Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The moment the three of them stepped through the gate, a series of steps formed from seawater rose in the distance, flowing all the way to their feet as if to guide them.

Qi Wuyu and Liu Nanzhou exchanged a glance. Liu Nanzhou tightened his grip on his sword and stepped onto the staircase of water.

After walking for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they saw a majestic hall. Intricately carved beams and painted rafters shimmered faintly with a pearly luster. A giant seashell sat in the center of the hall, flanked by two attendants.

Seated atop the seashell was a young woman with lovely, fair features. She appeared quite young. A teardrop-shaped sapphire hung on her forehead, matching the color of her eyes. Her deep blue eyes resembled the profound depths of the ocean, and shimmering scales glistened beneath them, like the glistening tail of a fish.

She sat upright on the shell, holding an ice staff. "Gentlemen, welcome to the Wen Sea."

Han Sheng stared expressionlessly at the troublemakers who had disturbed her peace, her tone devoid of any genuine welcome.

Qi Wuyu got the distinct impression Han Sheng was holding back anger, though he couldn't figure out where it came from. He observed her, noting the gem on her forehead and the ice staff in her hand, and roughly guessed her identity. He cupped his hands in salute. "Clan Leader."

Liu Nanzhou and Mo Chen followed suit with their own greetings.

Han Sheng waved a hand, and tables, chairs, and food appeared before them—though the fare consisted mainly of fish and shrimp.

"Guests from afar, please be seated."

Liu Nanzhou looked at Qi Wuyu, who patted his shoulder, motioning for him to sit.

The three of them sat down.

"My apologies. We have no hot tea to offer in the sea. I hope you do not mind."

Qi Wuyu: "It's no trouble. When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

"How may I address you all?"

"My surname is Qi. These two are my disciple and my friend, respectively."

Han Sheng nodded. "Young master, your bearing is extraordinary. You must not be an ordinary person. May I ask which sect you hail from?"

Qi Wuyu: "The Tianyao Sect."

"I see." Having completed the formal courtesies, Han Sheng got down to business. She furrowed her brows slightly and said, "I wonder, while crossing the sea, why did you gentlemen disturb the peace of my clan?"

Hearing this blame being shifted onto them, Liu Nanzhou was shocked to discover someone even more shameless than Qi Wuyu.

Qi Wuyu let out a derisive laugh. "Clan Leader, I don't quite understand your words. There are some matters I'd like to ask you about as well."

Han Sheng tilted her head. "Oh?"

"Five maritime disasters have occurred near Furong Town within half a month. Clan Leader, don't tell me you are completely unaware."

Han Sheng looked at him, her gaze scrutinizing, as if judging the truth of his words.

Qi Wuyu took a sip of water, his brows furrowing together. He smacked his lips—it was unbearably salty.

Finding he couldn't stomach this hospitality from another race, he pushed the cup away, pinching his nose.

"It seems the Clan Leader is truly turning a blind eye and a deaf ear." He looked at Han Sheng with a faint, mocking smile.

Qi Wuyu pointed at Mo Chen. "My friend here nearly died at the hands of your clansmen just now. Yet the Clan Leader accuses us of causing trouble. We won't bear this blame."

Han Sheng looked at Mo Chen. His face was deathly pale, clearly still severely injured. The black clothes hid any bloodstains, and the seawater had washed away most of the scent, but the Yanlu Clan possessed keen senses of smell. Even from several yards away, she could still detect a strong scent of blood. The spiritual energy residue on the wounds was also familiar to her.

"Clan Leader."

Han Sheng withdrew her gaze and looked back at Qi Wuyu, waiting for him to continue.

"Shouldn't you give us an explanation?"

Han Sheng: "I truly was unaware of the incidents Taoist Priest Qi mentioned. If it was indeed the doing of my clansmen, they would not be lightly pardoned." However, she then changed tack. "But this is only your side of the story. I cannot fully believe it."

Qi Wuyu gave a low chuckle, leisurely brushing off some seaweed that had stuck to his robe. Liu Nanzhou, sitting beside him, was pondering the Clan Leader's credibility when he heard Qi Wuyu's voice whisper in his ear.

"Good disciple, do me a favor."

Liu Nanzhou tilted his head imperceptibly towards Qi Wuyu. Qi Wuyu, taking advantage of a lowered head posture, winked at him. Liu Nanzhou raised an eyebrow and sighed silently.

Han Sheng didn't notice their subtle exchange. Qi Wuyu raised his head, his gaze suddenly turning sharp. "Clan Leader, the reason the Yanlu Clan has survived to this day, need I say more? Whether human or demon, one must not forget their roots."

A gust of wind imbued with spiritual energy brushed past Han Sheng's ear, causing the conch shells hanging on the curtains to tinkle loudly.

Han Sheng lowered her eyes. Of course she knew why the Yanlu Clan had lived peacefully until now. It was because they harbored no ill intent towards humans, which was why the cultivation sects allowed them to live in seclusion, minding their own business.

Han Sheng: "Taoist Priest Qi speaks rightly. Rest assured, our Yanlu Clan has lived in peace for centuries, guarding only the Wen Sea and Yingchi Island. We have always coexisted peacefully with humans and would not cut off our own path to survival. There must be some misunderstanding here."

This could be called a misunderstanding?

Liu Nanzhou snorted a laugh. "Oh? Then the four Yanlu Demons that surrounded us earlier were an illusion."

Both Qi Wuyu and Mo Chen looked at him. Liu Nanzhou continued expressionlessly, "The ship nearly capsizing was an illusion. Being inexplicably swept here was an illusion." He looked at Han Sheng. "And those people from Furong Town who died in the maritime disasters—those were all their illusions too."

