Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Xilun withdrew his gaze.

Unconfirmed shipwreck.

A fourth-order relic of unknown origin.

There are also deep-sea shark groups lurking seventy nautical miles away.

The whole thing, from beginning to end, was only described as "possible" and "rumored".

Rupert and his associates may not have been deliberately deceiving, but they clearly did not have enough intelligence.

"Feel sorry."

Xilun shook his head.

"I'm not going."

The younger disciples were somewhat dissatisfied.

"You refused without even hearing the specific allocation method?"

"no need."

Siron remained calm.

"You don't know if the shipwreck exists, nor can you determine the number of bone sharks. If a ship is damaged seventy nautical miles away, even a Tier 3 Extraordinary might not be able to swim back to Star Ring Island."

"The returns are very high."

"The risk is higher."

Rupert looked at him intently for a moment.

Xilun's refusal was straightforward, but it did not mean he looked down on them.

The middle-aged man finally put away the nautical chart.

"You are very cautious."

"Those who are careless at sea usually don't live long."

"That's what Xilun said."

Rupert chuckled upon hearing this.

That's right.

"In that case, I won't force you. I'll ask you again when there's a fishing trip near the coast."

The four left quickly.

Xilun closed the door and continued his cultivation.

He did not regret the thousands of pounds he had earned.

True treasures never wait for anyone to claim them.

Since the information could be sold to Rupert, it could naturally be sold to other hunting teams as well.

The so-called fourth-tier relics are more like bait used by black market merchants to inflate the price of information.

To board a ship rashly is to entrust one's life to a group of strangers and a nautical chart whose authenticity is unknown.

Two more days passed.

Xiren gleaned some information through the library and mission room.

Sea creatures do occasionally appear inland.

Some entered the island via underground rivers, while others were captured by caravans in their infancy and later escaped into the lake to reproduce.

However, these types of tasks rarely appear directly in the monastery's quest log.

Because they are small in scale and offer limited rewards, they are usually handled by local families and businesses themselves.

Xiren remembered the business card Veronica had left behind.

That afternoon, he finished his meditation, changed into an ordinary black robe, and walked down the mountain path of the monastery.

The area down the mountain was much more lively than the inner courtyard.

Shops line both sides of the stone-paved street.

The clanging sounds emanated from the blacksmith's shop where weapons were being repaired, while merchants selling medicinal herbs kept beckoning to passing disciples.

Several steam wagons loaded with wooden crates slowly drove by, black smoke billowing from copper pipes and mixing with the damp sea breeze.

Xilun searched two streets according to the address on the business card.

Soon, a three-story red brick building came into view.

An exquisite signboard hangs in front of the door.

The signboard is carved with blooming flowers, and three words are written in gold lettering below it.

Zuihua Residence.

Xilun glanced at it and frowned slightly.

Veronica was referring to Drunken Flower Abode at Thunderclap Cliff that day, and she hadn't gone to the wrong place.

The building doors were wide open.

It wasn't evening yet, so there weren't many customers inside.

There were more than a dozen dark wooden tables on the first floor, and the air was filled with the mixed aroma of roasted meat, fruit wine and spices.

Several scantily clad young women stood by the counter, chatting and laughing in hushed tones.

Upon seeing Xilun enter, one of them immediately stepped forward to greet him.

"Sir, are you here for a meal, or are you looking for someone?"

"Looking for the shopkeeper."

Do you have an appointment?

Tell her that Celen has arrived.

A hint of surprise flashed in the young woman's eyes.

She had obviously heard of the name.

"Please wait a moment."

Before long, light footsteps could be heard on the stairs.

Veronica came down from the second floor.

Today she wore a dark green long dress with a veil draped over her shoulders, exuding charm but lacking the deliberate restraint she displayed outside the convent.

"Junior Brother Xilun."

"I thought you wouldn't think of me until you were too in debt to pay it back."

She approached Xilun with a smile.

"Are you here for drinks, or to find a girl?"

"Neither."

Xilun said directly:

"I'm looking for sea creatures that I can hunt inland."

Veronica's smile remained unchanged.

She waved to the young woman next to her.

"Bring a pot of hot tea up to the second floor."

"Junior Brother Xilun, let's go upstairs and talk."

The second floor is much quieter than the first floor.

Veronica led Siron into a room by the window.

There was no wine table inside, only bookshelves, desks, and a few chairs.

