Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 181 The Celestial Child Descends to the Mortal Realm: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind
"found it!

Ruyi and Fugui have already joined Zheng and Qian. Their location is about twenty miles northwest of Rongcheng. They have been stationed there for a long time, which must be the residence of the mastermind behind the scenes in Minzhou.

I remember that most of the land in that area belonged to a nunnery called Qingque Nunnery.

With wealth and status as a medium, I used the Six Lines Money Divination method to calculate that the original manuscript of the novel on which the world in the book is based, as well as that batch of Zheng He treasure maps, are mostly hidden there.

"Notify them to take action immediately."

Beneath the Haotian Chengxiang Altar, Shen Yuting, a former high-ranking official in the world, a third-rank official in the court, and the official in charge of star-finding, slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes were filled with undisguised fatigue, but even more so with joy.

He just used the Star-Tracing Talisman on Wang Cheng's body and the unbreakable energy between his Yin and Yang bodies to forcefully break through the barrier of the world in the book, "The Loyal and Righteous Water Margin," and completed his positioning.

After all, there is no Star-Tracing Official of a higher rank than Shen Yuting anywhere in the world. If he can't find it even when he performs his rituals, then no one in the world can.

Shen Yueye, who was standing to the side anxiously awaiting the results, cheered:
"Dad, you're amazing!"

"If we can obtain the treasure map this time and decipher the clues about the treasure ship's seventh return voyage, thus making a great contribution to the Mountain and Sea Association, the position of the next association president will not be a pipe dream for you."

Although Shen Yuting was somewhat flattered by his beloved daughter's praise, he still put on a stern face and corrected her:
"Don't talk nonsense. The position of chairman represents power but also responsibility. Even if this position were given to your father, could your father still shoulder such a great responsibility now?"

Those whose virtue does not match their position will surely suffer calamity!
My body is no longer up to par. All my hopes for the rest of my life rest on you and your three fellow disciples. If even one of them can surpass me, then my life will not have been in vain.

Shen Yueye pouted her red lips and said coquettishly:

"Then let's not compete for the position of president."

At the very least, you must try to secure one more "Director of the Imperial Household" position for our lineage. One for my junior brother, and one for me.

The old man looked at his precious daughter with a half-smile, seeing right through her little scheme:
"When you came back this time, you kept calling me 'junior brother,' I don't know what kind of spell that little rascal cast on you."

They've completely forgotten about their poor old father.

The girl's cheeks flushed slightly. She stepped forward and patted the old man's back with her small, white fists, flattering him as she said:

"Oh dear, Father! It's not easy for my junior brother to manage such a large country all by himself. He does more work than the governor, viceroy, and commander-in-chief of the anti-Japanese forces combined."

And look how filial your junior brother is to you.

The nation's treasure was borrowed without warning; otherwise, you would have already slunk away to the Western countries and sought refuge with my mother.

It's so undignified to be a kept man!

My junior brother also told me to first have the emperor refine an immortal elixir, the "Five Organs Returning to Truth Pill," to test its effects.

If it really works and the side effects are within an acceptable range, I'll definitely save up another one to give to you, my dear.

Perhaps there's hope for recovery from this incurable chronic illness? Look at you, having the emperor test medicine on you—what a blessing!

"I can't talk to you anymore. My junior brother is still waiting for me in that world of books. I'm leaving now."

Shen Yuting watched her daughter's light steps and the way her fox tail almost swayed as she walked away, and she felt so angry at that little brat that she almost ground her back teeth to powder.

But then he scratched his head in frustration and sighed deeply.

"Ruyi, how could your little schemes possibly escape your father's notice?"

The fourth child is indeed a good one. She's a family member who knows her well, so I feel at ease marrying her. I don't have to worry about her being bullied in her husband's family.

If the fourth brother is just my last disciple, Wang Fugui, then everything is fine. I will entrust him with the entire inheritance, and he would feel embarrassed not to be with you for life.

Because he is kind!

"But the key issue is that he is still a prince, the only son of the second-rank Prince Jing, and the last heir of the Wang family."

