No one would be happy hearing others maliciously gossiping behind their back.
Zhang Chen looked at Hu Li the Immortal standing at the doorway, then glanced at Xie Lingyun, who was unknowingly badmouthing Hu Li the Immortal. His eyes showed a trace of inexplicable emotion.
"Let me tell you, Hu Li the Immortal is despicable and shameless. He personally led the army southward. Without the court’s support, relying solely on the various influential families in Jiangnan, it would be impossible to resist the Demon Race’s invasion. That damned Hu Li the Immortal has caused such catastrophe, he deserves a thousand deaths!" Xie Lingyun cursed and ranted.
"I heard that Hu Li the Immortal loves to scoop out people’s hearts, soak them in various herbs overnight, then drink them down with monkey wine." Xie Lingyun continued to maliciously gossip about Hu Li the Immortal.
Seeing Hu Li the Immortal’s face growing increasingly gloomy, Zhang Chen hurriedly interrupted Xie Lingyun: "Every creature competes with its own reasons. Hu Li the Immortal leading the Demon Race against the Central Earth Divine Continent isn’t wrong; after all, the Divine Land belongs to all beings, not just the Human Race. The role of Heaven and Earth changes hands, and if the Human Race can’t defend the Divine Land, it simply means they’re no longer suitable as the protagonists of Heaven and Earth. Hu Li the Immortal is merely following the times, what wrong is there in that?"
He feared that if Xie Lingyun kept speaking, Hu Li the Immortal would explode, secretly attack Xie Lingyun. Although he controlled Hu Li the Immortal, he couldn’t influence his thoughts; if Hu Li secretly attacked, Zhang Chen wouldn’t be able to perceive it.
"Why are you here?" Before Xie Lingyun could continue cursing, Zhang Chen interrupted him and spoke to Hu Li the Immortal standing at the doorway.
"I shouldn’t have come! It’s just like me, to not come early or late, but just at this moment." Hu Li the Immortal, wearing a discontented expression, walked in from outside, his eyes full of gloom.
"Whose little brother is this, looking all grown up, truly adorable!" Xie Lingyun looked at the cute Hu Li the Immortal, with his plump little face and the tiger hat atop his head, and love overflowed, his eyes sparkling. He pulled Hu Li the Immortal over, hugged him, and energetically pinched his cheeks.
"I’m the very Hu Li the Immortal you were gossiping about, the one who loves to scoop out hearts." Hu Li the Immortal’s cheeks were distorted by Xie Lingyun’s pinch; his voice sounded quite unhappy.
"Wow, you’re even pretending to be Hu Li the Immortal. Look at you with that tiger hat, so tigerish and brained, you’re an admirer of that beast Hu Li the Immortal. Hu Li the Immortal is a butcher, he’s devoured countless humans, a great demon indeed; we shouldn’t follow his evil ways. When you grow up and learn some skills, you must fight demons and eliminate evil, chop off Hu Li the Immortal’s head, relieving our Human Race from disaster—this should be the grand ambition of our young Human Race. Did you hear me?" Xie Lingyun said while kneading Hu Li the Immortal’s cheeks.
Upon hearing Xie Lingyun’s words, Hu Li the Immortal’s face immediately darkened. Anyone being called a great demon and hearing someone say to chop off their head face-to-face wouldn’t be happy.
Thus, Hu Li the Immortal tugged at his face. At the same time, Zhang Chen’s brow furrowed hearing Xie Lingyun’s words, seeing Hu Li the Immortal’s features completely distorted from pulling, fearing Hu Li the Immortal might burst and bite off Xie Lingyun’s head. So, he quickly reached out to pull Hu Li the Immortal from Xie Lingyun’s embrace:
"He’s still young, why talk to him about such things? Young people should be lively; national hatred and family enmity are too distant from them."
Hearing Zhang Chen’s words, Xie Lingyun felt a little disappointed, his hands grasping at air; that young face was truly too pleasant to touch: "Are you really unwilling to leave Jiangnan? When Hu Li the Immortal stretches his devilish claws toward Jinling, you won’t be able to leave even if you want to."
Looking at Hu Li the Immortal in his arms, Zhang Chen shook his head, rejecting Xie Lingyun’s suggestion: "I still have unfinished business in Jinling, I can’t leave."
"Then your younger brother, sister, and stepmother, let me take them away. So when you want to escape in the future, they won’t be a burden. If something goes wrong, you might regret it severely." Xie Lingyun advised.
Upon hearing this, for the first time, Zhang Chen showed a hint of hesitation on his face; his younger brother and sister indeed were a hindrance amidst all the changes.
"Most importantly, after taking them to Kyoto, I will provide the best education, the best clothing, food, and lodging. With your relationship with the Young Master, let them study under him and learn cultural knowledge; it would be the best choice. Although Zhou Qiucheng has seen his future path, it’s too extreme with iron-faced impartiality; in the end, he’ll become abandoned, lonely, and joining him would surely associate them with trouble." Xie Lingyun persuaded Zhang Chen.
"Their backgrounds are criminal, once exposed in Kyoto, it would cause trouble." Zhang Chen hesitated.
