qīng lěng de yuè guāng xià ， cāng yuǎn hào shàng yī zhòng chuán yuán quán dōu shuāng mù tōng hóng ， chuǎn zhe cū qì 。
清冷的月光下，沧远号上一众船员全都双目通红，喘着粗气。
Under the cold moonlight, the crew of Cang Yuan sailed with red-rimmed eyes and labored breaths.
zhí dào xiàn zài ， tā men dōu fǎng fú zài mèng lǐ yī yàng 。
直到现在，他们都仿佛在梦里一样。
Until now, they still felt as if they were in a dream.
shí liù gè zhuāng mǎn jīn yín cái bǎo de dà xiāng zi ， jiù zhè me ān ān jìng jìng de bǎi fàng zài jiǎ bǎn shàng 。
十六个装满金银财宝的大箱子，就这么安安静静的摆放在甲板上。
Sixteen large chests filled with gold, silver, and treasures lay quietly on the deck. Some could not help but pinch themselves to confirm the reality. After feeling pain, they stared intently at the scattered wealth, unwilling to shift their gaze away.
yǒu xiē rén hái shì bù fàng xīn ， qiā le xià zì jǐ ， gǎn shòu dào téng tòng zhī hòu ， fāng cái yòu dīng zhe mǎn dì de cái bǎo ， yī kè yě shě bù dé zhuǎn yí shì xiàn 。
有些人还是不放心，掐了下自己，感受到疼痛之后，方才又盯着满地的财宝，一刻也舍不得转移视线。
Mr. Li did not exaggerate!
nà lǐ xiān shēng jū rán méi yǒu shuō dà huà ！
那李先生居然没有说大话！
He truly managed to bring us back full of treasure!
tā guǒ rán néng ràng dà jiā mǎn zài ér guī ！
他果然能让大家满载而归！
But this "full load" far exceeded everyone's expectations!
zhǐ shì ， zhè “ mǎn zài ” de chéng dù ， hái yào yuǎn chāo dà jiā de xiǎng xiàng ！
只是，这“满载”的程度，还要远超大家的想象！
The chests were filled with various jade artifacts, gold, and jewels, dazzling them all.
xiāng zi lǐ gè zhǒng yù qì 、 jīn yín 、 zhū bǎo ， lín láng mǎn mù ， ràng suǒ yǒu rén dōu kàn huā le yǎn 。
箱子里各种玉器、金银、珠宝，琳琅满目，让所有人都看花了眼。
They had spent half their lives fishing at sea; even in the most beautiful dreams, they had never seen such a magical scene. Zhang Haibo was particularly speechless.
tā men bàn bèi zi yǐ chū hǎi bǔ yú wéi shēng ， nǎ pà zài zuì měi de mèng lǐ ， yě méi jiàn guò rú cǐ mèng huàn de chǎng miàn 。
他们半辈子以出海捕鱼为生，哪怕在最美的梦里，也没见过如此梦幻的场面。
"It’s really true! That guy actually found treasures buried deep underwater! Such abilities... such abilities..."
ér zhāng hào bō gèng shì dà nǎo yí piàn kòng bái 。
而张浩波更是大脑一片空白。
Living on Lustrous Isle for over two decades, Zhang Haibo knew that there were ordinary mortals with extraordinary powers beyond Immortal Masters. For example, they could communicate with birds in the sky, predict disasters, stay underwater without breathing, and even discern the true nature of people like Mr. Zhao.
“ jū rán shì zhēn de ， nà jiā huo jū rán zhēn de néng zhǎo dào chén zài hǎi dǐ de cái bǎo ！ zhè zhǒng běn shì ， zhè zhǒng běn shì ……”
“居然是真的，那家伙居然真的能找到沉在海底的财宝！这种本事，这种本事……”
But such individuals were rare—either entrusted with important tasks across various islands or enslaved by Immortal Masters to be taken to Thousand Immortals Island. It was truly a rare sight.
