Unlimited priesthood

Chapter 125 Diaosou
The autumn night was deep and foggy.

In the fish market, beneath the gate tower, hangs a boy covered in blood and bruises.

Not far away, there was a small table where two burly men were sitting and drinking.

"Damn it, why can those guys go to Zui Chun Lou with Tiger, while the two of us have to stay here and drink our sorrows away with this brat?"

"Who told you to be so stingy with your offerings to Tiger God? So naturally, these dirty and tiring jobs can only be done by poor bastards like you and me."

"Damn it, these stinking fishermen, they squeeze every last drop of money out of you. I even got up early this morning to search Old Zhou's boat, and all I found were some broken things. I managed to find two or three strings of cash, but Tiger took them all. I didn't get a single penny."

"You should be grateful. Luckily, this kid only found an ordinary boxing manual. If he had actually found some divine skill manual and mastered it, we would all be dead, just like that old guy surnamed Zhong ten years ago. Good heavens, you have no idea..."

The two men drank and complained at the same time.

Regarding matters of predestined affinity with immortals, each sect and faction has long had its own procedures.

The first step is monitoring, which involves detecting anomalies through various behavioral traces.

Then came the system of reporting, with the people under the jurisdiction supervising each other and reporting any problems immediately.

Finally, there's torture. Once clues are obtained, people are immediately arrested and subjected to severe interrogation. No matter what, the secrets must be uncovered, and their homes are raided, and witnesses are killed to eliminate any potential threats.

If they really can't dig it out, they'll throw the half-dead person out as bait and see if they can catch any fish.

Now, it's time for the "fishing" phase. We'll leave this Zhou kid hanging here and see if we can get any unexpected results.

It would be best to have it, but it doesn't matter if you don't. It doesn't take much effort, and who wouldn't like to do something that's risk-free and highly profitable?

It's tough on these gang members; they have to stay here in the middle of the night and get chilled.

and……

"Let me tell you, the risks in our line of work are not low. Do you know the Iron Palm Gang? Back then, it was because we were doing this kind of work that a big guy appeared and wiped out the entire Iron Palm Gang overnight. That's how our Goldfish Gang came to power."

"Really? It's so dangerous. Why would the gang leader still want to be the leader? Aren't you afraid of ending up like the Iron Palm Gang?"

"What do you know? Do you think our gang leader can make decisions like this? There are probably a lot of powerful people behind him."

"This……"

"boom!"

In the midst of their discussion, a sudden burst of energy from a finger pierced the air, and the two men fell to the ground.

Immediately, from the thick fog of the night, a person flew over, flicked his finger and shot out a burst of energy, severing the rope suspending the boy, then caught the falling boy, tucked him under his arm, and turned to leave.

……

A moment later, on a covered boat in Dongting Lake.

"Hmm~!"

Zhou Yi's eyelids twitched, and he slowly woke up, immediately feeling excruciating pain all over his body. Only a warm sensation from his back entered his body, relieving the pain.

"What am I...?"

"Don't move, I'm healing you!"

Zhou Yi was startled and wanted to get up, but the words he heard seemed to have a mysterious magic that made him stop moving involuntarily.

Although he dared not move, he could still look around. Zhou Yi moved his eyes left and right and found that he was sitting on a covered boat in the familiar Dongting Lake.

Is it safe?

The familiar surroundings brought Zhou Yi a sense of relief, but he was soon filled with grief and indignation again.

He was originally just an ordinary fisherman's boy who made a living by fishing with his father on Dongting Lake. He suffered a lot of bullying and hardship.

One day, by chance, he found a martial arts manual—no, it wasn't a manual at all, just an ordinary boxing manual.

Although it was just an ordinary boxing manual, it was still a hope for a young fisherman to transcend social class and change his fate.

So, he secretly practiced the boxing techniques in the manual without telling his father. He couldn't read, so he practiced by following the pictures, desperately trying to master martial arts.

As a result, before he could master the martial arts, the Goldfish Gang arrived first.

It turned out he was a lackey of the Goldfish Gang. Zhang San, also a fisherman, saw him secretly practicing martial arts and reported it to the manager of the Goldfish Gang.

Upon hearing that someone was secretly practicing martial arts, the Goldfish Gang immediately became agitated and led a large group of men to his boat.

The Goldfish Gang ransacked his home, which was also the fishing boat on which he and his father depended for survival. Not only did they find the boxing manual, but they also smashed his belongings, stole his money, and even beat his father to death.

