After hearing what Yu Su said, Zhao Pu read the letters from the old retainers of the county prince's mansion brought back by Zhe Ying, plus the manuscripts of Master Wentian and Master Wang's travel notes, dagai... he clarified the whole story of the matter.

To be honest, the origin of the matter really has nothing to do with their Zhao family ancestors. It was during the prosperous Tang Dynasty, and yiqie was all related to the Xingtian name.

At that time, there was a very powerful official in the court, and his specific name was unknown. The official had a son when he was old and raised like a pearl or a treasure. The child was still a civil and military talent, and his future was very good.

However, this boy was in his early twenties when he went out to sea to capture pirates with a military ship.

The official was angry and hated the pirates to the core, so... the navy began almost crazy operations to build military ships and hunt pirates.

In addition, what puzzled the official was that his son was originally a civil servant in the Ministry of Justice, so why did he follow the navy to catch pirates? Later, after inquiring from many sources, he found out that there was a group of death row prisoners sentenced to heavy duty for theft and complained to his son... They were originally duty fishermen, but the sea gangs were in trouble. They could not catch fish at all. They couldn't survive and had to take risks and do stupid things. They had no choice but to end up like this. His son sympathized with them and was moved to the idea of ​​becoming a navy general in the future. Because he was afraid that his father would worry or send someone to protect him, he did not say anything and acted privately without saying anything. As a result, he went there without returning.

I don’t know if it was because of the excessive grief of losing his son in old age, the official blamed his son’s death on the retaliatory offenders and the pirates in prison.

However, the pirates were captured. Some of the pirates were residents of nearby islands. Seeing that the court was holding them tightly, they fled back to the island and stopped doing evil and wanted to wait for the news to pass.

The official reported to the court, hoping to send troops to attack the islands. The court felt that it was too expensive to waste people and money, and it was unnecessary. There were only a few pirates, and most of the island residents were innocent.

The more the officials thought about it, the more angry they became. First, the pirates could not be killed, and second, the emperor found out that the serious prisoners were originally just ordinary fishermen who were forced to steal. It was also the Empress Dowager's birthday, so the emperor wanted to pardon them.

The official was very dissatisfied and could not swallow his breath. At this moment, someone came to offer advice to him.

The man was a wizard, dressed in white, said to have the ability to predict the future, and was proficient in the art of witchcraft. He said that if there was a way, there was no need to use a military soldier in the court, he could capture all the retaliated offenders, pirates and their descendants in one go, and just pretend to be a way for heaven.

The official listened to the wizard's suggestion and agreed.

A few days later, the sea was rampant again, which made the emperor realize that if those pirates were not completely eliminated, it would always be a hidden danger.

On the other hand, many ministers feel that they should not be pardoned by the offenders, and they may lose public opinion.

The emperor felt it was reasonable, so he gave up the amnesty and sent some naval troops to wipe out the pirates... But strangely, all the naval troops who went this time went without returning, so everyone was curious - why those pirates are so powerful?

The official took this opportunity to tell the emperor that most of the pirates came from the eight-sect islands. The people on the island were all gifted and cruel. They were bandits from generation to generation, and they had a bad intention to accumulate wealth. They must be completely eradicated.

After hearing this, the emperor also felt that it was necessary, but it was too risky to send someone to destroy the island.

So... the official told the emperor a method according to what the wizard taught him, which could use the method of sacrifice - to exchange life for life.

The emperor did not understand very well, and asked in detail. It turned out that it was - sending the same number of death row prisoners to an island. After the wizard made a furnace, he used his spell to exchange his life for his life. The death row prisoners would die as many pirates as he died.

Although the emperor was a little hesitant, he felt that this method was actually "the best of both worlds", so he ordered the officials to do it.

But in fact, the pirates who have been in trouble recently were arranged by officials according to the wizard's plan. The prisoners transported to the island did not jump into the furnace after being masked. Instead, after entering the cave, each person was assigned weapons, left the cave, and boarded another ship.

The wizard told them to send them to some islands to destroy the pirates. As long as they kill one person, their lives will be returned. They can start over when they return to land. If they kill two, they will get a bounty... In short, the more they kill, the better.

So, the prisoners who were sent on board arrived on the island, whether they were pirates or ordinary islanders, they killed everyone they saw. It is said that the sea water near the Eighth Clan Islands was red at that time.

The remaining dead prisoners originally thought that the mission was completed and they could go back and start over again after a lifetime... But who knew that the ships transported them were all passive, and the ship capsized and sank on the sea, and even the largest Xingtian sank.

