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

Chapter 561 The Uncorrupted Corpse Returning to the Ruins

Zheng Aoshan's words caused the pirates behind him to look at each other in disbelief.

For years, the Iron Dragon Gang has dominated the East China Sea. The Third Young Master has always been arrogant and domineering. When has he ever been so polite to anyone?
This man, in particular, even tore off Zhao Laoqi's jaw!
Lu Chenzhou's amber pupils suddenly contracted as she looked at Liang Jin in surprise. The anchor chain in her hand tightened unconsciously, and the sound of the chain links clashing was particularly jarring in the deathly silence.

Liang Jin laughed heartily, then shouted:
"Junior brother, you're here!"

Upon hearing this, An Lansheng immediately leaped onto the pirate ship.

"Wait for me on the boat, I'm going to talk to Boss Zheng about something."

Liang Jin patted An Lansheng on the shoulder and followed Zheng Aoshan straight to the cabin.

Lu Chenzhou also wanted to go in.

But she had only taken two steps when Zheng Aoshan's roar made her stop in her tracks:
"Men are talking business, what are you, a woman, interfering in?"

"Get out!"

She touched her cheek, which was still sore from being hit by the iron fist, grinned to reveal a set of white teeth, and obediently stepped aside.

Her gaze was fixed on the closed hatch, her amber eyes swirling with complex emotions.

Zhao Laoqi tried to stop the bleeding by stuffing a wad of cloth into the wound on his jaw. He watched in fear as Liang Jin and Zheng Aoshan walked into the cabin, realizing that he probably could not avenge himself.

On the merchant ship.

The group exchanged bewildered glances.

They had seen Zheng Aoshan's attitude towards Liang Jin.

Although they didn't know what was going on, they were certain it was related to an organization called the Dragon Transformation Gate.

Qi Bao slumped to the ground, his fine clothes covered in dust. He stared at the pirate ship but asked the captain:

Have you ever heard of the Dragon Transformation Gate?

"Who are they? Why do they even give face to the Third Young Master of the Iron Dragon Gang?"

His voice trembled, a mixture of relief at surviving the ordeal and fear of the unknown forces at play.

The boat captain wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and shook his head, indicating that he had never heard of it.

After all, ship captains and other merchant ships follow fixed routes and would never deviate from them unless absolutely necessary.

Once you stray from the flight path, you may encounter various unknown dangers.

Therefore, the captain would not know about areas outside the shipping route.

Especially on this vast sea, there are numerous islands and reefs, filled with all sorts of unknown mysteries. Who can possibly grasp them all?
"Young Master, although I have never heard of the Dragon Transformation Sect, it must be extraordinary."

"If we ever encounter anyone from the Dragon Transformation Sect in the future, we must never offend them!"

The boatman said earnestly.

Qi Bao rolled her eyes at him impatiently. Did he really need to say something like that?

Just by looking at Zheng Aoshan's attitude, you can tell that the Hualongmen sect is not something ordinary people can afford to mess with.

aside.

Zhou Baining leaned against the railing, the sea breeze lifting her skirt, but unable to dispel the sorrow between her brows.

She also didn't know what kind of sect Hualongmen was.

But she vaguely thought of someone.

Zhou Baining had recently visited Bibo City, intending to attend an auction there.

But halfway there, she was attacked by the notorious flower thief, Young Master Yu Chu Yu.

Fortunately, she was accompanied by many martial arts friends that day, and together they defeated the Jade Thief Prince Chu Yu, forcing him to flee in disarray.

However, this also delayed the auction house's schedule.

By the time everyone arrived, the auction had already ended.

Just as everyone was feeling frustrated, a sudden change occurred in the city!

The legendary "Demon in the Wind" has actually appeared!

He floated above Azure Wave City, surrounded by a raging wind.

Furthermore, he challenged Zou Cifeng, the top expert in Dongzhou, and then left with Zou Cifeng in pursuit, disappearing from everyone's sight.

the next day.

Shocking news spread throughout the martial arts world of Dongzhou—Zou Cifeng is dead!

The body of this top expert from Dongzhou was found in the woods outside Bibo City.

His death was gruesome!

Later, the Six Doors took over the case, but they kept everything about it strictly confidential, so that no one knew how Zou Cifeng died.

But everyone could guess that Zou Cifeng's death was definitely related to the demon in the wind!

