237: Chapter 237 You might as well just rob me outright!

The Taiqing Sect treasure ship was anchored at the edge of the Thousand Reef Sea Region, its defensive Formation runes flickering intermittently.

On the deck, Sun Jingxing paced back and forth irritably, his boots thumping against the wooden planks.

Three months.

A full three months!

Ever since the Taiqing Sect caravan arrived in the Eastern Sea, business hadn't been smooth for a single day.

The Sect had sent him along with Gu Changfeng, supposedly to look out for each other.

But who didn't know the truth? This was mutual suspicion between Danyang Peak and Hundred Herbs Peak.

Danyang Peak feared Gu Changfeng would swallow the fat prize of the Eastern Sea all by himself, so they forced Sun Jingxing in to split the authority.

As it turned out, he hadn't gained much authority, but he had certainly attracted a mountain of trouble.

The Loose Cultivators and sea demons of the Eastern Sea didn't care for the Taiqing Sect of the Eastern Desolation at all.

In the bottom of the ship's hold, rejuvenation pills and chi yang pills were piled high, their Spiritual Qi nearly dissipated.

When they went to the major islands to market them, the local merchant houses either closed their doors or maliciously drove down the prices.

There was clearly an invisible dark hand behind this, tightly squeezing the throat of the Taiqing Sect caravan.

“Junior Martial Uncle Sun, the Spirit Stones we brought are almost exhausted.”

An Inner Sect Disciple ran onto the deck, drenched in sweat and looking pale.

“Maintaining the treasure ship's defensive Formation every day consumes a vast amount. If this continues, we won't even have the travel expenses for the return trip.”

Sun Jingxing's temples throbbed.

He whipped his head around, his gaze stabbing toward the tightly closed cabin on the top deck.

Gu Changfeng!

Ever since that fellow arrived in the Eastern Sea, he had used the excuses of being unaccustomed to the climate and entering seclusion to stabilize his Realm, never stepping foot outside.

He was clearly dumping this mess of a situation entirely on Sun Jingxing's head.

He wanted to see the Danyang Peak lineage made a laughingstock!

Splash!

The sea surface suddenly exploded.

A bizarre, pitch-black sea vessel arrogantly crashed through the waves, heading straight for the Taiqing Sect treasure ship.

Standing at the bow was a burly, one-eyed man with a bare chest.

A blackish-green wood grain pattern was imprinted on his brow.

The local tyrant of the Thousand Reef Sea Region, an outer manager of the Longevity Tower, One-Eyed Shark.

Dozens of sea demons covered in scales and radiating overwhelming Evil Qi followed behind him, each clutching a blood-dripping Magical Artifact.

“Fellow Daoist Sun, I hope you’ve been well!”

One-Eyed Shark leaped onto the deck, his feet landing with a thud that shook the entire treasure ship violently.

The Taiqing Sect Disciples retreated in fear, drawing their Flying Swords as if facing a great enemy.

Sun Jingxing suppressed his rising anger and waved for the Disciples to stand down.

“Manager One-Eye, what brings you aboard today?”

He forced a faint smile, though it looked more like a grimace.

One-Eyed Shark pulled over a chair with casual arrogance and sat down with a heavy thud.

“I wouldn't dare offer advice.”

“I just saw your Sect's Medicinal Pills piling up and rotting in the warehouse, and I felt anxious on Fellow Daoist Sun's behalf.”

One-Eyed Shark crossed his legs, his rough knuckles tapping against the armrest.

“My Longevity Tower is willing to take seventy percent of your Sect's goods.”

“As for the price, we'll calculate it at thirty percent of the Eastern Sea market rate.”

Bang!

Sun Jingxing slammed his palm onto the table.

The fine rosewood table instantly shattered, wood chips flying everywhere.

“Thirty percent? You might as well just rob us!”

Sun Jingxing completely lost his composure, crimson Li Fire power roiling around him.

“My Taiqing Sect is a first-rate Sect of the Eastern Desolation, and Old Ancestor Si is a Purple Mansion powerhouse!”

“Your Longevity Tower is a mere local tyrant; how dare you loot a burning house like this?”

One-Eyed Shark didn't move an inch, letting the wood splinters hit him.

He grinned, revealing a row of stark white teeth.

“Fellow Daoist Sun, this is the Eastern Sea, not the Eastern Desolation.”

“A Purple Mansion True Person from the Eastern Desolation cannot reach as far as the Thousand Reef Sea Region.”

One-Eyed Shark leaned forward, his presence intensely oppressive.

“Doing business in the Eastern Sea is impossible without a local power as a backer.”

“Do you really think it’s a coincidence that no one has bought your pills for these past three months?”

Sun Jingxing's heart jolted, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

As expected, it was the Longevity Tower playing tricks behind the scenes!

Over the past few months, every local merchant house that had contacted the Taiqing Sect would inexplicably back out the next day.

It turned out they had all been suppressed by the Longevity Tower!

“Are you trying to start a war with the Taiqing Sect?”

Sun Jingxing shouted sternly, trying to use the Sect's foundation to intimidate the other party.

One-Eyed Shark scoffed.

“Start a war?”

“Surely Fellow Daoist Sun doesn't think that having a loud voice is how one gains a foothold in the Thousand Reef Sea Region?”

One-Eyed Shark pointed to the blackish-green wood grain on his brow.

“The Si Yuanzhi of my Longevity Tower is a genuine Purple Mansion True Person!”

“If a war truly starts, would your Sect's Purple Mansion Old Ancestor dare to cross the sea and set foot in the Thousand Reef Sea Region?”

Boom!

These words were like a heavy sledgehammer, ruthlessly shattering Sun Jingxing's psychological defenses.

A Purple Mansion True Person!

