I Collect Skill Fragments in the Demon World

Chapter 952 - 280: Farewell, Zhang Gaqi

"What a strange power!"

Zhang Chen activated the Authority of Death, feeling that strand of qi mechanism. That qi mechanism seemed to have some inexplicable entanglement with the Authority of Death in the unseen, some indescribable resonance between the two.

"What a bizarre power." Zhang Chen stood at the pavilion for a long time, looking at the divine radiance shrouding the ancestral shrine, but in the end he didn’t dare act rashly. A Tenth Tier Divine Spirit was not something to trifle with.

A Tenth Tier God was definitely no weaker than an Immortal Dao Expert of the same level.

"I need an opportunity, a chance to lure the Shen Family’s Tenth Tier God away. Then I can go into the Shen Family’s ancestral shrine and take a look." Zhang Chen turned and walked toward the gates of the Shen Family, planning to familiarize himself with the major powers in Jinling City, hunt for wicked Divine Spirits, then steal their incense to grow his own points, striving to grind his Authority of Wood Element up as soon as possible.

No one tried to stop Zhang Chen from leaving the Shen Mansion. After he walked out of the Shen Family compound, he wove through the surging crowds on the street. Looking at the boundless sea of people, he wandered aimlessly while asking around for the location of the Dragon Tiger Escort Agency. He had no relatives or friends in Jinling, like a blind man; he needed to find someone he knew to quickly grasp the situation in Jinling City, and then look for a chance to break the game.

Just as he was loafing about, strolling along the street like a rascal, a surprised voice suddenly rang out: "Zhang Chen?"

Following the voice, Zhang Chen looked over and saw, on the restaurant to his left, a familiar face leaning on the window frame and calling out to him. The other’s voice was full of disbelief, as if he couldn’t believe he had actually seen that little boy from years ago, ten thousand miles away.

"Zhang Gaqi?" Zhang Chen also spotted him.

"It really is you?" Zhang Gaqi stared at Zhang Chen in utter disbelief, beckoning to him from afar, gesturing for Zhang Chen to come over.

Zhang Chen hesitated slightly, then went up to the restaurant and sat down opposite Zhang Gaqi. "Fourth Uncle, why are you here?"

"I came to Jinling City to handle a major affair. But what about you—how did you end up in Jinling City? This place is nine thousand li from Goulan County; how did you get here?" Zhang Gaqi’s eyes were full of astonishment.

"Fourth Uncle should know I’m not an ordinary person. Nine thousand li is far, but for a Bloodline Practitioner, there’s always a few more chances than for ordinary people." Zhang Chen said.

On hearing this, Zhang Gaqi still did not believe Zhang Chen had such ability. Even if Zhang Chen had truly awakened his Bloodline Power, he was still so young; how capable could he be?

"Was it Xie Lingyun’s doing?" Zhang Gaqi asked.

He knew Zhang Chen and Xie Lingyun were quite close. Back in the Northern Land, he had seen with his own eyes how Xie Lingyun shielded Zhang Chen.

"You could say that." Zhang Chen replied unhurriedly.

The other man held prejudice against him and refused to believe in him; he couldn’t be bothered to prove anything. Hearing the name Xie Lingyun, Zhang Chen instead asked curiously, "How is Xie Lingyun now?"

They had been apart for more than a year, and he hadn’t heard news of Xie Lingyun for a long time.

"I heard people say Xie Lingyun has already reached Half-Step Yang God. Barring accidents, she should step into the Yang God realm in another half year. For someone so young to reach the threshold of Yang God caused an uproar in Kyoto. She was publicly acknowledged as the number one of the younger generation, the future standard-bearer of the Divine Soul Dao. Her talent alarmed the Human King, and she has won the Human King’s favor; her future prospects are immeasurable. With father and daughter both Yang Gods, the Xie Family is a top-tier power even in the Great Victory Dynasty, a target of all sides’ attempts at wooing. Our Zhang Family also wants to get closer to the Xie Family, but that father and daughter are like Divine Dragons—showing the head but not the tail; seeing a trace of them is as hard as ascending to the heavens." Zhang Gaqi fixed his eyes on Zhang Chen, a gleam flashing in them. Given the relationship between Zhang Chen and Xie Lingyun, if he could use Zhang Chen to reach Xie Lingyun and thereby befriend the Xie father and daughter, it would only benefit the Zhang Family.

"She’s actually made such a name for herself?" Zhang Chen smacked his lips, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"The clan wants to build ties with the Xie father and daughter. I wonder if you could write a personal letter to Shangjing to introduce us?" Zhang Gaqi probed.

Hearing this, Zhang Chen gave Zhang Gaqi a glance and thought to himself, "I don’t even understand the Zhang Family’s current situation—how could I hand over my connections to the Zhang Family? Given Zhang Gaoqiu’s hostility toward me, there are probably many people in the Zhang Family who can’t stand to see me doing well. As for this Zhang Gaqi in front of me—friend or foe is unclear, I don’t even know which faction he belongs to. How could I possibly help him?"

Facing Zhang Gaqi’s expectant gaze, Zhang Chen let out a soft sigh. "By rights, I carry Zhang blood, so I cannot shirk responsibility for the Zhang Family’s development. But I heard that people inside the Zhang Family want to replace my status and identity, not only to take my place in marrying the Shen Family’s legitimate daughter, but also to privately swallow up what my mother left behind, and to erase me from this world altogether..."

At this point, Zhang Chen raised the teacup and took a sip, his eyes falling on Zhang Gaqi, full of scrutiny as he watched for Zhang Gaqi’s reaction.

Sure enough, as soon as Zhang Chen’s words fell, Zhang Gaqi’s expression changed; a trace of embarrassment flashed through his eyes. "Who did you hear that from?"

