Cultivating immortality in the seas, I created an immortal island of eternal life.

Old Ma was stunned for a moment, then his brows furrowed.

"Disciples of the Immortal Sect?" he murmured, emphasizing each word. "I also inquired about the situation of the others on the same ship; none of them survived."

"only......"

"Some people seem to have disappeared suddenly." Old Ma pressed his temples hard, as if trying to recall.

"Disappeared suddenly?" Gao Yao repeated softly.

"Maybe I'm just seeing things. The seawater is so red, maybe I'll be dragged into the sea." Old Ma quickly shook his head again, denying it outright.

If they didn't die instantly from a monster attack, but simply disappeared.

So the previous speculation was confirmed: the attack by the demonic beasts was a staged performance by the sect itself.

They used the corpse of the armored tortoise as bait to lure a school of sharks, and then had the sect disciples and the fishermen on the boat disappear in a seemingly legitimate way.

Why go to such lengths?

This question still troubled Gao Yao's mind. As he pondered it, he showed sympathy and lingering fear.

"Being alive is more important than anything else." With that, Gao Yao took out a small cloth bag from his pocket. "These are two spirit eggs. Keep them to nourish your body."

Gao Yao is a man who always repays kindness and avenges wrongs.

He would do his best to repay kindness whenever he could.

Old Ma's gaze fell on the spirit egg, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

Spirit eggs are an excellent tonic for cultivators, and for his still-healing body, they are a godsend.

However, this thing is too luxurious for the fishermen at the bottom level, let alone those who have only recently arrived in Gaoyao.

Old Man Ma trembled and reached out to refuse, but Gao Yao didn't give him a chance and pushed the cloth bag towards him.

"I will always remember your kindness in teaching me how to fish and how to find my way."

"With the fish market business and the income from selling spirit fish, I can keep going for a while. Your health is the most important thing; there's plenty of time in the future."

"Young man, this is too much. You've had a hard life yourself." Old Man Ma's lips moved a few times, his eyes reddening. "Thank you, this old man will remember this."

Old Ma clutched the cloth bag tightly and lowered his head.

After a long silence, he spoke in an almost dreamlike tone: "Do people have past lives?"

"What's going on?" Gao Yao's heart skipped a beat, but he feigned confusion. "When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out; there's no such thing as a past life."

Old Ma seemed not to hear his reply, and continued talking to himself, his voice fading away.

"Sometimes when I close my eyes, all sorts of random scenes flash through my mind..."

"It's strange, really. I've been drifting at sea since I was little, and what I saw was..."

"It's not fishing, it's not boat repair, it's dirt roads and fast horses..."

"Knife, blood, screams..."

"When I opened my eyes, it all seemed absurd; perhaps it was a nightmare caused by the pain..."

He spoke slowly and haltingly, as if trying to piece together the images in his mind.

"But it felt so real—stealing, killing!"

"The knife flashed, and blood splattered on my face—it was hot!"

Gao Yao listened quietly, his eyes filled with an inscrutable expression.

As expected, the sect's memory erasure was not foolproof.

Under extreme stimulation, those memories that have been forcibly erased may surface like shipwreck remains.

Moreover, Gao Yao, who was an actor in his previous life, could not help but hear the hidden meaning in the other person's words; Old Man Ma had not fully explained what he remembered.

But he didn't point it out, nor did he pursue the matter further, to avoid giving anyone cause for criticism.

"You're just weak and having many dreams after your injury, and you're overthinking things." Gao Yao simply patted Old Ma's shoulder, feigning a relaxed tone. "Maybe it's just some old storyteller's tale from the martial arts world that you've mixed up."

"In this world, there's no such thing as a past life or a present life. The most important thing is to live the present life well."

"Yes, I'm getting senile, just talking nonsense..." Old Ma stared blankly at Gao Yao, the confusion in his eyes fading, replaced by a relieved weariness. "Thank you, young Gao."

"You're too kind." Gao Yao stood up. "I'll head back now; there's still work to be done at the fish farm."

