Myths Begin From Boys' Gong

The next day, Meng Zhao was practicing his martial arts in his courtyard in the county town when an uninvited guest arrived, bringing with him two people he had never seen before.

"Sister Zhou, what brings you here? Didn't you say you had important matters to attend to these past two months?"

The person who arrived was none other than Zhou Zhihan, an old acquaintance of Meng Zhao, who held dual identities as a member of the Six Doors and the Star Palace, representing both the righteous and the evil.

During the more than six months that Meng Zhao was away, Zhou Zhihan stayed in Xiaohan Village. It was a tacit understanding between them. After Meng Zhao returned to Xiaohan Village, Zhou Zhihan took the opportunity to go out. In short, someone was left behind to guard the village and prevent it from being raided.

However, according to the message Zhou Zhihan left earlier, this departure should last at least two months, and it was for personal matters. She shouldn't be returning so soon. Could something have happened in the meantime?
Zhou Zhihan and Meng Zhao have a special relationship, and there is an unspoken understanding between them. When they arrived in the county town, they went straight to a small courtyard that Meng Zhao had bought there, and they also brought two other people with them.

These two should be mother and daughter. The mother is not old, only around twenty years old, and the daughter is even younger, only two or three years old.

The mother is very beautiful, and the daughter is also clever and lovely; both are outstanding in appearance.

However, Meng Zhao's expression was not very good. He and Zhou Zhihan had a good relationship, but not to the point of being this close.

It would be one thing if he came alone, but he also brought two strangers with him. Moreover, according to Meng Zhao's observation, the young mother was having difficulty breathing and her internal organs were obstructed, so she should also have internal injuries. Wasn't this just bringing trouble to him?
Zhou Zhihan, looking exhausted from a long and arduous journey, smiled bitterly and shook her head upon hearing this.
"Something unexpected happened, and I had no choice but to come to you. However, it also presents you with an opportunity; it's up to you whether you want it or not!"

Then, she pointed to the young mother who was holding her daughter and said,

"Her name is Hong Minghui. She is the daughter of Hong Chengtong, the leader of the Hongmen, from Longxiang County, Hebei Province."

Now, Hong Chengtong, the leader of the Hongmen, has been assassinated and murdered. She is being hunted down because she possesses the secret of a treasure.

Not only that, although Hong Chengtong was murdered, the Hongmen's strength remains. She still possesses a list of the leaders of the thirty-two branch altars of the Hongmen, and her family's martial arts technique, the Lingxi Heart Method, is a top-tier internal martial arts manual. Are you interested?

In just a few words, he revealed something shocking.

Meng Zhao has been in the Tianyuan Kingdom for some time now. Although he spent the early part of his time in Xiaohan Village, where communication channels were closed and information was scarce, he was completely unaware of the affairs of the martial arts world.

However, as time went by, he delved deeper into the martial arts world and gained a considerable understanding of certain forces and masters, especially those in the surrounding areas.

Longxiang County is not close to Kaiyan County, as there are two county towns in between. However, if you travel by water, you can get here quickly, going downstream in just a few days.

As for the Hongmen, its status in Longxiang County was roughly equivalent to that of the Fang family in Kaiyan County. They were the number one overlords, a domineering force.

What sets it apart is that the Hongmen headquarters is located in Longxiang County, and it has thirty-two branch altars. Each branch altar has its own leader who runs a small business and supports the Hongmen headquarters.

These branch altars actually originated from the main headquarters of the Hongmen, but they are independent systems, scattered in different regions, and are generally quite secretive.

Of course, this is also why the Hongmen has a great reputation in Hebei Province. Many members of the underworld often seek refuge in the name of the Hongmen after they fall on hard times, because the Hongmen has a wide reach and the members are of the same ilk, making it easier to get help.

Over time, the reputation of the Hongmen grew, showing a tendency to expand beyond its original circle.

Meng Zhao's understanding of the Hongmen stems from the fact that the Hongmen is not confined to Longxiang County, but rather extends beyond the county to expand its influence, showing great potential in Hebei Province.

As for Hung Shing Tong, the leader of the Hung Society, he was also the founder of the Hung Society and was quite famous in Hebei Province.

This person was not born into a prestigious family, but he was fortunate enough to become a disciple of a master and learn amazing skills. He became famous at a young age.

He is an upright man who loves to stand up for the weak and oppressed. He is generous, loyal, and keeps his word. He is a man of great personal charisma.

At the age of twenty-three, he and several of his sworn brothers established the Hongmen at the An Sheng Palace, the headquarters of the Hongmen, officially making it a force to be reckoned with in the martial arts world.