The table was piled high with ledgers and letters, while maps of trade routes and rivers throughout Star Ring Island hung on the wall beside it.

This is clearly where she actually conducts her business.

Xilun's gaze swept across the map.

Many riverbanks were marked with red ink.

Veronica sat down behind the table.

"You don't want to go to sea?"

"I don't want to for now."

"wise."

She casually flipped open a black ledger.

"Many deep-sea hunting teams have died recently, especially in the northeastern waters. Rumors of sunken treasure have spread from somewhere, and three teams have already gone missing."

Siren thought of Rupert and the others.

"Is the news fake?"

"uncertain."

Veronica shook her head.

"The treasure may be real, but so is the danger. The more precious something is, the stronger the sea monsters guarding it will be."

"Are you looking for inland sea monsters to make money, or for cultivation?"

"Yes, we have them all."

Xilun offered no explanation.

Veronica didn't press the matter further.

She flipped through a few pages of the ledger, her fingertip finally stopping at one of the lines.

"There is indeed a position available recently that might be a good fit for you."

A young woman brought in hot tea, then quietly closed the door and left.

Veronica poured two cups of tea and pushed one of them toward Siron.

"There are several trade routes on the northwest side of Xinghuan Island, which pass by Baishi River and Chenwan Lake."

"Sea creatures have appeared in the river for nearly a month."

"They initially attacked only fishing boats, but later began harassing caravans along the shore. Caravans carrying extraordinary materials, in particular, would be spotted by them from a great distance."

"Someone has already died?"

"Thirteen guards and six coachmen."

Veronica suppressed her smile.

"Among them is a third-tier extraordinary individual."

Xilun picked up his teacup but didn't drink it.

What kind of creature is this sea mammal?

"Unable to confirm at the moment."

Veronica took a sketch from the ledger.

The paper depicts a blurry black spine with spikes on both sides, and a long tail is faintly visible underwater.

"Witnesses only said that they looked like giant crocodiles with scales, while others said they looked like sea lizards."

"The largest specimens are over twenty feet long."

"Judging from the wounds on the corpses, at least one of them reached the third tier, while the rest were mostly first or second tier."

"Its mouthparts seem astounding, and its scales are incredibly thick!"

Xilun looked at the sketch carefully.

The appearance of sea creatures is not important.

Many contaminated organisms undergo mutations during their growth, and even the same group of marine mammals may exhibit completely different forms.

The key is the scope and quantity of activities.

"Why not just organize a force to encircle and suppress them?"

"Can't find it."

Veronica pointed to the map on the wall.

"The White Stone River basin is very long, with numerous tributaries and underground water caves along its course. After attacking, the sea monsters dive into the water, making them impossible for ordinary monster-hunting teams to catch up with."

"Moreover, the affected businesses do not trust each other and are unwilling to pay large sums of money for the crackdown."

She took a quill pen and circled three trade routes on the map.

"Therefore, they decided to jointly recruit escorts."

"You can choose one of the merchants and serve as an Extraordinary accompanying the team for a period of time."

"First, each escort mission would be rewarded with a fixed amount of money. Depending on the level of danger, it would be about thirty to fifty pounds per mission."

"Secondly, if you encounter any sea monsters along the way, you can keep all the materials from the corpses of those you kill yourself."

"Third, to ensure safety, the trading company will proactively send people to collect traces of sea monsters. You don't need to search along hundreds of miles of river every day; you only need to act when the sea monsters appear."

Xilun put down his teacup.

This position is indeed more suitable than blindly going to sea.

The caravan itself was the bait.

Since those sea monsters are attracted to extraordinary materials, they are very likely to attack on their own initiative.

The trading company would also be responsible for intelligence gathering and route planning.

All Xiren needs to do is fight.

Risks cannot be completely avoided.

However dangerous inland waterways are still far more controllable than the deep sea.

Even if he encounters a powerful sea monster that he cannot defeat, he can at least abandon the cargo and evacuate from the land.

"How long will the escort take?"

"At least one month."

"How much is the fixed amount?"

"One hundred pounds per month."

Veronica smiled.

"This is just the cost of staying here. The escort fee for each trip is separate, and there are additional rewards for killing sea monsters."

How does the trading company guarantee the ownership of the sea monster carcass?

"Sign a contract."

She took a standard document out of the drawer.

"You have the right of first refusal to dispose of the sea creatures you hunt. If you don't want to dismantle them yourself for materials, you can sell them directly to the trading company, and the price will be 90% of the market price of that day."

