A Dharma Performer's instincts made Heng Hua focus on the youth's cultivation method. Only when he drew near did Heng Hua carefully observe his appearance.
Red lips, white teeth, regular features, and bright, clear starry eyes without the slightest trace of filth. He looked several years younger than Heng Hua.
In the prime of youth, full of a young man's spirit—he must have only just stepped out into the world, right?
As Heng Hua pondered in secret, the youth in red had already risen and cupped his fists in greeting. "My surname is Fu, Fu Xuanxing. I come from the Golden Fang Water Region."
Heng Hua smiled and nodded, then looked at Fu Xiangfeng.
"He got lost and came to ask for directions."
Fu Xiangfeng sighed inwardly. He had never imagined that Little Six's spell would reverse the workings of heaven and throw the magnetic fields across a hundred miles of waters into chaos. Besides them, others had lost their way in these waters as well.
"Ask for directions?"
Heng Hua found it quite unexpected. He sat down across the tea table and stared at the two cups of clear tea upon it.
Fu Xuanxing scratched his head awkwardly. "I came to ask for directions. Brother Fu was so hospitable that he invited me down for tea. For a moment, I actually forgot the important matter of asking the way."
Xiaoyu set down a fresh cup of tea.
Holding his teacup, Heng Hua pondered in secret. Golden Fang, Central Heaven, and Mystic Jade Water Region were collectively known as Donglai's three strongest water regions. This youth had come from there, yet he looked as though he had only just stepped out into the world. He did not seem to come from a cultivation lineage. He seemed more like—
Glancing at the peachwood sword behind Fu Xuanxing, Heng Hua raised a brow. He had seen this kind of peachwood sword before.
"The Seven-Star Demon-Subduing Seal, the Two Modes Profound-Heart Incantation. The Taixuan lineage."
Within High Person Xuan Yu's illusion, the Supreme Mystery Sect immortal who had preached the Dao, along with his disciples, had carried such peachwood swords at their sides.
The Supreme Mystery Sect had ascended as an entire sect, its Dao lineage scattering across many lands. Could he be from some branch estate of one of its offshoots?
Only...
Heng Hua's gaze turned subtle as he looked at the teacup before the youth.
People from the Golden Fang Water Region should not know of the Fu Family's fine reputation.
He had only just arrived, yet he dared drink a stranger's tea. Was he not afraid of being poisoned to death?
Heng Hua thought to himself, Fortunately, he ran into my family. If he had encountered the Cheng Family, he would be dead beyond dead.
"Brother Fu, perfect. If you want to ask for directions, my brother is the best person to find."
While traveling abroad, Fu Xiangfeng followed Fu Danwei's teaching: make things convenient for others, and things would be convenient for oneself.
He warmly greeted Fu Xuanxing and asked Heng Hua to point out the way for him.
Fu Xuanxing took out a compass. The five water regions of Yellow Dragon, Central Heaven, Golden Fang, Flame Waters, and Bai Cang flashed past, until at last the chart of the Dragonreach Waters gradually enlarged.
Heng Hua's eyes flickered.
What a complete water chart.
Upon seeing this Water Chart Compass, Xiang Feng became cautious as well.
He liked to treat others kindly, but he was not a fool.
Such a vast water chart could not possibly have been made by the youth himself. It had to be a gift from his sect. And one capable of possessing such a chart was surely a prestigious great sect.
"Brother Fu, where are you going?"
The youth pointed to the waters where they currently were. The surrounding magnetic fields were chaotic, while the Spirit Vein coordinates of several islands constantly drifted about, making them impossible to locate.
"I am going to Azure Sluice Island."
"Azure Sluice..."
Fu Xiangfeng murmured, "Azure Sluice gazes at the moon, dawn winds watch the flowers. If I remember correctly, that is High Person Heavenly Snow's Dao ground."
He had heard his grandfather mention that High Person Heavenly Snow was a Golden Core Cultivator renowned for "illusion arts." When her four illusion techniques of Wind, Flowers, Snow, and Moon were combined, they could even bewilder Golden Core Cultivators for a time.
Yet according to his grandfather, this person's path ahead had already been cut off. She would have no chance of reaching Soul Formation.
Fu Xiangfeng pondered. "Azure Sluice Sect, High Person Heavenly Snow. What is a little brother like you going there for? To see illusion arts? I do remember that every Mid-Autumn Festival, the Azure Sluice Sect holds an Illusory Flower Convention."
"I am going to—"
"You needn't tell us."
Heng Hua interrupted the youth and pointed to the southwest of the Water Chart Compass, which was also the direction the Colorful-Luan Spirit Ship was heading.
"Azure Sluice Island is here. Hurry along."
With a casual stroke, sunlight condensed into a pointer and floated beside Fu Xuanxing.
"Follow the pointer, and it will take you to Azure Sluice. Since you have business to attend to, go quickly."
Heng Hua's heart had just stirred uneasily, and he vaguely sensed something. If Fu Xuanxing continued speaking, he would face a huge problem.
The youth looked at Heng Hua, then cupped his fists. "I will remember the kindness of you two."
He did not remain aboard the ship for long. Riding his wooden sword, he flew toward Azure Sluice Island.
