Feast

【Intelligence 3: Three miles west of Yunyi Island, inside an underwater rocky cave, lives a Tier Two Precious Fish, the 'Ink-Bone Blue Fish'. (Attachment: Coordinates...)】

【Intelligence 4: Two miles south of this location, in a dense forest reed marsh, lies the nest of a Tier One Precious Beast, the 'Purple-Beaked Duck', containing two duck eggs. (Attachment: Coordinates...)】

‘Not bad!’

Shen Xiuhan looked at these two pieces of intelligence and licked his lips, feeling highly satisfied.

Martial arts cultivation.

It was always a pursuit that consumed vast amounts of money and resources.

Among the so-called “method, wealth, companionship, and place,” wealth was always at the very top.

If he wanted to enter the Diaohai Blessed Land when it opened and fight for opportunities, he could not afford to slacken his “high-resource” cultivation style.

Currently, Shen Xiuhan only had three 『Jasper Blood Pills』 and eight 『Jade-Tempered Pills』 left.

Although he received a monthly supply of pills from the Ji family, the amount of pills required to break through to and cultivate the Tendon Tempering stage was far greater than what was needed for Blood Tempering and Bone Tempering.

Therefore, the locations of this Precious Fish and Precious Beast in the intelligence could not have come at a better time.

Just as he was planning when to go catch the fish, hurried footsteps echoed outside the courtyard.

Immediately after, Yan Chuan's booming voice, laced with excitement, rang out from outside the door:

“Brother Ruan, let's go! Time to gather at the central bamboo building! The Garrison Master sent word that there's going to be a grand feast tonight to reward all the squads and welcome the new brothers to the island... Eh, where's Old Hu?”

“He's been squatting in the latrine for fifteen minutes. I'd say there's an eighty percent chance he fell in.”

“Screw your mother! Ruan Linhuan, do you have to keep tabs on me even when I'm taking a massive dump?”

Hu Zhi's cursing came from afar, accompanied by the rustling sound of him tying his belt.

“Sigh... Just hurry up. I'll go inside and inform the Patrol Envoy.”

Shen Xiuhan heard them clearly from inside the room. When Yan Chuan knocked and entered, he said, “I heard everything. When do we set off?”

“Right now. Everyone is...”

Yan Chuan stopped mid-sentence.

His bull-like eyes widened, staring straight at the floor near Shen Xiuhan's feet.

There was a wet patch of water left behind from the characters of the Divine Ability method dissolving into rain.

Connecting the dots between Ruan Linhuan saying Hu Zhi had been squatting in the latrine for a long time, and the Patrol Envoy's room being inexplicably wet...

Yan Chuan's expression instantly became incredibly strange.

Shen Xiuhan followed his gaze, and his face instantly darkened. His knuckles popped with a sharp crack, and his voice dropped low:

“Are you looking for a thrashing?”

“Hehe, I wouldn't dare... Your subordinate wouldn't dare!”

Yan Chuan shrank his neck and hurriedly laughed it off to change the subject:

“My Lord, Team D's men are temporarily guarding the water territory. Let's head to the central bamboo building. We shouldn't keep the Garrison Master waiting.”

“You don't care about keeping the Garrison Master waiting; you're just eager to drink, aren't you?”

Shen Xiuhan snorted, not bothering to argue with this blockhead.

He stepped out of the room and left the courtyard.

Green bamboo shaded the deep, secluded path.

The lake wind blew over the ripples, rustling through the layers of bamboo leaves like surging waves.

The wind still carried a hint of moisture, refreshing anyone it brushed against.

Yan Chuan walked half a step behind, whispering to Shen Xiuhan about the feast:

“Patrol Envoy, the main family has made a grand gesture this time. They transferred six or seven capable guards in one go, filling all the vacancies in the various squads. And for the vacant Patrol Envoy position in Team A, the main family has also sent someone new.”

Team A used to be Lu Ya's territory.

Shen Xiuhan raised an eyebrow.

“What's his background?”

“I heard he's a genius from a branch of the main family, a skilled expert who has broken through the Bone Tempering stage. His surname is Ji, and he's called Ji Yuande.”

Yan Chuan's tone carried a hint of awe.

Shen Xiuhan nodded slightly.

