Su Changyu ultimately couldn't hold on.
In just seven or eight days, Su Changyu succumbed and died.
When his body was brought back, Li Fan went to take a look.
It was nothing more than a twisted mass of flesh and blood, no longer resembling a human, looking quite horrifying.
The flesh even twitched inexplicably at times, making one's scalp tingle.
These people from the Immortal-Forsaken Land were new arrivals and couldn't even gather enough money to buy a burial plot.
They were initially planning a sea burial, but Li Fan couldn't bear it and took out some money, allowing Su Changyu to be buried properly.
Everyone was very saddened.
Among them, Xiao Heng cried the hardest.
Li Fan, however, didn't feel anything special, just a bit of sigh.
Having rolled through the cycles of the mortal world for nearly three hundred years, Li Fan had his own way of discerning people.
In his eyes, Su Changyu was decent in both conduct and character, with a firm will. Though not a once-in-a-century genius, he was certainly not a mediocre talent.
Among this group from the Immortal-Forsaken Land, he thought Su Changyu was the most likely to make a name for himself.
Yet such a person couldn't even pass the prerequisite of dispelling the immortal miasma and died silently.
The path of immortality is arduous!
Li Fan felt even more deeply about this during his subsequent cultivation of the Xuanhuang Clear Heart Mantra.
It turned out that Li Fan was not exceptionally gifted either.
For nearly a month, Li Fan stayed reclusive, only taking on a job to maintain appearances, while spending the rest of his time at home cultivating the Clear Heart Mantra.
Generally, after half a month of cultivation, one would experience noticeable improvements in mental clarity and faster thinking.
But after a month, Li Fan felt no change.
Li Fan speculated that it might be because his mental strength, honed through multiple cycles of Return to Origin and centuries of tempering, far exceeded that of ordinary people, so the mantra had little effect on him.
Li Fan wasn't in a hurry, treating it as a daily cultivation task.
Another half month passed, and Li Fan finally awaited the people from Treasure Pavillion.
Following the messenger, Li Fan met Steward Zhao in a courtyard of Treasure Pavillion.
"Steward Zhao, long time no see." Li Fan cupped his hands.
Steward Zhao glanced at Li Fan and got straight to the point: "I heard from Treasure Pavillion that you want a spot on a seafaring fleet. Quite ambitious. What do you rely on?"
"You must know, I only have two fleets available. Even my own people don't have enough spots, so why should I give one to you?"
"Seafaring is just for profit. I wonder, Steward Zhao, how do you compare the profits from catching Glass Fish to directly salvaging treasures from sunken ships?" Li Fan smiled slightly.
Steward Zhao, not dismissing Li Fan's words as boastful, pondered seriously for a moment: "I heard about the fleet's unexpected haul of a dozen boxes of jewels recently. After conversion by the prefecture, the haul was worth several times the regular fishing trips. But how could such good fortune happen every time? In my memory, there have only been a few significant hauls in the past decade on this island."
He paused and then asked, "From what you say, you..."
Li Fan nodded: "If I were to command a fleet, I could guarantee bringing back treasures every time."
A strange light flickered in Steward Zhao's eyes as he scrutinized Li Fan, surprised: "You're not lying."
Now it was Li Fan's turn to be a bit surprised: "I indeed wasn't exaggerating, but how did Steward Zhao see through it?"
Steward Zhao chuckled: "I was born with a pair of unusual eyes, able to discern talent and truth. When you spoke just now, I only saw a gentle white light around you, proving your words were true and without ill intent. If it were black, it would mean you had ulterior motives."
"Such an extraordinary ability?" Li Fan was taken aback. "On the day of registration, Steward Zhao's attitude towards me seemed different from others. Did you see something?"
"I can only see a rough outline, not everything. I saw you were extraordinarily wealthy and had blood on your hands, clearly not an ordinary person. So I treated you with a bit more courtesy." Steward Zhao smiled and explained. "The ways of the world are unpredictable. Who knows what achievements someone like you might attain in the future? It's better to form a good relationship early on."
Li Fan nodded, then heard Steward Zhao sigh: "In recent years, disasters have been frequent. Many like you, wealthy yet stranded on our Glass Island, have appeared. Some only lie low for a few years before rising again; others fade into obscurity, turning to bones."
Listening, Li Fan suddenly thought of something: "So, on the day we registered, you already knew that Sun Zhang from Treasure Pavillion was lying?"
"What if it's true, what if it's false? Sometimes being too serious isn't a good thing. My duty is merely to ensure no one attempts to overthrow the island. Regardless of where you come from, as long as you behave, we won't trouble you." Steward Zhao said indifferently. "The island has an immortal master in residence, so there's no fear of trouble."
"Moreover, gathering refugees is also the immortal master's order. Since Sun Zhang can bring so many 'refugees' to our Glass Island, why would I make things difficult for him?"
Listening, Li Fan gained a general understanding of Steward Zhao's principles.
The conversation then returned to the topic of the seafaring fleet.
"Since Steward Zhao can see that I'm not lying, can you consider the matter of the seafaring spot?" Li Fan asked.
Steward Zhao tapped his fingers on the table a few times before saying: "You're new here, without a foundation. If I rashly hand over a fleet to you, it will surely cause dissatisfaction."
"How about this, next time the fleet sets sail, you go along. If you can indeed bring back treasures every time, it won't take long for the crew to be convinced. Then you can rightfully take over the fleet."
"Moreover, if your haul is substantial enough, I might even suggest to the prefecture head to take another fleet from Treasurer Qian and give it to you."
"Steward Zhao is thorough in his considerations." Li Fan had no objections.
Thus, the matter was surprisingly smoothly settled.
Treasure Pavillion didn't know the details of their conversation, but upon learning that Li Fan easily convinced Steward Zhao and secured a spot on the next seafaring trip, they were greatly shocked.
"Could it be that uncle wasn't exaggerating, and he truly has the confidence to secure a fleet?" In Treasure Pavillion, the yellow-robed woman propped her chin with her hand, her eyes flickering.
"What exactly does he rely on?" Sun Zhang was equally puzzled. No matter how he looked at Li Fan, he seemed like an ordinary middle-aged man.
"Send him the land deed for the vacant courtyard on East Street in the city." The yellow-robed woman suddenly said.
"Huh?" Sun Zhang didn't react immediately.
(End of Chapter)