Chapter 92

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The next morning, the atmosphere in Tang Family Fort was extremely tense!

When Tang Zheng arrived at Tang Boyuan's place, he confirmed that what he saw last night was indeed not an illusion.

Last night, a fire broke out on West Street!

All the shops of the proprietors who were invited to Tang Zheng's "Dagger Appraisal Conference" were burned down last night!

In the seven shops, a total of sixty-seven people perished in the fire.

Among them were six children about the same age as Little Lingdang!

Tang Zheng did not witness the scene with his own eyes.

However, he could easily imagine what a horrific scene West Street must have been last night.

"When the bodies were dug out, they were completely charred black, and it was impossible to tell who was who." Tang Zhongxing's face was ashen when he returned.

A few days ago, he had just killed two of Lan Shaoye's concubines.

And today, Yinlan Manor had retaliated by taking sixty-seven lives!

The arson on West Street was too significant to be the work of Lan Shaoye alone. Since Yinlan Manor had started to act, it meant they were no longer lying low...

"The Qintian Sect and the Zhaixing Sect, which have been overseeing Yinlan Manor, have been clashing fiercely over Feng Le's death. Both sects want to pull Yinlan Manor to their side, turning them from a debt-ridden weed into a sought-after treasure!" Tang Zhongxing slammed the table.

"The pressure on Yinlan Manor has suddenly eased. They certainly won't sit idly by and watch our Tang Family Fort grow stronger." Tang Boyuan said.

However, no one expected Yinlan Manor to act so directly!

West Street has always been Yinlan Manor's territory. By burning seven shops in one go, they clearly had no intention of reclaiming the shops.

The situation in Wulong Town had just tilted in favor of Tang Family Fort, but this move by Yinlan Manor would definitely make more people return to a wait-and-see stance!

Because, the fate of the West Street shopkeepers who first pledged allegiance to Tang Family Fort was now clear to everyone.

"Did we recall all the people we stationed on West Street on the night we were attacked?" Tang Zheng asked.

"Exactly!" Tang Boyuan replied.

Although Yinlan Manor's influence on West Street was deeply rooted, if all the people from Tang Family Fort had not been recalled, it would have been impossible for them to burn seven shops in one night!

Tang Zheng's fingers clenched.

The timing chosen by Yinlan Manor was truly insurmountable.

His students were still recovering from their injuries, and this was the most vulnerable time for Tang Family Fort!

Previously, the news of Mo Feng's impending visit to Tang Family Fort to deliver the invitation had made Tang Family Fort feel like they were wearing a golden cap. However, this cap was completely burned off by Yinlan Manor's fire.

The hall fell into a heavy silence.

Drip, drip.

The intricately carved wooden clepsydra pointed to noon.

Suddenly, Tang Xiaotang's angry voice came from outside: "Father! Yinlan Manor has provoked us multiple times, and they have gone too far! Take us with you and raid them directly!"

Tang Zheng looked up and saw that Tang Xiaotang was followed by more than a dozen Tang Family Fort disciples.

They were all more or less injured, but their eyes were resolute.

"Nonsense." Tang Boyuan slammed the table, "With your current injuries, rushing to Yinlan Manor would be exactly what they want!"

"But, are we just going to let Yinlan Manor ride roughshod over us?" Tang Xiaotang asked.

"That's not your concern!" Tang Boyuan said angrily.

The atmosphere in the hall became very tense.

Tang Boyuan's face was grim, and Tang Xiaotang and the others were not much better.

Tang Zheng sighed and stood up: "Xiaotang, how many of you can get out of bed? Whether you can fight or not, as long as you can get up."

Tang Boyuan looked at Tang Zheng in shock—did he really intend to take these children to Yinlan Manor?

"Twenty-three!" Tang Xiaotang said with surprise, "No, thirty! We have thirty!"

"Good," Tang Zheng said, then continued, "Now, all of you crawl to the lecture hall. I have a very important lesson to teach!"

"Huh?" Tang Xiaotang was taken aback.

...

The lecture hall of Tang Family Fort had not been used for a long time.

The lecture hall still looked messy from their social practice in Wulong Town, with posters and flyers scattered everywhere.

Tang Xiaotang said thirty people, but actually, thirty-three came.

Apart from Tang Xuan, the most seriously injured Tang Yu really crawled in.

Tang Zheng did not look at him. He stood at the front, pulled out a large sheet of paper, ground ink, and wrote three large characters—Four Protect One!

The Tang Family Fort disciples were all confused.

Four Protect One?

What does Four Protect One mean?

"In my hometown, there is a game that has been popular for hundreds of years. It has undergone many changes in form, but its essence remains unchanged. In this game, each side has five people, each with different responsibilities. The most important role is the one who plays the 'carry.' They are not the strongest at the beginning, but as the game progresses, they become stronger and eventually lead their team to victory..."

"Uh, Master, do you mean... you want to play a game with us?" Little Lingdang and the others were completely lost.

