In the beginning, he was ranked alongside An Shigeng as a spoiled brat.

"Just the Murong family?"

"Don't worry, Madam. The Murong family will be dealt with by their own people. They'll be too busy to take care of themselves after tomorrow!"

Moreover, it's perfectly legitimate, and no one can trace it back to the Zhang or Wang families!

"If that's the case, I can make the decision then!"

Madam Wang did not hesitate, even though she felt somewhat wronged by Wang Yuyan's situation.

But it's better than hanging yourself on the Murong family's tree.

The Murong family's losses this time include not only gold, jewelry, and weapons, but also the fact that they have suffered a double loss, losing both their wife and their army.

He had planned to have the Zhang family guard the gate for his Murong family, but he never expected that the Zhang family would wipe him out in one fell swoop.

Even the Wang family was almost implicated, with 947 points remaining.

"By the way, don't announce this yet."

My wife is newly married and will surely make a scene if she finds out; while Miss Wang is still young and not of marriageable age. We'll tell her when she's eighteen to avoid it getting out and causing trouble for the Murong family.

"Thank you for considering the Wang family, young master!"

Not announcing it means there's a huge chance of things changing; there might even be a possibility of the engagement being called off within the next two or three years.

Moreover, Zhang Xiaoshan was concerned that, given the nature of the Murong family members, they might actually turn against the Wang family!

"By the way, this is a scroll of absorption technique."

Mr. Zhang knew that his wife had many enemies, but the Zhang family could not easily take action. This scroll of the Absorption Technique was found by the Zhang family in the An family's underground palace. After practicing this technique, his wife could quickly improve her internal strength.

Consider it a betrothal gift from the Zhang family!

Using the Absorption Technique as a betrothal gift instead of the Northern Darkness Divine Art shows that Zhang Xiaoshan doesn't trust this femme fatale.

No matter how powerful the Absorption Technique is, if it cannot be integrated, it will cause future troubles.

However, the Northern Darkness Divine Art is different; it is a Taoist divine art and has absolutely no fatal side effects.

Therefore, Zhang Xiaoshan replaced the Northern Darkness Divine Skill that Madam Wang deserved with the Absorption Skill, to prevent this woman from becoming arrogant and making a move against the Zhang family.

When a woman goes crazy, she's absolutely the worst of the worst.

Chapter 208 The Murong Family's Conspiracy: Zhang Xiaoshan's Borrowed 'Knife'

"Senior, are you wondering why I have chosen to marry into the Wang family?"

Xiao Yuanshan did not go down, so he naturally heard Zhang Xiaoshan and Madam Wang's conversation.

He didn't care about Zhang Xiaoshan's womanizing ways.

Zhang Xiaoshan's question at this moment piqued his interest.

In his eyes, the Zhang family was a colossal and powerful force, and there was absolutely no need for them to form a marriage alliance with a woman like the Wang family; it would be quite unwise.

"Benefit!"

"Benefit?"

Xiao Yuanshan looked at Zhang Xiaoshan with curiosity, as he couldn't see any benefit for the Wang family.

"What the senior saw was only the surface; he didn't see what was behind the Wang family at all."

The Wang family mother and daughter may seem simple, but in reality, behind them are two powerful figures: one mother, Li Qiushui, is the Empress Dowager of Western Xia, and the other father, Duan Zhengchun, is the Prince of Zhennan of Dali.

And this seemingly useless marriage certificate will allow the Zhang family's business to gain a foothold in two foreign countries.

"I see"

Xiao Yuanshan looked at Zhang Xiaoshan in disbelief, never expecting that a simple marriage would involve so much.

No wonder Zhang Xiaoshan was willing to condescend to take an ordinary young woman from the Wang family as his concubine.

Behind every issue, there are always conflicting interests at play.

As for what happened back then, did you think that it was only to ambush you two, that so many martial arts experts needed to be mobilized, and that the ambush was done without any reason?

