Wet viviparity

Chapter 977 Dragon Gate, Scattered Gate Master
On the shore of the East China Sea, lies Longyang Pass.

This pass was built at the mouth of the Li River, with a hundred-foot-long fortress at the river mouth. Dragons often passed through this pass to enter the East China Sea, hence the name Longyang. Some people also jokingly call it the Dragon Gate.

This Dragon Gate was built through several collaborations between the Zhao family and the East Sea Dragon Palace. The width of the horse path on the city gate has reached sixty or seventy zhang, and many pavilions and towers have been built on it, making it a major celestial hall for travel between the land and sea.

Nowadays, cultivators in Baoguang Prefecture refer to this place as the "Leaping Dragon Gate".

On this lazy, almost stagnant afternoon, the blazing sunlight shone on the mottled walls of the majestic pass, and shattered the river surface into thousands of leaping golden scales.

The turbid waters of the Li River, carrying silt, slowly lapped against the rocks and docks, producing a monotonous and soothing gurgling sound. The air was filled with salty, damp vapor, the smell of fish, and the faint aroma of food wafting from roadside stalls.

A market in Guanshang was sparsely populated.

A few independent cultivators leaned against the shade beside the stall, their heads nodding off, their energy seemingly evaporated by the warm sun. Only the sound of the river and the occasional cries of seagulls in the distance mingled to create the tranquil melody of the afternoon.

Under a riverside teahouse, several disciples of the True Spirit Sect sat around a table.

One of them still had a childlike face and gentle eyes, unlike his companion who always had a deliberate arrogance between his brows. They were talking about the matter of the righteous god that had been making headlines in the sect recently.

"He calls himself the Righteous Path, yet he's just a nobody. His words are so arrogant, it's utterly ridiculous!"

A tall, thin disciple chuckled, leaning back slightly as he spoke, inhaling the aroma of tea, enjoying the sunshine and the sound of the waves, his posture extremely relaxed.

A slightly chubby disciple immediately chimed in, not joining in the disdain, but instead mentioning the heated discussion within the sect about the Righteous God. He vaguely sensed that someone was deliberately pushing things along, gradually leaking information about the Righteous God.

The other man, slightly older, shook his head, his expression gloomy, his eyes swollen like fish eyes. He looked past the crowd in the market and towards Jinkou, saying, "We shouldn't be discussing this now. Aren't you all paying attention to the matter of the Ji family's True Immortal?"

"I don't understand. He is also a direct descendant of the Ji family, and his seniority is now extremely high. Why does he always go against the lineage he belongs to?" The tall, thin disciple said with resentment, and then whispered, "He has caused us, the members of the scattered families, to be implicated and disliked for no reason."

The term "dissident" in the True Spirit Sect specifically refers to disciples who are not members of the four major families of Ji, Jiang, Zhao, and Zheng. Initially a derogatory term, it has gradually gained widespread acceptance within the sect and is now used in everyday speech.

However, those who are not from the four major families rarely refer to themselves in this way.

Unless they are families that have multiplied for generations, managed fixed assets and accumulated some wealth while relying on the four major families, they are already accustomed to conforming to the four major families, whether for good or bad.

"Yes!"

The fat disciple nodded and said, "Now that the four major families have also realized the problem, we can be sure that this was not realized under external pressure, at least not within the sect, not under the pressure of those remaining power-grabbing factions among us."

Our situation has improved significantly, and more outstanding talents are now being selected by the four major organizations.

Although they were selected through marriage, family reunification, or even changing their surnames to register their residency, isn't this a kind of progress? After all, the countless bloody tragedies of past reforms have shown us that the status of the four major families is unshakeable.

As the fat disciple finished speaking, he placed his hands on the table and tightly hugged his head.

His expression was half pain and half relief as he said in a low voice, "Now everyone has enough resources to ensure their cultivation. We have also come to the Lingbo Division of Longmen to assist the noble sons of the Zhao family. No, we should echo their self-proclaimed title—Human Dragon."

We've managed to handle important matters together here, making a fortune, and even successfully acquired Yin and Yang auras in this celestial workshop. We've subdued dragons and tigers along the way, cultivating to this high level of Dragon and Tiger skill; we can't be greedy anymore."

Upon seeing the fat disciple's appearance, the atmosphere suddenly turned cold.

The oldest person there shook his head and said, "Stop thinking about those stupid things from the past, and stop deceiving yourself. We were just lackeys."

The current reconciliation within the sect is truly hard-won. If the four major families have truly realized that the righteous path of the world is undergoing changes, felt the new era atmosphere brought by Huangting Palace and Taiping Mountain, and understood that their so-called building of high walls and the inheritance of clans cannot stop the tide of the times, then a thorough internal reform can be carried out.

Therefore, it's not that we can't accept the current situation.

Jiang Shiliu, with his gentle gaze, listened silently, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

He did not entirely agree with this unreserved protection of the main family, nor did he agree with the current state of "great reconciliation." However, due to his personality, he did not refute it. At this moment, his gaze inadvertently fell on the riverbank.

