After chatting for a while, the three of them drank cup after cup until they were slightly tipsy. Eventually, they each returned home.
Lu Sheng spent the night resting. With nothing pressing to do, he waited patiently for the Red Whale Gang to arrange his assignment. He could already guess that the so-called deliberation time among the elders and gang leaders was likely spent investigating his background—trying to determine whether he might be a spy sent by a rival faction.
Once the investigation was complete, he would be officially accepted into the Red Whale Gang.
He wasn’t in a rush.
Days passed, and before he knew it, three days had gone by.
This time, it was Elder Wang and Elder Ouyang of the Red Whale Gang who personally came to visit—led by none other than the deputy gang leader himself.
Deputy Gang Leader Chen Ying, the senior martial brother of Elder Wang, was the second-strongest figure in the gang and known in the martial world as the Eagle Claw King. Despite his kind eyes and snow-white hair and beard, his body was built like a seasoned warrior’s. His large hands, with their pronounced joints and blue-black hue, looked like he was wearing a pair of metal gauntlets—an intimidating sight.
As soon as he stepped inside, he smiled warmly at Lu Sheng.
"Excuse me! Brother Lu, I’m here to deliver the official notice regarding your position," he said.
Lu Sheng gestured for Xiaoqiao to prepare tea, then invited the guests to sit.
"I wonder what arrangement the deputy gang leader has brought me?" Lu Sheng asked calmly. He wasn’t surprised that such high-ranking members had come in person. Although Elder Wang, an internal affairs officer, wasn’t as powerful as those in Foreign affairs, he was still a master of the Tongyi level—and had been defeated by Lu Sheng in just a few moves.
It was a rare honor for any gang to encounter such a powerful master—let alone one as young as Lu Sheng.
"With Brother Lu’s abilities, we have unanimously decided to appoint you as an Foreign affairs envoy. If convenient, please accompany us to the headquarters. After meeting the elders, envoys, and gang leader, you may formally assume your duties," Chen Ying said respectfully.
Before making this visit, he had conducted a thorough background check on Lu Sheng. What he found had even made him abandon the thought of taking Lu Sheng as a disciple.
In Lu Sheng’s past experiences, there was a clear record: the midnight ghost cry that had plagued the Lu family had been resolved by him and a wandering Taoist priest.
Although they hadn’t gathered much intelligence from that incident, surviving a black disaster—especially one as perilous as that—was already a remarkable feat. The fact that Lu Sheng had done so with such strength made it all the more impressive.
"Going to the headquarters? Can I do it now?" Lu Sheng asked bluntly.
He wasn’t interested in idle talk. The reason he joined the Red Whale Gang was simple: to learn more advanced martial techniques. And to do that, he had to gain access to the Xuanwu Pavilion. But gaining entry required establishing significant merit within the gang. To earn merit, one first needed an official position—and then to complete tasks of value.
"Of course."
Chen Ying agreed without hesitation. Without further delay, the group rose and departed Lu Sheng’s home, heading directly for the Red Whale Gang headquarters outside the city.
Once in the carriage, Lu Sheng found himself seated alone with Chen Ying.
Chen Ying gazed out the window silently throughout the ride, saying nothing. Lu Sheng, also not one for unnecessary conversation, closed his eyes and began practicing his internal energy techniques.
He could tell at a glance that Chen Ying was a man who had cultivated both inner and outer strength. The brightness in his eyes hinted at profound internal power. Still, Lu Sheng was curious about his actual combat abilities. He decided he would find an opportunity later to help Chen Ying—and test him in the process.
After a long silence, Chen Ying suddenly spoke.
"I wonder what your thoughts are on the current state of the Song Dynasty, little brother?"
"The Song Dynasty? My thoughts?" Lu Sheng replied with a light shake of his head and a chuckle. "I have no opinion. I don’t understand the court’s politics. Honestly, after experiencing a black disaster in Jiulian City, I came to see things clearly—the so-called government offices are useless."
