sū zhǎng yù zhōng jiū méi néng chēng guò qù 。
苏长玉终究没能撑过去。
Su Changyu ultimately could not hold on.
qián hòu bù guò qī bā tiān de shí jiān ， sū zhǎng yù jiù chēng bú zhù ， sǐ le 。
前后不过七八天的时间，苏长玉就撑不住，死了。
In just seven or eight days, Su Changyu could no longer bear it and died.
tā de shī tǐ bèi sòng huí lái de shí hòu ， lǐ fán hái qù kàn le yī yǎn 。
他的尸体被送回来的时候，李凡还去看了一眼。
When his body was brought back, Li Fan still went to take a look.
zhǐ shèng xià yī tuán niǔ qū de xuè ròu ， gēn běn méi le rén yàng ， kàn shàng qù shèn shì hài rén 。
只剩下一团扭曲的血肉，根本没了人样，看上去甚是骇人。
All that remained was a twisted mass of flesh, utterly devoid of human form, looking rather terrifying.
xuè ròu shèn zhì ǒu ěr hái huì mò míng de chōu chù 。 zhí ràng rén tóu pí fā má 。
血肉甚至偶尔还会莫名的抽搐。直让人头皮发麻。
The flesh would occasionally twitch in ways that were inexplicable, sending shivers down one's spine.
lí jiè zhè xiē rén chū lái zhà dào ， shèn zhì lián mǎi yī kuài mù dì de qián dōu còu bù chū 。
离界这些人初来乍到，甚至连买一块墓地的钱都凑不出。
These people from the Realm of Immortal Desolation had just arrived and couldn't even afford to buy land for a grave.
běn lái zhǔn bèi jiāng qí hǎi zàng ， hái shì lǐ fán kàn bù xià qù ， qǔ le xiē qián cái ， zhè cái ràng sū zhǎng yù rù tǔ wéi ān 。
本来准备将其海葬，还是李凡看不下去，取了些钱财，这才让苏长玉入土为安。
Originally, they planned to bury him at sea, but Li Fan could not bear it and took some money out of his own pocket, allowing Su Changyu to be laid to rest properly.
dà jiā dōu hěn shāng xīn 。
大家都很伤心。
Everyone was deeply saddened.
zhè qí zhōng yóu qí yǐ xiāo héng kū dé zuì cǎn 。
这其中尤其以萧恒哭得最惨。
Among them, Xiao Heng cried the hardest.
lǐ fán dǎo shì méi shén me tè bié de gǎn jué ， zhǐ shì yǒu diǎn xī xū 。
李凡倒是没什么特别的感觉，只是有点唏嘘。
Li Fan didn't feel particularly emotional; he just felt a bit wistful.
chén shì zhōng lún huí dǎ gǔn jìn sān bǎi nián ， lǐ fán zì yǒu yī tào shí rén zhī shù 。
尘世中轮回打滚近三百年，李凡自有一套识人之术。
Having rolled around in the mortal world for nearly three hundred years, Li Fan had his own ways of recognizing people.
zhè sū zhǎng yù zài tā kàn lái chǔ shì wéi rén jiē xiàng mú xiàng yàng ， xīn zhì yě pǒ wèi jiān dìng 。 suī tán bù shàng shén me bǎi nián nán yù de rén jié ， dàn yě bù jué bú shì shén me yōng cái 。
这苏长玉在他看来处世为人皆像模像样，心志也颇为坚定。虽谈不上什么百年难遇的人杰，但也不绝不是什么庸才。
In his view, Su Changyu's dealings and character were all in order, and his resolve was quite firm. While not exactly what one would call a rare talent, he certainly wasn't an ordinary person either.
zhè lí jiè yī qún rén zhōng ， běn yǐ wéi tā shì zuì yǒu kě néng chuǎng chū gè míng táng de 。
这离界一群人中，本以为他是最有可能闯出个名堂的。
Among this group from the Realm of Immortal Desolation, it was believed that he had the best chance of making a name for himself.
jiù zhè yàng yí gè rén ， lián qū zhàng zhè yī xiū xíng de qián zhì yāo qiú dōu méi néng dù guò ， jiù zhè me wú shēng wú xī dì sǐ le 。
就这样一个人，连祛瘴这一修行的前置要求都没能度过，就这么无声无息地死了。
And just like that, someone who hadn't even managed to pass the prerequisite of purging the demon mist, died silently and without a sound.
xiān dào jiān nán ！
仙道艰难！
The path of immortality is hard!
lǐ fán gēng shēng gǎn kǎi 。
李凡更生感慨。
Li Fan felt even more profound sentiments.
