Li Fan examined the object in his hand without any change in expression.
At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary blue glass sphere. But upon closer inspection, one could see light swirling within its depths, as if a piece of the boundless blue sea itself was being nurtured inside.
[Curio of heaven and earth: Deepsea Pearl (Nascent)]
[As one sea perishes, another is born.]
Li Fan was utterly astonished to encounter a Curio of heaven and earth here—and one that was still nascent, not yet fully formed.
Suppressing his excitement, Li Fan placed the Deepsea Pearl back in its original spot. He then feigned indifference and began examining the other items nearby.
He did not cast another glance at the pearl, even when Agent Wu announced that time was up.
Yin Yuzhen emerged, carrying a few items, her expression a mix of regret and excitement.
“Aren’t you going to pick anything? It’s rare for Agent Wu to be so generous. Opportunities like this don’t come often,” she remarked, noticing Li Fan’s empty hands.
Agent Wu chimed in, “Shopkeeper Yin is right. What kind of guest enters a treasure trove and leaves empty-handed? Wouldn’t that be a slight against me?”
Good thing you two spoke up; otherwise, I would’ve had to bring it up myself. Li Fan thought.
“In that case, it would be rude to refuse,” he said.
He walked over to the Deepsea Pearl, selected a jade statue nearby, and then casually picked up the pearl as well. “I’ll take these two,” Li Fan said offhandedly.
The statue was carved in the likeness of an ancient tree.
Agent Wu glanced at it and praised, “Elder, you have a keen eye. I found this jade statue of an ancient tree on a remote island in the far north of the Congyun Sea.
“A primitive tribe on that island had enshrined it for thousands of years. It possesses certain mystical properties. For ordinary folk, keeping it in their home can calm the mind, focus the spirit, and strengthen the body.” Agent Wu lavished praise on the jade tree statue but only gave the Deepsea Pearl a brief glance, saying nothing more about it.
“Then I’ll have to thank you for this good fortune, Agent Wu,” Li Fan said. He cupped his hands, his tone equally pleased.
“And this one?” Li Fan asked, toying with the Deepsea Pearl.
“Oh, that? I acquired that from a fisherman on Liuyun Island,” Agent Wu said after a moment’s recollection. “There’s nothing particularly special about it. It just looked unusual, so I picked it up on a whim.”
Liuyun Island... Li Fan committed the name firmly to memory. He then quickly changed the subject. “Shopkeeper Yin, what did you select?”
Agent Wu’s attention shifted to Yin Yuzhen.
She had chosen a painting, a pair of jade bracelets, and a gemstone. With great enthusiasm, she began describing each item to the two men.
Li Fan listened with half an ear, his thoughts entirely consumed by the Curio of heaven and earth, the Deepsea Pearl.
Lost in his thoughts, Li Fan barely registered when the transaction ended.
The Wanhua Trade Association acquired a large batch of treasures, while Yin Yuzhen amassed a significant amount of gold and silver.
“Shopkeeper Yin, until we meet again,” Agent Wu said with a note of sentimentality before piloting the Wanhua flying boat out of sight.
Though Yin Yuzhen had reaped a substantial harvest this time, a worried frown still creased her brow on the journey back.
“Are you concerned about the future of the Tianbao Pavilion’s business?” Li Fan asked.
“Yes. Without the Wanhua Trade Association, we’ve lost a major sales channel. I’m afraid the pavilion’s profits will suffer a massive drop.” Yin Yuzhen sighed. “I don’t understand why the Wanhua Trade Association would suddenly withdraw from the Congyun Sea.”
“The cart will find its way around the mountain when it gets there.[1] There’s no need to worry excessively.” Li Fan could think of no real solution at the moment, offering only empty words of comfort.
Yin Yuzhen nodded, though it was clear his words hadn’t truly registered.
Returning to Liuli Island, Li Fan bid farewell to Yin Yuzhen and hurried back to the Quietude Manor.
