Listening to Jiang Nan’s explanation, Zhang Chen couldn’t help but feel speechless. What does it mean Shen Qiu wanted a hug before leaving?
He wants a hug, and you give him one? Don’t forget, you’re engaged to someone else now!
Beside him, Zhou Zhen trembled with anger and rebuked harshly, "Absurd! Simply absurd! Don’t forget your status! He wants to hug you, so you let him? Where does that leave my face?"
Zhou Zhen’s voice was filled with rage.
"Senior brother, I didn’t mean it like that, I just wanted to solve this trouble once and for all. I didn’t want to involve you anymore..." Jiang Nan burst into tears, the tears streaming down her cheeks.
Zhang Chen looked at Jiang Nan, then at Zhou Zhen, feeling that Jiang Nan had a plan that ended up in vain, and this engagement was certain to be off. Now it just depends on how Zhou Qiucheng wants to handle it.
Unexpectedly, the next moment Zhou Qiucheng’s words left Zhang Chen stunned, and Zhou Zhen was thunderstruck, staring at his father in disbelief.
"Jiang Nan meant well but used the wrong method. People make mistakes; recognizing and correcting them is commendable. Don’t make a big deal of it. Hurry and prepare for the wedding in three days, and don’t let it become a big fuss!" Zhou Qiucheng admonished Zhou Zhen.
Not only was Zhou Zhen thunderstruck, but Jiang Nan was also dumbfounded, never expecting the matter would be settled with a light remark from Zhou Qiucheng.
"Thank you, Master, for your trust!" Jiang Nan immediately knelt down, continuously bowing to Zhou Qiucheng.
"Dad, do you even know what you’re saying?" Zhou Zhen was stunned, staring blankly at Zhou Qiucheng, questioning him.
"Of course I know what I’m saying, my mind is as clear as a mirror. I’m not senile. This was just a minor issue, let bygones be bygones, don’t make a fuss!" Zhou Zhen scolded Zhou Zhen, then waved his hand, "You guys leave, the wedding will be held as scheduled in three days."
Confronted with Zhou Qiucheng’s domineering demeanor, Zhou Zhen stood there, wanting to speak but unable to, ultimately letting out a long, helpless sigh, his multitude of thoughts swallowed back down, merely grabbing Zhang Chen’s sleeve and said, "Zhang, I want to drink!"
Zhou Zhen wanted to drink, so he dragged Zhang Chen out of Zhou Qiucheng’s room. They came to a tavern at the foot of the mountain, ordered three delicate dishes, and Zhou Zhen suddenly gulped down a large mouthful of liquor, "Zhang, I can’t understand! Tell me, what happened to my father? Did Jiang Nan drug him? How can he believe Jiang Nan’s nonsense. Why is he so biased toward Jiang Nan? Am I really his biological son?"
"Who knows." Zhang Chen couldn’t figure out what Zhou Qiucheng was trying to do, or why he acted that way.
Zhou Zhen kept drinking, bowl after bowl, trying to dispel the bitterness in his heart. After finishing two jugs of liquor, he was completely drunk, lying on the table, unable to get up.
Zhang Chen helped Zhou Zhen up, hired a carriage to send him back to the academy, and then returned to his courtyard, where he saw Huang Chao reading in his yard.
"Oh, you’re reading?" Zhang Chen saw Huang Chao reading and showed a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Hearing Zhang Chen’s words, Huang Chao lifted his head from the book, "You look down on people too much, why can’t I read? Recently, handling matters in Yellow Heaven Dao, I discovered the disadvantage of being illiterate. To become a leader, not knowing how to read isn’t acceptable, so I specifically asked the dignitaries in the sect to teach me, and learned to read and write. Now, I’m very perceptive and have a photographic memory, reading quickly, and can now fluently read all books."
"You’re quite ambitious, a good learner." Zhang Chen praised, his voice filled with admiration.
As they spoke, Zhang Chen said to Huang Chao, "I haven’t seen you lately, I thought you retreated from Jinling City with the Yellow Heaven Dao forces, I didn’t expect you to appear again."
"I originally didn’t want to come looking for you, but remembering your kindness, if I didn’t visit, my conscience couldn’t rest." Huang Chao looked at Zhang Chen, rolled up the book, and said seriously:
"Yellow Heaven Dao is going to act against Zhou Qiucheng. This time, Yellow Heaven Dao is confident of victory. The Great Virtuous Master has already foreseen Zhou Qiucheng’s fatal weakness. He’s dead for certain! If you don’t want to get involved, you’d better escape quickly."
Upon hearing Huang Chao’s words, Zhang Chen was taken aback, "Is this true?"
Yellow Heaven Dao actually has a way to deal with Zhou Qiucheng? Is it real?
"Of course it’s true, given our friendship, why would I fool you?" Huang Chao said.
"Now Zhou Qiucheng has gathered Jinling City’s incense offerings, his power is unfathomable, he’s completely stepped into the Tenth Tier, plus the power of that Treasure Tower, the combination isn’t simply one plus one equals two. Do you really have the confidence to deal with Zhou Qiucheng in this state?" Zhang Chen couldn’t believe it.
