Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 361 Good Fortune Abounds, Parting Gifts

Time flies, and the countdown to the departure of the grand fleet has begun.

The coastal general's office and garrison, which were incorporated into the military-industrial complex, sent the men, ships and supplies that Wang Cheng specifically requested to Zhenhaiwei for free.

More than a hundred large ships were moored in the anchorage, with hard sails and soft sails of all sizes stretching from the port to the horizon.

The naval force comprised a very high proportion of temple soldiers and officers of all ranks, totaling a full twelve thousand.

Although smaller than the 27,000 men Zheng He had on his first seven voyages to the Western Ocean, this fleet did not need to travel as far as Zheng He's fleet, and it was enough to dominate Southeast Asia.

Moreover, when Wang Cheng went to the various military headquarters to select men, he also used the tactic of "rare commodities" to specifically sweep through all the soldiers in various places.

He rounded up many promising talents with special destinies who had not yet made their mark, people with extraordinary appearances, or outstanding talents who were not recognized for their abilities.

For example, some people have a "square anus" that they have never even noticed.

As the name suggests, his back door is not round but square. Such a person can endure hardships that ordinary people cannot, and has extremely strong vitality.

Han Xin, the military genius who once suffered the humiliation of crawling between someone's legs, possessed this extraordinary innate appearance.

Wang Cheng recommended him to work as a salt worker, a position he rose through the ranks through hard work.

Some people possess the "Hidden Yin Appearance," where the object is hidden and not outwardly visible, hence the name "Hidden Yin." Those with this appearance are not afraid of any demons or evil spirits' seduction, and can easily cut through such evil spirits.
While talented individuals are common, discerning mentors are rare.

When you come to Wang Cheng, all your special skills are immediately apparent, and everything is put to good use and arranged clearly.

Naturally, he siphoned off these promising talents, who would all become part of his "Governor-General of the South Seas" team, guaranteeing they would never be returned.

"Oh, Brother Cui, you've arrived too. How is your mother's health at home?"

"So it's Brother Zhang. My mother is doing very well. I also want to thank you for the old ginseng you gave me last time."

"We'll be serving under your Lord Wang this time. With you, Lord Wang's favorite, here, I feel much more at ease."

"Haha, come ask me for more ginseng after you finish eating it."

My family members always think of all my comrades-in-arms and constantly remind me not to miss any of them during holidays.

[Silversmith] Zhang Wen received Wang Cheng's order to patrol the anchorage.

Having gained experience in the General's Office, he has a wide network of connections and can get along well with anyone.

They even knew the details of each other's families like the back of their hand. Although this fleet was a makeshift team drawn from various places, it didn't require much adjustment, as everyone knew each other.

This is the benefit of Wang Cheng sending Zhang Wen and seven or eight elite soldiers he had trained for a long time to enter the General's Office (Chapter 199).

From Wang Cheng's top-level management to Zhang Wen and his team's efforts in winning over the hearts and minds of the middle and lower levels, everything was arranged perfectly.

After all, losing is called forming cliques for personal gain, while winning is called being a benevolent leader and a backdoor listing!

The seeds planted in the past have blossomed and borne fruit today, and are far more beautiful than imagined.

Moreover, as Wang Cheng rose through the ranks, the Zhang brothers naturally followed suit and were promoted rapidly, now theoretically commanding thousands of men as commanders-in-chief.

This, in turn, catalyzed their fates of forgetting the past and obtaining good fortune, leading them to advance to the sixth rank.

This is a prime example of how a talented person from a county, with the help of a benefactor, can grow into a pillar of the nation amidst favorable circumstances.

Wang Cheng himself also dispatched a group of guardian spirit generals to patrol and talk with his subordinates, striving to thoroughly understand the situation of the entire fleet.

The main body, however, remained secluded and did not venture out.

In the small courtyard of Fenglinzhai, he seized the time to improve his strength and acquired his third treasure—the national treasure, the Treasure Basin.

A breath of Daoist energy fell into the clay-sculpted divine embryo, transforming into the shape of golden lungs.

This treasure embodies the most basic Chinese sentiment of "getting rich." Although the impact isn't as dramatic as the previous two, the effect is simple and direct—[More Wealth, More Billions]:
"They are destined to be blessed with wealth throughout their lives and will never be troubled by money."

You'll find money wherever you go, win every lottery, and make a fortune in business; from then on, you'll live a life of wealth and luxury, with money coming back even after you've spent it all.

