Since the sky was covered, the heavens began to show their holiness

Zhou Xian stretched his back, letting the warm sunlight flow through every inch of his skin, with a contented smile on the corners of his lips: "It's true that the outside world is more comfortable." His fingertips unconsciously stroked the damp coldness remaining on the corners of his clothes. He squinted his eyes and looked at the clear blue sky - those long days and nights trapped in the thick fog of Shadow Island, at this moment, turned into a long sigh in his chest, mixed with the sea breeze and dissipated in the salty air.

Before the sigh faded away, Zhou Xian's body was surrounded by golden light that suddenly increased and turned into a dazzling light that cut through the sky like an arrow.

The blue waves surged under his feet, and the layers of waves beat against the reefs. The salty smell became stronger as the sea breeze blew. He shuttled between the sea and the sky, leaving the haze of the Shadow Isles far behind, and flew towards Bilgewater.

After flying for an unknown amount of time, Zhou Xian finally saw some movement on the sea. At first, there were only one or two boats floating on the horizon, with their masts looming in the waves like drifting fireflies.

As he continued to fly, ships came from all directions like a tide, the white sails of the merchant ships raised up continuous snow-white waves, the fishing nets of the fishing boats shone silver in the sun, dozens of large and small ships were staggered, masts stood like a forest, and the sound of oars hitting the water and the shouts of vendors mixed with the sea breeze, turning the silent sea into a long scroll of bustling market.

Zhou Xian suddenly stopped running, his clothes rustling. The port of Bilgewater at his feet was like a vivid picture scroll unfolding before his eyes: rusty anchor chains hanging into the blue waves, masts standing densely like a forest, rows of wooden buildings crookedly crowded at the dock, and colorful flags and drying fishing nets fluttering in the salty sea breeze.

The hustle and bustle of the tavern, the shouts of the vendors, mixed with the caramelized aroma of grilled seafood and the spicy taste of rum hit you in the face. This port, known as the "City of Chaos", is welcoming the arrival of this guest with its most primitive vitality.

“I don’t know if these currencies can still be used…”

Zhou Xian looked at the port below his feet and fell into deep thought for a moment. As he had just arrived in this world, he only had some commemorative currencies he had casually collected from Shadow Island. He didn't know if they could still be used after so many years.

Zhou Xian narrowed his eyes slightly, and the corners of his mouth raised an unruly arc: "Forget it, let's go down and take a look first. If it doesn't work, I'll go find someone to 'borrow' some."

Before he finished speaking, golden light suddenly shone around him, and he streaked through the sky like a meteor, falling straight towards the bustling port.

As soon as Zhou Xian's toes touched the wet wooden planks of the dock, the salty sea breeze with a strong fishy smell hit him in the face, choking him and making him frown slightly. The fish market not far away was bustling with people, fishermen held up the silver-scaled fish they had just caught, the scales shimmering in the sun, and the gills still opening and closing; on the deck of the merchant ship, the porters were bare-chested and shouting, with beads of sweat on their bronze backs, moving boxes of goods to the shore. The pulleys creaked, and the collision of wooden barrels and wooden boards rose and fell, interweaving into a rough port movement.

Zhou Xian wanted to slow down and look at this exotic port, but the fishy smell that penetrated his nose was like a thorn in his side. The rotten fish scales mixed with the salty taste of the sea water,
Every breath he took was like a fine silver needle piercing his lungs. He had to hold his breath, quickening his pace as his clothes fluttered, rushing towards the city filled with faint smoke. The colorful flags hanging on the masts and the noisy market on the shore all turned into blurred blocks of color as he hurriedly passed by.

After turning three streets, the fishy smell was finally left behind. Zhou Xian let out a long sigh, and when the stuffiness in his chest dissipated, he looked around.

The cobblestone streets meandered forward, the wooden signs of the shops on both sides swayed in the wind, the clanging sound of forging could be heard from the blacksmith shop, and a strange aroma wafted from the spice shop. Several children in aprons chased each other and startled the pigeons pecking at the wall. The sound of their wings flapping, mixed with the drunkards singing in the tavern in the distance, brought the city-state's urban atmosphere to the face.

Zhou Xian paused at the entrance of the rice shop and walked in. The shop was filled with the fragrance of new rice, mixed with a faint musty smell.

The chubby boss was half-lying on a rickety recliner, with half a cup of amber wine still in his glass. When he saw Zhou Xian coming in, his eyes lit up, and he stood up quickly like a spring, with a warm smile on his face, and the fat on his cheeks trembled with his movements. "Hey, sir, please come in, what do you want to buy? The rice here is all top quality!"

"Give me ten bags of new rice. Are these enough?"

"Give me ten bags of new rice. Are these enough?" Zhou Xian nodded slightly, and then he raised his hand and gently touched the glowing space ring. A string of currency with strange pictures and texts engraved on it, which looked like gold but was not gold, appeared in his palm, flashing a mysterious luster in the dim store.

When he heard that there was a big deal, the boss's eyes, which had been narrowed into slits, suddenly brightened up like a lamp, and his round body became flexible, and he walked forward quickly. But when his eyes touched the currency in Zhou Xian's hand, his smile froze on his face, and the corners of his mouth, which had been raised, gradually drooped down, and his eyes were full of doubt and vigilance. He frowned tightly, looked Zhou Xian up and down, his face suddenly gloomy, snorted coldly, lay back on the recliner, picked up the wine glass, and drank by himself, muttering: "Kid, I can't take your stuff, you should go look somewhere else."

"Is it really not working?" Zhou Xian sighed softly, and the string of strange currency turned at his fingertips, making a crisp collision sound. Although he had expected it in his heart, he still felt helpless when he encountered this reality.

He shook his head slightly. He didn't expect that he would worry about money one day. However, he was a principled man and did not force the sale. Instead, he turned to the boss and asked, "Boss, do you know who is the richest villain in this city?"

When the boss heard Zhou Xian's question, he raised his eyebrows slightly, showing a trace of suspicion on his face, but he still said: "If you want to talk about the richest villain in this city, it must be Raymond the Scarface Tiger. He controls most of the casinos and brothels in the city. His methods are ruthless and no one dares to mess with him. Why are you asking him?"

After saying that, the boss stared at Zhou Xian with a hint of vigilance in his eyes, as if trying to guess his intentions.

Zhou Xian had an unfathomable smile on his face and a sharp light flashed in his eyes, but he did not explain further.

"Nothing, just prepare the rice first and I'll come get it later."

His voice was steady and powerful, with an unquestionable certainty. After saying that, without waiting for the boss to respond, he turned around gracefully, his wide robe fluttering behind him like black wings. He walked briskly out of the store, leaving the boss standing there, with a look of confusion and puzzlement on his face.

Looking at Zhou Xian's departing back, the boss came back to his senses after a while, muttering softly: "This guy is really weird..."

Having said that, he was inexplicably filled with rice.

(End of this chapter)