A strange glint flashed through Qin Sang's eyes.
Ran Luo, however, wore a completely candid expression.
Qin Sang could not help feeling a trace of suspicion, yet she showed no sign of using the matter to threaten him.
Even if she were making a threat, Qin Sang had nothing to fear. In the Demon Sea, hiding was as easy as could be. Most of the Inner Sea was occupied by humanity, and no matter how formidable Black Snake Mountain's strength might be, they could never stir up waves in human territory. As long as he was not on the Witch God Continent, he had nothing to worry about.
"No wonder those cultivators possessed such fearsome strength—they turned out to be personal disciples of a Witch Clan Nascent Soul master. Fortunately, this poor Daoist's evasion technique was passable enough to narrowly escape the pursuit. I cannot thank you and Elder Zou enough for handling the aftermath on my behalf."
Qin Sang rose and cupped his hands in salute.
Ran Luo smiled faintly. "Daoist, there is no need to treat us like strangers. Those not of our kind inevitably harbor different hearts. Besides, you are a guest elder of our guild; by both sentiment and reason, we could never stand idly by. Have you considered Elder Zou's proposal?"
Qin Sang pondered for a moment before speaking. "This poor Daoist has two conditions."
Seeing Qin Sang relent, Ran Luo beamed with delight. "Please, go ahead."
"First, the matter of the spirit herb can wait no longer. This poor Daoist must first retrieve it. Second, Fellow Daoist Ran well knows how dangerous the Hall of Seven Killings is. I dare not slacken, so I must find a quiet place to cultivate bitterly, striving to break through to the mid Core Formation stage before the hall opens in order to give myself a better chance of survival. Furthermore, my cultivation method is rather peculiar; I often need to venture away from the island to hunt demon beasts and comprehend the Dao of slaughter. As such, I will hardly have sufficient energy to attend to the guild's trivial affairs..." Qin Sang said in a deep voice.
"Daoist, your talent is truly astonishing—to be so confident in breaking through before the Hall of Seven Killings opens."
Ran Luo could not help sighing with emotion. She had touched upon her bottleneck a decade ago, yet even now she lacked the faintest clue on how to proceed. Hearing Qin Sang speak with such confidence filled her with envy.
"Your advancement in cultivation is also a boon for our guild, so naturally I have no reason to hinder you," she continued. "In that case, before the Hall of Seven Killings opens, you may take charge of several small islands along our shipping routes. Our guild has only just started out in the Inner Sea, so there are few affairs on those islands; you will merely need to resolve any crises that arise, while ordinary trivialities can be left to the subordinates. However, as you well know, the Demon Sea is chaotic, and those small islands are unlike Duyan Island—their security can hardly be guaranteed. Moreover, once you agree, you cannot travel elsewhere on a whim; you must remain reachable at all times..."
With that, Ran Luo brought out a sea chart and spread it before Qin Sang.
Marked along the sea routes were several small islands where minor outposts had been established. The guild was short on manpower in the Demon Sea; apart from major locations like Duyan Island, a single person had to oversee multiple small islands. Even if the duties were few, the travel alone was demanding enough.
Ran Luo pointed across the chart while Qin Sang paid close attention to the surrounding environments of the islands. So long as there was suitable hunting ground nearby, he was content to settle wherever circumstances led him.
"It may be difficult for this poor Daoist to manage so many islands alone. Could Fellow Daoist Ran spare some hands for me?"
Ran Luo gave a meaningful smile. "If you can persuade other fellow daoists to join you, I have no objections."
Qin Sang blinked, deep in thought.
The two conferred in secret for a long while.
That night, Qin Sang boarded a sea vessel bound for Tianwu Island, preparing to set sail. The Wang sisters came to see him off.
Tomorrow evening, they would take a ship toward Dahuang Island to reach Qin Sang's chosen outpost ahead of time and make all necessary arrangements. Once Qin Sang harvested the six-petaled butterfly violet, he would rush to rendezvous with them.
