"Manager, this isn't right," Sun Zhang said with some distress. "That courtyard was acquired with a hefty sum, intended to bribe Treasurer Qian. How can we just give it away to this kid?"
"If we really want to give it to him, we should wait until he helps us secure the fleet," he added.
The yellow-robed woman shot Sun Zhang a glance. "Just go as I instructed. By the time that happens, a mere courtyard won't suffice."
Sun Zhang muttered a few words under his breath but dared not defy his manager's orders. Reluctantly, he handed the deed over to Li Fan.
Li Fan did not refuse. With nothing much to pack, he moved into the small courtyard on East Street that very day.
Compared to the slums outside the city, the environment around this courtyard was significantly better.
At the alley entrance, officials from the Glass Prefecture were on duty, responsible for security and protection. The courtyard was much more spacious than his previous dwelling, with three main rooms and two side rooms on each side. Though not very large, it was more than enough for Li Fan alone.
He declined the offer of several maids sent by Treasure Pavillion and settled in, quietly waiting for the fleet's next seafaring journey.
Originally, Li Fan thought it wouldn't take long, but an unexpected event made the day of departure seem indefinitely distant.
The wind calamity arrived!
Li Fan had heard the term "wind calamity" mentioned many times in conversations on Glass Island, but he hadn't paid much attention.
He assumed it was merely a larger storm, akin to the typhoons and hurricanes he had witnessed before.
However, when the wind calamity truly arrived, Li Fan realized he was gravely mistaken!
That day, as Li Fan was at home practicing the Xuanhuang Clear Heart Mantra as usual, he suddenly heard urgent noises outside.
A strange and sharp sound hovered over the island, quickly spreading across the entire Glass Island.
"Quick, go home! The wind calamity is coming!"
"Immortal Master, protect us! Immortal Master, protect us!"
"Mother, where are you? Come home quickly!"
The island was instantly thrown into chaos, filled with panicked and fearful cries. Li Fan was momentarily bewildered.
Suddenly, he saw a blue light screen appear above Glass Island.
The light screen, like an inverted giant bowl, spanned the entire island, enveloping everything within.
"The Island Protection Array has been activated. Do not panic! Stay indoors and do not go outside!" A clear female voice accompanied the light screen, instantly echoing across the island.
"Immortal Master, have mercy!"
Listening to the surrounding cries, Li Fan looked up, carefully observing the Island Protection Array.
The blue light flowed, isolating the inside from the outside.
On the light screen, mystical runes that Li Fan did not recognize occasionally appeared, looking exceptionally mysterious.
The sound of wailing winds gradually rose; the wind had arrived!
Ripples spread across the light screen, blocking the fierce winds entirely.
Inside the light screen, not a single breeze could be felt; it was utterly calm.
The sky began to pour down rain.
Dense raindrops almost formed lines, pounding against the light screen.
Ripples echoed on the light screen, keeping the torrential rain entirely at bay.
Outside was a storm, while inside the light screen was calm and peaceful.
"Is this the means of the immortals?" Li Fan silently praised in his heart.
Although he had witnessed the destructive power of Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi, capable of annihilating a city, seeing the Island Protection Array still filled Li Fan with endless admiration and yearning.
The fierce wind and rain lasted for more than half an hour.
The rain gradually ceased, and the wind slowly subsided.
Just when Li Fan thought the wind calamity was about to pass, he suddenly noticed something amiss.
The sky did not clear up; instead, it grew even darker.
Countless dark clouds appeared from nowhere, layer upon layer, seemingly endless, pressing down from above.
In an instant, the world turned pitch black.
The thick clouds seemed within reach, almost touchable.
The clouds appeared to be brewing something, and Glass Island fell into a brief silence.
The silence was quickly shattered.
"Boom!"
A thunderous roar exploded in Li Fan's ears.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thunderous sounds erupted from all directions, continuous and unending.
Like an endless symphony, it reverberated throughout the heavens and earth.
Amidst this overwhelming noise, Li Fan felt dizzy and lightheaded, his vision blurred, and his chest felt as if a massive stone slab was pressing down, making it hard to breathe. When he touched his nose, he found blood continuously flowing.
Li Fan was somewhat terrified and was about to retreat indoors to hide when he suddenly felt the ground beneath him tremble violently.
In the dizzying chaos, Li Fan quickly lost his balance and fell to the ground.
It felt as if something was constantly striking, causing the earth to tremble incessantly.
Li Fan looked up and saw a sight that nearly stopped his breath.
A towering wall of water, occupying his entire field of vision, was crashing down towards Glass Island with unstoppable force, driven by the fierce winds!
The colossal wave was about to descend, burying everything below.
Li Fan couldn't help but raise his hand instinctively to shield himself.
"Boom!"
The giant wave crashed against the blue light screen.
The light screen twisted, seemingly on the verge of shattering.
But after a flash of blue light, the screen returned to normal.
Like a rock by the sea, it stood firm amidst the waves.
Failing to engulf Glass Island seemed to have angered the sea.
Wave after wave, relentless and unending, assaulted the island.
Glass Island swayed like a sapling in a storm, seemingly about to be torn apart at any moment.
At several moments, Glass Island was completely submerged by the sea.
Li Fan almost felt as if this world was about to end.
Fortunately, the Island Protection Array proved more reliable than expected, holding firm without breaking.
The towering waves crashed continuously, never ceasing.
This apocalyptic scene nearly left Li Fan in a daze.
In this muddled state, it was unclear how much time passed before the waves gradually calmed.
But it was only a slight calm.
The wind calamity came swiftly but receded slowly.
In the storm, day and night were indistinguishable.
Li Fan felt as if two or three days had passed before the wind calamity finally retreated.
"Thank the Immortal Master!"
The surviving islanders knelt on the ground, weeping with gratitude.
Amidst the islanders' discussions, Li Fan learned a piece of news that shocked him even more.
The wind calamity Glass Island experienced this time was relatively small in scale.
Fifteen years ago, the wind calamity was several times more powerful.
At that time, the Island Protection Array could barely hold, forcing a reduction in its protective range.
As a result, areas not protected by the array were completely eroded by the wind calamity.
Glass Island's size was reduced to only one-third of its original area.
For over a decade after the wind calamity, Glass Island gathered refugees from all around, slowly recovering its vitality.
"Wind calamity, so this is what a wind calamity is..."
Li Fan was deeply shaken.
The might of heaven and earth was terrifying beyond measure!
(End of Chapter)