Chapter 51

Hu Gao's fierce punch not only shattered the long-tailed fish but also broke the hearts of countless onlookers. Everyone stood rooted to the spot like wooden stakes, mouths agape, unable to utter a single word.

Even some timid warriors were already imagining Hu Gao shattering their totems, trembling with fear and almost ready to flee. At this moment, Hu Gao seemed no different from a devil to them, his strength unmatched in their lifetimes.

Guo Zongxing and Wu Fan, after spitting out blood, met the same fate as Wei Junzi, all collapsing to the ground. From this moment on, their lives were irrevocably changed by Hu Gao.

On the field, only Hu Dehua of the Hu family remained. His expression was quite calm. In his view, it was normal for Hu Gao to have such strength; otherwise, how could he become the successor of the Hu family? Moreover, seeing the three fallen warriors from the three major families, he was already certain that his previous speculation was correct.

So, Hu Dehua calmly retracted the seven-colored bird into his body, said, "I concede," and retreated into the crowd.

The third round of tests for the Ordinary Hall's Tenth Division thus came to an end. No one dared to challenge anymore, and the participants for the second round were thus determined: Hu Gao, Hu Dehua, and Ji Fei, a combination of two seasoned veterans and one newcomer.

Now, no one dared to underestimate the Tenth Division. With a terrifying Hu Gao and a Hu Dehua with a sixth-rank totem, they already had the qualifications to vie for the top spot. They only had to wait for the duel within the Ordinary Hall in three months to see the results.

Hu Gao did not care about exposing his strength, as his vision had already transcended this small combat academy and soared to the distant Longjia Mountains, where he could truly hone his skills.

He did not even care about the final contestants from other divisions, and under everyone's watchful eyes, he left the combat academy.

"Truly a deep and unfathomable guy! Is the Hu family really about to rise?" The instructors close to the Hu family couldn't help but exclaim, feeling incredibly fortunate to have taken the right stance.

Yang Le's tense face relaxed, but a hint of annoyance appeared. Hu Gao had made her worry for nothing and left without even a word, leaving behind a smug back. Was this really the behavior of a Condensation Shadow Realm warrior? A guy who didn't even know the basics of respecting teachers and elders, how could he possibly be worthy of Hu Wushuang?

She helplessly called the other Tenth Division warriors and sent the three injured to the combat academy's medical team. Though these three were detestable, they had been injured here, and it was inevitable to give an account to their family heads. Sigh, just thinking about it gave her a headache!

Hu Gao, however, was not bothered by these trivial matters. He made his way to the eastern market and found the consignment shop he had discovered before. As soon as he entered, he saw the fat boss sitting there, a sinister smile on his face, as if waiting for his arrival.

"Are you going to the Longjia Mountains so soon?" The fat boss gestured for Hu Gao to sit beside him.

What a sly old fox! Hu Gao felt his actions were completely under someone else's control, and this person was even stranger than Hu Yinxue hiding in the shadows, which made him even more uncomfortable.

But he still sat down, as he had to ask for help, and there was no other way.

"Try the tea I brewed!" In front of the fat boss was a strange set of tea ware, the base made of what seemed like white jade, smooth and translucent, with grooves carved into it, forming a peculiar pattern that looked familiar. The tea water slid through the grooves and finally gathered in a cup.

Hu Gao had never seen such a way of brewing tea before. He picked up the cup and took a sip. The tea left a lingering fragrance, first bitter then sweet, with a slightly slippery feel. After drinking it, he felt a surge of energy, his mind buzzing, as if his mental strength had been enhanced, similar to the feeling after meditation.

"Not bad, right?" The fat boss seemed particularly cheerful today.

"What kind of tea is this?" Hu Gao knew little about tea; for a guy like him, the greatest use of tea leaves was to boil tea eggs.

"The tender leaves of the Fosang tree in the deepest part of the Longjia Mountains, picked by the lips of young girls during the changing of the seasons, then baked by the continent's top warriors using the Heaven-grade superior Yuan technique [Great Fire Technique], and finally prepared with water from the Red River."

What the heck, are you kidding me? Using a Heaven-grade technique to process tea leaves? Hu Gao frowned. "I heard that the most important thing in brewing tea is the water. How can you use water from the Red River?"

The fat boss nodded. "I didn't expect you to have some knowledge of tea art. The land and the people are one. I'm a lazy person, so I used the Red River water, which should be just right for you."

