Chapter 1 The Beginning
In full view of the crowd, Zhou Jing flew across the river and landed gracefully on the shore. He casually threw the shivering Kong Bao on the ground and withdrew his magic.

Twenty or thirty villagers prostrated themselves on the ground, their faces filled with excitement, calling him a divine immortal.

Looking at the scene before him, Zhou Jing couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Sure enough, this wind-summoning technique was too convenient for playing tricks in this world.

However, he only needed to bewitch others, to make them believe he had supernatural powers. He didn't need to call himself a divine immortal for now… Setting the tone too high would be hard to manage, so it was better to leave others with room for imagination.

With this in mind, Zhou Jing raised his palm slightly and said with a smile, "Please rise, everyone. I am not a divine immortal descended from the heavens, but merely a mountain hermit. There is no need to worship me."

Hearing this, the villagers hesitated before rising, mustering their courage to look at Zhou Jing.

Getting a closer look, the crowd was immediately startled, feeling that Zhou Jing's appearance was very strange, with a high nose, deep eyes, fair skin, and short hair that was black with hints of brown, unlike ordinary people.

The villagers quickly lowered their heads again, not daring to look too much, their reverence increasing, and they couldn't help but feel strange.

——*An extraordinary person has an extraordinary appearance*, he is worthy of being a divine immortal.

Seeing that the crowd did not dare to speak, Zhou Jing took the initiative to say:

"I am Ling Fengzi, a person from beyond, cultivating in the mountains and fields for a long time, not stepping into the mortal world. Recently, I felt restless in stillness, and entered the mortal world, seeking opportunities to understand the secrets of heaven, heading to Ning Tian Prefecture. Passing through this place, I encountered this boatman, who wanted to harm my life in the river, and I captured him. Do you know this person's background?"

Hearing this question from the seemingly divine master, the villagers dared not not answer.

An old man who seemed to be the village chief came out and said with trepidation:

"This man is called Kong Bao, a bandit in the nearby Green Forest. He often pretends to be a boatman, carrying passengers back and forth across the river, robbing and killing them in the river. The people in the nearby fishing villages all know this person, but this person is skilled in martial arts, excellent in water skills, and has extraordinary skills. We can't do anything about him. In addition, Kong Bao generally only harms travelers from other places and does not invade us, so we let him be. Now that this thief has been caught by the Dragon King, it is his retribution for his evil deeds."

Zhou Jing listened normally at first, but couldn't help but laugh at the last sentence, saying:

"Old man, I am not a divine immortal, let alone the Dragon King. Call me Ling Fengzi, or Daoist, either is fine."

"Understood, understood! Dragon… Daoist's instructions, I will definitely keep them in mind."

The village chief nodded repeatedly, but in his heart, he was even more certain, feeling that the Dragon King was visiting incognito, so he didn't want people to reveal his identity.

Zhou Jing did not insist, looked at Kong Bao, pondered for a few seconds, and then said:

"Since he is a lone water bandit, you should tie up this person and take him to the authorities."

Hearing this, Kong Bao hurriedly turned over and knelt down, shouting, "Daoist Grandpa! I will never dare to do it again! I am willing to surrender and serve you from now on!"

"…What are you dreaming about?"

Zhou Jing was speechless, and heavily poked Kong Bao's neck with his fingers, directly knocking him unconscious.

Star Realm Apostle Bill's physical fitness is now 25 points, only a little weaker than Chen Feng's initial physical fitness. By the current standards of this world, he is also an "extremely skilled person" with considerable strength.

He currently wants Bill to take the upper-class route, so taking this person with him would be troublesome.

Moreover, he had just scanned Kong Bao's attributes. His martial arts were not high, and among the Green Forest heroes Chen Feng knew, his skills were not even in the top ranks.

If he assumed that Lu Yunzhao's martial arts value was 90, then Kong Bao's was at most just over 70, not very powerful, only able to bully ordinary people.

"Thank you, Daoist, for eliminating this scourge for us."

The villagers quickly thanked him, mustered their courage to step forward, and tied Kong Bao tightly with ropes.

Zhou Jing ignored this matter and changed the subject, carefully asking these locals about the geographical situation of the area.

The crowd answered all questions, and soon he understood the situation nearby.

