"How far have you come?"
Hearing Zhang Yao's words, Zhao Donglai let out a laugh and lowered his voice: "In the past few months, the attitude of the Wang family has softened too much, and they have been trying to make a smooth transition by wooing, tempting, and dividing."
"We old guys have openly agreed to the Wang family's conditions, and our relationship with them is actually closer than before."
"But these are all illusions! Just a way to fool people."
"The Wang family has been greedy over the years and has bullied us severely. Now they are trying to win over us and just want us to give up? It's simply a wishful thinking!"
He snorted disdainfully and said, "Let me tell you this."
"Nowadays, several powerful factions in the city are waiting for the old guy to die."
"The day he dies is the day the Wang family is finished!"
After Zhang Yao heard what he said, he suddenly understood.
As he had judged, the situation was already on the verge of breaking out, so the Wang family prepared a retreat, transferred their children, and left the family's fire in advance.
But unless it was absolutely necessary, they would definitely not be able to directly give up the foundation of Changping City and hand it over to others.
"Um……"
Zhang Yao pondered for a moment and then said cautiously: "Master Zhao, I wonder how the strength of the Wang family compares with the major forces in the city?"
This part of information has always been lacking in him.
After all, the number of top masters is very small. Apart from martial arts, they also like to hide them as a deterrent trump card.
His previous status was not high and he had no access to this level. Even Zhou An knew little about it and could only seek advice from Zhao Donglai.
"Strength comparison..."
Zhao Donglai thought for a moment and then said: "The Wang family has had the resources of the entire Changping over the years, and has been personally taught by the martial arts master. It has produced many masters."
"As far as I know, both openly and secretly, there should be three extremely powerful people and more than a dozen perfect warriors."
"Apart from the Wang family, the most powerful family in Changping City is the aristocratic family, but it has split."
"The aristocratic family is divided into two, headed by the Li family and the Chen family. Both families have extremely powerful people in charge, and the rest are the martial arts and the chamber of commerce."
He paused, and there was a hint of fear in his voice:
"The Chamber of Commerce is very wealthy and has secretly supported many masters. The most powerful one is an old swordsman named 'Yun Yi'."
"This man's swordsmanship is superb. Apart from the Wang family's old immortal, I'm afraid this man is the most powerful in Changping City..."
"I see."
Zhang Yao nodded and thought about it secretly.
If the four major forces join forces, the Wang family will be at a disadvantage in terms of the number of top experts, and the number of perfect and Dacheng level warriors will be far inferior.
The martial arts family alone can produce seven or eight perfect warriors, let alone the merchant guild and aristocratic families.
No wonder Zhang Donglai dared to assert that the Wang family would be doomed once the Wang family's grandmaster died. It was purely due to the huge advantage in strength that it would be difficult for the Wang family to come back.
Unless something unexpected happens, such as one or two factions rebelling against each other, or the top players fail in a confrontation, it is impossible for the Wang family to be able to defeat the four major factions joining forces.
"Good nephew."
Zhao Donglai suddenly spoke with an erratic tone: "When you and I join forces, we have to be honest, right?"
"I still don't know what you want, my dear nephew. If you don't know this, how can you negotiate the terms of cooperation?"
Zhang Yao glanced at him and said calmly: "Don't worry, Master Zhao, I don't have a big appetite. I don't care about what you are fighting for."
He said, holding out two fingers: "I only have two conditions."
"Speaking."
Zhao Donglai put on an attitude of listening attentively.
"First, I want to take a small part of the wealth and treasures accumulated by the Wang family."
Zhang Yao looked calm and said slowly: "Secondly, if there are secret books such as the master's cultivation experience, I have to make a copy."
"that's it?"
Zhao Donglai glanced at him in surprise.
He originally thought that Zhang Yao was using modest words, but he didn't expect that the other party's appetite was really so small.
A little money and a secret book, what do they count?
You must know that as one of the most powerful men, Zhang Yao is fully qualified to take a share of the new post-war order and become one of the de facto rulers of Changping City, with wealth and beauty at his disposal.
"Yes, that's all."
Zhang Yao nodded slightly and said, "Can Master Zhao always agree to such a condition?"
"certainly!"
Zhao Donglai quickly agreed, showed a smile, and hit the ground running while the iron was hot: "Then let's make an agreement. When there is an accident, you and I will join hands and advance and retreat together!"
An ally like Zhang Yao is probably what everyone wants, and he has absolutely no reason to refuse.
That night, the two changed to a dark room, discussed various situation changes and cooperation details, and talked in secret for more than an hour.
It wasn't until late at night that Zhang Yao quietly returned to the Sheriff's Mansion and lay dormant silently waiting for the opportunity.
…………
More than a month has passed.
The north wind howls, the temperature drops sharply, and Changping City enters winter.
On this day, Zhang Yao was reading a book under the sweet-scented osmanthus tree to understand the secrets of the master.
"This travelogue is not very helpful to me. There are too many things that are vaguely described..."
Zhang Yao frowned and closed the books in his hands.
More than a month ago, when he had a secret conversation with Zhao Donglai, he even asked him for advice on the secrets of the master's realm.
In Zhao Donglai's words, the Grandmaster seemed to have developed some kind of "Qi" and became otherworldly, his strength jumped to an incomprehensible level, and he also possessed all kinds of miraculous powers.
But he couldn't tell anything more specific. Finally, before leaving, he gave Zhang Yao a travel journal, which was said to be written by a certain master.
However, this travel diary only tells about some of the master's experiences and is not of much help to him.
"It's better to go see Master."
Zhang Yao put away the classics and left the Sheriff's Mansion all the way to West Street.
After winter, Zhou An's health became worse day by day. He went to Jinding Martial Arts School almost every day to talk with Zhou An.
"Ouch..."
When approaching the Jinding Martial Arts Hall, a man bumped into Zhang Yao. He screamed in pain and left with a curse.
Zhang Yao withdrew his gaze, looked calm, and continued walking forward, and soon arrived at the martial arts gym.
After entering the inner courtyard of the martial arts hall, he opened his palm and found a small paper ball inside.
Zhang Yao unfolded the note, and there was a line of beautiful small characters on it, which seemed to be written by a woman: "Mianlong closes his eyes. If it is as secret as before, what he has gained is not empty. He is in the west at this time."
After he read the note, he suddenly showed a faint smile, crushed the note into pieces and scattered it all over the floor.
This is the code he and Zhao Donglai agreed upon:
Grandmaster Wang is dead, and the Wang family has not announced the mourning. They are sure that it is not a trap set by the Wang family. Let's do it at midnight tonight!
"It's finally here!"
Zhang Yao sighed, feeling as if another boot had landed.
"The war is about to begin and it will be difficult to avoid it."
"This is also my closest opportunity to the realm of a master..."
