A three-story passenger ship was traveling upstream along the Chu River at a very slow speed.
Zhou Wuji led Yang Tie Ying to stand on the top deck, admiring the river views on both sides.
At the end of the morning, the spring sun was shining brightly, and the green mountains on both sides of the river were interspersed with wildflowers of various colors, creating a beautiful spring scene everywhere.
From this vantage point, one can already faintly see the city walls ahead, and wisps of smoke rising above them.
Yang Tie Ying pointed curiously at the sky and said, "Master, look over there, it's all shrouded in a thick haze, lots of smoke."
"That's an ironworks, dozens of miles from Chuyang City. They smelt iron over charcoal fires year-round, and black smoke permeates the air all year round—"
A woman explained softly beside him; her voice was sweet and gentle, giving Yang Tie Ying a tingling sensation.
Having seen a lot of the world with Zhou Wuji, Yang Tie Ying was slightly nervous when a woman spoke to him, and his face involuntarily flushed slightly.
He proactively cupped his hands in a gesture of respect. "Thank you for your guidance, Miss Yan."
The woman introduced herself as Ms. Yan, also a passenger on the ship. She said she had met them a few days ago while admiring the scenery on the deck, and they had naturally exchanged names. Over the past few days, they had gradually become more familiar with each other.
Miss Yan wore a sun hat, but the veil covering her face was mostly open, revealing her delicate and charming face.
Today she wore a light blue full-sleeved vest and a light blue embroidered gold horse-face skirt, looking elegant and graceful.
The most beautiful feature of a woman is her pair of Peach Blossom eyes, large and alluring, filled with deep affection.
Yang Tie Ying couldn't stand his gaze and didn't dare to meet his eyes. After saying a few words, he quickly retreated behind his master.
He understood that Miss Yan was only talking to him because of her master, not because she was interested in him.
Zhou Wuji smiled and praised, " Miss Yan is knowledgeable and has exceptional talent."
Miss Yan pursed her red lips slightly, revealing her pearly white teeth. "Mr. Zhou, you flatter me. I'm just from Chuyang, so I'm a little more familiar with this place."
She then revealed a curious expression. "Is this Mr. Zhou's first time visiting Chuyang?"
"This is indeed my first time here."
Zhou Wuji nodded. He had noticed that Miss Yan had been running into him several times in the past two days, and he could tell that she was very interested in him.
This woman possesses profound inner energy, clearly having cultivated True Qi; she should be a Fourth Rank martial artist.
He's about the same age as him, yet he possesses such martial arts skills; he must have a remarkable background.
Looking at this woman's conversational temperament, she is gentle but also somewhat generous, with a vague sense of charlatanism. This is very different from Zhang Yun, a bossy young lady from aristocratic families.
Zhou Wuji found Miss Yan quite interesting; she was eloquent and beautiful. He preferred to chat with her more, finding her much more interesting than his apprentice.
" Chuyang is the central hub of Chu Province, with the Governor-General, the Northern Pole Court, and the Vajra Temple above it Hongyi Academy, the Great River Association, various martial arts schools, guilds, and so on in the middle; and the seventy-two strongholds of the Canglang Lake pirates below—"
"It's a real mixed bag, Mr. Zhou should be careful when he's out and about."
Zhou Wuji was somewhat surprised. " Chuyang is the capital of Chu Province, how come there are still river pirates there?"
He had always stayed in Chunan, while Chuyang was in Chubei, so he really didn't know much about Chuyang.
Logically speaking, Chuyang, as the power center of a state, should hold an extremely important position. How could he allow a group of river pirates to stay by his side?
Not only is their reputation bad, but the existence of water pirates also disrupts water transport, greatly affecting Chuyang's freight and trade.
"The waterways of Canglang Lake are crisscrossed and connect to the Canglang Mountains, creating a complex environment. It is said that there are hidden realms deep within its depths."
Miss Yan paused when she mentioned the secret realm, her large, watery Peach Blossom falling on Zhou Wuji's face as she observed the subtle expressions of this exceptionally handsome man.
A few days ago, Miss Yan ran into Zhou Wuji on the deck and thought the young man was very handsome and had a refined and elegant demeanor, like a bright moon Clear Breeze.
