Chapter 64 People from the Zhang Residence

Early next morning, Jiang Chen got up and absorbed the purple Qi of the sun.

Although this wisp of purple Qi was not much, it could purify his True Qi, solidify his Foundation, and was of great benefit to his cultivation, so Jiang Chen was tireless day and night.

Clatter, clatter, clatter!

At this moment, the sound of horse hooves came from outside the inn.

Then, a young armored general dismounted.

The young general had sword-like brows, wore silver chainmail, and held a sword in one hand while clutching a tassel helmet in the other.

He strode into the inn, and amidst the suspicious and trembling gazes of the crowd, he asked the innkeeper directly.

"Four people checked into your inn last night, two men and two women, including a Daoist. Are they still here?"

"Yes, yes they are! Are these people wanted criminals?" The innkeeper's imagination ran wild.

"Good, go bring them down. Remember, be respectful!" The young general's face was cold and stern.

"Yes, yes, yes!"

The innkeeper agreed hurriedly and took the waiter upstairs.

Knock, knock!

A knock sounded on Jiang Chen's door.

"Guest, a general has come downstairs and specifically asked to see you. Please come down."

Jiang Chen replied: "Very well, this Daoist will be down shortly."

He dressed neatly, opened the door, and went downstairs.

Just then, Zhang Zhongjian also came downstairs looking sleepy, while Zhang Lingyi and Xiao Qing were already dressed and ready.

When he saw Zhang Lingyi, the young general's eyes lit up, and he stepped forward to cup his hands.

"I am Cheng Ji, a Zhaowu Captain. Greetings, Young Miss."

Zhang Lingyi was startled by this display. "You, who are you?"

Cheng Ji asked: "Is Young Miss the daughter of General Zhang Xiaosong, Zhang Lingyi?"

"I am. May I ask who you are, General?"

"Then it is correct. I was once an officer under the Protector General, and I was pulled from a pile of corpses by the General." Cheng Ji explained.

"Hearing the news that Young Miss had arrived in Chang'an, I rushed over without stopping. You have suffered on this journey."

Cheng Ji saw that Zhang Lingyi only had a maid behind her and no guards, so he knew they must have experienced many hardships along the way.

"So it is General Cheng. Then, what about my father?"

"General Zhang was appointed as the Great Protector of the Beiting Protectorate a month ago. I am afraid the news has not yet reached Dengzhou."

Jiang Chen and Zhang Zhongjian watched them talking from the side without much internal reaction.

However, Zhang Zhongjian kept winking at Jiang Chen from the side, which made Jiang Chen unable to help but smile.

You must know that Zhang Zhongjian was burly, with eyes like copper bells and a full beard; seeing him wink like that was quite amusing.

"Next, I will escort Young Miss back to the mansion. Idle people may leave now."

When he reached the end, Cheng Ji's voice turned cold, and he didn't forget to give Jiang Chen and Zhang Zhongjian a cold look.

Slap!

"You bastard, what do you mean? My Fellow Daoist Jiang and I saved your Young Miss from bandits, and in your mouth, we become idle people?"

Zhang Zhongjian was furious and slammed his sword onto the table.

"If you want money, just say how much." Cheng Ji maintained his cold demeanor.

As these words fell, even Jiang Chen, who had a calm expression, frowned slightly, feeling that these words were somewhat grating.

"You brute, how unreasonable. I act with chivalry and righteousness; do I lack your few coins?"

"I know people like you best. You are either seeking fame or profit. Since you saved the Great Protector's daughter, I will not treat you unfairly."

"Where did this general come from? This Daoist only sees a barking dog." Jiang Chen couldn't be bothered to argue with him and directly cursed him.

Cheng Ji was stunned for a moment, not reacting, before realizing and becoming furious.

"Where did this wild Daoist come from? How dare you! Do you believe that with this sentence alone, I can throw you into prison!"

