Myths Begin From Boys' Gong

Thick, inky clouds and a fierce wind before the downpour shrouded the vast town of Longxiang in a swirling mist.

The shop signs, the flags hanging on the poles, and even the roof tiles were all rustling in the wind.

A thunderclap resounded across the sky, and large raindrops began to fall in a steady drizzle.

Before long, the rain turned into a torrential downpour, transforming the entire county town into a waterlogged city.

Holding a light blue oil-paper umbrella, Meng Zhao strolled leisurely through the street, as if he were walking in his own garden, while everyone else was running around in a panic to avoid the heavy rain.

Whenever rainwater, carried by the strong wind, falls obliquely and is about to wet Meng Zhao's body, an invisible force of energy blocks in front of Meng Zhao.

No matter how much water was splashed, it couldn't wet Meng Zhao's body at all. This was because he had mastered the use of qi and energy to perfection, and his internal strength was powerful and inexhaustible, which allowed him to be so carefree and unrestrained.

Following the information Yan Congke left him, Meng Zhao quickly found a residential house in the northwest neighborhood of the county town.

The people living here are probably ordinary families. Their houses are neither good nor bad; they are all detached and each has a small courtyard.

After knocking for a long time, Yan Congke finally pulled on his belt, his face bearing a fresh red lipstick mark, and pushed open the door to walk out.

Upon seeing Meng Zhao, he showed no shame whatsoever.

"Uh, I was busy with something, at a crucial moment, and I really didn't have time. Plus, the wind and rain were too strong, and the knocking disturbed me, so I came out a little late. Please don't be offended, Zheng-ge!"

It was obvious that Yan Congke had just had a heart-to-heart, body-to-body, intimate exchange with the woman.

Meng Zhao didn't take it to heart. Holding his oil-paper umbrella, he gracefully stepped into the courtyard, with Yan Congke following closely behind, introducing him to the others.

This courtyard was recently purchased by Yan Congke, which is quite a coincidence.

He had only been in Longxiang County for a short time when he went to a gambling den. He thought he would just lose money again, but unexpectedly, he had incredible luck and won a sum of money.

Although it was only a drop in the bucket compared to what was sent out in the past, at least we still had some money.

Having had his fill of gambling and satisfied his addiction, Yan Congke bought the small house from a broker to use as his lodging. He lived a carefree life, indulging in lavish meals and revelry every day.

After passing through a stone corridor, Yan Congke led Meng Zhao into the slightly dim main room, where there was a strange smell from a long period of poor ventilation.

Ignoring the heavy rain outside, Yan Congke opened the doors and windows of the row of doors wide, and soon the environment of the whole house became much fresher.

"So, during your time in Longxiang County, have you found any clues or made any concrete discoveries?"

Meng Zhao did not care about Yan Congke's private life.

Whether he likes gambling, eating and drinking, or womanizing, it doesn't matter, as long as he can do things well, that's enough.

Yan Congke straightened his appearance, and upon hearing this, nodded.

"I've made some progress. I've gotten some inside information through acquaintances within the Hongmen."

Hong Chengtong is indeed dead. It is said that he was poisoned, fought a fierce battle, and exhausted his strength, eventually dying from exhaustion.

The Hongmen was in an uproar. Several deputy leaders and some high-ranking members were shifting blame and accusing each other of being the murderers who killed Hong Chengtong.

These days, important figures from the Hongmen branch altars are returning to Longxiang County every day, presumably to inquire about the future direction of the Hongmen headquarters.

“The Hongmen currently has three deputy leaders and seven hall masters in charge, divided into three factions.”

One faction, led by Vice Master Cao Quan'an, advocated maintaining the status quo for the time being, finding Hong Chengtong's daughter Hong Minghui, investigating the murderer of Hong Chengtong, avenging him, and then putting Hong Minghui in power. They would then assist her in stabilizing the situation of the Hongmen.

The other faction, led by Vice Master Jin Siye, was vying for power. They advocated first electing a new leader, then organizing the entire Hongmen force to find Hong Minghui, uncover the murderer of Hong Chengtong, avenge him, and then treat Hong Minghui well.

If Hung Ming-hui is willing, the Hung Society can retain a force to ensure her safety and future life.

"We could even allocate a portion of the thirty-two branches of the Hongmen to her for overall management."

"As for the deputy sect leader, Shi Qi, he has been holding back and acting as a centrist. He leads a group of people to protect the basic strength of his own faction and does not get involved in the struggle between Cao Quan'an and Master Jin."

