Yefutidaolu

Chapter 390 is also good.
This man had an honest face and dark skin. He was one of the few low-level boatmen he occasionally learned about the situation in the outer city from when he was still in Cangzhou. He was somewhat familiar with him.

Gao Jian stepped forward, blocking the other person's path, and asked bluntly, "Do you still recognize me?"

The man was wiping his face with a towel when he was suddenly stopped. He was stunned for a moment, his eyes showing a mixture of confusion and wariness, and he subconsciously looked at the young man in front of him.

However, when his gaze fell upon Gao Jian's face, his bewilderment was instantly replaced by immense shock and ecstasy!

He jumped to his feet, his voice trembling with excitement, almost shouting, "Boss?! You're back?!"

The address of "boss" was delivered with genuine emotion, brimming with undisguised excitement and respect. Clearly, Gao Jian's past actions in this place, and the banner under which Li Jun operated after his departure, still lingered in the memories of these ordinary people.

"Shh—" Gao Jian made a shushing gesture and lowered his voice, "Don't make a sound. Take me to Li Jun."

"Great! Great! That's wonderful! Brother Jun'er would be so happy to know you're back!" The man nodded excitedly, his hands and feet almost trembling. "Then I'll take you there right away! I'll have someone watch the boat for now..."

“No need.” Gao Jian waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the cargo ship that the man had just been in charge of, which was not yet fully docked. “Finish this job first. We can’t just leave the ship and cargo here. I’ll help you out.”

"Ah? This...this won't do! How can I let you, sir..." The man was flattered and waved his hands repeatedly. He felt really bad about letting this person, whom he regarded as a "benefactor," do such rough work.

"It's alright, let's go." Gao Jian, without waiting for a reply, took the initiative to walk to the side of the boat and help pull the mooring rope. His movements were smooth and natural, without the slightest disgust or impatience.

For him, with the physique of a seventh-realm martial artist, doing this was a piece of cake.

Upon seeing this, the man felt a lump in his throat and a warm feeling welled up in his heart. He said nothing more and just worked even harder.

Before long, the cargo ship docked properly, and the cargo was handed over.

The man greeted the foreman and then eagerly led Gao Jian through the now-clean but still noisy streets of the outer city, walking briskly in one direction.

The further he walked, the more orderly the surrounding buildings became. Although they still couldn't match the charm of the inner city, they were noticeably more orderly and vibrant. Finally, the man stopped in front of a rather simple-looking courtyard made of blue bricks.

The courtyard was not small, but the entrance was simple, without any luxurious decorations. There were only two guards with sharp eyes and auras that clearly belonged to cultivators standing at the door.

"Master, Brother Jun usually handles things in here," the man said respectfully.

Gao Jian nodded and was about to take a step when his brows suddenly furrowed!
An extremely powerful aura, carrying a fishy, ​​damp smell and a faint sense of oppression, spread out from the depths of the courtyard like an invisible tide, rushing towards us!

This aura was cold and violent, yet it contained a vast life force! Gao Jian was now a seventh-level martial artist with vigorous blood and strong body, but under the impact of this aura, he felt his skin tighten slightly, his breathing become somewhat labored, and the surging blood and qi in his body seemed to be suppressed!
Nine Realms Flood Dragon!

Gao Jian's heart skipped a beat! What Li Zoufang said in his intelligence report was actually true! There really was a ninth-realm dragon beside Li Jun! Moreover, the purity and power of this aura were far beyond that of ordinary dragons!
This is really strange... Gao Jian's mind was filled with doubts.

As far as he knew, the famous dragon clans in Cangzhou and even the surrounding waters were mostly concentrated in the Baishan River basin.

All the dragons in Baishan River had long been slaughtered by the extremely bloodthirsty Lord Jingjiang, Shunjiang! This was an old story known to the Dragon Palace and the surrounding major powers.

Where did this dragon, with its strength reaching the ninth realm and seemingly pure bloodline, come from? Did it wander from another major continent? Or... did Lord Jingjiang not truly exterminate them all back then?
With these growing doubts weighing on his mind, Gao Jian took a deep breath, suppressing the discomfort brought on by the dragon's aura, and gestured for the man to step forward and report.

The man was clearly used to this aura, but still approached the guard with reverence and whispered a few words. The guard sized Gao Jian up and down, seemingly receiving some instruction, and respectfully stepped aside.

Gao Jian stepped into the simple courtyard.

