Looking at the accumulation of five thousand three hundred Merit points, Jiang Chen was quite satisfied.
After arriving in the State of Yang and once the situation stabilized, he might just attempt to push his ranking in the Ethereal Realm's Heaven-Piercing realm matching battles.
In the Roaming Meridian realm and Cycle realm, he had only barely made it into the top hundred. He was eager to see what the top ten... even the very pinnacle looked like.
Not long after exiting the Ethereal Realm, Jiang Chen sensed something and reached out through the carriage window, catching a cloud crane.
The letter he had sent to the State of Yun had only just arrived.
The Chongxuan clan's coachman was well-trained, driving silently without casting a glance.
There were two letters.
Jiang Chen first opened Jiang An'an's letter.
The letter rambled on about various matters of daily life and cultivation.
She was still in the phase of training her body through martial arts, but reportedly her sister Ye Qingyu had already prepared an excellent Meridian-Opening Pill for her.
Jiang Chen felt the ten newly acquired Origin Stones he had, wondering if that would be enough to cover the cost... wondering if the Lingxiao Pavilion would accept Dao technique manuals as compensation.
Beyond that, the phrase written most often in the letter was—"I miss you so much!"
"I ate something delicious today. I miss you so much!"
"A few days ago, Sister Qingyu took me to play at the Cloud River. The Cloud River is so beautiful. I miss you so much!"
"Practicing calligraphy is so tiring. I miss you so much!"
No matter what she wrote, she always ended with "I miss you so much!"
At the end of the letter, she had written it three times in a row.
"I miss you so much!"
"I miss you so much!"
"I miss you so much!"
Jiang Chen read it with a smile spreading across his face, his heart warm and sweet.
Then came a pang of bittersweetness. He still couldn't go retrieve his sister. Jiang Chen, you must try even harder.
He gently rubbed the corners of his eyes and looked down to the signature: Little Hero Jiang Above the Clouds, Good An'an Beneath the Maple.
He couldn't help but laugh.
The little girl must have spent who knows how long perfecting that signature, truly "drawing from many strengths."
Ye Qingyu's reply was much simpler, mainly addressing the question he had raised in his previous letter: if the State of Yun did not keep fierce beasts, then where did the Meridian-Opening Pills they needed come from?
Ye Qingyu: "We buy them with money."
Jiang Chen: ...
He had been thinking about national systems and governance, not looking for this kind of casually flaunting-wealth answer.
Given the wealth of the State of Yun, this was clearly not an unbearable expenditure.
But not every country was this rich.
...
The carriage entered Fengxian County.
Without Jiang Chen needing to worry, the Chongxuan clan's coachman easily found Zhang Yong's home in Zhang Family Town.
It had to be said that a prestigious clan like the Chongxuan clan had its depth evident everywhere.
Even just a capable coachman like this had served the Chongxuan clan for who knew how many generations—loyal to the core, thoroughly familiar with the geography of the State of Qi, and presentable in all social dealings. Not something an ordinary family could cultivate.
At this hour, dusk was settling in, and the Zhang family's front gates were shut tight.
Presumably, since Zhang Yong's return, so many visitors had come calling that the neighbors were no longer surprised. They glanced casually at the carriage and turned their gaze away.
Jiang Chen had the coachman stop the carriage, then stepped down and walked forward, personally knocking on the door knocker to show his respect.
After waiting for a while, there was no response, and not a sound came from within the courtyard.
Then a neighbor woman who was sweeping the ground said, "Young man, stop knocking. Little Yong is in deep grief right now. He won't see strangers!"
Jiang Chen thanked the kindly woman.
But the entire Zhang family had been wiped out. Now that he had come to Fengxian County, both by reason and by sentiment, he could not simply leave from outside the gate.
Not to mention the "task" that Chongxuan Sheng had entrusted to him.
After thinking for a moment, he gathered his Dao essence and gently sent his voice into the courtyard: "Is Zhang Yong home? An old acquaintance from the Celestial Residence Secret Realm, Jiang Chen, has come to visit."
