jiù zài lǐ fán sī kǎo de gōng fu ， lí tā bù yuǎn chù yí gè kàn shàng qù yǒu xiē pàng de qīng nián còu le guò lái 。
就在李凡思考的功夫，离他不远处一个看上去有些胖的青年凑了过来。
Just as Li Fan was deep in thought, a somewhat plump young man approached him not far away.
qīng nián pāi le pāi lǐ fán de jiān bǎng ， pǒ yǒu diǎn zì lái shú ：“ xiōng dì nǐ kàn zhe yǒu xiē yǎn shēng a 。 bù zhī zài dà lí guān jū hé zhí ？ yòu huò zhě shì nǎ zhōu de fù shāng ？”
青年拍了拍李凡的肩膀，颇有点自来熟：“兄弟你看着有些眼生啊。不知在大离官居何职？又或者是哪洲的富商？”
The young man patted Li Fan's shoulder and said with a friendly tone: "Brother, you look a bit unfamiliar. May I ask what position do you hold in the Great Departure Officialdom? Or are you perhaps a wealthy merchant from another region?"
lǐ fán yī bā zhǎng jiāng qīng nián fàng zài zì jǐ jiān shàng de shǒu shuǎi kāi ， suí hòu lěng lěng dì zhù shì zhe tā ， yī yán bù fā 。
李凡一巴掌将青年放在自己肩上的手甩开，随后冷冷地注视着他，一言不发。
Li Fan slapped the hand that touched his shoulder away with one palm, then stared at him coldly without saying a word.
pàng qīng nián dùn shí gǎn jué bèi yī tiáo dú shé dīng shàng le shì de ， bèi hòu shēng qǐ zhèn zhèn liáng yì 。
胖青年顿时感觉被一条毒蛇盯上了似的，背后升起阵阵凉意。
The plump young man instantly felt as if he was being stared down by a venomous snake. A chill ran up his spine.
suī rán jué de bèi rén yí gè yǎn shén jiù xià zhù le yǒu diǎn diū rén ， dàn shì pàng qīng nián yě shì yǒu diǎn yǎn lì jìn de 。 lǐ fán kàn shàng qù píng píng wú qí ， dàn shì yǐn yǐn jiān nà gǔ bù nù zì wēi de qì shì ， xiǎn rán shì cháng nián shēn jū gāo wèi 。
虽然觉得被人一个眼神就吓住了有点丢人，但是胖青年也是有点眼力劲的。李凡看上去平平无奇，但是隐隐间那股不怒自威的气势，显然是常年身居高位。
Although he felt a bit embarrassed to be intimidated just by a glance, the young man had some discernment. Li Fan appeared unremarkable on the surface, but there was an aura of authority that spoke volumes about his high position and status.
bú shì jiǎn dān zhī bèi ！
不是简单之辈！
He's not someone to be underestimated!
pàng qīng nián zhuǎn shùn jiān dé chū liǎo jié lùn ， suí hòu shí qù dì lí kāi le 。
胖青年转瞬间得出了结论，随后识趣地离开了。
The plump young man quickly concluded this and then left with tact.
qí tā rén jiàn zhuàng ， dōu zhī dào le lǐ fán bù zěn me hé shàn ， yú shì zhè zhī hòu yě dōu méi rén lái zài zhǎo tā dā huà 。
其他人见状，都知道了李凡不怎么和善，于是这之后也都没人来再找他搭话。
Seeing this, others realized that Li Fan wasn't very approachable, so nobody bothered to talk to him after that.
dēng huǒ yáo yè zhōng ， zhòng rén de shēng yīn yuè lái yuè xiǎo ， jiàn jiàn dì quán bù shuì zháo le 。
灯火摇曳中，众人的声音越来越小，渐渐地全部睡着了。
Amidst flickering lights, the sounds of people gradually diminished until everyone fell asleep.
yī yè wú huà 。
一夜无话。
No events transpired during the night.
dì èr rì tiān hái méi liàng ， zhòng rén jiù bèi jiào xǐng le 。
第二日天还没亮，众人就被叫醒了。
The next morning, before dawn, everyone was woken up.
yī wèi liú zhe zhǎng xū de zhōng nián nán rén ， shēn chuān qīng sè cháng páo ， bèi zhe shǒu zǒu dào zhòng rén miàn qián 。
一位留着长须的中年男人，身穿青色长袍，背着手走到众人面前。
A middle-aged man with a long beard and dressed in a green robe walked forward, his hands behind his back.