As Gao Jian stepped into the courtyard, his gaze immediately fell upon the open door of the main house in the courtyard.

Li Jun was hunched over a wooden table piled high with files, his brow furrowed as he intently reviewed something.

He still had that dark skin tanned by the Cangzhou sun, but the naivety and caution of the past had faded from his brows, replaced by a more composed and confident demeanor. Combined with his already handsome features, he certainly possessed the air of a rugged hero.

However, no one could possibly connect this seemingly ordinary "handsome young man" with the "chosen one" who is now stirring up trouble in Cangzhou, controlling the canal transport, and carrying two strange beasts.

"Why is there only one dragon? Didn't you say there was also a Qilin?" Gao Jian skipped the pleasantries and walked straight up to the point, his gaze sweeping over a corner of the courtyard.

There, a colossal creature lay lazily.

It had clearly shrunk its size, but even so, it was still ten zhang long, covered with hard, dark blue scales that shimmered with a metallic sheen in the sunlight.

The dragon's head was lowered, its vertical pupils half-open, and the occasional flick of its tongue carried a chilling aura. Even with most of its aura restrained, its powerful presence still made the air in the courtyard feel stagnant and heavy. This was the source of the Ninth Realm dragon's oppressive aura that had made even Gao Jian uncomfortable.

It noticed Gao Jian's gaze, but merely swished its massive tail with boredom, kicking up a little dust, and paid no further attention to this "uninvited guest."

In terms of aura, Gao Jian is too weak and not worth his vigilance.

It's just the seventh realm.

Li Jun looked up sharply at the sound of the voice, and when he saw Gao Jian, his face instantly showed surprise: "Master!? Why are you back? Didn't you go to the Imperial Academy in the capital? Have you already completed your studies and returned?"

He quickly put down his pen and stood up.

"No, my studies haven't been completed yet." Gao Jian's tone was calm as he shifted his gaze from the dragon back to Li Jun's face. "It's because you caused too much of a commotion, alarming the court, so they sent me back to check on things." He pressed further, patting the other man with a smile, "I won't ask about the Qilin yet, but where did you get this dragon?"

Upon hearing this, Li Jun's eyes flickered for a moment, as if he were organizing his thoughts, before he spoke: "The specific origin... I don't really know either. I discovered it by chance in the Baishan River area. At the time, it seemed to have just awakened, and its aura was still very weak. It was Rui Rui—no, it was that Qilin who told me that it was not an ordinary dragon, but... but rather, it was formed from the accumulated spiritual energy of the Baishan River's water veins over the years, naturally born and nurtured by nature, possessing extremely strong resistance to sharp metal objects like sword energy. The Qilin also said that if it could successfully 'walk through the water,' it might truly have a chance to transform into a dragon."

As he spoke, he walked around from behind his desk toward Takagi, looking at him honestly, as if to show that he had nothing to hide.

Upon hearing Li Jun's explanation, Gao Jian suddenly understood!
Is the water of the Baishan River concentrated, giving it extremely strong resistance to swords?

All the clues came together at this moment!
Long ago, the dragon clan of Baishan River was sealed by the immortal sword hanging over the river, trapped in the river and unable to transform into dragons. Eventually, their resentment accumulated, causing floods and dragon plagues.

Unwilling to be trapped and die, the dragons secretly plotted and launched a sneak attack to suppress Dan Sha, attempting to use his true dragon corpse and three generations of water transport to conceive a special offspring that could ignore the immortal sword's blockade and forcibly travel through water!

Later, Gao Jian rescued the Cinnabar Dragon Soul, enraging Lord Jingjiang, who descended upon the Baishan River and slaughtered the entire dragon clan. Gao Jian thought the matter was settled…

Unexpectedly, the "special dragon," on which so much hope was placed and which was nourished by the bloodline of the entire dragon clan, actually hatched successfully! Moreover, because its original purpose was to fight against the immortal sword, it was born with an extraordinary resistance to sword energy! It may have been born quietly in the ruins after the massacre by the Jingjiang Lord, innocent and ignorant, and was eventually discovered and subdued by Li Jun and the Qilin!

So that's how it is... Gao Jian sighed inwardly, this cycle of cause and effect is truly mysterious.

The Zuo family, the Li family, Li Zoufang, Jiaolong, Dansha, Jingjiang Jun... countless grudges and entanglements, in the end, by a twist of fate, created the special Jiaolong in front of us, and became a key force in Li Jun's rise.