After waiting quietly for a moment, he heard footsteps.
Clearly, the person inside had no intention of concealing their approach. The footsteps sounded faint and feeble.
Creak...
The courtyard gate was pulled open.
Jiang Chen then saw a gaunt, emaciated youth.
Seeing Zhang Yong again, his appearance was haggard, but his eyes no longer held the youthful timidity from when they had first met outside the Celestial Residence Secret Realm.
His gaze toward Jiang Chen carried a subtle wariness.
After all, having suffered such a devastating blow, Jiang Chen could fully understand his emotions.
"Brother Zhang, I'm on my way to the State of Yang on business and happened to pass through Fengxian. I heard about what happened to your family... please accept my condolences. Has the real killer been brought to justice yet?"
"I don't even know who the real killer is." Zhang Yong stood frozen at the gate for a moment, then shifted half aside and said, "Come in and sit."
The courtyard was utterly empty, virtually deathly silent.
It was said that not a single survivor had been left in the Zhang household at the time. Now, only Zhang Yong lived here alone.
With his promising future in divine skills, there was no shortage of factions eager to recruit him. But all had been rejected by the grief-stricken Zhang Yong, who simply locked himself in the courtyard every day and refused to come out.
This was all information Jiang Chen had previously gathered.
"I won't come in," Jiang Chen said.
He realized that Zhang Yong did not trust him, or rather, the latter was deliberately displaying that distrust.
If he were to propose recruitment on behalf of Chongxuan Sheng at this moment, there was no doubt it would be refused.
"It's just that matters in the State of Yang are urgent, and I can't linger too long on the way." Jiang Chen apologized, then continued, "The real killer hasn't been identified yet—is it that the authorities aren't putting their heart into the investigation, or that the officials handling the case lack competence? Before I set out, Chongxuan Sheng also asked me to pass along his regards."
"After all, we all came out of the Celestial Residence Secret Realm together. Out of fifty, only a handful of us remain—we've shared hardships. The Chongxuan clan has some cooperative ties with the local county government. Would you like us to put in a word?"
"Thank you for your concern. However, the county government is already taking this matter very seriously. But the perpetrators were thorough—they left no clues behind."
"Then how about I have Chongxuan Sheng send a few experienced investigators from the Chongxuan clan over, to see if they can be of any help?"
"There's no need. Just leave it to the county government." Zhang Yong sighed, his expression dark. "They're all dead. Even if we find the real killer, what meaning does it hold?"
After this incident, his heart seemed as lifeless as ash.
In any case, this was ultimately Zhang Yong's personal affair. As an outsider, Jiang Chen naturally could not force him to do anything.
So he simply said, "Please, do try to take care of yourself."
He took out a slip of paper and handed it to Zhang Yong. "This is a contact point for the Chongxuan clan in Fengxian County. If you ever need any help, feel free to reach out at any time."
Zhang Yong took the slip of paper and said softly, "Thank you."
Only now did those words of thanks carry a measure of sincerity.
Jiang Chen had made a special trip to Fengxian County, exchanged a few words with Zhang Yong at the door, and then departed in haste.
It wasn't that matters in the State of Yang truly demanded such urgency—rather, leaving now was the most appropriate distance.
Too far would be meaningless; too close would make one wary.
As one of the victors of the Celestial Residence Secret Realm, Zhang Yong was certainly worth recruiting, but there was no need to rush.
In Chongxuan Sheng's style, he would probably first help Zhang Yong find the murderer who wiped out his family, then go to Zhang Yong to share his hatred for the enemy. Regardless of the consequences, he would go all in.
But Jiang Chen's style was different.
He was not eager to bestow favors. He believed that in Zhang Yong's current emotional state, maintaining their existing friendship was enough.
Plant the seed of trust and leave it to time to nurture.
It was hard to say which approach was better—each person's actions were shaped by their own character.
The carriage drove out of Zhang Family Town, and Jiang Chen closed his eyes, entering the Ethereal Realm.
He summoned a paper crane and wrote: If Zhang Yong comes seeking help, consider carefully.