"Little Six, why did you chase him away? Looking at that direction, aren't we heading there later too?"
"Then we'll take a detour."
Heng Hua tossed the Jade Crab back into the cabin. Before long, the Jade Crab brought over three red copper coins in its claws.
Right there at the tea table, before Fu Xiangfeng's eyes, Heng Hua began divining.
The first time, his expression turned grave.
The second time, his face grew solemn.
By the third time, once he had confirmed there was no mistake in his calculations, Heng Hua secretly let out a breath.
Azure Sluice Island faced a calamity of bloodshed, with tribulation fortune densely spread across it. This youth was likely going there to save someone.
But it had nothing to do with him. Going early to Turtle-Burial Reef to cultivate was the proper path; the fewer meddlesome matters, the better.
Glancing at Fu Xiangfeng opposite him, Heng Hua thought, With Third Brother's temperament, not meddling in this will probably be impossible.
Heng Hua decisively chose not to mention it. He privately transmitted a message to Hengshou, telling him to steer northwest and circle around Azure Sluice Island from the other side.
"We really changed course?" Fu Xiangfeng was no fool. Sensing that Heng Hua had altered their route, he understood that something had likely happened near Azure Sluice Island.
"Grandfather mentioned that High Person Heavenly Snow is not a vicious person and often bestows favors upon passing cultivators."
"But she is a Golden Core Cultivator. If even she cannot deal with it, what can you and I do?"
Fu Xiangfeng fell silent.
He did not think Azure Sluice Island faced some sect-destroying calamity. But if he went there and dragged Little Six and the other two into it, he did not believe the three of them had much means of self-preservation.
In the end, I am not alone this time. I have three burdens with me.
Fu Xiangfeng suppressed the urge to head for the Azure Sluice Sect. He silently sat at the bow, watching the Spirit Island wreathed in clouds and mist grow ever farther away.
Seeing his conflicted expression, Fu Henghua gently consoled him. "Third Brother, rest assured. High Person Heavenly Snow's life is not meant to end. And Azure Sluice Island is her Dao ground, guarded by layers upon layers of mechanisms. Nothing will happen. As for this youth, he does not bear the look of one destined for an early death either. Even if we do not interfere, they will be fine."
"Don't worry, I know where the line is. As your elder brother, I cannot truly drag you into a whirlpool."
After half an hour passed and they had completely left the waters around Azure Sluice Island, Heng Hua finally relaxed.
"Hengshou, speed up. Head straight west."
Soon. By tomorrow, he would enter the range of Turtle-Burial Reef.
Just then, Heng Hua saw a crimson light flicker through the water mist ahead. His expression changed slightly, and he swiftly grabbed the red copper coins on the table to divine.
When he saw the result, his handsome face immediately darkened.
Fu Xiangfeng let out a long sigh. "It seems heaven's will decreed it thus. You deliberately picked a safe water route, yet it led us straight into this trouble instead."
He saw clearly that the crimson light in the water mist ahead belonged to Fu Xuanxing from not long ago.
"He actually left Azure Sluice Island. No, he left with the 'trouble' in tow." Heng Hua then divined Azure Sluice Island.
He discovered that Azure Sluice Island no longer faced any danger at this moment. As for High Person Heavenly Snow, Fu Henghua's current cultivation was insufficient to calculate the fate of a Golden Core Cultivator. Yet this also showed that High Person Heavenly Snow had suffered no harm and still had the strength to block his divination.
"So if we had taken the southwest water route and passed Azure Sluice Island just now, there would have been no danger instead?"
"Correct."
Heng Hua saw the corner of Fu Xiangfeng's mouth lift and frowned. "Third Brother, what are you laughing at?"
"I am laughing at you, a fellow so excessively cautious that you still stumbled and fell from your horse."
Fu Xiangfeng drew the Spirit Song Sword. "As your elder brother, I will teach you something today.
"When traveling abroad, accidents happen one after another. Rather than seeking to plan every move before acting, it is better to follow your heart and roam the world with a sword, upholding justice."
Just now, he had feared dragging his younger brother into the matter, so he had not headed toward Azure Sluice Island. Now that trouble had come knocking at their door, if he still cowered and shrank back, how could he call himself a true man?
The wind rose, and the mist ahead scattered completely.
"Brother Fu, Fu is coming to help you!"
He moved so fast that Heng Hua had no time to stop him. Heng Hua could only watch helplessly as Fu Xiangfeng entered the tribulation and became caught up in the "huge trouble" he had foreseen.
"Young Master, what do we do now...?"
Hengshou stopped the ship and walked to the bow.
"Are we still taking a detour?"
"What do you think?"
Heng Hua answered irritably.
As he divined for Fu Xiangfeng, he said, "I have met Fu Xuanxing only once. Naturally, I would not risk myself for him. But how can I stand by and watch Third Brother enter a tribulation?"
Heng Hua's earlier divination regarding the trouble Fu Xuanxing had brought was unclear. He had vaguely sensed a force obstructing him.
And now, despite seeing Fu Xuanxing with his own eyes not far away, Heng Hua still could not calculate the cause of that calamity. He also felt a hair-raising dread, as though something wicked over there was luring him in.
