Zhang Chen was taken aback upon hearing what his stepmother said: "Jinling? Mother?"

This was the first time he had ever heard anything about Jinling, and also the first time he learned of his mother's situation.

"The Jinling Shen Family is immensely wealthy, controlling half of the silk industry in the country, and they also manage thirty percent of the canal transport. You can imagine the sheer strength of the Shen Family. Otherwise, the Zhang Family wouldn't have chosen them for a marital alliance with your father. Your mother, Shen Lian, is the legitimate daughter of the Shen Family. For generations, their women have been taken into the palace as concubines, which shows the family's deeply rooted influence," Mrs. Zhang said solemnly.

"With the Shen Family being such a giant, they probably wouldn't accept me. After all, I'm carrying a guilty tag. Why would the Shen Family risk offending the Emperor by taking me in?" Zhang Chen questioned, filled with doubt.

Listening to Zhang Chen's words, Mrs. Zhang laughed: "Wrong! Completely wrong! If you go to the Shen Family, not only will they accept you, but they will also arrange everything nicely for you, and even under pressure from the court, they will protect you fully."

"Why? The Shen Family may be powerful, but they couldn't possibly oppose the court, right?" Zhang Chen looked puzzled.

"Because your father once made a deal with the Shen Family, leaving a mysterious item with them. That item is of great importance, and if the Shen Family wants to unravel its secrets, they can only rely on you to help," Mrs. Zhang said with a smile. "Moreover, your mother was the favorite daughter of the Old Madam Shen. If you go to Jinling, the Old Madam will undoubtedly do whatever it takes to ensure your safety."

Zhang Chen heard this and glanced at Mrs. Zhang, amazed that his father had such foresight to pave the way for him long ago.

"Moreover, you are engaged to the eldest daughter of the Shen Family, so going there is unavoidable," Mrs. Zhang continued.

"Engagement?" Zhang Chen was taken aback again upon hearing this, feeling a surge of indescribable emotions.

"It's the will of the parents and the matchmaker's word. You don't have a say in it," Mrs. Zhang said.

"It seems I have no choice but to make a trip to Jinling," Zhang Chen said helplessly.

"It's a trip you must make! Plus, your mother left some things for you, stored in the Jinling Shen Family, unless you don't want to know what your mother left you. Furthermore, there were some mysterious circumstances surrounding your mother's death. Although your father didn't tell me explicitly, I have gathered some insights during our conversations," Mrs. Zhang gazed at Zhang Chen intensely, "Before your father died, he repeatedly urged that if you ever have the chance, you must go to Jinling once, where a great secret is hidden."

"I understand," Zhang Chen nodded in agreement.

"If you head south, will the Inspection and Supervision Department allow you to leave?" Mrs. Zhang asked worriedly again.

Zhang Chen looked at Mrs. Zhang, though she came from a rural background, she was not foolish, on the contrary, she was exceptionally astute.

"The Inspection and Supervision Department and we are in the same camp," Zhang Chen said. "Leader Xie is my sister."

Mrs. Zhang gave Zhang Chen a profound look but did not inquire further, and the family sat in the cabin chatting about family matters.

By noon, Xie Xuan sent someone to invite them to a banquet. The family accepted the invitation, and Xie Xuan treated Mrs. Zhang with great courtesy, without a trace of the arrogance typical of official families. After a few rounds of drinks, Mrs. Zhang tactfully left with the two children, leaving Xie Xuan, Xie Lingyun, and Zhang Chen sitting in the main hall.

Watching the backs of Mrs. Zhang and the two children as they left, Xie Xuan praised, "Your stepmother is a wise woman indeed."

"I also think she's quite smart," Zhang Chen agreed with Xie Xuan.

"If we can safely navigate this crisis and you find a way to rescue the fifty thousand troops of the Inspection and Supervision Department, I will personally petition the court and do everything I can to help clear your name," Xie Xuan promised Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen listened, a look of joy appearing on his face: "Is it really possible to clear my name?"

"It's very difficult! You need to join the Inspection and Supervision Department and accompany me personally to Shangjing to meet the Great King," Xie Xuan said.

In Xie Xuan's view, if Zhang Chen can change the course of events in the Northern Land, then regardless of the severity of his past actions, he deserves to be exonerated.

Hearing Xie Xuan's words, Zhang Chen lightly tapped his fingers on his knee before speaking after a long pause: "What if I can't be exonerated?"

Though he didn't know exactly what his father had done back then, he was aware it must have been extremely serious.

"Then you will have to be stripped of your Divine Techniques and be exiled again," Xie Xuan said with a wry smile.

Zhang Chen listened, shaking his head: "I'd rather die in the Northern Land."

Zhang Chen didn't want to pin his hopes on someone else's pardon; as long as his cultivation was strong enough, once he reached the Twelfth Tier, why would he need the court's pardon?

He wouldn't even need to reach the Twelfth Tier; just reaching the Eleventh Tier might be enough to change the court's attitude towards him.

Although the Twelfth Tier seemed distant, to Zhang Chen, it wasn't unreachable.

"This is a rare opportunity for you to achieve such great accomplishments in the Northern Land," Xie Xuan advised in a low voice. "To live an honest life, why stoop to be like a skulking rat that can't face the light?"

Zhang Chen smiled at these words and replied, "Perhaps you're right, but I don't want to stake all my chances on the court. It's impossible for me to give up my divine techniques and be exiled."

