Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 295 Tianjizi

The next day.

After having breakfast, Lin Chen flew towards Songshan with Yuan Tiangang.

Although it was called breakfast, it was already almost 9 AM.

I stayed up a bit late last night and almost couldn't get out of bed this morning.

Yuan Tiangang flew beside him, glancing at Lin Chen every now and then.

Lin Chen felt uneasy under his gaze: "What are you looking at?"

Yuan Tiangang stroked his beard and said slowly, "Your Majesty looks well."

Lin Chen: "...You might as well just say I have dark circles under my eyes."

Yuan Tiangang laughed: "I wouldn't dare."

Lin Chen rolled his eyes.

You dare not? What are you afraid of?

Songshan is about 100 miles away from the capital, not far at all.

The two flew slowly, chatting as they flew.

The main part was that Lin Chen asked the questions, and Yuan Tiangang answered them.

"Any movement from Zhongzhou?"

"The Corpse Refining Sect has scaled back, recalling all its disciples back to the sect. It seems they are afraid someone will take advantage of the situation."

"What about the other forces?"

"Everyone is watching and waiting, probably wanting to see how the Lord will respond."

Lin Chen nodded: "Let them observe, we're not in a hurry."

We arrived at Songshan in less than fifteen minutes.

Lin Chen looked down and was stunned.

Good guy.

It's only been less than a month, and it's already changed dramatically.

At the foot of the mountain, there used to be a wasteland with weeds taller than a person, but now it has all been leveled, creating a large expanse of land that stretches as far as the eye can see.

Countless craftsmen were busy at work, some moving stones, some building walls, some digging ditches, and some carrying soil. The clanging and clattering sounds filled the air, just like a bustling market.

Lin Chen clicked his tongue in amazement: "These people are quite efficient."

Yuan Tiangang nodded in agreement.

"After all, they come from Zhongzhou. They are rich and powerful, and they pay their workers well, so they naturally don't lack people."

Lin Chen looked up again.

Construction is also underway halfway up the mountain, and the outlines of some buildings have already taken shape.

The most eye-catching feature is the mountaintop, where a huge circular platform is being built.

It is a hundred feet in diameter and is made of bluestone. It is built layer by layer and now there are three layers. It looks like a giant mille-feuille.

That's the location of the teleportation array.

Lin Chen squinted and looked at it for a while:

"Will this thing really teleport people directly to Zhongzhou once it's built?"

Yuan Tiangang nodded: "Theoretically, it's possible."

However, both ends need to be built. Once this side is built, the corresponding receiving array in Zhongzhou also needs to be built for communication to occur.

Lin Chen said "Oh".

At this moment, several figures flew out of the construction site and landed in front of Lin Chen.

It was Bai Mei, Yun Zhongge, Jian Wusheng, Zhou Lie, Yun Yao, and Liao Chen.

White-browed, dressed in a grey robe, with white hair and beard, stroked his beard and smiled as he cupped his hands in greeting.

"I am deeply sorry for not welcoming you properly, Your Highness the Prince of Zhenbei."

Lin Chen waved his hand: "Senior Bai Mei, you're too kind. I just came to take a look. You all go about your business."

Yun Zhongge chuckled from the side, "Your arrival is perfectly timed, Prince Zhenbei. The teleportation array has just begun construction; would you be willing to offer some guidance?"

Lin Chen rolled his eyes: "What am I supposed to instruct you on? I don't know anything about this. You guys are the professionals, don't get it backwards."

Yun Yao smiled and said, "Your Highness Zhenbei is too modest. Your Dongshan is much more magnificent than ours."

Lin Chen's eyes flickered slightly, but he smiled and waved his hand without changing his expression.

"Each has its own strengths, each has its own strengths. Come on, show me around."

The group of people accompanied Lin Chen as he walked around the construction site.

Bai Mei walked along, explaining as he went, like a professional tour guide:

"This is a commercial area, which will be used to open shops in the future. A total of eight streets have been planned, which can accommodate more than 300 shops."

"That's a residential area, for people to live there permanently. It's divided into three levels: standard, high-end, and luxury."

"Further over there is the warehouse area, where goods are stored. It's built underground, so it's warm in winter and cool in summer, and it's also moisture-proof."

Lin Chen listened and nodded, occasionally asking a question:

"How do we handle the drainage?"

Bai Mei: "We dug a culvert that leads directly to the river at the foot of the mountain."

Lin Chen nodded in satisfaction.

These people are indeed experienced.

Reaching the middle of the construction site, Lin Chen suddenly stopped and looked towards the teleportation array at the mountaintop:

"How long will it take to build that thing?"

