In the beginning, he was ranked alongside An Shigeng as a spoiled brat.

Moreover, Ghost Street is not only a place to sell stolen goods, but also a transit point for the Zhang family's supplies. However, it is not a place for selling goods, but for smuggled goods and all kinds of shady businesses that can be sold here.

Therefore, for the major powers, the establishment of Ghost Street is more beneficial than harmful.

As for the empire not caring?

　323 means that Zhang Xiaoshan promised Princess Taiping that she would become the ruler of Ghost Street, and in this way, the empire would also benefit.

Ghost Street brings huge profits, at least millions of gold coins every year. How could the Empress not be envious?

If it weren't for the Zhang family's strength, the construction costs, the Golden-Faced Buddha behind Ghost Street, and the Empress's domineering nature, how could she be content with just one of the three upper families? Complete control would be the greatest benefit.

The profits generated by Ghost Street alone each year were enough for the Empress to build an intelligence system as powerful as the Bad Guys.

The last of the three was taken by the Holy Gate.

The Wu Tang Empire has many powerful forces, but only a handful dare to take over, and are qualified to take over, the businesses of the three shops on Ghost Street.

As the mastermind behind the Wu Tang Empire, the Demonic Sect possesses top-tier influence and strength.

With the addition of Lady Dongming from Lin'an Prefecture, the qualification of the last family on Ghost Street has been basically confirmed.

"Son!"

Upon entering the Third Ghost Street, one finds that the remaining builders are all masters of mechanical arts, setting up the final traps.

The person in charge of overseeing the construction of Ghost Street was ostensibly Jin Bu'er, the leader of the Blood Droplets, but secretly it was Yin Zheng Shenren who was in charge, since Zhang Xiaoshan did not trust these people.

It's not that these people are unreliable, but rather that the very act of building a secret base involves enormous contradictions.

The craftsmen who built ancient tombs were almost always doomed to die once the construction was completed, due to the need for secrecy.

Are they willing to accept this? No!

Therefore, many clues were left behind during the construction.

Like the key to finding the dragon, it is the crucial key.

Therefore, during the construction, Zhang Xiaoshan instructed Yin Zhengshen to keep a close watch on the project.

If these traces are discovered, they are secretly noted down, and the clues they left behind are erased afterward.

As for those craftsmen?

Afterwards, just like transporting old black slaves, they were all transported to the New World, along with their wives and children.

In this way, their craftsmanship can also shine in the New World.

It should be noted that the New World has only been emerging for a few years and needs talents like them. As for killing to silence witnesses, Zhang Xiaoshan is not that ruthless.

As long as his interests are not threatened, Zhang Xiaoshan has no need to go to extremes.

"Thank you for your hard work, masters."

Three days later, a merchant ship will sail eastward, at which time the masters will be able to reunite with their families.

"Thank you, sir!"

Zhang Xiaoshan had previously stated that once the construction was completed, they would not remain in the Central Plains, but would instead head to the Zhang family's secret base.

As for the Zhang family's secret manual base, it's no secret in Kyushu.

It is important to know that the Zhang family obtains a huge amount of scarce resources from overseas every year. The shipping routes to Southeast Asia and Persia are not secrets, but there are also some mysterious and massive resources, and a large number of people are transported every year.

Therefore, these craftsmen also knew that their safety was not an issue.

At this moment, Zhang Xiaoshan looked at the Ghost Street in front of him, which was divided into five levels:

The upper three floors are the main marketing areas. The first floor is the ordinary street, which is where people from Ghost Street usually sell their stolen goods. The second floor is the Nine Gates area, which mainly deals in the businesses of the Nine Gates. The third floor is the real core, which only the top three can access, similar to the conference room of Ghost Street in Lin'an Prefecture.

At the very center of Ghost Street stands a building resembling the Tower of Babel—the Heavenly Mystery Tower.

The Heavenly Mystery Tower has five floors in total. Each floor represents a Ghost Street area and connects to the entire Ghost Street, including the two floors below.

Besides these, there are other secret rooms or passages, all of which are top secret and only the Zhang family knows about them.

···

Three days later, ten large ships sailed downstream!

On the deck of the large ship, Zhang Xiaoshan looked at the turbulent river water and couldn't help but reveal a complicated and inexplicable expression.

