Chapter 92

With a fortune of thirty thousand gold pieces wrapped around his waist, Fang Ling rented a small boat from Mo Tu City and, following the canal between the two cities, arrived at Qu Du City in three days. During this journey, although Fang Ling did not go ashore much, he continuously observed the situation of the Lotus Veneration Sect in secret. In his observations, the followers of the Lotus Veneration Sect were quite numerous. In the three days, he went ashore three times, and each time he saw the sect's disciples performing rituals and distributing talisman water. What exactly did the Lotus Veneration Sect want to do? There were cultivators involved, so their intentions must be significant.

"Sir, we are approaching Qu Du City!" The boat captain was a man in his thirties with a rather rough personality. However, he held Fang Ling in high regard. This respect was not because of Fang Ling's money, but because of an incident earlier when they were passing through the middle of a river. Due to the wind and waves or some other reason, the small boat was pulled into a whirlpool.

The boat captain, with years of experience, knew that once a boat was pulled into a whirlpool, it was almost certain death. No matter how hard he and his two crew members tried, they could not free the boat from the whirlpool, and it was almost capsized.

At this critical moment, the seemingly weak Fang Ling took the oar from one of the crew members without hesitation. Although his movements were not fast, in just a dozen strokes, he managed to free the boat from the whirlpool.

According to the boat captain's estimate, each stroke Fang Ling made required at least three thousand pounds of strength, otherwise, it would not have been possible to break free from the whirlpool. This judgment made the boat captain even more respectful and fearful of Fang Ling.

Fang Ling smiled and casually gave the boat captain a gold ingot, saying, "This is the remaining boat fare. The extra is for you to drink."

"Sir, we dare not accept the boat fare. If it weren't for you, none of us on this boat would have survived. If I take your boat fare..." The boat captain loudly said, holding the money out to Fang Ling with both hands.

Fang Ling waved his hand, "Just take it." Fang Ling's voice was not loud, but it carried a dignity that made the boat captain dare not question it. By the time he reacted, Fang Ling had already picked up his small travel bag and disembarked.

As the capital of the State of Lu, the dock was bustling with boats coming and going. Fang Ling walked forward, pondering whether to rest for two days or go directly to the Qing Shou Palace to take up the position of National Guardian.

Someone was observing him! The divine sense Fang Ling spread around his body instantly conveyed this information to him. This made Fang Ling's face turn cold, and he looked toward the nearby area. He saw an old man, dressed as a steward, about fifty years old, staring straight at him from about ten steps to his left.

Fang Ling could be certain that he had never seen this old man before, and the old man was just an ordinary person who had only practiced some basic martial arts, not even reaching the second level of Qi cultivation. Why was he staring at him like this? Was there something on his face?

Just as Fang Ling's thoughts were racing, the old man suddenly walked up to him, his face showing a hint of excitement, and asked, "May I ask if you are surnamed Liu?"

Surnamed Liu? A case of mistaken identity? Fang Ling said indifferently, "I am surnamed Fang."

His words did not disappoint the man; instead, the man's expression became even more excited. He reached out and grabbed Fang Ling's hand, trembling as he asked, "Are you from Ding Fang City?"

Fang Ling's hand was already full of spiritual energy. If the old man made any wrong move, Fang Ling would not hesitate. The old man, of course, did not know that by grabbing Fang Ling's hand, he had already been on the brink of life and death several times.

"Yes, I am from Ding Fang City."

"You must be surnamed Fang, hahaha!" The old man said, gripping Fang Ling's hand even tighter. "Young... Master Fang, this old servant invites you to meet someone. Once you meet that person, everything will be clear."

If it were an ordinary person, they would not follow a servant to meet a stranger, but Fang Ling was not an ordinary person. As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, there were not many people in Qu Du City who could make him fear. Moreover, he had already become interested in this suddenly appearing old man. He calmly said, "There is no problem with me going to meet someone, but could you first introduce yourself?"

"Oh, this old servant is Liu Cheng. You can just call me by my name." As he said this, he released Fang Ling's hand, but his eyes still stared intently at Fang Ling.

"You really look like him!" Although Liu Cheng's voice was low, it did not escape Fang Ling's ears. Although Liu Cheng called himself an old servant, everything that followed showed that he was a person of some status. On the way out of the dock, not only were there seven or eight agile and strong men following him, but many people also greeted him respectfully.

"Hello, Chief Steward!" "Chief Liu, do you have time for lunch today? Let's chat!"

These people who greeted him warmly were all dressed in fine clothing, clearly people who were well-connected.

