Chapter 99: Mentor in Peril, the True Identity of the Benefactor

When the remaining lackeys were eliminated and the dust finally settled, it was already the afternoon of the second day of the second lunar month.

The residents of Yuegang, having suffered through the ravages of evil spirits and the raids of the Japanese pirates, had spent two days in anxious uncertainty under the protection of the "Cornucopia." When they saw the yin and yang flip outside the city walls come to an end and the sediment of history slowly fade away, a massive cheer erupted throughout the city.

The commoners walked out of their homes, spreading the news to one another and kowtowing repeatedly toward the Baoshan Beacon Tower.

"May Elder Shen live a hundred years!"
"My family will set up a longevity tablet for the Zhisui Hall official."
"Tomorrow, I’m sending my boy to be an apprentice at the Shanhai Association, so he can learn skills to serve our folks back home."

At this moment, the victorious civilian fleet returned to Yuegang following the reversal of yin and yang, escorting the gentry's fleet back to their anchorage along the Xiang River that flowed through the city. Wang Cheng’s flagship, the *Qingyi*, and the now-cleansed flagship of Pu Shouying, the *Babao*, were prominently displayed among them.

He, Huang Yuanzhou, and Han Zechang had already finished dividing the spoils. It wasn't just this sailing warship that he had captured single-handedly; a significant portion of the four-hundred-liao main battle ships from the gentry’s fleet had also fallen under the name of "Wang Fugui." After this battle, he had gorged himself on both dragon energy and military equipment.

Finally, a silver-white dragon soared out from the well in the center of the Octagonal Tower ruins, shooting straight into the clouds, its roar echoing throughout the world.

"Look! It’s a dragon!"
An old man beside him slapped down the hand the young man was pointing at the sky with and scolded, "That is Lady Yan, who suppressed the sediment of history for over twenty years. She has protected our borders and brought peace to the people, earning immeasurable merit. Why aren't you kneeling and bowing?"
"Look, there's someone on Lady Yan's back! It seems to be the temple attendant, Miss Xiaoxiao, and the Fourth Master Wang of the Shanhai Association."
"It looks like Miss Xiaoxiao and the Fourth Master performed a great service for Lady Yan. Otherwise, even those dragon descendants surnamed Han wouldn't have the chance to ride a dragon in their entire lives, right?"

The crowd gazed upward, mouths agape at the dreamlike sight of the dragon ascending to the heavens.

Yun Xiaoxiao was simple-minded and never had the bad habit of "doing good deeds without leaving a name." She circled the sky above Yuegang several times with Wang Cheng before disappearing into the clouds. The essence of a person receiving offerings and a spirit receiving incense was essentially the same; given the chance, one should naturally assert one's presence. Yun Xiaoxiao and Wang Cheng had reached an agreement to print currency, specifically allocating a portion of incense-willpower to produce "incense spirit money" for trade.

Considering it was more convenient to walk the mortal world with a reincarnated body, she had "spat out" the "Pearl Diver" ahead of schedule and gilded her with a layer of gold for good measure. Sitting one behind the other on the dragon's back, they had officially achieved the "Dragon Rider" status.

Now that both sides shared a secret and were true comrades-in-arms, the information provided by "Rare Goods" finally became much richer.

[Rare Goods: Yan Yunxiaoxiao (True Dragon Form/Reincarnated Body), True Dragon Form lifespan unknown, Reincarnated Body virtual age 22. Obsession: Family, Kinship.]

Ever since they first met and he saw Xiaoxiao singing fishing songs to the Shanhai Curse-Seal, it was clear she had always missed the Yan kin who had "returned to their posts" early within the Great Wall of Curse-Seals. As a dragon who had grown up in loneliness, Xiaoxiao was desperate for family and companions. "Returning to their posts early" was simply a euphemism for being slaughtered by the blades of war. While Wang Cheng felt a sense of shared sorrow, he couldn't help but complain to himself—it was fortunate she met someone upright like him, or she would have been sold and still helping the buyer count the money. If she had stumbled upon those treacherous merchants, she would have been converted into "family" and handed over her money in a matter of minutes.

