Though Sun Zhang chose to avoid meeting him, Li Fan had no intention of giving up so easily.
Judging from how the man could not resist offering Su Changyu a few words of comfort that day, he was at least not an evil person. His cold demeanor earlier had likely been nothing more than a desire to avoid entanglements with mortals from the land severed from immortality.
Compared to complete strangers, Li Fan preferred dealing with those whose backgrounds he knew to some extent.
And so, having left, Li Fan returned once more, appearing right in front of Tianbao Pavilion.
"Why are you back again, kid? Looking to die, are you?" The burly man in black at the entrance glared at Li Fan warily, speaking with a ferocious scowl.
Li Fan offered a faint smile. "I have come to do business with your Tianbao Pavilion. Yet before even discussing a word, you try to drive away your guest. Is this how Tianbao Pavilion receives visitors?"
Li Fan deliberately raised his voice, drawing the eyes of the surrounding crowd.
"You..." The burly man flew into a rage, stepping forward to strike him, but his companion caught his arm and held him back.
After retreating inside to ask for instructions, the burly man returned with an irritated expression and led Li Fan within.
They arrived at a guest room and sat down, where a maid served a cup of tea.
Li Fan took a slow, unhurried sip. As the liquid entered his stomach, a warm current immediately spread from his gut throughout his entire body.
In just moments, Li Fan felt as though he had been basking under the winter sun for over an hour. His whole body grew warm and comfortable, bordering on hot.
"Fine tea!" Li Fan could not help but praise.
"Dayu Flame Dragon, grown around the underwater volcanic vents near Dayu Island. There were only a dozen or so stalks in total. Now that Dayu Island is destroyed, this Dayu Flame Dragon has temporarily become a peerless rarity." A smiling figure stepped into the room and spoke in a measured tone. It was none other than Sun Zhang.
"Then I have you to thank for this treat, Elder Sun." Li Fan did not hold back either, downing the rest of the tea in a single gulp.
Only after Li Fan set down his teacup did Sun Zhang narrow his eyes, speaking in a low, measured voice. "Matters in Great Li are concluded, and there should be no further entanglements between us. Why have you sought me out again?"
Sun Zhang's tone was far from courteous, and his eyes harbored a hidden murderous intent, as though he would strike to kill if Li Fan's answer failed to satisfy him.
Li Fan paid no heed to Sun Zhang's interrogation. Instead, he smiled and replied, "Elder Sun has misunderstood. I truly have come to discuss business."
"Business? You?" Sun Zhang was taken aback at first, then sized Li Fan up with a scoff.
Li Fan's expression remained calm, smiling without a word.
Seeing this, Sun Zhang gradually turned serious. "What business?"
"I wonder if Tianbao Pavilion has any interest in a quota spot for an ocean-going fleet," Li Fan said slowly.
"Every time a fleet puts out to sea, not to mention the treasures that can occasionally be salvaged, the liuli fish and other marine specialties alone are enough to earn a fortune. To say Tianbao Pavilion has no interest would be a lie.
"However, the fleet quotas are tightly controlled by Manager Qian. Forget Tianbao Pavilion—even Manager Zhao would find it exceedingly difficult to seize an extra spot. A newcomer like you, what capability do you possess to set your sights on that?" Sun Zhang stared hard at Li Fan, as if trying to read something from his face.
"If you grant me an audience with Manager Zhao, I naturally have a way to persuade him," Li Fan said with total confidence.
Seeing Li Fan look so certain, Sun Zhang found himself hesitating.
"Then let him meet Manager Zhao. It is hardly a difficult matter. If he fails, just chop him to pieces and toss him into the sea to feed the fish." Just then, a somewhat languid voice carried in from outside the room.
Li Fan's gaze narrowed. A woman dressed in pale yellow and wearing a veil walked inside.
Judging by her voice, she sounded only seventeen or eighteen years old, yet her shapely figure exuded a mature, alluring aura.
"Greetings, Shopkeeper." The moment Sun Zhang saw the woman in yellow, he immediately stood up and offered a respectful greeting.
"Then allow me to thank the shopkeeper first." Li Fan cupped his hands with an unchanged expression.
"You seem fairly confident, not at all like someone blowing hot air." Sitting opposite Li Fan, the woman in yellow tilted her head, observing him with curiosity.
"I have always been a man of my word. What I say goes," Li Fan replied candidly.
The woman in yellow let out a soft chuckle.
"If this actually succeeds, Tianbao Pavilion will take its proper cut."
"According to the island's rules, each voyage permits keeping thirty percent of the harvest. Of that thirty percent, I want not a single copper. Half goes to Manager Zhao, and the other half goes to your Tianbao Pavilion," Li Fan agreed with a nod, his words startling both listeners.
The woman in yellow was genuinely stunned.
She looked Li Fan over once more. "How strange. If that is so, what are you after that is worth going through all this trouble?"
"I want only a spot in the Purifying Spirit Pool when it opens every three years," Li Fan stated frankly.
"Huh..." This time, the woman was truly shocked. She stared at Li Fan repeatedly, as if trying to confirm she had not misheard.
Li Fan met her gaze, his eyes unyielding.
"Hahahahaha!" As though hearing the most hilarious joke imaginable, the woman in yellow burst directly into laughter.
"Come on, uncle, you're getting up there in years, and you still want to cultivate like everyone else?" After laughing for quite some time, she managed to stop with great difficulty, forced out those words, and then could not hold back another fit of giggles.
Sun Zhang looked at Li Fan with equal disbelief on his face.
Li Fan merely watched the woman in yellow in silence.
Her laughter grew smaller and smaller.
"Ha... ha..."
In the end, she gave a dry laugh and sheepishly returned to normal.
"I seek only longevity, with no regrets even unto death," Li Fan said calmly.
The woman in yellow remained silent for a long time.
"Fine, I agree to this," she finally made the call. "Once a date is arranged, I will send someone to notify you."
"Then it is settled. I reside outside the city, Row Six, House Seven. You may find me there." Li Fan cupped his hands, turned, and departed.
Only the woman in yellow and Sun Zhang were left in the room.
After a prolonged silence, Sun Zhang could not resist speaking up: "Shopkeeper, that spot for the Purifying Spirit Pool..."
"Competition on the island for a spot in the Purifying Spirit Pool is fierce every year, but it is not as though our Tianbao Pavilion lacks the strength to contend for one. Besides, if he truly can secure an ocean-going fleet, the profits it brings in would roughly equal the value of a spot in about five years. This deal is guaranteed profit without loss." The woman in yellow dismissed the concern.
"Though..." She knitted her pretty brows, looking in the direction of Li Fan's departure and muttering to herself.
"What is it?" Sun Zhang could not help but ask.
"That man's eyes looked terrifying..." The woman patted her chest, as if still lingering in fright.
Sun Zhang was dumbfounded.
...
On his way back, Li Fan stopped by a pharmacy and bought the Xuanhuang Mind-Clearing Incantation along with the accompanying medicinal ingredients.
Even if everything went smoothly, it would still be two years before the Purifying Spirit Pool opened.
Such a long stretch of time could not be squandered.
It would be better to cultivate the Xuanhuang Mind-Clearing Incantation first to see its effects. Who was to say his talent was not astonishing enough to purge the miasma from his body on his own without needing two full years?
Over the next few days, Li Fan remained at home cultivating, waiting for his meeting with Manager Zhao.
Who could have guessed that before he even met Manager Zhao, shocking news would reach Li Fan's ears.
Su Changyu was dead.
Chapter 26