Within a year, chaos erupted throughout the Nine Provinces. Zhu Wushi, with the support of two major demonic sects, successfully seized the throne and ascended to the throne, but this was immediately followed by wars of suppression against rebellions by various vassal kings, and the Northern Yuan and Later Jin taking advantage of the situation to invade the Nine Passes. Similarly, within the Song Dynasty, uprisings broke out, while externally, the Western Xia invaded the surrounding areas. After the Tibetan envoys returned, they allied with the Turks and launched a surprise attack on the Western Regions Protectorate of the Wu Tang Dynasty…

Even the Later Zhou Empire was not idle; its army marched north and repelled the advance of the Xiongnu from the grasslands.

The entire Kyushu region has entered a state of high tension.

Foreign invasion, internal strife within the empire—it seems the dark age of a thousand years ago is about to descend once more.

As for Zhang Xiaoshan, in the face of the prevailing trend, even his powerful personal strength could not control the future of an empire.

He might take the opportunity to assassinate those foreign emperors, but the consequences would be far more serious.

Therefore, the only thing Zhang Jia could do was to supply them with provisions.

Such as provisions, weapons, and caltrops to defend against cavalry charges...

The Zhang family donated at least a million gold worth of supplies in a year, but because Zhang Xiaoshan was simultaneously funding four major empires, this was not made public.

After all, once it's made public, the credit turns into suspicion.

In addition, a powerful band of mountain bandits has emerged on the northern border. These bandits rob people of their money but do not kill them, and their purpose is not limited to robbery.

These were all chivalrous individuals arranged by Zhang Xiaoshan.

On the surface they are robbers, but in secret they are a militia trained for special operations.

After all, military campaigns are not like martial arts battles, so ordinary martial arts masters have little advantage in the face of a fiercely charging cavalry.

After learning that these chivalrous figures wanted to support the North, Zhang Xiaoshan contacted them and formed a special operations militia.

After all, on the main battlefield, all they would do is kill a few people.

However, if the militia is trained as special operations forces, it is different. They can raid enemy supply lines, assassinate commanders, and scout enemy marching routes from time to time. Their strategic significance is far greater than simply going in to their deaths.

As for robbery?

First, they used robbery to provide relief to the poor people on the border; second, they used robbery to identify spies.

Using their identities as bandits as cover was also a strategy Zhang Xiaoshan gave them.

After all, whether they were spies or martial arts masters, no one would have imagined that the rebels were mountain bandits.

Furthermore, the Zhang family also provided various weapons forged from wrought iron, incendiary white phosphorus bombs, tear gas, telescopic sights, and powerful crossbows...

However, in this chaotic world, the Zhang family did not take action personally, in order to preserve their absolute power.

Because the Zhang family not only had to support the fight against foreign invaders, but also had to guard against internal traitors.

Because in everyone's eyes, the Zhang family is a huge piece of fat meat.

Once the Zhang family's power weakens, then with the rise of various heroes and the infighting among imperial forces, the Zhang family will become a money bag in the eyes of all parties.

Therefore, the Zhang family must always maintain absolute power.

If anyone dares to reach out to the Zhang family, the Zhang family will not only cut off their outstretched hand, but also retaliate with thunderous force.

"Young master, a mysterious force has recently emerged in the martial arts world, and it is highly suspicious!"

"What force?"

Zhang Xiaoshan looked at Liu Sheng Piaoxu, took the tea handed to him by the beauty, and looked on with curiosity.

Normally, Liu Sheng Piaoxu controls intelligence, and Zhang Xiaoshan rarely pays attention to it except for major events. As for emerging forces, Zhang Xiaoshan cares even less.

"It is a group called Green Willow Manor, whose leader is Zhao Min, who has recently become famous in the martial arts world as Sai Mengchang."

He had many skilled subordinates, such as the Xuanming Elders, the Bitter Monk, and the Eight-Armed Divine Sword, who had disappeared from the martial arts world for twenty years... as well as some other top masters, most of whom had unknown origins.

Zhao Min befriends many heroes of the martial arts world, seemingly without any ulterior motive, but...

Green Willow Manor, Zhao Min, and the Two Elders of Xuanming!

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaoshan couldn't help but show a look of surprise, not expecting that the Northern Yuan had actually invaded the Central Plains.

Where is Green Willow Manor?

"Near Jincheng!"

