I picked up skill fragments in the demon world.

Chapter 902 Repair
What was gold to Zhang Chen?
Since he mastered the power of the five elements, gold and iron lumps are no different; gold is just a worthless iron lump.

Fifty pounds of gold doesn't look very big because gold has a very high density.

Although Kyoto's housing prices are outrageously high, fifty pounds of gold would be enough to buy most houses.

Fifty catties of gold is about 25,000 kilograms. If we calculate it at 800 yuan per gram, it would only be 20 million yuan, which is enough to buy most of the houses in Kyoto.

Xie Lingyun looked at the gold Zhang Chen had taken out and said with a hint of reproach, "Why are you being so polite? It's just a small house. If we want to stay and settle down in the capital, do we need to spend our own money? Do you really think the title of Inspector General is just for show?"

Xie Lingyun's voice was filled with dissatisfaction. With her current official position, if she wanted a courtyard, she only needed to let the word out, and someone would naturally take care of it for her.

“We can’t do anything immoral. Besides, we’re not short of money. If you want to buy a courtyard, just pay the money.” Zhang Chen said to Xie Lingyun, “If something can be solved with money, try to solve it with money. Money is the least valuable thing.”

He knew that the Xie family father and daughter had no money, otherwise he wouldn't have needed to be polite with them and could have just taken advantage of their wealth. But the key was that the Xie family father and daughter had no money either.

The Xie family father and daughter were considered to be upright individuals who did not exploit the people. The house they lived in in the capital was even a government-provided housing.

Zhang Chen placed the gold on Xie Lingyun's desk. Xie Lingyun looked Zhang Chen up and down and said, "You're quite generous. When did you become so rich?"

Zhang Chen reached out and grabbed at the air, and golden essence gathered, forming a piece of gold the size of an infant's head in the blink of an eye.

"You have this kind of trick up your sleeve? No wonder you were so arrogant, saying you had plenty of money!" Xie Lingyun was stunned by Zhang Chen's move.

Zhang Chen smiled smugly upon seeing this: "How about it?"

“It is indeed very good,” Xie Lingyun said.

Upon hearing Xie Lingyun's words, Zhang Chen said smugly, "That's why I said that things that can be solved with money aren't really big deals."

"I've made up my mind. I'm going to buy a house too, and a super big manor at that. Let's be neighbors." Xie Lingyun suddenly slammed her hand on the table.

"Where did you get so much money?" Zhang Chen looked at Xie Lingyun with surprise.

“I don’t have money, but you do,” Xie Lingyun said. “You can pay for the manor I’m buying.”

Zhang Chen was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's just some steel, consider it my treat."

Zhang Chen reached out and grabbed at the void, whereupon a mysterious aura gathered, and in no time a golden nugget weighing a ton appeared in Xie Lingyun's study: "Is this enough?"

“That’s enough! That’s more than enough!” Xie Lingyun said.

Seeing this, Zhang Chen withdrew his hand. Xie Lingyun looked at Zhang Chen with a burning gaze: "I have a bold idea."

“Your idea will lead to the collapse of the Great Victory Dynasty’s monetary system, and then it will be the ordinary people who suffer,” Zhang Chen said.

Xie Lingyun sighed helplessly, "Then we can only give up."

"I can't even imagine how many resources I could gather and how fast my cultivation would improve if I used gold to hollow out the entire Great Victory Dynasty one day." Xie Lingyun's voice was full of longing.

“Many things can’t be bought even if you have money; people won’t sell them. Gold can only buy ordinary cultivation resources; truly rare cultivation resources can’t be bought even if you have money.” Zhang Chen ruthlessly shattered Xie Lingyun’s illusions.

Upon hearing this, Xie Lingyun raised her head and gave Zhang Chen a disapproving look: "I was just thinking about it, having a dream. Can't I even have a nice dream?"

The two talked for a while before Xie Lingyun changed the subject: "When do you plan to acknowledge your ancestors and return to your clan?"

"Tomorrow," Zhang Chen said.

Xie Lingyun nodded upon hearing this: "If there are any plans that require my cooperation, you don't need to be polite, just tell me directly."

"I won't stand on ceremony with you, sister." After saying this, Zhang Chen discussed the situation in the capital with Xie Lingyun for a while before getting up to take his leave and returning to the Zhong family.

Upon arriving at the Zhong family residence, Zhang Chen was stopped by the gatekeeper: "Young master, the old master instructed that you come to his study upon your return, saying that there is a very important matter for him to discuss." "Lead the way," Zhang Chen said.

The two arrived at Old Master Zhong's study, where they found him sitting and writing something. Upon seeing Zhang Chen enter, Old Master Zhong stopped writing and looked at Zhang Chen with a sharp gaze: "You're back. Zhou Qiucheng came by earlier and brought you something."

As he spoke, Old Master Zhong picked up a note from the table and handed it to Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen took the post and looked surprised: "It's actually a post to join the academy."

"The task that the Great Victory King assigned to you can only be completed within the academy, so your joining the academy is a natural progression," said Old Master Zhong.

