As night fell, Jiangdong seemed to have returned to peace.
The new Jiangdong Martial Alliance Leader, Lin Zhezong, hosted a banquet at the Jiangdong Restaurant to thank Xiao Yunlong for helping him break through.
Xiao Yunlong did not refuse, as he knew Lin Zhezong's invitation was both a gesture of gratitude and a deliberate announcement of his relationship with Xiao Yunlong.
This was because the banquet primarily invited high-ranking officials of the Jiangdong Martial Alliance. When Xiao Yunlong attended as the main guest, sat at the head of the table, and conversed cheerfully with Lin Zhezong, those in the alliance with ulterior motives had no choice but to put away their petty schemes and refrain from any rash actions.
The banquet was lively throughout, at least on the surface. However, many high-ranking officials of the Martial Alliance were waiting, as they were well aware that the former leader of the Martial Alliance, Hua Xiaorong, relied on the Kunlun Hidden Sect, and this sect would not stand idly by.
Regardless, the banquet continued until midnight. Afterward, Xiao Yunlong left under the watchful eyes of Lin Zhezong and other high-ranking officials of the Martial Alliance, returning to Purple Cloud Villa.
The night deepened, and it became even quieter. However, at this moment, the Zhang family in Jiangdong was plunged into chaos and clamor.
The Zhang family manor in the suburbs was still brightly lit. Cars arrived from all directions, speeding into the Zhang family gate, creating a noisy yet somewhat panicked and urgent atmosphere.
The Patriarch sat at the head of the table with a gloomy expression, remaining silent. The Third Elder, Zhang Houwen, was also filled with anger. In addition, several other high-ranking Zhang family members in the hall wore righteous indignation.
The servants around them were as silent as cicadas, not daring to even take a breath. The entire Zhang family hall was shrouded in a suppressive and murderous atmosphere.
After a long while, the Patriarch, Zhang Quanming, finally spoke, "Fourth Uncle, has the body of Fifth Uncle been brought back yet?"
Below, an elder, the Fourth Elder of the Zhang family, Zhang Houwu, replied, "It has been brought back. We will prepare the funeral rites tomorrow!"
Upon saying this, Zhang Houwu gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "Quanming, our Zhang family cannot remain silent on this matter any longer. First, Zhenyun's hand was broken by the opponent, then Quanlin's legs were forcibly crippled by the opponent, and now it's Fifth Brother's turn. The opponent directly took his life. This is simply spitting and urinating on our Zhang family!"
A young direct descendant of the Zhang family also said, "Yes, Patriarch. That brat surnamed Xiao is simply lawless. When has our Zhang family ever been bullied and provoked like this? We cannot remain silent any longer. We must retaliate and use that dog-like thing surnamed Xiao's head to pay respects to Fifth Brother!"
Zhang Quanming sighed and said, "My original intention was not to remain silent, but merely to investigate Xiao Yunlong's background before taking action. However, Third Brother and Fifth Uncle were too impulsive. Knowing that the person surnamed Xiao even dared to kill within the Jiangdong Martial Alliance, they chose to provoke him at this critical juncture."
The Third Elder, Zhang Houwen, said coldly, "What's the point of discussing this now that things have come to this? Let's just say what we should do!"
In the current Zhang family of Jiangdong, the Patriarch, Zhang Houfu, had already passed away, and the Second Elder had died five years ago. Therefore, the words of the Third Elder, Zhang Houwen, often carried significant authority.
The Patriarch, Zhang Quanming, frowned and pondered, "This matter naturally cannot be let go just like that. When has our Zhang family ever suffered such a loss? However, that dog-like thing surnamed Xiao is clearly not simple, and we cannot subdue him with just us!"
Speaking of this, Zhang Quanming changed his tone and continued, "An hour ago, I sent a message to my second brother at the Eastern Region Army camp. I also asked my second brother to go to Longhu Mountain on the way and invite the Four Great Generals out of the mountain. I believe only the Four Great Generals can subdue the opponent!"
The Third Elder, Zhang Houwen, nodded slightly and said, "Indeed, with the death of Fifth Elder, there are sufficient reasons to invite the Four Great Generals. Also, let Quan return to coordinate. He is the commander of the Eastern Region Army camp, and his status is sufficient!"
"Second brother and the Four Great Generals will return early to pay respects to Fifth Uncle. We will discuss it then. In short, that dog-like thing surnamed Xiao must die. The dignity of our Jiangdong Zhang family absolutely cannot be challenged by anyone!"
Patriarch Zhang Quanming finished speaking, slammed his palm heavily on the table, and then concluded the family meeting.
At this very moment, a thousand miles away at the Eastern Region Army camp, Zhang Quanche, the third deputy commander, after handing over a series of tasks to his subordinates, hurried to the airport, preparing to board a special plane.
"Commander, are we flying directly back to Jiangdong?" the adjutant asked.
