Black Isles and Bribing

Spotting the emerging Black Isles, Fang was once again surprised.

A cluster of imposing floating islands rested against a majestic backdrop where the calm sea and sky seemed to merge seamlessly, as if heaven and earth had become one.

Beneath, another set of smaller islands made contact with the Moonstone Sea. Squinting his eyes, Fang noticed that the grounded islands connected and created a strange character like the ones he saw on the pillars and statues back at the temple.

Another detail that caught his attention was that all of them looked barren and unpopulated.

Before he could ask, Corbin clarified, 'You probably figured out that something weird is going on with the grounded islands and the fact that all of them, including the floating ones, look barren.'

Curious, Fang swiftly replied, 'Yeah, what's up with that?'

'The smaller islands beneath form multiple large illusion and shield arrays that hide all activity on the islands,' answered Corbin. 'And before you ask, yes, invisibility arrays do exist, but they consume a lot more energy than illusionary ones.'

――

When they arrived within five kilometers of the islands, a loud voice broke the stillness of the surrounding area and demanded, "Display your entry token or scram!"

Immediately after, an overbearing pressure descended upon the ship. The bandits on deck immediately fell to their knees, sweating profusely. The wooden planks of the ship started creaking and shaking, giving the impression that the whole ship was going to be ripped in two.

Fang watched as the same tall man who commanded the bandits earlier emerged from the ship's hull, completely unbothered by the pressure.

'What stage is the cultivator emitting such pressure, and how can that bandit leader withstand it?' Fang asked while trying hard to control his breathing and shaking legs.

Corbin responded, unaffected by the pressure, 'The one who asked for the token is a middle stage Core Formation cultivator while the bandit is at the early stage.'

The man then made his way to the bow of the ship and pulled out a token with a large yellow skull engraved on it.

Immediately after displaying the mysterious token, the pressure vanished, and numerous sighs and gulps resounded all across the deck.

The bandits started whispering among themselves, but Fang's focus was directed elsewhere.

The space before the ship started rippling and distorting, then out of nowhere, a large tear appeared in the arrays covering the islands.

Fang was already prepared to witness something incredible, but what he saw next made his eyes almost pop out of their sockets.

The sky above and beneath the islands was full of cultivators flying on their swords, beast companions, or other treasures. Their attires differed from one another―some wore loose, casual robes, others delicate silk hanfus, and others, surprisingly, modern pants with either shirts or coats and other accessories.

Three large, black eastern temples stood perched atop the highest mountains on the islands, resembling a coiling fire dragon due to the abundance of maple trees that covered them.

The temples overlooked busy streets and bridges riddled with shops, stalls, and loud taverns. In the less populated, but richer part of the floating city, large auction houses and pavilions rose from the ground, displaying their majesty.

"Welcome to Shenhong City, ladies!" yelled the bandit leader before his face went pale and he coughed a mouthful of blood.

A few bandits rushed to check on their leader, but he pushed them away after saying he was fine.

The bandits disbanded after hearing their leader's reassuring words.

Fang naturally heard the leader cursing under his breath about the middle stage cultivator who checked their pass and scoffed.

Shifting his view back to the grand city, Fang mentally exclaimed, 'Damn...!' Both from shock and the ball of fur now stuck in his throat.

'Sigh, this place is still the same after all this time,' commented Corbin, melancholy oozing out of his tone.

'You've been here before?' Fang asked curiously.

'Not me, but the one who created me,' slowly replied Corbin. 'They used to conduct business and drink with the ruler of these islands.'

Fang was not that interested in the personal dealings conducted by the Primal Monarch, so he instead asked, 'Can you remember the name and stage of this ruler?'

Corbin started rummaging through his fragmented memories and came up with an answer after a few seconds. 'Her name was Miss Li, and she was a late stage Mortal Ascendent cultivator the last time the Monarch met her.'

Fang thought she could be of help, so he asked, 'Could she be alive?'

'There is a possibility of her being alive if she had a breakthrough to the next realm, but she is most likely very old and reaching the end of her lifespan.'

Corbin wanted to tell Fang that his chances of getting help were close to none but decided to keep his mouth shut and be optimistic.

――

Soon, the ship made its way through the crowd of flying cultivators and reached a small, floating wooden dock that was connected with the city.

A sudden breeze blew upon the suspended wooden dock, carrying the smell of perfume, wine, and questionable bodily fluids.

Up ahead, at the end of the dock, stood a small, worn-out warehouse that had withstood the winds of time.

Under their leader's command, the bandits began unloading and storing the cargo in the warehouse.

An hour passed, and the bandits finished their task, dispersing while talking about their favorite brothels and bars.

It was late at night when Fang suddenly sensed someone approaching the doors of the warehouse.

His ears picked up a few mumbles.

"...thanks to those drunk idiots..."

"...Whispersea forest beast..."

"...gift for the Marshal..."

Fang had a bad premonition, but his circumstances did not allow him to act.

The doors of the warehouse opened, and a scrawny individual with messy hair met Fang's eyes.

