The Great Seminary

Chapter 304 The Rolling Bag Meeting

The hour between midnight and midnight is the time when the day before yesterday was the last day and today is the first day, a time that connects the past and the future day after day.

At that very moment, the midnight bell rang in Jinling City.

Businesses of all sizes throughout the city spontaneously lit fireworks, vying with each other to create a dazzling display.

From small displays of dazzling lights to grand displays that soar into the sky, the spectacle is breathtaking.

From a high vantage point, one can also see the Qinhuo River rippling in the city.

Each boat is like a painting, and each beautiful woman is like a poem.

It truly is a spring night with flowers and moonlight on the river—the best time of year!

Zhen Ciyun got up and walked to the carved and painted wooden window, turning back to look at Zhang Gui.

"I also thought that I would marry no one but you, Zhang Gui, but as a cultivator, I am unwilling to sink into depravity."

"Thank goodness you're here. I knew you, Zhen Ciyun, were a seemingly gentle and understanding person, but in reality, you were an ambitious individual."

They wouldn't be blinded by romance in their early twenties.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Gui felt a sense of relief, but outwardly remained calm and said:

"Settling down and starting a family might slightly delay the progress of cultivation, but it shouldn't be as serious as 'falling into depravity'."

"Guigui, it's actually quite difficult to understand someone as naturally gifted as you."

Even if a person lives to be over a hundred, the age at which they are most motivated to make progress is actually only between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.

At the age of twenty-five, he was unable to break through to the 'Class C' level of extraordinary ability.

There is absolutely no hope of achieving the rank of 'Superior Grade C' in this lifetime.

If one is not at least a sixth-grade "Central" level by the age of thirty, it will be very difficult to cross the great chasm and advance to the "Class B" level of extraordinary.

In that case, when we are in our sixties or seventies, even if you live for hundreds or thousands of years longer, you will still be a young man.

I'm already middle-aged; haven't I already 'sinked'?

Zhang Gui walks the 'divine path,' the source of his power being the awakening of the bloodline of ancient gods and demons.

Given the current state of the 'Divine Cluster', it's common for it to live for thousands or even tens of thousands of years.

Although Zhen Ciyun also awakened some of the ancestral divine essence, she followed the 'immortal path,' and her power originated entirely from cultivation.

Even if one masters the most exquisite and superior techniques, without cultivating to the level of 'Class B' extraordinary transformation, one can only live to be a little over two hundred years old.

Zhang Gui understood this principle, and stopped mocking Zhen Ciyun in his heart. He said seriously:

"There is great terror between life and death!"
What human love and affection can compare to the carefree joy of longevity?

It's good that you want to work hard for it; I'll be waiting.

"You truly are the only person I've ever met who genuinely understands regardless of poverty or wealth."

A person who believes in the principle of "Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you".

That's why I was so eager to hold you in my 'palm' back then.

Zhang Gui smiled and said, "I didn't even know I was that good."

"Yeah.

That's why it makes me seem like I have a keen eye for talent.

Having successfully achieved her goal, Zhen Ciyun's anxiety dissipated, and she found Zhang Gui increasingly pleasing to the eye, her heart beginning to itch with desire.

I had originally planned to go visit my sister and her family friends after finishing our business, but now I'm not in a hurry anymore.

She lifted the hem of her skirt, revealing short white socks and a glimpse of snow-white skin on her ankles, and gracefully approached Zhang Gui.

She picked up her wine glass, her face flushed, and said softly, "Today is the Lantern Festival."

Let's have a toast together...

And so, a night of passion ensued, and the Lantern Festival passed.

Zhang Gui and Zhen Ciyun parted with reluctance, and Zhang Gui returned to his earthly divine kingdom.

They were moved to Shanhai County in the northern frontier of the Ming and Song dynasties.

Seize this once-in-a-century opportunity and continue the large-scale migration of people.

Unexpectedly, just over ten days later, before the first month of the lunar calendar was even over, news suddenly arrived.