Meng Zhao's eyelids twitched slightly as she listened, wondering if she had misheard.

Cao Quan'an, who was likely to betray Hong Chengtong, was actually seen by some as a pro-Hong faction member.

As for Master Jin and Ishizaki's choices, they are easy to understand.

If Hong Chengtong hadn't died, he would have remained at the height of his power, and the two of them would likely have continued to behave themselves and follow his orders.

But now that Hong Chengtong is dead, the elder brother who suppressed everyone is gone, and their ambitions have been exposed, with everyone thinking about vying for power and profit.

Don't be fooled by what Teacher Jin says, how he treats Hong Minghui well and gives her control over a portion of the Hongmen branch's power.

But if he really takes power, consolidates the Hongmen forces, and thoroughly eliminates those who are dissatisfied with him, his next step will likely be to target Hong Minghui.

How can I allow someone else to sleep soundly beside my bed?

Hong Minghui is essentially the former crown prince. Now that the emperor has ascended the throne, how can he not worry about the former crown prince seizing power?
Therefore, Jin Laosi definitely had ill intentions.

Meng Zhao couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. Before Hong Chengtong died, Jin Laosi was probably still that kind and amiable elder, but with Hong Chengtong's death, the so-called uncle-nephew relationship was shattered.

How fragile and vulnerable are the feelings between people!

Compared to Jin Laosi, Cao Quan'an, and Shi Qi, who were so agitated and quickly revealed their wolfish ambitions, he was more concerned about them.

Let's start with Cao Quan'an. If Meng Zhao and Hong Minghui's deductions are correct, he is the real traitor.

He betrayed Hong Chengtong, yet he can still express his attitude as a good brother and a loyal subject; he is truly a talented person.

Not only is his acting superb, but he's also incredibly shameless.

But it must be said that if Hong Minghui hadn't gotten the news from Meng Zhao, she probably would have really thought that Cao Quan'an was still that good uncle.

They might even walk right into a trap.

After all, compared to Jin Laosi, who showed ambition and had obvious ulterior motives, Cao Quan'an's performance was far more outstanding.

In fact, many people within the Hongmen sided with Cao Quan'an because of his performance.

After all, Hung Shing Tong was the founder and leader of the Hung Society, and had great prestige and influence.

Many people still subconsciously maintain ties with Hong Chengtong's lineage. This has nothing to do with anything else; it's simply a matter of public sentiment.

Jin Laosi was far from being good enough. Hong Chengtong's body was barely cold when he jumped out to fight for power. It was the behavior of a clown.

Cao Quan'an was far more cunning. He already had a base of supporters, and through this pro-Hong performance, he successfully won over those loyal to Hong Chengtong's faction. As for Ishizaki, Meng Zhao was hesitant to comment.

Perhaps he is also an ambitious person, just like Cao Quan'an and Jin Laosi, who are all eyeing the position of leader of the Hongmen.

However, he was adept at keeping a low profile, planning carefully before acting, and always waiting for the right moment to strike.

It's also possible that they simply lack ambition and are unwilling to get involved in such conflicts and struggles, so they choose to remain neutral and observe.

While Meng Zhao was still pondering the relationship between these people, Yan Congke was already quite smug.

"I learned all this information from my friend in the Hongmen. Now most people in the Hongmen are accusing Fourth Master Jin of murdering the Hongmen leader in order to seize power. I estimate that's pretty much true. So, how was my mission this time? I did a pretty good job!"

Meng Zhao was somewhat reluctant to complain, but considering that he would still need Yan Congke to do things for him in the future, he had no choice but to shake his head and say...
"Wrong, completely wrong. To tell you the truth, I have received information that is 80% accurate. The person who truly betrayed Hong Chengtong is not Jin Laosi, but Cao Quan'an. The person who is hunting down Hong Minghui is the very same person who keeps saying he wants to bring Hong Minghui back and help her ascend to the position of Hongmen leader."

If I had truly heard your news, I fear that coming to Longxiang County would not only yield no results, but would also pose a considerable danger.

Yan Congke was somewhat incredulous and said,
"That's impossible. I've had a lot of interactions with that friend and given him a lot of benefits. Besides, he has no reason to lie to me."

"I didn't say he lied to you. Is it possible that he didn't know much about this matter either, and that he only knew based on appearances?"

I'll tell you what I see.

Little did I know, some people are good at acting, and Cao Quan'an's performance was somewhat unexpected.

"From now on, when you do information gathering, you can't rely on outsiders or bribe them with money. You have to find your own way to get to the bottom of things."

