January 1, Year 5498 of the Yuangguang Calendar.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo..."
A clear, ringing crow sounded, and Zhao Yi got out of bed. He put on a thick Taoist robe, picked up a mirror, and checked his hair. It had grown to about two inches. Nodding in satisfaction, he went outside for a quick wash. A short while later, the others got up one after another and came over to wash as well. Little Wang Ping was still half asleep, brushing his teeth with a wooden stick in his mouth. He nearly dozed off and pitched headfirst toward the ground. Luckily, Liu Yu's eyes were sharp and his hands quick; he caught him and pulled him back. Otherwise, Wang Ping would have tumbled along the ground like a rolling gourd today.
Once they were ready, everyone gathered in the front courtyard's main hall to begin morning cultivation. Seven meditation cushions were arranged in front and back, and everyone took a seat. Before long, the sound of chanting rose, low and melodious. As the chanting spread, the entire Taoist temple settled into a tranquil, peaceful atmosphere.
After morning cultivation, Liu Yu took the children to the kitchen to make breakfast, while Zhao Yi and the others continued practicing.
When breakfast was ready, Liu Yu called out, and the others came over to eat.
Breakfast was simple: polished-rice porridge, salted fish, and eggs, with no limit on how much they could eat.
Tapping the egg in his hand to crack it, Zhao Yi looked at the two little girls seated at the far end and smiled. "Da Yu'er, Xiao Yu'er, you've been on the island for over a month now. How are you settling in?"
Da Yu'er and Xiao Yu'er were the two children they had rescued off Kongqing Island that day. The older one was the elder sister, Da Yu'er, aged twelve, and the younger was Xiao Yu'er, aged seven.
The two children had woken shortly after Zhao Yi and the others returned to the Linghua. They were terribly frightened when they woke, especially when they saw Zhao Yi, who was as black as charcoal. The younger girl had burst into terrified wails, crying, "Don't eat me!"
That had left Zhao Yi thoroughly embarrassed, and he had slunk back to his room to recover from his injuries. He would not set foot outside until his wounds healed and his hair and beard grew back!
Of the four, Liu Yu was the attentive one. He arranged for the younger Wang Ping to keep the sisters company, and only then did they quiet down and stop being afraid.
After spending a few more days together, the sisters finally lowered their guard around them. Wang Ping also learned about their background and came back to tell everyone. They then learned that, just as they had guessed, the sisters had been trafficked. Because they had spiritual roots, Kongqing Island had bought them. That night, after Zhao Yi and Wang Qing killed the cultivators guarding the ship, the two had seized the opportunity to escape.
Later, Liu Yu also explained their circumstances to the sisters. Going home was out of the question. They did not even know where the island they had lived on was, so how could they return? He therefore persuaded them to stay on Linghua Island.
After returning to the island, they activated the Spiritual Root Testing Platform to test the sisters' spiritual root aptitudes. Both had low-grade spiritual roots. The elder sister had a water spiritual root, while the younger actually had a fire spiritual root, something rarely seen among overseas cultivators. Zhao Yi felt as though he had stumbled upon a treasure.
His thoughts reaching this point, Zhao Yi looked at the two and patiently waited for their answers.
"Eldest Senior Brother, it's very nice here. We get to eat our fill every day, and we don't have to worry about being sold again. We can even learn to read and write. It really is wonderful."
Da Yu'er spoke with a smile, the corners of her mouth curving like a crescent moon.
Beside her, her younger sister had her head down, eating. Hearing what her sister said, she raised her head and nodded furiously at Zhao Yi.
"That's good. Tell me if there's anything you aren't used to, and study the Taoist scriptures diligently with your Second Senior Brother. Wang Ping, you're a senior brother now. You must set a good example for your two junior sisters!"
Wang Ping, who was busily stuffing an egg into his mouth, hastily took it out when he heard this and nodded. "Eldest Senior Brother, I understand. I'll be sure to guide my two junior sisters well in their studies!"
On Linghua Island, seniority was determined by when one joined. Wang Ping had joined earlier, so although he was younger than Da Yu'er, he was still her senior brother.
"Good. We'll all have dinner together tonight and enjoy something delicious."
"Thank you, Eldest Senior Brother!"
"Eldest Senior Brother! Eldest Senior Brother!"
Calls came from outside. Zhao Yi stood and opened the door. Two pretty little girls, one older and one younger, stood outside. The older was about thirteen, with a wooden hairpin and a loose, ink-black Taoist robe. She was rather short, her long black hair tied in a Taoist topknot, and her bright eyes curved like crescent moons when she smiled. The younger girl beside her bore a strong resemblance to her, with rosy cheeks and a pair of Taoist topknots. One hand braced against the doorframe, she panted for breath and looked up at Zhao Yi with a grin.