“ yī huì wǒ dài nǐ men qù lǐng hù jí 。 lǐng le hù jí zhī hòu ， nǐ men jiù zhèng shì chéng wéi liú lí dǎo de yī yuán le 。” zhōng nián nán rén huán shì sì zhōu ， lěng shēng dào 。
“一会我带你们去领户籍。领了户籍之后，你们就正式成为琉璃岛的一员了。”中年男人环视四周，冷声道。
"Follow me to get your household registration," he said coldly as he surveyed the crowd. "After you receive it, you will officially become part of Lustrous Isle."
zhòng rén tīng le zhōng nián nán zi de huà ， quán dōu miàn lù xīng fèn zhī sè 。
众人听了中年男子的话，全都面露兴奋之色。
Everyone's faces lit up at this news.
“ jì zhù ， bù gāi shuō de huà bú yào shuō 。 fǒu zé ， wǒ bù bǎo zhèng nǐ men de shēng mìng ān quán 。” nán zi mī qǐ yǎn ， yòu bǔ chōng dào 。
“记住，不该说的话不要说。否则，我不保证你们的生命安全。”男子眯起眼，又补充道。
"Don't speak unless spoken to. Otherwise, I can't guarantee your safety," the man added with a narrowed gaze.
zhòng rén yě dōu zhī dào cǐ fān tā men gàn de shì jiàn bù dé guāng ， quán dōu fēn fēn diǎn tóu 。
众人也都知道此番他们干的事见不得光，全都纷纷点头。
The others understood that their actions were not in the open and nodded in agreement.
zhī hòu ， zài zhōng nián nán zi de fēn fù xià ， lǐ fán tā men quán dōu huàn le yī shēn pò pò làn làn de yī shang 。
之后，在中年男子的吩咐下，李凡他们全都换了一身破破烂烂的衣裳。
Following the middle-aged man's instructions, Li Fan and his group changed into tattered clothes.
suí hòu yòu jiào le yī tào tǒng yī de huà shù 。
随后又教了一套统一的话术。
They were then taught a uniform set of words to use.
“ nǐ men dōu shì xī fāng dà yù dǎo shàng de jū mín 。 yīn wèi zāo le fēng zāi ， dǎo yǔ bèi huǐ ， gù táo nàn zhì cǐ 。 ruò shì yǒu rén wèn qǐ ， nǐ men jiù zhè me shuō 。”
“你们都是西方大峪岛上的居民。因为遭了风灾，岛屿被毁，故逃难至此。若是有人问起，你们就这么说。”
"You are all residents from Western Great Gorge Island. You escaped due to a wind disaster that destroyed your island. If anyone asks, say this."
zhòng rén yì wú bù chēng shì 。
众人亦无不称是。
Everyone agreed without hesitation.
suí hòu ， zhōng nián nán zi lǐng tóu ， zài sì wǔ míng hēi yī dà hàn de jiān shì xià ， zhòng rén shùn zhe yī chù àn dào lí kāi róng dòng ， lái dào le dì miàn shàng 。
随后，中年男子领头，在四五名黑衣大汉的监视下，众人顺着一处暗道离开溶洞，来到了地面上。
The middle-aged man led the way with several black-robed men watching over them as they exited through a hidden passage and stepped onto the surface of Lustrous Isle.
zài chéng zhōng de jū mín qū nèi qī zhuǎn bā zhuǎn ， rào le bù zhī dào duō jiǔ hòu ， zhōng yú lái dào le yī chù fǔ dǐ qián 。
在城中的居民区内七转八转，绕了不知道多久后，终于来到了一处府邸前。
---
lǐ fán zhù yì dào ， suī rán tā men zhè yī xíng jǐ shí hào rén guī mó bù xiǎo ， dàn shì dǎo shàng de jū mín dà duō zhǐ shì suí yì kàn le yī kàn jiù bù zài guān zhù ， xiǎn rán shì duì cǐ yǐ jīng xí yǐ wéi cháng le 。
李凡注意到，虽然他们这一行几十号人规模不小，但是岛上的居民大多只是随意看了一看就不再关注，显然是对此已经习以为常了。
After wandering around the residential area of the city for what seemed like ages, they finally arrived at a grand mansion.
