Mu Aotie also nodded in agreement.
With unanimous agreement and no objections, they immediately turned around to look for which way to go.
Before strolling around, Yu Qing pointed at Xiao Hei’s bare feet and said, “Do your feet not hurt? Other people wear shoes on their feet, why do you always wear your shoes on your lower back? This is outside, not at home. If you do not care about face, can you at least leave some face for us?”
The reefs by the island were indeed not flat ground. For normal people, it was definitely uncomfortable to walk on them barefoot.
However, Xiao Hei curled his toes, seemingly feeling nothing. The key was probably that he was used to not wearing shoes since he was a child.
His shoes were indeed always hung on the belt at his back. Carrying them in his hands was inconvenient, and hanging them in the front was in the way, so he could only hang them at the back. He just tucked the shoe shafts into the belt and pulled them tight.
Nan Zhu also quickly patted Xiao Hei’s head and said, “Put them on, hurry up, put them on quickly.”
Xiao Hei was actually obedient at this time. He hummed in agreement and immediately pulled the shoes down from his back, about to put them on his feet.
Nan Zhu really could not watch anymore and pulled him back. “My little ancestor, I am not asking you to wash your feet clean, but can you at least pat the sand off your feet? You might not feel uncomfortable wearing them, but it is painful for me to watch.” As he spoke, he knelt on one knee, grabbed Xiao Hei’s little feet to pat them clean, and helped him put on his shoes, while his mouth kept up with the usual nagging. “How is this coming here to do business? I am here to be your nanny.”
After the shoes were put on, Xiao Hei’s feet were clearly feeling awkward inside them.
The group then strolled around the island.
The light here was relatively better, roughly like the scene when the sky is just beginning to dawn. One could not see far, but it was not pitch black, unlike the deep fog over there.
It was probably related to it being daytime in the outside world. Once it got dark here, this place would truly be pitch black.
The group walked halfway around the small island. Seeing that the island was indeed not big and had nothing much to see, they climbed to the highest point on the island, preparing to go into the inn to sit for a while. As a result, when they arrived outside the inn, they found that business seemed quite good. Every table was occupied, and the Qianli Lang who had brought them here was also drinking in the inn.
The three martial brothers felt it was appropriate to avoid them, so they turned around, went down from the top of the hill, and headed straight for the next larger island.
There was a wooden bridge connecting the two islands. The few of them stepped onto the bridge, and their footsteps made continuous creaking sounds. Suddenly, they saw a high-sided large ship sailing from the bright side, not knowing which island it was going to dock at.
Not everyone who came here rode flying mounts. However, it was also unlikely to be a passenger ship from the large mainland. The distance was too far, and taking a ship would take too much time, unless it was a cargo ship. After all, the people doing business on the islands here also needed various supplies, or they needed to transfer materials to the Sea Market via this place.
Crash! A sound of something breaking apart rang out.
The few of them quickly turned their heads to look, only to see that half of Nan Zhu’s body was already under the bridge. His hands timely supported both sides, preventing him from falling, and he quickly bounced his body and flew up.
Landing back on the bridge surface, he could not help but curse in his mouth, “Damn it, the bridge planks are all rotten. How long has it been since they were replaced?”
He actually pressed through the bridge. Yu Qing and Mu Aotie could not help but smile, grinning broadly.
Xiao Hei, however, pointed at Nan Zhu and told the truth, “Fat Uncle, you are too fat, too heavy.”
Nan Zhu directly slapped him on the head and said, “What do you, a child, know?”
After a small interlude, the group continued forward, but they were much more careful. They indeed found that, as Nan Zhu said, the bridge planks were rotten.
Arriving on the neighbouring island, the group walked another small half circle. They felt that the islands here all seemed the same, bare and without plants. Looking around, it was all the same, with nothing much to see, so they climbed up to the inn at the top of the hill again.
Seeing that there were not many people in this one, they walked in, preparing to sit for a while and explore.
The shop attendant immediately ran over to receive them, his face full of smiles. “Guests, please come in. Would you like to sit inside, in the middle, by the window, or upstairs?”
There were still three tables of guests in the hall, all staring at Yu Qing and the others who had just entered, sizing them up.
Nan Zhu asked, “Is anyone upstairs?”
The attendant smiled and said, “There is one table of guests.”
Nan Zhu raised his chin, signalling to go upstairs. The attendant immediately led them up.
When ordering food, they looked at the prices on the menu boards hanging on the wall. Good heavens, the vegetables that ordinary people eat on the mainland were shockingly expensive here. The cheapest leafy green vegetables cost at least over a thousand taels, which was about the same price as some of the local spiritual seafood.
