Under One Person: The Sea Emperor Who Shattered Heaven and Earth

Soon, only Zhao Yuan and Master Feng remained in the side hall.

Chapter 72 The Invitation of the Trinity

Jiang Zhen sat in his office at the headquarters of the Grand Canal Gang, opened the window, and looked out at the bustling Huangpu River. On the river, cargo ships of the Grand Canal Gang came and went.

It was clearly a scene of great prosperity, with everything flourishing and full of vitality.

But for some reason, Jiang Zhen has been feeling uneasy lately. It's not exactly fear, but more like a strange, inexplicable anxiety and unease.

At first, he thought the Japanese were going to launch some earth-shattering counterattack.

According to the intelligence continuously sent back by their subordinates and small inns, the current state of the Japanese in China can only be described as that of stray dogs.

With most of their covert operations dismantled, the remaining forces were being pursued by several parties simultaneously, unable to find even a decent foothold. Let alone launching a counterattack, simply escaping unscathed would be a feat in itself.

He then thought about the internal workings of the Grand Canal Gang, wondering if its large size meant there might be corruption and malpractice within. However, he quickly dismissed the idea. The Grand Canal Gang was now united, his prestige was extremely high, and with the internal interrogation hall staffed by Master Feng and Zhao Yuan, no one dared to make any underhanded moves.

Ma Ben's workshop was quiet, with no signs of an impending explosion; Lin Zhu and Duanmu Ying's research on penicillin was also progressing well, and they had even made new progress a few days ago.

Everything is moving in a positive direction.

Finally, Jiang Zhen turned his suspicions to himself.

He sat back down at his desk, slowly closed his eyes, and looked inward at himself.

With Fang Dongtian's daily cramming instruction, his understanding of the complete internal alchemy technique deepened day by day, and his cultivation of life force steadily improved. The Qi in his dantian swirled slowly like a vortex, flowing continuously along the meridians. He clenched his fist, feeling the power flowing through his blood vessels as steady as a great river, without the slightest hesitation.

There are no health problems, no hidden injuries, no hidden dangers, and it's certainly not to the point where I need to be intubated like Whitebeard.

"Could it be from being bored?" Jiang Zhen opened his eyes and chuckled self-deprecatingly.

Although he was the leader of the Canal Gang, he should have been extremely busy, but in fact, his official duties were not that demanding, as he had Bai Fu, Master Feng, and Zhao Yuan to help him handle them.

Jiang Zhen's only task each day was to sign his name on the stacks of documents that Bai Fu delivered.

He originally didn't even want to sign his name because it was too much trouble. If it wasn't a big deal, he would just ask them to briefly explain and he would sign on his behalf. However, Fifth Master Feng and Zhao Yuan immediately got anxious and strongly objected.

Zhao Yuan even dared to slam his fist on the table, his mustache bristling: "Chief, you are the leader of the Canal Gang! Your name is the seal of the Canal Gang. How can you entrust it to someone else? The name must be signed by you personally. If you don't sign, it cannot be approved. No matter what, this rule must not be broken."

Master Feng chimed in, the two of them singing in unison, leaving Jiang Zhen bewildered.

……

After figuring out the reason, Jiang Zhen collapsed into a chair.

"Ugh~ I really want to play on my phone~"

He spoke these words very softly, as if he were talking to himself. He hadn't thought about those things from his past life for a long time.

But sometimes, like now, when I'm lounging listlessly in my chair, with the sun shining brightly outside the window and a gentle breeze blowing from the river, I suddenly miss the days when I could watch videos, play games, and stay on the sofa all day without going out.

People are strange like that. When he was busy, he never thought about these things, but once he had free time, those memories came back uninvited.

"Bang bang bang."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and Bai Fu walked in, carrying a thick stack of official documents.

"Master, did I disturb your cultivation?" Bai Fu walked in with a smile.

"Mr. Bai, more people wanting autographs?" Jiang Zhen leaned back in his chair, too lazy to even change his posture. He glanced at the thickness of the stack of documents and his lips twitched. At least fifty or sixty copies.

"These are all important matters." Bai Fu pulled out the top document and handed it to Jiang Zhen.

