[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-grinding-exp-from-a-demon-hunting-ship":3,"chapter-grinding-exp-from-a-demon-hunting-ship-grinding-exp-from-a-demon-hunting-ship-chapter-161":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Grinding EXP From a Demon Hunting Ship",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1357915,1796,"Chapter 161: A Shipbuilding Family, Surging Undercurrents","grinding-exp-from-a-demon-hunting-ship-chapter-161",161,"\u003Cp>Weiyuan Immortal City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shipyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one known as \"Mr. Zhong\" was a young man in his teens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped onto the deck, took out several instruments, and began to inspect the array patterns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A short while later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Zhong stood up, walked off the deck, and spoke to the expectant, middle-aged Loose Cultivator standing to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm... There aren’t any major issues. The array isn’t badly damaged, and the hull damage won’t be hard to fix.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How about one hundred Spirit Stones?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The price was quite fair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, the middle-aged Loose Cultivator’s face lit up with joy. He quickly signed the Spirit Contract and paid the deposit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, Mr. Zhong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come back in a month with the Spirit Contract to pick up your ship.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After seeing the middle-aged Loose Cultivator off, Mr. Zhong nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His name was Zhong Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he was young, he hailed from a renowned shipwright family in Weiyuan Immortal City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His grandfather, known as a master shipwright, had single-handedly overseen the construction of a Tier 2 spirit ship!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flagship of Donglong the Luo Clan currently sailing the seas, the \"Black Ship\" Ghostly Flood Dragon, was built by Zhong Qi’s grandfather, Mr. Zhong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was even more admirable was that Mr. Zhong was extremely tight-lipped and never revealed client information!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Ghostly Flood Dragon made a spectacular show of force by sinking the Soul Gold, many people had contacted the Zhong Family’s descendants, hoping to commission a replica of a Blood Dao Spirit Ship similar to the Ghostly Flood Dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, not only had Mr. Zhong never revealed a single word about it while he was alive, but not the slightest description of a Blood Dao Formation could be found among his posthumous belongings or notes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When this news got out, the prospective buyers were inevitably disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they couldn’t help but admire Mr. Zhong’s integrity for keeping his promises and guarding secrets so righteously!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This reputation brought the Zhong Family considerable goodwill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, even after Mr. Zhong passed away, the family’s standing was maintained and did not decline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In recent years, Zhong Qi had begun to make a name for himself, demonstrating his extraordinary talent in shipbuilding and arrays!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s get to work...\" Zhong Qi called over the shipwrights, ready to begin the repairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Zhong Qi’s vision suddenly blurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he glimpsed several swift, white shadows flitting out of the shipyard’s main gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Qi rubbed his eyes. There was nothing there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Must be my imagination,’ he thought, not dwelling on it. He led the shipwrights and began to work on the spirit ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「The next day.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the Zhong Mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Qi was eating breakfast, his expression calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A maidservant approached and handed him a newspaper that smelled of fresh ink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young Master, this is today’s Weiyuan Morning Post.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mm, just leave it there,\" Zhong Qi nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a trade hub, the cultivators of Weiyuan Immortal City placed a high value on information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, something akin to a \"daily newspaper\" had long since come into existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many families, or wealthy Loose Cultivators, subscribed to newspapers year-round to ensure they didn’t miss any critical information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing his breakfast, Zhong Qi unfolded the paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A Loose Cultivator successfully reached Foundation Establishment... How lucky.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes held a hint of envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even for a Loose Cultivator, succeeding in Foundation Establishment was equivalent to a leap in social class, turning them into a powerful figure the Zhong Family couldn’t afford to offend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Foundation Establishment... I wonder if I’ll ever have a chance to reach it in this lifetime?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Qi suppressed his thoughts and continued reading the newspaper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a gruesome, bloody photograph made Zhong Qi’s pupils contract!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Murder in the outer city. Loose Cultivator brutally slain. Killer exhibits extreme cruelty. Victim’s skull shattered, suspected to be the work of a Body Cultivator or a spirit beast...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait... this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Qi stared at the photo, his heart trembling in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This person... isn’t this the Loose Cultivator who commissioned our shipyard to repair his ship yesterday?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the corpse was in a horrific state and its face was unrecognizable, the cultivation robe was still quite familiar to Zhong Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a cultivator’s memory, he was almost certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The victim was indeed yesterday’s Loose Cultivator!