An Accident at Sea

"..."

This was the first time Ying Zhou had been praised as a man, and also the first time he had been looked at with such admiration. He was at a loss for words.

Murong Wu mustered his courage and said in a slightly louder voice, "I don't want to be a burden to my sister anymore. I want to be strong and independent! I want to become a man like Brother Ying, someone who makes others tremble with fear, so that I can protect my sister—she also told me to learn from you."

"Hmph, anyone can talk big, but few can endure the hardship. The more eloquently he speaks, the less confident he is," Ying Zhou said disdainfully.

Murong Wu anxiously protested, "I... I wasn't just boasting! I'm determined, I can endure hardship. If you don't believe me, come and test me!"

Ying Zhou stared at the other person for a while, but he wasn't really sure himself. What was this talk of masculinity? He didn't know how to teach others, and he couldn't exactly encourage the other person to go and fight. If he did that, Murong Qing would definitely come after him when he returned.

He wasn't afraid of Murong Qing. Although he couldn't beat her, being taught a lesson in terms of strength was secondary. What annoyed him the most was that this girl would always give him a long lecture, just like his old homeroom teacher, and she would talk for two hours straight!

Nothing annoyed Ying Zhou more than being lectured. He would rather take a few punches than be lectured by the other party. Unfortunately, Murong Qing's martial arts were better than his, so he could only listen obediently. After all, he couldn't win in a fight, and he couldn't escape either, and they even lived under the same roof.

After thinking for a while, Ying Zhou slowly said, "Alright, then you can practice swearing with me."

"Filthy language?" Murong Wu was dumbfounded. "But my sister forbids me from using swear words."

"She's a woman, of course she can't swear, but you're a man, where's your manliness if you don't swear? Look at street fights, they're all swearing at the same time, trying to destroy their opponent both physically and mentally."

"My dad won't allow it either..."

"So the reason you've become effeminate is because you don't know how to swear. Think about it, which tough guy on TV doesn't swear? Aren't women the only ones who don't swear?"

Murong Wu thought about it and realized it was true, so he believed it and nodded, saying, "I'll learn."

"Then shout with me, 'Fuck you!'"

"Grass, alpaca."

"Didn't you eat enough for dinner? Give me some strength."

"Fuck you!" Murong Wu shouted, his face turning red with rage.

"Speak louder, use your Dantian to breathe, and shout after me, 'Male Gobi!'"

"Ma, damn it!"

"Damn it!"

"Damn it!"

Chapter 178 Maritime Accident

"I hope Director Yao hasn't led my younger brother astray."

On the returning small passenger boat, Murong Qing gazed at the undulating sea and said with a hint of worry.

Si Ming comforted her, "It's only been a few days, it's hard to corrupt someone. Besides, the dirty jokes Yao Bilian tells require a certain level of knowledge to understand; people without that knowledge will only be confused."

I hope so.

Murong Qing recalled that before she left, she had specifically instructed her younger brother to avoid talking to Yao Bilian while she was away, and to learn more from the other tenant, Ying Zhou. Given her brother's obedience, she figured he wouldn't break his promise.

Although Ying Zhou of Qin was eccentric and somewhat rude, in a sense, he complemented his younger brother.

She felt slightly relieved, then brought up another matter. "If we report these things, will it cause trouble for Senior Xiao?"

Although she did not agree with Xiao Xuan's actions, she sincerely admired his spirit.

Si Ming, "There might be some trouble. In the past, even if the higher-ups wanted to arrest Martial Uncle Xiao, they couldn't find a suitable reason. After all, the reason he was imprisoned in Deep Blue Plateau was because he went mad. Now that his madness has been cured, there's no excuse left. Even if they continued to slander him for being mentally unstable, the people who came to arrest him could tell the truth at a glance. But the Primordial Ancestor Divine Cult incident was secretly instigated by Martial Uncle Xiao, indirectly leading to the deaths of dozens of people. In this way, they have an official reason to openly issue an arrest warrant."

Murong Qing silent. These lives should indeed be attributed to Xiao Xuan, and she was not the kind of person who would distort right and wrong based on her own feelings and stance.

"However, there's no need to worry. Martial Uncle Xiao's strength is among the top in the Spirit Transformation stage. Apart from Void Returning Great Grandmaster, no one can guarantee they can defeat him. Moreover, as a former Grandmaster, he still has connections from the past. Even if they don't stand up for him, they won't deliberately oppose him. At least they will remain restrained until he makes a big splash."

As for how the various parties will choose sides after Xiao Xuan makes such a big splash, that's something we can't predict right now.

Si Ming had previously worried that Xiao Xuan wanted to start a communist revolution, but now he realized that it was impossible. There was no basis for revolution in Su State. No matter how famous the former Grandmaster was, he could not make the people blindly follow him unconditionally. Modern people have received education and are bombarded with a lot of information, so they are not as easy to fool as the people of the past.

The Su State, established on the basis of Mohist School thought, itself had the shadow of communism. Class contradictions had been contained to a certain extent, and the people were not forced to the point that they could not survive without revolution. In fact, with the impetus of the Industrial Revolution, their living standards were rising steadily. Therefore, anyone who disrupted the status quo was likely to be condemned by everyone.

However, while revolution is hopeless, reform is much easier, and even a mutiny would not elicit strong resistance from the people.

What business is it of us ordinary folks if the upper class fights to the death and turns on each other like dogs?

Regarding the political struggles at the top, most people hold this view: as long as the struggles don't affect us, let them do whatever they want.

As for those who have a grudge against Xiao Xuan, they should first consider their own strength before kicking him when he's down, lest they end up losing their teeth instead of being able to bite down on the rock.

Although Xiao Xuan has fallen from grace, he has only lost his political status; his strength has not diminished. Minor skirmishes are merely self-inflicted humiliation. If they were to unite and launch a major attack, Yan Jinghong would not stand idly by.

Even though they are on different paths and cannot work together, their brotherhood remains. Unless Xiao Xuan launches an action that would harm the people, Yan Jinghong will never stand by and watch him die.

Si Ming explained these things, which couldn't be learned from textbooks, to Murong Qing, broadening her horizons.

Just as Murong Qing was about to ask Si Ming how he came up with these ideas, the deck beneath her feet suddenly heaved violently, almost throwing everyone off. Fortunately, everyone had learned martial arts and had a solid stance, so they managed to stabilize themselves in time with a horse stance.

"Old Wang, what's going on?"

"This is bad; the weather is probably going to change."

A middle-aged man, over fifty years old, slightly overweight but still strong, ran out of the control room. He was a "sea dweller" hired by Zu Jiangchun, who made a living at sea year-round and sometimes did smuggling work, but it was all small-scale business.

He Qichang looked up at the clear blue sky and asked in confusion, "Isn't this weather normal?"