A moment later, the four of them arrived at the seaside.
Shi Tou's old, weather-beaten sampan lay quietly moored in the shallows. Several planks had cracked, and tung-oil putty had been used to patch them up as best as possible.
But to them, this little boat carried countless joyful memories from childhood.
Chen Yuan took up the oars first. The strength of the Tendon Changing Realm made rowing effortless, and the sampan cleaved through the calm sea like an arrow loosed from a bow, heading toward the distant crescent-shaped island.
The sea wind struck their faces, carrying salt, fishiness, and chill, yet it could not blow the excitement from their faces.
Zhou Yu sat at the bow, gripping the gunwales tightly with both hands as the sea breeze tousled the wisps of hair across her forehead.
From time to time, she glanced back at Chen Yuan's tall, straight figure. A trace of barely perceptible admiration flickered in her eyes, only for her to turn away again in a flash, the tips of her ears warming faintly.
Soon, the island's outline became clear.
Jagged rocks covered the island, while a few cold-resistant shrubs grew in the middle, giving it a somewhat desolate appearance.
As they drew near, Chen Yuan's gaze sharpened slightly.
On the reefs along one side of the island—normally submerged beneath the seawater—there seemed to be several unnatural scrape marks, as if a boat had docked there recently.
The little boat reached shore, and the four of them set foot on the familiar beach.
After the tide ebbed, large stretches of reefs and sand had been exposed.
Shi Tou and Shuan Zi immediately began searching excitedly. Sure enough, they found plenty of plump oysters, sea snails, and crabs hiding in the cracks between the reefs.
Zhou Yu rolled up