Or rather, have these older generations ever considered the reasons?

Who are Xuan Ci and Wang Jiantong? Although they have their own flaws, they can be considered heroes and valiant men in terms of righteousness.

Why would someone like that attempt to ambush and kill our elder's family back then? Didn't our elder ever consider the reasons?

"They said I went south to steal Shaolin scriptures?"

Since they said so, for the past twenty years, I've hidden myself in the Shaolin Temple's Sutra Repository, reading through all the Shaolin scriptures, hahahaha…”

Looking at Xiao Yuanshan, lost in his frantic memories, Zhang Xiaoshan couldn't help but shake his head:

"Senior is wrong, terribly wrong!"

"what?"

Xiao Yuanshan's laughter stopped abruptly, and his gaze toward Zhang Xiaoshan was filled with a ruthless questioning tone!

"I said that the senior was completely on the wrong track and only saw the surface of this matter."

How did Xuanci and Wang Jiantong know the route of their senior's visit home? How did they get the information that their senior was going to Shaolin to steal the secret manual? Didn't their senior think that there was a mastermind behind all this, secretly manipulating everything?

Why would this person want to target their senior? What is their purpose?

Therefore, your focus on Xuan Ci and Wang Jiantong is completely misguided; they are merely tools in someone else's hands!

boom!

It was as if a thunderbolt had exploded in Xiao Yuanshan's ears, shaking his mind and spirit.

"The news of going to Shaolin to steal the secret manual is widely known in the martial arts world, with eight or nine out of ten cases being similar."

But have you ever seen such a large-scale ambush operation, and those who died were all heroes of the martial arts world, the best of the best?

According to what I know, that person's target wasn't you at all, but rather the person behind you—

The Great Liao Dynasty. ‖ ! ”

what?

Xiao Yuanshan was shocked, not only in disbelief but also in bewilderment and confusion.

At that moment, Qiao Feng walked in from outside. He had just heard Xiao Yuanshan's laughter, which was full of murderous intent, anger, and venting...

"Has Master Qiao finished speaking?"

"That's about it. I heard laughter earlier, so I rushed over."

"In that case, I'll tell you my story."

Zhang Xiaoshan walked outside and looked at the group of women who were arriving one after another. Finally, his gaze settled on A'Zhu.

"Miss A'Zhu, would you be so kind as to take us to Huanshi Water Pavilion?"

"Yes, son!"

Although it was an inquiry, A'Zhu dared not refuse. She rowed a small boat and led Zhang Xiaoshan and the Xiao family to Huanshi Water Pavilion.

Return to the secret chamber of the Water Pavilion!

When A-Zhu returned, the place was in complete disarray, and she felt a pang of pity as she looked at it.

"In those days, the rites and music of the Great Zhou Dynasty collapsed, with internal conflicts among the feudal lords and external invasions by foreign tribes."

The Five Barbarian Invasions nearly wiped out the Han Chinese people, until the men of the Central Plains awakened and uprisings broke out across the land, finally repelling the invaders. Among them, the Great Yan dynasty established by the Xianbei people was ultimately destroyed in the annals of history!

"Could it be that the Murong clan are descendants of the Xianbei?"

Qiao Feng and Xiao Yuanshan frowned.

Murong? The Xianbei royal family was Murong back then. Considering the pagoda armor that was found, it couldn't be more obvious.

"Murong Longcheng can be considered a legendary figure of his generation."

In those days, heroes rose up and the Ten Kingdoms were in chaos. Murong Longcheng rose from obscurity and worked tirelessly to restore the Great Yan Dynasty.

Unfortunately, what is destined to be yours will be yours, and what is not, you cannot force!

Even though Murong Longcheng was exceptionally talented, he ultimately failed and could only retreat to Jiangnan to establish the Murong family, which had lasted for hundreds of years.

The family's inherited techniques, "Shifting Stars" and "Converging Finger," are both top-tier martial arts skills of their generation!

