A Year and a Half Later

Tian, the Talisman Master's expression turned extremely ugly.

Which bastard was spreading rumors about me?

He took a deep breath and forced down the rage in his heart.

Yet he could not help thinking once more about his wife's recent behavior.

Had there been anything unusual?

Anything wrong?

Over the past year, the way his delicate young wife looked at him had grown increasingly resentful.

He stood at the courtyard gate, staring at the empty alley. Taking a deep breath, he tucked the letter into his robes.

Then he turned and returned to the room.

In the courtyard, Chen Sanyan saw Tian, the Talisman Master return and hurried over again, her eyes red as she said, "Husband, about the reward..."

"All you care about are those two useless brothers of yours."

Tian, the Talisman Master suddenly erupted, his voice rising sharply. "Do you still have this family in your eyes? Do you still have me? Do you still have our child?"

Chen Sanyan froze.

Her husband had never been this harsh with her before.

And he had clearly said he would raise the reward just now. Why had he suddenly gone back on his word?

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but Tian, the Talisman Master's gaze frightened the words back down her throat.

Tian, the Talisman Master narrowed his eyes as he looked at his wife.

He carefully considered the unusual parts of her behavior.

She...

Tian, the Talisman Master's brow furrowed tightly.

His wife should not betray him.

But a seed of suspicion had been planted in his heart.

What if she did?

What if she betrayed him?

Why had those two letters said that?

Where there was no wind, waves would not rise without cause.

The more Tian, the Talisman Master thought about it, the more agitated he became. Seeing his wife's mournful expression, he grew angry for no reason at all.

"Get out. I need to draw talismans."

Chen Sanyan shrank back in fright. Daring not to say another word, she lowered her head and left the small courtyard.

Tian, the Talisman Master stood where he was, his chest heaving.

He shut the room door.

He pulled out the letter from his robes and spread it across the table.

The crooked handwriting had clearly been deliberately written that way to conceal the writer's original hand.

Tian, the Talisman Master stared at those nine words, his expression shifting between light and dark.

"Fellow Daoist Tian, your wife has climbed over the wall with a red apricot."

Who was this?

Why write this?

Did they truly know something, or were they simply trying to disgust him?

Tian, the Talisman Master could not find an answer.

But he knew that even if they were merely trying to disgust him, they had achieved their purpose.

He had indeed been disgusted, and he had begun to suspect.

Even though he told himself it was impossible, that someone was stirring up trouble.

That thought was like a thorn lodged in his heart, impossible to pull out.

Tian, the Talisman Master closed his eyes and drew a deep breath.

Deep in the alley.

Wang Mengde watched Tian, the Talisman Master's courtyard gate from afar. Once he saw the first child deliver the letter, he turned and left.

Finding a deserted spot, he quickly stripped off his bulky clothes and stuffed them into a bundle, then peeled the pockmarks from his face and returned to his original appearance.

He strode away.

He did not need Tian, the Talisman Master to believe it completely.

He only needed to plant a seed.

A seed of suspicion.

That old geezer Tian, the Talisman Master, would personally water and fertilize it.

That seed.

Would slowly sprout and grow.

Wang Mengde's steps were light as he disappeared at the end of the alley.

He returned home.

Shen Qingyue was hanging clothes in the courtyard. When she saw him return, her face reddened slightly, and she lowered her head.

"Brother-in-law, you're back."

"Mm." Wang Mengde answered, walking to the well to draw water and wash his face.

Shen Qingyue secretly glanced at him, then quickly looked away.

She still remembered what had happened last night with perfect clarity.

That embrace.

Her brother-in-law's scent.

And that warm, safe feeling.

After hanging the clothes, she said softly, "Brother-in-law, I... I'm going to cook."

With that, she darted into the kitchen as though fleeing.

Wang Mengde watched her retreating figure and smiled.

He sat in the courtyard and began considering what to do next.

For the moment, he had passed the Island Patrol Guards' scrutiny.

