Chapter 256
“Uncle Hai Qian, if it’s too difficult, don’t force it…”
Tang Yu’an was being dragged forward by the burly man, his face calm, but his mind racing for a way to escape.
He didn’t dare break free forcefully, fearing that the cloak might come off. Besides, struggling too much wouldn’t align with the persona of “Abu,” the weak and skinny teenager he was pretending to be.
“It’s not difficult at all. I can see you’re serious about this, so no matter what, I’ll help you today!”
Hai Qian said, “Anyway, we’re not heading out to sea immediately. You can start with gutting fish in the fishing team. Once you build up some strength, you can come out fishing with us.”
Hearing this, Tang Yu’an finally let out a small sigh of relief.
As long as he didn’t have to go fishing right away. Otherwise, his cloak’s transformation effect wouldn’t last long enough.
Relaxing a little, he stopped resisting.
After all, he had two objectives on this trip—finding a suitable location to establish a branch store and scouting potential employees.
He glanced at the man beside him. This Uncle Haiqian seemed like a warm-hearted person, and his personality was quite to Tang Yu’an’s liking.
“Uncle Hai Qian, do you know anyone named Lixia or Dongzhi?” Tang Yu’an asked.
Grandpa Li had mentioned that his two friends were skilled fishers. If they were still alive, they might be in the fishing team.
Just as Hai Qian was about to answer, they arrived at the fishing team leader’s house.
The team had just returned from a successful trip yesterday, so today, they were all resting and hadn’t gone out to sea.
As soon as they stepped inside, a strong medicinal scent filled the air.
The house was simple and crude—one glance and you could see everything inside. A man in his forties was holding a bowl of medicine, carefully feeding it to a young man lying on a sickbed.
The young man appeared to be in his twenties, not much older than “Abu.”
“Boss!” Hai Qian called out in his gruff voice. “How’s Xiaotian doing?”
Zhan Xiong glanced at them but continued feeding the medicine before replying, “He’s not dying… yet.”
Lying in bed, Zhan Xiaotian forced a weak smile and greeted Haiqian, “Uncle Hai Qian.”
Then, he looked at Tang Yu’an. “This is Abu?”
“Yeah, the one who failed the physical assessment but keeps insisting on going fishing!” Hai Qian said. “Boss, we’re really short on manpower in the fishing team. Why not let him stay and work on gutting fish first?”
Zhan Xiong didn’t answer immediately. He finished feeding the medicine before standing up and looking at them.
“You still haven’t given up on fishing?” He gestured to his son on the bed and asked Tang Yu’an, “Do you want to end up like him?”
Zhan Xiaotian flinched and lowered his head, his expression dimming.
Tang Yu’an took another closer look at him and finally noticed that one of his sleeves was empty—it had collapsed in on itself.
“He was bitten by a sea beast and lost an arm. Barely survived. But from now on, forget about fishing—he won’t even be able to work in the fields.”
“Is this the future you want?”
Zhan Xiong’s words were blunt and merciless. Lying on the bed, Zhan Xiaotian had tears welling up in his eyes. He bit his lip, turned his back to them, and fell silent.
“Boss, why are you saying this in front of the kid?” Hai Qian whispered. “Xiaotian is already suffering enough!”
He quickly pulled Zhan Xiong outside, dragging Tang Yu’an along as well.
Zhan Xiong sat on a wooden bench outside and rubbed his face with both hands, looking heavy-hearted and exhausted.
“I was against him going out to sea from the start,” he said in a low, grief-stricken voice. “Fishing isn’t some glorious profession. If we had a choice, who would willingly take this path?”
“Boss, that’s not fair,” Hai Qian argued. “If we had enough people, Xiaotian wouldn’t have gotten hurt. We can’t just stop recruiting out of fear, or what will happen to the rest of us?”
“If they can’t pass the assessment, they’ll only be a burden at sea. That’ll get you all killed even faster!” Zhan Xiong snapped.
“It’s not that I don’t want to recruit people—it’s that fewer and fewer newcomers meet the requirements!”