On that night, Zhou Baining also saw the Wind Demon floating above Bibo City.

She couldn't make out the appearance of the demon in the wind high in the sky; she could only vaguely make out its tall and imposing silhouette.

this moment.

Zhou Baining couldn't help but compare the outline of the Demon in the Wind with that of Liang Jin.

very similar!

They look so alike!

If Zhou Baining had realized this sooner, perhaps she would have been certain that Liang Jin was the Demon in the Wind.

However, the appearance of "Iron Whale King" Zheng Aoshan made Zhou Baining uncertain again.

After all, Zheng Aoshan was also tall and burly, and his physique matched the appearance of the Demon in the Wind.

It was precisely because of this that Zhou Baining realized that there might be many tall and powerful martial arts masters in the world, but she just hadn't seen them yet.

This, in turn, made it impossible for Zhou Baining to determine whether Liang Jin was related to the Demon in the Wind.

After all, the signature gale of the Wind Demon did not appear.

She bit her lower lip, her mind a jumble of questions.

But their gazes involuntarily drifted towards the pirate ship:
"What kind of person is he exactly?"

At this moment, Zhou Baining couldn't help but feel a strong curiosity about Liang Jin.

On the pirate ship.

In the cabin.

The light here is very dim; even in broad daylight, you need to light an oil lamp to see clearly once the door is closed.

The cabin swayed gently with the waves, the oil lamp flickered, and Zheng Aoshan and Liang Jin sat facing each other at the table, their faces shrouded in shadow.

Zheng Aoshan spoke first:
"I wonder what this chief is like—"

He didn't finish his sentence.

With a flick of his wrist, Liang Jin sent something flying toward Zheng Aoshan.

Zheng Aoshan took it and saw that it was the identity token of the Hualongmen.

He checked it and confirmed that there was nothing wrong with the token, but this did not dispel his suspicions.

A single token is not enough to completely confirm Liang Jin's identity.

Zheng Aoshan had some understanding of Hualongmen, although most of this understanding came from more than 20 years ago.

However, at that time, there was no chief disciple in the Hualong Sect.

Among the prominent figures in the Hualongmen that Zheng Aoshan knew, there was no one like Liang Jin.

Furthermore, Liang Jin doesn't seem to be very old, so he must have joined the sect later.

Is it really possible for someone to rise from a novice disciple to a powerful figure in the Hualong Sect in just twenty years?
Zheng Aoshan was well aware that the Hualongmen sect placed great importance on nepotism.

But Zheng Aoshan also knew that it was better to believe it was true than not to believe it was not.

After all, twenty years had passed. He couldn't prove that Liang Jin was real, but he also couldn't prove that Liang Jin was fake.

If Liang Jin is a fake, then he will at most lose face.

If Liang Jin is real, then offending Liang Jin would likely mean that the Iron Dragon Gang has completely assimilated the Dragon Gate and broken off all pretense of civility.

In the past, when the Great Qian Dynasty was stable and powerful, the Iron Dragon Gang could only honestly be pirates at sea, so they naturally didn't need to transform into dragons.

However, with the Great Qian Dynasty on the verge of chaos, if the Iron Dragon Gang is unwilling to remain merely pirates, then it must rely on the power of the Dragon Transformation Gate to achieve its goals.

Immediately, Zheng Aoshan respectfully returned the identity token to Liang Jin and said with a smile:

"So it was Xiong Ba, Chief Xiong."

"I wonder which merchant ship Chief Xiong is on. I apologize for any offense."

"Could it be that Chief Xiong also admires a beauty like Zhou Baining? If there is anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask, Chief Xiong."

It's clear that Zheng Aoshan has given up on competing with Liang Jin for the beauty.

While beautiful women are valuable, they are far less important than connections and power.

Liang Jin said calmly:

"Third Young Master, I did not come here for the sake of a beauty."

"I'm waiting for you."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Aoshan was taken aback.

He still thought that his meeting with Liang Jin was just a chance encounter.

After all, his goal for this trip was to reach Hualong Island, and this sea area was not far from Hualong Island, so it was not surprising to encounter people from Hualong Sect here.

Now, after hearing Liang Jin's words, Zheng Aoshan couldn't help but take it seriously.

"Chief Xiong was waiting specifically for me?"

"Could it be that you knew I would come?"

Zheng Aoshan's eyes flickered.