This fortune perfectly aligns with the inherent power of the [Water Balance Commandant] and is a perfect match for Wang Cheng's plan to "unify the world".

"With its help, when I ascend to the status of a living god, the world's wealth will no longer belong to the ultimate owner."

Instead, of all the wealth in the world, I possess only one bushel, while you all owe me two bushels.

Only financial capital can achieve this. And coincidentally, all the temple soldiers and ghost soldiers of the Great Zhao possess a hidden attribute: "The Zhao army is invincible when underpaid, and invincible when fully paid!"

Receiving such good fortune before setting out on a campaign is undoubtedly a good omen.

Time flies, and the day of departure has finally arrived.

After washing up, Wang Cheng put on the dark-colored unicorn robe and walked out of his courtyard.

He looked up and saw his master, Shen Yuting, walking out of his courtyard, one hand on the wall and the other on his back, muttering, "Eee-hiss-ha!"

Seeing Wang Cheng come out, he couldn't help but blush.

She straightened her back as if nothing had happened, but after taking a step, she couldn't help herself:

"Ee-hiss-ha-hiss-ha"

A stunningly beautiful woman with silver hair and blue eyes emerged from behind him. She wore a royal blue horse-face skirt and exuded a strong exotic charm.

It was none other than the image of Cassandra, the master's wife, as a Bodhisattva.

Just two days ago, I returned to Moon Harbor on the sacred relic, the Hittite Golden Chariot. During this time, I have been using the harmonizing methods taught by Wang Cheng to help my master recover from his injuries.

Clearly, he didn't forget to study hard even before leaving.

Wang Cheng first paid his respects to his teacher's wife and mother-in-law, then winked at Shen Yuting:
"Master, how are your injuries? How long will it take for you to recover your strength to the upper third rank?"

Shen Yuting glared at him, annoyed.
"Old injuries don't heal so quickly. Without the help of life-saving techniques, the efficiency is still low. It will take at least three to five years to recover."

The advantage is that now at least I don't have to worry about dying on the spot.

Wang Cheng was disappointed:

"Master, my biggest dream in this life is to become a second-generation immortal."

The younger one got beaten up, so the older one came instead. I can't count on my dad anymore. I can only hope my mentor will become a dragon. You still need to work harder, sir.

Otherwise, I'll have to get promoted first, and then I'll be the son-in-law looking after you, sir.

Enraged by his rebellious disciple, Shen Yuting was about to take off his shoes and chase after him.

In the courtyard behind Wang Cheng, Shen Yueye called out:
"Dad! All you do is bully my honest son, Fugui."

He leaped forward and reached out to protect Wang Cheng.

Shen Yuting had no choice but to give up, seeing the situation, even with the leaky little cotton-padded jacket.

The master's wife was the most considerate. She hugged the old man and turned to Wang Cheng and Shen Yueye, speaking softly:
"Wealth and good fortune, let's go."

Both mother and daughter were going to Southeast Asia with Wang Cheng this time.

Shen Yueye's [Bodhisattva's Charm] combined with the [Star-Tracing Official] ritual requires traversing thousands of mountains and rivers to kill the target; the greater the influence, the better.

Cassandra, the master's wife, needs to hunt down Holy Cross believers who violate the church's laws in order to advance to the upper three ranks in the most perfect form.

They all had to go to Southeast Asia to find a place to settle down.

Seeing that his wife, children, and son-in-law had only been reunited for two days and were about to part again, Shen Yuting sighed. He straightened his clothes and personally saw them off to the dock, not forgetting to earnestly advise Wang Cheng:

"I told you this when I was preparing to run away after my identity was exposed."

To achieve great things, one must establish oneself through open strategies and defend oneself through covert ones; one must be moral and ethical, skillful and shrewd in handling affairs; one must have Buddha in one's heart and a sword in one's hand.

Doing good deeds is not wrong in itself; the four words "the world belongs to all" are the greatest principle that will never be outdated, but you must first have the means to do so.

"I once met the Sangharaja of Siam, a Theravada Buddhist country, in Southeast Asia."

When Wang Cheng heard this, his face immediately lit up with joy:
"I knew you'd been in Southeast Asia for so many years and must have a lot of impressive connections. Is this Luang Phor Seng an old friend of yours? Are you giving me such a generous gift before you leave?"

But then the old man grinned, cruelly shattering his fantasy:

"No, I mean, this is our family's greatest enemy. Master's injuries were inflicted by him."

If you encounter him in Southeast Asia, immediately take your master's wife and senior sister and run away!

(End of this chapter)