Chapter 1356: Letter from Chen Sanliang

Zhang Chen wanted to lend a helping hand to the Zhong Family. Since the Zhang Family had decided to abandon their Kyoto estate and leave, the underground passage was useless, and it might be better to give it to the Zhong Family as a favor. However, what Zhang Chen was worried about was, if the Zhong Family used the passage to escape the city, would they end up running straight into the beast army, becoming a snack for the demon beasts.

Zhang Chen didn’t know how far the Zhang Family’s underground passage was dug, but looking at the boundless beast tide on the horizon, he felt that even if the Zhang Family’s passage was dug further, it was unlikely to be farther than the beast tide.

After hearing Zhang Chen’s words, Elder Zhong hesitated briefly and then rejected Zhang Chen’s proposal: “Before the demon beasts surrounded the city, we might have been able to use the passage to escape, but now the beast army is at our doorstep. I’m afraid your passage is not long enough; we would end up in the middle of the beast tide, wouldn’t it be sending ourselves to death? Now our only chance is to unite and charge out together; we might have a hope of gaining a sliver of life.”

“The beast tide isn’t something you can just charge through!” Zhang Chen had witnessed the danger of the beast tide in Jinling City, so he didn’t agree with Elder Zhong’s plan to charge through it: “Grandfather, if you trust me, why not wait a bit? I have some friendship with Hu Li the Immortal of the Demon Race. Even if Kyoto falls, I can still ensure the safety of the Zhong Family.”

“You have a friendship with Hu Li the Immortal?” Elder Zhong looked at Zhang Chen in shock.

Who is Hu Li the Immortal? He is a peerless master of the Demon Race, the ancestor of the Tiger Race, one of the supreme rulers of the Demon Race. If Zhang Chen has a friendship with the Ancestor of the Demon Race, even if Kyoto falls, he can still live well among the Demon Race.

“I do have some friendship.” Zhang Chen responded with a smile.

Upon hearing Zhang Chen’s words, Elder Zhong said solemnly: “In that case, the Zhong Family entrusts itself to you.”

For many of the nobles in this world, merging with the Demon Race was not met with much resistance. After all, the term “Demon Race” is just a generalization, and humans are part of the Demon Race.

Just as the Demon Race includes all animals like wolves, insects, tigers, and leopards, humans are also part of all animals.

“What will the royal family do?” Zhang Chen asked.

“This world belongs to the royal family, and the fate is the royal family’s fate. The royal family would never willingly let go of their five-thousand-year inheritance, so they will absolutely resist and fight to the bitter end. However, among the nobles within Kyoto, the will to resist is likely scarce; most people have already become estranged from the royal family, leaving its situation within Kyoto very challenging.” Elder Zhong said.

“Indeed, this world belongs to the royal family, and who would fight desperately for the royal family?” Zhang Chen sighed softly. This isn’t a democratic republic; everyone has their own interests, and who wouldn’t preserve themselves for usefulness?

For the ordinary people, surviving is already good enough, and as for who governs them, the ordinary people don’t care.

For the nobles, since the world isn’t theirs, why fight desperately? As long as they can preserve their usefulness, ensure their interests, and the continuation and heritage of their families, changing a king isn’t a big deal to them.

Only the Chai Family has to fight desperately because this world belongs to the Chai Family, and the fate is the Chai Family’s fate. If they lose the throne and the protection of the kingdom, the karmic repercussions of all the misdeeds of nobles everywhere will fall upon the Chai Family, leading them into a state of irreversible calamity.

For the Chai Family, they must either fight the Demon Race to the death or wait to lose the protection of the kingdom and succumb to the karmic repercussions to death; there’s no second option.

After discussing many matters with Elder Mr. Zhong, Zhang Chen returned to his courtyard. With each command issued from Zhang Chen’s mouth, the power of the Zhang Family began to contract continuously.

Countless troops within Kyoto were being mobilized, and by the afternoon, a document was delivered to Zhang Chen.

