The fairy forced me to marry into her family, so I retorted by throwing myself into the Pool of Fate

There are only two days left until our island getaway.

Mu Fangxu gave him a three-day holiday, intending for him to rest and prepare. Now that he has mastered the Rock Gang Iron Bone Technique, he has another trump card.

As for his magical cultivation, he has only recently broken through and is unlikely to make any progress in the short term, so there is no need to rush.

He walked out of the courtyard.

The morning light was just right, and the sea breeze was slightly cool.

The stone table was empty; Ruan Ling'er, who had been tied to the table leg yesterday, was nowhere to be seen.

To prevent the Giant Whale Gang from kidnapping her, Li Ping moved her to Mu Fangxu's courtyard yesterday.

There are people watching over there, which is much safer than staying here.

After leaving the courtyard, I turned and went to Mu Fangxu's residence, where he was practicing his sword in the courtyard.

He wielded a three-foot-long sword with fluid grace, its light flashing like a bolt of lightning in the morning light.

Li Ping stood under the eaves for a while and watched without making a sound to disturb them.

A moment later, Mu Fangxu sheathed his sword and stood up, exhaling a breath of turbid air.

"So early?"

"There are some things I'd like to ask."

Mu Fangxu nodded, sheathed his sword, and led Li Ping to sit down on a stone bench in the courtyard.

A maid served tea, and he waved for her to leave.

"How many people do we have on this deserted island?" Li Ping asked directly.

Mu Fangxu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and pondered for a moment: "You, me, Mu Ming, and a cousin at the eighth level of Qi Refining. Four people."

Li Ping frowned slightly: "So few people?"

"I originally wanted to bring more people," Mu Fangxu put down his teacup and sighed, "but the market can't be left empty. If the other side uses a diversionary tactic and launches a surprise attack on the market while we're out in force, then it would truly be a case of losing more than we gain."

"Isn't Elder Zhihe in charge of the market?" Li Ping asked.

With a Foundation Establishment cultivator in charge, even if ten or eight late-stage Qi Refining cultivators came, they would be sent to their deaths.

Upon hearing this, Mu Fangxu's expression turned somewhat strange.

"The elder... went out to visit a friend not long ago and has not returned yet."

Li Ping remained silent for a moment.

According to the Mu family rules, Foundation Establishment elders who are stationed in the market cannot leave at will.

However, rules are ironclad rules for Qi Refining stage disciples, but only suggestions for Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.

"Elder Zhihe..." Mu Fangxu seemed to see through Li Ping's thoughts and said with a wry smile, "He is completely focused on cultivation and has never paid much attention to clan affairs. He leaves all the affairs of the neighborhood to me. This time he went out to visit friends without saying how long he would be gone, and only left a note."

As he spoke, he pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Li Ping.

Li Ping took it and unfolded it; it only contained the four words "Do not think of visiting friends".

That's really concise.

Li Ping shook his head, handed the note back, and his concerns deepened.

Without a Foundation Establishment cultivator in charge, it's indeed unwise for the people in the town to act rashly. Mu Fangxu only brought these few people, which was out of necessity.

But with fewer people, the risks are greater.

Seeing Li Ping's serious expression, Mu Fangxu reassured him, "Don't worry, I know this area well. There aren't any strong opponents on the nearby islands. The other party is at most at the ninth level of Qi Refining. The few of us can handle him."

"That being said," Li Ping said slowly, "we still need to be careful that they don't actually manage to rescue them."

Ruan Ling'er is the key to the whole thing.

As long as the person is still in our hands, we hold the initiative.

"What do you mean?" Mu Fangxu looked at him.

Li Ping didn't answer directly. Instead, he stood up, leaned close to Mu Fangxu's ear, and whispered a few words.

Mu Fangxu's expression changed slightly after hearing this.

His gaze toward Li Ping became somewhat complicated, as if he were getting to know this person all over again.

"You have a truly black heart."

Li Ping smiled, not taking it to heart.

Mu Fangxu remained silent for a moment, then suddenly thought of the Hong family.

