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Chapter 94: Zhong Shan Awakens

"As Zhong Yu said, to have father and brothers by my side at this moment is enough for me," the middle-aged man nodded.

Finally, Zhong Zheng, the youngest at thirty, spoke with seriousness, "When I was six years old, although my memories are blurry, I know that after my biological father died, my mother was violated by household slaves, couldn\'t bear the humiliation, and died by hitting the wall. Her body was left in the wilderness. When I was beaten and oppressed by the former slaves, it was our adoptive father who saved me. In a fit of anger, he pursued the evil slaves for a thousand miles, captured them, and gave them to me. He even buried my mother with my father. From that moment on, my life belonged to our adoptive father. Whether alive or dead, I am a member of Zhong Mansion."

Zhong Zheng didn\'t speak of his deep feelings for Zhong Shan, but his plain recollection was the most convincing. Zhong Tian couldn\'t help but nod.

"You should go back and rest for now. The army isn\'t attacking the city, so there\'s no need to worry too much. Let\'s discuss everything further once our adoptive father wakes up," Zhong Tian said.

"Understood," the three nodded and left one after another.

As the three younger brothers left, Zhong Tian\'s eyes narrowed. Though not as astute as Zhong Shan, within Zhong Tian\'s keen analysis, he could sense someone was lying.

That night, a large number of arrows suddenly shot into Xuan Cheng, aimlessly targeting all directions.

In the Hall of Ying Lan, the lights were on, and Zhong Tian held a piece of cloth in his hand, with an arrow lying on the table beside it.

The cloth read:

"By the grace of heaven, the Emperor decrees: Zhong Shan of Xuan Cheng, disregarding the court, has raised troops to establish his own rule, considering himself king within the city. Despite repeated admonitions, he refuses to change his ways. This continued behavior threatens to destabilize the nation. The treacherous Zhong Shan disrupts the order of the court and the peace of the realm. He shall be executed, restoring peace to the land. However, the people of Xuan Cheng are citizens of Da Kun Nation. Fearing the suffering of innocents, the army will not attack. The citizens are allowed to leave the city. Before the battle, those who leave will be compensated for any losses. A reward of ten thousand gold coins and ennoblement will be granted to anyone who brings back Zhong Shan\'s head. Those who remain in the city will be considered accomplices of Zhong Shan and will be punished for treason when the battle begins."

Reading the arrow letter shot into the city, Zhong Tian sneered, "Good, good, excellent writing."

"Uncle," Ying Lan entered the hall from outside immediately, her face showing a hint of anxiety and a hint of relief.

"How is it?" Zhong Tian put down the perplexing arrow letter.

"Exactly as we suspected. There is indeed treachery among the uncles. That Zhong Jin, as he left the city, made quite a scene, as if he wanted all the citizens of the city to know that even the Zhong Mansion\'s own adopted son was disappointed in the mansion and was surrendering. When he reached the city gate, I detained him and brought him back to Zhong Mansion. I interrogated him just now," Ying Lan said, her eyes flashing with surprise.

"How was the interrogation?" Zhong Tian asked.

"I interrogated him, and there\'s no doubt. Unexpectedly, Zhong Jin is actually a legitimate son of the Qian family. The Qian family was quite willing. When Zhong Jin was only four years old, they already had plans to sabotage Zhong Mansion, sending this legitimate son to disrupt it. It\'s just that the arrangement of Grandfather is very special, so they\'ve been tolerating it until now," Ying Lan sighed.

Hearing Ying Lan\'s words, Zhong Tian nodded. It could explain why Zhong Jin was so noisy before.

"Furthermore," Ying Lan suddenly furrowed her brows.

"What else?" Zhong Tian asked in confusion.

"According to his confession, Zhong Yu is also a legitimate son of the Zhao family and, like him, also had plans to infiltrate Zhong Mansion," Ying Lan said.

Upon hearing Ying Lan\'s words, Zhong Tian lifted a cup of tea and took a sip. He remained silent for a moment. Would Zhong Yu continue to tolerate until the end?

"Steward, summon Zhong Yu, Zhong She, and Zhong Zheng," Zhong Tian put down his teacup and said angrily.

"Yes," a steward outside the door responded.

"Wait," Zhong Tian suddenly stopped the steward.

