Returning to Liuli Fully Laden

Returning to Liuli Fully Laden

Under the cold moonlight, every crewman aboard the Cangyuan (Distant Blue) Ship had bloodshot eyes and was breathing heavily.

Even now, they still felt as though they were dreaming.

Sixteen large chests filled with gold, silver, and treasures sat quietly on the deck.

Some still could not believe it. They pinched themselves, and only after feeling the pain did they stare once more at the treasures strewn before them, reluctant to look away for even a moment.

Mister Li had not been boasting after all! He truly could bring them back fully laden!

Yet the extent of that "full load" far exceeded everyone's imagination!

The chests were crammed with jade artifacts, gold and silver, and jewels—a dazzling array that left everyone's eyes dazzled.

They had spent half their lives making a living by fishing at sea. Even in their sweetest dreams, they had never seen such a dreamlike sight.

Zhang Haobo's mind went utterly blank.

"It's actually real. That man really can find treasures sunk beneath the sea! Such an ability, such an ability..."

Having lived on Liuli Island for over twenty years, Zhang Haobo naturally knew that, aside from immortal masters, there were ordinary mortals in this world who possessed all manner of incredible abilities.

Some could communicate with birds in the sky. Some could foresee disasters in advance. Some could go without breathing for long periods and roam beneath the sea. Others, like Steward Zhao, could see through whether a person was genuine or false.

But such extraordinary people were few and far between. They were either entrusted with important duties on various islands or taken in as servants by immortal masters and brought to Ten Thousand Immortals Island.

They were truly a rare sight.

Never in his wildest dreams had he expected Li Fan to be one of them!

Zhang Haobo suddenly remembered that Li Fan seemed to have moved to Liuli Island only recently. Could it be that his original island had been destroyed by a wind disaster, forcing him to relocate here? No wonder Steward Zhao regarded him so highly despite him being only a new resident! Everything made sense now!

At that moment, Zhang Haobo was overwhelmed with regret.

"Zhang Haobo, Zhang Haobo... You were fortunate enough to encounter a benefactor, yet not only did you fail to seize the chance, you even ridiculously thought he had come to steal your measly little fleet!"

The more Zhang Haobo thought about it, the more he regretted it, so much so that he wanted to slap himself twice.

"No, I must hurry and apologize! At once, immediately! People with such abilities are honored guests wherever they go. If he rises to prominence and remembers what I did these past few days..."

Zhang Haobo shuddered and was about to go to Li Fan's room to beg forgiveness.

"Eh, is it just me, or do these chests not look like they were soaked for very long?"

"Come to think of it, we didn't see any sunken ship when we salvaged them either."

"Maybe they drifted here along an undersea current? Or perhaps they were swept into the sky by a wind disaster, then fell into this stretch of sea?"

"Why bother with all that? As long as the treasures are real, that's all that matters."

Amid the murmured discussions of his crewmen, Zhang Haobo hurried away.

Inside the room, after gently sending Zhang Haobo away, Li Fan stretched his weary body.

Those sixteen chests of treasure had naturally been thrown into the sea by him.

He had sailed alone to an uninhabited stretch of sea, unfolded the Taiyan Boat, moved out a small portion of the treasures he had looted from Great Xuan, tossed them into the sea, and finally sent out a signal for the people aboard the Cangyuan (Distant Blue) Ship to come salvage them.

The chests had been truly heavy. If not for his constant cultivation of the Profound Yellow Heart Cleansing Mantra over the past few months, along with the invisible nourishment of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy that had greatly increased his strength, he likely could not have managed it alone.

Even so, once it was over, Li Fan felt as though every bone in his body had fallen apart.

The first time, I needed to seize the initiative with a grand display. I won't need to throw in so much next time, Li Fan calculated.

As for Zhang Haobo...

Li Fan had never taken him seriously.

To Zhang Haobo, his position as captain of the fleet was the foundation of his livelihood. If someone suddenly came to seize it from him and he showed no reaction, that would have been the strange thing.

Besides, the trick he had used was so childish and laughable in Li Fan's eyes.

Were Li Fan in his place, he would have spent the first dozen or so days laughing and chatting with the man, revealing nothing. Once they had sailed deep into the sea and the man's guard had gradually lowered, he would have slipped into his room under cover of night and ended him with a single blade.

Then he would have thrown the body into the vast sea, leaving no evidence behind.

Even if the man truly possessed the ability to find treasure, he had only just arrived on Liuli Island and had no foundation at all. Without solid proof, who would truly fall out with a captain who had dozens of loyal subordinates for the sake of an outsider—especially a dead outsider? Even if Steward Zhao were determined to punish him, at worst he would lose his position as captain.

After all, Liuli Island had no rule that a murderer must pay with his life.

All the immortal masters required was for Liuli Island to steadily hand over its supplies.

Thus, in Li Fan's view, there had been no reason not to act.

Unfortunately, Zhang Haobo was not Li Fan.

He simply lacked that kind of resolve.

Put plainly, he was merely an honest fisherman.

The fleet he valued so highly was, to Li Fan, no more than a tiny stepping stone in his plans.

"How can sparrows and swallows know the ambitions of a swan?" Li Fan shook his head, cast the matter aside, and calmly resumed his bitter cultivation of the Heart Cleansing Mantra.

Having obtained the treasure, the Cangyuan (Distant Blue) Ship no longer fished. It immediately turned around and headed back to Liuli Island.

After all, their harvest this time was so enormous that until they safely returned to the island, none of the crew could rest easy.

With all speed ahead, Liuli Island came into view after only two days.

"Once we return, don't dock yet. Liu San, quietly slip into the water and go to Steward Zhao's residence to notify him. Have him personally send people over to take inventory," Zhang Haobo solemnly instructed everyone.

If nothing unexpected happened, their fleet should have brought back the greatest haul this time.

According to the rules, they could keep half of it!

If outsiders did the counting, who could guarantee there would be no skimming or deliberate undercounting?

Even a little less would break their hearts.

If they were not their own people, they simply could not feel at ease.

The crewmen all nodded. Seeing the vessel approaching from the island for the routine inspection, they immediately became vigilant.

"Zhang Haobo, what do you mean by this? You won't let us board?"

The other party seemed to have a grudge against Zhang Haobo, and traces of anger lurked in his words.

But Zhang Haobo did not even acknowledge him.

Seeing no response from Zhang Haobo, the man mocked him even more fiercely. "Judging by your ship's draft, I'm afraid you came back empty-handed this time. Looks like your days as captain are numbered. If you really can't get by afterward, come aboard your big brother's ship. I guarantee you won't starve to death!"

Hearing their leader being insulted, the crewmen of the Cangyuan (Distant Blue) Ship immediately flew into a rage and moved to retort.

But Zhang Haobo stopped them.

No matter what the other side said afterward, Zhang Haobo pretended not to hear, waiting only for Steward Zhao's people to arrive.

"It seems Zhang Haobo did not hold his position as captain of the Cangyuan (Distant Blue) Ship without reason. He is not quite as worthless as I imagined. It is only his background and experiences that have limited him." Watching from the shadows, Li Fan could not help nodding.

The disturbance at the dock drew quite a few onlookers, who pointed and whispered at the Cangyuan (Distant Blue) Ship.

Fortunately, the standoff did not last long. Before long, Steward Zhao personally arrived with his men.