Staring blankly at the three copper coins standing upright on the table, Heng Hua sighed in frustration and tucked the divination coins into his sleeve.
"I can't calculate it. We can only take one step and look at the next."
With Fu Xiangfeng rushing over to support him, the pressure on Fu Xuanxing greatly eased. His wooden sword whipped up a Water Dragon to bind one cultivator, while his two hands unleashed fist techniques that forced another back.
He hurriedly called out, "Brother Fu, why are you here? Weren't you heading in Azure Sluice Island's direction?"
"Don't talk. Drive back the enemy first." Fu Xiangfeng's Sword Qi danced, waves of azure radiance sweeping out and forcing the opposing cultivators to evade.
"Three True Flame Realm cultivators. Fu Xuanxing comes from a major sect, so dealing with them should not be difficult. But he is injured. And beside him—"
Fu Xuanxing guarded the edge of a reef, where a white-haired old man sat upon the stone. His blood and qi were depleted, and he was barely clinging to life, as though he might die the next moment.
"The key obstructing the divination lies on him." Fu Henghua looked at the old man from afar and nearly felt the urge to divine again.
"Young Master, do you think this could be a trap?" The recent experience with that crab remained fresh in Xiaoyu's mind.
"What if those people have come to take revenge on Third Young Master again...?"
"You suspect there is deception here. Fu Xuanxing and the three men fighting him are putting on a show, intending to ambush us?"
"Yes. Otherwise, how could they just happen to block our path?"
Hengshou said, "Xiaoyu, have you forgotten? Young Master specifically changed routes and circled around Azure Sluice Island from the northwest. If this were a trap, they should have laid their ambush at Azure Sluice Island."
"Perhaps they thought one layer deeper."
Xiaoyu silently glanced at Heng Hua. So long as they predicted Young Master's prediction in advance, they could block them here.
"That is possible. But there is another possibility."
Heng Hua sighed.
"Fu Xuanxing is a fool. Just now, he saw us taking the southwest water route. Afraid that his spell battle with the enemy would drag us in, he deliberately circled Azure Sluice Island and fled north. He hoped to draw the enemies away and avoid implicating us."
Xiaoyu fell silent.
That was indeed possible.
When Fu Xuanxing had ridden his sword toward Azure Sluice Island just now, he clearly knew that the Colorful-Luan Spirit Ship was heading that way as well. If he wanted to drag them into this, he could simply have fled back and asked them for help.
Yet he had deliberately taken a detour, fleeing for his life along the northwest route of Azure Sluice Island. Did that not plainly show that he had no intention of dragging their group in?
But—
Was there truly such a fool in this world?
"Perhaps... perhaps he foresaw that we would take a detour and deliberately came here to block us?"
Was it sinister intent? Was it good intentions that led to bad results? Or was he deeply scheming, playing the innocent youth as he deliberately came looking for them in order to drag their group into this?
"No matter what, since he chose this route and Third Brother has also gotten involved, we have only one choice. Xiaoyu, Hengshou, prepare to save them."
Heng Hua did not believe a boy like Fu Xuanxing, one who had only just stepped out into the world, could possess such deep scheming.
The most likely possibility was that he knew they were behind him and did not wish to implicate them, so he deliberately chose the northwest route.
"Grandfather often says that good people receive good rewards. Let us hope that is true."
Heng Hua observed the direction of Azure Sluice Island and saw pursuers preparing to follow.
His brows furrowed slightly, and he decisively said, "Xiaoyu, use the Mysterious Ice Art. Hengshou, steer the ship and charge straight over. Bring Third Brother and the others aboard."
Taking out the Mysterious Fire Vermilion-Plume Fan, Heng Hua muttered an incantation, then shouted at the water's surface, "Wind, come!"
A gale swept up the Mysterious Ice Incantation cast by Xiaoyu. Silver ice fragments danced across the water, forming layer upon layer of fog barriers that blocked those coming from Azure Sluice Island.
Hengshou drove the ship forward.
When the three cultivators saw the spirit ship approach, they hurriedly recovered their breath and readied themselves.
"They have reinforcements. Third, strike him—"
"Gentlemen, please make way." Fu Xiangfeng swung the Spirit Song Sword. Heavenly Wind Sword Qi raised a hurricane, flinging the old man and Fu Xuanxing onto the spirit ship. At the same time, he struck out with his palm, blasting up a thirty-foot water column that forced back the man on the far right.
"Little Six, give me a hand."
"Flying Sand, Rolling Stone."
With a sweep of the feather fan, a fierce wind carrying sand and stones crashed toward the three men.
Thousand-Coiled Silk lashed out and pulled Fu Xiangfeng back in one motion.
"Hengshou, sail!"
Heng Hua raised the feather fan with both hands and bowed toward the rear.
A Vermilion Sparrow soared from the feather fan, beating its wings to unleash precious flames that formed an endless wall of fire, blocking the three men.
"Separation Flame?"
Blocked by the wall of fire, the three brothers saw other cultivators chasing up from behind. For the moment, they halted their steps and warily watched the others...
Before you continue