CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 45 EAST PORT CHEN FAMILY

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Unless Chen Fangjie is not at East Port, if he does not come to greet us, it would be a complete disregard of the Wang Family.

Given the deep kinship between the two families, such a disrespectful thing would certainly not happen.

Sure enough, after Wang Dinghai responded with flag signals, the ship on the other side quickly approached. Standing at the bow was a young man in a strong outfit, appearing heroic and handsome.

With Wang Shouzhe’s vision, he recognized the young man from afar. It was none other than the Young Clan Leader of the East Port Chen Family, Chen Fangjie. Last year, after his engagement to Wang Shouzhe’s elder sister Wang Luoyi, he had come to visit the Wang Family.

When Wang Dingyue passed away, he also came on behalf of the Chen Family to offer condolences. However, because they had not yet officially married, he could not observe mourning rites.

Chen Fangjie obviously also saw Wang Shouzhe, and a smile appeared on his face. He kicked off from the ship’s railing, leaping like an arrow from a bow, and after a mid-air roll, landed steadily on the deck.

Smiling, he clasped his hands together in salute to Wang Shouzhe, and complained, "Shouzhe, if you were coming to East Port, you should have informed me a few days earlier, so I could send a ship to bring you over."

"Greetings, Brother Chen," Wang Shouzhe returned the salute, "The decision was made too hastily, please forgive me, Brother Chen."

Indeed, this Chen Fangjie was to be his future brother-in-law. However, until they were officially married, he could not address him casually.

As they spoke, Wang Shouzhe quietly observed him. Compared to the previous year, Chen Fangjie, now a year older, exuded even more vigor. Even Wang Shouzhe’s own strength could not clearly see through his cultivation.

Clearly, at such a young age, Chen Fangjie had already reached the seventh layer of the Qi Refining Realm, and not just at the initial entry. This already made him an exceptional young talent, seeming outwardly to match Wang Shouzhe closely.

However, Wang Shouzhe remained calm and confident internally. Overall, Chen Fangjie’s level was at most comparable to what Wang Shouzhe had before his transmigration. As for the current Wang Shouzhe, he was confident that by the time he reached Chen Fangjie’s age, his cultivation would far surpass his.

At the same time, Chen Fangjie was also secretly appraising Wang Shouzhe, internally surprised. Previously, he had thought Wang Shouzhe’s talent was excellent and his cultivation diligent, but his overall demeanor still needed refinement.

Yet, in such a short time, he found that Wang Shouzhe’s bearing and poise had transformed tremendously. More astonishingly, Wang Shouzhe’s aura subtly exerted pressure on him, as if nearing a breakthrough to the seventh layer of the Qi Refining Realm.

Eighteen years old and already at the seventh layer of the Qi Refining Realm!

In the entire Changning Guard Region, this was already exceptionally rare. Back when he was the same age, he only reached the seventh layer at nineteen. It seems this future brother-in-law is anything but simple.

With this thought, Chen Fangjie’s affinity towards him grew stronger. "Shouzhe, why such formality between us? After we meet my father, I’ll take you on a good tour around Chen Port to unwind."

"Brother Chen, under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t decline." Wang Shouzhe laughed, "But after visiting Uncle, I must rush to the Hundred Islands Guard."

Although he held the title of Clan Leader, the Chen Family’s Clan Leader, Chen Dewei, was his sister’s future father-in-law, considered an elder, and it was only right to pay him a visit when passing through.

"Hundred Islands Guard." Chen Fangjie’s expression turned slightly serious, "You mentioned this in the letter you sent earlier, but Shouzhe, I must remind you, the Hundred Islands Guard is a remote offshore city, where Longzuo County’s influence is weak, and it’s a mix of various people, unlike the orderly Changning Guard."

"Brother Chen, I’m aware," Wang Shouzhe replied solemly, "However, I do need the Chen Family’s assistance in planning the route for this journey."

Traveling further along the Anjiang, exiting the estuary leads directly into the East Sea Region.

The boat borrowed by Uncle Wang Dinghai navigated the Anjiang without issue, but entering the sea would be vastly different. A sea vessel needs not only to be large and stable but also to have excellent storm resistance and experienced seamen for navigation.

In short, navigating the vast, enigmatic sea is not easy, especially in such a mystical world.

