Chapter 391: Chapter 390 Turns Out I’m a Taoist Inheritor
Before leaving, Wang Lei used the steel knife in his hand to destroy Zhuge Ming’s corpse, rendering it unrecognizable.
Afterward, the two of them left and returned to the hotel where they had been staying previously.
After taking a bath and changing clothes, Wang Lei said to Yang Fei, "If you have any questions, just ask."
Seeing that his complexion was still somewhat pale and haggard, Yang Fei responded, "You should rest up first; some things are not urgent."
Wang Lei offered a faint smile and said, "If you have questions on your mind, you won’t be able to sleep. It’s better to resolve the doubts in your heart before resting."
With that, he poured a glass of red wine and sat down on the sofa, holding the glass.
Seeing him like this, Yang Fei sat down opposite him.
After thinking for a moment, he started by asking, "Brother Lei must also be from a Hidden Sect, right?"
Wang Lei nodded, "Yeah, the attitude Zhuge Ming had already explained everything. He was right; I am indeed that person who left the Wang Family of the Hidden Sect World seven years ago."
Yang Fei did not inquire why he had left the family but instead asked, "Do you know Wang Hui?"
After pondering for a moment, Wang Lei shook his head and said, "I do not know him. Why do you ask?"
Yang Fei briefly explained Wang Hui’s situation.
Wang Lei explained, "When the Hidden Sect World first began, there were only a few aristocratic families and Sects. However, as time passed, some people were expelled from their families or Sects after making mistakes, and since they couldn’t come to the secular world—lest they expose the existence of the Hidden Sect World—they continued to stay within the Hidden Sect World. Over time, these individuals came to be known as independents in the Hidden Sect World. Moreover, the major aristocratic families and Sects had many legitimate and collateral branches. Gradually, these developments led to the formation of weaker families. This Wang Hui you mentioned might indeed hail from the Wang Family but perhaps not from the most powerful one."
Yang Fei nodded silently, then asked, "Have you heard of the name ’Fatty Taoist’?"
Wang Lei nodded and said, "I’ve heard of it."
"Oh?" Yang Fei felt intrigued and pressed on, "Is he famous in the Hidden Sect World?"
Wang Lei shook his head and said, "It can only be said that his identity is very special; one can’t say he’s very famous. In fact, his name is unknown to the vast majority in the Hidden Sect World. Even I only happened to overhear an elder in my family speak of a past event concerning the Hidden Sect and that’s how I learned of this name."
Yang Fei suddenly understood.
It was true that Wang Hui hadn’t heard of his master, the Fatty Taoist’s, name, likely due to his lower status in the Hidden Sect World.
Whereas Zhuge Ming, Wang Lei, and individuals like the Sect Lord would likely hail from prominent and esteemed backgrounds within the Hidden Sect, which is why they would be privy to secrets unknown to the common person.
"Can you tell me his story?" Yang Fei looked earnestly at Wang Lei.
Wang Lei looked at Yang Fei, his expression somewhat complex.
Yang Fei felt a peculiar look in his eyes and a sense of foreboding emerged in his heart.
Wang Lei downed the glass of red wine in one gulp and then extended a hand towards Yang Fei, saying, "Give me a cigarette."
Yang Fei was startled, as he remembered that Wang Lei did not smoke.
Nevertheless, he took out a cigarette from his pocket, handed one to Wang Lei, and when Wang Lei placed the cigarette in his mouth, he even helped light it for him, taking the opportunity to light one for himself as well.
Wang Lei took a puff, his eyes slightly squinting as he said, "If you truly are a disciple of the Fatty Taoist, then you may really be in trouble."
Playing along, Yang Fei asked, "Why is that?"
"Seeing as how you’re so confused, it’s clear the Fatty Taoist didn’t tell you anything when he took you as his disciple," Wang Lei said with a bitter smile and a shake of his head. "He’s putting you in a bind."
Yang Fei was taken aback.
"He’s truly put you in a tight spot, brother!" Wang Lei exclaimed with a sigh, his face showing deep regret and a complex expression as he said, "Although we’re as close as brothers, I must tell you upfront, I might not be able to help you... well, more accurately, I can’t. To help would mean death!"
