Zhang Chen sat in the carriage, feeling anxious and unable to remain calm.
He had originally planned to fake his own death, but who knew he’d accidentally overhear such a shocking secret?
"What should I do?" Zhang Chen’s mind raced with countless thoughts, yet he couldn’t make sense of them.
"Maybe I can ask the Fox Spirit, see if she has any ideas. After all, Fox Fairy Nannan has been with Zhang Xiaohua for five years; she might know some secrets." Zhang Chen thought to himself, summoning Fox Fairy Nannan, who then cast an illusion technique: "I’ve already obscured her senses."
Fox Fairy Nannan then looked at Zhang Chen: "You cannot go to Prince Pingbian’s Mansion; if you do, you’ll surely die!"
Zhang Chen frowned: "Why?"
"Because you can’t read! And that Mr. Wuliu, he’s someone you must see. How will you surpass these challenges?" Fox Fairy Nannan questioned.
"It’s true I can’t read, but isn’t that what you’re here for?" Zhang Chen looking at Fox Fairy Nannan.
"You’ve secretly watched me for so long; don’t you know that I can’t read either?" Fox Fairy Nannan replied speechlessly.
"And since you’ve acknowledged your ancestry, how could Prince Pingnan not have marked Zhang Xiaohua? If checked, you’ll surely be exposed!" Fox Fairy Nannan said.
Zhang Chen stared at Fox Fairy Nannan: "You’ve spent so much time with Zhang Xiaohua; you should know what marks he has, right?"
The Fox Spirit shook her head: "I don’t know! I’m not a peeping tom and have no interest in looking at a man’s body."
With seriousness, Fox Fairy Nannan said: "The most important thing is, the certification of the Crown Prince’s return to Prince Pingbian’s Mansion is extremely complex; there’s no way you can cover it up. Prince Pingbian’s Mansion can’t hand over all procedures to Zhang Xiaolan, an outsider! If you impersonate the Crown Prince and enter the mansion now, once you’re discovered, Prince Pingbian will catch you with evidence, and you’ll be unable to complain even if torn limb from limb."
"But if I don’t enter Prince Pingbian’s Mansion to seize a chance for survival, do you think that poor scholar will spare me?" Zhang Chen asked.
"Don’t forget, you are one of the two protagonists of this explosion incident. The Inspection and Supervision Department must already have their eyes on you. You haven’t committed a grave crime, so how could Prince Pingbian dare to kill the innocent recklessly? The Inspection and Supervision Department is secretly keeping watch, eager to cause trouble for Prince Pingbian’s Mansion at this critical time!" The Fox Spirit’s voice was serious:
"And you’ve underestimated the intelligence network of Prince Pingbian’s Mansion. At the moment Prince Pingbian was ready to take the Crown Prince back, all the Crown Prince’s life experiences and data already appeared on Prince Pingbian’s desk. If you want to assume the Crown Prince’s identity, Prince Pingbian’s Mansion will undoubtedly conduct the strictest investigation, not missing any clues. The most crucial point is, you don’t resemble Prince Pingbian at all!"
"Do you think you’ve deceived this woman? Have you considered that she might be fighting for a future for her unborn child? If the real Crown Prince dies in prison, once her child grows up, she could expose the truth, and what would you do then?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen fell silent, never imagining such intricacies, and realized Fox Spirit is indeed well-rounded in her thinking—considering things he hadn’t thought of.
Upon hearing the Fox Spirit, Zhang Chen fell silent. Listening to her, he realized he’d oversimplified things.
Zhang Chen felt a bit foolish. He hadn’t committed a crime, only facing accusations from Zhang Xiaohua. But he had an alibi, and Zhang Xiaohua’s testimony alone couldn’t convict him.
Moreover, Zhang Xiaohua had just returned to Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, and his every move was monitored by the Inspection and Supervision Department. They were eager to catch Zhang Xiaohua’s weaknesses, so he wouldn’t dare take risks against Zhang Chen.
Unless there was irrefutable evidence!
"The people from Prince Pingbian’s Mansion might have received Zhang Xiaohua by now." The Fox Spirit looked at Zhang Chen.