méi yǒu cóng fǔ dǐ dà mén jìn qù ， mén kǒu xiǎo sī jìn qù tōng bào hòu bù jiǔ ， fù yòu guī lái ， lǐng zhe zhòng rén cóng zuǒ biān de yī chù piān mén ， lái dào le yī chù dà táng nèi 。
没有从府邸大门进去，门口小厮进去通报后不久，复又归来，领着众人从左边的一处偏门，来到了一处大堂内。
Li Fan noticed that despite their large group, most island residents only glanced at them before moving on. They had clearly grown accustomed to such occurrences.
dà táng nèi pǒ wèi kuān chǎng ， zài lǐ fán děng rén dào lái zhī qián ， jiù yǐ jīng jù jí le liǎng sān pī 、 zú zú shàng bǎi hào rén 。
大堂内颇为宽敞，在李凡等人到来之前，就已经聚集了两三批、足足上百号人。
They didn't enter through the main gate. After a servant went inside to inform someone, he returned shortly and led everyone into a side door leading to a spacious hall.
jí biàn rú cǐ ， yě bù xiǎn de yōng jǐ 。
即便如此，也不显得拥挤。
Before they arrived, several groups of over a hundred people were already gathered in this hall.
zhōng nián nán zi yǎn shén shì yì zhòng rén nài xīn děng dài 。
中年男子眼神示意众人耐心等待。
Despite their numbers, it wasn't crowded.
hěn kuài ， jiù lún dào le lǐ fán tā men 。
很快，就轮到了李凡他们。
The middle-aged man gestured for them to wait patiently.
“ zhào guǎn shì ！” zhōng nián nán zi dǎ le shēng zhāo hū 。
“赵管事！”中年男子打了声招呼。
Soon, it was Li Fan's turn.
“ zhè xiē dōu shì yào lái shàng jí de zāi mín ？” zhào guǎn shì kàn shàng qù wǔ liù shí suì ， yǒu xiē cāng lǎo 。 dàn shì yǎn shén què yì cháng ruì lì ， sǎo shì le yī quān rén qún hòu ， sì xiào fēi xiào dì shuō dào ：“ sūn zhāng ， zhè xiē zāi mín kě dōu shì fēi fù jí guì a ！”
“这些都是要来上籍的灾民？”赵管事看上去五六十岁，有些苍老。但是眼神却异常锐利，扫视了一圈人群后，似笑非笑地说道：“孙章，这些灾民可都是非富即贵啊！”
"Mr. Zhao!" the middle-aged man greeted.
sūn zhāng yě bù huāng luàn ， zhǐ shì tàn le kǒu qì ：“ shì a 。 zhī qián dōu shì dà yù dǎo shàng de fù guì rén jiā 。 kě xī méi yǒu xiān shī bì yòu ， tiān zāi jiàng lín ， yī qiè fù guì róng huá dōu chéng le pào yǐng 。 rú jīn zhǐ néng bù yuǎn wàn lǐ lái wǒ men liú lí dǎo bì nàn 。”
孙章也不慌乱，只是叹了口气：“是啊。之前都是大峪岛上的富贵人家。可惜没有仙师庇佑，天灾降临，一切富贵荣华都成了泡影。如今只能不远万里来我们琉璃岛避难。”
"These are all disaster victims seeking registration?" Mr. Zhao looked around his mid-50s and seemed somewhat aged but had sharp eyes. "Sun Zhang, these people are either rich or noble!"
shuō bà ， sūn zhāng cóng huái zhōng tāo chū jiàn shì wù ， bù dòng shēng sè dì xiàng zhào guǎn shì dì le guò qù 。
说罢，孙章从怀中掏出件事物，不动声色地向赵管事递了过去。
Sun Zhang remained calm as he sighed. "Yes. They were once wealthy families from Great Gorge Island. Unfortunately, without the protection of the Immortal Master, a disaster struck, turning all their wealth into nothing. Now they've come to our Lustrous Isle for refuge."
zhào guǎn shì piē le yǎn ， jiāng qí shōu xià ， suí hòu yě shì gǎn tàn le shēng ：“ qián xiē rì zi fēng zāi sì nüè ， lián wǒ men liú lí dǎo dōu bèi bō jí 。 xī fāng zhū dǎo gèng shì sǔn shī cǎn zhòng ， jù shuō zú zú yǒu liǎng bǎi duō gè dǎo yǔ bèi yí wéi píng dì ， bù zhī dào duō shǎo fán rén hún guī dà hǎi 。”
赵管事瞥了眼，将其收下，随后也是感叹了声：“前些日子风灾肆虐，连我们琉璃岛都被波及。西方诸岛更是损失惨重，据说足足有两百多个岛屿被夷为平地，不知道多少凡人魂归大海。”
With that said, Sun Zhang took out an object from his pocket and silently handed it over to Mr. Zhao.