Perhaps they were unknowingly tricked by Li Ping and gradually brought to their deaths.

He suppressed his emotions, stood up, and said, "I'll go prepare right away."

Having said that, he quickly left the courtyard.

Li Ping watched him leave, then turned and walked towards the backyard.

The backyard is not large; a few clumps of green bamboo grow in one corner, and a small artificial hill and pond are on the other side.

Ruan Ling'er sat on the stone bench by the pool, facing the sea, lost in thought.

Three cultivators from the Mu family stood in three different positions, surrounding her in the middle.

One of them was the same person Li Ping had met yesterday. He nodded slightly in greeting as Li Ping entered.

Ruan Ling'er turned her head when she heard footsteps.

Upon recognizing Li Ping, a hint of disdain flashed in her eyes.

"Here we go again for questioning?"

"Save your breath, I won't say anything."

Li Ping ignored her.

He turned to the monk in charge and said, "Bring some black cloth."

The cultivator was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously looked at Ruan Ling'er and then at Li Ping, his eyes full of doubt. But Mu Fangxu had instructed him to give Li Ping whatever he wanted and not to ask any more questions.

He nodded and turned to leave.

Ruan Ling'er stared at Li Ping, her disdain gradually turning into vigilance.

"What do you want to do?"

Li Ping remained silent, standing by the pond with his hands behind his back, watching the koi fish swim to and fro.

A moment later, the monk brought out a roll of black cloth, which was several feet long.

Li Ping took it, weighed it in his hand, and nodded in satisfaction.

Then he turned around and faced Ruan Ling'er.

Ruan Ling'er subconsciously shrank back.

"you……"

Before she could finish speaking, Li Ping had already unfurled the black cloth and wrapped it around her without saying a word.

a circle.

Two laps.

Three laps.

The black cloth was wrapped from the shoulders to the waist, and then from the waist to the legs.

Ruan Ling'er initially tried to struggle, but her cultivation was sealed, and her physical strength was no match for Li Ping's.

In just a few breaths, she was wrapped up like a black rice dumpling, with only her mouth and nose exposed to breathe.

The three monks guarding the place were dumbfounded.

They initially thought Li Ping wanted the black cloth to set up some kind of trap, but they never expected it to be used to wrap people.

And they were wrapped up so tightly.

Ruan Ling'er was wrapped up so tightly that she couldn't move. She stood on the stone bench like a black pillar. Her eyes were covered by a black cloth, so she couldn't see anything and could only hear the sounds around her.

Even so, she remained silent.

Li Ping walked around the black rice dumpling, looking it over and nodding repeatedly.

"Hmm, not bad."

"That way, even if someone wants to save you, they'll have to go through some trouble to untangle the cloth."

A muffled groan came from the black cloth, accompanied by a sound of gritted teeth.

Li Ping smiled and said to the three guarding cultivators, "Keep a close eye on her. Don't take the cloth off. As for her eating, drinking, and relieving herself... you'll have to figure those out yourselves."

The three looked at each other, and finally nodded in unison.

Li Ping glanced at Ruan Ling'er again, then turned and walked out.

The next day.

The door of Wenxianglou creaked open when the sun was high in the sky.

The cultivators waiting outside were already impatient; some were cursing, while others were peering inside.

The maid leaned against the door frame, yawning, and gave the same excuse as yesterday. The rogue cultivators muttered a few words and filed in.

No one noticed that the curtains on the third-floor window facing the street remained closed.

Inside the room, the three stood silently.

Su Mei stood by the table, still wearing that light green dress, her expression unreadable.

Zhou Dahai shrank half a step behind her, keeping his eyes down and looking into the distance, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the wall.

A man was sitting by the bed. He was handsome with delicate features, and at first glance, he looked like a young master from a wealthy family.

This man, however, strutted his legs wide, one hand on his knee and the other holding a letter, showing none of the airs of a young master.

He looked at the letter over and over again, then suddenly slammed it on the table.

"Su Mei".

"You've been out there hustling for so many years, can't you see this is clearly a trap?"