Not satisfied with that, these people tortured him severely, trying to force him to hand over the other things he had found.

But he didn't have anything else; all he found was a boxing manual.

But the Goldfish Gang didn't care at all. They tortured him until he was half dead, then dragged him to the entrance of the fish market and hung him up. They had no intention of letting him go.

They either don't do it at all, or they do it thoroughly—that's the Goldfish Gang's style.

At this moment, Zhou Yi realized how naive and foolish his actions had been, not only killing himself but also his father.

Those people will never reason with you, because you are just a lowly commoner, a lowly commoner as insignificant as grass.

As long as you are a suspect, as long as they think you are a suspect, they will take action against you.

First, they extract the marrow from the bones, then they exterminate the entire enemy, leaving no hidden dangers.

Reasonable?
Present evidence?
Who do you think you are, to presume to reason with me?
He finally saw reality clearly.

Unfortunately... it's too late.

He has lost everything.

Zhou Yi was in a daze, overwhelmed with grief.

At this moment...

"drink!"

A strange power came from behind him, flowing into his limbs and bones, making Zhou Yi feel as if he were soaking in a spring, feeling comfortable all over, and the intense pain gradually subsided.

This went on for who knows how long.

The strange power slowly dissipated, and Zhou Yi returned to reality from his dream. He frantically examined his body, only to find that many of his previously bloody wounds had now scabbed over.
Shen He lowered his hands, looked at the bewildered Zhou Yi, and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"well……"

Zhou Yi was stunned for a moment before he reacted. He quickly propped himself up and knelt in front of Shen He, saying, "Thank you so much, old immortal, for saving my life."

At this moment, Shen He was dressed in a straw raincoat but without a bamboo hat. His hair was white and his face was deeply lined with wrinkles, making him look like an old man from the martial arts world.

But Zhou Yi knew that someone with such skills was definitely not an ordinary old man.

They must be a deity, or at least an extraordinary person.

Must catch!

Looking at Zhou Yi kneeling on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, Shen He shook his head and asked, "Do you want revenge?"

"revenge?"

Zhou Yi's eyes narrowed, he raised his head, and then slammed his head to the ground again: "I want it, I dream about it."

"it is good!"

Upon hearing this, Shen He didn't waste any words: "I will teach you a martial art. If you master it, taking revenge will not be difficult."

"Martial arts?"

Zhou Yi was startled, then woke up with a start: "Thank you, old immortal, thank you, old immortal."

"I'm not some old immortal, just an old fisherman on Dongting Lake."

Shen He shook his head: "Would you be willing to be my disciple?"

“I am willing, I am willing, the Book of Changes is willing.”

Zhou Yi knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times: "Master, please accept my bow."

"Very good, get up!"

Shen He helped him up: "Our master-disciple relationship will only last for tonight. How much you can understand depends on your destiny."

"Tonight alone?"

Zhou Yi was startled and confused. He felt a wave of panic, as if the support he had just gained was about to slip away like water.

Shen He didn't say much, but directly began to perform his skills in front of him.

Even in the small space at the bow of the awning boat, his movements were fluid and graceful, and the shadowy fists under the night sky dazzled Zhou Yi.

"This is Xingyi Quan (Form and Intention Boxing) technique, which uses form as its framework and intention as its root, progressing from the outside in, condensing blood and cultivating qi!"

"One night is too rushed, so I will only teach you the Dragon Form Technique. The key to this technique lies in the word 'subduing,' which means overcoming all difficulties and taking control of oneself. This is the Dragon Subduing Technique!"

"If you want to practice, start with stance training. The Dragon Subduing Kung Fu is like swimming when in motion and like a coil when still!"

"..."

After midnight, Zhou Yi, who had been diligently practicing, finally couldn't take it anymore, collapsed, and was panting heavily.

Seeing this, Shen He didn't say much, but simply took out a book: "This is the manual of the Dragon Subduing Skill. Besides the written explanations, it also contains diagrams of the human body's meridians and stance training. You should practice it diligently..."

Zhou Yi's expression changed, and he immediately knelt down: "Master, your kindness and virtue are beyond repayment. If there is an afterlife, I will be your ox or your horse..."

"No need!"

Shen He shook his head: "As long as you don't mention your master when you cause trouble in the future, it'll be fine!"

Having said that, without waiting for the other party's reaction, he turned around, took a step, and flew away, disappearing into the thick fog of Dongting Lake in the blink of an eye.

"Master!!!"

……

This went on for several days.

