I picked up skill fragments in the demon world.

Chapter 1062 Stepmother
Zhang Chen glanced at Zhou Biao with a look of surprise. He hadn't expected the other party to make such a good arrangement. However, he did not refuse and instead nodded: "Cultivate diligently. If you encounter any difficulties on your cultivation path, feel free to come and find me."

Wang Biao was, after all, a senior guard at a prison in Shanghai, so he had some connections. If he wanted to, it wouldn't be difficult for him to exonerate himself or devise a plan.

Wang Biao then took out a small cloth bundle from his pocket and handed it to Zhang Chen: "These are some grain coupons, please accept them."

Zhang Chen nodded without refusing, took the package, and casually stuffed it into his pocket: "When can I get out of prison?"

"I will personally see you out tomorrow morning," Wang Biao said respectfully.

Zhang Chen nodded and then stopped asking questions. Instead, he discussed martial arts with Wang Biao. After talking for two hours, Wang Biao looked at Zhang Chen with a hesitant expression in his eyes.

"What do you want to say?" Zhang Chen was a man of great stature, and he naturally saw through Wang Biao's doubtful expression.

"You were arrested for engaging in feudal superstition. Is feudal superstition really superstition, or is it actually true?" Wang Biao asked.

In the past, if he hadn't met someone like Zhang Chen, he would never have believed that there were people with extraordinary powers in the world.

A martial artist may be strong, but he is still within the realm of humanity. In his mind, Zhang Chen could no longer be considered human.

"Of course there are, but it's hard to find them nowadays because of the changes in the environment." As Zhang Chen spoke, his body twisted and turned into a puddle of water that flowed out. Then, to Wang Biao's astonishment, it disappeared through the crack in the door.

Wang Biao quickly opened the door and saw Zhang Chen standing outside, his eyes quietly looking at him: "Did you see that?"

Wang Biao looked at Zhang Chen as if he were a god: "I see him."

"It's enough that you saw it, don't make a fuss about it." Zhang Chen slowly walked into the house.

"With such abilities, where in the world can't you go? Why would you willingly be imprisoned?" Wang Biao looked at Zhang Chen's back, his voice full of incomprehension. If he had such abilities, he would have already escaped from prison.

"I just want a quiet life. I don't want to cause too much trouble, nor do I want to live an anonymous, secretive life," Zhang Chen replied.

"With such skills, if you were to carry out assassinations, no one in the world could stop you. Whoever you wish to die, will die!" Wang Biao said with a look of deep emotion.

Zhang Chen smiled but didn't say anything. Instead, he waved for Wang Biao to leave, leaving Zhang Chen standing in the room, pondering what to do after his release from prison.

"There's a whole mess waiting for me outside," Zhang Chen muttered to himself. His family was really a handful, so he might as well cut ties with them as soon as possible to avoid getting involved later.

Nothing in the night

The next morning, before Zhang Chen was even released from prison, a jailer respectfully approached his door and said, "Sir, someone has come to visit you in prison."

"Visiting? Who would visit me?" Zhang Chen looked surprised upon hearing this, but after thinking for a moment, he followed the jailer out. Soon they arrived at the visiting area, where they could see a young and beautiful figure in the distance, dressed in a very fashionable manner, pacing back and forth outside the bars, looking very anxious.

"Shi Yunan!" Zhang Chen looked at that stylishly dressed face, and countless fragments of memories popped into his mind.

This is my childhood sweetheart whom I supported from childhood to university.

Shi Yunan and Zhang Chen have been deskmates since elementary school and are childhood sweethearts. However, Shi Yunan's family favored boys over girls. When Zhang Chen failed his college entrance exam in junior high school, he went to work in a steel mill. Shi Yunan originally wanted to drop out of school and work in a steel mill to secure a lucrative job, but her parents gave all the available spots to her brother.

At that time, Zhang Chen stepped forward and used his meager salary to support Shi Yunan's continued studies.

Although her parents disapproved of her, Shi Yuhuan was truly ambitious. She not only got into high school but also went on to university, becoming one of the earliest university students in the Great Han Dynasty. This year marks her graduation.

"Zhang Chen!"

As Zhang Chen walked out of the cell, Shi Yunan turned around, her eyes meeting his, and called out to him from afar.

"Why are you here?" Zhang Chen asked.

"I graduated a few days ago and came back. I immediately inquired about you and heard that you were being held in jail, so I rushed over to see you." Shi Yunan looked at Zhang Chen and quickly picked up a package from the side.
"I brought you some blankets and some food, so you can have a good meal while you're inside."

Zhang Chen looked at the beautiful young woman in front of him. Although she seemed very enthusiastic, he couldn't help but feel a sense of distance from her that was hard to describe.

"You've graduated?" Zhang Chen asked.

"Yeah! I was sent back to work in the finance department of our steel plant." Shi Yanan looked at Zhang Chen and sighed. Zhang Chen looked surprised and said, "Then we can be together every day from now on."

