The old beggar sneered, "Oh! For a Heritage Dao Sect like yours, producing a few Top-grade Golden Cores makes them respectable figures?"

This old beggar was impossibly arrogant, acting as if even Top-grade Golden Cores were beneath his notice. Xuzhuang frowned slightly and couldn’t help but ask, "If that’s the case, then in your opinion, Senior, do I count as a respectable figure?"

The old beggar lifted the hand-rolled cigarette back to his mouth, took a long, satisfying drag, and chuckled. "You... you barely meet this Daoist Lord’s standards. I suppose you’re a moderately important figure."

While Xuzhuang didn’t consider himself superior to others, he possessed an absolute pride and felt he was second to none. Hearing this, he responded noncommittally, "Oh? Then in your eyes, Senior, what does it take to be considered a great figure?"

The old beggar said, "Well... if one can achieve the Primordial Spirit realm, they can be called a great figure, I suppose."

"Hm?" Xuzhuang couldn’t help but size up this old man whose arrogance seemed to pierce the heavens. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "May I ask who you are, Senior?"

"HAHAHAHAHA." The old beggar let out a laugh like a cracked gong and said proudly, "This Daoist Lord is known as the Immoral Taoist."

’It really is him!’ Although Xuzhuang had his suspicions, he was still shocked. The person before him was actually a famous Primordial Spirit master of Profound Yellow, the very same Immoral Taoist who had read Zhong Shenxiu’s fate: "Creation’s wonders are gathered in Zhong Shenxiu; born for the Dao Zhen"!

"So it is the Zhenren himself." Xuzhuang cupped his fists in a salute. Thinking of this man’s legendary deeds, he couldn’t help but ask, "Then what kind of figure is Zhong Shenxiu in your eyes, Zhenren?"

"Hmph." The Immoral Taoist blew out a smoke ring and said after a moment of silence, "Zhong Shenxiu... he can also be considered a great figure, I suppose!"

Xuzhuang said in surprise, "Zhenren, do you mean you think Zhong Shenxiu will definitely become a Primordial Spirit True Man?"

"Hmph. Achieving the Primordial Spirit realm, attaining long life and eternal sight... nothing in this world is ever one hundred percent certain," the Immoral Taoist snorted coldly.

"Oh? ’Creation’s wonders are gathered in Zhong Shenxiu; born for the Dao Zhen’—and even that isn’t a one-hundred-percent guarantee of reaching the Primordial Spirit realm?" Xuzhuang smiled. "Then if Zhong Shenxiu does manage to cultivate a Primordial Spirit, what kind of figure would he be?"

"Kid, you ask far too many questions," the Immoral Taoist said irritably. "This Daoist Lord will answer one last question for you. If Zhong Shenxiu can cultivate a Primordial Spirit..."

"Then he would be an incredibly formidable figure." After a moment of silence, the Immoral Taoist said as much. He then turned his head to He Shanhai and said, "Alright! Since you’ve run into this kid, your troubles will naturally be resolved. This Daoist Lord can’t be bothered to stick around and watch the show. I’m taking my leave."

"Zhenren, wait!" Xuzhuang’s brow twitched, and he quickly asked, "What do you mean by that, Zhenren?"

"Hm?" The Immoral Taoist glanced sideways at Xuzhuang, exhaling smoke as he spoke. "It’s simple. This Daoist Lord calculated that this kid here had a ninety-nine percent chance of meeting a bloody disaster on this merchant voyage, but with a single sliver of hope for survival. This Daoist Lord loves watching a good show, so I stuck around to see if he could escape with his life. Now that you’re on this ship, you’ll naturally save him, so there’s no show left to watch."

Upon hearing this, He Shanhai gave a wry smile, apparently having known what the Immoral Taoist was talking about all along.

"This?" Xuzhuang frowned. "Is this your doing, Zhenren?"

"Hm? What’s it got to do with this Daoist Lord?" the Immoral Taoist glared. "He has a fateful connection with you, not with me! Hmph, cause and effect are written in the heavens. Since his slim chance of survival is related to you, this calamity is probably something you can’t escape from either."

As he finished, the Immoral Taoist let out a pair of sly chuckles, stomped his foot on the deck, and vanished into thin air.

"This..." Xuzhuang was still pondering the meaning behind the Immoral Taoist’s words, but the man had already vanished without a trace. Seeing this, He Shanhai quickly took two steps forward and performed a deep bow. "Daoist Master, you must save me!"

The situation had developed too suddenly. Xuzhuang sighed. Recalling the Immoral Taoist’s final words, he said, "Chief Steward, please rise. Our meeting is fated. Since I am now on this ship, I will not turn a blind eye when the time comes."

He Shanhai was overjoyed and said repeatedly, "Daoist Master, for your kindness, I will be sure to reward you generously..."

Xuzhuang shook his head, cutting him off. "Did the Zhenren ever tell you, Chief Steward, what this calamity is all about?"

At this, He Shanhai sighed. "Alas, I do not know either. If I hadn’t witnessed the Zhenren’s Divine Techniques for myself, how could I have believed some random person who, out of the blue, proclaimed I would face a bloody calamity with only a slim chance of survival..."

Xuzhuang frowned and said helplessly, "Since we have no leads, I can only stay on the ship for now and wait... However, I have other important matters to attend to and do not wish to be delayed for too long. May I ask, Chief Steward, what is your destination on this voyage?"

He Shanhai said cautiously, "I am heading to the Pengxuan Pavilion’s mid-month treasure fair, carrying merchandise to Zhao Yue Island. The journey will still take more than ten days..."

’What a coincidence.’ Xuzhuang was rendered speechless for a moment. Although a voyage of over ten days was much slower than traveling alone, it was at least on his way. He nodded and said, "Then I shall see you through to the end of your journey, Chief Steward."

"That’s wonderful! I’ll have someone prepare the best guest room for you, Daoist Master. Please wait a moment..." Joy spread across He Shanhai’s face, but Xuzhuang looked up and said calmly, "That won’t be necessary. I’ll just find a quiet place to meditate. It will be more convenient to keep watch in case of an emergency."

"I’ll go up there." He pointed to the very top of the five-story ship, then leaped into the air, riding the wind to land gracefully on the roof. His faint voice drifted down from afar, "If there is an emergency, you can find me on the roof."

Xuzhuang found a flat spot on the roof and sat down cross-legged. He didn’t enter a deep meditative state, but simply gazed at the clear night sky, lost in thought.

’Truthfully, he wasn’t some great philanthropist. If he truly saw injustice, he might be willing to lend a hand, but not to the extent of escorting a complete stranger just out of a little goodwill—especially when it would delay his own important business.’