Han Sheng tightened her grip on the ice staff. "I will investigate this matter and give you an explanation." She turned to Mo Chen, raising her hand. Two pills materialized in her palm. "This young master seems severely injured. These are my clan's secret medicine, which can treat your wounds."

Qi Wuyu knew the three of them couldn't force a proper explanation.

If they truly pushed Han Sheng to anger and a fight broke out, they clearly stood little chance—after all, among the three of them, one was a minor waste, one had been beaten into a minor waste, leaving only one capable fighter. But expecting Liu Nanzhou to take on an entire clan was a joke.

So, Qi Wuyu frowned in thought for a moment, putting on a show of reluctantly accepting this way out. "Since the Clan Leader has said so, we naturally trust in your capabilities and believe you have your own judgment. In that case, we will not disturb you further."

Han Sheng waved her hand, and a large ship materialized at the hall's entrance. "Your boat was destroyed. This ship is a gift to the three of you. I hope you can return from the market in high spirits."

"Thank you, Clan Leader. Then we won't stand on ceremony."

Qi Wuyu helped Mo Chen onto the ship first, with Liu Nanzhou bringing up the rear. Han Sheng watched them leave with a smile. This ship was much faster than the small wooden boat Qi Wuyu had rented, disappearing from sight in a few breaths.

The moment the ship departed, Han Sheng's smile vanished. She turned around, her expression calm and eyes serious, and said coldly, "Summon He Su."

A nearby attendant acknowledged the order and vanished on the spot with a ripple of water, leaving only a swirling eddy behind.

The three of them sailed far away on the ship. It was fast and spacious. Qi Wuyu lay on the deck, hands behind his head, eyes closed. If not for his legs propped up and swaying, Liu Nanzhou would have thought he was asleep.

He asked, puzzled, "Was what that Clan Leader said true? Was she really unaware?"

Qi Wuyu opened one eye to glance at him, then closed it again, speaking lazily. "Probably true. That girl seems straightforward."

Liu Nanzhou: "Didn't you say the Yanlu Clan is stubborn? How come they're also being two-faced?"

Qi Wuyu chuckled. "Nothing is that absolute. But I'm quite curious why they've suddenly become this way."

Before Qi Wuyu could figure it out, a sound came from the cabin. Mo Chen walked out. Hearing the noise, Qi Wuyu sat up, resting one wrist on his knee. "How are you feeling?"

Mo Chen had taken the medicine Han Sheng gave him. The Yanlu Clan's secret medicine was indeed effective; he was about seventy to eighty percent recovered. His complexion had improved significantly, at least no longer looking like he might die at any moment.

He gave a solemn bow of thanks to Qi Wuyu and Liu Nanzhou. "Thank you both for rescuing me."

Qi Wuyu quickly stood up. "It was nothing, don't mention it." He helped Mo Chen up and guided him to sit down. "Brother Mo, are you also heading to Yingchi Island?"

Mo Chen sat down on the spot with Qi Wuyu. Liu Nanzhou lowered his head, fiddling with the Spirit Language Jade hanging at his waist, seeming uninterested in joining their conversation, though he was still listening.

Mo Chen said, "That's right." He lowered his head and sighed softly. "Truth be told, I came this time to save someone."

"Oh?" Qi Wuyu motioned for him to continue.

Mo Chen glanced at Liu Nanzhou, seeing only a cold profile. He got the vague sense that Liu Nanzhou didn't dislike him, but didn't particularly like him either—likely only sharing the boat because of Qi Wuyu.

Mo Chen withdrew his gaze and turned to Qi Wuyu, speaking slowly, "Some time ago, I met someone. He left home at a young age, fell in with the wrong crowd, and was led to do many bad things. By the time he wanted to turn back, his hands were already stained with blood."

"Realizing you're wrong and trying to do better is what counts."

"Perhaps." Mo Chen sighed with emotion. "When I met him, he was a bit out of his mind, not recognizing anyone. He got better after taking medicine, but he often has these fits of madness. He told me he didn't want to live in such a fog. He thought his family was long gone, but by chance, he stumbled on news about them. He wants to return home healthy and live an ordinary life. I heard Yingchi Island has many miraculous medicines that might cure his illness, so he asked me to come and see."

Liu Nanzhou had looked up at him at some point, and Mo Chen gave him a slight smile.

Qi Wuyu asked, "Brother Mo, are you close with him?"

Mo Chen was taken aback and sighed, "We merely crossed paths by chance."

Qi Wuyu laughed. "To help someone so much after just a chance encounter—Brother Mo, you truly have a heart of gold."

Mo Chen shook his head. "I'm not particularly kind-hearted. It's just that... he reminds me a bit of myself."

A sea breeze rose, carrying the scent of flowers. The boat gradually slowed down. Liu Nanzhou stood up. "Master, we've arrived."

The flowers on Yingchi Island bloomed vibrantly, a riot of colors stretching as far as the eye could see. Flocks of mountain geese flew over the sea of flowers, and a few scattered villages could be glimpsed in the distance, fading into the heights. Following their path, Liu Nanzhou looked up and saw several towering, majestic buildings.

Qi Wuyu and the others disembarked. The boat automatically transformed into a palm-sized wooden carving, lying in Qi Wuyu's palm. Qi Wuyu then placed it into his Cosmos Bag.

Author's Note:

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Seems like I won't make the word count [melts][melts]. This chapter is a bit rough; I originally wanted to revise it more, but I ended up working overtime [splits]. If I have time, I'll revise it before sleeping [please].