Jiang Nan seemed to know that her request was excessive, and her voice became increasingly faint. If not for Zhang Chen’s mastery of Sound Wave Divine Techniques, he probably wouldn’t be able to hear her whispers clearly.
"My father was killed by Yellow Heaven Dao, and my family in the mansion was slaughtered by Yellow Heaven Dao. I must seek revenge on Yellow Heaven Dao. But I don’t have the strength for revenge myself; the only chance for revenge is to marry a husband who can avenge me. Among everyone around me, only the eldest son Zhou Zhen fits this criterion. If I can marry Zhou Zhen, I can use Zhou Qiucheng’s power to retaliate against Yellow Heaven Dao." Jiang Nan looked at Zhang Chen with blood-red eyes:
"I know my condition is excessive, but I really have no other way. I want to avenge myself with my own abilities, but I don’t have that power. I’m still aware of my limitations. I’m now forced into a corner, and I have no choice!" Jiang Nan’s voice was pitiful, yet it revealed a determination.
"If you marry Zhou Zhen, what about Shen Qiu?" Zhang Chen asked.
Jiang Nan’s face turned cold at the words: "If the Shen Family was still around, he, as the noble son of the Shen Family, their only heir, of course I would marry him and use the Shen family’s strength to avenge Yellow Heaven Dao. But the Shen Family has been destroyed, and he is no longer the young master of the Shen Family. The person I want to marry is not any specific individual, but rather someone with power and influence. As long as this person has power, he can be Zhang San, or Li Si, he can be you Zhang Chen, or Shen Qiu, Zhou Zhen, or even Zhou Qiucheng is not out of the question!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen looked at Jiang Nan, completely speechless.
After a long time, Zhang Chen reluctantly said: "Sorry, I cannot help you!"
"Zhang Chen, I am already so miserable, why won’t you help me? You are close friends with the eldest son, as long as you push a little, I can get to know the eldest son, why won’t you help me?" Jiang Nan’s demeanor began to collapse upon hearing this.
Ever since hearing her family was massacred, her mind had indeed collapsed.
"Because there is no longer any connection between us, isn’t it? These words were what you said at that time, our past entanglement has long been settled." Saying this, Zhang Chen took out two Eight-Treasure Heart-lock Pills from his pocket and handed them to Jiang Nan:
"By the way, you gave me one of these pills years ago, and now I’m returning two to you, so our account is completely settled."
Jiang Nan grabbed the porcelain bottle thrown by Zhang Chen, her eyes blood-red with anger staring at Zhang Chen: "You ruined my purity, you slept with me, and now you say it’s settled? You say it’s cleared up?"
"Heh~" Zhang Chen merely sneered coldly upon hearing her: "Yes, I ruined your purity, but this was not my doing, it was clearly your good friend Shen Ling and Zhang Gaoqiu who wanted to set me up together, I am also a victim. If you want to find the culprit, you shouldn’t look for me, you should find your good friend. Besides, the one who said our account was settled was you back then, why don’t you admit it now?"
After speaking, Zhang Chen turned away and vanished among the mountains: "Don’t continue to pester me, girls should have self-respect and dignity."
In his heart, Zhang Chen felt disdain, after all, it was just sleeping together, and she wanted him to take responsibility? What a joke.
Who was it that said the bond was severed and the relationship ended?
In his heart, Zhang Chen felt disdain as he resolutely departed along the mountain path, while Jiang Nan watched Zhang Chen’s distant figure disappear, her eyes revealing a hint of savagery: "Zhang Chen, you will regret this!"
"Whether I’ll regret it or not, I don’t know, but I definitely won’t help you act as a pimp." Zhang Chen disappeared into the mountains without turning back.
Watching Zhang Chen’s distant figure, Jiang Nan slowly crouched down on the ground. After a long, long time, she looked at the Eight-Treasure Heart-lock Pills in her hand, and a sudden look of contemplation appeared in her eyes.
"Hopefully, she gets smart, though Zhou Qiucheng is strong, he’s not one to outright fight to the death with Yellow Heaven Dao. Otherwise, Jinling City wouldn’t be under Yellow Heaven Dao’s control now." Zhang Chen sighed deeply before using the Escape Technique to return to the old residence, where Huang Chao sat inside drinking.
"You really treat this place as your home." Zhang Chen remarked with displeasure upon seeing Huang Chao drinking.
"I’m helping you cover, you should appreciate my kindness and not think otherwise." Huang Chao laughed foolishly, raised his wine cup, and beckoned to Zhang Chen: "Come, have a drink?"
Zhang Chen didn’t refuse, sitting opposite Huang Chao, looking at the eighteen exquisite dishes on the table, he remarked in surprise: "You really know how to enjoy life."
"I worked hard to climb up, for what? Do you think it’s for Yellow Heaven to love the world? Isn’t it for wine, women, wealth, and power? Now I’ve climbed to a small leader position, if I don’t enjoy it a bit, I’d be letting down all the effort I put in." Huang Chao said indifferently.
Zhang Chen recalled when he first met Huang Chao, this guy almost spat in Young Master’s bowl for a bite of lamb giblets and then got beaten up by Young Master. He had no comment on Huang Chao’s behavior.