The three martial brothers ordering food fell silent in front of the boards on the wall.
Yu Qing suddenly blurted out, “Who is treating this meal?”
Nan Zhu immediately turned around, pointed at Xiao Hei beside the table, and said, “Do not step on the stool randomly!” as he walked over.
Mu Aotie also immediately turned around and went back.
Yu Qing glanced back, secretly cursing them as villains in his heart. In the end, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and order, pointing his finger and saying, “Stir-fried radish, shredded sweet potato, spicy cabbage. Hmm, that will be it.”
The dishes ordered were all vegetables that were easy to preserve during sea transport. To put it bluntly, they were cheap.
There was no help for it. He really did not have much money left. When returning from the Golden Ruins, it was true that they had obtained over five million taels. The problem was that Wu Hei knew they had this money. Later, when gathering the twenty million in interest, it was not right to let Wu Hei pay more, so they spent almost all of that five million taels at once.
In addition, when Tie Miaoqing left, he gave her a sum of money. There was not much left. The travel expenses for the few of them to ride the flying mounts cost nearly two hundred thousand taels. He really did not have much money left on him, with a total of only about three hundred thousand taels remaining.
Three hundred thousand taels was a huge sum in the mortal world, but it was truly not enough to spend in the cultivation world, especially when running to a place like this.
The travel expenses for the return trip would probably require another two hundred thousand. If they did not spend the rest frugally, the expenses for food, clothing, housing, and transportation during this period might not even be enough. Were they supposed to rob people in the Sea Market? That was the central hub of the demon world.
Begging for food was an option, but did young people not care about face? Moreover, even if they begged, people might not give them anything, let alone with his reputation as the Tanhua.
It was not that he cared about the reputation of the Tanhua, but once it spread, people would immediately know it was him. If it reached the ears of certain people, such as Wen Xin, and they knew he had been reduced to begging, how could he bear it?
Therefore, when ordering, he had to start being frugal. However, looking at the prices, these three dishes still cost over a thousand taels.
The attendant was slightly stunned, probably understanding something. Receiving and seeing off guests here, he had seen quite a few things. After a slight smile, he tried to ask again, “Would you like something to drink?”
Yu Qing said, “We are just resting our feet and sitting casually. Just bring a pot of tea.”
“Very well, please sit comfortably and wait a moment, it will be ready soon.” The attendant made a welcoming gesture and then retreated.
Yu Qing walked back and sat down as if nothing had happened.
“Hmph.” Nan Zhu snorted coldly. “You really have it, running here to treat us to radishes and sweet potatoes.”
Yu Qing looked at the table of guests not far away and lowered his voice. “What are you making noise for? Do not you know that walls have ears? If you want to eat something else, that is fine, but let me say the ugly words first. Once I do not have enough money on me, the money on you must be taken out to get through the difficulties together.”
Back then, these two guys each gave one hundred thousand taels, so they definitely still had quite a bit left.
“Hmph.” Mu Aotie also gave a cold snort.
Nan Zhu glared at him. “Get this straight. You are the one who implicated us, and we are the ones who saved you. At a time like this, you still want us to pay. Has your conscience been eaten by a dog?”
Yu Qing said in a deep voice, “Did I ask you to save me? Who told you to meddle? If you had not interfered, even if I had turned into that state, would I not still have to come here to find that thing now? The important thing is, if I had been conscious, I would definitely have brought out a lot more money. How would it have become so embarrassing? Look at the good job you did, and you still have the face to say this?”
Mu Aotie could not listen anymore. “You ungrateful wretch!”
Yu Qing immediately reached out his hand to him. “Yes, you are not heartless. If you have a conscience, then take out the money!”
Take out money? Mu Aotie turned his head to look aside, expressing his attitude. This was impossible!
Yu Qing also snorted coldly. “Eat it or not, if you are unhappy, go wherever you want. If you have the guts, do not follow me.”
Nan and Mu both had dark faces and kept silent. Although they were unhappy, they still had to follow together. Otherwise, would they not have to pay for their own travel expenses back?
Other things were easy to talk about, but they could not talk about money. Once things reached the point of who had to pay, the martial brothers would immediately turn against each other.
Xiao Hei occupied one side by himself, swinging his feet under the stool. He had kicked off his shoes again, holding a chopstick in each hand and knocking them vigorously on the table, knowing nothing of the hardships of life.
At this time, the few people at a table not far away stood up. As they walked past, the three martial brothers, who were in a bad mood, pretended to act as if nothing had happened.
