Zhang Rongfang smiled slightly, about to speak.
Suddenly, from not far away, a shrill whistle drifted over.
He looked up to see a small boat quickly approaching the fleet from Xuekui Island.
"It should be the guiding ship for the trade goods." Lin Xiaochi introduced.
He cupped his fists and bowed to Zhang Rongfang.
"Daoist, should I go over first?"
"I will go with you." Zhang Rongfang replied.
Lin Xiaochi, after all, was just an ordinary Daoist of the Agarwood Palace. Though brave and resourceful, he was far from adept at considering details.
He thought a bit too naively about many things.
The two of them, along with five others, boarded the small boat prepared at the side. Once at sea, they rowed towards the guiding boat.
The two boats, one leading and one following, quickly returned towards Xuekui Island.
The small boat had a shallow draft, but once the oars were in motion, it was swift.
Before long, they passed through the reef zone and slowly landed on the shore.
On the golden sandy beach, many islanders had already been waiting to exchange goods.
So of these islanders had various oil paints on their faces; others were in tattered clothes. There was a clear social hierarchy.
They all held boxes, clay pots, and even large leaves fashioned into trays to hold items.
"Welco! I am Xue Dongyun, a trader responsible for the exchange of goods on Xuekui Island." A tall and sturdy man squeezed through the crowd, coming to the front.
"I am Lin Xiaochi, greetings Brother Xue. We have porcelain, fine blue and white porcelain, refined pills, and so dried fruits and vegetables. What do you need?"
He stepped forward to negotiate and discuss with Xue Dongyun.
Zhang Rongfang, on the other hand, watched the islanders who had co to exchange goods with great interest.
This was his first ti at sea, seeing the natives of an island.
The islanders of Xuekui Island were mostly small in stature. A small portion with oil paints on their faces were robust.
These people had dark skin, likely from frequent sun exposure.
Zhang Rongfang subtly focused his gaze, and imdiately his dark-light vision naturally surfaced.
In his eyes, the Qi and Blood flow and vascular networks of these islanders all unveiled.
So areas covered by clothing could be vaguely seen.
Exposed skin areas were exceedingly clear.
Before long, Lin Xiaochi had finished negotiating on the other side, and both parties began exchanging goods.
The goods were transported back and forth by small boats.
Lin Xiaochi also inquired if the treasure-seeking team had passed through here.
The other party looked bewildered, having no idea about any treasure-seeking team. Even when a bounty was offered, still no one spoke up.
Zhang Rongfang glanced over. There was no reaction in their Qi and Blood, suggesting they were not lying. However, upon hearing the bounty, so had their Qi and Blood involuntarily jump and expand a few tis, clearly showing interest.
He shook his head slightly and stepped forward.
"Mr. Xue, our fleet has been drifting at sea for so ti without sight of land. May we visit the island for a tour?"
"Well... Xuekui Island has always been isolated and does not like communicating with the outside. I’m afraid it’s not convenient." Xue Dongyun hesitated before replying.
"Is that so? Then never mind." Zhang Rongfang continued to smile, saying no more.
With the continued transport and trade of goods by small boats, before long, the exchange was over. The two parties embraced as a farewell at the end.
Lin Xiaochi led the group back towards the small boat.
Zhang Rongfang also boarded the boat, the group taking the traded goods back in the direction of the large ship.
Standing on the boat, Zhang Rongfang turned around, looking at Xue Dongyun waving goodbye.
In a small coconut grove beside him, a small figure was hiding behind a coconut tree, watching the departing boat from afar.
"What is that over there?" asked a master from the Thousand Stone Sect.
"Just a kid watching the excitent." Lin Xiaochi glanced from afar, "Let’s go, to the next island. I’ve asked around on this island; no one has heard of the treasure-seeking team."
*
*
*
On the island.
Zhou Xinlan was gasping for breath. He had just finished his chores, and upon hearing a rchant ship had docked, he hurriedly sneaked out.
He brought with him a note and that piece of Residual Fragrance Coral.
But....
He stood behind the coconut tree, looking distantly at the already departing small boat, his heart gradually becoming cold.
’Was I still too late?’
Zhou Xinlan clutched the note in his hand tightly.
Just a bit more!
He rarely experienced such feelings of frustration and annoyance within himself.
’I can only wait for the next ti, I must return imdiately, if I’m found out it’ll be a disaster!’
He turned and quickly ran towards the direction of the Blue Divine Mansion.
If discovered by the people in the mansion, or by the ghost-faced man, he could be skinned alive and eaten!
Bang!
After a few steps, his neck was painfully struck, and he was forcibly lifted by a large hand.
"Oh? There’s actually a little pup from the inner courtyard here...."
Xue Dongyun pinched Zhou Xinlan’s neck with one hand, lifting him to eye level with a smile.
"Sneaking over here... what did you want to do?" His narrowed eyes were filled with coldness.
Suddenly, there was a gentle noise as sothing fell to the ground.
Zhou Xinlan looked down, a light yellow ball of paper had dropped to the ground.
"What’s this?" Xue Dongyun beca interested, squatting down to pick up the paper ball with one hand.
Rustle.
The paper ball was unfolded, revealing a series of bizarre scribbles.
"I... I wanted to find soone... to teach how to read." Zhou Xinlan struggled to make a sound.
His face was flushed, his vision starting to blur from the lack of oxygen.
