeve, and a look of delight appeared on his face: "Sister, why have you come?"

"I heard there’s going to be a great chaos in Jiangnan, and I was worried about you coming to Jinling, so I came to see you." Xie Lingyun said.

Xie Lingyun was enveloped by a Pure Yang Qi, having crossed the critical threshold to become a Great Cultivator of the Yang God realm.

"I am indeed in Jinling City, but with so many people here, how did Sister find where I was hiding?" Zhang Chen was puzzled.

"Your Fox Spirit ’borrowed’ quite a bit of silver in Jinling City and has long been watched by the Inspection and Supervision Department. It wasn’t hard for me to find you." Xie Lingyun explained.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen suddenly understood, and he quickly invited Xie Lingyun to sit down, asking, "Is Sister staying in Jinling City permanently, or just passing through?"

"I came specifically for you." Xie Lingyun said.

"For me?" Zhang Chen was taken aback.

Xie Lingyun nodded: "I’m here to take you away!"

"Chaos is about to erupt in Jiangnan! Hu Li the Immortal has broken through to the Twelfth Tier and is leading the demon army southward. The court has already lost control over the situation. If you don’t withdraw early, and you’re blocked by the demon race, you might get stuck here." Xie Lingyun’s voice was filled with seriousness.

"Is the court just going to abandon such a vast Jiangnan?" Zhang Chen’s eyes were full of disbelief.

Upon hearing Zhang Chen’s words, Xie Lingyun chuckled: "The court wants to use the land of Jiangnan to have the demon race and Yellow Heaven Dao fight to the death. Whether it’s the demon race or Yellow Heaven Dao, they all need a lot of faith. Moreover, Chen Sanliang’s doctrine and Yellow Heaven Dao’s doctrine conflict. Without the mediation of Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, they’d be like dogs biting each other."

Zhang Chen shook his head upon hearing this, feeling that Xie Lingyun and the court were still optimistic about their judgment of the future situation. They had no idea how strong Chen Sanliang’s Universal Education doctrine really was, or how inclusive it could be.

Moreover, Zhang Chen did not believe that Yellow Heaven Dao’s Great Virtuous Master would fight to the death with the demon race, as the biggest enemy for both, the human court, had not yet been eradicated.

"So, you should come with me as soon as possible! We’ll withdraw from Jiangnan early, sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, seeing them bite each other like dogs." Xie Lingyun looked at Zhang Chen with anticipation.

"I won’t leave!" Zhang Chen shook his head. He still needed to study the Exquisite Tower, so how could he leave?

Xie Lingyun was stunned upon hearing this, and her eyes met Zhang Chen’s. She couldn’t understand what Zhang Chen was staying for, what in Jiangnan was worth his attachment.

"I’ve already arranged for you in Kyoto, there’s a place for you in the Inner Academy. You don’t need to cling to Chongzheng Academy; in Kyoto, you can still reach out to the Mysterious World and continue cultivating under the best conditions." Xie Lingyun looked at Zhang Chen, her voice filled with seriousness:

"This time is different from the previous demon race sieges; this time, Hu Li the Immortal himself leads the army. You have no idea how vicious that beast Hu Li the Immortal is, how cruel, how despicable and shameless! Hu Li the Immortal doesn’t regard the human race as humans; he enjoys eating cultivators imbued with Mysterious Power and Bloodline Power."

"If you fall into the hands of that ferocious old creature Hu Li the Immortal, he will surely swallow you whole." Xie Lingyun tried to persuade, just as Zhang Chen’s eyes turned to the doorway, where Hu Li the Immortal stood with a gloomy face, staring silently at Xie Lingyun’s back.