Mortal: Traveling Between Two Realms with Mei Ning to Pick Up Trash

Zhou Yu arrived at the location where the three were trapped.

He took out the Phantom Flag and threw it at the group. A faint light seemed to appear on the three of them, growing brighter and brighter.

The three of them frowned simultaneously, as if they were struggling intensely.

First came Mei Feng. He suddenly opened his eyes, gasping for breath, his chest heaving violently.

His gaze shifted from confusion to clarity, and from clarity to vigilance.

He quickly turned his head and saw that Hu Biao and Miss Liu still had their eyes closed, their expressions different. Mei Feng's expression changed, and he quickly stood up, walked to Zhou Yu's side, and lowered his voice: "Zhou Yu, what happened?"

Zhou Yu put away the Phantom Flag and said calmly, "You were trapped in an illusion just now. I used a little trick to break the illusion array."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hu Biao suddenly opened his eyes, as if he had woken up from a nightmare. His hand was already on the hilt of the knife at his waist. He looked down at himself, then looked up at his surroundings, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Zhou Yu and Mei Feng several times, as if trying to confirm whether the person in front of him was real or fake.

Miss Liu woke up almost at the same time. She didn't have the same strong reaction as Hu Biao. Her eyelashes trembled, and then she opened her eyes. She looked down at her hands, then at the Phantom Flag in Zhou Yu's hand. Her gaze lingered on the flag for a moment before moving away.

Seeing that they were all awake, Mei Feng chuckled, walked over, patted Hu Biao on the shoulder, and nodded to Miss Liu. "How about that? I told you my brother Zhou was amazing, right? This time he truly saved your lives."

Hu Biao and Miss Liu exchanged a glance, then bowed to Zhou Yu in unison, saying, "Thank you, Brother Zhou."

Zhou Yu waved his hand, put the Phantom Flag into his storage bag, and turned to walk towards the cave entrance. "The formation is broken. Let's go. There's nothing left here."

Hu Biao paused for a moment. He looked at Zhou Yu's back, then at Mei Feng. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed his words back.

Miss Liu stood still, her gaze sweeping over Zhou Yu's storage bag, then looking at the closed stone door deep inside the stone chamber.

"This..." Hu Biao hesitated before speaking.

Miss Liu didn't reply, but simply looked Zhou Yu up and down.

Mei Feng's smile slowly faded. He looked at Hu Biao, then at Miss Liu, his expression turning cold, and his voice deepening: "Brother Hu, Miss Liu, don't forget what just happened. If you want something, you'll have to be alive to take it."

Hu Biao's expression changed slightly. He quickly took out the fire elemental crystals from his storage bag, weighed them in his hand, and then cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Zhou Yu.

"These things are fine, let's go, I have no objections."

After he finished speaking, he strode towards the cave entrance without looking back.

Miss Liu didn't say anything, but simply put the short dagger into her sleeve and followed Hu Biao's footsteps.

The four of them left the cave.

The sunlight outside was so bright that it was hard to open one's eyes.

Mei Feng walked at the front, a long spear slung over his shoulder, his steps light and quick, humming an off-key tune.

Hu Biao followed behind him, his hand trembling slightly as he gripped the broadsword. Zhou Yu walked in the middle, with Miss Liu bringing up the rear.

On the way back, the four of them didn't talk much.

Mei Feng would occasionally say a few words, but when no one responded, he would awkwardly shut his mouth.

After flying for less than half an hour, the outline of Qingyufang came into view.

Mei Feng withdrew his escape light and landed on the dock. He turned around and cupped his hands in greeting to Hu Biao and Miss Liu. "Brother Hu, Miss Liu, now that this matter is settled, let's part ways here. We hope to meet again someday."

Hu Biao returned the greeting, forcing a smile, "See you again sometime."

Miss Liu nodded without saying a word.

Mei Feng pulled Zhou Yu and walked into Qingyu Fang. "Come on, I'll treat you to a drink. Qingyu Fang has just received a new batch of spirit wine, and I've been wanting to try it for a long time, but I haven't been able to bring myself to do it."

Zhou Yu did not refuse and followed behind him, crossing the narrow dirt road and entering a small tavern deep in the market.

What they didn't know was that after they walked away, Hu Biao and Miss Liu did not leave.

The two stood on the dock, watching Zhou Yu and Mei Feng's figures disappear at the end of the dirt road, and remained silent for a long while.

