Chapter 123: Talented Scholars and Famous Courtesans, The Ghost Master of Yunmeng (Requesting Subscriptions and Votes)

I am currently preparing to use the "Silver Benevolent Servant" and "Golden Evil Master" on that little island of Yingzhou, where people live quite comfortably, just to bestow some "blessings" upon them. A sudden surprise attack like this is practically forcing me to make a mistake. If I use this heaven-shaking, thunder-striking "Thunder God’s Blast," will my only possible entrance line in the future be: "Which fellow Daoist is undergoing their heavenly tribulation here?"

Even after putting away the "Five Emperors Coin Sword"—the strongest in history, capable of either launching him to the heavens or shattering him into dust—Wang Cheng still felt a tightness in his throat. He decided to play it safe for now; his current promotion speed was already rapid enough, and he would wait until it slowed down before testing the "Debt of Gratitude."

"Even if I do attempt it in the future, I should start with knowledge and skills. If you have an apple and I have an apple, and we exchange them, we each still have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea, and we exchange them, we each possess two ideas. The method with the fewest side effects should be to loan out knowledge or skills that require vast amounts of time to learn and practice, and then continuously absorb the feedback and experience from others. In this way, the other party suffers almost no loss, while I gain the hard-earned experience of countless people, allowing my learning speed to rival even the envy of ghosts and gods!"

Afterward, Wang Cheng went to check the account book on his small boat, which allowed him to communicate with the "Four Seas Tongbao" and "Five Peaks Tongbao." As expected, just like the dozens of times before, the other party never replied with their address or identity. Wang Cheng was used to it; no ripples stirred in his heart. He sat silently at his small desk, took out paper and pen, and began to write.

A month ago, he had acquired the various nautical charts and maritime data accumulated by the Pu family over many years, supplemented by materials obtained through the Shanhai Society. Wang Cheng had already begun writing the book on oceanography and naval warfare he had envisioned. He had even decided on the title: "On the Maritime Power of Great Nations." Once finished, he planned to publish it under the name of Wang Cheng, Heir to the Prince of Jinghai. Beyond attempting to obtain a "Military Dao Secret Scroll," it was also to add a layer of prestige to his reputation and harvest countless loyal followers among the pro-maritime faction.

The core argument was that to become a maritime power, one must achieve four things:
"First, as a commodity-exporting nation, one must produce enough goods for export and conduct trade; if you go across the ocean to import goods, you will never become a strong nation.
Second, you must possess merchant vessels to serve as maritime transport.
Third, you must occupy colonies and maritime bases capable of protecting overseas trade and securing massive profits, building your own Great Wall on the sea.
Fourth, you must possess a powerful navy to protect overseas territories and the communication lines between them and the home bases."

It was based on this guiding theory that Wang Cheng had never considered joining the political infighting of the Great Zhao imperial court. He decided to start with the surrounding island nations and major shipping routes, aiming to capture the maritime trade revenue that had accounted for over 20% of the fiscal income during the Zhao Song and Yunmeng eras. If he could control both the buyer and the seller, the returns might be even higher.

"Build high walls, store abundant grain, and defer the title of King!"

In his past life, Wang Cheng worked in ocean freight forwarding and was a graduate of a maritime academy; he had read a series of ready-made classics. Coupled with his improved mental cultivation and increasingly sharp memory, his writing flowed like divine inspiration. He expected to finish the first draft in a month or two, then use the Shanhai Society’s channels to translate it into multiple languages for publication.

It was the same principle as the saying, "The whole family must be neat and tidy." If an epoch-making invention appeared but was immediately sealed away before it could influence the world or receive positive feedback from sentient beings, it might not even become a low-level talismanic object. If he wrote a military treatise and no one read it, there would be no feedback, and Wang Cheng could forget about obtaining the "Military Dao Secret Scroll." Conversely, the wider it spread and the higher the recognition, the greater the benefits he would reap.

After finishing a chapter and stretching, a piercing alarm bell suddenly rang in his ears. *Clang! Clang! Clang!* Wang Cheng immediately withdrew his consciousness from the "Money Eye" small world and rushed out of his cabin in a whirlwind.

Nearby, the cabin of the primary envoy, Luo Wenlong, opened at the same time. A dashing scholar in silk robes emerged, accompanied by four stunning beauties who looked identical despite their different outfits. Each woman held several scroll paintings. Luo Wenlong waved his folding fan, his demeanor calm and composed, showing the grace of a great general. Being merely members of the diplomatic mission rather than ship captains or guards, they were under the protection of the troops dispatched by Lord Yu, the Regional Commander of Minzhou.

"Lord Luo," Wang Cheng greeted with a fist-and-palm salute.

"Commander Wang, since we have chanced upon each other, why not join me on the deck of the ship tower and see what kind of danger we face at sea?" Luo Wenlong returned the salute, his smile far more sincere than that of the deputy envoy, Jiang Zimin. Since "Wang Fugui" had a grudge against the purist Wang Bengu, he was naturally on the same side as Luo and Governor Hu Ruzhen, making their interaction naturally closer.