zài liú lí dǎo shēng huó le èr shí jǐ nián ， zhāng hào bō zì rán qīng chǔ shì shàng chú le xiān shī zhī wài ， hái yǒu yī xiē pǔ tōng fán rén yě zhǎng wò zhe zhǒng zhǒng bù kě sī yì de néng lì 。
在琉璃岛生活了二十几年，张浩波自然清楚世上除了仙师之外，还有一些普通凡人也掌握着种种不可思议的能力。
He never expected that Li Fan would also be one of these extraordinary beings!
bǐ rú néng hé tiān shàng de fēi niǎo gōu tōng ， bǐ rú néng tí qián yù zhī zāi nàn ， bǐ rú néng zhǎng shí jiān bù hū xī 、 áo yóu zài hǎi dǐ ， yòu bǐ rú zhào guǎn shì nà bān néng kàn qīng rén de zhēn jiǎ xū shí 。
比如能和天上的飞鸟沟通，比如能提前预知灾难，比如能长时间不呼吸、遨游在海底，又比如赵管事那般能看清人的真假虚实。
Zhang Haibo suddenly realized that Li Fan had only recently moved to Lustrous Isle. Perhaps his previous island had been destroyed by a typhoon, forcing him to relocate here? No wonder he was treated differently as a newcomer while Mr. Zhao looked at him with favor.
kě zhè zhǒng yì rén bì jìng shì shǎo shù ， tā men bú shì zài gè gè dǎo yǔ bèi wěi yǐ zhòng rèn ， jiù shì bèi xiān shī men shōu zuò nú pú 、 dài qù le wàn xiān dǎo 。
可这种异人毕竟是少数，他们不是在各个岛屿被委以重任，就是被仙师们收做奴仆、带去了万仙岛。
Everything made sense now.
shí zài shì nán dé yī jiàn 。
实在是难得一见。
But Zhang Haibo regretted it deeply.
wàn wàn méi xiǎng dào ， zhè lǐ fán jū rán yě shì zhè yàng de yì rén ！
万万没想到，这李凡居然也是这样的异人！
"Zhang Haibo, Zhang Haibo! You missed the opportunity to meet a benefactor. Not only did you fail to seize this chance, but you even thought he was here to steal your small fleet!"
zhāng hào bō hū rán xiǎng dào ， zhè lǐ fán hǎo xiàng shì gāng bān lái liú lí dǎo bù jiǔ de ， nán bù chéng zhǐ shì yīn wèi tā yuán lái de dǎo yǔ bèi fēng zāi huǐ le ， suǒ yǐ cái bèi pò qiān xǐ dào zhè lǐ ？ nán guài zhǐ shì xīn zhù mín ， zhào guǎn shì què duì tā lìng yǎn xiāng kàn ！
张浩波忽然想到，这李凡好像是刚搬来琉璃岛不久的，难不成只是因为他原来的岛屿被风灾毁了，所以才被迫迁徙到这里？难怪只是新住民，赵管事却对他另眼相看！
The more he thought about it, the more ashamed he felt, wishing he could slap himself in the face.
yī qiè dōu shuō de tōng le ！
一切都说的通了！
"Absolutely not! I must apologize immediately! Right now, right away! Such an extraordinary being would be a guest of honor anywhere. If he harbors resentment for my actions recently..."
zhāng hào bō cǐ shí què hòu huǐ bù dié 。
张浩波此时却后悔不迭。
Zhang Haibo shuddered and rushed to Li Fan's room to seek forgiveness.
“ zhāng hào bō a zhāng hào bō ， nán dé yǒu yù dào guì rén de jī huì ， nǐ méi yǒu bǎ wò zhù jiù suàn le ， hái jū rán kě xiào de rèn wéi duì fāng shì lái qiǎng nǐ zhè xiǎo xiǎo chuán duì de ！”
“张浩波啊张浩波，难得有遇到贵人的机会，你没有把握住就算了，还居然可笑的认为对方是来抢你这小小船队的！”
"Why is it that these chests don’t seem to have been submerged for long? Is this just a hallucination?"
zhāng hào bō yuè xiǎng yuè shì hòu huǐ ， hèn bù dé zhí jiē gěi zì jǐ liǎng bā zhǎng 。
张浩波越想越是后悔，恨不得直接给自己两巴掌。
"Strange, we didn't even see the sunken ship during our salvage."
