While Li Fan was deep in thought, a somewhat chubby young man not far away sidled over.
The young man clapped a hand onto Li Fan's shoulder, acting quite familiar. "Brother, you look unfamiliar. What official post did you hold in Great Li? Or which province are you a wealthy merchant from?"
Li Fan slapped away the hand on his shoulder, then fixed a cold stare upon him without uttering a single word.
The chubby youth immediately felt as though he had been locked in the gaze of a venomous serpent, and a chill crept up his spine.
Though he felt humiliated to be frightened by a mere glare, the chubby youth was not lacking in discernment. Li Fan appeared unremarkable, yet the subtle, commanding presence he exuded without even raising his temper clearly belonged to someone who had occupied high stations for years.
*He is no ordinary man!*
Reaching that conclusion in an instant, the chubby youth tactfully slipped away.
Seeing this, the others realized that Li Fan was hardly an approachable sort, and no one else approached him for a chat afterward.
Amidst the flickering lamplight, the murmuring grew fainter, until gradually everyone fell asleep.
The night passed without incident.
Before dawn the next day, everyone was awakened.
A long-bearded, middle-aged man clad in a teal robe strode before the crowd with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Shortly, I will take you to receive your household registrations. Once you have them, you will officially become members of Liuli Island," the middle-aged man said coldly, looking around.
Hearing his words, the crowd broke into expressions of excitement.
"Remember, do not say what should not be said. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee your lives," the man added, his eyes narrowing.
Knowing full well that what they were doing could not see the light of day, everyone nodded repeatedly.
Afterward, at the middle-aged man's direction, Li Fan and the rest all changed into tattered clothes.
Then they were drilled on a uniform story.
"You are all residents of Dayu Island to the west. Because your island was destroyed by a windstorm disaster, you fled here as refugees. If anyone asks, that is what you say."
Everyone agreed without hesitation.
Led by the middle-aged man and watched closely by four or five burly men in black, the group followed a hidden passage out of the cavern and emerged aboveground.
After winding through the city's residential quarters for who knew how long, they finally arrived before a mansion.
Li Fan noticed that although their group numbered several dozen, most of the islanders only spared them a passing glance before looking away, evidently long accustomed to such sights.
They did not enter through the mansion's main gate. A servant went in to announce them and soon returned, guiding the crowd through a side door on the left into a large hall.
The hall was quite spacious. Even before Li Fan and the others arrived, two or three other batches totaling well over a hundred people had already gathered there.
Even so, the hall did not feel crowded.
The middle-aged man signaled with a look for everyone to wait patiently.
Soon, it was Li Fan and his group's turn.
"Manager Zhao!" the middle-aged man greeted.
"Are these all disaster refugees coming to register?" Manager Zhao looked to be in his fifties or sixties, showing some age, yet his eyes were exceptionally sharp. After sweeping his gaze over the crowd, he said with a faint, knowing smile, "Sun Zhang, every single one of these refugees looks either rich or noble!"
Sun Zhang did not panic in the least, merely sighing. "Indeed. They were once wealthy and distinguished families on Dayu Island. Alas, without the protection of an immortal master, when disaster struck, all their wealth and glory vanished like smoke. Now they had no choice but to travel thousands of miles to seek refuge here on Liuli Island."
With that, Sun Zhang produced an item from his robe and discreetly passed it to Manager Zhao.
Manager Zhao glanced down, tucked it away, and let out a sigh of his own. "A windstorm raged some days ago, and even our Liuli Island was affected. The western islands suffered far worse; it's said that well over two hundred islands were flattened, and who knows how many mortals drowned in the sea.
"Fortunately, the immortal masters showed mercy and commanded us to aid the victims. It is a good thing that your Tianbao Pavilion is so dedicated! Rest assured, I will report this faithfully to the Island Master. When the immortal masters bestow rewards, your share certainly will not be lacking."
Sun Zhang was overjoyed to hear this and heaped on compliments.
Manager Zhao listened while processing the registrations for the group.
Before long, it was Li Fan's turn. Manager Zhao glanced at Li Fan, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
"What is your name?" Manager Zhao asked.
"Li Fan," Li Fan answered truthfully.
"Come, drip a drop of your blood onto this." With flowing strokes, Manager Zhao wrote the two characters of Li Fan's name upon a rectangular strip that seemed neither jade nor paper, then handed it across.
Li Fan bit his fingertip and let a drop of blood fall.
As if possessed of life, the blood seeped into the two characters.
"Keep this talisman safe. From now on, it is your proof of identity. Whether claiming work, collecting food distributions, or facing inspections on the island, you must present this talisman for all matters great and small. Do not lose it under any circumstance." Unlike with the others, Manager Zhao spoke with noticeable warmth toward Li Fan, even offering this extra word of guidance.
This drew curious glances from Sun Zhang and the rest.
Unsure of what Manager Zhao had perceived, Li Fan did not offer excessive thanks. He merely nodded, put away the talisman, and walked straight to the side.
The distribution went very efficiently, and soon everyone in the group had received their household registration for Liuli Island.
Excitement was written across all their faces.
Upon leaving the premises, they did not return to the earlier cavern. Instead, Sun Zhang brought them into the courtyard of a spacious residence.
"Now that the registrations are in hand, the contract can be signed, can it not?" Sun Zhang said to Su Changyu among the crowd.
Su Changyu carefully took a thin sheet of paper from his robe, bit his finger, and solemnly wrote his name in blood.
The moment he finished signing, the thin paper caught fire without flame, dissolving into a wisp of blue smoke that drifted off to parts unknown.
After burning, only a small remnant of the contract was left behind.
"As agreed, the pact concludes upon three signings. Once we are fully settled in the future, I will sign the final contract according to our agreement," Su Changyu said, neither servile nor haughty.
"Hmph, dealing with you people from the Li Realm is always a bother. If not for the sake of... the immortal master, our Tianbao Pavilion would never take on such a losing deal," Sun Zhang snorted coldly, sounding rather disgruntled.
After that, however, he pressed no further, turning instead to brief everyone on what they needed to heed on the island.
"Every resident of Liuli Island may claim a dwelling with their household registration talisman. Although it is merely in the remote outer perimeter on the island's northernmost edge, at least it provides shelter from the wind and rain. In addition, for the first year after registration, you may collect a certain ration of food free of charge each month. Naturally, if you are accustomed to delicacies and cannot stomach this free relief grain, you are free to wine and dine on the island at your own expense."
...
After speaking at great length, Sun Zhang's mouth went dry. He paused to catch his breath, only for Su Changyu to suddenly speak up with a question.
"Might I ask, if we wish to cultivate, what should we do?"
This was precisely what Li Fan cared about, and he immediately pricked up his ears to listen with rapt attention.
Chapter 23