Chapter 219 - 161: Gathering
"Looks like everyone is here. Let’s get going then."
Lu Changfeng said slowly.
Wei He and Nie Yu were both visibly excited, forcing Lu Changfeng to have his clone, Lu Jun, also put on an excited expression.
"Master Lu!" Because of how Han Fan had addressed him previously, the three of them all called him Master Lu.
Lu Changfeng waved his hand. "Follow me."
Lu Changfeng stepped onto a passenger boat.
This was a vessel belonging to the Saint Demon Sect, its hull bearing the sect’s insignia.
In today’s Yunyang Prefecture, that insignia was not something one could use lightly.
If the Saint Demon Sect caught you misusing their insignia, the experience would be anything but pleasant...
...
The three of them followed Lu Changfeng closely onto the boat.
This passenger boat had been specially requisitioned by Lu Changfeng for his own use.
Lu Changfeng’s Law Enforcement Demon Sect wasn’t entirely without personnel.
With the help of the Hua Mansion and the two mistresses, Lu Changfeng had recruited a good number of peripheral members.
The boat captain was one such peripheral member of the Saint Demon Sect’s Law Enforcement Demon Sect. He was a burly man at the Blood Forging Realm Fourth Layer, nicknamed Iron Head.
He had previously been unaffiliated with any faction and had made a living operating a passenger boat after drifting to Qin City, before being recruited by Lu Changfeng.
On a typical day, he was mainly responsible for ferrying members of the Saint Demon Sect back and forth.
"Lord Demon Sect!" Stepping onto the passenger boat, Iron Head bowed respectfully to Lu Changfeng.
Lu Changfeng waved his hand. "Do you know the route?"
Iron Head nodded. "I’ve received the message. We are to rendezvous with Demon General Xu in Rain City, then continue south to Sword City."
Lu Changfeng nodded. "Very good."
Demon General Xu was, of course, Xu Fan, whom Lu Changfeng had appointed as the Seventh Demon General.
Within the Saint Demon Sect, only Lu Changfeng and Xu Fan walked the path of the Sword Dao.
Therefore, after Lu Changfeng, in his capacity as Saint Master, announced in the group chat that the Saint Demon Sect would send people to participate in Sword City’s Sword Discussion Conference, it was only natural that Lu Changfeng and Xu Fan couldn’t avoid it.
Afterward, Lu Changfeng and Xu Fan communicated privately and agreed to meet in Rain City before traveling to Sword City together.
Xu Fan was now in the Rebirth Realm, making travel inconvenient. He would surely have to stay in a private carriage to meditate, hiring a driver, which would be much slower.
That was why Lu Changfeng chose to travel by water for this trip to Sword City.
Jiangnan Prefecture had an abundance of waterways. It might be a bit slower, but it was a comfortable ride, and it would give him a chance to wait for Xu Fan.
’That fellow Xu Fan is tied up with the Headless King. It’d be good to interact with him more.’
"The three of you, go pick your own rooms."
"For the sake of peace and quiet, I haven’t arranged for any servants on board, aside from a cook," Lu Changfeng said.
The three of them verbally agreed.
Lu Changfeng, meanwhile, walked toward the cabin on the highest deck of the passenger boat.
This was Lu Changfeng’s private suite.
Iron Head had been quite meticulous with the arrangements.
The room was about ten square meters, with a soft couch covered in animal hide, a cattail cushion for meditation, and a table in the center laid out with fresh fruits and pastries.
Through the window, one could take in the entire view of the scenery outside.
Satisfied, Lu Changfeng closed his eyes and began to cultivate.
Meanwhile, in a cabin below deck.
The three of them had gathered in a larger room to talk.
"Who is Demon General Xu?" Nie Yu asked.
The boy was a native of Qin City, but he had always been engrossed in his cultivation and didn’t know that the Saint Demon Sect had recently gained a new Demon General.
Lu Changfeng controlled his clone, Lu Jun, to offer a brief explanation.
"Demon General Xu should be Xu Fan, the former Sect Master of the Moon Concealing Sect, which was subdued by the Saint Demon Sect."
"At the time, Xu Fan escaped the Saint Demon Sect’s encirclement."
"A while ago, the Saint Demon Sect suddenly issued an announcement. This Xu Fan must have seen the error of his ways and returned."
Wei He and Nie Yu seemed a bit lost in thought. "In that case, this Demon General Xu must also be an expert with outstanding Sword Dao Talent."
Lu Changfeng pulled up Xu Fan’s interface in his mind.
Xu Fan possessed the High-Grade Sword Dao Talent [Sword Heart].
He had extremely high potential in the Sword Dao.