Chen Ying looked at him quietly and gave a slight shake of his head.
"You’re wrong about that, little brother."
Lu Sheng’s expression remained calm.
"Why do you think so?"
Chen Ying coughed a few times, then slowly calmed himself before speaking.
"I wonder if you’ve ever heard of them, little brother...The Twisted."
"The Twisted?" Lu Sheng’s expression shifted slightly. "I’ve seen ghosts—powerful and bizarre ones. Is that what you’re referring to, Deputy Gang Leader?"
"No... not quite." Chen Ying shook his head gently. "To be honest, our Red Whale Gang has dealt with many abnormal and supernatural incidents. But most of those were just ghosts or black disasters." His eyes dimmed, as if lost in memories.
"I remember a year when I traveled to the Central Plains with the gang leader to attend the Wumeng-Martial Alliance-Conference. On our way back, we encountered a Taoist. He spoke with the gang leader at length and told us something I’ll never forget."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"The Taoist said that Ghosts and The Twisted are fundamentally different. Ghosts—those filthy entities—can still be handled by mortals, assuming they’ve cultivated to a high enough level. But above ghosts… there are the twisted. And above The Twisted... The Abyssal. Once something crosses the threshold into The Twisted or Abyssal territory, it enters a realm where mortal strength becomes meaningless."
"He warned us: Ghosts are like lesser demons—weak, scattered, often confused or mindless. But beyond them are The Twisted, and then Abyssal. Those entities possess power that no amount of martial cultivation can resist. If you ever encounter one, your only hope is to run."
"The Twisted… and The Abyssal…" Lu Sheng murmured, a deep awe stirring in his chest. He thought back to what Duanmu Wan had said. She had only mentioned "demon ghost," not "the twisted." Had she overlooked it, or was there some reason she had avoided the term?
"Yes…" Chen Ying gave a grim smile. "From the outside, the Red Whale Gang may seem formidable. But in truth, we can only handle ghosts and low-level black disasters. In all our years, we’ve encountered a twisted or abyssal only once."
His expression twitched slightly, as if recalling something that still haunted him.
"What happened?" Lu Sheng asked in a low voice. He had a bad feeling about the answer.
A flicker of pain crossed Chen Ying’s face. He glanced at Lu Sheng, then spoke woodenly.
"The Red Whale Gang used to have four deputy gang leaders."
Lu Sheng’s heart sank. He already knew there were only two left now.
"The old gang leader... he was also gravely injured," Chen Ying said with a sigh. "He fell from his peak condition and now suffers from all sorts of ailments. The ironic part? Even in his state, his descendants are still scrambling for power—each trying to seize control of the real Red Whale Gang."
He let out a bitter chuckle.
"But what’s the point? Even if they do seize control, what then? We don’t even know what kind of demon caused all this… and so many people have already died."
Lu Sheng remained silent. As a newcomer to the gang, this wasn’t something he could comment on.
The two sat in silence for a while, the carriage rocking gently along the road, until the driver’s voice broke through from outside.
"Boss Chen, we’ve arrived at the headquarters!"
Chen Ying gave a small smile, composed himself, and opened the carriage door to step out first.
"Come have a look. The Red Whale Gang’s headquarters may not be what you imagined. It’s grand, yes… but also a little strange."
Lu Sheng followed him out—and was met with the view of the wide, glistening Songbai River.
In the middle of the river lay a colossal black-and-red vessel, motionless and imposing. Like an enormous whale, it rested silently atop the water, casting a long shadow across the current.
The clear blue sky stretched above them, and sunlight poured down, striking the ship’s towering white flag. Upon it, two blood-red characters stood out boldly:
Red Whale.
The vessel itself was oval-shaped, with an eight-story structure rising from its deck like a fortress. Thick black iron chains, as wide as a man’s thigh, coiled around the hull—dozens of them binding the vessel tightly in place. And yet, compared to the sheer scale of the ship, those massive chains looked like mere threads.
