Chen Xia was staying in a medium-sized guest room on the ferry.
Cao Gao had originally wanted to give Chen Xia the best guest room, but in order not to draw too much attention, Chen Xia settled for this medium-sized guest room instead.
Knock, knock.
A crisp knocking sound rang out, stopping after just one knock, and then there was silence.
Cao Gao waited outside the guest room, not daring to knock again. He kept his head low, quietly waiting.
"Come in," said a plain voice from inside the room.
Only then did Cao Gao gently and quietly push open the door, slowly stepping inside before closing it again, not daring to look at Chen Xia. He could only keep his head lowered with his hands clasped as he spoke:
"Is the guest room environment to your satisfaction, senior? If there is anything you find unsatisfactory, this junior will immediately change it for you senior. You must not be slighted in any way."
"It's all fine, I'm not picky about these things," Chen Xia casually replied.
"That's good then." Cao Gao hurriedly nodded his head, and explained to Chen Xia: "Senior, this journey of ours will take about ten years. The distance isn't far, but there are some twists and turns that are inconvenient for people, so it may get a little bumpy. Please pardon any discomfort, senior."
"No problem, I quite enjoy the rocking motion," Chen Xia nodded.
In his opinion, vehicles are supposed to rock about, otherwise how could they be called vehicles?
"That's good, that's good," Cao Gao hurriedly nodded, and gave Chen Xia a rough overview of their itinerary.
Chen Xia seemed to understand. This trip did have quite a few detours. Specifically, they would be going from the southeastern edge of the Blue Sky Sword Sea to the western side. They couldn't travel directly and had to take a long, roundabout route.
The reason was quite simple, as Cao Gao explained:
"Within the Blue Sky Sword Sea's jurisdiction, no other ferries are allowed to sail, and no one dares sail within it either. So us having to take this roundabout route really inconveniences you, senior. Please pardon us."
"No problem," Chen Xia shook his head. He didn't actually want to enter the Blue Sky Sword Sea's jurisdiction either, so Cao Gao's roundabout route suited him just fine. Besides, ten years wasn't a very long time. He could just meditate and it would pass quickly.
"You're called Cao Gao, correct?" Chen Xia asked again to confirm.
"Senior can just call me Cao The Dwarf, I don't dare accept such an honorific title in your presence," Cao Gao quickly replied in a panicked tone.
"How strange, your name is clearly Cao Gao, yet you insist on disparaging yourself as a dwarf," Chen Xia shook his head as he pulled over a nearby stool and sat down, asking curiously:
"Why is that?"
Cao Gao rubbed his hands together and kept his head low, not daring to look Chen Xia in the eye. He respectfully laughed and explained:
"Those of us in this line of work, traveling all over, fear natural disasters less than standing out."
"To put it bluntly, people are inherently envious of others' good fortune. And in my life, I've seen more people than anything."
"At the start, I suffered many losses and remained unyielding, but even mountain wolves can be trained into dogs, let alone me. After a few brutal beatings, getting stepped on and spat at until half-dead..."
Cao Gao's words trailed off here, his tone somewhat desolate, his expression downcast, as he softly continued:
"I learned how to live."
"Is that living?" Chen Xia suddenly interjected.
Cao Gao slowly nodded. "Yes. In this wide world, some people are destined to be dogs."
"I suppose so," Chen Xia nodded, resting his chin in thought without elaborating further.
Cao Gao let out a sigh, then hurriedly shook his head with the same respectful smile. "I've spoken nonsense, please pay it no mind."
"It's fine," Chen Xia nodded and chuckled. "It seems that one's realm isn't the sole decider of everything in this world. With your Ferry Realm cultivation, you still have so many worries."
Cao Gao gave a self-deprecating laugh. "There are always people above people, and heavens above heavens. I've always kept that in mind. I'm just an average mid-stage Ferry Realm cultivator. Not low, but definitely not high in the galaxies either."
"The setbacks I experienced in my youthful arrogance taught me to be more cautious in my old age. I suppose only someone as amazing as yourself can truly be free of worries."
"I have them too," Chen Xia shook his head slightly.