Jiang Chen said calmly: "It is not that this Daoist looks down on Your Excellency, but with your cultivation, even if you practiced for another ten years, you would not be a match for this Daoist in one move."

Cheng Ji was not an ordinary person; he came from a noble Family, and his ancestors could be traced back to the generation of Cheng Yaojin.

He also walked the path of the martial Dao, supplemented by national fortune. At less than 25 years old, his cultivation had already reached the Middle Stage of Dao Entry, which could be said to be full of promise.

One advantage of being an official in the imperial court is that cultivation can be supplemented by national fortune, which significantly increases the speed of cultivation.

However, there are also drawbacks: if one is demoted, the Foundation of their cultivation will be damaged.

Furthermore, the cultivation obtained by relying on national fortune is relatively flimsy, and its combat power is not as good as other cultivators of the same Realm.

Therefore, many officials choose to use national fortune to assist their cultivation, but many others choose not to rely on national fortune and Cultivate purely based on their own Aptitude.

Of course, this is something only officials of the ninth rank and above can choose.

For the low-level brutes, they can only follow the path of military baleful Qi, and have no choice at all.

Jiang Chen's words instantly enraged Cheng Ji. His cultivation had risen rapidly, and he was among the top three in his Family.

He usually didn't take ordinary people seriously and had extremely high self-esteem. How could he endure Jiang Chen's words, especially when said in front of Zhang Lingyi?

His Family previously had connections with Zhang Xiaosong and wanted him to marry Zhang Lingyi, which is why he was so enthusiastic about leaving the city to welcome her.

"Who exactly are you?" Cheng Ji indeed did not perceive any True Qi aura on Jiang Chen, as if he were just an ordinary person.

But since the other party dared to say such things, it meant he was not without cultivation, but rather that his cultivation level was higher than his own, which was why he could not perceive the other party's cultivation Realm.

Seeing the standoff, Zhang Lingyi did not want them to be at daggers drawn and quickly tried to persuade them.

"General Cheng, these two benefactors saved me from fire and water on the journey and have a life-saving grace for me. I hope General Cheng will not make things difficult for them."

With a way out, Cheng Ji went along with it.

"Since Young Miss has spoken, I will comply. Young Miss, shall we return to the Zhang mansion now?"

Zhang Lingyi looked at Jiang Chen and Zhang Zhongjian and said: "Two benefactors, this young lady will take her leave."

Cheng Ji sneered: "Don't let me run into you two in Chang'an again!"

After speaking, he wanted to leave.

But at this moment, a gruff voice rang out.

"Wait, did I say you could leave?"

Cheng Ji turned his head and saw darkness before his eyes; a pitch-black scabbard grazed the air and slammed fiercely onto Cheng Ji's cheek.

Slap!

Cheng Ji's figure spun uncontrollably in the air twice before he could steady himself.

"Pfft!"

He spat out a mouthful of blood, mixed with a few teeth.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang has the constraints of a mountain gate and cannot easily take action, but I have no worries. Today, I will teach you a lesson so you know to be low-key in your conduct!"

This slap alarmed the Jinwu Guard outside the inn, and a group of people swarmed into the inn, all having drawn their long knives, aiming at Jiang Chen and Zhang Zhongjian.

"Brother Daoist Zhang, your words are too much for this Daoist." Jiang Chen gave a wry smile.

Then, before Cheng Ji could react, a flash of red light appeared in the air, and a splash of blood mixed with a bit of flesh flew up.

An ear fell to the ground.

"Ah! You beast, how dare you!" Cheng Ji clutched his ear, blood flowing from between his fingers.

Facing the surrounding weapons, Jiang Chen was calm and collected. "You just asked who this Daoist is? Then listen carefully."

"This Daoist is a Daoist of the Shangqing Sect of Maoshan, a disciple of the Great Immortal Master Sima Chengzhen, holding the Shangqing Dharma Sword, with the Daoist name, Great True Lord Xuanyi."