Upon hearing Old Master Zhong's words, Zhang Chen examined the invitation for a while before asking, "May my three little ones join the academy?"

"Joining the academy isn't difficult; it's just a matter of a little manipulation on our part. It's just that the situation within the academy is complicated, and I'm worried that the three of them might get hurt..." Zhong Wubai hesitated.

Upon hearing Zhong Wubai's words, Zhang Chen thought about Zhang Gaoqiu's elimination and his long journey to Jinling to study and compete for a place in the academy. He gained a better understanding of the situation of the eight great families in the capital. It seemed that the eight great families in the capital were in a bad situation. They were even blocked from having a place in the academy. It seemed that the situation of the eight great families was quite serious.

Zhang Chen's thoughts flashed through his mind, and he put the invitation away: "Joining the academy is not urgent. It's not too late to join the academy after I reconnect with my ancestors and awaken the Zhang family bloodline."

Zhang Chen hasn't even started anything yet, and he hasn't tied down the eight major families, so how could he possibly join the academy now?
He wanted to first create some trouble for the eight major families, to throw them into chaos, so that they wouldn't have the energy to create trouble for him, so that he could calmly and methodically manage the situation.

Zhang Chen put the invitation away, chatted with Old Master Zhong for a while, and then turned back to his own courtyard. There he saw Zhang Shi practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard, and the three little ones sitting cross-legged under the eaves meditating.

"Second mother!"

As Zhang Chen entered, he saw Zhang Shi dressed in black, holding a sword in her hand, her blood flowing rapidly as she diligently practiced martial arts. Zhang Chen called out, interrupting Zhang Shi's spellcasting, and respectfully greeted her.

"You're back? Have you had lunch?" Madam Zhang asked, putting away her sword.

“I’ve already eaten, but I have something I want to give you.” Zhang Chen took out a jade bottle about the size of a thumb from his sleeve, containing three drops of the Three Lights Divine Water:

"Your physical training has caused hidden injuries. If you don't repair them, they will definitely cause serious problems in the future. There are three drops of the Three Lights Divine Water in this bottle, which can bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded. It will help you recover from your hidden ailments."

"Such a good thing, it would be a waste for me to eat it. Let's save it for the three of them." Zhang took the bottle, and upon hearing that the contents could bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded, she immediately felt reluctant to part with it, thinking that she should leave the good stuff for the three little ones.

“There are still many of these items. I have already prepared suitable things for the three of them, so you don’t need to worry about them,” Zhang Chen explained to Zhang Shi.

This is Zhang Shi, always thinking of leaving the best for the three little ones. This is what Zhang Chen respects most about her. Otherwise, he would never have taken Zhang Shi, this burden, with him on their long escape to the north.

Although Zhang was not their mother, she was more like a mother to them.

Zhang Chen then beckoned to the maid in the corner: "Please trouble you, sister, to prepare a few basins of hot water."

The maidservant respectfully left, and Zhang Chen looked at Madam Zhang: "This thing has the effect of cleansing the marrow and removing impurities. Please be careful when you eat it, and you will need to wash up carefully in the room."

Seeing Zhang Chen's insistence, Zhang had no choice but to take the treasure.

Watching Zhang Shi's departing figure, Zhang Chen's gaze fell on the three little ones. As for their future, Zhang Chen had already prepared enough Yellow Spring Water. Once they condensed their Yin Spirits, Zhang Chen would naturally have the ability to help them condense Pure Yang Qi and reach the tenth level. After that, Zhang Chen would have to think twice about the three little ones' path to breakthrough. He was wondering whether to let them continue to break through, since the changes in the world had not yet stopped. What would happen to the three little ones if the upper limit that the world could accommodate decreased again in the future?
If the three little ones' cultivation level is low, Zhang Chen can still seal them. However, if their cultivation level is too high, the seal may not be as effective.

For Zhang Chen, ensuring his family's immortality was the most important thing. As for their cultivation level? With him protecting them, cultivation level wasn't that important to the three little ones.

"Unbeknownst to me, I have accumulated many attachments in this world, and too many unsolved mysteries surround me. For example, where did Shun go? Is he still alive? What is the whereabouts of Lady Biyun?" Zhang Chen pondered many things. He felt that he could start by following the Five Directions Flags to track down Lady Biyun. After all, Lady Biyun was left behind by the Queen Mother of the West to oversee the great formation, and the Five Directions Flags were the foundation of the Five Elements Great Formation. Therefore, following the Five Directions Flags would surely lead to clues about Lady Biyun.

Once we find Lady Biyun, we can naturally find out about Shun's whereabouts.

"The Northern Flag has fallen into the hands of Chen Zhifei, the Flood Flag Master. Once I've resolved things in the capital, I'll go find Chen Zhifei and find a way to collect all five flags. At that time, my Five Elements River will surely advance by leaps and bounds, increasing to an unbelievable level." Zhang Chen thought to himself, a smile playing on his lips.

For him, although this era is the end of the Dharma, it is the best of times! He has the opportunity to control and acquire many treasures that were unattainable in the past.

(End of this chapter)