"Take good rest. If you need anything, have someone pass on a message to the boy."

......

Leaving the reef island, on the way home.

Gao Yao was not in a relaxed mood.

Talking with Old Man Ma confirmed many of his guesses.

These fishermen, including myself, were all abducted and had their memories erased before being settled here.

Old Man Ma's previous life was likely that of a ruthless bandit, or perhaps he was kidnapped and sold by bandits.

only......

The Yunxiang Sect's strength is unfathomable. It not only possesses Foundation Establishment cultivators, but also has terrifying methods for brainwashing and altering memories.

In their eyes, how are they, low-level Qi cultivators or even ordinary people, any different from ants?

If all that's needed is labor or materials, why not just erase the memory completely, or raise them like pigs and sheep?

Instead, they went to great lengths to erase memories, construct identities, and even set up a system of sea tax and fishermen's conferences—a seemingly orderly system.

This makes management easier and reduces resistance.

But the cost is undoubtedly higher and the process is more complicated.

unless......

Is this kind of role-playing, this behavior of maintaining superficial order and identity, necessary in itself?

Sects act unpredictably and cannot be judged by ordinary standards.

With so little information, it's like trying to see flowers through a fog.

But one thing Gao Yao is certain of is that they went to such great lengths to set up this scheme, so their ambitions must be enormous.

As for themselves, these pawns trapped in the game, their fate was probably already destined to be tragic; it was only a matter of time.

Gao Yao took a deep breath of the sea breeze, suppressing the jumbled thoughts in his mind.

Regardless, the primary objective remains unchanged.

Survive, level up, secretly gather intelligence, and look for a chance to escape this hellhole.

The Mountain and Sea Token is my greatest asset, and I must build up Turtle Reef Island as soon as possible to enhance my strength.

......

A few days later, at the fish market.

The abacus beads clicked and clattered as Gao Yao bent down to check the accounts and count the scattered fish catches that had been delivered, as usual.

The hall was bustling with people, and the air was filled with a mixture of fishy smells, sweat odors, and cheap tobacco.

"Xiao Gao."

Manager Chen's lazy voice came from the back room.

Gao Yao quickly put down the booklet and strode into Manager Chen's cooler cubicle.

"Manager Chen, you wanted to see me?"

Manager Chen leaned back in his rattan chair, toying with two warm, smooth jade balls in his hands. He glanced at Gao Yao, his face expressionless.

"There's a side job I can do for extra money, want it or not?"

"What are your orders?" Gao Yao said respectfully, but inwardly he was filled with doubt.

The so-called extra income is to help the sect or its managers with some private affairs and earn some extra spirit stones.

But this kind of work is usually given to the old people who have been in the fish market for a long time and know the business well, or to fishermen who know how to get things done and have connections.

He has only been here for a little over a month. Although he has gained some advantages because of Wang Yao, he is far from being able to be ranked according to seniority.

Manager Chen nodded and said slowly, "There was a fishing village to the west that was attacked by a monster, resulting in many deaths and injuries. The survivors were moved here and incorporated into our area."

"According to the rules, someone needs to take you around for a few days, explain the rules here, and assign accommodations and tasks."

Gao Yao understood that with the old members disappearing and new members filling in, the total number of people remained stable.

In the past, this job was a lucrative one, as it allowed one to reap some benefits and also gain favor with newcomers.

It was never his turn.

Firstly, the elderly are familiar with the environment, and secondly, they are more reliable and will not speak ill of newcomers.

"I am still inexperienced and I am afraid I am not up to the rules and am not qualified for this position." Gao Yao declined tactfully, preferring to avoid trouble. After opening the Mountain and Sea Dojo, he only wanted to develop steadily.

Manager Chen waved his hand, a rare smile appearing on his face: "Rules are rigid, but I see you're quick-witted, keep clear accounts, and speak with tact. It won't be difficult for you to take two girls to get familiar with the environment."

"Besides, this trip will cost ten low-grade spirit stones. Want to take it or not?"

Ten low-grade spirit stones?

