A New Shore, A New Bargain

Wang Changqing’s face twisted into a bitter smile at Han Li’s question.

“You jest, Immortal Master. The Storage Pouches—though some Immortal Masters do possess them—are treasured beyond compare. How would one lend such a thing to us mortals for hauling mundane goods? Furthermore, every transaction between the major islands involves entire shiploads of goods. As miraculous as an Immortal Master’s Storage Pouch may be, it could not hold much. And no Immortal Master would demean himself by acting as a common porter!” Wang Changqing explained carefully to Han Li.

Upon hearing this, Han Li nodded silently, his eyes narrowing into slits as he sank into contemplation.

After a long while, he spoke flatly:

“I cannot do as Proprietor Gu asks. My cultivation is too shallow. Agreeing would only bring humiliation upon myself. Please report this truthfully to Proprietor Gu and advise him to seek someone more capable. As payment for transporting me to Starcrest Island, I will pay some Spirit Stones.”

Han Li spoke slowly, clearly, but his voice was utterly cold.

The old man’s face drained of color at these words of refusal.

Then, he began to plead bitterly:

“Immortal Master, please help our master! Proprietor Gu has already spent a great deal on both the ship and the crew to secure this business. Furthermore, to obtain the qualification to challenge, he paid a considerable sum of Spirit Stones. If he fails to win the right to trade between the major islands, the Gu family will surely be ruined. All of us hired hands will lose our jobs and have to seek other paths.” The old man’s face was full of entreaty.

“My cultivation is genuinely low. Moreover, I have no desire to invite trouble the moment I arrive on Starcrest Island.” Han Li shook his head without expression, his refusal final.

Seeing Han Li’s mind made up and the cold finality in his voice, Wang Changqing dared not press further. He could only muster his spirits and continue discussing local customs and other matters Han Li urgently needed to know.

Half an hour later, noticing the old man’s flagging energy, Han Li told him to go rest and return the next day to continue the language lessons.

Wang Changqing, already feeling fatigued, did not refuse Han Li’s considerate dismissal and withdrew.

Watching the old man leave and respectfully close the wooden door behind him, Han Li let out a soft sigh.

Though he carried some medicinal pills that could invigorate a mortal’s spirit and even benefit their health, he had no intention of offering them to the old man.

In a strange land, it was best to keep one’s wealth hidden! Otherwise, he would likely invite unnecessary trouble. It would not be surprising if it even led to mortal danger.

Having resolved this, Han Li sat cross-legged on the bed, took out a bottle of Yellow Dragon Pills, poured one into his mouth, and began circulating his energy.

He had to recover his cultivation as quickly as possible. After all, no matter where one was in the cultivation world, strength was the ultimate currency.

But Han Li had only been meditating for a short while when he heard footsteps approaching from outside the door.

Though he did not open the door, his spiritual sense had already drifted outward, projecting everything outside into his mind. It was the old man Wang Changqing, returning, followed by a Proprietor Gu who looked deeply troubled.

Han Li’s brow furrowed slightly.

It seemed trouble had arrived. Clearly, Proprietor Gu had not given up and intended to pester him further.

If he were back in the Heavenly South, Han Li would have already silenced them with a cold word, refusing to let them enter the room again.

But now, new to an unfamiliar land, it was best not to seem too aloof.

With this thought, before the two could knock, Han Li projected his voice calmly:

“Please, both of you, come in. The door is unlocked.”

Proprietor Gu and Wang Changqing were startled to hear Han Li’s voice suddenly in their ears. But they quickly realized it was the Immortal Master inside calling for them. Hastily straightening their clothes, they answered respectfully, pushed the door open gently, and entered.

Han Li had already risen from the bed and was standing in the room with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Immortal Master, Proprietor Gu wishes to speak with you personally about that matter. Please, Immortal Master, give him a chance, won’t you?” Wang Changqing, having learned from their earlier interactions that this Immortal Master was not easily fooled, stated their purpose directly.

At this, Han Li glanced at the old man with a faint smile.

“Of course. But I advise Mr. Gu not to hold out too much hope.” Han Li’s expression was one of casual indifference.

Hearing this, Wang Changqing’s face showed a hint of awkwardness, but he still translated faithfully for the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man’s expression shifted at the words. But immediately, his face grew solemn as he spoke a series of phrases to the old man, causing Wang Changqing to pause, a strange look crossing his face.