This incident was originally intended to be caused by the failure to "the navy expedition to wipe out the pirates, but ended up dying with the pirates." However, a few people came to the bottom of this, namely the ship workers who built the big ships back then.

The ship workers all said that these warships, especially the Xingtian, are ships that cannot sink at all! The pirates' ships are just small boats, and even if they all hit Xingtian, they will not cause any damage to Xingtian. There should be something strange about it.

Faced with the investigation of those ship workers, in order to protect themselves, officials executed all the ship workers who were informed by cutting corners when making ships and poor shipbuilding skills.

The above are roughly pieced together by Zhao Pu from various written records, about the real reasons for the Xingtian name going to sea and silence.

Because this matter was long and the parties involved had almost died, it became a secret, but some people knew about it at that time, especially some people with high power in the imperial city.

After the Xingtian incident, a so-called "sacrificial" activity will occur every once in a while.

In fact, the sacrifice is just a cover-up... Even if we are investigated and found that the so-called "for life to be exchanged for life" is still the second level of cover-up. The truth is that the remaining descendants of the Eight Clan Islands grew up with hatred and were discovered to be revenge, so... the second "for life to be exchanged for life" began. The prisoners were sent to Ehu Island, took weapons and stepped onto the warship that was wielded and wielded, and went to a killing without returning, and finally buried in the fish's belly.

It's like entering a vicious cycle. There will always be surviving descendants on the eight tribe islands, and it seems that they can't be killed. Those descendants have grown up for thirty years and gathered to prepare for revenge, but once again encountered the same fate as their ancestors.

In addition to the islanders, there were death row prisoners in prison who were not caring about. However, with the arrival of prosperous times, the number of severe prisoners was getting smaller and smaller. So... When the "survivors" of the Eight Clan Islands grew up and prepared for revenge, thieves and homeless men like Shi Jin were involved.

In addition, there is another problem that troubles everyone - so many prisoners, not to mention being vicious, they are not good at all, why can a wizard control them? Why did they not take the opportunity to rebel and escape after giving them weapons, but obediently cooperate with wearing masks to kill people?

This is all because of the thing that Shi Jin saw on the "moving chain" on the island.

It is said that the wizard brought a monster created by the anger and resentment of the official and kept it on the island and stationed in the cave. The dead prisoners had only two choices, one was to feed the monsters, and the other was to obediently fight for their lives and begging for a chance to survive.

However, hatred may not continue forever. After several generations of disasters, fewer and fewer people have been there.

Especially on the other side of the sea, the dynasty changed, and the bandits on the sea almost disappeared, and they were all forgotten in the changing world.

However, the monster is still there, and resentment is growing on the island and has not dissipated. Every thirty years, two things must be done: one is to send masked death row prisoners into a cave. Most of these death row prisoners do not need to board the boat to slaughter the island, but are directly bitten and eaten by the monsters. The other is to send people to the Eighth Clan Islands to find out if there is any survivor. After confirming that there is no survivor, you can have survivors. All survivors, young and old, will be beheaded.

Each time there are a certain number of people in the death row, and one cannot be missing. It is said that because of the wrong number, the monster made a big fuss at the sea, causing many shipwrecks.

The "truth" back then was like a legend. After Zhao Pu understood everything, he didn't know which one to believe or which one to believe.

"The monster formed by resentment?" Zhao Pu subconsciously went to see Gongsun.

Gongsun Naodai shook like a rattle, "Impossible! It's just nonsense! At the beginning, he used a death row prisoner to slaughter the island and then used a boat to destroy people, but what the hell is that monster that was born with resentment!"

Zhao Pu told Gongsun, "The general of the royal family said that in the early years, many people used this method to eliminate dissidents. King Boyang is a typical example. He told the emperor that there were living people on the eight tribes islands, and the use of death row prisoners to quell the anger of monsters... Only King Boyang knew what it was."

Lord Bao frowned, "The monster's affairs... there may be some inside story that has not been found out."

"By the way, there's something else." Zhao Pudao, "about that wizard."

Gongsun also asked, "Did the wizard live for so many years? Or are they all bad guys passed down from generation to generation?"

Zhao Pu took out a portrait from the letter and said, "There is a portrait of the legendary wizard. Do you think it looks like a person?"

Everyone looked at each other and looked over to see the portrait.

After just one look, the little Sizi was shocked and hurriedly went into Gongsun's arms.

Xiaoliangzi also jumped up, "Ah! That guy!"

