344: Thief

A short night passed.

Shen Bei carried the full-length mirror and arrived at Lengshui River pier.

A passenger ship carrying travelers was docked at the pier.

Many extraordinary people boarded the passenger ship with large and small bundles.

Shen Bei paid a portion of the fee and boarded the ship.

Initially, Shen Bei did not rush into the cabin to find a seat.

Instead, he walked around the passenger ship on the deck, and while the extraordinary people weren't paying attention, he hung a small mirror on the outside of the ship's hull.

This was Zhuang Bifan's request; since he couldn't come out anyway, he couldn't just sit there idly. This time, he planned to map the Lengshui River channel within the mirror world, noting things like where it curved and the approximate degree of the arc.

He also planned to map the terrain on both banks and any towns they would pass through.

These were valuable map data. Shen Bei was unwilling to do it, so Zhuang Bifan had to.

After the mirror was discreetly hung, Shen Bei turned and sat inside the cabin.

This passenger ship was divided into two passenger areas.

There were some private rooms, which required a lot of gold to stay in.

It was the same principle as the sleeper and hard-seat sections on a train.

Shen Bei had originally wanted to book a private room, but he was too late, and all the private rooms were already full.

He could only squeeze into the passenger cabin.

Last night, he and Zhuang Bifan sorted through some information.

Aside from the surprising information provided by the laborers at the pier, after some deliberation, Shen Bei and Zhuang Bifan decided to head to Shen Jiang Mountain.

The rumors about Wolong Mountain had no meaning for finding the Martial Dao Pinnacle.

Although this location had rumors about a Dragon, Immortal Storyteller was somewhat certain that Dragons had definitely appeared in ancient times.

Even though everyone wanted to witness a Dragon, Shen Bei had no time to waste.

This was not tourism; it was a search for the Martial Dao Pinnacle.

Moreover, Yun Zhiyi had said earlier that even if Shen Bei found the correct location, he wouldn't be able to enter.

That could only mean one thing: the hidden location of the Martial Dao Pinnacle had been destroyed.

Coincidentally, the collapse of Shen Jiang Mountain three years ago, both in terms of the timeline and the description of the location's situation, matched Yun Zhiyi's account quite well.

The two immediately decided to cross off Wolong Mountain and head straight for Shen Jiang Mountain.

After a while.

The passenger ship docked by the shore began to set sail.

The journey was extremely boring.

The water surface was unchanging.

Even the banks on both sides didn't change much.

Shen Bei yawned, listening to the chattering conversations of the extraordinary people around him.

For some reason, the topics these extraordinary people were discussing veered into the Apocalypse Sect.

Shen Bei immediately perked up.

As a long-time rival, Shen Bei was particularly interested in the Apocalypse Cult.

Especially since the Apocalypse Sect was also the official religion of the Royal Court of the Central Continent.

Any piece of information was something Shen Bei desperately wanted to know.

Shen Bei placed the full-length mirror aside and squeezed into the crowd of extraordinary people, not speaking, just simply listening to them talk.

Shen Bei was like a bystander, his gaze constantly sweeping over the extraordinary people who were speaking.

After a while.

Shen Bei heard a big piece of gossip…

The so-called Central Continent, its correct name should be “Great Zhou Dynasty.”

The Great Zhou Dynasty, with 'Dynasty' in its name, naturally stood several levels higher than a 'Kingdom.'

And the territory where Shen Bei was currently located was the “Dieyun Kingdom,” which belonged to the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The Earth Cave World had classifications of Kingdom, Dynasty, and Imperial Dynasty for a country.

As for what an Imperial Dynasty above a Dynasty was, this was also the main topic of conversation among these extraordinary people.

However, these were all speculations; they couldn't be sure, and they had never even heard the name of an Imperial Dynasty above a Dynasty.

Shen Bei listened to this, stroking his chin.

“It seems my perspective was too narrow. Although the Central Continent is distant, it is not the Dominator of this world…”

And for the standards of dividing Kingdoms, Dynasties, and Imperial Dynasties, the Apocalypse Sect was naturally indispensable for setting rules and regulations.

The classification of these countries was also given by the Apocalypse Sect. A country recognized by the Apocalypse Sect was called a “Legitimate Country.”

Countries not recognized by the Apocalypse Sect were branded as “Illegitimate” by the general public, which shows the influence of the Apocalypse Sect in the world today.

However, there were always some who were unwilling to recognize the Apocalypse Cult, so there were also “Illegitimate” countries, and among them, there were also powerful countries.

The ruler of a Kingdom could be called an Emperor; the ruler of a Dynasty could be called a Monarch; the ruler of an Imperial Dynasty could be called a Sage.

Although common people usually used titles like “King” and “Emperor,” when it came to formal enfeoffment, rules still had to be followed. An Emperor could not be called a Monarch, and a Monarch could not be called a Sage.

The topic about the Apocalypse Cult stopped abruptly here. As they chatted, the conversation began to drift, and these extraordinary people started talking about messy gossip, daily trivialities, and the like, making Shen Bei yawn.

But Shen Bei gained a lot; at least he now had a general concept of the earth's surface Cave.

“Did you hear? The tidal surge at Shenxiu Lake seems to be happening earlier this time.”

“Really? Isn't it only once every ten years? How many years ago was the last one?”

“Eight years. This time it's two years early.”

“The 'ten years' isn't accurate either. There are rumors that it surges once every three years.”

Shenxiu Lake?

Shen Bei was very unfamiliar with this place. He had collected a lot of information while wandering around the town and pier these past two days, but he had never even heard of Shenxiu Lake.

Shen Bei was quite curious, so he feigned ignorance and asked the surrounding extraordinary people, “Does the tidal surge at Shenxiu Lake drown people?”