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Maybe... he just happened to find a wrecked ship, which drew someone’s envy?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’But these methods are far too vicious...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gazing at the miserable corpse, Zhong Qi’s face turned pale. A wave of nausea washed over him, and he almost vomited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drank a cup of water and took a long moment to calm himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Forget it... Nothing to be done now that he’s dead.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’After the spirit ship is repaired, if no one comes to pay the final balance in a few months, I’ll just resell it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I should be able to turn a profit, right?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As this thought crossed Zhong Qi’s mind, a faint hint of delight appeared on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, reselling a medium-grade spirit ship would bring in a profit of a thousand or so Spirit Stones!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few more windfalls like this, and maybe, in a dozen years or so, he too could afford a Foundation Establishment Elixir!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these thoughts in mind, Zhong Qi headed to the shipyard to get on with the repair work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, when he arrived at the shipyard, bad news was waiting for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A shipwright is missing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Li is gone?\" Zhong Qi frowned deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Li was an old shipwright his family had employed for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since he could remember, this Mr. Li had been working at the shipyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’For someone like him to disappear without a word... it’s not very likely, is it?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Have you checked his home?\" Zhong Qi pressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We asked. Mr. Li’s wife said he didn’t come home last night.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shipwrights were all on edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hm?\" Zhong Qi’s frown deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took out ten Spirit Stones and handed them to a shipwright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Make a trip to the Weiyuan Morning Post and place a missing person notice. With what’s left, buy some Spirit Rice for Mr. Li’s wife and kids.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The rest of you, get to work.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, for some reason, Zhong Qi suddenly caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye—what looked like a white figure standing in a shadowy corner of the shipyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rubbed his eyes hard, and the white figure vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’What was that...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhong Qi didn’t notice that behind him, a pale figure was watching him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>GURGLE.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It rolled its cold, scarlet eyeballs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Several days later.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhong Mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paper money drifted through the air, and sorrowful music played.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Servants and maids clad in white mourning clothes moved through the mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire estate was shrouded in a heavy, mournful atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you hear?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Zhong is dead, and that array genius from the Zhong Family has gone mad...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You mean that Zhong Qi? Mumbling something about a monster we can’t see killing his father?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The kid even offended a great Foundation Establishment cultivator under a Perfected Master’s sect. It’s only because Yuqing has a kind heart that she forgave him!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Near the Zhong Mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a teahouse just a street away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Xiuying gazed at the Zhong Mansion, her eyes dark, and swirled the tea in her cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have a feeling there’s more to this than meets the eye...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That Zhong Qi doesn’t seem like a madman.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Miss Bai, you’re overthinking it... We even used a Nine Rites Spirit Testing Talisman, and there was no reaction.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The way I see it, the monster was real, but it’s long gone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That Mr. Zhong was just scared out of his wits and became hysterical, claiming the monster was right behind us...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her partner, an Honored Guest Elder of the immortal city, frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he added,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The outer city is in a panic right now. More than ten people are dying every day...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We should solve this case as soon as possible and kill this demonic cultivator who’s controlling an evil creature and slaughtering innocents in the outer city!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s the only way to calm the populace and ensure the grand auction can proceed smoothly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mm... you’re right.\" Bai Xiuying nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced one last time at the Zhong Mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhong Mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Qi’s hair was disheveled, and his eyes were bloodshot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why... Why can’t any of you see it...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is there anyone who can help me? Any other Foundation Establishment cultivators...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He murmured to himself in his room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, as if remembering something, he fumbled in a drawer and pulled out a Whalebone Brooch!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please...\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1464,"2026-06-05T21:02:39.313Z",1,"novelbin.me","5a9775ab3366eadfbb962054441f3f3c400430cb56cf9716994e5e83aa7b7432","grinding-exp-from-a-demon-hunting-ship-chapter-162","grinding-exp-from-a-demon-hunting-ship-chapter-160",236,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fgrinding-exp-from-a-demon-hunting-ship-cover.jpg"]