The patriarch of the Zhang family in Pingyang, through deception and manipulation of the clan's elites and young servants, amassed a fortune and made a quick buck.

They sailed out to sea in their family's and the Four Seasons Trading Company's entire fleet of mechanical ships, disappearing into the distance...

The backyard of the Longhu Military Government in Zhihai Town was bitterly cold.

Inside the stone pavilion, a kotatsu was burning, and there was a warm stool for Zhang Gui to sit on, making him feel cozy.

You can even slip your feet inside the blanket, how comfortable!

He drank a large bowl of ice-cold, strong tea in one go, and then ate nearly thirty pure meatballs with hot fruit in one go.

He glanced at the handsome young man who had brought the news and said slowly and deliberately:
"Are you a member of the Zhang family of Pingyang or a manager hired from outside? I've never seen you before."

"Reporting to Longhu, I am an advisor under Lord Zhang Jiuqing."

"So, it means that my cousin Jiuqing already knew about this before I did. That's good."

He was the most decisive among the younger generation in the clan; once he knew, he acted on it.

Standing in the open space, the handsome young man, shivering from the wind blowing through the courtyard, heard this and his teeth chattered, but his mouth clearly said:

"No matter how capable Doctor Jiuqing is, as an official appointed by the imperial court, he cannot take care of the local people at all times."

Therefore, the task of "restoring the ancestral property and regrouping" for the Zhang family of Pingyang cannot be accomplished without Longhu.

"It's been so long, and there's still not a single person on the entire Fresh Velvet Island."

Could it be that the Japanese have already taken this "fat piece of meat"? Well, this barren mountainous area of ​​Fresh Meat Island hardly qualifies as "fat piece of meat."

But after all, it's a land spanning 300,000 miles!
With a little diligent farming, one can easily support a population of thirty million.

If the forests were properly developed, the hunting grounds of the Cheonje people could be transformed into terraced fields.

With the revitalization of the fishing industry, this figure might even double.

How could it be that no one cares?

So what good things should I think of? I can't be greedy...

But, if it is true that "if Heaven gives something and you don't take it, you will suffer the consequences," then so be it.

If things don't go as planned, you'll suffer the consequences, and then you'll regret it terribly...

Zhang Jiuqing's most capable henchman was praising Zhang Gui there.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Gui's mind was entirely on Fresh Velvet Island, which had been vacant for almost half a month.

Compared to the tiny town of Pingyang, this entire territory of a vassal state was like a watermelon compared to a sesame seed.

Besides, Pingyang Town is not a desolate wilderness, nor is it an overseas island.

It was connected to Jinling, the capital of the Ming and Song dynasties, by a major thoroughfare.

It's not like you can just confront them head-on and take over by sending your troops.

There needs to be a method and strategy.

"I am also a descendant of the Zhang family of Pingyang, and it is my duty to contribute to the family."

Moreover, the old patriarch, Liu Duo, had indeed said before that he hoped I could shoulder the responsibility of continuing the family line in the future.

But it’s also the time and the situation.

The old patriarch was there at that time.

Those elders in the clan who managed the business operations and the buying and selling of land and property;
There were no shortage of household elders to manage the ancestral hall and serve the ancestors in worship.

The change of head of the family was carried out in accordance with the rules established over hundreds of years, and was perfectly legitimate.

Although I feel I lack the prestige to be given the position, I can reluctantly accept it.

But now, it seems that even the clan's patriarch is no longer around.

Based on my cousin Jiuqing's words, "The task of restoring our ancestral property and making a comeback is none other than mine," I rushed over in a panic.

What's going on then?

People say we are the "two outstanding talents" of the younger generation of the Zhang family in Pingyang, but that's just a rumor circulating in the city.

In reality, I didn't even have a title or position in the clan.

Those who are nameless and without status should wait until everything settles down before seeking acknowledgment.

(End of this chapter)