Volume One: The Dragon Rises from the Wilds - Chapter 125: Favors Are Favors

Under the shade of the trees by the seaside, Guiyuanzi lay reclined on the soft sand, his face flushed with a rosy hue, looking delightfully intoxicated. On the wooden table before him sat a wine jar, a bowl of wine, and several wild fruits gathered from the island.

Yu Ye sat to one side, eyes half-closed, as if in meditation.

Behind the two men was a stove built of piled stones; the fire beneath it had died out, but the iron pot above still radiated heat.

Not far away lay the Chen family’s merchant ship. The rudder and the damaged cabin walls had been restored to their original state, and a tall wooden frame had been used to hoist the two masts back onto the deck. A-Hu and a group of men were busy with the final preparations. If all went well, they would be able to set sail again by tomorrow.

Several Daoist disciples were resting on another stretch of beach a few dozen paces away.

During the previous treasure-seeking expedition, Tao Feng had suffered a crushing blow. His thigh had been pierced by a blast of sword energy, but since no bones or tendons were broken, the miraculous efficacy of his medicinal pills had left him mostly recovered. The real injury was to his pride; having been publicly rebuked by Yu Ye and severely scolded by Guiyuanzi, he had lost all face and fallen into a deep depression. However, his fellow disciples had not abandoned him, staying by his side throughout, which brought him a sense of comfort amidst his sorrow.

At this moment, Tao Feng sat with his eyes closed in silent contemplation.

Yu Xin and the others sat nearby, talking and discussing their increasingly unpredictable future.

He Qingnian stroked the short bristles on his lip and said softly, "By my estimation, it has been over fifty days since we left the Great Marsh. We should have been more than halfway there, yet we have been delayed here on this desolate island. This journey to Qizhou is destined to be fraught with disasters."

An Yunsheng nodded slightly and said, "I heard from A-Hu that when we were avoiding the storm, the ship may have drifted off course. Reaching Qizhou is not a certainty yet!"

Anxiety permeated their conversation.

Luo Chen, being younger, maintained his vigor. "Though we may face a hundred setbacks, we shall not falter. The journey is long, but we must persevere. Success depends on human effort; the other shore is within reach!"

Yu Xin shook his head and smiled bitterly. "Even if the other shore is within reach, so what? I have heard that certain unscrupulous rogue cultivators occupy these islands and run rampant along the Qizhou coast, specifically preying on passing merchant ships. Common merchants or travelers might be spared, but foreign cultivators are sure to meet with disaster. This was one of the reasons Brother Tao was so eager to eliminate Gan Xing and Qiu Yuan—he feared that collusion between them and those outside would work against us. And there are so many cultivators in Qizhou; the outlook is far from optimistic!"

Luo Chen lowered his head, remaining silent. He Qingnian and An Yunsheng also wore grave expressions.

These Daoist disciples, once so high-spirited and free-willed, were now stripped of their edge, their faces etched with weariness.

"Brother Tao was indeed trying to take precautions, repeatedly attempting to win Yu Ye over in hopes of using his strength against the Qizhou cultivators, but it backfired. It is fortunate that Meng Qingqing shares some history with him, otherwise the consequences would be unpredictable."

The three men followed the direction of Yu Xin's gaze.

Meng Qingqing sat alone a few paces away, clearly unwilling to participate in the conversation.

Yu Xin continued, "Yu Ye is sharp-witted and suspicious by nature. If one tries too hard to curry favor with him, it only invites distrust. Brother Tao was simply too hasty, and it produced the opposite result."

He Qingnian and An Yunsheng nodded, remarking, "He comes from humble origins, a poor family, a mountain dweller who is illiterate and lacks worldly experience. Yet, he has only been out of the mountains for two short years, and look at him now..."

"This goes to show that our suspicions were correct..."

"Brothers, and Junior Brother Luo, listen to me," Yu Xin warned. "Since we are not destined for the treasure, let us speak no more of it. Otherwise, we will harm Yu Ye, and we will harm Qingqing as well. Remember this!"

The three men looked at Meng Qingqing again.

She ignored the conversation of her fellow disciples, staring silently at the merchant ship in the distance.

Though she remained silent and calm, her heart was like a surging tide, difficult to settle. She understood the good intentions of Senior Brother Yu Xin and the expectations of her fellow disciples, but no one understood her difficulties or sympathized with her embarrassment and helplessness.

Ever since she met Yu Ye in Kunshui Town, she had been ordered to win his favor. Even if she were unwilling to act against her conscience, she had been forced to comply. Even though their sect had fallen, the teachings and rules remained, and Yu Xin was still her senior brother. From that moment on, Yu Ye had been a target of their calculations. And what was the result? Yu Ye might not have known the truth, but he had grown wary and had gradually drifted away from her. Looking back, while he was indeed cautious, precocious, and perhaps even a bit dull, he was not lacking in kindness and simplicity, nor in his thoughtfulness toward her. The days spent with him were the most relaxed and happy times of her life. Ease could be so simple, and joy could be so pure...

"Hey, friend, add some firewood!"

At Guiyuanzi’s complaint, Yu Ye picked up a piece of firewood and tossed it into the stove.

A wisp of smoke rose on the beach.

Guiyuanzi nodded with satisfaction and reached for the wine jar. The jar was bottom-up, with only a few drops left. He tossed the empty jar aside and urged, "Friend, bring more wine—"

There was no response.

Yu Ye held a fire-blowing tube, focusing intently on the fire under the stove.

Guiyuanzi widened his eyes in dissatisfaction. "Boy, you owe me a favor; you should show some gratitude. Bring another jar of wine, and we shall call it even!"

"A favor?"

