I picked up skill fragments in the demon world

Facing Little Brother's push, Zhang Chen wasn't annoyed. He simply pulled out a silver ingot from his sleeve: "Is there really no way?"

Little Brother stopped pushing, his gaze falling on the silver.

Zhang Chen stuffed the silver into Little Brother's hand. The servant clutched the silver, smiling wryly, and said, "There's really no way! There's only one way to enter the academy: a letter of recommendation. If you can't find someone to write you one, there's simply no way to join the academy."

Zhang Chen scratched his head. Seeing this, he stopped pestering and turned to walk down the mountain.

"Perhaps there's a way!" Watching Zhang Chen's departing figure, the servant called out.

Zhang Chen stopped and turned to look at the servant, who said, "The son of Dean Zhou suffered a mysterious affliction. Some days ago, Shangjia Medical Hall sent over a ginseng. That ginseng has miraculous effects, unlike ordinary ginseng. So the Dean mobilized all his forces to find the person who sold the ginseng. If you can find that person beforehand, perhaps you can get Dean Zhou to admit you into the academy."

Hearing this, Zhang Chen's heart stirred. The ginseng he had sold was extraordinary; it had been nurtured by primordial energy and possessed all sorts of incredible effects.

"Do you know any information about the person who sold the ginseng?" Zhang Chen asked.

The servant pointed to a notice posted on the board: "Look at that wanted notice; it records the characteristics of the person who sold the ginseng."

Hearing this, Zhang Chen walked to the notice and scanned it. He immediately chuckled; the description was of him!

With a plan in mind, he thanked the servant and turned to leave.

Zhang Chen went to a deserted place and used his escape technique to return to his own courtyard. Various thoughts flashed through his mind as he fell into thought: 'The most important thing for me is the Six Paths Reincarnation hidden in Chongzheng Academy.'

"According to my senses, the reincarnation hidden in the academy should be the Animal Path. I must take this reincarnation. If I want to join Chongzheng Academy, I need to plan actively. I can't do something so eager; I need Dean Zhou to beg me before I can take the opportunity to make demands. I have the Shen family's backing, so even if the Dean of Chongzheng Academy knows the news, he will never attack me forcibly." Thinking of this, Zhang Chen secretly said:

"After all this calculation, I still have to wave the banner of the Shen family. This can be considered making the best use of the Shen family before its downfall."

As for how to get Zhou Qiu Cheng to seek him out, Zhang Chen naturally had a plan. He used his escape technique and reappeared on the street, then slowly walked towards Shangjia Medical Hall.

At the back door of Shangjia Medical Hall, more than a dozen carts selling medicinal herbs were lined up. The junior manager, Wang Chong, was inspecting the herbs and discussing prices with the sellers. Suddenly, his gaze flickered as he looked at a face in the distance. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, confirming that the face was the one who had left that day. So he ignored the peddlers selling herbs and rushed over, shouting from afar, "This young master, please stop!"

"Manager Wang, are you calling me?" Zhang Chen pretended not to know who the other party was calling, stopped, looked around, and then called out to Wang Chong who was rushing over.

"I'm calling you! It's been hard to find you," Wang Chong said happily as he rushed to Zhang Chen's front, asking, "Have you been well these past few days?"

"I'm naturally well. Are you well?" Zhang Chen said.

"I'm also well." Wang Chong glanced at Zhang Chen: "I have something I'd like to discuss with you in detail. Would you be willing to come inside and talk?"

"I don't have time; I have things to do. Let's talk another day," Zhang Chen refused Wang Chong's offer.

Seeing that Zhang Chen was about to turn and leave again, Wang Chong quickly grabbed Zhang Chen's sleeve: "This young master, please don't rush to leave. Do you still have the ginseng you sold that day? I'm willing to buy it at a higher price."

Hearing this, Zhang Chen glanced at Wang Chong, thinking to himself: "As expected of a merchant, maximizing profits to the extreme. He actually wants to buy medicinal herbs from me to please Zhou Qiu Cheng; what a daydream!"

So he shook his head: "Not selling! That ginseng is a family heirloom. I don't need money now, not selling, not selling! If you have nothing else, I'll be leaving."

Seeing that Zhang Chen was about to leave again, Wang Chong quickly stopped him: "This young master, may I ask for your name and address so we can visit you in the future?"

Hearing this, Zhang Chen glanced at Wang Chong and said unhappily, "Not selling, not selling! Are you trying to force a sale? I'm telling you, my relationship with the Jinling Shen family is not ordinary. If you provoke me, you won't have a good time. I advise you to give up on this idea."

After Zhang Chen finished speaking, he shook off Wang Chong's hand and strode away.