“This is a document issued by the court, commanding each major family in Kyoto to dispatch direct descendants to join the Kyoto defense battle, joining the army to combat the Demon Race. Each family must send at least three hundred direct descendants, three thousand collateral descendants, and thirty thousand followers!” Zhang Gaqi handed the document to Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen glanced at the document and then casually tossed it aside like waste paper: “What do you think?”

“The royal family still has three twelfth-tier deities. At this moment, with the demon race besieging Kyoto, the populace is full of panic, thus the Power of Faith is becoming even more pure. Those three twelfth-tier deities’ power will reach an unprecedented peak. Combined with the royal family’s two twelfth-tier Innate Spiritual Treasures, and the confiscated Supreme Treasures from the six major families, along with some hidden masters, we still have the upper hand against the Demon Race. We must not act excessively, to avoid Great Victory’s royal family from striking back, calling upon the major families under the banner of ‘against external aggressors, first secure internal peace’ to act against our Zhang Family. Though our Zhang Family is strong, it cannot withstand the entire Human Race.” Zhang Gaqi remarked.

The major families in Kyoto represent the entire Human Race.

Upon hearing Zhang Gaqi’s words, Zhang Chen silently pondered and calculated, judging that Great Victory’s royal family indeed still holds the upper hand in confronting the Demon Race.

The Human Race has been able to drive the Demon Race out of the Divine Land for hundreds of thousands of years, preventing the Demon Race from stepping into the Human Race’s territory; the foundation is still there. The power discrepancy between the two sides is significant, and the Human Race holds an absolute advantage. Great Victory’s royal family can suppress the world and unify the Human Race, its power is undoubtedly astonishing.

“The Demon Race, however, isn’t easy to deal with either. In tens of thousands of years, the Demon Race is attacking the Divine Land’s interior for the first time, and they are coming like a storm, unmatched as they advance. The Demon Race is currently in its strongest state in tens of thousands of years; they’re confident enough to attack Kyoto.” Zhang Gaqi said.

After hearing these words, Zhang Chen pondered for a moment before speaking: “We do not need to pay attention to the royal family’s decree. Our Zhang Family should remain on the sidelines.”

“About the royal family…” Zhang Gaqi hesitated.

“If the royal family could kill me, they wouldn’t have stood by while I sliced Chai Wenxin into a thousand pieces.” Zhang Chen coldly laughed.

Stunned by these words, Zhang Gaqi hesitated and then tentatively asked Zhang Chen: “To what level has your cultivation reached now?”

“Sufficient to ensure the Zhang Family’s safety.” Zhang Chen replied.

He certainly wouldn’t speak the truth and reveal his own details. Even facing blood relatives of the Zhang Family, he absolutely wouldn’t disclose his trump card.

Upon hearing Zhang Chen’s words, Zhang Gaqi knew Zhang Chen didn’t want to elaborate, so he could only give up.

Accompanied by Zhang Chen’s series of orders being issued, the initially anxious disciples of the Zhang Family found reassurance and quickly quieted down. The entire Zhang Family returned to calm. However, other major families were thrown into turmoil, as not every family had the courage to oppose the imperial court.

Zhang Chen made his way into the room and added lamp oil to the lamp for his master Han Suzhen. Watching Han Suzhen’s incomplete soul in the flame, Zhang Chen’s eyes revealed a gleam of eagerness: “Now that I have mastered the complete Six Paths of Reincarnation, I should be able to use its power to reunite Han Suzhen’s soul, right?”

Thinking of this, Zhang Chen pointed with a finger, invoking the Yama Authority and Power of Reincarnation. Threads of peculiar power fell onto the Soul-Forming Lamp. An invisible wave spread from the lamp, submerged into the Endless Void, and transmitted towards the Great Thousand Worlds. In moments, a fragment of the soul was summoned by the Power of Reincarnation, flying directly from the void into the Soul-Forming Lamp.

Upon witnessing this, Zhang Chen showed joy on his face: “It’s indeed effective! Judging from the current effect, I only need three days to reconstitute my master’s soul.”

