Chapter 204: The Grandfather Who Travels With Me

Huhuh~

The night wind blew gently across the river, stirring faint ripples.

"The Pingjiang Grand Canal truly benefits a thousand generations!"

Under the bright moonlight, on a merchant ship, Yu Yu Xuanji leaned on the railing, gazing into the night, where she could see countless other merchant vessels gliding downstream.

The Pingjiang Grand Canal directly cuts through two Daozhou and twenty-one Fu, with even more prefectures and states radiating from its influence.

Waterways are the lifeline, connecting all Daozhou and Fu; it can be said that the Grand Yun Dynasty's unification of nineteen states for over a thousand years is deeply tied to this Grand Canal.

Before the Grand Yun, no dynasty had ever unified nineteen states for so long.

"I heard that during the excavation of this canal, all the terrestrial immortals once lent their hands?"

On the deck, Yu Yu Xuanfeng slowly retracted his fist, steam rising from his sweat-drenched body.

"Except for the Grand Yun Founder, no one else could command those Weida Sect masters to excavate the canal."

Yu Yu Xuanji nodded, feeling a touch of awe.

The shifting of rivers and mountains, the grandeur of the Pingjiang Grand Canal, proves just how mighty the Grand Yun Dynasty once was.

Only those who fully refine their marrow and harmonize yin and yang can be called Masters—these are the supreme figures of a single state, those who govern the livelihoods of tens of millions.

Let alone Weida Sect Masters?

Weida Sect Masters, throughout all dynasties, were figures on par with terrestrial immortals, the founding patriarchs of their sects.

Aside from the four hundred years under the Grand Yun Founder, who else could ever command them?

"It must have been tragic to live in the same era as the Grand Yun Founder—how exalted were the founding patriarchs of every sect, yet they were forced to dig canals."

Yu Yu Xuanfeng shook his head; he had no longing for such things. He wiped the sweat from his body:

"Sister, just who is Wang Wen yuan? How could he persuade Master Shu Zu? Could it be that Master Shu Zu truly intends to take an apprentice?"

Long Xi Xiang is among the very few in the past three hundred years of Longhu Temple, second only to the founding patriarch Long Yingchan, in terms of bone quality, insight, and Wu Gong.

His last disciple was taken decades ago; if he takes another, it will be a bloodline heir.

Once he takes an apprentice, the martial world will tremble.

"Wang Wen yuan is likely a pseudonym—no such name exists among the world's masters, but the letter says he once traveled with Master Shu Zu through the imperial capital; then this man is truly extraordinary…"

Yu Yu Xuanji's eyes gleamed.

She remembered how Master Shu Zu had once been grievously wounded during his travels in the imperial capital—even with the founding patriarch's intervention, he had never fully recovered for decades.

The injury was so severe that even his divine art's completion and reversal of aging could not fully heal it.

"As for whether Master Shu Zu will take an apprentice—who are we to guess? But word of this has spread, and many senior brothers within the sect have been stirred, emerging from their seclusion."

Walking slowly on the deck, admiring the night scenery, Yu Yu Xuanji's expression was subtly uneasy: "Someone may already be on their way."

"This…"

Yu Yu Xuanfeng frowned suspiciously: "Sister, you didn't leak this news, did you?"

"How could I do something like that?"

Yu Yu Xuanji shot a glare at her foolish younger brother: "Regarding Master Shu Zu, the only ones in the sect who would dare leak such news are those few…"

"Those few."

Yu Yu Xuanfeng instantly perked up: "Are those few still coveting Master Shu Zu's bloodline?"

"Master Shu Zu stands just one step away from becoming a terrestrial immortal; had his reversal of aging not been flawed, he might already have succeeded. His legacy—anyone with a chance would refuse to let it slip."

Yu Yu Xuanji glanced at Yu Yu Xuanfeng, whose mind was already swirling, and warned:

"Don't entertain foolish thoughts—you have no qualification…"

"The bloodline of Fu Long Chan Shi."