"What I'm more curious about is why someone like you would stay in a small place like Ningcheng?" Hu Gao didn't want to dwell on this topic; he wasn't yet at the level to appreciate such refined tastes.

"Hehe, young people can't wait, who told you Ningcheng is a small place? If you really think so, it shows you don't know much about the history of Longhua Kingdom." The fat boss leisurely sipped his tea and slowly said, "Actually, I think the Red River water is quite good."

"I wouldn't know, otherwise I wouldn't have come to you." Hu Gao didn't want the fat man to control the conversation. This guy wouldn't approach him for no reason; there must be something in Ningcheng that attracted him.

"Alright, what do you want to know?"

"Why did Elder Qingzhi rebel?" Hu Gao didn't want to waste time and asked directly.

"Ha, you're really interesting. Qingzhi is your family's grand elder. Why don't you ask your high priest instead of me, an outsider?"

"I haven't forgotten that on the day the five elders were assassinated, you told me that Ningcheng would be in turmoil. There's no such thing as foreknowledge; only someone involved would say such things."

"You're a smart one, but I really don't know. Otherwise, I wouldn't have stayed in Ningcheng for hundreds of years."

"What?" Hu Gao was a bit shocked. This guy had lived for hundreds of years, truly an old immortal. But upon reflection, he realized that in this world, with such high realms, the increase in lifespan was natural as one's realm advanced.

"Ah, I'm an old man, almost done for. Otherwise, I wouldn't be saying so much to a young man like you."

"I want to know if the Li Qing lineage was really exterminated." Hu Gao felt that Qingzhi and the others hadn't really died; the rebellion was too suspicious.

"You're smart, but you're also forgetful. What about your little sister Qinglian?"

The fat boss's casual words made Hu Gao's heart tremble. Yes, he had gone to the Li Qing branch to find Qinglian. How could he forget her? He vaguely remembered that Elder Qingzhi had told him Qinglian was out training. Yes, Qinglian wasn't in Ningcheng during the rebellion; that was the biggest clue!

The fat boss watched Hu Gao's eyes, which flickered with realization, and his eyes brightened. He saw many of the Hu family's qualities in this young man. He wasn't sure if his involvement was right or wrong. Humans had been too comfortable for too long, developing a sense of superiority and gradually forgetting the countless hardships that had once brought them to their knees, lost in their own achievements.

Could he really change the course of history? Or would it be better to just kill him here?

A glint of killing intent flashed in the fat boss's eyes.

This killing intent was sensed by Xiao Wu, who trembled and warned Hu Gao, "Master, leave quickly! This person is too terrifying!"

Hu Gao, hearing this, reflexively put down his cup and looked at the fat boss. Indeed, he saw a fleeting strange expression in his eyes. He finally realized that his impulsiveness might have led to a mistake.

"Thanks for the warning. Since that's the case, I'll leave first!" Hu Gao didn't hesitate, immediately getting up to take his leave. He had to take advantage of the fat man's moment of hesitation to escape the danger.

What sharp insight! The fat boss sighed, "I'm really getting old. Killing someone has become so hesitant. Where's the old me?" He gazed in the direction of the center of Ningcheng and thought, "The old thing hiding there, I know you're watching. But if I really want to kill him, you can't stop me."

"Hu Gao! Don't forget our initial agreement. Since you've decided to go to the Longjia Mountains, there's something I need you to do for me."

"What is it?" Hu Gao didn't let his guard down, knowing that Xiao Wu's perception had detected the fat man's killing intent just now.

The fat boss slowly pulled out a piece of leather from his waist and handed it to Hu Gao. "This is a map. When you go to the Longjia Mountains, find this place and bring back something inside."

"What is it?" Hu Gao took it, puzzled.

"You'll know when you get there."

"Alright, but I also need your help with something." Hu Gao didn't forget his second purpose for coming.

"There's a store on this street that sells demon beast meat, run by a brother and sister. I only know that one is a fat man named Wang Hu. I hope you can take care of them, considering their size and the fact that I'm helping you."

"Ha, I love fat people. I'll take this job. Rest assured, if anyone dares to harm them, they'll regret it." The fat boss laughed, a fierce light flashing in his eyes.

"This guy must have been a ruthless killer in the past. His killing intent is terrifying!" Xiao Wu suddenly said.

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