The three of them looked down at the fish, then looked up at the old man fishing.
The old man turned his head, and his proud, cold gaze fixed on them.
The two sides stared at each other for a while. Yu Qing elbowed Nan Zhu.
Nan Zhu understood, immediately put on a dry smile, and bent down to grab the fish on the ground.
That white strange fish was indeed somewhat odd. Its pectoral fins were similar to palms. It was already wriggling and crawling on the reef, intending to crawl back to the sea. However, its movement speed was too slow. In the end, it was still grabbed by Nan Zhu as he bent down.
Nan Zhu held the fish in both hands, showing kindness to the old man fishing, then approached with a brazen face. Yu Qing and Mu Aotie also followed over.
When they got close, they discovered there was a pool of water beside the reef where the old man sat. A stone crevice connected it to the sea water. In the shallow water, there were already more than a dozen various kinds of fish.
Nan Zhu looked very well-behaved. He squatted down and gently placed the fish into the pool.
While the old man fishing was sizing them up, Yu Qing slightly turned sideways, letting the light from the island shine over, then deliberately clasped his hands in front of his abdomen, deliberately revealing the fish ring on his hand in the light, deliberately letting the other party see it.
However, the old man fishing’s gaze did not linger on that ring at all. Or rather, it did not attract his attention in the slightest. He turned back to continue baiting the hook, then cast it into the water, continuing to sit there fishing with an air of serene confidence.
That attitude was one of complete indifference, as if nothing was worth his attention. At least, the three people before him were not worth his concern.
The three senior brothers looked at each other.
Nan Zhu felt his hands were sticky. He could not help but raise his hand to smell the fishy odour. He felt like he had been snubbed, yet did not dare to show any dissatisfaction. After all, he could not gauge the depth of the person before him.
In the end, it was Yu Qing who cupped his hands and spoke out, “May I ask the senior’s respected name?”
After speaking, he waited for a while, but the other party was solely focused on fishing and gave no response whatsoever.
Yu Qing had no choice but to speak louder, “Senior…”
“Don’t make noise.” The old man interrupted, “Can’t you see this old man is fishing?” He then turned his head to look, “What do you want?”
Yu Qing extended his cupped hands forward a bit, his attitude extremely respectful. The purpose was still to deliberately reveal that fish ring to the other party to see. “We have come to the island to find someone. We do not know if the senior is the person we are looking for. May I ask the senior’s respected name?”
Old man: “This old man’s respected name has nothing to do with you. There is also no one on this island that you are looking for.”
Nan Zhu could not help but let slip a remark, “How do you know there is no one on this island that we are looking for?”
The old man’s gaze returned to the float on the fishing line on the sea surface. “This old man has lived here long-term. Apart from the occasional passer-by on the island, there is no one else. Those who stayed long are all dead. There are no living things.”
Nan Zhu immediately laughed heh-heh, “Senior, your words are rather exaggerated. According to what we know, an inhuman creature is also entrenched on this island. It seems to be a stubborn, many-limbed octopus monster. Could it be that old monster is also dead?”
The old man’s lips suddenly tightened. In the end, they slowly relaxed again. He slightly nodded and said, “That’s right. Already dead.”
Nan Zhu was stunned, “Dead?”
The old man said with a bland expression, “Eliminated by this old man.”
At these words, the three senior brothers were all shocked. It was said that that inhuman creature possessed Shangxuan cultivation. Being able to occupy this island in the mysterious and unpredictable Nether Sea for many years, its strength was imaginable. This old man could actually kill it. His strength was naturally even more terrifying.
The three of them also increasingly suspected that this was the mysterious owner behind Lingxi Zhai.
Yu Qing immediately stopped hesitating. He directly displayed the ring face with one hand and simply asked, “Does the senior recognise this ring?”
Hearing these words, the old man fishing did subconsciously turn his head to look over. His gaze also fell on that ring. He just looked at it for a while longer. There was no ripple in his expression. He asked in return, “This old man doesn’t like or recognise these bits and pieces.”
After speaking, he turned his head back again to continue staring at the float.
Yu Qing was startled. He pressed further, “Then does the senior know ‘Lingxi Zhai’?”
The old man said coldly and indifferently, “Don’t recognise it, don’t know it, and don’t know what you are talking about.”
Yu Qing: “I heard that the owner of ‘Lingxi Zhai’ lives on this island. Since the senior lives here long-term, could it be that you don’t know him?”
The old man suddenly took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress his emotions, “Isn’t what this old man said human speech? Can’t you understand? Today, seeing as you voluntarily picked up fish for this old man, this old man won’t quibble with you. On a normal day, with such noise, this old man would have already twisted your heads off. Scram before this old man loses his temper. Scram away!”
Nan Zhu anxiously wiped his hands on the clothes he was wearing. He, who was always talkative, still wanted to argue one sentence. But Yu Qing reached out to block his chest, shaking his head to indicate not to speak anymore. “Let’s go.”
Nan Zhu didn’t understand. He pointed at the old man, “Didn’t you say…”
Yu Qing simply pulled him and dragged him away directly. Mu Aotie also pushed Nan Zhu, and himself consciously followed.
This time, the three of them did not take the water route. Yu Qing led the way walking on the rugged reef terrain. This place was also full of pools that the receding tide could not carry away.
Nan Zhu looked back every few steps. Until he could no longer see the old man fishing clearly, estimating that their speech would not be heard, he then said in a low voice, “Old Fifteenth, just leaving like this?”
Yu Qing also looked back again, “He has already spoken to that point. There is no need to anger him and bring trouble upon ourselves.”
