Chapter 2107 - 2080: Tang Kongming
The man in black did not show any change in his expression upon hearing Ji Xingyun’s words, nor did his voice waver: "Haha, Ji Group Leader, you jest. I’m just a small person, not someone you would have reason to remember. As for the feeling of familiarity you mentioned, yet unable to recall, that’s something I encounter a lot. Many people say they’ve met me but can’t quite remember who I am."
"Is that so?"
Ji Xingyun looked deeply at the man in black, not dwelling further on the topic, but instead diverted the conversation: "As the saying goes, one doesn’t visit the temple without reason; I wonder what brings you to seek me out today."
The man in black, upon hearing this, cut to the chase without beating around the bush: "Ji Group Leader, actually, I came to you today without any particularly important matter, only that I’ve obtained some news I’m sure you’ll be very interested in."
"What news?" Ji Xingyun asked curiously.
"I wonder if Ji Group Leader remembers the prodigy who emerged from the Tang Family fifty years ago. I’ve received news that this genius isn’t dead, and if nothing unexpected happens, he will appear in Beijing..."
"What did you say, are you sure what you’re saying is true?"
Upon hearing the man in black’s words, Ji Xingyun’s tone instantly became serious, with a hint of gravity on his face.
Fifty years ago, a prodigious talent named Tang Kongming arose in the Tang Family.
The talent of Tang Kongming was so terrifying that no matter what martial arts he practiced, he progressed at an astonishing speed, sometimes merely needing to observe others’ martial arts to flawlessly emulate them. At times, he could even surpass the original, making one feel Tang Kongming was the true cultivator, while the original practitioner felt like the impersonator.
Tang Kongming was a complete sensation during that period, seen as the hope for the Tang Family’s rise, even overshadowing the then Tang Family Ancestor, becoming the heir to the Family Head position.
But as fate would have it, this Tang Family prodigy suffered a tragic mishap on one night fifty years ago, experiencing a deviation during practice that resulted in him raping and killing his sister-in-law, and he was caught in the act.
This earth-shattering scandal quickly spread throughout Shu, turning the Tang Family into a laughingstock.
Back then, Tang Zhanwu, the head of the previous generation, flew into an extreme rage upon learning of the scandal, seeing it as a disgrace to the family that would stain the Tang Family’s reputation forever, especially since the victim was Tang Kongming’s sister-in-law. Fueled by fury, Tang Zhan Tian sought to eliminate Tang Kongming to clean house.
However, Tang Kongming was spared due to Tang Family Ancestor’s plea—not because of anything else, but because the raped woman was Tang Family Ancestor’s wife.
Though Tang Kongming survived, Tang Zhan Tian directly crippled him, imprisoning him. Yet, it wasn’t his martial prowess that was stripped, but his manhood, reducing him to an eunuch—a man symbolically, but lacking the capabilities.
Although the incident seemed resolved, the very next day Tang Kongming vanished from his imprisonment, leaving only a pair of severed feet and alarming bloodstains on the ground. The disappearance was a mystery.
Since then, no one had seen Tang Kongming again, nor did anyone know if he was alive. With fifty years passing, people had come to believe he was dead, just another skeleton buried in the earth.
However, this man in black now claimed Tang Kongming was alive and would appear in Beijing again, leaving Ji Xingyun shocked. Remember, Tang Kongming fifty years ago was already formidable. Who knew what heights he would have reached over fifty years now?
Moreover, the fact remained that Tang Kongming was of the Tang Family, and his reappearance in Beijing can only mean he’s targeting Lu Tianxing. Otherwise, why hide for over fifty years only to reemerge now, in Beijing?
If Tang Kongming acts against Lu Tianxing, given Tang Kongming’s dreadful capabilities, Lu Tianxing would be doomed. Should Lu Tianxing perish in Beijing, Old Master Lu and Jiang Liufeng would surely erupt, plunging China into chaos—with no one to stop it, not even him.
"Are you certain you’re not deceiving me? You should know the consequences of lying to me. And you understand with my strength, capturing you shouldn’t be difficult." Ji Xingyun narrowed his eyes at the man in black, his voice cold.
"Ji Group Leader, do you think I have a reason to deceive you on this matter?"
The man in black, upon hearing Ji Xingyun’s words, remained stoic, his tone still calm: "If I wanted to deceive you, would I appear before you, telling you all this?"
Again hearing the man in black speak, Ji Xingyun fell into silence.
After a long pause, Ji Xingyun slowly exhaled a breath, but did not immediately speak. Instead, he picked up his wine from the table, poured himself another glass, then downed it, finally saying: "Why tell me this news?"
"Why tell Ji Group Leader you this message?"
The man in black smiled slightly, coming straight to the point: "Because I think it’s troublesome. I don’t want to confront Tang Kongming, so I tell you this information to make use of you, Ji Group Leader, to deal with him, so I don’t have to act, as I might not win against Tang Kongming anyhow. Since you, Ji Group Leader, are a free resource, why not use it!"
"Not wanting to face Tang Kongming yourself?"
Ji Xingyun narrowed his eyes at the man in black and asked sternly: "Who exactly are you?"
"Does it matter who I am?"
The man in black said lightly: "Ji Group Leader, you only need to know I’m your guest. As for my identity, isn’t it unimportant to you?"
"But for me, this is very important."
As those words fell, a fierce light suddenly flashed in Ji Xingyun’s eyes; without hesitation, he launched an attack at the man in black, his fingers forming claws, extremely aggressive, aiming directly at the man’s face.