I picked up skill fragments in the demon world.

Chapter 946 The tide is in my hands!

Zhang Chen sneered at Zhang Gaqi, then looked at Zhang Shenqi, whose face was contorted with rage: "Look, if we let him live, he will definitely hold a grudge and refuse to let it go. He will do everything he can to ruin my plans. I will not be so soft-hearted as to act like a woman."

Zhang Chen waved his hand impatiently: "Cut it off!"

At this moment, one of Zhang Shenqi's loyal men drew his long sword and, without saying a word, slashed at Zhang Shenqi's head. With Zhang Shenqi's unwilling scream, a head the size of a bucket flew into the sky, and blood splattered three feet high.

"Please, Patriarch, ascend to the highest position and lead my Zhang family to prosperity!" The disciple said to Zhang Chen after killing Zhang Shenqi.

"Hehe, don't rush to take over as the head of the family. First, kill all of Zhang Shenqi's family members and descendants." Zhang Chen said unhurriedly, "Only when I see your performance will I truly believe that you have pledged allegiance to me."

"Zhang Chen, they are all your brothers and sisters, how could you be so heartless?" Zhang Gaqi's face paled upon hearing this, and he rebuked him.

“Today I killed their father, and in the future they will surely seek revenge against me at all costs. Do you think I should just wait for them to take revenge on me in the future if I don’t nip it in the bud?” Zhang Chen said coldly.

“I can guarantee that they won’t retaliate against you in the future. I’ll stake my life on it,” Zhang Gaqi said quickly.

“Your head is worthless! You yourself are worthless! If you had any skill at all, the situation wouldn’t have deteriorated to this point.” Zhang Chen shook his head, said expressionlessly to Zhang Gaqi, then turned to look at the Zhang family’s warriors:
"Let me see your performance."

As Zhang Chen finished speaking, everyone hesitated. Fourth Uncle said, "Don't hesitate, do it!"

As a family that has been passed down for thousands of years, they naturally know how to choose when it comes to the inheritance of bloodlines. Zhang Chen holds the lifeline of the Zhang family's bloodline inheritance, and he is the one who holds the power.

Amidst the cries and screams from inside the Zhang family's old house, countless women and children were dragged out. Zhang Gaqi's face was extremely grim: "Zhang Chen, you will lose people's hearts by doing this."

"As long as I control the lifeline of the Zhang family's bloodline, what use are people's hearts? People's hearts are the most worthless thing!" Zhang Chen scoffed upon hearing this: "Cut them all off!"

As Zhang Chen finished speaking, heads rolled down, blood spurted out, staining the ancestral temple red.

"You beast! They are all your brothers and sisters! How could you be so heartless and depraved? You will get your retribution sooner or later! I really regret helping you do so many wrong things. I should have helped my second brother kill you back then." Zhang Gaqi glared at Zhang Chen, his eyes red.

Zhang Chen turned to look at Zhang Gaqi and said, "I've been lenient with you enough because I appreciate your kindness in raising the three kids. I've tolerated your repeated offenses to me. I hope this is the last time. If there's a next time, you can go and keep Zhang Shenqi company."

Zhang Chen's voice wasn't cold; in fact, it was as gentle as a spring breeze. But upon hearing it, Zhang Gaqi couldn't help but tremble. His eyes widened in terror as he looked at Zhang Chen. He knew Zhang Chen was a man of iron will; if he said something, he would definitely do it.

After Zhang Chen finished speaking, he ignored Zhang Gaqi and quietly looked at the pile of heads on the ground. A look of emotion appeared in his eyes. Then he turned to look at the disciples and elders of the Zhang family. Their expressions varied. Some were angry, some were sad, and some were indifferent and aloof.

"Next, you will all pursue and kill the remnants of Zhang Shenqi's lineage with all your might. For each remnant you capture, I will reward them with a bottle of Yellow Springs Water." Zhang Chen's eyes swept over the crowd, a hint of emotion appearing in his gaze:
"From this day forward, all children of the Zhang family, whether direct or collateral, may come to the Zhang family's old residence to receive a drop of Yellow Spring Water to activate their bloodline. As for those whose bloodline has already been activated, direct descendants within three generations may receive a drop of Yellow Spring Water every year. Beyond three generations, those who have made meritorious contributions may receive Yellow Spring Water."

"Do any of you have any objections to this charter?" Zhang Chen asked.

Everyone looked at each other, none daring to object. At this moment, they all chose to remain silent.

For everyone, the continuation of their bloodline was the most important thing; everything else was secondary. How much Yellow Spring Water they obtained, or what level they reached in their cultivation, was of little concern to them. Before the Yellow Spring Water existed, hadn't they all still grown strong?

"Of course, I, Zhang Chen, am not a stingy person. Each of the first batch of people who supported me received a bottle of Yellow Spring Water. Everyone, hurry up and find containers. I will distribute the Yellow Spring Water to everyone," Zhang Chen instructed.

Upon hearing Zhang Chen's words, Uncle San and his group were overjoyed, their eyes gleaming with ecstasy. This was the reward for their gamble; the reward had arrived.