Look at the fate of the lineage of Emperor Xiaozong and Emperor Hongzhi, who only married one empress. How desolate it was after their line died out?
With such a cautionary tale before us, which monarch would dare to emulate this romantic fool in the future?

If the fourth prince dares to marry only one princess, not to mention his retainers, servants, and allies with whom he has vested interests, even I, as his master, cannot agree to it!
He dares to play the role of a devoted lover? I dare to break his legs, then light the "Imperial Concubine's Tent Incense" and lock him up with a group of beauties so he can learn a lesson in 'how to be a human being'!

The old man felt that both sides were equally important, and he was torn between them no matter which one he favored.

"The likelihood of this happening is not high."

I know all too well what true devotion in a man looks like. From youth to old age, which one of them hasn't always been fond of a young girl in her prime?
Even when this old man like me meets the lady... cough cough cough."

Even though no one was around, the old man still looked around nervously, coughed a few times as if his old illness had relapsed, and swallowed his words again.

"Our Shen family, the God of Wealth, is not a family that can be brought into the light. We are so poor that all we have left is money, and we can't help Fugui much."

Besides, Ruyi is already twenty-one years old (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning), three years older than Fugui. Even if her beauty is flawless, I still feel that this kind of older maid is not a good match for my, Shen Yuting's, last disciple.

How could my most prized disciple be so shallow as to be easily bewitched by my daughter's mere beauty?

I think it would be difficult for her to even become the principal wife in the palace, let alone enjoy exclusive favor from one person!

After much deliberation, Shen Yuting decided to focus on money and start investing in Donghai Kingdom now, aiming to become the largest original shareholder.

Then, with an air of domineering confidence, say to Wang Cheng:
"Young man, is it safe for my gold transport ship to dock here?"

He was speechless and could only obediently submit to his daughter's charms.

"Great idea, let's do it!"

Meanwhile, as Shen Yueye relayed the specific coordinates, the Wang, Zheng, and Lin families left behind enough manpower to complete their respective tasks, while the main fleet secretly set off towards Minzhou Zhizhou City.

It was estimated that the encirclement would be completed in less than two days. However, they were unaware that another large pirate fleet was also approaching Minzhou on the vast ocean.

A pirate flag bearing a wooden doll emblem hangs on the mainmast of the warship. It belongs to Zeng Yiben, a great pirate of the plundering faction known as the "Master Strategist"!
This person is quite powerful. He was suppressed in previous years, but now he has risen to prominence and has already committed several massacres along the coast of Dazhao. After he left, his body mysteriously disappeared.

This created enormous panic among the coastal residents.

At this moment, deep within the flagship's cabin, flesh and blood were rampant, and celestial light permeated the air.

"Alas! Flesh and blood are not a prison, but a boat of stardust, a raft to cross the void sea."

Sexuality is a spark of inspiration, reflecting the eyes of the stars; destiny is the furnace of the body, giving birth to the embryo of chaos.

Dual cultivation is an extraordinary technique, a shortcut to connecting the universe, influencing the vital mechanisms, and gaining insight into the other side.

Amidst the eerie chanting, a naked child could be vaguely seen being supported by a lotus flower of flesh and blood formed from the fusion of countless corpses in the center of the cabin.

Judging from its appearance, it was none other than the child born to Mao Haifeng and Wang Cuiqiao—neither human nor immortal, neither male nor female!
It was less than a month after its birth when it transformed into the appearance of a young boy.

His eyes, however, held a hint of world-weariness and sharpness beyond a child's reach, as if he could see into a distant place through the ship's cabin:

"My original form as a child immortal is still in the immortal realm outside the wall. This time, I was ordered by my master to go through great lengths to get through the Mountain and Sea Curse by taking advantage of the red-haired barbarians."

It's all the fault of that eunuch Sanbao's treasure ship fleet, which has persisted for over a hundred years and still hasn't given in, naively believing that a second treasure ship fleet will come to their rescue.