On Dongting Lake, hundreds of boats raced against each other, drifting leisurely along.

"Hurry up!"

"His Majesty has decreed that whoever finds the Nine-Star Dragon Carp will be rewarded with ten thousand gold pieces and granted the title of King or Marquis!" "The gang leader said that whoever finds the Nine-Star True Dragon Carp will be chosen as his son-in-law, and the Third Miss will marry him."

"You bunch of bastards, why don't you work harder for me? If we don't find that Nine-Star True Dragon Carp, none of you will live."

“Fellow disciples, this Nine-Star True Dragon Carp is a matter of life and death for our Broken Blade Sect. We must find it even if it costs us our lives.”

"Second brother, third brother, this Nine-Star True Dragon Carp is the stepping stone to heaven for us, the Three Heroes of Chuyun Island. As long as we catch it, I guarantee that all three of us brothers can join the Cloud Dragon Sect!"

"..."

Various forces, through coercion or enticement, forced the fishermen to set sail, searching for a needle in a haystack in Dongting Lake.

Many martial artists, gang members, noble family servants, and even military personnel bravely entered the water to search for the Nine-Star True Dragon Carp.

Such scenes were everywhere in Dongting Lake, and the vast lake, stretching for eight hundred miles, was suddenly overcrowded with people.

"The world is bustling, all for profit; the world is in turmoil, all for gain!"

A small boat drifts on the lake, with two people facing each other on board, both exuding a sense of detachment from worldly affairs.

The person who spoke was a young man dressed in white, impeccably clean.

His gaze swept across the surroundings, taking in the people toiling in the lake: "All forces have arrived. It seems the rumors about the Nine-Star True Dragon Carp are true."

"Nine-Star True Dragon Carp!"

Before him stood a man in black, his gaze cold and unsettling as he looked at the lake: "This Dongting Lake is nothing but an ordinary place. How could it raise a dragon fish? There must be something fishy about it."

There's something fishy going on!

The man in white laughed and said, "In the past, a Nine-Star True Dragon Carp was born in Dongting Lake, which attracted many Foundation Establishment cultivators. They also believed that it was difficult to raise a dragon in this mortal land, and that it must be due to some kind of immortal destiny. However, after searching Dongting Lake thoroughly, they found nothing related to a true dragon, and only caught a few small fish and shrimp."

"Perhaps it's a divine object concealing its true nature!"

The man in black shook his head: "After all, the scope of celestial treasures is too broad, ranging from immortals to mortals, a mixed bag. Perhaps there really is a rare celestial treasure hidden deep in Dongting, but it is a divine object that keeps itself hidden and unknown to people."

"That's certainly possible!"

The man in white nodded: "So this time, both the Cloud Dragon Sect and the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain have sent Foundation Establishment cultivators to capture that Nine-Star True Dragon Carp and trace its origins to find that rare and precious celestial treasure."

"Yunlong Sect!"

"Mount Ten Thousand Beasts!"

The man in black murmured, "These two master beast tamers are indeed capable, but I wonder if they can obtain the Nine-Star True Dragon Carp."

"Oh?"

The man in white glanced at him: "Brother Xiao, do you think anyone else can snatch food from the tiger's mouth?"

"The world's cultivators are full of hidden talents and hidden masters!"

The man in black remained expressionless: "Who can guarantee that someone won't suddenly appear out of nowhere?"

"makes sense!"

The man in white nodded: "Then the royal family of Chen Kingdom has also come. It seems that the Xie family is also interested in this Nine-Star Dragon Carp. This is truly a fierce battle. I wonder who will win it."

The man in black looked at him and said, "You have no interest at all?"

"Hahaha!"

The man in white laughed loudly: "If opportunity knocks, then I might as well accept it."

……

Greed is like a ditch, impossible to fill.

From dawn till dusk, without ceasing, even as night falls, countless lights are lit to provide some illumination for the continued search.

On a small boat, Fang Shan, trembling, gulped down a small jar of strong liquor.

His wife was nearby, and she moved the stove over and cooked fish soup and hot porridge on it.

It was late autumn, and the lake water was quite cold, especially at night. The martial arts practitioners could withstand it, but what could these poor fishermen do to resist it?

The only thing to do is drink strong liquor to keep warm, but strong liquor doesn't actually dispel the cold; it just makes the body feel warm and slightly better.

"Honey, you can't go anymore!"

