Three months slipped by in a flash.
Su Jiu and her three companions had now reached what their calculations indicated was the point on the coast closest to the Merfolk Tribe's home.
It was none other than the little fishing village Su Shi and Luo Ge had reached a month earlier.
The four of them had enjoyed a fairly smooth journey, encountering almost no serious danger.
Perhaps afraid their looks would draw too much attention, all four had put on simple disguises. At first glance, they looked like four unremarkable brothers.
The moment Su Jiu and the others entered the village, they sensed the villagers' low spirits.
Several households had even hung up mourning cloths.
A woman wailed bitterly toward the sea. "I told you ages ago that you couldn't go out to sea during this period, but you wouldn't listen! And now look! You've left me and our daughter behind again. How are we supposed to live?"
An old man looked at the woman and shook his head helplessly. Then he turned and spotted the four of them.
"More outsiders? It hasn't even been two months. Why have more outsiders come..."
"Do you want a boat built too? You've come at just the right time. I finished the one I was working on yesterday, so I have time to build another for you." The old man looked at them, muttering to himself.
Su Jiu smiled politely. "Sorry, we don't need a boat built."
The old man did not press them. He merely nodded and made to leave.
Just then, Chu Luohen suddenly called out to stop him. "Please wait. May I ask you a question?"
The old man looked up at Chu Luohen. "Go ahead, young man."
"Has anyone ever set up a Barrier here?"
But the old man