"Why only 90%?"

"Processing, storing, and transporting all cost money."

Veronica was perfectly justified.

"Zuihuaju also charges a referral fee."

"How many?"

"Two-tenths of the offerings in the first month."

"Too high."

"Junior Brother Xilun, you should know that reliable commissions are hard to find."

"One-tenth."

"At least 15%."

"One-tenth."

Xilun did not back down.

Veronica tapped her fingers lightly on the table, her gaze lingering on his face for a few moments.

"You really are Elena's friend."

"Even their expressions when they're haggling are equally annoying."

She took out a quill pen and altered the numbers on the edge of the contract.

"Even if it's just one percent, it's still one percent."

"However, if you hunt down valuable materials, you must give priority to selling them to Zuihuaju."

"The same price is acceptable."

"make a deal."

Veronica's smile returned to its bright state.

"See, I told you long ago that you won't be disappointed if you come to Zuihuaju."

Xilen ignored her boasting.

"Who is the employer?"

"White Whale Trading Company"

Upon hearing this name, Xilun's eyes flickered slightly.

Veronica pulled out another document and continued her explanation:

"The White Whale Trading Company mainly deals in extraordinary beast blood, ores, and medicinal herbs, and has three fixed caravans along the Northwest Trade Route."

"They originally had two third-rank priests."

"One of them went missing while escorting the goods, and the other was seriously injured and unable to fight for a while, which is why they are in a hurry to recruit new extraordinary individuals."

"Has the body of the missing third-tier honorific been found?"

"no."

"Where did it finally appear?"

"Sinking Bay Lake".

Veronica raised her hand and pointed to a narrow strip of water on the map.

The lake is flanked by steep mountains, connected to the White Stone River at its northern end, and covered by a large swamp at its southern end.

"He chased a wounded sea monster into the lake and never came out again."

"The merchant sent people to search for three days, but they only found a piece of the harpoon that had been bitten off."

Xilun stared at Shenwan Lake.

The fact that a third-tier extraordinary being could go missing suggests that what's in the water is far more complex than the merchant guild described.

It's also possible that the person went too deep underwater and got trapped by the terrain.

Regardless of the specific circumstances, Shenwan Lake warrants vigilance.

Veronica observed his expression.

"Are you scared?"

"I will refuse if the danger is not commensurate with the reward."

"That's what Xilun said calmly."

"However, I can accept this position."

Regular offerings are secondary.

What truly attracted him were the sea creatures that actively pursued extraordinary materials.

If we can hunt down that third-tier sea beast, we can not only obtain valuable corpse materials, but also have the opportunity to acquire new talents.

"When are we leaving?"

Veronica glanced at the calendar on the wall.

"The next convoy from the Whale Trading Company will depart from the west gate of Star Ring Island in the early morning of two days from now."

"The cargo included a batch of lightning-struck wood, deep-sea silver ore, and sea monster blood."

"That should be very attractive to those things."

Lightning-struck wood.

The dormant thunder spirit within Xilun's chest seemed to sense this name, and a faint restlessness suddenly arose.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

This request is a better fit than I imagined.

It offers the opportunity to earn money, hunt sea monsters, and even nurture a thunder spirit using the aura of lightning-struck wood.

"I accepted it."

Xilun picked up a quill and wrote his name at the end of the contract.

Veronica took out a red stamp and stamped it next to the signature.

"The contract will be delivered to the White Whale Trading Company tomorrow."

"The day after tomorrow morning, take your weapons and go to the west gate. They will have someone to meet you."

She blew on the ink to dry it and casually reminded him:

"There's one more thing."

"That missing third-tier elder, although not top-tier in strength, had lived in the White Stone River area for over a decade and was very familiar with the water."

"He wouldn't have chased after Shenwan Lake for no reason."

Xilun raised his head.

"What do you mean?"

"The merchant's initial records mention that he found a very rare molted scale of a marine animal by the lake."

Veronica pulled a thin sheet of paper from the very bottom of the document.

It has a palm-sized scale pattern imprinted on it.

In the center of the scales, several naturally formed curved lines are clearly visible.

At first glance, it looks like a tree branch.

Upon closer inspection, it resembles more of a solidified bolt of lightning.

"This part of the record was later deleted by Whale Trading Company."

Veronica's smile faded.

"It took me some effort to get the initial copy."

Xilun stared at the lightning patterns on the paper.