Yu Yu Xuanfeng's face lit with longing, then flickered with resentment: "I have no qualification, but they do—and still, Master Shu Zu refuses to pass it to them!"

Those few true disciples were all peerless talents, but to his Master Shu Zu, they might as well be no different.

His Master Shu Zu had unparalleled bone quality, born with the form of thirteen spiritual dragons, extraordinary talent, and by age fifty had already transformed a hundred forms; another twenty years passed, and he achieved harmony of yin and yang, becoming a Master.

Had he not suffered a Dao injury, he would long ago have become a terrestrial immortal.

To a figure like him, he and those few true disciple seniors might be indistinguishable.

"Don't even think about what you have no right to covet."

Yu Yu Xuanji frowned slightly and changed the subject: "Has the Yunshu Tower's intelligence arrived?"

"Not yet."

Yu Yu Xuanfeng pulled a letter from his robe: "The Patrol Hall's senior brother sent a letter about Li Yuan."

"Why didn't you give it to me sooner?"

Yu Yu Xuanji snatched the letter away.

"Li Yuan, from a poor family in Gao Liu County; likely originally had the Eight-Form Little Dragon bone structure; after perfecting the Bai Yuan Cloak Hammer, his bone structure transformed into the Dragon bone form…"

"Shows great talent in forging; valued by Elders Jing Jing Shuhu and Lei Lei Jingchuan as a Valued instrument…"

"Within less than a year of joining, he has reached Inner Strengthening; under Lei Lei Jingchuan's guidance, he can Craft superior grade weapons…"

After reading the letter, Yu Yu Xuanji raised an eyebrow: "Hammer prodigy?"

"His bone quality is good, his insight sharp—he has the qualification to enter the temple, but not enough to inherit Master Shu Zu's bloodline."

Yu Yu Xuanfeng had already read the letter:

"The letter doesn't mention Wang Wen yuan—this man hides himself well; we don't know if Yunshu Tower even has intelligence on him."

"He began martial training and within a year perfected the Bai Yuan Cloak Hammer—his insight is better than yours."

Yu Yu Xuanji pondered for a moment, then looked up to see a feathered hawk slicing through the sky.

"The Yunshu Tower's intelligence has arrived!"

Yu Yu Xuanfeng moved instantly, snatching the hawk from the air, removing the letter—but before he could even glance at it, Yu Yu Xuanji seized it away.

"Don't grab it—I haven't read it yet!"

Yu Yu Xuanfeng stamped his foot, but couldn't outpace his elder sister, so he had to wait until she finished reading before taking the letter.

"Almost identical to the Patrol Hall's intel? As a true disciple of Divine Weapon Valley, this man's dossier is this thin?"

Yu Yu Xuanfeng muttered under his breath.

"He's only been in Divine Weapon Valley for two years—his dossier being sparse is normal."

Yu Yu Xuanji's brow relaxed:

"Dechang Prefecture?"

"Yes. According to Yunshu Tower's intel, he should have followed his senior brother across Fa Jiu Mountain, heading straight for Dechang Prefecture."

Yu Yu Xuanfeng nodded: "After word spread that our Grand-uncle was considering taking a disciple, those factions couldn't tell if it was true, so they stopped chasing him…"

"Hm?"

Suddenly, Yu Yu Xuanji sensed something, flicked her sleeve—and a letter instantly fell to the ground.

"Is this Grand-uncle's letter?"

Yu Yu Xuanfeng's heart leapt; he instinctively stepped back several paces, only to see a pure white light rise from the letter.

"Remote True Gang!"

Yu Yu Xuanji's face twisted in shock.

The pure white light rolled on the spot, visibly growing limbs, torso, and facial features…

In the blink of an eye, it had transformed into a miniature figure barely a foot tall.

Dressed in a Daoist robe, hairless and beardless, with red lips and white teeth—exquisitely lifelike…

"Grand-uncle!"

Yu Yu Xuanfeng dropped to his knees with a thud; Yu Yu Xuanji quickly bowed: "Disciple Yu Yu Xuanji bows before Grand-uncle!"

