Finally, there's some different information! Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up, and he immediately straightened his back. "Could there be a hidden story behind this?"
Elder Zhao nodded slightly and said in a casual tone:
"After the end of the Anti-Japanese War, the Tongzhou Association believed there was no need to hide anymore and wanted to take the opportunity to become the official organization of the Second District. So, according to regions, it established seven major branches across the country: North China, Northeast China, East China, Central China, South China, Southwest China, and Northwest China.
"Unexpectedly, not long after, fierce conflicts broke out within the Tongzhou Association. Some people didn't want to become puppets of the West and withdrew from the organization to start their own businesses. However, this was not the fundamental reason for the Tongzhou Association's dissolution.
"The real reason was that the comprador government was driven to a corner, and the new government had a very strong sense of sovereignty and a determination not to compromise. In addition, the internal conflicts within the Tongzhou Association were intense, and members kept leaving the organization. Therefore, the Tongzhou Association disbanded hastily before it had time to establish an official organization in the Second District."
Although Elder Zhao spent a lot of time setting the stage and didn't get to the point for a long time, Zhang Yuanqing and Zhao Chenghuang still listened with great interest.
"The infighting of the North China branch took place under this background, but it wasn't infighting, it was a massacre." Elder Zhao finally lifted the red veil and was about to get to the main topic.
"A massacre?" Zhang Yuanqing and Zhao Chenghuang exchanged glances, and the former asked, "Who launched the massacre?"
Elder Zhao shook his head: "I only know that before the Tongzhou Association disbanded, the high-level members of the North China branch suddenly summoned all members for a meeting. The result of that meeting was that everyone died."
Zhang Yuanqing frowned as he listened:
"In the case of infighting, there would always be a winner on a battlefield with so many people. The possibility of everyone dying together is small. If it was a massacre, it would make sense. //boquge
"The meeting was convened by the North China branch itself. The only possibility is that the Tongzhou Association headquarters did it. But why massacre the members of the North China branch? How did you find out about this, Elder Zhao?"
Even Gang Leader Jiang didn't know the details.
"Because there was a survivor in the North China branch back then. When the members were summoned for the meeting, he was delayed due to an accident on the way. When he arrived at the meeting place, he only saw a ruin full of blood and flames. None of the members' bodies were left." Elder Zhao took a sip of tea. "You actually know that survivor, and you've had a lot of dealings with him."
He put down the teacup and said before Zhang Yuanqing could speak, "He is Shanhe Yongcun, the Great Protector of Dark Night Rose."
Shanhe Yongcun?!
This news caught Zhang Yuanqing off guard. He didn't expect Shanhe Yongcun to be related to the Tongzhou Association. However, combined with what Pure Yang Head Teacher said last night to scare him, it seemed to match up.
Shanhe Yongcun is the Great Protector of Dark Night Rose and is involved in a secret history of the Tongzhou Association, so Ling Tuo arranged for Pure Yang Head Teacher to appear and scare him, the purpose being not to let him explore this matter.
While Zhang Yuanqing was deep in thought, Zhao Chenghuang next to him said suspiciously:
"Grandpa, how could Shanhe Yongcun tell you these things? I remember your relationship isn't good."
Elder Zhao said faintly: "Shanhe Yongcun was recruited into the Taiyi Sect by me. I once saved his life. Besides, we have an excellent relationship, but we rarely interact."
Rarely interact is considered an excellent relationship... Zhao Chenghuang didn't dare to retort and nodded with a stern face.
At this time, Zhang Yuanqing regained his thoughts and looked at Elder Zhao: "Regarding the massacre of the North China branch, what else did Shanhe Yongcun say?"
Elder Zhao shook his head: "He wasn't in the first batch and only obtained a character card at the end of the Republic of China. At that time, he was just a middle-level member. In that accident, he was just a lucky survivor."
The problem of the Freedom Alliance only broke out recently, and then it involved the Tongzhou Association. Before that, even the first batch like Elder Zhao didn't know much about the Freedom Alliance.
Of course, they wouldn't investigate Shanhe Yongcun in detail. It's too late to investigate deeply now.
But if Shanhe Yongcun doesn't know anything, then why did Ling Tuo arrange for Pure Yang Head Teacher to scare me? This doesn't make sense. Zhang Yuanqing frowned.
Even if Shanhe Yongcun knows something, he has already betrayed the Taiyi Sect, and the high-level members of Dark Night Rose are protected by Taiyin. They can't be found, let alone arrested.
In that case, what was the point of Pure Yang Head Teacher scaring him last night?
Unless the problem isn't with Shanhe Yongcun, Elder Zhao is inherently hiding other secrets, and this secret is something Ling Tuo doesn't want me to know, or rather, doesn't want to be made public...
What secrets could Elder Zhao have? Zhang Yuanqing's heart suddenly moved, and he looked at the rigid and serious old man and said:
"Let's not talk about Shanhe Yongcun for now. Elder Zhao, you seemed very surprised when we mentioned the Tongzhou Association just now. What did you think my purpose was for this trip?"
After a pause, he simply cut to the chase: "What's in the basement?"