She was a woman of wide experience, and this was the first time she had encountered such a person. Her appearance and demeanor alone were enough to make one feel happy!
Miss Yan seized the opportunity to strike up a conversation; her intention was simply to make some acquaintances.
Such a person could achieve extraordinary success even by simply selling their sexuality.
After a few days of getting to know him, Miss Yan discovered that Mr. Zhou was knowledgeable and experienced, and even more remarkably, possessed an extraordinary temperament, with a carefree and composed demeanor that seemed unburdened by worldly affairs.
Although she was in Chubei, she had heard that there was a very powerful young Daoist in Chunan, and she couldn't help but want to test him out.
Ordinary people could never know about the secret realm.
Zhou Wuji smiled, "I know about the secret realm."
Miss Yan then continued, "The situation at Canglang Lake is complicated, with a large number of fishermen. Even though the imperial court knows that some of these fishermen are actually river pirates, it has no way to identify them."
"Over time, the pirates of Canglang Lake became an intractable problem."
"As long as the pirates of Canglang Lake Marsh don't cause any major trouble, successive governors have all turned a blind eye—"
Zhou Wuji said, "If people could eat their fill and stay warm, how many would be willing to be thieves?"
"To solve the problem of river pirates, we must provide fishermen with something to rely on. Without addressing this, the problem of river pirates will never be solved."
Miss Yan was slightly taken aback. She felt that river piracy was a tradition among fishermen, ingrained in their very being, so the argument that it was impossible to eradicate this problem stemmed from the most basic survival needs and hit the nail on the head.
Indeed, if fishermen could have enough to eat and wear, most of them would not be willing to become thieves.
"Mr. Zhou's insight is brilliant; his observations are incisive and hit the nail on the head, getting straight to the heart of the problem."
Miss Yan's large, Peach Blossom eyes were full of admiration, yet her shifting gaze also seemed to carry a deep affection and fondness.
Zhou Wuji knew perfectly well that the other party was doing this on purpose, and he was quite pleased with it.
Few men can resist the admiration and affection of a beautiful woman!
He didn't need to be overly wary of Miss Yan anyway; he didn't want to do anything, and simply enjoying the flattery was quite satisfying.
He remained outwardly humble. "These are just my humble opinions; I hope Miss Yan will forgive my ignorance."
Miss Yan said softly, "I have heard that there is a True Man of Great Virtue in Jingyang, Chu Nan, who is compassionate, benevolent, and profoundly enlightened to the Dharma. I wonder if you know this person?"
Yang Tie Ying finally seized the opportunity and shouted, "My master is the True Person Hongde, the Sword Lord Xiaoxiang!"
In his heart, Sword Lord Xiaoxiang was far more imposing than True Person Hongde.
There are plenty of True Person out there, but in the vast Xiaoxiang region, there's only one Sword Lord Master—his master!
"I am ashamed to say that it is indeed I, a humble Daoist priest."
Zhou Wuji rarely referred to himself as such, but since others had asked him directly, he could only be more humble and polite.
"So you are True Person Hongde! I've heard so much about you!"
When Miss Yan saw Zhou Wuji acknowledge his identity, her bright, almond -Peach Blossom lit up. "I never expected to run into you here! What an honor!"
As Miss Yan spoke, she gave a deep curtsy, and Zhou Wuji returned the bow, saying, " Miss Yan, you are too kind. I am of meager virtue and talent, and do not deserve such a gesture."
Miss Yan admired Zhou Wuji's humility. He was so young, yet his words and actions showed no arrogance of youth. If it was due to his natural composure, that would be fine, but if it was intentional, then it was even more impressive!
She said seriously, "I am Yan Baoying from the Great River Association. Our Great River Association still has some influence in Chuyang."
"If True Person have any trivial matters to attend to, I can take care of them for True Person."
Thank you, Miss Yan.
Zhou Wuji also formally expressed his gratitude, knowing that the other party was simply making a gesture of goodwill, not actually intending to help him in any way.
Yan Baoying glanced around and said, "I have a treasured Purple Dragon tea. Please come to my room to enjoy it, True Person."