Even from a thousand li away, True Gang could take form—this was a technique bordering on that of a terrestrial immortal.

Though they were both disciples of Dragon Tiger Temple, until today, they had only ever heard of such an impossible feat in legends.

"True Gang taking form!"

Yu Yu Xuanfeng knelt on the ground, trembling violently, gripping his thigh flesh so hard he didn't scream.

What is called divine skill?

This is divine skill!

Even seeing it with his own eyes, he couldn't comprehend such a technique.

Wu!

The miniature figure, less than a foot tall and formed of True Gang, walked slowly across the deck, glancing around as if pondering something.

"Grand-uncle?"

After a long while, with no reply, Yu Yu Xuanji cautiously asked:

"Who is your master?"

"Huh?"

Yu Yu Xuanji lowered her head: "My master is Gong Gong Jiuchuan. I am disciple Yu Yu Xuanji; this is my younger brother, Yu Yu Xuanfeng…"

She stole glances at the miniature Grand-uncle, no taller than a foot, filled with both curiosity and awe.

True Qi forming a shape usually requires a human body or some special medium to transmit even a hundred li, and drains immense energy.

Only True Gang, formed by True Qi merging with Heaven and Earth, can take form without any vessel, from a thousand or even several thousand li away.

This is the technique of a terrestrial immortal!

Has Grand-uncle already reached this level?

But why is he so small…

"Little Gong's disciple."

The miniature figure of pure white True Gang nodded, speaking with ancient, weary authority: "Hand me the letter."

"Huh?"

Yu Yu Xuanfeng fumbled, handing over the letter, too nervous to raise his eyes.

"Roots and insight are acceptable… hmm, fine. I'll give that old man some face—meet him, so he won't bother me again."

The brother and sister remained stunned and trembling; only when the voice vanished did they raise their heads—the deck was empty.

Only a wisp of white light slowly faded from the letter.

"Grand-uncle?"

They called out cautiously several times, received no reply, and finally exhaled in relief.

"Just who is Wang Wang Wenyuan? Why did Grand-uncle bother to split off a strand of True Gang?"

They exchanged glances, both stunned.

True Qi shaped to touch Heaven and Earth becomes True Gang—even for terrestrial immortals, True Gang is extremely precious; they rarely sever even a single strand.

"Sister?"

After a long while, Yu Yu Xuanfeng looked at his elder sister; Yu Yu Xuanji barely steadied her composure.

She carefully picked up the letter from the deck—and handed it to Yu Yu Xuanfeng, whose face was twisted in a bitter expression:

"You keep it enshrined."

"Sister…"

Yu Yu Xuanji didn't turn around: "Urge the boatman—hurry to Dechang Prefecture!"

…

…

Whoosh whoosh~

The autumn wind howled, and the weather turned cold.

In little more than ten days, the fleet had already reached Dechang Prefecture.

"We're almost there at last! Is that Dechang Prefecture? It doesn't look as grand as Zhilong Fucheng…"

"Zhilong Prefecture is the number-one prefecture of Huizhou. Dechang Prefecture has a population of a million—only half that of Zhilong Prefecture."

"Finally, I can get off the ship!"

The deck buzzed with discussion. Liu Zheng, Wang Wang Peiyao, and the others had all gathered together, and even Fang Fang Bao Luo, who hadn't really stepped out of her cabin since boarding, came out.

The water route had been rough. Even though everyone had Wu Gong to rely on, going more than ten days without setting foot on land left them feeling out of sorts.

When Li Yuan pushed the door open and stepped out, he saw everyone beaming with excitement.

At a glance, he could already make out the docks outside Dechang Fucheng, where crowds surged and merchants and travelers packed shoulder to shoulder.

Dechang Fucheng was no larger than Zhilong Prefecture, but its commercial atmosphere was even thicker. From a great distance, he could already hear all manner of accents.

"Disembark!"

In no time, the ships were moored steady, and the dock laborers on the pier swarmed over in an orderly fashion, hauling all kinds of cargo.

Li Yuan went ashore with the flow of people.