Listening to their argument, Tang Yu’an gained a deeper understanding of the dire situation in Purple Sky Fortress.
Fishing was extremely dangerous. Even Little Hai Lan’s greatest wish was for her father to stop going out to sea.
People in Guanyu Village were relatively lucky—even if they didn’t fish, the tide would wash up small sea creatures they could collect. Although they still had to be wary of mutant crabs and other threats, it was much safer.
But Purple Sky Fortress was different. Outside the walls, mutant jellyfish dominated the waters. When Tang Yu’an flew over earlier, he hadn’t seen any fish on the sea’s surface.
Most likely, the fish had either been eaten by the mutant jellyfish or driven away. That meant the Purple Sky Fortress fishing team had to venture much farther out.
Now, the younger generation willing to fish had deteriorating physical fitness, and the team’s numbers were dwindling.
As the team shrank and fewer recruits joined, the safety of veteran members declined, creating a vicious cycle with no clear solution.
Tang Yu’an frowned—setting up a branch store and hiring workers in Purple Sky Fortress was more urgent than he had thought.
“So, do you still want to join the fishing team?” Zhan Xiong suddenly asked him again.
Tang Yu’an stiffened slightly and quickly replied, “I… I’ll think about it.”
Zhan Xiong immediately looked relieved and patted Tang Yu’an’s shoulder. “Fishing is too dangerous. Find a job inside the fortress instead.”
Hai Qian opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say more, but Zhan Xiong shot him a sharp look, shutting him up.
“Fine, fine, whatever you guys decide!” Hai Qian grumbled, shaking his head in frustration before walking away, leaving Tang Yu’an alone.
Tang Yu’an quickly excused himself as well. But after taking a turn, he activated his Shadow Umbrella and returned quietly.
Zhan Xiong sat on the bench outside his house, lost in thought.
His face was full of exhaustion and uncertainty. Seeing him like this, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but feel a bit of sympathy.
Zhan Xiong’s build was similar to his father’s, though their personalities and appearances were completely different. Still, when Zhan Xiong patted his shoulder earlier, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but think of his dad.
That’s why he circled back—he had made up his mind.
Tang Yu’an climbed onto the rooftop and activated one of his mechanical insects. Even though it was originally part of his ship’s equipment, he could still link it to his smart system.
The mechanical insect flew toward Zhan Xiong and landed on his back.
Tang Yu’an then donned his Silver Light Mask, spoke into his device, and transmitted his voice through the insect.
“Zhan Xiong.”
Hearing someone call his name, Zhan Xiong looked around, confused.
Most people were at the fish-gutting station, so the streets were nearly empty.
He turned to check inside—his son had cried himself to sleep.
Was he hearing things?
Before he could dismiss it, the voice came again, right in his ear.
“Don’t bother looking. You won’t see me.”
The insect was perched on his back, completely out of his line of sight.
“Who are you?” Zhan Xiong frowned. “Is this your ability?”
“An ability? You can think of it that way.”
The voice was smooth and calm, belonging to a young man. It didn’t sound threatening, yet his words made Zhan Xiong’s eyes widen.
“I am Silver Light, a missionary from the Church of Commerce, sent by the God of Commerce to spread his teachings.”
The Church of Commerce?
Zhan Xiong froze, then scowled. “A church? The fortress has strict bans on religious preaching. What exactly are you trying to do?”
Silver Light ignored the question.
Instead, he asked, “Do you want to save your son? Do you want to protect the fishing team from more tragedies?”
Zhan Xiong’s breath hitched.
That was exactly what he wanted. But he remained wary.
“Whoever you are, leave this place. I won’t report you to the law enforcement team, but don’t push my limits!”
Silver Light sighed softly. “It seems you don’t want to save your son. In that case, I’ll have to take back the potion.”
Zhan Xiong froze. “What potion?”
“Right beside your hand.”
Zhan Xiong looked down and saw a small vial at the end of the bench—he had no idea when it had appeared there.
“The vial contains a healing potion. It can’t regrow your son’s arm, but it will save his life.”