ér zài jiē xià lái xiū xíng 《 xuán huáng qīng xīn zhòu 》 de guò chéng zhōng ， lǐ fán duì cǐ de gǎn shòu shì yù fā shēn kè 。
而在接下来修行《玄黄清心咒》的过程中，李凡对此的感受是愈发深刻。
During his subsequent cultivation of the Xuanhuang Qixin Spell, Li Fan's feelings only deepened.
shì shí zhèng míng ， lǐ fán yě bú shì shén me tiān zī jué lún zhī bèi 。
事实证明，李凡也不是什么天资绝伦之辈。
It turned out that Li Fan wasn't some prodigy either.
jiāng jìn yí gè yuè de shí jiān ， lǐ fán měi tiān shēn jū jiǎn chū ， chú le lǐng qǔ yī fèn gōng zuò yǎn rén ěr mù zhī wài ， qí tā shí hòu dōu duǒ zài jiā zhōng ， xiū xíng zhè qīng xīn zhòu 。
将近一个月的时间，李凡每天深居简出，除了领取一份工作掩人耳目之外，其他时候都躲在家中，修行这清心咒。
For nearly a month, he secluded himself at home, aside from taking on a job to cover his tracks. He spent all this time cultivating the spell.
yì bān lái shuō ， cháng rén xiū xíng bàn gè yuè hòu ， jiù huì yǒu jīng shén biàn hǎo 、 sī wéi sù dù biàn dé gèng kuài děng míng xiǎn xiào guǒ 。
一般来说，常人修行半个月后，就会有精神变好、思维速度变得更快等明显效果。
---
kě shì yí gè yuè guò qù le ， lǐ fán lèng shì méi yǒu gǎn dào rèn hé biàn huà 。
可是一个月过去了，李凡愣是没有感到任何变化。
Generally speaking, after half a month of cultivation, most people would start experiencing improvements in their mental state and faster thinking speeds.
lǐ fán cāi cè kě néng shì yīn wèi zì jǐ de jīng shén qiáng dù jīng guò 【 hái zhēn 】 shù cì lún huí 、 bǎi nián chuí liàn yǐ jīng yuǎn chāo cháng rén le ， suǒ yǐ zhè qīng xīn zhòu duì zì jǐ de xiào guǒ cái méi nà me dà 。
李凡猜测可能是因为自己的精神强度经过【还真】数次轮回、百年锤炼已经远超常人了，所以这清心咒对自己的效果才没那么大。
But even after a whole month, Li Fan felt no changes whatsoever.
lǐ fán dào yě bù jí ， zhǐ shì bǎ tā dàng zuò měi tiān bì zuò de xiū xíng gōng kè 。
李凡倒也不急，只是把它当做每天必做的修行功课。
He guessed that it might be because his mental strength had been refined through multiple cycles of True Real and a century of practice, far surpassing the average person. Therefore, this spell's effects on him weren't as significant.
rú cǐ yòu guò le bàn gè yuè ， lǐ fán zhōng yú děng dào le tiān bǎo lóu de rén 。
如此又过了半个月，李凡终于等到了天宝楼的人。
Li Fan wasn't in a hurry; he simply treated it as a daily cultivation exercise.
lǐ fán gēn zhe chuán xùn zhī rén ， zài tiān bǎo lóu zì jǐ jiā de yī chù tíng yuàn zhōng ， jiàn dào le zhào guǎn shì 。
李凡跟着传讯之人，在天宝楼自己家的一处庭院中，见到了赵管事。
Another half month passed before Li Fan finally met with Mr. Zhao at Tianbao Tower.
