Myths Begin From Boys' Gong

Meng Zhao agreed with this cooperation approach, believing that with effort comes reward.

However, he currently faces a dilemma: he has no connections or network of relationships in Longxiang County.

Yan Congke only had a friend from the Hongmen who asked him to investigate some internal affairs of the Hongmen, but he only had a superficial understanding of them.

Asking him to help hunt down Cao Baoyu and find out where Ren Tianxing is keeping him is like looking for a needle in a haystack; there's absolutely no chance of finding him.

He also told Cao Quan'an about his own shortcomings, saying that compared to Meng Zhao, Cao Quan'an was the real big shot in Longxiang County.

Even though Ren Tianxing has sidelined Cao Quan'an, Meng Zhao doesn't believe that Cao Quan'an can be taken down so easily without any power to resist.

The reason why he had remained inactive before was most likely because Cao Quan'an was not confident.

Power is power, and a master is a master. Assuming Cao Quan'an cannot be touched, it's unlikely that anyone can deal with Ren Tianxing.

However, things are different now. Meng Zhao's appearance has disrupted this balance. At least in Cao Quan'an's eyes, Meng Zhao has a certain possibility of defeating Ren Tianxing and rescuing Cao Baoyu.

Moreover, Cao Quan'an was even more certain that Ren Tianxing, who was now in charge of one side of the Hongmen and busy with affairs every day, could not possibly guard Cao Baoyu personally. In fact, he would most likely have his subordinates do it.

Even Ren Tianxing might not be a match for Meng Zhao, let alone his subordinates.
This increased the chances of rescuing Cao Baoyu, as Cao Quan'an was well aware that opportunities are fleeting and once lost, they cannot be regained.

Therefore, placing their bets on Meng Zhao, they naturally revealed to him the truth that they still had a secret force.

Meng Zhao was not surprised. The Hongmen was a well-known gang in Hebei Province. As the deputy leader, Cao Quan'an's strength and influence were beyond question. He was a top figure in the Hebei martial arts world.

It's not just one force; even ten more forces would be normal.

Moreover, this is only Longxiang County. In Hebei Province, among the thirty-two branch altar masters, there must be some loyal followers of Cao Quan'an.

This is like the pawnshop owner Xu who hired someone to assassinate Meng Zhao. Who knows how many other similar figures there are?
Finally, Cao Quan'an gave Meng Zhao another token, which was the Golden Arrow Iron Token of the Hongmen. There were only four in the sect, which were forged and held by four sworn brothers: Hong Chengtong, Cao Quan'an, Jin Laosi, and Shi Qi.

Not many people know about this golden arrow and iron token, but even Cao Quan'an's closest confidants know what it represents.

No matter how much Ren Tianxing pressured him, Cao Quan'an never handed over the golden arrow and iron token, which shows how precious it was.

With this item, they can find that hidden group of people, and only then will they believe Meng Zhao and not regard him as a person with ulterior motives.

This is the most advantageous token.

Finally, Cao Quan'an said something profound:

"Throughout my life, I have roamed the world, weathering countless storms and battles, and only now do I have this power and wealth."

Baoyu is my only son now, and he is my root. Everything I have in the future will be inherited by him. If he is gone, I will have no worries.

Young man, I hope you'll think twice before you act!

Meng Zhao stopped in his tracks, which was both a way of expressing his attitude and an implicit warning.

If Cao Baoyu is alright, that's fine, but if something happens to him, Cao Quan'an will retaliate without any scruples.

This retaliation could severely punish Ren Tianxing, and Meng Zhao could also become one of those targeted.

Sometimes, failing to do something well is a sin.

Meanwhile, Meng Zhao, taking advantage of the wind and rain, quietly left Xiyu Villa and returned to the small house that Yan Congke had purchased.

The two met again in the main room and began to talk openly.

Meng Zhao told Yan Congke everything he had learned from Cao Quan'an.

Of course, it also requires the use of harsh and forceful methods.

Yan Congke listened in stunned silence, utterly shocked by the conspiracies, intrigues, and backstabbing all involved.

The martial arts world he frequented was a place of swords and knives, blood and death, silent, cold, and chilling.

The martial arts world that Meng Zhao spoke of was a world of conspiracies, tricks, schemes, betrayals, and interests.

The two are vastly different, so much so that they are like two completely separate worlds.

However, he also raised a question.
"Are the men Cao Quan'an left outside really trustworthy? After all, he's been sidelined by Ren Tianxing. What if they also betray us? Wouldn't we be walking into a trap?"

In response, Meng Zhao said,

"It's not impossible, but it's unlikely."

