Although Xu Linmiao had been complaining incessantly earlier, he wasn't actually a fool.
How could he not know the weight of being associated with the Southern Immortal Palace in the southern part of Yunmeng Township?
Ordinary Loose Cultivators simply didn't have the qualifications to offer birthday greetings to an Immortal Lord.
By bringing this up...
He could soothe the other party, showcase his family's heritage, and take the opportunity to establish a connection.
It could be described as killing three birds with one stone.
Hearing those words.
The girl was slightly taken aback.
"Demons?"
Then.
A sweet smile suddenly blossomed on her cold face.
"Oh... then I shall trouble you."
To the young man in brocade robes, that sweet smile felt like a spring breeze.
But to Uncle Xun, who was standing behind him.
The old man's face was filled with terror, and his breathing nearly stopped.
Wait...
It was one thing for his young master to spill all their secrets.
But he actually fucking dared to invite someone else onto the ship?!
While bringing one extra person along wouldn't likely be something the Immortal Lord would care about.
However...
He saw the hem of the other party's black robes flutter slightly as she drifted down toward the flying boat without the slightest hesitation.
If he were to rashly go back on the invitation now, he might offend her on the spot.
Uncle Xun stared intently at the figure floating down.
The aura emanating from her was vaguely around the level of one or two Chess Player pieces.
But his intuition told him.
This seemingly harmless girl before him was definitely not as simple as she appeared.
How could an ordinary Chess Player of one or two pieces appear out of thin air right under his nose?
Things had reached this point.
Uncle Xun could only bite the bullet and step forward, giving a deep bow.
"This old man is Uncle Xun. Greetings, Fellow Daoist... May I ask how I should address you?"
The girl landed steadily on the deck.
She retracted the smile from her face, returning to that cold, unapproachable demeanor.
Her gaze swept over the trembling old man, and she spoke indifferently.
"Jiang Yuechu."
"So it is Fellow Daoist Jiang. My apologies for the lack of manners."
Uncle Xun suppressed the suspicion in his heart, putting on a polite smile and cupping his hands in greeting.
He was about to probe further into the background of this mysterious girl, but the young man in brocade robes had already stepped forward impatiently, his eyes eager.
"I am Xu Linmiao. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Jiang."
"Mm."
Jiang Yuechu nodded slightly as an acknowledgment.
Looking at the exceptionally beautiful face before him, Xu Linmiao assumed the shock she had shown earlier was because she had suffered some grievance.
He immediately straightened his back, adopting a mature and steady posture, and spoke in a gentle, comforting tone: "Fellow Daoist Jiang, appearing alone in this Great Marsh, if you have encountered any troubles or if things aren't going well in your cultivation, please do not let it weigh on your heart."
"In this life, things go against one's wishes eight or nine times out of ten."
"Since Fellow Daoist has boarded my Xu Family's flying boat, it is fate. Why not travel with us to Guanlan Island?"
"Go see the vast world of the Great Marsh and make friends with some powerful figures. Once you've seen more of the outside world and your horizons have broadened, those little troubles might naturally be resolved."
"..."
Standing behind him, Uncle Xun glanced sideways, somewhat speechless.
He saw his young master's eyes shining, his face full of eagerness.
Clearly, he didn't have a shred of the wariness a scion of a noble family should possess.
The old man could only sigh deeply in his heart.
Fine.
No matter who this Girl in Black Robes was or what her schemes were.
He was, after all, a Cultivator with a cultivation of four Chess Player pieces.
If the other party truly harbored ill intentions, no matter how strange her methods were, if it came to a confrontation, while he might not be able to kill her on the spot, protecting the young master and retreating safely wouldn't be difficult.
Moreover.
His young master had lived a smooth life since childhood, and his mind was far too simple.
If he could take this opportunity to see the schemes of outsiders and gain some experience, it wouldn't be a bad thing.
With this in mind.
Uncle Xun put away his thoughts of further questioning, stepped half a pace to the side, and raised his hand in a gesture of invitation.