“ zhào guǎn shì ， xǔ jiǔ bú jiàn 。” lǐ fán gǒng le gǒng shǒu 。
“赵管事，许久不见。”李凡拱了拱手。
Following the messenger, Li Fan met Mr. Zhao in one of the courtyard areas within his own residence.
zhào guǎn shì kàn le lǐ fán yī yǎn ， yě shì zhí jiē kāi mén jiàn shān ：“ tīng tiān bǎo lóu de rén jiǎng ， nǐ xiǎng qiú yī zhī chuán duì de chū hǎi míng é 。 wèi kǒu dǎo shì bù xiǎo 。 yǒu shén me yī zhàng ？”
赵管事看了李凡一眼，也是直接开门见山：“听天宝楼的人讲，你想求一支船队的出海名额。胃口倒是不小。有什么依仗？”
"Mr. Zhao, long time no see," Li Fan said, bowing slightly.
“ yào zhī dào ， wǒ shǒu shàng yě jiù liǎng zhī kě yòng 。 zì jǐ shǒu xià rén dōu bù gòu fēn ， píng shén me yào gěi nǐ ？”
“要知道，我手上也就两支可用。自己手下人都不够分，凭什么要给你？”
Mr. Zhao looked at him and got straight to the point: "I heard from Tianbao Tower that you want a ship's berth for an outing. Quite a big appetite. What do you have to back it up?"
“ chuán duì chū hǎi ， bù guò qiú lì ér yǐ 。 bù zhī zhào guǎn shì jué de ， bǔ lāo liú lí yú suǒ huò de lì rùn ， yǔ cóng hǎi dǐ chén chuán zhōng zhí jiē lāo dé cái bǎo xiāng bǐ ， rú hé ？” lǐ fán wēi wēi yī xiào 。
“船队出海，不过求利而已。不知赵管事觉得，捕捞琉璃鱼所获的利润，与从海底沉船中直接捞得财宝相比，如何？”李凡微微一笑。
"You see, I only have two ships available right now. My own people can't even be divided among them. Why should I give one to you?"
sì hū méi yǒu jué de lǐ fán zài shuō dà huà ， zhào guǎn shì rèn zhēn sī kǎo le yī huì ：“ qián xiē rì zi chuán duì yì wài shōu huò shí jǐ xiāng zhū bǎo de shì qíng wǒ yě tīng shuō le 。 jīng fǔ lǐ zhé suàn ， qí shōu huò zú zú dǐ de shàng shù cì cháng guī chū hǎi bǔ yú suǒ de 。 kě zhè zhǒng hǎo shì zěn me kě néng měi cì dōu yù dào ， wǒ zài zhè dǎo shàng shí jǐ nián ， jì yì zhōng yǒu dà de shōu huò de ， yě zhǐ yǒu liáo liáo jǐ cì bà le 。”
似乎没有觉得李凡在说大话，赵管事认真思考了一会：“前些日子船队意外收获十几箱珠宝的事情我也听说了。经府里折算，其收获足足抵得上数次常规出海捕鱼所得。可这种好事怎么可能每次都遇到，我在这岛上十几年，记忆中有大的收获的，也只有寥寥几次罢了。”
"Outing at sea is all about making profits. Don't you think the profit from catching lustrous fish compares unfavorably with directly salvaging treasures from sunken ships?" Li Fan smiled.
tā dùn le dùn ， jiē zhe wèn dào ：“ tīng nǐ de yì si ， nǐ ……”
他顿了顿，接着问道：“听你的意思，你……”
It seemed that Mr. Zhao didn't find him exaggerating, as he thought for a moment before saying: "I heard that your ship's recent unexpected harvest of several chests of jewels. After calculation by theoffice or official's residence, their value far exceeds what could be gained through regular fishing expeditions. But such good fortune doesn't happen every time; I've only experienced it a few times in my decade on this island."
lǐ fán diǎn diǎn tóu ：“ ruò shì wǒ zhí zhǎng yī zhī chuán duì ， kě bǎo zhèng měi cì chū hǎi ， dōu dài huí yí dìng de cái bǎo 。”
李凡点点头：“若是我执掌一支船队，可保证每次出海，都带回一定的财宝。”
He paused and continued: "From your tone, you..."
zhào guǎn shì yǎn zhōng fàn chū qí yì de guāng máng ， zǐ xì dīng zhe lǐ fán kàn le jǐ yǎn ， qí dào ：“ jū rán méi yǒu shuō huǎng 。”
赵管事眼中泛出奇异的光芒，仔细盯着李凡看了几眼，奇道：“居然没有说谎。”
Li Fan nodded: "If I were to command a ship, I can guarantee that we will bring back some treasure with each outing."
