The inferiority in Mrs. Zhang’s words was undisguisable. Only those living in this era would truly understand just how vast the difference between ordinary people and noble families was.
As a prominent family controlling seventy percent of the nation’s shipping, the Jinling Shen Family’s prestige was beyond words. Their influence spanned the entire country, making them a top-tier power. They had countless descendants in government positions, otherwise, they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to form an alliance with the Kyoto Zhang Family.
At least within Jinling City, the Shen Family was a top-tier wealthy family.
Mrs. Zhang, being an ordinary village woman, was long subjected to various feudal ideologies. Facing the wealthy Shen Family was like a common person facing a high-ranking official from later generations. The pressure was immense and imaginable.
Mrs. Zhang was merely Zhang Kecheng’s later wife, having no relations with the Shen Family, so how could she not worry?
Zhang Chen, knowing well Mrs. Zhang’s worries, gently reassured the anxious Mrs. Zhang, "Don’t worry, you brought up my siblings and me from childhood, you are our real mother. I will bear all the burdens ahead, don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything."
Zhang Chen’s stance was firm, leaving Mrs. Zhang no choice but to comply.
The group followed the Shen Family’s carriage from a distance. Zhang Chen instructed Zhang Fei, who’s leading the carriage, "Stay a bit further back to avoid any misunderstandings."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Tuowei slowed the pace of the horse. Once the Shen Family convoy vanished from sight, Zhang Chen observed the tracks on the ground and followed slowly behind.
After about an hour’s walk, the Shen Family’s convoy stopped by a lake, where a group of servants began setting up tents, preparing for an outing.
Zhang Chen parked the carriage at a distance. The family quietly awaited Jiang Nan’s arrangements. Jiang Nan, seen in good spirits, was conversing with a red-clad young woman. With Zhang Chen’s keen eyesight, he could easily see the red-clad lady was about a year younger than Jiang Nan but exceedingly beautiful.
The red-clad lady seemed very close with Jiang Nan; their relationship seemed more than ordinary.
Around the two young women were seven or eight young gentlemen, none of whom seemed older than 17 or 18, with the younger ones being around 15 or 16.
However, among the group of young gentlemen, one stood out, drawing Zhang Chen’s attention with a second glance. This young gentleman seemed to emit wisps of black energy around him, clearly no ordinary person.
"Such wicked energy, rarely seen! Even more chilling than the one who wielded the Yama Banner," Zhang Chen thought curiously.
Yet he didn’t dwell on it much. After all, possessing powers or divine techniques with an evil aura doesn’t necessarily mean the person is evil.
"Are those from the Shen Family?" Chengyu lifted the curtain, looking at the young men and women picnicking in the distance, showing curiosity.
"Those are Shen Family people," Zhang Chen nodded.
Seeing them dressed in lavish clothing, Zhang Tuowei remarked, "Better than what we wore at the Inspection and Supervision Department."
"Of course, the Jinling Shen Family is immensely wealthy, money isn’t an issue for them," Zhang Chen replied.
"Let’s unload the carriage! We won’t need it anymore once we enter the city. There are many things we don’t need either, we can count it as starting fresh in the city," Zhang Chen said with a cheerful smile.
The family began unloading the carriage, selectively choosing the essential items to take along. Looking at the fifth-tier demon horse nearby, Zhang Tuowei commented, "Big brother, your horse is getting uglier, looking more like a donkey, and a bald donkey at that, losing all its fur."
The fifth-tier demon horse, intelligent as it was, instantly disagreed when it heard Zhang Tuowei call it ugly. It nudged Zhang Tuowei, causing him to stumble, which prompted Zhang Tuowei to curse at the demon horse, "You beast, how dare you be disrespectful to me! I’ll extract your soul once my cultivation improves!"
Zhang Tuowei cursed loudly, but Zhang Chen paid him no mind, merely picking out a few sets of spare clothes and waiting for Jiang Nan’s instructions.
After the family made their preparations, they waited quietly, watching from afar as the young men and women played games, exchanged verses in spirited competitions, enjoying themselves thoroughly.
Zhang Chen stood in the woods. Occasionally, Jiang Nan glanced over, their eyes meeting briefly, but no further interactions occurred.
After about another hour, several small boats came from afar. The young men and women, led by their family’s servants, began boarding the boats. Jiang Nan spoke with the crowd but didn’t board, instead watching the young group leave before waving distantly to Zhang Chen and his group.
Zhang Chen, holding onto the family’s skinny horse, said to Mrs. Zhang and the others, "Let’s go!"
The family was heading towards the gathering camp, but before they got close, a servant tried to intercept them and was stopped by Jiang Nan, who then directed a group of servants to disappear into the dense forest.
"Is it you all?" Jiang Nan’s young maid ’Rice Cake’ showed a look of surprise upon seeing Mrs. Zhang and her family.
"Miss Jiang, we’re going to trouble you yet again." Mrs. Zhang hurriedly approached Jiang Nan, attempting to kneel and bow, but Jiang Nan stopped her: "We’re all family, no need for formalities."
