When Jiang Nan finished bathing and was pondering which fool was bold enough to secretly watch her, a stranger’s footsteps suddenly sounded outside the room. The footsteps stopped right outside Jiang Nan’s door, and softly knocked on it.
"Who’s outside?" Jiang Nan’s eyes showed a trace of alertness.
"I am Zhang Chen, once traveled with the lady in Guangji Prefecture, received a life-saving elixir from the lady, specially here to express my gratitude." Zhang Chen said lightly from outside the door.
Jiang Nan in the room was stunned upon hearing this. After hearing Zhang Chen announce his name, she certainly knew who he was, but wasn’t he supposed to be dead? Could it be that he was truly brought back to life later?
Jiang Nan opened the door and saw Zhang Chen in coarse linen clothes and couldn’t help but be stunned. He was unexpectedly young, possessing an indescribable aura.
Though dressed in coarse linen, there was an ethereal quality to him, detached from the secular world.
As for impersonating Zhang Chen’s identity? Although she hadn’t seen Zhang Chen’s face, this was deep within the mansion of the Jinling Shen Family, what kind of imposter could deceive their way here?
She only thought that Zhang Chen had already visited the Shen Family, she hadn’t heard the word on the street, given how her older cousin had a rather complex attitude towards Zhang Chen. If he had suppressed the news of Zhang Chen’s visit, it wouldn’t be too strange.
"Please come in." Jiang Nan stepped aside to let Zhang Chen in.
"I should call you cousin." Zhang Chen walked into the room with a smile, placing the gift box on the table, which was merely ordinary pastries, hardly worth anything.
"Indeed, you should call me cousin. How did you come back to life?" Jiang Nan smiled at Zhang Chen.
"I didn’t die at that time, but was attempting to pass a threshold during the cultivation of a technique, my stepmother and younger sister panicked due to ignorance." Zhang Chen explained, his eyes scanning the girl before him, who was perhaps only a year older than him, delicate like a blade of grass, with a goose-shaped face, thick eyebrows, big eyes, remarkably beautiful, a rare beauty.
"I see." Jiang Nan was taken aback upon hearing this.
Then she brewed tea, the two sat down to chat for a while before Zhang Chen brought up the main matter. "Little brother came today to ask sister for a favor."
"Since we are close as siblings, speak of whatever it is, if I can do it for you, I will not refuse." Jiang Nan said.
Zhang Chen did not hold back, explaining the situation of not being able to enter the city, Jiang Nan was astonished to give Zhang Chen a look, thinking Zhang Chen had already visited the mansion and been led here by servants, turned out he had not yet entered the city. How did he enter the mansion and accurately find her room?
She seemed to have thought of something, Jiang Nan’s face suddenly turned crimson, her eyes looked at the sincere-faced boy opposite her, brain filled only with one thought: "Don’t ask! It’s a misunderstanding!"
With her wisdom, in connection with the previous feeling of being watched, how could she not understand the crux of the matter?
Zhang Chen looked at the girl before him, and saw her suddenly blush, her face blood-red, eyes with a hint of shyness, heart somewhat puzzled, but with his wisdom, plus the speed of his Primordial Spirit, quickly analyzed the cause: ’I said my family hadn’t entered the city, almost unwittingly confessed, so it was me who watched her! How else would I know her residence without guidance from those in the mansion if I had not ascended the mansion?’
Zhang Chen was momentarily at a loss, even with his mentality looking at the girl before him, didn’t know what to do, feeling stuck, wondering how to explain, as it was an unintentional offense. At this moment a thought flickered in Zhang Chen’s mind: "Should I apologize?"
Just as thoughts were weaving within him, the girl spoke up, voice restored to calm: "The matter you speak of is rather simple, I shall use the excuse of going out for fun tomorrow, and on my way back put you all inside the carriage, surely the gate guards wouldn’t dare inspect the Shen Family’s carriage."
"That’s very kind of you, cousin. I will be eternally grateful for your great kindness." Zhang Chen immediately stood up and respectfully bowed, regardless of whether the elixir was needed by him, having taken it out at that moment, he must reckon gratitude.
"We are all family; why be so formal." Jiang Nan smiled.
"Little brother takes his leave to arrange tomorrow’s matters, so as not to disturb sister’s rest." Zhang Chen bade farewell.
Jiang Nan saw Zhang Chen out the door; Zhang Chen then activated the Earth Escape Technique, momentarily disappearing from sight, leaving Jiang Nan astonished, she muttered after some time: "What skill! This doesn’t seem to be the technique of the Haojing Zhang Family."
"But this cousin is too reckless..." The girl seemed to reminisce something, body warming up, then her face began to flush again.
Now, as Zhang Chen made his way outside the city, looking at the green grass, couldn’t help but sigh: "Miscalculated! Really awkward! Luckily my cousin is generous and didn’t pursue the matter, otherwise I would have no face to show."