Near Jincheng? Even Zhang Xiaoshan frowned; clearly, they were heading for Yanmen Pass.

"I'll go take a look. If it's a spy from a foreign land, they could very well work together from within and without to open a breach for a foreign invasion of the Central Plains."

"Young master, be careful!"

Chapter 469 Surprise Attack on Green Willow Manor

"You came!"

It is located on the summit of Dongshan Mountain in Jincheng, a branch of the Taihang Mountains.

As the sun rose, Zhang Xiaoshan sat cross-legged, surrounded by a misty aura that seemed to breathe in the purple light of the rising sun, making him appear ethereal and otherworldly like an immortal.

Opening a pair of captivating bright eyes, one sees Dongfang Bai and Tu Xuehua before them.

Before Zhang Xiaoshan set off, he sent a letter to Dongfang Bubai, because the Sun Moon Cult had helped Zhu Wushi ascend the throne and escape unscathed, so its power had greatly increased.

Even though Zhu Wushi wanted to discard the useful donkey after it had served its purpose, unfortunately, the princes' efforts to purge the court of corrupt officials left him no time to consider such matters.

As for the Sun Moon Cult?

Thanks to the agreement with Zhu Wushi, the Sun Moon Cult, with Zhu Wushi's support, expanded its power by more than two times in just two years.

Of course, most of the key figures among them were Zhu Wushi's men.

Under normal circumstances, Dongfang Bai would naturally be in danger, but if Zhu Wushi doesn't have time to "kill the birds after they're done," then Dongfang Bai will completely devour this power.

At this point, Zhu Wushi was in grave danger and had no way of caring about the affairs of the Sun Moon Sect.

The Demonic Cult?

A grandmaster and a peerless expert are definitely enough to give him a hard time.

Moreover, given his internal and external troubles, Zhu Wushi, as a powerful and ruthless leader, would never do something so irrational.

"How could Dongfang Bai dare not come when summoned by the young master?"

With a glance, Dongfang Bai sat down next to Zhang Xiaoshan and slowly leaned into his arms.

During this precious moment, Dongfang Bai also wanted to express his longing.

However, she knew that Zhang Xiaoshan must have something to say for suddenly summoning her here, especially to a place like Jincheng.

Tu Xuehua stood to one side, a fleeting glint of admiration in her beautiful eyes.

Over the past two years, Tu Xuehua's martial arts skills have also improved by leaps and bounds, especially her trump card, the Tathagata Palm, which has become her greatest secret weapon.

But what Tu Xuehua was truly grateful for was that Zhang Xiaoshan actually persuaded her father to start reciting Buddhist scriptures and cultivating his mind and character.

You have to understand that this was absolutely impossible in the past.

But when she visited Gu Jianhun twice, she found that Gu Jianhun was indeed changing, perhaps genuinely hoping to leave as soon as possible.

"Alright, this is good news. I've discovered a group of Northern Yuan spies, many of whom are martial arts masters."

People like the Xuanming Elders, the Bitter Monk, the Eight-Armed Divine Sword, and two members of the Western Regions Vajra Sect—their strength is at least top-tier. The Xuanming Elders, for example, could even serve as protectors within the Sun Moon Divine Sect.

"It's them? They're spies from the Northern Yuan?"

Dongfang Bai, who frequented the martial arts world, was well aware of this suddenly rising force. He never expected it to be a spy from the Northern Yuan.

To the north lies Yanmen Pass, and even Dongfang Bai couldn't help but feel a flash of murderous intent.

She is indeed a member of a demonic sect, but she is also a Han Chinese.

Moreover, Tu Xuehua was even more outrageous. It was truly despicable that these martial arts masters would willingly become lackeys of the Northern Yuan.

However, Zhang Xiaoshan intended to recruit them for his own use and expand the Sun Moon Cult.

"As for the manor lord Zhao Min, she is the daughter of the Northern Yuan Grand Marshal, Prince Ruyang, and her brother Wang Baobao is a fierce general of the Northern Yuan."

"They've got quite a background!"

Both Dongfang Bai and Tu Xuehua looked surprised.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Min's identity was so great. Her father was the Grand Marshal of the Northern Yuan, and her brother was a fierce general of the Northern Yuan. Zhao Min was even more capable than any man, actually infiltrating the Central Plains to seize the opportunity to coordinate an attack from within.