Chapter 1373 - 1001: The Name of Marquis Wen

Ji Feihua, accompanied by Dog Lord, silently left Kyoto and the two of them boarded a small boat. Ji Feihua activated his Divine Technique to set the boat towards the distant rivers.

As the boat moved, Ji Feihua turned to Dog Lord and said, "Finally, I can be with him. Even if we can’t resolve the calamity in the Northern Land, just growing old with him is enough for this life."

Hearing this, Dog Lord raised his paw, fiddling with a lotus seed, and glanced at Ji Feihua, "Do you like her that much? Willing to be a concubine?"

After a moment of silence, Ji Feihua replied, "He has seen my body."

Dog Lord glanced at Ji Feihua, his eyes swirling but he didn’t jest. Instead, he casually tossed the lotus seed into his mouth, "What is love in this world, truly worth dying for. But from what I see, that boy Zhang Chen is infatuated, all his heart is set on Zhong Xiang. He might not give you a chance."

"Liking someone, even if you can’t be together, just being by their side is enough," Ji Feihua’s voice was full of melancholy.

Now Zhang Chen, upon hearing the servant’s report, showed a surprised expression. He hadn’t expected to have any old friends here.

"I didn’t know I had friends in the Northern Land, but I can go and see," Zhang Chen stood up and walked out of the cabin, all the way to the deck at the front of the lead ship. In the distance, he saw a solitary boat suspended on the river, with a girl in blue bored on the boat.

The girl wore a water-blue dress, looking beautiful as if she were a person from a painting. Beside her leg, there was a Big Black Dog, barking at the big ship, "Zhang Chen, come out! Your Dog Lord is here, hurry up and come to greet."

The Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch stood at the front of the boat, shouting at the big ship.

As soon as Zhang Chen appeared at the bow, The Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch’s eyes gleamed, "Zhang Chen, Grandpa is here to seek refuge, quickly lower the deck and invite Dog Lord up, and prepare a good feast, Dog Lord chased you for thousands of miles and didn’t have time to eat and could starve to death."

Zhang Chen waved his hand indicating Zhang Gaqi to lower the deck, but he did not respond to The Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch. Instead, his gaze fell on the blue-dressed girl, "Why is Miss Ji here?"

The visitor was exactly Elder Grandmaster’s daughter Ji Feihua. After a period of recuperation, she had restored her original appearance, with a harmonious beauty akin to a person from a painting. In terms of appearance, she was no less than Zhong Xiang. She quietly, elegantly stood at the bow, her eyes like water silently watching him.

Hearing Zhang Chen’s question, Ji Feihua said, "Wasn’t it Dog Lord who insisted on coming to see you? I was worried about his safety. What if someone caught him and stewed him into dog meat, wouldn’t his life be at risk? For Dog Lord’s safety, I had to come with him."

Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch froze for a moment, turned his head to glance at Ji Feihua, with a gleam of astonishment in his eyes: This girl is lying, it didn’t sound like that before coming.

However, the little girl was thin-skinned, so Dog Lord did not expose her but instead smiled, "That’s right! That’s right! The old ancestor’s strength is not restored, it’s too dangerous outside. If I don’t find a master to protect me, wouldn’t it be a shame if I was cooked?"

As he spoke, Dog Lord leapt onto the big ship, pouncing directly at Zhang Chen, intending to leap onto Zhang Chen’s head, but Zhang Chen caught him by the neck and held him in his arms.

Ji Feihua climbed onto the big ship along the ladder, her eyes like water gazing at Zhang Chen, "Young Master Zhang, do you mind if I come with you to the Northern Land? My grandfather said that eggs shouldn’t be put in one basket and intends for me to lead some of the elite family members to the Northern Land to expand our business. You, Young Master Zhang, are from the Northern Land, and you know it well. Do you mind if a young woman like me hitches a ride?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen’s eyes lit up, "Your Ji family wants to develop in the Northern Land? To be honest, I’ve already controlled Prince Pingbian’s Mansion in the Northern Land. All of Prince Pingbian’s forces are under my command. If your family is not opposed, why not follow me to the Northern Land and join Prince Pingbian’s Mansion?"

The Northern Land is the domain of Prince Pingbian, and although the Zhang Family joined with their clansmen, compared to the entire Northern Land, the Zhang Family is still too weak to fully control the Northern Land. Right now, he needs all kinds of talents to come over. If the Ji family joins his faction, it would be excellent for him, making his grasp over the Northern Land stronger.

Although the Zhang Family shares his bloodline, Zhang Chen inwardly remains cautious of them. After all, he only controls the Zhang Family through the Yellow Spring Water. If the constraint of the Yellow Spring Water is lost, who knows how many people would secretly harbor undesirable thoughts. He might not be able to hold onto his position as Lord of the North.

Hearing this, Ji Feihua’s eyes widened, and her lips curled into a beautiful arc, "In the future, we, me and my family, will rely on Prince Zhang for our livelihood."

Although she was surprised that Zhang Chen could control the Northern Land and command Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, it was not beyond her expectations. From the relationship between the Big Black Dog and Zhang Chen, she knew that Zhang Chen’s abilities must be incredibly powerful.

