Striking it Rich

This time, it was Mo Shan's enemies who came targeting the Mountain Lord's lineage. The Mountain Lord wouldn't even let Li Fan know his adversary's name, so it seems this adversary is quite formidable. He's still a burden, and won't be able to return to Ink Bamboo Mountain for the next two or three years.

However, two or three years is not considered long in the cultivation world. Li Fan estimated that if he found a place to sleep and Divine Sense, several years would probably pass in the blink of an eye.

However, this does somewhat delay his cultivation progress. No matter what, the cultivation resources and environment of Ink Bamboo Mountain are still better than those in the wilderness, where one has to endure wind and rain. Moreover, the Mozhu lineage has preserved many statues of Revered Heavenly Demon and cultivation methods of the Tai Su Dao Body on the Five Sons Peak! Especially now that Li Fan has plenty of time to spare, cultivating new Tai Su transformations can rapidly improve his hard power. He cannot use these shortcuts in the short term.

Secondly, to cultivate the Void Return and the current Dao bodies, and to use the Revered Heavenly Demon's Star Moon Worship to replenish the evil energy, it is best to find a safe cave with abundant spiritual energy. Although the Celestial Devil Statue can be placed in the open, it is still necessary to use spiritual energy and earth veins to set up a magic array to avoid the leakage of too much evil energy during Moon Worship, which could cause mutations in the surrounding creatures.

Finally, Li Fan is currently also cultivating the Limitless Nascent Soul Stage. The speed at which he gathers the Qi of Heaven and Earth is also related to the concentration of spiritual Qi in the world. He can't always rely on Senior Sister Qin, who is far away in Emei, to come all the way to sacrifice herself and give him her cultivation. He still has to refine the Qi of Heaven and Earth himself. If that doesn't work, he can follow the Guizang Great Technique and focus on achieving the Qian Yuan Divine Nascent Soul first.

This world is so chaotic, with the Three Great Sects locked in a fierce battle. I wonder what's happening to the others. It's probably because the old-school cultivators often spend hundreds of years breaking through to a higher level that they're caught up in the conflicts between sects and the martial world. They're constantly caught between fighting for resources, sect feuds, and healing and training, leaving them no time to focus on their cultivation.

Li Fan thought for a while and then his head started to ache again. He shook his head to dispel the distracting thoughts and drowsiness. He knew that his spiritual power was insufficient, and he probably couldn't even use the sword pellet, let alone help his fellow disciples from Ink Bamboo Mountain. In short, he should find a safe cave to stay in for the time being, and whatever he wanted to do, he should focus on restoring his cultivation first.

Before entering meditation, I was still a few hundred points short of recharging for the lottery. Now that it's almost dawn, I need to find a way to do Moon Worship lottery. I'm almost at the 8k limit now, and it's not easy to draw a lottery even once. It would be such a waste if I slept through the night and years passed by, and my enthusiasm overflowed...

This wasn't Li Fan's first time in the South China Sea, but as the Profound Heaven Sword Intent had said, the vast ocean was sparsely populated and it was really difficult to find one's way. Besides, he was wandering aimlessly on the Si Nan and didn't know where he had ended up again. So he used the compass to find his way, and soon he used his blind observation to discover a fleet of mirages within his Divine Sense range.

So Li Fan changed back into the disguise of Li Yaoshi, summoned the Zhu Hong Sword Light, and headed out to ask for directions. If there were any of the Ten Continents and Seven Islands nearby, he would first go to one of them and find a spiritual cave to stay in temporarily.

Upon closer inspection, Li Fan realized that this was not a mirage, but a naval battle! Two fleets, each with hundreds of ships, were locked in a fierce naval clash!

Li Fan flew around the battlefield and could see that a fleet was holding a market at sea and was caught off guard when it was suddenly attacked and surrounded by another fleet. The fleet used small boats to pull up chains and sink the ships, while the outer fleet blocked the waterway with large ships to prevent the merchant ships inside from escaping. Meanwhile, the outer fleet shot arrows and threw stones to break masts and sails, further trapping the attacked fleet.

The attacking pirates boarded the besieged merchant ships one by one, looting the cargo on each vessel. Their leader, a Nascent Soul Stage level expert, led elite Fourth Department on patrols, quickly surrounding and killing any cultivators who attempted to organize and resist. Therefore, although the besieged fleet outnumbered the pirates, they were powerless against them, unable to escape, and could only be defeated piecemeal.

The pirate leader was a burly, shirtless, bald man with a face full of scars and covered in knife marks. Judging from his strength, he was probably just a weakling among weaklings. Whether it was a surprise attack or an ambush, he had already killed the two Nascent Soul Stage guarding the fleet, beheading them and displaying their heads on the flagpole. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the fleet was wiped out.