He paced back and forth in the hall.

As the three younger brothers left, Zhong Tian\'s eyes narrowed. Though not as astute as Zhong Shan, within Zhong Tian\'s keen analysis, he could sense someone was lying.

That night, a large number of arrows suddenly shot into Xuan Cheng, aimlessly targeting all directions.

In the Hall of Ying Lan, the lights were on, and Zhong Tian held a piece of cloth in his hand, with an arrow lying on the table beside it.

The cloth read:

"By the grace of heaven, the Emperor decrees: Zhong Shan of Xuan Cheng, disregarding the court, has raised troops to establish his own rule, considering himself king within the city. Despite repeated admonitions, he refuses to change his ways. This continued behavior threatens to destabilize the nation. The treacherous Zhong Shan disrupts the order of the court and the peace of the realm. He shall be executed, restoring peace to the land. However, the people of Xuan Cheng are citizens of Da Kun Nation. Fearing the suffering of innocents, the army will not attack. The citizens are allowed to leave the city. Before the battle, those who leave will be compensated for any losses. A reward of ten thousand gold coins and ennoblement will be granted to anyone who brings back Zhong Shan\'s head. Those who remain in the city will be considered accomplices of Zhong Shan and will be punished for treason when the battle begins."

Reading the arrow letter shot into the city, Zhong Tian sneered, "Good, good, excellent writing."

"Uncle," Ying Lan entered the hall from outside immediately, her face showing a hint of anxiety and a hint of relief.

"How is it?" Zhong Tian put down the perplexing arrow letter.

"Exactly as we suspected. There is indeed treachery among the uncles. That Zhong Jin, as he left the city, made quite a scene, as if he wanted all the citizens of the city to know that even the Zhong Mansion\'s own adopted son was disappointed in the mansion and was surrendering. When he reached the city gate, I detained him and brought him back to Zhong Mansion. I interrogated him just now," Ying Lan said, her eyes flashing with surprise.

"How was the interrogation?" Zhong Tian asked.

"I interrogated him, and there\'s no doubt. Unexpectedly, Zhong Jin is actually a legitimate son of the Qian family. The Qian family was quite willing. When Zhong Jin was only four years old, they already had plans to sabotage Zhong Mansion, sending this legitimate son to disrupt it. It\'s just that the arrangement of Grandfather is very special, so they\'ve been tolerating it until now," Ying Lan sighed.

Hearing Ying Lan\'s words, Zhong Tian nodded. It could explain why Zhong Jin was so noisy before.

"Furthermore," Ying Lan suddenly furrowed her brows.

"What else?" Zhong Tian asked in confusion.

"According to his confession, Zhong Yu is also a legitimate son of the Zhao family and, like him, also had plans to infiltrate Zhong Mansion," Ying Lan said.

Upon hearing Ying Lan\'s words, Zhong Tian lifted a cup of tea and took a sip. He remained silent for a moment. Would Zhong Yu continue to tolerate until the end?

"Steward, summon Zhong Yu, Zhong She, and Zhong Zheng," Zhong Tian put down his teacup and said angrily.

"Yes," a steward outside the door responded.

"Wait," Zhong Tian suddenly stopped the steward.

He paced back and forth in the hall.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhong Tian spoke, "No need to notify them. Find the close servants of those three and let slip the news that Ying Lan has captured Zhong Jin. Also, hint that there are similar individuals among the young masters. As for Zhong Jin, since I promised before, release him from the city as well. Do not mention Zhong Yu; simply say that there are still internal traitors among the young masters, and I am doing my utmost to investigate. Once identified, they will be exterminated without mercy to eliminate future threats."

"Understood," the steward immediately responded.

"Uncle, are you planning to expel all the traitors?" Ying Lan asked.

"Yes, there\'s no time to investigate, and even if we do, what then? It\'s better to drive them out of the city," Zhong Tian shook his head and sighed.

Soon, the three brothers would be reduced again.

That night, Zhong Tian and Ying Lan remained seated in the Yi Lan Hall.

Finally, at dawn, a steward-like figure came to report.

"Young Master, Miss, Zhong Jin has been sent out of the city. Young Master Zhong Yu and Young Master Zhong She also snuck out early this morning under the pretense of inspecting the defenses," the steward respectfully said.