Moreover, the incident where Zhang Chen subdued the Corpse Ancestor with a slap, though secret, had quietly spread among the upper echelon of Kyoto. With this capability, wasn’t it only natural that he could subdue Prince Pingbian’s Mansion?

As for the earlier matter of Prince Pingbian’s Mansion requesting the Eight Great Clans and the Great Victory royal family to execute Zhang Chen, it now seems that Zhang Chen unleashed this fog to muddy the waters of Kyoto.

After Zhang Chen and Ying Feihua took their seats, and after tea was served, they began to converse. Zhang Chen looked at Ying Feihua and asked, "May I ask where the Elder Grandmaster and others are?"

"The Elder is a pillar of the Great Victory royal family, knowing too many royal secrets, leaving the Great Victory royal family is impossible. However, my Ji family’s elite disciples, 3,000 in number, have already secretly moved north from Kyoto with some of our enterprises. I am merely the spearhead. Who knew you already have the Northern Land in your control, sparing me much trouble," Ying Feihua said with a smile, her eyes arching into a beautiful curve like a little cat that stole a fish.

Upon hearing Ying Feihua’s words, Zhang Chen’s eyes gleamed. The ones the Ji family could dispatch to the Northern Land must be elite indeed, and if they are placed within Prince Pingbian’s territory, they would certainly be of great use.

Zhang Chen glanced into the distance, his eyes revealing a peculiar brilliance, "Rest assured and bring the Ji family disciples. I will ensure they are assigned appropriate positions to help the Ji family establish roots in the Northern Land."

"Thank you greatly, I don’t know how to repay you," Ying Feihua remarked.

Beside them, the Big Black Dog grinned and said, "This little girl, the most valuable asset you have now is yourself. You might as well offer yourself and marry Zhang Chen."

It then turned to Zhang Chen, "You now have only one wife, isn’t that a bit too little? That doesn’t showcase your masculine dominance. Marrying this young lady would be just perfect."

As the Big Black Dog finished speaking, Ying Feihua’s ears immediately turned scarlet, her entire face visibly reddening, as the embarrassment and anxiety from having her thoughts exposed lit up her whole body.

Zhang Chen, being who he was, immediately sensed the girl’s embarrassment. He smiled gently, alleviating the awkwardness, "Miss Ji, with your extraordinary beauty, why would you fancy me? Besides, I already have a wife; how could Miss Ji become a secondary wife?"

As Zhang Chen was speaking, he scolded the Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch, "Miss Ji’s spotless reputation, how dare you taint it like that? If word gets out, how could Miss Ji ever marry?"

Upon hearing Zhang Chen’s scolding, the Big Black Dog glanced at the mortified Ying Feihua and then at Zhang Chen, before lowering its head silently, focusing intently on peeling lotus seeds.

"This Big Black Dog is always running wild and speaking nonsense, don’t mind it," Ying Feihua said to Zhang Chen.

"I’m already used to its antics," Zhang Chen laughed, pouring Ying Feihua a cup of tea with a grin, "Just don’t let it bother you."

"Why haven’t I seen Zhong Xiang?" Ying Feihua shifted the conversation, probing for information on Zhong Xiang.

Zhang Chen replied, "She went ahead of me to the Northern Land to oversee the situation. The affairs in the Northern Land need her management, and without placing a trusted person there, I wouldn’t be at ease."

Ying Feihua nodded at this, finding Zhang Chen’s words reasonable. After all, the Northern Land was Prince Pingbian’s old stronghold, managed for decades. Without placing trusted aides and sending her own handpicked personnel, he wouldn’t be at ease leaving his vast foundation unguarded.

After the two exchanged words for a while, Zhang Chen arranged for Ying Feihua to retire and rest before sitting alone in the cabin, plotting the future of the Northern Land.

As time passed, another half year went by, and the fleet suddenly halted. Zhang Gaqi reported, "Patriarch, there’s a great battle erupting ahead. Shall we bypass it or wait?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen appeared surprised, "A great battle? Which Duke’s territory is ahead? Could it be that the court’s Twelfth-Tier divine are conducting another massacre?"

Hearing Zhang Chen’s question, Zhang Gaqi replied, "Ahead is the territory of Marquis Wen, but it’s not a court siege; it’s a battle between Marquis Wen and the Demon Race."

"We’ve already reached Marquis Wen’s territory? I’ve heard Marquis Wen has been halting the Demon Race’s grand army. How does Marquis Wen possess such incredible power to fend off the unstoppable Demon Race army?"

Zhang Chen could never quite understand what strength Marquis Wen had to face the elites of Hu Li the Immortal and the Demon Race, knowing that even Zhou Qiucheng failed against them. What qualification does the Tenth-Tier Marquis Wen have to stop the Demon Race army?

Intrigued by Marquis Wen, Zhang Chen rose and went to the deck, seeing from afar a monumental battle unfolding. Great Demons stood towering with Heaven and Earth, and the Demon King was Taking Stars and Picking the Moon, with vast Divine Techniques like a tempest crashing towards Marquis Wen’s territory. Yet within Marquis Wen’s territory, a Dharma Image with three heads and six arms stood towering, its six arms performing a mysterious hand seal, forming a shield that protected the entire territory. Despite the violent storm outside, the shield was utterly steadfast.