Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 558 A Misunderstanding

Two days later.

The sky was clear and the sea was boundless.

A small boat drifts on the vast sea.

Two people were sitting in a small boat, drifting leisurely downstream.

Sitting at the bow of the boat was a tall, fierce-looking giant whose massive body occupied almost half of the small boat. Every breath he took was accompanied by the violent rise and fall of his chest, like a lurking beast.

It was Liang Jin.

The person holding the oar at the stern was a boy with feminine features.

The boy had rosy lips and white teeth, a delicate face, and large, watery eyes, making him easily mistaken for a beautiful young girl at first glance.

It was An Lansheng.

"Senior brother..."

An Lansheng's voice was torn to pieces by the sea breeze. His slender figure was like a weak willow, and his delicate fingers gripped the oar tightly, his knuckles turning white, appearing even more fragile in the morning light.

He glanced uneasily at the endless expanse of azure around him, his pupils reflecting the surging waves:
"Won't we get lost like this?"

An Lansheng was a child who grew up on land, not someone who made his living by water.

So when he looked around, all he could see was the vast ocean, and nothing else.

He could no longer discern the direction he had come from.

Especially since the two of them were only traveling in a small boat.

These small boats are perfectly fine for boating on ponds and lakes.

But placed in this vast ocean, this small boat appears so tiny and fragile that even a slightly larger wave could capsize it.

This inevitably caused fear to arise in An Lansheng's heart.

Hearing this, Liang Jin, who was sitting at the bow of the boat, turned around. His rough hand landed heavily on An Lansheng's thin shoulder, making a dull thud.
"Don't be afraid, your senior brother is here. I guarantee I can bring you back safely."

His deep voice, like a booming bell, made An Lansheng's eardrums tingle.

But the warmth transmitted through that palm was like a flickering flame, igniting a sense of peace in An Lansheng's heart.

An Lansheng looked ashamed.

He couldn't help but want to explain that he wasn't cowardly, but just a little unaccustomed to it.

Before he could even speak, Liang Jin had already turned around, leaving him with only a large and broad back.

This made An Lansheng swallow back the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

But he was no longer so anxious.

This seemingly fierce and menacing senior brother always manages to put people at ease.

An Lansheng still remembers that when he first entered the sect, he was severely bullied by a group of senior brothers and sisters. It was Liang Jin who rescued him with brutal means.

After that, he worked for Liang Jin.

Liang Jin, however, always manages to accomplish tasks that seem impossible to others, as if he were an omnipotent person.

An Lansheng followed Liang Jin and never felt any dissatisfaction.

If he had to say what he was worried about, it was that Liang Jin might take a liking to his mother, Han Suyan.

Liang Jin is too strong and too powerful. If he has any ill intentions towards Han Suyan, An Lansheng feels that she is completely powerless to resist.

Fortunately, Liang Jin had no designs on Han Suyan, and now he has even sent Han Suyan to Yu Linglong's side as her personal maid.

This put An Lansheng at ease, and he wholeheartedly continued to follow Liang Jin and do things for him.

Board.

Liang Jin's eyes appeared to be gazing into the distance, but he was actually looking at the system panel.

Today's intelligence hasn't been updated yet; Liang Jin is looking at old information that was updated yesterday:
[Intelligence 2: Zheng Jiaogu's envoy, Zheng Aoshan, is an old friend of Elder Li Xueqing of the Hualongmen Sect. He came to the Hualongmen Sect to pay tribute this time and intends to meet with his old friend for help. If you can help him meet Li Xueqing, you will receive his gratitude and a gift.]

"'Iron Whale King' Zheng Aoshan..."

Liang Jin muttered to himself, a chilling smirk curling at the corner of his mouth.

He had certainly heard of this person; he was one of the sons of the pirate leader Zheng Jiaogu.

Unexpectedly, this person turned out to be an old friend of Li Xueqing.

Since he is a friend of the enemy, he is also a potential enemy of Liang Jin.

