The fairy forced me to marry into her family, so I retorted by throwing myself into the Pool of Fate

Zhu Huaijin watched as the workers unloaded the last basket of spiritual vegetables from the boat, and then let out a long sigh of relief.

After working for half a day, it's finally done.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, turned around and called to his crew to prepare to leave, only to see those guys crowding at the bow of the boat, staring longingly at a stall on the shore.

It was a small stall selling spirit fruits. The stall owner was a lean man who was using a small, sharp knife to slice a fist-sized green spirit fruit into thin slices.

The flesh is as white as jade, and the juice flows down the blade, glistening in the sunlight.

The men stared wide-eyed, their Adam's apples bobbing up and down.

"I haven't done much work, but I've been craving food a lot."

Zhu Huaijin cursed and started walking in that direction.

When the men saw him walk by, they quickly lowered their heads and pretended they hadn't seen anything.

Zhu Huaijin walked to the stall, took out a spirit stone, and slapped it on the bank: "Give me three catties."

The stall owner took the spirit stones, weighed them quickly, wrapped them in oil paper, and handed them over.

Zhu Huaijin took the paper package and casually tossed it onto the boat. "Eat it."

One of the workers caught it quickly, grinned, and unwrapped the oil paper. The group then huddled together to share the food.

"The owner is benevolent and righteous."

"The owner is generous."

Zhu Huaijin waved his hand, too lazy to pay attention to these sycophants, plopped back down on the bamboo chair, and waved, "Let's go, let's go. Stop dawdling, it's almost dark."

The men responded and each grabbed a pole.

The cargo ship slowly departed from the dock, passed through the crowded ferry terminal, and headed outwards.

……

Half an hour later, the sea gradually widened, and the Xikou market behind them had shrunk to a small black dot.

Zhu Huaijin lay on the bamboo chair, eyes closed, limbs outstretched, looking languid.

But in reality, Zhu Huaijin didn't look at all relaxed at that moment.

His muscles were taut, and his throat felt like it was being choked.

The words that Manager Lin had told him last night were replaying in his mind over and over again.

"What you sent this time wasn't just spiritual vegetables, but also a piece of fish bait."

"Fish bait? Manager Lin, what do you mean by that?"

"The literal meaning. Recently, several groups of bandits have been targeting cargo ships outside Xikou Market. The Mu family has already set a trap, they just need the bait."

"Well... Manager Lin, I'm just an honest businessman..."

"Don't worry, the Mu family has sent people to follow you secretly, so nothing will happen to you. After it's done, the entire supply of spirit vegetables for the next season from Jieyoufang will be yours."

The allure of the precious stones was undeniable, and Zhu Huaijin gritted his teeth and agreed.

But now that he was actually at sea, he began to feel fear.

What if we lose track of the Mu family? What if the Jiexiu strikes first? What if…

The more he thought about it, the more restless he became. He suddenly opened his eyes and stood up.

Several men were sitting at the bow of the boat, holding spirit fruits and munching on them, their mouths full of juice.

"Eat, eat, all you ever do is eat," Zhu Huaijin scolded.

The men were startled and quickly stood up. One of them, who reacted quickly, immediately puffed out his chest and pretended to look around.

The others followed suit, adopting a wary demeanor.

Zhu Huaijin shook his head helplessly as he looked at their behavior.

"The way you all are? Even Jie Xiu would shake his head at the sight."

After saying that, he lay back heavily on the bamboo chair.

Just then, a voice drifted from ahead.

"You guys are really no good."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Huaijin felt a chill run down his spine, and his back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

Thirty feet ahead, the seawater silently parted to the sides, and two figures slowly rose from the water.

One old and one young.

The older one was thin and gaunt, his face etched with wrinkles, while the younger one had a hunched face and a smug smile on his lips.

The two men hung in mid-air, their robes swaying gently in the sea breeze, their gazes fixed on Zhu Huaijin.

