All Fruits Are Predestined

All Fruits Are Predestined

After the materials required for the Purification Spirit Pool were announced, Liuli Island appeared calm on the surface, yet turbulent undercurrents had long begun to surge beneath.

Even ordinary people who paid no attention to the matter knew that the island's major powers were now searching for something called Star Sea Quicksand.

Li Fan's secret inquiries yielded nothing. Then, one day, an unexpected guest arrived.

It was Xiao Heng, one of the people from the Departed Realm whom Li Fan had met when he first came to the Cultivation World.

"Have a seat." Li Fan poured him a cup of tea.

Xiao Heng looked over Li Fan's current residence, his eyes filled with envy and nostalgia.

"I wonder what you came to see me about, little brother?" Li Fan had a fairly good impression of Xiao Heng, so he asked amiably.

Xiao Heng first swept a wary glance around them. Then he leaned closer and said in a low voice, "I heard that Brother Li has also been searching for Star Sea Quicksand lately?"

Li Fan's gaze sharpened. "That's right. I'm already advanced in years. If I want to cultivate, I can only rely on the Purification Spirit Pool. What, do you know where to find it?"

Xiao Heng swallowed and nodded. "Yes. Back when the immortal master descended upon Great Li, he promised that as long as the required supplies were gathered, he would take a group of people to the great world of cultivation. Star Sea Quicksand was among them."

Li Fan was taken aback, then asked in confusion, "Was it? Why don't I remember that?"

Li Fan had previously asked the people from Great Li about it, but they had all claimed ignorance. That was why he asked.

Xiao Heng looked somewhat embarrassed. "When the proclamation was issued across the realm, several items had already been removed from the list. Those were reserved slots, distributed among Great Li's major aristocratic families. The item assigned to my family was Star Sea Quicksand."

Li Fan nodded slowly.

"Tell me. What are your terms?" Li Fan asked bluntly.

Seeing Li Fan be so direct, Xiao Heng became somewhat embarrassed instead. His face reddened as he explained, "You paid to bury Changyu back then, so you've shown me kindness. I really shouldn't be doing this, but life on Liuli Island is simply too hard. I don't have abilities as great as yours, Brother Li. I'm still living in the slums outside the city, doing hard labor every day just to survive..."

As Xiao Heng rambled on, Li Fan smiled faintly and interrupted him.

"There's no need to say more. I understand your difficulties. I am determined to obtain this item. So long as you can provide a clue, name whatever you want. I'll do my best to fulfill it."

Xiao Heng was deeply grateful. "Then let me thank you in advance, Brother."

He paused, then said with a touch of emotion, "Actually, this thing isn't rare. It's simply that immortal masters call it something different from us mortals. Of course, if the descriptions of each material hadn't been included with the list back then, I wouldn't have known that this so-called Star Sea Quicksand was actually meteorite iron from the sky."

Li Fan pondered it carefully, then suddenly understood. "Star Sea Quicksand... so that's how it is. But will any meteorite iron do? Are there any other special requirements?"

"There are. There are."

Xiao Heng nodded repeatedly, then slowly laid out the specific requirements one by one.

"First, the meteorite iron has to look good. Its surface can't be full of pits and dents. Second, a single piece must weigh at least fifty jin. Then..."

As Li Fan listened, he firmly committed every detail to memory.

Once Xiao Heng had finished, Li Fan did not forget his promise.

"Tell me. What do you want?"

Xiao Heng said quietly, "I only want a decent courtyard and a somewhat easier job. Of course, it would be even better if I could have a few servant girls."

Li Fan had already prepared himself for Xiao Heng to make an exorbitant demand, but seeing that he could be satisfied so easily, he could not help but smile and shake his head.

"The son of the dignified Zhennan King only has such modest demands? Add a little more. I still have some influence in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion."

Xiao Heng politely declined. "I know my own capabilities. Being able to eat and live well without having to struggle so hard is already enough for me. If I suddenly gained wealth that made others jealous, it would instead be easy to invite disaster."

Li Fan nodded and did not press him further.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the two said their farewells.

"Do you have any plans to cultivate? After all, you went through untold hardships to reach this great world of cultivation. You can't have made the trip for nothing, can you?" Li Fan suddenly asked as Xiao Heng was leaving.

"We'll talk about it later. I really have no interest in cultivation. The moment I read the 'Profound Yellow Heart Cleansing Mantra,' I get drowsy, and who knows how long it would take to completely remove the miasma." Xiao Heng answered listlessly, then left without looking back.

After seeing Xiao Heng off, Li Fan hurried to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

After meeting Yin Yuzhen, Li Fan repeated Xiao Heng's explanation of Star Sea Quicksand.

"Star Sea Quicksand is meteorite iron? It's that simple?" Yin Yuzhen was somewhat surprised. "Can this Xiao Heng be trusted?"

"He probably wasn't lying," Li Fan said with certainty.

"But we still need to verify it." Li Fan suddenly changed tack. "Didn't you say that the Merchant Guild Emissary from the Myriad Flowers Merchant Guild will soon come to Liuli Island? When the time comes, we can sound him out and learn the truth."

"That's a good idea." Yin Yuzhen agreed. "It would be best if we could save a sum of money."

"No matter what, we should first secretly purchase meteorite iron that meets the requirements. Not many people know about it yet, but that may not remain true for long. Also, when procuring it, we must mix it in with purchases of other items to conceal our tracks and muddy the waters. At the same time, we can have people spread false rumors about Star Sea Quicksand in the market and stir the waters until they run muddy."

Li Fan thought for a moment, then gave her further patient instructions.

To ensure that the Purification Spirit Pool slot fell into his hands, Li Fan needed to make every possible preparation.

"Uncle, you really aren't simple. I only knew before that you had a Spiritually Sensitive Body. I never expected you to have such a knack for this too." Seeing Li Fan's orderly arrangements, a trace of curiosity rose in Yin Yuzhen's eyes.

"What did you do before, Uncle?" Yin Yuzhen could not help asking.

"I merely taught people to read," Li Fan answered evasively.

Yin Yuzhen clearly did not believe him.

"Enough. Leave this matter to you. I still need to cultivate. Unless something unusual happens, don't disturb me. Oh, and handle the matter I promised Xiao Heng as well." After his final instructions, Li Fan left the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

"Great auspice... how could it be great auspice again?" Yin Yuzhen stared blankly in the direction Li Fan had gone, her eyes full of bewilderment.

Ever since she had met Li Fan, every task he entrusted to her had been accompanied by a premonition of great auspice.

It had almost made Yin Yuzhen think that her ability to seek fortune and avoid misfortune had failed.

Before meeting Li Fan, she had never once encountered anything marked by great auspice.

On the contrary, when she had once wanted to swallow that Worldly Dust Severance Pill and set foot upon the path of cultivation, she had foreseen boundless danger ahead—a hundred deaths with no life, an unmistakable omen of great calamity.