Chapter 84: Distant

“A big shot comparable to the East City Captain?”

Many Boat Towmen were muttering to themselves.

But Sixth Uncle didn't retreat, so they didn't either.

However, Sixth Uncle laughed at this moment: “Hahaha, I thought it was something serious. Zhang Caitou, oh Zhang Caitou, you should change your name to Zhang Pighead!”

“Use your brain and think, if such a big shot sent you to ask us about good news, could it be an ordinary matter? Besides, for a Gang like ours, what counts as good news?” Sixth Uncle retorted with a stern tone.

In fact, there was no need to ask, both sides knew.

If a big shot wanted to target the Paibo Gang, there would be no need for these tactics; a casual command would ensure the Paibo Gang never got any work in the city again.

Without work, they would only starve.

But now, he instructed Zhang Caitou to come and speak, deliberately making things like this, and then hinting at good news…

It was obvious that the other party wanted Zhang Caitou to give a reminder, and at the same time, did not want to blow things out of proportion.

“Alright, no need to scare me. I don’t care about the Paibo Gang’s affairs. I’m just a pawn, everyone knows we each serve our own master. Anyway, the words are out: if you don’t honestly reveal the Paibo Gang’s good news, something might happen tonight!” Zhang Caitou glared, his face fierce!

“I’d like to know what will happen.”

Just then, everyone heard a young man’s voice.

Li Qi had already walked out, holding the military saber wrapped in cloth, with a willow branch tied around his waist.

— — — — — — — — — —

In the distance, on a pleasure boat on the Li River.

Strangely, there were no women on board. Although there was wine and meat on the tables, there was no feminine scent. It was all clean and neatly dressed men, holding or wearing long swords, gathered in twos and threes, drinking and eating meat.

It looked like an ordinary banquet, and there wasn't even a dancing girl to liven things up.

Two young men sat by the boat's side, drinking and looking at the nearby riverbank.

“Look, it should be getting noisy over there. I wonder if Elder Bao’s calculations are accurate. Is there really ownerless Jin Qi (Metal Energy) here?” one young man said with some doubt.

“This place? This is Li Prefecture City. Although the East City Docks are poor, who knows if there aren’t hidden dragons and crouching tigers? How dare you underestimate a place like a prefecture city?” another young man said with a smile.

“It’s not that I’m arrogant, it’s mainly that Elder Bao is an Innate master. Can his words be false?” his companion said.

The young man was still a bit worried: “It’s true that Elder Bao is an Innate master, but I heard that Innate masters only refine their five internal organs, not their brains. Can’t they make mistakes?”

“Even if he makes a mistake, it’s not for you and me to comment on. You still don’t know the capability of his Gold-seeking rat? The reason we’re making a fortune on this trip is precisely because of it, isn’t it?” His companion laughed at him for worrying needlessly.

“That’s why I’m worried. If you walk by the river often, how can you not get your shoes wet? In this prefecture city, most treasures already have owners. For a divine Sharp Weapon to suddenly appear, I always feel a bit uneasy.” The young man was full of worry.

“Don’t worry. Come, drink. Even if something happens, Elder Bao is there to handle it. What do you and I have to worry about? It’s just a pity that the School rules forbid us from approaching women when we’re out. Otherwise…”

The two young men clinked their cups again, drinking and chatting.

Below them, on the third floor of the pleasure boat, in a large private room, a bald middle-aged man was controlling a small golden-furred rat, making hand seals and muttering incantations.

After gnawing on a piece of gold cake, the golden-furred rat made squeaking sounds.

The middle-aged bald man held the golden-furred rat, savoring its feedback.

“The Jin Qi (Metal Energy) resonates on its own; there is rootless water, so it can leak Jin Qi (Metal Energy)…” He felt the golden-furred rat’s feedback and mumbled to himself.

“Soon… The ownerless Jin Qi (Metal Energy) is nearby, and it’s also wrapped in Evil Qi. And since the Jin Qi (Metal Energy) is ownerless, its owner is clearly dead. It must have been washed down by the water after death and picked up by the Boat Towmen here, right? Let’s test them first. If it’s truly ownerless, then we’ll act directly.” He mumbled to himself.

Although the Gold-seeking rat indicated rootless water, the Boat Towmen were also like rootless water, so it was still possible that they had simply picked up that Sharp Weapon.

An ownerless Sharp Weapon that could react to the Gold-seeking rat—this was truly a windfall from heaven! It might even be a divine weapon that had entered the ranks!

Thinking of this, he scanned the Disciples below.

Heh, a bunch of worldly commoners.

These were all Disciples of the Boshan Sect.

The Boshan Sect was a Martial Forest School that practiced a set of Martial Dao cultivation method, but just like most common folk knew, they didn't even know the true face of this world.

The ranks recorded in their cultivation method were muscle training, skin training, bone training, and then from external to internal, beginning organ training.

Once all five organs were refined, one could directly enter the ranks of Innate Martial Artist.

All Disciples took Innate Martial Artist as their highest goal, believing that was a first-class master in the world.

However, the bald middle-aged man sneered mockingly.

A rural place.

What they called Innate was merely entering the rank of Martial Dao.

Ninth-rank was indeed considered a master, but it was too, too far from “first-class in the world.”

But it was also normal. How could these worldly commoners compare to someone like him, who had truly received an immortal Legacy?

His cultivation method was a genuine immortal cultivation method. Cultivating it to the extreme could lead directly to the seventh rank, becoming an immortal who could fly and escape, countless times stronger than those whose lifelong goal was “Innate Martial Artist.”

Even now, he was a ninth-rank master comparable to an “Innate Martial Artist.” If he used his Dao techniques, he would be even stronger than the Boshan Sect’s Sect Leader.

However, for now, he still needed to rely on the Boshan Sect to earn some vulgar money, so he had to interact with these commoners a bit longer.

Just like now.

A ninth-rank divine Sharp Weapon was worth over a hundred gold, and among commoners, money could hardly buy it. It would usually have a very high premium.

Perhaps it was a weapon of a fallen soldier during the war between Tang Nation and Song Kingdom, which ended up here.

If it was a Tang Nation weapon… then its owner must have been a captain or a flag officer during his lifetime.

Although these were minor officials, there were only a few hundred of them in a Tang Nation army.

It was said that every flag officer was a ranked master! And each of them would be issued a weapon and armor corresponding to their rank.

The prosperity of Tang Nation was evident.

Musing on these thoughts, Elder Bao of the Boshan Sect once again cast his gaze into the distance.

If there was no movement over there, he would prepare to act.

But a bunch of muddy Boat Towmen, daring to secretly possess a ninth-rank Sharp Weapon?

Simply courting death!