Zhao Chenghuang entering the basement was a blunder, but it was also a lucky hit. Elder Zhao must have thought that he had instigated Zhao Chenghuang to sneak into the basement to explore, and the purpose of this trip was also the basement.
So when he mentioned the Tongzhou Association and showed no interest in the basement, Elder Zhao would be surprised and astonished.
After asking this question, Zhang Yuanqing was ready for Elder Zhao to turn hostile.
Unexpectedly, Elder Zhao calmly sipped his tea and said faintly:
"You want to know what's in the basement?"
"Can I know?" Zhang Yuanqing asked back.
Elder Zhao silently drank his tea. When the teacup was empty, he seemed to have figured something out and said in a deep voice:
"I don't let Chenghuang get close to the basement because I don't want my descendants to be tainted by this karma. If you insist on getting to the bottom of it, then come with me."
Zhang Yuanqing and Zhao Chenghuang stood up at the same time, but the latter was forced back by a look from Elder Zhao.
Elder Zhao, who was sitting on the wooden stool, turned into starlight and disappeared.
Zhang Yuanqing also used Star Escape Technique, following Elder Zhao's aura to the ground.
He appeared in an old, dark tunnel. The walls were poured with cement, and the cement on the top was cracked and weathered, revealing dense roots.
Elder Zhao stood in front of a decayed wooden door and turned around and said:
"Come in!"
With a grating sound that made teeth ache, he pushed open the wooden door and entered the dark basement.
Zhang Yuanqing lost Elder Zhao's aura. The latter seemed to have entered another world.
Hidden? It seems that the things in the basement can't be exposed to the light. Zhang Yuanqing quickly stepped forward and entered the dark basement.
The special vision of the Night Wanderer allowed him to see through the darkness effortlessly and see the scene inside the basement.
The basement was about twenty square meters. The only furniture was an old long table with a pottery pot on it.
That was all.
On the other hand, the ground and walls were covered with spirit talisman arrays, which were the "secret" arrays that Zhang Yuanqing had not even mastered.
Zhang Yuanqing was stunned in place. This was different from what he had imagined. Such a simple basement was not worthy of its status as the "Zhao family's forbidden area."
What did Elder Zhao want to hide?
He turned his gaze to the table and the pottery pot. As a ruler, he could see at a glance that both items were ordinary and had no spirituality.
At this time, Elder Zhao walked to the pottery pot, reached out and dug open the black soil inside the pot, and picked out a black seed the size of a fingernail.
He looked back and said in a deep voice: "Do you know what it is?"
"A seed," Zhang Yuanqing replied.
"Do you know its origin?" Elder Zhao asked.
Zhang Yuanqing shook his head.
Elder Zhao said slowly: "It was left by Ling Jun's mother."
Ling Jun's mother's relic? Hearing Elder Zhao's explanation, Zhang Yuanqing was initially at a loss, not understanding what was so special about Ling Jun's mother's relic that made Elder Zhao so taboo, even setting up a Taiyin formation in the basement.
But soon, he scoured his mind for information that he had almost forgotten.
In the audio of the Demon Lord and Teng'er's mother doing *that*, there was a conversation about Ling Jun's mother.
——Ling Jun's mother claimed to have discovered a terrible secret and suspected that she would not live long. So she called her sister, who was Teng'er's mother, hoping that she could raise Ling Jun.
Not long after, Ling Jun's mother entered a dungeon and never came out again.
She died in the dungeon.
At the thought of this, Zhang Yuanqing's spirit was lifted, but on the surface, he pretended to be puzzled: "Ling Jun's mother's relic, is it worth your cherishing and preserving it so much?"
He didn't expect that the *that* he had overheard would actually have a sequel.
Elder Zhao shook his head slightly:
"Before she returned to the Spirit Realm, one day, she suddenly came to me, hoping that I could help her keep this seed. She said that the seed contained a secret and asked me to keep it safe. If I accidentally leaked its existence, even I might face death.
"I asked her how to deal with it. She said she didn't know either.
"She gave me the seed not long before she returned to the Spirit Realm."
No wonder Elder Zhao doesn't allow anyone to enter the basement, no wonder he said he didn't want Zhao Chenghuang to be tainted by karma. Zhang Yuanqing suddenly understood, and then questioned: "Why did she give such an important thing to you, instead of giving it to Elder Miao?"
"The one with the surname Miao doesn't know about Taiyin secrets." Elder Zhao said faintly: "Fengling is my student. It's not surprising that she gave the seed to me."
Zhang Yuanqing had long known that the Star Lord and the current Azure Emperor were cousins, so the Taiyi Sect and the Hundred Flowers Association were very close. It was not surprising that Ling Jun's mother was Elder Zhao's student.
He said in a deep voice:
"So, Ling Jun's mother was silenced?"
Elder Zhao sighed: "No, she did return to the Spirit Realm in the dungeon. This is what I saw with my own eyes. The surveillance cameras and the servants who served her can testify. She was just unlucky and encountered an S-level dungeon."
So, it was really a coincidence? Zhang Yuanqing stared at the seed: "Have you tried to crack it?"
