My wife is the stand-in.

"I don't care how you two slandered Wudang before, but I can't pretend I didn't hear your words about being petty."

A bright and clear voice rang out from outside the Suobianyuhao.

Amanosaki immediately noticed a wave of white foam crashing against the gunwale of the Suobianyu. Amid the exclamations of the knights, a young man in flowing white robes leaped aboard the ship, riding the wave.

His movements were graceful and free, clearly showing he had practiced for a long time. After boarding the boat, he waved his hand, and a wet wooden sword landed in his palm.

Amanosaki could clearly see that the young man in white had stood steadily in the turbulent waves by stepping on the slightly wider counterweight of the wooden sword's pommel, relying solely on the buoyancy of the wooden sword vertically in the water.

With that kind of skill, he deserves to show off.

Amanosaki believed he had the skill to cross the river without using a bridge, instead swinging back and forth on a wooden sword every day, thoroughly enjoying the thrill of "crossing the river on a reed".

"[Wudang Branch] Shangqing School, [Yang Xiaojian] Zhang Yiyi."

The visitor clasped his hands in greeting.

Amanosaki, hearing this inappropriate self-introduction, first instinctively shouted out his own family's tongue twister before beginning to wonder.

Isn't it the Wudang Sect? What the hell is the Shangqing Sect?

Lin Shuyu explained quietly from the side:

"Wudang Mountain is a famous mountain in the world, so naturally there is more than one Taoist sect. Each sect has its own specialization, and together they form Wudang."

Amanosaki understood now.

By differentiating themselves from the competition, each faction can gain a foothold, integrate internally, combine the expertise of multiple factions, form a comprehensive superiority, and overpower other factions in the province.

It's like a heifer riding a rocket, sparks flying and lightning all the way.

So it turns out that after all this time, it wasn't Wudang fighting one group against another, but rather a group of allies using the Wudang name to fight another group. No wonder they were so arrogant.

Zhang Yi, who called himself Yang Xiaojian, looked at Amanosaki with a smile:

"The one who just said my Wudang branch was stingy, isn't that the jinx, Amanosaki?"

"Wait a minute!"

Amanosaki immediately raised his hand: "I am indeed Amanosaki, but my reputation as a Stand user is not that of a jinx."

"These are the nicknames that the various branches have given you."

"Who gives someone such an elegant nickname!" Amanosaki exclaimed, exasperated. "I've only ever heard of people having good names, never one that's called a jinx!?"

"Hey! That's not right!" Zhang Yiyi waved his hand. "Someone like you, Brother Xian, who encountered an accident right from your debut battle and went on to cause the death of a province's guards in less than ten days since your debut, is a rare occurrence, perhaps only a handful throughout history!"

He sighed for a moment, then gently patted his mouth: "Look at me, I misspoke. It wasn't 'killed,' it was 'eliminated'... hahaha."

Amanosaki's face twitched.

"Please come in, everyone. Have some tea and snacks, and let's chat."

Kasumigaoka Utaha stood at the doorway, looking at the three of them with composure.

The three returned to the cabin without any hesitation. Even Lin Shuyu forgot that this was her office and Shiyu was just a guest.

But Shi Yu somehow managed to find Lin Shuyu's snacks and put them on the coffee table, and even brewed tea again.

Even the messy files on the table were neatly categorized. She knelt on the cushion to serve tea, her demeanor calm and natural, like a hostess.

It didn't seem out of place at all, as if this room was born to be her place.

Lin Shuyu's attention was entirely focused on Zhang Yiyi, who represented the Wudang branch, and she was completely unaware that her position had been shaken.

One can only say that this is perhaps the aura of the first wife.

Zhang Yi took a sip of tea, frowned slightly, and after recognizing the tea brand, put it down and stopped drinking.

He still smiled and said, "I was ordered by our teacher to come and escort you all to the branch arena. This is both to invite the heroes from each branch to observe and to seek your guidance. Our branch will naturally take good care of the wounded and supplies... How about that? You can't say we're stingy, can you?"

After Zhang Yi finished speaking, he glanced at Amanosaki, his smugness almost impossible to hide.

His expression seemed to say, "Amanosaki is biting the hand that feeds him."

'That damn brat!'

Amanosaki and Lin Shuyu exchanged a glance, cursing inwardly.

He realized that this guy, who looked younger than him, was probably jealous of his limelight.

What do you mean by "on the teacher's orders"? You clearly asked for it yourself, didn't you?

What? You're happy using the branch headquarters' authority to pressure me?

I've already killed one of the guards at my branch, so I don't mind killing one more!

Amanosaki clicked his tongue, regretting that the Spear of Longchinus was still in his room, otherwise he would have asked this little brother for some pointers on the spot.

"I think the outer deck is quite spacious, how about the two of us..."

Amanosaki casually interrupted, but only got halfway through before Kasumigaoka Utaha, with a faint smile, cut him off.

"Master Zhang must be a young talent to be able to represent his sect."

"Not at all, it's just that the teacher is being kind to me."