Xie Lingyun said: "My father will look after them, as will the Young Master from the Academy; what problems could arise? I will arrange new registrations, and provide them with a reasonable identity."
Upon hearing Xie Lingyun’s words, Zhang Chen was momentarily torn, uncertain of what decision to make. However, Xie Lingyun’s next statement directly swayed Zhang Chen’s mind, tilting his decision: "They’re different from you; they’re still children, and should grow in a stable environment, enjoy a carefree childhood. If they remain in a crisis-filled situation long-term, it would create psychological shadows, leaving indelible obsessions that would affect their future disposition, forming Heart Demon Tribulations in their cultivation."
"You’ve matured, your disposition stable, you naturally don’t fear turmoil, even growing stronger amidst it; but they can’t! They’re still children!" Xie Lingyun’s voice was full of heartfelt emotion: "If you truly care about them, you should let me take them away."
"Good! I’ll leave them to you, as you say." After hearing Xie Lingyun’s words, Zhang Chen finally made up his mind.
Many psychological barriers and personality distortions actually originate from childhood; childhood is the indelible mark that runs through one’s entire life. Even the fate of one’s life is often partly decided during childhood.
Zhang Chen solemnly said to Xie Lingyun, "I’ll leave my younger brother and sister to you."
"Rest assured, your brother is my brother, your sister is my sister. As long as I, Xie Lingyun, live, they will never encounter any mishap," Xie Lingyun replied confidently.
"Tomorrow I’ll arrange for them to descend the mountain and follow my sister back to Kyoto," Zhang Chen said.
After chatting with Xie Lingyun for a while longer, Zhang Chen finally escorted Xie Lingyun away.
At this moment, when Hu Li the Immortal saw Xie Lingyun leaving, he began to grumble, "That wretched woman, damn her, to speak of me like that—I’ll never forgive her! ’You can’t touch the tiger’s head, and yet she pulled at the ancestor’s face,’ truly unforgivable!"
"Why are you here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?" Zhang Chen turned to glance at Hu Li the Immortal, his voice full of surprise.
"Isn’t it because I’ve ascended to the Twelfth Tier, coming to share the good news with you? I’m now an unparalleled powerhouse; there’s no one in this world who can trouble me anymore. From now on, I’ll be your greatest ally; with me as your backer, you can act freely. No matter what enemies you provoke in the future, I’ll handle them for you," Hu Li the Immortal said with a proud expression.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen seriously scrutinized Hu Li the Immortal and noticed the Reincarnation Mark on his forehead transforming into a vortex, constantly spinning and absorbing the power from past times, enhancing Hu Li the Immortal’s strength. After attaining the Twelfth Tier, Hu Li the Immortal’s foundation seemed to grow faster and his cultivation merged more rapidly.
"Does the ancestor have any leads on breaking through beyond the Twelfth Tier?" Zhang Chen asked.
In response, Hu Li the Immortal shook his head, "Trying to break through the Twelfth Tier to reach that supreme realm is extraordinarily difficult. I now feel my foundation is still too weak; I can’t even touch the threshold."
Upon hearing Hu Li the Immortal’s words, Zhang Chen understood inwardly that breaking through the Twelfth Tier wouldn’t be easy.
"I’m leaving; I just stopped by to show off. I have other matters to attend to, so let’s part ways for now," Hu Li the Immortal said, and with a flicker of his figure, he vanished, leaving Zhang Chen standing dazed in the courtyard.
After a long while, Zhang Chen entered the room, took out the Eight-Treasure Heart-lock Pill, and sealed it with beeswax. He then placed six Eight-Treasure Heart-lock Pills into three separate boxes, starting to ponder what cultivation resources to prepare in advance for the children.
"Yellow Springs Water needs to be sufficiently prepared... the rest is just some Silver Coins. Oh, yes, dispatch a Blood God Child to stay with the children. In case any changes occur in Kyoto, I’ll learn about it sooner," Zhang Chen thought, as a crystal drop of blood appeared in his palm, slipping it into a pill box. If anyone tried to steal the elixir, they would certainly face consequences.
After setting everything in place and considering everything thoroughly, it was already late at night.
At this moment, Zhang Chen gazed at the bright moon hanging high in the night sky, overcome by a paternal feeling. However, he suppressed this emotion, knowing that for the children, experiencing a complete and carefree childhood in Kyoto was far better than facing battles by his side.
The following morning
At dawn, Zhang Chen used the Escape Technique to arrive at the Academy, heading to the backyard. Zhou Qiucheng was in seclusion in the Exquisite Tower as Zhang Chen made his way to the back mountain, seeing the children and stepmother reading.
"Greetings, Madam," Zhang Chen bowed respectfully to Mrs. Zhang.
Mrs. Zhang looked at Zhang Chen’s expression with a hint of curiosity in her eyes, "Is there something you want today?"
"Madam, we’re going to be separated for a while," Zhang Chen explained the arrangement he discussed with Xie Lingyun, then added, "Jiangnan is about to fall into chaos. If trouble arises, I’m afraid I won’t be able to look after you. You’ll first follow Commander Xie to Kyoto. Once I’ve resolved the matters in Jinling, I’ll come to Kyoto to find you."