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

When I came out of the courtyard, it was still early. The sun was hanging in the west, casting a long shadow on the courtyard wall.

Li Ping continued walking straight back to the courtyard without stopping.

Mu Ming and the other two were still sitting at the stone table. When Li Ping returned, Mu Junyi looked up and asked, "Brother Li, what did Brother Fang Xu say?"

"Three hundred contribution points, which is seventy-five each when divided equally." Li Ping sat down on the stone bench and briefly repeated Mu Fangxu's words.

Mu Junyi grinned: "Including the previous deal with Mandu, we've made quite a bit of money this time."

Mu Ming didn't laugh. He understood the implication in Li Ping's words and frowned, saying, "Are the Tribulation Cultivators starting to retreat?"

"Yes." Li Ping nodded. "Mu Fangxu said that some teams have already come up empty-handed. We need to hurry."

Mu Chengyuan opened the booklet beside him, which was filled with information about the Tribulation Cultivators given to him by Mu Fangxu.

He ran his finger across the paper, quickly stopping at one spot: "How about this one? Fourth level of Qi Refining, hiding on Crow Island, less than two hours' sea journey from Xikou Market."

Mu Junyi leaned closer and clicked his tongue: "Fourth level of Qi Refining, probably not much profit to be made."

"Even a small mosquito is still meat." Li Ping stood up. "He's the one."

You all get ready. I'm going out for a bit, I'll be right back.

The three of them didn't ask any more questions and watched Li Ping leave the courtyard.

Li Ping walked through the bustling market and headed towards the sea.

He found a secluded spot on the shore, where no one was around. He channeled his magic power, leaped into the water, and plunged in.

The seawater was icy cold, enveloping my entire body.

The water within Li Ping's body circulated on its own, and the surrounding water flow seemed to become part of his body, carrying him forward at high speed.

Undulating reefs, swaying seaweed, and the underwater scenery flashed before his eyes.

After swimming for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they arrived at the sea area where Tie Fuhai lived.

Ahead lay a cluster of jagged reefs, with a hidden cave in the middle. The entrance was concealed by dense seaweed, and schools of fish swam outside.

The silvery-gray fish swarmed among the rocks, appearing from a distance like a flowing silver mist.

Li Ping glanced at it, but kept swimming forward without stopping.

But just then, the group of fish suddenly became restless.

As if receiving some kind of command, thousands of fish simultaneously changed direction and swarmed towards Li Ping.

In the blink of an eye, Li Ping was surrounded by silvery-gray fish shadows, densely packed and layered, completely obscuring his vision.

Li Ping stopped and raised his eyebrows slightly.

These fish are just ordinary sea fish, not even considered monsters.

Let alone threats, even if he stood still and let them ram him for three days and three nights, they wouldn't break a single inch of his skin.

However, Li Ping was still somewhat surprised.

Although Tie Fuhai can bless these swimming fish, in the past he only let them scatter around to keep watch, and never made them actively surround people like this.

Li Ping looked around, his gaze piercing through the layers of fish shadows, and quickly discovered the clue.

Among the swimming fish, there were three silvery-white fish, much larger than the surrounding fish, about a foot long.

They have long, slender bodies, their scales shimmering silver in the dark seawater, their dorsal fins like knives, and their tail fins like scissors.

Li Ping examined it closely and discovered that it was actually a swamp bream.

This is a genuine Tier 1 demon beast. Although its rank is not high, it is known for its speed.

When they sprint at full speed, their bodies move like shuttles, so fast that they are just a silver line, and ordinary Qi Refining cultivators simply cannot catch up with them.

Moreover, the flesh of the swamp pomfret is delicious and a rare delicacy.

In the markets of the outer sea, a single cloud-swimming bream can sell for thirty spirit stones, which is quite rare.

Li Ping focused his attention and discovered that the three pufferfish were surrounded by thousands of other fish in the center, their heads slightly raised as if giving orders.

"Iron-Covered Sea can now pray for blessings on demonic beasts?"

Thinking to himself, Li Ping wasn't in a hurry to break through the school of fish. Instead, he shouted towards the direction of the cave ahead.

The sound rippled through the water and carried far.

Suddenly, the seaweed outside the cave parted, and a huge creature slowly swam out of the cave—it was Tie Fu Hai.

Upon seeing this, the three pufferfish swam swiftly to Tie Fuhai's side, their mouths opening and closing as if they were urgently reporting something.

Upon hearing this, Tie Fuhai's eyes, as big as copper bells, suddenly widened, and with a flick of his massive tail fin, he slapped the three pufferfish onto the seabed with a loud crack.