Bai Mei pondered for a moment: "At the current pace, it will be completed in another two months."

However, it may take another month to get it stable.

"Long-distance teleportation arrays are extremely delicate; even the slightest imperfection can cause problems. They need to be adjusted carefully."

Lin Chen calculated the time.

Two months, about right.

He nodded: "Okay, no rush. Safety first. It wouldn't be good if something went wrong."

Bai Mei stroked his beard and smiled: "The Prince of Zhenbei is benevolent."

Lin Chen smiled and said, "I love peace the most and hate fighting the most."

Everyone laughed.

After making his rounds, Lin Chen was quite satisfied with the progress.

Just as he was about to take his leave, Bai Mei suddenly spoke:

"Your Highness, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should."

Lin Chen glanced at him and understood what was going on.

This old fox, he's been holding back all this way, and now he's finally going to speak.

"Senior White Eyebrows, please speak frankly."

Bai Mei stroked his beard, carefully considering his words:

"I have heard a little about the feud between the Prince of Zhenbei and the Corpse Refining Sect."

Although the Corpse Refining Sect acts in an extreme manner, it wields considerable power. If the Prince of Zhenbei is willing, I can step in and help you make peace.

Penglai Immortal Island still has that much face.

Lin Chen looked at him and smiled.

Peace talks?

This old fox is here to probe our intentions.

He smiled, a faint smile:

"I appreciate Senior White Eyebrows' kindness, but I can handle this myself."

Bai Mei looked at Lin Chen, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.

"The foundation of the Corpse Refining Sect is not simple, even though the Corpse Immortal was injured. They still have other methods."

Moreover, the Corpse Refining Sect still has a few old monsters among them. Although they can't easily take action, they could be useful in a real emergency...

Lin Chen waved his hand, interrupting him:

"Senior White Eyebrows, if I say I can handle it, then I can handle it."

"If the Corpse Refining Sect knows what's good for them, we can all live in peace; if they don't—"

Lin Chen paused, then didn't continue.

But the meaning is already quite clear.

Bai Mei remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he laughed.

"Alright, I understand."

He stroked his beard, his gaze towards Lin Chen becoming more serious.

Yun Zhongge chimed in from the side:

"The Prince of Zhenbei, that Dugu Qiubai..."

Lin Chen waved his hand:

"That's one of my people, you don't need to worry about him."

The group exchanged glances but said nothing more.

The atmosphere was a little awkward.

Yun Yao suddenly spoke, her voice soft:

"King Zhenbei, what about Fellow Daoist Dugu now...?"

Lin Chen glanced at her; the woman's eyes were bright, and she looked very curious.

He smiled and said, "Don't worry, he won't die. He's tough."

Yun Yao nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Lin Chen took one more turn around, then bid farewell and left.

Bai Mei and the others escorted them to the foot of the mountain, watching Lin Chen and Yuan Tiangang fly away into the distance.

After the two had walked away, Zhou Lie leaned closer and whispered:

"Senior White Eyebrows, judging from his attitude just now... does he have some hidden trump card?"

White-browed stroked his beard and said slowly:

"Whether he has any trump cards or not, we don't know. But one thing is certain—he's not afraid of the Corpse Refining Sect."

Yun Yao whispered from the side:

"Not being afraid of the Corpse Refining Sect... means we are confident in dealing with them."

Bai Mei nodded and sighed:

"So we were right before, this Lin Chen is a very complicated person."

He turned and looked at the group:

"Be more polite to him in the future."

Several people nodded, their expressions varying.

Yun Yao stared at the direction Lin Chen had disappeared in, blinking her eyes as if lost in thought.

……

On the other side, Lin Chen flew slowly.

Yuan Tiangang followed beside him, also at a leisurely pace.

After flying for a while, Yuan Tiangang suddenly spoke, his voice very low:

"My lord, was Bai Mei's statement just now a test?"

Lin Chen opened his eyes and smiled:

"Whether it's a test or genuine concern, it doesn't matter. As long as they know we have the confidence, that's enough."

Yuan Tiangang nodded and said nothing more.

Suddenly, the two stopped at the same time and squinted at what was in front of them.

Not far ahead, an old man was standing.

He wore a gray robe, had white hair, a gaunt face, and an air of otherworldly grace, looking like an old immortal who had stepped out of a painting.

He stood there in the air, hands behind his back, smiling as he looked at the two of them.

Seeing the two stop, the old man smiled and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Fellow Daoist Lin, I am Tianjizi. I apologize for blocking your way."