Chapter 238 : As If No One Has Connections

Chapter 238: As If No One Has Connections

The massive spirit vessel sped swiftly through the sea of clouds, yet inside, it was as steady as solid ground.

While all the cultivators remained in these narrow, monotonous rooms—either seated in meditation or lost in thought—a slight jolt suddenly rippled through the ship.

“What’s going on!”

“What happened!?”

Even the faintest tremor was highly abnormal for a vessel of this magnitude.

Thus, all the cultivators were immediately alarmed, but none dared act rashly and step outside to investigate.

Soon after, voices from the patrol squad echoed through the corridor of the cabin.

“All cultivators are to remain still. Anyone who steps out without authorization will be executed without mercy!”

The voice brimming with killing intent reverberated repeatedly, clearly tinged with agitation.

Shortly after, the patrol's voices diminished considerably. It was obvious that some of them had been reassigned, which caused many cultivators to feel a chill of unease.

“Damn it, something really has happened!”

Inside his room, Lin Chang’an’s face was grim. His eyes flickered as he constantly weighed possible responses.

But as for what exactly was happening outside, he had no idea. For now, he could only prepare for the worst-case scenario.

“If a third-rank massive spirit vessel and a group of veteran Core Formation cultivators can’t withstand the threat, then needless to say, it’ll be time to flee.

After all, with so many people aboard, if the ship is lost, the formation will be destroyed, and no one will sit still and wait for death…”

At that thought, Lin Chang’an’s hand subconsciously reached for his spirit beast pouch.

“No, I mustn’t reveal anything in front of others. Otherwise, I’ll become a prime target. With this many people, blending into the crowd is the safest bet.”

The Wind-Chirp Bird was powerful, but no match for a mid Core Formation stage veteran cultivator, let alone combined with a third-rank massive flying vessel.

If that had already been defeated, he absolutely couldn’t afford to expose his trump card.

“Of course, that’s the worst-case scenario.”

Lin Chang’an could only adapt to the situation as it developed.

As for whether the ship had encountered gale winds, thus causing the tremor—

That explanation wasn’t impossible!

But the problem was: would encountering gale winds require the reassignment of patrol cultivators from the cabins?

No one was a fool. Even the patrol cultivators hadn’t tried using such a weak excuse.

As everyone waited anxiously, the tremors of the massive vessel actually intensified, making everyone feel even more flustered.

This was undoubtedly a sign the vessel was under attack!

However, at that moment, the patrol squad outside also seemed to be exchanging words in a hurry or negotiating something.

Finally, after a long moment, the trembling ceased, and the disturbance seemed to end.

But none of the cultivators looked relieved, for they could sense that the massive vessel had also come to a stop.

As everyone waited in suspense, the patrol squad’s voice finally rang out.

“All cultivators are to open their doors and remain inside. We have encountered an inspection from the Mystic Yin Divine Sect, searching for a traitor.

Please remain calm and cooperate with the inspection. There is nothing to fear.”

Upon hearing this, countless cultivators in the cabins broke into a commotion.

“Damn it, it’s the Mystic Yin Divine Sect!”

“Shut up! Don’t talk nonsense! If you want to die, don’t drag us down with you!”

“Exactly. Just cooperate. Didn’t you see the Long Clan has already reached an agreement? It's too late to say anything now.”

Lin Chang’an, upon hearing this, felt utterly numb. How did this involve the Mystic Yin Divine Sect again? Still, all the information he had on the sect quickly surfaced in his mind.

“Though the Mystic Yin Divine Sect proclaims itself a divine sect, internally it's full of intense competition and ruthless means—typical of a demonic sect.

Their specialty is plundering, whether it’s merchant ships or anything else. They’re notoriously infamous pirates of the Sea Abyss of Beasts.”

With that in mind, Lin Chang’an let out a helpless sigh. The situation was beyond his control. Even if he wanted to escape, now was not the time. He would have to find the right opportunity.

Left with no choice, he raised his hand and waved. The door to his room opened, and he prepared for the upcoming inspection.

At the same time, other cultivators in the cabin also began opening their room doors.

Facing Lin Chang’an from across the corridor was a red-faced middle-aged man. Upon seeing Lin Chang’an, he forced a wry smile.

“Talisman Master Lin, looks like we’re really out of luck.”

“Indeed, truly unfortunate, to have run into the Mystic Yin Divine Sect.”

Lin Chang’an nodded helplessly. Things had come to this—he could only wait and see how it played out.

He didn’t have any confidence here, but he refused to believe they’d assign a Golden Core cultivator just to watch over them. There was still a chance.

Yet the red-faced man across from him clearly looked guilty. Seeing that no cultivator had arrived yet, he sent a secret voice transmission:

“Talisman Master Lin, I’ve heard the Mystic Yin Divine Sect doesn’t just plunder merchant ships—they don’t even spare cultivators. They’re known for trafficking human puppets and refining corpses…”

Lin Chang’an sighed quietly but said nothing.

Could everyone revolt just because of one comment?