Just then, the two looked down from their vantage point to see a massive, travel-worn fleet flying the flags of the Shanhai Association arriving late at the mouth of the Jiulong River. The many sailors on board also saw the dragon vanishing into the sky, the fading sediment of history, and the Baoshan Beacon Tower whose brilliance was dimming, and they were all whispering in discussion.

Yun Xiaoxiao didn't like interacting with strangers. She merely glanced at them before sinking completely into the clouds. She then eagerly suggested to Wang Cheng, "Little Chengzi, shall we go raid the Pu family's lair in Citong Port right now? I'll fly you there; we'll arrive by nightfall. The moon will be dark and the wind high, which will make it easy to strike."

Wang Cheng, however, turned his head toward Yuegang beneath his feet. "Sister Xiaoxiao, wait a moment. Before we deal with the Pu family, I have another, more important matter to attend to."

***

The entire city was cheering, but inside the Baoshan Beacon Tower, the atmosphere was somewhat stagnant.

Shen Yuting, the Zhisui Hall official, carefully put away the "Cornucopia," a national treasure passed down through the Shen family of Wealth Gods. He sat on an official’s hat-chair, staring at the golden sunset in silence for a long time. The Shen family of Wealth Gods had once soared to the nine heavens and also fallen into the abyss; they knew better than anyone that there were two things in the world one should never look at directly: the sun and the human heart.

The idea that "good people are rewarded" was a grave mistake. Perhaps most normal people could be grateful, but if even one or two of those who discovered the existence of the "Cornucopia" harbored malicious intent, things would turn disastrous. The lessons of his ancestors told him never to leave things to chance.

"I should have left before the Shanhai Association fleet entered the port."

He lifted his teacup to his lips, only to find it empty. Just as he was about to set it down, a hand holding a teapot reached over and steadily refilled it. Immediately after, a voice with a strange tone but a very familiar inflection resonated softly in his ears:

"Have you received the news of the Pu family’s misdeeds rebounding from the river of history? The Shen family of Wealth Gods and the Pu family were enemies, one winning and one losing, yet in the end, their circumstances seem little different. The only difference is that one was driven by hatred, while the other by greed. Master, are you planning to take your pot and run?"

Shen Yuting turned to see Wang Cheng, now revealing his true face, but his expression showed little surprise. He didn't dwell on how his "Fourth disciple" had turned into such a deep-hidden schemer just by stepping out the door, nor did he ask about the way Wang Cheng addressed his family as the "Shen family of Wealth Gods." After all, once the "Cornucopia" was revealed, many things were already clear to those with a discerning eye. He only needed to know that this was still his own beloved disciple. His unique skill as a *Chaofenglang*, "Listening to Thunder," never erred; appearances could deceive, but the heart could not.

He took a sip of the tea Wang Cheng had poured and sighed. "Fourth one. A teacher’s duty, besides passing on knowledge and resolving doubts, is to teach disciples the principles of being a person. Let me give you one final lesson. To achieve great things, one must use open strategy to establish oneself and hidden tactics to protect oneself. Be righteous in conduct and skilled in execution; hold Buddha in your heart, but keep a blade in your hand. Doing good is never wrong, and the ideal of 'the world for all' is the greatest truth and will never go out of style. It is just that we, the Shen family, have never been able to grasp the maxim: 'Without thunderous means, do not practice a Bodhisattva's heart.' The price we paid has always been too high. Previously, when I was in the Nanyang... Never mind, it’s meaningless to tell you young people these things. Words are useless a hundred times over, but one experience will sink into the heart. When you have experienced it, you will understand. Fourth one, this time I plan to run a bit further, to the homeland of the Frankish people in the West. I’ve heard from ocean merchants that the seas over there are much safer than our vast Cangming Ocean. East and West Franks, the Netherlands, and a country called Britannia have just crowned a queen—the Tudor dynasty, is it? Would you like to come with me to see something novel?"

"If you want to stay in Dazhao, that’s fine too. I already arranged a new identity for you. Looking at your ability to change your appearance, I suppose I was worrying for nothing."

Though he said this, he found it difficult to leave his homeland. The Eastern and Western oceans were separated by thousands of mountains and rivers; once he left, he might never return. Shen Yuting sipped his increasingly bland tea, yet he felt somewhat intoxicated.