This is almost equivalent to the income from selling a low-grade first-tier spirit fish!

With such a generous reward, Gao Yao's doubts only deepened, but he found it difficult to find a reason to continue refusing.

He immediately adopted a flattered expression: "Thank you for your kind words, Steward Chen! I will certainly do my best."

Manager Chen glanced at Gao Yao again, then added with a half-smile, "Do a good job. Miss Wang specifically told me to take care of you before she left."

Gao Yao's gratitude was even greater: "I will remember Miss Wang's kindness and will certainly live up to the trust of the steward and Miss Wang."

Manager Chen responded and waved his hand: "The person will arrive this afternoon. We need someone to lead them to the designated reef island to settle in, familiarize them with the surrounding waters, and explain the rules. As for accommodations..."

"Settle them on those two adjacent empty reef islands to the west, and make sure all the necessary rules are explained clearly to prevent any trouble."

"Yes, I understand." Gao Yao bowed and replied, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Are these two newcomers involved with Wang Yao?

Why hasn't Wang Yao returned yet?

He's always been a suspicious person; it's never wrong to think things through.

......

At the beginning of Shen Shi (3-5 PM), at the dock.

The sea breeze, carrying the afternoon heat, caressed the moored ships.

Gao Yao arrived fifteen minutes early and waited in the shade of a rock.

From a distance, a sand barge, slightly larger than an ordinary fishing boat, slowly approached the shore.

The boat carried about twenty or thirty men and women, all of whom looked tired, dressed simply with some tattered clothes, and were filled with the bewilderment of leaving their homes.

Several people dressed as disciples of the Yunxiang Sect stood by to maintain order, loudly announcing the allocation of directions.

Soon, most of the crowd was diverted and taken away.

Then, two young girls were led to Gao Yao by a disciple.

"Gao Yao? Manager Chen sent you to bring these people." The disciple pointed to the two girls and then turned to leave.

Gao Yao looked at the two of them.

The older woman on the left was dressed in clean, coarse cloth clothes, with the sleeves neatly rolled up to her forearms. Her hair was simply tied in a ponytail, exuding a capable air.

She was born with a beautiful face and almond-shaped eyes, which should have made her appear gentle and tender, but the heroic spirit between her brows added a touch of the dashing and chivalrous spirit of a woman from the martial arts world.

At this moment, he was looking at Gao Yao with bright, even sharp, eyes, without any hesitation.

It's hard to tell whether the grief of just experiencing a disaster has been washed into his memory.

Gao Yao didn't speak rashly, but the other party spoke first.

"You're the one who brought us here? My name is Ye Ran."

The woman on the right was smaller than Ye Ran and wore a linen dress covered in patches.

Head bowed, hands gripping the hem of her clothes tightly, shoulders slightly hunched back.

Hearing Ye Ran speak, she timidly raised her head, glanced quickly at Gao Yao, and immediately lowered her head again.

Her eyes, though round, were now filled with unease, like those of a frightened little animal.

Even with dirt on her face, her natural beauty was undeniable.

Especially that snow-white skin...

A strange thought popped into Gao Yao's mind: the other party was afraid of glutinous rice and sunshine.

"I... my name is Ye Zi," she said, her voice barely audible.

One is straightforward and outgoing, the other is introverted and timid; their personalities are completely different.

After a moment of surprise, Gao Yao's face instantly broke into a kind smile: "I am Gao Yao. I will take you two to the reef island to settle in. It's not far. Please follow me."

Gao Yao, with his back to the two men, skillfully untied the rope, his eyelids slightly drooping.

Is it just my imagination?

For an actor, observation is the most basic skill.

Just as Gao Yao could sense that Old Man Ma was holding back, he could also see that Ye Ran was out of place, not like the ordinary fisherman he had met before who had been kidnapped and had his memories erased.

As for the other person, no problems have been observed yet, but that doesn't mean there aren't any.

He gathered his thoughts and turned back, his face still bearing that gentle and reliable expression.

"The boat is small, ladies, hold on tight, we're about to set off."

......