Look at this pirate leader! Even though he's just finished a fierce battle and is covered in wounds, he's still charging ahead, cutting down the stubborn Golden Core Stage ship owners one by one with a single slash. With his ferocious appearance, if he were transmigrated to another world, he'd probably be wanted for at least a billion dollars.

Piracy is rampant in the South China Sea now?

That makes sense. Every time Li Fan came before, the Ten Continents and Seven Islands were swept up by external forces. Now that a major war is imminent in the Central Plains, the Xuanmen probably doesn't have time to deal with them. The Spirit Race just wiped out a group of demons and monsters, so they don't have time to come and fight again in the short term. New forces will definitely take advantage of this power vacuum to rise up and compete for territory.

Li Fan didn't immediately rush down to rescue them. Although his strength was diminished, dealing with these pirates wasn't a problem for him. However, he noticed that these pirates were clearly different from the Reef Shark Gang, who killed anyone they saw. Rather than robbing, they were conquering, not wantonly killing.

Soon, the few warships that had resisted, presumably the guards responsible for the fleet's armed security, ceased their resistance, and most of their crew surrendered. Aside from a few resisters who were killed in the battle as a warning, the rest were spared indiscriminate slaughter. The pirates gathered the sailors on deck, made them collect their money, and forcibly integrated them into the fleet. Merchants and ship owners who refused to submit were stripped naked, thrown onto small sampans, and sent on their way.

Li Fan frowned. It seemed this pirate group wanted to establish their own power. Merging fleets was a common practice in the South China Sea. However, in the past, the division of power among the Ten Continents and Seven Islands prevented them from fighting each other. Now that the balance had been broken, such incidents were becoming more frequent.

Li Fan had little interest in getting involved in power struggles among human forces. The killing was pointless, and he couldn't possibly manage it all. Besides, seeing so many sailors being brought out of the ship's hold, still shackled and chained, he suspected the original ship owners weren't exactly benevolent people either; it was just dogs fighting each other.

Then he heard the pirate leader shout loudly to his men, celebrating the victory and boasting about how awesome he was, how well everyone had performed, and how the brothers were drinking and eating together.

Li Fan ignored him and carefully studied the Si Nan's direction, finally confirming the person he was 'destined' for this time.

It wasn't the pirate leader, but a young sailor rescued from the ship's hold and forced into the crew. The boy was about fifteen or sixteen years old, of average appearance and average talent—the kind of average you'd easily miss in a crowd Li Fan had to scrutinize him for a long time before confirming that Si Nan was referring to him. If you had to pinpoint anything special, anything that distinguished him from the others... his nostrils were a bit large?

Could this be some kind of innate genius, a reincarnation of a martial saint, a family of loyal martyrs, the orphan of a hero, or the grandson of a demon king?

Having confirmed his target, Li Fan didn't waste any more words. His Sword Light flashed down, ready to snatch the boy and escape.

The Pirate King didn't stop him. In fact, he was quite shrewd; suddenly noticing a Sword Light approaching from the horizon, he didn't utter a sound, but dove into the water and abandoned his men, leaving his henchmen completely bewildered. They thought their boss was just too excited and wanted to go for a swim to calm down...

The opponent's leap into the water to escape was far too decisive; it was truly baffling how he was so adept at it. Perhaps it was some kind of PTSD flare-up from the Xuanmen sect. In any case, Li Fan felt too embarrassed to pursue him. So, he ignored him and directly asked the bewildered pirate beside him, "Where is this place? Which of the Ten Continents and Seven Islands is the closest?"

The pirates then realized that this was a sword immortal, which had frightened their leader away. Naturally, no one dared to make a sound. They knelt respectfully on the deck and kowtowed, saying, "Reporting to the immortal, heading northeast leads to Jinlin Isle."

"Oh! That Jinlin Isle?"

Even the pirates knew, "Yes, that's the one..."

Li Fan's mood improved slightly.

Cough cough, well, Jinlin Isle is good too, finally found the signpost. And speaking of which, he still has a system-generated extra income quest to raise two fish. He hasn't gone back to feed them for years, they're probably all dead. He can just buy two more, it's all for completing the quest...

Li Fan nodded, confirming the direction, then reached out and grabbed the boy to test his aptitude. At the Qi Refining Stage, he was trash...

The boy felt uncomfortable being held by Li Fan, frowned, and pulled his hand back. "What are you doing?"

"Hey kid, what's your name? What are your parents' names? Are there any famous people in your family? Do you have any special talents?"

The boy paused, scratched his head, and said, "I don't know."

"You don't even know your own name? What's your name?"

Then the boy with the big nostrils grinned foolishly, "Oh, you call me Diao Mao. The boss calls me A Mao, okay?"

