In the end, Su Changyu failed to pull through.
In barely seven or eight days, he could endure no longer and died.
When his body was brought back, Li Fan went to take a look.
All that remained was a twisted mass of flesh and blood, stripped of any human form, gruesome to behold.
Every now and then, the mangled flesh would even twitch inexplicably, making one's scalp tingle with dread.
As newcomers, the Li Realm mortals could not even scrape together enough money to purchase a burial plot.
They had initially planned on a sea burial, but Li Fan could not bear to see it and took out some money, finally allowing Su Changyu to be laid to rest in the earth.
Everyone was deeply grieved.
Among them, Xiao Heng wept most bitterly.
Li Fan did not feel any particular sorrow, only a touch of wistfulness.
Having rolled through cycles of reincarnation in the mortal world for nearly three hundred years, Li Fan had developed his own eye for judging character.
In his view, Su Changyu conducted himself with poise and decency, possessing a resolute will. Though hardly a once-in-a-century hero, he was by no means mediocre either.
Among this group from the Li Realm, Li Fan had thought him the most likely to make a name for himself.
Yet such a person had failed to survive even purging the miasma—a mere prerequisite for cultivation—dying silently without a whisper.
The Immortal Path was arduous!
Li Fan sighed inwardly, the sentiment deepening.
And during his subsequent practice of the Xuanhuang Mind-Clearing Incantation, Li Fan felt this all the more acutely.
Facts proved that Li Fan was no supreme genius either.
For nearly a month, Li Fan kept a low profile and rarely went out. Aside from taking up a job to avoid suspicion, he spent the rest of his time secluded at home, cultivating the incantation.
Normally, an ordinary person would notice obvious effects after half a month of practice, such as improved spirits and quicker thinking.
Yet a month had passed, and Li Fan felt no change whatsoever.
Li Fan guessed that it might be because his mental strength, tempered across centuries and multiple cycles through True Reversion, had long surpassed that of ordinary mortals, rendering the incantation far less noticeable for him.
Li Fan was in no hurry, simply treating it as his daily cultivation routine.
Another half a month passed in this manner before Li Fan finally received word from Tianbao Pavilion.
Following the messenger, Li Fan met Manager Zhao in a private courtyard belonging to Tianbao Pavilion.
"Manager Zhao, it has been a while," Li Fan greeted with clasped hands.
Manager Zhao glanced at Li Fan and cut straight to the chase. "I heard from Tianbao Pavilion that you want a seafaring quota for a fleet. You certainly have a big appetite. What gives you such confidence?"
"You should know I only have two fleets at my disposal. There aren't even enough to go around among my own subordinates. Why should I give one to you?"
"A fleet sets out to sea merely in pursuit of profit. I wonder, Manager Zhao, how do the earnings from catching liuli fish compare to hauling up treasures directly from shipwrecks on the seabed?" Li Fan smiled faintly.
Not seeming to think Li Fan was merely boasting, Manager Zhao pondered seriously for a moment. "I heard about the fleet unexpectedly recovering over a dozen chests of jewels a few days ago. According to the Mansion's valuation, that haul was worth several regular fishing voyages combined. But how could such good fortune happen every time? In my dozen-plus years on this island, I recall only a handful of times when there was such a massive haul."
He paused, then asked, "From what you're saying, you..."
Li Fan nodded. "If I take charge of a fleet, I can guarantee that every voyage will bring back a certain amount of treasure."
A strange glint surfaced in Manager Zhao's eyes. He scrutinized Li Fan closely for a few moments, then exclaimed in wonder, "You're actually not lying."
Now it was Li Fan's turn to be slightly surprised. "It is true that I am not boasting, but I wonder how Manager Zhao could tell?"
Manager Zhao gave a low chuckle. "Since childhood, I was born with a pair of extraordinary eyes, capable of recognizing capable individuals and discerning truth from falsehood. Just now, while you spoke, I saw only a soft white light shimmering around you, proving that you spoke the truth and harbored no ill intent. Had there been waves of black qi, it would have shown you had hidden motives."
"To think there is such a miraculous ability?" Li Fan was startled. "On the day of our registration, Manager Zhao's attitude toward me seemed somewhat different from the others. Did you see something back then?"
"I can only see a rough outline; how could I know everything? I merely saw that you possessed extraordinary wealth and status, and that your hands were stained with a great deal of blood. Clearly not an ordinary person. That was why I treated you with some courtesy," Manager Zhao explained with a dry smile. "Heaven's will is unpredictable. Who knows what someone like you might achieve in the future? It did no harm to form a good tie in advance."
Li Fan nodded, only to hear Manager Zhao sigh with feeling: "Disasters have struck frequently in recent years. There's no telling how many people like you, born to immense wealth and status, have ended up stranded on our Liuli Island. Some lie low for a few years, only to ride the wind and soar once more; others sink into obscurity from then on, turning into bleached bones."
Hearing this, Li Fan suddenly thought of something. "In that case, back when we registered that day, did you see that Tianbao Pavilion's Sun Zhang was speaking untruths?"
"True or false, what does it matter? Sometimes being overly particular isn't necessarily a good thing. My duty is merely to ensure there is no one attempting to subvert the island. Regardless of where you come from, as long as you keep to your place and behave, nothing will be done to you," Manager Zhao said nonchalantly. "With an immortal master overseeing the island, there's no fear of unrest."
"Besides, taking in disaster refugees was also an immortal master's order. Sun Zhang managed to bring so many 'refugees' to our Liuli Island, so why would I make things difficult for him?"
Listening to this, Li Fan gained a general understanding of Manager Zhao's principles.
With that, their conversation returned to the seafaring fleet.
"Since Manager Zhao can see that I speak no falsehoods, would you consider the seafaring quota?" Li Fan asked.
Manager Zhao tapped his fingers lightly on the table several times before speaking: "You are a newcomer with no foundation. If I were to hand a fleet to you rashly, it would certainly stir up widespread dissatisfaction."
"How about this: on the next voyage, you come along. If you truly can salvage treasures on every trip, it won't take more than a few runs before the crew is thoroughly convinced by you. Then, you can take over the fleet fair and square."
"In fact, if your gains are substantial enough, it wouldn't even be impossible for me to petition the Mansion Master to wrest another fleet from that Qian fellow and hand it over to you."
"Manager Zhao is truly thorough in his considerations." Li Fan naturally had no objection.
And so, the matter was settled with unusual smoothness.
Tianbao Pavilion did not know the details of their conversation, but upon learning that Li Fan had easily persuaded Manager Zhao and secured a spot for the next voyage, they were thoroughly astonished.
"Could it be that uncle wasn't boasting, and really has the means to secure a fleet?" Inside Tianbao Pavilion, the yellow-robed woman rested her chin on her hand, her eyes flickering.
"I wonder what backing he could possibly have?" Sun Zhang was equally baffled. No matter how he looked at Li Fan, the man was as ordinary a middle-aged mortal as could be.
"Send him the title deed to that vacant little courtyard on East Street in the city," the yellow-robed woman suddenly said.
"Ah?" For a moment, Sun Zhang failed to register what she meant.
Chapter 27