He thought even a Twelfth Tier expert might not be able to take down Zhou Qiucheng at this time. Now Zhou Qiucheng has transformed into a Tenth Tier deity, combined with the Eleventh Tier Exquisite Tower, who knows how much power he can unleash? Remember, the Exquisite Tower is now fully awakened, it’s a fully revived Innate Spiritual Treasure, which can’t be measured by ordinary standards. Because using Innate Spiritual Treasures to measure power is in itself a fallacy!
"Hehe, of course we’re aware of what you mentioned, but..." Huang Chao winked at Zhang Chen, "He’s the Great Virtuous Master, after all!"
"Therefore, I hope you leave early and don’t linger in the academy." Huang Chao said.
Zhang Chen shook his head at those words: "I have my own plans, why would I retreat because of Yellow Heaven Dao’s plans? You don’t need to worry about me. There may be many who can defeat me, but those who want to kill me, not to boast, but they have yet to be born."
Seeing Zhang Chen’s confident expression, Huang Chao smiled, realizing he had underestimated Zhang Chen.
Given his relationship with Zhang Chen, the stronger Zhang becomes, the happier Huang Chao is.
"Since you have made up your mind, I won’t try to dissuade you." Huang Chao said, standing up: "After our meeting today, we won’t see each other for a long time. I hope you successfully complete your plans. Don’t let yourself get involved unnecessarily. Of course, if circumstances change, I will let you know."
After speaking, Huang Chao transformed into a black smoke and disappeared, leaving Zhang Chen secretly amazed at Huang Chao’s departure method: "Huang Chao’s power has grown significantly. This fellow, being the source of the curse, carries a terrifying aura likely not less than the Great Freedom Celestial Demon."
Huang Chao’s departure caused no disturbance. Zhang Chen returned to his room, looked at the Soul-Forming Lamp for a while, then continued meditating cross-legged, cultivating his God-Beating Whip.
After extended sacrificial refining, his God-Beating Whip finally shows some progress, yet it’s still far from being fully refined into the World Primordial Embryo.
Time flies by, and with a blink of an eye, night has passed. When Zhang Chen returned to the academy again, he saw the entire place becoming even more festive, with red carpets being laid on the ground.
Zhang Chen saw Jiang Nan, who was energetically directing the servants and stewards to set up decorations and scenery in the mountains, looking lively and refreshed.
Spotting Zhang Chen from afar, Jiang Nan furrowed her brow slightly, turned her head pretending not to see Zhang Chen, as if he were invisible.
Witnessing this, Zhang Chen shook his head inwardly, thinking how this woman is truly opportunistic, causing headaches.
Jiang Nan ignored Zhang Chen, so naturally, Zhang Chen wouldn’t try to please her. Instead, he turned toward the Exquisite Tower and saw Zhou Zhen, looking exhausted, standing silently in front of a crystal wall.
Sensing Zhang Chen’s presence, Zhou Zhen waved at Zhang Chen: "Come over, brother Zhang."
"What’s the matter, senior brother?" Zhang Chen asked.
"Zhang Chen, I have something to ask you." Zhou Zhen said to Zhang Chen.
"Please instruct me, senior brother." Zhang Chen responded promptly.
"I have a letter here. After the wedding, please deliver it to my father." Zhou Zhen said.
Upon hearing Zhou Zhen’s words, Zhang Chen stood frozen, staring at Zhou Zhen with wide eyes. At that moment, countless thoughts crossed Zhang Chen’s mind. Finally, he took Zhou Zhen’s letter and carefully kept it: "I understand."
Then Zhou Zhen waved Zhang Chen off, indicating he wanted to be alone: "I’m troubled now and wish to be alone here for a while. You should go and contemplate the mysterious."
Zhang Chen nodded at Zhou Zhen’s words, turned to leave, and while feeling the letter from Zhou Zhen in his sleeve, a multitude of thoughts raced through his mind, ultimately forming a single notion: "Zhou Zhen probably wants to escape the marriage; otherwise, why have me deliver the letter after the wedding rather than speaking to his father directly?"
The more Zhang Chen pondered, the more likely it seemed. Zhou Zhen’s current disdain for Jiang Nan has reached its peak, something no man would endure.
As countless thoughts flashed through Zhang Chen’s mind, he felt the letter in his sleeve again, ultimately choosing to remain silent.
He felt somewhat sorry for Jiang Nan, who was eagerly preparing to marry Zhou Zhen hoping to change her fate, but little did she know she would face such a situation.
"Luckily, Jiang Nan didn’t marry me. If she had and then tangled tirelessly with Shen Qiu, I wouldn’t have been able to stand it either," Zhang Chen murmured inwardly.
Such matters are probably unbearable for any man.
At dusk
Zhang Chen returned to his small courtyard, washed briefly, then sat cross-legged to enter the Spiritual World. There, he saw the entire thirtieth layer had drastically changed; the whole world was desolate, brimming with an aura of barrenness, making his Primordial Spirit extremely uncomfortable.
"The whole world is being drained; refining an artifact truly is difficult." Zhang Chen gazed toward the Alchemy Furnace, seeing a chaotic airflow continuously fluctuating inside.