Main Text Volume Three Chapter 160 Jiang Feng the Prodigy

Upon hearing the old man's words, the captain's attitude shifted instantly. He stepped forward, executed a respectful bow, and said in a deferential tone, "Since the elder has spoken thus, I shall naturally comply."

Throughout his speech, there was no trace of the usual boundary between immortals and mortals. Judging by age, the captain was undoubtedly far senior to the old man, yet he still treated him with the full etiquette of the mundane world. This gesture immediately caused Yu Mu's perception of the captain to shift drastically.

The burly man repeatedly expressed his thanks before entering his room. Yu Mu nodded slightly to the two of them and also stepped into his own quarters.

Upon entering, one found a small sitting room flanked by two bedrooms on either side, along with a kitchen and a bathroom; nearly everything one could possibly need was provided. As expected of top-tier lodgings, the space was exceptionally vast, which explained why there were only six guest rooms on this entire floor.

On the inner side, every room featured a large window, allowing guests to admire the ocean scenery at any moment. Furthermore, protected by a defensive array, the rooms remained entirely insulated from the assaults of wind and waves. The luxury of the entire suite was by no means inferior to that of a high-end inn on the mainland.

Naturally, Yu Mu was extremely satisfied with such superior surroundings. He rewarded the attendant with a spirit crystal and was just about to dismiss him when he suddenly heard the captain's voice ring out in the corridor once more.

He heard him laugh heartily and say, "Young friend Jiang Feng, I knew long ago that you would be boarding my ship. With your company, this journey certainly won't be boring."

A refined voice replied, "Uncle Wu, being able to accompany you all the way means I am bound to learn a great deal more."

"Haha, well said. It is rare for you to return home; why not spend more time with your mother instead of hurrying back to your sect so soon?"

"Alas, there have been recent matters within my sect, and I have been urged to return several times. I cannot stay long at home this time. Fortunately, I have already celebrated my mother's birthday and fulfilled my wish." The person called Jiang Feng spoke with a tone tinged with a faint sorrow.

"Since you are the pride of both the Jiang clan and your sect, naturally neither of them is willing to let you leave for too long. Go inside and rest first; once I finish my tasks, the two of us must sit down and play a few rounds of chess."

"Very well."

Upon hearing the surname Jiang, Yu Mu could not help feeling a jolt in his heart. He stopped the attendant who was about to leave and asked, "Brother, who is this Jiang Feng?"

The attendant was in high spirits from receiving the reward, so he immediately replied, "Reporting to my lord, Jiang Feng is the Second Young Master of the Jiang clan."

"The Jiang clan? Which Jiang clan?"

"Naturally, the Jiang clan of Dragonfall. In this region, aside from them, who else would dare call themselves the Jiang clan?"

*As expected!* Yu Mu felt a secret shock in his heart.

He asked again, "Little brother, could you tell me in detail about this Young Master Jiang Feng?"

The attendant cast a puzzled look at Yu Mu and said, "Young Master Jiang Feng's life is quite legendary. I can only give you a brief account, otherwise it would take half a day to finish."

Yu Mu had initially worried that Jiang Feng's appearance might be connected to him, but upon hearing the attendant's words, his interest in the person surged greatly. Thus, he said, "Alright, speak and I will listen."

"To tell this story, one must begin with his birth."

"Birth? Isn't he the Second Young Master of the Jiang clan?" Yu Mu asked in surprise.

"He is indeed the Second Young Master, but his origins were extremely humble."

The attendant's words left Yu Mu even more bewildered.

Seeing Yu Mu's expression, the attendant chuckled, lowered his voice, and said, "He was born to a maidservant, not a legitimate wife."

"Oh, I see!" Yu Mu suddenly understood.

"Therefore, he suffered endless bullying and cold gazes in his childhood, and even his mother endured relentless humiliation from the matriarch. The treatment the mother and son received in the Jiang clan was inferior to that of a mere servant."

*An illegitimate child! A humble woman!* The attendant's words instantly conjured an image in Yu Mu's mind.

Yu Mu had heard too many stories of this kind; it seemed that whether in his past life or the present, they were all the same. This was a universal flaw inherent in human nature.

The attendant continued, "However, in the year Young Master Jiang Feng turned eight, a high-level cultivator happened to pass by the Jiang clan. Discovering that his innate constitution and natural talent were of the highest caliber, he took him away from the Jiang clan. Through a dozen years of cultivation, he has advanced from a mortal to his current achievement at the late Golden Core stage, something utterly unprecedented among the younger generation of the Jiang clan."

"Ah!" Yu Mu was thoroughly startled upon hearing this.

To achieve such accomplishments in just over a decade—such talent was truly one in a million.

"Not only that, but Young Master Jiang Feng's talent is also manifested in formations and talismans. As it happens, his sect was founded upon these very two arts, and Young Master Jiang Feng's mastery of these two techniques is something rarely found through the ages."

