The Red Whale Gang!

The Red Whale Gang was based in Tianshui Prefecture, under Ruyi Commandery.

The Great Jing River in Tianshui Prefecture ran through all of Ruyi Commandery, right beside the Huiqu Canal of Azure Province.

The Red Whale Gang had grown powerful through its shipping business.

Not only was it renowned in the martial world, it also had official connections and standing.

One day, a handsome young man in a long blue robe, tall and slender, arrived at Tianshui Prefecture's capital.

He led a tall horse, cradling a small, wolf-like dog with pitch-black fur and a scarlet vertical mark between its brows.

His every step carried an air of easy confidence.

At the city gates, several sturdy men in short red outfits spotted the young man. They immediately perked up and hurried forward. "Are you Young Master Lu Changsheng?"

"Our eldest young master ordered us to wait here for you, Young Master Lu."

The three men approached and spoke respectfully.

"Oh? Is your eldest young master Li Feiyu?"

The young man was naturally Lu Changsheng, who had come to the Red Whale Gang to visit Li Feiyu.

Seeing the embroidered words and emblem of the Red Whale Gang on their clothes, he immediately guessed that Li Feiyu had sent them to meet him.

"That's right. Our eldest young master is Li Feiyu."

One of them answered.

Just then, someone brought over a luxurious carriage and invited Lu Changsheng aboard.

Lu Changsheng nodded slightly, handed his horse's reins to one of the men, and boarded the carriage with the Nine Nether Mastiff in his arms.

"Young Master Lu, please make yourself comfortable. It takes an hour to reach the Red Whale Gang's headquarters from here."

The driver called into the carriage.

"All right," Lu Changsheng replied.

The carriage then began moving slowly and steadily.

About an hour later, the carriage stopped, and a voice rang out.

"Young Master Lu, we've arrived at the Red Whale Gang."

Lu Changsheng lifted the curtain and stepped out. A vast river lay before him.

An enormous scarlet ship rested quietly on the water, its oval shape resembling a whale.

Above the river, sunlight streamed down from an azure sky washed clean, falling upon a red flag at the very top of the immense ship.

Two large, blood-red words were written on the flag: "Red Whale"!

"This is the Red Whale Gang's headquarters?"

It was Lu Changsheng's first time seeing such a magnificent ship. It was even larger than the aircraft carriers he had seen in his previous life.

A massive nine-story pavilion stood on its deck, while iron chains as thick as buckets stretched to the riverbank around it, anchoring the ship in place.

"That's right. This is our Red Whale Gang's headquarters, the Red Whale!"

"This way, Young Master Lu."

The man beside him introduced the ship, then escorted Lu Changsheng toward it. Gang members stood guard all along the passage connecting the vessel to the dock.

Before they had gone more than a few steps, however, Li Feiyu came out to welcome him, having received word of his arrival.

Beside him was a tall, imposing man in his forties, dressed in a fitted scarlet outfit.

The guards on either side of the path all bowed in greeting.

"Greetings, Gang Leader."

"Greetings, Gang Leader."

"Greetings, Gang Leader."

"Changsheng."

Li Feiyu strode forward and called out to Lu Changsheng.

He looked somewhat surprised at the wolf-like dog in his arms.

He had no idea where Lu Changsheng had acquired a demon beast cub.

Without asking further, he gestured toward the imposing middle-aged man beside him and introduced him.

"Changsheng, this is my father. When he heard you were coming, he wanted to come meet you too."

"Father, this is my good friend, Lu Changsheng."

Li Feiyu introduced them to each other.

After he returned home, his father had not been angry to hear that he had become a live-in son-in-law to a cultivation lineage. Instead, he fully supported his decision.

To martial artists, becoming an Immortal Cultivator meant standing above other men!

What did it matter if he became a live-in son-in-law?

A true man knew when to bend and when to stand tall!

When he heard Li Feiyu mention that a fellow Immortal Cultivator and good friend was coming to visit, he had come along to welcome him.

In the mortal world, Immortal Cultivators enjoyed extraordinary standing.

However unimpressive one might be, he was still an Immortal Cultivator!

"Greetings, Uncle Li."

Looking at the man before him, whose eyes shone keenly and whose presence commanded respect without anger, Lu Changsheng smiled faintly and cupped his hands.

He then took five bottles of medicinal pills from inside his robe. "I didn't prepare much in the way of gifts. Please accept these small tokens, Uncle."

"You're too kind, young friend Lu. There's no need to bring gifts when you come to visit."

"I've already had a banquet prepared. Please, come inside."

Li Tianyang accepted the gifts without declining. His rich voice had a resonant quality.

He was exceedingly courteous, showing none of a gang leader's airs as he gestured invitingly and led the way.

"Is that a demon beast? Where did you get it?"

Only then did Li Feiyu look at the little beast in Lu Changsheng's arms and ask quietly.

"I saw it at the Rogue Cultivator Gathering and thought it looked good, so I bought it to guard the house. It can keep the children company later, too."

Lu Changsheng casually made up an explanation.

"Guard the house, keep them company..."

Li Feiyu was somewhat speechless at Lu Changsheng's down-to-earth answer.

Did someone living with the Lu Lineage really need a dog to guard his home? And who bought a demon beast as a playmate for children? Wasn't he worried it might hurt them?

