"Branching Out"

"It's all right."

Chen Fan shook his head, then rose solemnly and bowed to the Angler before him. "Thank you for caring about the Human Race, Senior, and for answering my questions."

"Caring about the Human Race?"

The Angler smiled and shook his head, a hint of drunkenness in his eyes. "I only care about my king. Whatever he chooses, I follow. If he had backed the Strange Entity Clan, I would have stood with them without hesitation."

"You have no idea."

"The king was beaten so badly back then."

"I thought about it then, and I've kept thinking about it all these years."

"If I'd been a little stronger, maybe I wouldn't have been sent flying with a single slap."

"In this world..."

"No one gets to hit my king. One day, I'll kill that bastard. Do you believe me?"

After saying that,

the Angler couldn't help laughing himself.

"All right, I really must be a little drunk. I'm starting to talk nonsense."

"Young friend."

"I enjoyed our conversation today. If fate allows, we'll meet again. When the Third Dark Turmoil officially begins, the Angler Clan's Sentence will officially end. Then we won't have to meet only in these waters."

"I've already put in a word for you."

"From here on, you can travel freely through these waters. None of the monsters lurking here will dare provoke you."

Only then did he rise to leave.

"Senior."

Chen Fan hurried forward. "May I ask your name?"

"One rod fishes up the moon across the sea; through endless ages, the rivers flow in vain."

"I am the Angler, Canghai Yue."

Without turning back, the Angler waved, murmuring drunkenly and offhandedly as his body gradually dissolved in the sunlight. As his voice faded, his figure vanished completely.

Even the fishing boat moored