Su Mei stared at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

"Liu Qi, are you scared?"

Liu Qi's face darkened, and he opened his mouth.

Su Mei didn't give him a chance to speak. She suppressed her smile and said, word by word, "Ling'er and I are like sisters. I can't stand by and watch her die after she's been captured."

"Stubborn to the end." Liu Qi suddenly stood up, his finger almost touching Su Mei's nose. "You're trying to kill us!"

"So what if it is?"

Instead of retreating, Su Mei pressed forward, coldly retorting.

Their eyes met in mid-air, like two silent blades clashing.

Zhou Dahai stood to the side, fine beads of sweat glistening on his forehead.

What kind of thing is this?

One is Su Mei, the manager of Wenxiang Tower, who is at the eighth level of Qi Refining; the other is Liu Qi, the scout captain, who is at the eighth level of Qi Refining. They have countless lives on their hands.

When these two started fighting, he, a mere fifth-level Qi Refining henchman, was caught in the middle. What difference was there between him and a quail standing between two fighting roosters?

I shouldn't have come along.

No, I shouldn't have taken this contact job in the first place.

As he was feeling sorry for himself, the door suddenly creaked open.

The three people inside the room all turned their gazes in that direction.

A figure walked in.

This man was burly and over eight feet tall. When he stood at the door, the entire door frame was completely filled.

He bent down and stepped over the threshold, the floor trembling slightly as he landed, just like a bear walking upright.

The coldness on Su Mei's face disappeared.

The anger on Liu Qi's face disappeared.

Zhou Dahai wished he could shrink his head into his chest cavity.

All three of them wore respectful expressions.

Xiong Pihai didn't look at them. He walked straight to the window, pushed it open a crack, and looked down at the pedestrians coming and going on the street.

After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke:

"Ruan Ling'er made great contributions to the gang in her early years."

"Su Mei has worked at Wenxianglou for so many years, it hasn't been easy for her."

"The gang will not stand by and watch someone die."

Upon hearing this, the weight that had been hanging over Su Mei's heart for days finally lifted.

She took a deep breath, cupped her hands in thanks, and said, "Thank you, Brother Xiong."

Liu Qi grew anxious. He took two steps forward, his voice rising, "Brother Xiong, that deserted island is clearly a trap! We..."

"Liu Qi".

Xiong Pihai interrupted him, coldly saying, "This is the scholar's idea."

A scholar.

These two words were like a bucket of ice water, poured over Liu Qi's head.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

The scholar was resourceful and shrewd, and his plans were flawless. The entire Giant Whale Gang, including the gang leader, listened to him without question.

But why would he give such an order?

That promise on the deserted island was clearly a trap set by the Mu family, waiting for them to fall into it. There was no way the scholar couldn't see that.

Knowing it was a trap, why did they let them jump in?

Liu Qi's heart was in turmoil, but he dared not show it on his face. He simply lowered his head, cupped his hands, and said, "I understand."

Su Mei glanced at him, a slight smile playing on her lips.

She was naturally pleased that Liu Qi had been humiliated.

However, her initial pleasure was fleeting. She composed herself, looked at the figure by the window, and asked, "Brother Xiong, how many men do we have this time? That Li Ping is no simple man, and they've taken precautions and made ample preparations. We should bring more men."

Xiong Pihai turned around.

The morning light streamed through the cracks in the window, illuminating half of his face.

His features were rugged, with high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and eyes like two obsidian stones, revealing no emotion.

"Me, you, Liu Qi, Zhou Dahai, Tao San."

Five people? Su Mei secretly pondered.

She and Liu Qi were both in the late stage of Qi Refining, while Zhou Dahai and Tao San were in the middle stage of Qi Refining. However, one was familiar with the waterways and the other was skilled in underwater techniques, each with their own strengths.

Add to that Xiong Pihai's Qi Refining Perfection level, and his combat strength is enough to make him roam freely in this sea area.

The problem is that there are Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed in Mu Family Market.

Su Mei hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Brother Xiong, that Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Mu family..."

"Don't worry, that person won't make a move," Xiong Pihai said calmly.

