Convict Boat Dwellers

Blackwater Lake, under the rule of the Blood Lotus Sect.

The lake was black as ink and unfathomably deep. Even at noon, its piercing chill made one's hair stand on end.

Yet this was already the best time of day to dive for pearls.

Pearl-diving boats dotted Blackwater Lake. The boat dwellers stripped down to their underclothes, then jumped into the water with a succession of splashes.

Chen Ye was among them. He brought his boat to a stop near the edge, took a deep breath, and plunged in.

The lake water was bone-chillingly cold. An ordinary person who entered without protection would die.

Fortunately, the Yin-Dispelling Talisman hanging around Chen Ye's neck took effect just then, giving off threads of warmth that kept his Qi and blood circulating at a bare minimum.

Chen Ye picked up speed, diving toward the bottom like a slippery fish.

A thick layer of silt covered the lakebed. Holding his breath, Chen Ye quickly began searching through it.

It was a highly skilled task. A movement even slightly too large could stir up the silt and cause him to lose his bearings.

And losing one's bearings in these freezing waters meant death.

Fortunately, Chen Ye was experienced, and his movements were careful and swift. Before long, he found a spirit clam the size of a palm-leaf fan in the silt.

The spirit clam was grayish brown all over, and mixed in with the silt, it could easily be overlooked if one wasn't careful.

Besides that, its tightly shut shell, as hard as steel, presented another major difficulty.

Chen Ye took the shovel from his waist. It was strangely shaped, with a faint spiritual light glimmering along its edge, and was made specifically to deal with these hard shells.

It was a tool issued to the boat dwellers by the Blood Lotus Sect, and the only magical tool Chen Ye had access to besides the Yin-Dispelling Talisman.

Chen Ye pressed the tip of the shovel into the seam of the shell and shoved hard. A barely perceptible spiritual light seeped into it, and with a crack, the spirit clam's shell was pried open a sliver.

In the dim depths of the lake, a soft glow shone through the gap, especially conspicuous.

Chen Ye quickly pried the shell all the way open. A spirit pearl the size of a longan lay quietly in the clam's flesh, giving off a lustrous sheen.

Chen Ye's heart leaped. Judging by its size and luster, it was at least an eight-point spirit pearl.

The Blood Lotus Sect roughly divided spirit pearls into nine grades, with first grade the highest and ninth grade the entry level. But in all his time here, Chen Ye had never even seen a ninth-grade pearl, let alone a first-grade one.

The spirit pearls he ordinarily saw, or rather, most of those the vast majority of boat dwellers could get their hands on, were ungraded.

Even so, they came in different sizes, and an eight-point spirit pearl was quite good in both size and luster.

With it, his task for the day was complete.

Chen Ye carefully removed the spirit pearl and placed it in a special pouch at his waist.

Just then, Chen Ye felt the lake water around him grow colder and colder. A chill sank into his bones, and his Qi and blood began to slow, as though freezing solid.

As for the Yin-Dispelling Talisman on his chest, its light had dimmed almost completely, and the heat it gave off was rapidly dwindling.

These were signs that the Yin-Dispelling Talisman was about to fail.

Three months ago, the body's previous owner had died this way.

Chen Ye didn't dare delay. He kicked off and shot toward the surface.

Splash!

At last, Chen Ye broke the surface just before the Yin-Dispelling Talisman failed completely.

The midday sun fell on him, but it couldn't dispel the yin cold inside him. Chen Ye scrambled onto the pearl-diving boat on hands and feet, curled up in a ball, and shook like a sieve. Even his lips had turned a little bluish-purple.

After quite a while, he finally caught his breath. Then, trembling, he lifted the lid of a wooden bucket containing ginger soup he had prepared in advance.

Chen Ye drank two large bowls in succession. Only when a light sweat appeared on his forehead did his heart finally settle.

Then he slumped in the cabin, his face full of bitterness.

Three months ago, Chen Ye had awakened to find he was no longer a company beast of burden, but had arrived in the body of a youth who shared his name.

At first, Chen Ye had been somewhat excited, only for reality to slap him mercilessly in the face.

