Infinite Professions-Chapter 135 - 56: Turning Back

"Old Zhong, are you dead or not? If not, get out here!"

I saw several small sampan boats heading towards the reed marsh, filled with burly men in sturdy attire. Among them was the steward of the Golden Fish Gang, Chen San.

However, he was only a support now, standing behind him was a tower-like strongman and several tall martial artists of the Golden Fish Gang. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

They sailed into the reed marsh, surrounding Shen Hex’s little canopy boat.

Shen Hex stood at the bow, showing a surprised expression: "What might you gentlemen be..."

"Enough with the nonsense!"

Chen San took out a portrait: "Have you seen this old guy? He looks similar to you and is a wanted criminal by the government office. Anyone who sees him and doesn’t report it will be treated as an accomplice."

There’s no need to say more; on the portrait was the Fishing Elder Liang Feng.

Although the depiction wasn’t accurate at all, the Golden Fish Gang’s hunt was definitely for him.

It seemed yesterday’s battle had frightened those rich heirs, prompting the forces behind them to move, searching for the gravely injured Liang Feng, intending to strike while he was weak.

But his life was already gone, and Shen Hex didn’t want to entangle further. He immediately shook his head: "Never seen him, never seen him. If I had, I would definitely report it..."

"Good to know!"

Chen San snorted coldly, preparing to head to other fishing households.

Unexpectedly...

"Wait!"

The tower-like man behind suddenly spoke, then stepped forward around Chen San, staring directly at Shen Hex with a cold and piercing gaze like a sword: "You, take off your hat!"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Shen Hex remained silent.

"Hmm!?"

The tower-like man focused his eyes, instantly stirring the Gang Qi within him.

"Roar!!!"

But at that moment, a dragon’s roar rose mightily, causing several sampan boats to explode upon the sound.

Everyone on the boats, including the tower-like strongman, couldn’t react in time and were blown to pieces, leaving no remains.

Only Chen San, who was at the back, narrowly escaped, falling into the water with a face covered in blood and a pale complexion, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure on the canopy boat, momentarily at a loss for words.

This shock lasted only a moment before being swallowed by intense pain. A massive pulling force and ripping agony came from the water below, dragging him underwater, followed by floating blood and flesh.

On the canopy boat, Shen Hex glanced at the distant large boat of the Golden Fish Gang, then plunged into the water, transforming into a swift current and speeding away.

Currently, his cultivation is merely Gang Qi. While he can consolidate it into Yuan to fiercely contend with Tier Three or even Tier Four cultivators, it comes at a huge cost, even risking death.

After all, this is the real world, not the Divine Martial Battle Net, where he cannot recklessly use those forbidden secret techniques or final techniques.

Therefore, Shen Hex decided to lay low temporarily.

Dreams are not easy; stability comes first!

Shen Hex used the Water Escape, and then a Spirit Light broke through the air, flying out from the Golden Fish Gang’s large boat, hovering over the reed marsh, looking at the shattered canopy boat and the floating blood and flesh: "Didn’t they say he was gravely injured by a flying sword from that Xie Family person? How can he still have such combat power? Could it be... by chance, discovered another Immortal Fate person?"

After speaking, looking at the minced flesh in the water, the expression became even more solemn.

"This kind of combat power, only stronger not weaker, seems to be a tough nut to crack. We must send a message back for reinforcements."

Saying this, without hesitation, he rode the Spirit Light back into the boat, ordering the Golden Fish Gang’s large boat to move again.

...

Several days later.

In the fish market, in front of the bulletin board, the crowd was bustling.

A junior clerk was reading out loud to the crowd: "This person’s name is Zhong Chuan, an infamous pirate and notorious bandit of the Five Lakes, disguising himself as a fisherman. Recently surrounded and chased by the government, he fled into the lake. Now, there’s a bounty of a hundred taels of silver. Anyone knowing his whereabouts..."

"This..."

"Isn’t that Old Zhong?"

"A pirate, a notorious bandit of the Five Lakes?"

"Is it true? That old guy is a bandit?"

"Is there any doubt? You don’t know, a few days ago the Golden Fish Gang searched the lake, dispatched a large team to his boat, and ended up getting slaughtered by him, dozens of heroes buried in fish bellies."

"It’s said he practiced a martial art called the Invincible Thunderbolt Divine Palm, with a single palm strike, within a ten-mile radius, from tigers and leopards to ants and fleas, all turned to dust."

"You’re talking about an immortal, aren’t you? Striking a ten-mile radius into dust with one palm? Do you know how big a ten-mile radius is?"

"If Old Zhong had such abilities, why would he have stayed on the lake for decades?"

"Who knows what he’s thinking. Speaking of which, he’s said to be petty-minded. Not to mention Chen San from the Golden Fish Gang who sought him out days ago and didn’t manage to leave a whole corpse. Even those from the Zhang family, eaten by the Piggy Dragon months ago, were most likely his doing."

"That brat Zhang Tao, always causing trouble for him, so he took advantage of the night to take care of it neatly!"

"Not good, Brother Wang, your boy used to hang around with Zhang Tao all day, could he have also..."

"That little bastard, I swear I’ll skin him when I get home!"

As the crowd discussed, several fishing families turned pale. Some even dragged their half-grown sons aside and started hitting them on the spot.

"You little bastard, you little bastard!"

"That’s what you get for causing trouble, that’s what you get!"

"That old Zhong... that person is someone you can mess with?"

"I’ll be the death of you one day!"

For a moment, the scene was chaotic and full of commotion.

Meanwhile, on the other side...

"Sir, you truly have an eye for quality. This is a top-grade boat!"

Hundreds of miles away, at Jin Lake Pier, a boat owner was eagerly promoting: "It’s made of top-quality materials. Though it can’t compare with large ships, it can withstand storms. Whether you’re fishing or sightseeing, it’ll ensure your safety. And it’s not expensive, only fifty taels of silver."

"Thirty taels!"

At this time, having changed his appearance, with a knife on his back and sword-wielding demeanor, Shen Hex adeptly began haggling.

"Thirty taels, that’s not possible!"

The boat owner shook his head repeatedly: "Forty-five taels minimum."

"Forty taels!"

"This..."

"Thirty-five taels!"

"Alright, alright, forty taels it is. Sir, you’re quite the negotiator."

"..."

A moment later, Shen Hex navigated the newly purchased large canopy boat, along with various supplies, back into Dongting Lake.

Although the court government, Jianghu factions, and local powerful figures intensely monitor Immortal Fate matters, they haven’t reached omnipotence and omniscience.

Dongting Lake is especially like this, being an ancient remnant of Yunmeng, with treacherous terrain and complex waterways extending over 800 miles. Without summoning a high-tier cultivator, it’s fundamentally impossible to thoroughly search with mortal means.

The Fishing Elder Liang Feng managed to hide for a hundred years, always free and unhindered, never captured, which is the best proof.

Though Liang Feng has perished, the "Fishing Elder" can continue to live on.

Shen Hex decided to take his place and continue his plan, using the Immortal Fate matter of Dongting Lake to attract some cultivators, then capture them and extract information about the cultivation realm.

However, this plan requires adequate strength; lacking it will repeat Liang Feng’s fate, failing to capture any cultivators but ending up injured by their flying swords instead.

Currently, Shen Hex is only at Martial Arts Second Tier, with Gang Qi cultivation, clearly lacking strength.

He still needs to accumulate, accumulate over some time.

So he decided to keep fishing, accumulating strength!

Then, push open the door to that mysterious world once again.