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

That was a terrifying force that was completely unreasonable and began to destroy from within matter itself.

"call--"

Jiang Zhen withdrew his stance, let out a long breath, and allowed his white qi to sink back into his dantian. He looked at Ma Benzai and gave him a kind smile.

"Are you alright, bro?"

Ma Ben was stunned for a long time before he suddenly realized what was happening. Forgetting to wipe the dust off his face, he clasped his hands in a deep salute.

"Tiangong Hall, Ma Benzai. Thank you for saving my life, brave warrior! May I ask your name? Could you perhaps... truly be the renowned 'River-Shaking Dragon' Brother Jiang, who is famous throughout the Huangpu River?"

At this moment, Master Feng also emerged from the woods: "Brother Ma has a good eye! This is Jiang Zhen, the third leader of my Canal Gang. I am Master Feng, and I just happen to be passing by."

Feng Wuye's real name is Feng Wuye. At first, Jiang Zhen thought it was a respectful title from others, but who knew that his real name was Wuye? He just felt that the name was domineering, and everyone who came would have to call him Wuye.

Upon hearing this, Ma Ben's eyes instantly lit up: "It really is Third Master Jiang! Although I, Ma Ben, have spent most of my time holed up in the workshop, I have heard of Third Master's name. Seeing it today, Third Master's 'legendary ability to command rivers and lakes' is simply... simply astonishing!"

As a future master of the Divine Craftsmanship, Ma Benzai, though not yet at that level, possesses an innate intuition for the structure of objects. He had just noticed that although Jiang Zhen appeared to be punching, he was actually dismantling his opponent using a peculiar "frequency."

This "precise frequency" is, to some extent, similar to the control of heat and hammering during weapon forging.

Jiang Zhen chuckled and said, "You flatter me. That's my innate ability, a natural burst of strength. I hope Brother Ma and the two seniors won't laugh at me."

"Don't call me Third Master anymore. If you don't mind, just call me Brother or just my name."

Then he asked a question.

"By the way, how did you all end up getting into a fight with the Quanxing?"

Ma Ben gave a wry smile: "To be honest, we received an invitation to Old Master Lu's birthday banquet and planned to go to offer our congratulations and show off some of our new gadgets. We relaxed our guard as we were about to reach Lu's territory, but we didn't expect them to launch a surprise attack and catch us off guard."

"I am not strong enough, and my uncles were seriously injured by them because they were trying to protect me."

As he said this, Ma Ben suddenly fell into a STEM mindset and began to analyze.

"How could they know our route and lay an ambush here so early, and why were they clearly prepared? They seem to know exactly what magical artifacts we brought... Could it be..."

"It is here!"

At this moment, the senior disciple of Tiangong Hall interrupted Ma Benzai's speech and then clasped his hands in greeting to Jiang Zhen and the other man.

"Thank you both for saving our lives. If it weren't for you, we would have suffered the cruel fate of the Quanxing... cough cough... Please be sure to visit Tiangong Hall someday."

Master Feng pretended not to hear what Ma Ben had just said, but he had heard some rumors recently that someone from Tiangongtang had defected and joined Quanxing. He had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on.

Master Feng's mind was racing, but he didn't stop talking: "No problem, no problem! Tiangongtang and our Canal Gang have a long-standing relationship."

"We are also heading to the Lu family. Since we are going the same way, if you don't mind, let's travel together so we can look after each other."

"Then thank you both very much."

Ma Ben and his companions, whose horses had either died or fled in fright, gave their horses to the two injured men from Tiangongtang.

The group supported each other and walked slowly along the official road.

Although he no longer had a horse, Jiang Zhen's stamina was now astonishing. As he walked, he listened to Ma Ben whispering to him about the intricacies of weapon forging.

This future genius of "divine mechanism" couldn't stop talking about the structure of magical artifacts, and even wanted to touch Jiang Zhen's hand bones to see how this skeleton that could emit high-frequency vibrations was formed.

“Brother Jiang, if you use your special ability to forge rough steel blanks, once the frequency is high enough, you might even be able to shake out the impurities in the refined steel.” Ma Ben’s eyes shone as he earnestly suggested.

Jiang Zhen's lips twitched slightly: "Benzai, I'm using that to hit people, not to forge iron."

Master Feng led the two horses ahead, listening to the two men behind him chatter, occasionally turning back to smile. This sense of brotherhood and camaraderie made him feel as if he had returned to his youthful days wandering the docks.

Immediately, the senior from Tiangongtang nodded in satisfaction as he watched the two exchange words.

As evening fell, the setting sun outlined the distant mountains with a golden edge, and a majestic mountain villa finally came into view.

That was the Lu family of Jiangnan.

Even before approaching, one could feel the overwhelming hustle and bustle and aura of nobility. The manor gates were brightly lit, filled with carriages of all kinds, and there were even groups of people dressed in various styles, whispering among themselves. These were the top students from different sects who had arrived a day in advance.

