Chapter 363: Approaching

Chapter 363: Drawing Closer

Setting sail across the vast ocean, the initial moments always stir excitement.

Whether it's the awe inspired by the boundless sea or the palpitations it causes.

This scenery, entirely different from life on land, naturally becomes a topic of endless conversation.

Led by Wei Ziyi, with Little Situ Taoist as her deputy, they carried along Shengnu and the four young ladies from the East, West, South, and North, running from the bow to the stern of the ship every day.

And from the stern back to the bow.

At first, Yang Xiaoyun maintained her composure, but eventually, she joined in their revelry.

With nothing to do, Su Mo took the White Tiger out fishing.

No solitary boat, no old fisherman in a straw rain cape.

Just a large ship, and a chief escort.

His martial arts were extraordinary, his mastery of force so subtle that he didn't need to watch the fishing line; if there was a fish, he would sense it immediately.

A casual flick, and a big fish would be caught.

After fishing for half a morning, he turned around and was stunned—where were the fish?

Where did all those fish go?

He cast a suspicious glance at the White Tiger, who was napping there.

The white tiger kept its eyes tightly shut, its eyeballs rolling visibly beneath the lids, clearly putting on an obvious act.

Su Mo kept staring at it.

The tiger let out a belch that was entirely reeking of fish.

From that day on, Su Mo stopped allowing the white tiger to follow him while he fished.

He put in all that work hauling in fish, only for them to end up feeding the tiger.

Occasionally, the carrier eagle from the sky would swoop down, snatch fish leaping out of the sea, and drop them before Su Mo like a proud offering.

At first, those days were absolutely fantastic.

But as time passed, the excitement and joy gradually turned into numbness.

Even the most delicious food becomes tiresome if eaten every day.

Even the most beautiful scenery gets old when you see it every day.

That went double for life out at sea.

Nothing but the same endless horizon day in and day out, with the ship as the only place to move around.

The initial thrill faded away, and he slowly got bored out of his mind.

Fortunately, there were plenty of people on board, and chatting together helped fight off the loneliness.

Plus, when the ship docked, they could go ashore and get a taste of local life.

But the few islands we've come across so far are all pretty close to Sunset City.

The buildings on these islands look a bit different, but overall they're more or less the same—nothing really catches the eye.

Right now, the big ship is leaving an island called Three Heroes Island.

Here, Su Mo and his companions topped up their fresh water again.

Actually, there's plenty of fresh water on the ship already, but whenever they reach an island, they usually take the chance to add more, keeping their supply full.

That way they avoid running low when it matters most.

Three Heroes Island was familiar to Su Mo and his group.

They first heard about this island from the two Canglan Divine Blade disciples a year ago.

The large ship that traveled from the Eastern Wastes into the South Sea made its first stop here at Three Heroes Island.

The island got its name from three legendary heroes who once lived there.

But those days are old news. Even though they once ruled their time, they’ve long been forgotten.

There aren't any big martial arts groups here, and nothing special ever happens.

Su Mo and his companions stayed for half a day and heard some rumors about that ship.

But after a year of stories spreading, the tales on this island have become almost mythical.

Most of them probably aren’t true anymore.

The only thing worth believing is that the ship really did appear.

And even now, no faction in the South Sea has managed to claim it.

After leaving Three Heroes Island, Song Yuanlong came to Su Mo looking serious and said that going past this island meant they were really entering the South Sea.

It was a place even the Fallen Phoenix Alliance had never reached.

Everyone knew what the waters before Three Heroes Island were like.

But beyond that, everything was just stories.

Song Yuanlong was somewhere between forty and fifty years old. Years of wind and sun had given him tanned, rough skin.

He wiped his rough hand across his face before speaking:

"Before Three Heroes Island, we travel through that area often—it’s familiar ground.

Beyond that? Anyone's guess.

But this stretch of sea isn’t peaceful—pirates roam around here, which is why the Fallen Phoenix Alliance rarely goes that far.