The sound of the attendant seeing off the guests from downstairs rang out, followed immediately by the sound of footsteps coming upstairs. It was the attendant carrying a teapot up.
The attendant’s face still had a full, enthusiastic smile as he personally poured tea for the three adults and one child.
When pouring into the teacup in front of Yu Qing, Yu Qing politely reached out to touch the cup, signalling that it was enough.
The attendant, who was levelling the spout of the pot, was slightly stunned in his gaze, obviously staring at the ring worn on Yu Qing’s index finger. It was exactly the ring that Wu Hei had given him, which he had worn on his finger after leaving Youjiaobu.
The purpose was also simple. Wearing it in plain sight was better than hiding it in the dark. What if the strong man’s sister saw it? Or if they ran into someone who understood, they would naturally have a clue.
The attendant’s reaction startled the three martial brothers, and they quickly looked at each other.
Yu Qing immediately showed the face of the ring to the attendant and asked tentatively, “Why are you staring at my ring?”
The attendant quickly bowed and apologised. “Sorry, sorry, guest. I absolutely have no improper thoughts. I just feel this ring looks familiar. It seems I have seen the same one before.”
As soon as these words came out, they actually stirred the three martial brothers so much that they almost stood up. No way, did they get a clue as soon as they arrived?
They all had to control their emotions, trying their best to act calm and unruffled.
Yu Qing cheerfully probed, “The style of my ring is relatively unique. There is actually another one just like it. Where did you see it?”
The attendant said, “Nowhere else, just in the shop. It was probably a few years ago when I saw a guest wearing it on their hand.” As he spoke, he continued to pour tea for the others.
How could Yu Qing let this go? He immediately expressed doubt. “Although this ring is unique, it is not so unique that it is unforgettable at a glance, is it? A ring worn on the hand of a guest, and after a few years, you can actually still remember it. That is somewhat unbelievable.”
The attendant smiled and replied, “I might not remember other guests, but I really remembered that time. There was no help for it. That guest’s fingers were very beautiful. Until now, I have never seen such beautiful fingers. The ring paired with those fingers was too eye-catching. I could not help but look a few more times, so I remembered it. I still remember that it was pouring rain outside that day. She walked slowly into the small shop from the rain alone, wearing a cloak. Even in the rain, she did not lose a special kind of elegance and calmness, which was truly impressive.”
</think>
Mu Aotie also nodded in agreement.
With unanimous agreement and no objections, they immediately turned around to look for which way to go.
Before strolling around, Yu Qing pointed at Xiao Hei’s bare feet and said, “Do your feet not hurt? Other people wear shoes on their feet, why do you always wear your shoes on your lower back? This is outside, not at home. If you do not care about face, can you at least leave some face for us?”
The reefs by the island were indeed not flat ground. For normal people, it was definitely uncomfortable to walk on them barefoot.
However, Xiao Hei curled his toes, seemingly feeling nothing. The key was probably that he was used to not wearing shoes since he was a child.
His shoes were indeed always hung on the belt at his back. Carrying them in his hands was inconvenient, and hanging them in the front was in the way, so he could only hang them at the back. He just tucked the shoe shafts into the belt and pulled them tight.
Nan Zhu also quickly patted Xiao Hei’s head and said, “Put them on, hurry up, put them on quickly.”
Xiao Hei was actually obedient at this time. He hummed in agreement and immediately pulled the shoes down from his back, about to put them on his feet.
Nan Zhu really could not watch anymore and pulled him back. “My little ancestor, I am not asking you to wash your feet clean, but can you at least pat the sand off your feet? You might not feel uncomfortable wearing them, but it is painful for me to watch.” As he spoke, he knelt on one knee, grabbed Xiao Hei’s little feet to pat them clean, and helped him put on his shoes, while his mouth kept up with the usual nagging. “How is this coming here to do business? I am here to be your nanny.”
After the shoes were put on, Xiao Hei’s feet were clearly feeling awkward inside them.
The group then strolled around the island.
The light here was relatively better, roughly like the scene when the sky is just beginning to dawn. One could not see far, but it was not pitch black, unlike the deep fog over there.
It was probably related to it being daytime in the outside world. Once it got dark here, this place would truly be pitch black.
The group walked halfway around the small island. Seeing that the island was indeed not big and had nothing much to see, they climbed to the highest point on the island, preparing to go into the inn to sit for a while. As a result, when they arrived outside the inn, they found that business seemed quite good. Every table was occupied, and the Qianli Lang who had brought them here was also drinking in the inn.
The three martial brothers felt it was appropriate to avoid them, so they turned around, went down from the top of the hill, and headed straight for the next larger island.