"No, go to Longhu Mountain first!" Zhang Quanche's face remained grim, and he exuded a murderous aura.
"Yes!" The adjutant said no more. After five or six people boarded, the plane took off, heading for Longhu Mountain overnight.
About an hour later, at one o'clock in the morning, the special plane from the Eastern Region Army camp landed on a helipad on a peak of Longhu Mountain.
However, the high-ranking officials of Longhu Mountain were not alerted, as Zhang Quanche had not informed them in advance. As soon as he got off the plane, he headed straight for the back mountain.
Half an hour later, Zhang Quanche arrived at a valley in the back mountain of Longhu Mountain. Although it was remote, it was filled with the fragrance of birds and flowers, with a few thatched huts dotted around, giving it a flavor of a paradise.
"Junior Zhang Quanche pays his respects to the Four Great Generals. I apologize for disturbing you so late at night. The Zhang family in Jiangdong is in an extremely urgent situation. I beg for your forgiveness, honored seniors!"
Zhang Quanche approached the door of the thatched hut but did not push it open directly. Instead, he cupped his hands and shouted into the air.
A oil lamp was still lit in the thatched hut, indicating that the people inside were not asleep.
"Come in!" In the silent late night, a hoarse and ancient voice suddenly emerged.
"You all wait here. Without my instructions, remember not to step in rashly!"
After instructing his four attendants and adjutant, Zhang Quanche straightened his clothes and pushed the door open to enter.
The Four Great Generals had followed his father since fifty years ago. Moreover, the Four Great Generals themselves originated from Longhu Mountain. After years of bloody battles and tempering, they then made a swift retreat and lived in seclusion in Longhu Mountain for many years. Now, the Four Great Generals had reached unfathomable levels of cultivation.
Of course, even in seclusion in Longhu Mountain, the Four Great Generals held a very high status in the Zhang family of Jiangdong. After all, they had been like brothers to his father since fifty years ago. Although they were household generals and retainers, they were in fact elders and family members!
However, when Zhang Quanche pushed open the door, what surprised him was that there were not only the Four Great Generals in the thatched hut, but also two mysterious figures in black robes with fangs masks, also seated in front of the Four Great Generals.
The youngest of the Four Great Generals was now over eighty years old. Their beards and hair were white, and their faces were crisscrossed with wrinkles. Moreover, because their internal energy had been cultivated to the point of returning to simplicity, they looked no different from ordinary old men on the surface.
"Greetings to the four honored seniors. May I ask who these two are?"
Zhang Quanche cupped his hands, his gaze fixed on these two mysterious figures in black robes, his face filled with shock.
He couldn't help but be surprised, as the Four Great Generals had been reclusive for a long time and rarely met outsiders. Judging from the solemn and even slightly grave expressions of the four elder seniors, it was clear that these two mysterious figures in black robes were not simple. Even from their posture and demeanor, their status in the martial world was even higher than that of the Four Great Generals!
This truly surprised Zhang Quanche. However, these two wore fanged masks, and their black robes concealed most of their bodies, making it impossible for him to discern anything.
The chief general, sitting in the main seat, said faintly, "These two are from the Imperial Capital. As for anything else, you don't need to ask too much. Sit down!"
Zhang Quanche's heart immediately sank. He thought that they were indeed important figures from the Imperial Capital, otherwise, even the Four Great Generals would have to treat them with solemnity.
However, on the surface, he remained composed, merely nodding slightly before sitting down.
At this moment, the mysterious figure in the black robe on the left spoke, "Alright, since the person has arrived, tell us what you plan to do next. First, I must specifically point out that our goals are the same, so don't say any unnecessary words. Let's get straight to the point!"
The chief general smiled and said, "Please be patient, both of you. Before discussing countermeasures, shouldn't we first let the Zhang family know the identity and background of the person they are about to deal with?"
Zhang Quanche immediately pricked up his ears. Honestly speaking, he was indeed very curious and puzzled about the identity of the super-powerful expert named Xiao Yunlong in Jiangdong. Moreover, he believed that the urgent matter was to first understand the opponent's identity.
It seemed that these two mysterious figures in black robes from the Imperial Capital knew, so Zhang Quanche turned his head to look at them intently.
The black-robed figure on the left chuckled in a deep voice and sighed, "That's true, but regarding that person's identity, there's no need to hide it from your level!"
He paused for a moment, and then the black-robed figure continued, "I believe you two have heard about the ambush incident outside the capital more than half a year ago, haven't you?"
The Four Great Generals did not respond. Their expressions were calm, as they had already learned the origin of the person surnamed Xiao from these two black-robed figures before Zhang Quanche arrived.
Zhang Quanche couldn't help but say, "The ambush outside the capital half a year ago, you said the King of Zhenbei..."
As soon as he said this, Zhang Quanche's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed, "Could it be that the fellow surnamed Xiao is the King of Zhenbei?"
It was not difficult to imagine how shocked Zhang Quanche's expression was at this moment.
