The old man almost rushed to the coffin, and he stroked the lid of the coffin with his thin, wrinkled hands, apparently having just cried, and his eyes were red.

Tianhao walked closer, bowed to Wu Peng, and persuaded in a low voice: "Great teacher, please mourn." ”

The young lord noticed that the old man's hands were no longer caressing the lid of the coffin, his fingers slowly standing up, and his hard nails scraping hard across the surface of the plank, making a tooth-aching sound. He was so hard that the surface of his wrists, which were exposed from the cuffs of his clothes, bulged out, as if he might break through the skin barrier and be exposed to the air at any moment.

"Where's Wu Yuan?" The old man kept looking down at the coffin, making a hoarse and mournful voice.

"In the back." Tianhao stood still and didn't move, half tentatively and half dissuaded: "This is not the place to speak, please also ask the great master to move." ”

Wu Peng raised his head and took several deep breaths. He sniffled vigorously, not hiding the action of raising the back of his hand to wipe the tears from the corners of his eyes, his gaze was as deep as ever, full of terrifying majesty.

"Take your people and go to my mansion."

Leaving these words, the old man turned and left.

His back was a little vain, barely balancing in the shaking.

……

The living room of the Great Master is spacious, and the furniture and furnishings have inherited his usual austere style. There are not many things, but there are many commonly used necessities. The tables, chairs, beds and couches are spotlessly clean, cleaned every day, and look neat and generous.

The curtain was lifted from the outside, and a bright light came into the room. The maid walked in with a terracotta tray with a teapot and cups on it. When she placed the teacups in front of the two of them in order, Tianhao noticed that the maid was already old, at least fifty years old, and although her figure was plump, she was not pretty.

The Great Master gestured in silence, and the woman obediently exited the room, closed the curtain, and closed the outside door.

He picked up the teapot with his old and thin hands, filled Tianhao's cup, and then himself. Hot steam wafted from the mouth of the cup, and soon rose to a height that was level with Tianhao's normal viewing angle.

"Let's talk about the specifics." There was deep exhaustion in the old man's voice: "I want to know everything that happened at that time, including all the things. ”

His mind was visibly a little confused, but he remained obsessibly lucid.

Although it was a little strange, Tianhao didn't ask anything. He opens his lips and tells the story in a bland and unsentimental tone.

The great master listened very carefully.

He's older than the last time we met.

The gray robe has not been changed, it is still the same as last time, the hood is thrown behind him, and the thin face gives people a hard visual sense. Thinning hair, rough skin, deep-set eye sockets, and a little scabies on the sides of the forehead and neck. He kept raising his hand to scratch at those spots, his nails leaving white scratches on the surface of his skin.

Tianhao spoke very carefully and spoke for more than an hour. After listening to his account, the great master fell into silence for several minutes. After a long time, he slowly opened his lips covered with dry skin: "He left the patriarch's ring to you?" ”

"Yes." Tianhao did not deny it, reached out and took out the ring that had been prepared from his pocket, held it in both hands, and sent it to Wu Peng.

There was a deep sadness in the old man's eyes, and he reached out to pick it up, looking at it over and over in his hand.

“…… Witch...... ......When the name was pronounced out of his mouth, his body trembled visibly, and he bit every word hard.

He ...... Great rebellion! The old Wu Peng gasped and asked in a hoarse voice, "Why did he kill Wei Bang?" You have shown an attitude of refusal to cooperate, he ...... There is no need for such ...... Can Well Born survive...... Can you live......"

Some of them were incoherent, and their thinking was even more chaotic than before. Apart from silence, Tianhao knew that he couldn't do anything at the moment, and he couldn't do anything. This is the old man's self-release, and the anger that has accumulated deep in his heart must be vented in order to regain his composure.

The Great Master kept crying, but his voice was not so loud, he suppressed his grief and volume, and several times he whimpered in a low voice by biting his lower lip. Tianhao had never seen him like this, and the shock and curiosity in his heart were deeper.

Intuition told him that the relationship between the Great Master and Niu Weibang was not ordinary.

When the crying finally stopped, the old man slowly wiped away his tears with a cotton cloth handkerchief, and sat up straight in the chair with weakness and sadness, Tianhao knew that the next conversation would determine his future.

