Beyond the Timescape

Chapter 78: Zhang San’s Investment

For the vast majority within the Seven Blood Eyes, the night passed like any other. But for a select few, it was anything but ordinary.

Aboard their Dharma Boats, some sighed in bitter envy of another’s extraordinary ascension. Elsewhere, others descended into hysterical rage, swearing to tear their target limb from limb. One man lounged comfortably in a rocking chair, a mountain of fruit pits piled beside him. And in a distant inn, an old man sat in bitter, panicked disarray.

The truest measure of a person’s integration into an environment wasn’t their achievements or their behavior, but the sheer volume of emotions they could manipulate in others.

The envious were the disciples of the Seventy-Ninth Port. The hysterical were the cultivators of the merfolk species. The man with the mountain of fruit pits was the Captain of the Homicide Department’s Sixth Team. And the one consumed by panic was the Old Ancestor of the Vajra Sect.

Yet, as the morning light pierced the horizon, the turbulent thoughts of the night receded with the rising sun. They faded like exhausted revelers leaving a stage after a sleepless night of poetry and dragon-fish dances.

Sunlight streamed through the cracks of the ruined cabin, gently warming Xu Qing’s eyelids. He opened his eyes, letting the lingering essence of his cultivation merge with the morning glare.

His gaze was crystal clear, mirroring the dawn—sharp, focused, and carrying a quiet anticipation for the future.

“I wonder if the dawn at sea holds a different kind of charm,” Xu Qing murmured softly. A flicker of yearning crossed his eyes as he stood.

He had a strict itinerary today.

First was a trip to the Homicide Department to secure an extended leave of absence. The bureaucratic process was streamlined; Seventh Peak disciples rarely lingered in port. Their cultivation relied on the sea, making maritime expeditions a mandatory operational expense.

After filing the necessary paperwork at the Homicide Department, Xu Qing secured a forty-day operational leave. The system was highly transactional: return early to cancel the remaining days, or pay the bureaucratic toll to extend it retroactively.

With time to spare, Xu Qing maintained his brisk pace toward the commercial district of the Sixth Peak. Though the previous assassination attempt was unlikely to repeat itself, his paranoia demanded caution. He meticulously mapped out escape routes and blind spots as he browsed the storefronts.

He paused outside a particular shop, calculating the risk of entering, when his identity token vibrated. The Captain’s voice transmission echoed in his mind.

“Xu Qing, haven’t you forgotten a little something recently?”

Xu Qing paused, running through his mental inventory.

“Forget it, I’ll just spell it out,” the Captain sighed. “Xu Qing, when exactly are you going to pay back the five hundred Spirit Stones you owe me?”

Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed. He replied with absolute finality.

“One hundred Spirit Stones.”

“Alright, alright, I won’t bleed you dry. Three hundred it is. When are you paying up?”

Xu Qing remained silent. He retrieved the bamboo slip engraved with the names of his enemies and quietly scratched out the question mark next to the Captain’s name.

“Why the silent treatment? I saw you filed for leave at the Department. You aren’t planning to flee out to sea to dodge your debt, are you? Fine, fine. The Endless Sea is a meat grinder, and the structural integrity of your Dharma Boat is paramount. To prevent you from dying out there and making my five hundred Spirit Stones vanish, let me give you a tip: if you need to refine your Dharma Boat, find Zhang San!”

“Zhang San?” Xu Qing was puzzled.

Mentioning Zhang San seemed to pique the Captain’s interest even more. He gave Xu Qing detailed instructions over the transmission jade slip, even coaching him on the exact expressions and words to use, before ending the call.

Xu Qing stood in place, pondering for a long while. Eventually, with a mix of curiosity and bewilderment, he made his way to the Transport Department to find Zhang San.

When he arrived, Zhang San was squatting atop a pile of cargo, smoking a pipe like an old farmer, his expression relaxed and content as he basked in the sun and tobacco. He occasionally barked orders, directing the Transport Department’s laborers.

Spotting Xu Qing, Zhang San narrowed his eyes slightly, scrutinizing him before his eyes lit up.

“Ah, Junior Brother Xu, what brings you here today?”

Xu Qing approached, glanced at Zhang San squatting on the cargo, then leaped up to join him. But before he could maintain his usual distance, Zhang San swiftly shuffled away.

Xu Qing gave him a look and squatted down.