Just as Gao Jian was trying to figure out the underlying reasons and was slightly lost in thought, Li Jun had already walked up to him, very close. But Li Jun did not stop; instead, he continued forward, past Gao Jian, and stood beside the lazy dragon.

This subtle change in position brought Gao Jian back to his senses instantly.

He looked up and saw Li Jun standing next to the dragon's enormous head. The expression of surprise and sincerity on his face gradually faded, becoming calm, and even carrying a hint of imperceptible aloofness and scrutiny.

The dragon that had been lying prone seemed to sense something as well. Its massive head slowly rose, and its pair of cold, vertical pupils opened wide, locking onto Gao Jian and emanating a faint but palpable sense of threat.

The atmosphere in the courtyard quietly became stagnant and subtle.

Li Jun looked at Gao Jian, his voice still respectful, but the meaning behind his words was completely different:
"Master, have you returned this time... to represent the imperial court and 'speak' to me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the dragon let out a low, rumbling sound, as if in response to Li Jun's question.

Gao Jian understood perfectly. The Li Jun before him was no longer the insignificant person who needed his protection and obeyed his orders.

He possessed enough power to rival the powerful families and the capital to stir up trouble in the entire province. He still referred to himself as "Master," perhaps out of old affection, or perhaps simply out of habit, but more likely out of vigilance and a test.

He dared not easily believe the meaning behind Gao Jian's return.

Gao Jian looked at Li Jun's wary and distant eyes, and at the dragon beside him with its head raised, exuding a faint threat. Instead of getting angry, he nodded in understanding.

Putting yourself in Li Jun's shoes, imagine he had gone through extraordinary adventures, made tremendous efforts, and perhaps even faced life-or-death struggles to finally turn the tide in Cangzhou, bringing order to the outer city and giving it the strength to challenge the powerful families of the inner city. He finally saw a glimmer of hope for changing the status quo and realizing his ambitions... At this critical juncture, who wouldn't be wary if someone from "above," especially someone with whom they had a past connection but hadn't seen in a long time, suddenly appeared, claiming to be "back to check on things"?
This caution is necessary. This reluctance to trust easily is the wisdom of survival.

"Don't worry," Gao Jian said with a calm, even slightly regretful smile, his tone softening. "You and I are on the same side. Don't forget, I was the one who first broke the deadlock in Cangzhou."

He was referring to the time when he ruthlessly destroyed the Zuo family, sowing the seeds for all the subsequent changes.

Upon hearing this, Li Jun's eyes flickered, and his tense shoulders seemed to relax slightly, but his guard was not completely lifted. He sighed, his voice tinged with weariness and helplessness: "I know you're not that kind of person, boss. It's just...sigh, many of the brothers who risked their lives with me and swore to change things, once things started to look up and they saw some benefits, they...they turned around and joined the powerful families, becoming one of them. Boss, it's not that I don't trust you...it's just that, after experiencing this kind of thing so many times, you understand, I don't dare to gamble."

There was a hint of helplessness in his words; many things had already taught him not to easily place his trust in others.

Gao Jian nodded deeply, indicating that he completely understood this feeling. "I know what you mean, and I understand your difficulties."

He spoke sincerely, "In that case, I will leave for now. I will do my best to mediate in the court and cover for you. As for those aristocratic families in the inner city..."

Gao Jian sneered, "With your rise to power, there must be some people among them who are restless, wanting to stir up trouble or take the opportunity to pressure you for benefits. I will take care of these people for you, so they won't bother you."

He spoke of it casually, as if eliminating a few powerful families was as simple as swatting a few mosquitoes. This strong confidence and the continued protectiveness of those who still considered him "one of their own" visibly softened Li Jun's expression.

"Then I'll be going now." Gao Jian said, turning around decisively as if to leave without any hesitation. "I'll find you for a drink after I've taken care of these trivial matters."

He left without a second thought, as if he had only come to check the situation, express his stance, and then go to fulfill his promise.

Watching Gao Jian's unwavering figure disappear through the courtyard gate, Li Jun's face flashed with struggle and hesitation for a moment. Finally, he suddenly shouted:
"Wait! Boss!"

Gao Wen stopped in his tracks, slowly turned around, and looked at him with a questioning expression.

Li Jun pointed inside the house: "Have a cup of tea before you go. It's not easy for you to come back... and I have a lot of things I want to ask you."

His tone softened.

Gao Jian smiled and nodded, saying:
"Alright."

(End of this chapter)