"He's my son." The old man's voice had been hoarse for a long time, but Tianhao was shocked when he heard it.

“…… Why are you telling me about this? ”

"Because he gave you the Ring of the Patriarch."

Wu Peng looked at Tianhao with red and swollen eyes: "For some reason, the matter between me and his mother can never be made public. Wei Bang didn't know the secret, he always thought that the one who died was his father...... These don't matter anymore, Wu Yuan killed everyone related to him, including Wei Bang's mother except me, she is the only one who knows. ”

"Don't ask me why...... I don't know why I'm telling you this. I need someone to talk to, but not just anyone to trust. I can confide in the person around me, and then kill him. I've done this before, and I've killed several ...... Either a felon, brought out of prison, or an enemy caught by me...... I have to find someone to talk about some things, and I have a heavy burden on my shoulders...... It's too heavy......"

“…… You're different. ”

"Weibang trusts you very much, even if you win the battle against the pigs, when the Rock Territory is unprecedentedly strong, Weibang has no idea of killing you and forcibly occupying the land. He is jealous of you, but at the same time admires everything you have done. He talked to me that he wanted to wait until the total population of the Rock Territory exceeded 500,000, and he would join several other patriarchs to jointly apply to His Majesty to carve out your territory and form a new tribe separately, with you as the patriarch. ”

"He is my son, and although I can't recognize him, I watch him grow up day by day, strong and good. As a father, I am proud, and proud. ”

"But...... He's dead......"

Tianhao sat there motionless.

Whoever you are, it's always shocking to hear a secret about yourself for the first time. This is a normal manifestation of the human mind.

He would treat Niu Weibang as a friend forever, even though he is dead.

"Your Majesty has also gone to ......" sadness and helplessness appeared on Wu Peng's face at the same time: "What's worse is that he didn't appoint an heir to the throne, and it will take us another year to elect a new king." Compared to the entire ethnic group, Weibang is nothing, and the Lei Niu tribe is only a small part of it. You...... See what I mean? ”

Tianhao looked down at the teacup in front of him and said seriously, "I will do everything in my power to stabilize the order of the Thunder Niu Clan and ensure that there is no chaos. ”

"It's not enough." The old man shook his head and let out a deep sigh: "You are still young, and you probably don't understand what kind of consequences Hu Yongxian will cause when he prays to the guardian spirit at this time. It's been less than twenty years since the last Patronus came, and the interval is too short, too short......"

Tianhao smelled a hint of danger from the old man's words, but he didn't understand where this danger came from, and he let out a voice in confusion: "I was also in the Dragon Pass when the guardian spirit came, and the situation at that time had reached a critical juncture, and the three commanders were forced to do this, otherwise the white man would break through the defense line." ”

“…… I know ......" the Great Master's gaze revealed a wireless desolation: "Maybe this will be the fate that the gods have arranged for us." We can't resist except acceptance. ”

"What do you mean......" Tianhao asked tentatively.

"War will come soon." The Great Master gritted his teeth vigorously, and a deep hatred and vigilance appeared on his face: "In a short period of time, the white people will not launch an attack on Suolong Pass. As is customary, this is a time for us to fight with other tribes. ”

Tianhao had a wry smile on his face.

He finally understood what Wu Peng meant. Once the threat from outside is lifted, it is the turn of the barbarians to settle internal disputes. Population and territory will be the target of competition between the races in the next few decades, and a new round of ethnic wars is about to begin.

This is actually not a secret, the last time I looked for a mud template in the royal database, Tianhao also dabbled in this part of the content. But after all, he is from the era of civilization, and he doesn't understand this kind of thing deeply enough, and it is difficult to imagine that the friendly forces that once fought together against foreign enemies in Suolong Pass would turn against each other overnight, and you will live and die.

