Humanity, almost extinct in the East Sea, had gradually become more numerous, but not yet significant.
Wan Lei’s destination this time was a small island not far north of Penglai Immortal Island, the center of the East Sea.
Lixi Island.
Wan Lei’s airship suddenly appeared in the sky above the East Sea, hovering mid-air.
He opened the electronic map he carried on the airship, located himself, and found that he was not far from Lixi Island.
It was five thousand li to the south.
He changed into casual wear inside the airship, a blue robe he usually liked to wear.
After all, the mission stated that he was to secretly investigate the truth, so naturally, he couldn’t wear the clothes of a disciple of the Five Elements Hall.
After coming out, he put away the airship and suppressed his cultivation fluctuations to the Foundation Establishment stage.
According to the intelligence, the strongest person on that small island was only at the Foundation Establishment stage.
Of the more than ten thousand inhabitants, the vast majority were mortals.
Flying south all the way, Wan Lei slowed down when he could see Lixi Island from afar, pretending to be a genuine Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Looking down at the island from high up, one could see that the surroundings of the island were filled with lush forests and coastal plants, with small wild beasts occasionally appearing and dashing past.
In the center of the island was a basin, with many low-rise flat-roofed buildings, and only a few two-story houses in the center.
This was a small town, bustling with activity. It was morning, and people going to work were in small groups, chatting and laughing. Some woodcutters, carrying sickles, entered the forest with their companions.
Smoke rose from the restaurants in the town, and children with schoolbags happily ran towards the school in the center of the town.
What a blissful scene of a pastoral idyll.
Wan Lei smiled kindly and landed at the northern end of the small town, strolling towards it.
Intelligence indicated that some kind of human experimentation seemed to be taking place here, but after observing, he found nothing unusual and decided to go down for a closer look.
He walked unhurriedly, encountering a few woodcutters who had just left the town.
“Outsider?”
A woodcutter looked at Wan Lei, sizing him up, with only curiosity in his eyes, no hostility or vigilance.
“Ah, yes.”
Wan Lei nodded with a smile, while simultaneously preparing for defense.
Clearly, the other party was just a mortal, and he was an immortal, yet he was the one who was vigilant and guarded.
There was no helping it. The intelligence said there was some conspiracy here, so the mastermind must have already discovered him upon his arrival. He had to be vigilant against any sudden danger.
Who knew if these woodcutters in front of him were just pretending?
“Haha, by your appearance, you must be a scholar. There aren’t many scholars on the surrounding islands. If you could stay here and teach our children, that would be great. What brings you to our town?”
Wan Lei smiled,
“I’m not a scholar, I’m a cultivator, just passing through.”
“Ah? A cultivator? My apologies, my apologies. Then you should go and chat with our town chief. He’s also a cultivator, and you two might hit it off.”
The woodcutter pointed to the two-story building in the center of the town,
“The town chief is right there.”
“Alright, thank you.”
“You’re welcome, you’re welcome.”
After the pleasantries, Wan Lei strolled into the town.
He walked slowly, carefully observing the town.
As soon as he entered the town, Wan Lei saw two shops. The one on the left sold firewood, with a pile of dry wood stacked at the entrance. An old woman with graying hair sat there with a smile, waiting for customers.
The one on the right sold fish. The town was surrounded by the sea, so the aquatic products industry seemed to be developing well.
Salted fish hung on racks at the entrance, and a large pile of various kinds of fish was displayed on the bloody cutting board. Three shop assistants were diligently chopping fish. The owner of the fish stall walked around in front of the shop with a smile, looking at his assistants work with satisfaction, and occasionally urging them on.
A lively and peaceful atmosphere.
This atmosphere made Wan Lei’s mood inexplicably better, and he continued to walk forward.
People came and went along the road. Occasionally, someone glanced at Wan Lei, showing no unusual expression, and then hurried about their business.
Not far ahead, he saw a young mother sitting at the entrance of a house, feeding milk to the infant in her arms.
Wan Lei was stunned for a moment. Were the local customs so open now?
Seeing Wan Lei staring intently at her, the young mother’s face flushed slightly. She tightened her grip on the child, covering the snow-white expanse.
Wan Lei quickly averted his gaze, apologizing inwardly.
Continuing forward, the bluestone slabs on the road were a bit slippery, having been wet by the morning dew, but the pervasive moisture made one feel refreshed.
Not far ahead, there was a breakfast stall. A steaming basket was placed at the entrance, emitting white smoke. A young woman was serving the customers in front of her.
The woman opened the steaming basket, took out various flower rolls, steamed buns, and filled buns, handing them to different customers. She then smiled and took some copper coins from their hands, casually tossing them into a basket hanging to the side.
Inside the breakfast stall, a man was diligently stirring a large pot of spicy soup.
The aroma of steamed buns and spicy soup wafted directly into Wan Lei’s nostrils, and he involuntarily stopped at the entrance of the breakfast shop.
“Yo, you look new. Are you hungry? What would you like?”
The young woman asked Wan Lei with a smile.
Moved by her warmth and the aroma of the food, Wan Lei’s appetite was whetted, and he wanted to follow local customs and eat something.
He hadn’t had a proper meal in many years.
“Two steamed buns and a bowl of soup.”
“Coming right up.”
The woman opened the steaming basket and took buns for Wan Lei. Wan Lei, in turn, took a piece of broken silver from his storage bag and handed it to the woman.
“Oh, you can’t do that. How can I give you change? Five copper coins are enough. Two qian of silver, that’s too much, far too much.”
The woman waved her hands repeatedly upon seeing this.
“I don’t have copper coins, only silver. Please accept it.”
“Forget it, I won’t charge you. Just eat. You must have been traveling all night to arrive here so early, you must be hungry. The people in our town aren’t so particular. Eat quickly.”
Without accepting Wan Lei’s silver, the woman handed the steamed buns to Wan Lei and then turned to get him the spicy soup.
Wan Lei took the opportunity to throw the broken silver into the basket next to them.
The man inside, after ladling a bowl of soup, handed it to the woman. The woman took the soup, and the man took the opportunity to pat her hand, then chuckled.
The woman glared at him, spat playfully, but a smile involuntarily appeared on her lips.
Wan Lei saw this scene and shook his head. They hadn’t even eaten yet, and he was already stuffed with affection.
Sitting on a stool nearby, Wan Lei began to eat heartily.