I'm not a fortune teller.

Chapter 189: Doubt.
Zhou family
Officials above the third rank are all from aristocratic families. The governor-general is of the second rank, and his actual power in many areas is not as great as that of the provincial governor. However, because he can mobilize the army and is in charge of actual internal affairs, if his background is strong enough and his means are good enough, he can also become a true frontier official, and thus return to the capital and become part of the Nine Ministers.

The Zhou family is one of the ten great families, but has always been relatively low-key, especially in the past three hundred years, when three consecutive members of the Zhou family only served as the Tongzhengshi, the least visible of the Nine Ministers.

The Zhou family was not weak, and the Tongzhengshi was mainly responsible for receiving and processing memorials and reports from inside and outside the court, including opinions, appeals, or reports of illegal behavior from all over the country. These documents needed to be copied into a register and handed over to the emperor or relevant departments. When discussing national affairs, major cases, or selecting civil and military officials, the Tongzhengshi must also participate.

Equivalent to the head of the censors and the head of the intelligence agency, relying on the detailed local intelligence, the Zhou family can seize the initiative in business in various places. The Zhou family's wealth ranks among the top ten families, and the Zhou family members are also keen to be sent out as governors and serve as persons in charge of local practical affairs. This is the Zhou family's route.

In fact, it is quite stable, but when there is a major turmoil in the capital, the Zhou family gives people a low sense of presence.

I didn’t expect that Yun Yi would be favored by the Zhou family.

Zhang Rui smiled at the other party and said, "Since the governor of the Zhou family has recommended you, why don't you choose to join the Zhou family? Isn't it much safer than joining me?"

"This..." Yun Yi smiled bitterly, "Master Zhou Yun, who recommended me, is actually not very popular in the Zhou family, otherwise he would not have been sent to the southwest region. As far as I know, he was ostracized by many direct descendants of the family."

Hong Lie nodded and touched his chin when he heard this, "That's true. Zhou Yun has good talent, but because his mother is a prostitute, and it is said that she was born in a brothel, he has been unpopular since he was a child. Although he is considered to be a more promising child in the Zhou family, he is still not liked."

"It is difficult for a governor to gain real power in the local area without the support of his family. In addition, the military power in the southwest is under the control of the Duke of Jin. It is indeed difficult for Zhou Yun to achieve anything there."

"Is that so?" Zhang Rui nodded.

Yun Yi also sighed and said, "Lord Zhou Yun was actually a very good man, but it's a pity that he died young. Otherwise, I would not have forgotten his kindness. I also tried to visit the Zhou family once, but they didn't even let me in."

"I'm sorry to have wronged you." Zhang Rui said with a smile, "With such ability, the Zhou family may be regretting it now."

"What are you saying, sir?" Yun Yi waved his hands quickly: "In a family like the Zhou family, a small person like me is not even as good as an ant."

"Master Yun is not too modest. I believe in your future achievements." Zhang Rui finally said, "Go to the clinic quickly and don't delay the opportunity to heal your wounds."

"Then Yun will take his leave first."

"By the way, who do you plan to give the last spot to, Sect Master Yun?"

"Well, I plan to let my eldest disciple Yi Feng go out and see the world." Yun Yi turned around and smiled when he heard that.

Zhang Rui nodded: "Not bad."

Hong Lie, who was standing by, was stunned when he heard this. Didn't this guy just tell Yun Yi not to let his disciples into the palace? Why did he change his mind?
But after many collaborations, he had already trusted Zhang Rui quite a bit, and his face remained expressionless until Yun Yi took the disciples away, then he asked this question out of curiosity.

"I think he is not normal." Zhang Rui expressed his thoughts.

"Not normal?" Hong Lie was stunned: "What aspect?"

What a great inspirational character! Why is he abnormal?
"Based on your experience, Brother Hong, is it normal for him to defeat Master Lingfeng today?"

"This..." Hong Lie was stunned, and finally shook his head: "I am a little too lucky."

"It's definitely not luck." Zhang Rui suddenly said, "Have you noticed that Yun Yi never uses his right hand when fighting with others?"

“Should he be left-handed?”

"Left-handed? Even if he is left-handed, facing a master like Ling Feng, he still only uses one hand?"

As soon as these words came out, Hong Lie also realized something. The battle just now did look extremely thrilling, as if Yun Yi's life would be in danger if he made the slightest mistake. But it was indeed as Zhang Rui said, even against an opponent like Ling Feng, it seemed that Yun Yi had never used his right hand!
Is this a coincidence?

Hong Lie also felt that something was wrong. Under normal circumstances, when encountering such a master, would he dare to fight with one hand? No matter how you put it, isn't that a bit too bold?
"If he hides his strength, what is his motive?" Hong Lie was curious. Did he not trust Zhang Rui, or did he want to save some tricks to make a splash in the palace?
"I do have a suspicion, but it sounds a little exaggerated."

