Chapter 321 - 156: Should My Disciple One Day Found a Grand Lineage, You Are Permitted to Join and Earn the Merit of Following the Dragon

Chapter 321: Chapter 156: Should My Disciple One Day Found a Grand Lineage, You Are Permitted to Join and Earn the Merit of Following the Dragon

Huh?

Ji Xiu was taken aback. He thought for a moment, and then it dawned on him.

’So that’s how it is...’

’This Grandmaster Qii Zhao right here was the one who put on a show with Master, allowing him to fake his death and slip away?’

"Hmph. Toying with the School and the Grand Lineage as if they were monkeys. Have you forgotten your own strength? You’re only in the Qi Sea Realm."

"If you hadn’t ’died,’ do you think those old geezers with their eyes on the Celestial Blade School would ever have let you off the hook?"

"What are you doing, bringing your disciple here in the middle of the night?"

As Qii Zhao paced over, he overheard Duan Chenzhou’s proud proclamation and couldn’t help but scowl.

He’d known Duan Chenzhou since they were children.

Back then, Qii Zhao was the son of a wealthy merchant in the prefecture. While not from the Direct Lineage of a Grand Lineage or a School, his status was no worse than that of a branch family member.

Because his family was in the maritime business, he had joined the Fishing Trade early, hoping to one day secure control of a local pier.

It was then that he met Duan Chenzhou, who was also part of the Fishing Trade, though he was just an ordinary Fisherman’s Son.

At first, their relationship was incredibly volatile.

Qii Zhao, with his wealthy background, looked down on the Fisherman’s Son. But despite his lifelong arrogance, he never managed to best him even once, leaving him simmering with frustration.

Normally, a relationship like that would have festered into a deep-seated grudge.

But... an incident occurred back then.

A merchant ship belonging to the Qii Family’s paternal line was ambushed by the Chaotic Heaven Thieves on the East Canghai, and everyone aboard nearly lost their lives.

Wang Xuanyang, who happened to be training at sea with Duan Chenzhou, intervened and saved them.

After that, his father dragged him to the gates of the Celestial Blade School, forced his head to the ground in three loud kowtows before Wang Xuanyang, and made him swear an oath: from that day forward, he was to treat Duan Chenzhou as a brother, or he would be barred from the ancestral tombs.

He held his nose and accepted this arrangement for decades.

Until a dozen or so years ago.

That was when Duan Chenzhou lost his arm, his blood staining the East Canghai. It was Qii Zhao who, at immense personal risk, created a diversion while secretly spiriting him out of Jiangyin.

Only after that did the title of ’brother’ withstand the test of life and death, and a true friendship was forged between them.

That was why, having been through such an ordeal together, Duan Chenzhou trusted him enough to bring Ji Xiu to meet Grandmaster Qii Zhao.

After their sharp exchange, Qii Zhao turned to Ji Xiu and explained everything. Only then did Ji Xiu understand the history and nature of their relationship.

He couldn’t help but look toward Duan Chenzhou, thinking to himself.

’Master has been a Celestial Killer Lone Star his entire life.’

’But he truly had a good master!’

’His only two noteworthy ’friends’ were both thanks to Ancestral Master Wang Xuanyang. One is Gu Baichuan, the Prefecture Commander, and the other is a Grandmaster and Dragon Head of the Fishing Trade.’

’They might not be the absolute top tier...’

’But they’re still a significant source of support.’

As he was mulling this over, Duan Chenzhou calmly stated their purpose for coming, causing Qii Zhao’s eyes to widen.

"You’re here to catch Spirit Fish?!"

"No, wait..."

He lost his composure, looking from Duan Chenzhou to Ji Xiu. He couldn’t help but turn and point toward the vast pier and the countless Upturned Boats moored beneath the fishing weirs.

"Do you have any idea how many people make their living at this pier?"

"Thousands!"

"But do you know how long it takes for me to see even one Spirit Fish?"

"At least a month! Sometimes, I won’t see one for two or three months!"

"How many do you think the entire Fishing Trade catches in a month?"

"You think they’re a dime a dozen?!"

But Duan Chenzhou was perfectly confident.

He had witnessed the divine power of the Mountain and Sea Search in the Earth Dragon Cave, so he had unwavering faith in Ji Xiu’s abilities.

He spoke with absolute conviction.

"My disciple is a Flood Dragon in the water. He was born with Water Fortune; in the water, he is king."

"A few Spirit Fish are nothing. If he sees one, he can catch it!"

"If you don’t believe me, how about a friendly wager? It’s all in good fun, after all."

Qii Zhao was speechless.

"What’s the wager?"

He thought that Duan Martialist must have finally gone mad tonight.

But to go mad over something like this, using his own ’genius disciple’ as a pawn in a joke... ’Honestly,’ Qii Zhao thought, ’if I had a disciple like that, wouldn’t I be cherishing him, putting him on a pedestal?’

The boy had made quite a name for himself in Jiangyin Prefecture recently, but Qii Zhao had never heard of him having anything to do with the sea. ’A Flood Dragon in the water? What nonsense!’

Seeing the blatant ’do you take me for a fool’ expression on Qii Zhao’s face, Duan Chenzhou raised an eyebrow, unfazed. He simply looked past him toward the vast pier and pointed.

"Let’s bet on this: if my disciple can catch a Spirit Fish tonight..."

"...then in the future, should he wish to establish himself here in Jiangyin Prefecture and found a Grand Lineage, you must be the first to pledge your support. How about it?"

"Old Qii, you’ve never won big in your life, but you’ve helped me twice, so I won’t take advantage of you."

"I’m giving you a heaven-sent opportunity—a chance to one day surpass that brute, Fishery Master Chen Jing."

"What do you say?"

These words.

Duan Chenzhou spoke them with the utmost seriousness.