The person in the portrait looks particularly like a fox, with a demonic aura. It is the Bai Ji who almost conspired to conspire to Gongsun and Xiao Sizi in the demon fox case before!

"So that wizard who made the tricks was the Bai Ji clan?" Gongsun asked,

"With this guy here, you might be able to create some monster!" Zhao Pu couldn't help frowning, "You still remember that he made a woman and turned into him like a corpse and was like a corpse to catch the little four son, pretending to be a ghost!"

"Besides pretending to be a god, Bai Ji is also a little skillful, so beware of him."

Everyone was discussing, and someone outside made a statement.

In a blink of an eye, I saw Hou Yin walking in.

Mr. Yin helped Zhao Pu to follow Wu Su to inquire about qingkuang. Since he was back, he said there was a clue.

"So fast?" Zhao Pu was very surprised. As expected, the old man was doing things safely.

Hou Yin sat down and Gongsun poured him tea.

Before Yin Hou could start talking, he glanced at the little fourth son who was lying in his father's arms like a quail. He was a little funny, "What's wrong?"

Gongsun had no choice but to move the portrait to show to Hou Yin.

Yin Hou glanced at it and sneered, "He is the Demon King who is gone, and he comes out to do it. When the Demon King is there, he doesn't dare to go on the road and just play him to death."

"The wizards back then may have been the Bai Ji clan." Zhao Pudao.

"Then this time the position is reversed. He may have instigated those people to take revenge." Yin Hou said, "There are eight masked men in total, and it seems that they are from eight islands..."

"Eight Clan Islands?" Zhao Pu asked.

Yin Hou nodded and was curious, "It seems that there are many clues here."

Gongsun concisely told Yin Hou the clue they investigated.

Yin Hou gently touched his chin, "Monster...well..."

Everyone looked at him, "There is a clue to that monster?"

Yin Hou frowned and thought for a while, shook his head, "This is really not clear. It's a bit suspicious. Let's talk about what I found out first."

Everyone nodded.

"The eight little ghosts came from the Eight Clan Islands, and their kung fu was pretty good. I don't know where to learn it. Dagai watched the corpses of his ancestors grow up since childhood, and felt that everyone living on the land opposite the sea, especially the royal family and the soldiers, were devils, who were so simple that they were typically used. The fat man seemed a little shaken, thinking that the surname Zhao was not as bad as the legend, but most of the others treated that Mo as a god... What I am more curious about is who the 'Sea God' they called their father, and they talked like omniscient and omnipotent." Yin Hou waved his hand to Chen Xing'er who was passing by the door, "Girl, give me that bowl of noodles."

Chen Xing'er hurriedly ran to get food for Yin Hou.

Everyone was a little embarrassed. They were over 100 years old and didn't even care about chifan.

Mr. Yin said to Zhao Pu, "They were hiding in a mansion in the west of the city. I saw that they were all asleep and had no intention of leaving. They were back. Their mission was to wait, and there seemed to be people who were in the back and forth. When the imperial city was in chaos, their mission was to take advantage of the chaos and assassinate Zhao Zhen."

Zhao Pu frowned, and indeed the other party had plans to assassinate Zhao Zhen.

Hou Yin looked at Zhao Pu and said, "Do you want to listen to the opinions of me, the old man?"

Zhao Pu was stunned and nodded quickly, so he naturally listened.

Yin Hou said, "You are concerned about going south to fight. What should these people do? Leave them to Zhao Zhen."

Zhao Puli was surprised.

"Zhao Zhen is not your son, and you can't help him settle everything. You are fighting, not to resolve the grudges." Yin Hou said with his arms, "These children can be said to be the only remaining generation of the Eight Clan Islands. Maybe if you kill them, you will have a thorough understanding of the Eight Clan Islands..."

Zhao Pu frowned slightly and looked at Yin Hou.

"But what is the difference between this practice and the practice of King Boyang back then?" Yin Hou said, "These eight are all used by people. They firmly believe that every thirty years, many warships will come to the other side of the sea, and people wearing ghost masks will go to their islands to kill. Now it will soon be another thirty years, and they will fight back this time."

Zhao Pu and others frowned when they heard this.

Xiao Baoyan couldn't help but say, "From their standpoint, it's really bad for us. There are so many corpses on the island, except for those pirates, most of them are innocent people, so it's natural for descendants to take revenge. What's more, I did go to trouble almost every thirty years before, and people want to take action but don't want to sit and wait for death."

Pang Yu was tugging at Baolong's sleeves, don't be excited, this was not done by Zhao Zhen.
To be continued...