This place was only three or four days away from Ning Tian Prefecture. Going down the river, he could reach the port west of Ning Tian Prefecture, called Ximen Ferry (West Gate Ferry), which was one of the busiest water transport docks in Ning Tian Prefecture, and also a large bend in the Chunshan River.

Ships from the south and north docked there, loading and unloading goods. It could be said that thousands of ships crossed the river, with sails like clouds, a lively scene.

Zhou Jing's eyes flashed, and he had an idea.

‘Since I want to take the route of playing tricks, I don't necessarily have to use the idea of ​​slowly accumulating fame, it's better to do something big… I want to become famous in Ning Tian Prefecture and take the upper-class route, so it is best to quickly hook up with the wealthy families and influential clans in the city, such as creating a popular hot spot that can spread throughout the city in a short time, so there must be enough witnesses… Since that Ning Tian Prefecture ferry is so lively every day, going there to do a wave of things will undoubtedly be twice the result with half the effort.’

Zhou Jing felt it was more and more feasible.

Directly create a sensation throughout the city, let those upper-class figures know about his "divine person", and then take the initiative to visit and invite him as a guest of honor… This is definitely better than him going to the door to swindle and deceive.

This is marketing himself!

However, at the beginning, he could take the initiative to hook up with a wealthy family, and let the other party help solve his trivial problems such as not having identification, which would be convenient and easy to use.

Having obtained the information he wanted, Zhou Jing did not delay any longer, and immediately left the village and headed towards Ximen Ferry (West Gate Ferry) in Ning Tian Prefecture.

After he left, the villagers were still immersed in the experience of meeting a divine immortal today, talking about it with relish in the village, and it was given the title of "Dragon King Teasing Water Bandit".

Some people even set up simple incense altars at home to worship this "Dragon King".

In addition, the villagers did not delay, and several people escorted Kong Bao and set off for the county seat.

…

Three days passed in a flash.

Zhou Jing had been traveling along the river.

Although he was penniless, he had the item analysis function, so he was not afraid of being hungry in the wild, and picking some fruits was enough to fill his stomach. He could also use the wind to roll down birds and have some meat.

He was not idle on the road, and he analyzed and identified any plants he encountered to familiarize himself with the plants and herbs of this world.

As he moved forward, the road became wider and wider, the number of pedestrians gradually increased, and ships began to appear frequently on the river.

Zhou Jing followed the road forward and finally saw the outline of Ning Tian Prefecture.

This was a majestic city with a dragon coiled and a tiger crouching, with a large river in front, mountains on the side, natural dangers, and a unique situation.

Not far away, the river surface was Ximen Ferry (West Gate Ferry), like a large lake, with hundreds of ships of all sizes parked, the larger ones being merchant ships and cargo ships as tall as buildings, and the smaller ones being fishing boats that could only seat three or four people.

From a distance, he could hear the noisy and chaotic sounds of the ferry dock, a scene of prosperity.

"Sure enough, it's prosperous, many times more lively than Anlin Prefecture."

Zhou Jing was overjoyed.

He did not enter the city, avoided the pedestrians, followed the wild forest slopes beside the road, and came to the bank of the river all the way, looked towards the ferry along the height-parallel water surface.

"Whether I can fool the people of the entire Ning Tian Prefecture depends on this wave…"

Zhou Jing pondered in his heart, borrowed the reflection of the water to tidy up his appearance, and then calmed his mind and acted.

At the same time.

A merchant ship was sailing on the river, getting closer and closer to Ximen Ferry (West Gate Ferry).

A middle-aged man in fancy clothes with white hair on his temples stood at the bow of the ship, looking at Ning Tian Prefecture with worry on his face.

Next to him was a young man with similar facial features, wearing a light blue scholar's robe, and opened his mouth to comfort him:

"Father, don't worry, we have invited Doctor Zhang, and the Old Master will definitely be cured."

The middle-aged man in fancy clothes sighed:

"I have searched all the famous doctors in Ning Tian Prefecture, and no one knows the Old Master's illness. If this 'Miraculous Hand' Zhang Jinduan, who has such a great reputation in the medical field, can cure the Old Master's strange disease, then I will not have sought him out in person in vain… Otherwise, if the Old Master falls, the Ye family will lose its pillar, and there will probably be chaos. The other branches have been coveting the position of the head of the family for more than a day or two."