"Literate?" Xue Dongyun chuckled, "You, a little errand boy, want to learn to read?"
He tossed aside the paper strip, picked up Zhou Xinlan, and started to head back to the island.
"Mr. Xue, why be so petty with a child? Working hard to improve is always a good thing."
Suddenly, a figure appeared not far from the coconut grove, looking toward the two of them.
Xue Dongyun looked up at the newcor, frowning. It was soone from the rchant ship.
"This is a slave we bought from Xuekui Island earlier. Since he violated the rules and left the house without permission, it should be up to us to decide his punishnt."
He squinted, staring at the newcor.
The newcor bent down, picked up the discarded paper strip, and unfolded it for a look.
"But I think that’s inappropriate."
The person looked up, revealing a face behind a black mask.
"Friend, you were on the rchant ship just now, right? I advise you to go back quickly and not ddle in others’ affairs." Xue Dongyun looked the person over, his tone slowly changing.
"Speaking carelessly on this island could lead to trouble..." He stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.
"Since earlier, I’ve noticed that you all seem to be hiding sothing...." the black mask said softly.
Xue Dongyun’s eyes turned sullen.
"Friend, it seems you really intend to go against our Xuekui Island? In that case..."
He took a step forward and suddenly shouted.
"Soone! Seize him!"
With a swish, burly n with faces painted in oil paint surrounded them from all directions, encircling the black mask.
"There are many people." The black mask’s eyes rotated. "But unfortunately, no matter how many bugs there are, they’re still just bugs...."
He raised his hand.
Snap.
A snap of the fingers.
Once again, from the surrounding forest, burly experts from the Thousand Stone Sect leaped out.
A few camouflaged-faced masked n turned to attack, only to have their arms grabbed by big hands, lifted off the ground, unable to move.
Rip!
In the sound of blood and flesh tearing apart, accompanied by painful screams, these masked n had their arms torn off one by one, thrown to the ground.
Xue Dongyun’s face turned grim. He dropped Zhou Xinlan, lifted his leg, and kicked fiercely toward the masked man.
Whoosh!
His strength was obviously far greater than the masked n, delivering a side whip kick, the air compressed, producing a whistling sound.
At the sa ti, sharp poisonous spikes suddenly shot out from the soles of his legs, aiming fiercely for the opponent’s neck.
Clang.
The poison spike was precisely caught by a big hand.
Under the black mask, Zhang Rongfang’s mouth curled up as he suddenly tugged with one hand.
Xue Dongyun was pulled with great force, crashing into Zhang Rongfang’s chest like a cannonball.
Bam!!!
From his jaw to his sternum to his lumbar vertebrae, a series of crackling sounds echoed. Instantly, they all shattered.
As if hitting a wall of copper.
He tilted his head to spit blood, stopped by a finger pressing against his jaw.
The blood sprayed towards an open space on the right.
"Sorry.... was a bit heavy-handed." Zhang Rongfang looked at Zhou Xinlan, who was climbing up beside him.
"Now, young man, tell where this paper strip ca from?"
He initially scanned the group and noticed sothing subtly wrong.
Now it seed there was indeed a problem.
Written on that paper strip was the secret code he had personally designed at the Agarwood Palace.
Only those who knew the decryption thod could understand its aning.
And just now, this encrypted text was brought out by a re teenager.
Where were the others?
Where were the other treasure-hunting teams?
He needed an answer.
Zhang Rongfang had a faint suspicion in his mind.
Zhou Xinlan looked up, gazing dazedly at Xue Dongyun hanging like garbage from Zhang Rongfang’s hand.
Then looked at the masked n on the ground, writhing and howling in pain.
He was as if in a dream; this was his first ti, the first ti seeing an outsider this formidable....
"No! You all need to leave quickly! There’s also the Blood God Bandit on the island! They won’t die! Each one has an immortal body! If discovered...."
"Immortal body?" Upon hearing this, Zhang Rongfang squinted his eyes.
He looked around in a circle.
"Shut them up."
Upon hearing this, one of the Thousand Stone Sect experts punched a masked man’s head.
One by one, their heads cracked like waterlons, amidst the frightened pleas, the last masked man’s head was smashed.
The Thousand Stone Sect people stood up like nothing had happened.
"Crown Prince, it’s all sorted." Tian Ruyi, sporting a handlebar mustache, smiled.
"Why don’t we just kill everyone on this island?" he muttered, "These people don’t look like good people, their faces are ominous."
Zhang Rongfang had nothing to say; Thousand Stone Sect was indeed notorious for its past misdeeds.
Before siding with him, the Thousand Stone Sect survived on smuggling, assassination, robbery, and other criminal activities.
They were all too familiar with such murderous and incendiary deeds.
"No rush, I need to find the whereabouts of the treasure-hunting team. Dead or alive, I want to see them."
He looked again at Zhou Xinlan, offering a rather gentle smile.
"Co, tell , where did you get this paper strip? Don’t be afraid, I won’t harm you."
Zhou Xinlan swallowed, looking up at Zhang Rongfang, towering at two ters three, with a face behind a black mask, squeezing out a smile from white eyes looking at him.
He suddenly thought.... was he too hasty in agreeing to Cheng Luo to relay the ssage.....
The Blood God Bandit was no good, but this group in front of him also looked like bad people....
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