Chapter 477: Vice Chairman of the Divine Ability Association! Zi Shu Appears

Zhang Wang.

This young man Zhang Wang, whom Zhang Fan had met in Huizhou Province, suddenly appeared in the surveillance footage—and before Li Yi’s eyes—leaving Zhang Fan deeply surprised.

In fact, when visiting the Qin family in Huizhou, Zhang Wang had once said that the Qin family’s fortune was nearing its end, disaster imminent, and that the boy he had coincidentally met, named [Qin Daoyuan], might one day restore the Qin lineage and become a great master.

At that time, Zhang Fan and Fang Changle had dismissed it as nonsense—until Yuan Lingguan, the Shen Monkey, emerged suddenly, and the Qin family’s top experts suffered annihilation; the Qin family collapsed, its followers scattering like monkeys from a fallen tree.

Only then did Zhang Fan realize that Zhang Wang was no ordinary man—perhaps not a common Daoist priest, but one who possessed the art of peering into heavenly fate.

Later, they encountered him again in Qin Gu Village, intending to have a long talk, but he had come to Chang’an because of Li Yi’s matter.

“Do you know him? Who is he?” Meng Qi asked.

Zhang Fan’s expression turned grave; he shook his head: “I know him, but I don’t know his origins.”

As he spoke, Zhang Fan pulled out his phone, intending to send Zhang Wang a message.

“Deactivated!?”

Zhang Fan’s brow lifted as he stared at the system’s notification; his expression grew strange.

“You said his surname is Zhang… could he be from your Zhang family?” Meng Qi couldn’t help asking.

“Northern Zhang!?” Zhang Fan paused, then murmured: “I don’t know.”

“This man is highly suspect in Li Yi’s disappearance. I’ll immediately ask someone to look for him—if they’re still in Chang’an or Qinxi, there must be traces.” Meng Qi spoke solemnly.

This disciple of Zhongnan Mountain revealed considerable influence—after all, this was her trump card.

With her talent and cultivation, among her peers at Zhongnan Mountain, only the sect’s heir, An Wuyang, could firmly surpass her.

“You can search, but you likely won’t get a reply. I suspect they’ve gone to this place.”

As he spoke, Zhang Fan handed over the newly deciphered manuscript.

Meng Qi took it and immediately showed an unusual expression.

“Eight Kings Carrying a Coffin… what’s that?”

“It’s connected to the Nine Methods and Nine Artifacts… that coffin once rested beneath Zhongnan Mountain…”

“Throughout history, countless Daoist practitioners have sought to uncover the secrets of the Nine Methods—this is an extremely vital clue,” Zhang Fan said solemnly.

“Most crucially, there are traces of the Nine Artifacts there—perhaps…”

At this point, Zhang Fan unconsciously gripped the black iron fragment in his pocket.

No wonder, when he had repaired the black iron fragment with golden substance, the fragment had revealed the scenery of Zhongnan Mountain.

Its past trajectory was the clue, the cause, the karmic thread.

Now, every drop, past and present, had been linked together.

“The Living Dead Tomb… you mean they went to the Living Dead Tomb?” Meng Qi blurted out.

“Very likely.”

“That’s difficult.” Meng Qi’s expression grew tense.

Unless one has perfected the [Jia Sheng Gui Si] method, ordinary people cannot find that mysterious tomb.

Yet in today’s world, the only ones who have truly perfected this method are Li Yi and Luo Sen.

“Can’t you ask the Wang family for help?” Zhang Fan suddenly asked.

“Difficult,” Meng Qi shook her head.

“You know the Living Dead Tomb was where Master Chongyang closed his eyes in meditation—only those with great fortune may enter, even for the Wang family.” Meng Qi whispered.

“I heard that among the younger generation of the Wang family, only Wang Qingyi entered that great tomb.”

“Him!?” Zhang Fan blinked slightly—he still had some memory of this person.

Wang Qingyi was the rising star of the Wang family’s younger generation; when Zhang Fan first met him, he indeed felt his demeanor was extraordinary.

He had achieved great success in the Wang family’s [Life and Death Mingzhang], yet he ultimately suffered a calamity, his entire cultivation stripped away.

For such a man to have entered the Living Dead Tomb—fate truly plays cruel tricks.

“If he can break through and rebuild himself, the Wang family’s future will likely rest on him.”

