Chapter 115: The Opening Gambit of a Duel: Drive Him to His Death a Day Early!

"Hisss-hah, hisss-hah."

The next day, when Lu Yunchen arrived in high spirits to have Wang Cheng accompany him for his naval internship, he found only a large, gaping hole in the courtyard wall that had yet to be repaired.

He also found his friend Fugui, who had just rolled out of bed. The man was limping slowly, one hand bracing himself against the wall, the other clutching his waist, his face twisted in a grimace of pain.

"What happened to you? Get stepped on by an elephant? Let me tell you, back in our capital of Yujing, there’s a pool called the Elephant-Washing Pond. A scholar once wrote a poem about it: 'The pavilion leans over the city moat, the splashing waves strike the sluice gate firm. I lean on the railing to watch the elephants wash, as the fresh water of the Jade River rises in a sudden surge.' I saw an elephant keeper once back in my childhood who’d been accidentally stepped on by an elephant; the poor wretch looked just like you right now."

Wang Cheng, sporting a bruised eye and aching all over, replied irritably, "I successfully broke through to the Sixth Rank yesterday. Even if I lay there and let a herd of elephants trample me, they couldn't possibly land a hit on someone of my caliber—a Master of White Water and a Commissioner of Offerings. My friend, this was a case of being stepped on by a dragon, all right? Don't worry, Young Master Lu, it won't delay your boarding. Let's go."

Lu Yunchen’s mind immediately conjured an image of Yan Yunxiao. Clearly misunderstanding the situation, he gave a thumbs-up and a suggestive smile. A genius should always take the road less traveled; come to think of it, "being stepped on by a sister" was certainly a new trend.

Little did he know that Wang Cheng wasn't lying to him at all. The process had been anything but glamorous; he had nearly lost his life.

As he slowly stretched his sore limbs, Wang Cheng felt a sense of relief: "I was truly far-sighted to wait until I reached the Sixth Rank before asking her for the dragon molt. Otherwise, next year's anniversary would have been the day of my funeral."

In truth, let alone his current Sixth Rank status—which was a full rank lower than Yunxiao, a Fifth Rank dragon lady—even a Fourth Rank official would find no favor if they entered the domain of Lady Yan here at Yue Port.

Although Wang Cheng had been prepared for a beating when he made his request, he couldn't dodge her impulsive, shyly forceful push, which sent him flying. Fortunately, he had managed to wrap himself in his Dragon-Patterned Python Robe and activate the [Dragon Transformation] technique to shrink down to the size of a cannonball, while using the "Clear Breeze" and "Rumbling" artifacts to cushion the impact, barely escaping with his life.

However, yesterday, Yunxiao had ultimately returned to her room and surrendered her intimate undergarment to him, a look of relief washing over her face. Wang Cheng didn't know what she was so relieved about, nor did he know what he had missed.

Yesterday, Yunxiao had returned to her room in the Osmanthus Garden to change clothes, tossing the shed dragon skin at his face. She hadn't forgotten to pout her cherry-pink lips, warning him fiercely, "Little Chengzi, I’m warning you: you are only allowed to use my dragon molt to practice the Ocean-Crossing Star Navigation Technique. You are absolutely forbidden from doing anything strange with it."

In the past, she had understood nothing of the affairs between men and women, and such matters never crossed her mind. In her eyes, romance was much like watching dogs or monkeys mate.

But Wang Cheng was completely different from a monkey.

Having cultivated the [Ocean-Crossing Star Navigation Technique] to form the natal star deity "Horn-Wood Dragon" and donning the dragon robe, he possessed the destiny of a dragon. Combined with the dragon aura—which was even thicker than that of a true dragon—he was, in her eyes, another dragon. It was just that her transformation was from dragon to human, while Wang Cheng’s was from human to dragon.

Handing over her intimate item for him to refine his magic had made her feel a sensation called "shyness" for the first time in her life, yet strangely, she felt no anger.