Then he suddenly remembered that Liang Jin's identity token also had an identity he had never mentioned—the spy commander.

This sent a chill down Zheng Aoshan's spine. Could it be that there were also spies from the Transformation Dragon Sect within the Iron Dragon Gang?
Liang Jin chuckled:
“I not only knew that the Third Young Master was coming, but I also knew the purpose of his visit.”

"The Third Young Master has come here for two reasons: first, to pay tribute to our sect leader, and second, to discuss the attack on Dongzhou with the Dragon Gate."

Zheng Aoshan's pupils contracted slightly, but he forced himself to remain calm.

Liang Jin was right!

But only the higher-ups of the Iron Dragon Gang knew about these things.

At this moment, Zheng Aoshan couldn't figure out who had betrayed this information to the Hualongmen.

After a long pause, he finally asked:
"What is the purpose of Chief Xiong's visit this time?"

Liang Jin placed his hands on the table, leaned forward, and stared at Zheng Aoshan across the table:

"Of course, it's to save you."

Sea breezes blew in through the cracks in the cabin door, causing the oil lamp on the table to flicker violently and almost go out.

Zheng Aoshan laughed heartily, seemingly disdainful of Liang Jin's words.

On this vast ocean, he doesn't need anyone to save him!

Liang Jin continued:
"Since the new leader of my Hualongmen took office, your Tiejiao Gang has never sent anyone to pay tribute."

"Now that the Transformation Dragon Gate is in need, you've come running over here on your own initiative. This is far too disrespectful to the sect leader." "Therefore, the sect leader was furious upon hearing the news and ordered that once you set foot on Transformation Dragon Island, you would be immediately imprisoned with your collarbones pierced."

"After I received the news, I came to intercept you in advance, preventing you from landing on the island and ending up imprisoned in a water dungeon."

"Tell me, did I come to save you?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Aoshan pondered the meaning behind Liang Jin's words.

The more he listened, the more suspicious he became.

His boat was almost at Hualong Island when suddenly someone appeared and stopped him from landing.

Although the excuse sounded convincing, Zheng Aoshan was unwilling to believe it easily.

Zheng Aoshan immediately sneered:

"Chief Xiong, we are not related, why did you come to save me?"

Liang Jin replied:
"You think I wanted to save you? I was just doing what someone asked me to do."

“There’s someone who’s sentimental and doesn’t want you to suffer an undeserved misfortune, but she can’t come forward herself, so she asked me to come and find you.”

Zheng Aoshan pressed further:
"Who?"

Liang Jin answered again:

"Elder Li Xueqing."

"Since I am Elder Li's most trusted confidant, I had no choice but to accept this task."

Zheng Aoshan was taken aback upon hearing this.

is her? !
He and Li Xueqing did have a history dating back twenty years. This time, he went to Hualongmen to catch up with Li Xueqing and ask her for a favor.

Zheng Aoshan was still uneasy about this, wondering if Li Xueqing would still recognize him as an old friend after twenty years.

Hearing that Li Xueqing still remembered their past friendship and even took the initiative to send people to rescue him, Zheng Aoshan was overjoyed.

But he quickly calmed down.

These words, though seemingly unsubstantiated, were not enough to convince him completely.

Zheng Aoshan immediately asked:
"Elder Li, I do know him."

"When I first met her, she had just started practicing the 'Surging Waves Technique.' I wonder what level she's reached now?"

While asking the questions, Zheng Aoshan stared intently at Liang Jin, seemingly trying to discern Liang Jin's true thoughts from the changes in his facial expressions.

Liang Jin smiled slightly upon hearing this:
"Third Young Master's method of testing is rather clumsy."

"Elder Li has never practiced any 'Surging Waves Technique.' Is Third Young Master forgetful, or is he deliberately trying to deceive me?"

Liang Jin, relying on the [Thousand-Mile Tracking] feature, was able to find out what kind of cultivation techniques Li Xueqing had practiced.

When he saw that Li Xueqing's martial arts skills did not include the "Surging Waves Skill", he knew that Zheng Aoshan was deliberately testing him.

If you don't know Li Xueqing well, then you will really fall into Zheng Aoshan's trap.

really.

Zheng Aoshan covered up his embarrassment with a loud laugh:

"It seems I was mistaken, after all, I haven't seen Elder Li for twenty years."

He was smiling, but in his heart he was gradually convinced that the person in front of him knew Li Xueqing so well that he was probably someone close to Li Xueqing.