"It’s not really troublesome," Chen Fangjie hesitated slightly, "As you might already know, our Chen Family’s merchant ships travel to the Hundred Islands Guard once a month, transporting mostly goods. Besides the crew quarters, there are a dozen cabins reserved for passengers. The overall conditions are rather basic. If you insist on going, I can make room for a few slots, and we could depart this afternoon, reaching the Hundred Islands Guard by the morning after tomorrow, but our ship can only stay there for five days."

A sea voyage requires a significant investment, and the costs are high. The routes, tides, and weather all need careful calculation and assessment.

Wang Shouzhe, of course, would not be rude enough to request a separate voyage exclusively for himself and immediately expressed complete acceptance, and asked Chen Fangjie to arrange for three cabins.

Since the itinerary was confirmed, Chen Fangjie naturally agreed without further ado.

Subsequently, guided by the reception boat, Uncle Wang Dinghai’s ship docked, while Ancestor Longyan and others remained on board for the time being. Wang Shouzhe accompanied Chen Fangjie to pay a visit to the Chen Family’s current Clan Leader, Chen Dewei, following proper rituals.

Chen Dewei welcomed Wang Shouzhe with the appropriate etiquette and expressed gratitude for the Wang Family’s advance notice about the honey bee pest outbreak. Though the Chen Family didn’t primarily rely on agriculture, with only two small farms totaling three or four thousand acres, the early warning helped minimize their overall losses.

Meanwhile, Chen Fangjie swiftly made arrangements for Wang Shouzhe’s sea journey and introduced a few Chen Family members who would be traveling with him, instructing them to take good care of Wang Shouzhe and his party.

Since Wang Shouzhe declined the offer to be escorted onto the ship, Chen Fangjie handed him a small booklet before departure, containing information and intelligence about the various forces at the Hundred Islands Guard.

Not long after, at East Port Deepwater Port, Wang Shouzhe and his group quietly boarded a sea vessel named "Junyao." The ship was named after the Chen Family’s Ancestor Junyao, to deter any unscrupulous thoughts.

After boarding, a Chen Family member named Chen Fanghua courteously led them to their cabins.

Chen Fanghua, the clan cousin of Young Clan Leader Chen Fangjie, was only twenty-five but had already reached the high stage of the fifth layer in the Qi Refining Realm, making him an elite among the Chen Family’s younger generation.

The three cabins were connected, with one reserved as a high-class room for esteemed guests.

The ability to allocate a high-class room in such haste showed just how much Chen Fangjie valued Wang Shouzhe, handling matters diligently.

"Thank you, Brother Chen," Wang Shouzhe said, cupping his hands to Chen Fanghua, "Please take care of us along the way."

"Not at all, not at all," Chen Fanghua replied promptly, "You are the esteemed guests of the Young Clan Leader, hence guests of our Chen Family. Please feel free to ask me for anything you need."

He then took his leave, as preparations for the ship’s departure were reaching their busiest time.

To avoid drawing too much attention, Wang Shouzhe asked Chen Fangjie to keep his identity confidential, so the Chen Family members on board only knew him as the esteemed guest of the Young Clan Leader.

Once they were alone.

Wang Shouzhe respectfully addressed Ancestor Longyan, "Ancestor, I apologize for having you travel on a merchant ship. Chartering a ship would not only be costly, but it wouldn’t be as straightforward and simple."

"It’s no bother. Shouzhe, your arrangements are well thought out," Ancestor Longyan replied calmly, without joy or sorrow, "For the journey to the Hundred Islands Guard, it’s best to go quietly and return swiftly."

"Fourth Aunt, please look after Ancestor and ensure she gets some rest," Wang Shouzhe requested of Xu Zhirou, "This trip will take over twenty hours, so please don’t let Ancestor get too tired."

"Rest assured, Shouzhe, I will take good care of Ancestor," Fourth Aunt Xu Zhirou responded solemnly, then helped Ancestor Longyan into the high-class room.

The high-class room was divided into inner and outer sections to allow distinguished guests and their accompanists to rest separately.

Just as Wang Lici was about to cheerfully follow them inside, Wang Shouzhe called her back. "Big Girl, come with me—I have a few things to discuss with you."

"Yes, Fourth Uncle."

Wang Lici’s heart trembled—had she done something wrong again? She immediately followed Wang Shouzhe despondently into the adjacent room.

Wang Shouzhe, seeing her expression, flicked her forehead good-naturedly. "What kind of expression is that? I’m your Fourth Uncle, not some demon ready to eat you."

Wang Lici quickly changed her expression, mustering a slightly guilty but ingratiating dry smile.

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