Zhao Yi stood for a long time, watching Junior Sister Liu disappear into the distance.
"Hey, the beauty's long gone. Still staring?"
A teasing voice suddenly came from behind him.
A smile spread across Zhao Yi's face. The God of Wealth had arrived-the biggest buyer of this year's Green Jade Spirit Rice.
The newcomer was Yuan Zifeng, a disciple from Black Wind Island.
A slender male cultivator in an embroidered brocade robe stood beside the stall, a languid smile on his face.
He looked careless and casual, yet carried a certain indescribable charm.
"Zhao Yi, your eyes were practically glued to that female cultivator's back. Such a big, strapping fellow, yet so timid. If I were you, I'd have latched onto her already."
"Yuan Zifeng, if you've got nothing to do, go work at your Black Wind Island stall. What are you spouting nonsense here for?"
"Look at that! Is this how you people from Linghua Island treat a regular customer?"
"I'm one of your biggest customers!"
Yuan Zifeng made a loud fuss.
Zhao Yi ignored him, picked up his bag, and returned to his chair to lie down again.
Zhao Yi and Yuan Zifeng had known each other since childhood. They had lived on the same little island, and after both were found to possess spiritual roots, the Tide-Subduing Sect had taken them away together.
Every year, children with cultivation aptitude were discovered on the islands under the Tide-Subduing Sect. Those with good aptitude were kept as disciples, while those with poor aptitude were sold off by the sect.
After his master bought Zhao Yi and brought him back to Linghua Island, he took him as his eldest disciple. Yuan Zifeng, meanwhile, had been bought by Black Wind Island.
Their masters happened to be old acquaintances, and after the two boys grew up, they met again by chance at a gathering.
Seeing this, Yuan Zifeng smiled and stepped lightly over into the stall.
He passed Zhao Yi, walked to where the polished rice was stored at the back, and told the attendants outside, "One sack each. Come carry them all away."
He plopped down in the chair beside Zhao Yi, casually took a spirit peach from the bag, and, without washing it, wiped it on his sleeve and began eating.
"Zhao Yi, why haven't I seen Martial Uncle Chen or Martial Uncle Mu this year?"
"Master was injured, and Martial Uncle Mu stayed home to look after him. Only Liu Yu and I came this year."
"This peach tastes much better than the ones Peach Blossom Island sells. It must be from those few old trees!" Yuan Zifeng mumbled around mouthfuls of peach.
After finishing the peach in a few bites, Yuan Zifeng tossed the pit aside, stood up, and strutted around Zhao Yi with his hands behind his back.
"Haven't you noticed anything different about me?"
"Sure. Noticed ages ago. Your hide's gotten even thicker."
"Get lost!"
"I've broken through to great completion of Meridian Opening! Hahaha!"
"Congratulations, congratulations. I broke through half a year ago."
The laughter stopped abruptly. Yuan Zifeng looked as though someone had cast an immobilization spell on him.
"How could this be?"
The words came through Yuan Zifeng's gritted teeth.
"What else did you expect? Boy Yuan, you should know there's always a sky beyond the sky, someone beyond every man, and an expert beyond every expert!"
Zhao Yi spoke with an affected air of profundity.
"Hmph! You only have the advantage because you started cultivating half a year before me."
Yuan Zifeng sat down in a huff.
"You've finished your peach. Hurry up and leave!"
Zhao Yi continued resting with his eyes closed, speaking without so much as lifting his eyelids.
"Martial Uncle Chen and Martial Uncle Mu didn't come this year, so you and Liu Yu should be careful on your way back. Last year, the Wang Clan master and his two disciples from Red Sand Island were all robbed and killed."
After looking around to make sure no one was paying attention to them, Yuan Zifeng lowered his voice.
"Do you know who did it?" Zhao Yi slowly opened his eyes, his gaze as sharp as lightning.
"No idea. They suspect bandit cultivators from outside the region. The boat was covered in blood, but there wasn't a single body. They were probably fed to the sea."
Yuan Zifeng lowered his voice and leaned closer to Zhao Yi.
"Of those three, one had reached perfection of Meridian Opening, and two had reached great completion of Meridian Opening. There aren't many groups in the Yunsha Sea Region capable of handling them so cleanly."
"Be careful at this trade fair. How about I speak to my master, and we travel back together?"
Yuan Zifeng continued.
"No need. We're poor. Nobody's going to target us. Robbing and killing other people gets you meat to eat and broth to drink. Robbing and killing us gets you nothing but seawater."
Zhao Yi spoke self-mockingly.