Zhang Chen was a man of his word. He possessed a vast river of Yellow Springs water, so of course he wouldn't be stingy with the mere water of the Yellow Springs.

As countless servants washed the ground, the stench of blood in the Zhang family's old residence gradually dissipated. People from various branches led their children of the appropriate age to the ancestral temple. Zhang Chen took out a large bucket of Yellow Springs water and asked the children to line up, distributing the next drop of Yellow Springs water in turn.

As for the first batch of supporters who pledged allegiance to Zhang Chen, Zhang Chen was very generous and directly distributed the Yellow Springs Water. After the Yellow Springs Water was distributed, the Zhang family members secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that their worries could be put to rest. Zhang Chen's lavishness showed that he had a considerable amount of Yellow Springs Water.

After the water of the underworld was distributed, the crowd did not disperse but gathered in the ancestral hall to await Zhang Chen's next instructions. After all, the internal problems of the Zhang family had been resolved, but the external problems of the Zhang family were still a concern.

"Master, what should we do about the Gong family's affairs next?" Third Uncle stepped forward and asked.

After a moment's thought, Zhang Chen said, "Whether the Gong family can be destroyed does not depend on my Zhang family, but on the Dasheng royal family. If the Dasheng royal family acquiesces, the destruction of the Gong family will be just a matter of moments."

“But the Gong family has already pledged allegiance to the Dasheng royal family. If we want to destroy the Gong family, the Dasheng royal family will definitely not agree.” The fourth uncle chimed in.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen laughed: "Not at all! The Gong family is now involved with the Tree of Immortality. As long as we continue to make a fuss and completely confirm that the Gong family has seized the Tree of Immortality, do we really need to take action to destroy the Gong family? The first thing the Great Victory Royal Family will do is destroy the Gong family!"

"But we have no idea how to get the Gong family to confirm the existence of the Tree of Immortality," said the Third Uncle.

If things were really that easy to handle, the Zhang family wouldn't have been left helpless.

"Gentlemen, there's no need to worry. I have my own plan. All Zhang family disciples have withdrawn. There's no need to get entangled with the Gong family anymore. Just wait for my news and await the final blow." Zhang Chen said with a smile, appearing confident of victory: "Even the King of Pingbian fell into my hands back then, let alone a mere Gong family? I will definitely make them suffer."

Zhang Chen dismissed the members of the Zhang family, then stood in front of the Zhang family's ancestral temple, gazing at the Zhang family's memorial tablets for a long time without speaking.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Chen smiled slightly and arrived at the Zhang family compound. Looking at the craftsmen who were rebuilding the Zhang family compound, he smiled slightly and said, "I didn't expect the power grab to be so smooth. It seems that the courtyard that I asked Xie Lingyun to buy will be temporarily unnecessary."

"Once the Zhang family's old house is repaired, I can get married there. That way, I'll have a place to hold my wedding." Zhang Chen sat in the armchair, sniffing the bloody smell between his nose and mouth. His brows furrowed slightly as he pondered how to deal with the Gong family.

Regarding how to deal with the Gong family, Zhang Chen had several plans in mind. He had two methods. The first was to send all twelve Blood God Children into the Gong family to possess key members of the Gong family's direct lineage. The second method was to invite the Gong family members to his wedding, and then use the same trick to make the Longevity Tree within the Gong family appear, so that the Great Victory Royal Family wouldn't hesitate to kill the Gong family.

"But using my wedding to make plans seems a bit inappropriate, since a person only has one wedding in their lifetime." Countless thoughts raced through Zhang Chen's mind as he lightly tapped his fingers on the table, ultimately abandoning the second plan.

After pondering for a long time, Zhang Chen's figure flashed, and he used the Earth Escape Technique to disappear from the original spot. The timeline showed that he had arrived at the Gong family's old residence. Inside the Gong family's old residence, the atmosphere was tense, and countless Gong family disciples were coming and going.

Zhang Chen entered an empty room and summoned the fox spirit Nannan: "How much do you know about the Gong family?"

"I've gathered most of the information. If you want to know anything, just ask me," said the fox spirit, Nannan.

“I have twelve Blood God Children, and I want to choose twelve of the most important people in the Gong family to possess. In this way, I can secretly and silently take control of the Gong family. So do you know who the twelve most crucial people in the Gong family are?” Zhang Chen asked.

“The most important ones are, of course, the head of the Gong family and his three sons,” the fox spirit Nannan said without hesitation.

Thus, four slots for the Blood God Child have already been allocated, leaving eight slots remaining.

After a moment's thought, the fox spirit Nannan said, "The Gong family has three uncles who are key figures. These three people must be brought under control."

Zhang Chen nodded upon hearing this. Seven spots had already been taken, leaving five spots remaining.

"Then there's the brother of the Gong family head. His twin brother is also a key helper to him, and can be considered his sworn brother," said the fox fairy Nannan.

In just a few simple sentences, Zhang Chen's core ideas have been clearly outlined.

"Then I'll start with the head of the Gong family!" Zhang Chen thought to himself.

(End of this chapter)