The Longevity Tower actually had a Purple Mansion powerhouse standing behind it!

No wonder these pirates acted so arrogantly, daring to trample even the Taiqing Sect's name underfoot.

A Purple Mansion from the Eastern Desolation would be like a tree without roots in the Eastern Sea.

Furthermore, Si Yuanzhi Si had to guard the Sect; she couldn't possibly venture into such a dangerous place for a mere batch of pills.

One-Eyed Shark stood up and brushed the dust off himself.

“The message has been delivered.”

“I'll give Fellow Daoist Sun three days to consider.”

“In three days, if your Sect still doesn't agree...”

One-Eyed Shark sneered repeatedly.

“The winds are strong and the waves are high in the Thousand Reef Sea Region. If the Taiqing Sect's treasure ship sinks, you can't blame anyone else.”

Leaving behind this blatant threat, One-Eyed Shark leaped off the deck and departed with his band of sea demons.

The deck fell into a deathly silence.

The Taiqing Sect Disciples were all pale, their legs trembling.

The opponent had a Purple Mansion True Person!

This was a crushing gap in power.

Sun Jingxing froze in place, his crimson power completely dissipating.

They couldn't afford to provoke them.

They really couldn't.

He suddenly turned and charged toward the top-deck cabin.

Bang!

The cabin door was roughly pushed open.

Inside the cabin.

Gu Changfeng was dressed in a plain white Daoist robe, sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat.

Yimu Essence Qi circulated around him, vibrant with life.

Ten thousand miles away.

Within an abyss cavern.

Gu Changsheng's original body sat cross-legged on a stone couch, blackish-green power dancing at his fingertips.

Dividing his mind.

Everything happening on the Clone's side was synchronized to his Sea of Consciousness in minute detail.

He twitched his face and let out a cold laugh.

One-Eyed Shark's acting had become increasingly refined.

Borrowing the prestige of a powerful figure, he had left Sun Jingxing completely stunned.

Now, it was time to close the net.

Top-deck cabin of the treasure ship.

Gu Changfeng slowly opened his eyes, a flash of blackish-green power passing through the depths of his pupils.

“Why is Senior Brother Sun in such a panic?”

Gu Changfeng's tone was flat, as if the raging waves outside had nothing to do with him.

Sun Jingxing rushed forward a few steps, his chest heaving violently.

“Junior Brother Gu! Something terrible has happened!”

“That One-Eyed Shark from the Longevity Tower just boarded the ship and made a threat!”

Sun Jingxing quickly recounted the confrontation like beans spilling from a bag.

“They have a Purple Mansion True Person behind them!”

“Three days! They’ve only given us three days!”

Gu Changfeng listened quietly, a timely look of shock and gravity appearing on his face.

“A Purple Mansion True Person...”

Gu Changfeng pondered for a moment, his finger lightly tapping his knee.

“The Longevity Tower actually has such a foundation; no wonder they can dominate the Thousand Reef Sea Region.”

“How does Senior Brother Sun think we should handle this?”

Sun Jingxing stamped his feet in frustration.

“How else can we handle it?”

“They have a Purple Mansion overseeing them; they clearly intend to force us to hand over this batch of goods!”

“A powerful dragon cannot crush a local snake, let alone when the other side is also a dragon crossing the river!”

Sun Jingxing paced back and forth in the cabin, his mind in a mess.

“If we agree to their terms, at thirty percent of the price, we won't be able to explain it to the Sect when we return.”

“If we don't agree, I'm afraid this ship full of pills and Disciples will truly end up at the bottom of the sea.”

He suddenly stopped and stared intently at Gu Changfeng.

“Junior Brother Gu, you are the Sect-appointed General Manager for the Eastern Sea!”

“You have to make a decision on this!”

Shifting the blame.

Blatant shifting of blame.

Sun Jingxing was trying to pin the blame for offending the Longevity Tower or selling off Sect assets at a loss entirely on Gu Changfeng's head.

Gu Changfeng saw through it clearly.

He stood up and walked to the porthole, looking out at the surging Eastern Sea.

“What Senior Brother says is correct.”

“As General Manager, I should naturally take responsibility.”

Gu Changfeng turned around, looking righteous and solemn.

“I will go and meet the Si Yuanzhi of the Longevity Tower myself.”

“Even if it costs me my life, I cannot let the prestige of my Taiqing Sect be tarnished!”

With that, he made a move as if to charge outside.

Sun Jingxing was startled and grabbed Gu Changfeng's sleeve.

Go and risk your life?

A Foundation Establishment cultivator going to risk his life against a Purple Mansion?

It didn't matter if you died, but who would protect this ship full of people?

What if you provoked them and the Longevity Tower decided to kill everyone?

“Junior Brother, calm down!”

Sun Jingxing held onto Gu Changfeng tightly, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.

“That is a Purple Mansion True Person!”

“Going there would just be throwing your life away!”

Gu Changfeng stopped his momentum, his face filled with unwillingness and grief.

“Then what does Senior Brother suggest?”

“Must we really sell the Sect's foundation at thirty percent of its value?”

Sun Jingxing gritted his teeth, his fingers tightening.

“A matter of such importance to the Sect's Luck is no longer something two Foundation Establishment cultivators like us can decide.”

“Since the Longevity Tower has brought out a Purple Mansion True Person,”

“then we can only ask the Old Ancestor to step in.”

Gu Changfeng sighed, clearly resigned to fate.

“Very well.”

“There's no time to lose. Senior Brother Sun, please draft the message yourself.”

“Report the situation in the Eastern Sea and the Longevity Tower's conditions truthfully.”

Sun Jingxing did not hesitate to take out a top-level transmission Jade Slip.

Crimson power was frantically poured into it.