Chapter 386: Gupiao Island

Chapter 386: Lone Gourd Island

The Gourd Island was obscure, and whatever little fame it had was due to the Shattered Star Sect in Shattered Star Bay.

The island itself was small, boasting only a single town and two villages.

The villagers made their living by fishing, with no trade worth mentioning.

They cultivated a few acres of farmland and occasionally sent fresh seafood to Shattered Star Bay, barely managing to scrape by.

Beyond that, there was nothing else to speak of.

This was the Gourd Island as described by Yin Xiaoyu to Su Mo.

When Su Mo and his group from the Ziyang Escort Agency docked their sizable vessel near the shore of Gourd Island, they found the situation exactly as Yin Xiaoyu had described.

The island was truly unremarkable.

The arrival of the large ship drew quite a crowd at the dock, with many gawking and whispering about it.

As Su Mo and the others stepped ashore, before they could even take in their surroundings, someone approached to inquire:

"Where have you honored visitors come from?"

The speaker was a half-grown lad, his eyes darting slyly over Su Mo and his companions as he spoke.

After a moment, as if identifying the one in charge among them, his gaze settled on Fu Hanyuan.

Su Mo couldn’t help but chuckle:

"We come from the sea, passing by your island, and plan to linger a while.

"Little brother, what should we call you?"

"No need for such courtesy," the boy quickly replied. "The master named me Ning—you can call me Xiao Ning.

"Since this is your first time on Gourd Island, you must be quite lost.

"How about I show you around?"

As he spoke, he struggled to suppress his excitement, trying his best to appear cool and collected.

Su Mo glanced at him and smiled, pulling him aside:

"Little brother, let’s have a word in private."

With that, he led the self-proclaimed Xiao Ning away.

Xiao Ning didn’t dare resist—not that he could’ve—and as Su Mo pulled him aside, he kept glancing back at Yang Xiaoyun and the others, worried the visitors might bolt.

When he turned back to Su Mo, he found the man grinning at him:

"You don’t have much experience at this, huh, little brother?"

"..."

Xiao Ning was taken aback: "You can tell that?"

"A seasoned pro would naturally be cool and smooth-talking, while you're fumbling over your words and looking nervous.

"You’re clearly new at this.

"So the price... well..."

Su Mo raised an eyebrow slightly.

Hearing this, Xiao Ning relaxed, realizing this was just about haggling. He put on a strained grin and said:

"Boss, your fancy clients are obviously either wealthy or noble.

"Why nickel-and-dime me over a few scraps of silver?"

"Oh?"

Su Mo said seriously, "Since I’m working for someone else, I must consider my employer's interests—I gotta pinch every penny."

"Then... want a cut?"

Xiao Ning hesitantly offered.

"What’s the number?"

Su Mo seemed to have been waiting for this.

"..."

Xiao Ning's lip curled, thinking, *What kind of person is this?*

Just now, he was talking about being meticulous for his employer's sake, but the moment he heard about a kickback, his eyes gleamed like a shark’s.

Unfortunately, his business was still in the other's hands.

Otherwise, he’d truly be too ashamed to be seen with him.

Muttering under his breath, Xiao Ning reluctantly extended five fingers:

"Half’s yours!"

"Done."

Su Mo nodded immediately. "Alright, two taels of silver is already a rip-off. After the job’s done, we split it evenly."

"Fine!"

Xiao Ning was also straightforward. "You drive a hard bargain—deal."

"Heh..."

With the deal struck, Su Mo chuckled:

"Kid, tell me, what made you suddenly get into this racket?

"Let’s be real, this island isn’t very big.

"And there aren’t any tourist traps here—not much call for your kind of work here."

Su Mo certainly didn't come here idly to haggle with a youngster earning small change.

He simply wanted to inquire about something, but the other party might not be willing to tell him directly.

So, he decided to let the boy see him as someone in the same trade, then slowly fishing for information.

Just as he expected, as soon as he spoke, Xiao Ning hesitated.

After a short silence—perhaps fearing the loss of a big client or worrying that offending Su Mo would cost him that single tael of silver—he finally said:

"Big brother, I’ll tell you, but you mustn’t tell anyone else.

"This Lonely Gourd Island is indeed remote, with hardly any real travelers for a long time.

"There’s nothing particularly interesting here, so naturally, few important people pass through.

"But recently, for some reason, more and more people have been arriving.

"Only, these folks aren’t as bold as the distinguished guests behind you—they sneak onto the island in secret.

"Some even dress just like the locals.

"The only difference is, they seem completely unfamiliar with the island and are very curious about it.

"So, one of my little brothers was noticed by one of them. They paid him daily to guide them around, showing them the lay of the land, helping them get their bearings, and checking the weather.

"In just two or three days, he made ten taels of silver!

"He swore me to secrecy, but after I begged and pleaded, he finally let me in on it.

"He told me to wait here.

"If anyone lands on the island—whether they look like fishermen or ordinary farmers—as long as they’re unfamiliar faces, I should approach and ask.

"Chances are, I might just get a chance to earn a quick buck."

Xiao Ning grinned at this point:

"If I’m lucky and catch the eye of one of these important people, maybe I’ll get hired as a servant on their ship.

"Who knows? I might even leave this backwater island behind and strike it rich in the second half of my life."

Hearing this, Su Mo nodded:

"Got it… Hey, little brother, if you know many people are coming ashore, that means your buddy probably isn’t the only one they’ve taken an interest in.

"Are there others who’ve been chosen?"