"The flying boat is simple. If Fellow Daoist Jiang doesn't mind, please take a seat as you wish."
"Thank you."
Jiang Yuechu nodded slightly and walked straight to a corner of the deck, sitting down cross-legged.
The wind over the water carried a hint of chill.
The flying boat continued to cut through the clouds and mist.
"Um..."
Seeing the girl sit down, Xu Linmiao quickly hurried over and sat down a few paces away.
"Fellow Daoist Jiang, I wonder where your immortal home is?"
He paused, his eyes flickering slightly, and added with feigned nonchalance.
"Wandering alone like this, Fellow Daoist Jiang's Dao Companion is far too irresponsible..."
Jiang Yuechu turned her head.
Her pitch-black eyes quietly watched the young man in brocade robes.
How could she not see through the boy's little schemes?
However... having just arrived, she knew nothing about this Yunmeng Township.
Although the person before her didn't seem very bright, it was suitable to coax some useful information out of him.
With this in mind.
Jiang Yuechu retracted the coldness in her eyes.
Lowering her eyelids slightly, she began to make up a story: "I was originally a Grand Princess of noble birth from elsewhere, but I was harmed by villains. My family abandoned me, and my Sect expelled me..."
She spoke so smoothly.
She almost blurted out the next line: 'If you want to hear my revenge plan, transfer me 50 coins.'
As soon as these words were spoken.
Standing behind them, Uncle Xun's brow furrowed slightly.
This explanation sounded truly clumsy.
In Yunmeng Township, there were people whose families were wiped out or who were expelled from their Sects every day, but this girl showed no signs of the distress of a fugitive; her black robes were even spotless.
But Xu Linmiao couldn't be bothered with such details.
He only felt a pang in his heart.
An unprecedented desire to protect her rushed to his head.
"Outrageous!"
Xu Linmiao slapped his thigh hard, filled with righteous indignation.
"That such a heartbreaking thing could exist in this world! Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Jiang, since you have boarded my Xu Family's ship, you are a guest of my Xu Family."
He patted his chest, speaking with conviction.
"In this area of the Great Marsh, my Xu Family still has some influence... As long as I am here, I will surely protect your safety and never let those villains harm you in the slightest!"
While offering comfort.
The young man in brocade robes couldn't suppress the wild joy in his heart.
Doesn't such a helpless and stunningly beautiful girl in distress need a solid and reliable shoulder the most?
If he could show her warmth and take careful care of her.
Then she would surely be his in no time!
The heavens have truly been kind to me, Xu Linmiao!
To showcase his family's heritage before the beauty.
Xu Linmiao immediately cleared his throat and began to speak incessantly.
"Fellow Daoist Jiang has just arrived and likely doesn't know much about this Great Marsh... This body of water beneath us is the fifty-thousand-mile Great Marsh of southern Yunmeng Township. Its width is unknown, and it is filled with Loose Cultivators and Sects. However, if you go three thousand miles further north, you'll find the Jieqing Sect, one of the Nine Great Dao Sects. There's also the Southern Immortal Palace overseeing the surroundings. Yet, with all sorts of Cultivators and demons mixed in, robbery and murder happen every day; it's truly not a safe place."
"Fortunately, you were lucky to encounter us... We have prepared generous gifts this time specifically to offer birthday greetings to Immortal Lord Guanlan. The Immortal Lord's fame is widespread, and his words carry great weight in this Great Marsh. Even the most blind thieves or demons would never dare to cause us trouble."
But just as he finished speaking.
A sudden change occurred.
A huge gap tore open in the calm water ahead of the flying boat, and the current swirled upward.
Two black figures, accompanied by a piercing whistle of wind, lunged violently from beneath the water, skimmed across the surface, and landed steadily on the boat.
They were burly in stature, and Demonic Qi overflowed from them.
Water droplets dripped from their hideous scale armor onto the wooden boards.
"Your luck is indeed quite good, to be able to encounter the two of us..."