I picked up skill fragments in the demon world.

Chapter 904 Life and Death Appearance
Zhang Gaqi was somewhat dissatisfied with Zhang Gaoling's attitude, but he couldn't show it, only his expression darkened slightly.

“Zhang Chen, I’ve heard of your reputation. Although you have some skills, you can’t compare to Zhang Gaoyue. Now that you’ve returned to the family, just enjoy the family’s offerings and don’t think about causing any more trouble or disrupting the Zhang family’s peace. Zhang Gaoyue is the number one among the younger generation of our Zhang family. Even in the academy, she ranks among the top ten. Only someone like her can lead our Zhang family to glory. I know what you’re thinking. Although your father was the previous head of the Zhang family, it doesn’t mean you will necessarily be the head of the Zhang family!” Zhang Gaoling stared at Zhang Chen, his words utterly merciless.

Zhang Chen looked at Zhang Gaoling, his smile unchanged, making it impossible to discern his true thoughts.

"Zhang Gaoyue, what nonsense are you spouting here! If you don't want to come, you don't have to! We invited you here to support us, not to cause trouble and annoy everyone." Zhang Gaqi glared angrily at the young man in front of him.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Gaoyue glanced at Zhang Chen, then coldly snorted, "Fourth Uncle, I'm not feeling well, so I'll go back and rest for now. I won't be participating in the rest of the trip."

Zhang Gaoyue turned and left, and a group of younger people in the arena followed suit. In the blink of an eye, more than half of the people in the arena had left.

The atmosphere in the room immediately turned cold, and Zhang Gaqi's face turned somewhat ugly. At this moment, a chubby little boy who had been standing next to Zhang Gaoyue walked up with a smile and bowed to Zhang Chen: "Big brother, my name is Zhang Gaodan. I greet you, big brother."

Upon seeing Zhang Gaodan, Zhang Gaqi's expression softened somewhat: "This is my good-for-nothing son."

"Greetings, young brother." Zhang Chen quickly returned the greeting.

Zhang Gaodan approached with a grin and said, "Brother Zhang, I've heard of your name for a long time, and I've admired you for a long time."

Then he said to Zhang Gaqi, "Brother Zhang, leave it to me. I'll introduce you to the brothers. You can go about your business."

After speaking, he pulled Zhang Chen into the crowd and began to get to know the younger generation of the Zhang family.

As everyone got to know each other, Zhang Chen met many outstanding young talents in the Zhang family. Although the Zhang family, as one of the eight great families in the capital, had some good-for-nothings, they were ultimately a minority.

After the introductions were finished, Zhang Gaodan pulled Zhang Chen aside and whispered, "Don't take Zhang Gaoling's words to heart. Zhang Gaoling and his group have long been mixed up with Zhang Gaoyue's group and can't be friends with us. He's a die-hard fan of Zhang Gaoyue. In addition, when Zhang Gaoqiu came back from Jinling, he spread rumors about you and ruined your reputation. In the eyes of the Zhang family, your reputation is already completely tarnished."

"Who is Zhang Gaoyue?" Zhang Chen asked.

"Zhang Shenqi's eldest son, and the future nominal head of our Zhang family," the chubby boy explained.

Little Zhang Gaodan is chubby and fair-skinned, looking very festive, making people want to grab and pinch his chubby face.

Zhang Gaodan was only fourteen years old, three years younger than Zhang Chen. Her eyes were bright and clear, constantly darting around, making her look quite clever.

Then Zhang Gaodan began to introduce the specific situation of the Zhang family to Zhang Chen. Many unknown inside stories of the Zhang family began to be revealed to Zhang Chen.

Needless to say, some of the older generation of the Zhang family were supporters and die-hard fans of the former patriarch Zhang Kecheng, and they are the older generation who came today.

Another group was won over by the current owner, Zhang Shenqi, who promised them great benefits, and they became his staunch supporters.

Another group chose to remain neutral, observing without taking any action.

As a result, the Zhang family is now divided into two parts: one part supports the current head of the family in order to ensure the stability of the family, while the other part is an old-fashioned group that still insists on the legitimate succession and acts in a rigid manner, choosing to support Zhang Kecheng's son.

As for the neutral faction, their attitudes were quite complicated. Some believed that Zhang Chen had demonstrated ruthless methods in the north and was qualified to succeed as the head of the Zhang family. However, they feared that if Zhang Chen were replaced, Zhang Shenqi would not agree, which would inevitably lead to internal strife.

The older generation of the Zhang family now have mixed feelings. Some seek stability, some stand by and watch, and others insist on Zhang Kecheng's restoration.

Thinking about the current situation of the Zhang family, Zhang Chen inexplicably thought of the dynasty in his previous life. After the old emperor died, the crown prince grew up and ascended the throne. Only the emperor's own brother could succeed him. Now that the crown prince has grown up, what will be the situation of the dynasty? It's incredibly complicated!

In short, the Zhang family's situation was very complicated at this time!

Those who insisted on restoration were not necessarily optimistic about Zhang Chen. It was simply that after Zhang Shenqi came to power, he carried out a series of crackdowns on the henchmen and right-hand men that Zhang Kecheng had cultivated. Their power was gradually eroded by Zhang Shenqi and replaced by Zhang Shenqi's relatives and cronies.

