Xiaoxiao.

Chapter 177 Hostage of the Sect

Ling Sheng pondered to himself, noticing that his father had been acting strangely lately.

The usually steady and composed man now often appears neurotic and mysterious, as if he is hiding countless unspeakable secrets.

This change caused Ling Sheng intense unease and doubt, and a strange sense of crisis quietly welled up in his heart.

"Could it be that he found out about what happened last time? But... that shouldn't be the case!" Ling Sheng frowned and muttered to himself.

Recalling the last incident, it was just a very ordinary inquiry. Even the patriarch said that his father was feeling guilty for not doing his job well, which is why he was particularly concerned about the two humans.

However, his father's unusual behavior during this period made him suspicious.

Ling Sheng felt it was highly unlikely that his father's loyalty to him had wavered simply because of that incident.

After all, similar conspiracies had been commonplace in the past few years, and each time, he would truthfully report all relevant information to Zhu Xian immediately after the event.

Those far more confidential matters never aroused any suspicion, so why did this seemingly ordinary spy attract such unusual attention?

Ling Sheng became increasingly confused as he thought about it. His thoughts were tangled together like a jumbled mess, and he couldn't make sense of it at all.

It felt like a monkey trapped in a cage, struggling left and right but unable to find a way out.

He desperately wanted to rush to his father's side and confront him to get a clear answer, so that this agonizing ordeal could end as soon as possible.

However, reason told him that he couldn't act impulsively, otherwise he would completely expose himself if he made a mistake.

So he could only suppress his anxiety and unease and continue to secretly observe his father's every move, trying to find the answer to the problem from the slightest clues.

From the moment Ling Sheng was brought into the Zhu Guo Palace, he had already become Zhu Xian's confidant.

There are quite a few people in similar situations to him, numbering in the dozens.

Without exception, each of their elders held a very important position in Noguchi-rei.

For example, Ling Qi, one of the seven elders, also has his only son among them.

In the family of each elder, there is a direct relative who was brought into the Zhu Guo Hall at birth.

They euphemistically call it: personally trained by the lord.

But everyone knows these people are hostages; it's just a way for Zhu Xian to intimidate his subordinates.

Ling Sheng had long forgotten when he entered that palace. He could only vaguely recall in his hazy memories that a kind and gentle old man had given him great comfort when he was filled with fear and helpless.

This was the first time in his life that he had felt warmth inside that empty and secluded building.

The old man asked them to call him "Ancestor," and from that moment on, he began his long journey of learning in that magnificent architectural complex.

Practice martial arts diligently to strengthen your body.

Of course, the most important thing was to learn about the glorious history of their ancestors. It was from that time that the greatness of their ancestors was deeply implanted in their minds.

As they grew older, they also began to take charge of the daily patrols of the Zhu Guo Hall.

Actually, it would be more appropriate to call it Zhu Guo City, because the entire Zhu Guo Palace is a huge architectural complex consisting of the Zhu Guo Main Hall as the center, surrounded by countless side halls and sub-halls.

Its inner and outer city walls are complete, and it also has all the huge gates, including the inner eight gates and the outer eight gates.

Because Zhu Xian's life revolved primarily around the Zhu Guo Palace, people gradually came to refer to both Zhu Guo City and the Zhu Guo Palace simply as Zhu Guo Palace.

Time flies, and as Ling Sheng grew older, he finally learned that the ancestor they spoke of was actually the lord who ruled the entire Noguchi Ridge.

Although they understood that the ancestor was not their biological father, this did not diminish their deep respect for the ancestor in the slightest!

On the contrary, because of the indoctrination they received from a young age, their loyalty to Zhu Xian is even stronger than before.

As they grew older, they finally received permission to return home.

After learning about his origins, Ling Sheng tossed and turned countless nights, constantly picturing returning home and imagining the scene of reuniting with his biological parents.

Those beautiful fantasies, like dazzling stars, adorned his lonely heart.

Family love is the most magical emotion in the world. As long as it exists, it will shine brightly even if people are separated by thousands of miles and have gone through hundreds and thousands of years.

He is someone no amount of scheming or underhanded tactics can erase; no matter how well concealed, his true nature will eventually be exposed...

However, when the long-awaited day finally arrived, everything seemed so ordinary and unremarkable.

Ling Sheng still vividly remembers the scene of his first meeting with the man he called "father".

I thought we would have a deeply moving hug, with tears in our eyes and us pouring out our hearts to each other.

However, the reality is not like that.

The moment he saw his father, he felt as if his hands and feet had lost all feeling, and he didn't know where to put them. He felt an indescribable awkwardness and unease.

The image of his father that he had imagined countless times in his mind did not show the slightest joy on his face when he actually faced him.

On the contrary, those eyes revealed only deep suspicion.

Although the father tried hard to conceal his doubts, such a pretense was far too clumsy for Ling Sheng, who had grown up in the Zhu Guo Palace since childhood.

Having lived in a complex environment for a long time, he had already witnessed too many people's hypocrisy.

Therefore, with just one glance, he saw through his father's deep-seated, inexplicable yet profound suspicion of him.

This sudden suspicion was like a sharp dagger, mercilessly piercing his heart, causing him unbearable pain.

He never imagined that the warm harbor he longed for day and night would greet him not with kind greetings and a warm welcome, but with cold doubts and suspicions.

At that very moment, his last shred of attachment to this family shattered completely and vanished without a trace...

At that time, Ling Qi frowned, her eyes filled with wariness and confusion, constantly pondering what Zhu Xian was up to.

So engrossed in his own inner world, he was completely oblivious to the changes in his son's expression.

Back then, her precious son, like the children of the other six elders, was still an infant, not even a year old, when Zhu Xian forcibly took him away.

At this time, Zhu Xian had just successfully broken through to the initial stage of the sixth level, and was at the height of his power, with the entire Yekou Ridge under his firm control.

Although there was no precedent in Noguchi Ridge for a lord to use the elders' children as hostages, everyone was extremely reluctant to part with them.

Especially Ling Qi, you have to know that Ling Sheng is his only son!

However, due to Zhu Xian's powerful intimidation, everyone could only swallow their anger.