"Ah!" Yu Mu was even more astonished.

The utility of formations and talismans went without saying. Mechanisms such as teleportation arrays, defensive barriers, transmission talismans, and mother-child talismans were capabilities Yu Mu had long witnessed. Yet, talents in this field were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. At least until now, Yu Mu had never met a grandmaster in these two areas. Only Fang Ling of Golden Scale Mountain seemed to possess a slight, superficial grasp of the dao.

Seeming intent on delivering one startling revelation after another, the attendant went on, "The formations on this ship were personally modified by Young Master Jiang Feng. Now, its navigation capabilities in all aspects have increased by at least thirty percent."

"Thirty percent?! Doesn't that make it almost comparable to the effect of a Dao artifact?! To modify a ship to have the effectiveness of a Dao artifact is simply too exaggerated!" Yu Mu was so shocked at that moment that he could only be described as dumbstruck.

"Of course. Otherwise, the captain wouldn't have designated him as a permanent VIP of this vessel, enjoying lifetime complimentary privileges. Furthermore, whenever Young Master Jiang Feng boards this ship, a top-tier guest room is invariably reserved for him."

"Then his status within the Jiang clan must have undergone a massive reversal by now, I suppose?" Yu Mu asked gossipily.

"With such talent and ability, Jiang Feng has naturally won the recognition of the Jiang clan, and they even wish for him to re-acknowledge his ancestry and return to the clan. Naturally, Young Master Jiang Feng is unwilling, but because his mother remains trapped within the Jiang household, he has no choice but to feign compliance."

"With the Jiang clan being so powerful, why can't he just be forced to bow his head?" Yu Mu asked in wonder.

The attendant smiled and said, "The influence of Jiang Feng's sect on the Sage Continent is by no means inferior to that of the Jiang clan, so the Jiang clan dares not use brute force. For now, they maintain this ambiguous relationship where affection and resentment are intertwined."

"I see."

"Jiang Feng's mother is a mortal and has suffered persecution in the past, so her health has always been poor. Therefore, every year on his mother's birthday, Young Master Jiang Feng returns to visit her. Over time, he became acquainted with Captain Wu, and because they both love playing chess, their relationship grew closer and closer."

Hearing this, Yu Mu set his mind at ease; it seemed Jiang Feng's trip had nothing to do with him.

He rewarded the attendant with another spirit crystal, and the attendant departed in high spirits.

Shortly after the attendant left, a melodious, prolonged horn blast echoed from outside the window. At that moment, an attendant knocked on the door. Acting on the captain's orders, he invited the distinguished guest to the captain's quarters to observe the scene as the vessel departed from the harbor.

This was a routine courtesy, intended primarily for everyone to become acquainted with one another, making the long and lonely voyage more bearable.

An Shu was disinclined to go and chose to stay behind to keep the dragon girl company, so Yu Mu accompanied the attendant to the forward cabin alone. The captain's quarters were actually a large curved salon; the ship's control systems were not located here.

The captain issued commands to the various departments on the ship through several pneumatic tubes. Moreover, these routine tasks were handled by specialists, and the captain only took personal command under exceptional circumstances.

When Yu Mu arrived, a banquet had already been set up on the observation deck outside the captain's cabin. Guests could enjoy fine food while admiring the scenery—truly a rare and pleasant indulgence.

Before long, all the distinguished guests had arrived. There were only six top-tier guest rooms. Aside from the burly man and the elderly woman he had seen earlier, those attending the banquet also included a youth dressed in black.

This person appeared detached, casual, and serene, faintly radiating the demeanor of a great master. Without an introduction, Yu Mu already knew this person must be none other than Jiang Feng.

Among the guests from the other rooms, one was a pot-bellied wealthy merchant who instantly gave the impression of immense affluence. It was impossible to discern his cultivation level, or even whether he was a mortal or a cultivator. However, the two guards flanking him left everyone astonished, as both possessed Nascent Soul stage cultivation. To be able to retain two such figures as bodyguards gave one a clear sense of this person's extraordinary status. Furthermore, while he partook in the fine food, his two guards could only stand quietly behind him without daring to show the slightest breach of etiquette, making his nobility even more apparent.

The guests from the remaining room were rather ordinary: the head of the household appeared to be a merchant, and they were a family of three, all of whom were mortals.

After a round of self-introductions, everyone gained some mutual understanding.

Captain: Wu Weijian.

The other key distinguished guests were: Youth: Jiang Feng. Elderly woman: She Jinhua. Burly man: Bai Dong. Wealthy magnate: Wang Fugui. Merchant: Dong Qian.

Because of Jiang Feng's presence, Yu Mu did not use his real name and instead gave the alias Wang Shi. Aside from Jiang Feng, who was close to Yu Mu in age and exchanged a brief glance with him, the others paid him little attention.