Liang Jin, however, said directly:

"The Third Young Master didn't misremember; he clearly doesn't trust me yet."

"Elder Li told me long ago that the Third Young Master is suspicious by nature, and I will inevitably be suspected when I come here."

"So Elder Li has already given me something, saying that as long as I show this to the Third Young Master, I can gain his trust."

After saying that, Liang Jin took out something and placed it on the table.

It was a whip, seemingly made of snakeskin, with a faint seven-colored luster, clearly an extraordinary item.

"Thousand Dragon Divine Whip!"

Upon seeing the whip, Zheng Aoshan was startled and abruptly stood up, the iron armor on his arms clanging together with a piercing sound.

"This is Elder Li's natal weapon!"

At this point, Zheng Aoshan couldn't help but look at Liang Jin in surprise.

He knew very well that the Thousand Dragon Divine Whip was extremely precious to Li Xueqing.

The fact that Li Xueqing was able to entrust her natal divine weapon, the Thousand Dragon Divine Whip, to Liang Jin clearly shows that Liang Jin was not lying; he truly is Li Xueqing's most trusted person!
At this moment, Zheng Aoshan finally trusted Liang Jin, and all his previous doubts melted away like frost baked by the scorching sun.

"I apologize for my previous rudeness, Chief Xiong!"

Zheng Aoshan clasped his hands in a salute, the metal wristbands clinking together with a crisp sound.

Liang Jin smiled slightly and put away the Thousand Dragon Divine Whip.

He won the Thousand Dragon Divine Whip from Li Xueqing through a bet.

Li Xueqing wanted to kill Liang Jin and take back the Thousand Dragon Divine Whip at all times.

But Liang Jin never let her succeed, and now he is using the Thousand Dragon Divine Whip to achieve his goal.

"Third Young Master, Elder Li sent me to liaise with you. Tell me about your Iron Dragon Gang's plans."

Liang Jin spoke.

Zheng Aoshan then sat back down and spread a map out on the table.

The outline of Dongzhou on the parchment was heavily outlined with cinnabar, and the dense red dots, like festering wounds, marked the planned locations for plunder.

Then Zheng Aoshan began to explain to Liang Jin how the Iron Dragon Gang planned to assimilate and join forces with the Dragon Gate.

After listening for a while, Liang Jin roughly understood what was going on.

It turns out that the Iron Dragon Gang also wanted territory on land. They planned to burn, kill, and plunder along the coast to distract the Great Qian Navy.

What the Iron Dragon Gang truly desires is Dongzhou.

The Eastern Continent is crisscrossed by waterways, making it ideal for pirates and bandits. Furthermore, its thriving commerce means that even if one cannot ultimately conquer the land but merely plunders it, the spoils will be substantial.
However, the Iron Dragon Gang lacks a land base and cannot completely occupy a base, so it hopes to assimilate the Dragon Gate and join forces to take over the Eastern Continent.

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed.

When he first heard that the Iron Dragon Gang was planning to expand its territory on the mainland, he simply thought that the Iron Dragon Gang had finally developed ambitions.

Judging from Zheng Aoshan's words, the Iron Dragon Gang had already planned out various escape routes after failing to take over the Dongzhou territory, including the areas they wanted to plunder, down to the point that a specific warehouse was clearly marked. The retreat routes, the people they needed to abduct, and so on were all included.

Thinking about defeat before thinking about victory is not inherently problematic.

However, the Iron Dragon Gang's plan did not include any detailed consideration of how to rule Dongzhou, but instead focused on the detailed consideration of retreating to the sea after looting.

This shows that the leader of the Iron Dragon Gang still lacks sufficient ambition on land, and his heart is still set on the sea.

If even the leader's will is not firm enough, then once they encounter a setback on land or face headwinds, it will only lead to the Iron Dragon Gang's complete retreat.

Such a plan clearly leaves countless escape routes for failure, lacking any courage to fight to the bitter end.

If the Hualongmen joins forces with the Tiejiao Gang, they will only be dragged down by them in the end.

Therefore, Liang Jin showed no change on the surface regarding this plan, but in his heart he was filled with utter contempt.

After hearing the plan, Liang Jin said to Zheng Aoshan:
"Don't worry, Third Young Master, I will definitely take this plan back to Elder Li."