Zhang San smiled as he observed Xu Qing in the sunlight, especially that profile that could captivate any admirer. He couldn’t help but mutter a few words internally, though his expression betrayed nothing.

“Squatting is more comfortable, right?”

“Mm,” Xu Qing nodded.

“So, what’s the matter?”

“Senior Brother Zhang, I want to refine and upgrade my Dharma Boat.”

“Refine a Dharma Boat? Who told you to come to me? Your Captain?” Zhang San was taken aback.

Xu Qing didn’t answer. Instead, he took out two apples and offered one to Zhang San.

Zhang San instinctively accepted the apple, but as soon as he held it, he regretted it and tried to return it. Xu Qing didn’t take it back.

Zhang San sighed, his eyes gradually turning thoughtful. He weighed the apple in his hand, then looked back at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing also turned to look at him.

After a long pause, Zhang San suddenly laughed.

“Agree to one thing, and I’ll help you refine it.”

“Please speak, Senior Brother Zhang.” Xu Qing noted the wording—not “find someone to refine it,” but “I’ll refine it.”

“In the future, when you look at me, could you not stare at my neck? It’s so hot out… I’m afraid of the cold.” Zhang San winked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing thought for a moment, then shifted his gaze from Zhang San’s neck to his eyes.

Zhang San slapped his forehead and sighed.

“Your gaze always feels strange, like wherever you look is about to get injured. Forget it, forget it. It’s rare enough that you can change your gaze. I’ll help you refine it. But I’ll warn you upfront: when I refine a Dharma Boat, it’s very expensive…” With that, Zhang San jumped down from the cargo and beckoned Xu Qing to follow.

Xu Qing stood up, clasped his fists in salute, and followed. Soon, they arrived at the back of the Transport Department, where a massive warehouse stood. Pushing open the doors, a dazzling array of light from countless refining materials spilled out.

Xu Qing was stunned, noticing the variety and quality of the materials inside were extraordinary. He saw seven or eight Dharma Boats dismantled into pieces, and in the distance, half of a Coast Guard Department warship was being assembled…

There were even boats from other foreign races scattered around in disarray. For a moment, Xu Qing felt as if he had stepped into a Sixth Peak shop.

He couldn’t help but glance at Zhang San, who stood proudly beside him.

“What do you think? Let me tell you, among all the Seventh Peak disciples, I’m not much of a fighter, and my cultivation is average. But when it comes to refining boats, hmph, not many Sixth Peak disciples can match me. All these warehouses around here are filled with my work.” Zhang San clasped his hands behind his back, speaking with pride.

“And no one dares to come and steal them!”

“Senior Brother Zhang, are you really a Seventh Peak disciple?” Xu Qing hesitated, remembering the Captain’s instructions. He tried his best to widen his eyes, putting on an astonished expression as he asked.

“Your Captain asked the same thing back then, haha! It’s a pity I discovered this talent too late; otherwise, I’d be a core disciple of the Sixth Peak by now.” Zhang San thoroughly enjoyed Xu Qing’s expression, feeling immensely satisfied.

“Let me take a look at your Dharma Boat.”

Xu Qing’s eyes showed respect as he took out his Dharma Boat miniature bottle and handed it over. Zhang San accepted it, scanned it briefly, and frowned slightly but said nothing. Just as he was about to take it for refining, Xu Qing hesitated, then recalled the Captain’s teachings and spoke up.

“Senior Brother Zhang San, I think my Dharma Boat is quite well-refined. Many aspects of it have reached a high standard.”

“Quite well-refined? High standard?” Zhang San stopped in his tracks, his eyebrows shooting up into an inverted V-shape. He couldn’t help but exclaim.

“What kind of mess is this? The materials are one thing, but the craftsmanship is utterly terrible. And look at the sides of the hull—the formations are flawed.”

“The scale attachments are also wrong; they disrupt the boat’s structure, which will definitely affect the Spirit Gathering Formation. This has to be the work of those trash disciples from the Sixth Peak.”

“And the bow and stern—this is a sixth-level boat, not a first-level one. The focus shouldn’t be on appearance but on internal quality… Why make it so flashy? To attract enemies?”

“Practicality is the optimal choice!”

“Trash, it’s refined so poorly. This Dharma Boat of yours—if it doesn’t go to sea, fine. But once it encounters a storm or a large sea monster out there, under external forces, it simply lacks sufficient strength, rigidity, stability, and reliability. Maintaining some watertightness would already be its limit.”

