Chapter 535: Taiping Island

Chapter 535: Taiping Island

"Young Master Zhao." Tang En knocked on Zhao Changhe's door. "Taiping Island is just ahead. The crew is going ashore to rest and resupply. Would you care to join us?"

They had been sailing for about ten days now, and this Mister Zhao had not stepped foot outside his room. He sat there alone cross-legged, completely motionless, with no need for food or water, nor any need to relieve himself. There wasn't even a chamber pot in his quarters... it truly shattered the understanding of the Tang family sailors.

Did he do it in bed?

If he really needed none of these things, he could hardly be considered human, could he?

He was ranked first on the Ranking of Humans, the King of Humans, so no degree of strength would shock people. Perhaps he had long since broken through to the Second Secret Realm. Yet even for the Second Secret Realm, the crew had met masters like the Tang Chief before. The Tang Chief still needed to eat, and after eating and digesting, he naturally needed to relieve himself.

Zhao Changhe opened his eyes, exhaling a breath of turbid air.

On this crisp, autumn sea, his breath actually formed a thick white mist, as if it were the dead of winter.

"How many days have we been sailing?"

"It is already the thirteenth day." Tang En was filled with admiration. "That Young Master could truly enter seclusion like this, you are indeed a divine figure."

Zhao Changhe got out of bed and stretched his limbs. Feeling a slight sluggishness and a need to replenish his energy, it proved he was no immortal.

These past days had actually been spent in a state of inner-circulation tortoise-breathing. His body’s metabolism had slowed to an extreme, his energy demands were incredibly low, and he was actively absorbing the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth from the outside world—pouring into his crown and reaching down to his soles to make up for the energy required by his cultivation.

Ever since his meridians were reshaped and his internal energy broke through, he had been able to accomplish this... top-tier martial artists were often able to enter long-term seclusion to comprehend the Dao based on this very principle.

Naturally, no one in daily life would do this just for the sake of it; one still needed to eat... but in extreme situations, such as being stranded on a desert island or falling into the water, possessing this level of skill meant one would not die. Those of the First Secret Realm dared not venture deep into the sea, while those of the Second Secret Realm possessed the confidence to do so. The main reason was this—even if the ship capsized, they had nothing to fear.

Yet this so-called confidence actually meant they still dared not directly face the top existences of the Sea Race. No matter to what extent those creatures had awakened, and even if their raw strength could not match Baoqin, one could not face them head-on, because everyone's understanding and mastery of the power of Heaven and Earth were not on the same level.

The kind of Sea Race secret technique that Cui Wenjing had been struck by—which triggered the water element within the human body to run wild—could not be used by ordinary members of the Sea Race. There wouldn't be many in the Sea Race with the skill of Wang Daoning. But once that level was reached, Zhao Changhe admitted that he could not withstand it now, not even for a single strike.

Cui Wenjing took the full brunt of that move and did not die, which showed that he could actually withstand it. Because he was already injured and had never encountered that specific trick before, he fell victim to the underhanded plot. If he were allowed to prepare specifically for it, he should be able to resist it. In other words, only with the Third Secret Realm and proper preparation could one have the confidence to face it head-on.

Still not strong enough... he thought he had climbed extremely fast, but when he looked up, there were still continuous, overlapping mountains ahead, layer upon layer without end. And the speed of his own advancement actually could not quite keep up with the strength of the enemies he faced.

He wondered to what level this journey overseas could push his cultivation... even now, the threshold of the Third Secret Realm was still nowhere in sight, let alone breaking through.

Zhao Changhe opened the door and went outside. An island was already faintly visible in the distance, and there seemed to be buildings upon it.

Tang En was standing nearby waiting. Seeing him come out, he smiled and said, "That over there is Taiping Island. We usually use it as a transit stop."

Zhao Changhe did not know much about these matters. "Is it because the food and water we brought are insufficient?"

"In terms of food and water alone, it is actually enough for us to reach Haitian Island. But it is always good to replenish a bit along the way. In case we lose our bearings, it provides a bit more security." Tang En smiled. "Furthermore, Young Master Zhao was in seclusion so you might not realize... sailing on the open sea for a long time is very suffocating. What you see before your eyes is always the same scenery, and over time, your mental state goes awry. The sailors and warriors are not all veterans either; there are still many newcomers joining a voyage for the first time. They need to adjust even more, so resting and relaxing midway is highly necessary."

Zhao Changhe understood and smiled. "There are probably places for you to indulge in wine and women to let loose."

Tang En blinked. "If the Young Master goes, our lips are sealed. We will definitely not tell our Young Mistress."

"Hey, who told you that I have a relationship with your Young Mistress?" Zhao Changhe thought to himself that he hadn't openly flaunted his relationship with Wanzhuang before outsiders... Had the rumor of them walking hand in hand in the capital spread? Or was it Baoqin or Tang Buqi who had a big mouth?