The scrawny cultivator's eyes lit up and he quickly acted.

He rushed and lifted Fang's cage with his qi.

Placing the cage outside the warehouse, he grabbed the steel bars of the cage and pulled them apart, freeing Fang from his imprisonment.

Fang had no chance to make a run for it, as a sudden pressure rendered him immobile just when he was about to peek outside the cage.

The unknown cultivator quickly cleaned Fang by using his qi, then he picked him up and took to the skies, all while displaying his cultivation base to make sure his new bribe didn't escape.

'Corbin, what is going on?' Fang refused to believe his luck only amounted to this much, so he turned to ask the elderly inheritance hanging by his ear.

Corbin started laughing hard. 'Kekek, young one, you are about to witness the inner workings of the cultivation world,' he spoke as if preaching from a divine manuscript. 'Who knows, maybe you'll get to meet Miss Li sooner than you thought... keke.'

The unknown cultivator flew for 10 minutes at full speed, then he stopped outside a moderately large house compared to the other ones on that street.

Pushing the door open and dragging Fang by his collar, the cultivator hastily made his way through a series of lavishly furnished corridors that smelled of plum blossom wine and reached a large double-door.

After arranging his messy hair and tattered robes, he knocked on one of the doors and waited.

One minute later, a grumpy voice broke through the doors and yelled, "What do you want?! I said I was busy!"

The scrawny man slightly trembled after hearing the voice, but he gathered his courage and softly replied, "Boss Cheng, allow me to apologize for interrupting your esteemed self, but I have a magnificent gift to lift your spirits!"

There was no reply from behind the door.

The scrawny man started sweating profusely and was about to kneel and beg for forgiveness, but suddenly, the doors opened and four skimpily dressed girls with veils over their faces made their way out and told the frightened man to go inside.

The man quickly regained his wits after hearing their words.

Using qi to get rid of the pool of sweat that started forming beneath him, he passed through the now-open doors while still dragging Fang.

"This better be good, Kwan Du, or I swear you won't see the next sunrise." An absurdly fat man, lounging on a luxurious couch, spoke. He was surrounded by multiple tables laden with all sorts of food and wine jars.

Fang's kidnapper quickly kneeled and pulled Fang from behind him using his qi.

"Here, boss, look at this magnificent beast," said the man while eyeing the fat man's reaction. "I heard Madam Li likes to collect exotic beasts, so upon hearing of this fine specimen just freshly captured in the Whispersea forest, I just couldn't hold back and decided to bring it to you."

The fat man looked intrigued, so after eyeing Fang for a few seconds, he gestured for his lackey to continue.

"If I may speak freely, boss," the lanky cultivator looked at Fang, then back at the fat man.

The absurdly large man slightly adjusted his position, then permitted him to speak freely.

"Boss, your title is like the sky beyond the sky for us lowly cultivators like myself," the skinny man licked his lips, then continued, "but your greatness is probably not satisfied with the mere rank of Marshal and wants to secure one of the spots for Deputy Commander in the upcoming selections."

Marshal Cheng's attitude quickly shifted, and he decided to listen seriously.

"If you play your cards right, the next selection will be yours for the taking, boss!"

"And how do you expect me to win when there are more than twenty marshals competing this time around?" questioned Marshal Cheng.

"Boss, how about you coincidentally brag about this beast to one of the supervising commanders before the test?" The lanky man made sure to emphasize the word 'coincidentally' while speaking.

Upon hearing his subordinate's plan, the fat marshal started pondering.

Everyone―from pavilion owners to stray dogs―knew that all commanders overseeing one of the districts in Shenhong City share a peculiar quirk: they know everything about Madam Li's likes, dislikes, preferences, and hobbies.

No one knows how Madam Li looks, but everyone knows that she used to rule over the city and the surrounding isles with an iron grip before she took in her only disciple, Guan Pan, and taught him cultivation and city management before quietly retiring 200 years ago.

Guan Pan, currently the young lord of the Black Isles, was naturally responsible for selecting and managing the city's commanders, along with other important duties. He was rumored to be the one forcing the commanders to learn Madam Li's preferences, ensuring they could accommodate her needs in his absence.

The fat marshal spent a couple of minutes thinking about the plan's probability of success, then released Fang from the lanky man's qi pressure and exerted his own.

Placing his new ticket to promotion in one of the corners of the room, he turned back to the lanky man and spoke, "Your gift is very much appreciated, Kwan Du. I'll make sure to properly reward you if your suggestion truly works."

The skinny man, Kwan Du, was ecstatic at the notion of being the underling of a commander, so after hearing this, he quickly kowtowed and left the room.

Once his subordinate departed, Marshal Cheng broke a peculiar looking talisman and teleported somewhere after ensuring that Fang remained securely confined.

Fang could not bear being treated as a multi-purpose gift, so he constantly complained and cursed at whoever had stolen his luck, all while Corbin laughed maniacally.

―――

I will upload daily chapters starting next week since I have major school problems right now and don't have the time nor the optimal mental state to resume writing.

Sorry for delaying and thank you for supporting me.