The thunder spirit within his body was no longer just slightly agitated.

The bluish-white lightning suddenly traveled along the flesh and blood, causing the power of the Overturning Sea Technique to tremble slightly.

The sea creatures in Shenwan Lake are very likely to possess lightning-type bloodlines.

Xilun slowly pressed his hand to his chest, pressing Lei Ling down.

Why did they hide it?

"Perhaps they didn't want the escorts to know that there were precious sea creatures lurking in the water."

"Or perhaps..."

Veronica looked out the window.

A steam-powered freight car with a white whale pattern is slowly driving by on the street.

The back of the vehicle was covered with a thick waterproof tarpaulin.

A few drops of dark red liquid seeped from the cracks in the wooden planks and fell onto the stone pavement.

"What they want you to do is never just escort goods."

Xilun's gaze followed the steam-powered freight car as it slowly moved.

Dark red liquid dripped onto the stone pavement, quickly crushed by the wheels of vehicles, mixing with the puddles at the street corner, and emitting a strong smell of blood.

It is not human blood.

It contains the unique sweet and pungent smell of sea creatures, as well as a hint of bitterness from the preservative treatment.

The carriages were mostly filled with the blood of sea monsters traded by the White Whale Trading Company.

This cargo is far more attractive to alien species with a keen sense of smell than to ordinary living creatures.

Even through thick wooden boards and waterproof cloth, the extraordinary aura remaining in the blood would still spread along the way.

If the sea creatures in Shenwan Lake have learned to follow this scent, then every beluga whale caravan is a piece of flesh and blood slowly moving along the riverbank.

Xilun looked away.

"They knew that there might be a thunderous sea monster in Shenwan Lake."

"Most likely knows."

Veronica picked up her teacup and gently blew on it to cool it down.

"The White Whale Trading Company has been in the business of marine mammal materials for decades, and the company employs appraisers who specialize in identifying scales, animal blood, and bones."

Even I can see that the patterns on these scales are unusual; they couldn't possibly have been completely oblivious.

"That missing third-tier elder might not have been chasing after the wounded sea beast."

"clever."

Veronica's eyes sparkled, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

"He likely discovered something more valuable and wanted to enter Shenwan Lake alone to search for it. In the end, he overestimated himself and underestimated the dangers in the lake."

Xilun did not respond immediately.

These are just speculations.

What the missing third-ranking worshipper saw remains unknown.

The fact that Whale Trading Company deleted the molting records may not necessarily be to harm later protectors.

They might just want to monopolize the news about the Thunderous Sea Beast and avoid attracting other merchants and monster-hunting teams to compete for it.

Before evidence is available, no possibility should be taken at face value.

The only thing that can be confirmed is that the dangers of Shenwan Lake are far greater than what is stated on the surface of the contract.

But unlike Rupert's invitation to venture seventy nautical miles into the deep sea, this time there was at least a land route to retreat to.

Xilun can accept the danger.

The premise is that the danger is within a range that can be judged and controlled.

When will the people from the White Whale Trading Company arrive?

"They have already been notified."

Veronica put down her teacup.

"The key figures in charge of the Northwest Trade Route happen to be nearby today. They were originally planning to come over later to discuss the selection of escorts with me, but since you're already here, it saves you the trouble of making another trip."

She glanced at the clock on the wall.

"At most half an hour."

Xilun nodded, picked up the scale rubbing on the table, and continued to observe it.

The pattern is irregular.

Several fine curves spread outward from the base of the scales, intersecting with each other, like blue lightning bolts sealed within the keratin.

Thunderous sea monsters are not common.

Seawater is a natural conductor of electricity, and lightning strikes underwater with tremendous destructive power.

Sea beasts that can withstand lightning-type bloodlines often possess thick scales, special energy storage organs, or extremely tough bodies.

The Thunder Spirit within Xilun's body was only in its nascent form.

In the past, when Xilun practiced the Great Thunder Breathing Technique, all he could provide was the thunder energy that he had gradually condensed.

If one could obtain the essence of flesh and blood of a third-tier lightning-type sea beast, or some kind of lightning storage organ, the lightning spirit would very likely experience a significant growth.

At that time, the Azure Thunder Spear Technique will also benefit.

However, the more precious a talent is, the greater the risk involved in acquiring it.

The possession by Lady Black Crow and the contamination by the remains of the evil god have made Xiren deeply understand that no power that does not belong to him will submit out of thin air.