Yan Congke was actually a rather simple person. He liked practicing swordsmanship and gambling. In the past, when he was broke, he would resort to extortion, murder, and robbery.

Anyway, he's someone who's very good at doing rough work, but has little experience at doing delicate work.

Take this case for example. If it were Meng Zhao, he would never have just listened to one side of the story. Instead, he would have thoroughly investigated these three people and the movements of their forces.

However, we cannot be too demanding of Yan Congke. Although he has the same name, he may not actually have the same awareness.

Seeing that Yan Congke still looked doubtful, Meng Zhao told him about the process of how she was assassinated after he left, how she found the person who ordered it, how she got the information from him, and how she discussed it with Hong Minghui.

Yan Congke then believed that it was indeed Cao Quan'an who did it.

"This is just too shameless! He's a traitor who killed people, yet he pretends to be loyal and devoted. I've never seen anyone like this before."

This is normal, as Yan Congke's past experience in the martial arts world was at a relatively low level, a rough and unrefined place.

Everyone is straightforward and direct, fighting each other. If you don't like me, you fight. If I need money, you fight. There are very few schemes or tricks involved.

This is probably the first time I've encountered a cunning old fox like Cao Quan'an.

"Then, what's wrong with Master Jin? He's been around for so long, how come he suddenly became so confused?"

Many in the Hongmen now consider him a traitor and are vehemently criticizing him. Only his own faction and a small number of neutrals believe he would not betray Hong Chengtong.

Based on feelings, abilities, prestige, and from every angle, Cao Quan'an, Jin Laosi, and Shi Qi would not be the ones to betray Hong Chengtong.

The three of them respected and admired Hong Chengtong, and having gone through hardships together, they had a genuine affection for each other.

However, there are bad people among the masses.

The person who was taken in as a disciple by Hong Chengtong and had a conflict with Hong Minghui is this bad guy.

Meng Zhao was very clear about the purpose of his trip to Longxiang County.

First, find Cao Quan'an, clarify the matter, and at the very least, ensure Hong Minghui's safety.

Meanwhile, let's see if we can find the last piece of the mechanism through him.

Secondly, find Hong Minghui's senior brother; perhaps the key to the mechanism is on him.

"You've been in Longxiang County for so long, do you even know anything about Cao Quan'an's personal background?"

Yan Congke nodded and told him what he knew, which was largely the same as what Hong Minghui had said.

In particular, the death of his eldest son, according to Yan Congke, was likely not an accident, but rather a murder plotted against him.

The purpose was probably to target Cao Quan'an, but Cao Quan'an later escaped unscathed.

Furthermore, the fact that Cao Quan'an doted on his youngest son and showed him special care was common knowledge among members of the Hongmen.

It is said that Cao Quan'an had a favorite disciple who offended his youngest son, who personally crippled his martial arts and expelled him from the sect. Later, the disciple hanged himself in front of Cao Quan'an's gate.

This incident also alarmed Hong Chengtong, because that disciple was also a member of the Hongmen.

Given this situation, Hung Sing-tung had to step in.

However, Cao Quan'an was that disciple's master, and a master, to some extent, has the same authority over a disciple as a father.

Even though Hong Chengtong is the sect leader, there are certain things he cannot do.

Cao Quan'an's actions were somewhat excessive, but the disciple was also acting impulsively.

Even if he loses his martial arts skills, he is still a member of the Hongmen, and the Hongmen will still take good care of him.

For example, Cao Quan'an was actually given a decent business opportunity.

He probably couldn't accept that Cao Quan'an, who had treated him so well in the past and was like a father to him, was now so cold and heartless. He couldn't think straight for a moment, which is why he took such an extreme action.

However, this incident shows that Hong Minghui was absolutely right.

If someone were to use his youngest son to threaten Cao Quan'an, he would be capable of anything.

"I'm asking you, where is Cao Quan'an's youngest son now, how long has it been since he was last seen, and what news has been reported about him?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Congke was speechless; how could he have known such a thing?

He was only looking into the important figures of the Hongmen.

Cao Quan'an's youngest son is just a good-for-nothing playboy, good for neither academics nor martial arts. Who would pay attention to him?
"I'll look into it later and make sure I get to the bottom of this."

Meng Zhao, however, held little hope. If he were Hong Minghui's senior brother and Cao Quan'an's youngest son, he would undoubtedly be a trump card, and no mistake could be made; he wouldn't be easily discovered. (End of Chapter)