After that, Hung Shing-tung's name was mostly associated with the Hung Society. When mentioning the Hung Society, Hung Shing-tung, as its founder, was an unavoidable figure.

On the few occasions they did make a move, they demonstrated extremely high martial arts skills, which is why the Hongmen's reputation was at its zenith.

Take Yan Congke, whom I just met yesterday, for example. He had been to Longxiang County and had dealings with the Hongmen.

Compared to the Fang family, whose ties and power base are built on blood relations, the Hongmen is ubiquitous in Longxiang County and is a truly top-tier, top-level power.

Yan Congke attacked a small family in Longxiang County. Afterwards, the small family came to the Hongmen, so Yan Congke had no choice but to avoid their sharp edge and sit down for negotiations.

However, because of this, Yan Congke obtained a token from the Hongmen. Later, when he was being chased, he used this token to get help from the Hongmen branch in another county, which allowed him to escape.

Under normal circumstances, the Hongmen is powerful and has stable relationships, and it can be said to be thriving.

Hong Chengtong was a man of considerable skill and martial arts prowess; it was impossible for him to have fallen to the point where his daughter was being hunted down.

Thinking of this, Meng Zhao looked at the woman holding her daughter and said,

"You really are the daughter of the Hongmen leader? As far as I know, the Hongmen leader is highly skilled in martial arts, and the Hongmen is at its zenith. If you were being chased and wanted to escape, you could have sought protection from the Hongmen. Could there be some hidden secret here?"

Meng Zhao, of course, there's something fishy going on here.

According to Zhou Zhihan, Hong Chengtong was assassinated and died. It should be noted that this leader of the Hong Clan was not alone; he had so many people protecting him, yet he still fell victim to this attack.

The only explanation Meng Zhao could think of was that there was a traitor in the middle, colluding with those inside and outside, which was why they were able to kill Hong Chengtong.

As for why Hong Minghui didn't seek protection from the Hongmen, the reason becomes clear: most likely, the traitor who betrayed Hong Chengtong was a high-ranking member of the Hongmen, so Hong Minghui went to great lengths instead of seeking refuge nearby.

This conjecture is reasonable.

As expected, Hong Minghui remained silent, while Zhou Zhihan voiced her speculation.

According to her description, although it is not yet clear who the traitor is, it is most likely an elder who co-founded the Hongmen with Hong Chengtong, or even his sworn brother.

Meng Zhao didn't find it strange; as the saying goes, it's easy to share hardship, but difficult to share wealth.

Hong Cheng emphasizes loyalty, but often dies because of it. After all, his loyalty is only what he thinks. Whether others agree with his ideas is unknown unless you examine their beliefs closely.

Humans are the most complex creatures. Getting to know someone is easy, but seeing through someone is extremely difficult.

Meng Zhao was even more curious about how Zhou Zhihan had gotten involved with this woman.

Zhou Zhihan had something to ask of Meng Zhao at this time, and dared not hide it. Strictly speaking, Zhou Zhihan and Hong Minghui were related by blood, but mainly Hong Minghui's husband was a distant relative of Zhou Zhihan.

Hong Chengtong founded the Hongmen and built a large and prosperous family, but he only had one daughter. In order to have a successor, he carefully selected a man to marry into the family.

Zhou Zhihan's distant relative was chosen for this reason, and later married Hong Minghui. Because of that insignificant kinship, Zhou Zhihan was invited to the wedding, but unexpectedly got along very well with Hong Minghui.

The two women hit it off immediately and became close friends, akin to modern-day besties.

However, unlike the kind of friendship between modern best friends where two people are full of ulterior motives and backstabbing each other, the friendship between the two is genuine, especially for Zhou Zhihan, who even received some benefits from Hong Minghui.

She also did her best to protect Hong Minghui and her daughter as they returned to Kaiyan County.

She knew she couldn't protect the two of them, but she thought of Meng Zhao.

They believed that Meng Zhao was the only one who could save the mother and daughter.

This is not surprising, as Meng Zhao's martial arts skills at this time have already surpassed Zhou Zhihan's by a great deal.

Moreover, in Zhou Zhihan's mind, Meng Zhao was a person with a very special background, and his martial arts skills might have been passed down to him by that vague family.

The fact that this family has the ability to guide Li Zheng, who has never been exposed to martial arts before, to such a miraculous level in such a short period of time is enough to demonstrate their strength and resources.

Having a family gives you confidence; having a background gives you strength.

