Chapter 84

Myriad-li blue waves surged, the fleet slowly advanced, at the very center, on the prow of the great warship flying a large banner, a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old youth stood at the bow. Upon seeing this youth, Chan Yinsha's heart stirred slightly; she remembered that the last time she saw this fellow was just over a month ago, and back then his cultivation was merely at the Manifestation stage.

"Hong Yi Daoist, long time no see!" Zhou Shuo looked at the fellow confirming his premonition, and together with Chan Yinsha he quickly halted the yin wind, suspending it in midair, while offering a greeting.

"Yes! Zhou Shuo Daoist, we meet again—better to meet by chance than by invitation; why not continue our chat aboard the ship?" The youth, dressed in scholar's robes, showed no surprise at the sudden arrival of visitors in the vast sea, and boldly extended the invitation, displaying an extraordinary bearing.

"Then I'll impose." Seeing the youth's invitation, Zhou Shuo had no reason to refuse; together with Chan Yinsha he pressed the yin wind down onto the ship, and instantly his spirit and soul returned to his body.

"Hong Yi Daoist, your cultivation has progressed remarkably fast!" Zhou Shuo stood on the deck, sizing up Hong Yi while glancing at the deck behind him; there he saw many people—men and women of various ages, all with respectable cultivation—and in the arms of a twelve-year-old maidservant was a huge golden spider, as large as a cat, its eight hairy legs splayed like a crab's, its two blue fangs twitching.

"Just a few minor encounters, gentlemen; please come inside for a chat—the banquet has only just begun." Hong Yi gazed at Zhou Shuo, who had been sizing him up, and likewise gave Zhou Shuo and Chan Yinsha a once‑over, then smiled, turned sideways, and gestured invitingly.

Facing Hong Yi's invitation, Zhou Shuo calmly stepped forward; as for whether Hong Yi might attack, he felt no fear at all: first, Hong Yi wouldn't do such a foolish thing; second, if this brat really made a move, he also had confidence he could withstand the attack—slaughtering everyone on this boat, then seizing the past Mi Tuo Sutra would be just as easy.

'What is the Gold Grain God to you?' Chan Yin Sha followed beside Zhou Shuo without changing expression, looking at the golden spider held in the maid's arms, and couldn't help but raise her eyebrows slightly. The Gold Grain God, listed alongside her as one of the world's eight great demon immortals, is a golden spider that has cultivated to success, people give it the nickname Golden Spider Dharma King, an extremely formidable opponent.

'My grandfather.' The golden spider faced Chan Yin Sha's gaze; its eight crab-like claws slightly contracted, curling into a ball as the maid held it, its two large blue teeth opening and closing, it emitted a clear, childlike voice in reply, and Chan Yin Sha nodded in realization.

'Then what's your name?' Zhou Shuo looked at the golden spider curled into a ball like a pet, and couldn't help but ask with a smile; although it was a question he already knew the answer to, sometimes friendship begins with such a question.

Jin Xun'er

'Brother Hong Yi, you're quite fortunate to have such a spiritual companion.' Zhou Shuo looked at the spider, which seemed as obedient as a baby, and turned his head toward Hong Yi, but before he could reply, the golden spider on the other side began to shout.

'I'm not Hong Yi's lackey; I'm his employer.' The golden spider named Jin Xun'er, upon hearing Zhou Shuo's words, instantly unfurled its curled eight legs, like a displeased little girl, and the maid holding it couldn't help but tremble.

'An employer?' Even Chan Yin Sha couldn't help but glance askance; the idea of a big spider employing a person is quite interesting, and it seems there are many stories behind it. As someone sharing the same name as the Gold Grain God, she was eager to hear some gossip about the Golden Spider Dharma King.

'Brother Zhou, Miss Chan, please take a seat!' Hong Yi looked at the spider shouting with its mouth open, gave a wry smile, and gestured for Zhou Shuo and Chan Yin Sha to enter the cabin and sit down; inside, it seemed a feast was about to begin, with several tables laden with abundant food.

Following Hong Yi's words, Zhou Shuo picked a table, and Chan Yin Sha sat beside him; the others each took their own seats. The golden spider that had been in the maid's arms sprang free, leapt onto a table, swept its claws across a large crab and began to gnaw it; the maid who had been holding it showed a flickering expression, and had she not been mindful of the occasion, she almost wanted to grab it and throw it away.

'Brother Hong, your attendants are all extraordinary; could you introduce them?' Zhou Shuo looked at the crowd in the cabin, and, taking the opportunity, changed his form of address while asking Hong Yi about those seated with him; as for Chan Yin Sha beside him, she was drawn to the liquid in the cup before her, picked it up, gave it a light sniff, took a sip, nodded slightly without speaking, and left Zhou Shuo and Hong Yi to talk.

'That makes Brother Zhou laugh; these are all my relatives and retainers. This person shares the Zhou surname with Brother Zhou and is an aide to the Prince of Reconciliation in Jingdu City; these two, like him, are attendants of the Prince of Reconciliation—Wen Feiyan and Shen Tuoshan.' Hong Yi listened to Zhou Shuo's words, pointed with his hand at a scholar beside the table, then at a woman and a hunchbacked old man, introducing them.