"But this debt of gratitude is significant, though can’t worry about it now, first settle in Jinling City." Zhang Chen’s figure flashed again, finding a traveling group, appearing in front of a demon horse.
As the demon horse underwent transformation, now appearing gaunt and skeletal, excessively thin that its skin seemed to cling to bones, hair shedding continuously, looked rather ugly, resembling a sick horse, alarmingly skinny.
"Brother, how did the matter go?" Zhang Tuowei’s voice pulled Zhang Chen’s attention back from the demon horse.
"Everything has been arranged, and I’ve spoken with my cousin. The young lady will go out for a trip tomorrow and take you into the city along the way," Zhang Chen said with a smile.
"Can we finally enter the city? We’ve been traveling all this way, weathering the elements and hiding everywhere, and haven’t seen a soul. We’re about to turn into savages," Chengyu said, driving the carriage with joy in his eyes.
Upon hearing Chengyu’s words, Zhang Chen sighed lightly, "It will be fine!"
His family’s identity has always been a major problem, and he must find a way to resolve it soon.
He plans to settle in Jinling City for ten or eight years, by which time they would have adopted the local accent and then reassess their household registration to establish residency in Jinling City, thus not fearing scrutiny from the Great Victory Court.
Changing household registration is not difficult for Zhang Chen.
The family continued their journey, and at this time, Mrs. Zhang took out a fist-sized woven pouch from inside the carriage and handed it to Zhang Chen. "I wove this for you."
Zhang Chen was momentarily stunned as he looked at the woven pouch Mrs. Zhang handed over, bewilderment in his eyes, not understanding her intentions. Mrs. Zhang said with a smile, "It’s quite troublesome for you to always hold that little furnace. I wove an outer pouch for you so you can hang that little furnace on your belt, making it an accessory."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen’s eyes flashed with surprise. He quickly accepted the woven pouch, which was just common coarse hemp weaving but was finely constructed and durable, and had little rabbits and birds embroidered on it, clearly made with care.
Zhang Chen quickly took out the alchemy furnace from his sleeve, carefully placed it into the pouch, then gently tightened the drawstring of the pouch, which could be hung on his waist as a decoration.
Because the alchemy furnace contained the Sun Charcoal Fire, Zhang Chen couldn’t store it in his Primordial Spirit, so he always carried it with him.
"Not bad!" Zhang Chen hung the alchemy furnace at his waist and walked back and forth, quite satisfied.
"Mother has such great craftsmanship; I want one of these ornaments too," Zhang Fei admired from the side.
The woven pouch was not just any pouch; its contours resembled a little rabbit, looking lifelike, and its attraction to children was substantial.
"Mother, I want one too!" Zhang Fei turned to look at Mrs. Zhang.
"Alright, alright, I’ll weave one for you," Mrs. Zhang lovingly ruffled Zhang Fei’s hair.
"Aunt, I want one too! I want a little grasshopper," Zhang Tuowei began to act coy.
"Auntie, I want a little tiger!" Chengyu also did not hold back, and requested.
Having traveled through various hardships, though they weren’t family by blood, they were as close as family, so Chengyu would certainly not hesitate.
"Alright, alright! Everyone will get one!" Mrs. Zhang said with a smile.
As she spoke, a relaxed atmosphere spread, and the group got closer and closer to Jinling City. When the sky began to darken, they finally arrived outside Jinling City. By then, the city gates were closed, so the family simply camped outside the city to rest.
Early the next morning, the gates of Jinling City opened, and streams of people flowed, with some coming out from Jinling City and others entering, making the area outside the city gates bustling. Just then, a luxurious carriage emerged from within the city; as its curtain lifted, Zhang Chen saw Jiang Nan, and Jiang Nan also saw Zhang Chen.
The two nodded to each other in passing, and behind Jiang Nan were three carriages surrounded by dozens of guards and attendants.
"Aunt, you can pack up the tent now; we’re following that carriage to prepare to enter the city," Zhang Chen said to Mrs. Zhang.
Then the family started packing their belongings, and after everything was sorted, they moved toward the carriage where Jiang Nan was.
"The Jiang Family truly lives up to being a wealthy family, traveling with dozens of followers and attendants, befitting a local prestigious family," Mrs. Zhang said inside the carriage, watching the distant carriages with a hint of anxiety in her eyes. "Chen’Er, once we reach Jinling City, you three siblings can go to the Shen Family to recognize your relatives. I’ll go find work as a servant at a big family. With my skills, I can earn a living anywhere and won’t burden you."
Zhang Chen, walking with his head down in front, stopped upon hearing her words. When the carriage came to him, he matched pace with it and looked at Mrs. Zhang inside the carriage, whose face was filled with unease, "Aunt, we are family! No matter where we go, we won’t be separated."
Zhang Chen’s voice was resolute, "Don’t worry; I’ll naturally arrange things for you well."
"We are unrelated to the Shen Family; going there might put you in a difficult position," Mrs. Zhang said, face full of hesitation.