He shut the main door tightly behind him. Then, he finally took out the Deepsea Pearl.
My original purpose for this trip was simply to verify if Starsea Driftsand was meteorite iron. I never expected to gain such a treasure. What a stroke of luck. Li Fan gazed at the pearl in his hand, unable to contain his joy.
But I wonder what makes this Deepsea Pearl so special?
In Li Fan’s understanding, every Curio of heaven and earth represented a certain characteristic or law of the world itself.
The Qiulong Branch embodied the concept of the small overcoming the large, of devouring and consumption. Rusted Sword Dao Xuan represented an unyielding will, with the ability to slow and corrode.
The Halt Stele Fragment was bound by written laws, acting only upon received commands.
So why was this small, glazed pearl named Deepsea? Could it truly contain an entire sea within?
Li Fan held the pearl aloft. The more he examined it, the more entranced he got, losing himself in that profound, deep shade of blue.
Unfortunately, after studying it for a long time, Li Fan failed to uncover any of the pearl’s special properties. Perhaps only a cultivator could glimpse its secrets.
Li Fan let out a long sigh and reluctantly tore his eyes from the Deepsea Pearl before carefully storing it away.
Should he convert it now? He hesitated for a moment. According to the message from Return to Truth, this Deepsea Pearl was still in its nascent state. Converting it now would likely only increase the charging progress by 1% to 2%.
It was better than nothing, but he might as well wait until it was fully formed before converting it. The treasure was already in his possession anyway; it wasn’t going anywhere.
It took quite some time for Li Fan to calm himself from the excitement of obtaining a Curio of heaven and earth.
Once his heart settled, he immersed himself once more in cultivating the Xuanhuang Heart Clarification Sutra.
Several days later, Li Fan was startled awake by a series of urgent knocks on his door.
The sky was still dark. Who could be disturbing him at this hour?
The ever-cautious Li Fan took a dagger, concealed it in his sleeve, and went to answer the door.
“Who is it?”
“Brother Li, it’s me.”
Xiao Heng’s voice came from outside.
What does this kid want from me at this hour? Did the Tianbao Pavilion not follow through on the residence I promised him?
A flicker of confusion crossed Li Fan’s mind, but he opened the door nonetheless and ushered Xiao Heng inside.
Xiao Heng’s face was a mask of anxiety and panic.
“Sit. Tell me what’s wrong.”
As the two moved inside, Xiao Heng spoke urgently, “Brother Li, something terrible has happened! The fact that we smuggled ourselves here from the Li World has been leaked!”
“Who leaked it?” Li Fan asked, somewhat surprised.
“We don’t know. But everyone on the island now knows we aren’t native inhabitants of the major cultivation world, and that we came here illegally through the Tianbao Pavilion.
“They say the Immortal Master is furious and going to have us all arrested and executed. Some were so terrified they took boats and fled in the night. The rest of us... We just don’t know what to do.
“They all said you’d definitely have a solution, Brother Li. They told me to look for you immediately.” Xiao Heng explained in a rush.
Li Fan listened, pondered for a moment, then let out a soft chuckle. “Don’t worry, it’s not a big deal.”
Xiao Heng was taken aback. “Brother Li, what makes you say that?”
Li Fan chuckled coldly. “Since when do government officials notify criminals before a raid? If they truly intended to kill you all, your heads would have already been separated from your bodies. Would they have allowed you to learn of this news, flee openly under the cover of night, and even gather to discuss countermeasures?”
“Brother Li, are you saying... this news was intentionally leaked to frighten us?” Xiao Heng’s expression shifted to one of sudden realization.
“But why would they do that?” His face quickly clouded with confusion again.
“In my opinion,” Li Fan said, abruptly rising to his feet, “this likely isn’t about us at all. Their true target is the Tianbao Pavilion.”
1. 车到山前必有路 (chē dào shān qián bì yǒu lù), equivalent to “we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” ☜