He continued, "Without a beast taming method, won't a demon beast cub like this become fierce and difficult to tame when it grows up?"

After three years with the Lu Lineage, he naturally knew quite a bit about cultivation.

Demon beast cubs were not as docile as household pets.

"The seller said it was just an ordinary canine demon beast with a fairly gentle temperament. It's about the same as a pet cat or dog. Raise it for a while, and it'll become obedient."

Lu Changsheng continued making things up.

He had obtained this Nine Nether Mastiff through the system's lottery, so there was naturally no risk of it becoming fierce and untamable.

The pet was absolutely, one hundred percent loyal to him as its master. There was no need for beast taming methods, restrictions, or other means of control.

"That's good, then."

Hearing that, Li Feiyu did not ask any more questions.

He could only tell that the Nine Nether Mastiff was a canine demon beast, not what species or grade it was.

Besides, it was only a cub, and he could discern no wildness or ferocity in it.

They entered the Red Whale, where the banquet was already laid out.

After eating, Lu Changsheng went to rest.

He had barely rested throughout his journey from Ox-Head Mountain

and was feeling rather tired and worn out.

After all, he was only a cultivator at the chain qi third layer.

His energy was abundant, but still limited.

After the banquet ended, Li Zhengyang remembered the gifts Lu Changsheng had given him and took them out to inspect them.

His pupils abruptly contracted at the sight of the pills inside the bottles.

He carefully poured the pills into his palm, scrutinized them, and sniffed them before speaking in utter astonishment.

"This bottle contains Marrow-Washing Pills. They can cleanse the marrow and purge impurities, improving one's aptitude for martial arts!"

"This bottle contains Innate Pills. They can improve one's chances of breaking through to the innate realm!"

"This bottle contains Great Restoration Pills. They can heal any internal or external injury!"

"This bottle contains Essence-Nourishing Pills. They can add decades to one's internal cultivation!"

"This bottle contains Five-Spirit Antidote Pills. They can neutralize hundreds upon thousands of deadly poisons!"

"This... this..."

Li Zhengyang stared at the five bottles in his hands, his normally imposing face filled with shock.

As the leader of the Red Whale Gang, he dominated an entire prefecture and had extensive knowledge and experience.

He recognized all five kinds of pills at a glance.

Every one of them was a sacred medicine of the martial world!

Even if they did not unleash winds of blood and rains of gore, each pill could still send countless people flocking toward it, willing to lay down their lives.

Yet Lu Changsheng had casually taken out five bottles as a greeting gift. How could he not be astonished?

"Father, what's wrong?"

Not far away, Li Feiyu noticed his father's expression and came over to ask.

"These are what your friend gave me."

Li Zhengyang let out a long breath and showed the pills to his son.

"These are... Marrow-Washing Pills, Innate Pills, Great Restoration Pills, Essence-Nourishing Pills, and Five-Spirit Antidote Pills."

Li Feiyu's gaze sharpened slightly. He recognized all five kinds as well.

As both a martial artist and an Immortal Cultivator, he not only recognized these five kinds of pills, but also knew that many precious medicines in the mortal world were ungraded medicinal pills refined by Immortal Cultivators.

To Immortal Cultivators, however, they were merely basic, ungraded pills.

In the mortal world, they were incomparably precious to martial artists-divine medicines with miraculous effects!

"Indeed. This friend of yours is truly generous."

Li Zhengyang nodded, his face full of emotion.

Previously, he had only heard Li Feiyu give a brief introduction of Lu Changsheng.

He had known only that Lu Changsheng was an Immortal Cultivator like his son.

He also knew that this visit was to ask the Red Whale Gang to help look after his family in the mortal world, but little else.

Now, seeing these five bottles and recalling Lu Changsheng's composed, quietly confident air of nobility, he felt that the young man was no ordinary Immortal Cultivator.

"Your father has been judging people for many years. This friend of yours is no ordinary man. He's worth forming a close friendship with."

"As for these pills, they're too precious. Return them to him later."

Li Zhengyang put the pills away and handed them to his son.

Although he was tempted by them, he felt they were too valuable to accept in good conscience.

After all, the gift had been given out of friendship with his son. His son would have to repay that kindness someday.

"Father, Changsheng and I are good friends. You can accept them without worry."

"If you feel bad about it, you can make it up to his parents and family in the future."

Li Feiyu knew that Lu Changsheng would never take back something he had given away, so he spoke up.

Thinking of how he had brought nothing worthwhile home himself, he felt a little ashamed.

That was because he received only two spirit stones a month from the Lu Lineage. Money was so tight that he had no spare spirit stones to spend.

"Tell Lu Changsheng he can rest assured."

"As long as the Red Whale Gang stands, I will ensure his parents and family live in wealth, free from worry!"

"Even if the Red Whale Gang ceases to exist, I will do everything in my power to keep his parents and family safe!"

Hearing this, Li Zhengyang spoke in a deep voice, each word as decisive as a blade cutting through iron.

Even if an ordinary Immortal Cultivator asked him to look after his family, he would agree.

For this was a chance to forge a bond with an immortal!

It would allow him to establish a personal connection with an Immortal Cultivator.

All the more so since Lu Changsheng seemed extraordinary and was also his son's good friend.