It was rarely heard of.
During cultivation, one must endure great pain and strengthen their resolve, making it a fearsome path.
Such freaks who Enter the Dao through Martial Arts were rare not only in the Boundless Sea but also extremely rare throughout the Nine Provinces.
Hong Dock.
If Hong Xiufang, that stubborn holdout, were to fall, the Linked Docks would naturally reconsider their surrender.
This time, the Wu Family Fortress only sent two Nascent Soul cultivators, assuming that would be enough to intimidate.
Who knew the other side’s depth was unclear, and they hadn’t even made a move.
Then out of nowhere, a golden-haired youth appeared, along with that blindfolded woman.
“Good skills. I am Wu Lei, Third Village Master of Wu Family Fortress. May I ask your esteemed name?”
“Tianji Sect, Ji Shiyu.”
Yun Liu squinted and smiled, making no effort to hide his impersonation.
Just thinking that the Silly Girl was somewhere in this vast sea, and he hadn’t prepared himself mentally, he had no choice but to put the protagonist of the great event on the agenda.
The constantly vibrating mechanical bird, he didn’t dare to receive it anymore.
When the Inner Sea Archipelago was pulled by the Great Whirlpool, and the five harbors on the sea chart aligned in a line, the Penghu Island alchemists would certainly not be absent.
Wu Lei shook his head, indicating he had never heard of it, his expression grave.
“If you came to compete for the Blessed Fate, Brother Ji, I’m afraid you’ve chosen the wrong side. There’s no future here.”
“I’m happy with it. What business is it of yours? Disturbing someone’s peaceful dreams is a capital offense. Are we fighting or not? If not, I’m going back to continue my spring dream.”
“Huh?”
Still coming?
Can’t you let people live!
Yan Bingling raised an eyebrow, and with two fingers, she directly picked up the soft flesh at the youth’s waist and twisted hard.
“Hiss—I was joking, Aunt Master!”
“You’d better be!”
With a master present today, it was not appropriate to deal with the troublemaker.
Wu Lei immediately ordered a retreat.
“Hong Xiufang, you’re lucky. Let’s go!”
The Fortress Master was to hold a Sea Banquet tomorrow to entertain the heroes of the Four Seas; there was no need to continue this entanglement.
The Sea-Breaking Alliance cultivators retreated in chagrin, carefully leaving the Linked Docks to avoid being intercepted by the other dock masters.
At the Hong Dock stalls, cheers thundered as they cursed and drove those bastards from the opposite shore away.
This fight was a complete victory.
A few overly familiar crew members even slung their arms around Yun Liu’s shoulders, praising the golden-haired youth for overpowering Wu Laosan, treating him as one of their own, all giving thumbs up.
The Linked Docks were a ragtag group disliked by the major sects.
Rogue cultivators had mixed spiritual roots and limited prospects.
Though they were a gathering of treacherous and cunning bandit pirates, they valued loyalty.
“They’re leaving just like that?”
Yun Liu yawned.
Even without them, Big Sister Hong was not afraid at all.
They saw Hong Xiufang punch the Binding Bottle, leaving shallow cracks on it.
The Wu Family Fortress offering was distressed and hurriedly fled.
The captain glared with tiger-like eyes, sweeping over the positions of other fleets connected by black ropes.
Only then did the pairs of secretly peeping gazes withdraw.
Many watched from the safety of the shore, but few offered help in times of need.
That was exactly why the Linked Docks were being beaten down by the scum of the Sea-Breaking Alliance.
“Hmph, a bunch of spineless bastards! They don’t understand that if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. If I fall, you won’t have it easy either!”
Just as Yun Liu was about to return to the cabin to continue resting, Big Sister Hong called out to him, her voice like a great bell.
“Little brother, please wait a moment!”
“Does the lady boss have more business?”
Hong Xiufang had a rough idea.
Listening to her subordinate’s quiet introduction of the outsider’s origins, she thought to herself,
‘So he’s a guest from the “Black Shop,” disturbed in the dead of night and dragged into this.’
Yun Liu clasped his hands and bowed.
His brocade robe was expensive, and his demeanor was extraordinary.
One look showed he was a cultivator from outside, of noble origin.
This was truly rare.