Cao Quan'an is a fierce tiger. He is only temporarily trapped. His years of hard work and accumulated strength are not something that Ren Tianxing can shake or even destroy in a short period of time.

Even Hong Chengtong would have been impossible to deal with if Ren Tianxing hadn't used the master-disciple relationship and played the emotional card.

Therefore, I personally believe that this invisible force is still credible.

Moreover, it is estimated that they have been secretly investigating Cao Baoyu's whereabouts. Perhaps they already had information, but they have been suppressed by Cao Quan'an and will not act rashly without being absolutely certain of success.

My arrival accelerated this process.

Yan Congke nodded, and then said,
"So, is Ishizaki really the one who colluded with Ren Tianxing?"

Will this lead to internal strife and a major war within the Hongmen (Triads) in the future?

This is also what he is worried about.

Now that Hung Shing Tong is dead, the largest faction of the Hung Society has scattered, with Cao Quan'an, Jin Lao Si, and Shi Qi becoming the three major factions.

Cao Quan'an and Ren Tianxing are sworn enemies and a bloody battle is inevitable. Ishizaki is colluding with Ren Tianxing and will most likely side with Ren Tianxing.

This is also what Meng Zhao is worried about.

Ren Tianxing's influence in the Hongmen is largely due to his own power within the Cao faction. If Cao Quan'an were to personally deal with him, his influence would quickly dissipate like smoke.

At that time, Ren Tianxing will be outnumbered and outmatched, and as long as his martial arts skills are not invincible, he will be easy to deal with.

But Ishizaki is different. He has been cultivating his power for many years and has a very high reputation. He is also one of the three deputy sect leaders.

Meng Zhao was unwilling, and Cao Quan'an probably wasn't willing to deal with him either.

This could easily lead to internal strife within the Hongmen, much like the swordplay battles between the Huashan Sect in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, where both sides suffered heavy losses.

However, the key point is that Ishizaki's ideas are beyond their grasp and control.

To put it more bluntly.

If Ishizaki really colluded with Ren Tianxing to kill Hong Chengtong, he would definitely stand on Ren Tianxing's side.

Otherwise, if word got out that he had murdered his sworn brother, even his subordinates wouldn't respect him.

Only by keeping Ren Tianxing calm and resolutely denying any betrayal or plot to murder Hong Chengtong can there be a glimmer of hope.

This would drastically increase the cost of dealing with Ren Tianxing, which is why Meng Zhao and Cao Quan'an were unwilling to involve him. As for Hong Chengtong's murder, it might be directly related to Ishizaki, but that's none of their business.

Cao Quan'an wanted to deal with Ren Tianxing, partly out of revenge for Hong Chengtong, but the bigger reason was that Ren Tianxing not only sidelined him but also kidnapped Cao Baoyu in order to deal with him. This was the real point of conflict and conflict of interest.

Meng Zhao wanted to deal with Ren Tianxing because he suspected that Ren Tianxing had the last piece of the puzzle and intended to eliminate him.

As for true revenge, we can only wait for Hung Ming-hui to take action herself in the future.

"Try to pull Ishizaki out of this matter. I think if we can silence Ren Tianxing first, Ishizaki would want him dead even more than we do."

After all, if Ren Tianxing doesn't die, he might very well drag him down with him.

Ren Tianxing is dead, and there is no way to verify his identity. He was still the deputy leader of the Hongmen, and even had a chance to compete for the position of leader.

Yan Congke also had doubts about whether the men Cao Quan'an had left outside could actually find Cao Baoyu's whereabouts.

If they can find them, the chances of rescuing them are very high, given his and Meng Zhao's martial arts skills.

But if they can't find them, or if they look in the wrong place and alert Ren Tianxing to their presence, then things will get complicated.

Meng Zhao had no special solutions to this, and could only trust these people as much as possible.

Although he was highly skilled in martial arts, he was still human, and his supernatural abilities were far inferior to those he had when he was on the mainland.

In Longxiang County, I was completely clueless, with no connections or resources, so there wasn't much I could do.

As for the probability that Cao Baoyu would be in trouble if something went wrong, it is actually not very high.

To put it bluntly, Ren Tianxing is able to sideline Cao Quan'an now only because of Cao Baoyu's existence; Cao Baoyu is an essential tool for controlling Cao Quan'an.

If this essential item is messed up, killed, or even maimed, Cao Quan'an will completely erupt and fight Ren Tianxing to the death.

Therefore, while there are potential risks, they are not significant.

That night, Meng Zhao and Yan Congke rested well, and the following evening they began to search for the presence of the men that Cao Quan'an had left in the shadows.