Wang Cheng, however, was like a dead pig that didn't fear boiling water. Having seen Yunxiao’s obsession with her family, he knew she wouldn't have the heart to kill him. He tucked the dragon molt away and teased her, "What kind of strange things? I study the *Spring and Autumn Annals*; I don't understand what you're talking about at all. Sigh, the world of adults is truly complex. I think I’ll just call you Auntie Yan from now on."

Yunxiao was left tongue-tied, unable to retort, "It's... it's just... anyway, you can only use it for magic!"

This innocent dragon lady assumed Wang Cheng was truly pure and unenlightened, believing she had misunderstood him, unaware that while Wang Cheng had zero practical experience, he was a theoretical veteran.

If he were truly to live a dissolute life, the Orchid Sect would likely enshrine him alongside their founding master. Seeing the usually cold and aloof dragon lady lose her composure and act like a shy, normal girl, Wang Cheng found it immensely amusing. He felt a bizarre sense of "reverse cultivation" achievement. As the saying goes, "the most beautiful is the tenderness of that lowered head, like a water lily shyly shrinking from a cool breeze." The thought alone made his injuries feel much better.

He immediately set up an altar to consecrate the dragon molt within the eye of a "Four Seas Treasure" coin, waiting for seven days until he could use it to upgrade his Dragon-Patterned Python Robe.

He had also acquired the secret art of the Commissioner of Offerings, the [Five Emperors' Gold Coin Sword], and was just waiting to gather a set of "Five Emperors' Coins"—a feat unprecedented enough to shock his master and elders—before beginning to refine it.

Soon, Wang Cheng and Lu Yunchen arrived at the pier together. They saw a massive fleet led by the sailing warship *Qingyi*, with over a dozen four-hundred-ton main warships all flying the same flag. It belonged to the newly opened "Qingyi Maritime Escort Agency."

Stepping onto the *Qingyi*, which served as their training vessel, Lu Yunchen, who had spent all his time recently buried in foreign language books, could no longer contain himself. He threw an arm around Wang Cheng’s shoulder, his face full of resentment.

"Old Wang, when we first met, my third uncle and I both thought you were just a common hereditary centurion. I never expected you to stop interacting with us as a commoner so quickly. It wasn't until I reached Yue Port that I realized you were a slippery one. A disciple of the Zhisui Hall, one of the three Great Shipmasters, with your own fleet at home... the crew helping me are all ready-made, just one word from you and they came over. You’re the real wealthy tycoon! You’re much more impressive here in Yue Port than I ever was back in the capital. Hey, do you have any channels to get a few more sailing warships for my Baoshan Thousand-Household Office? Let a brother show off a bit, too?"

Wang Cheng pushed him away, retorting, "Young Master Lu, you really dare to dream. Do you think sailing warships are cabbages? You can just buy them with money? Even if you have the ships, how do you solve the sailor issue? Our Great Zhao doesn't have the soil for this. The Western nations, led by their states and royal families, have started the Age of Discovery, while we are busy enforcing maritime bans here. And the bans are so poorly managed that the local gentry are all lining their pockets, yet these are the very people with the least spirit for oceanic exploration..."

The world outside the Great Zhao Dynasty was changing with each passing day, while the Great Zhao held onto its decaying traditions. Any spontaneous maritime activity by the commoners was cruelly suppressed by the imperial court. How did the Great Ying manage to grow from a tiny city-state into a maritime power that dominated the world? State support and the "Fish Day" policy played an indispensable role. Every week, two days were designated as "Fish Days," where all citizens were allowed to eat only fish, not meat. By 1563, two years from now, that would increase to three days a week. Combined with existing holidays, half the year was spent eating fish, which spurred countless adventurers and fishing fleets to head to the Newfoundland fishing grounds. While creating the British staple of fish and chips, it also trained a large number of skilled sailors capable of long-distance voyages, laying a solid foundation for the Empire on which the sun never sets.

