Chapter Thirty-Six: Moving City
Tian Yuze grew silent as well.
Wang Jingmeng and Lin Zhujiu. They were undoubtedly the most powerful and legendary pairing in the last hundred years. Han, Zhao, and Wei. Other than the Han Dynasty itself being in chaos somewhat back then and was on the decline, the Zhao and Wei had been unusually powerful. Yes, in just a decade, these three powerful dynasties were swallowed by the Qin. In those wars, in both conspiracies and battles, most of them had the shadow of Wang Jingmeng and Lin Zhujiu behind them.
Back then, Yuanwu was even over-looked because this pair’s light far outshone the other famed generals. Not just on the level of the military, Lin Zhujiu’s abilities and meticulousness covered even more areas. He had close ties with many other sects, and even from other dynasties.
Back then, Wang Jingmeng was said to have read the secret records, and more than half of them had been once that sects did not allow the outside to read. It was due to Lin Zhujiu that these sacred records reached his hands.
Back then, the generals of the Qin armies called Lin Zhujiu the advisor, but Lin Zhujiu’s reputation and purpose then was not just limited to that.
Based on reliable intelligence, Lin Zhujiu had reached Jiaodong Commandery already. Now, Ding Ning was going to Jiaodong Commandery on the serpents. This terrifying pair was going to meet up again after many years. This was something to worry about. After many years, maybe people would have forgotten and ignored Lin Zhujiu, but generals like him could not ignore him.
Jiaodong Commandery, far out in the ocean to the east, a place that one needed to travel for dozens of days to reach, there were many sea islands and small countries on them. The waters between these countries had once been terrifying because of some enormous ocean beasts.
Jiaodong Commandery had spent nearly a thousand years to kill most of the beasts, and taming some of the beasts like the soaring snakes. They had killed many of the beasts deep in the water. As a result, ships could travel through the waters here, and some of the waters would not become weird due to the energies of these beasts.
But the outer seas of Jiaodong Commandery, from the east to the north, many regions were places that cultivators rarely went to. Even the Qin Dynasty, which explored the oceans the most, only had a general map of these places, but they did not know how many islands there were. There were not just powerful beasts in this area but also the cold wind and currents which came from the North’s icy lands. The cold wind could easily cause unpredictable storms. When the cold and warm currents met, they would cause the currents underneath to become turbulent and unpredictable.
No one would have thought that the ancestors of Jiaodong Commandery had mastered some of the patterns of these currents. Who would have thought that the foundation of Jiaodong Commandery for nearly a thousand years was hidden here in these waters?
Lin Zhujiu and Zhang Shiwu were in this region right now. The ship under their feet was a strange round shape, and the bottom of the ship was like an awl with its tip ground down.
This kind of ship was a snail ship that the Jiaodong ancestors had made. If they encountered any turbulence, the cultivator in the ship only had to use some power in order to control the ship and make it hard to overturn in a storm. As long as there was some fresh water and food in the ship, and medicines that cultivators needed, a cultivator could live and travel on the water for a long time.
But it was clear, if not for Jiaodong Commandery’s secret ocean maps, no cultivator could get close to the true foundation of Jiaodong Commandery.
The Jiaodong ancestors had spent hundreds of years making the powerful and vicious beasts in this area even more vicious, and even using some seal weapons to create many dangerous traps under the water. The inaccessibility was man-made.
Ahead of Lin Zhujiu was an area covered in white mist. The snail ship he and Zhang Shiwu was was not controlled. It just floated along the natural currents. The patch of white mist kept moving with the current, and did not dissipate.
There was an enormous shadow in the white mist. With the sunlight coming down, it was possible to faintly make out that there was land.
The land there was at least the size of an ordinary city. But as the white mist moved, it was always at the center of the mist. This meant that the land was floating as well.
As the Qin advisor whose reputation had once surpassed Yuanwu, Zheng Xiu and the others, Lin Zhujiu had seen many fantastical things in the world. But when he looked at the land, his eyes were emotional and shocked. He could not help but say to Zhang Shiwu, “If I did not see with my own eyes, who would think that the true Jiaodong Commandery is a floating land like this, a city that can move everywhere along the warm currents?”
Zhang Shiwu grimaced bitterly. He was also in an indescribable shock. From the floating city, he saw the outline of some enormous buildings. He could not help but think, no wonder a woman from Jiaodong Commandery like Zheng Xiu had such great ambition when she entered Changling. He did not say a word, but his breathing grew heavier.
Lin Zhujiu did not use his vital energy when he spoke, and his voice was not loud, unable to pass far on the water. But at this time, from the miraculously floating land in the white mist, a terrifying presence suddenly exploded.
As the presence burst out, hundreds of whirlpools suddenly appeared on the calm water. The snail ship that Lin Zhujiu and Zhang Shiwu were on was thrown high into the air. At the same time, many of the fish in the water below that had not sensed danger at all jumped out of the water in shock.
The fish from deep in the water were all of different colors, flying like gems in the air, exposed under the sunlight. But in the next moment, they were torn apart by a vast and savage presence, turning into a rain of blood and bones that blew towards Lin Zhujiu and Zhang Shiwu.
Zhang Shiwu’s expression did not change at all. He gently pressed down with his hands and steadied the snail ship that had been thrown into the air by the waves.
Lin Zhujiu frowned slightly, a strange expression appearing on his face. He took a deep breath and confirmed the smell. Then he could not help but shake his head. “I did not think that this thing would grow up.”
Zhang Shiwu used his vital energy to make the snail ship retreat along the wind and waves. They left the range of the presence before he looked at Lin Zhujiu.
“Just with us, I fear we cannot take it down.” Lin Zhujiu seemed to read his thoughts and shook his head. “Wait for him to come.”
Zhang Shiwu’s tense shoulders relaxed. He said, “I am just worried, having been soaked in the water for so many years, now that we are stopped in the water, you will vomit.”
“You finally know how to tell a joke.” Lin Zhujiu laughed and said, “That is river water, this is seawater. One is fresh, one is salty, this is novel.”