Love Across Mountains and Seas

Unfortunately, Yellowbeard refused to budge an inch further this time. Ji Jue had expended an enormous amount of effort just to pry another half-portion of Swarm Primordial Blood from his jaws. He felt like he could still squeeze in another bargaining cut. However, Yellowbeard was gripping his flamberge so hard his knuckles popped, his expression growing uglier by the second. Ji Jue feared that if he bargained any further, the next strike wouldn't be a price cut, but a sword slicing straight through his own neck. Meanwhile, over on Old Tom's side, that transformation skill seemed to depend entirely on luck and couldn't be summoned at will, so Ji Jue had no choice but to drop the matter. *Damn, it still feels like I lost out on a ton!* Still, since the negotiations were finished and the deal was struck, it was time to start carving up the spoils... Only after coming back to his senses did Ji Jue realize that the onlookers from the Wild Gathering, who had gathered around to watch the spectacle, had somehow collectively backed away by an entire circle. "Hmm? What's wrong?" Ji Jue gripped Pan Ying and looked around in confusion. "No, no, no, it's nothing!" Blondie wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "Brother Ji, please continue. Don't mind us!" In the silence, everyone instinctively shuffled back another step. No one even cared about enjoying the drama anymore. The looks they cast in this direction were overwhelmingly complicated—shock, bewilderment, and, in a sense, wary dread and awe. Terrifying. Craftsmen were just too damn terrifying. *Bro, just how many ways are you going to cook this one fish?!* Grinding his bones to dust after he died wasn't enough; while he was still alive, you had to wring out every last drop of grease and surplus value. Having your cake and eating it too didn't even begin to cover it—not a single scrap was wasted! Thank goodness Pacquiao's son had died early, or who knew what... Oh, right, Pacquiao's son died at your hands too, so never mind. *Did everyone see that clearly?* *From now on, all of you stay far away from Xinquan!* *If you accidentally cross Ji Jue, you're utterly doomed...* Amidst sounds that made people's scalps tingle, Ji Jue and Yellowbeard had already begun processing while the iron was hot. Dealing with Pacquiao wasn't the end of it. While the other materials were still fresh and warm, Ji Jue worked even harder to scrub down his spoils. For the surviving water ghosts, anyone with a name, reputation, or usable skill had their picture taken to see if there was any remaining surplus value. If not, they were sent into the workshop as fine raw materials. As for the no-name hoodlums who had popped up from who-knows-where, they joyfully received brand-new jobs, sent by the tender-hearted Director Ji into the newly opened underground rehabilitation workshop to undergo reformation. Granted, they were a bunch of petty clowns and small-time scoundrels with limited ability and few blessings, who could never hope to achieve much in this lifetime, but at least they still had life! Moreover, possessing life and a soul meant they also possessed spiritus! With so many prime psionic batteries on hand, shouldn't they be put to good use? After touring Ji Jue's reform workshop and rehabilitation assembly lines, even Yellowbeard gave a thumbs-up—the younger generation truly surpassed the old. When it came to being an absolute scoundrel, nobody could outdo him! One had to understand that most Celestial Chosen were wild and untamed, and this bunch of water ghosts—whom even the Great Sins wouldn't take in—had long since rotted to the core. They were complete garbage. Yet Director Ji loved nothing more than reshaping people. First, an explosive chip was implanted in the brain, followed by disciplinary electrodes along the spine. After gouging out their hearts, a mechanized replacement was brought to life on the spot via Deus Ex Machina. Then, with a splash of vitality squeezed from Great Sin scales injected into them, they underwent a complete transformation, emerging as entirely new men! In particular, the specially designed hearts incorporated Solid Alchemy, capable of extracting spiritus at any time according to precise calculations. This kept the modified subjects in a state where they couldn't die, yet barely lived, all without hindering their ability to work and study. The power source for the hearts relied on wireless charging, strictly confined within the boundaries of Xinquan. Once outside Xinquan, the charge could no longer be sustained—not to mention the chip in their skulls that would instantly detonate if disconnected from the Wi-Fi. Upon recognizing reality, the new employees broke into tears under the 'warm assistance' of the veteran workers, weeping with profound emotion as they dedicated themselves to the grand cause of transforming their lives