As sixteen chests of jewels were unloaded from the ship under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the entire dock was in an uproar. It was worth noting that the last time the fleet had such a large haul was... no, it was just a few months ago!
Since when did salvaging treasures from the ocean floor become so easy? Or perhaps, had the seas around Glass Island become so abundant with treasures that they were everywhere?
The people on the island were plunged into deep suspicion. Then, excitement grew even more intense. Who wouldn't want to become rich overnight? Countless excited individuals rushed home to share the sights at the dock with their families. They too wanted to set sail and dredge up treasures from the sea floor!
Thus, the news of the Cangyuan Ship's massive treasure haul spread rapidly across the entire Glass Island.
At the Treasure Pavilion, a yellow-robed woman was intently appraising a batch of newly acquired items when she suddenly heard hurried footsteps.
"Manager, Manager!" Sun Zhang burst in without any greeting.
"What is it?" The yellow-robed woman was somewhat surprised.
"Treasures... over a dozen chests... Cangyuan Ship..." Sun Zhang panted, speaking in broken phrases.
The yellow-robed woman was indifferent, "Isn't it just over a dozen chests of treasures? Is there a need to make such a fuss? To process these things on the island, don't they still have to go through our Treasure Pavilion's channels..."
As she spoke, her expression suddenly changed, "Wait, did you say the Cangyuan Ship? The one where that man named Li Fan is?"
Sun Zhang nodded repeatedly.
The yellow-robed woman was stunned for a long time before coming to her senses, "No wonder that guy confidently claimed he could persuade Steward Zhao. He was quite certain that he could find treasures as long as he set sail..."
"Exactly, exactly, this skill is just like our Treasure Pavilion's chief manager!" Sun Zhang said with both admiration and envy, "Fortunately, you had the foresight to give him a small courtyard earlier, to establish a connection. Now that he's returned from the sea, his fame will surely soar, and trying to win him over again might cost a fortune."
The yellow-robed woman interrupted Sun Zhang, merely instructing, "Arrange a time to invite him for a meal. Also, have someone clean up the Tingyou Pavilion and send the deed over to him."
Sun Zhang was taken aback but said nothing this time, quickly going to handle the tasks.
The room was left with only the yellow-robed woman's soft murmurs.
"Tongling Treasure Body..."
The legendary Tongling Treasure Body, which could sense the presence of rare treasures within a certain range.
The chief manager of the Treasure Pavilion, the yellow-robed woman's sister, Yin Yueting, possessed this special constitution. It was precisely with this extraordinary ability that Yin Yueting had, over the past decade, built the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, a large-scale merchant guild spanning the Congyun Sea.
Li Fan, unaware that he had been mistaken by the Treasure Pavilion as possessing the Tongling Treasure Body, was currently at Steward Zhao's residence.
"Your talent is indeed extraordinary. The first time out to sea, and you bring back sixteen chests of treasures, what a pleasant surprise!" Steward Zhao praised with a smile.
Li Fan smiled but did not respond. He knew Steward Zhao had the ability to discern truth from falsehood, so he cleverly changed the subject, "This haul is indeed substantial, but it might be difficult to have such a large yield in the future."
Steward Zhao was unconcerned, "That's only natural. One can't have such luck every time."
He continued, "However, just from this haul, it's enough for me to arrange a separate fleet for you."
Li Fan nodded, "Thank you, Steward Zhao!"
"I heard you're painstakingly working for a spot in the Purification Spirit Pool?" Steward Zhao asked after taking a sip of tea.
"Indeed. After experiencing great changes, I realized that worldly riches and honors are fleeting. Even with endless treasures, in a hundred years, they turn to dust. Only by seeking the immortal path and attaining longevity is this life not in vain!" Li Fan sighed, full of emotion.
Steward Zhao looked at Li Fan for a long time before sighing, "At your age, to have a heart for immortality, I am not your equal!"
As if recalling something, a complex expression appeared on Steward Zhao's face, "Over a decade ago, when I was about your age, I once saved an Immortal Master by chance. The Immortal Master asked if I wished to follow him in cultivation, but I knew I had already passed the best age for cultivation. Even if I cultivated, I might not achieve much, and the older one gets, the more entrenched the miasma within, making it more painful to expel."
"So, I only asked for a position. Now, as I grow older, I faintly regret it. Alas, the mistake is made, and there's no remedy for regret." Steward Zhao lamented.
He looked at Li Fan again, praising, "Among the hundreds of thousands of mortals on Glass Island, few are like you."
"You're too kind! I wonder about the matter of the Purification Spirit Pool spot..."
"I can't help you with that. The Purification Spirit Pool requires an Immortal Master on the island to preside over its opening, and the spots are determined by the Immortal Master. A year before the pool opens, the Immortal Master will announce the required materials. Each family collects and submits the materials on the list, and the spots are decided based on contribution points." Steward Zhao explained, shaking his head.
"But you needn't worry. The Treasure Pavilion has branches on various islands in the Congyun Sea. In terms of collecting materials, few on Glass Island can surpass them."
Li Fan thought of the yellow-robed woman and nodded.
After staying a while longer at Steward Zhao's, Li Fan took his leave.
Upon returning to his courtyard, Sun Zhang arrived, evidently having waited for some time.
"Your manager invited me for a meal?"
What a coincidence.
Li Fan had been intending to meet her again, so he gladly accepted.
As for the deed to Tingyou Pavilion that Sun Zhang brought, Li Fan did not accept it. He planned to see the yellow-robed woman that evening before making a decision.
As night fell and the lights came on, Li Fan arrived at the Treasure Pavilion.
The room held only one person. She had changed into a purple dress and no longer wore a veil.
"Let me formally introduce myself, Yin Yuzhen, manager of the Treasure Pavilion on Glass Island."
"Li Fan."
Yin Yuzhen chuckled, "Uncle, you really are concise."
"A mere mortal, there's really nothing worth mentioning," Li Fan said frankly.
"Is the Tongling Treasure Body also not worth mentioning in your eyes?" Yin Yuzhen looked at Li Fan with a half-smile.
"Oh? I don't know about any Tongling Treasure Body," Li Fan said, his heart stirred but his expression unchanged.
"Then how did you find the treasure's location in the vast sea?" Yin Yuzhen was skeptical.
"It was just a feeling."
"And you say you're not a Tongling Treasure Body?" Yin Yuzhen frowned, gritting her teeth.
But seeing Li Fan's seemingly genuine ignorance, she reluctantly explained the matter of the Tongling Treasure Body to him.
"So, your sister is also a Tongling Treasure Body?" Li Fan squinted his eyes.
"How old is she this year? What does she look like? Where was she twenty years ago? And where is she now?"
(End of Chapter)