Myths Begin From Boys' Gong

Meng Zhao shook his head and smiled.

"It seems you really don't know much about this matter, otherwise you would never dare to boast like this."

You can tell Cao Quan'an that what Hong Minghui held in her hands has already been given to me, and now it's a matter between him and me.

I hope to have a more successful collaboration with him, such as sitting down together and planning that matter.

If we succeed, everyone will be happy. I will persuade Hong Minghui to live in anonymity from now on, as if she died in that struggle.

But if Cao Quan'an is unwilling, then let's each rely on our own abilities!

After saying that, Meng Zhao flashed away again with his Wind God Kick, leaving behind only Boss Xu, who was stunned and lost in thought.

The next morning, Boss Xu closed Yawenxuan and, with the survivors, left Kaiyan County and headed towards the Hongmen in Longxiang County.

Meng Zhao ignored it and took the opportunity to return to Xiaohan Village in the countryside.

By this time, after several days of rest, Hong Minghui had fully adapted to the long, peaceful, and carefree rural life.

She shed her fine clothes and donned coarse linen garments, even deliberately making herself look ugly, becoming indistinguishable from a rural woman.

Seeing this, Meng Zhao felt very gratified. Although he had taken in Hong Minghui, he still held all the power. He hoped that Hong Minghui could find her place.

Even if you want to take revenge in the future and need to rely on Meng Zhao's power, you must make it clear that you cannot have any intention of using or scheming against him.

At least for now, Hong Minghui's performance is not bad, and Meng Zhao treats her even better because of the connection with Kou Laoxi's treasure.

They were invited to the expanded house for lunch. Qi Fang then washed the dishes, leaving Meng Zhao, Zhou Zhihan, and Hong Minghui alone in the house.
Hong Minghui's daughter was fed and then left to sleep in the room.

Meng Zhao got straight to the point and said,
"I've found out who's chasing you. It's Cao Quan'an, the vice leader of your Hongmen. I've already spoken to his people, and you'll have my protection from now on."

Even if they come looking for me, they'll come after me first. Just stay here and focus on recovering your martial arts skills as soon as possible.

Hong Minghui had such a highly skilled martial arts father; if she hadn't relearned the Lingxi Gong, she would never have ended up in such a miserable state.

Given time to properly settle the child, Cao Quan'an might not be able to keep her firmly under control.

Hong Minghui's expression changed slightly. She had considered many people, but Cao Quan'an was the least suspicious among them. She asked in surprise,
"It's him, but why? My father never wronged him. Could it be that he's a descendant of the Eighteen Iron Bandits, and the last copy of the secret manual is in his hands?"

Meng Zhao shook his head and asked,

"Let me ask you a question. If the leader of the Hongmen really knew that Cao Quan'an was a descendant of the Eighteen Iron Bandits and that the last fragment of the mechanism was indeed on him, then between Lü Guang and Cao Quan'an, who would he choose?"

Tears welled in Hong Minghui's eyes, a mixture of confusion and resentment. After a long silence, she finally spoke.
"My father and Cao Quan'an were sworn brothers. In their early years, they even saved each other's lives and later founded the government together."

Over the years, his father trusted him completely and was willing to delegate authority to him and a few others, never doubting them.

If what you say is true, then Father will most likely choose to side with Cao Quan'an.

Even though I am his daughter and Lü Guang is his son-in-law, I cannot keep the secret diagrams.

However, if they really find the treasure, Father won't mistreat Lü Guang.

No one understands Hong Chengtong better than Hong Minghui. The father and daughter have had a long-standing relationship and their understanding of each other is quite accurate.

"That's right. Based on my understanding of the rumored character of the Hongmen leader, he would definitely make that choice."

Then again, since we can all know and deduce this, surely Cao Quan'an knew it too?

Meng Zhao's words make a lot of sense. Perhaps Hong Minghui understands Hong Chengtong, which is based on years of getting along and the blood ties that have been built up.

Cao Quan'an and Hong Chengtong were not only sworn brothers but also business partners and fellow travelers.

There's no reason why Cao Quan'an wouldn't know Hong Chengtong.

Unless, there are other reasons behind this.

Hong Minghui carefully recalled Cao Quan'an.

In her memory, Cao Quan'an was a kind elder who was once a general in their Hongmen's external campaigns. His White Tiger Seven Kill Blade was deadly and extremely ferocious, earning him a great reputation.

Hong Chengtong also treated him with great kindness and generosity.