The three pomfret were disoriented from the beating. They thrashed around on the sand for a few moments before finally turning over, their eyes filled with grievance.

Tie Fuhai ignored them and swam quickly toward Li Ping, swinging its giant tail.

It was several meters long, and its movement stirred up the surrounding water, creating a tremendous roar.

But when it reached Li Ping, the enormous creature shrank on its own and landed in his palm.

"Master, I forgot to tell them your identity," Tie Fuhai said in a muffled voice, sounding somewhat guilty.

Li Ping waved his hand: "It's alright."

"How can this be allowed?" Tie Fuhai shook his head like a rattle drum, then glared at the three pufferfish.

The three pufferfish shuddered and swam over in a flash, stopping side by side in front of Li Ping, their heads bobbing as if they were apologizing.

The sight of a demon beast bowing down to a human cultivator is utterly bizarre.

Li Ping smiled and gently patted the head of one of the pomfret: "Alright, stop ordering."

The pomfret froze completely when he slapped it, its eyes wide open, too afraid to move.

Li Ping withdrew his hand, looked at Tie Fuhai, and got down to business: "How long did it take to discover it?"

Tie Fuhai was stunned for a moment: "What?"

"The ability to bless demonic beasts," Li Ping said.

Upon hearing this, Tie Fuhai immediately perked up, raising its head slightly with a hint of pride.

Three days ago.

Li Ping nodded, then asked, "Are there any restrictions?"

Tie Fuhai's smug expression faded somewhat, and he honestly replied, "Yes, praying for the demon beasts is quite taxing. Just those three alone have left me exhausted."

Li Ping carefully examined Tie Fuhai.

I hadn't noticed before, but now that I look closely, I realize that Tie Fuhai's eyes are sunken and bloodshot, and he does look rather tired.

"Take it easy," Li Ping said. "You should also get some rest."

Upon hearing this, Tie Fuhai felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

Then, Li Ping took out the yellowed animal hide from his pocket, unfolded it, and handed it to Tie Fuhai: "Take a look, is this the terrain of the nearby sea area?"

Tie Fuhai rolled his eyes, stared at the animal hide for a long time, and slowly shook his head: "These stones look a bit strange, they don't seem to be from this sea area."

Li Ping's heart sank, but he wasn't too surprised.

The Black Sea is vast and boundless; how could one possibly stumble upon a sea chart and animal hide of dubious origin?

"If you send the fish to search, how long will it take to confirm?" Li Ping asked.

Tie Fuhai turned his head to look at the group of fish, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Seven or eight days, maybe. If we're lucky and encounter similar terrain, it might be even faster."

Seven or eight days, not too long, not too short.

Li Ping nodded and handed the animal hide to Tie Fuhai: "Alright, then I'll leave this to you."

Tie Fuhai opened his mouth and swallowed the animal hide, carefully hiding it away. Then he paused, startled: "Master, are you not going to look for that group of robbers anymore?"

Of the three who previously surrounded and killed Li Ping, Man Du and Feng Yuan are dead, leaving only Ma Dao.

Ma Dao is a member of the Giant Whale Gang, and Mu Fangxu doesn't have complete information about him.

Finding out a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator would require considerable effort.

The window of opportunity to eliminate the traitors is already short. Instead of wasting time on this, it's better to focus on eliminating other traitors to earn spirit stones.

As for Ma Dao, as long as he's still active in the Black Sea, there's bound to be another chance to run into him.

"Let's put that aside for now," Li Ping said. "Let's find the location on this map first."

After explaining the important matters, Li Ping took out the prepared pills and essence blood from his storage bag.

Upon seeing these things, Tie Fuhai's eyes gleamed, his huge mouth opened slightly, and saliva almost dripped down.

Li Ping smiled and tossed the pills and essence blood over.

Tie Fuhai opened his mouth to catch it, swallowed it in one gulp, and then let out a satisfied groan.

The three cloud-piercing fish stood there dumbfounded, their eyes wide open, seemingly unable to comprehend how their leader had become like this in front of the human cultivator.

Li Ping wasn't in a hurry to leave, so he sat on a nearby rock and watched Tie Fuhai enjoy his meal.

Tie Fuhai was enjoying his meal when he suddenly stopped, glanced at Li Ping, then at the three swamp bream, hesitated for a moment, then took a little bit of his essence blood from his mouth and threw it to them.

The three pufferfish were flattered and pounced on the blood and essence, devouring it clean in the blink of an eye.

Li Ping found it amusing and shook his head with a smile.

After Tie Fuhai finished eating, Li Ping stood up and said, "I'm leaving. If there's any news about the animal hides, let me know immediately."