"I would be honored. After you, Lord Luo." Wang Cheng had no objections and followed him toward the top deck. His gaze subconsciously flickered between the man and the four beauties. Though he had never met the primary envoy before, the Wang family had a bit of history with him.

Luo Wenlong’s life was legendary. Born in the Huizhou region, he came from a family of poets and painters who were also famous for making ink. They were known for using paulownia oil soot to create superior ink, famously described as: "Hard as stone, grained like rhinoceros horn, black as lacquer; one screw is worth ten thousand gold." People of the time vied to purchase "Luo Ink," and his family became wealthy. Later, he went to the capital to serve as a secretary for the son of the Grand Secretary Yan. He was also a fifth-rank "Painter," inheriting a talismanic object from the myth of "Ma Liang and His Magic Brush," with power far exceeding that of an ordinary painter.

The four identical beauties accompanying him were not real people but paintings come to life. On the hem of their dresses, a small line of text was written: "Beloved Wife, Wang Cuiqiao." The connection between the Cai-Shui Wang family and him stemmed from this beloved wife. Wang Cheng recalled the rumors he had heard and looked at Luo Wenlong with a hint of pity: "This is yet another sad story."

Simply put, Wang Cuiqiao was a famous courtesan from Qinhuai. She was first married off by a madam to an old, ugly merchant, but unable to bear the humiliation, she fled and eventually married the wealthy Luo Wenlong. The couple lived in harmony until the city they were staying in was raided by "Heaven-Sent General of Pacifying the Seas" Xu Hai and a large band of Wokou pirates. Luo Wenlong escaped, but his beautiful wife, Wang Cuiqiao, was captured by Xu Hai. She was forced into a third marriage, becoming the chief’s wife to this pirate leader—a third-rank "Living Ghost/God"—and became known to many maritime factions.

Then, the well-known event occurred: last year, the Five Peaks Banner cooperated with Commander Yu’s navy to launch a joint attack, and the Prince of Jinghai personally killed Xu Hai on the East China Sea. Strictly speaking, the Cai-Shui Wang family were the benefactors who avenged the theft of Luo Wenlong’s wife.

"However, after the battle, that famous courtesan Wang Cuiqiao disappeared. Even I do not know where she went." Wang Cheng easily saw through Luo Wenlong’s obsession. The man had taken a huge risk to volunteer for the mission of pacifying the Five Peaks Banner and the great ship captains of the maritime merchant alliance. Beyond wanting to achieve merit, a significant reason was to personally search for his wife who had gone missing in the battle. He was certainly devoted.

Wang Cheng actually wanted to ask if his patron, the young Grand Secretary, had ever said to him upon seeing his lovestruck appearance: "You treat a courtesan left over by a merchant like a treasure and bring her home—you have shamed the last eighteen generations of your ancestors!" But he thought better of it, deeming it impolite.

Soon, the two reached the top deck and saw the scene ten-odd miles ahead of the fleet. The dashing Luo Wenlong could no longer maintain his composure. "Hiss! What are these things?"

In the mist of the Tsushima Strait ahead, broken warships stained with blood were sailing rapidly, and a bone-chilling cold enveloped the entire sea. How many were there? It was a sight that stretched beyond the horizon.

At the same time, the supernatural entity "Inheritor of the Heavens, Prince Wang" and Huang Yuanzhou, who already knew his identity and had passed his tests, were sailing ahead on the wind-sailed warship *Conch*. In another direction, dozens of miles from the diplomatic mission, they also encountered this massive fleet of ghost ships.

Luo Wenlong, who had spent his life on land, did not recognize them, but Wang Cheng and Huang Yuanzhou knew exactly what they were.

"The Ghost Fleet of Yunmeng: When the former Yunmeng Empire was founded, they sent a fleet to conquer the Yingzhou Wokou, but they unfortunately encountered a storm and were all buried at sea. One hundred thousand men set out, and only three returned. Since then, the Tsushima Strait between Fuyu and Yingzhou has been shrouded in darkness day and night, filled with wailing ghosts, and sometimes one can see the massive fleet of ghost ships patrolling the sea. Any ship that accidentally enters those waters will be dragged into the abyss by the hundred thousand dead, ships and men alike."

When his father first established the East Sea Kingdom in southern Yingzhou and took Wang Cheng to see the territory, he had seen them from afar once. Under normal circumstances, as long as one didn't stray into the site of their ancient battlefield, there was no problem; after a while, the ghost ships would dissipate like a mirage.

However, today was clearly different. They discovered that someone was actually locked in a fierce battle with the Yunmeng Empire’s ghost fleet. The sound of cannons, completely different from those of the Central Plains, roared incessantly, and shouts in the Yunmeng language tore through the sky.

*Whoosh—!*

Wang Cheng leaped to the top of the mast and looked out into the distance. He discovered that the ship being tightly surrounded by the ghost fleet was none other than the flagship of the global circumnavigation fleet—the *Trinidad*!