Huang Chao was very anxious, but Zhang Chen was not worried. He possessed Eleventh Tier Sun True Flame, so unless the Great Virtuous Master descended, he would not be afraid.
At worst, he could still make it an even fight, couldn’t he?
"If you take this opportunity to escape now, Yellow Heaven Dao hasn’t received your news. It’s still not too late for you to leave." Huang Chao continually urged.
However, in the face of the anxious Huang Chao, Zhang Chen only smiled lightly, patted Huang Chao on the shoulder, and said, "Little brother, don’t be afraid! I’m not as weak as you imagine, and Yellow Heaven Dao isn’t as strong as you think."
After speaking, Zhang Chen used the escape technique to leave, leaving Huang Chao standing there in a daze, watching Zhang Chen’s back as he stomped his foot hard: "I admit you’re strong, but you really don’t know how strong Yellow Heaven Dao truly is."
"I’m in deep trouble now. He was my greatest support. If he’s gone, what should I do?" Huang Chao was anxious, like an ant on a hot pan.
Inside Chongzheng Academy
Zhang Chen used the escape technique and appeared in front of the academy’s gate. After noticing nothing unusual, he continued walking into the academy and then entered the Exquisite Tower to comprehend the operational principles of the tower.
Around noon, a voice suddenly echoed from the mountain base, spreading throughout the entire academy: "Cultivator Huang Chao of Yellow Heaven Dao, delivering a post as commanded."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen’s heart was stirred. The voice was very familiar to him; it was Huang Chao’s voice.
"I didn’t expect it would be him here at Chongzheng Academy for negotiations." Zhang Chen was surprised, no wonder Huang Chao knew the news beforehand.
At this time, Zhou Zhen walked out of the Exquisite Tower, made his way down the mountain, exchanged a few words with Huang Chao, and then headed to the back mountain with the post.
Arriving at the back mountain, Zhou Zhen was sitting in a small courtyard organizing studies. Jiang Nan was quietly assisting Zhou Qiucheng with various paperwork, helping organize studies.
"Father, Yellow Heaven Dao has sent a post." Zhou Zhen walked into the courtyard and handed the post to Zhou Qiucheng.
Zhou Qiucheng took the post and glanced at it, furrowing his brow: "Yellow Heaven Dao is very bold to dare come to my Chongzheng Academy to demand someone. Do they really think Jinling City belongs to their Yellow Heaven Dao?"
"What is the purpose of Yellow Heaven Dao’s post?" Zhou Zhen asked.
"They want us to hand over Zhang Chen." Zhou Qiucheng gave the post to Zhou Zhen. As Zhou Zhen opened and read it, Jiang Nan, who was organizing the paperwork beside them, paused, showing a look of astonishment in his eyes.
"Yellow Heaven Dao dares to reach into our Chongzheng Academy; how can we possibly tolerate that?" Zhou Zhen’s voice was full of cold sternness.
"Indeed! Yellow Heaven Dao commits such atrocious deeds in Jinling City and I haven’t even settled accounts with them yet. Now they dare extend their hand to Chongzheng Academy; we can take this opportunity to engage in a power struggle with them and let them see who truly controls Jinling City. Zhang Xiaohua is dead, and since the Great Virtuous Master is absent, who do I have to fear?" Zhou Qiucheng’s eyes displayed a hint of pride.
"Bring Zhang Chen here," Zhou Qiucheng ordered.
Zhou Zhen acknowledged the command and soon arrived at the Exquisite Tower, approaching Zhang Chen: "The dean requests your presence."
"Is it about the Yellow Heaven Dao matter?" Zhang Chen asked, shifting his gaze from the wall’s patterns to Zhou Zhen.
"Did you already guess?" Zhou Zhen was taken aback.
"I’m not a fool. Yellow Heaven Dao wouldn’t easily confront the academy unless it was necessary," Zhang Chen replied.
"Don’t worry, it’s absolutely impossible for Yellow Heaven Dao to take anyone from our Chongzheng Academy!" Zhou Zhen reassured Zhang Chen with confidence.
Hearing this, Zhang Chen remained silent and followed Zhou Zhen to the rear courtyard to meet Zhou Qiucheng.
Zhou Qiucheng motioned for Zhang Chen to sit down, then handed him the post. Zhang Chen took the post, glanced at it, and paused. Indeed, it was a post requesting his surrender from Yellow Heaven Dao, hoping that Zhou Qiucheng would show them courtesy, as Yellow Heaven Dao would come to claim him in three days.
"Though Yellow Heaven Dao is powerful and has entanglements with numerous influential figures, you should indeed avoid trouble and bind me to hand over to Yellow Heaven Dao," Zhang Chen looked at the post and said to Zhou Qiucheng.
"Yellow Heaven Dao is indeed mighty, but it is also a target for court suppression. Yellow Heaven Dao is not far from openly rebelling, and the court has already begun secretly suppressing them. With Yellow Heaven Dao committing such heinous acts in Jinling City, it’s as though they’ve ground my face, as well as the court’s, into the dirt. I planned to settle accounts with them after the discussion concludes, but since Yellow Heaven Dao has stepped forward on their own, I will first crush them and then have a talk with that old guy, Chen Sanliang," Zhou Qiucheng said to Zhang Chen:
"From today on, do not leave the academy, lest you fall prey to Yellow Heaven Dao. Once this matter is resolved, you may descend the mountain again."
"Sir, aren’t you going to ask why Yellow Heaven Dao wants me?" Zhang Chen looked up at Zhou Qiucheng, his eyes full of inquiry.
Zhou Qiucheng smiled lightly upon hearing this: "You underestimate me too much."
With just a single sentence, Zhang Chen was left speechless, then he stood up and solemnly bowed to Zhou Qiucheng: "Disciple acknowledges my mistake."