“My son won’t die!”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Tang Yu’an’s abilities had grown significantly. Combined with his cultivation in an orthodox immortal practice, he could sense that Zhan Xiaotian’s life force was extremely weak.
There had been no sound from him for a while now. Even though Zhan Xiong was speaking loudly, his son hadn’t reacted at all. It wasn’t just because he was upset with his father—something was wrong.
Realizing the situation, Zhan Xiong rushed back into the house and hurried to the bedside. He grabbed his son’s shoulders and turned him over.
“Xiaotian… Xiaotian!”
Zhan Xiaotian’s eyes were tightly shut, and he didn’t respond. His face was deathly pale, and his breathing was barely detectable.
Tears immediately welled up in Zhan Xiong’s eyes.
“Son… son… wake up! Don’t scare me like this… I just want you to live, that’s all that matters! Even without an arm, I can still take care of you… wuu wuu…”
At that moment, Silver Light’s voice rang out again. “Quickly, give him the potion! There’s still hope.”
Zhan Xiong didn’t hesitate any longer. He uncorked the vial and poured the healing potion into his son’s mouth.
The potion’s dosage was small—only three drops—but the effects were immediate.
As soon as Zhan Xiaotian swallowed it, his pale face regained some color, and his breathing became stronger.
After half an hour, his condition had improved significantly. Though still unconscious, his steady heartbeat indicated that his life was no longer in danger.
Zhan Xiong wiped the tears from his face.
He carefully tucked his son back into bed, covered him with a blanket, and tiptoed to the back of the house, where the kitchen was located.
After cautiously scanning his surroundings, he whispered, “Silver Light… Lord Silver Light, are you still here?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for saving Xiaotian, I—”
Tang Yu’an interrupted him. “No need to thank me. The potion wasn’t free.”
Zhan Xiong hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth. “What price do I have to pay?”
“Become my employee and offer your residence to the Church of the God of Commerce,” Tang Yu’an stated plainly.
He could have recruited Zhan Xiong first and then assigned him tasks, but that process felt too slow.
Besides, the choice to accept tasks would still be in Zhan Xiong’s hands, leading to unnecessary delays.
Tang Yu’an had already spent a week away and was eager to return to retrieve his Dream Drift Bottle.
He was also concerned about his parents—had they encountered any new situations? Since their reply had been delayed, they were probably worried about him too.
Direct communication was the most efficient approach, and it would also make his future activities in Purple Sky Fortress more convenient.
Zhan Xiong remained cautious. “Why does the Church of the God of Commerce want my house?”
“You’ll find out soon enough,” Tang Yu’an replied. “The God of Commerce is the greatest and most benevolent deity in the world. He has saved countless people, so there’s no need for you to be so wary.”
“If this god is so great and kind, why does he demand payment?”
“Because the God of Commerce despises getting something for nothing.”
“Alright, I meant no offense. Please accept my apology.”
In the end, Zhan Xiong accepted the job offer.
Part of it was due to Silver Light’s displayed strength, but another reason was…
From Silver Light’s accent, he could tell this so-called messenger of the God of Commerce wasn’t from Purple Sky Fortress.
An outsider!
How many years had it been since an outsider had appeared in the fortress?
If someone could enter from the outside… could they also leave?
Could he take Xiaotian away and let him live on the mainland?
With this hope in mind, Zhan Xiong decided to join the Church of the God of Commerce!
However, he was surprised to find that the church wasn’t quite what he had imagined…
[Position: Sales Clerk, Peace Grocery Store, Branch #6]
Zhan Xiong stared at the panel text before finally selecting accept. He then received his first guided task.
“I am willing to offer my residence to the Church of the God of Commerce. What now? Do I need to go through a property transfer process?” Zhan Xiong asked.
“No need. Your residence has already been claimed by the Church.”
Tang Yu’an grinned in satisfaction as “Peace Grocery Store, Branch #11” successfully appeared on his panel.
A new store was now established!
“Go complete your guided task. If you fail the assessment, you will be dismissed.”
Zhan Xiong tensed at these words.
But when he glanced at his son lying in bed, hesitation flickered in his eyes.