They were none other than his two junior sisters.
More than half a year had passed. Both had formally become disciples, chosen their surname, and given themselves new names. The elder sister was called Zheng Ji, and the younger Zheng Tong.
"What has made you two so happy?"
Zhao Yi smiled as he spoke, stepping aside to invite them inside.
After entering, the three came to the desk. Zheng Tong took a wooden box from inside her robe, set it on the desk, and pushed it toward Zhao Yi. "Eldest Senior Brother, do you remember this?"
Zhao Yi looked at the wooden box on the desk. It was purplish-black, engraved with unusual patterns, and its carvings were plain and unadorned. He picked it up and sniffed lightly, catching a faint fragrance. It was probably made from some kind of spirit wood.
"I don't recognize it. Where did you get it?"
"Eldest Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother gave it to us. The treasure map he bought at the Trade Fair last year came in this wooden box!"
Zheng Tong stared at Zhao Yi with wide eyes.
"Oh, I remember now. Your Third Senior Brother spent a month poring over that treasure map from every angle and found nothing. He kept shouting that he'd been swindled, and that if he met that cultivator again at the next Trade Fair, he'd teach him a lesson!"
"Wasn't he going to throw it away? So he gave it to you two instead. He didn't trick you out of anything in exchange, did he?"
As Linghua Island's two young female cultivators, they had both received gifts from the others when they joined. Wang Ping had even given his dearly cherished rag doll to his youngest junior sister, Zheng Tong!
"Oh, Eldest Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother is very nice. He gave it to me," Zheng Tong said, puffing out her cheeks and pouting.
Because Wang Qing had gone through the same experience as the sisters, he usually took very good care of them.
"Oh, then why have you come to see me?"
Zheng Tong leaned closer, glanced around, and lowered her voice, making a show of whispering, "Eldest Senior Brother, we really did discover a map!"
Zheng Ji, who had been standing silently beside them, gave Zheng Tong a helpless look and pulled her away from Zhao Yi, then handed him the paper she was holding.
"Eldest Senior Brother, it's this map."
Zhao Yi took it from Zheng Ji and turned his gaze to the drawing.
"This is..."
Zhao Yi murmured those words, then fell silent. He slowly walked over to his chair and sat down, concentrating fully on the map.
After a long while, Zhao Yi lifted his gaze from the map and suppressed the surprise in his heart. A sharp gleam flashed through his eyes as he looked at the two before him and asked in puzzlement, "Zheng Ji, Zheng Tong, how did you discover this?"
"It happened like this, Eldest Senior Brother. After Third Senior Brother gave Zheng Tong the wooden box and treasure map, Zheng Tong and I would take the map out to look at whenever we had nothing to do. A day ago, when Zheng Tong took it out again, she accidentally dropped it on the floor, and the lid broke in two. I noticed traces of color where the wood had split, so I went to Second Senior Brother and asked him to help us carefully separate the box along those colored traces. In the end, the wooden box was split into eight pieces. We made this map by copying the colored traces on those eight pieces."
Zhao Yi smiled and nodded. So that was how it had happened!
"Eldest Senior Brother, is this map useful?"
Zheng Tong came over and took Zhao Yi's arm with a grin as she asked.
Zhao Yi looked fondly at Zheng Tong. When she was not paying attention, he reached out and flicked her on the head, then patted it twice.
"Oh, Eldest Senior Brother, don't touch my head! I won't grow tall!"
As she spoke, Zheng Tong darted far away and stared at Zhao Yi with puffed-out cheeks.
"Haha! This map is useful. It should be a nautical chart of our Yunsha Sea Region. Thirty-seven islands are marked on it, including our Linghua Island."
"However, this nautical chart must be quite old. Islands from the last few decades aren't marked on it."
"Oh, so it's useless!"
Zheng Tong's little head instantly drooped, leaving her listless.
"But! Our Linghua Island never had a nautical chart to begin with. Even if this one is old, it's still useful to our island. Very useful!"
Zheng Tong's drooping head instantly perked up, and she bounced around happily. "I knew it was useful!"
Watching Zheng Tong run and jump about, Zheng Ji gave Zhao Yi a shy smile. "Eldest Senior Brother, we've made a spectacle of ourselves!"
Zhao Yi waved a hand to show that it was fine.
"All right, Zheng Tong. Go fetch your Second Senior Brother now. I have something to discuss with him."
"All right, Eldest Senior Brother. I'll go right away!"
With that, she flew out of the room as though she had stepped onto wind-and-fire wheels.
"Eldest Senior Brother, I'll go with Zheng Tong!"
Zhao Yi nodded. "Go on! Keep an eye on Zheng Tong. The mountain paths are rugged. Don't fall."
Before you continue