The surrounding extraordinary people burst into laughter at his words.

Pairs of eyes swept over Shen Bei, as if looking at an idiot, all wondering if Shen Bei was a native, to ask such a foolish question.

But Shen Bei wasn't afraid of their gazes. With the odd object mask on him, no one could detect his true identity.

He was just that overbearing.

“Kid, you don't even know about Shenxiu Lake?”

“Where did this country bumpkin come from, haha.”

“The tidal surge at Shenxiu Lake doesn't drown people; it's a very spectacular sight. It's a peerless view, and you'll regret it for life if you don't see it.”

“The scenery isn't what's important. What's important is if you can enter the Upside-Down White Palace, tsk tsk… that's a rare Opportunity.”

“Let's put it this way: if someone cuts off your arms and legs, don't throw them away. Go to Shenxiu Lake, and you'll get instant limb Rebirth.”

...

Shen Bei gasped sharply when he heard the last sentence.

That overbearing?

One must know that even with the tenacious vitality of a Martial Artist, if their arms and legs were broken, they couldn't achieve limb Rebirth on their own.

They could only rely on modern medicine for quick surgical reattachment.

Any delay in time, and they would directly become disabled.

But mostly, even if reattached, they were merely decorative and could not perform at their Peak state; at least, their strength would plummet.

And now, this Shenxiu Lake tidal surge, it sounded incredibly impressive, and the extraordinary people's words implied that after limb reattachment, there would be no ill effects.

It was truly astonishing.

The subsequent conversations of these extraordinary people were no longer worth listening to; they reverted to daily trivialities, without any theme.

Shen Bei then returned to his seat.

“Did you hear that?” Shen Bei muttered to himself quietly, facing the mirror.

Zhuang Bifan's voice came: “I wasn't paying much attention; I was observing the river channel. Any news?”

Shen Bei smiled silently: “We underestimated the influence of the Apocalypse Sect in the earth's surface Cave.”

Zhuang Bifan let out a somewhat dismissive sound: “It's none of our business. Do you intend to destroy this native cult?”

“I originally thought the Apocalypse Cult on earth's surface was created by humans, but now it looks like a branch of the Apocalypse Sect in the earth's surface Cave.”

“Are you worried that the Apocalypse Cult will evolve into a behemoth like the Apocalypse Sect, capable of defining Kingdoms and Dynasties?”

Shen Bei nodded undeniably: “I just want to live more freely.”

Zhuang Bifan was silent for a moment, then said with a laugh: “You're thinking too much, and there's no need. If the sky falls, a big guy will hold it up. This isn't something you should be considering.”

Shen Bei narrowed his eyes, sighed, and said with a hint of self-praise: “I'm just afraid I am that big guy.”

Zhuang Bifan merely gnashed his teeth: “You keep beating around the bush; so you're showing off and boasting to me, huh?”

“Invisible showing off is the most fatal. Just tell me if you're convinced, that's all.”

“Convinced, I am wholeheartedly convinced and admire you, isn't that enough? Don't disturb me while I'm mapping the river basin.”

Shen Bei rolled his eyes at the mirror.

The passenger ship sailed during the day, stopped at a town, and after a few extraordinary people disembarked, a few more boarded, leaving the cabin still crowded.

At night, the passenger ship continued to sail on the river.

Shen Bei huddled in a corner, wrapped his clothes tightly, and gradually fell asleep.

The other extraordinary people in the cabin were also sprawled out, sleeping soundly on the floor without any regard for their appearance.

For a time, the entire cabin was filled with snores, teeth grinding, sleep-talking, farting… all sorts of postures.

But this did not affect Shen Bei's sleep in the slightest.

In the dead of night.

Inside the cabin, a dark shadow suddenly appeared, like an irregular cloud of gloom.

This dark shadow lingered and circled around a sleeping passenger, its shape twisting and changing little by little. After a while, it lifted from the ground, becoming a standing ethereal form.

This ethereal form roughly resembled a human, standing beside the extraordinary person like a wisp of wandering soul that could dissipate at any moment.

It exuded a chilling aura all over its body, just standing there motionless, as if watching the sleeping extraordinary person.

It seemed to be observing if he was truly asleep.

The next moment.

The dark shadow slowly extended a hand, silently untying the extraordinary person's bundle, and stealing all the gold inside.

Following the same method, the dark shadow stole bundles from several more passengers and then came to Shen Bei's side.

Besides his Storage Ring, Shen Bei also held a small bag in his arms, which only contained some food.

If this dark shadow hadn't exuded such a chilling aura, it probably would have stayed until Shen Bei woke up without being discovered.

But this chill was simply too obvious. If it were just cold, Shen Bei would at most pull the clothes covering him tighter.

However, the sensation brought by the chilling intent was one that easily made people uncomfortable. Shen Bei's Fifth Dimension Attribute immediately detected this discomfort rising from his spine and then rapidly spreading throughout his body.

Shen Bei was instantly startled awake from his sleep, his eyes suddenly opening in the darkness.

However, the moment they opened, the chilling aura disappeared.

“Hmm?”

Shen Bei looked around at the dark surroundings, seeing nothing, and couldn't help but feel confused: “A hallucination?”

Shen Bei smacked his lips, turned over, and continued to sleep.

However, just as his consciousness drifted, in the interval of almost falling asleep, that chilling aura appeared again, rising from his spine and instantly enveloping his entire body, making goosebumps erupt all over him.

Shen Bei suddenly opened his eyes, not doubting it, and immediately began to sense. It was this instant that allowed him to capture a faint, almost imperceptible aura.

It was a very subtle aura, barely noticeable at first. Fortunately, he had been prepared to sense it, which allowed him to capture it the moment the aura dissipated or, rather, concealed itself.

“What the hell!”