and altering the wasteland. "I am guilty! I brought harm to the world!" "I have failed my parents!" "I have let down all living souls!" ... Amidst heavy confessions and wails of sorrow, Haian Industries began running once more. This battle, which had lasted barely an hour or so, had only just ended, yet the reorganization and reconstruction of Xinquan were already underway. Most of the collapsed structures were merely shacks or temporary dwellings erected later, so the losses were negligible. Moreover, backed by the tens of billions in subsidies from the Seven Cities, Ji Jue was rubbing his hands together in eager anticipation. Rebuild Xinquan! Whatever little they had lost had already been recouped dozens, if not hundreds of times over from the water ghosts who had delivered themselves right to his doorstep! Unfortunately, such a bargain only came once. Now that those scoundrels had learned their lesson, they probably wouldn't dare deliver themselves so conveniently again. Still, it didn't matter. If the mountain wouldn't come to him, couldn't he go to the mountain? As the saying went: *Love across mountains and seas, yet mountains and seas can be flattened.* The mortal world was vast, and countless souls awaited transformation. Hearing the desperate cries of his future employees, how could Ji Jue possibly turn his back on them? The growth of Haian Industries was bound to flourish by leaps and bounds! It was foreseeable that for the foreseeable future, even during the rainy season, the entirety of Xinquan would be swamped with work—not just rebuilding structures, but driving further expansion. They had no choice but to expand. What had previously seemed more than adequate capacity was now stretched thin. Aside from the newly launched wind power generation and water supply projects, Ji Jue planned to branch into shipbuilding and vessel maintenance. After all, now that the Longjiang River had been diverted back to the old estuary, future development could rely on maritime transport. Not to mention, there were so many ships left behind by the water ghosts. Regrettably, those now bore the surname Chen. The Wild Gathering didn't work for free. When they had divided the spoils earlier, an agreement had already been reached. On top of that, they required Ji Jue's cooperation and terms for upcoming joint ventures. 'Grow bigger, grow stronger, and forge greater glories' was a shared obsession in every leader's heart. The aspiration for Ascension resided in the essence of all ensouled beings, impossible to eradicate. After securing the position of Dragon Head, Chen Xingzhou was naturally unwilling to remain confined to a single corner of Haizhou. While the various branches of the Wild Gathering within the Federation were at each other's throats, the Thousand Islands outside the Federation represented an untapped blue ocean. He intended to ally with Dragon Heads from other regions, taking advantage of the chaotic turmoil to test their strength against peers in the Thousand Islands. Pacquiao had to die. If he didn't die, how could the market open up? Ling Liu had coveted it, but wasn't Chen Xingzhou just as hungry? This was merely the first step. Once refitted, the ships stranded in the Longjiang River would be registered under Chen Yubo's Yulou Trading to spearhead their entry into maritime shipping and trade. As for success or failure, that would depend on how he wrestled with Ling Liu, how many more players he drew into the game, and what bridges he managed to build toward the Northern Realm through these connections. With reconstruction entailing a thousand tangled threads, even Ji Jue was run ragged, leaving him no time to check on Old Tom. He worked all the way until dawn, which was when An Neng—who had vanished for an entire night—finally resurfaced. Aside from a singed lock of hair, he was completely in one piece. He still wore that palm-tree T-shirt and floral shorts, dangling a cigarette from his mouth with a careless swagger. Holding a plastic bag in hand, he popped up from behind like a ghost. Only this time, Ji Jue actually sensed him first. To be precise, it wasn't An Neng he sensed. It was the large black plastic bag in his hand... Heavy, as if stuffed with something. It instinctively provoked a pang of thirst within him, making his heart surge with an impulse to accelerate, though it was suppressed by Deus Ex Machina before it could. "How did it go?" Ji Jue turned around as if nothing had happened, greeting him with a smile. "Not great," An Neng muttered with a twitch of his lip. "Slipped away." "Those bastards from Entropy... Youshuang's lot, they have that one annoying trick. Once they turn into pure energy, they can split themselves whenever they want. Even if half of them dies, build a fire, toast them a bit, and they grow right back. It's ridiculously convenient for running away." The corruption of an Entropy-path