“ xìng yǒu xiān shī cí bēi ， lìng wǒ děng jiù zhù zāi mín 。 nǐ men tiān bǎo lóu rú cǐ shàng xīn ， shì hǎo shì a ！ fàng xīn ， wǒ yí dìng huì rú shí bǐng bào dǎo zhǔ 。 dào shí hòu xiān shī shǎng cì xià lái ， dìng shào bù liǎo nǐ men yī fèn 。”
“幸有仙师慈悲，令我等救助灾民。你们天宝楼如此上心，是好事啊！放心，我一定会如实禀报岛主。到时候仙师赏赐下来，定少不了你们一份。”
Mr. Zhao glanced at it before accepting it with a sigh: "Recent wind disasters have affected even Lustrous Isle. Western islands suffered heavily, with over two hundred islands destroyed. Many commoners lost their lives."
sūn zhāng wén yán dà xǐ ， yòu bù duàn shuō qǐ le gōng wéi huà 。
孙章闻言大喜，又不断说起了恭维话。
"Thankfully, the Immortal Master's benevolence allowed us to rescue these victims. Your Heavenly Treasure Hall is truly dedicated! Rest assured, I will report this to the island lord. When the Immortal Master rewards you, it won't be in vain," Mr. Zhao said.
zhào guǎn shì yī biān tīng zhe ， yī biān gěi zhòng rén bàn lǐ rù jí shǒu xù 。
赵管事一边听着，一边给众人办理入籍手续。
Sun Zhang was overjoyed and continued with his flattery.
mò guò duō jiǔ ， lún dào le lǐ fán 。 zhào guǎn shì kàn le lǐ fán yī yǎn ， yǎn zhōng lù chū yī sī yì sè 。
没过多久，轮到了李凡。赵管事看了李凡一眼，眼中露出一丝异色。
Mr. Zhao listened as he processed their household registration.
“ nǐ jiào shén me míng zì ？” zhào guǎn shì wèn dào 。
“你叫什么名字？”赵管事问道。
Soon, Li Fan's turn came. Mr. Zhao looked at him with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
“ lǐ fán 。” lǐ fán rú shí huí dá 。
“李凡。”李凡如实回答。
"What is your name?" Mr. Zhao asked.
“ lái ， zài shàng miàn dī yī dī nǐ de xiān xuè 。” zhào guǎn shì bǐ zǒu lóng shé ， zài yí gè shì yù fēi yù 、 shì zhǐ fēi zhǐ de cháng fāng xíng shì wù shàng xiě xià le lǐ fán èr zì ， suí hòu dì le guò lái 。
“来，在上面滴一滴你的鲜血。”赵管事笔走龙蛇，在一个似玉非玉、似纸非纸的长方形事物上写下了李凡二字，随后递了过来。
"Li Fan," Li Fan replied honestly.
lǐ fán yǎo pò le shǒu zhǐ ， jiāng xuè yè dī xià 。
李凡咬破了手指，将血液滴下。
"In that case, let me drop a drop of your blood here." Mr. Zhao wrote down "Li Fan" on an object that resembled both jade and paper, then handed it over to him.
suí hòu ， xuè yè fǎng fú yǒu le líng xìng yì bān ， zuān jìn le lǐ fán èr zì zhōng 。
随后，血液仿佛有了灵性一般，钻进了李凡二字中。
Li Fan bit his finger and dropped the blood onto the object.
“ jiāng cǐ líng fú shōu hǎo ， yǐ hòu tā jiù shì nǐ de shēn fèn zhèng míng liǎo 。 dǎo zhōng lǐng qǔ gōng zuò 、 fēn fā liáng shí 、 yìng duì jiǎn chá děng yī gān dà xiǎo shì wù dōu xū chū shì cǐ líng fú ， qiè bù kě yí shī 。” hé duì qí tā rén bù tóng ， zhào guǎn shì míng xiǎn duì lǐ fán qīn qiè le xǔ duō ， yě duō jiāo dài le jù 。
“将此灵符收好，以后它就是你的身份证明了。岛中领取工作、分发粮食、应对检查等一干大小事物都需出示此灵符，切不可遗失。”和对其他人不同，赵管事明显对李凡亲切了许多，也多交代了句。
The blood seemed to gain life as it entered the characters.