'This is Chi Zhuoyang, a master from Yunmeng, a friend I've made; these two are Hua Nongying and Hua Nongyue, disciples of the Yaochi Sect; this is Shen Tie Zhu and Xiao Mu, and they, too, are guards and maidservants—I'm not convenient to introduce them all.' Hong Yi then pointed to a burly man, a pair of twin sisters, and a strong man from the Tibetan region, as well as the maid who had earlier held the golden spider, introducing each in turn; when he pointed to a group of onlookers not seated, he stopped speaking.

'Brother Hong, your subordinates are truly abundant in talent—you've actually gathered so many people, even the two Moon Shadow Hall masters of the Yaochi Sect in Yinzhou have come under your command.' Zhou Shuo looked as Hong Yi pointed out each person, nodded with a smile, and then turned his gaze to the identical twin sisters, pausing slightly before continuing.

'Ladies Hua, may I ask how Yue Ru and Yue Ting are doing now?' Upon hearing Zhou Shuo's words, Hua Nongying and Hua Nongyue exchanged an unnatural glance, then looked at Zhou Shuo somewhat blankly, the corners of their eyes subtly sending a signal to Hong Yi.

'Miss Yue Ru is doing quite well; I saw her not long ago. Brother Zhou, do you have past ties with the Yaochi Sect?' Hong Yi, seeing the Hua sisters sending him a signal, took up the question to test them, while secretly wondering just what background the man called Zhou Shuo and the woman called Chan Yin Sha had.

'If that's the case, then it's fine; I don't have much connection with the Yaochi Sect, I just miss Yue Ru and Yue Ting. Brother Hong, I wonder if you could, for my sake, lift the restraints on the two Hua hall masters?' Seeing Hong Yi respond, Zhou Shuo gave a small laugh; although he'd just seen that everything was fine, the Hua sisters being Yaochi Sect members made it inadvisable to let Hong Yi recruit them further.

'Well…' Hong Yi, hearing Zhou Shuo suddenly shift the topic, couldn't help but change his gaze slightly and his finger twitched; meanwhile, the Hua sisters and the others present also showed a slight change in expression, for most of the people there had been secretly restrained by Hong Yi using a hidden method, a restraint that outsiders could hardly detect.

'Hey, aren't you meddling too much? What gives you the right to decide the relationship between Ah Yi and them?' The spider gnawing on the crab suddenly leapt up and shouted at Zhou Shuo.

'Then it's confirmed that you've placed a restraint!' Zhou Shuo looked at the 'divine assistance' golden spider, couldn't help but smile, making up for his own unconscious slip; facing his words, the golden spider also realized it had misspoken, and its eyes flickered with uncertainty.

'Jin Xun'er, don't speak.' Hong Yi looked at the spider that had just admitted things for him, twitched the corner of his mouth in a rebuke, then turned his head to Zhou Shuo and confessed openly.

"Alright! I won't hide it from you, Brother Zhou, I really have placed restrictions on everyone present, but this is also unavoidable; as for the restrictions on the two Flower Misses, I will lift them shortly, but whether those two Flower Misses stay or leave is not up to me." Hong Yi had set a trap for the Great Gold Spider, but he remained calm and composed, first acknowledging Zhou Shuo's words, then agreeing to his request, and also leaving some room for things to develop.

"Thanks." Zhou Shuo looked at Hong Yi, who had agreed to his request, and involuntarily raised his hands in a fist salute.

"No need, it's just a small matter, but Brother Zhou, Hong Yi dares to ask: what exactly is your and Chan Yinsha's background?" Hong Yi raised his hand in a slight refusal and directly posed the question.

"I'm just a nobody, but as for Yinsha, she's quite renowned." Zhou Shuo waved his hand slightly, then pointed at Chan Yinsha, scanned Hong Yi's subordinates, and looked at the ever‑calm Hong Yi himself, inwardly admiring that his breath‑control technique was truly top‑notch.

"Silver Shark King!" The scholar Mr. Zhou heard Zhou Shuo's words, looked at Chan Yinsha with surprise, and blurted out those words.

"So you are the Silver Shark King, famous alongside my grandfather—no wonder your aura is so fearsome." The Great Gold Spider Jin Xuner stared at the silently Chan Yinsha, his tone slightly surprised, but more so it was "as expected".

"So it's a demon‑fairy right before us—Hong Yi, this is overly polite, Brother Zhou, you're being unfair; how can a nobody travel with a world‑renowned demon‑fairy?" Upon hearing Mr. Zhou and the Great Gold Spider, Hong Yi already had some understanding; he first gave a deep bow to Chan Yinsha, then smiled and spoke to Zhou Shuo, while Chan Yinsha hardly said a word the whole time, letting Zhou Shuo do all the talking—an attitude he observed closely.

"Indeed, you adapt well…… Forget it, Brother Hong, I'm truly a nobody—ask Mr. Zhou, the Great Gold Spider, and the others; they're well‑versed, see if they've ever heard my name, Zhou Shuo." Zhou Shuo looked at the remarkably adaptable youth, almost saying "Yizi", then shook his head slightly and turned to Mr. Zhou and the others for confirmation that he really is a nobody.

Upon hearing Zhou Shuo's words, whether it was Mr. Zhou, who served as an aide to the Prince of Harmony, or the Great Gold Spider, who had been taught by the Gold Spider Dharma King, they both fell into thought, retrieved all the information in their minds, searched the list of the world's top experts, and indeed found no entry for Zhou Shuo.

"The world is so vast, I——" Mr. Zhou looked at Zhou Shuo, restrainedly shaking his head, but before he could finish, a hesitant voice suddenly came from beside him.

"Zhou Shuo, I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before!"