The unmasking and public shaming of Master “Difficult to Say” at the Sudden Finger Teahouse sent ripples far and wide. Yet, those caught in the immediate eddy often failed to grasp the full extent of its aftermath, consumed instead by the fleeting anger of the moment.

Once the revered master was toppled from his altar, his true visage, hidden beneath layers of illusion, became clear. This individual, originally a mere successor to a minor sect with a broken inheritance, had stumbled upon a Mirrage King Pearl. Instead of utilizing its power for proper cultivation, he had shamelessly exploited its illusionary abilities for deceit and manipulation. His initial success in playing the role of a divine being fueled an insatiable desire, leading him down a path of relentless fraud.

For years, he had swindled countless individuals, accumulating wealth at an astonishing rate. While much had been squandered, he still possessed thirty-eight storage boxes. These ill-gotten gains, along with the cheat himself, naturally fell into the hands of Li Longchuan and Xu Xiangqian, who had apprehended him.

Though several sects held sway on Little Crescent Island, none commanded universal respect or could be considered the official governing body. Thus, Li Longchuan and his companions, being cultivators of Qi, had no intention of handing over these “stolen goods” to the Fishing Sea Tower. The entire affair was largely due to Li Longchuan’s Candle Micro Divine Power, and both Jiang Wang and Xu Xiangqian steadfastly refused to accept a single coin. Li Longchuan, hailing from an esteemed family, also had no need for such trivial gains.

However, he conceived a stroke of genius. He sent all the “stolen goods,” along with Master “Difficult to Say” himself, to Ice Phoenix Island for trial and imprisonment. Ice Phoenix Island served as the Stone Gate Li Clan’s base overseas, and Li Longchuan’s sister, Li Fengyao, currently presided over it.

Li Longchuan established a decree: all those defrauded by Master “Difficult to Say” could, upon presenting verifiable evidence of their losses, reclaim their full compensation on Ice Phoenix Island, continuing until all the “stolen goods” were exhausted. The movement of every single Dao Yuan Stone would be publicly displayed, with Ice Phoenix Island guaranteeing not a single half-coin would be deducted.

This method was brilliant. It leveraged the notoriety of Master “Difficult to Say” to dramatically expand Ice Phoenix Island’s influence. The more despicable the old cheat appeared, the more trustworthy Ice Phoenix Island would seem in the eyes of the sea dwellers. Furthermore, Ice Phoenix Island’s public trial of the master was a masterpiece in itself, undoubtedly solidifying its legal authority. It would forge a consensus among the sea folk: Ice Phoenix Island was a force possessing legal jurisdiction among the nearby islands. Just as in Qi Country, where people turned to the official government in times of injustice, this role would be assumed by the various sea sects in the nearby islands. Building upon this foundation, Ice Phoenix Island would no longer be viewed as a foreign entity belonging to the Stone Gate Li Clan of Qi Country, but would, like Decision Island, gain acceptance among the sea dwellers of the nearby islands.

As a direct descendant of the Stone Gate Li Clan, Li Longchuan had been trained from a young age in the methods of governance and power. His strategy was impeccable, emphasizing an inevitable trend, not through ostentatious displays, but through an unstoppable, measured approach.

Undoubtedly, the tales of Master “Difficult to Say’s” deception would spread with even greater fervor and reach through this process of returning the “stolen goods.”

Yet, it was worth pondering: how could a mere cultivator of the Teng Long Realm, with only vague pronouncements, become a master sought after by all in the sea? And how many truly grasped the meaning of his grand, empty words? Without question, what was witnessed was only cheers. No one dared to confront him face-to-face; instead, they knelt and prostrated themselves. Awe, blind obedience, following the crowd, the phenomenon of three people making a tiger – this applied not only to ordinary folk but also, without distinction, to cultivators possessing superhuman power. Just as Jiang Wang had once told Qing Huo Qiming on Floating Land, the world above the blue sky was not so different from Floating Land itself.

But if one could not transcend the limitations of the mob, how could they truly be called “superhuman”?

With Master “Difficult to Say” apprehended, the quiet enjoyment of tea vanished. Xu Xiangqian, of course, was an exception. He swaggered back, demanding more tea as if nothing had happened, and continued to pester Zhao Wuyan.

Having witnessed the debacle involving Master “Difficult to Say,” Yang Liu was naturally mortified, wishing to disappear into a crack in the earth. Yet, he was unwilling to leave. He understood clearly that he had lost significant face in this affair, and to slip away now would likely mean no future opportunity. Thus, he remained in the teahouse, albeit extremely awkwardly, the three of them awkwardly sharing a table.