However, some of the older children, like Tang Xiaotang, were already deep in thought.

Tang Zheng continued: "Four Protect One is a tactic in that game! At the start of the game, four people fully protect the player who plays the 'carry,' helping them to quickly increase their strength, and ultimately lead their team to victory!"

Except for the younger children who were still a bit confused, Tang Xiaotang and the others almost immediately understood Tang Zheng's meaning.

"So, the two sides in this game are us, Tang Family Fort, and Yinlan Manor," Tang Xiaotang said.

"And we are the players on the Tang Family Fort side who play the 'carry'!" Tang Zixie added.

Tang Zheng nodded and wrote the letters "carry" on the white paper.

Actually, he had never played that type of game himself. He was not a player who could handle team battles, but as a game industry professional, he understood it even if he did not play.

Azhi looked at the five letters Tang Zheng wrote and asked, "Wait, is this the secret code you promised to teach me?"

Tang Zheng: "..."

The anger in the lecture hall gradually subsided.

Although the game Tang Zheng described was very different from the games they played as children, they understood that the key point was not the game itself.

It was the awareness of being the 'carry'!

If a player who plays the 'carry' remains weak, their side will definitely lose the game.

"The game can be lost," Tang Xuan nodded, a bit fearful, "But the conflict between Tang Family Fort and Yinlan Manor is not a game. Tang Family Fort cannot afford to lose!"

"Sorry, Master, we were too impulsive just now," Tang Xiaotang stood up.

Tang Zheng was relieved that they could still listen to him at such a furious moment, and he felt a great sense of relief.

Those sixty-seven lives were all because of Tang Zheng's "Dagger Appraisal Conference." He was angry, but he did not want to hear about the deaths of Tang Xiaotang and the others!

"Then... is Master the 'carry'?" Little Lingdang, half-understanding, looked up and asked.

"Me?" Tang Zheng smiled meaningfully, "Of course not!"

"Then what is Master?" the other children asked.

"I, of course, am the one who lurks in the darkness and delivers the fatal blow to the enemy's 'carry'!" Tang Zheng replied with a smile.

...

Tang Boyuan knew his disciples' temperaments well, so when they all obediently lay back in bed, his curiosity about Tang Zheng grew even more.

He asked Tang Xiaotang and the others why they suddenly decided not to rush to their deaths, and Tang Xiaotang gave him a long, incomprehensible explanation about 'carry' and 'Four Protect One.'

Tang Zheng, upon hearing this, sympathetically patted his shoulder: "Yes, this is called a generation gap."

Night remained silent...

Tang Zheng finished his practice for the day and tried out various variations of Yuxie with Meng Fenghua.

The star power in his body quietly surpassed three thousand three hundred threads.

He was exhausted.

But even so exhausted, his strength was still not enough!

If Lan Shaoye wanted to kill him, with the star power of a two-star martial artist, there would be no major problem. But if he wanted to kill Lan Shaoye, even with his full effort, he could not guarantee success.

A gap of over twenty years could not be bridged in a day or two.

Just as Lan Shaoye could not bridge the gap in combat experience between them!

The division of labor in Tang Family Fort was now very clear.

Tang Boyuan and the others went to West Street to handle the matter of the shopkeepers who had pledged allegiance to them being burned to death. They would inevitably have a direct confrontation with Yinlan Manor's experts on West Street!

However, Tang Xiaotang and the others were not worried about this. The three-star martial artists of Yinlan Manor were mostly guest experts and would not use their full strength.

Those who remained in Tang Family Fort, including Tang Xiaotang, were seriously preparing to welcome the guests.

Tomorrow, Mo Feng would personally come to Tang Family Fort to deliver the invitation!

They could not let Bai Lianfang think that Tang Family Fort was in a state of despair, on the verge of collapse.

"Everyone, cheer up!" Led by Tang Xiaotang, the Tang Family Fort disciples, injured or not, were all busy.

"Not just to welcome Master Mo Feng... but also to prepare for that 'game'..." Tang Zixie did not forget what they truly needed to prepare for!

They needed to grow quickly and rapidly improve their strength.

They needed to be fully prepared to help Tang Family Fort win in this 'game'!

"Oh? What are you preparing for?" Tang Zheng, who happened to pass by, heard their discussion.

"Ah, Master, it's not... we are..." Tang Xiaotang hurriedly tried to explain.

But Tang Zheng stopped her and looked at Tang Zixie: "Don't misunderstand, I don't want you to act now, but it's good to be prepared! Whatever you are preparing, go ahead and do it. Prepare well! Prepare thoroughly!"

Tang Zixie and Tang Xiaotang were initially stunned, then they nodded firmly.

Tang Zheng continued on his way, waving to them without turning back, and gave them a clear answer with a smile: "I will give you one month to improve yourselves! When I nod, it will be the time for you to spread your wings and fly!"

...