Didn’t the Long Clan already submit? If the Long Clan had chosen to resist to the death, and everyone rebelled and escaped together, he would have gladly blended into the chaos.

But without the Long Clan’s cover, relying solely on this group…

He would be the obvious big fish in the net. He wasn’t stupid.

…

At that moment, footsteps finally echoed through the ship.

The same Long Clan Foundation Establishment cultivator who had boarded with them and laid down the rules now appeared. His expression was sour, but his tone was hoarse as he said:

“Senior, these are all cultivators with clear backgrounds. Please inspect as you wish, but we beg you to show some mercy.”

Descending the steps was a False Core Cultivator from the Mystic Yin Divine Sect, who responded with a sinister smile, patting the man on the shoulder:

“Relax. We’re just searching for a fugitive wanted by our divine sect. We won’t embarrass your Long Clan—after all, didn’t your Long Clan provide us with quite a few spirit stones!?”

That mocking tone left the Long Clan man seething with fury, though he dared not show it. He understood perfectly the implication behind those words.

But the other party clearly had no such scruples.

“Search!”

“Yes, sir!”

The next moment, cultivators from the Mystic Yin Divine Sect began sweeping through the cabin for their inspection.

The earlier commotion had not gone unnoticed. Other cultivators, upon hearing what was said, actually breathed a silent sigh of relief. It seemed the Long Clan had negotiated with the Mystic Yin Divine Sect.

That was good.

However, once the search truly began and entered the rooms, many cultivators were left dumbfounded—it was blatant robbery.

“What are you doing!? I’m not one of your fugitives!”

“Fellow Daoist, please open your storage pouch. We must inspect it to confirm your identity.”

Though the voices carried hints of panic, reality prevailed. Cultivators who had survived this long knew better than to resist foolishly.

Before long—

Two cultivators, eyes wary, entered Lin Chang’an’s room.

“This humble one is Lin Chang’an, forced to travel due to the turmoil. I hope fellow Daoists can show some leniency.”

Lin Chang’an wore a humble expression as he spoke with a smile and offered a pouch of spirit stones. From earlier events, he’d already gathered what kind of people they were dealing with.

He knew exactly how to handle this.

But upon hearing his name, the two cultivators' expressions visibly changed, making Lin Chang’an’s heart jolt.

Not good. These people… something’s wrong.

Was his name that well-known?

Why did they seem to recognize it?

“Lin Chang’an? Second-rank Talisman Master, right?”

That line made Lin Chang’an’s pupils contract. They knew so much about him—he understood instantly.

Damn it!

He’d been sold out!

Among cultivators of the same rank, who held the most value?

Definitely those with special skills. As for powerful ones—did the demonic sect even lack Foundation Establishment cultivators?

At that moment, the red-faced man across the corridor suddenly roared in anger.

“What are you doing!? I already gave you my storage pouch. You…”

“Shut up! Keep your storage pouch, but you must come with us to the deck and explain why one of our sect’s artifacts was found inside!”

“No! I really don’t know—it was something I bought at a marketplace!”

Amid the cries, Lin Chang’an’s expression darkened slightly. This red-faced man was a low-grade second-rank artifact refiner.

Coincidence? Given the expressions of those two just now, he didn’t think so.

“Fellow Daoist!”

The two also turned toward Lin Chang’an with sneering expressions and said:

“Fellow Daoist, don’t make things difficult. Just open your storage pouch for inspection, will you?”

Seeing the schadenfreude in their eyes, looking at him as though he were a lamb to be slaughtered, and the identical setup to the last scene, Lin Chang’an took a deep breath.

What a conniving Long Clan—colluding with the demonic sect to profit from both ends, huh?

As if no one else had done the same—spit!

As if no one else had connections.

Lin Chang’an calmly took out his storage pouch and opened it right before their eyes.

Just as they were about to speak during the inspection, Lin Chang’an squinted and smiled as he transmitted a voice message to them:

“Fellow Daoists, this Lin is quite well acquainted with He Yan of the Divine Sect. I wonder, do either of you know Fellow Daoist He?”

He intended to bring up He Yan to test the waters. After all, if he had to invoke Yun Yao's name right away, it could attract unnecessary trouble.

It was better to stay low-key.

There were advantages to being a minor figure.

If He Yan didn’t work out, he’d have to bring out the heavyweight Yun Yao—but he wasn’t sure if that would be effective.

“He Tou?”

The two paused noticeably, halting their hands mid-move with the pouch. They exchanged glances, and their expressions grew solemn.

“Talisman Master Lin, do you really know He Tou?”

“Let us warn you—He Tou is also on this vessel. If we find out you’re lying, it’ll end badly for you!”

Hearing this, Lin Chang’an actually relaxed a bit and smiled.

“Feel free to ask him. Just say it’s Lin Chang’an from Qingzhu Mountain Marketplace of Yue Kingdom.”

Half skeptical, the two sent a secret voice transmission to their He Tou.

Sure enough, moments later, a familiar figure appeared.

“Uncle Lin!? You’re on this vessel too?”

