Although Chen Mo had already disguised himself, his recent fame meant that numerous people in Bianliang were keeping an eye on him. News of him boarding the merchant ship was still leaked by those with intentions.

On the merchant ship, people from all classes and trades mingled, creating a dense flow of people. Every time the ship stopped at a port, the flow of people and information was complex and manifold.

The merchant ship had five levels; levels one to three were for storing goods, while levels four and five were for passengers.

In the main hall on the fourth level, the storyteller held a folding fan in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. After taking a sip, he lightly tapped the table with the fan and said with eloquence, "Has anyone heard of the Hidden Dragon List?"

The speed of the merchant ship wasn’t very fast, and it was currently going against the current. Since passengers couldn’t disembark, there wasn’t much to do, so most people were gathered here. Upon hearing the storyteller, many shook their heads.

The storyteller placed the folding fan aside and said mysteriously, "The Hidden Dragon List was created by King Yan to gather the top martial artists of Chu Land. Ranked first on this list is a man known as Fei Ran, who wields the Overlord Spear like a fierce storm, rarely meeting his match. At the age of only thirty-nine, he is already a Second-Grade Martial Artist. It is said that he once defeated the renowned Spear Immortal Li Taixi with a single spear attack by the Qinghua River, gaining instant fame..."

This statement led to exclamations of doubt from the crowd.

"Isn’t this a false first place? Just a Second-Grade Martial Artist, able to rank first? I’ve heard that King Yan himself is a First-Grade Martial Artist?"

"Tsk, don’t speak if you don’t know, sir. Everyone knows now that the number one martial artist in the world is Prince Zhen Nan Chen Mo. Fei Ran isn’t even fit to tie Chen Mo’s shoes."

"Have you no ears? It’s been said that the Hidden Dragon List ranks only martial artists from Chu Land. Is Prince Zhen Nan from Chu Land?"

"Even so, Fei Ran shouldn’t be the one! This man is just a nobody. Spear Immortal Li Taixi was over two hundred years old, nearing his end, and it’s said that Fei Ran challenged him while he was injured—hardly a fair victory."

"..."

The hall became a hubbub of noise and activity. The storyteller, with a gleam in his eyes as if everything was within his expectations, said, "I forgot to mention, the Hidden Dragon List ranks the martial artists from Chu Land. King Yan is not part of the martial arts world, so he doesn’t appear on the list."

As soon as he finished speaking, the tall, thin man who had said Fei Ran wasn’t fit to tie Chen Mo’s shoes remarked, "King Yan is really petty, making a Hidden Dragon List that only ranks martial artists from Chu Land. In my opinion, if martial artists from the entire world were listed, showing us who truly is the number one, that would be more impressive."

"This young man speaks the truth. King Yan’s Hidden Dragon List clearly has a selfish agenda."

"Then, according to you all, who truly is the number one in the world?" someone shouted.

"It must be Prince Zhen Nan. He gained fame at a young age, pacified Nanyang, subjugated King Yan, led troops north to drive the Desolate Kingdom to defeat, expelled the barbarians, and even captured the queen of the Desolate Kingdom. At just nineteen, he was already a First-Grade Martial Artist. Who in this world can match him?" The tall, thin man said animatedly.

This view found agreement among many, especially with Chen Mo’s recent fame being exaggerated by rumors. In some people’s minds, Chen Mo was already akin to a deity.

Quickly, someone voiced dissent: "Have you all forgotten the State Preceptor? During the anti-Buddhism movement, the State Preceptor single-handedly faced three First-Grade Martial Artists from Buddhism and remained undefeated, killing two and injuring one. It is said even Prince Zhen Nan was his disciple. The number one in the world should be the State Preceptor."

"I acknowledge that both Prince Zhen Nan and the State Preceptor are strong, but have you all forgotten about the Ghost Half-Immortal?" An intimidating man with tattoos interjected.

"Ghost Half-Immortal?" Someone was taken aback, asking, "A figure from more than three hundred years ago, why bring him up? Could he still be alive?"

"Alive. It’s said that someone spotted the Ghost Half-Immortal in Jiangnan," the tattooed man replied.

Upon hearing this, everyone gasped collectively.

Someone expressed doubt: "Even a First-Grade Martial Artist can’t live that long. How could he still be alive?"

The crowd buzzed with discussions.

Sitting in the corner sipping tea, Chen Mo lowered the brim of his hat slightly, asking, "Who is the Ghost Half-Immortal?"

Jiang Ruoqing looked at Chen Mo in confusion, "You don’t know the Ghost Half-Immortal?"

Chen Mo shook his head. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Legend has it that the Ghost Half-Immortal, named Han Xian, is the descendant of the Great Song’s first State Preceptor, Han Er. Not only does he possess the inheritance of Han Er’s Daoist lineage, but he also received the inheritance of the Ghost Valley lineage. It’s said his strength surpasses that of a First-Grade Martial Artist, thus he is called the Ghost Half-Immortal." Wu Xin’Er explained to Chen Mo.

"Han Er, the last heir of the Ghost Valley lineage..."

Chen Mo had heard of Han Er, a founding hero of the Great Song, and the bamboo within the Shenxiao Temple was said to have been planted by him according to records. However, his end was tragic, as he was persecuted by Buddhism in his later years, nearly exterminating his lineage, with only a pregnant woman escaping.

The pregnant woman...

"Could it be that the Ghost Half-Immortal was born to that pregnant woman who escaped from the Han family?" Chen Mo exclaimed in shock.

Jiang Ruoqing said, "These are all Jianghu rumors, and whether they’re true needs further verification. However, I’ve heard from my master, who once interacted with the Ghost Half-Immortal, that his strength already exceeded the realm of a First-Grade Martial Artist."

"Beyond First Grade, then it would be the Foundation Establishment Stage, but how could he still remain on the Canglan Continent?" Chen Mo was surprised. His master had told him that once cultivation broke through First Grade and reached Foundation Establishment, the people from the other side would sense it, and envoys would be sent to the Canglan Continent to escort the practitioner away, as was the case with Qin Zheng. Otherwise, the previous dynasty would not have collapsed.

Jiang Ruoqing shook her head, "I was also puzzled at the time, so I asked my master, but she didn’t know either. It’s possible that he cultivated some kind of unknown secret technique that can shield the senses of the Immortal Cultivation Realm."

"The Ghost Valley lineage has always been shrouded in mystery, with rumors of knowing many things about the other side. If the Ghost Half-Immortal truly inherited Han Er’s bloodline and the Ghost Valley’s legacy, perhaps he found a way to evade their sensing," Wu Xin’Er speculated.

"Since he’s still alive, why does he remain on the Canglan Continent? Is it for revenge? But Buddhism has already been destroyed." Chen Mo wondered aloud, adding, "He appeared in Jiangnan, and we are also headed to Jiangnan. How could this be so coincidental?"

Both Wu Xin’Er and Jiang Ruoqing shook their heads.

"Forget it, let’s not think about it anymore." After pondering for a while but finding no answers, Chen Mo decided to drop the matter, saying, "This doesn’t concern us. Let’s finish our business and leave as soon as possible."

"If all goes smoothly, following this waterway all the way, we should reach Jiangnan in less than half a month. When we arrive, I’ll show you the fun places in Jiangnan," Wu Xin’Er smiled and said.