"Elder Li will also use her influence to gain the support of more elders and speak well of the Third Young Master to the sect leader."

"By the way, the Third Young Master can also hand over the tribute items for this pilgrimage to me."

"With tribute, it will be much easier for Elder Li to get things done."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Aoshan felt that it made sense.

In any case, once the gift is sent out, the new leader of the Hualong Sect will surely feel indebted to him. With Li Xueqing's help, the new leader's attitude towards the Tiejiao Gang will definitely improve.

In this way, Zheng Aoshan can be considered to have largely completed his mission.

"Chief Xiong, come with me!"

Zheng Aoshan immediately led Liang Jin to the lower deck.

The smell of rotting wood mixed with the stench of blood wafted through the air from the hold, and the oil lamps flickered in the sea breeze, casting an inconspicuous glow on the mountain of gold and silver treasures.

Zheng Aoshan lifted the velvet cloth, and the glittering jewels instantly filled the small space. The green of jade, the red of agate, and the white of pearls, in Liang Jin's eyes, were like the embodiment of the pirates' greedy desires.

Clearly, the Iron Dragon Gang has spent a considerable sum of money to come and pay tribute this time.

Zheng Aoshan laughed and said:
"If Chief Xiong has any that he likes, please feel free to take them first."

Liang Jin found it amusing; all these treasures would ultimately end up in his own pocket, so why should he need to choose?
This time, Liang Jin was confident he had Zheng Aoshan under his control.

In particular, the plan brought by Zheng Aoshan is not something that needs to be realized in the short term; he has plenty of time to slowly resolve Li Xueqing's issues.

Once Li Xueqing dies, there will be no way to verify the truth, and there will be no fear of the Iron Dragon Gang blaming them.

Even if the blame is really placed on Liang Jin, the Hualongmen sect is not to be trifled with.

The Hualongmen navy is strong enough to wipe out these pirates in a direct battle, and Liang Jin's [Thousand-Mile Tracking] ability will allow him to find the Iron Dragon Gang's lair and eradicate it completely.

If the Iron Dragon Gang doesn't know what's good for them, Liang Jin wouldn't mind letting them perish.

So Liang Jin pretended to take a few pearls and pick out a few pieces of coral, just as he was about to give up.

suddenly!

Liang Jin's gaze sharpened as he was drawn to a cold light emanating from the treasure.

It was a sandalwood box inlaid with seven-colored gemstones, and beneath the dazzling light of the gemstones, there was a faint sense of ominousness.

The box was placed at the highest point of all the treasures, highlighting its exalted value.

These gems alone are quite valuable, so the contents of the box must be priceless.

His pupils constricted sharply after he opened the box:
"This……"

The moment the lid was opened, a chilling blast of air rushed out.

Inside the box was a human hand!
The severed hand was as white as paper, with its five fingers still strangely curled. The cut was smooth as a mirror, without a trace of blood.

It's obvious that all the blood inside has been drained.

The hand looked as if it had been severed from the human body not long ago, and in the sweltering hold, there wasn't even a trace of decay yet.

"Third Young Master, what is the meaning of this?"

Liang Jin asked coldly.

Pirates had many ways of intimidating people. Sometimes, before plundering a place, they would send a box of human ears or a box of human hands to intimidate the local people, frighten them into losing their will to resist, and thus make it easier to plunder.

Now that Zheng Aoshan has offered up a severed hand, could it be that he wants to intimidate the Hualongmen?

Zheng Aoshan let out a piercing laugh, the sound echoing in the sealed lower deck, making Liang Jin's eardrums ache.

"This severed hand is the most important tribute that my father specifically instructed me to bring to the capital. Please be sure to deliver it to your esteemed sect leader."

"The first leader of the Hualong Sect once asked my father for this severed hand, but unfortunately the situation was turbulent at the time, and the severed hand could not be delivered to the first leader."

"And now my father is offering up this severed hand, which is also a sign of his sincerity."

Liang Jin was slightly surprised when he heard this.

The first sect leader of the Hualong Sect was the Crown Prince of the Great Yu Dynasty, who had seen all kinds of rare treasures in the world.

Why would someone like this be so obsessed with a severed hand?

And has this severed hand been preserved for decades?
Seeing Liang Jin's puzzled expression, Zheng Aoshan smiled and said:
"Chief Xiong, have you ever heard of the corpse that does not decay in the Void?"

(End of this chapter)