"That's right. The person who provoked your Zhang family and killed your Zhang family disciples is precisely the King of Zhenbei!"
The black-robed figure on the right, who had remained silent, suddenly said in a deep, cold voice. He quickly added, "However, he is no longer that now. He can only be called the former King of Zhenbei of the Long Kingdom!"
Zhang Quanche was still in shock and could not recover. As the third deputy commander of the Eastern Region Army camp, he knew the weight of the title "King of Zhenbei" better than anyone!
"What? You are, after all, a commander of the Eastern Region Army camp, and your father was one of the ten founding national scholars of the Long Kingdom. A mere King of Zhenbei of the Long Kingdom shouldn't scare you this much, should it?"
The black-robed figure on the left grinned coldly, with a hint of mockery in his words.
Zhang Quanche finally recovered and said, "Since you two are from the Imperial Capital and are here tonight, you must be here to deal with the King of Zhenbei, right?"
The black-robed figure on the left snorted, "You are an intelligent person, so I don't need to say any more unnecessary words. What I want to know now is how your Zhang family plans to proceed. Do you want to join forces with us to deal with that fellow surnamed Xiao?"
Zhang Quanche was clearly in deep thought. If it were anyone else, he would not have hesitated at all. But the person he had to deal with was the King of Zhenbei, the former God of War of the Long Kingdom, a divine existence in the Long Kingdom!
Although this person had fallen from grace, he was definitely not to be underestimated, and this matter seemed to involve too much!
The Four Great Generals simply sat there in silence. They did not urge him. Although they had been like brothers to Zhang Houfu since fifty years ago and were now considered elders of the Zhang family, in the end, they were only household generals and retainers of the Zhang family. Some matters still had to be decided by the Zhang family themselves.
The two black-robed figures said no more, merely watching him with a playful expression, allowing Zhang Quanche to ponder alone.
After a long period of thought, Zhang Quanche suddenly looked up and said in a deep voice, "Before I answer you two, I need to clarify two things!"
"Speak!" the two black-robed figures said.
"First, I need to confirm whether the four honored seniors will help deal with the King of Zhenbei if the Zhang family decides to take action?"
Zhang Quanche looked at the four elder generals with a solemn expression.
The chief general shook his head and sighed, "Although we are in seclusion in Longhu Mountain, your father saved our lives back then. As retainers, we made a promise that if the Zhang family were ever in trouble, we would definitely help. Now that you have come to us, there is no reason for us to refuse!"
"Good, with the words of the four honored seniors, half of the matter is settled!"
Zhang Quanche finished speaking, turned to the two black-robed figures, and then said sternly, "I believe you two also know that although our Zhang family is the leading wealthy family in Jiangdong and our influence is not weak, it is still not enough to deal with the King of Zhenbei. Therefore, I need to know your identities and backgrounds to assess the chances of success in this operation!"
It had to be said that Zhang Quanche, as the third deputy commander of the Eastern Region Army camp, was indeed a meticulous person.
Now it was the turn of the two black-robed figures to fall into a brief silence. However, soon the one on the left said, "I can tell you my identity, but his identity is rather special, and I regret that I cannot reveal it!"
Zhang Quanche nodded slightly in agreement.
The black-robed figure on the left said no more nonsense, directly took out a token, and threw it onto the table.
"Heavenly Strategy General's Token? You are..."
Zhang Quanche merely glanced at the table, and his expression immediately changed slightly, simultaneously confirming the origin of this black-robed figure.
The Heavenly Strategy General's Token came from the Heavenly Strategy Prefecture. Zhang Quanche knew very well that there were no more than five people in the entire Heavenly Strategy Prefecture who could possess such a general's token. Each of them was an extremely influential and powerful figure!
"Do you have any more concerns now?" the black-robed figure asked with a slight smile, unobtrusively retracting the token.
Zhang Quanche glanced at the other black-robed figure, thinking that since this person's identity was inconvenient to reveal, he must be even more mysterious and powerful.
However, after thinking about it, Zhang Quanche frowned again and said, "I still have one last concern. Regardless, that fellow surnamed Xiao is the King of Zhenbei of the Long Kingdom. Now that he and my Zhang family are like fire and water, if he dies in Jiangdong, the Long Kingdom will definitely know that my Zhang family cannot escape responsibility. If they blame us, wouldn't that be..."
"You can rest assured about this. As I said earlier, that fellow surnamed Xiao is the King of Zhenbei of the past. The northern region has already been taken over by a certain force, and in the Imperial Capital, there are quite a few major powers who have stripped the title of King of Zhenbei. It can be said that the current King of Zhenbei is not only alone but has become a rat crossing the street, with everyone shouting to beat him!"
The black-robed figure on the left grinned mockingly and continued, "So even if that fellow surnamed Xiao dies in Jiangdong, no one will blame your Zhang family!"
"Good, if that's the case, then we will join forces!" Zhang Quanche finally made up his mind.