After all, if there's a fight at sea, it could mess up our business.

Better if we stay out of each other's way. If things blow up, it could cause problems we don't need.

We only went further a few times back when Wei Damingzhu was still leading the alliance, sending gifts to smooth things over.

Unfortunately..."

He stopped here, shaking his head with a hint of resignation:

"The South Sea isn’t like the mainland. On land, we know every mountain and stronghold like the back of our hand.

"But at sea...

"You can't even find a way to send gifts.

"Sometimes we'd run into pirates, but they wouldn't even hear us out.

"After all, if they rob you, whatever you offer becomes theirs—and so does your life.

"After a few pointless skirmishes, we just let it go.

"We realized it was hopeless, and to avoid unnecessary trouble, we were told not to push our luck anymore."

Su Mo took this as a warning and nodded in understanding before sending Song Yuanlong on his way.

He stood there a moment, lost in thought, then made his way to another room.

This was Su Mo’s study on the ship.

Inside, you could see the map he’d shown earlier to Little Situ Taoist and the others.

Three Heroes Island was, of course, marked on it now.

From Three Heroes Island, continuing deeper into the South Sea meant passing through one island after another.

Normally, Su Mo and his group should have turned west at a place called "Chiyan Island."

But this time, that wasn't an option.

The Qi Family of the South Sea lay further south, so they had to keep heading south.

Before reaching them, though, they would first arrive at Gupiao Island.

Little Situ’s destination this time was somewhere near Gupiao Island.

Su Mo pored over the map but saw nothing new.

It was a straight shot—so long as they stayed on course, they’d get there without issue.

Just as he was thinking this, he heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw Yang Xiaoyun leaning in the doorway, watching him.

"Hmm?"

Su Mo touched his face. "What's up?"

Yang Xiaoyun shook her head lightly and simply said,

"Tonight, you’ll have to transfer energy to Ziyi."

Su Mo hesitated briefly before giving a soft nod. "How long since the last time?"

"Five days."

Yang Xiaoyun sighed. "Her yin and yang energies flared up again today—she went ghostly pale, her body icy cold one moment, then flushed red, her skin scorching hot the next."

"I just hope we can reach the Qi family sooner to see what this so-called Yang essence artifact really is..."

"Alliance Leader Hua was tight-lipped about it and didn't explain."

"It's definitely suspicious."

"Perhaps there are some inconvenient aspects."

"Hmm."

Yang Xiaoyun nodded and asked, "What are you looking at here?"

"Song said the next part of our route will take us deep into the Southern Sea. I'm checking our path ahead."

Su Mo paused slightly at this point:

"However, there's one thing we should pay attention to.

"The sea chart drawn by those two doesn't show the Southern Sea Heart-Tempering Temple."

Southern Sea Heart-Tempering Temple.

These five words were mentioned in a letter Great Hall Master Wan Yutang specially wrote to Su Mo after leaving Wusheng Hall.

It appeared abruptly, completely unrelated to anything else.

Suddenly bringing this up always felt suspicious.

Su Mo suspected it might be related to the so-called Tianluo Umbrella.

Over the past year, Su Mo had tried subtly questioning the two disciples of the Canglan Divine Blade about this place, but learned nothing.

During these days at sea, whenever they docked at islands to resupply, Su Mo also inquired with islanders.

Still no trace.

It was unclear whether it was because they hadn't gone deep enough into the Southern Sea or if there were other reasons.

Yang Xiaoyun nodded:

"If we can find this place, we should indeed investigate carefully.

"But don't dwell on it too much now.

"You've been toiling all year and just got a few days of rest. You should rest first."

Hearing this, Su Mo suddenly smiled, his ears pricking up as he listened for any movement outside.

Taking advantage, he pulled Yang Xiaoyun inside from the doorway.

Yang Xiaoyun was startled, but as husband and wife, they were deeply attuned.

With that one pull, she knew instantly what he intended.

A blush rose to her cheeks:

"Darling... it's the middle of the day, and we're in the study..."

