Chapter 110: Chapter 109: Target
The muscles on the stranger’s face rippled and shifted, transforming into the features of Zhang Hongyun. Tan Honghua was stunned. He suppressed the urge to call out, his eyes wide with shock as he looked at Zhang Hongyun. He immediately stood up from behind his desk. "Hongyun, what are you doing back in Guangdong? The entire city is under martial law, teeming with soldiers from the Giant Spirit Army. It’s incredibly dangerous!"
"It’s alright. It won’t be easy for the Giant Spirit Army to find me. But since I’m a wanted man, I have no access to intelligence. That’s why I had to ask you for help, Uncle Tan. The Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall has shown me great kindness, and there are some things I must know and take care of."
Zhang Hongyun said in a low voice. He had risked capture by the Giant Spirit Army to return to Guangdong, all to find a way to handle the situation with the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall.
After all, this whole affair had started because of him.
Years ago, after his family met with disaster, he was left young and homeless. With nothing but the secret transmission for the Doumu Primordial Soul Needle, he did whatever it took to survive on the streets. In the end, it was Weng Xiaolin, then newly arrived in Celestial Sea, who took him in and treated him like his own son. If not for the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall, he would never have attained his current level of strength.
After completing his apprenticeship, he hid his identity and infiltrated the Giant Spirit Army. His plan was to use their resources to increase his own strength, bide his time to climb to the top, and gather the remaining forces of the old Southern Heaven Su Family to avenge their annihilation. At the same time, he never forgot to continuously channel resources back to the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall. He deserved much of the credit for the hall’s success to this day.
In a way, just like Liu Changfeng, he regarded the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall as his home deep in his heart.
Now that his personal affairs had brought disaster upon his home, how could he possibly stand by and do nothing?
"The Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall..."
At this, Tan Honghua couldn’t help but sigh. The reaction made Zhang Hongyun’s heart sink further and further.
"I knew this matter was related to your Su Family, so I’ve had people keeping a close watch. Currently, the Giant Spirit Army officially claims that Hall Master Weng has been captured. In reality, he is most likely dead. A few days ago, Military Officer Hou Rong of the Celestial Sea Prefecture’s City Defense Army received orders to lead his men and besiege the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall. Liu Changfeng has a fierce and unyielding nature; after being overpowered and captured, he took his own life by stopping his heart. Most of the core disciples of the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall have now fled. The hall is, for all intents and purposes, completely gone."
Tan Honghua said slowly, a flash of regret and sorrow in his eyes, as if he were seeing the end of the Southern Heaven Su Family all over again.
’Master... Junior Brother...’
Listening to Tan Honghua’s words, Zhang Hongyun’s breathing grew heavy. His fists clenched and his jaw tightened, his eyes filled with a mixture of grief and intense killing intent. It was as if he had been transported back to the day the Su Family was annihilated. The terrifying aura subtly emanating from him sent a shiver down Tan Honghua’s spine.
"But... you have a good junior brother," Tan Honghua quickly added.
’A good junior brother?’
Zhang Hongyun was taken aback. Liu Changfeng was dead. Luo Moyou was just a loafer who relied on the Luo Family; it would be considered a show of loyalty if he simply didn’t stab the Martial Arts Hall in the back at a time like this. The only possibility, then, was his master’s newest True Inheritance disciple—his little junior brother.
"Right, Junior Brother Zhao Qi doesn’t seem to have been captured? His wanted posters are plastered all over the city. What on earth did he do?" Zhang Hongyun asked. On his way here, he had noticed that Zhao Qi’s wanted posters were even more numerous than his own, which he found very strange.
"That little junior brother of yours is incredible, a true dragon among men. He’s turned all of Guangdong upside down..."
Tan Honghua began, slowly recounting Zhao Xuanqi’s recent activities to Zhang Hongyun.
He broke through an encirclement led by the Giant Spirit Sect’s True Inheritance disciple, Zhou Lie, and Melissa, who had five of the Ten Heroes with them.
He avenged his master by wiping out Xu Guitang, the head of the Taihe Tiger Form Boxing Hall, along with five of his True Inheritance disciples.
At the Martial Arts Association banquet, in full view of everyone, he threw Zhou Lie’s corpse onto the stage, killed the elders of the Four Great Sects who were on the committee with lightning speed, and then made his escape...
As he heard this list of accomplishments, Zhang Hongyun’s expression went slightly blank.
Back when he received Weng Xiaolin’s telegram saying his little junior brother had secured a seat among the Ten Heroes, he had already thought the man was impressive. But he never imagined he could be this terrifyingly capable.
It was beyond his comprehension.
"Oh, and news came in this afternoon. Last night, Military Officer Hou Rong of Celestial Sea Prefecture was killed in his own residence. They say the Giant Spirit Army’s key operative, ’Earth Spirit’ Feng Zheng, was personally on the scene. And yet, the killer managed to wound Feng Zheng and successfully escape. He’s now vanished without a trace and probably won’t show his face in territory controlled by the Giant Spirit Army again. The ones who led the charge against Hall Master Weng and Liu Changfeng have all been killed by him. It’s truly a debt of blood paid in blood."
Tan Honghua said with admiration.
’Earth Spirit’ Feng Zheng...
Zhang Hongyun’s expression was complicated; he was at a loss for words. This Feng Zheng was on the same level as ’Hundred Rivers’ Hong Yukun, the man who had hunted him before. Although Hong Yukun was stronger than Feng Zheng, the gap wasn’t massive. ’Doesn’t that mean my little junior brother’s strength is already almost on par with my own?’
’It’s completely unbelievable...’
"As it stands, your little junior brother has nearly finished avenging the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall. He must have a large organization backing him. If you still want to seek revenge, I’m afraid you’ll have to go after the Giant Spirit Army’s high command."
Tan Honghua glanced at Zhang Hongyun and said with a hint of resignation.
Zhang Hongyun’s expression flickered, his feelings a tangled mess. A heavy weight seemed to settle in his chest, a frustration that he couldn’t seem to dispel.
HUFF!
After a long moment, he finally let out a sigh and sat down in the chair before Tan Honghua’s desk.
’The Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall is gone, and the blood debt has, for the time being, been paid. If I had the power to challenge the Giant Spirit Army’s high command, I wouldn’t have waited until now.’
’I rushed all the way back, only to find there’s nothing I can do.’ This feeling of helplessness was agonizing.
"Do you want to go back to Celestial Sea Prefecture to take a look? I can have someone make the arrangements," Tan Honghua asked.
Zhang Hongyun was silent for a moment, then shook his head slightly.
In truth, he, like Zhao Xuanqi, was an extremely rational person. If Weng Xiaolin and Liu Changfeng were still alive, he would have done everything in his power to rescue them. But they were dead now. What was the point of mourning empty shells?
"Uncle Tan, I’d like to borrow your channels to leave Yuehai as soon as possible."
Zhang Hongyun thought in silence for a while, as if severing all the despair and confusion from his heart. He could not stop here.
’Forward! Forward! Forward!’
"Of course, no problem. Our families have been allies for generations; there’s no need for such formalities with me. Where do you want to go? I’ll make the arrangements at once," Tan Honghua said in a low voice.
Zhang Hongyun’s eyes narrowed, a sharp glint flashing within them as he spoke:
"North, to Jinmen!!"
...
...
Meanwhile, Zhao Xuanqi, led by Sun Yunyong, had left the urban center of Celestial Sea Prefecture and arrived at a remote mountain village near Celestial Sea.
This was a secret base established by the National Salvation Association. The core disciples of the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall, who had escaped under Ma Maocheng’s guidance, had all been brought here.