Miss Lin and Miss Duanmu started talking again. "Those Western scholars are completely obsessed now. They sneak into the medicine shed before dawn and stay with the lights on even after dark. That Professor Yalman, the one who wouldn't let go of your hand last time, says he wants to set aside a separate plot of land to build a dedicated medical laboratory. He wants something like a 'temperature incubator,' a 'high-powered microscope,' a 'centrifuge,' and a whole bunch of other things I've never even heard of."

Bai Fu sighed: "Boss Du went to the concession and asked around. The foreign firms there said that some things were ridiculously expensive. And some were simply controlled goods that weren't for sale to the public."

Jiang Zhen took the document, glanced at the budget, and signed his name without even frowning.

“Give it to them. Our canal gang controls all the canals and makes a fortune every day. If we can’t buy something, we’ll send people to the West to find a way. We can use threats and bribes. If the price is high, we’ll find someone with guts. There’s nothing we can’t buy. As long as the medicine can be made, it’s worth any price.”

"Alright." Bai Fu replied, then pulled out documents one by one from the pile and handed them to Jiang Zhen. Funds for bridge repair, personnel changes in the branch, a list of newly recruited disciples, cooperation agreements with chambers of commerce in various regions... Jiang Zhen signed them one by one, the pen scratching on the paper.

After signing the last document, Bai Fu left with the file. Jiang Zhen rubbed his aching wrist and his gaze fell on a letter on the corner of the table.

The envelope was simple, without any unnecessary decorations, and was made of fine Xuan paper. A faint cloud-patterned sealing wax was printed on the seal. The cloud pattern was extremely simple, yet it had a transcendent quality.

The inscription was signed by Zuo Ruotong, the head of the Sanyi Sect and the Immortal of Daying.

The letter was short. On the one hand, it congratulated Jiang Zhen on his great victory in Nanjing and thanked him for looking after the Sanyi disciples on the Nanjing battlefield. On the other hand, it invited him to the Sanyi Sect to discuss philosophy.

This was the second time that Master Zuo had invited him since the Lu family's birthday banquet.

“Reversed life triple…” Jiang Zhen murmured, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, making a soft tapping sound.

Jiang Zhen clearly understood Master Zuo's thoughts and why he had been invited. At the Lu family's birthday banquet, Master Zuo's strength was insufficient, but his Tremor-Tremor Fruit ability had since grown exponentially. Now, if he were to make a move, he would have to be careful.

"Go ahead..." After all, they've already extended two invitations; it wouldn't be right not to go.

Jiang Zhen picked up his pen and immediately wrote a reply. Once the ink was slightly dry, he called Bai Fu in.

"The Left Sect Leader invited me to the Sanyi Sect for a discussion. Since there's nothing major going on in the sect right now, I'm planning to go." Jiang Zhen handed over the envelope. "I've written my reply. Please send someone to deliver it first."

"Go to Trinity?"

Bai Fu took the letter and his eyes lit up. "That's great! The Great Immortal of Daying is famous throughout the martial arts world. When does the leader plan to set off?"

"In a couple of days, help me prepare some gifts, something nice."

"Okay, I'll go prepare right away. Who should I bring along?" Bai Fu asked.

"You can arrange it as you see fit," Jiang Zhen replied.

Bai Fu nodded, and was about to turn around when he suddenly stopped.

"Should we invite Daoist Dongtian along?"

Upon hearing the name, Jiang Zhen immediately stood up in alarm.

"Don't!"

After a pause, he continued, "Don't call him Dongtian anymore. He's been teaching me all this time, and he's worked hard. Let's give him a break while I'm at Sany, and also give myself a break."

“Alright, then we won’t call him Master Dongtian. I’ll arrange a few more capable people.” Bai Fu agreed with a smile.

After the door was closed, it seemed that Jiang Zhen muttered something like "not having to go to class for half a month" and "making a fortune".

Chapter 73 Following the trend allows one to avoid calamity and schemes; going against the tide brings the ultimate merit.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Bai Fu never needed Jiang Zhen to worry about anything. In the past two days, he not only prepared the gifts, but also transferred two of the best-condition Studebaker cars from the newly formed car fleet of the Canal Gang.

early morning.

When Jiang Zhen pushed open the door and walked out of the headquarters, Bai Fu was leading a few young men to stuff things into the trunk.