The current Xu Fan had already comprehended a visualized Advanced Sword Intent. Although it was only the first stage of Advanced Sword Intent, he was already more exceptional than most people in the world.
Many in the Rebirth Realm, due to insufficient Talent, were unable to comprehend an Advanced Martial Arts True Intent even after entering the realm and accumulating time. The vast majority were stuck at Intermediate Martial Arts True Intent.
For Lu Changfeng and Sikong Jue to have comprehended Intermediate Sword Intent with their Blood Forging Realm cultivation back then was a sign of truly terrifying talent.
Besides his Talent, Sikong Jue also had his [Ancient Sword Bone Dragon] Demon Fiend Bloodline, which provided some kind of bonus to his comprehension of the Sword Dao.
"He is said to be an existence who has comprehended Advanced Sword Intent," the clone Lu Jun said.
"This time, we’re in for a real treat," Nie Yu said with a smile.
Wei He nodded. "We’ve really lucked out by getting to participate in this Sword Discussion Conference."
’Seeing this guy’s special focus on the Sword Dao, his Talent must also be related to it.’ Lu Changfeng observed Wei He.
’It’s just that due to some kind of fusion, his Talent hasn’t been unlocked, so I can’t see his Root Bone Talent at the moment.’
After talking for a while, the three of them also found their own rooms and began to cultivate.
And so, the boat traveled south under clear skies and a gentle breeze.
The experienced Iron Head was at the helm.
Three times a day, a chef prepared delicious delicacies that were delivered to their rooms.
Along the way, the river traffic was bustling. The civilians of Yunyang Prefecture, governed by the Saint Demon Sect, had begun trading with the people of Jiangnan Prefecture, which was controlled by Daliang.
There was no sign of any Water Pirates or thieves.
Neither the Saint Demon Sect nor Daliang gave the Water Pirates any courage to show themselves. Or rather, the common people under their rule didn’t even have the courage to become bandits.
Thus, at dusk, the boat arrived at a waterway checkpoint.
On the Yunyang Prefecture side, they were easily let through after a verification check.
After passing the checkpoint on the Yunyang Prefecture side, the Daliang Water Pass was several hundred meters away on the opposite bank.
The Daliang Water Pass soldiers saw the Saint Demon Sect’s insignia on the boat’s hull, and their expressions changed. They dispatched a small boat to guide them.
The small boat guided Lu Changfeng’s vessel to an entrance that didn’t require queuing, and soldiers came aboard to inspect it.
Upon learning that Lu Changfeng was a Demon Sect of the Saint Demon Sect, their expressions became even more respectful. After giving him an official document, they quickly let them pass.
The Daliang Alien Race was always deferential to the strong.
Iron Head stood at the bow, steering the boat slowly into Daliang’s territory.
He wasn’t very familiar with the waterways ahead, so he had to concentrate on piloting the vessel.
The journey continued peacefully.
「A few days later.」
They arrived at Rain City.
After presenting the official document, Iron Head was permitted to enter the city and dock at a pier in Rain City.
"Lord Demon Sect, we have arrived at Rain City," Iron Head said softly, having come to Lu Changfeng’s door.
"I know."
Lu Changfeng took out a piece of letter paper to contact Xu Fan.
The man must have been hibernating or dozing, as it took him a long while to reply to Lu Changfeng.
About an hour later, Xu Fan’s figure appeared on the pier.
Lu Changfeng’s estimate before setting out had been quite accurate; the man had arrived in Rain City at almost the same time as him.
Lu Changfeng stood on the bow with his three grand-disciples, waving to Xu Fan.
Amid the crowd’s gasps of surprise, Xu Fan flew directly through the air and landed on the boat.
"I am Demon General Xu Fan. I’ll be troubling you from now on, Lu Law Enforcement." This time, all of Xu Fan’s arrogance was gone. Facing Lu Changfeng, a ’Bone Refining Realm’ member of the Law Enforcement Demon Sect, he took the initiative to speak in a friendly tone.
"You’re too kind. Demon General Xu, come with me. Your room is ready. For the next few days, you can just focus on your secluded cultivation and rest."
"Oh, right. These three are my grand-disciples: Wei He, Nie Yu, and Lu Jun." Lu Changfeng said, leading Xu Fan further onto the boat.
Xu Fan nodded to each of them in acknowledgment. "As expected of your grand-disciples, Lu Law Enforcement. They are indeed all prodigiously talented."
After everything he had been through, Xu Fan, the genius who had once defected from the Xuanyuan Sword Sect, had come to recognize the fact that he was merely an ordinary genius.
After joining the Saint Demon Sect and becoming a Demon General, he had become much more low-key and affable.
And so, with Lu Changfeng and Xu Fan successfully gathered, they headed straight for their destination: Sword City.