"Hey, the Lu family's pomp and circumstance is indeed impressive," Fifth Master Feng remarked, then straightened his clothes and led Jiang Zhen and the people from Tiangongtang toward the main entrance.

The Lu family's gates were heavily guarded, but the gatekeepers were clearly skilled in martial arts, and they immediately noticed the disheveled state of the Tiangongtang group.

"Elders of Tiangong Hall, this is..." Before the leading member of the Lu family could finish speaking, a whirlwind of white figures rushed out from inside the door.

He was a boy.

He was dressed in a neat white training uniform, with a handsome and refined face. What was most striking was his well-groomed white hair.

Jiang Zhen recognized her at a glance; this was Lu Jin. After all, in this era, the only person with white hair was the Lu family, and it seemed there was no one else.

"I am Lu Jin of the Lu family." Lu Jin, who had almost bumped into someone, hurriedly bowed and apologized, but when he looked up, he realized something was wrong.

"This... what happened to you all from the Heavenly Craft Hall?" Lu Jin recognized Ma Ben's clothes from their Heavenly Craft Hall at a glance and rushed forward. When he saw the blood-stained clothes of the two seniors on horseback and some broken magical artifacts, his handsome face instantly darkened.

“Young Master Lu, I am Ma Benzai from Tiangongtang. These two are my martial uncles, and these two are Brother Jiang Zhen and Senior Master Feng from the Canal Gang.”

Ma Ben sighed and briefly recounted the ambush set up by Quanxing. Then, pointing to Jiang Zhen beside him, he said, "Young Master Lu, if it weren't for Brother Jiang and Fifth Master intervening to help us, we would probably be bleeding in the forest today."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin first bowed deeply to his Uncle-Master Ma Benzai: "The Quanxing demon dared to commit violence on my Lu family's territory. This is a slap in the face to my Lu family. Lu Jin apologizes to everyone here! Rest assured, I will definitely report this matter to my great-grandfather and father. The Lu family will definitely give Tiangongtang an explanation!"

Lu Jin then looked at the two of them, stepped forward, and bowed deeply to Jiang Zhen and Master Feng.

"Lu Jin of the Lu family, thank you very much, Brother Jiang, thank you very much, Fifth Master! If it weren't for your help, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Lu Jin looked at Jiang Zhen with a hint of curiosity in his eyes. He could sense that Jiang Zhen's internal energy was extremely weak, almost like that of a novice who had just entered the sect. But in Ma Benzai's words, this Jiang Zhen was a master who could shatter the Quanxing demon with one hand and was known as the Shaking River Dragon.

"Young Master Lu, you're too kind. It's our duty to help those in need when we see injustice." Jiang Zhen returned the greeting, but inwardly he sighed: This young Lu Jin truly has the upright and honest air of a righteous person.

"Don't stand outside, please, everyone, come in! I will arrange for the best pharmacist to treat the senior of Tiangong Hall."

Chapter 14 The old men are still boys

Led by Lu Jin, the group crossed the towering threshold.

Along the way, Jiang Zhen observed the expressions of everyone and guessed that there were many "familiar faces" - even though they were all still young.

Upon entering the Lu family compound, Jiang Zhen truly understood what it meant to be "a family of great wealth and influence, a clan of scholars and poets." The corridors and brackets were antique and elegant, and the red-lacquered pillars illuminated by the lamplight seemed to exude a profound and rich cultural heritage.

Compared to their gang's headquarters, it was utterly vulgar.

Lu Jin led Jiang Zhen and his entourage into the side hall, where a number of talented young men had already gathered. As the host, Lu Jin cleared his throat and introduced himself to the group.

"Fellow practitioners! These two are Senior Master Feng, the head of the Shanghai branch of the Canal Gang, and Brother Jiang Zhen, the third-in-command. Today, several senior brothers from the Tiangong Hall were ambushed by the Quanxing demons. It was all thanks to Brother Jiang's chivalrous act of standing up for justice that we were able to help! Brother Jiang is a distinguished guest of the Lu family. Please get to know him."

The once noisy courtyard fell silent for a long while. Jiang Zhen had expected to encounter some ridiculous provocation, such as "a disciple of a prestigious family looking down on a wild fox Zen practitioner," or that he should theoretically possess some kind of aura of mockery and hostility, making everyone want to kick him while he was down.

For example, in a classic scene, he first questions strength, then mocks the Canal Gang for being low-class, saying that any Tom, Dick, or Harry can get involved. He suspects that this whole thing was staged by colluding with the Quanxing heretics to make a name for himself in the Lu family. Then, when faced with all sorts of rumors, he shatters them with a single punch.

But the result was unexpected. These scions of noble families stood up in unison, some cupping their hands, some nodding, and several men from the Huode Sect even raised their wine bowls.

"Hey! To single-handedly defeat several members of the Quanxing Sect, you're a real man! Brother Jiang, this bowl is a toast to your courage!"

Jiang Zhen responded to each question, secretly chuckling to himself that he had been a bit prejudiced. These days, although the scions of prominent families were all proud and arrogant, most of them still genuinely agreed with the concept of "righteousness and chivalry."

