Jiang Zheng and Zhang Cong stumbled out of Lin Zhan's command post.
Looking at the fiery-hearted Zhang Cong beside him, Jiang Zheng asked, "Old Zhang, why do I feel something's not right? Are we being fooled by Old Black Lin again?"
"How could that be? Don't worry, Old Jiang. Our brains aren't just for show. Don't think Old Black Lin is that smart. With our intelligence, we're not easily fooled by Old Black Lin," Zhang Cong said, patting his chest as if to say, "we're very smart."
Jiang Zheng rolled his eyes and strode out, too lazy to speak to this idiot.
Watching Jiang Zheng stride forward, Zhang Cong's fervor instantly vanished, his eyes, now flashing with wisdom, fixed on Jiang Zheng's retreating back.
"Old Jiang, don't blame your brother for not helping you. In your current state, you can only find your own way out. I also hope that the great strategist Jiang, who once directed the country and wielded power, will return soon."
Meanwhile, in the command post, the young Taoist spoke to the stern-faced Lin Zhan, "Brother, something seems off. If you say Brother Cong is easily fooled, I believe you. But why is Brother Jiang Zheng so easily fooled today? He couldn't possibly not see through this situation."
Lin Zhan smiled and patiently replied to the young Taoist, "Brother-in-law, you're mistaken this time. If it were the usual great strategist Jiang, I wouldn't need to say all this nonsense. He would have known what to do as soon as he discovered these resources. The current Jiang Zheng is troubled. My execution of several generals from the Sixth Army Group and the rumors within the Jiang family have unsettled Jiang Zheng."
Seeing the young Taoist's confused eyes, Lin Zhan continued, "Do you really think Old Zhang didn't see through it? Silly brother, Zhang Cong's family lineage traces back to the ancient Emperor Gonggong. With thousands of years of inheritance and the ability to preserve their Dao lineage intact, do you think the next generation's leader of such a family would be ordinary? Don't forget, Old Zhang manages their water transport smuggling network impeccably."
The young Taoist nodded vaguely and asked Lin Zhan, "Then, Brother, what about Brother Zheng? Are we just going to ignore him? We can't just let him continue like this."
Lin Zhan shook his head and said, "Old Jiang's inner turmoil can only be resolved by himself. The Jiang family doesn't have a long lineage. There are only two Lord-level experts in the family. If it weren't for Old Master Jiang Zhongtian's brilliant generalship, the Jiang family wouldn't have reached the level of a top aristocratic family.
"My killing of members of the Jiang family army this time is merely a fuse. Only when Old Jiang walks out on his own can he be helped. These few days of military operations, let Old Jiang lead the troops more. When Old Master Jiang Zhongtian sorts out the Jiang family, we'll try to help the Jiang family cultivate some experts."
The young Taoist nodded, "That's right. In this era of scoundrels, without powerful experts, it's indeed unsettling."
"Brother, since Brother Cong's family is so deeply hidden, are the other brothers' families also not simple?"
Hearing the young Taoist's question, Lin Zhan chuckled and patted his head, "You're teachable. In the future, you'll have to interact with these families. Today, I'll explain it to you in detail.
"Let's talk about Ying Xuan first. The Ying family is an ancient tribe from the distant past, established during the time of Emperor Shun. The grandmother of Bo Yi, whose surname was Ying, was a descendant of Emperor Zhuanxu. This means that it's possible there are many ancient relics lying in coffins within the Ying family today.
"The Bai family, Wang family, Meng family, and Li family, these ancient aristocratic families in Qindu, fought alongside the First Emperor to conquer the world. Over so many years, they must have married into each other's families countless times. Therefore, they have long been bound together with the Ying family."
Seeing the young Taoist nod in surprise, Lin Zhan continued, "Let's talk about the Leng family. The Leng family's lineage traces back to the ancient Ji surname. The ancestors of the Leng family were not only masters of music but could also understand beast language. This is why the beast tamers trained by the Leng family are so powerful. In such a situation, would you believe that the Leng family has no experts?
"As for the He family of Guandong, records show that a blood tiger of the He family, in order to repay a favor to an ancestor of the He family, has been guarding the He family. This ancestor of the He family lived in the early Ming Dynasty.
"Most importantly, have you noticed that the combat style of the He family's large tiger is very similar to Xiao Bao's? Although the He family has been absent from distant records, I've always suspected that the He family's lineage traces back to the ancient Jiuli tribe. It's possible that He Dazhuang might reveal an incredibly formidable ancestor one day.
"As for Old Xiao's Lou Wai Lou, there's no need to say more. How many assassin families are there in the history of China? It's possible they are all from Lou Wai Lou."
After Lin Zhan finished speaking, the young Taoist was completely bewildered. He never imagined that these people, who usually appeared so honest, were actually a bunch of cunning strategists.
Everyone was better at hiding than the last. It turns out I was the only fool.
"Brother, then why is everyone hiding their true strength? If we had unleashed our full power, the war of ten thousand races would have ended long ago."
Looking at the indignant young Taoist, Lin Zhan patiently explained, "Unleash our full strength? Can our China afford it? If we hadn't acquired the divine treasure vault of Great Britain, we wouldn't even be able to support the current kings."
"Moreover, the luck of the human race cannot sustain the emergence of so many powerful figures. Therefore, everyone has to continue to lie low.
"Actually, I suspect that besides the ten thousand races, there are other enemies lurking. This is also why none of the old ancestors have come out to participate in the war."
From his conversation with Yu Longyan, Lin Zhan knew that before the human ancestor Fuxi, several human leaders, along with the then human experts, had ventured into the depths of the void to fight against unknown beings and failed.
Adding to that, the sealing ground guarded by Emperor Kuafu, and knowing that most of China's ancient war tribes and great emperors are sealed within the Classic of Mountains and Seas, it's clear that with the character of China's ancestors, there must be other plans.
Seeing the young Taoist scratching his head and unable to figure it out, Lin Zhan chuckled and said, "Stop thinking about it here. Go do what you need to do. These lizard people aren't as poor as they seem. We might be catching a fat sheep."
"Brother, I'm just a bit upset. Since everyone is so powerful, why does your Lin family have to fight alone? How many people has your Lin family lost in battle?" the young Taoist said indignantly.
Lin Zhan shook his head with a bitter smile and said, "It's because the position of Human Emperor, the empire built by the human race over ten thousand years, was lost during our Shang Dynasty. The mistakes made by our ancestors must be borne by us grandchildren.
"Therefore, the Lin family must fight for the human race, to regain the name of Human Emperor, and to reclaim the empire for the human race. Even if the entire clan is annihilated, our Lin family will stand firm."