Seeing Zhang Chen's firm expression, Xie Xuan revealed a trace of regret in his eyes, yet he did not continue to persuade him. At the same time, he felt a bit anxious. Zhang Chen was so outstanding and his methods so extraordinary that if he were to cause any disturbance in the future, the harm would be far greater than that of Prince Pingbian.

He felt that even ten Zhang Shichengs couldn't compare to the Zhang Chen before him.

Unfortunately, the ministers of the court wouldn't listen to his words, and the Emperor would never believe that an exiled hostage could possess such potential.

"All the credit goes to you. I hope Commander Xie will reach new heights in the future and look after me," Zhang Chen said with a smile.

"I can't protect you; you should be the one protecting me." Xie Xuan sighed helplessly. How could he dare claim to protect Zhang Chen? If it weren't for Zhang Chen's numerous interventions, the tens of thousands of troops in the Inspection and Supervision Department would have been wiped out by Zhang Shicheng long ago.

"Lingyun said you have mastered the Water Control Technique and can manipulate water flow. What plans do you have next to deal with Prince Pingbian's army?" Xie Xuan cautiously asked.

"They are nothing but clay chickens and pottery dogs. If I wish, even if Zhang Shicheng had an army of millions, I could drown them all, turning them into bait for fish and shrimp. However..." Zhang Chen glanced at Xie Xuan with concern, "That navy is Prince Pingbian's Mansion's trump card and the last active force in the Northern Land. If that navy is completely submerged, the Demon Race would have no restraint, effectively handing the entire Northern Land over to them."

Zhang Chen's eyes showed a hint of hesitation. If he activated the Water Control Technique, transforming all the water within his manipulation range into Weak Water, no matter how large Prince Pingbian's Mansion's army was, it wouldn't be enough for him to annihilate.

But then what?

The Demon Race would have free reign in the Northern Land, and the situation would fall entirely under their control. As for the 50,000 troops of the Inspection and Supervision Department, they would struggle to resist and even self-preservation would be a challenge against the Demon Race's endless army.

Xie Xuan furrowed his brows at these words, showing a hint of doubt in his eyes. "Prince Pingbian's army is protected by Dragon Qi, how could it be so easily defeated?"

Such a situation is not one where a Great Divine Power Cultivator can act at will. Facing the Dragon Qi of Prince Pingbian's Mansion, even a Twelfth Tier master wouldn't dare to recklessly sacrifice an army of millions, as even a Twelfth Tier master couldn't withstand the backlash of Heaven and Earth's energy.

"I have my methods," Zhang Chen said. "What I'm worried about now is that if Prince Pingbian's Mansion's army suffers too many losses, the Demon Race will lose its balance, and wouldn't that cause the Northern Land's people to suffer?"

Xie Xuan was troubled by these words as well, deeply furrowing his brows. Beside him, Xie Lingyun said, "Young brother, you're worrying too much. Do you think having Prince Pingbian's army of millions can balance the Demon Race? The Demon Race has long formed an alliance with Prince Pingbian. No matter how rampant the Demon Race is, Prince Pingbian would never order his army to take action against them."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen gave a bitter smile, "In that case, I don't have to be concerned about Prince Pingbian's army. I can just focus on defeating the enemy."

"Exactly! The situation in the Northern Land has deteriorated to this point, and the Human Race no longer has any chance," Xie Lingyun said.

Hearing these words, Zhang Chen couldn't help falling into deep thought. Even if he had to engage in slaughter, he had to maximize the benefits. For example, using that army of millions as a sacrifice for the Blood God Child, he couldn't let that army of millions die in vain. They had to be utilized effectively.

"If I devour Prince Pingbian's army of millions and then the Demon Race's army of millions, my Blood Control Skill should level up by at least two levels, right?" Zhang Chen felt uncertain.

The main issue was that his Blood Control Skill required too much "experience" to level up. Now, leveling up was measured in billions, and Zhang Chen wasn't sure how many lives it would take to fill the gap needed to upgrade his Blood Control Skill.

"When does Prince Pingbian plan to make his move?" Zhang Chen asked.

He wanted to occupy the moral high ground and didn't want to be the first to strike.

In this world, there's a principle of cause and effect. If Prince Pingbian strikes first, launching a slaughter against his side, then they would be the righteous army. In that case, even if he mercilessly attacks Prince Pingbian's army, cause and effect should not fall upon him, as it would be a passive retaliation. One can't expect him to sit and wait to be killed by the enemy.

In principle, this reasoning was sound, but Zhang Chen wasn't sure if this rationale would hold up under the laws of Heaven and Earth.

"This rationale should still stand. There's no such logic as only allowing others to kill me, without permitting me to retaliate," Zhang Chen consoled himself.

The thought of committing a massacre involving millions of lives weighed heavily on Zhang Chen. Those lives weren't mere poultry; they were millions of human lives. Even if they were poultry, slaughtering millions would be mentally overwhelming.

They were all living beings, not lifeless stones and earth.

As for Xie Lingyun and Xie Xuan, they wouldn't question why Zhang Chen didn't attack first, because in their eyes, Zhang Chen was a smart person—extremely smart in fact—with methods naturally exceeding theirs.

"According to the report from the Interrogation and Supervision Department's Water Ghost, the Demon Race's navy is expected to arrive in the Northern Land and join the battlefield in about seven days," Xie Xuan said.

The Demon Race's navy was incomparable to the human race's. The Demon Race's navy consisted entirely of underwater demons, naturally adept at manipulating water currents and capable of breathing underwater. Rivers and lakes were their primary battleground.