The other party actually chose the Linked Docks to stay instead of the opposite shore’s Sea-Breaking Alliance.
Quite discerning.
“Brother Ji, right? I am the big boss of Hong Dock, as you know. Thank you for your help. You gave that arrogant Wu Laosan a good one—it was most satisfying.”
“Not at all. Sister Hong’s skills are formidable; you could easily handle these hypocrites. If Third Village Master Wu hadn’t been so overbearing and tried to make an example of me, there would have been no need for an outsider like me to intervene. I made a fool of myself.”
Yun Liu knew Hong Xiufang’s temperament well.
Every word struck a chord in her heart, sounding extremely pleasing to her ears.
On top of that, the address of “sister” was quite sweet, and the young man was handsome.
Even a burly tomboy like her found it flattering.
“Of course! Even if the Fortress Master himself came, I wouldn’t fear him! Since you honor me by calling me eldest sister, I accept you as my little brother. Since you’re a friend of Hong Dock, you can stay here as long as you like. The Great Whirlpool is about to open, and all the brothers will be going out to sea. We can give you a ride then.”
Hong Xiufang was a straightforward person.
She saw through Ji Shiyu’s intentions but didn’t stand on ceremony.
For the gang members of the Linked Docks, the opportunity at Mirage City was secondary; they knew their own limits.
But more people meant more opportunities.
With so many fat sheep from the mainland coming to the Boundless Sea, picking up some extra cash could be worth several years of normal looting.
“That’s great, thank you for your care, Sister Hong.”
“Easy!”
Hong Xiufang looped her arm around Yun Liu’s neck and led him into the cabin.
The underlings cheered for their new brother, and fine wine and delicious dishes were brought out.
Yun Liu thought to himself, signaling to Yan Bingling not to mind.
He still preferred Lady Lan, who was tough on the outside but soft inside.
As for the big sister’s pectoral muscles… they were indeed a bit hard.
Big Sister Hong was no small build; she was half a head taller than the now-sturdy golden-haired youth.
With a mouthful of wine and a chunk of meat, she laughed heartily and slapped Yun Liu’s shoulder heavily.
Compared to that hypocritical bastard Wu Lei, this kid was much more agreeable.
At the Golden Core stage, he dared to face off against a Nascent Soul cultivator and even held his ground.
Yun Liu claimed to be a visitor from Star Isle.
Apart from some skill in martial arts, he also had a passable hand at alchemical arts.
Hong Xiufang nodded.
She had heard of the transcendent status of the Penghu Island alchemists, but she didn’t know that “passable” was just a modest statement.
The other crew members looked baffled.
They knew nothing about the Gaotian Star Domain beyond the Boundless Sea, nor did they care.
Eat, drink, and be merry today.
Celebrate when happy, and fight back when bullied.
In their eyes, the cultivation world was that simple.
The Linked Docks were steeped in the atmosphere of the martial world, completely different from orthodox cultivators, with a distinctive character unlike other places.
“And what is this young lady’s name?”
Hong Xiufang then looked at the tall, slender, blindfolded female swordswoman.
She raised a wine jar in a toast.
Yan Bingling didn’t show any courtesy, but Hong didn’t mind.
“She doesn’t like to talk. She’s my…”
“Wife.”
Yan Bingling added seriously.
As soon as he finished, Yun Liu was immediately slapped in the face.
His Aunt Master, who didn’t like to talk, sure spoke up quickly at the critical moment.
“Oh——”
Hong Xiufang nodded, a bit regretful; so they were a couple.
In a hundred years roaming the seas, she had seen all kinds of men, but she hadn’t yet tasted the flavor of a Gaotian gentleman.
It was rare to meet a young man who caught her fancy.
If they could have a friendly exchange and spar on the Great Dao, it would be very stimulating.
“My wife is a Nascent Soul cultivator, far superior to me. If Wu Laosan dares to act rashly again, she won’t show mercy. There are two other friends resting in the cabin, fellow sect Golden Core cultivators. I’ll introduce them to Sister Hong tomorrow.”
“Oh?”
Everyone’s eyes lit up in astonishment.
They couldn’t help but take a few more looks at Brother Ji’s blindfolded wife.
They hadn’t expected him to be such a powerful dragon crossing the river.