Chapter 28

"Old Xia, the main branch of the Outer Eight Gates, was passed down to you, right?"

Indeed, Qin Feng did not disappoint the old man. How could he not understand when the other party spoke so plainly? However, Qin Feng frowned and said, "I have nothing to do with the Outer Eight Gates. Why are you always staring at me?"

Although he knew the old man's background, Qin Feng still had no good feelings towards him. If it weren't for his interference that day, Qin Feng would have been free to do as he pleased!

"Nothing to do? You have a lot to do with them!" The old man sneered and said, "Qin Feng, do you know who those people you killed were?"

"What people? Scumbags!"

Hearing Old Xia's words, Qin Feng immediately became furious. After being arrested and taken to the detention center, he learned about their background. They were a group of people from the south who specialized in kidnapping children for begging.

So, even though he was young and had taken five lives, Qin Feng did not regret it at all. If given the chance again, he would definitely kill those five people.

"They are scumbags, indeed."

Old Xia looked at Qin Feng with a half-smile and said, "But they are also part of the Outer Eight Gates, specifically the Beggar's Gate. Tell me, do you have any connection with them?"

"Damn scumbags, your Outer Eight Gates are all scumbags. I will never join!"

Thinking of his sister, who was still missing, the old man's words only fueled Qin Feng's anger. If he weren't aware that he couldn't match the old man, he would have already taken action.

"Right, I admit, they are scumbags, and it's my fault!"

This time, Old Xia did not argue with Qin Feng. Instead, he looked melancholic, holding the teacup for a long time without drinking.

"The Outer Eight Gates are all bad people. It's best if they disappear. Why do you want to pass them down?"

Even without the old man saying it, Qin Feng could guess that he was the so-called main branch successor. From the events that had occurred, it was not hard to guess that the old man wanted to take him as a disciple.

"Disappear? Is that possible?"

Hearing Qin Feng's words, the old man came back to his senses and sneered, "The Outer Eight Gates have probably existed since the time of Yao and Shun. As long as humans exist, these people will not disappear.

Do you know that the first main branch leader once tried to unify the Outer Eight Gates to bring order to the world? Unfortunately, his successors were incompetent and could not control these people!"

The old man looked at Qin Feng and sighed, "When I took over as the main branch leader, I made a grand vow to unify the Outer Eight Gates...

It seemed like I was about to succeed, but then the country changed drastically, with warlords fighting each other and the Japanese invasion causing great suffering. Finally, when the country was liberated, I was arrested and accused of spreading feudal superstitions..."

The main branch of the Outer Eight Gates could only have one true successor, in addition to the guardian disciples. This was one of the reasons why the main branch's lineage dwindled after the Qing Dynasty entered the pass.

The old man had taken a disciple in his early years, but the disciple could not bear the loneliness, learned some skills, and wandered the world, eventually becoming corrupted by the secular world. Not only did he fail to control the Outer Eight Gates, but he also acted recklessly.

After the liberation, the disciple wrote to Old Xia, saying he was going to settle abroad and inviting his master to join him.

However, Old Xia never expected that the disciple had set a trap to deal with him and seize the main branch's legacy. Fortunately, Old Xia was in his prime at the time and managed to fight his way out, though he was injured.

After recovering, Old Xia wanted to take revenge, but the disciple had already gained power and was abroad, leaving Old Xia helpless. He was then imprisoned and isolated from the world.

Now, the old man had long given up on his grand ambitions, but he still thought about the ancestral legacy and had been searching for a successor for years. It was only when Qin Feng appeared that things changed.

"Wait, Old Xia, you're just a prisoner, and Hu is an official. How can he listen to you?"

After hearing the old man's story, Qin Feng interrupted, puzzled by how a prisoner could command an official.

"Bullshit official, when his father was still in diapers, he used to kowtow to me every year. What is Hu Baoguo to me? How dare he not listen to me?"

Old Xia sneered, "If it weren't for the few skills I taught him, he would have died on the battlefield long ago..."

"Blow, keep blowing."

Qin Feng didn't believe it, shaking his head and saying, "I know you're good at martial arts, but you're not his elder. Why would his father kowtow to you?"

"Hehe..." Old Xia, a seasoned figure in the world, smiled strangely at Qin Feng's words, "Kid, you're still too young to try to figure me out."

"Say it or not, I don't care to listen."

