Chapter 122: The Funeral of the Egret

"What are you doing?" Cao Taihuan asked, stunned, unable to react for a moment.

Nishimura felt like choking him to death, his voice low and sharp: "That person has caught up!"

Cao Taihuan nearly jumped, his voice stuttering: "Wh-where? How come I don't see anyone?" He scanned his surroundings frantically but found nothing out of the ordinary.

"You know nothing! As Onmyoji who cultivate spiritual bodies, we have our own unique methods of sensing. That person is closing in rapidly. You'll see him within three minutes at most!" Nishimura said, his expression grim.

Cao Taihuan’s face shifted, and he suddenly shouted, "Good! Let him sink to the bottom of the Greater Korean sea forever!"

With that, he stepped forward and, in fluent, arrogant Korean, barked: "Are you blind? How dare you intercept my ship? Even your Commissioner wouldn't dare speak to me like this. Call your captain out—is it Zhao Shiping or Li Xiujing?"

The Korean Coast Guard on the opposing vessel were stunned. Cao Taihuan had the classic Korean features, a perfect accent, and a disdainful attitude that mirrored the upper echelons of society. Coupled with his ability to name the captains, they were sixty percent convinced.

"Please wait a moment, sir. We will call the captain immediately!" the patrol officer replied, instinctively using honorifics.

"Well, hurry up, you bastards!" Cao Taihuan cursed.

This only further convinced the officers of his status, and they scrambled to fetch their superior.

"Are you trying to have these coast guard officers stop that man?" Nishimura asked, ignoring Cao Taihuan’s posturing to focus on his own concerns.

"Exactly! We just happened to run into a large vessel of the Great Korean Coast Guard. There are over two hundred people on board. With other ships arriving, it’s like a small army. Let’s see how he survives that!" Cao Taihuan said with confidence.

The Korean Coast Guard, known as the "Second Navy," is under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. With over ten thousand personnel across a dozen stations, the Southern Qingdao Maritime Station—which patrols this area—is one of the most powerful due to its role in expelling Chinese fishermen. They are well-armed and have earned the title of "Ocean Heroes" for their willingness to open fire. The Ministry possesses thirty large vessels (over 1,000 tons), four of which belong to the Southern Qingdao station, supported by six smaller patrol craft, various aircraft, and two helicopters. Cao Taihuan was not exaggerating when he called it a small army.

"I am Captain Li Xiujing of the White Egret. May I ask who you are?" A middle-aged man’s voice rang out from the ship.

Cao Taihuan puffed out his chest, looked at the captain, and said coldly: "So it is Li Xiujing. I was visiting Commissioner Nan Mingji just a few days ago, and you were there too. What, don't you recognize me anymore?"

Li Xiujing was startled. He looked closely at Cao Taihuan and realized he matched the person he had seen days ago—a man whom even the Commissioner treated with deference. He dared not offend him and quickly smiled apologetically: "Oh, it is you, sir! My apologies. You idiots, who are you pointing your guns at? Put them away at once, or I’ll kick you all into the sea to feed the fish!"

He barked at his subordinates for show, then smiled even wider: "Is there anything you need, sir?"

"Yes, we are returning home, but it seems a malicious Chinese person is following us. What do you suggest we do?" Cao Taihuan said with a forced smile.

"This is the sea of Great Korea! Anyone who dares to enter uninvited is an intruder! Protecting our maritime territory is our duty, especially against those greedy Chinese. We will teach him a lesson!" Li Xiujing declared righteously.

Cao Taihuan nodded slightly, wanting to maintain his facade, but Nishimura pushed him: "The man is coming. We must leave!"

"Ahem, we shall take our leave. Captain Li, remember your duty. I will speak to Commissioner Nan and secure credit for you," Cao Taihuan said, feeling anxious. He steered the boat away, adding as an afterthought: "Oh, and be careful. This Chinese intruder is not easy to deal with."

"Rest assured, sir!" Li Xiujing replied, head held high.

