Chapter 620: Noble Zhang Family
Chapter 620: Noble Zhang Family
Shadow Shaman Meng and the Noble Zhang Family are working together to create a Demon Revealing Mirror?
The unexpected news made Hu Ma's heart turn cold. If they succeed, wouldn't it mean that the second great purge of reincarnators is about to begin?
Instinctively, he felt a sense of resistance to this news, finding it unbelievable. But after a moment's thought, he could only accept it.
The uniqueness of reincarnators would gradually become apparent as their skills improved.
Just like this time, facing Yan Family Patriarch, the entire Guazhou City seemed lighter, but only the reincarnators showed minimal reaction.
Previously, when facing the pressure of the Meng Family Patriarch, it was clear that only the Life Spirit Shrine could support them.
The Life Spirit Shrine is the most unique existence for every reincarnator, allowing them to avoid detours, stay connected, and possess various wondrous uses.
However, as the situation escalates, this uniqueness might also become a weakness for reincarnators, leading to their discovery...
For a moment, he struggled to process the impact of this news, quickly returning to the western part of Guazhou City and entering Elder Brother Zhao's mansion.
The mansion was in disarray. Elder Brother Zhao was absent, reportedly rushing out with the young master, who was still unwell. Only the steward remained, explaining to Hu Ma, "Please rest assured, sir. The master knows that there's chaos in the city today. He has arranged for an early meal, anticipating that you might not have eaten after going out."
The steward shook his head and sighed, "Who would've thought that the Iron Gate Yan Family would face such a situation?"
"The Yan Family used to be the most virtuous family in Guazhou for many years. When the Iron Threshold King invaded Guazhou, it was their family who stopped the soldiers and bandits from causing trouble. The entire city's civilians were unharmed, and they only contributed several tens of thousands of loads of food and grass for the troops. But you can't judge a book by its cover. Such a virtuous family turned out to be the culprit behind the Toad Venom incident..."
"Sigh, with this incident, the local gentry will have to meet and discuss how to handle the situation going forward."
"..."
The Iron Gate Yan Family had been passed down for so many years, but it only took one night for it to be broken into. Now that the Yan Family has fallen, Guazhou is in turmoil.
Perhaps Elder Brother Zhao has already guessed that the Yan Family's situation is related to these guests in his mansion.
Entering the hall, Hu Ma saw that Lao Suandan and Wu Ya had already arrived, while Zhou Datong was still busy at Elder Brother Zhao's mansion. So, only the three of them had a meal.
With his mind preoccupied, Hu Ma's expression turned gloomy.
Lao Suandan also seemed uneasy, attempting to speak several times but stopping himself. Only Wu Ya looked reverent, resting her chin on her hand as she watched Hu Ma, occasionally pouring him wine.
"Um..."
After a few bites and sips, Hu Ma and Lao Suandan spoke simultaneously, then paused.
An awkward atmosphere filled the room. Hu Ma sighed deeply, put down his chopsticks, and said to Lao Suandan, "You first."
"I..."
Lao Suandan became embarrassed again, smiling bitterly, "What can I say?"
"I came along to provide counsel, fearing that your young age might lead you into deep waters in the jianghu, resulting in a significant loss. But it seems I'm not needed."
"It was said that the Hu Family had few members, but now it seems there are more than enough. There aren't any families with more members than the Hu Family..."
"..."
"Don't say that."
Hu Ma smiled and reassured him, "If not for your reminder, I couldn't have achieved such a scale."
"No, no..."
Lao Suandan waved his hands, "I can't take credit for this achievement. Even if you previously promised me two hundred jin of Blood Nourishing Pills, you don't have to give them to me..."
He paused for a moment, "...you don't have to give me all of it, just give me one hundred..."
His words trailed off again, and after mustering some courage, he said, "...give me one hundred and ninety jin, that's enough."
"?"
Hu Ma gave him a half-smile, half-scoff.
Lao Suandan's face turned red, and he quickly said, "What were you about to ask? Maybe I know the answer!"
Hu Ma exhaled lightly, furrowed his brows, and after a moment of thought, he slowly asked, "Have you heard of the Noble Zhang Family?"
"This..."
Lao Suandan paused, "The Malevolent Sect Patriarch? How could I not know?"
"Life-Sustaining Zhou, Demon-Suppressing Hu, Shadow Shaman Meng, Divine Hand Zhao Clan, Immortal King, Curse Breaking Chen Clan, also known as Living Ghost Chen, along with Unpredictable Li, Mountain-Viewing Zhu, Blessing Sun, and Noble Zhang..."
"These ten surnames are the most prominent in the jianghu."
"The Noble Zhang Family has always been revered as the Patriarch of the Malevolent Sect, but their sect is different from your New Year's Entrance, Wandering Ghost, and Playful Sects. Your three families are the most active in the jianghu, but they rarely participate in various affairs. The Malevolent Sect members also have their own specialties, and they don't get along well with each other."
"..."
"Malevolent Sect?"
Hu Ma was slightly taken aback, "So, the Noble Zhang Family is also from Craftsmen and Mechanicians?"
But he stopped mid-sentence, realizing the subtlety.