“Break through and rebuild? How easily said.”

“Immortals are made from mortals—yet mortals lack the steadfast will.”

Zhang Fan sighed softly, suddenly feeling the hardship of worldly affairs and the profundity of heavenly fate.

“Don’t bother with the Wang family—you already revealed your identity last time; the Wang family’s Tianshi already knows who you are,” Meng Qi dismissed Zhang Fan’s idea.

“I heard the Wang family has two Tianshi, divided into two branches,” Zhang Fan changed the subject abruptly.

“You know quite a bit,” Meng Qi nodded.

“The Wang family has two Tianshi. The one you met, [Wang Qiankun], belongs to the Qian branch—Wang Qingyi, Wang Qingshan, Wang Qinglian—they all come from this branch.”

“The other Tianshi of the Wang family is called…”

“Wang Tianwang!” Meng Qi paused slightly, speaking softly but firmly.

“Wang Tianwang!?”

“The Tian branch’s foundation shifted to the capital years ago; most of its power now rests in the capital,” Meng Qi said solemnly.

“Wang Tianwang isn’t just the Wang family’s Tianshi—he’s also the Vice Chairman of the Dao Alliance’s Divine Ability Association and the top expert in Qinxi Province.”

“Top expert!?” Zhang Fan was startled: “Higher than your Zhongnan Mountain’s Patriarch, [Zhou Kongchan]!?”

“Mm,” Meng Qi hummed, offering no denial.

The title of Qinxi Province’s top expert carried significant weight.

“I heard the Jiang Chairman holds this Wang family Tianshi in high esteem—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been placed in the capital as Vice Chairman of the Divine Ability Association.”

“Tian branch disciples often move between the capital and Chang’an—I’m not familiar with them,” Meng Qi shook her head.

“In all of Qinxi Province, among the younger generation, only An Wuyang might be able to speak with them.”

“… ”

Zhang Fan paused, an image of the Zhongnan Mountain heir flashing in his mind.

Back then, on Maoshan, he had seized the incense spiritual power from An Wuyang’s two talismans, enabling the birth of the [Black Gold Ancient Seal], while causing An Wuyang’s [Hidden Sword Seal] to miss its chance to ascend.

“I have no connection with him,” Zhang Fan sneered—more than no connection, there was even some grievance.

“Even if you did, it wouldn’t help,” Meng Qi shook her head.

“Someone like An Wuyang would never lower himself to beg anyone.”

“Besides, the Tian branch wouldn’t open the ancestral secret realm for a stranger, and even if they wanted to, they lack the power,” Meng Qi said solemnly.

Unless one has perfected the [Jia Sheng Gui Si] method, or is a destined soul like Wang Qingyi, no one can easily access the Living Dead Tomb.

Hearing this, Zhang Fan fell into deep thought, silent for a long while, then said: “It’s late. Go rest. Let me think—let me think.”

“Alright,” Meng Qi sighed.

After all that effort, they seemed to have returned to square one.

This sense of defeat was deeply frustrating for both Zhang Fan and Meng Qi, two top experts.

After seeing Meng Qi off, Zhang Fan sat alone at the table, the dim desk lamp casting light on the manuscript page.

“Zhang Wang… Li Yi… Living Dead Tomb…”

“What is this? A wasted trip?” Zhang Fan rubbed his temples, feeling a dull ache.

Didi didi…

At that moment, his phone on the table rang.

Zhang Fan picked it up casually—a friend request verification message popped up.

One glance, and Zhang Fan sat bolt upright.

The verification message’s greeting contained only four characters:

I am Zi Shu!

“Huh!?”

Zhang Fan’s eyes widened, a flicker of suspicion in his gaze; he quickly accepted the friend request.

The person’s profile picture was a gray shadow; their Moments had no content.

“You came to Chang’an?”

At that moment, a message arrived from the other side.

“Who are you?” Zhang Fan asked urgently.

“Zi Shu.”

The reply was blunt, with no roundabout phrasing.

Zhang Fan’s expression turned grave: among the Twelve Zodiacs, besides Ren Xiao, Chen Long was the strongest, Zi Shu the most mysterious.

Even during the upheaval ten years ago beneath Longhu Mountain, when Ren Xiao was struck down, the other Zodiacs perished or were wounded—yet Zi Shu remained hidden in mist, revealing not a trace.