According to Cao Quan'an, over the years, he has cultivated a team of about 100 people, both openly and secretly, scattered across various industries throughout Longxiang County.

On the surface, these people had no connection with Cao Quan'an or even the Hongmen, and their communication with each other was only one-way between superiors and subordinates. However, in secret, they were all loyal to Cao Quan'an.

This loyalty can probably be divided into two parts.

The first part is being moved by gratitude, just like Mr. Xu, the owner of the bookstore in Kaiyan County. Because of gratitude, because he had received help and training from Cao Quan'an, he established a foundation of loyalty.

The second part is about leverage. Some people were held hostage by Cao Quan'an, but at the same time, they also received Cao Quan'an's protection and training.

Thus, with a two-pronged approach, so many people, and such a scattered arrangement, it has been able to maintain its stability until now.

Among them, the most powerful was none other than Ning Baihe, a big businessman in the county.

Ning Baihe is a prominent figure who has risen to prominence in Longxiang County in the past decade. He is extremely capable in business and also possesses formidable martial arts skills, making him far superior to ordinary people.

On the surface, Ning Baihe relies on the lineage of Jin Laosi of the Hongmen, and with the help of the Hongmen, he is someone that ordinary people dare not mess with.

In reality, Ning Baihe was the leader of this secret force and also the person most deeply involved with Cao Quan'an.

During the daytime, the two focused on gathering information and learning about Ning Baihe.

According to what they knew, Ning Baihe's business was spread across all walks of life in the county. Although he had not reached the top level in any of them, he was still one of the top three. Relying on his strong network of contacts and excellent management skills, he was thriving.

It's more accurate to call them a martial arts family than a merchant family.

Especially in terms of martial arts, Ning Baihe was proficient in palm techniques and possessed profound internal strength, defeating many renowned figures.

However, that was during the early years when businesses were being established and the competition was at its fiercest.

In recent years, Ning Baihe has rarely taken action and has kept a low profile, rarely showing his face.

His whereabouts are also a mystery.

However, following Cao Quan'an's instructions, Meng Zhao left a specific signal at a specific location.

Then, they found a private room in a relatively secluded teahouse in the county town and waited quietly, with Yan Congke following beside them.

Three full hours passed, countless water was added, and it was already dark when the teahouse had closed for the night before Ning Baihe finally arrived.

As for why Meng Zhao and Yan Congke were still in the private room even though the teahouse was closed, it was naturally due to someone's arrangement.

Ning Baihe is the behind-the-scenes owner of this teahouse that doesn't make much money, and could even be said to be losing money.

Ning Baihe was of average build, around thirty-five or thirty-six years old, and dressed in the clothes of a wealthy man. At first glance, he had the shrewdness and cunning of a businessman.

However, upon closer inspection, one can discover this.

He is very well-maintained, with fair and tender skin, and is even more energetic than young people.

A pair of eyes that appear shrewd, but in reality, they possess an inner strength that overflows, giving off a captivating charm.

This person has very high martial arts skills and strong internal strength, even more so than Yan Congke.

Of course, when it comes to sharpness, Yan Congke's swordsmanship is not to be underestimated. Especially after obtaining Meng Zhao's three secret sword techniques, his skills have improved by leaps and bounds. His sharp aura is far superior to what it used to be, and he is also incomparable to Ning Baihe.

Seeing Meng Zhao and his companion silent in the private room, Ning Baihe didn't waste any time and asked directly.

"Did Uncle An send you to contact me? Did you have any token?"

Meng Zhao nodded, took out a golden arrow and iron token from his robes, tossed it to the other party, and said,

"Uncle An is now forced to compromise because Cao Baoyu is being controlled by someone. I was specially called here to rescue Cao Baoyu."

Mr. Ning, you are Uncle An's most trusted person. Uncle An told me that you know where Cao Baoyu is being held.

Could you please tell us?

Ning Baihe's heart stirred slightly, and he nodded, saying...
"That's right. Uncle An had previously arranged for me to secretly investigate where Baoyu was hidden, and I have some leads."

But are two enough?
Although I am not very talented, I can contact some experts. With more people involved, there is more strength, and perhaps our chances of success will be greater!

Meng Zhao shook his head.
"This matter should not be carried out in a big way; the fewer people involved, the smaller the commotion."

I understand Mr. Ning's concerns, but since Uncle An has chosen to trust us, he must have his reasons.

Here's what we'll do: if Mr. Ning is worried, he can get involved, but only Mr. Ning is allowed to participate.

If Mr. Ning is at ease, as long as we provide accurate information, we will definitely be able to rescue Cao Baoyu.

This was agreed upon by Uncle An and me. (End of Chapter)