Xu Huo mentioned Shi Qing’s name, and the elderly lady quickly came out, trembling as she walked. She warmly led him inside, "Professor Shi, I know him, he lives on the tenth floor, I’ll take you up."
"Are you relatives of Professor Shi? It’s been a long time since young people have come here. You must be doing well to come looking for relatives, and it’s just right to take Professor Shi along to enjoy life." The old lady talked to herself, "Living here is very inconvenient, no one repairs anything; it took two years after reporting to the government to fix the elevator. The water pipes and electrical wires often break; sometimes it’s hard to even have a meal. Just a few days ago, the old bald man on the thirty-second floor died, and I saw him out for a walk the day before... Luckily he died of illness."
The elevator had already reached the tenth floor. The elderly lady went out first, cleared some garbage from the corridor, and then knocked on the door.
Professor Shi came to open the door in a worn vest, quite surprised to see Xu Huo and the Girl in the painting, "Sister Zhao, are these your relatives?"
The old lady waved her hand, "My relatives died long ago, you know that, they’re here to see you."
"To see me?" Professor Shi seriously looked at Xu Huo and the Girl in the painting, trying to recall, and then said: "Is there something you need from me?"
"Can we talk inside?" Xu Huo glanced inside the room.
"Sister Zhao, you go back, in a bit I’ll bring you a couple of vegetables." Professor Shi said to the elderly lady, then invited Xu Huo and the Girl in the painting inside.
Professor Shi also lived alone. Although he wasn’t meticulous about his appearance, his house was tidy and well-furnished, and he brewed a pot of strong tea.
"Tea leaves are hard to find these days; I usually can’t bear to drink it." He chuckled as he poured out three cups.
Xu Huo explained his purpose, and Professor Shi was not surprised, "You’re not the first to come for the instance, but most people don’t believe in the National Treasure being related to the Assassin Family, so only a few players have found me here."
"I can tell you, but the origins of the Assassin Family and the National Treasure are all posted on the Collection of Information Terminal. Is there anything else you want to know?"
"Are there any well-documented members of the Assassin Family?" Xu Huo asked.
"The most documented is the first supervisor. Although there’s no portrait left, there are many accounts of his deeds." Professor Shi mentioned a few notable ones.
The supervisor was surnamed Peng, known as Peng Guan. His full name is unclear, erased from historical records later on. Even the surname might be fake, but he was a life-and-death friend of the ruler at the time. He was involved in every critical turn of the ruler’s life, even saving the ruler’s life. A well-documented instance mentions he suffered a severe injury while saving the ruler. An ordinary person wouldn’t survive an injury of that degree, but he did, and two days later even survived a major battle, successfully covering the ruler’s escape from a predicament.
This stirred quite a sensation back then due to numerous witnesses, and Peng Guan’s deeds were even mythologized to promote the divine favor towards the ruler.
The myth is certainly exaggerated, but the incident is true, at least indicating that this Assassin Family member indeed possessed abilities different from ordinary people.
This event highlights Peng Guan’s capabilities, while another showcases the bond between Peng Guan and the ruler.
At the initial stabilization of the country, the ruler once dispatched Peng Guan on a secret mission. Three months after he vanished, a small group of people who had rivaled the ruler were found dead at a remote farmhouse.
However, a child escaped to a neighboring country, reportedly escorted out by a man in a green robe, and Peng Guan’s usual attire was green robes.
Many believed Peng Guan had defected, the ruler, pressured by circumstances, publicly issued a recall order, not a warrant, and he declared that if Peng Guan couldn’t return to the capital alive, those tasked with finding him would all be executed.
Half a month after the recall order was issued, Peng Guan returned. How these best friends conversed is unknown, but soon Peng Guan produced an eyeball and an ear, both specially processed.
One eyeball, one ear, belonged to that escaped child. Physically disabled, the child would be hard to exploit even if he were alive.
Afterward, during the ruler’s near fifty-year reign, Peng Guan remained by his side until the ruler died without an heir, and three successive successors were all killed in a short period, after which Peng Guan and his family disappeared.
The Peng family was indeed massacred, as clearly recorded. Peng Guan’s three brothers and their families, totaling forty-seven people, were massacred in one night, while others possibly related to Peng Guan escaped before their identities were confirmed.
"However, it’s worth mentioning that Peng Guan wasn’t close to his family," Professor Shi said, "Records show he was mostly by the ruler’s side all year round, seen daily by various officials, and it was considered a rare event whenever he visited home, spreading throughout the capital."
"Some suggest those three Peng brothers weren’t actually Peng Guan’s real family, but I think, given Peng Guan’s skills and power, he could reunite with his family inconspicuously."
"Though Peng Guan had support from his family during battles alongside the ruler, the presence of assassins runs through this piece of history, impossible for him alone to accomplish."
Xu Huo listened silently, then asked, "Where do you think Peng Guan most likely went after vanishing?"
Mentioning this made Professor Shi slightly excited, "The bond between Peng Guan and the ruler is unprecedented and unlikely to be repeated, a special case, but this Assassin Family hasn’t been entirely hidden in history, appearing often. They seem to follow a peculiar doctrine, assassinating tyrants during chaotic times. Except for Peng Guan, no one else has ever clearly exposed their identity."
"I think their descendants are actually hiding within Capital City. Twenty years ago, they surely had a hand in driving out the then-Chief Governor. Several strong, famous players around the Governor died mysteriously at that time, with no one claiming accountability."
*
A well-documented instance mentions he suffered a severe injury while saving the ruler. The incident highlights the bond between Peng Guan and the ruler.
At the initial stabilization of the country, the ruler once dispatched Peng Guan on a secret mission. Three months after he vanished, a small group of people who had rivaled the ruler were found dead at a remote farmhouse.
However, a child escaped to a neighboring country, reportedly escorted out by a man in a green robe, and Peng Guan’s usual attire was green robes.
Many believed Peng Guan had defected, the ruler, pressured by circumstances, publicly issued a recall order, not a warrant, and he declared that if Peng Guan couldn’t return to the capital alive, those tasked with finding him would all be executed.
Half a month after the recall order was issued, Peng Guan returned. How these best friends conversed is unknown, but soon Peng Guan produced an eyeball.
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