Upon hearing Zhang Chen's words, Shi Yunan immediately began to stammer. Seeing Shi Yunan's expression, Zhang Chen's heart stirred, and he asked, "What's wrong?"

Shi Yanan said, "I've already inquired. Although you won't be shot for this crime, you'll still be exiled to the borderlands for service, for a minimum of ten or eight years, or as short as twenty or thirty years..."

Zhang Chen looked quietly at Shi Yanan: "So?"

"Are you going to sell your job quota? Since you're being relocated and your job is already void, you might as well sell it. I can help you make some money to tide you over." Shi Yanan looked at Zhang Chen with tenderness and reached out to take Zhang Chen's hand. "That way, you can come back sooner, and we can get married sooner."

"Selling a job? If the price is right, it's not impossible." Zhang Chen stepped forward and grasped the other person's delicate hand.
"Yu Nan, you're still the best to me. I'll have to trouble you to take care of things for me outside. Once I'm out, I'll go to your house to propose marriage."

When Shi Yunan saw that Zhang Chen was willing to sell his job, she smiled and subtly withdrew her hand from his: "Don't worry, I will naturally do my best for you."

Zhang Chen looked at the girl in front of him. She was fair-skinned and beautiful. No wonder she had bewitched the previous owner. It was a pity that she couldn't do anything decent.

After giving Zhang Chen a few more instructions, Shi Yanan turned and hurriedly left, leaving Zhang Chen standing in the prison, silently watching Shi Yanan's retreating figure.

"Master, you're so lucky with the ladies." At this moment, Wang Biao walked in from outside and said to Zhang Chen with a smile, "You can take advantage of this month-long holiday to get married after you leave."

Zhang Chen shook his head upon hearing this: "What good fortune? I've already been cheated on. Send someone to check who she's been getting close to lately and find out what's going on with her."

Wang Biao was taken aback upon hearing this, then a murderous look appeared on his face, and he said, "Don't worry, leave the rest to me, I will definitely satisfy him."

"I'm here to process your release paperwork," Wang Biao said respectfully.

Zhang Chen nodded without refusing. He followed Wang Biao through the formalities, signed and fingerprinted the document, and walked out of the prison. He glanced blankly at the street, then hailed a donkey cart and headed towards the home he remembered.

Shanghai is a metropolis. Zhang's father was a steelworker, and the original owner of this body was also a steelworker, so the family's life was not bad.

They traveled by car all the way to the vicinity of the steel plant. Nowadays, the area around the steel plant is full of tenement buildings, and the Zhang family lives in a two-courtyard house.

The courtyard was not originally the Zhang family's courtyard. When the country was first pacified, everything was in ruins and people were fleeing with their families. Whoever occupied the courtyard owned it. The courtyard occupied by the Zhang family originally belonged to a wealthy local family. After the wealthy family fled, they were never heard from again. Then the Zhang family took over the courtyard.

The gate was open, and Zhang Chen pushed it open and went inside. He saw his stepmother hanging out the sheets in the yard. The noise of the door opening startled his stepmother, Wang Fang, who looked at Zhang Chen as if she had seen a ghost, staring at him in disbelief: "Why are you back?"

"This is my home, can't I come back?" Zhang Chen walked into the courtyard and looked coldly at Wang Fang.

Wang Fang is in her forties this year. Because she doesn't work for many years, she is supported by Zhang's father and Zhang Chen. As a result, she has fair and delicate skin.

"You...you weren't locked up in prison? How did you get out?" Wang Fang stared wide-eyed at Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen glanced coldly at Wang Fang. He knew that Wang Fang was responsible for his false accusation and imprisonment, but this was not the time to argue with her.

Zhang Chen gave a cold snort, then ignored Wang Fang and went into his house.

It was broad daylight, and Zhang's father had already gone to work. Only Zhang Xiao and Wang Fang, who had nothing to do, were left at home. After hearing the commotion outside, Zhang Xiao came out of the house and stared blankly at Zhang Chen's retreating figure as he closed the door: "Wasn't he locked up in prison? How did he get out?"

She quickly went to Wang Fang's side: "Mom, he's out. What about my job?"

Wang Fang's expression shifted between light and dark upon hearing this, but she quickly regained her composure: "What's the panic? He committed such a serious crime, how could he possibly be released? He must have escaped from prison. You should report this to the authorities immediately and have them arrest him."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiao perked up and immediately turned and ran towards the door.

Inside the house

Zhang Chen looked at his own little nest. The whole house was in a mess, turned upside down, and looked tattered. Even the quilts were torn to shreds, and there was no place to step.

"I'm really short-handed. I wonder if I could raise some little ghosts and have them do my bidding." Zhang Chen felt a headache coming on just looking at the dilapidated room. He was a clean freak and couldn't tolerate his room being in such a mess.

(End of this chapter)