"Shh!"

Su Mo made exaggerated facial expressions.

If this scene were witnessed by those in jianghu, his reputation as Donghuang’s top martial artist would instantly go up in smoke.

Yang Xiaoyun couldn't help but tweak his cheek:

"Have you no shame?"

"Uncle Fu keeps urging us to have a little Young Master. Shouldn't we put in some serious effort around the clock? We can't disappoint the old man, can we?"

Su Mo whispered into Yang Xiaoyun's ear:

"We've got nothing else going on these days—shouldn't we be practicing making babies?"

"You... It's clearly *you* who doesn't want a child yet."

Yang Xiaoyun dug her nails into Su Mo's arm:

"The martial world is still unsettled, and the Jinglong Society remains in the shadows. If we had a child, they could be used against us—remember your own lectures and pearls of wisdom?"

"Now you're using my words as an excuse?"

"Ah..."

Su Mo was speechless.

Normally, a married couple would've started a family by now.

Both of them were healthy with top-tier martial arts skills and no fertility issues. If they'd wanted, Uncle Fu would have held his little Young Master long ago.

But Su Mo didn’t want a child so soon.

The reasons? Exactly what Yang Xiaoyun had just listed.

With the Jinglong Society still hidden, having offspring meant potential vulnerability—if their child were captured, they’d be at their enemies’ mercy.

They should at least complete their mission before considering such things.

Now, though, Yang Xiaoyun was using his own words to avoid his daytime shenanigans.

Not that it helped.

Both were young, full of pent-up energy with nowhere to release it—just the slightest spark could set them off.

Before long, Yang Xiaoyun was flushed and breathless, about to give in to his advances.

Just then, footsteps approached.

The couple flew apart like teenagers caught necking, frantically adjusting their clothes.

A knock came at the door, followed by Wei Ziyi’s voice:

"Come on, open the door! Chief Escort Su, Little Situ Taoist needs to talk to you."

However, after waiting for a moment without the door opening, he couldn't help but feel puzzled:

"Hmm? I clearly heard Old Song say you came to the study, why isn't the door opening? Could it be that you're not here?"

Yang Xiaoyun had already tidied her clothes and then pinched Su Mo's arm hard before hurriedly going to the door and opening it.

Wei Ziyi, hearing the door, turned around and smiled instantly:

"Sister Xiaoyun, you're here too...

"Where is your Old Devil Su?

"Hmm? Why is your face so..."

At this point, she suddenly seemed to understand, her face turning red all at once. She couldn't help but wink at Yang Xiaoyun and glanced inside the room, her face full of curiosity.

Yang Xiaoyin's face turned even redder, and she lightly spat out:

"Don't pry, how is your yin-yang conflict condition?"

"It only lasts for a short while each time."

Wei Ziyi smiled: "After it subsides, it's as if nothing happened."

As she said this, Su Mo walked out of the study.

Wei Ziyi immediately looked at him with a strange expression.

Su Mo coughed hard twice and glared at Wei Ziyi, the 'troublemaker' who had interrupted their moment:

"What does Little Situ want with me?"

"Today, when she saw my symptoms of conflicting yin and yang energies, Little Situ examined both me and Xiaoxiao."

"Then she said she had something to tell you."

Wei Ziyi added, "Since she has difficulty walking, I offered to run this errand for her. Who would have thought... in broad daylight, no less? Chief Escort Su, please forgive me, forgive me."

"..."

Forgive me, my ass!

Su Mo glared at the impudent girl, grabbed Yang Xiaoyun's hand, and waved dismissively:

"Lead the way."

"Pfft."

Wei Ziyi scoffed and led the two to find Little Situ.

Inside the room, Little Situ was hunched over her desk, brush in hand. Hearing footsteps, she turned around and hurriedly called out:

"Eldest Brother Su..."

At first, she had been too shy to say the words "Eldest Brother Su."

Later, after Yang Xiaoyun spoke with her, she became much more comfortable.