Li Fan was speechless. Damn, this guy's IQ doesn't seem to be particularly outstanding either.

The pirates explained, "Some of these slaves were captured overseas, and some were kidnapped from the Central Plains. To prevent them from escaping, they were locked up in the hold to work. This kid was probably beaten senseless by the ship owner."

Li Fan also realized that this kid's aptitude, birth, innate talent, and comprehension were all extremely low, yet he managed to attract Si Nan's attention. So, he must have some great fortune to rely on. In short, he'd just keep him around as a mascot; who knows what kind of plot it might trigger.

So Li Fan didn't delay any longer. He swung his hand, cut off the boy's shackles, grabbed him, wrapped him in Sword Light, and flew towards Jinlin Isle in the northeast.

A Mao was quite energetic, exclaiming, "Wow! Boss, you can fly!"

"What do you mean, 'old and uncultured'..." Li Fan rolled his eyes. "Listen, kid, you're incredibly lucky to have been met by me, Li Yaoshi, the Tan Flower Island. Now I'm giving you a chance to cultivate. First, work as a handyman by my side. If you can pass my tests, I'll take you as a disciple of my Tan Flower Island. Understand?"

After listening for a while, A Mao finally said "Oh".

Li Fan looked at him suspiciously, "You understood? Um... Anyway, let's leave it at that for now. You'll change your name from now on, and you'll be called Li Mao."

After digesting it for a while, A Mao said, "Oh, I understand."

Although he's now called Amao instead of A Mao, the kid doesn't talk much. He just looks around, doesn't ask any questions, and just stands there with his mouth open.

However, Amao was an opportunity specifically pointed out by Si Nan. Although his aptitude seemed rather poor at the moment, he might have some fortuitous encounters in the future. Aren't the mortal cultivation paths quite popular? So Li Fan certainly wouldn't look down on Amao. He flew with him all the way to the outer island of Jinlin Isle, first landing his Sword Light at the harbor, then took him to a merchant house to change into clean clothes. Afterward, the two of them had a big seafood meal at the boatman's small shop outside.

While eating, Li Fan used his Divine Sense to perceive the situation of the Golden Scale Golden Scale Palace Jinlin Isle.

As mentioned earlier, among the Ten Continents and Seven Islands of the South China Sea, the Huan family's Golden Scale Palace is the most prosperous. This is because the family is skilled in raising goldfish and possesses the secret technique for cultivating Jin Qing. This special product of the South China Sea's spirit pets is sold far and wide to the Central Plains. The Huan family also has connections and old friends in the Immortal Palace, and judging from the location of Jinlin Isle, it is in the northern part of the South China Sea, the closest to the Central Plains. The family was not involved much in the previous two upheavals in the South China Sea, and now they seem even more prosperous.

There was no other way. In the past, the Huan family's Golden Scale Ships would sail the Fourth Department and make a fortune participating in maritime markets. But now, the local cultivators in the South China Sea are being suppressed, demons are rampant, and various new pirate forces are rising up. No one dares to engage in maritime markets anymore. Only the local aristocratic families in the south are constantly fleeing. Those with connections go to the Central Plains, and those with enemies rely on the island. In short, when Li Fan came to Jinlin Isle this time, he found that the Huan family's fleet was also staying on the island and had not gone out to sea, and there were also many foreign fleets docked there.

Since Jinlin Isle is primarily a fish-selling island, it can't be completely closed off. Therefore, the boats surrounding Golden Scale Palace are still decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and visitors can board them for sightseeing.

"Amao, are you full? If you're full, let's go to the Golden Scale Palace." Li Fan casually handed the shopkeeper a handful of copper coins to pay the bill.

Amao started crying.

Li Fan was baffled. "What are you doing?"

Amao cried so hard that snot was spraying out, "Waaah! Island Lord, are you trying to kill me?!"

Li Fan frowned. "What would I do with your life?"

"Waaaaah! Why are you being so good to me? I haven't eaten my fill in so long, isn't this my last meal? I'm afraid I'll never be able to eat this full again, waaaaah! And you're taking me to the Golden Scale Palace! Am I going to die soon?!" Amao's crying drew everyone's attention.

Li Fan was embarrassed. Was this kid genuinely stupid or just pretending? Besides, he never said he wanted to spend money at the Golden Scale Palace! It's so expensive there; a single golden lotus flower at the entrance costs a hundred strings of cash! He was just planning to visit the Golden Scale Palace later, ask the Huan family for a spiritual cave array or a meditation room to stay in, hide on Jinlin Isle to recover from his injuries, and buy a couple of fish. That's why he and Amao ate their fill outside first, to avoid embarrassing themselves inside...