“While you’re away, I will take good care of him. You have nothing to worry about,” Tang Yu’an assured him.
“Then I’ll leave him in your hands!”
Zhan Xiong tucked his son in one last time before hurrying out the door.
Once he was gone, Tang Yu’an flew inside and released construction robots to dig an underground basement. With the Shadow Umbrella concealing the noise, there was no risk of waking Zhan Xiaotian.
The task was simple—a 3-meter-deep, 2-meter-wide underground chamber—and the robots completed it before Zhan Xiong even returned.
Tang Yu’an quickly installed a teleportation array and restricted the protective barrier to within the basement.
For now, he couldn’t reveal the barrier’s existence, as Zhan Xiong still needed to leave the house to attract customers. Purple Sky Fortress wasn’t a small settlement like Jufeng Town.
As for when to activate it, that would have to wait.
Tang Yu’an jumped into the basement, making no effort to hide the entrance.
Since the store was currently closed, Zhan Xiong wouldn’t be able to see what was inside, let alone jump down to investigate.
Still holding the umbrella, Tang Yu’an activated the teleportation array and returned to Peace Grocery Store’s RV compartment.
When he arrived, Hai Jing had parked the RV by the seaside, trading with residents from Lin Hai Town.
Around him were ten or so people maintaining order—his newly recruited “believers.”
Since Hai Jing was a fisherman who rarely left his village, he had limited knowledge of the world.
Knowing this flaw, he had posted a paid help request in the employee forum, seeking advice from others.
Paid requests worked by allowing only the original poster to view responses. Regardless of whether a satisfying answer was found, the poster had to select a response before the deadline and pay a reward.
Hai Jing’s request soon caught Old Mo’s attention, and the reward ultimately went to him.
The “believers” surrounding Hai Jing had been recruited under Old Mo’s guidance.
With their help, Hai Jing had become much more adept at trading.
In just one week, his accumulated points and experience had skyrocketed.
Yesterday, Tang Yu’an had leveled up, reaching Merchant Level 24!
Among the newly unlocked features, the most exciting one was—
[Forum Friend Private Messaging Function!]
Yes! From now on, if he wanted to privately message Brother Qi, he no longer had to rely on the message board.
The friend private chat function allowed for message notifications, so even if he didn’t check the message board, he wouldn’t have to worry about missing any messages!
However, there were restrictions on adding friends—such as requiring level 15 or higher to add friends, or unlocking a certain number of friend slots every five levels.
This was essentially an indirect way to encourage employees to level up.
Tang Yu’an observed Hai Jing at work. Seeing that he was handling everything in an orderly manner, he didn’t disturb him and instead entered Peace Grocery Store.
He first released Zhou Qi from the spirit storage pouch. After confirming that he was fine, he ran up to the attic.
After being away for a week, new drift bottles from other dimensions had arrived. Tang Yu’an opened the window and retrieved them.
The first drift bottle was from Kezona.
Thanks to the “Bigger is Better” upgrade, the bottle had grown significantly larger. This time, it even contained an item—a self-filling insulated water bottle.
“Great Mysterious Merchant, thank you for trusting us. With this high-capacity insulated bottle, we have received more water than ever before, and more people have been saved!”
Previously, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi had used the self-filling insulated bottle to transport water to Cossona’s dimension.
After leveling up to Lv3, the bottle’s capacity had expanded to 100 cubic meters. Cossona had then merged it with her spatial capsules, increasing its storage to 160 cubic meters.
“This time, we have integrated all our newly produced spatial capsules into it, expanding its capacity to 260 cubic meters.”
“We hope to receive even more water and look forward to your reply!”
Tang Yu’an was shocked. He took out the bottle and opened it to take a look.
Who would have thought that this tiny 210ml bottle could now hold 260 tons of water?
And…
Once a spatial capsule was “absorbed” by the insulated bottle, it couldn’t be removed anymore. Cossona and her people had actually been willing to sacrifice so many of them!
But on the bright side, this meant that delivering the remaining 9,000+ tons of water would be much faster.
Plus, now that he could access the seaside freely, he would never have to worry about running out of water again!