This time, I, the celestial child, will first retrieve the blueprints for the Heavenly Craft Treasure Ship, and then take the Great Medicine Elixir scattered throughout the walls.

As long as you do your job well, you will definitely be able to transform from a servant under the master into a disciple!
Everyone says that longevity is good, but I say that everyone is foolish.

"With mortal eyes, one cannot discern which is the true elixir of immortality, much less know what a true immortal is!"

As his chanting resumed, a bloodlust flashed in the eyes of every pirate in the fleet, flickering with the rhythmic cadence.

Without needing command, they collectively turned and attacked Rongcheng. From the great pirate [mechanic] Zeng Yiben down, thousands of people were as one.

The world in the book, Yanggu County.

Before the paper boat arrived, two golden edicts gleamed and were affixed to Zheng Qian and "Zheng Jin's" chests with lightning speed.

Wearing two layers of vests, Wang Cheng, who had only recently arrived and was not yet fully assimilated, had not changed much.

Zheng Qian had been in a state of decline for a long time. At first, he would use copper coins to divine the future, but later he didn't even know his own surname. Now, with the talisman falling, his eyes suddenly became much clearer.

That imposing appearance, once that of a "heavenly demon lord and earthly god of calamity," has returned to some of its original ordinariness.

"What's wrong with me?"

Memories returned, and the events of those days came vividly to mind.

He then spotted his "elder brother," Ximen Qing, whom he had nearly killed, and exclaimed in shock:
"Brother, what happened to you? And you've turned into such a filthy mess? You're not even as good as Wu Dalang!"

When Wang Cheng saw the small boat arrive, he didn't reveal his identity to this thick-skinned fellow. He continued to pretend to be Zheng Jin, giving him a disdainful look before putting away his carrying pole and saying:

"Third brother, the master here has arrived. Come behind me."

Then he questioned the two people on the paper boat:

"Who are you? Why did you kidnap us brothers and bring us here?"

Having caused trouble, Tao and Cao dared not continue to provoke the codebreakers and were determined to get them back to their positions as quickly as possible.

At this time, they did not act like vicious kidnappers; they maintained the dignified demeanor of scholars who said one thing in public and another in private.

"Haha, Young Master Zheng, please calm down."

We have a tremendous opportunity, but we need the wisdom of many to unlock its secrets. We humbly request your assistance, brothers, and hope you will generously offer your guidance.

The reason will become clear at a glance; please follow us!

Zheng Qian still stubbornly refused to accept it:

"Now that you know who we are, why don't you hurry up?"

But then he met their seemingly polite but actually unquestionable gazes, and remembering what he had experienced in the past few days, he couldn't help but shudder.

He knew that without the talisman on his chest, he would immediately revert to his original form and become Wu Erlang completely.

I dared not say another word.

He lamented that his "Water over Thunder" hexagram seemed to have failed in its divination, and the powerful figure he was supposed to cling to had not yet appeared.

Wang Cheng was even more enthusiastic than these upright officials, pulling Zheng Qian along and saying:
"Please lead the way, you two."

Tao and Cao breathed a deep sigh of relief. It was all the better that Young Master Zheng, who occupied the exclusive role of his master and was destined to be difficult to control, would cooperate willingly.

"Zheng Jin does have a certain composure in the face of adversity. It is indeed more appropriate to hand over the Zheng family business and the mantle of their unique skills to the eldest son than to the third son."

This person might give us a surprise.

Soon, the four of them boarded a paper boat and parted the endless ink-wash background around them, bypassing the storylines of all 108 heroes, and headed straight for the core location of the story—Liangshan Marsh!
But just before they were about to leave the ink-wash landscape, a woman's voice, seemingly dignified yet inwardly alluring, rang in their ears:

"This humble nun never expected that a mere scholar who was originally captured to be a gigolo would become the 'Ghostly Shocker' who is famous throughout the East China Sea, having escaped from my Qingque Nunnery less than half a year ago?"
The workings of nature are mysterious and beyond the comprehension of mortals; now, this humble nun is even more interested in him.

(End of this chapter)