Therefore, Liang Jin would not allow Zheng Aoshan to successfully land on Hualong Island, let alone let him meet Li Xueqing.

Upon receiving this information, Liang Jin immediately took a boat and brought only his trusted confidant, An Lansheng, with him, intending to intercept Zheng Aoshan halfway there.

"almost."

Liang Jin used the [Thousand-Mile Tracking] feature to check the routes of both sides.

It looks like the two sides will meet at sea in at most an hour.

At this time.

An Lansheng suddenly pointed into the distance, his voice changing tone:
"Senior brother! There's a big ship over there!"

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin was slightly puzzled and couldn't help but turn his head to look.

Sure enough, a large ship was seen cutting through the waves on the horizon, its white sails billowing and taut, and its masts, soaked in tung oil, gleaming golden in the sunlight.

This ship doesn't look like a pirate ship.

Zheng Aoshan's group of pirates were still quite a distance from Liang Jin, and were not yet in sight.

Although Liang Jin had exceptional eyesight, the curved surface of the sea prevented him from seeing very distant objects.

The large ship that appeared at this time looked to be a merchant ship.

Initially, the merchant ships clearly had their own course, which was roughly the same as Liang Jin and his group's, but the two sides should have been traveling in parallel lines and should not have intersected.

But the merchant ship was very fast and quickly caught up.

And then it suddenly turned and sped towards Liang Jin and his group.

Looking into the distance, one could see many people on the merchant ship waving and shouting at Liang Jin and his group.

This made An Lansheng somewhat nervous:
"Senior brother, could we have run into pirates?"

But after he finished speaking, he realized that what he said seemed a bit too cowardly.

So he quickly added:
"I'm not afraid! I'm already an eighth-rank martial artist!"

"Senior brother, I can fight too!"

Liang Jin simply smiled faintly and did not answer.

On this boundless, unsupervised sea, the lines between merchants and pirates are sometimes blurred.

Pirates can easily switch to being merchants, and merchants can also commit arson, murder, and plunder while transporting goods.

Although the ship that arrived at this time looked like a merchant ship, who could say for sure who the people on board were?

But Liang Jin wasn't afraid of anything, good or bad.

With his current strength, there aren't many people who can threaten him.

soon.

The merchant ship began to slow down and gradually approached.

The ship's massive shadow loomed over the area, like a dark cloud obscuring the sunlight.

This merchant ship was so large compared to the small boat that it approached like a behemoth.

next moment.

A rope was thrown down from above, hanging in front of Liang Jin and his companion.

At the same time, voices could be heard coming from the ship's side:
"Grab on! Climb up!"

"Do you still have the strength to come up? Do you want us to come down and rescue you?"

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin smiled helplessly.

Clearly, the people on this merchant ship mistook Liang Jin and An Lansheng for stranded travelers at sea.

But this is normal.

The small boat that Liang Jin and An Lansheng were on could only carry three or four people and didn't even have a sail, so it was not suitable for going out to sea alone.

It can barely serve as a lifeboat.

The people on the large ship saw Liang Jin and his companions adrift in their small boat and assumed that the large ship they were on had sunk and they were desperately waiting for rescue on the sea.

But the people on the big ship probably can't imagine that Liang Jin is a master of the third rank.

With his strength, even if he were only traveling on a small boat on this vast ocean, he would basically not encounter any danger as long as he did not encounter extremely bad weather.

Looking at the rope before him, Liang Jin smiled faintly and said to An Lansheng:
"Go up."

It's a kind gesture that others changed their course from a great distance to come and provide assistance.

Although Liang Jin doesn't need to be rescued, he will still go aboard the ship to chat with the owner and give him some rewards as an incentive to encourage him to continue doing good deeds so that he can continue to lend a helping hand if he encounters a real shipwreck survivor in the future.

So An Lansheng pulled on the rope and began to climb onto the large ship.

