Chapter 27: Keen Eye for Talent

Su Changyu ultimately didn't make it. In just seven or eight days, he succumbed and died.

When his body was brought back, Li Fan went to take a look. It was just a twisted mass of flesh, completely unrecognizable as human, and utterly horrifying to behold. The flesh would even occasionally twitch inexplicably, sending shivers down one's spine.

These newcomers from Li Jie couldn't even afford to buy a burial plot. They were originally going to perform a sea burial, but Li Fan couldn't bear it. He took out some money, allowing Su Changyu to be properly interred.

Everyone was very sad. Xiao Heng, in particular, cried the most bitterly. Li Fan, however, felt nothing specific, just a touch of wistfulness.

Having experienced nearly three hundred years of reincarnation in the mortal world, Li Fan possessed his own unique way of judging people. In his view, Su Changyu conducted himself commendably and possessed a rather firm resolve. While not a once-in-a-century prodigy, he was certainly not mediocre either. Among the group from Li Jie, Li Fan had believed Su Changyu was the most likely to achieve something notable. Yet, such a person couldn't even pass the prerequisite for cultivation—the "dispelling miasma" phase—and died silently.

The path of immortality is arduous! Li Fan felt an even deeper sense of lament.

As he subsequently cultivated the "Profound Yellow Pure Heart Spell," Li Fan's feelings on this became even more profound. It turned out that Li Fan was not exceptionally gifted either. For nearly a month, Li Fan stayed mostly at home, only going out to collect a job assignment as a cover. The rest of the time, he practiced the Pure Heart Spell. Generally, after half a month of practice, ordinary people would experience noticeable effects like an improved mental state and faster thinking. Yet, a month passed, and Li Fan felt no change whatsoever. Li Fan speculated that perhaps his spiritual strength, having undergone several reincarnations and centuries of tempering with the "Reversion True" ability, already far surpassed that of ordinary people, which was why the Pure Heart Spell had less effect on him. Li Fan wasn't worried; he simply treated it as a daily essential part of his cultivation routine.

Another half month passed, and Li Fan finally received a messenger from Tianbao Tower. Li Fan followed the messenger to a courtyard within Tianbao Tower's private residence, where he met Manager Zhao.

"Manager Zhao, long time no see," Li Fan greeted, cupping his hands.

Manager Zhao glanced at Li Fan and got straight to the point: "I hear from people at Tianbao Tower that you want a spot for an entire fleet to go out to sea. That's quite an appetite. What's your basis? You should know, I only have two fleets available. My own people don't have enough to go around, so why should I give one to you?"

"Fleets go out to sea merely for profit. Manager Zhao, how do you think the profits from catching Glazed Fish compare to directly salvaging treasures from sunken ships at the bottom of the sea?" Li Fan smiled slightly.

Seemingly not thinking Li Fan was boasting, Manager Zhao pondered seriously for a moment: "I also heard about the fleet's unexpected discovery of over a dozen chests of jewels a while ago. The prefecture calculated that the haul was equivalent to several regular fishing expeditions. But how can such good fortune happen every time? I've been on this island for over ten years, and I can only recall a few instances of such significant gains." He paused, then asked, "From what you're implying, you..."

Li Fan nodded: "If I were to command a fleet, I could guarantee that every time it sets sail, it would bring back a certain amount of treasure."

A strange light gleamed in Manager Zhao's eyes. He scrutinized Li Fan for a few moments and remarked in surprise, "He's actually not lying."

Now it was Li Fan's turn to be surprised: "It's true I wasn't boasting, but how did Manager Zhao discern that?"

Manager Zhao chuckled, "I was born with a unique pair of eyes that can recognize capable individuals and distinguish truth from falsehood. Just now, when you spoke, I saw a soft white glow emanating from you, indicating that your words were genuine and that you harbored no ill intentions. If I had seen streaks of black qi, it would have meant you had ulterior motives."

"Such a peculiar ability exists?" Li Fan was startled. "On the day we registered, Manager Zhao's attitude toward me seemed slightly different from others. Did you perceive something then?"

"I can only get a general sense; how could I know everything? I merely saw that you possessed extraordinary wealth and had a significant amount of blood on your hands. Clearly, you are not an ordinary person. That's why I was more polite to you," Manager Zhao explained with a wry smile. "Heaven's will is unpredictable. For someone like you, who knows what achievements you might attain in the future? It's better to forge a good relationship now."

Li Fan nodded, then heard Manager Zhao sigh with emotion: "In recent years, major disasters have been frequent. I can't count how many people like you, despite being immensely wealthy, have ended up on our Glazed Island. Some only lie low for a few years before rising again on the wind; others simply fade into obscurity and turn to dust."

As Li Fan listened, he suddenly thought of something: "So, are you saying that on the day we registered, you already saw that Sun Zhang from Tianbao Tower wasn't telling the truth?"

"What does it matter if it's true or false? Sometimes being too serious isn't a good thing. My duty is merely to ensure there are no individuals attempting to cause chaos on the island. Regardless of where you come from, as long as you are law-abiding, nothing will happen to you," Manager Zhao said dismissively. "With the Immortal Master overseeing the island, there's no fear of trouble. Besides, gathering disaster victims is also the Immortal Master's instruction. Since Sun Zhang could bring so many 'disaster victims' to our Glazed Island, why would I make things difficult for him?"

Listening to this, Li Fan gained a general understanding of Manager Zhao's principles. The conversation between the two then returned to the topic of the sea-faring fleet.

"Since Manager Zhao can see that my words are true, might you consider the matter of the expedition slot?" Li Fan asked.

Manager Zhao lightly tapped the table with his fingers a few times before saying, "You are a newcomer, without any established foundation. If I were to rashly hand a fleet over to you, it would certainly cause a lot of dissatisfaction. How about this: next time a fleet sails, you go along. If you truly can salvage treasures every time, then in just a few expeditions, the crew members will surely be convinced by you. At that point, you can rightfully take over the fleet. Furthermore, if your gains are substantial enough, I can suggest to the Prefect that we take another fleet from that person named Qian and give it to you. That's not impossible either."

"Manager Zhao's foresight is thorough," Li Fan agreed without objection.

And so, the matter was settled with unusual smoothness.

Tianbao Tower was unaware of the details of their conversation, but when they learned that Li Fan had easily persuaded Manager Zhao and secured a spot for the next sea expedition, they were greatly shocked.

"Did that uncle not boast after all? Does he really have the confidence to take command of a fleet?" Inside Tianbao Tower, the woman in yellow rested her chin on her hand, her eyes flickering.

"What exactly is his backing?" Sun Zhang was utterly bewildered. No matter how he looked at Li Fan, he appeared to be the most ordinary middle-aged man imaginable.

"Send him the deed to that vacant small courtyard on East Street in the city," the woman in yellow suddenly said.

"Huh?" Sun Zhang was momentarily taken aback.