zhè xià lún dào lǐ fán yǒu xiē jīng yà le ：“ wǒ dí què méi yǒu shuō dà huà bù jiǎ ， què bù zhī zhào guǎn shì yòu shì rú hé kàn chū lái de 。”
这下轮到李凡有些惊讶了：“我的确没有说大话不假，却不知赵管事又是如何看出来的。”
Mr. Zhao's eyes lit up as he stared at Li Fan for several moments before asking curiously: "You didn't lie?"
zhào guǎn shì hē hē yī xiào ：“ wǒ zì yòu shēng de yī shuāng yì tóng ， néng gòu shí néng rén 、 biàn zhēn jiǎ 。 gāng gāng nǐ shuō huà shí ， wǒ zhǐ kàn dào nǐ shēn shàng fàn zhe róu hé de bái guāng ， zhèng míng nǐ suǒ yán bù xū 、 bìng qiě méi yǒu xīn huái bù guǐ 。 ruò shì zhèn zhèn hēi qì ， zé zhèng míng nǐ lìng yǒu suǒ tú 。”
赵管事呵呵一笑：“我自幼生的一双异瞳，能够识能人、辨真假。刚刚你说话时，我只看到你身上泛着柔和的白光，证明你所言不虚、并且没有心怀不轨。若是阵阵黑气，则证明你另有所图。”
Now it was Li Fan's turn to be surprised: "Indeed, I did not exaggerate, but how did you know?"
“ jū rán yǒu rú cǐ yì shù ？” lǐ fán dùn shí yī jīng 。“ rù jí nà tiān ， zhào guǎn shì duì wǒ tài dù sì hū gēn bié rén lüè yǒu bù tóng 。 kě shì kàn chū lái shén me ？”
“居然有如此异术？”李凡顿时一惊。“入籍那天，赵管事对我态度似乎跟别人略有不同。可是看出来什么？”
Mr. Zhao chuckled and said: "I have a pair of unusual pupils that can discern talent and detect truth from falsehood. When you spoke just now, I saw a soft white light emanating from your body, proving that what you said was true and without any ulterior motives. If it were dark clouds instead, it would mean you had other intentions."
“ zhǐ néng kàn chū gè dà gài ér yǐ ， nǎ néng jǐn zhī ？ wǒ zhǐ kàn chū nǐ fù guì fēi cháng 、 bìng qiě shǒu shàng zhàn yǒu bù shǎo xiān xuè 。 xiǎn rán bú shì cháng rén 。 suǒ yǐ wǒ cái duì nǐ kè qì diǎn ér yǐ 。” zhào guǎn shì shěn rán yī xiào ， jiě shì dào 。“ tiān yì nán cè ， xiàng nǐ zhè zhǒng rén ， shuí zhī dào rì hòu néng qǔ dé shén me chéng jiù ne ？ bù rú shùn shǒu xiān xíng jié gè shàn yuán 。”
“只能看出个大概而已，哪能尽知？我只看出你富贵非常、并且手上占有不少鲜血。显然不是常人。所以我才对你客气点而已。”赵管事哂然一笑，解释道。“天意难测，像你这种人，谁知道日后能取得什么成就呢？不如顺手先行结个善缘。”
"Such an extraordinary ability?" Li Fan was shocked. "On the day of my registration, Mr. Zhao seemed to treat me differently than others. What did you see?"
lǐ fán diǎn diǎn tóu ， què yòu tīng zhào guǎn shì fā chū gǎn kǎi ：“ jìn xiē nián lái dà zāi pín fā ， shì nǐ zhè yàng ， dà fù dà guì què yòu liú luò dào wǒ men liú lí dǎo shàng de rén ， bù zhī yǒu duō shǎo 。 yǒu de rén zhǐ bù guò zhé fú shù nián ， biàn fù yòu chéng fēng ér qǐ ； yǒu de zé shì zì cǐ mǐn rán zhòng rén ， huà zuò bái gǔ 。”
李凡点点头，却又听赵管事发出感慨：“近些年来大灾频发，似你这样，大富大贵却又流落到我们琉璃岛上的人，不知有多少。有的人只不过蛰伏数年，便复又乘风而起；有的则是自此泯然众人，化作白骨。”
"I could only make a rough judgment; I couldn't know everything. I saw that you were very wealthy and possessed considerable bloodshed, clearly not an ordinary person. That's why I treated you with more respect," Mr. Zhao explained with a smile.