"what?"

Zhang Rui lowered his voice and whispered in Hong Lie's ear. Hong Lie's whole body tensed up immediately, and his eyes widened: "How is this possible?"

"It's better not to," Zhang Rui sighed. "Zhou Yun is not well-received by the Zhou family, but he is also a member of the Zhou family. How could he die so easily at the hands of an evil spirit? And the timing of his death is so coincidental?"

"This..." Hong Lie also frowned. Zhou Yun was a member of the Zhou family and a second-rank governor. His death would have been a major case that shocked the court in normal times. But now the capital is about to be in turmoil and all families are planning major events. The death of a mere son of a concubine and a governor who had no real power in the southwest did not cause much waves.

If you say that death is a coincidence, it is true that there are some.

"The governor's recommendation is not coming to Beijing for recommendation, right? What is the procedure?"

"Uh, this..." Hong Lie scratched his head and recalled, "It seems that you write a letter of recommendation, stamp it with an official seal and send it to the capital. The capital just needs to review it."

"Although Zhou Yun is not well-received, he is a descendant of the Zhou family after all. I believe the government office in charge would not be so tactless as to find fault with his recommendation letter, so it went very smoothly. Even if Zhou Yun died later, it did not affect the recommendation effect, right?"

"You mean there is no such letter of recommendation?" Hong Lie's face suddenly became serious.

If he was simply hiding his strength, that would be fine, but if he was someone who could kill the Zhou family governor, then he might have come to the capital for more than just a position as a military priest.

"That shouldn't be the case." Hong Lie asked doubtfully, "Many disciples of the Five Poison Sect can testify to Yun Yi's experience. Your guess is wrong no matter how you look at it..."

"It cannot be confirmed for now. I want to meet Master Lingfeng."
-
At noon, the last competition in the East District came to an end.

At this point, the list of the top 16 teams from the four major regions has been finalized.

Although the competition was huge this time, because the major sects had discussed it in advance, the direct descendants of the six major sects hardly met each other, and most of them entered the top sixteen very smoothly. Of course, Master Lingfeng, the ace of Longxiang Temple, was an exception.

In the North District, although Qin Wushuang of the Qin family lost the first battle, he went smoothly afterwards and successfully won a place in the top 16 in the North District.

In this competition, people from the six major sects took up ten places in the top sixteen. This result was in line with everyone's expectations. The direct descendants of the six major sects all came out. If it weren't for giving face to the military families and not sending a large number of their children directly to the North District, the number of places might have been even greater.

Only two sons of military honors made it into the top sixteen, they are Long Cheng from the Long family, Xue Renyong from the Xue family, and four others, three of whom are dark horses. Qin Wushuang from the Qin family made it into the top sixteen at a young age, which was indeed unexpected. Eunuch Qin under the third prince Li Yu and Yun Yi from the Ao Yun Sect were both unexpected contestants.

Murong belongs to the Tianyi Sect. Although he is also an unexpected dark horse, he is not among the four foreign dark horses.

It was when Zhang Rui was preparing to visit Longxiang Temple that he learned two somewhat surprising pieces of news.

One was that the monk Lingyi from Longxiang Temple lost to others in the morning competition room. Longxiang Temple had four places to participate in the competition, but the remaining two monks were eliminated by the sect's direct descendants halfway. The two people who were highly expected, Lingyi and Lingfeng, were unexpectedly eliminated, resulting in the famous Longxiang Temple being eliminated early in this most grand martial arts competition, which was really unexpected for everyone.

Another piece of news is that Feng Yuqing also lost, and he and Ling Yi both lost to the same person, who was the fourth dark horse in this competition: a young man named Li Yan.

It is said that this person has royal blood, but his ancestors fell into decline. The three generations when the imperial title was still in place had no achievements, and the whole family became commoners. Li Yan of this generation is the eldest son of the family. He has been practicing martial arts since he was a child and has excellent aptitude. He joined the southwest army at the age of fourteen and was valued by the Duke of Jin. He was trained all the way, and his quota was also recommended by the Duke of Jin himself.

No one expected that this fallen disciple of the Imperial Temple could defeat two great masters in a row.

Hong Lie and Zhang Rui, who were trying to find Lingfeng to inquire about the situation, saw that the monks in Longxiang Temple all had very bad expressions. After asking, they learned that the boy named Li Yan was extremely ruthless and Master Lingyi was beaten to pieces. Even if he went back and used secret medicine for treatment, it would be difficult for him to recover to his peak physical condition.

Upon seeing Ling Yi's fate, Hong Lie hurried towards Tianyi Sect's base.

He remembered that Feng Yuqing also lost in the morning, and now he was afraid that his fate would not be any better. He was not controlled, and now he was so seriously injured, he was afraid.
(End of this chapter)