As sixteen crates of jewels and precious goods were unloaded from the ship in full view of the crowd, the entire dock erupted with excitement.
One had to remember that the last time a ship had such a bountiful haul was... No wait, that was just a few months ago!
Since when did retrieving sunken treasure from the sea become such a regular occurrence? Or did the waters around Liuli Island become so rich that treasures now littered the seabed like common stones?
The islanders were plunged into deep skepticism, which soon transformed into fervor. Who wouldn’t want to strike it rich overnight?
Countless exhilarated individuals rushed home to share the news with their families.
They, too, would set sail. They, too, would seek fortune beneath the waves!
And so, word of the Cangyuan’s immense harvest spread like wildfire, quickly sweeping across the entire island.
In the Tianbao Pavilion, the woman in yellow was intently examining a newly acquired collection of artifacts when she heard the echoing of hurried footsteps outside.
“Shopkeeper! Shopkeeper!”
Without waiting for an invitation, Sun Zhang burst into the room.
“What’s going on?” the woman asked, somewhat taken aback.
“Treasure... over a dozen crates... the Cangyuan...” Sun Zhang gasped, struggling to catch his breath between words.
The shopkeeper waved a dismissive hand. “A dozen crates of treasure? Is that really cause for such alarm? If they want to liquidate any of it on the island, they’ll still have to go through our channels at Tianbao Pavil—”
She cut herself off mid-sentence, her expression shifting abruptly. “Wait. Did you say the Cangyuan? That ship the man named Li Fan is on?”
Sun Zhang nodded vigorously.
The woman stood frozen for a long moment before finally collecting herself. “No wonder he was so confident he could persuade Manager Zhao. He was absolutely certain he could find treasure just by going out to sea...”
“Exactly! It’s the same skill Head Shopkeeper possesses!” Sun Zhang exclaimed, his voice a mix of awe and envy.
“It’s a good thing you had the foresight to give him that compound earlier, Shopkeeper. That helped us establish a connection. Now that he’s returned with this haul, his fame will skyrocket. Trying to win him over would cost a fortune if we only started now.”
The woman in yellow quickly issued instructions. “Go arrange a meeting with him immediately. Find out when he’s available for a meal. Also, send someone to tidy up the Quietude Manor and deliver the deed to him.”
Sun Zhang started in surprise, but this time offered no argument, hurrying out to carry out his orders.
Left alone in the room, the Shopkeeper’s whisper was barely audible.
“A treasure-attuned body...”
Legends spoke of a physique attuned to treasure, one that could sense the presence of rare and precious goods within a certain radius.
The Head Shopkeeper of Tianbao Pavilion, Yin Yueting, who was also the woman in yellow’s elder sister, was someone who possessed this rare constitution.
It was this heaven-defying ability that allowed Yin Yueting to build Tianbao Pavilion from nothing into a major trading consortium spanning the Congyun Sea over the past decade.
***
Li Fan was currently at Manager Zhao’s residence, unaware that the Tianbao Pavilion mistakenly thought he possessed the legendary treasure-attuned body.
“Your talent is truly remarkable,” Manager Zhao said, beaming with satisfaction. “Sixteen crates of treasure on your first voyage! You’ve given me quite the surprise!”
Li Fan simply smiled, offering no explanation.
Knowing Manager Zhao had a knack for discerning the truth, he deftly changed the subject. “This haul was substantial, but it’ll be difficult to replicate results like this in the future.”
Manager Zhao waved it off. “That’s only to be expected. We can’t rely on such luck every time.”
He took a sip of tea before continuing. “However, this single success is more than enough for me to secure you your own independent ship.”
Li Fan gave a slow nod. “In that case, you have my thanks, Manager Zhao.”
“I’ve heard,” Manager Zhao said abruptly, setting his cup down, “that your tireless efforts are all for the sake of securing a spot in the Body Purification Spirit Pool?”
“That is correct,” Li Fan admitted with a sigh, looking as though a wave of profound weariness was washing over him. “I’ve... had a change in perspective. I’ve come to see that wealth and glory are as fleeting as smoke. Even endless treasure turns to dust in a hundred years. Only by walking the path of cultivation and grasping eternal life can one truly say their time in this world wasn’t wasted.”
Manager Zhao studied Li Fan for a long, silent moment before finally sighing. “To harbor such aspirations for immortality at your age... I find myself lacking in comparison.”
A complex, almost pained expression flickered across his face, as if recalling a distant memory. “Over a decade ago, when I was about your age, I had the opportunity to save an Immortal Master. He asked if I wished to follow him in cultivation.
Manager Zhao’s voice grew heavy. “But I knew I was already past the prime age for it. Even if I tried, success was far from guaranteed. Worse, the older you get, the more deeply entrenched the miasma within your body becomes. The process of purifying it becomes exponentially more agonizing. So, I only asked him for a job.
“Now, as the years pile on, I feel somewhat regretful. What a pity. The mistake is made, and there’s no pill to cure it.” He shook his head, lost in his own lamentations.
Then, he turned his gaze back to Li Fan, his eyes filled with admiration. “Among the hundreds of thousands of mortals on Liuli Island, few are like you.”
“You flatter me,” Li Fan said, steering the conversation back. “Might Manager Zhao have any insight regarding the matter of the Body Purification Spirit Pool spots...?”
“That is something I cannot help you with,” Manager Zhao explained, shaking his head. “The Body Purification Spirit Pool can only be activated by an Immortal Master. They alone decide the slots. A year before the spirit pool is opened, the Immortal Master will publish a list of required materials. Each family gathers and submits the materials on the list, and the slots are allocated based on how much they contribute.”
“But you needn’t worry too much,” he added. “The Tianbao Pavilion has branches on every island in the Congyun Sea. When it comes to the ability to gather resources, few on Liuli Island can surpass them.”
The image of the woman in yellow flashed in Li Fan’s mind. He nodded.
After spending a little more time with Manager Zhao, Li Fan took his leave.
The moment he returned to his compound, Sun Zhang showed up at his door. He had clearly been waiting for some time.
“Your Shopkeeper is inviting me to dinner?”
Coincidentally, Li Fan had been wanting to see her again anyway, so he readily agreed.
As for the deed to the Quietude Manor that Sun Zhang had brought, Li Fan did not accept it. He wanted to meet with the woman in yellow first.
Night fell, and lanterns lit up the dusk.
Li Fan arrived at the Tianbao Pavilion.
There was only one person in the room. She had changed into a violet gossamer dress, and the veil was gone from her face.
“I believe I haven’t introduced myself properly. Yin Yuzhen, Shopkeeper of the Liuli Island Tianbao Pavilion.”
“Li Fan.”
Yin Yuzhen laughed lightly. “Uncle, you are a man of few words indeed.”
“I am just a mortal. There is truly nothing worth saying,” Li Fan stated frankly.
“Is a treasure-attuned body also nothing worth mentioning in your eyes?” Yin Yuzhen asked. A teasing, almost challenging smile played on her lips.
“Oh? I don’t know anything about this treasure-attuned body you speak of,” Li Fan said. Outwardly, his expression remained unchanged, though inwardly, his mind raced.
“Then how did you manage to locate treasures in the vast expanse of the open sea?” Yin Yuzhen pressed, unconvinced.
“I simply... felt it in my heart.”
“And you still deny that you possess a treasure-attuned body?” Yin Yuzhen frowned.
But seeing that Li Fan genuinely seemed unaware, she reluctantly explained the nature of the treasure-attuned body to him.
“So, your elder sister also has a treasure-attuned body?” Li Fan narrowed his eyes. “How old is she? What does she look like? Where was she twenty years ago? And where is she now?”