When Zhang Yi saw the elegant and beautiful woman kneeling beside the coffee table, looking at him with adoring eyes, the young man couldn't resist showing off. He pretended to be humble while taking the bait.

"Wow, that's amazing!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha clapped her hands, looking every bit the fangirl. This undoubtedly made him even happier.

'What's wrong with your girlfriend?' Lin Shuyu asked Nozaki with a sharp look.

'How would I know? Just learn it obediently.' Amanosaki retorted with a glare.

Shi Yu leaned against him gently, and Zhang Yiyi could almost smell the beauty's fragrance.

Just as he took a deep breath, the mischievous glint in Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes turned into a sinister glint:

"I heard that the Wudang branch is selecting its younger generation, and only those selected are qualified to travel with the fleet. You're so strong, you must be a top contender, right? Since you're here... have you already won first place?"

Zhang Yiyi's bright smile vanished instantly, leaving only an embarrassed expression.

Chapter 114: The Sword Immortal of the River

The four people sat around the coffee table, each with a different expression, creating a fascinating scene.

Amanosaki hummed softly, a look of satisfaction on his face as if he had finally gotten his revenge.

Lin Shuyu looked at Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was sitting upright, with a thoughtful expression in her eyes.

Shi Yu looked up with her beautiful face, appearing innocent and harmless.

Zhang Yi's face was ashen; his earlier high spirits had vanished.

Shi Yu's question just now contained two layers of meaning.

The first point is that all the new generation of masters from the Wudang branch went to compete, and you didn't go. Are you not qualified?

If the first layer can be considered a give and take, then the second layer means killing someone by destroying their spirit.

To translate in Amanosaki's style:

'No way, no way, is there really someone who's not qualified to join the fleet? Especially someone I just mocked got on board, and now I'm not even on board myself, wouldn't that be incredibly awkward?'

Everyone had thought of this, but out of consideration for the reputation of the Wudang branch, no one said anything more.

Seeing that Aminozaki had calmed down, Utaha tactfully changed the subject.

She served everyone tea and started the conversation by complaining about the inferior tea bags used at Suobianyuhao, which were made by grinding tea leaves into powder. Then she used the following as an introduction: "I heard that every Taoist temple has its own tea recipe. Wudang Mountain is famous all over the world, and the Wulong Temple of the Shangqing School is also well-known in Chongqing."

By praising the tea, they naturally pulled this young man, who was proud of Wudang, out of his psychological shadow.

Watching the young man, now dressed in a lively and energetic manner, Lin Shuyu secretly bit her nails, a nameless anxiety lingering in her heart.

To be fair, Lin Shuyu knew she could also soothe people's hearts, but her approach was always professional and businesslike. Having used the "Heavenly Manifestation" since childhood, her thinking was more rational than emotional.

If you can't even control your own feelings, then you can't possibly control others'.

If she were in this situation, she might find it annoying and try to shut the other party up by offering a cooperation order.

Shi Yu simply chatted idly with the other person, and this guy she had personally humiliated was now completely charmed by her.

She has incredibly high emotional intelligence.

Amanosaki would definitely be captivated.

'I thought I was just a useless decorative figure today, but things have turned out to be much more troublesome. No wonder he's my formidable rival!'

As she pondered, Lin Shuyu's thumb nail became rough from biting.

At this moment, Zhang Yiyi also regained her spirits and stood up to lead everyone into the branch:

"I don't know who's in charge of the boat, but please ask him to take charge. Once we get past the iron chain, the water conditions become complicated. All the heroes from the branch are active in the water, and the underwater environment is extremely dangerous now."

"It's easy to talk about."

Amanosaki put his arm around Shiho's waist, and the handsome man and beautiful woman stood together, with one hand outstretched in a gesture of "please".

Seeing that the flower was already taken, Zhang Yiyi's expression was one of surprise. His eyes darted back and forth between the two faces, looking at Amanosaki with a mixture of jealousy and hatred.

Zhang Yi wanted to make a sarcastic remark, but seeing Kasumigaoka Utaha smiling beside him, he swallowed hard, threw down a "Stay close" and stormed off.

"I'll go steer the boat. You guys tell everyone and arrange for some people to carry the wounded onto the deck."

Lin Shuyu brushed her hair behind her ears, her eyes darting around, and hurriedly got into the driver's seat.

About two minutes later, the once quiet flounder became lively again.

As the radio crackled to life, the other ships in the rear, who had long been bored, sounded their horns, creating a cacophony of high and low calls, like a pack of cats in heat.

With a soft rustling sound, a chain as thick as a human head, covered in rust, fell into the water.

Amanosaki leaned on the railing, gazing into the distance, thinking of watching everyone's competition as soon as possible to assess Wudang's strength.

But the next moment he realized he was wrong, terribly wrong.

As the iron lock fell, some unknown illusion shattered, revealing the danger.

Waves surged, and towering waves rose.

The four-clawed scaled fish, with its frog-like voice, kept croaking, its bluish scales stirring the river water and leaving a trail of scarlet.

Countless chivalrous figures dressed in white, with graceful figures, wielded Wudang swords, knives and shields, long staffs, steel forks, or even bare hands, and wreaked havoc.