Chapter 499: Chapter 226: 5 Times!?

The second option was to blend in with the crowd and set off with the merchant and cargo ships.

Ships departing from the Eastern Domain rarely sailed into the deep sea.

They usually hugged the coastline, traveling to the various major cities.

However, they would also dock at some of the closer islands.

From these islands, some ships would sail into the deep sea. By hiding among these travelers and carefully planning the right route, one could reach the territory of the Dragon Emperor Hall completely undetected.

Although the process might have its twists and turns, it would greatly minimize the risks.

This was the very route Chen Qi had told Fang Shuwen about.

Fang Shuwen and Zhou Zhengze studied the options for a full four hours before finally deciding to take the second route.

The goal was to attract as little attention as possible.

However, whether he could actually achieve that was another matter.

After all, he had to bring Luo Shuqing and her two servants along on this trip. ’A mission with five times the difficulty... Who knows what kind of "surprises" it’ll bring?’

Afterward, Fang Shuwen took Zhou Qingmei to go bond with Fang Dabao.

After he left, Fang Dabao would stay by Zhou Qingmei’s side to protect her.

Zhou Qingmei had met Fang Dabao yesterday, but she had been so preoccupied with shyness, nervousness, and anticipation that she hadn’t paid much attention to the massive, adorable beast.

Seeing it again now, free from yesterday’s overwhelming emotions, she was quickly captivated by Fang Dabao’s cute appearance. Looking at its charmingly silly head, she felt an urge to give it a good pat.

She knew she would be taking Fang Dabao home after Fang Shuwen left tomorrow, but she wished she could just take the creature home tonight.

He spent the afternoon playing with Fang Dabao alongside Zhou Qingmei. As dusk approached, he finally escorted her back to the Zhou Residence.

Fang Shuwen then went to the Ancient Quiet Pavilion by himself.

Zhou Zhengze’s nautical charts were probably fine, but Fang Shuwen got another set from the Ancient Quiet Pavilion just in case.

He compared the two sets of charts and began planning the route based on Zhou Zhengze’s advice.

The task took up half the night.

The next morning, before dawn, Fang Shuwen brought Fang Dabao to One Square House, only to find Zhou Qingmei already waiting at the door.

With the streets empty at this hour, Zhou Qingmei was much bolder and threw herself directly into his arms.

Fang Shuwen gently patted her back and took out the key to One Square House.

"You keep this safe."

Zhou Qingmei took it and nodded gently.

It seemed she had a thousand words to say, but in the end, she only tugged gently on Fang Shuwen’s sleeve, unwilling to let go.

They didn’t have to wait long before Luo Shuqing and her two servants arrived.

The last to arrive was Zhou Zhengze.

Zhou Zhengze didn’t understand why Luo Shuqing and her companions were there, but since Fang Shuwen had arranged it, he accepted the situation without a word.

Once everyone had gathered, Fang Shuwen said a few final words to Zhou Qingmei, left Fang Dabao in her care, and then set off with the other four.

Zhou Qingmei stared after their retreating figures for a long time before finally climbing onto Fang Dabao’s back and patting its head.

"Let’s go. We’ll go home and wait for him to return..."

Fang Dabao grunted twice, as if cursing Fang Shuwen for his disloyalty in abandoning it.

Nevertheless, it obediently turned and, under Zhou Qingmei’s guidance, headed back to the Zhou Residence.

...

...

Julu City was not on the coast, so no ships sailed directly out to sea from there.

To go out to sea, they had to travel east for two days to reach the nearest major coastal city, Weihai City.

He hadn’t felt it back in Julu City, but upon arriving in Weihai City, the difference in atmosphere was palpable.

There were many Jianghu people here. Some rushed about with worried expressions, while others were openly arrogant, ambition shining in their eyes.

Since Fang Shuwen didn’t want to attract attention, he had naturally disguised himself.

He wore a set of cyan martial attire and a conical bamboo hat; by tilting his head down slightly, he could conceal his features.

The four people with him were dressed similarly, except for Luo Shuqing, whose bamboo hat was fitted with a light veil.

Once they reached the port, he sent Zhou Zhengze and Zuo Xuan to inquire about departing ships.

Meanwhile, Fang Shuwen took Luo Shuqing and Zuo Hong to wait at a nearby tea stall.

About an hour later, the two of them returned side-by-side.

After making their inquiries, they reported that eight ships were setting sail that day, but only two of them would be stopping at any islands.

Of those two islands, only one—Nameless Island—had connecting ships that sailed into the deep sea.

Therefore, there wasn’t much of a choice.

After learning the departure time, Fang Shuwen led the group directly to the ship. He negotiated a price with the captain, and soon they were all successfully aboard.

However, just as Luo Shuqing set foot on the deck, Fang Shuwen detected a strange gaze fixed on her.

He glanced over discreetly and saw it came from an unremarkable-looking old servant.

This ship was half for cargo and half for passengers. Those who boarded were usually merchants traveling from all corners of the land.

Now, they were joined by many Jianghu people heading to the East Sea in search of the Seven-String Ancient Chapter.

Because of this, the ship not only had private cabins for passengers but even had maids and servants on hand to attend to their needs.

Fang Shuwen was not short on silver, so he immediately booked a private cabin for the group.

He didn’t mention the matter of the old servant to Luo Shuqing or the others. When the time for departure arrived, they felt the large ship lurch into motion, slowly leaving the port behind. Once they were a fair distance out, the sails were unfurled. After a few adjustments, the ship accelerated, heading out into the open sea.

Fang Shuwen had never been on a ship in his past life. In fact, combining both his past and present lives, this was his first time ever setting sail on the open sea.

He couldn’t help but step out of the cabin to admire the ocean view.

’I wonder if I could run across the waves with my Lightweight Technique?’

The day passed quietly. As night fell, a stooped figure began to silently prowl the ship.

He moved like a ghost, his footsteps utterly silent.

Soon, he arrived before a cabin door and gave it a light push.

He had expected to struggle with the lock, but the door swung open with a simple push.

He paused for a fraction of a second, then stepped directly into the cabin without hesitation.

His gaze swept across the room and landed on Luo Shuqing, who was resting against a wall. A low, strange cackle escaped his lips.

"Heh. To think I’d find you so easily after searching high and low."

But at that very moment, he heard an identical cackle from behind him.

"Heh. You really were brave enough to come, weren’t you?"

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