Chapter 184 - 120: Perfection
Soon, the dilapidated Treasure Ship slowly sailed into a relatively narrow waterway, one lined with strange, craggy rocks and lush with waterweeds.
The waterway was winding, and the light grew somewhat dim. The sounds of battle from the distant Nine Waves Island seemed to be blocked, becoming faint and far away.
Chen Qing moored the ship in a relatively open section of the waterway and shut down the paddle wheels.
Chen Qing toyed with the Thunder Fire Bomb in his hand. ’Either way, I’ve got my thirty thousand taels of silver.’
’I’m not sure how profitable guarding this waterway will be, but at least I’ve already secured the benefits.’
He stood at the bow. With a slight thought, the Bone-Eroding Spider crept silently from his sleeve.
The little creature moved swiftly. Its mandibles opened and closed, spitting out countless tough spider silks with precision, which then wrapped around the ship’s hull.
The silk was highly venomous and served not only as a defense but also as an early warning system. Any touch or forceful impact would instantly disturb the threads, alerting Chen Qing.
’Shen Xiuyong’s method really works.’
Throughout the afternoon, the relatively remote waterway saw some business.
Several hurried groups in various small boats, laden with bulging parcels, tried to slip away through this back route.
The first group consisted of four or five fierce-looking Loose Cultivators whose auras hovered around the Great Success in Transmutation Force Realm.
Seeing Chen Qing guarding a broken-down ship all alone, a savage glint flashed in their eyes, and they attempted to force their way through.
"The Wutai Sect is purging the remnants of the Demon Sect! This waterway ahead is sealed. Who are you? What are you carrying on your ship? Do you have any Zheng Family remnants or forbidden items from the Demon Sect? Stop your ship at once for inspection!"
Chen Qing’s cold gaze swept over the bundles of valuables on their boat.
The men were intimidated by the name of the Wutai Sect. Seeing that Chen Qing had a calm and steady demeanor, unlike an ordinary disciple, they exchanged a look, their facial muscles twitching.
The leader, a scar-faced man, suppressed his ferocity, cupped his fists, and said, "Greetings, Brother. We’re just freelance fighters who got lucky and picked up some things left behind by the Water Bandits. There’s definitely nothing from the Demon Sect here! This is a small token of our appreciation. Please, Brother, make things easy for us!"
As he spoke, he reluctantly tossed over the two most swollen parcels from his boat.
Chen Qing weighed them in his hands. "Is this all? Are you trying to get rid of a beggar? Elder Shen Xiuyong himself is guarding the main waterway, and when he asks, he demands seventy percent."
He paused deliberately before continuing in a leisurely tone, "I’ll make an exception. Leave fifty percent of your goods, and I’ll let you pass. That’s me being... extremely generous."
"Fifty percent?! And you call that... extremely generous?"
The scar-faced man nearly coughed up a mouthful of old blood. The men behind him were so angry they trembled.
But the name "Shen Xiuyong" was like a bucket of ice water poured over their heads, instantly extinguishing any thought of resistance.
They thought about that Evil God on the main waterway, who demanded seventy percent as a starting price. If they lingered here and annoyed this person in front of them, and he summoned that monster... they’d probably have to leave behind their boat, their goods, and their lives!
The scar-faced man finally forced out a few words through gritted teeth, "...Alright! Fine! Fifty percent! Thank you, Brother... for your mercy!"
He practically squeezed his eyes shut, his heart bleeding with every moment, as he handed over another, noticeably heavier parcel. Inside were several aged Treasure Medicines and some high-quality jade artifacts.
Only then did Chen Qing step aside, clearing the waterway.
After this successful start, the next few groups were scared witless at the mere mention of Shen Xiuyong’s name, making the process remarkably efficient.
Whether it was forty percent or thirty-five percent, they paid their toll money and fled as if escaping for their lives, terrified that Chen Qing might change his mind or alert ’Shen Qicheng’.
In addition to these, a Treasure Ship from Cold Jade Valley also passed by.
Chen Qing didn’t inspect it; he just gave a shout and let it pass.
He roughly estimated that in just one afternoon, the value of the goods he had collected was close to twenty thousand taels of silver. It was a bountiful harvest.
The sun sank in the west, dyeing the waters blood-red.
The sounds of slaughter from the island had not ceased; instead, they grew even more shrill as night approached.
Just then, a Treasure Ship of rather impressive design sailed silently out from the depths of the waterway.
Its speed was not fast, and its hull had smooth, flowing lines. It was clearly a much better vessel than the dilapidated wreck Chen Qing was standing on.
A man stood at the bow, dressed in a brocade robe, appearing to be around forty years old.
His cuffs and the hem of his robe were stained with several dark red bloodstains.
The ship stopped ten zhang before Chen Qing’s vessel.
The man in the brocade robe cupped his hands. "I am Wang Zhenshan of the South City Wang Family, the second-born. I came in response to the order to suppress the bandits but unfortunately encountered a small group of resisting Water Bandits and lost some of my men. Thankfully, I was able to escape. Onboard are the remains of my Wang Family guards and some spoils of war. I ask that this esteemed disciple of the Wutai Sect make things convenient for me."
He adopted a very humble posture and announced his family name, attempting to appeal to emotion.
Chen Qing’s gaze was like lightning as it swept over the other ship’s hull.
The bloodstains were fresh, and their locations were suspicious. They didn’t look like splatters from a fierce battle, but more like... stains from carrying a heavy object or from close-quarters kills.
’Suspicious!’
Chen Qing remained impassive. "So, it is Second Young Master Wang. My duties require me to conduct an inspection. In the chaos of this purge, it’s hard to guarantee that no remnants or stolen goods will be smuggled out. Leave seventy percent of the valuables on your ship, and you may pass."
He had deliberately quoted the highest price as a test.
A muscle in Wang Zhenshan’s face twitched violently. He took a deep breath and said, "Seventy percent?! Sir, that... that is too much! Fifty percent! Fifty percent at most! I will present it immediately, I swear!"
’This reaction only confirmed my suspicions. There’s something fishy about this ship!’
’And it’s definitely not something as simple as ordinary valuables. Otherwise, why would an expert at the Early-stage Embracing Pill Realm so easily give up a massive twenty percent profit?’
"No need to trouble Second Young Master Wang."
Unmoved, Chen Qing’s figure blurred, and he leaped onto the deck of the other’s sturdy, polished Treasure Ship. "Fifty percent or seventy percent, I’ll decide after I’ve inspected it myself!"
Wang Zhenshan’s expression changed drastically. He hastily took a step sideways to block the cabin door. "How... how can you do this! The fallen guards are inside. It’s a foul and filthy scene. I fear it would defile your eyes..."