"This is the Red Whale. Magnificent, isn’t it?" Chen Ying said with quiet pride.
"It is magnificent," Lu Sheng replied, gazing up at it. "But... it doesn’t really look like a ship. Doesn’t seem like it can even move."
At that moment, Old Wang came jogging over, muttering under his breath.
"The hull of this thing takes up a tenth of the ten-mile-wide river. Just turning it would risk hitting a reef in the shallows. So why even try to sail it?"
It was Lu Sheng’s first time seeing such an enormous ship. It was probably even larger than an aircraft carrier. Out of curiosity, he did a rough mental estimate: the "one mile" unit commonly used here was approximately 600 meters. So when Old Wang said the ship occupied a tenth of a ten-mile-wide river, that meant its width alone was about 600 meters—truly staggering.
"This wasn’t actually built to be a ship," Chen Ying said with a smile. "It’s more of a floating fortress."
"Come on, they’ve already come out to welcome you."
The gang members lined both sides of the long gangway connecting the massive vessel to the dock. Armed guards stood at regular intervals, each gripping a blade with disciplined stillness.
At the top of the inclined boarding ramp, a group of a dozen men and women had already gathered, casting curious glances in their direction.
Chen Ying chuckled and began walking forward.
"Greetings to Boss Chen," the group said in unison with respectful bows. "The old master has been waiting for you."
Without lingering, Chen Ying led Lu Sheng and the others up the ramp. They passed through the corridor flanked by solemn gang guards, stepped onto the deck, and entered the great hall inside the ship.
The room resembled a traditional audience hall. At the head sat an elderly man, his face pale and lined with illness, his hair fully gray.
Clad in black and red robes, the old man wore a dark-gold glove on his right hand. Though clearly unwell, he radiated a potent aura. His tiger-like eyes still burned with intensity—a sign of immense internal energy and unyielding spirit.
As soon as Lu Sheng entered, he immediately felt five piercing gazes lock onto him.
There were many others in the hall observing him as well, but their presences were faint in comparison. These five were different—their eyes so sharp that his skin seemed to tingle under their gaze, as if needles pricked his nerves.
They were undoubtedly powerful masters, skilled in both internal and external martial cultivation.
Lu Sheng did not shy away. He met each of their gazes directly, one by one, his own eyes calm and steady.
Lu Sheng felt a surge of excitement—it wasn’t every day that one encountered so many masters at once. All five of them were clearly cultivating their focus, just as he was. In real combat, victory wouldn't come from brute strength alone, but from mastery of technique, experience, and tactical insight.
As if sensing the burning fighting spirit in Lu Sheng’s gaze, three of the five immediately withdrew their stares. They averted their eyes, bowing their heads slightly as if to avoid provoking him further. In the Red Whale Gang, the most troublesome type of person was the martial arts fanatic—someone constantly itching for a challenge.
In fact, a former deputy gang leader had been just like that. He used to roam the halls looking for sparring partners, throwing the entire gang into chaos. And now, it seemed another one had emerged.
Among the five who had first stared him down, two remained: the gang leader, Hong Mingzi, and the deputy leader, Gongsun Zhanglan. The other three— Foreign affairs envoys—had already turned away to avoid Lu Sheng’s gaze.
When Lu Sheng looked up and noticed three of them had backed down so quickly, he felt a hint of disappointment. Still, he thought, two left is enough.
He shifted his eyes to meet the gaze of the man at the top—the gang leader himself.
"He truly has a heroic presence!" Hong Mingzi’s voice was weak, but the tone carried power. His smile was filled with approval. "The Red Whale Gang has been able to stand tall in the north thanks to the constant arrival of talents like Brother Lu."
"You’ve all seen him for yourselves," added Deputy Leader Chen Ying as he stepped forward and took his seat. "Let’s hear what you think."
Someone then guided Lu Sheng to a seat at the side, allowing him to observe the group more comfortably.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4zRs6ZJTo
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