"This young one can be taught!" Zhou Qiucheng helped Zhang Chen up: "No matter what purpose Yellow Heaven Dao has, from the moment they stirred up trouble in Jinling City, everything was predestined. Chongzheng Academy’s duty is to protect the safety of Jinling City. I, as a person, cannot tolerate even a speck of sand in my eyes. Yellow Heaven Dao wants to flaunt their might before me, but I will not allow it."
Zhang Chen felt deeply moved by these words. After chatting with Zhou Qiucheng for a while, he stood up to bid farewell and left.
"Zhou Qiucheng cultivates the ’Iron-Faced Impartiality,’ truly a good man, as righteous as one can be, whose character is a thousand times superior to mine." Zhang Chen sighed wistfully.
However, Zhang Chen hadn’t walked far when he heard hurried footsteps and saw Jiang Nan swiftly catching up from behind, blocking Zhang Chen’s path.
Zhang Chen glanced at Jiang Nan, attempting to bypass him, but Jiang Nan extended his hand to block him: "Zhang Chen, I have something to say to you."
"We are strangers. I have no desire to hear the nonsense of a stranger." Zhang Chen sneered.
In the face of Zhang Chen’s mockery, Jiang Nan wasn’t angered but instead addressed him solemnly: "Zhang Chen, you should be aware of Yellow Heaven Dao’s strength. You cannot be selfish and drag the entire Chongzheng Academy into this. If you have any conscience, you should leave the mountains at once."
"Idiot." Zhang Chen coldly glanced at Jiang Nan and directly employed an escape technique, disappearing from sight.
Three days later, when the sun reached its zenith, the sky suddenly filled with dense black clouds from an unknown source, overturning the sea as they covered the entire canopy, turning daylight into seeming darkness.
"Gu Mingyue, you should be guarding your own Yangtze River domain, what business do you have at Chongzheng Academy?" At this moment, a displeased voice resounded through the sky as Zhou Qiucheng descended the mountain, standing at the gate to glare at the rolling black clouds above.
The next moment, moisture in the air condensed into a human form, appearing ten meters away from Zhou Qiucheng. Dressed in a light blue robe with a yellow silk scarf tied on his head, was one of Yellow Heaven Dao’s Twelve True People, the Water God of the Yangtze River: Gu Mingyue.
"Greetings, Dean." Gu Mingyue courteously saluted Zhou Qiucheng.
"Chongzheng Academy is a place personally bestowed by Emperor Dasheng. You dare to act arrogantly here; even if you are the Water God of the Yangtze River, the court won’t spare you." Zhou Qiucheng coldly stared at Gu Mingyue.
Hearing this, Gu Mingyue let out a bitter smile: "Sir has great grace towards Yellow Heaven Dao, great grace towards me as well. On that day, had Sir not blocked the Innate Water God, I wouldn’t have had the chance to be ordained as the Water God of the Yangtze River. However, today I must come because this matter concerns the grand plan of Yellow Heaven Dao."
Gu Mingyue’s demeanor was very respectful, full of humility: "As long as the Dean hands over Zhang Chen, Yellow Heaven Dao will never dare to defy the decrees of Emperor Dasheng, and we dare not become enemies with Chongzheng Academy."
"Do you know my title?" Zhou Qiucheng did not answer but instead asked a question.
"Iron-Faced Impartiality." Gu Mingyue replied.
"Since you know my title, you shouldn’t have come here." Zhou Qiucheng said.
Hearing this made Gu Mingyue furrow his brows with a helpless expression: "Can Sir not show me some face?"
"Your face is not that significant! I don’t even grant face to the Innate Water God, let alone to you." Zhou Qiucheng was resolute.
Hearing Zhou Qiucheng’s words, Gu Mingyue’s expression darkened, and a hint of evil qi flashed in his eyes. Since becoming the Water God of the Yangtze River, few in Jiangnan have dared to disrespect him.
"True, the Innate Water God is ultimately rootless and drifting. It’s understandable Sir doesn’t give him face. As for me, if Sir looks down on me, that’s fine, as the ordination of my divine position as Water God was thanks to Sir. But behind me stands Yellow Heaven Dao; is Sir truly sure about not showing face to Yellow Heaven Dao?" Gu Mingyue pressured Zhou Qiucheng with the Great Virtuous Master and the entirety of Yellow Heaven Dao.
There are distinctions even among the Twelfth Tiers, and someone like me, at the Twelfth Tier, isn’t worth much before the Great Virtuous Master.
"It’d be the same outcome even if the Celestial King himself came. No one gets face here." Zhou Qiucheng spoke coldly: "If Yellow Heaven Dao doesn’t wish to clash with Chongzheng Academy, you’d better hurry back."
"It’s a pity. I didn’t wish to conflict with Sir, but I cannot resist the Great Virtuous Master’s orders." Gu Mingyue sighed.
"Do you want me to make a move?" Zhou Qiucheng’s expression gradually turned icy.
"Zhao Lie, shall we test Dean Zhou’s abilities together?" Gu Mingyue, ignoring Zhou Qiucheng’s words, looked to the void.
Having left the Yangtze Water Domain, in the Jiangnan region, he was only at the Eleventh Tier, and couldn’t gain an advantage over Zhou Qiucheng. But if Po Jun Star Zhao Lie joined him, they could spar with Zhou Qiucheng.
A beam of starlight shimmered within the clouds, as Zhao Lie, enveloped in brilliant starlight, descended through the dark clouds.
"Good, good, good. Today, let this old man experience Yellow Heaven Dao’s high moves, only you two should consider the consequences before making a move. If you lose, all Yellow Heaven Dao followers in Jinling City must get out!" Zhou Qiucheng’s eyes flickered with a hint of murderous intent.