Zero stared intently at Shopkeeper Qin and asked, "When you found these houses, who was inside?"

"Corpses!" Shopkeeper Qin said bluntly, "All kinds of corpses. People, demons, and strange beasts. We transported all those remains to the center of the secret realm and piled them in a sinkhole."

Zero nodded and said, "Sorry to bother you. Please, continue."

Shopkeeper Qin said, "As more people came from the outside, their intentions changed. They actually joined forces to try and harm our old master!"

"They didn't even consider what kind of people they were. Could they be a match for the master?"

"After a great battle, the old master killed most of them. The rest either fled into the depths of the secret realm, their fates unknown, or submitted to the master."

"To save trouble, the master simply put up the sign of the Yin-Yang Inn, declaring to the outside world: As long as you enter the inn, you will be protected by the inn, and no one is allowed to pursue you?"

"Master did this to gather manpower to help him explore the secret realm."

"From then on, the Yin-Yang Inn existed in the martial world."

"The master assigned the tenants to different areas according to their origins. This place is called the Dark Domain, and it is specifically for Jianghu people (martial artists) known for their martial strength."

"The Thief Domain is mainly for thieves, Divine Hand Explorers, and tomb raiders."

"The Ghost Domain is full of ghosts and gods. Some come from the Ghost Realm, some from the Underworld, and some wandering gods with nowhere to settle are also placed in the Ghost Domain."

"The Demon and Devil Domains are similar."

"They are provided with protection, and in exchange, they help the master explore the secret realm. But the details of this deal are unknown to outsiders. They only know that the Yin-Yang Inn is a place to take in various exiled experts, but they don't know that accepting protection comes at a price."

Shopkeeper Qin paused here. I asked, "I have no intention of inquiring about the secrets of the Yin-Yang Inn, but I am curious, how does the inn owner control the tenants here?"

"I don't believe that among these many demons and ghosts, not one of them is a match for the inn owner?"

Shopkeeper Qin smiled, "There's no harm in telling you!"

"The reason the master opened the entrance to the secret realm is because he obtained something that can control the lives and deaths of everyone in the secret realm."

"With that thing in hand, whether they are Jianghu experts (martial artists), immortals, demons, or ghosts, as long as they enter the inn's range, their lives and deaths are at the master's whim."

"To put it this way! If the master wants to, he can make everyone in the Yin-Yang Inn disappear in an instant, without leaving a trace."

I could roughly guess Nangong Zhen's purpose.

Divine Hand Explorers were never disinterested people. Their exploration of the secret realm was like tomb raiders robbing tombs, nothing more than for the treasures and divine objects in the secret realm.

Now that Nangong Zhen had obtained something to control the periphery of the Yin-Yang Inn, he would inevitably covet the treasures in the depths of the secret realm. It was human nature.

The appearance of the Yin-Yang Inn could be explained.

Zero asked at this moment, "Do you five shopkeepers also have such abilities?"

"No!" Shopkeeper Qin said, "We are only responsible for managing the five areas of the inn. Usually, when someone causes trouble, we lead the guards to deal with it. If there is someone we can't deal with, we will send a message to the master and let him solve it."

"In fact, there are very few top experts in the guards we lead. What really deters those demons and ghosts is the secret treasure of communication in our hands."

Zero guessed right.

It turned out that the Shopkeeper Jia outside was afraid of that secret treasure of communication. If the Qin shopkeeper summoned the inn owner, that Shopkeeper Jia would not even have a chance to beg for mercy.

Now, it wasn't just Shopkeeper Jia who was afraid of that secret treasure, I was afraid too.

Neither our Liangjie Hall (Two Realms Hall) nor the Embroidered Uniform Guard were here as guests. If that kind of thing that was impossible to defend against or avoid fell on someone in our Liangjie Hall (Two Realms Hall), we would really be trapped in the Yin-Yang Inn.

Zero said calmly, "Were you five shopkeepers old subordinates who followed Nangong Zhen from the beginning, or did you follow Nangong Zhen after he founded the Yin-Yang Inn?"

"Only four of us are the master's old subordinates." Shopkeeper Qin said, "The Red Shopkeeper in charge of the Devil Domain is a subordinate the master later subdued. He was also a devil god who secretly sneaked in from the outside. The master took a liking to his talent and took him into his command."

Hearing this, I knew it was about time and gave Zero a look.

The sudden change of shopkeepers in the Yin-Yang Inn was probably because an internal traitor had betrayed them.

Zero deliberately mentioned the origins of the five shopkeepers, also with this speculation in mind, and then asked, "Since the inn's defense is so strict, how did Shopkeeper Qin end up in this state?"

Shopkeeper Qin gritted his teeth and said, "Isn't it because of Di Wang (Emperor)? Without him, the inn wouldn't have become like this."

"In my opinion, it would be too good for him to have his bones crushed and his ashes scattered."

Shopkeeper Qin's hatred for Di Wang (Emperor) was undisguised, but there was also some restraint in his hatred.

Could it be that there was some relationship between Di Wang (Emperor) and the Yin-Yang Inn?

Could Di Hou (Empress) be the owner of the inn?