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"Uh—Villains' Syndicate, Shawn, that's actually a pretty fitting description! From what I've just learned, these guys originally had their own motives and interests, but now they've found a common goal. That's why they've teamed up with the Japanese, using each other!" Howard Tiger said.
"A common goal? What do they want? Are they really planning to cause trouble with the Japanese?" Shawn Young asked in surprise.
"Maybe not just causing trouble, but each of them has their own ambitions. The target they're after is the same, and the plan is so huge that no single person or group could pull it off alone. That's why they're colluding with the Japanese—splitting into different teams to work from different angles and get what they want!" Howard Tiger explained.
"Hmm—so Andrew Qi and Master Wuxiang have a common goal too?" Shawn Young asked curiously.
"I just found out myself—Andrew Qi and Master Wuxiang didn't really have much to do with each other before, but this time they've got the same target: The Three Great Houses of China! And the Japanese are also after the Three Great Houses, so they all hit it off right away!" Howard Tiger said.
"Wait—how did the Three Great Houses of China get dragged into this?! And now they're everyone's target!?" Shawn Young was shocked by the news.
"Yeah, that's right. From what I know, the Three Great Houses of China have always guarded a secret history together—a huge secret that the Japanese desperately want! And it's not just the Three Great Houses who know about it; there's also a special martial arts sect in the mix: the Thirteen Enforcers!" Howard Tiger said.
"Wait—the Thirteen Enforcers are connected to the Three Great Houses?! Could it be—" Shawn Young blurted out, and at the mention of the Thirteen Enforcers, three stunning faces flashed through his mind: Yara Zen, May Gu, and the breathtakingly beautiful leader Luna Xiao!
"That's right—the Thirteen Enforcers and the Three Great Houses have deep ties, so they all know about this earth-shattering secret and keep it together. Andrew Qi used to be a key member of the Thirteen Enforcers, so it's only natural that he knows the secret too!" Howard Tiger said.
"Huh? The Thirteen Enforcers and the Three Great Houses of China are actually deeply connected! This is the first time I've heard about it!" Jade Swann couldn't help but ask, curious.
"Yeah, I never expected it either! The Thirteen Enforcers are a martial arts sect, and the Three Great Houses are wealthy and powerful families—who would've thought they'd be tangled up together? It's really surprising!" Shawn Young marveled.
At that moment, Dragon King said, "This is a long story—the whole thing goes way back and is deeply tied to the history of the Taiping Rebellion!"
"Wait, the Taiping Rebellion?!" Shawn Young exclaimed in shock.
"That's right. Back at the end of the Qing Dynasty, when the Taiping Rebellion was raging, the founder of the Thirteen Enforcers, Charles Xiao, was the trusted general of King of the West, Xavier Xiao. The first heads of the Three Great Houses were top commanders in the Heavenly King's elite guard! After King of the West died in battle, his two sons, Harold Xiao and Felix Xiao, went with King of the East, Ethan Yang, to Tianjing—modern-day Nanjing. Charles Xiao followed them too, and King of the East later assigned him to serve Heavenly King, Henry Hong. That put Charles Xiao working alongside the three elite commanders, and they became as close as brothers!" Dragon King revealed a little-known piece of history.
"Oh—so that's how it is! What happened next?" Shawn Young asked, intrigued.
"After that, King of the East and Heavenly King started doubting each other and forming factions, which led to civil war in the Taiping Rebellion. The Taiping Army almost toppled the Qing Dynasty, but endless infighting tore them apart. Especially when King of the East forced Heavenly King to name him 'His Majesty,' Heavenly King finally snapped and secretly summoned King of the North, Victor Wei, and King of Yan, Quentin Qin, to Tianjing to restore order. They killed King of the East and his entire family, and when purging the 'traitor's remnants,' Heavenly King saw Charles Xiao as King of the East's man and wanted him gone! So he ordered the three elite commanders to arrest Charles Xiao, but since they were close, they secretly let him escape, found a scapegoat, and tricked Heavenly King!" Dragon King continued. (Note: In September 1856, King of the North, Victor Wei, led 3,000 troops to Tianjing, surrounded King of the East's residence, and killed him and his family. This event, known as the 'Heavenly Capital Incident,' marked the turning point in the Taiping Rebellion.)
"So Charles Xiao escaped—did he leave the Taiping Rebellion?" Shawn Young was especially interested in this bit of history.
"Not exactly. After leaving Tianjing, he joined King of the Wing, Stephen Shi, because while working under King of the East, Charles Xiao had learned a huge secret about Heavenly King, Henry Hong! What that secret was, nobody really knows, but when he left, he told it to the three elite commanders, so they knew it too! Later, with all the wars and Nanjing falling to the Qing, that secret faded into history. We've only managed to uncover the deep connection between the Three Great Houses and Charles Xiao, founder of the Thirteen Enforcers, through tons of research!" Dragon King explained.
"Wow—this all goes back so far. It's really complicated!" Shawn Young said with emotion.
"Yeah—right now, we still don't know exactly what that earth-shattering secret is. But from our intelligence, ever since Andrew Qi started eyeing the Thirteen Enforcers' top spot and teamed up with the Japanese, this hidden history has started coming to light! And the Japanese have way more intel than we do!" Howard Tiger chimed in.
"So what should we do to deal with them now?" Shawn Young asked quickly.
"Since we don't have enough intel yet, to avoid losing our edge, we'll start by investigating the Three Great Houses of China. Then we'll find the current leader of the Thirteen Enforcers. And the best person for the job is you, Shawn!" Dragon King suddenly announced.