His current worry was how to kill the Old Fisherman and truly escape from the Blue Sky Sword Sea.
He anxiously awaited suggestions online.
"Even someone of your stature has worries, let alone the likes of us," Cao Gao shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Mm," Chen Xia simply nodded, then turned to gaze out the window at the Milky Way.
The stars twinkled brightly.
Cao Gao said no more either, staring ahead with a dazed expression.
The ferry swayed along, sailing among the starry sky.
Occasionally they would encounter dangers like chaotic starry currents and meteor showers, but these were minor troubles that Cao Gao could easily resolve alone.
The passengers on the ferry were mostly young masters from prominent sect families, with some loose cultivators mixed in.
These loose cultivators were mostly fleeing criminals who could no longer remain in their original territories, now escaping on the ferry.
Cao Gao did not discriminate. As long as they paid, they could board.
"The next stop is Mount Jade Terrace, right? It's also a major sect, I heard they even have connections with the Blue Sky Sword Sea."
The speaker was a young master dressed in finery, his tone full of reverence.
"My father wanted me to join Mount Jade Terrace before, but their inner disciple quota was full, and I didn't want to be an outer disciple, so it came to nothing."
Another young master chimed in:
"My father is now trying to get me a spot in the Blue Sky Sword Sea. If successful, I'll have a chance to join them when I reach the Divine Travel Realm!"
When he spoke of this prospect, he could not contain his excitement.
But the other young masters shook their heads and mocked him:
"What do you want to go to the Blue Sky Sword Sea for? To get beat up by those ancient races?"
"Nonsense, I... I can also befriend those ancient races."
After much stammering, this was the best argument the young master could come up with.
"The other peerless geniuses all go to the Blue Sky Sword Sea to cultivate, yet you're going there to make friends, hahaha!"
The other young masters laughed even louder.
"Speaking nonsense, don't smear my good name!"
The young master angrily defended himself, his face flushed.
Listening from the upper deck, Cao Gao shook his head meaningfully. He felt this young master was just like his younger self.
They all had rather grand ideals, constantly thinking of doing what ordinary people could not.
But after circling around over and over, they would come to understand one truth.
That they too were ordinary people.
Just as Cao Gao said before, most people in this world are destined to be dogs, with only a minority able to be human.
There never was equality for all, nor would there ever be.
The immense individual differences would bring about even more extreme exploitation, including of lives.
"Youthful vigor," Cao Gao murmured.
Chen Xia was standing next to him, leaning on the railing. He suddenly asked:
"Stirred by memories?"
"You saw right through me," Cao Gao replied with a wry smile, not denying it.
Chen Xia suddenly reached out and patted Cao Gao's shoulder, smiling:
"You saw your past self."
Cao Gao was a little flattered by the gesture. He calmed himself and responded:
"Indeed, just like my younger days."
Then he tentatively asked: "What about you?"
"Me?" Chen Xia laughed. "I was very fortunate."
Cao Gao said no more, staring ahead blankly.
Where the brilliant starry river and speckled stars shone brightly.
Back when he first built this ferry.
That place had contained his dreams.
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
orn and Humiliation】【Forced Love】 In his past life, Lin Ran was betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend and family, while the yandere female aristocrat, who had treated him as a mere plaything, avenged him by doing in his enemies. Upon seeing the yandere female aristocrat lying in the same coffin, ready to die with him, Lin Ran realized how profoundly mistaken he had been. Reborn, he abandoned the fickle campus beauty and wholeheartedly embraced the yandere female aristocrat's arms. "Ran! If I dig out your eyes and turn them into a specimen, you'll only be able to look at me!" Lin Ran: "Darling, kiss me!" "Ran! If I break your legs, you won't run away anymore, right?" Lin Ran: "Love, hold me tight!" "Ran! If..." Lin Ran: "Hush now! Love me more!" Luo Yao: ... Seeing his scumbag dad: "Take him out!" Seeing his stepmother: "Get rid of her!" Seeing his brother: "Eliminate him!" Seeing his white moonlight: "Send that to Southeast Asia!"
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
