If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1440 Dongmenque Port
Qu County is located on the coast of the East China Sea. There is a wide straight road outside the East Gate, about seven or eight li away, which leads to the "East Gate Harbor".

The East Gate is the gateway to the East Sea, where the East Sea Fleet built a giant harbor.

The dock, ten zhang high and forty zhang wide, stretches for thirty or forty li, like a long dragon lying on the seashore, coiled in the shape of a fishhook to the north of the pier.

Following Li Zhong around Qu County, they arrived at the dock. The tranquil ocean, where the sky and water merged into one, greatly lifted the spirits of Liu Ji, Peng Yue, and the others, as if their hearts had been broadened.

"What a huge warship! This must be the legendary 'Dragon Ship'!" Xiahou Ying couldn't help but exclaim as he watched the warship slowly enter the harbor from the north.

The large ship was about a hundred feet long, and its hull had two distinct colors. The bottom of the ship, about ten feet above the water, was black, as if it were cast from pig iron; the higher part of the hull was brass-colored, as if it were cast from molten copper.

The ship was twenty zhang tall, with seven stories above the deck. Strangely, this enormous ship had no sails, nor were there any oars extending from the cabin, yet it moved swiftly across the sea.

It's almost comparable to the speedboat in Xiaoyu's previous life, and its speed definitely exceeds 100 kilometers per hour.

"Look! There's a dragon underwater!" Lu Wan suddenly pointed to the sea in front of the "dragon ship" and shouted excitedly.

"It's probably not a dragon; it looks like a giant whale," Liu Ji said.

“It has a tail and claws, how can it be a whale?” Lu Wan said.

"It should be a dragon beast. Dragons have nine sons, each different from the other. Dragons are also lewd and often mate with sea creatures, giving birth to strange and grotesque dragon beasts."

The Eastern Navy captured hundreds, even thousands, of dragon beasts specifically to pull their ships.

Although Peng Yue also showed surprise, his expression and tone were calmer than the others.

Because the Juye Marsh where he was located stretched for two or three thousand miles from north to south, like an inland sea.

There are also dragon beasts in the Great Swamp, and the Juye Water Bandits also captured several dragon beasts to pull their boats.

When needed, summon them by performing hand seals and chanting incantations. When not needed, let them hunt and reproduce in the swamp on their own.

Sea beasts pulling boats have developed a mature "industrial chain"—with very sophisticated esoteric incantations.

“Dragon beasts are nothing special, but that huge piece of unsinkable wood is the real treasure!” Peng Yue stared at the black bottom of the ship, almost drooling. “Damn it, where did the East Sea Fleet find so much unsinkable wood?”
"This tree must be at least 100,000 years old! It's so thick."

"Unsinkable wood?" Xiahou Ying's gaze shifted downwards, from the majestic tower to the bottom of the "black iron" ship below. "That black hull, which looks like it's made of refined iron, is the legendary unsinkable wood."

I also saw the Unsinkable Wood when I was in Pengcheng. It was in a jade box, a palm-sized piece, and worth three hundred gold coins.

It was only the size of a palm and the thickness of a steamed bun, yet it could support the weight of ten oxen in water without sinking—a truly miraculous feat.

"It is a piece of wood that does not sink. Its wood is like iron, and it takes a hundred years to form. When it is placed in the water, it becomes a boat that takes a thousand years to decay. A single piece of wood can bear ten thousand catties."

It is sturdy and durable, lasting for a thousand years without breaking, and can transport more goods, making it a true maritime marvel.

Peng Yue murmured, "The Eastern Navy is so extravagant. If Liang Wang's Liangshan Navy also had such a fleet, that would be impossible. I must take Juye City as soon as possible and move my stronghold ashore so that I won't be besieged."

Yaksha Li Zhong curled his lip and said disdainfully, "Unsinkable wood can only be considered a third-rate spiritual material. The real treasure is still Cloud Hill Wood!"

