You've only been cultivating for a few years, and you're already talking about cultivating

Chapter 153 Trivial Matters

Stormy Sea is both a sea and an island.

It is called the sea, but every year when the "sea season" arrives, the seawater floods the low-lying land. Looking from afar, one can see white waves towering in the midst of a storm, and most of the island is completely submerged.

The entire sea area is now just a roaring sea and churning clouds, with not an inch of land visible, hence the name "Storm Sea".

It is called an island because when the tide recedes and the waves calm down, seventeen or eighteen islands emerge from the water, scattered like stars on the blue waves.

There is no huge main island like the "Sea and Sky Corner" here; each island is neither too big nor too small.

The larger ones span hundreds of miles in circumference, while the smaller ones are as large as Hainan Island in the previous life.

The arrival of the giant loach happened to coincide with the "sea season".

At this moment, the sky is high and the clouds are light, the sea breeze is gentle, and seventeen or eighteen islands are scattered on the clear sea. Smoke rises from the towns on the islands, the masts of ships line the docks, and people come and go, making it a lively and bustling place.

The Storm Sea is an important transit point in the South China Sea.

Merchant ships in the South China Sea often stop here for supplies before heading to other sea areas, and then follow the monsoon and ocean currents to sail to more distant places.

Where waterways converge, merchants and travelers flock, and all sorts of people come and go, creating a vibrant and diverse community.

The island's architecture is particularly unique, with most buildings being enclosed, allowing for underwater survival even during the "sea season."

The island is also home to a variety of unique marine creatures, creating a peculiar scene where humans and marine life coexist on equal footing, giving it a distinctly exotic overseas feel.

When the massive ship of the Great Sea Loach slowly approached the dock, the entire port was in an uproar.

The news of the South China Sea Dragon King's demise had already spread throughout the sea through various channels of cultivators.

The fall of the Dragon King caused a dramatic change in the situation on the high seas, and all of this was related to this inconspicuous sea eel.

Countless eyes on the dock secretly observed the ship, and countless mouths discussed the news coming from the sea.

As the large loach approached the dock, many passengers naturally disembarked.

Among them were Wang Qin and Zhang Jie, who blended into the crowd and disappeared into the background.

Some passengers were surrounded by a group of people after disembarking, who asked them all sorts of questions about what happened on the ship.

Those passengers, being nosy individuals, embellished the story of the two earth-shattering battles, recounting how a single sword cleaved through the dark clouds...

Another sword strike pierced through the Dragon King's true swordsmanship.

When he got to the exciting parts, he spoke with great enthusiasm, gesturing wildly and drawing gasps of amazement from those around him.

As for Qi Fei, he was somewhat taken aback when he heard the news that the Dragon King was actually—dead?

Since the day the Dragon King turned into bubbles and left, he only knew that he had repelled the Dragon King with his sword, but he did not know that the Dragon King was not dead.

When others said the Dragon King was dead, he took it as flattery. Whether the Dragon King was dead or not, perhaps no one was more qualified to say than him.

But now, the entire Storm Sea, and even most of the South China Sea, are talking about this.

The most direct evidence is that the "Dragon King's Blessing" on all ships at sea simultaneously became ineffective.

The Dragon King's blessing is a blessing personally bestowed by the Dragon King, a sign of his authority to control the sea.

A ship losing its blessing might be due to the Dragon King's dislike. But if all the ships lose their blessings, it can only mean one thing.

The Dragon King is dead.

Qi Fei, looking puzzled, approached Wu Mengsheng: "He clearly didn't die that day."

"He is indeed not dead." Wu Mengsheng nodded.

When the Dragon King turned into bubbles and disappeared that day, he clearly sensed that the old mudfish was still alive, though its breath was weak.

The method of turning into bubbles was clearly the Dragon King's trump card for escaping, and he did indeed escape.

"Then how could he suddenly die?" Qi Fei's tone was somewhat strange. "It couldn't be that he went back and died from his injuries, could it?"

He himself found it absurd to say that.

Wu Mengsheng thought for a moment and said, "The Dragon King's enemies are probably not just the two of us."

"Perhaps he was taken advantage of after being seriously injured, or perhaps it was his old rival who took advantage of his illness to kill him—either is possible."

"Tsk tsk tsk—" Qi Fei clicked his tongue, suggesting another possibility, "What if he wasn't dead at all, but just pretending to be dead in some trench?"

"Could it be that the Dragon King's blessing is also a tactic to mislead others? Three years later, we will welcome the Dragon King back to his throne!"

When Wu Mengsheng heard "Three years later, we will welcome the Dragon King back to his throne," his expression turned somewhat strange. Qi Fei always had such nonsensical things to say.

He said, "Possibly. But so what? Without reaching the Golden Core stage, you're no match for us combined."

Qi Fei thought about it and realized that this was indeed the case. Without the Golden Core, the Dragon King was no match for the two of them working together.

If they were to achieve the Golden Core stage—then all they would have to do is flee for their lives.

He no longer dwelled on whether the Dragon King was truly dead or feigning death. His most pressing issue now was dealing with the mess left behind by the arrival of the giant sea eel.

The most pressing issue right now is the shortage of manpower.

Many people have already disembarked at the stormy sea, and most of the crew has left, but the Great Loach still needs to continue its voyage. Without enough crew, it simply cannot turn around.

Qi Fei had notices posted at the dock, recruiting a new batch of experienced sailors and laborers to fill the gaps.

Even more challenging than recruiting people was dealing with the cargo on the ship.

Because he had already figured out the details of the cargo on the ship. Not all the cargo on the ship belonged to the Sanhai Association; a considerable portion was transported by large ships entrusted by merchants from various regions to the Sanhai Association.

Now that the Sanhai Association has collapsed and its members have scattered, it naturally doesn't dare to shamelessly come to ask for goods. However, it cannot leave the goods of those small merchants and households unattended.

For example, there is a goldsmith couple in Haitianfang who received an order last year from a fellow villager from Fengbaohai to make a batch of gold and silver jewelry for a newlywed couple's wedding.

The couple worked day and night to carefully craft the jewelry, then meticulously packed it into a box and entrusted it to the sea eel of the Three Seas Association to deliver to the Storm Sea.

If Qi Fei were to simply wash his hands of the business and ignore everything, the jewelry would simply rot in the cargo hold or be stolen.

The couple's hard work went down the drain. The newlyweds in the stormy sea had no jewelry for their wedding, and they couldn't receive the final payment, which would affect the livelihood of their entire family.

Similar situations were common on the ship.

Cloth, medicinal herbs, tea, porcelain, and other goods—behind each item lies the livelihood of several families.

Qi Fei arranged for people to verify the owner's information item by item, contact the consignee item by item, and organize the handover.

At the same time, he also inventoried and sold off the cargo belonging to the Sanhai Association on the ship. Part of the money was used to pay the boatmen, and the rest was distributed according to the labor of those who had helped maintain order on the ship.

Fortunately, he is now a celebrity in the South China Sea.

When you become strong, you'll be surrounded by good people.

On the sea loach, most people listened respectfully to the arrangements Qi Fei made, and very few dared to shirk their duties.

But there were some unexpected events.

>