I picked up skill fragments in the demon world.

Chapter 877 Arrival in Kyoto

Upon hearing the words of the young man in the brocade robe before him, Zhang Chen raised an eyebrow: "It really is a case of all troubles coming together at once."

"Not only that, Zhang Gaoqiu is very popular among the younger generation of the Zhang family. He spreads bad things about you all over the house. Many of the younger generation want to mess with you and regard you as a disgrace to the Zhang family. They want to crush you into the mud." The young man in the brocade robe said in a low voice, "He has won over a large number of people in the Zhang family by virtue of his status as the prince consort."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen raised an eyebrow: "He really did manage to climb the social ladder."

"This is not a good thing! The Zhang family of Kyoto is one of the eight great families and disdains climbing the social ladder. The marriage of a royal princess is not a joyous occasion for the eight great families. Moreover, the princess is involved in the struggle for the throne, and the Zhang family will also face the issue of choosing sides in the future. If they are not careful, they will be dragged into it." The young man in the brocade robe said.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen looked thoughtful, then asked the young man, "May I ask your honorable name?"

"I am a guard by Your Highness's side. You can just call me Xiao Hu," the young man quickly replied.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen already knew that the other party was probably a member of the fox clan, but he didn't know how they had concealed their true identity from being discovered.

"I already know. Go back and tell Bai Cang that you will try your best to mediate this matter." After Zhang Chen finished speaking, he sent the young man away and stood there silently, seemingly lost in thought.

With the creaking of the carriages, the caravan continued on its way, the Dragon Tiger Escort Agency heading towards the capital. Chen Ping followed behind Zhang Chen with a worried expression, stroking the horse's reins: "Brother Zhang, can I really escape the Grand Steward's wrath? I know I've done something wrong, a heinous crime. It will be extremely difficult to exonerate me from this incident, and I have no intention of getting away with it. I only ask that you use your methods to exonerate my entire agency, young and old, and I will bear all the blame myself."

"Don't worry, it's just a small matter. What's the big deal? I have a way to get you out of this. I've already found a scapegoat for you. You just need to wait to get out of this mess." Zhang Chen comforted Chen Ping with a gentle voice that gradually calmed him down.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ping still wore a pessimistic expression, his eyes gazing into the distance, lost in thought.

As time slipped away, they soon arrived in Kyoto. Looking at the outline of Kyoto from afar, Zhang Chen was stunned. Kyoto was ten times more prosperous than Jinling City. The city walls were tens of meters high, connected to the dragon vein below and covered with feng shui formations above. Its extravagance and prosperity could not be compared with even the later Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

The city wall was entirely made of an unknown stone, and it was engraved with mysterious runes. The runes shimmered with mysterious light and flowed with a mysterious aura.

Standing atop the city wall were miniature giants, each ten meters tall, resembling statues, looking incredibly majestic and imposing.

"This is Kyoto, we've finally arrived!" one of the bodyguards said, his voice hoarse and his face weathered. The journey had been tough, with wind and sun that had taken their toll.

Zhang Chen echoed, "As expected of the capital, its majestic and imposing presence is awe-inspiring."

The city walls were filled with dragon energy, which was a hundred or a thousand times stronger than that of the Pingbian Prince's Palace. Even a twelfth-level expert would not be able to use any supernatural powers and would obediently turn into a mortal.

Unfortunately, Zhang Chen cultivates the immortal path and practices Qi cultivation. Under the suppression of dragon energy, his blood cultivation may not be able to be used, but his supernatural abilities can still be used without hindrance.

At the very center of the city, three obscure streams of energy flowed, hidden within the dragon's aura; these were the three innate spiritual treasures of the Great Victory Dynasty.

"Once we enter the capital, the only means we can use is martial arts, and the strongest martial artists are the government officials. So, once we enter the city, we must not get into conflicts with those powerful families." Chen Ping instructed Zhang Chen, "Even if you want to fight, you should do it after you leave the capital."

Zhang Chen nodded upon hearing this, then turned to Chen Ping and asked, "What's the next procedure? Are we going directly to pay our respects to the Grand Steward, or what?"

“The Grand Steward will be on duty in the capital, and will have three days off each month. We need to settle in the capital, rest, and then prepare some generous gifts before we pay our respects to the Grand Steward.” Chen Ping asked, “Brother Zhang, will you settle in with us, or will you go to find your family?”

"Someone has come to pick me up!" Upon hearing Chen Ping's words, Zhang Chen looked into the distance and saw a magnificent carriage approaching the escort agency's convoy from afar, stopping in front of the agency.

The carriage was magnificent, carved with exquisite runes, and emanated a unique fragrance, clearly indicating its exceptional craftsmanship.

The most crucial element was that the cart was not pulled by horses, but by two ferocious tigers. The tigers had pure white fur and exuded a majestic aura. Wherever they went, the people gave way, and even the little giant guarding the city subconsciously took a step back.

"Who is this important person traveling?" The common people of the capital and the nobles passing by were shocked when they saw the white tiger pulling the carriage, and they quickly gave way.