"So what’s my choice? Fight my way out?" Zhang Chen’s eyes showed coldness while he glanced at his Golden Finger Interface:
[Name: Zhang Chen]
[1 Skill (Tier 4): Light of the True God—> Automatic Cruise]
[2 Skill (Tier 2): Dragon Qi]
[3 Skill (Tier 1): Transformed Blood Bat]
[4 Skill (Tier 2): Water Control Technique]
[5 Skill (Tier 1): Soul Hook Chains]
Looking at his Golden Finger, Zhang Chen decisively dismissed the option of fighting his way out—his skills were indeed weak!
The Tier 4 skill, Light of the True God, seemed effective only against peculiar entities. If they were in spiritual form, the damage was even multiplied!
The Tier 2 skill, Dragon Qi, could tame beasts, but he was in the city—where could he find beasts?
The Tier 1 skill, Transformed Blood Bat, could only produce thirty-six bats to drain blood, granting Zhang Chen the ability to recover from injuries by absorbing blood, but he was still a mere mortal. Facing armored soldiers or those with bows, he would find it difficult.
This skill was essentially a last resort for escape, only enabling him to transform into bats under a full moon night on the fifteenth, but today was just after the fifteenth!
The Tier 2 skill, Water Control Technique, could be unstoppable, unhindered by thousands of troops, yet the Northern Land was experiencing a drought, with dried-up rivers. Where could he find a mighty river?
And as for the fifth skill, it’s better not to mention!
So Zhang Chen thought it over multiple times, realizing he was unafraid of monsters or peculiar entities, yet was caught by ordinary humans, lacking means to deal with them.
"Fight my way out?" The Fox Spirit let out a peculiar laugh: "Do you know why the Great Victory Dynasty sits firmly in power? Do you know about Prince Pingbian and the Great Victory Dynasty’s matters? If you knew, you’d never have such a foolish thought like fighting your way out."
"Oh? Tell me more." Zhang Chen was intrigued.
"Because the Inspection and Supervision Department in the Great Victory Dynasty has two Twelfth Tier mysterious entities!" The Fox Spirit said, her eyes filled with fear: "You’ll never understand how terrifying a Twelfth Tier mysterious entity is. Even with your decent strength, facing a Twelfth Tier existence, a mere upheaval could crush you into dust. A Twelfth Tier existence can unleash world-destroying power; the fissures at the True Dragon Tomb were merely caused by the clash of Ninth Tier mysterious entities."
Upon hearing the Fox Spirit’s words, Zhang Chen’s pupils contracted, eyes showing disbelief. That vast fissure spanning hundreds of miles was only caused by the Ninth Tier existence? How exaggerated could it be?
"What level is the Ninth Tier?" Zhang Chen asked.
"Mysterious entities have no level. Ninth Tier mysterious is just Ninth Tier mysterious, but if you measure in terms of stepping into the Spirit Realm, Ninth Tier is called: Yang God."
"Yang God!!!"
Zhang Chen’s voice changed; he was too familiar with the term. Anyone who’s read ’Dreaming into the Divine Mechanism’ would know the terrifying nature of this realm.
Even in later Daoist systems, it might truly be a realm of immortals!
And this realm is only Ninth Tier?
"So my only option is to flee?" Zhang Chen took a breath.
"If you flee, your younger sister and brother will be implicated, suffering consequences because of you." The Fox Spirit said.
"Then I’ll go to the Inspection and Supervision Department." Zhang Chen said.
"No one knows where the Inspection and Supervision Department’s office is, even if you want to go there, you won’t find the door." The Fox Spirit shook her head again, dismissing Zhang Chen’s idea.
"Then am I just waiting for death?" Zhang Chen asked the Fox Spirit.
"If you die, I’ll have to follow you to the grave, so you cannot die." The Fox Spirit frowned: "We need to think of a way to return to the Tomb and seize that Twelfth Tier mysterious. With the strength of a Twelfth Tier mysterious, we might have a chance to contend with Prince Pingbian’s Mansion."
"But the Feng Shui Grand Array cannot be broken in a short time! And if I flee, what will happen to my brother and sister?" Zhang Chen took a breath, contemplating: "Is faking death my only option?"
ps: I’m contemplating whether to enter the mansion, how to write it, and have no leads. Anyone have any suggestions or good ideas?