Jiang Zhen's gaze swept across the crowd, and he quickly spotted several familiar figures.

Not far away, a chubby little boy, who looked rather endearing at the moment, was hunching over to a young woman in a Northeastern fur coat. The chubby boy was none other than Wang Ai in his youth. He was blushing as he spoke to Guan Shihua, nervously clutching a piece of pastry in his hand.

"Shihua, just try a bite... The Lu family's chef is really good. I didn't want to eat it myself, so I saved it for you."

"Get out of the way! Don't keep me from watching the show!" Guan Shihua raised an eyebrow, revealing the bold and unrestrained spirit of a shaman.

Sitting to the side, Lü Ci chuckled mischievously, his eyes still gleaming with a youthful vivacity untouched by time. Seeing Jiang Zhen scrutinizing them, he waved casually and nudged Wang Ai beside him.

"Coward, look, Brother Jiang, who's facing several members of the Quanxing Sect all by himself, is staring at you! Can't you learn some of his masculinity?"

……

Jiang Zhen smiled and nodded, watching this scene unfold, his heart filled with mixed emotions. Who could have imagined that these two, one a spirited young man and the other an adorable fat man, would become power-hungry, sinister, and ruthless decades later?

At this time, they were just ordinary, extraordinary teenagers who loved to join in the fun and show off.

"Xiao Zhen, you should go out and get to know them. I'm going to brag to those old guys too." With that, Fifth Master Feng walked away with an air of self-importance, as if he owned General Jiang Zhen.

After exchanging pleasantries and having dinner, Jiang Zhen returned to his room intending to continue refining his Qi, but before he could even sit down properly, there was a knock on the door.

"Brother Jiang, you're still awake?"

"Young Master Lu?"

Before Jiang Zhen could reply, Lu Jin pushed open the door and entered. The young man had already shed his dignified demeanor as a son of a prominent family and was carrying two jars of wine.

"Don't call me Young Master Lu, from now on we'll call each other brothers."

"Come on! It's too stuffy staying in the guest rooms. We've set up a small feast in the open space behind the mountain. That kid from the Fire Virtue Sect in Fengping brought some top-quality liquor. Everyone's waiting to hear you talk about how you shattered the Quanxing demon!"

Jiang Zhen was taken aback, then chuckled. This Lu Jin really is a warm-hearted person.

That night, the moon was bright and the stars were few.

Feng Ping of the Huode Sect set up three large braziers on the open ground, their flames burning brighter than the stars in the sky. Lu Jin, Lü Ci, Wang Ai, Ma Benzai, Liu Deshui, Zheng Zibu, and many other talented young men sat around, feasting on meat and drinking wine. (It seems the exact number of people at the Lu family's birthday banquet wasn't depicted; the author added it himself.)

“Brother Jiang Zhen, our Huode Sect has had quite a bit of cooperation with you. We’ve heard about you. Can your innate ability really command rivers?” Feng Ping asked, his face flushed and reeking of alcohol.

"It's just a little bit of skillful vibration." Jiang Zhen didn't hide anything. He casually picked up a leftover sheep bone, his fingertips trembled slightly, and the bone instantly turned into fine white ash like flour right before everyone's eyes.

"Oh my god!" Wang Ai was so startled that she dropped the dried fish in her hand.

"Impressive!" A glint flashed in Lü Ci's eyes, and he slapped Jiang Zhen on the shoulder. "That's impressive! If we face off at the martial arts arena tomorrow, don't hold back!"

"And you all too, I'll fight anyone who holds back," Lu Ci said loudly, letting out a burp.

"Okay, as long as you don't cry if you lose tomorrow."

The crowd laughed and joked, discussing strange tales and anecdotes from the martial arts world. The aroma of alcohol filled the air, overshadowing the reserve of the noble families and the awkwardness of the commoners.

Jiang Zhen couldn't remember how much he had drunk. In the end, he only remembered Lu Jin pulling him to become sworn brothers, and Feng Ping dancing an unknown dance by the fire pit.

Finally, a group of teenagers lay sprawled out on the grass, their heads bowed to the sky, their snores rising and falling.

The next morning, Jiang Zhen was awakened by a series of piercing screams.

"Ouch! Master! Be gentle! My ear... my ear is going to fall off!"

Jiang Zhen groggily opened his eyes, jolted awake by the crisp morning air. He saw Feng Ping being pulled by the ear by an old man in a long red robe, his body twisted into a pretzel.

The old man was Feng Ping's master, and he was glaring at him as he cursed, "You little brat! How dare you be so insolent in the Lu family mansion? Look at all these empty bottles on the ground! You need a good beating again!"

The boys lying around them gradually woke up. Lu Jin was busy straightening his crumpled white clothes, while Wang Ai was still talking in his sleep.

"Um... everyone, please excuse my rudeness." Fengping's master then saw that many parents had also come, his old face turned red, and he awkwardly let go of his hand, "This kid is tough, he won't learn unless he's beaten."