After tying the small boat up with ropes, Liang Jin jumped onto the large ship.

When the people on the large ship saw the petite and delicate An Lansheng, their eyes lit up, and their gazes lingered on his exquisite face, all showing expressions of amazement.

Clearly, they all mistook An Lansheng for a beautiful young girl.

When they saw Liang Jin, they couldn't help but gasp and take a step back.

"This guy... is terrifying!"

Someone couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice.

Liang Jin's height of over two meters was like an iron tower, and his bulging muscles were as hard as rocks. His thick arms alone were comparable to the thighs of an ordinary person.

A hideous scar stretched across half his face, resembling an ugly centipede. Combined with his bald head and fleshy face, he looked exactly like a villain.

With each step he took, the deck trembled slightly, and a sense of oppression washed over him.

He and An Lansheng, standing beside him, formed a stark contrast.

"Could it be... pirates?"

Some people couldn't help but murmur.

But this muttered remark immediately sparked speculation among everyone.

Liang Jin doesn't look like a good person at all; he probably really is a pirate who kidnapped the beauty.

In an instant, everyone subconsciously became serious and tense.

Just now.

A woman in a pale white dress gracefully parted the crowd, like a blooming white lotus.

The woman's face was excessively beautiful; her appearance seemed to brighten up the entire space and time.

She walked straight to An Lansheng, took his hand, and pulled him aside, her voice gentle yet firm:
"Don't be afraid, little sister, we will protect you."

She exuded a delicate fragrance, like orchids in spring, which was refreshing and delightful.

Seeing the "hostage" being pulled away from Liang Jin, the martial artist no longer cared.

They drew their weapons and surrounded Liang Jin, their blades gleaming coldly.

All that could be heard was their angry shouts.

"You audacious thief! Don't move!"

"Otherwise, I'll chop you into mincemeat!"

Liang Jin shook his head helplessly as he watched this scene.

He knew that a misunderstanding had occurred.

Liang Jin had no intention of hurting anyone, but someone always seemed to jump out to cause trouble.

A handsome young man stepped out of the crowd with a cold smile. He was dressed in a magnificent brocade robe, and the jade pendant at his waist jingled.

Why waste so much breath talking to someone like that?

"Watch me take him down!"

As he spoke, the handsome young man moved swiftly and appeared in front of Liang Jin.

Judging from his speed and agility, it's easy to tell that he's a sixth-rank martial artist!
This handsome young man clearly didn't take Liang Jin seriously. When he rushed up to Liang Jin, he didn't make a move immediately, but instead glanced back at the beautiful woman in the white dress.

Clearly, he wanted to make a good impression on the woman.

Then, he suddenly stretched out his finger and, like a viper striking, pressed it on Liang Jin's pressure point. If it were before, Liang Jin's body was as hard as iron; such a touch from the handsome young man would surely break his bones.

However, since Liang Jin began practicing the "Mahagala Dharma Protector Exercise", his body remained tough, but his skin became soft.

As a result, Liang Jin's body surface now feels no different from that of an ordinary person.

The handsome young man didn't find anything unusual about it when he touched it.

After a moment, the handsome young man even turned and walked away with a flourish, saying confidently:

"One, two, three, fall!"

As he expected, Liang Jin would inevitably fall heavily to the ground after three slaps.

however.

After he shouted, not only did he not hear Liang Jin's figure behind him, but his companions around him also looked surprised.

This startled the handsome young man, who turned his head to look in surprise.

He immediately saw that hideous and terrifying face.

"Handsome guy, don't point fingers at me for no reason."

He grinned, revealing a set of white teeth that looked particularly terrifying against the backdrop of his ferocious face.

The handsome young man was startled and hurriedly jumped away.

He stared at Liang Jin in disbelief, and asked in astonishment:
"You...are you okay?"

"That shouldn't be the case. I clearly pressed your pressure point."

"Could it be that your muscles are too thick, thus affecting my acupressure?"