Indeed, Lao Suandan sighed, "That's not entirely true. Although the Malevolent Sect has many Nightmare Sorcerers and Craftsmen, and many of them are from poor backgrounds, if the Zhang Family is also like that, how could they be worthy of the title 'Noble'?"
"Well, although they're from the Malevolent Sect, they don't deal with those things. Astrology, numerology, and mystic techniques are their specialties..."
"Why did you suddenly think of asking about them?"
"..."
Hu Ma thought for a moment and looked at him, speaking frankly, "I just met two people who gave me a reminder."
"The Demon-Suppressing Hu Family, be wary of Noble Zhang and Shadow Shaman Meng!"
"..."
"What?"
Old Master Abacus seemed a bit bewildered and paused for a moment before saying, "How did these two families end up together?"
"Noble Zhang has a nose that reaches the top of his head, and Shadow Shaman Meng started from nothing but bowing. These two families are as different as chalk and cheese..."
"Who reminded you?"
Seeing his curious expression, Hu Ma smiled and explained, "It wasn't a reminder for me, but a message for a friend of mine. You know, the one in Bright State..."
"Do you really want to listen to such matters?"
"..."
Old Master Abacus suddenly realized, his face changing color, and he quickly shook his head, "No, I don't want to know anything about it."
But as he met Hu Ma's gaze, he hesitated slightly and said in a low voice, "However, regarding your question, I'll only tell you the most important thing—Noble Zhang is not someone to be trifled with."
"When it comes to terrifying and harmful methods, the Malevolent Sect doesn't have many, and their members are rarely seen in the Jianghu. They don't have a big reputation."
"But you must understand that a small reputation and fewer methods don't mean they lack powerful abilities."
"Skilled in battle but unrewarded, skilled in combat but unfamed, the Year Guardians have a resounding name in the Jianghu because they fight with their bare arms. The Negative Spirit has a loud name because there are malevolent spirits everywhere seeking living people to run errands for them under the bright daylight. The Malevolent Sect has fewer members in the Jianghu because they live stable lives and have means to make a living, so they don't need to wander the Jianghu."
"Noble Zhang doesn't have any notorious methods to harm people because their abilities are even more advanced, and they don't need to constantly devise such despicable schemes."
"Of course, their identity is also extraordinary, but now they are the last of the Imperial Lineage..."
"..."
"Imperial Lineage?"
Hu Ma was surprised to hear this, "I thought the Imperial Family had already... Where did the Imperial Lineage come from?"
"Hey, the Imperial Family was cursed to death, but the prince of the previous dynasty is still alive!"
Old Master Abacus smiled eerily as he spoke, "But the Dou Clan took over, seized the Noble Zhang's empire, and granted them the title of Idle Prince. For two hundred years, countless Jianghu experts who disliked the Foreign Dynasty Dou Clan secretly revered the Noble Zhang as their king. Even twenty years ago, after the emperor was skinned alive, there were still people who believed that the empire should be returned to the Noble Zhang."
"..."
"It's even related to the change of dynasties?"
Hu Ma was surprised to hear this, and as he pondered, Old Master Abacus also seemed to be thinking, as if he had thought of something important.
But after hesitating, he lowered his voice and slowly said, "There's another important matter."
"The first to discover those hellish demons hiding among people was the Noble Zhang Family..."
"The first to confirm that their family had a reincarnated malevolent spirit and took the extreme step of crushing them with a stone mill was also the Noble Zhang Family!"
"..."
"What?"
Hu Ma's heart sank upon hearing these words.
If the Noble Zhang Family had such capabilities, then the possibility of them collaborating with Shadow Shaman Meng to create the Demon Revealing Mirror, which could expose reincarnates, became more plausible. Hu Ma's heart grew heavier.
But after asking a few more questions, his doubts only increased.
The Noble Zhang Family was the first to discover reincarnates and even took the extreme step of "extreme justice." Then, who was responsible for suppressing the reincarnates later on? How did it become the Hu Family?
And most crucially:
The Demon-Suppressing Hu Family had conducted the first major purge of reincarnates, but as the master of the Pacifying Evil Office, Hu Ma knew nothing about how it was done. When he asked Old Master Abacus, he also looked perplexed. The current reincarnates, due to the generational information gap, were equally clueless about such a significant event...
After saying this, Hu Ma felt a bit disoriented, but learning about the Noble Zhang Family's connection to reincarnates was a valuable piece of information.
After finishing the meal, he returned to his room. He had initially opened three gates of the Pacifying Evil Office, which needed proper management, but now he couldn't afford to be distracted. He slowly practiced his cultivation, calming his mind, and gradually entered the Life Spirit Shrine. He had thought that after the Yan Family's commotion, the reincarnates would be in chaos, but surprisingly, the Life Spirit Shrine was unusually quiet.
"You're here?"
As he was wondering, Red Wine Miss's voice rang out, as if she had been waiting for Hu Ma all along.
Hu Ma hurriedly said, "Those people..."
"They've become serious."
Red Wine Miss said, "Right now, they're forming small groups to chat privately. Some are selling zombie horns and dragon zombie scales, while others are voting to select regional squad leaders!"
(End of Chapter)
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