"I’m different from you, I wanted to pledge allegiance to the nobility, become a dog for the nobility, but they didn’t want me. I wanted to join the military, but they only recruit those from good families. I wanted to study, but no one could teach me, and I refused to continue begging, so I had to join Yellow Heaven Dao’s rebellion." Huang Chao’s voice was a bit confused: "With my life on the line, I should enjoy each day as it comes."
"Let’s drink." Zhang Chen said after hearing Huang Chao’s words, raising his cup in acknowledgment.
The two raised their cups and clinked them together, Huang Chao leaned in close to Zhang Chen’s ear and said: "I know you have great skills, I want to ask you something, how to make someone quietly disappear from the world."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen thought for a moment and then replied: "If you have enough strength, you can directly assassinate them. If not, you could use poison or hire someone to do it."
"May I ask for your help?" Huang Chao inquired.
"Who do you want to kill?" Zhang Chen looked at Huang Chao with curiosity.
"My superior! As long as I kill him, I can take his place and become a key figure in controlling the military power within Jinling City. By then, only a few people in Jinling City will be able to suppress me. This area where you reside will be completely under my control, and you can live here peacefully without anyone paying attention to the movements of your residence." Huang Chao looked at Zhang Chen, sincerity and longing in his eyes:
"Zhang, I know you are a person of great ability. Please help me! This is a rare opportunity. If I can cross this crucial step, I will be considered part of the core backbone in the Yellow Heaven Dao, becoming a middle-tier figure."
Zhang Chen put down his wine cup and looked at Huang Chao. Now that Huang Chao has merged with the Power of Curse, he is at least a Sixth Rank Cultivator. The person he cannot kill must be of remarkable cultivation level.
"What is the cultivation level of your superior?" Zhang Chen asked.
"Eighth Rank Incense Divine Spirit!" Huang Chao said. "One of those who once presided over the Eight Gates Locking Gold Array was him. He has now gained the faith of Jinling City and is about to step into the Ninth Rank. If I do not act now, and delay any further, I am afraid there will be no chance."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen realized that an Eighth Rank Incense Divine Spirit is already capable of exchanging blows with a Ninth Rank Yang God. Although it is still not a match for a Ninth Rank Yang God, it is not entirely without the power to resist, still able to struggle when facing a crisis.
"Why involve me personally to kill him?" Zhang Chen finished speaking and smiled, taking out a jade bottle from his sleeve and placing it on the table.
"What is this?" Huang Chao looked curiously at the jade bottle.
"This is Forgetfulness Water. It can cleanse the poison of Incense, assist Divine Spirits in faster cultivation, and eliminate the shortcomings of the Incense Divine Dao," Zhang Chen said.
"Is there really such a good thing in the world? If the Divine Spirits in the sect were to find out, they would probably fight over it," Huang Chao said.
Then he looked at Zhang Chen with confusion: "Do you want me to diligently cultivate, absorbing the Power of Incense, to kill him?"
"Not at all. I mean for you to give this to your superior," Zhang Chen replied.
Huang Chao was stunned: "Zhang, do you intend to harm me? Even if you don’t want to help me, you should not aid the enemy."
Hearing this, Zhang Chen chuckled and opened the lid of the jade bottle. He saw a drop of crimson blood fall into it, and that blood instantly merged with the Yellow Spring Water, disappearing without a trace.
That blood was none other than Zhang Chen’s Blood God Child.
"As long as you present this Divine Water, once he drinks it, I naturally have a way to ensure he meets a dreadful end," Zhang Chen said to Huang Chao.
He had known Huang Chao since humble beginnings and didn’t mind nurturing him a bit.
"Great! Thank you, Zhang. If things succeed in the future, you will not go unbenefited," Huang Chao said with joy, then carefully placed the stopper on the jade bottle, his face filled with happiness, thanking Zhang Chen.
"We’re brothers, no need for formalities. Just come and drink," Zhang Chen said with a smile.
If Huang Chao could rise in the Yellow Heaven Dao, it would mean Zhang Chen had planted an informant in the Yellow Heaven Dao.
After the two drank for a while, they each went their separate ways to sleep. Zhang Chen returned to his dwelling and entered the Spiritual World Third Heaven to observe the Alchemy Furnace refining treasures.
Soon time flew by, and after a night had passed, Zhang Chen made his way to the academy. Upon reaching the Exquisite Tower, he saw Jiang Nan standing in front of it, seemingly lost in thought.
Today, Jiang Nan had dressed up again. Although he still appeared haggard, he no longer looked despondent like before.
Apparently, he had meticulously groomed himself, holding a book in his hand. Coupled with his haggard appearance, it gave off an indescribable sickly beauty.
Zhang Chen glanced at Jiang Nan, unsure of what this lady was up to today, but he didn’t pay much attention. He stepped into the Exquisite Tower, but before he could enter, he heard Zhou Zhen’s voice from afar: "Brother Zhang, wait for me."
Zhou Zhen was seen striding over, greeting as he quickly approached from a distance.