Xiaoxiao.

Chapter 170 The Story of Noguchi Pass

Meanwhile, Ling Qi's mind was not filled with the surging waves of Bing Niang's chest, but rather with the two humans who still had no news of him (at this moment, he knew nothing about Kuang Zheng's successful escape from Yingchoujian).

As Zhu Xian's prestige grew day by day, Ling Qi, one of the elders of Noguchi Ridge, found his life becoming increasingly difficult.

As time passed, the former brilliance of Elder Lingyi and others gradually faded away.

Faced with Zhu Xian's strategy of gradually and relentlessly pressuring them, these older elders had no choice but to swallow their anger and submit to their fate.

However, how could the young, ambitious, and proud Ling Qi sit idly by and wait for his doom?

Back then, when Zhu Xian first ascended to the position of lord, he treated Ling Qi and the other six elders with utmost respect in order to consolidate his own position.

At that time, the seven elders were considered supreme beings in the entire Noguchi Pass.

Zhu Xian went to great lengths to please them.

The vast treasury accumulated by successive lords contains countless rare and precious treasures.

This is the foundation of a sect, but Zhu Xian, in order to curry favor with the seven elders, insisted on treating it as his personal treasure, allowing them to choose whatever they wanted.

Even the beautiful and charming maids around him.

If any elder glanced at them even once, they would be respectfully escorted to the other person's room that very night.

This can no longer be called respect; it's blatant flattery.

Zhu Xian was willing to disregard everything for the sake of his status.

However, as time went by, with the help of the seven, Zhu Xian gradually secured his position as lord.

His power and prestige were so great that no one in the entire Noguchi Pass dared to challenge him easily.

As his prestige grew, Zhu Xian's attitude towards the seven elders underwent a fundamental change.

His former humility has vanished without a trace, replaced by increasing arrogance and disdain for others.

Especially after he broke through to the sixth level and became the most powerful being in Noguchi Ridge.

Their attitude towards Ling Qi and the other elders underwent a dramatic change.

The former respect has vanished without a trace, replaced by endless humiliation and plunder.

Not only were all the rare treasures confiscated, but they were also forced to pay a huge price, euphemistically called a "play fee".

They claimed that these treasures were accumulated by previous lords for the entire Noguchi Ridge area, and were not their personal property.

The seven elders' unjust embezzlement is a grave crime. Considering your lifelong hard work for Noguchi Ridge, you are spared the death penalty, but all your family's property must be confiscated, and you will be stripped of your privilege of residing in the inner city of Zhuguo City.

Through Zhu Xian's deliberate propaganda, the seven elders were portrayed as selfish villains who embezzled public property, causing their once lofty image to collapse instantly.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhu Xian seized the opportunity to reclaim all the power of the elders.

Not only were the various privileges that the elders of previous generations were entitled to stripped away, but they were also completely demoted.

This caused the elders to cease to be the restrainers of the lord's power and instead become his henchmen.

It was only then that Ling Yi and the others realized that Zhu Xian's previous obedience was not out of genuine affection, but rather a ploy to seize leverage over them and one day completely destroy them.

But it was all too late. With the righteous cause at his disposal, he could manipulate the elders.

Faced with this sudden change, Lingyi and the others were filled with resentment and dissatisfaction.

However, by then their reputation was already ruined, and even if they wanted to rebel, no one was willing to follow them.

Furthermore, Zhu Xian's terrifying strength made them so unwilling that they dared not resist in the slightest.

Despite their resentment, they could only choose to endure it silently.

Ling Yi and the others even abandoned the backbone that elders should have, and instead turned around to fawn over Zhu Xian.

All this was to preserve the rights of elders that had long since become meaningless.

However, even if they were to give everything they had, their importance in Zhu Xianyan's eyes was no longer the same as before.

Having lost their usefulness, how could they possibly gain favor with Zhu Xian?

As for Ling Qi, despite his immense anger, he dared not speak out.

He knew very well that trying to challenge Zhu Xian on his own would be tantamount to courting death.

Therefore, he had no choice but to pledge his loyalty to Zhu Xian, just like the other elders.

However, deep down, he had never truly submitted.

In Ling Qi's eyes, the reason why Ling Yi and the others chose not to compete for the position of lord was nothing more than two points: first, they lacked the necessary backbone;

Secondly, as people get older, their energy and fighting spirit are worn away, and they no longer have the strength to fight.

However, he is different!

In terms of strength, he reached the fifth level even earlier than Zhu Xian.

This alone is enough to prove his extraordinary talent.

In terms of age, he is more than a hundred years younger than Zhu Xian.

Back then, when the old lord was choosing a successor, he hesitated between him and Zhu Xian.

Unfortunately, it was Zhu Xian who ultimately ascended to the throne of lord.

Ling Qi outwardly expressed his full agreement with the old lord's decision, but deep down, he always believed that he was the most suitable candidate to become the lord.

Even after Zhu Xian successfully advanced to the sixth level and became the strongest being in Noguchi Ridge.

But Lingqi's desire and ambition never diminished in the slightest; they were simply hidden better and deeper.

In his view, Zhu Xian's achievements were simply due to the resources and assistance he received after becoming a lord.

If it had been Ling Qi who was chosen as the lord, he would have been able to advance smoothly to the initial stage of the sixth level, and might even have gone further!

After all, with my own abilities and qualifications, how could I be inferior to others?

However, how could Ling Qi's ambition, which he thought was well hidden, escape Zhu Xian's sharp, hawk-like eyes?

In fact, Zhu Xian had seen everything clearly all along, but he just hadn't exposed it...

The reason for holding back at the beginning was to consolidate one's base.

After all, his strength was at its weakest when he first took over the position of lord.

In order to maintain his base of support, he had no choice but to grovel before the seven elders and do everything in his power to flatter them.

Otherwise, not only would the lord's throne be in danger, but even his own life would be hard to save.

Otherwise, why would he "give everything to win his heart's favor"?

However, as time went on, the situation increasingly turned in his favor.

As the seven elders gradually became enamored with the illusion of humility created by Zhu Xian, he finally began to take control of the entire situation.

Especially after he successfully advanced to the sixth level, the seven elders were no longer of any use to him.

Therefore, all the previous disguises can be revealed.

By the time the elders realized what was happening, it was already a done deal.

Even if they were unwilling, they had no choice but to submit in the face of absolute power.

Poor Ling Qi, so dull-witted, completely unable to see the current situation.

Even though Zhu Xian already held absolute power, he was still indulging in the absurd dream of replacing him.

This made Zhu Xian feel both angry and amused, but mostly contemptuous and disdainful.

Faced with such an ignorant fellow, Zhu Xian decided to teach him a lesson he would never forget!

Firstly, it would solidify his supreme authority, and secondly, it would also serve as a warning to the other six elders, extinguishing any inappropriate thoughts they might have.

As the saying goes, "Heaven helps those who help themselves," and not long after, a golden opportunity arrived.