There was a wooden bridge connecting the two islands. The few of them stepped onto the bridge, and their footsteps made continuous creaking sounds. Suddenly, they saw a high-sided large ship sailing from the bright side, not knowing which island it was going to dock at.
Not everyone who came here rode flying mounts. However, it was also unlikely to be a passenger ship from the large mainland. The distance was too far, and taking a ship would take too much time, unless it was a cargo ship. After all, the people doing business on the islands here also needed various supplies, or they needed to transfer materials to the Sea Market via this place.
Crash! A sound of something breaking apart rang out.
The few of them quickly turned their heads to look, only to see that half of Nan Zhu’s body was already under the bridge. His hands timely supported both sides, preventing him from falling, and he quickly bounced his body and flew up.
Landing back on the bridge surface, he could not help but curse in his mouth, “Damn it, the bridge planks are all rotten. How long has it been since they were replaced?”
He actually pressed through the bridge. Yu Qing and Mu Aotie could not help but smile, grinning broadly.
Xiao Hei, however, pointed at Nan Zhu and told the truth, “Fat Uncle, you are too fat, too heavy.”
Nan Zhu directly slapped him on the head and said, “What do you, a child, know?”
After a small interlude, the group continued forward, but they were much more careful. They indeed found that, as Nan Zhu said, the bridge planks were rotten.
Arriving on the neighbouring island, the group walked another small half circle. They felt that the islands here all seemed the same, bare and without plants. Looking around, it was all the same, with nothing much to see, so they climbed up to the inn at the top of the hill again.
Seeing that there were not many people in this one, they walked in, preparing to sit for a while and explore.
The shop attendant immediately ran over to receive them, his face full of smiles. “Guests, please come in. Would you like to sit inside, in the middle, by the window, or upstairs?”
There were still three tables of guests in the hall, all staring at Yu Qing and the others who had just entered, sizing them up.
Nan Zhu asked, “Is anyone upstairs?”
The attendant smiled and said, “There is one table of guests.”
Nan Zhu raised his chin, signalling to go upstairs. The attendant immediately led them up.
When ordering food, they looked at the prices on the menu boards hanging on the wall. Good heavens, the vegetables that ordinary people eat on the mainland were shockingly expensive here. The cheapest leafy green vegetables cost at least over a thousand taels, which was about the same price as some of the local spiritual seafood.
The three martial brothers ordering food fell silent in front of the boards on the wall.
Yu Qing suddenly blurted out, “Who is treating this meal?”
Nan Zhu immediately turned around, pointed at Xiao Hei beside the table, and said, “Do not step on the stool randomly!” as he walked over.
Mu Aotie also immediately turned around and went back.
Yu Qing glanced back, secretly cursing them as villains in his heart. In the end, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and order, pointing his finger and saying, “Stir-fried radish, shredded sweet potato, spicy cabbage. Hmm, that will be it.”
The dishes ordered were all vegetables that were easy to preserve during sea transport. To put it bluntly, they were cheap.
There was no help for it. He really did not have much money left. When returning from the Golden Ruins, it was true that they had obtained over five million taels. The problem was that Wu Hei knew they had this money. Later, when gathering the twenty million in interest, it was not right to let Wu Hei pay more, so they spent almost all of that five million taels at once.
In addition, when Tie Miaoqing left, he gave her a sum of money. There was not much left. The travel expenses for the few of them to ride the flying mounts cost nearly two hundred thousand taels. He really did not have much money left on him, with a total of only about three hundred thousand taels remaining.
Three hundred thousand taels was a huge sum in the mortal world, but it was truly not enough to spend in the cultivation world, especially when running to a place like this.
The travel expenses for the return trip would probably require another two hundred thousand. If they did not spend the rest frugally, the expenses for food, clothing, housing, and transportation during this period might not even be enough. Were they supposed to rob people in the Sea Market? That was the central hub of the demon world.
Begging for food was an option, but did young people not care about face? Moreover, even if they begged, people might not give them anything, let alone with his reputation as the Tanhua.
It was not that he cared about the reputation of the Tanhua, but once it spread, people would immediately know it was him. If it reached the ears of certain people, such as Wen Xin, and they knew he had been reduced to begging, how could he bear it?
Therefore, when ordering, he had to start being frugal. However, looking at the prices, these three dishes still cost over a thousand taels.
The attendant was slightly stunned, probably understanding something. Receiving and seeing off guests here, he had seen quite a few things. After a slight smile, he tried to ask again, “Would you like something to drink?”
Yu Qing said, “We are just resting our feet and sitting casually. Just bring a pot of tea.”