"Move aside, the Jin Wu Army is on official business, and no one is safe!" Just as Liu Cheng was about to invite Fang Ling to board a carriage, a rough voice shouted.

The pedestrians on the dock, upon hearing this voice, scattered like rats fleeing from a cat! However, Liu Cheng's carriage could not easily avoid it. From the calm attitude of the coachman and Liu Cheng, it seemed they had no intention of avoiding it.

"You deaf bastards, looking for death!" A tall, muscular man in shiny armor charged over like a whirlwind. As he cursed, he raised the whip in his hand and lashed out toward Liu Cheng.

Before his whip could strike, the tip of the whip suddenly turned and flew backward. The muscular man, accustomed to bullying people, had never been stopped before. He immediately cursed, "Who the hell dares to stop us..."

"Sir, I didn't see it was you!" When the muscular man saw his whip tip in the hand of a tall, broad-shouldered, and fierce-looking man, he immediately rolled off his horse and knelt down to beg for forgiveness.

"Get lost, and be more careful in the future!" The fierce man threw the whip tip away and smiled. He shook his brocade robe and clasped his hands, saying, "Chief Steward, the young rascals under me have eyes in the back of their heads and didn't see you. Please don't hold a grudge against them, sir!"

Liu Cheng smiled skillfully, "General Jin Wu is too polite. It's a small matter, and you don't need to take it to heart."

General Jin Wu, before being possessed, was familiar with the situation in the State of Lu. The Jin Wu Army was one of the four major protective forces in the capital of Lu. Although the position of Jin Wu General was not top-tier, it was still a powerful position. Now, such a powerful person was being so polite to Liu Cheng, indicating that Liu Cheng's status was not simple.

General Jin Wu chuckled, "Chief Steward is magnanimous. I thank you. Please convey a message to Lord Liu for me. When Lord Liu has time, I would like to visit his residence."

"General Zhao's intentions, I will certainly report to my lord," Liu Cheng smiled. He did not show any subservience to the Jin Wu General. General Zhao clasped his hands in gratitude. His gaze then fell on Fang Ling's face, and his rough and fierce expression stiffened, but he quickly concealed it.

Fang Ling looked at General Zhao, whose cultivation had reached the peak of the sixth level of Qi cultivation. The killing aura that occasionally burst from his body made people feel a chill. According to Fang Ling's judgment, with this killing aura, even four or five experts of the same level might not be able to defeat him.

"Sir, General Jin Wu Zhao Wuxue is not a good person. In the future, if you encounter him, try to avoid provoking him," Liu Cheng whispered after Fang Ling sat down by the small table in the carriage.

Fang Ling chuckled, "The chances of me dealing with this Jin Wu General are not high." This statement contained a hint of probing, and when Liu Cheng heard it, his expression stiffened, but he quickly changed the subject.

Although Liu Cheng called himself an old servant, his speech was quite refined. He had extensive knowledge and told Fang Ling many interesting stories about Qu Du City. However, he subtly tried to learn about Fang Ling's life in Ding Fang City.

Although Liu Cheng had some authority in Qu Du City, in Fang Ling's eyes, it was like an ant to an elephant. He did not bother to guard himself and basically said everything he could.

The carriage was smooth and fast, and Liu Cheng seemed to be familiar with Ding Fang City. When talking about the mysterious La Shan space, Liu Cheng said, "The small space in La Shan is quite rare. In my years of traveling, I have only seen a similar one in the Yun Meng Mountain in Dong Yang Continent."

Fang Ling's heart stirred. The name "Yun Meng Mountain" was not unfamiliar to him. On this journey, he had been looking for information about small spaces, hoping to obtain another Dusty Smoke Map, but had not found anything. He did not expect to get some information from Liu Cheng. This was truly a case of "searching high and low without success, but finding it easily when least expected."

Just as Fang Ling was about to ask Liu Cheng for the specific location of the Yun Meng Mountain space, Liu Cheng suddenly said, "Sir, is Miss Qing Mei well?"

Miss Qing Mei? Fang Qing Mei! Fang Ling was taken aback and then said, "A few years ago, my mother left Ding Fang City, and I don't know where she went."

"Ah! How could this be..." Liu Cheng exclaimed in surprise. At this moment, the carriage stopped, and someone outside said, "Chief Steward, we have arrived."

"Sir, please rest here for a moment. I will go and bring the person you are to meet," Liu Cheng said softly, hiding the shock in his eyes.

PS: Thank you, Brother Feizibing, for your consistent support! Thank you, Brother Yuyan Zilin, Brother Gugao Wangyue, and others for your generous support! I am asking for recommendations and collections. I will definitely have a burst of updates in October to thank everyone!