At a glance, aside from his extraordinary bearing, there was nothing particularly special about the young man. She couldn’t even sense the slightest ripple of cultivation from him.
But Su Wenjiu wasn’t foolish enough to mistake him for an ordinary person.
Being able to rescue her so easily from that black sea proved he was anything but ordinary. The lack of any cultivation aura could only mean one thing—his cultivation had reached a level where it was entirely under his control.
“May I ask if it was Senior who saved me?” Su Wenjiu asked cautiously and respectfully.
Zhong Qing didn’t deny it—he nodded. If he hadn’t scooped her up, this woman probably would never have escaped that pond.
“I am Su Wenjiu. I thank Senior for saving my life,” she quickly bowed in gratitude.
After expressing her thanks, she asked the question that had been weighing on her mind. “Senior, may I ask… what exactly is this pond?” Su Wenjiu glanced nervously at the little pond behind her, unable to resist asking.
“Bitter Sea,” Zhong Qing replied flatly.
“Bitter Sea?!!!”
As soon as he spoke, a thunderclap exploded in Su Wenjiu’s mind.
She had once heard from the sect elders that in the ancient Buddhist holy lands, there existed a heaven-defying treasure called the Bitter Sea.
It was said that those trapped in the Bitter Sea would never escape for eternity.
That’s why there was a saying—Bitter Sea has no shore.
“S-Senior, is this Bitter Sea the same one from the ancient Buddhist lands?” Su Wenjiu asked, breathing hard.
Zhong Qing sat on a small wooden stool, baiting his hook and tossing it into the pond as she spoke. Hearing her question, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
You’re asking me? Who should I ask?
Still, since it came from the system’s sign-in, and the system never gave ordinary items, this Bitter Sea probably was the one Su Wenjiu spoke of.
“If you say so, then perhaps it is,” Zhong Qing replied casually.
Su Wenjiu sucked in a breath of cold air. The more she thought about it, the more cold sweat ran down her back.
She had actually entered the Bitter Sea and made it out alive!!!
“Oh, looks like a fish is biting.”
Just then, the float in the pond moved. Zhong Qing’s eyes lit up.
Su Wenjiu followed his gaze—and was instantly stunned.
This man… was fishing in the Bitter Sea?
Before she could recover from the shock, Zhong Qing raised his rod, pulling out a small fish about two inches long, fiery red all over, species unknown.
But the moment she saw the fish, Su Wenjiu staggered back several steps, her face turning ghostly pale. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Because the instant she saw that fish, she recalled the massive creature she had seen in the Bitter Sea.
From above, it looked like a dragon or a flood serpent, entirely crimson.
Especially its arched back—although the size was now different, the shape and the scales were something Su Wenjiu would never forget.
While she stood there in shock, the fish looked back at her.
And then a voice echoed in her mind, “Little one, we really are fated. I didn’t expect you to escape the Bitter Sea too.”
The voice exploded in her mind like thunder.
The fish Zhong Qing had just caught… was actually that massive creature she had seen in the Bitter Sea!!!
Her expression turned to pure panic.
Her gaze at Zhong Qing grew even more unfathomable.
Using just a bamboo rod, he’d fished out a creature from the Bitter Sea that was on par with divine beasts—what kind of divine means was that?
“Little one, no need to be surprised. He is the master of the Bitter Sea. He was helping me escape.”
“We were both saved by him. We owe him a life debt.”
“You’re human, so you might still have a chance to serve your benefactor well.”
“But my only worth… is to provide him with a dish—steamed or fried.”
“Cherish it. I’m heading off to reincarnation now.”
As the voice ended, the fish was already tucked away by Zhong Qing into his fish basket.
But Su Wenjiu’s heart couldn’t calm down for a long time.
Master of the Bitter Sea.
What kind of concept was that?!
She couldn’t even begin to imagine.
Looking at Zhong Qing again, her initial gratitude and respect had turned into fear and submission.
It was like an ant recognizing its insignificance in front of an elephant.
“Right, I haven’t asked—what are you doing at my Command Hall Peak?” Zhong Qing baited his hook again, then tilted his head to look at Su Wenjiu.
That question stunned Su Wenjiu.
If her guess was right, Zhong Qing was likely Lin Feng’s master.
And her original plan was to negotiate with Lin Feng’s master—to ask for Lin Feng as her disciple.
She even considered using force if persuasion didn’t work.
But now? How could she possibly say that out loud? This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Where would she even find the courage?
Thinking back, falling into the Bitter Sea might not have been such a bad thing.
If not for that unexpected turn, she might’ve barged in and directly demanded Lin Feng from Zhong Qing.
Who knows? Maybe she would’ve been turned to dust on the spot.
Though she suffered in the Bitter Sea, at least she survived.
“Hmm?” Zhong Qing saw her silent for too long and looked at her again.
Facing his gaze, Su Wenjiu became even more nervous.
She hadn’t figured out what to say and could only force a smile. “Senior, if I said I was just passing by… would you believe me?”
“What do you think?” Zhong Qing tilted his head and looked at her.
“Hehehe, I wouldn’t believe it either.”
Su Wenjiu wanted to bury herself in a hole. Under Zhong Qing’s gaze, she was so panicked she nearly cried.
Just then, a young figure flew through the snowy sky and landed beside them.
“Disciple greets Master.”
The newcomer was Lin Feng.
“What brings you here all of a sudden, disciple?” Zhong Qing asked with a smile.
“Master, in another month or so, I may break through to the Celestial Profound Realm,” Lin Feng said respectfully. “After that, I have some personal matters to handle, so I wanted to apply in advance to leave the mountain for a bit. I hope Master will allow it.”
“If there’s something you need to take care of, of course you may go.” Zhong Qing smiled, patting his head gently.
However—
The moment Su Wenjiu saw Lin Feng, she froze.
Exactly what she feared had come true.
She did everything she could to stay out of sight, terrified that Zhong Qing would notice.
But Lin Feng spotted her instantly.
“You?” Lin Feng looked at Su Wenjiu in surprise.
Su Wenjiu’s heart sank.
“Oh, you know each other?” Zhong Qing asked, glancing at Lin Feng.
“Reporting to Master. To stabilize my cultivation and gain real-world combat experience, I went to train in the mountains a hundred miles from here. That’s where I encountered her,” Lin Feng respectfully explained. “She saw how fast I was improving and tried to convince me to leave you and become her disciple…”