Chapter 35: The Fruits Are All Predestined

With the announcement of the Materials needed for the Net Body Spiritual Pool, Liuli Island appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, undercurrents were already surging.

Even some Mortals who didn't care about the matter knew that the major powers on the island were now all searching for something called starsea quicksand.

Li Fan had been inquiring in secret with no results, but on this day, he welcomed an unexpected guest.

It was none other than Xiao Heng, a person from the Li Realm whom Li Fan had met when he first arrived in the Cultivation World.

"Please, sit wherever you like." Li Fan poured him a cup of tea.

Xiao Heng looked over Li Fan's current residence, his eyes filled with envy and nostalgia.

"I wonder what business you have with me, little brother?" He had a decent impression of this Xiao Heng, so he asked gently.

Xiao Heng first scanned his surroundings vigilantly, then leaned in and whispered, "I heard that Brother Li has also been searching for starsea quicksand recently?"

Li Fan's eyes narrowed. "That's right. I am advanced in age; if I want to cultivate, I can only rely on the Net Body Spiritual Pool. Why, do you know about this thing?"

Xiao Heng swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes. Back when the Immortal Master descended upon Great Li, he promised that as long as we gathered all the supplies he needed, he would take a group of people to the greater Cultivation World. Among these items was the starsea quicksand."

Li Fan was taken aback, then asked with some confusion, "Was there? Why don't I recall that?"

Li Fan had previously asked the group from Great Li, and they had all expressed ignorance, which was why he asked.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Heng looked a bit embarrassed. "When it was announced to the world, several items had already been removed from the list as pre-determined quotas, which were distributed among the major clans of Great Li. The item assigned to my family to collect was this starsea quicksand."

Li Fan nodded slowly.

"Speak up, what are your conditions?" Li Fan asked straight to the point.

Seeing Li Fan being so direct, Xiao Heng felt a bit embarrassed instead. He blushed and explained, "Back then, you paid to bury Changyu, which counts as a favor to me. I shouldn't be doing this, but life on Liuli Island is truly too hard to bear. I don't have the great capabilities you do, Brother Li. I am still living in the slums outside the city, doing manual labor every day just to survive…"

As Xiao Heng rambled on, Li Fan smiled gently and interrupted him.

"There is no need to say more; I know your difficulties. I am determined to obtain this item. As long as you can provide a clue, feel free to make any request, and I will do my best to satisfy it."

Xiao Heng was very grateful. "In that case, I thank you in advance, Brother."

He paused, then said with a sigh, "Actually, this item is not rare; it's just that the Immortal Master's name for it differs from what we Mortals use. Of course, if the descriptions for the various Materials hadn't been attached to the list back then, I wouldn't have known that the so-called starsea quicksand is actually just meteoric iron from the sky."

Li Fan listened, pondered carefully, and then suddenly realized. "starsea quicksand… so that's what it is. But is any meteoric iron fine? Are there any other special requirements?"

"Yes, there are, there are." Xiao Heng nodded repeatedly, then slowly recounted the specific requirements one by one.

"First, the meteoric iron must look good; it cannot be pitted on the surface. Second, the overall weight of a single piece must be at least fifty jin. Then…"

Li Fan listened while firmly memorizing everything in his mind.

After Xiao Heng finished speaking, Li Fan did not forget his promise.

"Speak, what do you want?"

Xiao Heng whispered, "I just want a decent courtyard, plus a slightly easier job. Of course, if I could have a few maids, that would be even better."

Li Fan had been prepared for Xiao Heng to make an exorbitant demand, but seeing that the other party could be satisfied so easily, he couldn't help but smile and shake his head.

"I didn't expect that the dignified son of the Prince of Zhennan would only have such small requests? Why not add a bit more? I still have some say within Tianbao Tower."

Xiao Heng politely declined. "I know my own capabilities. To be able to eat and live well without having to live so exhaustingly is enough to satisfy me. If I were to suddenly possess wealth that makes others jealous, it would easily invite disaster."

Li Fan nodded and did not press the matter further.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Xiao Heng said his goodbyes.

"Do you have any plans to cultivate? After all, you went through so much trouble to come to this greater Cultivation World; you shouldn't have made the trip in vain, right?" As they were parting, Li Fan suddenly asked.

"Let's talk about that later. I really have no interest in cultivation. As soon as I read that 'Mystic Yellow Heart Cleansing Mantra', I get drowsy, and I don't even know how long it would take to completely purge the miasma." Xiao Heng answered listlessly and left without looking back.

After seeing Xiao Heng off, Li Fan hurried to Tianbao Tower.

Upon meeting Yin Yuzhen, Li Fan repeated Xiao Heng's explanation regarding the starsea quicksand.

"starsea quicksand is just meteoric iron? It's that simple?" Yin Yuzhen was somewhat surprised. "Is this person named Xiao Heng trustworthy?"

"He shouldn't be lying," Li Fan affirmed.

"But we still cannot skip verifying it." Li Fan suddenly changed the subject. "Didn't you say that a traveling merchant from the Wanhua Merchant Guild will be coming to Liuli Island soon? We might as well probe him for the truth then."

"That's a good idea," Yin Yuzhen agreed. "If we can save a sum of money, that would be even better."

"Regardless, we must first secretly purchase meteoric iron that meets the requirements. Not many people know about this item yet, but that might change soon. Furthermore, when purchasing, we must mix it with other items to cover our tracks and confuse the public. At the same time, we can order people to spread false news about starsea quicksand in the market to muddy the waters."

Li Fan thought for a moment, then patiently instructed her.

In order to ensure he secured a spot for the Net Body Spiritual Pool, Li Fan needed to make foolproof plans.

"Uncle, you really aren't simple. I only knew you had a Spirit-Connecting Treasure Body before; I didn't expect you to have such tricks up your sleeve." Seeing Li Fan's methodical arrangements, a hint of curiosity flashed in Yin Yuzhen's eyes.

"Uncle, what did you do in the past?" Yin Yuzhen couldn't help but ask.

"Just someone who taught people how to read," Li Fan said evasively.

Yin Yuzhen wore an expression of disbelief.

"Alright, I'll leave these matters to you to handle; I still need to go cultivate. Do not disturb me unless there is a special situation. Oh right, handle the matter I promised Xiao Heng as well." Li Fan gave one final instruction, then left Tianbao Tower.

"Great Fortune, how can it be Great Fortune again?" Yin Yuzhen stared blankly in the direction where Li Fan had left, her eyes full of confusion.

Ever since she met Li Fan, every time she performed divination regarding matters related to him, her premonitions always indicated a sign of Great Fortune.

This almost made Yin Yuzhen think that her ability to seek good fortune and avoid disaster had failed.

After all, before meeting Li Fan, she had never encountered an event of Great Fortune.

Instead, when she had once wanted to swallow that Lichen Pill and embark on the path of cultivation, her premonition had been that the road ahead was extremely dangerous, a path of certain death—a definitive sign of Great Misfortune.