“ bù xíng ， bì xū gǎn jǐn qù dào qiàn ！ lì kè ， mǎ shàng ！ zhè zhǒng yì rén wú lùn dào nǎ li dōu shì zuò shàng bīn ， ruò shì dé shì zhī hòu jì hèn wǒ qián xiē rì zi de suǒ zuò suǒ wéi ……”
“不行，必须赶紧去道歉！立刻，马上！这种异人无论到哪里都是座上宾，若是得势之后记恨我前些日子的所作所为……”
"It must have drifted here with the underwater currents or been swept up by typhoons and landed in the sea,"
zhāng hào bō dǎ le gè jī líng ， jiù yào dào lǐ fán de fáng jiān lǐ qù qǐng zuì 。
张浩波打了个激灵，就要到李凡的房间里去请罪。
"Who cares about all that? The treasures are real!"
“ yí ， shì wǒ de cuò jué me ？ wèi shá wǒ gǎn jué zhè xiē xiāng zi hǎo xiàng méi yǒu bèi jìn pào duō jiǔ de yàng zi ？”
“咦，是我的错觉么？为啥我感觉这些箱子好像没有被浸泡多久的样子？”
In his crew's hushed whispers, Zhang Haibo hurried away.
“ shuō lái qí guài ， wǒ men dǎ lāo de shí hòu yě méi yǒu kàn dào chén chuán 。”
“说来奇怪，我们打捞的时候也没有看到沉船。”
...
“ yīng gāi shì shùn zhe hǎi dǐ àn liú piāo guò lái de ba ？ huò zhě shì bèi fēng zāi juǎn dào tiān shàng ， rán hòu luò dào cǐ chù hǎi lǐ de ？”
“应该是顺着海底暗流飘过来的吧？或者是被风灾卷到天上，然后落到此处海里的？”
Inside the room, Li Fan smiled as he sent Zhang Haibo off. He stretched tiredly.
“ guǎn nà me duō gàn má ， zhè xiē cái bǎo shì zhēn de jiù xíng 。”
“管那么多干嘛，这些财宝是真的就行。”
The sixteen chests of treasure were indeed his own doing. Alone on an uncharted sea, he used Taiyin Boat to move a small portion of his plundered wealth from Great Xuan into the ocean, then signaled for Cang Yuan's return to retrieve them.
zài shǒu xià chuán yuán de qiè qiè sī yǔ zhōng ， zhāng hào bō cōng cōng lí qù 。
在手下船员的窃窃私语中，张浩波匆匆离去。
The chests were heavy; without months of practicing The Xuanhuang Qixin Spell and the natural nourishment of heaven and earth’s qi, he might not have managed alone. Even so, after completing his task, Li Fan felt as if he had disintegrated.
……
……
"For my first big show, I’ll make a bigger spectacle next time." He thought to himself.
fáng jiān lǐ ， lǐ fán hé yán yuè sè dì jiāng zhāng hào bō dǎ fā zǒu zhī hòu ， shū zhǎn le xià pí bèi de shēn qū 。
房间里，李凡和颜悦色地将张浩波打发走之后，舒展了下疲惫的身躯。
As for Zhang Haibo...
nà shí liù xiāng cái bǎo zì rán shì tā zì jǐ rēng xià qù de 。
那十六箱财宝自然是他自己扔下去的。
Li Fan didn't care about him at all.
dú zì jià zhōu lái dào yī piàn wú rén de hǎi yù ， zhǎn kāi tài yǎn zhōu ， jiāng zhōu nèi tā cóng dà xuán sōu guā ér lái de yī xiǎo bù fèn cái bǎo bān chū lái ， rēng jìn hǎi zhōng ， zuì hòu fàng chū xìn hào ， ràng cāng yuǎn hào zhòng rén qián lái dǎ lāo 。
独自驾舟来到一片无人的海域，展开太衍舟，将舟内他从大玄搜刮而来的一小部分财宝搬出来，扔进海中，最后放出信号，让沧远号众人前来打捞。
To Zhang Haibo, the position of ship captain was his lifeline. If someone suddenly tried to take it away without any reaction, that would be strange indeed. Moreover, his scheme seemed so childish and laughable to Li Fan.