Now, she could call Su Mo that in front of others without hesitation.

Su Mo nodded:

"Wei Ziyi—nicknamed 'Tiger Girl'—said you were looking for me?"

Wei Ziyi immediately snarled and clawed the air behind Su Mo’s back.

With no outsiders in the cabin, she dropped all pretense.

Little Situ nodded:

"I’ve examined Sister Wei’s yin-yang energy imbalance. At its core, it’s due to the imbalance of yin and yang within her body.

"With Eldest Brother Su transferring his qi into her, the symptoms can be temporarily relieved.

"But this is just a stopgap measure—it’s only a temporary fix.

"Sister Wei mentioned we’re heading to the Qi family for answers…

"That aside, if we can find a pure yang substance, I can prepare an elixir formula for Sister Wei.

"Taken regularly, it might help make up for her deficiency.

"But the real reason I called you here is about the little girl..."

As she spoke, her brows furrowed slightly:

"She’s brimming with qi, but she can’t control it.

"I thought of using needles to redirect the blocked qi.

"But after a few attempts, her qi rebuffed my efforts—I couldn’t stabilize it and even got hurt."

Su Mo was startled and quickly asked:

"Are you badly hurt?"

"Nothing major," Little Situ smiled and shook her head. "I’ve already taken recovery pills, so there won’t be any lasting effects.

"But the little girl’s in real danger now.

"Her meridians are stretched to bursting—if we don’t act soon, any delay could kill her."

She continued, "I don’t have enough qi, so I wanted to ask Eldest Brother Su for help.

"Let me borrow your energy to guide the needles.

"I’ve also jotted down some remedies.

"When we dock next, have someone fetch the ingredients.

"We can use them to make healing dishes for the little girl.

"It might slow the qi she absorbs from food."

"And it can satisfy one's appetite.

"It won't harm the body.

"However, this prescription is just a preliminary draft; its actual effects still need to be observed."

As she spoke, she handed the prescription to Su Mo.

Su Mo took it and glanced over it, but couldn't understand it.

While every person in the martial world should have some knowledge of medicine,

after all, if injured, they could treat themselves.

But Su Mo had roamed the martial world without ever suffering serious injuries, not even a scratch.

Thus, his exposure to such things was minimal.

In the Eastern Wasteland, he only knew two doctors. One was the dead doctor Xu Xian.

But his understanding of this man was limited to the fact that the medicines he prescribed made Liu Suifeng complain bitterly.

The other was Little Situ Taoist.

She was a master of medicine, and any prescription she wrote would surely have profound benefits.

Su Mo, unable to understand it, didn't seek further explanation and asked Yang Xiaoyun to put it away.

He then immediately invited Little Situ Taoist to administer acupuncture to Zhen Xiaoxiao.

Zhen Xiaoxiao lay sprawled on the deck. While everyone else on the ship could move around freely, she was the only one who could barely move.

Even the White Tiger could move lightly, yet she couldn’t go anywhere, terrified she might accidentally crack the planks.

If that happened, Su Mo would surely deduct her rations again.

At this moment, she lay there cautiously, her face the picture of misery.

Little Situ smiled faintly and produced his silver needles, preparing to ask the four cardinal ladies—East, West, South, and North—to carry her forward.

But suddenly, a ruckus erupted outside.

Everyone turned toward the door, though naturally they couldn’t see anything from inside the cabin. Moments later, footsteps reached the doorway:

"Chief Escort, the lookout's spotted a ship.

She doesn't look like any merchant vessel—we think she might be a pirate ship.

Please give us your orders."

The people in the room were all surprised. They had just left Three Heroes Island—were they really running into pirates already?

Wei Ziyi instinctively spoke up:

"Best not to go looking for trouble… What do you think, Old Demon Su?"

Su Mo nodded:

"Makes sense. In that case, let’s go check 'em out!"

Wei Ziyi’s eyes widened in disbelief…

That’s *your* idea of sound reasoning?