Tang En said with a grin, "The Mistress's attitude toward you is so exceptional, which of the elders in the family can't see it? The Old Master is just pretending to be blind too, he's actually delighted in his heart..."

Saying this, he lowered his voice. "After all, she is Her Highness."

Zhao Changhe: "Emmm..."

Was it really that obvious...

Speaking of which, ever since Xia Chichi and Xia Longyuan recognized each other, even though the father and daughter's attitude was still very strange, Zhao Changhe always felt that this identity of his had already been handed back to Chichi. He wondered if Old Master Tang and the others would be utterly disappointed when the time came.

Tang En added, "Returning to this Taiping Island, it isn't actually a very dedicated midway supply island, because there aren't many ships on this route to begin with. It's good if one or two fleets pass through here throughout the whole year. They themselves are a group of Xia fishermen who fled overseas to escape wars and harsh governance, just like how many small overseas countries came to be. However, their numbers are small, just a group of islanders fishing for their own amusement. Later, occasionally fleets passed by and sought them out to buy goods and supplies, so they adapted and set up some inns and gambling dens. The prices are extremely exorbitant. After all, they only open for business a few times a year, and the brothels are even more expensive..."

Zhao Changhe suddenly said, "They are fishermen themselves running brothels? Where do the girls come from? From their own town?"

Tang En froze, clearly having never considered this question, and was at a loss for words for a moment.

Zhao Changhe spoke again, "We can see pirates intercepting ships even in our coastal waters, which shows to what extent piracy has become rampant. Can a few simple fishermen still enjoy themselves on a small island? If they make money, do they have the life to spend it?"

Tang En opened his mouth wide, utterly dumbfounded.

A place that originally felt very normal suddenly seemed to have turned into a tiger's den and a dragon's lair after just two casual remarks from Zhao Changhe. He had frequented that place to patronize the prostitutes several times over the past few years; was it a stroke of heavenly luck that his kidneys were still intact?

After a long while, he snapped out of it and hurriedly went to pass the order. "Do not berth at Taiping Island, we..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he was pulled back by Zhao Changhe. Turning his head, he saw Zhao Changhe with a half-smile. "If you went there before and nothing happened, then most likely nothing will happen if you go again... I actually want to go and investigate what kind of tiger's den and dragon's lair this really is."

His addiction to solving cases was acting up again...

The blind woman folded her arms, thinking to herself that he had wanted to throw away the jade token back then, yet this sort of thing was clearly what he liked to do himself. Of course, this trait also perfectly suited her needs; Xia Longyuan was quite right.

Tang En was utterly speechless. "Since we clearly know it's dangerous, there's no need to go..."

"Why not go? I have always been curious as to what reason the pirates have for wanting to turn us back... Aren't you curious?"

"...I am not curious."

"Even if you aren't curious, we still have to go. Eat what should be eaten, drink what should be drank."

*Thump.* The fleet slowly docked amidst the bickering.

The sailors on the ships cheered and leaped ashore, rushing like wild towards the wine flags hanging ahead. The seemingly quiet small island instantly became lively.

Because Zhao Changhe had been in seclusion the entire time, he truly did not experience what it felt like for these sailors to stare at the exact same seawater for over ten days. He could not share in this kind of passion.

Walking among the crowd, his mind was observing with great interest.

He had thought it would be just a wretched little island, a small town, or one or two small wine shops. Only upon seeing it with his own eyes did he discover a vast expanse of taverns, gambling dens, and brothels. The scale of these entertainment venues alone could almost form a town.

Come to think of it, a fleet often consisted of many people, and one or two small wine shops certainly could not accommodate them.

But the larger the scale, the more it proved that it was impossible for a few fishermen to have set it up themselves. There must be something fishy behind this.

Zhao Changhe casually followed the flow of people into a tavern. The tavern was filled with chirping women, and a group of them swarmed forward. "Hello, masters..."

It turned out that the tavern and the brothels were directly merged.

Zhao Changhe didn't mind either. He casually said to the madam, "Leave them to these brothers of mine, I won't be needing any. Find me a quiet private room, I'll have a drink by myself."

At the same time, in the backyard of the brothel, Third Sister ran in excitedly. "I heard Zhao Shouyi entered this establishment, right? Which room is he in? I'm going to meet him."

No matter which tavern, gambling den, or brothel Zhao Changhe entered, the proprietress would always be the Third In Charge. This was their home court!

Hua Zhenming advised, "The Third In Charge should still be careful... This person is truly very strong, do not underestimate the enemy."

Third Sister was full of confidence. "Just a little piece of trash who frequents brothels right after stepping off the ship, how could old mother be afraid of him? Once we take him down, the Tang family fleet will be ours."