lǐ fán tīng zhe ， hū yòu xiǎng dào yī shì ：“ zhè me shuō lái ， nà rì wǒ men rù jí zhī shí ， nǐ jiù kàn chū lái tiān bǎo lóu sūn zhāng suǒ yán bù shí le ？”
李凡听着，忽又想到一事：“这么说来，那日我们入籍之时，你就看出来天宝楼孙章所言不实了？”
"Moreover, gathering refugees is the Immortal Master's instruction. Since he brought so many 'refugees' to my Lustrous Isle, how could I make things difficult for him?"
“ zhēn yòu rú hé ， jiǎ yòu rú hé ？ yǒu shí hòu tài jiào zhēn ， wèi bì shì jiàn hǎo shì 。 wǒ zhī zhí zé ， bù guò shì què bǎo dǎo shàng méi yǒu shì tú diān fù zhī rén bà le 。 bù guǎn nǐ men shì cóng nǎ lái ， zhǐ yào ān fèn shǒu jǐ ， biàn bú huì ná nǐ men zěn me yàng 。” zhào guǎn shì bù yǐ wéi rán de shuō dào 。“ dǎo shàng yǒu xiān shī zuò zhèn ， biàn bù pà chū luàn zi 。”
“真又如何，假又如何？有时候太较真，未必是件好事。我之职责，不过是确保岛上没有试图颠覆之人罢了。不管你们是从哪来，只要安分守己，便不会拿你们怎么样。”赵管事不以为然的说道。“岛上有仙师坐镇，便不怕出乱子。”
Li Fan understood Mr. Zhao’s principles after this conversation turned back to the ship's berth issue.
“ kuàng qiě ， shōu lǒng zāi mín yě shì xiān shī de fēn fù 。 tā sūn zhāng néng dài lǐng zhè me duō de ‘ zāi mín ’ lái wǒ liú lí dǎo ， wǒ yòu zěn me huì wéi nán tā ne 。”
“况且，收拢灾民也是仙师的吩咐。他孙章能带领这么多的‘灾民’来我琉璃岛，我又怎么会为难他呢。”
"So, since you've confirmed that what I said was true, can we consider giving me a berth?" Li Fan asked.
lǐ fán tīng zhe ， duì zhè zhào guǎn shì de chǔ shì yuán zé yǒu le dà gài de liǎo jiě 。
李凡听着，对这赵管事的处事原则有了大概的了解。
Mr. Zhao tapped his fingers on the table and said: "As a newcomer without any roots here, if I were to suddenly hand over a ship to you, it would surely cause discontent."
yú shì èr rén de huà tí yòu huí dào chū hǎi chuán duì zhī shàng 。
于是二人的话题又回到出海船队之上。
"Instead, how about this: next time we go out at sea, you come along with us. If you really manage to bring back treasure every time, crew members will eventually be convinced of your worth. Then, you can take over the ship legally."
“ jì rán zhào guǎn shì kàn de chū lái wǒ suǒ yán fēi xū ， nà me chū hǎi míng é zhī shì kě fǒu kǎo lǜ xià ？” lǐ fán wèn dào 。
“既然赵管事看的出来我所言非虚，那么出海名额之事可否考虑下？”李凡问道。
"Even better, if your harvest is substantial enough, I could recommend it to the Lord of theoffice or official's residence and try to snatch another ship from Mr. Qian for you," he added.
zhào guǎn shì yòng shǒu zhǐ zài zhuō shàng qīng qiāo le jǐ xià ， fāng cái shuō dào ：“ nǐ yī xīn lái zhī rén ， méi yǒu gēn jī ， ruò shì mào rán jiāng chuán duì jiāo yǔ nǐ ， dìng rán huì yǐn qǐ zhòng duō bù mǎn 。”
赵管事用手指在桌上轻敲了几下，方才说道：“你一新来之人，没有根基，若是冒然将船队交予你，定然会引起众多不满。”
"Mr. Zhao's considerations are thorough." Li Fan had no objection.