Zhang Chen’s eyes were filled with happiness. At this moment, he poured an endless stream of magical power into the Soul-Forming Lamp to assist in summoning Han Suzhen’s soul.

As time slowly passed, Han Suzhen’s soul fragments continuously emerged from the void like rivers returning to the sea, falling into the Soul-Forming Lamp. Then, by Zhang Chen’s Yama Authority, they were pieced together into a blurry human form of Han Suzhen.

On the third day when the Demon Race army besieged the city, with a gentle tremor of the Soul-Forming Lamp, the flame inside extinguished, and a hazy human silhouette appeared inside.

Han Suzhen’s soul had been reconstituted by Zhang Chen, but Han Suzhen had not yet awakened. Although her soul was reunified, it needed time to self-nourish.

Watching the soul inside the Soul-Forming Lamp, Zhang Chen’s eyes showed slight joy: “Master, you can finally see the light of day again.”

As for how to nourish Han Suzhen’s soul to quickly awaken, Zhang Chen pondered silently. It was known that he had quite a few good items for repairing souls. The first was the elixir personally refined by the Queen Mother of the West. The second was the Three Lights Divine Water. The third was the Soul Nourishing Wood.

“Whether it’s the elixir refined by the Queen Mother of the West or the Three Lights Divine Water, both are too potent. Master’s soul is far too delicate. Once used, I’m afraid it would be too overwhelming and explode. Thinking carefully, the best option right now is the Soul Nourishing Wood.” Zhang Chen took out the Soul Nourishing Wood, which was the size of a fist and emitted a dark luster, appearing mysterious and deep.

Zhang Chen extracted Han Suzhen’s soul from the Soul-Forming Lamp and transferred it into the Soul Nourishing Wood to let it nourish the soul. Lastly, he sealed it with the Six-Word Mantra and sent Han Suzhen’s soul along with the Soul Nourishing Wood into his Ice Hell.

To be honest, Zhang Chen felt ashamed that despite his cultivation journey, he had no spatial bags or similar treasures, which held back all cultivators.

Not only Zhang Chen, but the whole world hadn’t heard of anyone mastering the void technique of a ring.

“I now consider having given an account to both Master and Chen Sanliang. Chen Sanliang has treated me generously, and so has Master. I now consider it a form of repayment.” Zhang Chen breathed out a sigh.

As he exited the room, a guard was already waiting outside. Upon seeing Zhang Chen, the guard promptly approached him with a bow: “Patriarch, a scholar has arrived at the door, saying he has a letter to deliver to you personally.”

“A scholar? Invite him in.” Zhang Chen instructed.

Soon, an unassuming scholar walked in from outside, bowing respectfully to Zhang Chen: “Are you Young Master Zhang Chen?”

Watching the scholar, Zhang Chen couldn’t help but look surprised. Do you know why?

Because although the person before him appeared human, seemingly just an ordinary person, Zhang Chen sensed a heavy presence of demon aura from him.

“This is a Great Demon from the Demon Race. I don’t know what secret technique was used to conceal his demon aura. If not for my Dragon Qi sensing it, I would probably have been fooled.” Zhang Chen was inwardly amazed that the Demon Race possessed such methods.

Quickly, a terrifying thought entered his mind. If even he couldn’t detect the demon aura in this person, could the experts in Kyoto sense it?

Could there be many Demon Race experts already hidden in Kyoto?

“It’s me!” Zhang Chen nodded in affirmation.

“This is the letter my master wants to deliver to the young master. Please receive it.” The scholar courteously handed over the letter and then turned to leave.

Watching the departing scholar, Zhang Chen dismissed him, then opened the letter. After glancing at it, he looked surprised: “No wonder the person is of Demon Race origin, it turns out it’s a letter from Chen Sanliang.”

With a flash of his figure, he had disappeared from the courtyard.

Ten miles outside Kyoto, at Moyun Mountain, the mountain stood three thousand meters high, shrouded in mist, reaching into the clouds. Chen Sanliang stood at the peak, his eyes gazing over Kyoto below, with a glimmer of profound hatred in his eyes.