Even the handsome young man was unsure for a moment.

After all, this was the first time he had ever pressed the pressure points of such a burly man; he had never had this experience before.

the other side.

An Lansheng felt the softness of the woman's small hand and blushed with embarrassment.

This was the first time in his life that he had had physical contact with a woman other than his mother.

Especially when he smelled the fragrance emanating from the beautiful woman beside him, coupled with her radiant profile, An Lansheng's heart pounded even harder.

An Lansheng hurriedly withdrew his hand and stammered:
"Men and women should not touch each other. Young lady, please... keep your distance."

His voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, yet it startled the woman and the others.

"You are a male?"

Everyone looked at An Lansheng in surprise.

It wasn't until I saw his Adam's apple that I realized he was a boy with feminine features.

This only made the woman blush, both angry and annoyed.

The handsome young man's expression as he looked at Liang Jin and An Lansheng grew increasingly displeased.

Seeing this, Liang Jin smiled calmly and said:

"Please don't misunderstand, my junior brother is not a woman, and I am not a bad person."

"We didn't encounter a shipwreck; we were just out at sea for fun."

"However, since everyone has done such a good deed, we brothers and sisters will naturally come aboard to express our gratitude."

An Lansheng nodded in agreement, confirming the situation.

Once everyone realized there had been a misunderstanding, they were all relieved.

The boat captain also came over and invited Liang Jin and An Lansheng to sit down and have some tea.

The captain of this boat didn't just travel the martial arts world, but all over the world. Seeing that Liang Jin and his companion had extraordinary appearances, he knew that they were no ordinary people, so he naturally dared not be negligent.

Through conversation, Liang Jin learned that the ship was indeed a merchant ship.

The merchant ship is about to head to an island to transport a batch of timber, a local specialty.

The handsome young man, the woman in the white dress, and the martial artists were also going to the island to retrieve a precious type of wood called firewood.

To Liang Jin's surprise, the very beautiful woman in the white dress was actually Zhou Baining, the number one beauty in the martial arts world of Dongzhou!

Zhou Baining had appeared in Liang Jin's intelligence reports a few times, but this was the first time he had seen her in person.

It must be said that Bai Ning is indeed very beautiful this week, worthy of the title of the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world of Dongzhou.

Zhou Baining went to collect the firewood with the intention of crafting a guqin (a seven-stringed zither).

That handsome young man was Qi Bao, the son of Qi Qiye, the young master of this large ship.

The remaining few martial artists were all Qi Bao's subordinates.

Needless to say, Liang Jin could see that Qi Bao was Zhou Bai Ning's sycophant, and that he had come out on the ship this time intending to fawn over Zhou Bai Ning.

Liang Jin had no intention of getting involved in these trivial matters.

To Liang Jin's surprise, the order for the merchant ship to deviate from its course and rescue him and his companion was actually given by Zhou Baining.

So Liang Jin also stood up to express his gratitude:

"Thank you, Miss Zhou!"

An Lansheng also hurriedly got up to thank him.

He kept his head down, not daring to look at Zhou Baining, his cheeks as red as ripe apples.

Zhou Baining stood at the ship's railing, gazing into the distance, her tone indifferent:

"You two are too kind. There's no need for thanks. It was just a misunderstanding."

There was a hint of detachment in her eyes, clearly indicating that she didn't want to get entangled with them any further.

Liang Jin didn't intend to stay long either. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to the crowd and said:
“Miss Zhou, boatman, young master Qi, we have other matters to attend to, so we won’t disturb you any longer.”

With that, Liang Jin led An Lansheng off the boat.

Zhou Baining remained leaning against the side of the boat, gazing into the distance.

The boat captain gave them a warm send-off.

Instead, the handsome young man Qi Bao stopped Liang Jin and his companion.

"and many more!"

Qi Bao looked defiant.
"I refuse to believe I can't strike your pressure points. Let me try again!"