“ bù rú zhè yàng ， xià cì chū hǎi ， nǐ gēn zhe yì qǐ 。 rú guǒ nǐ zhēn de měi cì chū hǎi dōu néng dǎ lāo dào cái bǎo ， nà me bù yòng jǐ cì ， chuán yuán bì dìng duì nǐ xīn fú 。 nà shí hòu nǐ zài míng zhèng yán shùn de jiē guǎn chuán duì 。”
“不如这样，下次出海，你跟着一起。如果你真的每次出海都能打捞到财宝，那么不用几次，船员必定对你心服。那时候你再名正言顺的接管船队。”
Thus, everything was settled smoothly.
“ shèn zhì yú ， ruò shì nǐ de shōu huò zú gòu duō de huà ， wǒ xiàng fǔ zhǔ jìn yán ， cóng xìng qián de nà zài qiǎng yī zhī chuán duì guò lái jiāo gěi nǐ ， yě bú shì bù kě néng 。”
“甚至于，若是你的收获足够多的话，我向府主进言，从姓钱的那再抢一支船队过来交给你，也不是不可能。”
Tianbao Tower did not know the details of their conversation, but when they learned that Li Fan easily convinced Mr. Zhao and obtained a berth for the next outing, they were greatly shocked.
“ zhào guǎn shì sī lǜ zhōu quán 。” lǐ fán zì wú bù kě 。
“赵管事思虑周全。”李凡自无不可。
"Does this mean that the old man didn't exaggerate? He really has the confidence to take over a ship?" A woman in yellow clothes at Tianbao Tower propped her chin on her hand, her eyes gleaming.
yú shì shì qíng jiù zhè me shùn lì yì cháng de qiāo dìng le 。
于是事情就这么顺利异常的敲定了。
"I wonder what his backing is," Su Changyu was equally puzzled. In his view, Li Fan appeared to be an utterly ordinary middle-aged man.
liǎng rén jiāo tán de xì jié tiān bǎo lóu bìng bù zhī xiǎo ， dàn shì dé zhī lǐ fán qīng ér yì jǔ dì jiù shuō fú le zhào guǎn shì ， dé dào le xià yī cì chū hǎi de yí gè míng é hòu ， dùn shí shí fēn zhèn jīng 。
两人交谈的细节天宝楼并不知晓，但是得知李凡轻而易举地就说服了赵管事，得到了下一次出海的一个名额后，顿时十分震惊。
"Send him the deed for that vacant small courtyard in East Street," the woman suddenly said.
“ nán dào nà wèi dà shū méi yǒu shuō dà huà ， tā zhēn yǒu bǎ wò ná xià yī zhī chuán duì ？” tiān bǎo lóu zhōng ， huáng yī nǚ zǐ yòng shǒu chēng zhe xià bā ， yǎn shén shǎn shuò 。
“难道那位大叔没有说大话，他真有把握拿下一只船队？”天宝楼中，黄衣女子用手撑着下巴，眼神闪烁。
"What?" Su Changyu was taken aback and didn't react immediately.
Su Changyu ultimately could not hold on.
In just seven or eight days, Su Changyu could no longer bear it and died.
When his body was brought back, Li Fan still went to take a look.
All that remained was a twisted mass of flesh, utterly devoid of human form, looking rather terrifying.
The flesh would occasionally twitch in ways that were inexplicable, sending shivers down one's spine.
These people from the Realm of Immortal Desolation had just arrived and couldn't even afford to buy land for a grave.
Originally, they planned to bury him at sea, but Li Fan could not bear it and took some money out of his own pocket, allowing Su Changyu to be laid to rest properly.
Everyone was deeply saddened.
Among them, Xiao Heng cried the hardest.
Li Fan didn't feel particularly emotional; he just felt a bit wistful.
Having rolled around in the mortal world for nearly three hundred years, Li Fan had his own ways of recognizing people.
In his view, Su Changyu's dealings and character were all in order, and his resolve was quite firm. While not exactly what one would call a rare talent, he certainly wasn't an ordinary person either.
Among this group from the Realm of Immortal Desolation, it was believed that he had the best chance of making a name for himself.
And just like that, someone who hadn't even managed to pass the prerequisite of purging the demon mist, died silently and without a sound.
The path of immortality is hard!
Li Fan felt even more profound sentiments.