Hu Biao spoke first, touching the storage pouch at his waist, which contained the fire elemental crystals and some spirit stones he had been allocated. "Miss Liu, do you think that the good stuff in that cave was all taken by that Zhou fellow?"

Miss Liu did not answer immediately. She pulled her hand out of her sleeve, twirled the short dagger between her fingers, and then put it back into her sleeve. "Look at the flag he took out last."

"That thing is no ordinary item."

"I noticed that too." Hu Biao scratched his head, his beard disheveled by the sea breeze.

Miss Liu turned her head and glanced at Hu Biao. Her gaze was expressionless, but Hu Biao felt somewhat uncomfortable under her gaze.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"It doesn't mean anything." Miss Liu withdrew her gaze and looked at the distant sea. "I just feel that we made a bit of a wasted trip."

Hu Biao was silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth. "How about... we find an opportunity to get a share from him? We discovered that cave, we led the way, and he just quietly made a fortune, pocketing all the good stuff, while we only got a few broken stones and a pile of scrap metal. That doesn't make sense, does it?"

Miss Liu didn't reply. She looked at the seagulls flying around on the sea, then turned around and walked towards the market. "Let's go back first. We'll discuss this further."

Hu Biao was stunned for a moment, then quickly followed, "You agreed?"

……

Zhou Yu held the wine bowl and drank slowly.

The spirit wine was sweet and mellow on the palate, with a lingering aftertaste, but he drank it absentmindedly.

Mei Feng sat opposite him, having already drunk three bowls of wine. He was still rambling on about the dangers in the cave, how ferocious the fire beast was, how strange the illusion array was, and how sad he felt when he dreamed of his parents.

Zhou Yu listened, occasionally responding, but his mind was elsewhere.

He had seen Hu Biao's hesitant look and Miss Liu's scrutinizing gaze at the entrance of the cave.

Those two were no pushovers; they were independent cultivators who made a living at sea year-round, and neither of them was an innocent fool. They might say, "These things are enough," but they probably didn't really mean it.

Zhou Yu put down his wine bowl and tapped his fingers lightly twice on the edge of the table.

He wasn't naive enough to think that Hu Biao and Miss Liu would just let it go. In a place like the Chaotic Star Sea, greed was more common than the sea itself.

Today they took the Fire Fiend Crystal and the puppet's remains, feeling it was worth it. They went home, slept, and tomorrow they'll feel it wasn't worth it. That's human nature: once you get an ounce, you want two; once you get two ounces, you want a pound.

"Brother Meifeng," Zhou Yu began, "how long have you known Hu Biao and Miss Liu?"

Mei Feng was enjoying his drink when he was taken aback by the question. "Huh? Hu Biao... I've known him for several years. We've been on missions together a few times. Miss Liu was brought by Hu Biao. I'm not very familiar with her. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Zhou Yu picked up his wine bowl, took another sip, and asked, "How are they?"

Mei Feng scratched his head, thought for a moment, and said, "Hu Biao is a rough man, quick-tongued, not a bad person, but a bit greedy. He can't resist good things. As for Miss Liu... it's hard to say."

He paused, looking at Zhou Yu, "Are you worried about them...?"

Zhou Yu did not deny it, saying, "One should always be wary of others."

Mei Feng was silent for a while, then put down his wine bowl. The alcohol on his face seemed to have dissipated a bit. "You're right. Those two people were indeed acting a bit strange in the cave just now, especially Hu Biao."

He gritted his teeth. "If he dares to come up with any crooked ideas, I'll be the first to not let him get away with it."

Zhou Yu shook his head. "No need to rush. They won't make a move now. First, they just got the stuff and haven't had a chance to enjoy it. Second, they don't know my background and dare not act rashly. But they won't let it go like this. They'll make a move sooner or later."

He put down his wine bowl, looked out at the gray sea, and said, "Instead of waiting for them to make a move, we should prepare in advance."

Mei Feng paused for a moment, then asked, "What are you planning to do?"

Zhou Yu did not answer immediately. He was sensing his dantian. The drop of blue liquid had grown larger and darker in color than before he entered the cave.

The pills and spirit stones he obtained from Xuanmingzi were enough for him to break through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment. Once he broke through to the late stage, even if four Hu Biaos and four Liu girls were tied together, he wouldn't be afraid.

"I need a few days," Zhou Yu said. "Just a few days will do."