“Very well, please sit comfortably and wait a moment, it will be ready soon.” The attendant made a welcoming gesture and then retreated.
Yu Qing walked back and sat down as if nothing had happened.
“Hmph.” Nan Zhu snorted coldly. “You really have it, running here to treat us to radishes and sweet potatoes.”
Yu Qing looked at the table of guests not far away and lowered his voice. “What are you making noise for? Do not you know that walls have ears? If you want to eat something else, that is fine, but let me say the ugly words first. Once I do not have enough money on me, the money on you must be taken out to get through the difficulties together.”
Back then, these two guys each gave one hundred thousand taels, so they definitely still had quite a bit left.
“Hmph.” Mu Aotie also gave a cold snort.
Nan Zhu glared at him. “Get this straight. You are the one who implicated us, and we are the ones who saved you. At a time like this, you still want us to pay. Has your conscience been eaten by a dog?”
Yu Qing said in a deep voice, “Did I ask you to save me? Who told you to meddle? If you had not interfered, even if I had turned into that state, would I not still have to come here to find that thing now? The important thing is, if I had been conscious, I would definitely have brought out a lot more money. How would it have become so embarrassing? Look at the good job you did, and you still have the face to say this?”
Mu Aotie could not listen anymore. “You ungrateful wretch!”
Yu Qing immediately reached out his hand to him. “Yes, you are not heartless. If you have a conscience, then take out the money!”
Take out money? Mu Aotie turned his head to look aside, expressing his attitude. This was impossible!
Yu Qing also snorted coldly. “Eat it or not, if you are unhappy, go wherever you want. If you have the guts, do not follow me.”
Nan and Mu both had dark faces and kept silent. Although they were unhappy, they still had to follow together. Otherwise, would they not have to pay for their own travel expenses back?
Other things were easy to talk about, but they could not talk about money. Once things reached the point of who had to pay, the martial brothers would immediately turn against each other.
Xiao Hei occupied one side by himself, swinging his feet under the stool. He had kicked off his shoes again, holding a chopstick in each hand and knocking them vigorously on the table, knowing nothing of the hardships of life.
At this time, the few people at a table not far away stood up. As they walked past, the three martial brothers, who were in a bad mood, pretended to act as if nothing had happened.
The sound of the attendant seeing off the guests from downstairs rang out, followed immediately by the sound of footsteps coming upstairs. It was the attendant carrying a teapot up.
The attendant’s face still had a full, enthusiastic smile as he personally poured tea for the three adults and one child.
When pouring into the teacup in front of Yu Qing, Yu Qing politely reached out to touch the cup, signalling that it was enough.
The attendant, who was levelling the spout of the pot, was slightly stunned in his gaze, obviously staring at the ring worn on Yu Qing’s index finger. It was exactly the ring that Wu Hei had given him, which he had worn on his finger after leaving Youjiaobu.
The purpose was also simple. Wearing it in plain sight was better than hiding it in the dark. What if the strong man’s sister saw it? Or if they ran into someone who understood, they would naturally have a clue.
The attendant’s reaction startled the three martial brothers, and they quickly looked at each other.
Yu Qing immediately showed the face of the ring to the attendant and asked tentatively, “Why are you staring at my ring?”
The attendant quickly bowed and apologised. “Sorry, sorry, guest. I absolutely have no improper thoughts. I just feel this ring looks familiar. It seems I have seen the same one before.”
As soon as these words came out, they actually stirred the three martial brothers so much that they almost stood up. No way, did they get a clue as soon as they arrived?
They all had to control their emotions, trying their best to act calm and unruffled.
Yu Qing cheerfully probed, “The style of my ring is relatively unique. There is actually another one just like it. Where did you see it?”
The attendant said, “Nowhere else, just in the shop. It was probably a few years ago when I saw a guest wearing it on their hand.” As he spoke, he continued to pour tea for the others.
How could Yu Qing let this go? He immediately expressed doubt. “Although this ring is unique, it is not so unique that it is unforgettable at a glance, is it? A ring worn on the hand of a guest, and after a few years, you can actually still remember it. That is somewhat unbelievable.”
The attendant smiled and replied, “I might not remember other guests, but I really remembered that time. There was no help for it. That guest’s fingers were very beautiful. Until now, I have never seen such beautiful fingers. The ring paired with those fingers was too eye-catching. I could not help but look a few more times, so I remembered it. I still remember that it was pouring rain outside that day. She walked slowly into the small shop from the rain alone, wearing a cloak. Even in the rain, she did not lose a special kind of elegance and calmness, which was truly impressive.”