Chapter 39

The major forces in Ningcheng are concentrated in the east and south of the city. In the east, there are the Guo and Wei families, while in the south, there are the Zhu and Wu families. The Hu family's response was also very clever. The two strongest branches among the top three, Zebai and Liqing, respectively guard the northeast and southeast corners. The slightly weaker Beiji branch is situated in the southwest corner. These three major branches, along with the main Hu family line in the center of Ningcheng, form a surrounding posture against the four major families.

The market in the east of the city is built along the Hong River, which flows through Ningcheng from north to south, giving it a tranquil and natural atmosphere reminiscent of the Jiangnan water towns. Here, the main focus is on shops selling daily necessities and basic cultivation supplies, which offer relatively smaller profits. After the battle at Baisi, the Hu family withdrew from this area, and it is now entirely managed by the Guo and Wei families.

The market in the south of the city is quite different. This is the core of the entire Ningcheng, as the entire southern part of the city is a massive trading market, one of the most significant in all of Longhua Kingdom.

Due to the existence of the Longjia Mountains, there are many adventurers, and the southern market has become an important transit point. There are no large auction houses here; instead, various merchants use every resource and time difference to endlessly plunder the rich resources that adventurers have worked hard to obtain. They focus on centralized wholesale, rapid, simple, and efficient transactions. As for profit, that is something the merchants need to consider!

At the first light of dawn, Hu Gao, looking exhausted, crossed the old and dilapidated Wulin Road in the eastern part of the city, passed through the still-sleeping market and the Hong River, and returned home, where he fell into a deep sleep like a dead dog.

Last night, after Xiao Wu broke through to the mid-stage of the first rank, the two food lovers launched a merciless slaughter on the outskirts of Tushan. The surviving beasts could only lament that sometimes, having a good fate is also a sin; only those without spirit cores could truly find happiness.

After two consecutive nights of intense battles, even Hu Gao, who had once stayed up for three days and nights in an internet cafe, was feeling the strain. Especially after integrating his yuan force with his physical strength, the rate of consumption was so high that even he, a freak, couldn't keep up. It was like a bottomless pit!

As for the Fire Dragon Technique, which he had just learned, it was even more terrifying. Hu Gao only needed to use it twice to almost deplete all the yuan force in his qi sea. He wished he could rename the Fire Dragon Technique to "Sea of Yuan Force." This was completely a matter of using yuan force to crush people. As a mid-stage Condensation Shadow Realm cultivator, he couldn't afford it.

Under the deep meditation technique, Hu Gao quickly fell asleep. In his dreams, he kept thinking about what the fat boss had told him. He couldn't imagine what changes could happen in Ningcheng. Surely, the Lang family wouldn't suddenly attack, right?

With a head full of questions, when Hu Gao woke up, he found himself extremely hungry. Since Xiao Wu came into his life, he seemed to get hungrier more easily.

"Why hasn't Qinglian come over these past few days?" Thinking about food, Hu Gao began to miss the all-knowing and all-powerful little girl who always brought him delicious treats. He should probably visit the Liqing branch, as it was also where the original him was born.

After stepping out, he casually asked a member of the main family on the street, and Hu Gao finally got a rough idea of Ningcheng's layout. It turned out that the Liqing branch wasn't far from here; he should have visited earlier.

However, the south of the city was much more crowded than the east, with many more martial artists on the streets. Hu Gao didn't rashly investigate their strength. He knew that Ningcheng was full of hidden dragons and tigers, so he decided to be cautious and low-key.

As he approached the Liqing branch, a voice suddenly shouted from the crowd, "Hu Gao? Why are you here too?"

Hu Gao looked around and saw Jile standing in a corner. The Beiji branch was also in the south, so it wasn't surprising to see him here. However, he could sense a hint of surprise in Jile's tone, especially the word "too," which suggested that Jile had a special reason for being here.

"What happened?" Hu Gao took a few steps forward, maintaining a subtle distance from Jile. If Jile leaned against the street, he would look like a typical hooligan. If it weren't for his clean face, Hu Gao would have stayed far away.

Jile rarely showed a bitter smile, thinking to himself, "How could this be so coincidental? I was with Hu Gao yesterday, and then this happened." A deep concern for his family surfaced on his face.

"Speak up." Hu Gao saw Jile's expression and had a bad feeling. This unease had been with him since he started dealing with the fat boss.