Lately, he had either been patrolling the lake or cultivating behind closed doors.

He had poured all his focus into tempering his main bones to break through the Tendon Tempering stage, completely ignoring Lu Ya's affairs.

Recalling that arrogant, burly man whom he had only met once, he asked casually, “What happened to Lu Ya?”

“He died without a grave, of course...”

Yan Chuan shook his head and sighed in amazement.

“You've been cultivating all day, Patrol Envoy, so you didn't see how that fellow ended up. He was left out in the sun on the shore for seven days and seven nights before he finally drew his last breath. By the time the Garrison Master gave us permission to collect his body, he didn't even look human anymore...

“His skin and flesh were baked dry and cracked, just like mud in a field during a years-long drought. It would crumble at a touch. When we went to collect the corpse, it was crawling with blowflies buzzing in and out, densely packed. The most terrifying part was his left eye, which had been pecked out by crows, leaving only a bloody, maggot-infested black socket. He died with his eyes wide open...”

Shen Xiuhan listened calmly and said in a flat tone, “He got what he deserved.”

“Exactly! Betraying one's master is a sin worthy of death.”

Yan Chuan spat in disgust, but then his expression turned solemn.

“But... ever since that fellow's corpse was thrown into the water to feed the fish, the atmosphere on the island has completely changed. In the past, during night patrols, there would always be a few bold ones sneaking a flask of cheap wine to warm themselves up. Now? Let alone drinking, even people chatting idly have become rare!”

Shen Xiuhan looked at the flickering lights of the bamboo forest in the distance, his mind as clear as a mirror.

Lu Ya's death was Ji Ning's way of making an example to establish rules on the island.

It not only disciplined the squads but also served as a subtle warning—

If you eat the Ji family's food, you must work yourself to the bone for the Ji family. If you dare to betray them, you will die regardless of who you pledge your loyalty to!

As they spoke, they rounded a corner.

Ahead, several bonfires had already been lit on the open ground in front of the central bamboo building.

Flames licked the firewood, and the wild sheep roasted on the racks turned golden and crispy. Grease dripped into the charcoal fire, releasing bursts of rich, savory aroma.

Plump lake fish were sliced open, stuffed with ginger slices and scallion knots, and sizzled on the iron grills, their scent wafting directly into everyone's nostrils.

As Shen Xiuhan and Yan Chuan approached, the guards who had been sitting around the bamboo building, playing drinking games and laughing, all stood up.

“Patrol Envoy Shen is here!”

“I heard Patrol Envoy Shen broke through the Bone Tempering stage. Congratulations!”

“Patrol Envoy, this jar of aged wine has just had its clay seal broken, and it smells incredibly fragrant. You must come play a few rounds of drinking games later!”

Greetings rang out one after another.

The two Patrol Envoys of Team B and Team D also stood up and politely cupped their hands.

Both of them were in their thirties with mediocre talent. They had only managed to grind their way into the Blood Tempering stage thanks to their years of seniority with the main family. Though their strength was average, they were exceptionally loyal to the Ji family.

At this moment, the gaze they directed at Shen Xiuhan held a hint of awe beneath the polite pleasantries.

Shen Xiuhan responded to each of them with cupped hands, his every movement radiating humility.

This posture won the silent admiration of the surrounding guards.

He found a spot and sat down.

Yan Chuan impatiently poured a bowl of wine for Shen Xiuhan and himself.

The liquid was amber-colored, its aroma rich and thick, with a distinct herbal scent.

Shen Xiuhan took a sip.

The spicy liquor slid down his throat and into his stomach, bringing a rising warmth that caused his blood qi to ripple slightly.

“Medicinal wine!”

Shen Xiuhan realized.

No wonder everyone was flocking to it, and Yan Chuan had been talking about the drinks all the way.

As it turned out, the wine served at this feast had been infused with precious herbs.

These low-level martial artists only received a single bowl of medicinal soup as their monthly stipend.

Its efficacy was minimal, essentially just diluted medicinal cuisine.

Relying on that to sense blood qi and break through the Mingjin Rank barrier would take forever.

This medicinal wine was both highly nourishing and satisfying, naturally raising everyone's spirits.

Just then, the wooden door of the bamboo building opened.