Clearly, Qi Bao was still holding a grudge about his previous mistake and embarrassment.

Whether it's to test his martial arts skills or to save face, he has to take Liang Jin down once.

Liang Jin smiled:

"Young Master Qi, please don't do that. That would be very impolite."

"Okay, let's go."

With that, Liang Jin led An Lansheng away.

Qi Bao first used acupressure on Liang Jin because he thought Liang Jin was a pirate and wanted to subdue him.

Liang Jinnian's intentions were not malicious, so he did not hold it against him.

But if he insists on doing it a second time, Liang Jin will simply ignore him.

Who knows.

Qi Bao, however, was relentless and snorted coldly:
"Want to go?"

"Let me take you down first!"

As he spoke, Qi Bao leaned in close.

His fingers moved with lightning speed, striking Liang Jin's acupoints once again.

His finger was about to strike!

suddenly!

Qi Bao's fingers suddenly brushed against Liang Jin's body and veered to the side.

"Bang!!!"

A muffled thud was heard.

Qi Bao's fingers actually dug deep into the mast next to Liang Jin, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

Seeing this, Liang Jin clapped his hands and said:
"Impressive! Young Master Qi's skill is truly impressive!"

"We admire you! We admire you!"

Qi Bao was completely confused.

He was about to strike Liang Jin's pressure point when, for some reason, an invisible force seemed to deflect his finger, causing him to strike the mast instead.

On the other side of the boat, Zhou Baining, who had been gazing into the distance, finally turned her head.

Her beautiful eyes were filled with doubt.

Clearly, she hadn't expected Qi Bao to misclick this time.

When Liang Jin clapped, his subordinates around him also cheered.

"Young Master is awesome! He pierced through such a sturdy mast with just his finger!"

"Young Master Qi is truly skilled! His acupressure technique is already masterful!"

"Absolutely! Young Master Qi's casual display of skill has truly broadened our horizons!"

……

They clearly thought that Qi Bao had deliberately displayed his superb martial arts skills on the mast to scare Liang Jin.

So naturally, they kept flattering him.

Qi Bao pulled his fingers out of the mast. Hearing the praise, he felt as uncomfortable as if he had swallowed a fly.

The praise was like countless greasy hands, tearing open his festering wounds and rubbing the humiliation of his defeat all over again.

"Don't go!"

He roared hoarsely, the veins in his neck bulging like writhing earthworms:
"Come again!"

As he spoke, he continued charging towards Liang Jin.

This time, An Lansheng couldn't stand it any longer and stood in front of Qi Bao.

"Young Master Qi, that's enough."

"How dare you provoke my senior brother repeatedly?"

An Lansheng said coldly.

Qi Bao sneered dismissively:

"Something that's neither male nor female dares to stop me?"

As he spoke, he suddenly pointed his finger at An Lansheng.

His five fingers were like hooks, and the tips of his fingers were a bluish-gray color—a sign that his family's "Hook Acupuncture Technique" had reached its peak.

An Lansheng was only at the eighth rank, and was obviously no match for Qi Bao. Before he could react, Qi Bao had already struck him.

However, just as their fingertips were about to touch An Lansheng's body, a dark shadow descended like a mountain pressing down.

At the same time, Liang Jin's broad palm pressed down on An Lansheng's back, and a violent surge of internal force was poured into An Lansheng's body.

"Click!!!"

A crisp sound of bones breaking rang out.

Qi Bao withdrew his hand, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at his twisted and deformed fingers. Blood dripped from his upturned fingernails onto the deck, spreading out like glaring red plum blossoms.

"what--!!!"

His piercing scream shattered the calm of the sea, startling the circling seabirds into flight.

His fingers, capable of easily piercing a sturdy mast, snapped when he touched a sissy-looking little man!

Not only could he not believe it.

Even Zhou Baining, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation.

The sea breeze ruffled the stray hairs at her temples, but couldn't hide the shock in her eyes.

(End of this chapter)