"Stop overthinking. I'm going to discuss business. You really want to spend money at the Golden Scale Palace? Wait until you earn your own money before you do it," Li Fan glared at Amao, annoyed. "Alright, alright, let's go after we've eaten. We can have another late-night snack later."

"Oh, okay." Upon hearing that there would be a late-night snack, Amao stopped crying and sucked the fish head and tail clean.

So Li Fan Amao A Mao to disguise himself as his servant, straighten his clothes, take out a jade flute and a bone fan, dress up as a suave old man, buy two golden flowers, and take Amao onto the Golden Scale Palace's ship.

He had carefully searched the area while he was eating, but found no trace of any enemies he had previously encountered, no demons, monsters, or malevolent Devil Embryo. There were as many as sixteen Nascent Soul Stage on Jinlin Isle, but they were all trashy Nascent Soul Stage from the Immortal Palace. They were probably the patriarch and retainers of the Huan family, as well as the ship owners who had recently visited. The ship owners who could arrange for the ship to enter the port were probably vassals and allies of the Huan family with close ties.

This level of strength is just right; ordinary demons wouldn't dare to easily invade, and even if they did turn against him, they wouldn't pose a real threat to Li Fan. Therefore, Li Fan's plan is to talk to the Huan family, volunteer himself, demonstrate his skills, and become a guest retainer on Jinlin Isle. He can hide for two or three years, recuperating from his injuries, avoiding enemies, making friends with fellow Daoists from the South China Sea, and further refining his character as the Li Yaoshi. Perhaps he can even use the convenience of his Gu Guan Method to secretly learn a couple of secret techniques for raising fish from the Jin Qing, completing the system tasks along the way. A win-win situation, wouldn't that be wonderful?

However, figuring out how to attract their attention requires some planning. If he just randomly picks a wealthy family, walks up to their front door, knocks, and says, "I'm willing to be your security guard; you can easily give me seven or eight hundred thousand in protection money each month," then no wonder people will think he's there to cause trouble.

Li Fan's plan was this: first, he'd pretend to be a customer—not actually making a purchase, of course. Anyway, this kind of place was bound to be a mixed bag. He'd find a couple he didn't like, beat them up, and show them his skills. Unless the Huan family was completely blind, they'd have to back down and try to win him over. Then he'd give them a way out, a mutually agreeable, half-hearted deal, and the matter would be settled. Of course, the specifics of how to execute it...

"You little brat! Don't you have eyes?! Where are you going to run into?!"

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Then Li Fan turned his head and saw that it was Amao staring intently at the beauties around him. He then bumped into a richly dressed young man who was walking from the other end of the passageway, with two concubines in his arms. The man had just brushed past Li Fan and was heading back to his room to attend to some business...

Li Fan shrugged. This good fortune had come his way. He composed himself and shouted, "What kind of thing is this! How dare you bully my disciples!"

So he kicked out and struck the young master in the buttocks, sending him flying like a shuttlecock.

Li Fan controlled his strength. He could tell that this young master was at most at the Foundation Establishment stage and didn't intend to kill anyone; he just wanted to cause trouble.

To everyone's surprise, this young nobleman, after being kicked, flew two meters away, rolled three times on the floor, and then immediately jumped up, furiously cursing, "Hey--bastard, shake it! You're asking for it, you little bastard!"

Kindness?

Li Fan narrowed his eyes instantly, only to see the young master pull open his robe, revealing a suit of metallic armor underneath that seemed to cling to his skin, and he also pulled out a pistol from his robes...

In the next instant, Li Fan flashed in front of the young master, grabbed his neck with his left hand and twisted it, snapping the young master's spine with a crisp crack.

Li Fan's mood improved by 1 point.

'Li Fan killed the Legion's apostle.'

"..." Li Fan was silent for a moment, looking at the young man's skeleton in his hand. He took half a second to confirm that the other party's physiological characteristics had stopped, and then he exerted force, crushing the young master's cervical spine and breaking the body in half. He then pulled his hand back and put the whole thing into his Heaven and Earth Sleeve.

This took a full second. Then, Li Fan blinked, extended his right index finger, and with a backhand swift motion, swept out a sword gust of wind, severing the heads of the two concubines of Jin Qing who were still standing to the side.

"Condensing the Soul and Refining the Spirit!" Then he spread his palm, gathering three faint lights in it, and extinguished them with a clench of his fingers.

It wasn't until then that someone realized what was happening.

'Holy crap? Holy shit? Holy shit!'

'... No, how did you find him?'

Hopefully, we'll hit the jackpot.

Li Fan flicked his sleeve, collected Jin Qing's corpse, and slipped behind the still bewildered Amao. He patted A Mao's shoulder, grabbed him, and continued walking forward as if nothing had happened.