xiāng zi shì zhēn de chén zhòng ， ruò bú shì zhè jǐ gè yuè lái tā shí kè xiū xíng 《 xuán huáng qīng xīn zhòu 》， jiā shàng tiān dì líng qì wú xíng zī yǎng ， tā lì qì dà le xǔ duō ， kǒng pà yí gè rén hái zhēn gǎo bù dìng 。
箱子是真的沉重，若不是这几个月来他时刻修行《玄黄清心咒》，加上天地灵气无形滋养，他力气大了许多，恐怕一个人还真搞不定。
If Li Fan were in his place, he would have feigned casual conversation for a few days before striking at night when Zhang Haibo's guard was down, killing him instantly.
ráo shì rú cǐ ， shì bì zhī hòu lǐ fán quán shēn shàng xià yě dōu sǎn jià le yì bān 。
饶是如此，事毕之后李凡全身上下也都散架了一般。
Then toss the body into the vast sea; there would be no witnesses. Even if someone had the ability to find treasures, they lacked roots and support on Lustrous Isle. Without proof of their legitimacy, who would risk a confrontation with a ship captain backed by loyal crew?
“ dì yī cì xiān shēng duó rén ， gǎo gè dà yī diǎn de zhèn zhàng 。 yǐ hòu jiù bù yòng rēng zhè me duō le 。” lǐ fán xīn zhōng pán suàn dào 。
“第一次先声夺人，搞个大一点的阵仗。以后就不用扔这么多了。”李凡心中盘算道。
Even if Mr. Zhao were to punish him, it would merely mean losing his position as captain.
zhì yú zhāng hào bō ……
至于张浩波……
After all, there was no capital punishment for murder on Lustrous Isle; what Immortal Masters needed was steady supplies from the island.
lǐ fán gēn běn jiù méi yǒu bǎ tā fàng zài xīn shàng 。
李凡根本就没有把他放在心上。
Thus, Li Fan saw no reason to act.
duì zhāng hào bō lái shuō ， chuán duì chuán zhǎng de zhí wèi ， shì zhè bèi zi ān shēn lì mìng de gēn běn 。 yǒu rén tū rán yào lái qiǎng duó ， ruò shì tā méi yǒu shén me fǎn yìng ， fǎn dào cái qí guài ne 。
对张浩波来说，船队船长的职位，是这辈子安身立命的根本。有人突然要来抢夺，若是他没有什么反应，反倒才奇怪呢。
Unfortunately, Zhang Haibo wasn't like him—lacking the courage and resolve. He was merely a simple fisherman.
gèng hé kuàng tā shǐ de jì liǎng duì lǐ fán lái shuō rú cǐ yòu zhì hé kě xiào 。
更何况他使的伎俩对李凡来说如此幼稚和可笑。
To Li Fan, the ship's crew was just a stepping stone in his plan.
huàn zuò lǐ fán ， yīng dāng shì qián shí jǐ rì yǔ zhī tán xiào fēng shēng 、 yǐn ér bù fā 。 dài xíng shǐ dào dà hǎi shēn chù ， qí jiè xīn zhú jiàn fàng xià ， zé qiāo qiāo chèn zhe yè sè qián rù wū zhōng ， yī dāo bì mìng 。
换做李凡，应当是前十几日与之谈笑风生、隐而不发。待行驶到大海深处，其戒心逐渐放下，则悄悄趁着夜色潜入屋中，一刀毙命。
"Swallows know not the aspirations of swans." Li Fan shook his head and put it out of mind, focusing on refining The Xuanhuang Qixin Spell.
suí hòu rēng jìn cāng máng dà hǎi zhōng ， sǐ wú duì zhèng 。
随后扔进苍茫大海中，死无对证。
...