Faced with Zhang Gaqi’s question, Zhang Chen merely smiled and said nothing.

Zhang Gaqi let out a bitter laugh. "You and your father have no chance of ever returning from the Northern Land. You’ll have to spend your whole lives there and die there. So some people in the clan started having other ideas, wanting to take back from the Shen Family those things that belong to my Zhang Family. That’s why they went to ’exchange pointers’ with the Shen Family, and even discussed a marriage alliance strategy."

"Things that belong to the Zhang Family? Aren’t those things my mother left to me?" Zhang Chen asked.

"Your father is a member of the Zhang Family, you are also a member of the Zhang Family. The things you two left behind naturally belong to the Zhang Family." Zhang Gaqi said.

"But I’ve already been removed from the Zhang Family genealogy." Zhang Chen voiced his doubt.

Hearing this, Zhang Gaqi shook his head. "What happened back then was the will of the Human King. It was something we had no choice about. Many of the elders in the clan still see your father as the future hope of the Zhang Family. How could so many matters be bound by a mere genealogy record?"

Zhang Chen neither agreed nor disagreed with Zhang Gaqi’s explanation. He blew on his tea and then lowered his head, drinking slowly and unhurriedly.

"Which damned bastard has been wagging his tongue at you? Although you’re not in the genealogy, in life you’re one of my Zhang Family, in death you’re a Zhang Family ghost. Whoever dares strike at you, that’s blood relatives killing their own. Just say the word and I’ll stand up for you." Zhang Gaqi said.

Zhang Chen shook his head at that. "Forget it. I’m not so weak that I need someone else to make decisions for me."

Looking at the stubborn Zhang Chen, a trace of bitterness showed in Zhang Gaqi’s eyes. "You’re just too stubborn."

"Why are you in Jinling? Don’t tell me it’s for that marriage alliance?" Zhang Chen shifted the topic, scrutinizing Zhang Gaqi.

"The Inner Academy has opened. I was ordered to bring some mysterious items to Chongzheng Academy in Jinling. Chongzheng Academy has already been designated by Mr. Da as one of the branch academies and intends to establish an Inner Academy branch there. If I were here for the marriage alliance, I shouldn’t be in this restaurant right now but over at the Shen Mansion. You know I side with your father. When your father was still around, he and I got along best. How could I get involved in that kind of rotten business?" Zhang Gaqi explained.

At his words, Zhang Chen still neither agreed nor disagreed. Before he knew the truth of things, he trusted no one.

"Among the mysterious items I’m transporting into Chongzheng Academy, there is one particularly unique Mysterious item. It’s said to be a damaged Twelfth Tier Mysterious. That Mysterious contains a powerful Power of Space. If you want to accomplish anything in this era, you must find a way to get into Chongzheng Academy and obtain that Twelfth Tier Mysterious. A Secret Treasure imbued with the Law of Space—this is the first time I’ve seen such a thing. That Secret Treasure is extremely enigmatic, and it’s been gathering dust in the Imperial Treasury all this time. The Human King taking it out now to bestow upon the Academy is also because he wants to explore the mysteries of space." Zhang Gaqi said.

Afraid Zhang Chen still wouldn’t take it seriously, Zhang Gaqi added again, "It’s said this Secret Treasure is linked to the legendary Thirty-Three Heavens. Once it can be opened, one can obtain the legendary Divine Objects within the Thirty-Three Heavens, such as Peaches of Immortality, Elixirs of Immortality, and the like. So you should understand how important it is."

Zhang Chen’s pupils contracted at his words. Could such a treasure really exist in this world? The last time he heard this news, it had been Chen Sanliang who mentioned it.

Could there really be a treasure that can open a Two Realms Passage?

"In that case, Chongzheng Academy is a place I absolutely must go." Zhang Chen muttered thoughtfully.

"If you want to keep up with the tide of the era, you absolutely must go!" Zhang Gaqi said.

"Chongzheng Academy, huh? I feel like I’ve heard of it somewhere." Zhang Chen said to himself inwardly, and then he recalled that when he sold ginseng, that Shopkeeper had mentioned the dean of Chongzheng Academy—his son urgently needed ginseng to sustain his life.

"Logically speaking, with the Zhang Family’s power, sending you to study at any academy would be as easy as lifting a hand. But that old codger at Chongzheng Academy is different. He cultivates ’Iron-Faced Impartiality’. Even the Human King can’t make him yield. The Zhang Family’s hand cannot reach into Chongzheng Academy, so if you want to join Chongzheng Academy, you’ll have to rely on yourself to pass layer upon layer of assessments." Zhang Gaqi instructed.

Zhang Chen nodded solemnly at his words, which counted as accepting what the other said. He now had a new goal in his heart: to obtain the Secret Treasure within Chongzheng Academy that could open a space passage.

"I’ll be leaving Jinling before long. Could I perhaps take your little brother and little sister with me? The clan has the best training, the best resources..." Zhang Gaqi began to persuade him bitterly again.

"No need to say more. There’s no room for discussion on this." Zhang Chen waved a hand, cutting off Zhang Gaqi’s words.

Zhang Gaqi’s words were choked back. For a moment he was speechless. He sized Zhang Chen up from head to toe for quite a while before letting out a faint sigh. "Zhang Chen, you don’t have to be wary of everyone. We’re family."

"The Zhang Family and Prince Pingbian’s Mansion are entangled in a mess. How am I supposed to trust you?" Zhang Chen countered.

Zhang Gaqi was left without words. Only after a long while did he say, "You’re alone and without support here in Jinling City. Let me introduce you to a blood relative. He counts as your cousin and also lives in Jinling City. The two of you can at least look out for each other in Jinling City, and he can serve as some support. Having him take care of you, and giving you someone to rely on, will also put my mind at ease."