"Lord Li, have you met Yunqiu Mu?" Peng Yue asked excitedly, then remembered the other party's identity: the Yaksha of the East Sea.

As the saying goes, don't say the Dragon King has no treasures.

It's not surprising that someone working in the Dragon Palace would have seen Yunqiu Wood.

"Follow me." Li Zhong didn't waste any words and led them through the streets and alleys.

In this era, the maritime trade of the Great Qin Dynasty was extremely prosperous. There were actually only a few ships docked in the northern naval port, but the masts of the ships at the southern dock were so densely packed that they resembled a forest, stretching as far as the eye could see.

The merchants on board and on shore were diverse and each had their own unique characteristics.

The Chinese population is roughly equal to that of foreigners. The term "foreigners" refers not only to differences in skin and hair color, but also to significant racial differences.

For example, the giants of the Long-Handed Country, and the diminutives of the Zhourao Country who drive flying cars as "Didi drivers".

They are considered quite common.

There were even more kobolds helping to carry bags at the dock. They had kobold heads and human bodies, but they didn't look like the kobolds in Xiaoyu's previous life's game; they resembled Anubis from Egyptian mythology.

His skin was brown and shiny in the sun; he was muscular and very strong.

"Kobolds" is just a nickname; they have an official racial name, "Fengquan" (封犬). According to them, this name was bestowed upon them by the Yellow Emperor.

There were also ghostly figures, the Guifang people, who were half-elemental and half-material. Their merchant ships, like ghost ships, sailed silently on the sea, shrouded in a thick fog.

In addition, there are the "hairy people" with long white hair, and the Piqian people with faces, necks, and bodies three feet long.
When the Qin people saw them, they felt neither surprised nor intimidated.

Conversely, all foreigners, no matter how strange or tall they looked, were filled with surprise when they came to the land of China. They were also very reserved and polite to the Qin people. It's like when Chinese people went to the United States in the 1980s or 90s and met a group of American "elites" in New York.

The people of Qin possessed a very distinct "superior demeanor".

While it may be described as a difference in demeanor, the essence lies in the difference in spirit and energy.

The confidence and composure with which the Qin people spoke with foreigners seemed so natural and natural.

But they are only confident and proud, not arrogant.

Even the elderly men from the countryside who carried their agricultural products to the port to sell were composed and at ease, just like the local people of Xianyang.

Yes, this demeanor and temperament of the Qin people is not unique to seaports. In the Central Plains of China, one can find Qin people like this in even the most moderately prosperous cities.

“Look at that fleet.”

Liu Laosan suddenly stopped and pointed with a solemn expression at a fleet of ships that was slowly entering the port.

There were as many as two hundred large ships, stretching all the way from the shore to the horizon.

Each of these large ships is hundreds of feet long. Although they are not made from unsinkable wood, they employ a technique of combining metal and wood, with a metal frame covering the wooden hull and deck.

Although they were enormous, they had no towers on their decks, only piles of cargo.

"What's wrong with this fleet of ships?" Lu Wan asked, puzzled.

“Look at the flag, ‘Golden Lion Supporting a Cauldron,’ it’s a tribute from a foreign country to Great Qin! A hundred large ships, with such a deep draft, how much stuff are they carrying?” Liu Ji said with a complicated expression.

Lu Wan asked curiously, "What's so strange about foreign countries paying tribute to Qin?"

Back when Emperor Zheng was still alive, we often saw roller coasters flying overhead in Sishui County.

Aren't those giant spaceships all loaded with tributes collected from foreign lands?

I remember thirty years ago, a roller coaster capsized in Huling.

Wow, the whole sky is golden, covered in golden leaves.

"Damn it, they piled up a mountain of gold thirty feet high outside Huling County, but they wouldn't let us pick it up."