Not only was he appointed as the deputy leader, but he was also allowed to organize and control a group of his own forces. Although they were both members of the Hongmen, Hong Chengtong was unable to control these people in reality.

The only way is for Hong Chengtong to issue an order to Cao Quan'an, and then for Cao Quan'an to issue orders to this group of people, in order to form a dual monarchy.

It's similar to saying, "The Lord's Lord is not my Lord."

Cao Quan'an's faction was, in fact, a powerful and influential force within the Hongmen.

Over the years, Cao Quan'an has always appeared very well-behaved and has shown great respect for his elder brother Hong Chengtong, rarely arguing with him.

Based on the information currently available, Cao Quan'an himself would never have intended to harm Hong Chengtong.

Hong Minghui can confirm this.

Therefore, if it wasn't Cao Quan'an, then there must have been external forces influencing his will.

This is not surprising at all.

Because Cao Quan'an had no reason to betray Hong Chengtong, Hong Chengtong would not be on guard against him. It would be easier for Hong Chengtong to make his move and achieve his goal more easily.

Facts have proved this.

If we're not far off, the deadly poison that Hong Chengtong was given was definitely the work of Cao Quan'an.

There are some things that Hong Minghui gets stuck on alone, without any direction, her thoughts are chaotic and she can't figure things out.

But after Meng Zhao's guidance, she suddenly understood something.

“I understand. Cao Quan’an has two sons. The elder son is a few years older than me. He is brave and extraordinary, with extremely high talent. He inherited Cao Quan’an’s martial arts, the White Tiger Seven Kill Blade, and has great prestige within the Hongmen.

Unfortunately, a few years ago, his eldest son died unexpectedly in a fight, leaving Cao Quan'an deeply grieved.

As for his youngest son, he was neither good at literature nor martial arts, but he barely had any influence within the Hongmen thanks to Cao Quan'an's reputation.

After his elder brother died, Cao Quan'an placed all his hopes on his youngest son.

If, if someone uses his youngest son's life, or some other leverage, to threaten Cao Quan'an.

I think it would be very difficult for Cao Quan'an to choose to stand on my father's side. Hong Minghui had a very accurate and detailed grasp of the internal affairs and interpersonal relationships of the Hongmen.

Even heroes grow old, and the older people get, the more they tend to value family ties.

The eldest son, whom she valued most and was most proud of, died, leaving only her youngest son as her sole heir. No matter how heroic her spirit, she would eventually succumb to the reality of family ties.

Hong Minghui believed that Cao Quan'an from twenty years ago would not have betrayed Hong Chengtong because of his son's life or death, nor would he have had any hesitation.

I also believe that Cao Quan'an ten years ago might have considered it carefully, but he would still have chosen to stand on Hong Chengtong's side.

However, five years ago, Cao Quan'an had no other choice.

He has, and only one son.

Meng Zhao remained silent. In fact, wasn't Hong Chengtong the same way?
He is also a human being, and he has his own selfish thoughts and desires. That's why he chose to have a son-in-law marry into the family instead of marrying Hong Minghui off.

In this way, Hong Minghui would still have the possibility of inheriting the Hongmen, and would not lose her right of inheritance after getting married.

"Perhaps that's the reason, but on a deeper level, who could threaten Cao Quan'an's son, and who would have the guts to do so?"

Meng Zhao believed that someone as shrewd as Cao Quan'an would never sit idly by and be led by the nose by others. Sooner or later, he would choose to fight back. Once he rescued his youngest son and settled him in a safe place, he would be able to achieve his goal.

Next, those who plotted against him and those who murdered Hong Chengtong will surely suffer his furious revenge.

Murder is the most basic form of revenge. An experienced old man like Cao Quan'an must know very well how to inflict double torment on the other party, both physically and mentally.

Cao Quan'an's personality is not one to compromise; even if he does, it's only temporary.

However, on the other hand, someone who dared to manipulate Cao Quan'an and scheme to kill Hong Chengtong is definitely not someone to be underestimated.

Meng Zhao closed his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and slowly said,

"If someone really did this, then they must be either a member of the Hongmen or someone who knows the Hongmen very well. Moreover, they must have a way to get close to Cao Quan'an's youngest son. Perhaps you can think of such a person?"

Hong Minghui nodded. Meng Zhao's analysis was very reasonable and, combined with his own understanding, it was accurate to the extreme.

Cao Quan'an was the vice leader of the Hongmen, holding a high position and great power. He lived a secluded life and few people had contact with him.

