Chapter 51: A Sea of Mysteries
They were only at the Douhuang realm.
If they all perished, it wouldn't be enough to break Xiao Feng's heart, nor would it cripple the Xiao clan. Therefore, it was a win-win situation.
Those who survived among them were undoubtedly more useful and proved their worth; such people were worthy of Xiao Feng's cultivation.
"Xiao Xing, tell me, how has 'Hell' developed during the hundred years I've been in seclusion?" Xiao Feng asked.
Xiao Xing had been assigned to develop "Hell" in Zhongzhou before, so it was natural to ask him about information in this regard.
"Reporting to the Elder, in the past hundred years, we have developed 'Hell' to a certain scale. Except for some remote and highly confidential places where we have no spies, we have spread to almost half of the Central Continent. As for the other regions, they are also developing rapidly, just like the Central Continent," Xiao Xing said, stepping forward.
As he spoke of these things, his eyes were filled with excitement. He had never imagined that "Hell" could develop to this point. He was also looking forward to seeing the scene when "Hell" would completely spread throughout the entire Dou Qi Continent!
"Indeed, has anything happened in Zhongzhou during this period?" Xiao Feng asked. In a hundred years, Zhongzhou should have undergone some changes, and he wanted to grasp these changes in order to understand something deeper.
Xiao Xing was stunned for a moment, then began to ponder. After a while, he said to Xiao Feng, "Reporting to the elder, a major event has indeed occurred in the past hundred years. The patriarch of the Pill Tower has perished!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Feng immediately became interested. "Oh, is it that Pill Tower Ancestor who possesses the strength of a peak Nine-Star Dou Sheng?" "Yes."
How did he perish?
"It is said that the old patriarch of the Pill Tower tried to forcibly refine a pill, but suffered a backlash and was seriously injured, and soon perished."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Feng's eyes gleamed. "Besides that?"
"In addition, the rogue cultivator Tang Zhi has also disappeared."
"Tang Zhi? Is that the one who is at the peak of the Nine-Star Dou Sheng realm and is a close friend of Clan Chief Xiao Xuan?"
"Yes." Seeing that Xiao Xing seemed hesitant to speak, he said to him, "Just say what you want to say."
"Reporting to the elder, since both of these matters involve the most powerful figures on the continent, they cannot be hidden at all. The news has spread throughout the entire Central Continent, and because of this, some rumors have also circulated."
"They say that Tang Zhi felt guilty for not helping during the battle because of his betrayal, and has since lived in seclusion in the mountains, detached from worldly affairs." After saying this, he let out a long sigh as if he had accomplished something great, and then began to observe Xiao Feng's expression. Clearly, he also wanted to know whether this was true or not.
As a member of the Xiao clan, although he had not personally witnessed the battle a hundred years ago, he could tell from the few words he heard that the battle was incredibly shocking and brutal. At this time, the Xiao clan could only fight alone, without anyone to help them, which made him feel resentful.
After listening to Xiao Xing's words, Xiao Feng fell into deep thought: "The demise of the Pill Tower Ancestor was mentioned in the original story, but now that I think about it, it all seems rather strange. The Pill Tower Ancestor was a peak Nine-Star Dou Sheng, and his alchemy skills were unparalleled. For him to suffer a backlash from alchemy is simply too unbelievable..."
"And then there's Tang Zhi. His disappearance is also shrouded in mystery. The idea that he felt guilty for not intervening and went into seclusion in the mountains is even more unbelievable. If he could so cruelly watch his closest friend be killed, how could he feel guilty about it? It's a complete contradiction!"
"It seems there are still many doubts about why Tang Zhi didn't lend a hand that day. The waters in Zhongzhou are still too deep!" Xiao Feng couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
Although Xiao Feng had already seen through the many suspicious points, he was not able to figure out the truth with his strength, and he did not know that Tang Zhi, who was a nine-star Dou Sheng, was not hiding in the mountains out of guilt, but had already perished!
As a powerful figure at the peak of the Nine-Star Dou Sheng realm, and one of the strongest on the continent, not only did he fall in such a humiliating way, but it also went completely unnoticed, as if he had been forgotten by the world. How tragic!
Although Xiao Feng's heart was in turmoil, his face remained calm. Therefore, Xiao Xing, who had been watching him closely, only got a calm face from beginning to end and did not get any useful clues.
"I am already aware of everything. You may all leave now." With that, Xiao Feng waved his hand.
"Yes, Elder." The group rose and left. Just as they were about to leave the main hall, Xiao Feng seemed to have thought of something. "By the way, from now on, don't call me Elder anymore. Let's call me Clan Chief."
The group was taken aback for a moment, then replied, "Yes, clan leader!"
Although they didn't know why Xiao Feng had asked them to change their title, it was just a title, and they could change it as they pleased. As for the deeper meaning behind it, Xiao Feng was now in charge of the entire Xiao Clan's small world. Wasn't he already the patriarch of the Xiao Clan? Besides, they already called him elder, so what was wrong with changing his title to patriarch?
In truth, Xiao Feng had his own reasons for doing this. The title "Elder" was ultimately his original title, which no longer matched his current status. Moreover, Xiao Xuan had already expressed this sentiment when he entrusted him with the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade, and given their previous experiences, the new title was more readily accepted. In any case, it was just a change in title, and it didn't cause him any real loss.
For the next period of time, Xiao Feng wandered around the Xiao Clan's small world. Although he heard Xiao Hu and others' reports and saw their dutiful performance, he believed that seeing is believing. As a wise ruler, he could not just listen to one side of the story and needed to verify things himself.
Although he didn't believe that Xiao Hu and the others could betray him and deceive him, he still couldn't be too careful. Since he had been in seclusion for a full century, Xiao Hu and the others must have unimaginable power. If they really wanted to hide it, they could.
It would be best if this situation didn't occur. If it did, the consequences would be far-reaching. If he completely trusted them and allowed them to continue their reckless behavior, the entire Xiao clan would rot to the core and perish from the root! Let alone regaining its former glory.
Delegating authority does not mean complete trust, so his casual stroll this time was a pretense, his real purpose being to investigate the situation within the Xiao clan.
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