jiù suàn zhēn de yǒu néng zhǎo dào cái bǎo de yì néng ， dàn bì jìng shì chū lái liú lí dǎo ， háo wú gēn jī 。 méi yǒu dé dào shí zhèng zhī qián ， shuí yòu huì wèi le yí gè wài rén 、 ér qiě hái shì yí gè sǐ rén ， ér zhēn de gēn yí gè yǒu zhe jǐ shí gè zhōng xīn shǒu xià de chuán zhǎng sī pò liǎn pí ne ？
就算真的有能找到财宝的异能，但毕竟是初来琉璃岛，豪无根基。没有得到实证之前，谁又会为了一个外人、而且还是一个死人，而真的跟一个有着几十个忠心手下的船长撕破脸皮呢？
With their newfound wealth, Cang Yuan stopped fishing. They immediately turned back towards Lustrous Isle.
tuì yī wàn bù jiǎng ， ruò zhào guǎn shì zhēn de tiě le xīn zé fá ， yě bù guò shì diū le chuán zhǎng zhī wèi 。
退一万步讲，若赵管事真的铁了心责罚，也不过是丢了船长之位。
Given the size of this haul, they couldn't afford to wait for safety; otherwise, no one would rest easy.
yào zhī dào ， liú lí dǎo shàng kě méi yǒu shén me shā rén cháng mìng de shuō fǎ 。
要知道，琉璃岛上可没有什么杀人偿命的说法。
At full speed, they reached Lustrous Isle in just two days.
xiān shī suǒ xū yào de ， zhǐ shì liú lí dǎo néng wěn dìng de shàng jiǎo wù zī bà le 。
仙师所需要的，只是琉璃岛能稳定的上缴物资罢了。
"Once we return, don’t dock right away. Liu San, sneak into the water and go to Mr. Zhao’s mansion to inform him of our findings. He should personally send someone to count," Zhang Haibo instructed his crew solemnly.
suǒ yǐ zài lǐ fán kàn lái ， gēn běn méi yǒu bù dòng shǒu de lǐ yóu 。
所以在李凡看来，根本没有不动手的理由。
If everything went as planned, this would be their most bountiful voyage yet. According to rules, they could claim half!
kě xī de zhāng hào bō bú shì tā lǐ fán 。
可惜的张浩波不是他李凡。
Whoever counted it might underpay or miscalculate—no one wanted that.
gēn běn méi yǒu zhè zhǒng pò lì 。
根本没有这种魄力。
Only a trusted insider would do.
shuō chuān le ， tā zhǐ shì yí gè chún pǔ de yú mín bà le 。
说穿了，他只是一个淳朴的渔民罢了。
The crew nodded in agreement, watching the routine inspection ship approach with heightened vigilance.
tā suǒ kàn zhòng de chuán duì ， duì yú lǐ fán lái shuō ， yě zhǐ shì jì huà zhōng de yí gè xiǎo xiǎo tiào bǎn ér yǐ 。
他所看重的船队，对于李凡来说，也只是计划中的一个小小跳板而已。
"Why are you not letting us on board? Zhang Haibo, what’s your problem?"
“ yàn què ān zhī hóng hú zhī zhì 。” lǐ fán yáo le yáo tóu ， jiù jiāng qí pāo zài nǎo hòu ， jìng xià xīn lái kǔ xiū qīng xīn zhòu 。
“燕雀安知鸿鹄之志。”李凡摇了摇头，就将其抛在脑后，静下心来苦修清心咒。
The other seemed to have some grudge against Zhang Haibo, his words tinged with anger.
……
……
But Zhang Haibo ignored him.
dé le cái bǎo de cāng yuǎn hào ， yě bù bǔ yú le 。 lì mǎ diào zhuǎn chuán tóu ， fǎn huí liú lí dǎo 。
得了财宝的沧远号，也不捕鱼了。立马调转船头，返回琉璃岛。
Seeing no response from Zhang Haibo, the other taunted: "Look at how low the waterline is; you must be empty-handed. Looks like you’re done as captain. If you can’t make it, come to my ship. I’ll ensure you don’t starve!"
bì jìng zhè cì de shōu huò rú cǐ zhī dà ， yī rì bù ān quán de fǎn huí dǎo shàng ， quán tǐ chuán yuán dōu yī rì bù dé ān xīn 。
毕竟这次的收获如此之大，一日不安全的返回岛上，全体船员都一日不得安心。
The crew of Cang Yuan was enraged by their leader's humiliation and prepared to argue.
mǎ lì quán kāi ， bù guò liǎng rì ， liú lí dǎo jiù zài wàng le 。
马力全开，不过两日，琉璃岛就在望了。
But Zhang Haibo stopped them.
