Jiang Wang ignored the relentless bickering of Lao Zhao and his friend, simply asking, “How often do sea beasts go berserk?”

“Not often. We’ve only ever heard rumors, but damn it, two incidents in the last two days!” Lao Zhao cursed, “What kind of luck is this!”

“Is it ‘damn it’ or ‘damn her’?” Lao Zhao’s friend retorted again, “You’re unscathed after two incidents, isn’t that good luck? What kind of luck do you want, you dog bastard?”

Lao Zhao didn’t mind the foul language, scratching his head, “Huh, you know, you might be right!”

Three cultivators flew in from the horizon, all clad in blue robes embroidered with a whale spouting a plume of water, indicating they were Transcendents from the Raging Whale Gang.

“Who are you?”

The lead cultivator, about thirty years old with a trimmed beard, radiated an aggressive aura.

He approached and immediately questioned Jiang Wang, “What’s your purpose in this sea area? Do you have a travel permit?”

They had seen the sea beast fall from afar, but hadn’t clearly observed the details of the battle.

And now, on the deck of the dragon bone boat, everyone looked disheveled except for Jiang Wang, who appeared calm and composed, so they questioned him first.

Jiang Wang didn’t speak, glancing at him, then at the cultivators behind him.

The two cultivators following him, a man and a woman, appeared young.

“What are you gawking at with those shifty eyes? Our Hall Master Li is talking to you!” the young male cultivator scolded, displeased.

He apparently suspected Jiang Wang was interested in his fellow disciple.

“Honorable Immortal Masters of the Raging Whale Gang!” Lao Zhao quickly interjected, “This gentleman just single-handedly turned the tide and saved us common folk from peril!”

He was clearly worried that Jiang Wang would clash with a local power like the Raging Whale Gang, so he explained on Jiang Wang’s behalf.

But saying this only enraged the Raging Whale Gang cultivator further.

Pointing a finger, he rebuked Jiang Wang, “Do you know the value of that sea beast? It’s our Raging Whale Gang’s Sect-Protecting Sea Beast, how dare you kill it! Can you bear the responsibility?”

Lao Zhao anxiously tried to speak, “Immortal Master, this gentleman was trying to save…”

“Did I ask you something?” This person glared at him fiercely like a tiger, “Slap yourself!”

The burly Lao Zhao paused, then raised his hand to slap his own face.

He had a fiery temper himself and had gotten into many fights to make a living. But the difference in status between ordinary people and Transcendent cultivators was deeply rooted in the minds of these ordinary people.

But his slap never landed.

Jiang Wang grasped his wrist.

Jiang Wang’s hand was clean, pale, with well-defined joints. In comparison, it was far from being as thick as Lao Zhao’s arm. But with a light grasp, it was like cast iron, and Lao Zhao couldn’t lift his hand at all.

“Fellow Daoist,” Jiang Wang released Lao Zhao’s hand, stepping in front of him to shield him, while looking at the Raging Whale Gang’s Transcendent cultivator, “No matter the value of that sea beast, it’s not worth a single life. When it lost control and went berserk, it lost all value and became our enemy. So, I don’t know what status or position you’re using to question me.”

The Mountain Sea Sect, Jiang Wang’s backer, had suffered an unexpected demise, with unclear rumors circulating. The Raging Whale Gang, however, surely knew the truth. But with a new backer not yet found, they needed their sea beast combat power. Yet such a blunder had occurred!

The Raging Whale Gang cultivators had arrived late for the rescue, perhaps intentionally waiting for the sea beast to exhaust its frenzy before subduing it safely. They hadn’t really cared about the ordinary people on this dragon bone boat.

“What lost control and went berserk!” Li Daorong scolded, “My Eight-Armed Sea Beast was just out for a stroll, yet you killed it without rhyme or reason. Can you bear the responsibility? What sect and school are you from, who are your elders?”