Among the cultivators on Duyan Island, Ran Luo aside, Qin Sang was acquainted only with the Wang sisters. After securing Ran Luo's promise, he had approached them to make his pitch.
To his surprise, though the sisters had already agreed to venture out with other companions, they accepted without hesitation the moment Qin Sang finished speaking, without a second thought—most likely before they had even listened closely to the terms.
Their arrangement with the guild was strictly hireling work, meaning the guild held little binding authority over them, so Ran Luo had neither reason nor desire to stop them.
With the sisters assisting him, matters would be far easier from now on.
Naturally, Qin Sang would not treat them poorly. The elder sister had broken through to the Core Formation stage not long ago and still had to help gather fiend demon pills for her younger sister. Lacking even a magic treasure of her own, her strength placed her at the very bottom among Core Formation cultivators. Thus, Qin Sang lent her his azure jade tablet beforehand, ensuring she had enough power to steady the situation.
After giving the sisters a few parting instructions, Qin Sang boarded the great vessel.
The sisters waved in farewell, watching the great ship cleave through the waves and vanish into the distance.
The younger sister poked her head playfully in front of the elder and teased, "Congratulations, Sister! Joyous congratulations! You finally got what your heart desired!"
The elder sister glared sharply at her, spat lightly, and raised a hand in a feigned strike. "Wagging your tongue again? Careful, or I'll pull it right out."
Not the least bit afraid, the younger sister bounced about, fluttering both hands. "Tsk, tsk, tsk! Still pretending! I wonder who it was that said yes before he could even finish speaking, not even bothering to ask for my opinion, as if she were terrified he might change his mind... Isn't your little heart practically ready to take flight?"
"We have never even seen the Daoist's true face," the elder sister blurted out softly.
The younger sister froze. Catching her sister's expression, she dared not fool around any longer.
The elder sister let out a self-deprecating smile. "Even I never expected that, having lived as a century-old hag, I would suddenly harbor the tender affections of a young maiden. I don't even know where it came from. Perhaps after so many years drifting through the Demon Sea like rootless duckweed, facing peril at every dawn and dusk, the desire to find someone to rely on had taken root long ago. When I met the Daoist, those feelings simply broke out uncontrollably. But upon reflecting carefully these past days, I realized it might not truly be love at all."
The younger sister listened in silence, stepping closer to cling tightly to her arm.
The elder sister patted her shoulder and murmured, "This may not be a bad thing for me. Once I saw through it, my state of mind improved noticeably; I can simply treat it as weathering a tribulation of love. The Daoist's strength is unfathomable, and he is a man of honor. His willingness to guide and support our sisters is a tremendous blessing. Getting your fiend demon pill will certainly be no issue. Break through to Core Formation quickly, so that we sisters can walk the immortal path hand in hand and never be parted."
"We will never be parted," the younger sister whispered like a dream.
***
Aboard the great vessel, Qin Sang knew nothing of the sisters' exchange.
He held a medallion in his palm, marking his status as a manager of the Qiongyu Guild.
Whether joining the guild was good or bad remained to be seen, but with a slot for the Hall of Seven Killings on the line, he could not afford to dwell on it.
Before departing, Qin Sang had exchanged the demon cores and other valuables from his Qianjun Ring into spirit stones, barely scraping together enough to hand over to Ran Luo and secure his qualification for the hall first.
As for the mission assigned by the Eastern Pole Alliance, he would adapt when the time came. If the task proved too perilous, Qin Sang certainly would not sit waiting for death.
The vessel sailed smoothly over the waves. Shielded by the ship's spirit formation and accompanied by a good number of formidable cultivators, there was little cause for concern.
Qin Sang activated the room's restrictions and laid down several layers of severing wards before drawing a jade casket from his Qianjun Ring.
As he opened the casket, a shimmering blue radiance flooded the entire cabin, casting a cool azure glow across his face.
Chapter 726