I am Zhao Zhijing, a poor Taoist priest, and I have disciples all over the world.

"Master, Sect Leader Song!"

As a naval commander, Yu Tonghai had weathered countless storms, but this was his first time handling affairs for the instructor, and he had made a mistake. He was both anxious and angry, and couldn't help but rub his hands together vigorously.

"The Tartar officials have gone mad for some reason. They just personally led a large contingent of troops to the dock and ordered all ships to set sail immediately south, at least twenty miles away from Haijin Town. Anyone who disobeys will be executed on the spot!"

“In the past, this kind of thing would only happen if the Tartar emperor or a high-ranking official like a prince came, which would require such a great deal of effort.”

Upon hearing this, Song Qingshu immediately thought of Zhao Min. Her father, the Prince of Ruyang, could mobilize the troops of the entire country. Apart from her, he couldn't imagine who else would jump out to cause trouble at this critical juncture.

Zhang Wuji was worried that his adoptive father Xie Xun would fall into the hands of Granny Jin Hua, but it would be suicidal for Yu Tonghai's hundred or so men to fight the Yuan soldiers head-on.

"Brother Yu, you lead your men south first. Your leader Zhang and I will find another way. Remember to keep an eye out for any ships that sail out of here again tonight or tomorrow morning. Follow them according to the original plan."

Seeing Song Qingshu speak, Zhang Wuji also said, "Brother Yu, just listen to my Senior Brother Song."

"Yes, I will do it now!"

Yu Tonghai stamped his foot and turned to leave. Song Qingshu and the other two also walked out of the cabin. They saw that the ships that were originally docked in the port were all setting sail and heading south in a race.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, all the ships in sight had already traveled several miles away, except for one large ship with two decks and iron cannons mounted on its hull, which remained stationary, and no Yuan soldiers came to drive it away.

However, the gunboat was covered with fishing nets, and sailors were carrying their catch back and forth on the deck, suggesting that it had been converted into a fishing boat.

"These are gunboats built by the Mongol army for their expedition to Japan. However, things didn't go as planned. After a great storm, more than half of the navy was lost, and the expedition to the east became a pipe dream. This gunboat was the only one that survived by chance."

After asking a local elder, Song Qingshu became even more certain that if it wasn't Zhao Min, who else could have obtained such a naval gunboat from the government?
"Brother Song, should we sneak in without being noticed by the people on the ship?"

Song Qingshu shook his head and said, "There's no need to waste any effort. Zhao Min even foresaw this step. There must be hidden sentries on the ship. Let's just go directly there."

The three waited a while, and only after confirming that all the Yuan soldiers had withdrawn did they walk toward the gunboat. When the sailors on the ship heard that the newcomers' surname was Song, they did not go back to inform them, but immediately invited the three of them onto the ship.

"Sect Leader Song, Sect Leader Zhang, I have been waiting for you for a long time."

Zhao Min sat calmly in the cabin, with three wine glasses on the table in front of her, clearly having come prepared in advance.

Seeing the smug smile that she couldn't suppress, Song Qingshu picked up a wine glass and invited Zhang Wuji to sit down, while Xiao Zhao stood behind him to serve him.

Zhang Wuji cupped his hands and said, "Miss Zhao, please forgive me for my offense at Wan'an Temple that night."

Zhao Min smiled and said, "Master Zhang, there's no need to worry. None of the abbots and sect leaders of the four major sects are willing to surrender. It's good that you two can rescue them this time."

"In this way, no one in the Central Plains martial arts world will have a name as resounding as Headmaster Song and Leader Zhang."

Song Qingshu raised his wine glass and said, "Congratulations, Miss Zhao, on winning this round. I'll drink to that first."

Seeing this, Zhao Min's smile deepened, and she downed the wine in her cup in one gulp. "Sect Leader Song is overthinking it. I've carried the Heaven-Slaying Sword with me for a long time, but I've never seen the Dragon-Slaying Saber, which is on par with it. Now that I have the opportunity to see it with my own eyes, I certainly won't miss it." Since he was already on Zhao Min's boat, Song Qingshu didn't want to ask how she knew about Granny Jin Hua's whereabouts.

Now that this is the only ship left in the area that can go out to sea, Granny Jin Hua has no choice but to obediently take the bait if she wants to return to Ling Snake Island.

“Miss Zhao, we have an agreement. That Dragon-Slaying Saber belongs to my godfather, the Golden-Haired Lion King. If you try to take it by force, I will absolutely not let you succeed.”

Zhao Min said, "I don't know how to use a knife, and it would be too heavy for me to even have a look. I'm just curious and want to take a look. Don't you think so, Sect Leader Song?"

She answered Zhang Wuji's question, but her eyes were on Song Qingshu. Only when Song Qingshu slowly nodded did she say with satisfaction, "There's no time to lose. The person we're waiting for could arrive at any moment. It would be more appropriate to disguise ourselves as sailors on the ship now."

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhao Min clapped her hands, and someone immediately brought over several sets of sailor outfits and various face paints, which served both to prevent being recognized and to protect against the scorching sun and sea breeze.

Because of the difference between men and women, Song Qingshu and Zhang Wuji went to find a place to change their clothes. Zhao Min looked at Xiao Zhao and smiled meaningfully, "You are so beautiful, and Sect Leader Song takes you wherever he goes. He must like you very much."

Xiao Zhao blushed, afraid of angering Zhao Min, so she didn't reply and continued to apply yellow paint to her face.

Once everything was ready, the four of them drank wine on the boat, waiting patiently for Granny Jin Hua to arrive.

"This large ship is extremely sturdy. The helmsman and sailors on board are all my men. All other necessities, such as dry food and water, are readily available. You can rest assured."

The group discussed matters to be aware of when going to sea, and soon it was evening. As expected, Granny Jin Hua appeared with Zhu'er to rent a boat.

The boat captain had been instructed by Zhao Min beforehand to initially refuse, claiming that this was a fishing boat specifically for fishing and could not carry passengers.

It wasn't until Granny Jin Hua flew into a rage and displayed her martial arts skills that she reluctantly agreed under duress.

And so, the captain immediately ordered the helmsman to raise the sails and set sail in a southeast direction.

It was early winter, and the north wind howled across the sea. The ship was moving incredibly fast, and soon it was far from Haijin Town, sailing into the vast, endless sea, as if it were cut off from the world.

In order not to let Yu Tonghai's ship miss the boat, Song Qingshu and Zhang Wuji took turns to go up to the deck for a breath of fresh air. Zhao Min, who had been in the Central Plains for a long time, was also not used to the rough seas, so she did not suspect anything.

Fortunately, Yu Tonghai brought a total of five ships, and there were people keeping a close watch at intervals, so they discovered the gunboat's whereabouts immediately and followed it from several directions at a distance.

"Senior Brother Song, my godfather's Icefire Island is located in the far north, but Granny Golden Flower is heading south. What should we do?"

Zhang Wuji initially thought that Granny Jin Hua was going to Ice and Fire Island, but seeing that things were not going well, he couldn't help but discuss it with Song Qingshu.

"Right now, the winds are blowing from the north, so there's no way to go north. Let's wait and see what happens. Maybe Granny Jin Hua has some other plans."

Song Qingshu offered a word of advice, knowing that this trip was to Spirit Serpent Island, and everything would naturally become clear then. (End of Chapter)