txolops Chapter 48 Black Snake Island
Chapter 48 Black Snake Island
To the southwest of Kui Xing Island in the Chaotic Star Sea lies a special medium-sized island—Black Snake Island.
It is far from the core islands such as Kui Xing Island, and its remote location has made it a gathering place for low-level cultivators due to its unique environment. There are very few mortals on the island, and it is almost entirely occupied by cultivators. It is an island centered on cultivation resources.
There is no fixed island owner here, nor is there any Star Palace power governing it; it is a purely free land.
The island's cultivators are mainly Qi Refining stage cultivators. They gather here for two reasons: first, to capture the local specialty, "sea serpents"—a large number of low-level demonic beasts with low intelligence, which are an important source of spirit stones for low-level cultivators.
Secondly, it benefits from a very wide spiritual vein on the island. Although the quality of the spiritual energy is average, it allows cultivators to cultivate anywhere on the island, making it an excellent place for low-level cultivators to "borrow spiritual energy".
High-level cultivators rarely reside here for long periods; most merely pass through, which has allowed Sea Ape Island to maintain an ecosystem dominated by low-level cultivators.
It is precisely because of its remoteness and lack of attention from major powers that it has become a gathering place for low-level rogue cultivators.
This seemingly inconspicuous island, with its free atmosphere, unique resources, and relaxed cultivation environment, has become a rare foothold for low-level cultivators in the Chaotic Star Sea.
The Black Serpent Island market was bustling with activity, a cacophony of voices. Cultivators of all kinds moved among the stalls, their shouts and the cries of spirit beasts blending together to create a vibrant, noisy marketplace.
The boy huddled in a corner, his gaze fixed on the food stall not far away—where two children were pointing at the food without a care in the world and eating heartily.
He stared at the unsuspecting figure's back, his heart pounding in his chest, almost leaping out of his throat. It was a mixture of three parts relief at escaping death, three parts awe of the unknown, three parts barely suppressed excitement, and one part a desperate gamble on the future.
Just a few days ago, everything was completely different.
He woke up at the bottom of the cabin, looking around warily, but found no trace of the nun, only the two seemingly harmless children.
As a rogue cultivator who had no bottom line and had been struggling in the Chaotic Star Sea, he instantly made the simplest decision: to capture the leader first. Since the woman was not there, taking down the two younger ones was his only way to survive.
Without the slightest hesitation, he launched a sudden attack, lunging at the two figures with murderous intent.
Regardless of their connection with that woman, as long as they have one of them under control, their safety will be guaranteed!
However, reality gave him a resounding slap in the face.
In just one exchange, that seemingly dull-witted little girl casually blasted him unconscious with a seemingly ordinary water bullet technique!
In a hazy state of consciousness, I vaguely heard a childish yet indifferent voice: "You used too much force, be gentler next time."
And so, he was knocked unconscious three times by that little girl, like a rag doll.
Every time he woke up, he was met with the same crushing force. Even the thought of escape was shattered by that absolute power, and he finally gave up resisting.
With a heart ashen and eyes lifeless, he lay on the deck like a dead fish, staring at the dark cabin above him, awaiting his fate.
Just when he thought he was doomed, the other party didn't care about his life.
Seeing that the boy had finally stopped resisting, Han Xiaoliu's eyes showed a hint of amusement. He immediately cleared his throat and began to "pretend".
"Tell your story!... Pshaw, wrong stage!"
The boy looked up blankly, not understanding what was going on.
"Ahem!" Han Xiaoliu's expression turned serious, attempting to project the aura of a grandmaster. "Weakness is the original sin. Do you want revenge for your father? Do you want to control your own destiny?"
The boy remained silent, only his eyes flickered slightly.
Han Xiaoliu cursed inwardly, realizing that this tactic was not working.
"Ahem!" Han Xiaoliu strategically cleared his throat, deciding to cut to the chase and throw out the bait directly, "I can help you get revenge, what are you willing to give in return?"
In that instant, the boy's previously lifeless eyes suddenly burst forth with an astonishing light, the frantic glint of a drowning man grasping at his last straw.
He sat up abruptly, his voice hoarse and shrill from thirst, stammering, "Re...really?!"
Seeing the serious expression on the face of the seemingly unfathomable "young master" before him, the boy did not hesitate at all. He knelt heavily on the ground, his forehead hitting the hard ship plank with a dull thud.