This middle-aged man's name was Ye Shunzhong, and he was in charge of the Dafang (main branch) of the Ning Tian Ye family. The young man next to him was called Ye Yingguang, and he was the son of Ye Shunzhong.

The Ning Tian Ye family was a wealthy merchant in the Jiangchun area, with businesses all over several states, with a huge fortune, and was famous throughout the south.

Within this Ning Tian Prefecture, the Ye family was even more well-known. In the mouths of well-meaning people in the market, the Ye family had been fighting with the other two wealthy households in the city for the title of "Ning Tian's Richest Man" for many years. Gu Lü

But three months ago, the Old Master who was in charge of the Ye family fell ill, and the Ye family hired doctors to come to the door for treatment with heavy money.

Wealth moves people's hearts, and almost all the doctors in the city temporarily abandoned the common people who came to see them for treatment and gathered at the Ye family for consultation, almost breaking down the Ye family's threshold, but in the end, no one knew what disease the Ye Old Master had contracted.

The matter also spread throughout the city, and the entire Ning Tian Prefecture knew that Ye Old Master had contracted an unknown strange disease, which became a topic of conversation.

Ye Shunzhong was in charge of the Dafang (main branch) and had been cultivated as a successor early on. After the Old Master fell ill, his body became worse day by day, and he had been anxiously searching for famous doctors.

Not long ago, he learned that Zhang Jinduan, one of the three famous doctors in the medical field, was traveling in the Jiangchun area, so he hurried to ask him to come to Ning Tian Prefecture to treat Ye Old Master. This was almost his last hope.

At this time, a green-robed old man carrying a medicine box walked out of the cabin, saw the Ye family father and son, and then walked over.

As soon as he saw this person, Ye Shunzhong immediately saluted and said:

"Doctor Zhang, Ning Tian Prefecture is almost here. If you can cure my Old Master, the Ye family will be grateful for Doctor Zhang's kindness and will definitely reward you handsomely."

"Brother Ye, you don't have to be like this, the old man will do everything in his power."

The green-robed old man hurriedly cupped his hands in return. He was Zhang Jinduan, one of the three famous doctors in the medical field.

The two exchanged pleasantries, and the Ye family's merchant ship slowly docked at Ximen Ferry (West Gate Ferry).

At this moment, countless ships on the river suddenly sounded a burst of uproar, echoing in the sky.

Ye Shunzhong looked over and was slightly stunned.

He saw countless boatmen running around on the hundreds of ships parked in front of the ferry, gathering on the side of the ships, pointing to the direction of their Ye family's merchant ship and exclaiming again and again.

The content of the shouts floated with the river wind, intermittently, not clear enough, but he could only vaguely hear words such as "divine immortal," "Dragon King," and "River God."

"What happened?"

Ye Shunzhong couldn't understand, so he simply followed the direction pointed by countless sailors in front and looked back.

At this sight, his whole body was struck by lightning, his jaw almost dislocated, and he was suddenly stunned.

On the river not far away, there was actually a black-robed man stepping on the water surface, with ripples forming with each step, walking slowly as if he were strolling in a garden.

"This… Could this be a divine immortal?!"

Ye Shunzhong and the other three were shaken, and their eyes could not be moved away.

Under the stunned gazes of countless people at the ferry, this figure came stepping on the river!

His demeanor was free and easy, as if an immortal was strolling, walking step by step towards the ferry along the river.

At this moment, it seemed that all the ships on the river had disappeared, and only this person was left in the world, like a lone swan.

Countless people at the ferry were so shocked that they were speechless, standing there dumbfounded, watching the man stepping on the river without blinking.

Just then, this figure happened to walk to the side of the Ye family's merchant ship, quite close. On the ship, they could already look down and see the appearance of this person clearly.

Ye Shunzhong shuddered and came back to his senses. Without saying a word, he bowed on the ship, respectfully, and said excitedly:

"How fortunate I am to see the face of an immortal! Immortal above, please accept my bow!"

Zhou Jing heard someone talking, turned his head and looked up at the ship next to him, and saw Ye Shunzhong poking his head out from the side of the ship. At first glance, he was a wealthy family.

