Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 445 The Zhong Family's Entrustment
Seeing Zhong Qing's drastic change in attitude, Lu Zheng showed no change in expression.

Seeing this, Zhong Qing said again, "I have come here because I have something important to ask for your help, senior. I have no other intentions."

Lu Zheng thought for a moment and said, "Tell me about it."

Zhong Qing couldn't help but glance at Steward Zhang beside her.

Manager Zhang noticed Zhong Qing's gaze and tactfully left the room.

Then, Zhong Qing gently waved his hand, setting up an isolation barrier.

Zhong Qing said in a serious tone, "I heard that you once led the Daxing Merchant Guild to avoid those ghost soldiers outside the city. You must be a person with great abilities."

When it came to serious matters, Zhong Qing had completely changed his demeanor from the street, as if he were a different person.

Lu Zheng remained noncommittal upon hearing this, and said calmly, "Get to the point."

Zhong Qing said unhurriedly, "Our Zhong family discovered a secret cave thirty years ago. Our elders explored it and found some treasures. It is speculated that it was the place where a certain figure from the previous dynasty cultivated."

"That secret realm is quite large, and there are many places with array formations and restrictions that even the elders couldn't break..."

"Over the years, we have also invited some experts from outside to explore the secret realm, but the results have been minimal."

"So I would like to ask for your help, senior, to explore that secret realm with us. No matter what we find, the reward will be substantial..."

Zhong Qing paused for a moment, then said, "If you discover any treasures, you can choose first, senior. If there is only one treasure that is useful to our Zhong family, we will exchange it for something else. We will definitely not treat you unfairly."

"Senior, please don't doubt that I'm deceiving you. Our Zhong family is very discreet in our actions."

Zhong Qing spoke slowly, her gaze fixed on Lu Zheng, but she noticed that Lu Zheng's expression did not change, and she could not discern his inner thoughts.

Seeing this, Zhong Qing whispered, "According to the speculation of the elders in the family, that secret realm was once inhabited by a Tongxuan expert, and there may be a legacy left by the expert there."

Six Realms of Profound Understanding? Lu Zheng still showed no reaction.

Zhong Qing stared at Lu Zheng without blinking, wondering if he looked down on the inheritance of a Transcendent Realm expert, or if he was simply hiding his true feelings.

She thought that revealing this secret would make Lu Zheng interested, but she couldn't see anything unusual about him at all.

Zhong Qing couldn't help but say, "If you have any requests or questions, please feel free to tell me."

Lu Zheng asked, "I've heard that your Zhong family has powerful backers. Why don't you ask those deities for help?"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Qing couldn't help but smile helplessly, and lowered his voice to say, "Senior, don't you know that it's easy to invite a god but difficult to send him away..."

If the Zhong family were to ask those deities for help, they probably wouldn't even get a taste of the soup in the end.

Some things are better left unsaid, lest they be overheard by certain deities.

Lu Zheng had thought that these powerful families had close ties with the gods, but it seems that the relationship between the two sides is not as close as he thought, and is all driven by interests.

Lu Zheng asked, "How far is the secret realm from here?"

Zhong Qing said, "It's less than 500 li away. The place is very secluded, and our Zhong family members have been guarding it all along, so no one has discovered it."

Lu Zheng then said, "Tell me about some of your discoveries."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Qing revealed the information that could be disclosed.

Lu Zheng remained calm and pondered whether he could make the trip.

Firstly, he needed to evade the pursuit of the gods of Chu. Exploring a secret realm would provide an extra layer of isolation, preventing a powerful deity like the Moon Goddess from easily deduce his location.

Secondly, he could also explore the secret realm. Although he wasn't particularly interested in the inheritance of the Transcendent Realm experts, traveling around and seeing more would at least help him cultivate his own little world.

Lu Zheng then asked, "When did it happen, and how many people were there?"

Zhong Qing's eyes lit up slightly upon hearing this, "If you're willing, senior, I'll go back and tell my elders, and then we'll arrange the itinerary..."

She didn't expect Lu Zheng to agree so quickly, seemingly not afraid that the Zhong family would have any ulterior motives.

Those who were invited in the past would take some time to consider it.

Lu Zheng was naturally not afraid of anything. He wasn't even afraid of the gods of the Great Chu, so why would he be afraid of the Zhong family of Ghost State digging a pit for him?

Lu Zhengdao: "I have a companion."

Zhong Qing said, "No problem, we can go together. But would it be convenient for you to reveal a little about your cultivation levels? That way we can calculate the reward..."

Lu Zheng said calmly, "Four realms, three realms."

Zhong Qing blinked. Was it described so vaguely? The difference between the initial stage of the fourth realm and the later stage of the fourth realm is not small.

Seeing that Lu Zheng didn't reveal any further details, Zhong Qing didn't press the matter further.

She nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go home now and give you an answer soon."

Zhong Qing cupped his hands in farewell and drifted away.

After Zhong Qing left, Lu Zheng also came out of the living room.

When Manager Zhang saw Lu Zheng come out, he couldn't help but whisper, "She didn't give you any trouble, did she?"

"What do you mean?" Lu Zheng asked.