"Young master... if... you're willing... to help me... avenge myself, my... life... is... yours! I'll... live... or die... without regret!"
Han Xiaoliu smiled; it was a smile of confidence that he was in control of everything.
Second subordinate, in position!
Two days later, the storm arrived.
The beautiful female cultivator named Yu Niangzi finally appeared, along with the soul of the tribulation cultivator who had been chasing the father and son.
"There were traces on your father's body. I waited two days and finally found them. Here they are, take a look."
Those five Qi Refining stage cultivators all perished, their souls forcibly imprisoned by that strange Soul-Guiding Banner.
The boy trembled as he watched this scene. He had thought that the other party would use his father's soul as leverage to force him into slavery or even to do the most heinous things.
Unexpectedly, the boy who controlled the soul-guiding banner simply told him that the soul would not dissipate in the banner, and that as long as he performed well, he would return his father's soul after he was "officially promoted".
At that moment, the ice in the boy's heart melted completely, replaced by an unprecedented sense of belonging.
"What's your name?"
"Shen... Shen... Wu..." The voice was still stuttering. It was confirmed; he was a stutterer!
Shen? What a good surname! A name popped into Han Xiaoliu's mind in an instant!
From now on, your name will be Shen Gongbao!
"Shen... Gong... Gong..."
……
"Eunuch Shen, let's go!"
Seeing Shen Gongbao standing there in a daze again, Da Ya frowned and shouted at him irritably. She put her hands on her hips, her cheeks puffed out in anger, like a little kitten with its fur standing on end, her eyes full of disdain, completely unlike her usual docile self.
"I...I'm called...Shen...Shen...Gong...Gong Bao!"
Upon hearing this address, the stuttering boy's face instantly turned bright red, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He widened his eyes, desperately trying to correct the little girl's way of addressing him, but his mouth wouldn't obey him, and he stammered for a long time without being able to speak clearly, leaving him with a frustrated expression.
"Hmph, it's Eunuch Shen!"
The little girl made a face at him, snorted loudly, turned her head away, and walked away, clearly full of hostility towards him, not even willing to give him a second glance.
The boy lowered his head helplessly, sighed deeply, gave up the pointless argument, and followed with his head drooping.
Han Xiaoliu watched from the side, gently shaking his head, a mischievous smile flashing in his eyes, the curve of his lips impossible to suppress. He wondered what Yu Niangzi had whispered to her in private, but ever since then, this little girl had been filled with inexplicable hostility towards his underling, always finding ways to argue with him, taking advantage of his stutter.
Watching these two lovable characters argue up close is quite a rare treat.
"Young master, where are we going?"
Daya, holding Bubble, caught up with Han Xiaoliu in a flash. She looked up at him, her big eyes blinking with anticipation. Clearly, the little girl also had some little thoughts in her heart.
"Going to scout out locations... Oops! Slip of the tongue! Going shopping!"
Han Xiaoliu casually kicked at the pebbles by the roadside, turning his head to look beside him: "Hey, Shen Gongbao, are you familiar with this area? The shops here look nice. Do you know which shop up ahead has reasonable prices, and which ones are run by ordinary people?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Gongbao froze, as if he had been struck by an acupuncture point.
He cautiously raised his eyelids, glancing first at Han Xiaoliu out of the corner of his eye, then at Daya beside him in horror, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.
"Back...back...back..."
Daya abruptly stopped, hands on her hips, blocking Shen Gongbao's path, her brows furrowed in a frown: "What do you mean, 'answer'?! Did you burn your tongue or do you have something in your mouth? The young master is asking you a question, so be quick about it! Your stammering is so annoying!"
Shen Gongbao was so frightened by the young lady's shout that he shrank back and wished he could stick to the wall next to him.
The scene of being knocked unconscious by this little aunt that day is still vivid in my mind!
He nervously wiped his sweaty hands on the hem of his clothes, his lips trembling, but he dared not speak loudly.
"I...I...no...no..."
Seeing his pathetic state, Da Ya became even angrier.
Hmph, the young master gave you such a prestigious name, why don't I deserve to have a name?
You must have bewitched the young master!
She grew angrier the more she thought about it, and stretched out her finger, almost poking Shen Gongbao's nose.
"No what?! Are you looking down on me? Or are you deliberately ignoring the young master? How can you be so annoying! Weren't you so arrogant when we first met? Now that I'm asking you a question, you're pretending to be mute!"