During his subsequent cultivation of the Xuanhuang Qixin Spell, Li Fan's feelings only deepened.
It turned out that Li Fan wasn't some prodigy either.
For nearly a month, he secluded himself at home, aside from taking on a job to cover his tracks. He spent all this time cultivating the spell.
---
Generally speaking, after half a month of cultivation, most people would start experiencing improvements in their mental state and faster thinking speeds.
But even after a whole month, Li Fan felt no changes whatsoever.
He guessed that it might be because his mental strength had been refined through multiple cycles of True Real and a century of practice, far surpassing the average person. Therefore, this spell's effects on him weren't as significant.
Li Fan wasn't in a hurry; he simply treated it as a daily cultivation exercise.
Another half month passed before Li Fan finally met with Mr. Zhao at Tianbao Tower.
Following the messenger, Li Fan met Mr. Zhao in one of the courtyard areas within his own residence.
"Mr. Zhao, long time no see," Li Fan said, bowing slightly.
Mr. Zhao looked at him and got straight to the point: "I heard from Tianbao Tower that you want a ship's berth for an outing. Quite a big appetite. What do you have to back it up?"
"You see, I only have two ships available right now. My own people can't even be divided among them. Why should I give one to you?"
"Outing at sea is all about making profits. Don't you think the profit from catching lustrous fish compares unfavorably with directly salvaging treasures from sunken ships?" Li Fan smiled.
It seemed that Mr. Zhao didn't find him exaggerating, as he thought for a moment before saying: "I heard that your ship's recent unexpected harvest of several chests of jewels. After calculation by theoffice or official's residence, their value far exceeds what could be gained through regular fishing expeditions. But such good fortune doesn't happen every time; I've only experienced it a few times in my decade on this island."
He paused and continued: "From your tone, you..."
Li Fan nodded: "If I were to command a ship, I can guarantee that we will bring back some treasure with each outing."
Mr. Zhao's eyes lit up as he stared at Li Fan for several moments before asking curiously: "You didn't lie?"
Now it was Li Fan's turn to be surprised: "Indeed, I did not exaggerate, but how did you know?"
Mr. Zhao chuckled and said: "I have a pair of unusual pupils that can discern talent and detect truth from falsehood. When you spoke just now, I saw a soft white light emanating from your body, proving that what you said was true and without any ulterior motives. If it were dark clouds instead, it would mean you had other intentions."
"Such an extraordinary ability?" Li Fan was shocked. "On the day of my registration, Mr. Zhao seemed to treat me differently than others. What did you see?"
"I could only make a rough judgment; I couldn't know everything. I saw that you were very wealthy and possessed considerable bloodshed, clearly not an ordinary person. That's why I treated you with more respect," Mr. Zhao explained with a smile.
"Moreover, gathering refugees is the Immortal Master's instruction. Since he brought so many 'refugees' to my Lustrous Isle, how could I make things difficult for him?"
Li Fan understood Mr. Zhao’s principles after this conversation turned back to the ship's berth issue.
"So, since you've confirmed that what I said was true, can we consider giving me a berth?" Li Fan asked.
Mr. Zhao tapped his fingers on the table and said: "As a newcomer without any roots here, if I were to suddenly hand over a ship to you, it would surely cause discontent."
"Instead, how about this: next time we go out at sea, you come along with us. If you really manage to bring back treasure every time, crew members will eventually be convinced of your worth. Then, you can take over the ship legally."
"Even better, if your harvest is substantial enough, I could recommend it to the Lord of theoffice or official's residence and try to snatch another ship from Mr. Qian for you," he added.
"Mr. Zhao's considerations are thorough." Li Fan had no objection.
Thus, everything was settled smoothly.
Tianbao Tower did not know the details of their conversation, but when they learned that Li Fan easily convinced Mr. Zhao and obtained a berth for the next outing, they were greatly shocked.
"Does this mean that the old man didn't exaggerate? He really has the confidence to take over a ship?" A woman in yellow clothes at Tianbao Tower propped her chin on her hand, her eyes gleaming.
"I wonder what his backing is," Su Changyu was equally puzzled. In his view, Li Fan appeared to be an utterly ordinary middle-aged man.
"Send him the deed for that vacant small courtyard in East Street," the woman suddenly said.
"What?" Su Changyu was taken aback and didn't react immediately.