Tie Fuhai nodded reluctantly, watching Li Ping break through the water and leave.

The three pufferfish also floated side by side beside Tie Fuhai, their heads slightly lowered, as if they were seeing him off.

……

……

When Li Ping returned to the Mu family courtyard, Mu Ming and the other two were already prepared.

Without any hesitation, he immediately led everyone away.

The four of them left the courtyard, passed through the market, and boarded the Mu family's small spirit boat at the dock.

Mu Ming took the helm, channeling his magic into the steering wheel. A faint layer of water shimmered beneath the spirit boat, propelling it through the waves.

Crow Island is located southeast of Xikoufang City, less than two hours' sea journey away.

The sky gradually darkened.

The sun sank below the horizon in the west, its afterglow turning half the sky orange-red.

Li Ping stood at the bow of the ship, his gaze sweeping across the gradually clearer silhouette of the island ahead, pondering Tie Fuhai's words from earlier.

If we can find the location on that animal hide in seven or eight days, we might be able to make a little more money before the cleanup operation is completely over.

The spirit boat moved at great speed, and when it was completely dark, Raven Island was already in sight.

Raven Island is small, and as its name suggests, it looks like a black raven crouching on the sea when viewed from a distance.

The island is covered with low shrubs, with undulating terrain and jagged rocks.

Mu Ming moored the spirit boat behind a secluded reef, and the four of them quietly went ashore.

The night wind howled, and the bushes rustled.

Li Ping made a gesture, and the four of them dispersed, advancing in a fan shape towards the depths of the island to search.

Intelligence indicated that Cao An was hiding in a cave on the south side of the island, but the terrain on the south side of Crow Island is complex, with numerous reefs and at least a dozen caves of varying sizes.

Searching them one by one will take some time.

Li Ping channeled his magical power, maximizing his five senses.

Just as they were about to search, they suddenly heard a booming sound from the south, followed by the crisp sound of magical artifacts colliding.

"That direction is Mu Junyi."

Li Ping exerted force with his feet, his figure moving like lightning, and he sped away.

After passing through a patch of low bushes, the view suddenly opened up before me.

Amidst a cluster of jagged rocks, Mu Junyi was locked in combat with a slender figure.

The man was gaunt and thin; he was none other than Cao An from the intelligence report.

Mu Junyi's short blade flashed, its light like a bolt of lightning, enveloping Cao An.

Cao An's cultivation level was only at the fourth level of Qi Refining, while Mu Junyi was at the sixth level of Qi Refining. In a head-on confrontation, he was no match for him.

But this person managed to survive half a year at sea as a bandit without being killed, so he must have some skill in preserving his life.

His body was as slippery as an eel, and several times Mu Junyi's blade grazed his flesh, leaving only a few strands of cloth and shallow bloodstains.

When Li Ping, Mu Ming, and Mu Chengyuan arrived, Cao An had already been cornered by Mu Junyi.

He leaned against a rock about two people high, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw three more people arriving. Despair rose on his face.

"Don't kill me, I can..."

Before he could finish speaking, Mu Junyi's short blade had already pierced his throat.

The sound stopped abruptly.

Cao An's eyes widened, he made two gurgling sounds in his throat, and his body went limp and collapsed, blood flowing down on the rocks.

Mu Junyi drew his short blade, wiped the blood off Cao An's clothes, and turned to grin at Li Ping and the other two: "Sorry you're late."

Mu Ming said with a dark face, "Didn't I tell you to send a message first after you found someone?"

"He spotted me first." Mu Junyi shrugged, looking completely innocent. "I wasn't even ready when this old bastard pounced on me to his death. I couldn't just let him chop me up, could I?"

Li Ping shook his head: "Alright, pack up and go back."

Mu Junyi squatted down, rummaged through Cao An's body, and pulled out a few spirit stones and a few crumpled talismans. He clicked his tongue in disgust and said, "With so little, he deserves to be a Tribulation Cultivator until he dies."

Mu Ming shook his head and chuckled, then turned and walked back.

The four of them disposed of the traces, returned along the same route, and boarded the spirit boat again.

The spirit boat turned around and headed towards Xikou Market.

The night was as dark as ink, with sparse moonlight shimmering on the sea.

About an incense stick's time later, under the moonlight, several bright spots suddenly appeared on the sea.

Li Ping stared intently and discovered it was a spirit boat.

A red lantern hung at the bow of the boat, which was a size larger than theirs, and several figures could be vaguely seen standing on the deck.

The spirit boat was moving very fast and was heading straight towards them.

