The reason was the fish Lei Dong ate every day. At first, he had only thought it tasted exceptionally delicious and had the effect of nourishing the blood and replenishing his energy. It had helped his injuries recover, at least somewhat. After asking the girl whether she caught the fish herself every day, Lei Dong hadn't given it much further thought; he had simply felt a quiet gratitude toward her. But that day, Mute Girl had gone out fishing in her little boat in the dead of night, as usual, and returned around noon covered in bruises. It was obvious someone had bullied her.
That was enough to make Lei Dong burn with anger. Without realizing it, he had already come to think of her as one of his own. Though Mute Girl was terribly ugly, she had a good heart. Lei Dong hadn't learned much else from Myriad Ghost Ancestor, but looking after their own was a tradition passed down through Myriad Ghost Cave and the Yin Sha Sect alike. It was one he wholeheartedly embraced.
Lei Dong had flared up on the spot, but when he questioned Mute Girl closely, she refused to say a word. He didn't force her and sent her back to continue learning to read. Come evening, he called over the middle-aged scholar and questioned him. Only then did he learn what had happened.
The island where Lei Dong was staying was called Fisherman Island. It wasn't small; at its widest, it spanned dozens of miles, and it stretched for about a hundred. Quite a few fishermen lived there, making their living from the sea for generations. Their catch was gathered up by designated buyers and sold on the nearby larger islands. But the surrounding waters were dotted with islands, and there were plenty