The two men left and Li Yuanjiao stood with his hands behind his back, somewhat absent-minded before slowly closing his eyes. Li Qinghong looked back, and Li Yuanjiao murmured, "There is a demon outside."
The two of them rode the wind out and soon spotted a green fish hovering in the air. A pair of scaly wings grew from beneath its ribs, making it look particularly strange. Li Yuanjiao rode forward to meet it.
The fish's large eyes locked onto the two cultivators, its mouth opening and closing as it spoke in a clear voice, "Where do you come from, fellow Daoists? This is the territory of my Zhunan Serpent Dragon Palace."
This fish demon was at the ninth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm, and had not yet achieved the Foundation Establishment. Both members of the Li Family were Foundation Establishment cultivators, and were much stronger than it was. The fish demon was quite polite, yet spoke to them as equals in conversation.
Li Qinghong spoke respectfully, "My brother and I were originally cultivators from a minor sect at Lake Xian. After our sect collapsed, we passed through here and considered settling down here. However, we are unfamiliar with this place and hope you can offer us some advice, fellow Daoist."
"You are too polite, fellow Daoist," the fish demon replied, folding its wings and stepping onto the demonic wind. Its fish lip curled up slightly as its scales flipped in the wind and dripped with mucus.
With a cryptic expression, it continued, "I am from the Hui Clan in the algae, patrolling the sea for the Serpent Dragon Palace. My name is Huiyao. If the two Daoists are willing to serve my Serpent Dragon Palace, I will naturally share everything I know."
The fish then retracted its tail and transformed into a half-man, half-fish figure, looking rather sinister and ugly. It wielded a fork and stared at the two of them. In this situation, the status of the cultivators from the mainland and the overseas demons was reversed; Li Yuanjiao and the others were now asking for favors, like Luken the deer demon from the past.
Nevertheless, Li Yuanjiao was not one to blow his own horn. Despite the fish demon's grotesque visage, he smiled and said in a deep voice, "This way please, fellow Daoist."
As soon as they descended together, Zong Yan approached and bowed, "Greetings, Grandpa Sea Patrol. I have prepared the tributes!"
Huiyao chuckled and happily replied, "Hehe! Good for you. After enduring for so many years, you're finally in charge of this place!"
"Y-Yes..." Zong Yan nodded, flattered, and signaled for his men to fetch the tributes. They entered the hall, and the servants quickly served them tea. Zong Yan kneeled beside Huiyao and presented a jade bottle filled with red blood.
Huiyao waved his hands, scolding, "You blind fool! We have a distinguished guest today; it is inappropriate to drink this!"
Realization struck Zong Yan as he retracted the bottle respectfully. Li Yuanjiao's expression remained unchanged, while Li Qinghong's smile grew more pronounced.
Huiyao continued, "My subordinate has embarrassed himself. Please forgive him, both of you."
Huiyao was not foolish. The faces of these two were filled with pure qi, suggesting they were mainland cultivators or disciples of some ancient sect. However, its own strength was currently inferior, and it was not foolish enough to offend these cultivators. If the two of them truly killed him and escaped, the Dragon Son might not necessarily chase them down.
After exchanging a few words with Huiyao, Li Yuanjiao cut to the chase.
"What is the expected tribute for Zongquan Island?"
Huiyao regarded him calmly and replied, "This place is barren, the Dragon Son has never bothered us. It has been given to my clan, so the tributes are for me!"
The siblings exchanged glances, realizing that Huiyao had the upper hand in the negotiation now. Li Yuanjiao felt a headache coming on, but the fish demon continued, "Are you cultivating Pit Water, fellow Daoist? Can you show me your ability?"
Li Yuanjiao nodded slightly, summoning a grayish-blue serpent dragon that rose gracefully in the courtyard before them. Huiyao glanced at it, nodded, and said, "I see, it's the Jing Dragon King ! No wonder I felt a sense of familiarity the moment I saw you, fellow Daoist... The Dragon Son also practices this method—the Jing Dragon King."