If Zhang Chen hadn't returned, Zhang Shenqi's actions would have been perfectly legitimate, and the elders would have had no choice but to accept it, unable to resist Zhang Shenqi. But now that Zhang Chen has returned, it has given everyone an opportunity to make a fuss.

"As for the younger generation, Zhang Gaoyue is simply too outstanding. No one in the Zhang family's younger generation dares to disagree. Most of them have been won over by her. The rest, like us, are just too incompetent. She looks down on us and refuses to include us. It's all because the older generation has a grudge that has carried over to the younger generation and they can't resolve it. Naturally, we can't get along." The chubby boy didn't hide the truth of the matter. He even openly admitted that his own bloodline and aptitude were poor and that he couldn't squeeze into her inner circle.

Zhang Chen glanced at Zhang Gaodan. This chubby boy was quite shrewd. Zhang Gaqi was a neutral party, and even in his heart, he was on Zhang Shenqi's side. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to persuade him to give up on recognizing his ancestors. But the other party still sent Zhang Gaodan to approach him, probably for the sake of the Yellow Springs Water.

For the Zhang family, the Yellow Springs Water is an unparalleled divine medicine for cultivation, a wonderful thing that can transform one's body and change one's aptitude, and can also awaken the Zhang family's supreme supernatural powers, so the importance of the Yellow Springs Water needs no further explanation.

"I can use the water of the Yellow Springs to shake the morale of the Zhang family, but I can't just send the water out directly. That would be like a foolish son of a landlord. I need to set up some tests." Countless thoughts flashed through Zhang Chen's mind. If he wanted to seize the position of head of the Zhang family, he couldn't do it alone. He needed to find some people to cheer him on.

“This is not a world where one person fights alone. Although martial prowess is the key to everything, it requires absolute martial suppression. Although I have now entered the twelfth level, I am not completely invincible unless I reach the Dao Fruit realm through extreme sublimation. At that time, I can naturally sweep away everything. However, after entering the Dao Fruit realm, there will be too many unknown tribulations.” Zhang Chen looked at the chubby little boy Zhang Gaodan in front of him, his mind flashing with thoughts.

He not only wanted to steal the Book of Life and Death, but also to use the Water of the Underworld to win over people's hearts. If the Book of Life and Death were lost, it would be almost impossible for the descendants of the Zhang family to awaken their bloodline in the future. The Zhang family's bloodline would decline generation after generation. At that time, the importance of the Water of the Underworld would become apparent.

In fact, the waters of the Yellow Springs are not only important to the Zhang family, but also to all cultivators who practice the path of the soul.

Zhang Gaodan and Zhang Chen discussed many things about the Zhang family, giving Zhang Chen a better understanding of the power structure within the Zhang family.

After having a simple lunch at the Zhang family's house, Zhang Gaqi led Zhang Chen to bathe and cleanse themselves. After washing up, they went to the Zhang family's ancestral hall.

The Zhang family ancestral hall contains hundreds of thousands of memorial tablets, densely packed and layered, as if containing spatial power. Otherwise, even though the Zhang family ancestral hall is large enough, it would not be able to accommodate hundreds of thousands of memorial tablets.

"The Zhang family has been passed down from the mysterious and unpredictable ancient era to the present day. Countless times they have weathered storms and faced the threat of extermination, but they have always survived. Do you know why?" The third uncle, who was leading the family, stood under the memorial tablet and looked at the tablet that stretched into the void without a top, and asked.

He was asking Zhang Chen, who shook his head, indicating that he didn't know.

The Third Uncle picked up the incense stick and inserted it into the cauldron in front of him: "That's because my Zhang family has two supreme treasures. One is the Book of Life and Death, and the other is the Animal Path. The Book of Life and Death records the life and death of all living beings. As long as one's cultivation level has not exceeded the twelfth rank, their life and death will be controlled by the Book of Life and Death, and we can modify their lifespan. Moreover, the Animal Path allows my Zhang family bloodline to jump into reincarnation when faced with an insurmountable enemy, and still be reborn as a human without losing their memories, thus escaping the calamity."

The Book of Life and Death is powerful in some ways, but not so powerful in others. It can only govern the life and death of cultivators below the Dao Fruit realm, which is too limiting.

Of course, in this degenerate age, the Book of Life and Death is powerful enough, and there is probably no one in the world who can stop its power.

"It is precisely because the Zhang family possesses the Book of Life and Death that the Great Victory Royal Family is so wary of them. The Pingbian King of the North is merely a bargaining chip for the Zhang family, not the foundation upon which the Zhang family stands in the world," said the Third Uncle.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen was puzzled: "Grandson doesn't understand. Since the Zhang family controls the Book of Life and Death, they should replace the Chai family. As long as the Book of Life and Death is filled in, all the lives of the Chai family members will be wiped out. Wouldn't the Zhang family then be the only one in power? Who could do anything to the Zhang family?"

Third Uncle nodded upon hearing this: "I know what you're thinking, but activating the Book of Life and Death requires consuming lifespan to replenish it. Moreover, the Great Victory King is protected by dragon energy and is immune to all magic. If we want to use the power of the Book of Life and Death to take the King's life, the price we have to pay is beyond imagination, and it will also attract divine punishment. Furthermore, the Book of Life and Death is too taboo and is feared by all the major families in the world, so we dare not act rashly."

(End of this chapter)