Yang Fei’s mouth twitched, at a loss for words, "Can’t be that serious, right?"
Yet in his mind, he recalled the words Zhuge Ming uttered before his death.
He said he was bound to die a miserable death.
Fuck!
That’s so goddamn ominous!
It felt like a curse.
But soon Yang Fei adjusted his mentality.
He had been orphaned from a young age, wandering the Martial Arts World with his master since the age of thirteen. Later on, he ventured alone overseas for many years, having witnessed innumerable life-and-death situations and confronted numerous challenges. Naturally, his psychological resilience was incomparable to that of ordinary people.
Wang Lei still looked at Yang Fei, his gaze filled with a hint of sympathy as he slowly said, "It seems you know nothing about the Taoist world, eh?"
Yang Fei couldn’t help but retort, "Brother Lei, stop beating around the bush. Just tell me, why do you say my master screwed me over, and that you cannot help me?"
"Because you are a Taoist Inheritor. Initially, the Taoist were leaders of the Hidden Sect World, the origin of all martial arts in the world. But later on, the Taoist were destroyed by a coalition of various forces within the Hidden Sect World, and everything belonging to the Taoist was seized," Wang Lei said.
Yang Fei was stunned and murmured, "Fuck, for real?"
Wang Lei gave a bitter smile and said, "I am the legitimate disciple of the Wang Family in the Hidden Sect World. Is there any need for me to fabricate stories to deceive you by smearing my own family?"
Yang Fei said, "You’ve run away from home, obviously dissatisfied with your family. It wouldn’t be impossible for you to smear your own clan."
Wang Lei’s mouth twitched, nearly dying of anger, "Do you still want to know more or not?"
Yang Fei chuckled and hastily said, "I’m just kidding, Brother Lei, don’t we know each other?"
Wang Lei snorted coldly and put out his cigarette, saying, "Anyway, after the Taoist were destroyed, the various powers in the Hidden Sect World concealed everything about them, forbidding anyone from mentioning the Taoist. Over time, the Taoist became a legend and ceased to exist in the Hidden Sect World."
Yang Fei nodded silently and said, "It’s like burning books and burying scholars alive, using the historiographer’s subtle censorship to cover up everything."
Wang Lei nodded and said, "Something like that. In any case, most people in the Hidden Sect World know some tales about the Taoist, but in their minds, the Taoist are an ancient sect that has been gone for a very long time and no longer exists."
Yang Fei asked, "If that’s the case, why did my master, the Fatty Taoist, reappear?"
"That’s where you are most innocent," Wang Lei said. "Over the years, quite a few people claiming to be inheritors of the Taoist have emerged, but they quickly disappeared or were proven to be frauds. Only one person was the exception."
Yang Fei’s eyes brightened, "My master?"
Wang Lei nodded, "Yes, the Fatty Taoist."
Yang Fei thought for a moment, then suddenly felt something was off, somewhat illogical.
Indeed, his master was formidable, belonging to those with exceptional combat abilities in the Innate Realm.
But three years ago, he had already been able to defeat his master.
By that account, his master’s combat prowess should be close to the Lord’s, yet when compared to Zhang Wenfeng, who had stepped into the Divine Travel Realm, and Zhuge Ming, whom he had fought today, his master probably fell short.
If the Taoist were really that amazing, why was my master so subpar?
Just as Yang Fei was quietly suspecting something was amiss, Wang Lei spoke with an admiring tone, "It is said that before the Fatty Taoist turned thirty, he couldn’t even step into the Energy Transformation Realm, which, in the Hidden Sect World, was considered a lack of talent. But at the age of thirty-three, his strength surged dramatically. He claimed to have received the true legacy of the Taoist, wished to rejuvenate the Taoist legacy, and even aimed to reclaim the Martial Arts Technique Books from the various aristocratic families and Sects."
The image of the chubby Taoist surfaced in Yang Fei’s mind, and his face couldn’t help but show a hint of doubt.
Was my master really that fierce, that staunch?
Could Wang Lei be mistaken?
"And then what?" Yang Fei asked eagerly.
Though he had guessed the outcome based on his master’s later appearances, he still wanted to know about the glorious deeds of the once-fabled Fatty Taoist.