Chapter 97: Everyone is a good friend

Unlike the Dongsheng Continent, those who master extraordinary powers in the Xihe Continent are called Professionals.

They are divided into twenty levels.

Levels one through five are equivalent to the Eastern Eighth and Ninth Grade cultivators, which is the Ding category.

They are called Bronze Professionals.

Levels five through fifteen are equivalent to the Seventh to Fourth Grade cultivators of the Dongsheng Continent, which is the Bing category.

They are called Silver Professionals.

Levels sixteen through nineteen are equivalent to the Second and Third Grade cultivators of the East, which is the Yi category.

They are called Gold Professionals.

Level twenty is called a Legend in the West, equivalent to the Eastern First Grade "Great Auspicious Superior Armor."

In the Southern Red Continent, the classification of transcendent beings is much simpler.

From bottom to top, the four tiers are: Life-Bearer, Voodoo Master, Spirit-Returner, and Ethereal-Being.

Their power is analogous to the Eastern Ding, Bing, Yi, and Jia category cultivators, with no finer subdivisions.

And today, those riding the Moon Ark to conduct a deep-sea raid on Civilization Pioneer City were Spirit-Returners from the Aksum Empire of the Southern Red Continent.

As for the attacked "Civilization Pioneer City," the guards who receive huge annual pensions also include Gold Professionals.

Yet because of their inaction, the entire city was left in shambles.

The powerful nobles and giant ocean-trading companies behind "Civilization Pioneer City" could still recoup some losses through multinational insurance companies.

But the small and medium-sized shop owners in the city who deal in rag-and-bone business;

and the small and medium-sized slave-catching fleets that were only temporarily docked at the city harbor, intending to set sail again after repairs, might go bankrupt directly.

After the storm, "Civilization Pioneer City" returned to clear weather.

But tonight was destined to be sleepless.

Once the dust settled,

Zhang Gui, along with Salisa, Liliya, and their party, parted ways directly at the dock area.

As a traveler, he felt that once a matter was over, it was over.

Salisa, Liliya, and the others, however, did not know how long they would be busy before life could return to normal.

Before separating, Salisa and Zhang Gui rescheduled their meeting time.

And this time, the location was set at the office of the firm Salisa ran.

This proved that the friendship between the two had progressed significantly after sharing hardships.

Afterward, Zhang Gui strolled away from the dock area and walked into a stretch of broken walls and ruins.

Using the power of the Capital Element to connect with the Territorial Divine Authority, he teleported to the "Dead Man's Pit" outside Civilization Pioneer City.

That was a deep trench separating the city from the primeval jungle.

It was over ten zhang deep.

Inside, it was densely packed with crawling, larval fly-bird maggots.

This was the final resting place for all the corpses of Southern Red slaves in Civilization Pioneer City.

Only, today was different from the past.

The number of corpses thrown into the deep pit was not thousands, but tens of thousands.

The continuous process lasted all night, without end.

After the main Divine Cluster in Zhang Gui's head, "Tai Sui Enters Spirit," was activated, the fungal mat surging from his fontanelle seemed to be the natural enemy of filthy living things.

Without even needing actual contact, as soon as it appeared from afar, the fly-bird maggots would scramble to burrow into the rot-mud to hide.

Throughout the night.

Using the Zongheng Flying Runner Art, he moved lightly back and forth on the foul-smelling, soft soil.

The fungal mat unfolding around his body sprouted giant palms, grabbing the corpses falling from above or already smashed onto the ground, dissolving and assimilating them.

At dawn, the corpses in Civilization Pioneer City were finally cleared away.

Only then did Zhang Gui return, feeling disgusted, to his sleeping quarters in the Guiyang Palace of the Shishi Capital in the True Dragon Kingdom.

After washing himself clean.

He added medicinal herbs, lit fire oil, and burned mineral mountains, tempering his own Divine Cluster.

Two days later.

It was the day of the banquet hosted by the Chief Eunuch of the "Dragon Gate Trading Bureau," Wang Shitong.

Early in the morning.

Zhang Gui did not call for a warship; he took a newly opened passenger ship and rushed to Dragon Gate Berth.

The already bustling dock was undergoing expansion again.

By noon.

After Zhang Gui went ashore, he looked up at the dazzling sun, blended into the crowd, and strolled to the front of the Dragon Gate Trading Bureau.