"For the next several centuries, every head of the Murong family devoted himself to restoring the Great Yan dynasty."

Rewinding to over twenty years ago, Murong Bo, the current head of the Murong family, was not yet fully accomplished in martial arts, but his cunning, treachery, and ruthlessness were already formidable!

"Son!"

Upon hearing Zhang Xiaoshan slander the Murong family, A'Zhu's expression changed.

Combining what Zhang Xiaoshan had said before, Xiao Yuanshan suddenly understood, and a murderous aura emanated from him that chilled people to the bone.

"Was the Murong family really behind everything that happened back then?"

"That's right. What Murong Bo valued back then was your noble status in the Liao Kingdom, which belonged to the lineage of Empress Xiao."

Killing their predecessors would provoke a backlash from the Liao's pro-war faction, triggering a major war between the Khitan and Han peoples, which would allow them to rise to power.

Moreover, he happened to be Xuanci's good friend at the time...

False rumors, feigning death to avoid disaster, incarnating as Yan Longyuan, the Hidden Dragon King of Ghost Street...

As Zhang Xiaoshan recounted everything, not only Xiao Yuanshan, but even Qiao Feng couldn't help but show murderous intent on his face.

It is unbelievable that a mere Murong Bo could stir up so much turmoil in the martial arts world and cause the deaths of so many heroes. He truly deserves to die.

"When the Zhang family discovered his identity, it was also the first time he had ever glimpsed the Golden-Faced Buddha."

Using the technique of shifting stars, he evaded the Golden-Faced Buddha's murderous intent. Meanwhile, Murong Fu was outside Suzhou, helping my father fend off an ambush by bandits. He then informed the Murong family, allowing father and son to reunite.

"No wonder the Murong family ran away so quickly!"

The Murong family attacked the Golden-Faced Buddha several times; if he didn't escape, he would be waiting to die.

"In the battle of Zhuxian Town, both the Murong father and son participated."

Murong Fu disguised himself as Li Yanzong, a master of Yipintang, and massacred the people and merchants of Zhuxian Town to silence them; Murong Bo, under the identity of Qianlong Wang, participated in the operation to kill Foye.

Although he ultimately managed to evade the Buddha's sword with a miraculous maneuver, it came at the cost of incurable internal injuries, giving him at most three years to live.

Three years? Dream on!

Xiao Yuanshan now completely believed Zhang Xiaoshan's words, because they were not made up at all.

"Actually, there's another piece of information: Murong Bo is proficient in Shaolin martial arts, and his mastery of each one is extremely profound. Didn't you encounter him in the Sutra Pavilion, senior?"

"It was him? No wonder! I hate him!"

With Zhang Xiaoshan's reminder, Xiao Yuanshan immediately thought of the gray-clad man, who was a fellow traveler.

Overwhelmed with regret, he realized he had been missing out on his enemy all along.

"As for the false information that I mentioned, you can go to Shaolin to verify it."

Although Xuan Ci has flaws, what is his character like? After more than twenty years of observation, the senior should be the one who understands him best.

As for the Zhang family colluding with them?

It's impossible that Ye Erniang simply died from the flying darts.

"You actually know about Ye Erniang?"

"Very well, if this is true, Xiao Yuanshan will certainly reward you handsomely."

Xiao Yuanshan decided to go to Shaolin Temple. If it was true, then Murong Bo's three years could not possibly have been given up by time.

Even Qiao Feng, filled with curiosity, followed closely behind.

He also harbored murderous intentions towards the Murong father and son. Xiao Yuanshan was clearly no match for them; perhaps by joining forces, they could eradicate this scourge of a father and son.

"Hello! Hello! Hello..."

Watching A'Zhu lead the Xiao family father and son away, Zhang Xiaoshan looked at the vast Taihu Lake, knowing he could never go back.

···

"Master Qiao has left!"

The women felt a pang of regret upon hearing the news that A'Zhu had left with the Xiao family father and son.