"This seed was cultivated by Fengling and requires special techniques to germinate. I have tried many methods, but I can't revive it. I can't ask the Wood Demon for help, so I gave up." Elder Zhao pinched the seed and rubbed it back and forth with his fingertips:
"I have observed the stars countless times and have not observed the date of its birth in the river of fate, nor have I seen anyone whose karma is entangled with it. Maybe someone has shielded its fate, or maybe it has the ability to prevent prying eyes. I really don't know how to deal with it, so I just put it in the basement."
Zhang Yuanqing then asked: "Then why are you telling me this today?"
Elder Zhao flicked his finger and flicked the black seed into Zhang Yuanqing's arms. He smiled and said: "You're not my great-grandson, so why do you have to force yourself to be tainted by karma? What does it have to do with me?"
"..." Zhang Yuanqing quickly flicked the seed back: "Let's leave it with Elder Zhao for now. This place is protected by Taiyin and is very safe."
It was safer than putting it in his inventory.
Elder Zhao's face was serious: "Yuanshi Tianzun, I brought you here not because I wanted to get rid of the hot potato, but because you are the best person to unlock its secrets."
He flicked it back again.
While saying that he didn't want to throw the hot potato to him, he threw it over without mercy. Zhang Yuanqing said with a fake smile: "So, I'm the chosen one?"
Elder Zhao shook his head: "Your karma is messed up anyway. It doesn't matter if you have more or less. Furthermore, I don't have the determination to unlock the secrets left by Fengling, but you can. As everyone knows, Yuanshi Tianzun is born rebellious and has a rebellious bone. I have great confidence in your character."
Little Lord, there are more chapters behind this one, please click on the next page to continue reading, the following is even more exciting!
The two flicked it back and forth, and finally left the seed in the basement.
After all, it had been in the basement for more than twenty years and had been fine all along. The safest way was to maintain the status quo.
Zhang Yuanqing promised Elder Zhao that he would help investigate the matter and promised not to reveal it to anyone.
Returning to the courtyard, Zhao Chenghuang used the excuse of seeing Yuanshi Tianzun off and left with him. After walking out of the old alley, he couldn't wait to ask:
"What's in the basement?"
Zhang Yuanqing said angrily: "Although you are not my great-grandson and insist on forcing yourself to be tainted by karma, I still won't tell you."
Zhao Chenghuang: "???"
Songhai.
In the Fu family's bay villa, in the bedroom, Zhang Yuanqing's main body fell into deep thought.
He is now a person who sticks to the strategy of playing safe, and all affairs are handled by avatars. The main body controls remotely, and there is almost no danger under the background that demigods do not take action.
His current level is not enough to make demigods take action.
Getting back to the main topic, Zhang Yuanqing found that things became more and more confusing. He originally suspected that Ling Tuo's purpose was to prevent him from investigating Shanhe Yongcun, and later suspected that Ling Tuo's real purpose was to prevent him from excavating Elder Zhao's basement.
But when he left the Zhao family's courtyard, he realized that something was wrong. Ling Jun's mother entrusted the seed to Elder Zhao for safekeeping. This matter was protected by secrets, and Ling Tuo could not have known about it.
Since he didn't know, how could he prevent it?
The Free Federation.
In the lakeside villa, in the bedroom with huge floor-to-ceiling windows, Zhai Cai was sitting cross-legged on the bed, his chest and abdomen rhythmically rising and falling, and bronze-colored light spewed out from his nostrils.
During this period, he had been preparing for the dungeon. It had been a full eight months since the last dungeon.
According to the law of level 7 rulers, there must be one dungeon within a year.
In other words, he could enter the dungeon at any time in the next two months.
Zhai Cai's current experience value is 95. If he enters another dungeon below level A and above level C, he can smoothly ascend to level eight.
With his hidden points, this dungeon will at most be level A, and most likely level B. There is no big problem.
Every excellent genius should learn to control their hidden points to ensure that the difficulty of each dungeon they enter does not exceed B, which is the safest way to upgrade.
He can play safe all the way to level eight, or even level nine.
The price is calculated according to the long cycle of the Ruler dungeon. It may take half a century, or even longer, to play safe to level nine.
Before long, Zhai Cai finished his meditation and prepared to go outdoors to temper his sword skills and physique. At this moment, a Spirit Realm prompt sounded in his ears:
Ding, the Spirit Realm map is opening, enter the Spirit Realm in 20 seconds, the Spirit Realm you are entering this time is "Knight's Twilight", number: Difficulty level: S
Type: Single player (death type)
Main mission: Survive for 30 days, or eliminate all enemies.
Note: Non-Spirit Realm items cannot be brought in.
Spirit Realm introduction: Darkness covers the earth, the blood moon descends, and the demons in the shadows wake up from their sleep one after another. They have surrounded the Holy See!
Zhai Cai's face turned pale with a "swish", and his eyes showed unbelievable shock and a hint of despair.
An S-level dungeon in the Ruler stage?
"This is impossible, impossible, my hidden points cannot reach the S-level threshold!"
He rushed out of the room desperately and roared: "Yuzuriha Inori, my dungeon has arrived, S-level Knight's Twilight..."
He disappeared into the room, leaving only lingering echoes.
(End of this chapter)