Zhong Tian was silent for a moment, then sighed softly, "Remember, those who leave the city will no longer be young masters of the Zhong family. The Zhong family\'s young masters now include only myself and Zhong Zheng."

"Understood," the steward nodded.

"Summon Zhong Zheng here to discuss pacifying the city and resisting the army," Zhong Tian instructed.

"Yes," the steward nodded and exited.

In Xuan City, south of the city, in a large camp.

At this moment, those who had betrayed Zhong Shan from the Zhong residence were all held in this camp, a total of eighteen people. Additionally, four others, including Zhong Jin, Zhong Yu, and Zhong She, stood with the four great families. After all, they originally belonged to these families.

Inside the grand tent, besides the Su family patriarch, many innate experts had also arrived.

They looked at these eighteen cowering individuals.

"Even their father could be betrayed, so how can we trust them to serve us in the future? Wouldn\'t they betray us too? Besides, there might be people among them deliberately planted by Zhong Shan," Emperor Su Zhengde frowned and said.

Others also nodded in agreement.

"Your Majesty, we are innocent. Didn\'t you say earlier that as long as we left the city and surrendered, we would be pardoned?"

"Your Majesty, have mercy! We have no connection with Zhong Shan."

"Your Majesty, we all have our own skills and can serve you and the Da Kun Kingdom."

With a cold gaze upon the group, Su Zhengde\'s lips curled into a slight smirk. Just as Su Zhengde was about to speak, a eunuch-like figure beside him bowed slightly to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty."

Glancing at the old eunuch, Su Zhengde furrowed his brows slightly, showing little arrogance on his face. "Wei Gonggong, what is it?"

Wei Gonggong, originally named Wei Taizhong, now served as the chief steward of the Da Kun Kingdom\'s palace. Although he was merely a eunuch, he was an innate expert and had served Su Zhengde since childhood, so Su Zhengde did not underestimate him.

"Our household has previously informed Your Majesty that before entering the palace, we had an irreconcilable enmity with Zhong Shan. Now that his disciples have emerged, we hope Your Majesty will entrust them to me for handling," Wei Gonggong bowed respectfully.

Watching Wei Taizhong, Su Zhengde nodded, then glanced at the representatives of the four great families, who seemed indifferent.

"Very well, these people are now under your jurisdiction," Su Zhengde nodded.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Wei Taizhong said expressionlessly.

"Alright, everyone, let\'s go. We\'ll listen to the intelligence brought back by your spies from the four families," Su Zhengde said.

"Understood," the group nodded. Having the latest intelligence would greatly aid in capturing Xuan City.

As the group left, the old eunuch Wei Taizhong narrowed his eyes and stared at them. With a flick of his hand, he suddenly began to move. Amidst the cries of surprise, he swiftly killed all eighteen people.

Wiping the blood off his hands with a handkerchief, his previously stern expression softened into a sigh. Speaking to himself, he said, "Are these your disciples? Once out of the Zhong residence, they are no longer Zhong family members. Although they have betrayed, you surely wouldn\'t bear to kill them. So let me be the villain instead."

Inside the Zhong residence, in the secluded place where Zhong Shan was in seclusion, in a dim environment.

Three days ago, as Zhong Shan fell into a coma, his hidden body suddenly dispersed. And on this third day at dusk, slowly, a figure began to form within the darkness, gradually taking shape.

Zhong Shan, the hidden body of Zhong Shan, reappeared. He sat cross-legged with his eyes closed.

At the same time, in the Listening Waters Pavilion of the Kaiyang Sect, on Zhong Shan\'s bed.

Zhong Shan\'s main body also slowly regained consciousness from his coma, gently opening his eyes.

Within his blurred vision, five figures were reflected. They were in Zhong Shan\'s own room: Tian Ling\'er was holding onto his arm with a haggard face, Tian Xingzi, Lonely Widow, and Xuanxinzi stood behind Tian Ling\'er. Beside the three, there was a beautiful woman in green clothes whom Zhong Shan had never seen before. However, this woman didn\'t seem too friendly toward him.

"Awake, awake! Zhong Shan is awake!" Tian Ling\'er exclaimed excitedly, tears of joy streaming down her eyes.