As for Tian, the Talisman Master, the seed of suspicion had already been planted. As long as Tian, the Talisman Master suspected his wife, he probably would not go to great lengths over his two brothers-in-law.

In the end, his strength was still insufficient.

Over the next dozen or so days.

Every morning, even when it drizzled, he went out to scour the shore.

At noon, whenever the weather was clear, he went out to sea to fish.

At night, he cultivated.

His days were busy and fulfilling.

Half a month later, Liu Yiyi came to see Wang Mengde once more to inquire about the Chen brothers.

After that, she never came again.

Chen Dahu and his brother gradually faded from people's memories.

Peaceful days passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, a year and a half had gone by.

After three straight days of heavy rain.

The weather finally cleared.

At noon that day.

The sunlight was just right.

The blue sky looked freshly washed.

Wang Mengde carried his spirit-pattern fishing rod, walking unhurriedly along the bluestone road toward Rosy Cloud Pier.

At the pier, more than a dozen small spirit boats were moored along the shore, their hulls gently rocking with the waves.

More than a dozen cultivators at the second and third levels of Qi Refinement had gathered together, some squatting and some standing as they chatted.

The center of their conversation was Wang Mengde.

"Wang Mengde's earnings lately have already surpassed mine."

The speaker was Zhao Youming. He was at the third level of Qi Refinement and had mastered the Fishing Technique to the great accomplishment level. Among the many low-level fishermen west of Westglow Circuit, he was quite well-known. It could be said that among fishing cultivators below the fourth level of Qi Refinement, he earned money the fastest.

Yet over the past half year, Wang Mengde's income had surpassed even his.

And it had only continued increasing.

There was a hint of sourness in his tone.

A middle-aged cultivator sighed. "This fellow's talent for spells is truly exceptional. He has mastered three fishing spells to the great accomplishment level. That's simply incredible."

A tall, skinny man beside him exclaimed, "With three great accomplishment-level fishing spells working together, his fishing efficiency is terrifying indeed."

A short, thin cultivator spoke up. "His luck is pretty good too. After all, even if he has mastered three spells to the great accomplishment level, he should not be making that much every day."

"His luck really is excellent."

The short, thin cultivator pondered aloud. "But this fellow's luck has been far too good lately. Could his spells have reached the proficient realm?"

"Are you joking? So many late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators have never cultivated their spells to the proficient realm."

"Haha, true enough."

Just then, a figure approached from the pier entrance.

Wang Mengde carried his fishing rod, his stride steady and a faint smile on his face.

"Oh, Brother Wang is here." Zhao Youming was the first to greet him, his tone warm.

The others also turned, their gazes falling on Wang Mengde.

There was envy, admiration, and a faint trace of some indescribable emotion.

But no matter what, Wang Mengde was now one of the prominent figures at this pier.

"Good morning, everyone." Wang Mengde approached with a smile and nodded to them before asking, "Is everyone here?"

Over the past half year, he and a group of second- and third-level Qi Refinement cultivators had gone fishing together in deeper waters.

Fishing in deeper waters alone was too dangerous. They had to travel in groups to spread out the risk.

"Zhou the Third and his two brothers are coming too," Zhao Youming said.

Before long, Zhou the Third and his two brothers arrived together.

Once everyone had gathered.

Sixteen small spirit boats left the pier one after another, forming a line as they sailed toward the vast sea.

Wang Mengde steered his boat, following in the middle of the group.

An hour later.

The fleet stopped in a stretch of sea.

They were already more than two hundred li from Rosy Cloud Island. The seawater was much darker here, a deep, shadowy blue.

"Here will do." Zhao Youming was experienced. He swept his eyes across the sea surface. "The water is deep here, suitable for fishing."

Everyone nodded and steered their small spirit boats to positions of their choosing.

The sixteen small spirit boats spread across the sea, each separated by eight or nine hundred meters.

Wang Mengde chose a spot beside a reef and steadied his boat.