Chapter 320 - 156: Should My Disciple Found a Grand Lineage, I Permit You to Join and Gain the Merit of Following the Dragon

Chapter 320: Chapter 156: Should My Disciple Found a Grand Lineage, I Permit You to Join and Gain the Merit of Following the Dragon

Yet misfortune is what fortune relies upon, and fortune is where misfortune lurks.

If it weren’t for this little incident, his own disciple would have likely gone his whole life—or at least the first half of it—without ever crossing paths with her...

At this thought, Duan Chenzhou’s eyes widened as he made a decision:

"You rascal, why didn’t you tell me about this?"

"Our lineage has never been one to freeload. You possess the ’Mountain and Sea Search’ Daoist Talisman, making you a one-in-a-million Flood Dragon in the water. Go make a trip out to sea. Whether you find anything or not, at least you’ll have a clear conscience!"

"That young lady treated you with nothing but sincerity. We can’t be found lacking in comparison. A promise is a promise."

"What Black Market? I’ll go with you. Those two Celestial Spirit Blade Catchers have already lost their heads, leaving only some Earth Demon Level Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals."

"If anyone is foolish enough to show up... I’ll take care of them myself!"

Duan Chenzhou came to an abrupt halt, which took Ji Xiu by surprise.

"Uh... Master, it’s not that I disagree with your logic, but what you’re saying sounds so odd. Hasn’t our lineage always been about freeloading?"

"Isn’t that exactly what Ancestral Master Wang Xuanyang did...?"

Thinking of the Turtle and Snake Grand Foundation Stake, Mortal Transformation: Soaring Dragon Gate, and the Celestial Blade School’s Golden Turtle Island, Ji Xiu’s lip twitched. He could barely keep a straight face.

To be perfectly honest.

If the Ancestral Master hadn’t been so tyrannical back in the day, taking things way too far, he wouldn’t have attracted so much trouble after he disappeared. His prominence drew envy from all sides, which is why Senior Master Chen Hex has had such a hard time.

"COUGH, COUGH! You kid..."

Duan Chenzhou, who had just been putting on a magnanimous air, choked on his words and glared at Ji Xiu.

"What kind of nonsense is that!"

"How was what your Ancestral Master did ’freeloading’? Those were all voluntary donations! Voluntary, you hear me?"

"It’s just that people’s hearts can’t stand up to scrutiny. They’re two-faced. They offer you something, then regret it ten or even dozens of years later. There’s nothing you can do about it."

"Such is the fickleness of human nature."

"That’s why we must never stoop to the level of such petty individuals!"

Ji Xiu listened, swallowing hard. He was left completely speechless.

’So... that’s one way to explain it?’

Then, a look of profound respect appeared on his face.

"Master Duan speaks the truth. It was I, his grand-disciple, who failed to appreciate our Ancestral Master’s foresight."

Beneath him.

The Jade-Horned Spirit Deer had been standing obediently with its head lowered.

Now that it could understand human speech, its mind, which had once been simple and pure...

...after being ’educated’ by this master and disciple...

...had unwittingly become a little warped.

..

Jiangyin Prefecture has the ’Eight Docks,’ a name implying ’prosperity across the four seas and wealth from all eight directions.’

Nominally, these docks are governed by the ’Fishing Trade.’ They appoint eight Dragon Heads to collect rent. Below them are fishing fleets and sailboats, and they recruit ship captains and fishermen’s sons to head out to sea. ℯℯ𝘭.

However, the Dragon Head of each of these eight piers must be a ’Qi Cultivation Grandmaster’ at minimum; otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to keep their subordinates and the Guard Teams in line.

Their relationship with the Great Lineage Master of the Fishing Trade is more akin to that of a ’Lord of One Territory.’ They nominally show deference but aren’t true subordinates—a classic case of heeding a command but not a summons.

「Jiangyin Prefecture, East Suburb Ferry.」

Riding the Spirit Deer, Ji Xiu followed Duan Chenzhou to the ferry located in the East Suburbs, near the Flying Immortal Temple.

He gazed at the vast ferry, where countless boats were moored for the night, linked by great iron chains. Even at this hour, guards patrolled the docks. He couldn’t help but marvel at the immense wealth and power of the Fishing Trade.

’A pier this massive...’

’And there are eight of them!’

’How much Red Gold and silver must they rake in every single day?’

’Even if they couldn’t catch a single Spirit Seed, they could just use their vast wealth to buy Earth Treasure Spirit Fish. With that kind of money, I wouldn’t need to depend on anyone. I could be completely self-sufficient in my Cultivation!’

’Sooner or later, I’ll topple this Fishery Chen Family and take that seat for myself.’

Ji Xiu mused to himself.

He was about to find a way to bypass the pier to avoid unnecessary trouble. Then he would activate his ’Mountain and Sea Search’ Innate Talent and walk the river waves for a bit to see if he could find any trace of a ’Spirit Fish’.

However, a calm and composed Duan Chenzhou strode forward and grabbed him, much to Ji Xiu’s surprise.

"Master, what are you grabbing me for?"

"Don’t tell me we’re just going to swagger out to sea like this?"

"All your hard work concealing your identity will be for nothing! You’ll be exposed!"

"If that happens, what if those Schools decide to make a move against you..."

Duan Chenzhou just smiled without a word.

"Relax, it’s not a problem."

"I brought you here today to meet someone."

"In the future, if you’re worried about trouble when you go out to sea, just come here to the ’East Suburb Pier’."

"The Ferry Leader of this pier is an old acquaintance of mine."

He had barely finished speaking when the RUSTLE of footsteps sounded nearby. Ji Xiu’s head snapped up, his hand instantly going to the hilt of his blade, his eyes sharp and alert.

The next moment, an imposing figure emerged. The man wore an indigo cloak patterned with Flood Dragons, its collar embroidered with silver-threaded waves, and stepped forward in sturdy boots.

’A Qi Cultivation Grandmaster!’

Ji Xiu’s eyes narrowed. He sensed, however, that Duan Chenzhou beside him hadn’t moved a muscle. He hadn’t even put on his mask.

’Could this be the "old acquaintance" his master mentioned?’

’But what kind of relationship did they have that would allow his master to not even wear his mask in front of this person?’

As Ji Xiu was pondering this, Duan Chenzhou’s voice sounded in his ear.

"I know what you’re worried about."

"But... what you probably don’t know, kid..."

"...is that the news of my death was spread by this very Grandmaster, Qii Zhao."

"He is the Dragon Head of this East Suburb Pier, and we’ve known each other for decades."

"If he, a ’Fishing Trade Grandmaster’ and one of my supposed pursuers, hadn’t been on the scene, how could Jiangyin Prefecture possibly have had conclusive evidence that a ’Celestial Killing Star’ from the Black Market had personally taken the life of Duan Chenzhou?"