This was a world where countless arts flourished and a hundred schools contended. Cultivators stood high above, while mortals were as lowly as dust.

The body's previous owner had been the scion of an influential family in the Great Radiance Imperial Dynasty, which was under the Blood Lotus Sect's rule. He had once worn fine clothes, eaten the finest food, and ridden splendid horses in high spirits.

But his family had lost a power struggle, and when they fell from favor overnight, the whole family was sent to the Blood Lotus Sect, registered as convicts, and made into pearl-diving boat dwellers.

Blackwater Lake was the collective name for a vast expanse of water, filled with countless dangers. Even the Blood Lotus Sect had yet to explore it completely.

The area where they gathered pearls was only one small corner of Blackwater Lake, and there were many other pearl-diving areas like it.

Blackwater Lake produced spirit pearls of excellent quality, making them an important strategic resource. But the lake's yin Qi was too heavy, especially for cultivators: once it invaded their bodies, it could damage their Qi and blood at best and destroy their foundations entirely at worst. Thus, the Blood Lotus Sect continually conscripted convicts from the great imperial dynasties under its rule to use as expendables.

Over the years, almost none of the convict laborers sent here had made it back alive. As a result, being sent to the Blood Lotus Sect as a convict had become a terrifying punishment in the great imperial dynasties, even worse than death.

After all, killing someone meant little more than a head falling to the ground; one stroke of the blade brought release. But here, one had to endure unimaginable despair and torment.

To make better use of these "expendables," the Blood Lotus Sect issued each of them a Yin-Dispelling Talisman before every dive. But the things were so poorly made that, although they were supposed to last for the time it took an incense stick to burn, they often failed early.

Three months ago, the previous owner had gone into the water when his Yin-Dispelling Talisman failed early, allowing yin cold to invade his body. Though he had struggled desperately out of the water, he had come down with a persistent high fever that night and ultimately failed to survive. Then... Chen Ye had transmigrated here.

Thinking of these past events, Chen Ye was filled with endless melancholy.

In a life so dark that not a ray of hope could be seen, an ordinary person would sooner or later be driven mad, even if they weren't frozen to death by yin Qi or devoured by the unknown monsters underwater.

Fortunately, he still had a sliver of hope.

With a thought from Chen Ye, a screen of light visible only to him quietly appeared before his eyes.

[Name: Chen Ye]

[Status: Blood Lotus Sect convict]

[Occupation: Boat dweller (lv2)]

[Talents: Yin Cold Resistance, Ox and Horse Physique]

[Skills: Diving lv2 (You can hold your breath underwater for longer and adapt better to water pressure), Spirit Clam Sensing lv2 (You can vaguely sense the presence of spirit clams within five meters and make a preliminary judgment as to whether they contain spirit pearls)]

It was thanks to this awakened boat dweller occupation that Chen Ye had been able to establish himself in this man-eating place.

After experimenting for some time, Chen Ye had discovered that there was quite a bit to the occupation panel.

First, there was no limit to the number of occupations it could hold.

To awaken an occupation, he had to practice it and gain recognition from others.

His current boat dweller occupation, for example, had awakened that way.

As for awakening occupations by other means, Chen Ye had yet to try because of his limited circumstances.

Besides that, occupations could be changed after reaching a certain level, but Chen Ye was only lv2, so all he could do was know it was possible.

The final entry on the panel also filled Chen Ye with anticipation.

[Boat of the Other Shore (not activated)]

[Activation conditions: ???]

[Description: Steer this boat to reach the other shores of the myriad heavens.]

The Boat of the Other Shore could reach the myriad heavens!

When Chen Ye saw those words, his heart beat a little faster.

If it was truly as the description said, then although his real body might not be able to leave this place immediately, he at least had a trump card with which to turn his fortunes around.

Unfortunately, Chen Ye had been here for three months since transmigrating and had tried all sorts of methods, yet he still couldn't activate it.

It looks like the activation conditions are very demanding.

With a sigh, Chen Ye closed the panel, got up, and rowed toward the dock on shore.