"Hu Gao, the Fifth Elder was assassinated last night." As Jile spoke, his eyes suddenly reddened, and tears fell like raindrops from the eaves. "The Fifth Elder used to be very kind to me and said my future achievements would surpass those of my three older brothers..."

Seeing Jile crying on the street, Hu Gao's heart softened. Despite his carefree nature, Jile wasn't a bad person. He walked forward and put a hand on Jile's shoulder.

"I'm fine!" Jile's mood changed faster than a woman's. He wiped away his tears and pushed Hu Gao away. "You shouldn't go there. According to the guards, the assassin might be from your Liqing branch. The dark knights are investigating the matter."

Hu Gao's face changed. The phrase "disorder within the family" instantly came to mind. There must be some conspiracy. "No, Jile! I have to go!"

If there was anything that could prevent the Hu family's internal strife, it was his identity as the successor. He couldn't just stand by and watch, and he was also worried about Qinglian's safety. This innocent little girl, who hadn't even condensed a totem, shouldn't be involved in this conspiracy.

"Alright." Jile reluctantly followed, thinking to himself, "How could this be so coincidental? I was with Hu Gao last night, but he disappeared, and I had dinner with others!"

Jile suddenly stopped. That's not right! Even if Hu Gao is from the Liqing branch, with his current strength, he wouldn't have the qualifications to participate in the assassination of the Fifth Elder, especially in the heavily guarded ancestral hall.

"Jile, was the Fifth Elder from your Beiji branch?" Hu Gao wanted to confirm this.

Jile came back to his senses, his mind still on the dinner last night. "Yes, the Fifth Elder was the pillar of our Beiji branch. Apart from the family heads, he was the most powerful in the Elder Council. According to the clues provided by the dark knights, the possibility of a group attack has been ruled out, so the list of suspects is very limited."

Hu Gao nodded. "So, the main suspect is Elder Qingzhi?" He imagined a mischievous old man. Yes, such a person could do anything without it being surprising.

Jile was amazed by Hu Gao's quick thinking. Before he could speak, Hu Gao continued, "But there are two problems you face: first, why leave obvious clues pointing to the Liqing branch, and second, what is the purpose of this?"

"Hu Gao, they say that people who lose their memory are the quickest to gain wisdom. It seems this isn't just a rumor but a fact." Jile's praise was awkward, but what Hu Gao said was exactly what the dark knights had concluded.

After understanding the situation, the two sped up and arrived at the Liqing branch's mansion. There were many guards at the gate, and Hu Gao stepped forward to explain his purpose.

"Sorry, Successor, we need to report this."

"No need. Just lead the way. It's not the time for this!" Hu Gao ignored them and walked in.

The guards looked at each other but didn't dare to stop him. They sent a quick-witted one to lead the way.

Elder Qingzhi's room was completely different from the patriarch's. It was very simple and elegant, and when Hu Gao entered, he thought he had walked into a calligrapher's house. The air was filled with a mysterious fragrance of books, which was quite contrary to Elder Qingzhi's cunning and shrewd image.

Elder Qingzhi and the dark knight were clearly surprised to see Hu Gao and Jile.

"Hu Gao? Why are you here?" Elder Qingzhi's attention was on Jile. It was fine that Hu Gao came, but why did he bring Jile?

The dark knight standing next to Elder Qingzhi was familiar to Hu Gao. He was the one who had carried Hu Gao into Ningcheng. Hu Gao remembered his name was Dark Shadow, probably just a code name.

Dark Shadow was visibly flustered when he saw Hu Gao. He gave the guards a very unfriendly look, as if they were all incompetent for letting Hu Gao, a Condensation Shadow Realm novice, get in.

The guards looked at Hu Gao helplessly, as if to say, "He is the High Priest's designated successor. What can we do to such a big shot?"

Of course, this series of eye exchanges didn't escape Hu Gao's notice. He realized he might have acted rashly by bringing Jile to investigate. He quickly said, "Elder, I came to find Qinglian. She hasn't visited me recently. Where is she?"

Elder Qingzhi's expression changed rapidly, like a Sichuan opera face change. Qinglian's situation was too complicated, and he didn't know how to explain it to Hu Gao. He was most worried about what would happen if they became enemies one day.

"Hu Gao, go back to the ancestral hall and find the Transmission Elder. Qinglian has been taken out by the clan for training and won't be back soon. I'll inform you when she returns." Elder Qingzhi waved his hand, making a gesture to dismiss him.

---

The page turns, and the advertisement begins.

The page turns, and the advertisement ends.