"Late stage of Qi Refining." Zhu Huaijin trembled all over and subconsciously clutched the spirit stone pouch at his waist.

He suppressed his fear and cupped his hands in greeting to the two men: "Fellow Daoists, what brings you here?"

Feng San scoffed, looking down at Zhu Huaijin: "What are you doing? Don't you know?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Huaijin's heart pounded like a drum.

Calm down, calm down. Steward Lin said that the Mu family is following behind. We just need to stall them.

He forced a smile and said, "Gentlemen, it's better to avoid trouble. I happen to have five hundred spirit stones here. Why don't you take them, have some drinks, and make friends?"

Feng San tilted his head, his smile widening: "Five hundred?"

"Who do you think you are, with just a few spirit stones?"

After he finished speaking, he and Feng Yuan exchanged a glance.

Feng Yuan nodded expressionlessly.

The two moved simultaneously, their figures flashing as they landed steadily on the bow of the boat.

Feng Yuan found it troublesome and was too lazy to deal with these ants. He simply released a wisp of his aura, and the men immediately huddled together, trembling all over.

Especially after seeing the undisguised murderous intent in their eyes, he didn't even dare to raise his head.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Huaijin cursed inwardly as a complete waste.

Feng San walked briskly, taking two steps to stand in front of Zhu Huaijin.

Seeing that Zhu Huaijin was frozen in place and did not move, he reached out to take the storage bag at Zhu Huaijin's waist.

I tried to pull it, but it wouldn't budge.

I pulled again, but it still didn't budge.

Feng San was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Feng Yuan, as if he had discovered something new: "Godfather? You've met someone who values ​​money over life."

Feng Yuan stood with his hands behind his back at the bow of the ship, observing the surrounding sea. Hearing this, he didn't even turn his head.

"Kill him."

He said it so casually, but Zhu Huaijin couldn't stand it.

Screw the bait, if we drag this out any longer we'll all be dead.

He gripped the storage bag tightly and roared at the top of his lungs, "If you don't make a move soon, I'm really going to die!"

Upon hearing this shout, Feng San's expression changed drastically, and his brows furrowed tightly.

Feng Yuan reacted even faster. His eyes narrowed, and his powerful divine sense spread out in all directions like mercury.

One zhang (approximately 3.3 meters).

Five zhang (approximately 10 meters).

Suddenly, he noticed four auras approaching at an extremely fast speed.

Sure enough, there was an ambush.

Feng Yuan's face darkened, and he instantly understood.

The person in front of him was not a fat sheep at all, but a trap set specifically for him.

As an experienced cultivator, he remained calm, turned around, took a step forward, and pulled the storage bag from Zhu Huaijin's waist. At the same time, he said in a deep voice, "Feng San, help your father stall for time."

Before he finished speaking, he slightly bent his knees, his magical power exploded beneath his feet, and he was about to leap up.

But just then, he felt a sudden chill in his dantian, as if something had gone in and then come out.

Feng Yuan froze on the spot. Looking down, he saw a blood-stained blade tip protruding from his abdomen, gleaming with a cold, eerie light.

His dantian was pierced, and his magical power leaked out wildly from the wound. Like a punctured ball, Feng Yuan's aura visibly declined.

"Feng San".

Feng Yuan roared, his beard and hair standing on end, and slapped her across the face.

This palm strike was unleashed in anger, carrying with it the remaining power of magic.

Feng San was sent flying by the slap, crashing heavily onto the ship's side. Half of his face swelled up instantly, and blood streamed from the corner of his mouth.

Zhu Huaijin's mouth was agape, his mind still reeling.

The guys huddled in the corner were stunned, forgetting even to tremble.

Feng Yuan looked down at the penetrating wound in his abdomen, then at Feng San lying on the side of the ship, his cloudy old eyes filled with doubt.

Why?

Feng San propped himself up; half of his face was swollen, and blood was still dripping from the corner of his mouth.