Although Qin Feng appeared indifferent, he was genuinely curious. The old man had talked a lot about the Outer Eight Gates and the world, but revealed nothing about his own background.

"Fine, I'll tell you. There are very few people in the world who know my true identity!" The old man thought for a moment and said, "I'm not surnamed Xia. My real name is Aisin Gioro Zai Shi..."

After saying his name, the old man paused and looked at Qin Feng, a hint of pride in his eyes, wanting to see Qin Feng's reaction.

However, the old man was disappointed. Qin Feng had no reaction to the name, muttering, "Aisin Gioro Zai Shi? Is that even a name? It sounds so strange."

"Damn, you're really uneducated."

Qin Feng's reaction made the old man want to cry. After decades, his first attempt to show off was met with disdain. He angrily said, "Aisin Gioro is the royal surname of the Qing Dynasty. Do you know that? The last emperor was even my nephew..."

Aisin Gioro Zai Shi was born in 1902, a distant descendant of Kangxi's 14th son, Yin Ti. He did not inherit the title of prince or duke, and by the time Zai Shi was born, the title had been reduced to that of a beile (prince).

In 1902, the Manchus were already in a difficult situation, and the Qing Dynasty was on the verge of collapse. Zai Shi had only been a beile for a few years when the last emperor was imprisoned in the Forbidden City.

However, a dead camel is still bigger than a horse. Zai Shi's family was still quite well-off. When the deposed emperor lived in the Forbidden City, the lives of the old Manchu nobility were still tolerable.

At the age of twelve, Zai Shi, younger than Qin Feng, had already followed his elders to the Eight Great Alleys, spending his days playing with birds and eagles, a typical spoiled child.

However, in 1917, when Zai Shi was fifteen, his good life ended. That year, Zhang Xun led 5,000 soldiers of the Braid Army into Beijing to mediate the conflict between President Li Yuanhong and Premier Duan Qirui.

But no one expected that Zhang Xun's first act upon entering Beijing was to dissolve the National Assembly.

On the night of June 30, 1917, Zhang Xun, Kang Youwei, Wang Shizhen, and over 300 others, including the Nine Gate Commandant Jiang Chaozong, secretly entered the palace.

Under the support of Zhang Xun and Kang Youwei, the young emperor once again ascended the throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, restoring the Xuantong era. This event is known in history as the "Ding Si Restoration."

However, this farce, opposed and condemned by Sun Yat-sen and others, lasted only twelve days before failing. Subsequently, those who supported the young emperor were purged.

Unfortunately, Zai Shi's elder relatives were among the 300 people. As a result, the family was dispersed and Zai Shi was exiled to a Manchu settlement in northern Hebei.

It was there that Zai Shi met his master and embarked on his journey in the world.

As for Hu Baoguo, his ancestors were from the Bordered Yellow Banner of the Han Army. Zai Shi's famous but unfortunate ancestor, the "Grand General Prince," was the commander of the Bordered Yellow Banner of the Han Army. Although the Qing Dynasty was gone, the Hu family still respected Zai Shi.

Zai Shi was not wrong in saying he watched Hu Baoguo grow up, as he lived with the Hu family for several years after the liberation. Hu Baoguo's martial arts skills were indeed taught by him.

Coincidentally, decades later, Hu Baoguo became the warden of this prison, and he encountered Zai Shi, whom he thought was long dead. Of course, the former beile had become today's Old Xia.

"If the Qing Dynasty hadn't fallen, you would still be a royal relative?"

After hearing Zai Shi's story, Qin Feng felt as if he had just experienced a dream. Even if he were to make up a story, it wouldn't be as bizarre as this. The man before him was once an uncle to the emperor.

"That's not right, I said... no..."

Qin Feng swallowed the words "Old Xia" and continued, "Beile, you said you were born in 1902, so you must be ninety-two years old now?"

Although Zai Shi's face was deeply lined, Qin Feng found it hard to believe that this old man, who could move like a gecko on the wall, was that old.

"I'm ninety-three years old in nominal age." Zai Shi smiled, revealing a full set of teeth. He looked like he could pass for sixty.

"Kid, I've said what I needed to say. What do you think?"

Hearing the wake-up call outside, the old man's face showed impatience. He had been easily convinced by his master in the past, unlike Qin Feng, who was so stubborn.

PS: Second update. Please give me some recommendation votes. If I can reach 15,000 recommendations today, I'll add an extra update.