"Even with the Central Plains in such chaos, a large amount of tribute from foreign lands is still entering the Qin Dynasty. Perhaps ten years of benevolent governance can truly sustain the Qin Dynasty for ten years. The Qin Dynasty is too strong, its foundation is too solid," Liu Ji said solemnly.

Without the help of the immortal, he had virtually no hope of victory for the anti-Qin alliance. But with the immortal's help, he would become a pawn, and even if he succeeded, the immortal would drain his human destiny. His single-mindedness had led to a dead end.

Li Zhong laughed and said, "Actually, the number of foreign states that pay tribute to the Qin Dynasty has now decreased to 60% of its peak."

If the Central Plains remain in chaos, tribute payments will continue to decrease next year and the year after, until they cease altogether.

Peng Yue asked, "Are there any 'sea pirates' at sea who specialize in robbing the imperial court's tribute?"

He unconsciously thought of his old profession.

While at Juye Marsh, he frequently robbed caravans and fleets transporting imperial tax silver and autumn grain.

"Currently, no pirates in the East China Sea dare to provoke the East China Sea Navy Corps."

Li Zhong gestured towards the naval port to the north, "Look at those giant 'dragon ships,' they're like monsters floating on the sea."

Not only is it strong, it's also incredibly fast.

Once in the state of military formation, such a large ship can even escape into the sea and transform into a giant dragon hundreds of feet long.

The prince and princess of our Dragon Palace have been sternly warned by His Majesty the Dragon King not to provoke them.

On land, you can become a bandit by simply choosing any mountain.

To become a pirate at sea, one would need at least one giant ship of the same model. How much would that cost?
Money is useless; the craftsmen and techniques for building the Dragon-class and Xuanwu-class divine beast warships are all controlled by the Qin Dynasty.

Even if outsiders stole the technology and built such a large dock, the East Naval Corps would have discovered it long ago.

Those bastards have supported hundreds of overseas immortal sects, and many of the military captains are disciples of these sects.

Then, through coercion and enticement, those disciples of the immortal sects gathered together thousands of followers of the divine path.

Their spies are everywhere in the East China Sea.

To be honest, even I, a patrol officer, receive a small allowance from the East Sea Fleet every month.

There's an extra bonus for discovering useful intelligence and reporting it promptly.

Li Zhong opened his arms and made a gesture of embracing the sea, saying, "This vast sea area from Jambudvipa to Victory Continent is the bathtub of the Eastern Navy Legion."

Peng Yue asked in confusion, "I heard that the Baiyue army in the south has defected from Qin."

The Western Sea Fleet and the Western Regions Legion are also disobeying. Why is the Eastern Sea Legion so obedient?

"Honest my foot! They're not guarding the East Sea for Qin; they're protecting their own treasure trove."

Li Zhong curled his lip and pointed to the thousands of merchant ships at the dock, "Even if it's tribute, they'll take 40%!"
However, tributes were not only offered, but also returned as gifts, since the Qin Dynasty was a superior empire.

When they returned the gifts, the Eastern Navy Corps watched from the sidelines. The entire operation was funded and labor-intensive by the imperial court, using Qin dynasty artifacts to fill the ships and send them back the way they came.

Liu Ji exclaimed in surprise, "If they even take tribute, then the East Sea Fleet must take a large share of the port's tax revenue, right?"

"What percentage? What are you thinking? With so many merchant ships and such a thriving trade, the imperial court only gets one-tenth of the tax revenue because the Marquis of Donghai fears Grand Tutor Yu."

Before Grand Tutor Yu appeared out of nowhere, the imperial court couldn't collect a single penny of tax revenue.

Even during the reign of Emperor Jin, very little tax was collected, as the tax revenue was used to support the East Navy Corps.

"Look at that dragon ship, made from such a huge piece of unsinkable timber. How much money did it cost, and how much manpower was wasted?"

Liu Ji asked, "How many people are there in the East Sea Fleet? Marquis Lieyang has been stationed in the Central Plains with eighteen military commanders and hundreds of thousands of troops, so why is the East Sea Fleet not affected?"