Chu Tuantuan was craning his neck, waiting.

Seeing Zhang Gui, he immediately walked over to greet him, and the two exchanged brief pleasantries before walking toward the inner courtyard of the Trading Bureau.

This courtyard was the gathering place for the essence of Ming Song's maritime trade, so naturally, it was filled with endless luxury and wealth.

Passing through a garden planted with immortal fungi and spirit herbs, they entered a Seven Treasures Exquisite Tower built purely of black sandalwood.

The natural fragrance of the wood rushed straight to his nose, causing the main Divine Cluster in Zhang Gui's body, "Hundred Herbs Life Mandate," which originated from the ancient Great Emperor Shennongshi, to stir slightly of its own accord.

He had maintained a calm and composed demeanor until then.

But when it came to the excavation of Divine Clusters, everything else was trivial.

Zhang Gui couldn't help but ask Chu Tuantuan in a low voice:

"Brother Tuantuan, outside this wooden tower, I didn't smell a single trace of fragrance.

But upon entering the tower, I felt as if I had entered the palace of a Wood Immortal. How is this possible?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a slightly hoarse voice came from upstairs:

"This tower was built by inviting the 'Wood Kite Master' of the Gongshu clan to dismantle the entire 'Qizha Xuan Tan' tree from root to branch.

Then, without using a single nail, it was assembled purely through mortise and tenon joints.

The wood grain at the critical points was not destroyed, and the inner-restrained characteristic of the Xuan Tan wood fragrance remained unchanged.

That is why you couldn't smell anything outside the tower, but inside, it is filled with sandalwood fragrance, refreshing the spirit."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Gui immediately asked politely, looking up:

"Is that Wang Shitong, Chief Wang, up there?"

"It is indeed this humble servant."

In the pavilion at the top of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Tower, a middle-aged man with a fair complexion and an elegant temperament answered loudly.

Beside him was a man in his prime, wearing a light brown double-breasted long gown—rare in the Ming Song Kingdom—with two small mustaches, his face as calm as water.

He sat by the round table, quietly drinking tea.

Zhang Gui quickened his pace and went straight to the top floor.

He bowed politely to the elegant middle-aged man:

"I am Caiyang Shizhong. Many thanks to the Chief for clearing up my confusion."

Hearing him refer to himself by the name Caiyang Shizhong, personally bestowed by the Ming Song Emperor, Wang Shitong's expression turned solemn, and he returned the bow to Zhang Gui:

"Caiyang Longhu, you are too polite.

You and I serve as ministers in the same court; it is no exaggeration to say we are as close as brothers. There is no need for such formality."

As the saying goes, the friendship of a gentleman is as light as water, while the friendship of a petty person is as sweet as sweet wine.

If it were ordinary civil and military officials meeting for the first time, even if they were trying to build a relationship, they would never say such sickeningly sweet words.

But coming from a eunuch and a hereditary barbarian general, it seemed incredibly harmonious and complementary.

Even if one looked like a scholar by temperament and appearance, and the other looked as honest and simple as a rustic youth.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Wang Shitong pointed a finger at the man in the light brown double-breasted gown beside him, "This is Rong Anchuan from the Shuanghu Rong family, who has just come to our Siyang Commandery to manage affairs, Brother Rong.

He was previously one of the ten Grand Clerks of the Rong family's maritime fleet, specializing in the Han-Jin route.

When I was the Chief Eunuch at the 'Xiangnan Trading Bureau,' I had many dealings with him.

We can be considered old friends.

I heard that you, Caiyang Longhu, have some grievances with the Shuanghu Rong family, so I thought I would host today.

Inviting new and old friends to resolve misunderstandings.

After all, a family is a family, and an individual is an individual."

"I, Rong Anchuan, have met Caiyang Longhu." The man in the light brown double-breasted gown bowed first, expressionless.

Zhang Gui laughed, "Chief Wang truly has profound insight.

Whether it is a noble family or the children of imperial merchants and wealthy clans, it is certainly true that it is easy to enjoy the shade under a big tree.

But this shade can't possibly belong to oneself entirely.

If someone kicks away others who are also enjoying the shade under the tree, wouldn't that be a beautiful thing for oneself?"

Afterward, he bowed back to Rong Anchuan, "I am Caiyang Shizhong. Please, Grand Clerk Rong."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 98 =====