He had gathered a group of disciples from his sect who also found it difficult to leave, so they remained as well. These were ordinary disciples of the Fishing Sea Tower, brought purely by Yang Liu to lend support, convenient for cornering and assaulting Xu Xiangqian at a moment’s notice. None of them held significant weight, so there was no need to elaborate on their presence.

Jiang Wang, disinclined to join the three, quietly sat at a side tea table, observing the unfolding drama. At the entrance, Li Longchuan explained matters to the people from Ice Phoenix Island, while Master “Difficult to Say,” bound like a pig, was being carried away.

Zhao Wuyan’s junior sister, the girl named Zi Shu, sat beside Jiang Wang – an arrangement, of course, orchestrated by Xu Xiangqian. She stole several glances at the quietly sipping Jiang Wang, fidgeted, and then softly inquired, “Are you really the ‘Double Pride of Gan Ma Mountain’?” Her voice was so small it was almost pathetic. Fortunately, Jiang Wang’s cultivation had sharpened his senses, making his ears keen and eyes bright; otherwise, he would never have heard her clearly.

Even so, he was momentarily stunned. “Ah?”

Zi Shu secretly extended her index finger, pointing towards the ebulliently gesturing Xu Xiangqian not far away. “You two, famous together? Called the ‘Double Pride of Gan Ma Mountain’ together?” Her tone clearly held doubt. After all, the temperaments of these two individuals seemed so vastly different.

“…Considered as.” If “Double Pride of Gan Ma Mountain” hadn’t been a moniker unilaterally bestowed by a certain Xu from the very beginning… then he wasn’t entirely lying. But at this juncture, what else could Jiang Wang say? He couldn’t possibly expose his friend in person. He could only offer a wry smile.

“What kind of place is Gan Ma Mountain?” After a few sentences, Zi Shu was less shy, her curiosity practically radiating from her face.

“A, uh, special place,” Jiang Wang answered, a bit flustered. This wasn’t easy to fabricate, and Xu Xiangqian hadn’t communicated anything beforehand!

“Oh, I understand,” Zi Shu said, surprisingly sensible. “Then I won’t ask.” He had no idea what she had understood exactly.

After a pause, she asked again, “I heard you defeated Wang Yiwu in only two moves, right?”

Jiang Wang was momentarily stunned, but then realized the reason for “two moves” and said helplessly, “Did Xu Xiangqian say he only needed one move?”

Zi Shu was very surprised. “How did you know?”

This child was too naive! Jiang Wang sighed. “In the future, you should stay a little further away from Xu Xiangqian!”

“Ah?” Zi Shu was puzzled. “Why? Is he a bad person?”

He wasn’t a terrible person, but you took things too seriously! How could you believe everything he said? Jiang Wang thought to himself. On the surface, he couldn’t say this directly, so he simply said, “Being too close to him is easily infectious!”

Zi Shu’s eyes widened. “Infectious with what?”

Jiang Wang looked left and right, covered his mouth with the back of his hand, and said mysteriously, “Hair loss!”

Zi Shu gasped and covered her mouth, then glanced at Xu Xiangqian’s naturally shiny high forehead. She involuntarily became nervous. “No way, I have to tell my senior sister.”

“That’s not necessary,” Jiang Wang quickly stopped her. He didn’t want to be chased by Xu Xiangqian with a knife. He explained, “After establishing the Holy Tower, with the power of the stars protecting your body, you won’t have this problem. Your senior sister should have it. Do you?”

“No,” Zi Shu shook her head shyly. “I’m only in the Inner Mansion of the first realm.” She seemed quite ashamed, unaware of how astonishing it was to be in the Inner Mansion realm at her age.

Jiang Wang, of course, knew she hadn’t reached the Outer Tower realm yet, so he said seriously, “Then you must stay away from him. This is not a joke.”

“Okay!” Zi Shu nodded forcefully. After a moment, she leaned closer again and said quietly, “You are really good.”

“Ah.” Jiang Wang, at that moment, was appreciating the subtle battle of wits between Xu Xiangqian and Yang Liu. Hearing this, he subconsciously responded, then was a bit puzzled again. “Ah?”

Zi Shu said with a serious face, “Private matters like friendship, you, an upright gentleman, would certainly be unwilling to discuss with others. But because you care about me, and worry about me… losing hair, you still told me. You truly are a good person.”

Jiang Wang, after all, was not Xu Xiangqian; he still had some sense of propriety. His face flushed with embarrassment for a moment, and he could only lower his head and take a sip of tea to hide it.

Years later, when Xu Xiangqian investigated the origin of the rumor “Close to Xu, then bald,” and sought to punish those responsible, he never would have imagined that it had originated early in the spring of Dao Calendar 3919.