When the镖局 (escort agency) members saw the white tiger pulling the cart, their horses all went out of control, causing chaos and disarray. The镖师 (escort agents) trembled in the legs. The tiger was tall, majestic, and powerful, standing at least three meters tall. Its eyes gleamed with a terrifying light, and a terrifying demonic aura emanated from its body. It was actually a seventh-level Great Demon King.

Even Zhang Chen couldn't help but marvel at the arrogance of the Inspectorate when a seventh-tier demon came to pull the cart.

The carriage stopped in front of the escort agency's convoy, and the curtain was lifted, revealing a gentle face familiar to Zhang Chen: "Brother Zhang, I've finally waited for you in the capital. Why did you take so many years to come to the capital?" Xie Lingyun's voice was full of complaints, and her words were filled with dissatisfaction.

Zhang Chen spent four years inside the tomb, plus the time he spent in Jinling City, and the journey south from the north, and seven or eight years passed in the blink of an eye.

Seven or eight years have passed, but Xie Lingyun is still the same Xie Lingyun. After attaining the Dao of the Primordial Spirit, time has not left any trace on her face.

Xie Lingyun's voice was filled with dissatisfaction: "The most crucial thing is that you haven't written to me all these years."

Zhang Chen smiled helplessly: "This is not my fault. Wasn't it because of an accident that things were delayed? I was trapped inside the tomb for four years."

Then he turned to Chen Ping and said, "It seems we have to part ways. You just go and set up camp in peace, and I will find you."

Chen Ping glanced at the two majestic tigers, then at Zhang Chen, and suddenly felt a surge of motivation. He was filled with boundless confidence in Zhang Chen's promise to settle things with the Grand Steward.

After Zhang Chen finished speaking, he didn't stand on ceremony and boarded the carriage. As soon as he entered the carriage, Zhang Chen was shocked by Xie Lingyun's extravagance. The carriage was completely covered with the hides of demonic beasts, and beads were embedded in the carriage. The beads emitted a cool aura, making the whole carriage as cool as autumn.

Kyoto is located south of Jiangnan, and the weather is hot, just like the summer in the Jiangnan region in later times, making people feel unbearably hot. Xie Lingyun actually has a cool bead, which must be some kind of rare treasure.

Zhang Chen glanced at the carriage and then looked at the center of it, where a small table was placed. On the table were fresh fruits, pears, and peaches, and there were also sticks of incense burning in an incense burner. The incense was not ordinary either; it was the spiritual wood that Zhang Chen had given him to enhance his Yang spirit.

On the left side of the car, there was a shelf with a stack of books on it. Mysterious energy flowed through the books, which were clearly not ordinary items.

"How extravagant!" Zhang Chen sat down on the small stool without any hesitation and picked up an apple from the table to eat.

"Heh, what's so extravagant about this? Those truly ancient and prestigious families are the ones who are truly extravagant." Xie Lingyun personally peeled a grape for Zhang Chen, who swallowed it in one gulp. Then, Zhang Chen cursed, "You rich dogs! They're all rich dogs!"

After speaking, Zhang Chen looked at Xie Lingyun and asked, "How did you find me?"

"Your trail is so obvious, if I can't find you, then the Inspectorate is not qualified to oversee the world."

That makes sense. Zhang Chen nodded in agreement: "Since you know about me, I suppose many others do as well."

"Of course, that's why I went to meet you outside the city first, to avoid you causing trouble," Xie Lingyun said.

"Is someone trying to cause me trouble?" Zhang Chen understood the implied meaning.

"Whether it's Zhang Gaoqiu or Chu Mingyue from the inner palace, they all hate you so much they wish they could get rid of you. In this capital, it's too easy to deal with you. As long as we catch your trail, given your status as a criminal, leaving your territory without permission is a capital offense," Xie Lingyun said with a smile.

Upon hearing Xie Lingyun's words, Zhang Chen immediately lost interest in the apple in his hand: "I haven't even arrived in the capital yet, and there are already undercurrents. Where can I go to reason with them?"

"You think this is all the storm has to do with? The real trouble is the Eight Great Families! The Eight Great Families are inclined to hand you over to the Prince of Pingbian, and then appease him to stabilize the situation in the North. The ones who really want you dead are the allies behind your Zhang family. The Prince of Pingbian is the biggest foundation for the Eight Great Families in the capital, and they cannot allow any mishap to happen to him. He is the strongest trump card that the Eight Great Families hold in their hands," Xie Lingyun said.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen stopped eating: "I can tell. Many people want me dead, and the quicker the better."

"What about the one in the palace?" Zhang Chen asked.

Xie Lingyun shook her head: "No one knows what that person in the palace is thinking, but with the Grand Eunuch, us, and Old Master Zhong supporting you, even if the King really wants to touch you, he will have to think twice before he acts."

"Grandpa Zhong?" Zhang Chen asked in surprise.

“Zhong Xiang’s grandfather!” Xie Lingyun said.

(End of this chapter)