*Thump!*

Wang Cheng said nothing, simply dropping an unremarkable wooden stake onto the table. The *Chaofenglang's* "Listening to Thunder" could hear the intense inner voices of people, animals, and even inanimate objects; it was best at identifying antiques and talismans. Wang Cheng didn't need to explain; one glance was enough for him to "hear" its power.

He stood up abruptly from his chair, his lips trembling. "Fourth one, this, this, this..."

He knew the Pu family had been devoured by the river of history, but he had only known the result, not the cause. With "Building the Plank Road in the Open, Crossing the Chencang in Secret," while it couldn't fully cure the problems facing the Shen family of Wealth Gods, it was more than enough to treat the surface issues. As long as no accidents occurred, their main line of the Shen family would never have to hide or live a transient life again. It was a supreme treasure capable of suppressing a family's fortune; to the Shen family, it was worth more than the Imperial Jade Seal.

Seeing his master so excited that he stopped coughing from his chronic illness, Wang Cheng was worried about his health and quickly said, "Master, you know me. In the future, I have to take this treasure back to fight those traitorous descendants for the family property. We can take turns using the stake; consider it rented to you. The price is honest—just like the Fenglin Study that comes with a residence, the monthly rent is twenty-two taels. By the way, Master, I’ve already spoken to the agency; you can just pay last month’s rent to me, your landlord, Master Wang. It’s forty-four taels in total, but I’ll give you a discount for our master-disciple bond and round it down to forty. Cash or exchange note?"

Tossed into this banter, Shen Yuting’s heart, which was nearly fainting from excitement, finally calmed down. He set down the "Building the Plank Road in the Open, Crossing the Chencang in Secret," took off his cloth shoe, and chased after him to strike.

"Master Wang? Forty taels? You have no respect! Do you want forty shoe-soles from your master instead?!"

Wang Cheng had already switched back to the face of Wang Fugui and turned to run, leaving behind a grinning remark: "I’m going to have dinner with Lady Yan first. Don’t forget to return the stake when you’re done; I have a big deal to handle tonight."

Shen Yuting chased him to the door before turning back to look at the priceless "national treasure" left on the table. He stood dazed for a long time before letting out a long sigh. "What a good child. I, Shen Yuting, have spent decades sowing seeds of kindness, and I have finally reaped a good fruit."

He waved his hand to conceal the history of his use of the "Cornucopia," and his slightly hunched back straightened once more, as if he had finally set down a heavy burden. He strode out of the Baoshan Beacon Tower to welcome the reinforcements of the Shanhai Association.

At the same time, in Rongcheng, the capital of Minzhou. The Mansion of the Prince of Guangze.

In the Dazhao Dynasty, if one only counted the first-rank princes and commandery princes, there had been over sixty princes and thousands of commandery princes conferred. Because there were so many, they were running out of place names, leading to the common joke that in Dazhao, "there is no county without a prince."

However, the harsh climate of Qiongzhou and the mountainous terrain of Minzhou were two exceptions. Minzhou, in particular, had its large cities along the coast; traveling by land meant crossing mountains and rivers, and the sea route was full of dangers. Thus, for a long time after the founding of the dynasty, it was the destination for exiled royals who had committed errors.

As for the Mansion of the Prince of Guangze, while not a princely mansion, the ancestors were no minor figures; it even involved a little-known secret among the Han royal clan.

Nowadays, the current Prince of Guangze had been bedridden for years and unable to manage affairs. When Lu Yi, the Commander of the White Scales Guard and the Emperor's special envoy, came to investigate the "Minzhou Treason Case," it was the Prince’s heir, Han Wugui, who was responsible for the reception.

During their conversation, this heir, who had been verified by White Scales Guard spies as someone who never stepped out of his gates and kept a very low profile, suddenly straightened his expression.

"Lord Lu, entrusted by someone, I wish to report a major criminal of the imperial court hiding within Minzhou who endangers the region. He is..."

He stopped mid-sentence, stumbling over his words, and even he himself was stunned.

*‘Wait, what was I going to report? And where did my "Obedient Dragon Pearl" go?’*