"Then I'll trouble you." Zhou Wuji a little curious; this woman was being so attentive and enthusiastic—could there really be something she wanted to tell him?
Yang Tie Ying, however, was impatient with the woman's nagging and said, "Master, I'm not going."
"Don't cause trouble," Zhou Wuji cautioned before following Yan Baoying to her room.
Yan Baoying's cabin was quite spacious, and two pretty maids lived in the outer room.
The maid lit charcoal to brew tea, and Yan Baoying quickly sent the maid away, leaving only Zhou Wuji and her sitting across the tea table in the cabin.
" True Person, our Great River Association and the Northern Pole Court have always maintained a good relationship."
While making tea, Yan Baoying smiled and tried to get closer to Zhou Wuji.
Zhou Wuji was unaware of the situation and could only nod in agreement.
"Does the True Person intend to stay at the Northern Pole Court permanently?"
Yan Baoying then said somewhat apologetically, "Please forgive my intrusion."
"Yes, I'll probably be staying at this institute for a while." Zhou Wuji didn't hide anything; it wasn't a secret.
Yan Baoying's eyes brightened even more. She rose, curtsied, and pleaded softly, "Please, True Person, lend me a hand—"
Zhou Wuji dared not accept the courtesy, and rose to bow in return, saying, "I am unworthy of such a gesture. Miss Yan, please feel free to speak your mind. I will do my best to help if I can."
Yang Tie Ying, on the deck, watched as the large ship approached the dock and the passengers disembarked one after another, but his master was still nowhere to be seen, and he couldn't help but feel a little anxious.
Just as Yang Tie Ying was about to go to the cabin to find Zhou Wuji, she heard Zhou Wuji call out, " Tie Ying, it's time to disembark."
He turned around and realized that his master was already on the dock. He quickly leaped off the deck, spreading his arms and releasing his True Qi as he landed lightly next to Zhou Wuji.
There were many passengers disembarking around, as well as dockworkers and others, and many people cheered loudly upon seeing this.
Yang Tie Ying was quite pleased with himself and clasped his hands in a gesture of greeting to the people around him.
Zhou Wuji didn't say much, and led Yang Tie Ying through the city, directly up to Purple Tenuity Peak.
Purple Tenuity Peak of Immortal Capital Mountain is the ancestral home of the Northern Pole Sect.
Various buildings were constructed along the mountainside, especially the Northern Pole Palace atop the mountain, which shimmered with purple light under the sun and was truly magnificent.
"That's the Northern Pole Hall, which was personally ordered and supervised by the founding emperor, using millions of catties of bronze—"
The Daoist priest pointed to the main hall and Zhou Wuji.
He examined Zhou Wuji's Heavenly Pivot Token and knew that this was the True Man Hongde, so he personally accompanied Zhou Wuji up the mountain with great respect.
The various branches within this academy may have different opinions about this True Person Hongde, but as a mere guest master, he wouldn't dare to antagonize True Person has been granted the Third Rank Master by imperial decree.
The guide was very hospitable, introducing the various buildings and explaining their history along the way.
He was already in this line of work, so he had a set script, and his explanations were detailed and quite interesting.
Upon arriving at the Northern Pole Hall, the Daoist priest asked Zhou Wuji to wait in the corridor while he went in to announce their arrival.
Zhou Wuji and waited, but Yang Tie Ying couldn't help but wander around, peeking and looking at the situation everywhere.
Just then, a middle-aged Daoist priest walked by with several disciples. Seeing Yang Tie Ying's appearance, he frowned and asked, "Which lineage are you from? What are you doing, acting so suspiciously!"
Yang Tie Ying glanced at the middle-aged Daoist priest, noticing that he was only wearing a star-shaped crown, which meant he was at most Fourth Rank, so he didn't bother with him.
The middle-aged Daoist priest was furious. "Where did this brat come from, so insolent!"
He glanced at Zhou Wuji, who stood motionless. From his back, he could tell that the man was dressed in blue and had a shawl tied around his neck. Hearing his shout, Zhou Wuji remained unmoved, which made him even angrier.
He said to his disciples, "Arrest those two rude juniors and take them to the Discipline Hall for processing!"