"My Ah Yin is truly beautiful." Yi Chen marveled at her, a flutter rising in his heart.
"Oh, stop!" Ah Yin bashfully punched Yi Chen.
"All right, I'll go prepare the betrothal gifts. Tomorrow, we'll hold our wedding!" Yi Chen stood up, brimming with confidence.
They gazed into each other's eyes, both lost in a trance...
After a long while, Ah Yin was the first to recover. She shyly lowered her lovely head and asked softly, "Yi Chen, where are you going today?"
Yi Chen pondered for a moment. "Our wedding can't be a slapdash affair! I plan to invite some prominent people to attend."
"All right, I'll wait for you!" Ah Yin said, her voice full of tender affection.
Yi Chen kissed her forehead, then turned and left the room.
"Ah!" No sooner had Yi Chen stepped outside than he began sighing.
"Master, what's wrong?" Zi Zhenzhu looked at Yi Chen in confusion.
"Nothing, nothing." Yi Chen shook his head and thought with a sigh, I thought I'd be able to complete the system quest right away, but nothing happened at all... Looks like I'll have to wait until the actual wedding to finish it...
And I need to buy a few things, too. It can't be too shabby!
With that thought, Yi Chen hesitated no longer. He left Tongtian Island and headed straight for the coastal docks...
Yi Chen soon arrived at the coastal docks.
"So many ships?" He stared in surprise at the dozens of enormous sailing ships moored there.
These sailing ships were all cargo vessels, laden with all kinds of goods, including grain, meat, and fruit. More than three hundred ships were packed together at the docks.
All these supplies had been shipped in from neighboring countries.
Yi Chen silently clicked his tongue. There were enough goods piled up at the port to equip over a million people.
Although Yi Chen owned Tongtian Island, where a large stock of supplies was stored, he did not want to attract attention. Besides, he had not had the system before, so he had not actually stockpiled all that much.
But now that he had to complete the system quests, he would have to start preparing for a rainy day in many areas!
Just as he was about to head down, Yi Chen's gaze suddenly sharpened, fixing on a dark alley in the port.
A Nan had been born in this seaside town. His parents had both died when he was young, leaving him and his younger sister with only each other to depend on.
Normally, A Nan earned money selling fishing nets to support himself. Occasionally, he took a few men who worked under him out to find paid work.
Tonight, however, was A Nan's annual time to haul in his nets.
This time, it was because his younger sister was gravely ill and urgently needed medicine.
A Nan's younger sister was named A Yun. Two years younger than him, she was only nine this year, yet she had contracted a rare illness. The pharmacy had diagnosed her as needing her bones replaced, or even needing to become a Soul Master and acquire a Soul Ring, before she could be cured.
But that required a vast sum of money, as well as some extremely expensive and scarce medicinal herbs!
And how could an ordinary person possibly manage something like that?
To save his sister, A Nan had run himself ragged searching for all sorts of precious medicinal herbs. He had even gone to the black market and paid an enormous price for a piece of top-grade blood ganoderma.
"Oh!"
A Yun lay in bed, her cheeks pale and her breathing as faint as a thread. Clearly, her illness had sunk deep beyond remedy, leaving her at death's door.
Seeing her like this, A Nan almost burst into tears, his eyes growing wet.
Just then, his younger sister slowly opened her eyes and gave a weak smile. She gently stroked A Nan's face and said tenderly, "A Nan, don't worry. I'm fine."
A Nan held his sister's icy hand, choking back sobs. "A Yun, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you angry."
A Yun smiled. "Silly! I'm not angry anymore. Look, the glow has already returned to my face."
A Yun winked playfully. "Look, I'm just like a porcelain doll now. Aren't I pretty?"
"Yes, A Yun has always been the most beautiful girl in the world!" A Nan said hurriedly.
A Yun frowned slightly, a little sadness creeping over her. "My body is getting weaker and weaker. I'm afraid I won't last much longer. A Nan, if I die, please bury me in this sea. I love the sea."
A Nan clasped her hand in anguish and said shakily, "A Yun, don't worry. I'll definitely save you!"
"Silly, listen to me. No matter what happens, you have to take care of yourself. You're older now. Use the money to find yourself a wife."
"Silly girl!"
Tears streamed down A Nan's face as he looked at the weak, helpless A Yun, his heart aching.
"I know my own body... I won't hold on much longer. A Nan, you must take good care of yourself."
"Don't worry, I will. Sleep peacefully."
As he watched A Yun close her eyes, his lips moved a few times, but in the end he said nothing. A Nan gently wiped away his tears, silently left the room, and shut the door behind him.
Looking at the star-studded night sky outside, A Nan's heart filled with grief, indignation, and resentment.
Then he took all his money with him, intending to go to the Spirit Hall for one final desperate attempt!
"M-maybe the important people there will know a way, even if it costs me everything I own!"
Weighed down by his worries, A Nan failed to notice that he was straying farther and farther off course, gradually leaving the port and entering a dark alley.
There were no lights in the alley. It was pitch-black, with only the occasional cry of a stray cat breaking the silence.
Suddenly, A Nan felt a chill against his ankle and jumped.
"Who's there? Stop sneaking around after me and come out!"
A Nan warily scanned his surroundings, but all was silent and deserted. There was no one there.
Was it an illusion?
But something had definitely been wrong just now!
A Nan cautiously took a few steps back and carefully examined his surroundings, yet he saw nothing amiss.
"Strange. Am I being too sensitive?"
A Nan shook his head and continued forward.
This was the slum near the port. Most of its residents were children from poor families. Perhaps it had been a stray cat or dog?
A Nan continued forward as he speculated.
Once he passed through this dark little alley, he would reach his destination.
But just then, a burly man suddenly appeared ahead of him, blocking his path.
The man had knotted muscles all over his body and a vicious face. Holding a steel saber, he gave A Nan a savage grin. "Kid, hand over everything valuable, nice and easy! Otherwise, I'll chop your head off!"
A Nan froze for a moment, then said nervously, "I don't have any money. I'm just an ordinary person. You've got the wrong guy!"
The man burst into wild laughter. "Who do you think you're fooling? I've already found out everything about you."
A Nan stared at the man in surprise. "You know me? Have we met?"
The man snorted. "You've saved up a big sum of money to treat your sister. I've looked into every last detail!"
A Nan's heart lurched. He turned to flee.
But as soon as he turned around, he discovered that several thuggish men had appeared behind him at some point, blocking his way.
These men were all street hoodlums who specialized in robbing and extorting people under cover of darkness.
In a panic, A Nan pulled out his money pouch, took out a stack of notes, and offered it to the burly leader. "Brother, please have a heart and let me off. I really don't have any money. Take this for now, and I'll bring you more another day as a token of respect."