Even though they were all disciples of the Hongmen, in their eyes Cao Quan'an was the aloof and cold-faced White Tiger Blade, and they would never dare to easily inquire about Cao Quan'an's family affairs.

Furthermore, after his eldest son's death, Cao Quan'an repeatedly strengthened the security around his youngest son.

His eldest son, who was highly skilled in martial arts and most like him, was dead. His youngest son, who was neither good at literature nor martial arts, absolutely could not be allowed to suffer any mishap.

Therefore, such a defensive force is definitely not something that ordinary people can break through.

Unless this person's martial arts skills are truly exceptional, or he has been secretly working undercover by Cao Quan'an's youngest son's side, working together from the inside and outside, then he could not have succeeded.

This is the same as when Meng Zhao took away Fang Zijun, the fifth son of the Fang family.

However, Meng Zhao had no intention of planting pawns; instead, he directly selected Fang Han from among the Fang family's servants.

But the situation is different for Cao Quan'an.

It's highly likely that this person not only got close to Cao Quan'an's youngest son, but also possessed extremely high martial arts skills. Only by using both methods could Cao Quan'an be unable to save his son and instead be at the mercy of others.

"Could it be him? But why? He shouldn't have done that!"

Hong Minghui thought of a candidate, but her beautiful face was filled with disbelief, as well as a trace of sadness and hatred.

Judging from her expression, she was even unwilling to mention this person's name in front of Meng Zhao and Zhou Zhihan.

Meng Zhao reminded him,
"Now that we may have discovered this person's existence, let's tell him. Perhaps we can quickly pinpoint our target, find this person, and then find the last fragment of the mechanism diagram, while also avenging the Hongmen leader."

Hong Minghui remained silent for a long time before speaking.

“He was my father’s disciple and also my elder brother. However, many years ago, he and my father had a fierce argument because of my marriage, and in the end, he left the Hongmen.”

About a year ago, he returned to the Hongmen and bowed to his father. However, he did not choose to work for his father. Instead, he took the initiative to go to Cao Quan'an's side and had a very deep relationship with Cao Quan'an's youngest son.

Back then, besides my father, he had the best relationship with Cao Quan'an. He was also sworn brothers with Cao Quan'an's eldest son, and they were inseparable.

Therefore, his choice is quite normal.

However, although there were disagreements between him and my father, there shouldn't have been such a deep hatred that he had to be killed.

Furthermore, he was raised by my father from a young age; he shouldn't be a descendant of the Eighteen Iron Bandits, nor should he possess fragments of the mechanism blueprints.

Meng Zhao and Zhou Zhihan exchanged a glance. Since Hong Minghui had said so, it only increased their suspicion of this person.

While the kindness of raising and educating are precious, in the heart of someone obsessed with love, romantic love is the only, sacred, and above all else.

If it was because of Hong Minghui that the master and disciple of the Hongmen Sect turned against each other, it would only further prove that the other party was highly suspicious.

Furthermore, the other party had been gone for many years, and then suddenly came back and took the initiative to work under Cao Quan'an. No matter how you look at it, it feels awkward.

Most importantly, since this person is the brother of Cao Quan'an's eldest son, his understanding of Cao Quan'an and his youngest son must be far greater than that of others.

He has the ability, the motive, and everything else. This person is not only highly suspicious, but it is almost certain that he is the one who is behind this.

Whether he has someone behind him or whether he conspired with others is another matter entirely.

"As you said, he left for a period of time. Perhaps it was during this period that he obtained clues related to the mechanism map."

Furthermore, his return wasn't due to an awareness of his mistakes, but rather because he found Lü Guang, learned Lü Guang's identity, and with old and new grudges accumulating, it wouldn't be surprising if he did something irrational.

Meng Zhao was very satisfied. This trip back to Xiaohan Village was not fruitless; on the contrary, he almost found the person he was looking for.

The reason he said "almost" is because everything he knew came from Hong Minghui.

Whether this woman is holding back or has deceived anyone is unknown.

Let's just assume that what she said is true.

Having confirmed these things, Meng Zhao could set off as soon as possible to the Hongmen in Longxiang County to find this person and Cao Quan'an.

Using force, coercion, and coercion, they forced the two to find the last piece of the mechanism diagram, and then go to Kou Laoxi's treasure to retrieve it.

If everything goes smoothly, it won't take Meng Zhao much time or effort. (End of Chapter)