yǐn dé sūn zhāng hé qí yú rén děng fēn fēn cè mù 。
引得孙章和其余人等纷纷侧目。
---
bù zhī dào zhè zhào guǎn shì kàn chū le xiē shén me ， lǐ fán yě méi yǒu duō shuō gǎn xiè de huà 。 diǎn le diǎn tóu hòu ， shōu qǐ líng fú ， jìng zhí zǒu dào le yī biān 。
不知道这赵管事看出了些什么，李凡也没有多说感谢的话。点了点头后，收起灵符，径直走到了一边。
"Keep this spirit token safe; it will serve as your identity proof. You'll need to show it for work assignments, food distribution, and inspections. Don't lose it," Mr. Zhao said more kindly than usual, adding extra instructions.
fēn fā hù jí de xiào lǜ hěn gāo ， hěn kuài ， zhè xíng rén quán dōu ná dào le liú lí dǎo de hù jí 。
分发户籍的效率很高，很快，这行人全都拿到了琉璃岛的户籍。
This caught Sun Zhang's attention, and others looked at him curiously.
zhòng rén de shén sè dōu hěn xīng fèn 。
众人的神色都很兴奋。
Without saying much in return, Li Fan nodded, put away the token, and walked off to one side.
lí kāi le cǐ dì ， méi yǒu fǎn huí zhī qián de róng dòng 。 ér shì bèi sūn zhāng dài dào le yī chù zhái zi de dà yuàn zhī zhōng 。
离开了此地，没有返回之前的溶洞。而是被孙章带到了一处宅子的大院之中。
The efficiency of distributing household registrations was high, and soon everyone received their registration for Lustrous Isle.
“ rú jīn hù jí yǐ jīng dào shǒu ， qì shū kě yǐ qiān zì le ba 。” sūn zhāng duì zhe zhòng rén zhōng de sū zhǎng yù shuō dào 。
“如今户籍已经到手，契书可以签字了吧。”孙章对着众人中的苏长玉说道。
Everyone's expressions were excited.
sū zhǎng yù cóng huái zhōng xiǎo xīn yì yì de ná chū yī zhāng báo zhǐ ， suí hòu yǎo pò shǒu zhǐ ， zhèng zhòng dì yòng xiān xuè xiě xià le zì jǐ de míng zì 。
苏长玉从怀中小心翼翼的拿出一张薄纸，随后咬破手指，郑重地用鲜血写下了自己的名字。
They didn't return to the previous cave but instead followed Sun Zhang into a courtyard of a mansion.
fāng qiān shǔ wán bì ， nà báo zhǐ biàn wú huǒ zì rán ， huà zuò yī lǚ qīng yān ， bù zhī piāo wǎng le hé chù 。
方签署完毕，那薄纸便无火自燃，化作一缕青烟，不知飘往了何处。
"Now that you have your household registration, we can sign the deed," Sun Zhang said to Su Changyu.
rán shāo zhī hòu ， qì shū jiù zhǐ shèng xià le zuì hòu yī xiǎo piàn cán cún 。
燃烧之后，契书就只剩下了最后一小片残存。
Su Changyu carefully took out a thin paper from his pocket and bit his finger before writing his name solemnly in blood.
“ suǒ wèi sān qì ér zhōng 。 rì hòu zhǐ yào děng wǒ men chè dǐ ān dìng xià lái ， wǒ jiù huì àn zhào yuē dìng qiān shǔ zuì zhōng de qì yuē 。” sū zhǎng yù bù bēi bù kàng dì shuō dào 。
“所谓三契而终。日后只要等我们彻底安定下来，我就会按照约定签署最终的契约。”苏长玉不卑不亢地说道。
Once signed, the paper ignited on its own and turned into a wisp of blue smoke, vanishing into the air.
“ hēng ， gēn nǐ men lí jiè dǎ jiāo dào jiù shì má fán 。 yào bú shì kàn zài …… xiān shī de fèn shàng ， wǒ men tiān bǎo lóu cái bú huì zuò zhè kuī běn shēng yì 。” sūn zhāng lěng hēng yī shēng ， yǒu xiē bù mǎn 。
“哼，跟你们离界打交道就是麻烦。要不是看在……仙师的份上，我们天宝楼才不会做这亏本生意。”孙章冷哼一声，有些不满。
After burning, only a small fragment remained.
bù guò zhī hòu tā yě méi zài duō shuō shén me ， ér shì jiāo dài qǐ le zhòng rén zhī hòu zài dǎo shàng xū yào zhù yì de shì 。
不过之后他也没再多说什么，而是交代起了众人之后在岛上需要注意的事。
"Three signatures seal the deal. Once we are settled, I will sign the final contract as agreed," Su Changyu said with dignity.
