When the list of required materials for Body Purification Spirit Pool slot applications was announced, Liuli Island seemed calm on the surface. But beneath that calm, undercurrents were already stirring.
Even ordinary folk who normally paid little attention to such matters began hearing that the island’s major powers were all searching for something called Starsea Driftsand.
Li Fan had asked around discreetly but found nothing.
Then, on this day, he received an unexpected visitor.
It was Xiao Heng, someone from the Li World whom Li Fan had met when he first arrived in the cultivation world.
“Please, sit,” Li Fan said, pouring him a cup of tea.
Xiao Heng looked around Li Fan’s current residence, his eyes full of both envy and nostalgia.
“What brings you here, Little Brother?” Li Fan asked amiably. His impression of Xiao Heng was quite favorable.
Xiao Heng first glanced around warily, then leaned in closer and said in a hushed tone, “I heard Brother Li has also been searching for Starsea Driftsand lately.”
Li Fan’s gaze sharpened. “Correct. I am getting old. To cultivate, I must rely on the Body Purification Spirit Pool. Why? Do you know of it?”
Xiao Heng swallowed and nodded. “Yes. When the Immortal Master arrived in Great Li, he promised to take a group of people to the major cultivation world if we could gather the materials he required. Starsea Driftsand was among those materials.”
Li Fan was taken aback, then said with some confusion, “Was it? I have no memory of that.”
He had already asked the people from Great Li about this material, but they all claimed to have no knowledge of it.
Hearing this, Xiao Heng looked somewhat embarrassed. “When the list was announced to the public, several items had already been removed from it. They were reserved as pre-allocated quotas, divided amongst the elite families of Great Li. The item assigned to my family for collection was this Starsea Driftsand.”
Li Fan nodded slowly.
“What are your conditions?” Li Fan asked, getting straight to the point.
Seeing how direct Li Fan was, Xiao Heng seemed a little ashamed. His face flushed red as he explained, “You paid for Changyu’s burial back then, which was already a gesture of kindness to me. I really shouldn’t be doing this... It’s just that life here on Liuli Island is too difficult. I don’t have your capabilities, Brother Li. I still live in the slums on the outskirts, doing hard labor every day just to survive...”
As Xiao Heng rambled on, Li Fan interrupted him with a light laugh.
“There’s no need to say more. I understand your difficulties. I am determined to acquire this item. If you can provide a lead, state your request. I will do my best to fulfill it.”
Xiao Heng was immensely grateful. “Then I thank you in advance, Big Brother.”
He paused, then said with some emotion, “Actually, the item itself isn’t rare. It’s just that the Immortal Master’s name for it is different from what we mortals use. Of course, if the list hadn’t come with descriptions of each material, I wouldn’t have known either. The so-called Starsea Driftsand is actually just... meteorite iron.”
Li Fan listened, pondered carefully, then suddenly understood. “Starsea Driftsand... I see. But will any meteorite iron do? Are there any other specific requirements?”
“There are,” Xiao Heng said, nodding repeatedly before slowly listing the specific requirements one by one.
“First, the meteorite iron must have a good appearance. One with a pitted, cratered surface won’t do. Second, a single piece must weigh at least fifty catties. Also...”
Li Fan listened intently, committing each detail firmly to memory.
When Xiao Heng finished, Li Fan did not forget his promise.
“Tell me then. What do you want?”
Xiao Heng said quietly, “I just want a decent courtyard and a slightly less strenuous job. Of course, if I could have a few maidservants as well, that would be even better.”
Li Fan had braced himself for Xiao Heng to make an exorbitant demand, so seeing the other man so easily satisfied made him chuckle and shake his head in amusement.
“I never expected the son of the Prince of Zhennan to have such modest demands. Feel free to ask for more. My words carry some weight at the Tianbao Pavilion.”
Xiao Heng politely declined. “I know my own limitations. To have good food, a nice place to live, and not having to struggle so hard... that is enough for me. Gaining a sudden windfall would only bring about disaster.”
Li Fan nodded, deciding not to press the matter further.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Xiao Heng took his leave.
“Any plans to pursue cultivation?” Li Fan asked suddenly as they parted. “After all the hardship of coming to this major cultivation world, it would be a shame to have made the trip for nothing, wouldn’t it?”
“Perhaps another time,” Xiao Heng replied with clear disinterest, not even turning his head. “I have no real interest in immortal cultivation. That Xuanhuang Heart Clarification Sutra just puts me to sleep, and who knows how long it would take to fully purge the miasma anyway?” With that, he left.
After seeing Xiao Heng off, Li Fan hurried to the Tianbao Pavilion. He found Yin Yuzhen and repeated Xiao Heng’s explanation of Starsea Driftsand.
“Starsea Driftsand is just meteorite iron? It’s that simple?” Yin Yuzhen was surprised. “Can this Xiao Heng be trusted?”
“He likely wasn’t lying, but we still need to verify it,” Li Fan stated. “Didn’t you say an agent from the Wanhua Trade Association would be coming to Liuli Island soon? We should try to confirm the truth from him then.”
“That’s a good idea,” Yin Yuzhen agreed. “It would be best if we could save the expense.”
“Regardless, we must first discreetly purchase meteorite iron that meets the requirements. Few know about this material now, but that might not last long.” Li Fan thought for a moment, then patiently added more instructions. “Furthermore, the purchases must be mixed in with other goods to conceal our intent and create confusion. At the same time, we can have people spread false information about Starsea Driftsand in the market to muddy the waters further.”
To ensure his spot in the Body Purification Spirit Pool was secure, Li Fan needed to plan for every contingency.
“Uncle, you’re truly something else. I only knew you had a treasure-attuned body before; I didn’t realize you had these skills too.” After listening to Li Fan’s methodical arrangements, a flicker of curiosity ignited in Yin Yuzhen’s eyes.
“Uncle, what did you do in the past?” she couldn’t help but ask.
“I just taught people how to read, that’s all,” Li Fan said dismissively.
Yin Yuzhen’s expression showed she didn’t believe him.
“Alright, I’ll leave these matters to you. I need to go cultivate. Don’t disturb me unless it’s something urgent. Oh, and help me handle what I promised Xiao Heng as well.” Li Fan gave his final instructions and then left the Tianbao Pavilion.
Great Auspiciousness? How can it be Great Auspiciousness again? Yin Yuzhen stared blankly in the direction Li Fan had departed, her eyes filled with utter bewilderment.
Ever since meeting Li Fan, each time he assigned her a task, her intuition had indicated it was an omen of Great Auspiciousness.
This almost made Yin Yuzhen suspect that her ability to sense fortune and avert misfortune had somehow failed her.
Before meeting Li Fan, she had never once encountered an event marked by Great Auspiciousness.
In fact, when she had once considered swallowing that Mundane-Leaving Pill to embark on the path of cultivation, her intuition had warned of extreme peril ahead. It would be a path fraught with certain death, an unmistakable omen of Great Calamity.