"...It’s hard enough to become a common sailor, let alone a naval officer. When a midshipman signs up at twelve, the Admiralty conducts a strict political vetting, checking four generations back to the great-grandfather. They live, eat, and fight in the hellish ship cabins alongside the sailors, and when they’re too young to have much strength, they serve as 'powder monkeys.' They learn while they work, and by seventeen, they must have completed an education equivalent to a modern university freshman’s applied mathematics, including calculus and various mechanical principles. After surviving war after war, those who don't die grow into excellent captains capable of standing alone. That is survival of the fittest!"

"...Not to mention, besides people, you need oak to build warships. Only an oak tree that has grown in peace for a century and reached over twenty meters in height can provide the timber for the ribs of a warship. You can imagine how much heavy timber is needed to build a fleet of such battleships, how long the growth cycle is, and how staggering the procurement costs are. Normally, rising to power through a sailing fleet is a century-long plan; it cannot be accomplished in one or two generations. Sailing fleets are essentially disposable; once they are destroyed, even with money, you can't rebuild them due to a lack of raw materials. The Emperor has banned the sea his whole life. If you have channels, you’d be better off approaching the Crown Prince and seeing what his attitude is."

Lu Yunchen felt a bit deflated by Wang Cheng’s explanation. He couldn't imagine that the world outside the Great Zhao had already become like this, and he began to harbor thoughts that the world was so big, he wanted to see it.

Once the ship weighed anchor and slowly sailed out to sea, he changed the subject, lowering his voice. "By the way, there’s something I need to tell you. Our commander, Xing Baichuan, has dirty hands; he has private ties with Pu Shouying. If it weren't for his high official rank, he would have been stripped of his position and sent home to farm long ago. Last time he came to me, he wanted me to join them in their corruption, but I ignored him. However, I could tell he’s up to no good. My third uncle said that thanks to the intercession of the investigating censor Wang Bengu, the Ministry of War has allowed some of the dismissed centurions and thousand-household officers to compete for recruitment officer positions. Three days from now, on the first of the third month, the Zhenhai Garrison will consolidate its troops for training. The clique of hereditary officers he has gathered will definitely find an opportunity to challenge the new recruitment officers. Especially since you’re young and close to me, they’ll likely target you specifically. Be careful."

Wang Cheng already knew that the worms of the Zhenhai Garrison were among the specific executors of the ambush that killed his father. He had also seen the name of the Zhenhai Garrison Commander, Xing Baichuan, on the list in Pu Shouying’s secret room. As for that fame-seeking Wang Bengu, who disregarded the lives of coastal residents and caused chaos just to secure a name for himself, he was part of the same party. Since he was entering the political arena, he would eventually have to face them. It was a perfect opportunity to settle old scores.

After hearing Lu Yunchen, he waved a hand dismissively. "Young Master Lu, don't worry. I’ve already made foolproof preparations."

Lu Yunchen paused. "Foolproof?" Even if you’ve reached the Sixth Rank, unless the opponent's henchmen are dead, how can there be anything "foolproof" in such matters?

Lu Yunchen didn't know that as the *Qingyi* sailed out, the *Babao*—under the cover of a feigned retreat—had already arrived near the Zhenhai Garrison city on the north coast of the Jiulong River.

This warship, which had originally belonged to Pu Shouying, had undergone a drastic transformation. It had been repainted, and a black skull pirate flag hung high from its mainmast! It looked no different from the desperadoes who came from the Southern Seas. Anyone who saw them would conclude this was a well-equipped pirate fleet.

The evil spirit-body [Wang Shizi, Inspector on Behalf of Heaven] and Yunxiao’s human body [The Pearl Diver] each held a brass telescope, looking toward the garrison. The white-headed eagle, A-Ji—which had become increasingly spirited under the influence of Wang Cheng’s secret arts—was already soaring high, looking down at the entire Zhenhai Garrison from the sky.

Wang Cheng’s so-called "foolproof" preparation was actually quite simple and direct. When someone is plotting to duel you and is clearly malicious from the start, intending to break your limbs, what should you do?

Send them a "great fortune" a day early and crush them to death!