Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 73 The Shen Family, the God of Wealth: Eight Hundred Fire Oxen Plow Under the Moonlit Night, Three Thousand Beauties Smile in the Spring Breeze

The sun sets in the west, and the rabbit rises in the east.

Having completed his ordination and gained some initial self-defense capabilities, Wang Cheng boarded the "Zhang Fushun" ship that same day and returned to Yuegang, a place he was not entirely loyal to.

"Wow—!"

Before the ship had even come to a complete stop, the bald eagle Aji, which had been circling in the sky, was the first to rush onto land, riding the updraft to overlook the entire city.

A pair of sharp eagle eyes looked down and locked onto every chicken coop in the city in an instant.

This creature, having become a spirit, also became more intelligent, freely switching between foreign languages, from the most majestic and domineering red-tailed buzzard to its own silly white-headed eagle, and then to the most fluent chicken language, all with ease.

They deeply understand the true meaning of the saying, "When you're out in the world, you earn your own living."

However, this also attracted the hostility of many roosters in the city.

The sailing warship [Qingyi] did not accompany them and temporarily stopped at a nearby Tanka people settlement, leaving reserve [Yanren] Zhang Wu to intensify his training.

Some time ago, the gentry faction Xie He, along with some unofficial officials, raided several Tanka ethnic groups that worshipped "Lady Yan," kidnapping the temple keeper and triggering a series of chain reactions.

The Tanka people lost their official positions, and the danger of making a living at sea increased dramatically, forcing them to seek refuge with other members of their own tribe nearby.

The group of Tanka people led by Axiao also grew several times in a short period of time.

Many people were worried about their future livelihoods, so Wang Cheng brought them pillows.

The issue of staffing two hundred crew members for the Qingyi was easily resolved, and they were assigned navigation skills according to their positions. This sailing warship was restored to its peak combat power.

With the addition of those who brought their own capital, the number of boats affiliated with the Tsing Yi fishing gang increased from two to five or six, enough to organize a fleet to go out to sea and catch big catches.

If this happened to someone else, they might worry that a large group of Tanka people banding together could undermine the boat's authority, and they would have to bring in the power of other factions to maintain the balance.

Wang Cheng, however, didn't care at all.

Outsiders cannot understand the significance to the Tanka people of throwing nine holy cups in front of the Heavenly Princess.

At present, Prince Jing's prestige is only slightly inferior.

Even without using the "Four Seas Coins" and the various unique skills possessed by Bai Shuilang as insurance, as long as he dares to reveal his identity on the spot, he can immediately turn the tide.

Wang Cheng might not be able to suppress the Five Peaks Banner, which is composed of a large group of uncles and elders, but he has no problem suppressing his own Green Robe Gang.

dong dong dong.
A group of valiant Tanka people, dressed in uniform blue cloth outfits and carrying ring-pommel swords and three-eyed muskets, disembarked first under Zhang Wen's leadership.

Wang Cheng, dressed in a royal blue robe with arrow-sleeved sleeves, stepped onto the plank they had set up and walked onto the pier.

Behind her followed A-Xiao, a pearl diver in a white dress and a white veiled hat.

When the two stood together, they clearly had a very similar temperament. At first glance, one might mistake them for a young master and mistress from an official family returning home for a visit.

"Yuegang has changed a lot compared to before."

Ah Xiao sighed nostalgically, but it made people feel that the "before" she mentioned was probably much longer than just three or five years.

Wang Cheng gave the temple keeper of Lady Yan a strange look.

Unfortunately, the name "Rare Goods for Hoarding" remains unchanged. It used to only have the name of the pearl diver A Xiao, but now it has simply become the name of the pearl diver Yun Xiao.

Even his name was given to him by the girl herself.

“Ah Xiao is a seventh-rank official, and so am I. I didn’t see any aura of protective charm on her. Why is the ‘Rare Goods Are Worth Hoarding’ still not working?”

I always felt that she harbored secrets no less than mine.

Following A-Xiao's gaze, Wang Cheng looked around and found that Yuegang was noticeably more desolate than when he left before the New Year, with only the sacrificial business being unexpectedly prosperous.

It was already dark, but the procession of deities was still going on, and the air was filled with the somewhat pungent smell of incense.

There were also a few ordinary-looking laborers on the dock who were actually responsible for keeping watch for the gentry. Under the watchful eyes of money, they all had nowhere to hide.

Wang Cheng is no longer the same as before. Unless it is a mid-ranking official of the Eight Great Ships who personally intervenes, he will only suffer a little hardship.

"let's go."