Han Li observed all this coldly from the side, his own expression betraying nothing.

“Immortal Master! Our master says that as long as you agree to help, regardless of success or failure, the Gu family is willing to pay a substantial number of Spirit Stones as compensation. And if you truly win the trading rights between the major islands for the Gu family, Proprietor Gu is even willing to act as your guarantor for permanent residence on Starcrest Island, allowing you to become an official resident. Most importantly, regardless of whether you take a position on Starcrest Island in the future, the Gu family is willing to offer you thirty percent of the profits from our trading for the next three years.”

When Wang Changqing finished speaking these words, his own expression was dazed. It seemed Proprietor Gu had promised Han Li something extraordinary.

Han Li was taken aback. He rubbed his chin and asked with some curiosity:

“Oh? One needs a guarantor to settle on Starcrest Island? It seems you neglected to mention this earlier.”

Though Han Li’s words were spoken gently, they sent a cold sweat down Wang Changqing’s back. He hurriedly explained:

“Immortal Master misunderstands! There are generally two types of foreign Immortal Masters who stay on Starcrest Island. The first are those who stay only temporarily. They take no posts on the island and, after a few years, decide to stay or leave as they wish. The second type finds a local prominent family to act as their guarantor, enabling them to apply for permanent residency. Such Immortal Masters not only pay far fewer Spirit Stones annually than the first type, but they alone are qualified to hold posts on the island and participate in the Spirit Land Contest held once every ten years. Those who rank highly can claim a cultivation site with varying densities of spiritual qi. Because finding a guarantor on a major island like Starcrest is no simple matter for an outsider, this old man, in his negligence, failed to mention it to you!”

Wang Changqing, fearing Han Li might misunderstand something, explained everything in one breath.

Upon hearing this, Han Li’s expression darkened.

“So cultivators who do not settle on Starcrest Island cannot obtain a cultivation site?” Han Li asked, somewhat incredulous.

“Not exactly. Immortal Masters who settle on the subordinate islands can also participate in these contests. However, they can only compete for cultivation sites on their own island. The reason Starcrest Island serves as the main island is precisely because its spiritual veins are the best and its spiritual qi the richest in the nearby sea. The spiritual veins on other islands are far inferior.” The old man explained.

After hearing all this, Han Li’s expression shifted between doubt and calculation.

These rules were clearly a strategy to keep higher-level cultivators on the main island. After all, what cultivator would not desire a cultivation site with abundant spiritual qi!

Even he, for the sake of cultivating spirit herbs and his own training, needed the richest spiritual qi he could find!

Han Li frowned deeply, pacing back and forth in the room for a few steps. He then looked up at the middle-aged man surnamed Gu, whose face was full of anticipation.

Seeing Proprietor Gu’s expression, Han Li sighed and said slowly:

“Tell me about the cultivation of the Immortal Masters I would have to challenge. If they are truly within my ability to handle, I will make an exception this once.”

Han Li’s tone held a hint of resignation, as if he were doing them a great favor.

Hearing this, Wang Changqing was overjoyed and quickly translated for the middle-aged man, whose face also lit up with wild joy.

After speaking, Han Li thought to himself:

“If none of these Immortal Masters are at Foundation Establishment, then even with my current level of cultivation, relying on my puppets and the sharpness of my magic tools, I should have no problem. This way, I can begin cultivating the Three Revolutions Heavy Origin Art on Starcrest Island. Of course, I will also need to cultivate the External Incarnation and the Great Derivative Art. These are the trump cards for ensuring my survival in the future.”

…

Four days later, amidst the cheers of the people on board, the giant ship finally arrived at Starcrest Island.

Proprietor Gu and Wang Changqing, visibly excited, eagerly guided Han Li through the procedures for landing.

After all, when a foreign cultivator arrived on the island, the port had to be notified. This was to ensure they were not treated as a malicious intruder.

As Han Li followed the two men in silence, taking in everything about the port, his first impression was how vast it was!

Whether in terms of the number of ships or their size, it was incomparable to the small docks of the Heavenly South.

Giant ships as large as Proprietor Gu’s were parked in groups of six or seven along the dock. As for the smaller vessels, they were countless.

Though Han Li had not counted them carefully, there were probably two to three hundred ships in the entire harbor.

As for the people coming and going, boarding and disembarking, there were even more.

For the first time, Han Li understood what it meant to be a sea of people.