"Boss, what do you think of this car?" Bai Fu patted the hood, looking proud. "Boss Du specifically instructed me to bring this. It's a brand new car that was recently unloaded from the dock. The engine sounds really powerful."

Jiang Zhen walked to the front of the car, his fingertips lightly gliding across the cold paint. He looked at the iconic car logo and couldn't help but feel a little sentimental.

"Times have really moved fast."

Not long ago, traveling on this land mainly relied on horses and two feet, but now, the sound of horses neighing has been gradually replaced by the roar of engines. This change gave him, the time traveler, a sense of disorientation, as if the world was rapidly moving closer to the image he remembered.

Bai Fu arranged for a small entourage, consisting of a driver, two full-time drivers, and four young extraordinary individuals, all rising stars in the Canal Gang.

These young men are not old, but they are quick-witted and sharp-eyed. They were specially chosen by Bai Fu to run errands for Jiang Zhen.

As for protection? Looking at the entire world of supernatural beings, there probably isn't anyone who can get an advantage from Jiang Zhen yet.

"Boss, Master Bai, all the gifts are ready." A young man deftly closed the trunk and bowed respectfully.

"Alright, let's go."

Jiang Zhen opened the car door and sat in the spacious back seat. The leather seats were very supportive, and there was a faint leather scent in the car.

With a low roar from the engine, the two Stypunk cars slowly drove away from the Huangpu Riverbank and sped off towards the Sanyi Gate.

The journey from Shanghai to Sanyimen takes about three days.

Jiang Zhen had an unusually peaceful three days, without triggering any side quests such as encountering robbers or being chased.

Along the way, the scenery outside the window kept changing. From the bustling metropolis of Shanghai to a small town in Jiangnan, and then to the sparsely populated, ancient and charming mountains and fields.

three days later.

"Your Excellency, we're entering the mountains ahead. The road is getting difficult and steep, so please be careful," the driver's voice came from ahead.

Jiang Zhen opened his eyes from his half-asleep state and looked out the window. In the distance, the mountains stretched endlessly, with clouds and mist swirling around their waists.

"This is a blessed land."

The convoy continued driving for another half day.

Finally, in front of a mountain road strewn with loose rocks, the driver stepped on the brakes.

"My lord, I'm so sorry, the road ahead is no longer safe for a car." The driver turned around, wiping his sweat with a hint of helplessness. "If we drive any further, the car might just break down here."

Jiang Zhen got out of the car, glanced at the narrow road winding into the clouds ahead, and nodded.

"Alright, let's stop here. We'll walk the rest of the way."

Without saying a word, the four young people picked up the heavy gift boxes and began packing their belongings with practiced ease.

For ordinary people, carrying dozens of kilograms of weight up such desolate mountains would be an absolute nightmare. But these young men were all extraordinary, and their leg strength was naturally much stronger than that of ordinary people.

However, the mountain where the Trinity Gate was located was far more dangerous than they had anticipated.

The path wasn't really a path, but rather a series of shallow pits carved into the cliff face. In some places, it even required using both hands and feet. After climbing about halfway, the young men had beads of sweat on their foreheads and their breathing became heavy.

Jiang Zhen walked at the front, his steps as steady as if he were strolling on flat ground.

He glanced back at his panting brothers, stopped, and pointed to a flat, large blue stone next to him.

"Alright, stop pushing yourself. Put your things down and rest here for a while."

Everyone felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They quickly put down their gifts and collapsed onto the ground, completely losing their composure. A young man, wiping his sweat, looked at the almost vertical mountain path ahead and asked in bewilderment:

"Chief, the mountain path to the Sanyi Sect is too treacherous. I really don't know what the ancestors of the Sanyi Sect were thinking, building their gate in such a place. How much effort must it have taken to transport the blue bricks and beams of the main hall up there? Even oxen and horses would have a hard time carrying them up!"

Jiang Zhen couldn't help but smile upon hearing this.

Pointing to the faint outline of the buildings on the mountaintop, he said calmly, "Even cattle and horses can't get up to this kind of place. What do you think the Sanyi Sect is? Their Reverse Life Triple Technique is a universally recognized ultimate skill."