“ huí qù yǐ hòu ， xiān bú yào kào àn 。 liú sān nǐ qiāo qiāo xià shuǐ ， rán hòu qù zhào guǎn shì fǔ shàng tōng zhī zhào guǎn shì ， ràng tā qīn zì pài rén lái qīng diǎn 。” zhāng hào bō zhèng zhòng de fēn fù zhòng rén 。
“回去以后，先不要靠岸。刘三你悄悄下水，然后去赵管事府上通知赵管事，让他亲自派人来清点。”张浩波郑重的吩咐众人。
No matter what the other said, Zhang Haibo pretended not to hear until Mr. Zhao’s men arrived.
rú guǒ méi yǒu yì wài ， zhè cì chū hǎi chuán duì zhōng ， yīng gāi shì tā men shōu huò zuì duō le 。
如果没有意外，这次出海船队中，应该是他们收获最多了。
"Zhang Haibo seems well-suited for his position as captain; he isn’t as bad as I imagined. His background limits him," Li Fan thought as he observed the scene from afar.
àn zhào guī zé ， tā men néng fēn de wǔ chéng ！
按照规则，他们能分得五成！
The unusual activity at the dock drew many onlookers, who pointed and gossiped.
wài rén qīng diǎn ， shuí yòu gǎn bǎo zhèng bú huì fā shēng kè kòu 、 gù yì lòu suàn zhī lèi de shì qíng fā shēng ？
外人清点，谁又敢保证不会发生克扣、故意漏算之类的事情发生？
Fortunately, the standoff didn't last long. Soon, Mr. Zhao arrived with his men to oversee the count.
Under the cold moonlight, the crew of Cang Yuan sailed with red-rimmed eyes and labored breaths.
Until now, they still felt as if they were in a dream.
Sixteen large chests filled with gold, silver, and treasures lay quietly on the deck. Some could not help but pinch themselves to confirm the reality. After feeling pain, they stared intently at the scattered wealth, unwilling to shift their gaze away.
Mr. Li did not exaggerate!
He truly managed to bring us back full of treasure!
But this "full load" far exceeded everyone's expectations!
The chests were filled with various jade artifacts, gold, and jewels, dazzling them all.
They had spent half their lives fishing at sea; even in the most beautiful dreams, they had never seen such a magical scene. Zhang Haibo was particularly speechless.
"It’s really true! That guy actually found treasures buried deep underwater! Such abilities... such abilities..."
Living on Lustrous Isle for over two decades, Zhang Haibo knew that there were ordinary mortals with extraordinary powers beyond Immortal Masters. For example, they could communicate with birds in the sky, predict disasters, stay underwater without breathing, and even discern the true nature of people like Mr. Zhao.
But such individuals were rare—either entrusted with important tasks across various islands or enslaved by Immortal Masters to be taken to Thousand Immortals Island. It was truly a rare sight.
He never expected that Li Fan would also be one of these extraordinary beings!
Zhang Haibo suddenly realized that Li Fan had only recently moved to Lustrous Isle. Perhaps his previous island had been destroyed by a typhoon, forcing him to relocate here? No wonder he was treated differently as a newcomer while Mr. Zhao looked at him with favor.
Everything made sense now.
But Zhang Haibo regretted it deeply.
"Zhang Haibo, Zhang Haibo! You missed the opportunity to meet a benefactor. Not only did you fail to seize this chance, but you even thought he was here to steal your small fleet!"
The more he thought about it, the more ashamed he felt, wishing he could slap himself in the face.