"The Thunder Cow tribe is located on the border of the tribe and has always been a key target for other tribes. The Lion King has been pursuing a monetary system, and what cannot be obtained by normal means can only be obtained by war. Although there is no movement yet, the leonin may suddenly make a move at any time. You have to be prepared and be wary of attacks from that direction. ”

The Great Master's mood gradually relaxed, he took a sip of the teacup, and sighed: "Since Weibang chose you, there must be his reasons." But...... The succession of the patriarch is not as simple as you think, according to the law, no one can become the new king of the clan without the approval of His Majesty. ”

Tianhao understood this: "You mean, wait until next year?" ”

Wu Peng nodded slightly: "You can become the acting patriarch first, and wait until next year to elect a new king, get certification and permission, and then become the real king of the Thunder Bull Clan." ”

"Acting Patriarch?" Although it was an inquiring tone, Tianhao didn't need an answer, he kept chewing on these four words, feeling that the future was a little unpredictable, adding a lot of uncertain factors.

"Even the acting patriarch is not so easy to be." The great master reminded: "You prepare, and follow me into the palace tomorrow to meet the two princes." When the news of the death of Wai Bang came, I sent to inform the kings of all the tribes that they had gathered in Pointe-Noire for an extraordinary assembly to-morrow to discuss your succession. ”

Tianhao's heart was solemn: "If I can't get their recognition, I can't inherit the position of patriarch?" ”

"Yes." There was undoubted majesty in the old man's eyes: "At least half of the patriarchs must approve before the succession resolution can be passed." It is a special time, and the two princes each occupy a seat, and they are in the same position as the patriarchs, and both have the right to vote. ”

“…… Thank you! Tianhao said sincerely.

A smile appeared on the old man's face, and it quickly disappeared.

"Hand over Wu Yuan to me." He tried his best to keep his composure, but he couldn't hide the strong hatred released from his body: "He is a traitor to the Niu Clan, I can't let him die easily, I want to put him on a public trial, a thousand cuts!" ”

Tianhao stood up from his chair and saluted the Great Master again: "As you wish." ”

……

Following.

Because it was not a large court meeting, and there were not many people participating in the deliberations, Wu Peng did not choose the big council hall, he summoned everyone to the side hall on the west side of the palace and held a meeting.

It was the first time for Tianhao to attend a meeting of this level, and he came early. According to the previous instructions of the Great Master, he put on a black robe. The robe is simple in style, with a pair of crossed horns embroidered with silver thread on the left chest, which is a status symbol of the clan leader, and once identified, a soldering iron is used to mark the upper end of the left arm.

A tall old man came from outside the hall, with shoulder-length hair mixed with white and black, and a thick beard. The pace is steady, the figure is not out of shape, and the broad shoulders look full of strength.

All the chairs were arranged in a ring, and he sat down opposite Tianhao, there were only two people in the meeting at the moment, he looked at Tianhao with an inquiring gaze, and said lightly: "Young man, I have heard of your name. ”

Tianhao stood up from his chair and bowed: "Niu Tianhao, the lord of the lower rock lord, has seen the Bull Patriarch. ”

The horn pattern on the opponent's chest has a special pattern, indicating the identity of the old man.

Continuing to stare at Tianhao, his eyes on his hand without any ornaments for a long time, the old man suddenly smiled.

"It's okay, not so arrogant, the most afraid is that the kind of person who doesn't understand anything, doesn't pay attention to the rules and doesn't reason, sits in this position. It seems that it is not unreasonable for Niu Weibang to hand over the position of Patriarch of Lei Niu to you. ”

After a pause, the old man continued: "Old man Yuanmeng, you should have heard my name. ”

Tianhao replied without humility or arrogance: "The name of the mad bull patriarch is like thunder. ”

"You're also famous!" Yuan Meng smiled heartily: "Shanyang City Lord Yuan Wei is my younger brother, he is full of praise for you, and he praises you very much. I always thought he was bragging, and I met you today...... How to say it, regardless of your character or anything for the time being, it's good that you don't wear the patriarch's ring on your hand, it seems that you are quite stable and not so vain. ”

"Thank you!" Tianhao replied seriously: "I'm not the Thunder Cow Patriarch yet, so I don't deserve that ring." ”

Yuan Meng's eyes added a bit of approval: "There are not many young people who can be as humble as you." Alas...... Speaking of which, Niu Weibang is also very good, but unfortunately when he encounters this kind of thing, it coincides with His Majesty's funeral, and all kinds of messy things are all together. ”

As he spoke, several people walked in from outside the hall.