“ fán shì liú lí dǎo jū mín ， kě zì píng hù jí líng fú ， lǐng qǔ yī chù zhù suǒ 。 suī rán zhǐ shì zài dǎo zuì běi miàn de piān pì wài wéi zhī dì ， dàn hǎo dǎi yǒu le zhē fēng dǎng yǔ de dì fāng 。 chú cǐ zhī wài ， rù jí de tóu yī nián ， měi yuè dōu kě yǐ miǎn fèi lǐng qǔ yí dìng liàng de liáng shí 。 dāng rán ， ruò shì nǐ men xí guàn le shān zhēn hǎi wèi ， chī bù guàn zhè miǎn fèi de jiù jì liáng ， yě kě yǐ zì fèi qù dǎo shàng dà chī dà hē 。”
“凡是琉璃岛居民，可自凭户籍灵符，领取一处住所。虽然只是在岛最北面的偏僻外围之地，但好歹有了遮风挡雨的地方。除此之外，入籍的头一年，每月都可以免费领取一定量的粮食。当然，若是你们习惯了山珍海味，吃不惯这免费的救济粮，也可以自费去岛上大吃大喝。”
"Hmph, dealing with you outsiders is troublesome. We wouldn't do this if it weren't for...the Immortal Master's favor," Sun Zhang snorted in dissatisfaction.
……
……
But after that, he didn't say much more and instead instructed them on what to pay attention to on the island.
sūn zhāng shuō le yī dà duī huà hòu ， kǒu gān shé zào ， tíng xià lái xiē huì ， què tū rán tīng dào sū zhǎng yù chū shēng xún wèn 。
孙章说了一大堆话后，口干舌燥，停下来歇会，却突然听到苏长玉出声询问。
"Any resident of Lustrous Isle can claim a residence based on their household registration. While it is located in the remote northern outskirts, at least you have shelter from wind and rain. Additionally, for the first year after registration, you can receive free food supplies each month. Of course, if you prefer exotic delicacies over this free relief food, you can purchase them yourself."
“ bù zhī wǒ děng xiǎng yào xiū xíng ， yòu yào rú hé zuò ne ？”
“不知我等想要修行，又要如何做呢？”
...
ér zhè zhèng shì lǐ fán suǒ guān xīn de ， dāng xià tā shù qǐ ěr duǒ ， zǐ xì líng tīng 。
而这正是李凡所关心的，当下他竖起耳朵，仔细聆听。
After Sun Zhang's long speech, he stopped to rest but suddenly heard Su Changyu ask.
"How do we go about cultivation?"
This was exactly what Li Fan cared about, so he perked up and listened intently.
Just as Li Fan was deep in thought, a somewhat plump young man approached him not far away.
The young man patted Li Fan's shoulder and said with a friendly tone: "Brother, you look a bit unfamiliar. May I ask what position do you hold in the Great Departure Officialdom? Or are you perhaps a wealthy merchant from another region?"
Li Fan slapped the hand that touched his shoulder away with one palm, then stared at him coldly without saying a word.
The plump young man instantly felt as if he was being stared down by a venomous snake. A chill ran up his spine.
Although he felt a bit embarrassed to be intimidated just by a glance, the young man had some discernment. Li Fan appeared unremarkable on the surface, but there was an aura of authority that spoke volumes about his high position and status.
He's not someone to be underestimated!
The plump young man quickly concluded this and then left with tact.
Seeing this, others realized that Li Fan wasn't very approachable, so nobody bothered to talk to him after that.
Amidst flickering lights, the sounds of people gradually diminished until everyone fell asleep.
No events transpired during the night.
The next morning, before dawn, everyone was woken up.
A middle-aged man with a long beard and dressed in a green robe walked forward, his hands behind his back.
"Follow me to get your household registration," he said coldly as he surveyed the crowd. "After you receive it, you will officially become part of Lustrous Isle."
Everyone's faces lit up at this news.
