They chatted some more, round after round of drinks leaving all somewhat tipsy before separately leaving.

Lusheng rested for the night after returning home. Idly waiting at home for Crimson Whale Society's arrangements without hurry. He guessed the so-called discussions among elders and chiefs mostly involved probing his background in case he was a spy from a rival group.

Only after investigating could he be considered to have truly joined Crimson Whale Society.

Hence no impatience on his part.

Time slowly passed day after day. Before he realized it, three days went by.

This time, Crimson Whale Society's Elder Wang and Elder Ouyang personally came visiting under the lead of a deputy chief.

The deputy chief, Chen Ying, was Elder Wang's senior apprentice brother and also Crimson Whale Society's second strongest expert. Nicknamed Eagle Claw King in jianghu.

He looked kindly with completely white hair and beard. But his physique remained as robust as someone in their prime. Both enormous hands had protruding joints, bluish-black like wearing metal gloves, somewhat creepy.

He revealed a gentle smile towards Lusheng after entering. "Pardon the intrusion! Little Brother Lu, I've come on the gang's behalf to notify you about role arrangements."

Lusheng had little Qiao'er prepare tea as he accompanied everyone to their seats. "May I ask what position Deputy Chief delivers for me?" He wasn't surprised one bit by this high-profile personal visit. After all, Elder Wang was a home envoy. A mastery realm expert casually overturned by him in just a few moves.

Such degree of talents were desperately sought by any gang, especially considering his terrifyingly young age.

"Based on everyone's unanimous decision, we've arranged for you to serve as foreign envoy judging by Brother Lu's abilities. If possible, please follow me to headquarters and meet all elders, envoys plus the chief first before officially assuming duty," Chen Ying politely said.

He investigated Lusheng's background before coming. Dispelling thoughts of accepting disciples after reading one clear line. The ghostly wails at Lu household were resolved by him and some wandering daoist.

Although lacking much concrete intel, the fact he survived this highly dangerous dark calamity while boasting such strength signaled nothing minor.

"Go to headquarters now? Is that fine?" Lusheng didn't bother wasting time. His main reasons for joining were learning stronger martial arts. That necessitated entering Martial Glory Tower which in turn required building up contribution merits. A prerequisite for that involved first holding an office and conducting affairs yielding contributions.

"Of course." Chen Ying naturally consented. Everyone promptly got up and left Lusheng's home straight for the outskirt gang headquarters.

Inside the horse carriage, Lusheng and Chen Ying sat alone.

Chen Ying sideways watched the scenery outside without a word. Lusheng also wasn't fond of idle chatter, silently cultivating inner qi.

He discerned Chen Ying also cultivated both inner and outer force with exceptionally keen eyes. Inner qi surely attained. Just uncertain about actual combat capabilities. Lusheng decided finding some chance to exchange pointers.

After some time, Chen Ying suddenly asked, "May I know little brother's views on our Great Song these days?"

"Great Song? Views?" Lusheng shook his head chuckling. "None really. I'm quite puzzled by the current court. Frankly, experiencing a dark calamity previously at Jiuliu City allowed me seeing clearly. The so-called authorities and officials are utterly useless."

Chen Ying looked at Lusheng and lightly shook his head. "You're actually mistaken there little brother."

Lusheng's expression was unchanged. "Oh? How so?"

Chen Ying coughed a few times calming himself before slowly answering, "Don't know if little brother heard of aberrant before?"

"Aberrant?" Lusheng's face slightly changed. "I've witnessed evil things very powerful and bizarre. Is this what Deputy Chief means by aberrant?"

"No... Actually, our Crimson Whale Society also handled countless mundane paranormal instances. But those can only be labeled as evil things or dark calamities," Chen Ying's eyes gradually dimmed seemingly lost in recollection.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"I remember one year when following our chief to central plains for a martial alliance conference. On the return journey, we met a daoist. He chatted with our chief and told us about this."

He paused and continued. "That daoist said fiendish ghosts and monsters only counted as specters. These filthy things could still be dealt with by common men who cultivated to extreme boundaries.

But beyond evil things exists the aberrant transcending what men can reach. He warned our chief that fiends were the same as lesser monsters. Weak, chaotic consciousnesses and even utterly oblivious. But aberrance comes after fiends. Demons after monsters. Neither aberrants nor demons are existences men could ever resist after however much cultivation. The sole response upon encountering them is immediate escape!"

"Aberrant and demons..." Killing intent rose inside Lusheng. He felt these two might be the same fiend demons Duanmu Wan mentioned before. That term was pretty vague to begin with. But Duanmu Wan only said fiend demons without aberrants. Perhaps she neglected to or other reasons.