The dock was crowded at the moment. A disciple the Blood Lotus Sect had stationed here sat behind a table, his face expressionless.

The ones actually doing the work were several seventh-level convicts.

At Blackwater Lake, convicts were divided into ranks. To control them more effectively, the Blood Lotus Sect had established strict rules. Those of higher rank not only received relatively plentiful food, but could also move freely within a limited area.

Those of lower rank, meanwhile, had it worse than slaves. They went hungry and lacked clothes to cover themselves, and were often bullied as well.

Besides that, some high-ranking convicts who were lucky were put in charge of management.

This was an even better job, a chance to "ascend to heaven in a single step."

Each of the men had a clear role. They collected and inspected the boat dwellers' harvests for the day in order, then recorded them in a register.

"Wang Qi, five ungraded three-point spirit pearls."

"Li Lei, three ungraded five-point spirit pearls."

Calls like these continued without pause, while others searched the boat dwellers to prevent anyone from secretly carrying pearls away.

The seventh-level convict in charge of the searches held a palm-sized magical tool resembling a clam shell and passed it over each boat dweller who had finished handing in their pearls.

The procedure could be called rigorous.

Spirit pearls were an extremely precious resource, especially important to the Blood Lotus Sect, so anyone caught secretly carrying them away would be severely punished.

As for what one might do with smuggled pearls...

There had always been rumors that spirit pearls could improve a person's talent and constitution, and could even help a person awaken spiritual resonance and set foot on the path of cultivation. But no one knew whether these rumors were true or how the spirit pearls were actually used.

That didn't stop people from taking the risk.

Today, for example, while Chen Ye was waiting quietly in line, a commotion suddenly broke out ahead.

During the search of a tall, thin man, the clam-shell magical tool had suddenly lit up.

Almost instantly, several convict enforcers who had been waiting nearby pounced like wolves and tigers. They dragged the man out of line, pinned him firmly to the ground, and stripped him naked.

After another search, the clam-shell magical tool stopped over the man's abdomen. The man holding it then looked ingratiatingly at the Blood Lotus Sect disciple sitting behind the table.

The young disciple didn't even look over. He merely gave a slight nod.

The seventh-level convict immediately drew a short knife. Completely ignoring the desperate pleas of the man on the ground, he sliced straight down.

A moment later, without changing expression, he pulled a spirit pearl the size of an apricot from the bloody wound. It glowed all over with a pink, jewel-like light.

"It's a graded spirit pearl!"

"A ninth-grade spirit pearl. No wonder Big Liu took the risk."

The crowd stirred, exclaiming in amazement.

Once a spirit pearl reached a grade, it was not only considerably larger, but also filled with flowing jewel light and extraordinary spiritual resonance.

While everyone was drawn to the ninth-grade spirit pearl, Chen Ye's pupils suddenly contracted.

The moment he saw it, an indescribable craving had risen in his heart, as though a man who had gone hungry for three days and nights had come across a table of peerless delicacies.

He couldn't help swallowing, then forced the impulse down.

Only when the Blood Lotus Sect disciple put the ninth-grade spirit pearl into a bag did Chen Ye let out a long breath. Then stormy waves surged in his heart.

What's going on?

Why did I feel such a powerful craving?

As Chen Ye wondered to himself, the man whose belly had been cut open twitched a few times on the ground, then breathed his last.

But his corpse wouldn't be wasted either. Several convict enforcers soon came forward and carried it away.

It was said to be used for growing flowers. As for what flowers needed corpses to grow, nobody knew.

After that scene, the dock fell utterly silent. Everyone stood in line as silent as cicadas in winter, afraid to make the slightest sound.

Soon it was the turn of the middle-aged man in front of Chen Ye.

"Sun Zhe, you've failed to meet your quota for three consecutive days. Demoted to level one," the convict in charge of the register said coldly.

At those words, the middle-aged man immediately collapsed to the ground, unable even to speak.

To prevent them from slacking off, the Blood Lotus Sect had established another rule for the convict boat dwellers: apart from those in management, everyone had a daily quota. If they failed to meet it, their food would first be reduced, and then they would be demoted.