He had eyes that could see into the depths of the underworld, so his eyesight was quite good. Even from a distance of more than ten miles, he could clearly see the armless Taoist priest by the river.

Below the Dragon Gate, the Taoist priest sat on the stone steps of the riverbank, facing the surging river.

He was thin and wore a faded, old, and loose blue Taoist robe, the empty sleeves swaying gently in the wind.

His Taoist robe was worn and frayed at the collar, its color faded, yet it was exceptionally clean, showing none of the dejection of a disabled person. The Taoist simply sat quietly, his expression serene, his gaze lingering on the confluence of the river and the sea, as if he were one with the heavens and earth, the river breeze, and the tranquility of the afternoon. This was not the first time Jiang Shiliu had seen this Taoist.

This armless Taoist priest seemed to have lived in the city below the Dragon Gate for some time. He often sat quietly by the river and occasionally strolled around the immortal workshop run by the Zhao family above the Dragon Gate. However, this Taoist priest never spoke to anyone.

For some reason, Jiang Shiliu always felt a strange fondness for this Taoist priest.

Perhaps it was the tranquility that transcended the mutilated body, or perhaps it was the extraordinary demeanor that was faintly revealed beneath the tattered Taoist robe.

Jiang Shiliu's fellow disciples noticed his gaze and looked towards the riverbank outside the Dragon Gate. When they saw that Jiang Shiliu wanted to go over and talk to them, they all tried to dissuade him.

"Shi Liu, why do you care about that cripple?"
"Look at his poor, shabby appearance. He probably can't even afford the cheapest water-repelling pills in our neighborhood. I've seen plenty of people like him." The tall, thin disciple mocked mercilessly.

The fat disciple softened his tone, patted Jiang Shiliu on the shoulder, and said, "As people of the Lingbo Bureau, we should not easily come into contact with unorthodox sects. The Zhao family's branch in Longmen is always watching us, feeling that we are taking away the positions of their branch members."

You know we're now role models for everyone, exemplars of reconciliation within the organization; at times like these, we must be especially careful with our words and actions.

Hearing these words, Jiang Shiliu simply smiled and got up.

He didn't even glance at the several unpleasant faces. Just as he was about to leave the teahouse, the older senior brother said, "Shi Liu, remember, you are different. Jihu Mountain behind you is an object that even the True Spirit Sect wants to win over. You hold our last remaining strength."

At this moment, Jiang Shiliu had already arrived at the riverbank.

Upon getting closer, Jiang Shiliu noticed that the armless Taoist seemed quite different today. He had a jade-green fan tucked behind his waist, a precious fan shaped like a mulberry leaf. Just by looking at the style, it was clear that this was not something an ordinary Taoist could possess.

“It’s strange that a person without hands would have a fan!” the Taoist priest said, turning around.

"No, no, I apologize for the offense, young man."

Jiang Shiliu came to his senses and said apologetically.

"Senior, how long do you plan to stay here? I have a quiet courtyard here where you can cultivate in peace. However, there are usually a few fox children practicing the languages ​​of birds from all over the world there to prepare for the future entrance examination for the Heavenly Fox Academy. It will be a bit noisy, but I will give them some instructions in advance."

How do you know I have no fixed abode?

"Uh"

"Heh, you followed me."

"No, I just felt a connection with you, senior. I didn't intend to spy on your whereabouts, nor did I deliberately hide myself. So I thought that since you noticed me, the fact that you didn't stop me meant that you wanted to befriend me."

"hehe!
Jiang Shiliu, we are indeed destined to meet.

Jiang Shiliu was delighted upon hearing this and immediately raised his hand to ask, "May I ask your name, senior?"

The Taoist priest paused before speaking, then said, "Ji Ming, you may call me by this name."

“Mr. Ji!” Jiang Shiliu said with great joy, “I felt a great affinity with you the moment I met you, and I felt an instant connection with you. I feel a deep sense of kinship with you. Why don’t you come to my house for a long talk?”

"It felt like we'd known each other forever."

Ji Ming chuckled and looked down at the face reflected in the river. "I must look a lot like someone in your memory, and that person must have had a great influence on you, otherwise you wouldn't have noticed me under my magic."

Jiang Shiliu was slightly taken aback. He noticed the meaning behind Mr. Ji's words: Mr. Ji possessed a clever method that could be seen but not known.

In other words, for so many days, Mr. Ji has been like a "ghost," moving in and out of this heavily guarded immortal workshop as if it were empty.

But that doesn't make sense. Just now at the tea stall, when he looked at Mr. Ji, his fellow disciples clearly noticed Mr. Ji. Could it be that Mr. Ji did this on purpose? But why would Mr. Ji do that?
"A friend of mine has arrived."

As soon as Ji Ming finished speaking, a gaunt man walked over from not far away, carrying a large gourd on his back.

“Since you have other matters to attend to, I will excuse myself.” Jiang Shiliu said this and then tactfully left.

(End of this chapter)