Huiyao pondered for a moment before speaking seriously.
"Since you would like to establish your base here, this arrangement is beneficial for both of us... I won't make it hard for your esteemed clan."
It stretched out its fish-like hand and casually continued, "One medicine-human each year, ten Embryonic Breathing Realm spirit items, and two Qi Cultivation Realm spirit items. Ores are acceptable too. As for the passing demons that seek bribes, that's for you two to handle."
The demon did not have much use for Spirit Stones, so most of its demands centered around spirit items and humans. This requirement was significantly greater than Zong Yan's original demand of three hundred people over five years. Huiyao said that it would not make things difficult for them, but his demands were far from reasonable.
Before either of them could respond, Huiyao stated directly, "By the rules of my Serpent Dragon Palace... No matter where you come from, you must obey the Dragon Clan's orders when you enter our territory."
Huiyao's statement was no different than a reminder for Li Yuanjiao and Li Qinghong to drop their arrogance. The words were harsh, and Zong Yan began to sweat nervously, fearing the siblings might lose their composure from this provocation.
He dropped to his knees, grasping Huiyao's fish-like leg, and cried, "Grandpa Sea Patrol! It's my fault for not gathering news properly. Please consider the many years of hard work I've put in and spare me..."
Huiyao pursed its lips and kicked him away. However, Li Yuanjiao remained calm and replied politely, "I understand your demands, fellow Daoist. It's just that offering medicine-humans goes against my family's rules. Can that be substituted with something else?"
"Substituted?" Huiyao repeated, then laughed sarcastically, "Others use medicine-humans as substitutions for spirit items, but you do the opposite. How foolish! Are you even aware of the cost? What can you offer year after year?"
Li Yuanjiao retrieved a jade box from his storage pouch and offered, "How about this?"
Hu Yao looked down to see a small flower resting inside the jade box. He sniffed it and exclaimed, "A Foundation Establishment Realm spirit item?!"
"Yes, one flower in exchange for five years' worth of medicine-humans," Li Yuanjiao replied, putting it away before Huiyao could inspect it further.
Huiyao wiped his drool but protested, "Five years? That's too much!"
"Think about it again, fellow Daoist. This is a spirit flower from the mainland. It makes a good present for a demon general. I acquired it through some favors with the Han Family," Li Yuanjiao countered.
Huiyao's face lit up with greed upon hearing that. Li Yuanjiao deliberately paused before asking, "Will this work?"
"Yes! Yes!" Huiyao replied eagerly, but Li Yuanjiao deliberately continued, "Alas, it's a pity that this cannot be shown to others... On second thought... Perhaps I should go with medicine-humans!"
"Fellow Daoist, what do you mean by that?!" Huiyao's expression shifted dramatically once more.
Li Yuanjiao explained in a low voice, "This flower was acquired through certain means... The Han Family has always kept its existence under wraps. If it becomes public knowledge, it could lead to serious trouble!"
The Wanglin Blossom was not exclusive to his family. Li Yuanjiao was an overthinker, so it was impossible for him to overlook this, so he made up a story to tempt Huiyao.
"Ah!"
Huiyao's expression changed completely as various possibilities raced through his mind.
Li Yuanjiao smiled, adding, "I came to the Eastern Sea merely to find a place to settle. If things don't work out, the worst I can do is leave and return home. The Serpent Dragon Palace cannot extend its reach to the mainland. Fellow Daoist, you better consider this carefully!"
His tone was gentle, but an underlying threat was evident. Huiyao fell silent for a moment, then realized that Li Yuanjiao had stepped closer, pressing his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Huiyao started, catching a glimpse of the green and white sword light flowing in Li Yuanjiao's grasp. For a moment, his legs turned to jelly, and panic set in.
The situation had shifted too quickly; in just a few exchanges, the power dynamic had completely changed. It seemed he had no choice but to comply with this person.