Seeing Zhang Chen, Jiang Nan’s face involuntarily blushed slightly, and then she said:
"I’ve temporarily sent away the servants within the camp; you should hide in the carriage, Rice Cake will take care of you there." Jiang Nan said.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhang expressed gratitude once more, and then the whole family got into Jiang Nan’s carriage. As Zhang Chen was about to get in, Jiang Nan called him out: "Cousin Zhang, you have a relative here, do you want to meet them?"
"Relative?" Zhang Chen halted his steps towards the carriage, turning with a surprised expression to Jiang Nan.
"Previously, when everyone gathered here, there was the oldest young man; do you remember?" Jiang Nan asked.
Zhang Chen recalled the young man surrounded by a chilling aura, and nodded: "Of course I remember."
"That person is a disciple of the Zhang Family from Kyoto, the seventh legitimate son of the current patriarch, named Zhang Gaoqiu! Counting it, he’s your cousin, do you want to meet him?" Jiang Nan smilingly observed Zhang Chen. Zhang Chen and Zhang Gaoqiu had a three-part resemblance in their brows, after all, a bloodline family, where the power of the bloodline is very strong, family members resembling each other is inevitable.
"I am a criminal, I fear even if I recognize him, he won’t recognize me." Zhang Chen said self-mockingly, then added: "There will be a chance to recognize each other later."
He still harbored resentment towards the Zhang Family in Kyoto, as his family had been exiled to the Northern Land, the Zhang Family in Kyoto neither cared nor asked, and also secretly colluded confusingly with Prince Pingbian. His father was even demoted and banished from Kyoto, involving various secrets he didn’t want to be associated with to avoid dragging his family into it. He felt that the Zhang Family in Kyoto probably wasn’t reliable, nor likely to have goodwill towards them.
Jiang Nan, being a sensible person, naturally understood Zhang Chen’s predicament, so she smiled and changed the subject: "Then forget it! There will naturally be a time to recognize each other in the future. But you came at a good time, there’s a creation you just managed to catch. Kyoto has opened the Inner Courtyard of the Mysterious Academy, recruiting young geniuses with mysterious bloodline power to join, to aid the Great Victory Dynasty in unraveling various creations within it. Your big cousin Zhang Gaoqiu, participating in the selection in Kyoto, was unable to enter due to insufficient strength. He came to Jinling this time to participate in the Jinling selection. Within Jinling and other major cities, there will be branch academies of the Inner Courtyard of the Mysterious Academy, where those who perform outstandingly can earn the opportunity to study at the Mysterious Academy in Kyoto. You must seize this chance, I heard if you can join the Mysterious Academy, you might have the hope of bloodline reversion, or even receive the legendary mysterious recognition. This opportunity is rare, you must not miss it. Moreover, I heard there’s an opportunity for the flesh to enter the legendary Spiritual World, you must seize it."
Zhang Chen was surprised upon hearing this, then nodded: "Thank you, big cousin sister, for notifying me. Little brother understands."
Jiang Nan nodded with satisfaction, then turned around and boarded a small boat, her figure disappearing from Zhang Chen’s sight.
As he watched Jiang Nan’s figure disappear, Zhang Chen stepped onto the carriage. The space inside the carriage was very spacious, not to mention his family of five; even if there were five more, they could sit comfortably.
The little girl Rice Cake sat at the front of the carriage, chewing grass out of boredom, curiously peeping into the carriage at Zhang Chen: "Are you really alive? Haven’t heard of someone coming back to life after dying."
Zhang Chen looked at the little girl with tiger-headed bravery, tapped her little forehead with his finger: "You really have a strong curiosity for a little girl."
Rice Cake rubbed her forehead, her face full of curiosity: "I’m just curious, haven’t heard of anyone coming back to life after dying!"
Beside them, Zhang Tuowei looked at Rice Cake, feeling quite affectionate, leaned over to chat with her: "My big brother’s methods are truly divine, a trivial resurrection is just a small feat? Even those gods are nothing but ants that can be crushed at will in front of my big brother."
"I think your Miss is excellent, my big brother is also excellent. Let them marry, there will be benefits for you in the future." Zhang Tuowei again started to spout nonsense, causing Zhang Chen’s face to fill with black lines, his mouth twitching involuntarily.
His little sister just loved bragging and fooling people, he recalled how back in the small village, Zhang Tuowei pretended to be a ghost to fool the children into offering food from home.
Now, he finally was in contact with people, yet again starting to spout nonsense upon opening her mouth.
Lazily choosing to ignore the pair, Zhang Chen was contemplating the matter of the Mysterious Academy that Jiang Nan mentioned, which intrigued him quite a bit.
"I should go to the Mysterious Academy; the Mysterious Academy wouldn’t lack mystery. If I can collect some useful skills, that would be even better." Zhang Chen’s heart was moved, knowing that in this era, trying to access mystery is not generally easy.
Although his skills were many, Zhang Chen did not mind having more; he wished nothing more than to have countless skills.
"I have been in seclusion for ten years in Jinling, enough to grind my skills to the Twelfth Tier, and then naturally become an academy disciple, to see if there are any surprises inside." Zhang Chen thought happily: "It wouldn’t delay anything at all!"