Zhang San critiqued the Dharma Boat miniature bottle relentlessly.

Hearing this, Xu Qing was inwardly shaken, feeling that Zhang San’s words were highly professional. His respect deepened, and he bowed respectfully toward Zhang San.

Seeing Xu Qing like this, Zhang San felt smug and immensely pleased. He loved seeing fellow disciples, usually revered and feared by others, show admiration for his expertise. The Captain had been the same back then, though it had cost him many Spirit Stones afterward…

Originally, he hadn’t planned to critique this time, intending only to do a simple refinement. But Xu Qing’s comment about it being “quite well-refined” had made him unable to hold back.

However, Zhang San meant no malice; everything he said was correct. Such a Dharma Boat would be fine for ordinary disciples going to sea, but Xu Qing’s combat prowess meant he would challenge stronger sea beasts and venture into more dangerous areas. In that case, this kind of boat simply wouldn’t suffice.

“Judging by your direction, you probably prioritize durability. I’ll handle it for you. I guarantee your Dharma Boat can withstand multiple collisions from giant beasts at sea, as long as those beasts haven’t reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Even if it cracks, it won’t fall apart easily!” Zhang San waved his hand proudly, speaking with arrogance.

“Thank you, Senior Brother.” Xu Qing’s expression turned solemn. He then took out the Spirit Stones from his pouch.

“I have two hundred Spirit Stones here, and I need to reserve some for the sea voyage. I’m not sure if…” Xu Qing hesitated, feeling his Spirit Stones probably weren’t enough.

Zhang San glanced at the stones, then looked at Xu Qing. He recalled the words of the Sixth Team Captain, the scene in the Sixth Peak shop, the dragon-whale sounds from last night, the spiritual energy fluctuations he had just sensed from Xu Qing, and finally, the satisfaction he had gained from his earlier critique. Suppressing his heartache, he put on a relaxed demeanor.

“It’s enough. Kid, you might achieve great things in the future. I invested in your Captain back then, and you… I’ll consider it an investment too. Come pick it up tonight.” With that, Zhang San began to busy himself.

Xu Qing looked up, giving Zhang San a deep, meaningful glance. He expressed his gratitude solemnly, clasped his fists, and bowed deeply before leaving.

Only after Xu Qing had gone far did Zhang San let out a long sigh, muttering with a troubled expression.

“I’m losing money again. Every time I see these fast-rising cultivators, why can’t I overcome my weakness of showing off? I could have just done a casual refinement, but now… I have to live up to my own words.”

“Huh, wait. This kid’s demeanor is a bit similar to his Captain’s… But his Captain is petty; he didn’t give a single Spirit Stone back then, so stingy. This kid has more conscience than his Captain.”

But ultimately, he knew he was doing this for two reasons: first, because the Captain had recommended him, and second… he trusted the Captain’s judgment.

“This investment shouldn’t be a loss!”

Over the years, he had gone from being truly unknown to deliberately keeping a low profile, amassing such wealth, controlling the Transport Department, and ensuring no one dared to steal from him. All of this was because he had refined a boat for the Captain once.

Meanwhile, after leaving the Transport Department, Xu Qing wore a strange expression. He took out his transmission jade slip, hesitated for a moment, then sent a message to the Captain.

“Captain, is this really okay?”

“Did you say what I taught you to say?”

“I did…”

“Haha, then it’s fine. Don’t worry, Zhang San is one of us. That guy is loaded. If you feel like you’re taking advantage, just help him out more in the future.”

Xu Qing nodded seriously. He took out the bamboo slip and wrote Zhang San’s name on the other side. Then, flipping it over to the side engraved with enemies, he added another question mark after the Captain’s name.

Back at the Homicide Department, the Captain of the Sixth Team smiled as he ate a rare fruit unavailable in the main city, produced only on the islands of foreign races in the sea.

After finishing, he put down the transmission jade slip and picked up a report file accusing Zhang San. The file alleged that during an external mission, Zhang San had acted with excessive brutality, slaughtering too many and plundering foreign merchant ships. It strongly protested and demanded severe punishment.

Glancing at the file, the Captain chuckled softly. With a wave of his hand, the file burst into flames and turned to ash.

“My friends, as long as they don’t betray me, no one under this mountain can touch them.”