As soon as the boat left, a subordinate whispered to Li Xiujing: "Boss, that ship looked like a Japanese one. Are we sure it's okay to let them go like this?"

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Li Xiujing glared at him. "I would never mistake that VIP. Even our Commissioner treats him with respect. You dare to cross him? One word from him could cost you your career or get you fired. As for whether it’s a Japanese ship, heh, that’s a matter for the big shots."

The subordinate fell silent. Everyone knew the domestic situation; over half a century ago, Korea was a Japanese colony. Despite the public’s hatred for the Japanese, half of Korea's conglomerates were backed by Japanese interests or were outright Japanese-owned. The political scene was supported by these same conglomerates. The lower-level officials heard enough rumors to know how the game was played.

"Go, increase radar scans. When the Chinese ship arrives, issue a warning. Record it as evidence. If he doesn't listen, open fire. That’s all merit for us!" Li Xiujing ordered, assuming that the "person" Cao Taihuan mentioned was simply on a boat.

No sooner had he spoken than someone shouted: "Look there! Someone is running on the surface of the sea!"

All eyes followed the glare of the large searchlights. In the pitch-black water, a figure darted across, accompanied by a rhythmic thumping—the sound of someone sprinting across the waves!

"A ghost!"
"Is it a water spirit?"
"Where did he go?"

The coast guards on the White Egret were terrified, thrown into chaos.

Li Xiujing, having a bit more experience, bellowed: "It's a cultivator! A cultivator! Don't be afraid! Follow my orders! Open fire!"

Like in China, the lower classes in Korea were ignorant of martial arts masters and cultivators; only those with status knew of them. Seeing the figure on the water, Li Xiujing finally realized what Cao Taihuan meant. It really was just one person, and a dangerous one at that!

But the fear was quickly eclipsed by excitement. So what if he was a cultivator? This was Korean territory. He was in the right. A Chinese cultivator sneaking in must have a grand conspiracy. How could he, Li Xiujing, a patriot, let such an opportunity slip? If he could kill a Chinese grandmaster, he would be a hero of Great Korea!

He ordered the attack.

Jiang An was angry, and the consequences were dire.

He had sprinted over a hundred nautical miles across the sea using his immense, inexhaustible internal energy. Upon entering Korean waters, he had spotted the coast guard ship and his target vessel. He had intended to slip past quietly to finish his objective, but not only was he spotted, the ship had opened fire immediately. It was a blatant insult, especially given Jiang An's already murderous mood.

The White Egret unleashed a hail of gunfire, guided by powerful spotlights. Though the figure on the water moved with incredible speed, the coast guards, relying on their numbers and modern weaponry, felt a thrill in firing indiscriminately.

Jiang An’s expression remained blank. While the searing rain of bullets could not touch him, they had successfully ignited his killing intent. With a wave of his hand, a flash of blue light illuminated the nearby sea, and countless sharp ice spears and water arrows shot forth like a torrential downpour.

As a true immortal, he was naturally proficient in the Five Elements, though he usually preferred fire.

After the air-piercing whistles came a chorus of screams. The coast guards couldn't hit Jiang An, but his attack was devastating. In one volley, the White Egret suffered over fifty casualties, blood and flesh splattering across the deck.

"You bastards!" Li Xiujing had hidden and avoided being hit, but his rage grew. "Use the autocannons! Thermal targeting system! Blast him to pieces!"

He knew a cultivator's speed was too fast for human reflexes, so he made the only logical choice. A cultivator's body heat was far higher than a normal person's; the automatic system would lock on, and no matter how fast he was, he couldn't escape!

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

The terrifying vibration of the autocannons roared to life. High-powered shells tracked Jiang An’s heat signature with lethal speed. He dodged the first two, but a third shell struck him head-on, sending him flying backward in a brilliant explosion of sparks.

"That's it!" Li Xiujing cheered. Even an exalted cultivator had to bow down on the water. This was his domain!

But the very next second, his eyes widened, and he froze in shock.