When the two boats were only a few dozen feet apart, Li Ping could see the face of the person at the bow of the boat.

Mu Guang, Qi Refining Level 8, was someone Li Ping had met in Mu Fangxu's courtyard.

Mu Guang had obviously seen them as well, and raised his hand to signal the spirit boat to stop.

The two spirit boats, about ten feet apart, floated slowly on the sea.

"Mu Ming?" Mu Guang's gaze swept over the four of them, his brows furrowing slightly. "Where did you all come from?"

Mu Ming stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Brother Guang, we just returned from Raven Island."

Mu Guang's brows furrowed even deeper: "Crow Island? What are you going to Crow Island for?"

Mu Ming said, "There was a cultivator undergoing tribulation up there, but we've already dealt with him."

Upon hearing this, Mu Guang's face immediately darkened.

Four cultivators stood behind him, and upon hearing this, they exchanged glances, all showing a hint of suspicion in their eyes.

"That Cao An, who's at the fourth level of Qi Refining?"

A cultivator walked up from behind Mu Guang. He was a man with a scar on his face named Mu Sui, who was at the fifth level of Qi Refining.

Mu Ming nodded: "Exactly."

Mu Sui's expression changed, and his gaze towards Li Ping and the others turned hostile: "Cao An was a target we'd been watching for a long time. How could you just kill him like that?"

Mu Junyi understood the implication in his words and frowned: "What do you mean?"

Mu Sui sneered, "We've been tracking Cao An's movements for some time now, and we were just about to close the net when you beat us to it. What's going on here?"

"Get there first?" Mu Junyi scoffed. "The intelligence was distributed by Brother Fang Xu, not by you alone."

Everyone has the same thing; it's first come, first served. What's the problem?

"That's not how it works," another cultivator chimed in. "If everyone acted like you, casually reaping the rewards of others' hard-won targets, how could this cleanup operation possibly proceed?"

Mu Ming frowned and said, "We are unaware of this matter, and Senior Brother Fang Xu did not say who is watching this target."

After obtaining the intelligence, seeing that this cultivator was easy to deal with, they simply eliminated him.

If any of you feel this is inappropriate, you can go back and discuss it with Senior Brother Fang Xu, and then decide on a suitable solution.

"Explain yourself?" Mu Sui snorted. "You've already killed people and pocketed all the profits, how can you expect me to explain myself?"

Mu Junyi was unhappy. What kind of logic is this?

He stepped forward, crossed his arms, and retorted expressionlessly, "If that's how you all see it, then there's nothing I can do. We all have the intelligence. We can go to Raven Island, and so can you. Whoever gets there first wins—it's only fair."

Seeing the disdain on the faces of the people opposite him, Mu Junyi shook his head again: "If you ask me, with your speed, what are you going to do to clear out the Tribulation Cultivators? You might as well go home and lie down."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people opposite all changed.

A flash of anger crossed Mu Sui's eyes. He took a slight step forward, seemingly wanting to argue, but a hand pressed down on his shoulder.

Mu Guang gently pressed him down, looked calmly at Mu Ming, and then slowly moved his gaze to Li Ping.

"Keep your people in check."

Li Ping didn't want to waste time here, nor did he want to get into a pointless argument over this.

He didn't respond to Mu Guang's words, but turned to Mu Ming and said, "Let's go."

Mu Ming snapped out of his daze, gave Mu Guang a deep look, turned around and channeled his magic power, and the spirit boat continued its journey.

Mu Sui watched the spirit boat grow smaller and smaller, gritted his teeth, and whispered, "Brother Guang, are we just going to let them go like this?"

"The person is already dead, what else can be done?" Mu Guang's expression was calm, but a shadow of gloom flashed in his eyes.

"We've been keeping an eye on Cao An for several days," another Mu family disciple said resentfully.

"You've been watching for days without making a move, whose fault is that?" Mu Guang's voice turned cold.

The disciples immediately dared not speak further.

Mu Guang watched the ship's silhouette gradually disappear into the night and said calmly.

"Let's go."

The spirit boat restarted, cutting through the waves, and headed in another direction.

However, the atmosphere on the ship was somewhat somber.

Although those words were spoken by his subordinates, they also expressed Mu Guang's true feelings.

Li Ping and his group annoyed Mu Guang, since those contribution points were originally his, but now they were gone.

Moreover, Li Ping's nonchalant attitude just now was indeed somewhat arrogant.

Mu Guang took a deep breath, suppressing his displeasure, and his gaze sharpened again.

"Go and check which other targets are still active."

"If we don't hurry, we might not even get to drink the soup."