He Yan looked stunned, but the scene of the two reuniting left the two others completely dumbfounded.

Uncle?

Lin Chang’an appeared refined and handsome, while He Yan looked like a middle-aged man, his hair already streaked with gray.

Of course, their surprise wasn’t about the difference in appearance—it was that these two were actually related.

“He Yan, thank goodness you’re here.”

Seeing He Yan finally eased Lin Chang’an’s nerves, and a smile appeared on his face.

At the same time, he noticed that He Yan had broken through to late Foundation Establishment, though it clearly hadn’t been long since the breakthrough.

The two men awkwardly returned the storage pouch to Lin Chang’an and respectfully cupped their fists, saying, “He Tou, we’ll continue inspections in other rooms.”

Just as one of them was about to return the spirit stone pouch, Lin Chang’an waved his hand and smiled:

“That’s not mine. Fellow Daoists, please continue your inspection elsewhere.”

That sentence made the two glance toward their He Tou, but He Yan shot them a glare and said coldly:

“What are you standing around for? Don’t you see I’ve just run into my Uncle Lin after so long?”

“Yes, yes, He Tou. Don’t worry, we brothers are leaving now.”

Though the two were awkward, the interaction still carried a faint warmth. Especially that title He Tou—even Lin Chang’an felt a moment of daze.

Old He Tou!

It seemed that back when Old He Tou was young, during their demon-hunting squad days, everyone had called him that.

…

Meeting again under these circumstances, Lin Chang’an felt no awkwardness. Instead, he sighed softly.

“Didn’t expect we’d meet here again.”

“Uncle Lin, your luck is really…”

He Yan didn’t even know how to put it. Speechless, he secretly began to explain the full context via voice transmission.

Though Lin Chang’an had already guessed most of it, he still found himself shocked at how cautious he’d been.

Or rather, how reckless the Long Clan had become.

“You mean the Long Clan has been colluding with the Mystic Yin Divine Sect and has done this sort of thing several times already? They squeeze skilled cultivators for labor and use body cultivators as raw material for corpse refinement?”

“And they’ve repeatedly sold out the shipping routes of other clans and sects, collaborating with your people to split the spoils?”

Upon hearing this, even Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but feel alarmed.

If it had been just a superficial collusion, he could understand—but this deep? Did the Bihai Palace have no idea?

Playing both sides like this—did the Long Clan even have the standing to pull that off? They must be insane!

“That’s not all. The Long Clan’s been basically possessed in the last twenty years. They’ve even pretended to be robber cultivators and gone on raids.”

“Our Divine Sect, well, if there’s profit to be made, we’re not stupid enough to pass it up. So we come, perform a little act, and leave loaded with spoils.”

“What did the Long Clan get out of this!?”

“Weakened some competitors’ strength—and a promise from our Divine Sect: Core Formation insights.”

As He Yan spoke that last line, his tone noticeably paused, then he lowered his voice and said:

“Uncle Lin, don’t spread this. Only a small handful of people know about it.”

Lin Chang’an glanced at He Yan with meaning in his eyes. He hadn’t expected the He Yan of the past to have changed so much.

He Tou!

And the respect those two earlier had shown He Yan—it hadn’t been an act. That kind of authority…

“Looks like you hold quite the position in the sect now, He Yan.”

Faced with one of Lin Chang’an’s rare teasing remarks, He Yan gave a bitter smile and nodded.

“Thanks to Senior Yun’s favor. Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

That, Lin Chang’an understood. Yun Yao had mentioned before that she had few people she could trust in the Divine Sect.

Sending He Yan to deliver something back then had also been a test.

To see whether this person was usable.

Within the vessel, nearly every cultivator had been extorted. The demonic cultivators showed no mercy.

Though those not on their list weren’t taken away, they still had to offer up something.

And these cultivators, fearing complications, gritted their teeth and handed over the bulk of their remaining belongings.

As for protective magical artifacts—those were like second lives. No one dared touch them.

After all, who knew what someone might do after taking such items? Better to spend spirit stones and avoid disaster—that they could endure.

Touch their lifeline? Then it was a fight to the death!

The demonic cultivators weren’t fools; they didn’t push too hard.

But skilled cultivators were another matter. Some were treated politely and told to explain things to the higher-ups, then released.

Others were threatened and forcibly taken.

In total, just over twenty cultivators had been taken away.

Seeing that, the remaining cultivators actually breathed a sigh of relief.

Only this many? Then perhaps the demonic sect really was here just for fugitives.

After all, not everyone had access to detailed profiles. Only the Long Clan, which had checked everyone’s identities when boarding, knew the full background of every individual.

“Uncle Lin, take my advice—never get involved with the Long Clan again. I’ve heard Bihai Palace is already displeased with them.”

Before leaving, He Yan cautiously left a reminder, then joined the others to wrap up and depart.

Back in the cabin, Lin Chang’an calmly watched them leave. His gaze then turned toward the angry and aggrieved Long Clan cultivators.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

This debt—he would remember it.

If not for his wide connections, and by chance knowing someone on board today, he would have been sold out!