"Indeed... We might seem powerful but at most just handling some fiends and petty monsters. Only witnessed aberrants and demons once so far..." Chen Ying's expression convulsed seemingly still somewhat haunted by the memory.

Lusheng heavily asked, "What was the outcome then?" He likely predicted nothing good.

Pain flashed across Chen Ying's face as he blankly looked at Lusheng saying, "Crimson Whale Society originally had four deputy chiefs..."

Lusheng's heart sank. Currently only two deputy chiefs remained.

"Our chief also suffered heavy injuries falling from his prime... Laughably, his sons still scuffle for power and influence seeking control of true power within Crimson Whale Society... As if they could understand anything even grasping full control... The aberrants responsible for everything, we didn't even figure out just what they were despite so many deaths..." Chen Ying said helplessly.

Lusheng silently listened on. Not something he could comment on as a recent inductee.

The two sat wordlessly before hearing the driver's voice from outside. "Deputy Chief, arrived at headquarters!"

Chen Ying smiled reorganizing his emotions as he got off first. "Come take a look. Crimson Whale Society headquarters might not be as imagined. Very impressive but a bit odd too."

Lusheng followed him down also facing Matsuba River.

At the river's heart floated an exceptionally enormous crimson and black ship seemingly a giant whale calmly resting atop the waters.

Bathed under the bright sunlight against azure skies and white currents, the brilliant illumination at the ship's apex lit up a white flag.

Two blood-red massive words were written on it: Crimson Whale!

The entire ship was oval-shaped with an eight story giant structure on deck. Countless coarse thick iron chains as thick as thighs densely bound it everywhere. These chains seemed slender as hair compared to the giant vessel's sheer size.

"This is Crimson Whale. Impressive enough?" Chen Ying introduced at the side.

"Very impressive but can't even be considered a ship anymore. This thing can't sail at all," Elder Wang also squeezed over murmuring.

"Ten mile wide river yet it takes up one tenth the space. Even a tiny turn risks collision with shoals. What momentum could it even sail with?"

Lusheng also never saw ships this enormous before. Even aircraft carriers might be smaller. He measured for fun in his free time that distance here was around six hundred meters per li(half km). By Elder Wang's words, just the width exceeded six hundred meters. Truly massive.

"It wasn't designed for sailing but directly built as a aquatic fortress," Chen Ying laughed.

"Let's go. People already came out to welcome."

The passageway linking the pier to giant ship had patrolling gang members separated in two columns all throughout. Blade wielding guards were stationed every few paces.

Over a dozen males and females walked out from the sloped stairs onto the ship right now looking over.

Chen Ying guffawed and led everyone towards them. "Greetings Deputy Chief." That group promptly bowed. "Our chief awaits inside."

Chen Ying didn't delay. Ushering Lusheng's group swiftly up the ramp onto deck then the great cabin.

The great cabin resembled a grand hall with the highest central seat occupied by a sickly pale-faced elder with silver hair.

Clad in black and red attire, his right hand wore a dark gold glove. Despite poor health, his aura remained powerful with tiger-like eyes brimming with vigorous inner qi.

The instant Lusheng entered, he felt at least five piercing gazes settling straight onto him.

Naturally even more looked his way but their spirit and qi couldn't compare with these five.

Such sharp stares felt mildly numb and itchy on his skin. Like prickly sensations. Clearly all top-level grandmasters with masterful attainments in both inner and outer cultivation.

Lusheng also stopped concealing his gaze's brilliance sweeping back at them one by one.

Some excitement emerged inwardly seeing so many peers together. Theoretically, he was at the condensation realm. So were these five. Victory and defeat during actual combat depended on specific arts, cultivated power, experience plus strategy.

As if discerning battle intent and fervor within Lusheng's eyes, those five gazes instantly extinguished three with the trio promptly keeping their heads down. The gang hated martial lunatics most of all.

One former deputy chief held such a personality constantly seeking matches everywhere causing endless headaches.

Now another displaying marks of a martial lunatic seemingly appeared...

Of the five top experts, two were gang leader Hong Mingzi and deputy leader Gongsun Zhanglan. The other three externally rushing to avoid Lusheng's line of sight were envoys.

This displeased Lusheng quite a bit. But forget it. At least two remained he could look for.

His sight straightforwardly met the highest positioned gang leader Hong Mingzi.

"As expected full of heroic spirit and talents exceeding men! Truly a dragon or phoenix!" Hong Mingzi's voice sounded frail but remained robust with delight. "My Crimson Whale Society can still dominate the north and stand unyielding all because talents akin to little brother continuously joining us!"

"Everyone saw him now. Speak opinions," Deputy Chief Chen Ying also walked to his own seat.

Someone specially led Lusheng to sit at a chair by the sides.