Manager Zhang whispered, "The Zhong family is quite powerful in Ghost City. If you can avoid offending them, then do so... To put it bluntly, none of the big families that can establish themselves in Ghost City are easy to deal with."

Lu Zheng smiled slightly and said, "It's nothing, I just talked to her about some serious matters."

Upon hearing this, Manager Zhang said, "I see... By the way, she asked about you before, but I didn't tell her you were from Anguo. However, I did mention some other things; it's really something we can't afford to offend..."

Manager Zhang looked apologetic; after all, he was just a businessman, and his power was no match for others. Lu Zheng said dismissively, "It's alright."

He hadn't revealed anything to these people from the Grand Chamber of Commerce, so no one could have guessed his true identity.

Lu Zheng returned to the courtyard and waited for news from the Zhong family.

A short while later, Zhong Qing came over in person again.

Upon meeting Lu Zheng, Zhong Qing got straight to the point: "The clan elders have already agreed. If you don't need to make any preparations, you can set off today... Our Zhong family will send two fourth-realm cultivators and two third-realm cultivators to accompany you. Is this arrangement alright?"

Lu Zheng said, "No problem, we can go now."

Zhong Qing was surprised to see that Lu Zheng remained calm throughout.

She took out a bag and said, "This is the reward. Here's a portion... the rest will be given to you after the secret realm ends. The distribution of the treasures found will follow the rules we just established..."

When you're looking for someone to do something, you naturally have to show sincerity first.

Lu Zheng took the bag and looked inside; there were indeed quite a few spirit stones.

Lu Zheng then called Qing Wan out of the room.

Upon hearing that they were going to explore a hidden paradise, Qingwan couldn't help but show a hint of curiosity.

Zhong Qing glanced at Qing Wan, her eyes flashing slightly. She realized she couldn't discern Lu Zheng's strength, so she let it go.

However, Qing Wan, who was also at the same level as her, did not reveal any aura, making it impossible to guess her strength.

Seeing Zhong Qing looking at her, Qing Wan also stared at him. "You cultivate the ghost path? You have a lot of yin energy on you!"

Qingwan discovered that although this woman was clearly a living person, her yin energy was stronger than that of a ghost.

Zhong Qing smiled upon hearing this and said, "In a place like Ghost Prefecture, what else can we build besides this method?"

Being a proper cultivator here would clash with the yin-attribute spiritual energy of this place, which would be detrimental to one's cultivation.

Zhong Qing then said, "Please follow me, both of you!"

Zhong Qing led the way, and once outside, a carriage was waiting to pick them up.

The group first went to the Zhong residence, and soon several members of the Zhong family came over.

A middle-aged man sized up Lu Zheng and his companion, noticing that their auras were restrained and there was no fluctuation in their power, making it impossible to discern their strength from this alone.

He couldn't help but ask, "My name is Zhong Ying, the head of the Zhong family. I heard that you led your caravan to escape the ghost soldiers?"

"Just lucky," Lu Zheng said calmly.

Luck? Zhong Ying thought to herself, how could there be any luck in hiding from those ghostly soldiers outside?

As locals, they were well aware of how terrifying those ghostly soldiers were.

That's why Zhong Qing thought of asking Lu Zheng for help to explore the secret realm.

When the elders of the Zhong family learned of this, they felt that Lu Zheng might actually have the ability to help them explore the secret realm, and after discussing it, they readily agreed.

As for Lu Zheng and the other person's identities and backgrounds, they didn't bother to find out.

Zhong Ying said softly, "Zhong Qing should have already told you the specifics, so I won't say any more. As long as you perform well, our Zhong family will not treat you unfairly. Since everything is ready, let's go!"

Zhong Ying gave a call, and everyone left the Zhong residence, first taking their respective carriages out of Ghost City.

Once outside the city, everyone boarded a flying boat and headed in the same direction.

Zhong Qing stood on the flying boat, his face showing excitement.

She had once gone to explore the secret realm with her clansmen, but not only did she gain nothing, she also suffered a great setback and almost got lost inside.

After that, she never went to the secret realm again; this time, she had to fight hard for it.

The airship traveled swiftly and soon arrived at a small town nestled in the mountains.

It is a small town established by the Zhong family, which specializes in mining a type of mineral from the local mountains.

That secret place was discovered while mining ore.

That mine has now been concealed and is protected by the powerful members of the Zhong family.

Lu Zheng and his group soon arrived at a mine.

Zhong Ying then led everyone to a hidden teleportation array in the mountains. Using a special secret method, she activated the array and teleported everyone to a place deep underground.

On the other side of the teleportation array, there were other arrays and people protecting it.

After passing through numerous restrictions, the group arrived at a deserted and dark place.

Lu Zheng thought to himself that the Zhong family had really gone to great lengths to protect this secret place and had made a lot of arrangements.

Zhong Ying arrived at a location and was about to use magic to open the secret realm.

Suddenly, he paused, his eyes flashing with a dark light as he looked at a spot in front of him.

Zhong Ying suddenly turned to look at the guardian beside her, "Someone opened the secret realm not long ago, was it you?"

"What?" The guardian's expression changed upon hearing this. "It wasn't me. I've been guarding this place the whole time. No one has ever been here. It's impossible..."

Zhong Ying's face darkened. "No, someone has already been here."

(End of this chapter)