Take Hong Chengtong's death as an example. If the person who murdered him really had the strength and power, he could have killed him openly and honestly, instead of resorting to such underhanded and malicious means.

This is enough to show that the mastermind behind the scenes may have some strength, but not enough to suppress Hong Chengtong.

It was precisely because she understood this point that she brought Hong Minghui and her daughter, and went through many hardships, to Kaiyan County, hoping to seek Meng Zhao's help.

Otherwise, she herself might not be willing to take action if it were an unimaginably powerful force.

There was always some friendship, but a self-centered and scheming woman like Zhou Zhihan wouldn't risk her life.

Having figured out the intricacies of the situation, Meng Zhao finally understood Zhou Zhihan's intentions.

Hong Minghui is in considerable trouble, and the potential benefits are substantial. The key question is whether Meng Zhao can protect her.

"Miss Hong, what is the situation with the treasure you mentioned? Please explain!"

Looking at Meng Zhao, who was still somewhat immature, Hong Minghui couldn't help but wonder, "Does someone this young really have the strength to protect us, mother and daughter?"
Within the Hongmen, she was not a sheltered young woman who never left the house, but rather a virtuous wife who assisted her father in managing all matters within the Hongmen.

Although her husband has gradually gained prominence in recent years, she remains a person with considerable influence and connections within the Hongmen.

For example, the location, people, business, and connections of the leader of the 32nd branch of the Hongmen are unknown to others, but she knows everything.

Especially the altar masters, what skills they practiced, and how much favor they received from Hong Chengtong—these are secrets that ordinary people cannot access.

Even her husband had no access to this information before he was assassinated.

Therefore, she had seen many masters and knew even more powerful figures, but none of them could display such unparalleled martial arts skills at Meng Zhaoxian's age.

However, during her journey, she had heard Zhou Zhihan's description of Li Zheng and knew that he was not just an individual, but might have a deeply hidden family behind him, so he was not without strength.

Suppressing her doubts and unease, Hong Minghui slowly revealed the so-called treasure.

This treasure originated from a notorious bandit who once roamed Hebei Province and plundered the entire country a century ago.

His name was Kou Laoxi, who called himself the number one swordsman in Hebei. His swordsmanship was superb and his skills were unparalleled. He had eighteen iron bandits under his command who followed him to roam Hebei and look down on the world.

With unparalleled martial arts skills and considerable power, Kou Laoxi naturally sought to monetize both, employing methods somewhat similar to Yan Congke's.

The burning, killing, and looting were not directed at the poor and needy, but rather at the wealthy and powerful.

According to this person, he is a born strongman. As a strongman, he does not bully the weak. If he wants to bully someone, he will bully the strong.

Such arrogant and lawless behavior naturally aroused the dissatisfaction of countless powerful forces.

However, dissatisfaction was useless. Kou Laoxi possessed superb martial arts skills and divine swordsmanship. With the eighteen Iron Bandits under his command as his support, no one could do anything to him.

Therefore, in a short period of time, by offending powerful families, he amassed a great deal of wealth. While he might not be rich enough to rival a nation, calling him a treasure trove would be no problem.

Moreover, it is said that this treasure is not just about wealth; it also contains a considerable number of martial arts manuals and extraordinary skills.

In addition, it is widely rumored in the martial arts world that Kou Laoxi also possesses a pearl from the East Sea that has existed for ten thousand years. This pearl contains endless energy essence, which is extremely refined and pure, and can be called a treasure.

If one obtains this item, one can, like the Demon Blade Earth Origin Pill or even the Heaven Origin Pill, cultivate secret martial arts without the need for secret medicine, by utilizing the abundant essence within the pearl, and gradually cleanse one's marrow and improve one's aptitude.

Even more surprisingly, some say that this ancient pearl is one of the main ingredients in the elixir of immortality.

Indeed, there are rumors of immortality elixirs in this world, which, along with martial arts elixirs, likely arose around the same time.

It's easy to imagine that since the secret medicine can help people practice martial arts and generate extraordinary power, some people will inevitably associate it with immortality.

It was only natural that a group of people would emerge to study the formula for the elixir of immortality.

The essence of martial arts is, of course, killing and fighting, but beyond killing and fighting, constantly transforming, elevating one's life level, and obtaining a healthier body and a longer lifespan is also part of its essence.

Therefore, in the Tianyuan Kingdom, the recipe for the elixir of immortality has always been passed down.

Even the royal family of the Tianyuan Kingdom were the biggest sponsors in researching the formula for the elixir of immortality.

If they succeed, wouldn't they, the royal family, be the first to benefit? (End of Chapter)