Protect Our Chief-Chapter 587 - 48: Crisis! Angry Dragon Gang Strikes

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"Jiaolong Gang?"

Chen Xiuwu’s expression also changed, growing incredibly solemn.

All along, the Jiaolong Gang has been the overlord of several counties along the Anjiang River, monopolizing the shipping trade across the entire Anjiang region. They’ve signed specialized agreements with the noble families large and small along the river.

The trade of goods by the noble families—it doesn’t matter if you go by land. But if you want to go by water, you’re confined to within your own county. If you want to transport goods to other counties using the Anjiang route, you must do so through the Jiaolong Gang.

The Jiaolong Gang is so domineering because it has backing. It’s said, merely rumored, that behind the Jiaolong Gang stands a Prince of the Imperial Family. Furthermore, the Gang Leader of the Jiaolong Gang is a renowned cultivator of the Purple Mansion Realm.

Overall, the strength of the Jiaolong Gang is not inferior to that of a Fifth-Grade Purple Mansion Family.

However, the Jiaolong Gang also has quite a restriction; their business is limited to the Anjiang, using the East Sea entrance as their boundary.

Strictly speaking.

According to the agreements between the Jiaolong Gang and the noble families, the East Port Chen Family’s fleet helping the Marriage Alliance transport goods does not breach contracts. After all, the Chen Family’s riverboat fleet merely docks at Changning Guard’s Changning Guandu, then transfers by Qiaan Family’s land commerce to distribute throughout the county.

However, the Marriage Alliance’s endeavors have been thriving, and there are many valuable, highly salable goods. The domineering Jiaolong Gang has long been covetous of such a lucrative opportunity.

After several negotiations and talks with the Marriage Alliance, they were resisted and opposed. Because of this, the Jiaolong Gang has long harbored resentment and has had several clashes with the Chen Family’s riverboat teams within Anjiang.

Both sides are cautious, remaining only at the stage of finding faults and verbal spats.

But this time, those few Jiaolong Gang riverboats sailed to the outskirts of East Port, seemingly trying to enter East Port. Naturally, this already violates the agreements with the noble families from various regions.

After all, the position of East Port is precisely at the East Sea entrance.

No wonder.

Chen Xiuwu and Chen Fanghua’s expressions had grown so heavy.

...

Meanwhile.

Those three riverboats flying the fierce Angry Dragon flags are not transport ships of the Jiaolong Gang. They are specially designed for rapid deployment, patrols, and other combat-type vessels.

The members of the Jiaolong Gang aboard, dressed in tight-fitting outfits of red and black, wearing exquisitely made Water Armor crafted from Spirit Fish skin, have Water-Splitting Needles or short blades hanging from their waists, and hold bows and crossbows as ranged weapons in their hands.

Each one of them gazed intensely, with long, sustained breathing, clearly specialized in ship battles and water combat, elite gang members. The weakest among them has cultivation of at least the Third Layer of Qi Refining Realm, generally reaching Fourth or Fifth Layer.

Among them, there are elites with Sixth and Seventh Layers, as well as captains with Eighth and Ninth Layers.

Each Angry Dragon Battleship is guarded by a Spirit Platform Realm leader.

Such specially designated combat Angry Dragon battleships, even sending one can suppress ordinary Ninth-Grade Noble Families. When three set out, even Eighth-Grade Noble Families dare not confront them head-on.

Moreover, Angry Dragon Battleships excel at water combat, and the gang members are all skilled in watercraft. Ordinary merchant ships dare not oppose them.

At the prow of the leading Angry Dragon Battleship stands a middle-aged man, wearing soft armor crafted from high-tier Fierce Beast Hide, his head shaved to a shiny brightness, with a deep scar running from his left eye to his mouth, appearing grim and vicious.

Even the two Spirit Platform Realm leaders behind him held their breath and dared not breathe heavily.

This bald, scarred man is none other than one of the esteemed Celestial Human experts of the Jiaolong Gang—"One-Eyed Flood Dragon" Zhao Wuqing.

Zhao Wuqing originally hailed from a certain county’s ordinary Eighth-Grade Noble Family descendant. He achieved much from studying martial arts since childhood, nurtured by his family as a Celestial Human Species, carrying their hopes for the future, alongside a cousin who was also his childhood sweetheart.

In theory, Zhao Wuqing’s life should have been blissful and fulfilling.

Regrettably, unexpected calamities struck.

For reasons unknown, he was suddenly afflicted by a strange condition, his meridians blocked and stagnant, preventing him from circulating Profound Qi to refine blood and temper his body. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

His cultivation dwindled daily, and the inability to refine blood led to accumulating essence, making him increasingly corpulent and bulky. From a handsome young gentleman, he gradually turned into an obese man who wheezed after a few steps.

His family took him everywhere seeking cures without success and eventually abandoned him.

His childhood sweetheart cousin also gradually distanced herself, eventually allying with a Seventh-Grade Direct Lineage Member.

In sorrow and despair, Zhao Wuqing left his home, facing many hardships until he inadvertently met Jiaolong Gang Leader—Dragon Without Jeopardy.

Granted, Dragon Without Jeopardy is indeed a brilliant, knowledgeable talent.

He discerned Zhao Wuqing’s "condition" likely resulted from awakening a special bloodline, causing such side effects, thus sought a profound Horizontal Refining Body Technique for him and personally intervened long-term to clear his meridians and lay a foundation.

Soon, Zhao Wuqing rid himself of the "disease," and his cultivation soared rapidly. At the same time, he discarded his original name, adopting Zhao Wuqing, severing ties with his past.

From then on, Zhao Wuqing closely followed Dragon Without Jeopardy, gradually becoming a formidable member of the Jiaolong Gang. Known for his ruthless and violent actions, always the most loyal of Dragon Without Jeopardy’s followers.

Thus, even within the Jiaolong Gang, many members feared him more than they respected him.