Free Web NovelChapter 446: Chapter 247: Huangfu Ancestral Land
Only then did Cheng Zongyang feel compelled to re-evaluate Li Xuejin.
’This guy’s intelligence was truly pushing the limits of his expectations.’
Seeing the other man’s confident tone, Cheng Zongyang asked in return, "You know?"
"Then, can we get back to what we were just discussing?" Li Xuejin said, steering the conversation back to the original topic.
But Cheng Zongyang shook his head. "I’m sorry. Searching for the Huangfu Ancestral Land is just about finding some legendary treasure. But if so many factions couldn’t find it, I don’t think I’ll be the lucky one. Whether it’s found or not isn’t that important to me."
’He couldn’t let this man lead him by the nose.’ He had to pull the conversation back under his control.
Li Xuejin’s eyes narrowed slightly. "And what if I told you that I not only know the true location of the Huangfu Ancestral Land, but also where the treasure is hidden?"
Cheng Zongyang stared at Li Xuejin, his mind racing to analyze the implications.
’This guy...’
After a moment, a sharp glint flashed in Cheng Zongyang’s eyes. He stared at Li Xuejin. "So that’s it. No wonder you have a blood feud with the Gate Influence. You’re from the Direct Lineage of the Huangfu Family!"
Li Xuejin didn’t deny it. "So, what about this deal? This is my greatest secret. Surely that’s enough to prove my sincerity?"
Cheng Zongyang countered, "If you know where the treasure is, why haven’t you retrieved it yourself?"
’He didn’t bother asking if Li Xuejin was afraid of being imprisoned. With his intelligence, he must have already calculated the risks of revealing such a secret. There was no point wasting his breath on such a question.’
"I don’t have the power, I don’t have the manpower, and I don’t know the exact location. I only know the general area," Li Xuejin said with a wry smile.
Cheng Zongyang fell silent again. After a moment, he said, "You have more than one enemy, don’t you?"
Hearing this, Li Xuejin was inwardly delighted. ’This means Cheng Zongyang is already considering it.’ He immediately said:
"That’s right. But it was the Zheng Family that hunted the Huangfu Family to the point of extermination! Of the more than two hundred descendants from the Direct Lineage and branch families sent away, seventy to eighty percent of them died at the hands of the Zheng Family. Their goal was to obtain the Huangfu Family’s most important secrets. But those secrets are known only to the Clan Leader’s Direct Lineage."
"Is Huangfu Feiye your father?" Cheng Zongyang suddenly asked.
Li Xuejin’s breath hitched. He then shook his head. "My grandfather."
Cheng Zongyang fell into thought as well.
’He never would have expected that the Direct Lineage of the Huangfu Family, which countless people had failed to find, would turn out to be an unassuming County Magistrate’s Master who had been plotting revenge all this time.’
’Annihilating the Zheng Family was completely unnecessary for him; he had no grudge against them.’
’But the Huangfu Ancestral Land just so happened to contain something he wanted—and possibly more than one thing at that.’
’The tomb of the first Clan Leader, Huangfu Ren, along with its burial goods, the translated stone carvings, and the rumored Demon Beast Bones... These were all things he needed to investigate thoroughly.’
As these thoughts ran through his mind, he looked back at Li Xuejin, who was waiting for his reply, and asked, "Where is the tomb of the first Clan Leader, Huangfu Ren?"
Now it was Li Xuejin’s turn to frown, unsure why Cheng Zongyang was asking about his ancestor.
But seeing the intense curiosity in Cheng Zongyang’s eyes told him this was no casual question; it was purposeful.
’But things had already come to this point. He had no way to back out now.’
’Although the Zheng Family had suffered heavy losses during the wars in the Land of Four Mansions, they still possessed considerable status and power—far more than he could hope to challenge on his own.’
’Chang Younian, the man he had invested in for so long, had finally become a County Magistrate, only to die because of infighting among the higher-ups. This had made him even more desperate.’
’He was nearing forty and didn’t know how many more years he had left to plot. Finding another suitable noble son, or even a Gate Valve Son, to sponsor was next to impossible now.’
’He had only returned this time to pay respects at his ancestral shrine before seeking another path. He never expected to hear about the Cheng Family. A few days of inquiries and observation had led him to this idea: to risk it all on one last gamble.’
’There was no other reason than this: Cheng Zongyang perfectly fit his criteria. He also believed that a man like him, who surely held great secrets of his own, would never be content to remain tucked away in this small county.’
’His first plan, a normal attempt to join forces, had failed. He could only move on to his second plan: betting that Cheng Zongyang was genuinely interested in the Huangfu Ancestral Land. That was why he was now daring to gamble everything.’
After a moment of silence, he said solemnly, "It is also kept in the ancestral land. The family used to come to Jade Peak County in secret every three years for a sacrificial ceremony."
"It wasn’t buried?" Cheng Zongyang suddenly frowned.
"No." Li Xuejin shook his head.
"Alright!" Cheng Zongyang said abruptly. "I can promise to help you eliminate the key members of the Zheng Family’s bloodline in the future, but I won’t wipe out the entire clan."
"Then kill the entire Direct Lineage of the Zheng Family!" Li Xuejin said, suppressing his excitement, his gaze chilling.
After a moment’s thought, Cheng Zongyang marveled at the precision of his target. ’If the entire Direct Lineage dies, the branch families of the Zheng Family will inevitably fight amongst themselves for power, and the family will likely collapse.’
"Agreed." Cheng Zongyang nodded. "In addition, you must join the Celestial Break Gang and sign an Oath Contract. Of course, I know you don’t want to be subordinate to Li Lu. Therefore, I’ll give you the position of the Gang’s Master, in charge of internal affairs. Li Lu will handle external matters. You will also have an obligation to assist him, but you and Li Lu will be on equal footing. There will be no distinction of seniority between you."
Upon hearing this, Li Xuejin considered it carefully before nodding in agreement. He truly had no desire to be ordered around by Li Lu.
He had no objections to managing internal affairs.
"Tonight, I’ll take you to the Gang’s headquarters for a meeting to announce your identity and position. If you’re in a hurry, I can take you there right now."