His heart moved, and he suddenly used the mad wind to rise into the air.

Under the watchful eyes of the public, he flew onto the Ye family's merchant ship.

Ye Shunzhong and others were taken aback and hurriedly bowed down, shouting words like "greetings, immortal."

"It's just some supernatural means, don't be surprised. I am not an immortal, you don't have to perform such a great salute."

Zhou Jing said calmly and casually.

These people were dressed gorgeously, either rich or noble. This time, he was not as kind as he was to the country villagers, but instead assumed an air of composure, a calm demeanor of a reclusive master.

Hearing this, Ye Shunzhong and others dared to straighten up, and they also saw Zhou Jing's extraordinary appearance. They were surprised in their hearts, but they did not dare to show it at all.

Zhou Jing put his hands behind his back, looked at the leading Ye Shunzhong, and asked:

"Who are you?"

Ye Shunzhong did not know what Zhou Jing meant, and did not dare to neglect, so he mustered up his courage, cupped his hands and saluted, and said:

"I am Ye Shunzhong. Seeing the immortal means of a master, I was momentarily moved and could not control myself, so I couldn't help but speak… I wonder if I can know the name of the master?"

"I am Ling Fengzi."

Zhou Jing reported his pseudonym, and then pretended to be profound and slowly said:

"Since you have the courage to talk to me, I will give you a chance."

Ye Shunzhong was stunned and suddenly overjoyed.

This immortal-like figure was actually going to give him a chance? Could it be like the strange stories in folk tales, that he had met a divine immortal and received an opportunity?!

Before Ye Shunzhong could ask in detail, Zhou Jing pretended to be calm and said:

"I will stay in Ning Tian Prefecture for some time, seeking the secrets of heaven. Since you and I are destined, I will temporarily live in your house and let you handle all the trivial matters for me… Do you want this opportunity or not?"

These words were shameless, equivalent to catching a sucker, not only asking people to spend money to entertain him, but also saying that this opportunity was given to the other party by him…

But Zhou Jing was not embarrassed.

If ordinary people said this, they would probably be beaten up.

However, he had just displayed immortal means, gaining the upper hand first, and had already stunned the wealthy family on this ship. Now, this pretentious demeanor made people even more unsure of his background.

Moreover, he was not completely blind.

He deliberately staged a "stepping on the river" scene at the lively ferry. With so many eyewitnesses, his reputation would definitely spread throughout Ning Tian Prefecture in a very short time.

A mysterious person suspected of being a divine immortal, living in this person's house, can bring this person many intangible values ​​such as prestige and influence under the cultural background of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Zhou Jing specifically boarded the ship, intending to first hook up with a wealthy household, solve his identity problems, and at the same time use this as a springboard to meet more dignitaries and gain a foothold in the city.

If it succeeded, this person could also get countless benefits, then the "opportunity" given today would come true.

Ye Shunzhong really ate this set, and hurriedly agreed:

"It is an honor for my Ye family that a master is willing to stay in my Ye family!"

He only felt that this person who claimed to be Ling Fengzi was extremely mysterious. Moreover, the so-called "seeking the secrets of heaven" that this person vaguely revealed also made him extremely interested. He felt itchy in his heart, but he didn't dare to ask the other party, so he could only hold it back in his heart and fantasize.

It wasn't that Ye Shunzhong had no doubts, but when he thought of the scene of Zhou Jing stepping on the river and rising in the wind just now, he only felt that he might as well believe it.

Agreeing to it would at most cost some money. Even if this person was a Jianghu swindler, what could he do if one more person mooched off food and drink? Not to mention one person, even if a hundred people came to eat and drink for free, he wouldn't blink an eye.

His Ye family didn't have much else, but they had a lot of money!

If this person really had a great background, then he would be extremely lucky. If he rejected this opportunity now, he would definitely regret it ten thousand times in the future.

Ye Shunzhong calculated very clearly, so naturally he would not reject Zhou Jing's seemingly excessive request.

Seeing this, a smile rose from the corner of Zhou Jing's mouth, but it quickly disappeared.

He deliberately did not make any grateful response, just hummed indifferently, and said slowly:

"Very good, the ship has not yet entered the port, so tell me about your Ye family."