But then he suddenly laughed, his face contorted with rage and his eyes filled with venom.

"Godfather, I had no choice, I had no other option."

Feng Yuan shook his head and sighed, "I treated you like my own son, why do you turn around and bite me?"

"Treat them like your own children?"

"How dare you say that?"

Feng San laughed as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, and his laughter grew louder and louder until tears streamed down his face.

"You must have at least eight or ten adopted sons, right? What happened to them? Some died, some were crippled, and some disappeared without a trace."

"I'm not the first, and I won't be the last."

"In your eyes, we adopted sons are just convenient tools."

"Call him godfather a few more times when he's useful, and throw him out to take the fall when he's no longer needed."

"..."

In the end, Feng San spat a mouthful of blood onto the deck.

Feng Yuan was silent for a moment. He did not argue, but simply shook his head.

"An ungrateful wretch who can't be tamed."

He raised his hand, his palm gathering magical power, ready to finish off the traitor.

Feng San showed no fear, nor did he even try to dodge. He simply grinned, revealing a set of teeth stained red with blood: "Still thinking of killing me?"

"People are coming from behind."

Feng Yuan was startled and turned around abruptly.

On the sea, four figures are riding the waves.

The man in the lead was quite tall and looked thin and weak, but he was the fastest of the four.

Feng Yuan recognized several of the faces.

The disciples of the Mu family were indeed part of a scheme.

Without hesitation, he disregarded the traitor Feng San, unleashed his remaining magical power beneath his feet, and transformed into a streak of gray light, speeding towards the distant sea.

"My dantian is shattered, and my mana is leaking out. I can't hold on much longer. I must shake them off as soon as possible."

Feng Yuan gritted his teeth and desperately activated his escape technique, increasing his speed even further.

Behind them, Li Ping and his three companions had caught up and were only a few dozen feet away from the cargo ship.

"Let's split into two groups." Mu Ming made a quick decision. "Junyi, Chengyuan, you two guard the cargo ship. Li Ping and I will go after that old bastard."

Although Mu Junyi was somewhat unwilling, he knew that his cultivation was not high enough and that forcibly chasing after them would only hold them back: "Be careful."

Mu Ming nodded, then pushed off with his feet, his speed suddenly increasing.

Li Ping didn't say much, but silently activated his magic power.

As the Han Shui Jing circulated within his body, the seawater beneath his feet seemed to become an extension of his body. With each step he took, the ocean current would propel him forward a short distance.

The two quickly shook off Mu Junyi and Mu Chengyuan, chasing after the gray streak of light.

Ahead, Feng Yuan glanced back.

Seeing that two more people were still hot on his heels, his expression darkened further.

The wound in his dantian was bleeding, and his mana was being drained at an increasingly rapid rate.

At this rate, he can only last for another incense stick's time at most.

"We can't afford to drag this out."

Feng Yuan gritted his teeth, enduring the intense pain from his dantian, and once again channeled his magical power.

The gray light suddenly surged, its speed increasing dramatically.

But he was fast, and the two behind him were fast too.

Feng Yuan gritted his teeth and sped up again, but he still couldn't shake them off.

He glanced back at the two figures, who were still steadily following behind.

The person in front, in particular, had a very strange gait. He walked on the waves as if he were walking on flat ground, and his speed was even faster than that of the late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

"puff."

Feng Yuan overused his escape technique, and the last bit of magical power in his body was depleted.

His dantian was completely shattered, and he couldn't even muster a trace of magical power.

He felt his vision go black, his legs go weak, and he fell into the sea.

If he keeps running, he'll run himself to death without anyone having to help him.

Feng Yuan sighed and stopped in his tracks.

He landed on the sea, bent over, panting heavily.

With a single breath of energy, two figures landed in front of him, flanking him from the left and right.

Mu Ming pressed down with his right hand, his aura locking onto Feng Yuan.

Li Ping stood three zhang away, looking expressionlessly at the old calamity cultivator who had reached the end of his rope.