"Absolutely not! I must apologize immediately! Right now, right away! Such an extraordinary being would be a guest of honor anywhere. If he harbors resentment for my actions recently..."
Zhang Haibo shuddered and rushed to Li Fan's room to seek forgiveness.
"Why is it that these chests don’t seem to have been submerged for long? Is this just a hallucination?"
"Strange, we didn't even see the sunken ship during our salvage."
"It must have drifted here with the underwater currents or been swept up by typhoons and landed in the sea,"
"Who cares about all that? The treasures are real!"
In his crew's hushed whispers, Zhang Haibo hurried away.
...
Inside the room, Li Fan smiled as he sent Zhang Haibo off. He stretched tiredly.
The sixteen chests of treasure were indeed his own doing. Alone on an uncharted sea, he used Taiyin Boat to move a small portion of his plundered wealth from Great Xuan into the ocean, then signaled for Cang Yuan's return to retrieve them.
The chests were heavy; without months of practicing The Xuanhuang Qixin Spell and the natural nourishment of heaven and earth’s qi, he might not have managed alone. Even so, after completing his task, Li Fan felt as if he had disintegrated.
"For my first big show, I’ll make a bigger spectacle next time." He thought to himself.
As for Zhang Haibo...
Li Fan didn't care about him at all.
To Zhang Haibo, the position of ship captain was his lifeline. If someone suddenly tried to take it away without any reaction, that would be strange indeed. Moreover, his scheme seemed so childish and laughable to Li Fan.
If Li Fan were in his place, he would have feigned casual conversation for a few days before striking at night when Zhang Haibo's guard was down, killing him instantly.
Then toss the body into the vast sea; there would be no witnesses. Even if someone had the ability to find treasures, they lacked roots and support on Lustrous Isle. Without proof of their legitimacy, who would risk a confrontation with a ship captain backed by loyal crew?
Even if Mr. Zhao were to punish him, it would merely mean losing his position as captain.
After all, there was no capital punishment for murder on Lustrous Isle; what Immortal Masters needed was steady supplies from the island.
Thus, Li Fan saw no reason to act.
Unfortunately, Zhang Haibo wasn't like him—lacking the courage and resolve. He was merely a simple fisherman.
To Li Fan, the ship's crew was just a stepping stone in his plan.
"Swallows know not the aspirations of swans." Li Fan shook his head and put it out of mind, focusing on refining The Xuanhuang Qixin Spell.
...
With their newfound wealth, Cang Yuan stopped fishing. They immediately turned back towards Lustrous Isle.
Given the size of this haul, they couldn't afford to wait for safety; otherwise, no one would rest easy.
At full speed, they reached Lustrous Isle in just two days.
"Once we return, don’t dock right away. Liu San, sneak into the water and go to Mr. Zhao’s mansion to inform him of our findings. He should personally send someone to count," Zhang Haibo instructed his crew solemnly.
If everything went as planned, this would be their most bountiful voyage yet. According to rules, they could claim half!
Whoever counted it might underpay or miscalculate—no one wanted that.
Only a trusted insider would do.
The crew nodded in agreement, watching the routine inspection ship approach with heightened vigilance.
"Why are you not letting us on board? Zhang Haibo, what’s your problem?"
The other seemed to have some grudge against Zhang Haibo, his words tinged with anger.
But Zhang Haibo ignored him.
Seeing no response from Zhang Haibo, the other taunted: "Look at how low the waterline is; you must be empty-handed. Looks like you’re done as captain. If you can’t make it, come to my ship. I’ll ensure you don’t starve!"
The crew of Cang Yuan was enraged by their leader's humiliation and prepared to argue.
But Zhang Haibo stopped them.
No matter what the other said, Zhang Haibo pretended not to hear until Mr. Zhao’s men arrived.
"Zhang Haibo seems well-suited for his position as captain; he isn’t as bad as I imagined. His background limits him," Li Fan thought as he observed the scene from afar.
The unusual activity at the dock drew many onlookers, who pointed and gossiped.
Fortunately, the standoff didn't last long. Soon, Mr. Zhao arrived with his men to oversee the count.