Being demoted to level one also meant that this middle-aged man named Sun Zhe would fall to the very bottom. Unless his luck defied the heavens, he would soon die.

Someone then dragged Sun Zhe away by his hair.

Many people felt a pang of dread at the sight. After all, no one could be sure that Sun Zhe's fate today wouldn't be theirs tomorrow.

At last, it was Chen Ye's turn. When he handed over the eight-point spirit pearl, the convict in charge of inspection was visibly taken aback, then called out loudly, "Chen Ye, one ungraded eight-point spirit pearl."

The convict in charge of the register also looked up and forced a smile. "Chen Ye, right? You've accumulated enough points recently for a promotion. Starting today, you're a fourth-level convict."

As he spoke, he handed Chen Ye a token engraved with the number four.

For a moment, everyone's gaze fell on Chen Ye. Some were envious, some jealous, and some watched him with ill intent.

Here, rank meant everything. Food, housing, and even so-called dignity were all tied to that little token.

Chen Ye's face remained as unruffled as an ancient well, as though it wasn't he who had been promoted.

He accepted the new wooden token and handed over his old third-level token and spirit shovel. Then he collected a fourth-level convict's supplies: a small bag of refined rice, a bag of dark but hefty wheat cakes, and even a few pieces of smoked meat.

This treatment was much better than before.

After putting his supplies away, Chen Ye turned and left the dock under those complicated gazes.

A town lay just behind the dock.

The convicts had basic needs too, especially the high-ranking ones, who had surplus supplies. With new convicts arriving almost every few days as well, this had given rise to the misshapen little town.

His newly assigned residence was on the outskirts of town. Chen Ye walked quickly along the muddy road, his head lowered.

Everything seemed normal, but Chen Ye walked faster and faster. After entering the town, he suddenly turned into an alley.

Just after he turned into the alley, three people hurried after him, only to find nothing.

The dilapidated alley was empty. There was no trace of Chen Ye.

"Where is he? How did he disappear in the blink of an eye?" one of them, a sharp-mouthed, monkey-cheeked man, asked in bewilderment.

"That brat must be part dog. We followed him so carefully, and he still noticed us." Another man with triangular eyes looked thoroughly frustrated.

Their leader was a burly man with a full beard. He swept a gloomy gaze over the alley, then said in a low voice,

"That brat really is no simpleton. I've been watching him for over a month, and I've found that he gathers spirit pearls almost every day, and they're all decent quality. So I suspect the brat has found a place where spirit clams gather."

A flash of greed crossed his eyes as he said this.

"It doesn't matter that he got away this time. The monk can run, but the temple can't. Tomorrow, I don't believe he'll get away again."

All three were high-ranking convicts. Their leader in particular, the bearded man named Zhao Qiu, had lived here for several years. He was said to have good relations with the management and was a bona fide local snake.

Since they were in town, Zhao Qiu and the other two didn't dare act too brazenly. Once they had confirmed there was no sign of Chen Ye, they could only leave in frustration.

After they left, the gate to a small courtyard in the alley silently opened a crack.

Chen Ye slipped out from behind it, his expression somewhat grave.

He had noticed someone following him on the road.

So, after turning into the alley, he had sprung into action almost instantly, using both hands and feet to vault into the courtyard at great speed, barely shaking off his pursuers.

He had also heard every word of Zhao Qiu and the other two's conversation.

Just as I thought, I've been targeted after all.

For the past two months, I've relied on Spirit Clam Sensing to bring in a steady harvest and rise through the ranks too quickly. In the end, I've attracted greedy eyes.

I dodged them this time, but what about next time? Am I supposed to keep hiding like this?

It seems I need a way to protect myself.

Chen Ye clenched his fists in secret. The image of the ninth-grade spirit pearl at the dock rose unbidden in his mind, along with the intense craving that had come from his very soul.

That feeling was too real. It definitely wasn't normal.

Could it be... that the Boat of the Other Shore's activation conditions have something to do with spirit pearls?