Li Zhongdao: "The total force is about 600,000. The main target of the East Sea Fleet is actually the Eastern Continent of Shengzhou in the east."

Then there's the threat to the tens of thousands of island nations surrounding the East China Sea.

Protecting trade in the East China Sea was just a side effect.

The fleet comprises only one-third of the East Naval Corps' strength.

About half of the main force went to the Central Plains with King Lieyang; the rest were more than enough to maintain order.

Peng Yue's eyes flashed, and he asked in a low voice, "Has the East China Sea Anti-Qin Alliance Conference been mentioned by the East China Sea Legion?"

“Not to mention the Eastern Navy Legion, even Grand Tutor Yu knows about it,” Li Zhong said.

"Ah, Grand Tutor Yu has found out! Could she become one of us, secretly infiltrate the Dragon Palace, and use a curse to harm us?" Liu Ji exclaimed in panic.

Li Zhong reassured them, "Don't worry! If you can think of something, do you think the immortals can't?"

Everything has been arranged; you can simply focus on the grand event.

"What are the arrangements?" Peng Yue asked hurriedly.

Li Zhong looked around, led them to a secluded corner, took out several pieces of spirit jade from his pocket, and distributed them to them one by one.

Upon closer inspection, Liu Ji was utterly disappointed. "Just the 'Heart-Cleansing Mantra' and the 'New Thirteen Demon-Suppressing Divine Spells'? We already know those."

Li Zhong asked in surprise, "The 'Heart-Cleansing Mantra' is a true transmission from the immortals, and the 'New Thirteen Divine Spells for Suppressing Demons' was only recently passed down from the Heavenly Court. How come you both know them?"

"The Taoist Kongkong who sent the invitation to us taught us a secret technique. He also said that in this world, without mastering these two secret techniques, even if one calls himself a rebel king, it's all in vain," Liu Ji said.

"These two secret techniques alone are not enough to prevent Grand Tutor Yu from infiltrating!" Peng Yue said.

"You just need to protect yourselves, and leave everything else to the master."

Dongmenque Port was bustling and vast. Li Zhong led the group through a maze of streets, walking three or four miles before finally arriving at a secluded yet elegant courtyard.

"Brother Qin Jia, you're here too?" Peng Yue saw a familiar face as soon as he entered the courtyard.

Qin Jia glanced at his left arm, which was slinged across his chest, and her eyes flashed. Just as she was about to speak, a burly man rushed over and laughed heartily, "Brother Ji, I knew you would come. I've been waiting for you!"

"Oh my, Brother Zhu Jishi, what brings you here? It's such a joy to meet an old friend in a foreign land!" Liu Ji was both surprised and delighted, and immediately went up to hug the big man.

Qin Jia glanced at Zhu Laoda, then sharply scrutinized Liu Ji, and asked, "When did Brother Zhu and Brother Liu meet?"

“I’m from Fuli County, and Brother Ji is from Pei County. We’re fellow townsmen from Sishui! Two years ago, I was selling salt from the East China Sea in Pengcheng when I met Brother Ji, who spent a fortune at Xiaoyaofang.”

Even though I am a roughneck like myself, he treated me with respect and hospitality, which was truly touching. "Zhu Jishi praised.

"Oh, my brother, you're joking. I'm no nobleman or prince." Liu Ji waved his hand and laughed, "I'm just a commoner from the Jianghu. The reason I could spend so much money back then was simply because I had just made a fortune."

After they finished exchanging pleasantries, Li Zhong coughed lightly and said, "Esteemed heroes of China, since you are all familiar with each other, I don't need to introduce you one by one."

Now that everyone is here, if there's nothing else urgent, let's get on the boat and head out to sea immediately!

"After arriving at the Water Palace where the alliance meeting is located, we can all drink and reminisce. Wouldn't that be delightful?"

(End of this chapter)