As one of the three Hall Masters of the Raging Whale Gang, Li Daorong, a cultivator of the Inner Palace Realm, was the keeper of the Eight-Armed Sea Beast, holding the flag of its restrictive spell. This flag was divided into master and slave flags, with the master flag in his hand and the slave flag nailed into the Eight-Armed Sea Beast’s consciousness.

Today, the master flag in his hand had suddenly lost contact, and he had been greatly alarmed. With the master flag, he knew the Eight-Armed Sea Beast’s habits and weaknesses and was confident in subduing it.

But he had specifically brought two Ascending Dragon Realm cultivators as helpers, wanting to quickly quell the situation.

Who knew he would arrive slightly late, and the Eight-Armed Sea Beast would already be dead?

This was undoubtedly adding insult to injury for the panicked Raging Whale Gang.

How could he explain this to the Gang Leader?

His current scolding of Jiang Wang was all to cover up the responsibility for the sea beast’s loss of control.

Seeing this person so rude, Jiang Wang naturally wouldn’t give him a good face.

His expression turned cold, “The people on this boat, and the damage it caused along the way, can all prove that your Raging Whale Gang’s sea beast lost control. It’s bad enough that you failed to control it, but you’re still trying to pin the blame on me?”

He rested his hand on his sword, instantly radiating sharpness, “Ask about my background? I am Jiang Wang, Baron of Qingyang Town, Fourth-Rank Blue Badge from Great Qi! Do you have any advice?”

Li Daorong choked.

He had thought that even if the other party’s strength was impressive, he wouldn’t have a good background if he was mingling with these ordinary people. This Xia Island was the Raging Whale Gang’s territory, and outsiders had to coil like dragons and crouch like tigers.

Apart from a few major powers, who would dare to clash with the Raging Whale Gang on Xia Island?

He never imagined that this young man was actually a Fourth-Rank official from Qi, with a real bestowed title.

Moreover, the name Jiang Wang seemed familiar. He seemed to be a somewhat famous fellow, but he couldn’t remember it for a moment.

He was already a little flustered, but still stubbornly argued, “So what if you’re from Qi? Does being an official from Qi mean you can act recklessly without rhyme or reason? You need to know that this is the Near Sea Islands! It’s the territory of the Sea Folk!”

This person disregarded the facts, reversing right and wrong, depicting Jiang Wang, who had drawn his sword to save people, as an overbearing Qi villain. Furthermore, he wanted to use the “righteousness” of the Sea Folk to suppress Jiang Wang, an outsider.

His calculations were extremely shrewd.

What difficulty would the Raging Whale Gang have in slandering someone in the waters of Xia Island?

But at this moment.

A person stood up.

An ordinary man.

A man who braved the wind and rain, relying on his own hands to earn a living.

Lao Zhao walked quickly to Jiang Wang’s side, his face, roughened by the sea breeze, flushed red, “I can testify!”

With immense and surprising courage, he shouted loudly, “Your Raging Whale Gang’s sea beast did lose control and go berserk. Lord Jiang drew his sword to fight it in order to save us useless commoners. What wrong did he do? This has nothing to do with Qi or the Sea Folk! I am a Sea Folk, and I will say this to anyone!”

Lao Zhao’s friend finally wiped the filth from his mouth, following closely behind, “I am also Sea Folk! If we’re talking about right and wrong, this is right and wrong!”

Then more people stood up.

“I can also testify!”

“I can prove it!”

“Where were you Sea Folk big shots when I was waiting to die in the water just now? Lord Jiang saved me!”

“If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be able to go back!”

The entire dragon bone boat, carrying twenty-six passengers and three sailors, had twenty-nine people standing up. No one retreated, no one remained silent.

What is the heart of the people?

This is the heart of the people.

“Why say more!” Jiang Wang laughed heartily, standing directly in front of everyone, spreading his arms to the sides.

He was both protecting the people behind him and facing the Raging Whale Gang cultivators without any concealment.

It was indescribably dashing, confident, and high-spirited, “Need to let you know? Then come! You three Lis might as well come at me together, and show me exactly what the Near Sea Islands are, what cultivators of the Near Sea Islands are!”