Looking at her husband's lips, which were blue from the cold, and his skin, which was white and wrinkled from being soaked, Fang's wife's eyes were red, and she said through sobs, "If anything happens to you, how will my daughter and I live?"

Fang Shan remained silent, his face ashen, as he downed another mouthful of strong liquor before finally picking up the fish soup and sipping it slowly to ward off the bone-chilling cold.

He knew perfectly well that the water could not be used for further travel.

But does he have a choice?
The members of the Goldfish Gang, as well as the officials of the imperial court, had all gone mad because of that Nine-Star True Dragon Carp.

They won't give up until they find the fish!
"Shanzi!"

Just as they finished their fish soup, a small boat appeared, carrying a man who said, "We're leaving."

"Brother Zhou!"

Fang's wife rushed forward, knelt at the bow of the boat, and said, "Let me go instead. My husband really can't take it anymore. Let me go instead. I'm just as capable."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Just wait for me to come back!"

The man's expression was cold, and he did not respond. Fang Shan hurriedly got up, pulled her aside, and walked forward himself.

"The child's father!"

"..."

On the other side, on the large ship.

"Father, if I catch this Nine-Star True Dragon Carp, will it send me to the Immortal Sect?"

Luo Qianlang, the young master of the Goldfish Gang, looked at his father with eyes full of excitement.

Luo Baijun, the leader of the Goldfish Gang, sat imposingly in the middle, looking helplessly at his impatient son: "Do you think these fish are so easy to catch?"

"It's always an opportunity, isn't it!"

Luo Qianlang, however, did not back down. He still smiled and said to Luo Baijun, "Now that I've entered the immortal sect, I'll definitely get some elixirs and miraculous medicines for your family back home so you can live to be a hundred years old..."

Luo Baijun's face darkened: "I'm already a hundred years old!"

Luo Qianlang, however, persisted shamelessly: "Then live a thousand years, ten thousand years, a thousand million years!"

"Gang leader!"

Just as the father and son were talking, a middle-aged man who looked like a scholar walked in: "The lake water is too cold tonight. The brothers in our gang have been searching for more than half a month, and they are starting to feel the strain. Do you think we should take a break and wait until noon tomorrow..."

"Slow down what?!"

Before he could finish speaking, Luo Qianlang stood up angrily: "We've been raising them for a thousand days, only to use them for one. Isn't this what we, the Goldfish Gang, have been doing? Tell them, no one is allowed to stop. Whoever stops, I will kill."

"This……"

The middle-aged scholar paused, then turned his gaze to Luo Baijun behind him.

Luo Baijun fell silent for a moment before speaking: "Let the brothers in the gang rest for a while. Don't go into the water tonight. Let the fishermen go."

"But……"

The middle-aged scholar paused, then said, "Those fishermen are weak, far inferior to our brothers in the gang. Many have already died in the past few days. If we continue to push them, it might incite public resentment..."

"Bullshit public grievances!"

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted again. It was Luo Qianlang who spoke up: "A bunch of lowly commoners, so what if they die? How can they compare to my path to immortality? That's settled!"

"But……"

"No buts!"

The middle-aged scholar was about to speak when Luo Qianlang coldly interrupted him: "What, Mr. Li, do my words no longer carry weight?"

"..."

The middle-aged scholar fell silent for a moment.

Finally, Luo Baijun spoke up: "Let's do it this way!"

"Yes!"

The middle-aged scholar nodded, bowed, and left the room.

"Hmph, you poor, pedantic scholar, you're courting death!"

Luo Qianlang snorted coldly, then turned to Luo Baijun with a fawning expression: "Father..."

……

"What the hell are you standing there for? Get in the water now!"

"Wealth and fortune are within reach!"

"Don't try to cheat me, or this knife won't have eyes."

Small boats shuttle back and forth beside the large ships.

Several goldfish gang leaders, each leading a small boat, urged the fishermen to go into the water to search.

Just then, deep within Dongting Lake, amidst the thick fog, a black boat gradually appeared.

"Um!?"

"Why is there another boat?"

"Whose family is this, arriving so late?"

"It's really courting death!"

A Goldfish Gang steward looked back at the slowly approaching awning boat, about to erupt in anger, but then froze on the spot.

At the bow of the covered boat, a hunched figure, dressed in a straw raincoat and bamboo hat, resembling an old fisherman, slowly appeared before people.

　The section about the old fisherman taking on apprentices quotes from the previous book. Although I copied myself, I shouldn't charge for it. So, this chapter has 5,000 words, but I'll only charge for 3,000 words.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)