"I helped you scold Tao Feng, is that not a favor?"

"I also helped you neutralize the poison of the Soul-Severing Powder!"

"You heartless boy..."

"Fine, I will give you one more jar. It is not easy to encounter an old man who has lived for hundreds of years!"

Yu Ye set aside the tube and flipped his hand to produce a jar of wine.

"Heh!"

Guiyuanzi snatched the jar and chuckled. "What hundreds of years? I was just trying to scare them; otherwise, those little things might have beaten me up, and these old bones couldn't take it."

He denied what he had said moments ago as if it were nothing, naturally and nonchalantly.

Yu Ye produced another jar of wine.

"Oh, you’ve become generous today!"

"A favor is a favor, and a trade is a trade. Tell me what you saw earlier, and this jar of wine is yours."

"What I saw earlier? That cave at the southern end of the island?"

"Yes."

"Deal!"

Guiyuanzi snatched the wine, happily saying, "Heh, this is the best wine I’ve tasted in the Great Marsh!" With two jars in hand, he said contentedly, "The cave on the island was formed naturally. With some minor modifications, it became a dwelling. Perhaps an overseas cultivator lived here in seclusion, but the place has long been abandoned."

"The stone inscriptions you examined—what did they point to?"

"I didn't understand them at first, but later I remembered a type of ancient script that resembles the carvings. Perhaps the hermit didn't understand the meaning either and just carved it onto the stone wall."

"You know ancient scripts?"

"A little."

"What did the text say?"

"What you ask has nothing to do with the cave. Add two more jars; no bargaining."

Guiyuanzi suddenly gave a sly smile and held up two fingers.

Yu Ye had no choice but to produce two more jars.

Guiyuanzi hurriedly cradled the jars to his chest and said mysteriously, "As far as I know, the carvings on the wall are a verse."

"Well... go on!" Yu Ye urged expectantly.

"I just did!" Guiyuanzi blinked, his smile full of craftiness.

"That verse..."

"Add ten more jars."

"You just took two jars and didn't say anything, and now you want ten more? You old rogue, you're cheating me!"

"Telling you the origin of the verse is worth two jars, but to know the details of the verse costs ten. Trade is voluntary; how can you slander an old man's reputation like this?"

"Hmph!"

Yu Ye stood up in indignation.

Although he had plenty of fine wine, he could not afford Guiyuanzi's constant coveting. If things continued this way, within a few days, dozens of jars of wine would be swindled away by this old man.

Since the wall carvings were in ancient script, why not ask Jiao Ying? Jiao Ying was also a master; perhaps he recognized the verse.

Thinking of this, Yu Ye turned and hurried along the beach.

Guiyuanzi still clutched his four jars of wine, chuckling to himself: "This boy looks thick-browed and wide-eyed, but he's actually a wooden block. Ten jars of wine for a piece of truth, where in the world is such a bargain..."

Using a light-body technique, he covered the ten-plus miles in an instant.

Yu Ye walked into the cave at the southern end of the island once more, only to be left in complete shock.

A line of strange characters had been carved on the stone wall beside the stone bed—he had seen them with his own eyes. But now, the stone wall was blank; it had clearly been wiped clean, leaving not a single trace behind...

The next day.

In the afternoon, shouts rang out along the beach, and the Chen family's ship slowly pulled away from the shore. Then, everyone boarded, and the sails were hoisted with a rustle. As the sea breeze picked up, the sails propelled the ship toward the south.

A short while later, the island had been left behind, the ship began to pick up speed, and the people on board cheered with their hands raised.

The ship, having survived multiple damages and being trapped on a desolate island for days, was finally setting sail once more after its repairs.

Yu Ye stood at the bow, feeling the sea breeze, and could not help but show a smile.

In this ordeal, only two of the Chen family’s disciples had been slightly injured, which was a blessing in misfortune. However, the deaths of Gan Xing and Qiu Yuan still cast a shadow over their hearts.

"Yu Ye!"

Meng Qingqing walked up to his side, carrying a conical hat in her hand.

Yu Ye took the hat and nodded in thanks.

With Gan Xing and Qiu Yuan gone, the cabin they had occupied was now assigned to Yu Ye and Tao Feng. The young woman was meticulous; Meng Qingqing had specifically gone to the cabin to retrieve Yu Ye's hat.

Regarding the cause of the two Qizhou cultivators' deaths, A-Hu knew the truth but found it inconvenient to ask. He only said that the ship had drifted off course and it might be two months before they reached Qizhou.

Yu Ye had had enough of the sea breeze and turned to head back.

Meng Qingqing walked beside him.

In front of the cabin door below the deck, Tao Feng sat on a stool, clutching a wooden stick. Yu Xin, He Qingnian, An Yunsheng, and Luo Chen stood nearby, accompanying him to enjoy the sea view.

When Tao Feng saw Yu Ye approaching, he lowered his head to avoid him. Yu Xin and the others also looked awkward, their moods unreadable.

Yu Ye waved at Meng Qingqing and walked straight into his own cabin.

Facing the gaze of the Daoist disciples, Meng Qingqing blushed slightly and turned away in silence.

The cabin had been Gan Xing's residence; it had now changed masters.

Yu Ye hung the hat on the cabin wall, lifted the mattress from the bed, threw it aside, and spread a beast-skin rug in its place. Then, he slammed the wooden door shut and raised his hand to cast a barrier, sealing the entire cabin.

Although the cabin was small, it was far better than the crowding and noise of the hold. With the journey still long ahead, he would focus on his cultivation.

Yu Ye kicked off his boots and lay down on the bed.

In his sea of consciousness, Jiao Ying’s voice rang out: "As you said, Guiyuanzi must be a master..."