Perhaps feeling that this wasn't convincing enough, he added, "The scholar said it himself."

A scholar.

These two words again.

As if by some kind of magic, everyone in the room nodded in unison, and no one had any more concerns.

Liu Qi also lowered his head.

Su Mei's lips curled up again.

Zhou Dahai felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quietly exhaled a breath of stale air.

Only Xiong Pihai remained expressionless.

……

……

The next day.

As dawn broke, the sea was shrouded in a hazy gray, with no clear boundary between the water and the sky.

At the market dock, several ferries were still quietly moored, and the boatmen had not yet gotten up.

A small, covered boat silently untied its mooring ropes, its oars cutting through the water as it slowly sailed away.

Inside the ship, Xiong Pihai sat in the center, leaning against the cabin wall, his eyes slightly closed, as if he were resting.

His breathing was deep and shallow, and his chest rose and fell very little. If you didn't look closely, you would almost think he was a stone statue.

Su Mei and Liu Qi sat facing each other on either side of the ship's gunwale.

Su Mei held a short knife in her hand. The blade was only about 1.2 feet long and was entirely silver-white.

She took out a soft cloth, moistened it with a little grease, and wiped it inch by inch along the spine of the knife.

Liu Qi was organizing the talismans.

He took out a stack of yellow paper talismans from his pocket, spread them out one by one, and checked whether the patterns were intact. After checking one, he put it back into his sleeve and took out the next one. His movements were meticulous.

The two were busy with their own work, neither looking at the other.

But every time their eyes meet by chance, sparks fly in the air.

Yesterday's dispute was not truly resolved despite Xiong Pihai's decisive statement.

It was overshadowed by the word "scholar," like charcoal fire covered with a layer of ash—it looked extinguished, but it was still scalding hot when you brushed it aside.

Zhou Dahai sat in the corner, barely daring to breathe.

The atmosphere inside the cabin was as heavy as lead.

He endured it for a long time, but finally couldn't take it anymore.

"I'll go outside and keep watch."

After saying that, he fled from the cabin as if he were escaping.

At the bow of the ship, the sea breeze rushed in, carrying a salty, fishy smell.

Zhou Dahai took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

The sun is rising above the sea, the morning mist is gradually dissipating, and visibility is slowly increasing.

Zhou Dahai stared ahead, feeling a sudden emptiness in his heart.

He knew this sea area so well that he could practically count which reefs would be submerged at high tide, which channels had hidden currents, and which islands had suitable leeward sides for mooring.

Because of his familiarity with the gang, his job within the gang was always to make contacts at sea, sailing a small boat between various strongholds to deliver messages and meet up with gang members.

It sounds nice to call it communication, but in reality it's just running errands.

That's why he was never the one to commit murder or arson.

After years of living in a daze, Zhou Dahai's cultivation remained stagnant. As he got older, he gave up his ambitions and wanted to live a peaceful life.

He got married last year and recently gave birth to a baby boy. Both mother and son are settled in Xikoufang Market.

Little did he know that this contact would involve him as well.

"After this, it's time for me to stop."

"When I get back, I'll tell my wife that we'll find a secluded place, plant a few acres of land, and raise a few chickens. We'll never get involved in these things again."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the water in front of the bow of the boat suddenly parted.

A head popped out.

With a pointed snout, monkey-like cheeks, and two darting, mischievous eyes, it didn't make a sound when it emerged from the water.

Zhou Dahai was so frightened that he trembled all over and almost fell off the bow of the boat.

Upon seeing the face clearly, a surge of anger rushed to his head, and he cursed, "Tao San, is it so early in the morning, or will you die if you utter a sound?"

Tao San wiped the water off his face and grinned: "Underwater skills are all about surprise. What kind of underwater skill is it if you make a sound?"

He braced himself against the gunwale with both hands and slid aboard like an eel.

Zhou Dahai took a half-step to the side in disgust and asked, "Finished exploring?"

Tao San nodded and shook the water off his hair.

The two of them crawled into the cabin one after the other.