"Don't speak unless spoken to. Otherwise, I can't guarantee your safety," the man added with a narrowed gaze.
The others understood that their actions were not in the open and nodded in agreement.
Following the middle-aged man's instructions, Li Fan and his group changed into tattered clothes.
They were then taught a uniform set of words to use.
"You are all residents from Western Great Gorge Island. You escaped due to a wind disaster that destroyed your island. If anyone asks, say this."
Everyone agreed without hesitation.
The middle-aged man led the way with several black-robed men watching over them as they exited through a hidden passage and stepped onto the surface of Lustrous Isle.
---
After wandering around the residential area of the city for what seemed like ages, they finally arrived at a grand mansion.
Li Fan noticed that despite their large group, most island residents only glanced at them before moving on. They had clearly grown accustomed to such occurrences.
They didn't enter through the main gate. After a servant went inside to inform someone, he returned shortly and led everyone into a side door leading to a spacious hall.
Before they arrived, several groups of over a hundred people were already gathered in this hall.
Despite their numbers, it wasn't crowded.
The middle-aged man gestured for them to wait patiently.
Soon, it was Li Fan's turn.
"Mr. Zhao!" the middle-aged man greeted.
"These are all disaster victims seeking registration?" Mr. Zhao looked around his mid-50s and seemed somewhat aged but had sharp eyes. "Sun Zhang, these people are either rich or noble!"
Sun Zhang remained calm as he sighed. "Yes. They were once wealthy families from Great Gorge Island. Unfortunately, without the protection of the Immortal Master, a disaster struck, turning all their wealth into nothing. Now they've come to our Lustrous Isle for refuge."
With that said, Sun Zhang took out an object from his pocket and silently handed it over to Mr. Zhao.
Mr. Zhao glanced at it before accepting it with a sigh: "Recent wind disasters have affected even Lustrous Isle. Western islands suffered heavily, with over two hundred islands destroyed. Many commoners lost their lives."
"Thankfully, the Immortal Master's benevolence allowed us to rescue these victims. Your Heavenly Treasure Hall is truly dedicated! Rest assured, I will report this to the island lord. When the Immortal Master rewards you, it won't be in vain," Mr. Zhao said.
Sun Zhang was overjoyed and continued with his flattery.
Mr. Zhao listened as he processed their household registration.
Soon, Li Fan's turn came. Mr. Zhao looked at him with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"What is your name?" Mr. Zhao asked.
"Li Fan," Li Fan replied honestly.
"In that case, let me drop a drop of your blood here." Mr. Zhao wrote down "Li Fan" on an object that resembled both jade and paper, then handed it over to him.
Li Fan bit his finger and dropped the blood onto the object.
The blood seemed to gain life as it entered the characters.
---
"Keep this spirit token safe; it will serve as your identity proof. You'll need to show it for work assignments, food distribution, and inspections. Don't lose it," Mr. Zhao said more kindly than usual, adding extra instructions.
This caught Sun Zhang's attention, and others looked at him curiously.
Without saying much in return, Li Fan nodded, put away the token, and walked off to one side.
The efficiency of distributing household registrations was high, and soon everyone received their registration for Lustrous Isle.
Everyone's expressions were excited.
They didn't return to the previous cave but instead followed Sun Zhang into a courtyard of a mansion.
"Now that you have your household registration, we can sign the deed," Sun Zhang said to Su Changyu.
Su Changyu carefully took out a thin paper from his pocket and bit his finger before writing his name solemnly in blood.
Once signed, the paper ignited on its own and turned into a wisp of blue smoke, vanishing into the air.
After burning, only a small fragment remained.
"Three signatures seal the deal. Once we are settled, I will sign the final contract as agreed," Su Changyu said with dignity.
"Hmph, dealing with you outsiders is troublesome. We wouldn't do this if it weren't for...the Immortal Master's favor," Sun Zhang snorted in dissatisfaction.
But after that, he didn't say much more and instead instructed them on what to pay attention to on the island.
"Any resident of Lustrous Isle can claim a residence based on their household registration. While it is located in the remote northern outskirts, at least you have shelter from wind and rain. Additionally, for the first year after registration, you can receive free food supplies each month. Of course, if you prefer exotic delicacies over this free relief food, you can purchase them yourself."
...
After Sun Zhang's long speech, he stopped to rest but suddenly heard Su Changyu ask.
"How do we go about cultivation?"
This was exactly what Li Fan cared about, so he perked up and listened intently.