Just as the group was about to enter the harbor, Yun Xiao suddenly looked up at the sky, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. Wang Cheng also noticed that the "magic money printing machine" [Craftsman's Silver] he carried with him vibrated slightly, as if it had caught something it desperately wanted.

By the time he wanted to take out the talisman to examine it, the strange activity had already disappeared.

So I put it aside for the time being and will study it myself when no one is around.

He turned and told Zhang Wenxian to take Axiao to his small courtyard in Fenglinzhai to settle her in. He himself planned to go to Baoshan Fenghou first to pay his respects to his master Shen Yuting, who was on night duty there every day.

A-Xiao nodded slightly:

"As long as there is a place to stay, that's fine."

Fu Gui, you go ahead and do your work. I will be visiting the temples of the various deities and earth spirits of the Tianfei lineage in the next few days.

The VIP from the Han family chose to make his move in Yuegang; that was the wrong battlefield.

"Okay, Sister Xiao, Master has ordered Yuegang Mountain and Sea Association to fully cooperate with you this time. If you need any help, just let me know."

After they parted ways, Wang Cheng climbed Baoshan Beacon Tower alone.

The lantern chamber atop the beacon tower was already lit, its bright light, blessed by the divine power of the [Guardian Deity of Position], illuminating the gradually darkening night sky for miles around, guiding ships passing through at night.

The small temple next door was filled with the smoke of incense, and a withered old man sat upright in an official's hat chair.

One after another, voices from the leaders of the Mountain and Sea Association rang out here, using incense as a medium:
"Sir, the evil spirit 'Flesh and Blood Tailor' has appeared in Huaihua Lane in the west of the city. A couple who run a wonton stall have been sewn together with needle and thread."

"Sir, the evil spirit, the starving ghost, has appeared at Xiangshui Bridge in the north of the city. It is over ten feet tall and has already eaten six sheep and the shepherd who was with them. It is still eating now."
It even ate the thunderbolts that the alchemist had just refined.

"Sir, the evil spirit 'Kowtowing for Longevity' has appeared near the South City Wharf, possessing Master Zhang. Those descendants of the Zhang family who kowtow to it die instantly."

When Wang Cheng came in, Shen Yuting didn't have time to greet his prized disciple, so he waved his hand and told him to wait aside for a while.

But the rare commodity had already been spotted on the old man.

This time, there were no unexpected events like when we saw Ah Xiao.

Perhaps due to his advancement in cultivation level, reaching the seventh rank in the ordination and ranking system, Wang Cheng indeed saw more information than before:

Shen Yuting is the current head of the Shen family, the family of the God of Wealth.

The Shen family boasted: "Eight hundred fire oxen plow the night under the moon, and three thousand beauties laugh in the spring breeze."

Legend has it that during the reign of the Yunmeng Empire and the early years of the Great Zhao Dynasty, he was undoubtedly the richest man in the land, and his amulet, the "Treasure Basin," was renowned throughout the world.

"The Shen family, the God of Wealth?!"

My master's background is so impressive!

Wang Cheng was shocked. After accidentally discovering such a secret, he almost lost his composure.

The Shen family, known as the God of Wealth, is so famous that almost everyone in the Great Zhao Dynasty knows them, far more so than the Wang family, who are famous for their wealth.

The key figure, Shen Wansan, known as the "Living God of Wealth," is recognized as the wealthiest man in the past three hundred years and the most powerful "Chaofeng Lang" (a high-ranking official in the imperial court).

Unfortunately, the rule of this world is: if you are the best fighter, others will fear you; if you are the richest, others will covet you.

Shen Wansan, the "Living God of Wealth," was careless in his early years, revealing the true nature of a priceless treasure, which led to his downfall.

The treasure basin, a national treasure-level amulet, has stirred up countless troubles in his possession.

He died unexpectedly before the founding of the Great Zhao Kingdom.

Although he was posthumously honored as the "Living God of Wealth" by the "Twenty-Four Solar Terms," ​​this became a folk belief among the water brigade in the Jiangnan region.

However, the Shen family, once known as the God of Wealth, still fell into decline. One day, the family disappeared without a trace along with the treasure bowl, leaving the wealthy men who coveted their immense fortune empty-handed.

Wang Cheng suddenly realized:

"Since Master has become the [Director of the Hall of the Mountain and Sea Society], it is very likely that his ancestors, like our Wang family ancestors, went to sea with the treasure ship crew and ended up stranded overseas."

Now, returning to Yuegang, still looking so old and frail for someone in their forties, it's probably because possessing such a valuable treasure has become a curse.

(End of this chapter)