Nan Zhu looked puzzled, “Weren’t you going to confirm his identity?”
Yu Qing: “No need. He probably isn’t that mysterious owner.”
Nan Zhu was surprised and suspicious, “How can you tell?”
Mu Aotie cut in, “The Lingxi Zhai shopkeeper asked the owner for permission before telling us the address. If he were that owner, there would be no need to pretend not to know after meeting.”
Nan Zhu pondered, gradually reacting. He suddenly quickly looked at the environment of where they were walking, and asked, “What are we doing now?”
Mu Aotie also could not answer this question.
Yu Qing: “There are eight people in the Zilan Island area. We have seen two mermen, and also Qing Ya, Pang Chengqiu and Cui You. Plus that old man fishing just now. Two remain unseen. Let’s go take a look.”
Nan Zhu became somewhat anxious again, “What else are we looking at? Aren’t the remaining ones that Long Xingyun and an expert you mentioned?”
Yu Qing: “That’s what they said. How can we be sure without seeing with our own eyes? If there is simply no Lingxi Zhai owner on Zilan Island, then Long Xingyun running here to ambush us would not be as simple as a leak of information.”
Nan Zhu was slightly startled. His brows slowly furrowed, his expression grave as he said, “You mean, a trap was deliberately designed?”
Yu Qing didn’t say anything more. Between his brows, it was clearly heavy with worry.
This dark area was relatively low-lying terrain. Precisely because of this, it was often flooded by the tide.
The three of them reached the bottom of a slope. After nestling in a patch of shadows, Yu Qing said in a low voice, “I’ll go confirm. You two wait here for me. Don’t blindly follow again. Their position is relatively high, so the view should be quite good. Too many people going would easily be discovered. I alone can approach more easily.”
After repeatedly urging them, using reason to convince the two, and confirming that the two would not act on impulse and follow blindly again, he swiftly crept out.
Climbing over the slope, crouching and burrowing to the side of a patch of dazzling Purple Thatched Grass, using it as cover, he then used the Observation Word Technique to stare at the wisps of drifting mist for a while. After determining the approximate positions of the various parties, he moved again quietly.
Hiding here and there, creeping and slipping about, he finally locked onto the target’s position with his own eyes. Yet he could not see the target. His line of sight was blocked by a patch of Purple Thatched Grass. Unless he jumped onto the tops of the Purple Thatched Grass, it would be about the same, but he could not do that. Leaping out would easily be discovered.
Or he could pass through that Purple Thatched Grass area, but he did not dare get too close.
The strength of the number one local boss of the Sea Market, he had also heard rumours of it. That was a status won through fighting and competing with fists, not just for show. He was an expert of the Shangxuan realm. The person beside Long Xingyun, being called an expert by Qing Ya, his strength was imaginable.
With that kind of person’s strength, if he dared to get close, he would definitely be discovered. Then it would be like a sheep entering a tiger’s mouth. He would not even think about running.
The reason he dared to get close to Qing Ya before was because it was in the water. Moving gently would not create any noise. On land, even if his feet stepping on the ground made the slightest noise, it would be hard to escape that kind of expert’s keen perception.
After thinking it over again and again, he still did not dare take that risk. With no other choice, Yu Qing quietly retreated again, slinking back to his two senior brothers’ side in disgrace.
Seeing him return, Nan Zhu immediately asked, “How was it?”
“It was a wasted trip. Can’t get close…” Yu Qing immediately explained the situation, then whispered in the ears of his two senior brothers for a while, seeking their help.
The two naturally had no objections. After understanding the meaning, they immediately crept into the darkness.
And Yu Qing climbed back up to the bright area on the slope again, continuing to sneak and burrow about. After expending some effort, he slipped back to the hiding place where he had previously not dared to cross the boundary.
After crouching there for a while, estimating that his two senior brothers were probably almost in position, he took out “Big Head,” pointed in a direction, and said in a low voice, “Big Head, Old Seventh and Old Ninth are at the foot of that mountain over there. You go find them. Be careful. Don’t let others discover you.”
After speaking, he opened his palm. “Big Head” tilted its head at him, then flapped its wings and flew off with a whoosh.
This was something he had discussed with those two. As long as they saw “Big Head” coming to find them, it proved that he was ready here, and they could start moving over there.
After watching it disappear, he turned around again to stare intently at the target’s hiding place, waiting.
Not long after, a violent “boom” sound suddenly erupted from somewhere at the foot of the mountain. It made people wonder what had happened.
As expected, Yin Shanhe and Long Xingyun, who could not be seen directly in the line of sight, leapt out and stood on the leaves of the Purple Thatched Grass, looking toward the direction the noise came from.
After a moment, the two flew off together, rushing to the place where the noise came from to investigate.
After clearly seeing their faces, and seeing the two leave, Yu Qing immediately turned his head and left, swiftly slipping back down to the dark slope below.
After waiting for a while, Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie, who had made the noise and immediately dived into the water to escape, returned to meet up.
Nan Zhu asked upon meeting, “How was it? Did you see clearly?”
Yu Qing did not answer immediately. First, he used the Observation Word Technique to confirm no one was approaching, then replied in a low voice, “I saw them. It really is that bastard Long Xingyun. He really is haunting us like an evil spirit.”
Nan Zhu was uncertain with shock, “So that means, there really is no such owner on this island. It really is Lingxi Zhai setting up a trap to harm us?”
Mu Aotie looked puzzled, “Then what about that Lingxi Zhai ring emblem?”
Yu Qing was silent for a long time. In the end, he seemed to have made some decision. He slowly said in a deep voice, “Start with Long Xingyun first. Bind him first!”