Wang Chong watched Zhang Chen's disappearing figure. After a moment of contemplation, he ignored the herb business and quietly followed him.

Zhang Chen pretended not to notice the other party's actions. He deliberately brought up the Jinling Shen family to reduce some trouble. Zhang Chen was most afraid of trouble.

Zhang Chen walked all the way into the Jinling Shen family's residence without attracting anyone's attention. Wang Chong stood outside the residence, hesitated for a moment, and then went forward to talk to the gatekeeper: "This brother, what is the relationship between the young master who went in earlier and the Shen family?"

The gatekeeper was Lai San, who had been possessed by Zhang Chen's Blood God Doppelganger. Hearing Wang Chong's words, he turned his head and saw that Wang Chong had already handed over some silver. Lai San accepted the silver and said with a smile, "That's a relative of my Shen family, here for a tour of Jinling. What, kid, are you trying to climb the social ladder?"

That night,

Zhang Chen's family was cultivating. Zhang Chen was pondering the mysteries of the Six Paths Reincarnation when suddenly he heard a rapid knocking on the door in the dark night. Zhang Chen opened his eyes and the corners of his mouth curled up: "The fish has taken the bait! It seems that Dean Zhou is indeed anxious; otherwise, according to etiquette, he should have come to visit in the morning. The fact that he's visiting at night is a great discourtesy, so that young master must really be at a critical juncture."

"Zhang Tuowei, there are guests outside the gate. Go and bring them in to see me." Zhang Chen got up and walked towards the study.

Of course, he wouldn't personally greet the guests at the gate; wouldn't that lower his standing?

Zhang Tuowei took a lantern and said impatiently, "Which damned person is knocking on the door so late, delaying my cultivation? What a bastard."

While cursing, he walked towards the gate.

Outside the Zhang family's gate,

Wang Chong and Zhou Qiu Cheng stood outside the vermilion gate. Zhou Qiu Cheng looked at the closed gate and asked, "Are you sure this is the place?"

"Of course! How would I dare deceive you? I've confirmed it again and again. However, this person has connections with the Jinling Shen family. If he's unwilling to sell the ginseng, we'll really have some trouble," Wang Chong said worriedly, after all, he had personally witnessed Zhang Chen's attitude this morning.

Zhou Qiu Cheng wore a white robe, standing there tall and straight, naturally exuding the demeanor of a grandmaster. Hearing Wang Chong's words, he shook his head: "Everything in this world has a price. Even human life has a price."

"After this matter is done, I'll owe you a favor. If you have any needs, just tell me," Zhou Qiu Cheng said.

Hearing this, Wang Chong was overjoyed. He lowered the lantern in his hand and looked at Zhou Qiu Cheng with both eyes: "I have a son who is five years old this year, the age for enlightenment. I wonder if he can enter Chongzheng Academy to study?"

When Wang Chong asked this, his voice trembled. It should be known that reading and writing are the rights of all nobles, and ordinary people simply don't even have the opportunity to read and write. In this world, the control of writing is extremely strict.

Hearing Wang Chong's words, Zhou Qiu Cheng turned his head and glanced at him. Facing Zhou Qiu Cheng's gaze, Wang Chong lowered his head even further. He only felt that time was passing incredibly slowly at this moment, as if an invisible mountain was pressing on his shoulders, lowering his spine.

"He can be sent to Chongzheng Academy. As for how far he can go, his future will depend on his own destiny," Zhou Qiu Cheng said, withdrawing his gaze.

As Zhou Qiu Cheng spoke, Wang Chong was immediately overjoyed. He quickly knelt on the ground, put the lantern aside, and kowtowed, but was stopped by Zhou Qiu Cheng: "No need for such formalities, get up quickly."

Wang Chong still insisted on kowtowing completely before getting up, a look of joy on his face.

"How much do you know about the owner of this house?" Zhou Qiu Cheng asked.

"The Shen family's servant only said that he was a distant relative of the Shen family. As for the rest, I don't know. This person should be very short of money; otherwise, he wouldn't have taken the ginseng to exchange for money in the first place," Wang Chong said.

Hearing Wang Chong's words, Zhou Qiu Cheng nodded: "Everything in this world that can be solved with money is not a big deal."

Although he cultivates the belief of 'Iron-Faced Impartiality', his family also has considerable land and property and is not short of money.

Just as the two were talking, an impatient voice came from behind the gate: "What are you knocking on so late? Are you reporting a death? Come back tomorrow if you have something to say."

Hearing Zhang Tuowei's scolding, Zhou Qiu Cheng's expression froze. To think that he, the dignified Dean of Chongzheng Academy, would be scolded like this? This was truly a first in decades.