Chosen was inherently an uncontrollable conversion into energy, taking diverse forms such as combustion, freezing, vaporization, or light conversion. Those who turned to embrace the Great Sin might miraculously retain a shred of consciousness amidst the aberration, but they could no longer be called human. Having turned into such monstrous abominations, they naturally had no fear of splitting. They executed this trick far more smoothly and skillfully than ordinary Celestial Chosen, and when pushed to the brink, they could even split their souls entirely. As long as a single spark remained, the embers could reignite. Wiping them out completely was an absolute pain. "Still, it wasn't a wasted trip." An Neng swung the plastic bag in his hand. "At least I snagged this." Ji Jue glanced at it curiously and asked naturally, "What's that?" Yet An Neng fell silent. As if deep in thought, he swung the plastic bag, looked at Ji Jue, and then glanced beyond Xinquan—more specifically, toward the distant, broken Quancheng Ruins. As though struck by a sudden realization, he let out an involuntary chuckle. "I think I get it now." He blew out a smoke ring and remarked with feeling, "You brat... you're really lucky as hell." *Riddlers, get the hell out of here!* Ji Jue rolled his eyes, losing interest in asking. But An Neng abruptly leaned in, throwing an arm around his shoulder with familiar warmth: "Hey, kid!" "Huh?" Disgusted, Ji Jue tried to pull back, attempting to shove him off. *Are all you people from the House of An this overly familiar? Can't you maintain any social distance?!* Unfortunately, he couldn't shake him off. "Don't be a stranger! Whatever is between you and Xiao Ning, as her uncle, I don't really care. It's up to you two." An Neng's smile grew increasingly frivolous and peculiar. "So, when do you plan on having a pup with my niece?" Ji Jue froze for a long moment, a chill running down his spine as his eyes widened in sheer shock. *Are you insane?!* *Or have I lost my mind?!* *Uncle, take a listen to the pure crap coming out of your mouth!* Seeing Ji Jue dumbstruck and looking as though he were facing a mortal enemy, An Neng laughed up toward the sky, offering no further explanation. "Uncle's giving you a good thing—consider it my wedding contribution! "Don't be so quick to refuse. In the future, you'll realize just how good your uncle was to you." With that, he tossed the plastic bag straight into Ji Jue's chest. Ji Jue caught it instinctively, only to feel the spiritus within him churn and surge, like an extinguished flame reigniting. Even under the suppression of Deus Ex Machina, his heartbeat showed faint signs of accelerating. In short, it felt like... Hunger and thirst?! In a daze, the darkness of his nightmare seemed to rise before his eyes once more, along with that expanse of flame burning silently as if deep beneath the ocean. So familiar. "What... is this?" Maintaining a puzzled expression, he lowered his head and opened the plastic bag. Inside lay only a broken arm, crushed into mash as if battered by a sledgehammer, its original appearance barely recognizable. The moment it made contact with the air, wisps of lightning and flame sparked from it, only to be promptly suppressed by a spike driven through it. It could not morph. An Neng took the cigarette from his mouth, exhaled a puff of smoke, and grinned. "A limb freshly harvested from a Sin Fiend, nothing more." A familiar aura of corruption, yet beneath it lay something distinct. Ji Jue frowned, examining it closely. It was remarkably pure and distinct. Even the darkness was pure black—an unadulterated aura of the Great Sin, devoid of the slightest trace of Sovereign Virtue. It bore an almost fundamental distinction from the muddy, corrupted spiritus of ordinary mutated abominations... He froze, a figure suddenly surfacing in his mind. Lu Changsheng. More precisely, the way Lu Changsheng had appeared just before his death. "Sin Fiend?" Ji Jue asked casually. "What's that?" "Yeah, what is it? Probably something akin to a wolf, I guess?" An Neng shrugged. "That's all I can tell you. As for the rest, you'll have to find the answers yourself." He paused, as if suddenly remembering Ji Jue's usual habits, and smacked his forehead in a hurried warning: "I know you craftsmen love tinkering with things the Association forbids, but don't you dare waste this! "If someone comes looking to buy it from you later, don't sell it short. Remember to demand an exorbitant price and squeeze them for every penny." "A thing like this?" Ji Jue let out a 'speechless' sigh. "Who would even want it?" At that, An Neng's smile grew even more amused. Finally, he gave a deeply meaningful grin. "When someone takes the initiative to ask you for it, you'll understand." *** A few hours later, just as the sky was beginning to pale with dawn, Ji Jue received a message from Lyu Yingyue. [All finished?]