Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Yunyu Marshlands Alliance Assembly

Du Wanyi pondered for a moment before speaking, “At first, this organization originated within the Water Dragon Sect. The reason was that some seniors from the various marketplaces in our Yunyu Marshlands weren’t doing well inside the Water Dragon Sect.”

“Later on, a few seniors who had closer relationships began to spontaneously band together, helping each other, exchanging various resources and information. Only then did they manage to establish themselves.”

“Over time, this organization gradually spread to the marketplaces within our Yunyu Marshlands.”

“For cultivators like us, who haven’t yet had the chance to join the Water Dragon Sect, we also tend to band together in advance.”

Ji Yuan listened with great focus, so after she finished, he asked:

“Then does this mutual aid assembly have any kind of alliance rules or agreements?”

If the rules were too strict, he would have to consider it carefully.

Du Wanyi nodded gently and said, “There are three alliance agreements. The first is that if any member faces a life-or-death crisis, the other members should do their best to help them overcome it.”

“The second is that if any member is tragically killed, the others should make every effort to avenge them.”

“The third is that members of the alliance must not kill each other. If any conflict arises, it should be resolved internally through mediation.”

After hearing this, Ji Yuan frowned slightly. “In the first two agreements, the phrase ‘do their best’... what exactly counts as doing their best? And about the third, can they really prevent members from fighting to the death?”

“‘Do their best’ means acting within one’s capabilities.”

Du Wanyi blinked her beautiful peach blossom eyes at Ji Yuan a few times. “Just like now, if someone in our assembly offended the Water Dragon Sect and got killed by them, it’s not like we’d go seek revenge against the Water Dragon Sect, right? It’s the same principle for the first agreement.”

“As for the third agreement, if it’s really a life-and-death vendetta, the assembly wouldn’t truly intervene.”

“Well, that’s acceptable.”

Ji Yuan had been worried that the alliance might have some kind of mandatory obligations.

From the looks of it, they were merely verbal agreements with little binding force.

“Exactly. If the restrictions were too heavy, we wouldn’t have joined either.”

Du Wanyi chuckled.

After all, anyone who could cultivate to the late stage of Qi Refinement in a place like Yunyu Marshlands wasn’t likely to be a fool.

So, judging from Du Wanyi’s words, this so-called “Water Dragon Sect Mutual Aid Assembly” was just a loose alliance of interests, fragile enough to fall apart with a single poke.

“We hold gatherings on the eighteenth of every month. Those with resources can come to trade resources, those with information can come to exchange information.”

“If you’re free, you can attend. If not, it’s up to you.”

“Additionally, when new members join, we hold a gathering so everyone can meet and get to know each other.”

That was all there was to it.

Having said this, Du Wanyi stopped, blinking her eyes while smiling at Ji Yuan, seemingly waiting for his response.

Ji Yuan thought for a moment before asking, “Do all late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators in Yunyu Marshlands join this mutual aid assembly?”

“Of course not. Although most of them are part of our assembly, there are some who are reclusive and dislike socializing. There are also some...”

Du Wanyi paused briefly before continuing, “There are some who either refuse to join the Water Dragon Sect or are unable to join. Those people, like us, formed another group called the ‘Yunyu Marshlands Alliance Assembly.’ For example, the head of the Qin Family you offended, that blind old man at the tenth level of Qi Refinement, is actually the leader of that alliance.”

“There’s such a thing?” Ji Yuan asked with slight surprise.

“Mm.” Du Wanyi’s eyes flashed with a trace of disdain. “Just following the trend, really. How could they compare to our Water Dragon Sect Mutual Aid Assembly? Even the blind old man Qin’s son is one of our members.”

Naturally, no matter what the Yunyu Marshlands Alliance Assembly claimed to be, they were just scraping by in the Marshlands. But the Water Dragon Sect Mutual Aid Assembly was different, especially those who had already joined the sect... Ji Yuan nodded slightly. “Did you see everything earlier?”

“I did.”

Du Wanyi smiled. “You don’t need to worry, Brother Ji. It’s just the Qin Family. As long as you join our assembly, with the seniors of the Water Dragon Sect backing you, even that blind old man Qin wouldn’t dare to trouble you.”

That seemed to be true.

The first agreement of the assembly was to help members in life-and-death crises.

If it were a truly powerful enemy, the assembly might not have a solution.

But clearly, to the assembly, the Qin Family didn’t qualify as a major threat.

Since the organization was loose and didn’t require consuming strange pills or swearing grand oaths...

Ji Yuan stood up with a slight smile. “Then I’ll be troubling you in the future, Fellow Daoist Du.”

“We’re all on the same side. What’s there to trouble about?”

Seeing Ji Yuan agree to join, the smile on Du Wanyi’s face became noticeably more sincere.

She also stood up, reaching into her storage pouch to take out a jade token and handed it over. “This is the token of our mutual aid assembly, a small gift refined for us by a senior in the sect.”

“It contains a protective restriction. Once activated, it works like a single-use top-grade first-rank protective talisman.”

“Oh?”

Ji Yuan hadn’t expected such a benefit from joining. He received it with both hands. “The seniors are truly thoughtful.”

Just as Du Wanyi was about to speak again, Ji Yuan quickly interjected, “I’m also about to break through to the late stage of Qi Refinement. Can we postpone the welcome gathering for a few days until after my breakthrough?”

“Of course. Once you’re ready, just contact the assembly members in Zengtou Market or come find me at Room A-3 in Tai’an Market.”

“Alright.”

After Ji Yuan agreed, Du Wanyi took her leave.

Watching her fly away on a flying boat, Ji Yuan couldn’t help but feel a bit envious.

But it wouldn’t be long for him either.

With the gains from this trip, breaking through to the late stage of Qi Refinement and buying a flying boat were both within reach.

Moreover, from this initial interaction, Ji Yuan felt a distinct realization.

Only upon reaching the late stage of Qi Refinement did he truly begin to touch the social circle of Yunyu Marshlands cultivators.

Before this, he had really just been a fisherman.

As if he had been born to fish.

With that thought, Ji Yuan let out a long breath.

“Hu——”

In any case, the current problems seemed more or less resolved.

The next step was to organize the spoils from this trip, divide them with Qiu Qianhai, and then head to Jingde Market to sell what needed selling and buy what needed buying.

Time to prepare for breaking through to the late stage of Qi Refinement.

Ji Yuan steered the boat toward Jingde Market. Before long, he spotted Qiu Qianhai in a reed marsh.

“No one followed you, right?”

“No.”

“In that case, let’s divide the spoils of this trip first.”

Ji Yuan had three storage pouches on him that hadn’t even been checked yet, all of them from sixth-level Qi Refinement cultivators.

Not to mention the over twenty catties of Cold Iron Sand and the corpse of a Stone Armored Crab.

“Alright.”

Even the injured Qiu Qianhai perked up at the mention of this, taking out Zhang Kai’s storage pouch.

“I’ve got quite a few good things here too.”

He then added, “Let’s just split the two storage pouches from the Qin Family. The two from the Liu brothers and the remaining Cold Iron Sand are all yours.”