Zhong Shan looked closely at Tian Ling\'er, and seeing her haggard appearance, his long-dormant heart trembled. Just as Tian Ling\'er became excited, her eyes closed, and she collapsed.

"Ling\'er!" The woman in green rushed forward and caught the falling Tian Ling\'er.

Zhong Shan tried to reach out to grab Tian Ling\'er, but his entire body was racked with excruciating pain, rendering him immobile. Tian Ling\'er was lifted by the woman in green.

"Ling\'er is exhausted and needs rest. I\'ll take her back," Nie Qingqing said, without waiting for anyone\'s consent, and immediately rushed out.

Seeing that Tian Xingzi didn\'t stop her, Zhong Shan breathed a sigh of relief. Since Tian Xingzi tacitly agreed, Ling\'er shouldn\'t be in danger.

Xuanxinzi and Lonely Widow seemed equally concerned about Tian Ling\'er. After Nie Qingqing left with Tian Ling\'er, they also exited Zhong Shan\'s bedroom, leaving only Tian Xingzi by Zhong Shan\'s bedside.

"Master, disciple has failed in his duty," Zhong Shan said with some difficulty.

"No, Ling\'er has already told me. You have done well. I also thank you for taking care of Ling\'er. If it weren\'t for you, she might have died several times on this trip. Thank you," Tian Xingzi said solemnly.

Over the past three days, Tian Ling\'er had gradually recounted the events she had encountered during her journey. The experiences along the way were truly terrifying, involving life-threatening encounters with beings such as the Silver Immortal, the Zombie Master, the Thunder General, the mighty Emperor, the Eight-Gate Lock Formation, and the Thunder Scorpion Eggs. Despite Zhong Shan\'s weak cultivation, he miraculously brought Tian Ling\'er safely through it all. Even he didn\'t dare to claim that he had kept her completely safe, but Zhong Shan\'s ability to bring Tian Ling\'er safely through such dangers was truly remarkable.

Tian Xingzi\'s gratitude to Zhong Shan was sincere. If it weren\'t for Zhong Shan, Tian Ling\'er might not have returned this time.

"Disciple is grateful," Zhong Shan said immediately.

"No, I mean it. This baptism of thunder and lightning has left you greatly afflicted, but it also proves your unwavering will. Although it hasn\'t changed your aptitude, it\'s not without benefits. Take good care of yourself. When you fully recover, I will take you as my disciple," Tian Xingzi said solemnly.

Hearing Tian Xingzi\'s promise, Zhong Shan felt overjoyed. Rarely, he was moved and said, "Thank you, Master, no, thank you, Master."

Hearing Zhong Shan\'s address, Tian Xingzi nodded.

"You should rest. I\'ll go see how Ling\'er is doing," Tian Xingzi said.

"Yes," Zhong Shan immediately responded.

Then Tian Xingzi hurried out to check on Ling\'er. Zhong Shan took a deep breath, struggled to sit up, and crossed his legs. Despite the pain coursing through his entire body, he could endure it, knowing there was precedent in his body being tempered by the Heavenly Demon.

His mental consciousness delved into his body, finding that his true qi, although only one-tenth of its full strength, was even purer. Even the true qi seemed to be shrouded in a misty state.

Fifth level of Innate Realm? A breakthrough? Zhong Shan felt somewhat surprised by the changes in his true qi. The fifth level, the pinnacle of Innate True Qi, enduring eight days of torment, his true qi had actually been tempered by the thunder and lightning.

Ascending one more level would allow him to condense his true essence, marking a new leap in his strength. Moreover, Zhong Shan also sensed a faint trace of lightning within his true qi.

Fortune lies within misfortune, and misfortune within fortune. It seemed this saying was not untrue. Although he didn\'t obtain Thunder Blossoms, the current gains were no less inferior to Thunder Blossoms.

Now, it was time to slowly recuperate and cultivate his true qi.

As the main body of Zhong Shan woke up, the hidden body of Zhong Shan also completely recovered. After circulating his true qi within his body for a week, he found that it smoothly reached the fifth level of Innate Realm. Furthermore, after consolidating for a day, he discovered that he had even reached the peak of the fifth level of Innate Realm.

Taking a deep breath, the hidden body of Zhong Shan, with a hint of contentment, slowly stood up, opened the door, and walked out.