At this mont, sitting across the table from him, the man nad "Ellison" seed to be just over forty, not looking like soone naturally rejuvenated by Extraordinary Power.
Xia Nan observed very carefully.
Although the man appeared to carry a bit of carefree arrogance in his dejection, his behavior did not exhibit the exhaustion typical of decades of life experience.
Of course, it was difficult not to suspect a connection with the missing inland noble, given that the man was fishing by Morton’s forr residence on the island at this particular ti.
If following the specific investigation procedure, Xia Nan should next approach the topic indirectly, introduce so off-topic remarks, use clever speech to soften the atmosphere, and finally ntion the information he wants when the man lets his guard down, probing further along the way.
However, as is widely known, he was not skilled in eloquence.
Compared to solving issues with words, Xia Nan preferred using his sword blade.
Sotis, even if he’s prepared the right words beforehand, unexpected complications often arise during actual action, sotis even having negative effects.
On the way from Qiao Yan Village to this place, he had already devised several investigative plans in his mind based on Ellison’s possible personality and attitude towards him.
But now, after actual contact, Xia Nan’s intuition told him that perhaps... he could be more direct.
"Do you know Lailo Moerton?"
No warm-up, no buildup.
Just as Ellison finished introducing the rich fishery resources near Cliff Island, Xia Nan directly threw the weighty question at him.
At the sa ti, Perception fully opened, his dark eyes closely observing the man before him, watching for even the slightest muscle twitch.
Ellison’s reaction was quite intriguing.
Evidently surprised at Xia Nan’s straightforward offensive, he first froze, then his pupils trembled slightly, as if shocked by the na from his mouth.
Yet, in the next instant, he calmly regained his original composure.
"I haven’t heard that na."
Ellison replied like this.
He was lying.
Xia Nan was almost certain in his mind.
The fleeting expression on the man’s face was not one befitting the hearing of a stranger’s na.
However, although he was always direct, it wasn’t to the point of lacking emotional intelligence.
It was their first eting, and Xia Nan hoped to gather useful information from him, so there was no need to make the atmosphere tense.
He chose not to expose him directly, instead nodding in agreent.
Perhaps aware his facial expression was perceived by the black-haired youth opposite, the man simply leaned back, reclining fully against the chair, squinting:
"Other than the noisy seagulls defecating everywhere, North Cliff rarely receives visitors."
"I don’t know the ’Lailo Moerton’ you’re talking about, you didn’t climb up here from Qiao Yan Village for , right?"
Hearing this, Xia Nan nodded, being so direct eliminated any reason to conceal further.
"I heard this wooden house is Lailo Moerton’s forr residence, he lived here for a long ti, so I thought to co and take a look."
This ti, Ellison paused slightly longer, his slightly cloudy eyes masked by the shadow of his high eyebrows, obscuring any changes.
After a long while, he spoke again:
"There isn’t anything you want in the house."
Xia Nan’s heart skipped a beat: "How do you know what I want?"
"Wealth, power, strength, things that alter Destiny, aren’t those what people at sea pursue?"
Ellison retrieved his bone-white fishing rod from the wall, organizing it carefully.
"You’re not the first one to co."
"Didn’t Steven tell you, over the years, many have co here to North Cliff, with scimitar and greed, smashing every wooden board, emptying every crevice, thoroughly searching every place where items could be hidden."
"I personally repaired and rebuilt this wooden house."
"If you find anything valuable in the house, feel free to take it. I don’t mind."
Xia Nan seed deep in thought.
"So... the original owner of this wooden house didn’t leave anything?"
"Leave behind? Leave what?" Ellison gently shook his head, "A will? A treasure map? Or a whole chest of Gold Coins?"
"Friend, this is ’Cliff Island,’ the greatest wealth lies only in the fish shoals beneath the cliffs."
"The person who built the wooden house, if there was sothing he couldn’t bear to leave behind..." he looked out to the boundless blue outside the window, "he would naturally take it away with him, even throwing it into the ocean rather than leaving it for strangers he’d never et."
"Oh?" Xia Nan raised an eyebrow, eyes fixed on him, "How do you know he would do that?"
"Because..." the man was silent for a while.
"If it were , that’s what I would do."
"..."
Morning had passed, mist gradually dissipated under brilliant sunlight, and the surface of the sea refracted light like fish scales.
A beam of sunlight fell from the window, dispelling the last bit of cold inside the wooden house.
He finished the now warm Water on the table in one gulp.
Xia Nan prepared to leave.
His invisible Perception had already quietly spread out when he followed Ellison into the wooden house, using the opportunities of preparing fish sashimi, dining, and conversing to thoroughly inspect every corner of the small wooden house.
Not a single discovery.
Having found a clue with difficulty, giving up felt a bit unwilling.
Before leaving, Xia Nan asked one final question:
"Nothing else?"
"Any other place he might have left sothing?"
Ellison hesitated inexplicably, making Xia Nan feel there might be hope.
"The northern waters of Cliff Island are filled with sharp reefs and dangerous currents. Even the locals from Qiao Yan Village rarely dare to venture there."
"I’ve been fishing here not just for a year or two, sotis seeking better fishing spots requires a trip up and down the cliffs. In so ways, I’m even more familiar with the surroundings than Steven and the others."
Saying this, the man paused his voice, seeming to contemplate whether to continue.
But he gazed again at the black-haired youth’s exceptionally Good Equipnt, sensing his refined aura distinct from ordinary adventurers.
Ultimately he continued.
"Further north, at the end of this reef mountain, on the cliff edge, eighty feet down is a hollow."
"I once saw it from afar during a low tide, vaguely noting so signs of human presence, but because the cave’s location was too dangerous, I didn’t approach."
"I can’t guarantee you’ll find anything there, but if you’re just looking for clues, perhaps that hollow may help."
Upon hearing this, Xia Nan felt motivated, already marking this location as his next target.
"Why tell this?"
Ellison slightly bowed his head, half his face hidden in shadow.
"Because you don’t look like those pirates and rcenaries, at least... very patient."
"But also be careful, the coast at North Cliff frequently has Fishn, those little creatures are fierce, carrying crude weapons salvaged from the sea floor, swarming like goblins."
"If unavoidable, it’s best to fight on land. Otherwise, if the Fishn jump into the sea, even the most skilled sailor can’t catch them."
Listening to Ellison’s detailed introduction, Xia Nan stood, sincerely stretched out his right hand to him:
"Thank you for providing the information, I’m Xia Nan. When you go back to Suo Yu Bay, you can visit Three-legged Sea Dog, I’ll buy you a drink."
Shaking hands with Xia Nan, Ellison grinned lightly.
"Just a matter of a few words, it’s nothing."
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