Feng Yuan raised his head and his gaze fell on Li Ping.

He paused, a complex look suddenly appearing in his cloudy old eyes.

"It's been a long time. I didn't expect you to have already reached the sixth level of Qi Refining."

The last time we met, this person was at the fourth level of Qi Refining.

How long has it been? Two layers have already been broken through.

This talent is considered quite good even in a major sect.

Li Ping didn't respond, but just quietly looked at Feng Yuan.

Seeing his appearance, Feng Yuan sighed.

"It seems nobody wants to listen to me anymore."

He shook his head, a smile that was hard to decipher.

Then, the last wisp of magical power was shaken.

With his heart ruptured, Feng Yuan's body went limp, and he fell forward, plunging into the sea.

A splash of water rose on the sea surface, then returned to calm.

Mu Ming stepped forward and reached out to pull him out of the water.

The body was limp and lifeless.

"That old man is quite decisive," Mu Ming said in a complicated tone.

Li Ping glanced down at Feng Yuan's corpse but said nothing.

……

……

On the cargo ship, Mu Junyi stood with a sullen face, arms crossed, staring at Zhu Huaijin with an unfriendly expression.

Zhu Huaijin huddled up, a fawning smile plastered on his face, but the smile was more like a grimace.

"What's your hurry?" Mu Junyi asked, his tone cold and hard.

"You're shouting before we've even arrived? Would it kill you to hold your breath a little longer?"

Zhu Huaijin said awkwardly, "This fellow Daoist is right, it was my fault."

Mu Junyi snorted, about to say something more, when Mu Chengyuan tugged at him from the side.

"Never mind, it's good that everyone's alright."

Mu Junyi then gave up, but his gaze toward Zhu Huaijin was still not very friendly.

On the other side, Feng San sat on the edge of the boat, half of his face swollen high, and the blood at the corner of his mouth had dried.

Mu Chengyuan walked over and handed him a healing pill.

Feng San took it without ceremony, popped it into his mouth and chewed it, mumbling, "Thanks."

At that moment, two figures appeared in the distance on the sea.

Li Ping and Mu Ming returned on the waves, with Mu Ming carrying Feng Yuan's corpse in his hand.

The two boarded the ship, and Mu Ming placed the body on the deck.

All eyes fell on it at the same time.

Feng Yuan's body lay face up on the deck, his eyes half-open, his face pale, and blood still seeping from the wound in his abdomen.

That old calamity cultivator who had roamed the Black Sea for many years died just like that.

Feng San propped himself up and walked to the body, looking down at it for a long time.

"You old bastard, you've finally met your match."

Li Ping glanced at her and asked, "Are you alright?"

Feng San waved his hand: "It's alright."

He exhaled a breath of stale air, his eyes filled with complex emotions, but mostly with a sense of relief.

Li Ping nodded and said no more.

This falling out between father and son was not part of the original plan.

They set up this scheme, using Zhu Huaijin as bait, knowing that given Feng Yuan's personality, he would definitely take the bait once he smelled the fish.

But he didn't expect that Feng San had been apprehended by another patrol team the night before.

What was even more unexpected was that during the interrogation, Feng San offered almost no resistance and spilled all of Feng Yuan's secrets.

After Mu Fangxu informed him of this, Li Ping immediately changed his plans.

As it turned out, the effect was good.

Even while on the run, Feng Yuan probably couldn't understand how the pawn he had raised with his own hands had become the knife that stabbed him.

Without Feng San's strike, even with Feng Yuan's late-stage Qi Refining cultivation, he would have inevitably faced a fierce battle even if he had fallen into an encirclement.

When a cultivator in the late stage of Qi Refining goes all out, who dares to say they don't have a backup plan?

Thinking of this, Li Ping looked down at Feng Yuan's corpse, and then closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

The boat swayed gently, changed direction, and slowly headed towards Xikou Market.

The sea has returned to calm.