"Oh, give it a rest. Who doesn't know Linghua Island produces spirit rice in abundance? Real spirit rice!"
"I've told you about it, so just keep it in mind. Make preparations early and find someone to travel back with. It's getting late. I have to go."
"Wait. Who took over Red Sand Island?" Zhao Yi looked up and asked.
"Kongqing Island." After a brief hesitation, Yuan Zifeng answered and left.
Watching Yuan Zifeng leave, Zhao Yi went back to resting with his eyes closed.
Red Sand Island was wiped out. It must have been cultivators from the Yunsha Sea Region. Bandit cultivators from outside would never kill mortals.
Besides, not many people knew Red Sand Island's return route.
Right, Red Sand Island seems to be right next to Black Wind Island and Kongqing Island.
Interesting. Kongqing Island and Black Wind Island have been fighting endlessly, and Black Wind Island always had the upper hand before. With the Wang Clan master and disciples gone, Red Sand Island was a fat piece of meat, yet Kongqing Island ended up taking it.
Tsk, tsk. Looks like I'll have to buy red sand powder from Kongqing Island's stall from now on.
Red Sand Island had originally been called Red Sand Worm Island, but "Worm" had later been dropped from its name. Its specialty was red sand worms. These were not Spiritual Insects, merely ordinary sand worms that had mutated after eating red coral. Once dried and ground into powder, they made an exceptionally high-quality fertilizer, comparable to spirit-nurturing powder.
Who exactly did it?
Zhao Yi went through the islands of the Yunsha Sea Region, large and small, until one surfaced in his mind.
Three Heroes Island. Three Heroes Island did not engage in production. Its dozen or so cultivators mainly made a living by hunting demonic beasts. Their leaders, the Mo Clan's Three Heroes, possessed astonishing strength and brutal dispositions.
Three Heroes Island had originally been called Youyue Island, and a lineage, the Yun Clan, had lived there.
Later, the Mo Clan's Three Heroes came to these waters, took a liking to Youyue Island's location, and slaughtered the entire Yun Clan. They seized Youyue Island and renamed it Three Heroes Island. More than ten years had passed since then.
Three Heroes Island's cultivators hunt demonic beasts year-round. None of them are easy to deal with. Kongqing Island openly occupied Red Sand Island-are you looking to take on the karma of this affair?
Zhao Yi smiled disdainfully. Do you even have the strength to occupy it so boldly?
Forget it. It's none of my business. Once Fubo Pavilion's merchant ship arrives tomorrow, we'll finish our business and leave without lingering.
Having thought it through, Zhao Yi tidied up the stall, then picked up the spirit peaches and headed back.
Back aboard the boat, Zhao Yi first washed the spirit peaches. There were five left in the bag, each the size of a palm, round and plump, with red tips and spiritual energy spilling from them. The mere sight of them whetted his appetite.
After putting them in a basket, Zhao Yi returned to the cabin and set down the spirit stones tucked inside his robes. Liu Yu was still lying there reading, with two sacks of spirit rice beside him. He had not strayed a step from them.
Zhao Yi picked up a spirit peach and tossed it to Liu Yu. Liu Yu caught it, and the moment he saw it, he knew Zhao Yi had met cultivators from Peach Blossom Island.
"Did you see Senior Liu from Peach Blossom Island?"
"No. Senior Liu's disciple brought these over."
"She asked why Master hadn't come. I told them Master was injured and recovering at home."
"At least I managed to bluff my way through."
Zhao Yi pulled out a chair, sat down, and let out a long breath.
"Yuan Zifeng from Black Wind Island came to see me and told me something. Last year, the Wang Clan master and his disciples from Red Sand Island were wiped out on their way back!"
"What happened?"
Liu Yu closed his book and sat up to ask.
"I don't know the details. It might have been the people from Three Heroes Island. The cultivators and mortals aboard were all killed. Bandit cultivators from outside never kill mortals!"
"Three Heroes Island?"
"That's right. It's very likely them!"
"Then we're in danger! We're too weak-one at great completion of Meridian Opening and one at minor achievement of Meridian Opening." Liu Yu's face was grave.
"Don't be so tense. The attack happened last year. By now, plenty of islands in the Yunsha Sea Region have probably heard about it, and they're bound to be on guard. The killers probably won't strike again."
"That's possible, but it's not the ten thousand things you expect that you fear-it's the one you don't. Once we finish trading with Fubo Pavilion tomorrow, we'll sail away without staying a moment longer."
Liu Yu looked at Zhao Yi gravely as he spoke.
"All right!"
The two fellow disciples then spent a long time making plans before parting.
Before you continue