The Ye Family’s merchant ship broke through the river and slowly drove towards the docks.
Zhou Jing stood at the bow of the ship. The sailors on the ships around him followed his gaze in shock and surprise. Some of them even knelt on the deck of their ships and bowed to Zhou Jing from afar.
Most of the sailors were superstitious and would often worship gods like the “River God” and the “Dragon King”. They were known to bless sailors with a peaceful journey. When they saw Zhou Jing’s magical performance on the river, they were naturally left in awe.
Originally, Ye Shunzhong planned to invite Zhou Jing into the cabin to chat and serve him good tea, but Zhou Jing refused. He wanted to stand at the most conspicuous position at the bow of the ship.
It was not easy for him to show his “divinity” in front of everyone and cause a commotion. He only wanted to show his face more and let more people see his appearance at the ferry so that this matter could spread throughout the Ning Tian Prefecture.
Ye Shunzhong and the others did not dare to leave. They could only accompany him at the bow of the ship and respectfully explain the situation of their family. These were actually all things that everyone in Ning Tian Prefecture knew about.
Zhou Jing stared at the approaching dock. Hearing Ye Shunzhong’s words, he could not help but feel tempted about his prospects.
The random rich family he chose was actually one of the richest families in the Ning Tian Prefecture. What he originally thought was a small shrimp, turned out to actually be a big fish, no, a dragon that spat out pearls!
Such a tycoon was a good springboard. It seemed that his plan to fake his identity and promote himself was easier to implement now.
“Daoist Ling Fengzi, may I know which Daoist temple you used to cultivate in? Which sect’s skills do you practice?”
Ye Shunzhong asked curiously with a cautious attitude.
Initially, he was not sure how to address Zhou Jing and only called him “expert”. It was Zhou Jing who took the initiative to ask him to address himself as Daoist.
Because Zhou Jing denied that he was an immortal, Ye Shunzhong and the others treated him as an extraordinary person with immortal methods. Although they no longer mistakenly thought that he was an immortal, they still respected him.
However, everyone was still curious about Zhou Jing’s identity and background, so Ye Shunzhong tried to probe further.
Zhou Jing did not even turn his head as he casually spoke,
“The Dao is not in the temple, but in the wilderness. I never cultivate the Dao of others, nor do I need to go under any sect to practice. I only cultivate by myself. If I have the Dao in my heart, I don’t need to find another one. I don’t need to rely on external things. My divine powers will be born on their own.”
Ye Shunzhong and the others were stunned by his words.
As a rich man, it was not that Ye Shunzhong had never come into contact with other Daoists. He had some understanding of all kinds of Daoist books, but this was the first time he had heard of such a thing.
These words made him feel like this man was born so powerful that he did not need to study at all.
However, Ye Shunzhong could not doubt him. This person had even showcased his divine powers, so everything he said was the truth now.
Zhou Jing said this on purpose, because he really did not know much about the Daoist books in this world. If he were to try and “fake” it, it would only dig a hole for himself in the future if he could not answer.
It was better to come up with a saying that he had his “own faction” so that others would not know where to start. In any case, his skills were not fake.
He was deliberately mystifying things!
“Daoist Priest, you’re indeed an expert, even your words are meaningful. I’ve always believed in Dao techniques, and after hearing Daoist Priest’s words, I’ve learned a lot…”
Ye Shunzhong quickly flattered him.
Zhou Jing nodded indifferently and kept a straight face. He pretended to ask casually,
“Patriarch Ye, I’ve lived in the wilderness for a long time and have focused on cultivation. I haven’t stepped into the mortal world for many years. Now that I’ve returned to Ning Tian Prefecture, I wonder if there are any rules in the mortal world?”
Ye Shunzhong was flattered and hurriedly explained some of the rules and laws in Ning Tian Prefecture, such as the household registration certificate, the road inspection documents, and so on.
At this moment, he saw Zhou Jing frown slightly, so he quickly said,
“Daoist Priest, don’t worry. Since I’ve already promised you, my Ye family will take care of all these trivial matters for you.”
Only then did Zhou Jing relax his brows and nod with a smile.
He paused for a moment before asking, “I came here to search for the heavenly secrets. I wonder if there are any rumors worth paying attention to recently?”
Hearing this, Ye Shunzhong thought for a moment and told him a few rumors that he had come across recently.
Zhou Jing listened silently and nodded from time to time.
At this moment, Ye Yingguang hesitated for a moment before interrupting,
“Not long ago, there was a strange incident, but it happened in the area of the Lu River. It’s said that more than a month ago, a criminal called Chen Feng caused a huge commotion in the state capital. He had the courage of a ghost and fought hundreds of people. He slaughtered the virtuous nobles and severely injured the magistrate.
After committing such a serious crime, he escaped from the An Lin Prefecture and disappeared… The government’s capture documents were sent to the surrounding provinces, and even my Ning Tian Prefecture has posted a wanted notice.”
“There’s actually such a thing?”
Zhou Jing’s eyes flickered as he pretended to be surprised.
It turned out that more than a month had passed… Chen Feng’s deeds had also spread to the surrounding provinces and was known by more people now.
However, Ye Shunzhong’s expression changed, and he immediately berated his son, “How dare you mention such a dirty deed done by a Green Forest thief? It will dirty our esteemed guest’s ears!”
Ye Yingguang quickly apologized.
Zhou Jing waved his hand and asked despite knowing the answer, “It’s fine. This is a novel piece of news. I wonder why this criminal attacked?”
Hearing this, Ye Yingguang glanced at his father before explaining,
“The government notice said that this thief Chen Feng coveted the wealth of the local nobles, so he tried to kill them for money. When he was escaping in the city, he happened to bump into the Magistrate of An Lin. The Magistrate was righteous and shouted like a madman on the street. He wanted to stop him, but he was injured because of his exclamations…”
Ye Shunzhong echoed in a deep voice, “Such a madman is lawless. He should really be captured by the government as soon as possible and beheaded in public.”