"Big brother, you’re sharp as a tack."

Xiao Ning nodded. "Lonely Gourd Island is too small. Most of us local kids and helpers know each other. Even if we don’t, we know each other by sight. Though some clam up and don’t want others knowing their secrets, one look and a bit of thought make it hard to hide.

"I’d say at least five or six of my little brothers have been hired by these newcomers.

"They sneak around the island, back and forth, making a fortune from it."

Exactly.

Su Mo smiled and said, "Then do you know where these people are staying?"

"This..."

Xiao Ning felt something was off and looked up at Su Mo:

"Bro, tell me the truth—why are you asking so much?

"Could it be you have some grudge against these visitors on the island?"

"Don’t be silly."

Su Mo chuckled. "Even if I had a beef with someone, how could I possibly have enemies all over the South Sea? If every newcomer were my enemy, that would be unthinkable."

"Yeah, I guess..."

Xiao Ning nodded. "These people aren’t staying at inns. Some are lodging with fishermen, others in run-down temples out in the sticks. Aunt Wang, who lives across from me, was all secretive about it a few days ago, saying her 'third uncle' had come to stay.

"But in her generation, what relatives could she possibly have left?

"She dares to spin such a bald-faced lie, like she thinks we’re all idiots.

"Her so-called 'third uncle' looks at least a dozen years younger than her—a filthy old geezer who’s always gnawing on an oily chicken leg. Looks damn good, though."

At this point, Xiao Ning couldn’t help but drool.

Su Mo laughed.

"After you wrap up this gig, you can buy one for yourself to satisfy your craving."

"Nah."

Xiao Ning shook his head like crazy.

"I have to save up for my sister’s dowry."

"Oh? Is your sister already old enough to marry?"

"Not yet..."

Here, Xiao Ning gave Su Mo a wary glance, but after a moment’s thought, dismissed his suspicion and smiled.

"My sister’s still young, way too young for that.

"But gotta plan ahead, right?"

"What about your parents?"

"They went out fishing and crossed the Dragon King—the sea took ’em.

"People in town claim it’s their blessing, that they’re living it up in the Dragon Palace now, serving the Dragon King—luckier than most."

At this, he couldn’t help but grimace. "They suck at comforting people. Pretty damn lame, if you ask me."

Su Mo went quiet for a sec, then gave Xiao Ning a light pat on the back.

"C’mon, let’s move. Can’t leave the big shots hanging."

"Yeah, yeah, let’s bounce."

Xiao Ning immediately nodded and said as they walked:

"Big brother, you've managed to get along with them quite well. They've been willing to wait all this time for you.

"Could you do me the honor of speaking up and ask if they still need people on the ship?

"I may not have much, but I've got a strong back. I'm not afraid of any dirty or tough work."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Su Mo gave Xiao Ning a thoughtful look and smiled.

"If you make a good impression on them, I might just speak up for you later."

"Really?!"

Xiao Ning stared at Su Mo in surprise.

"Big brother, if this works out, I won't take any of the payment—I'll give it all to you!"

"That's a promise then."

Su Mo gave a knowing smile, while Xiao Ning nodded vigorously.

As they spoke, the two returned to the others.

Yang Xiaoyun looked toward Su Mo, who gave her a slight nod.

Before arriving here, Su Mo had already made plans with the others on the ship.

The matter of the *Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture* obviously involved more than just the *Bo Hai Association*—and there was more than one copy.

However, whoever obtained it kept it tightly under wraps.

Some who unlocked the scripture's secrets would likely come to this lonely Gupiao Island.

Being well-prepared was essential—they couldn't afford to be completely in the dark.

Originally, Su Mo had planned to quietly gather information after landing on the island.

But unexpectedly, Xiao Ning had practically fallen right into their laps.

The moment he appeared, Su Mo had already spotted his game.

Young, without martial arts skills, and with poor judgment—Su Mo hadn't even concealed his identity, yet Xiao Ning wrongly assumed Fu Hanyuan was the one in charge.

Those in this line of work naturally had good judgment.

Being eloquent paled in comparison to keen perception.

This showed that Xiao Ning was a complete novice—like a bride stepping into the bridal sedan for the first time.

If he wasn't in this trade, why would he suddenly get into it?

Because the trade had been lucrative lately.

Why was that, exactly? Su Mo mused.

Naturally, it was because this stagnant island had suddenly changed.

So Su Mo yanked Xiao Ning aside to grill him.

The couple locked eyes, and Yang Xiaoyun understood Su Mo's meaning—clearly, he had gained quite a bit of information.

She gave a quick nod. "Let’s head into town."

Xiao Ning just stood there, dumbstruck.

Su Mo nudged him with his foot.

"Lead on."

Xiao Ning lit up—this meant the deal was sealed—and he hurriedly took the lead.

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun shared a smirk.

Yang Xiaoyun asked in a low voice, "What’s the scoop?"

"Trickier than I thought."

Su Mo murmured the details to Yang Xiaoyun under his breath. Finally, he glanced at the sky and remarked:

"If we wait for the fog, we’ll all be stuck on the water just gawking at each other—how awkward would that be?"

"At least the fog’ll spare us the embarrassment..."

Yang Xiaoyun laughed but then asked:

"Any idea when the fog rolls in?"

"That’s something we’ll have to ask the local expert..."

Su Mo jerked his chin at Xiao Ning.

Yang Xiaoyun pondered, "He’s gotta be good for more than just that, right?"

"Mm."

Su Mo nodded. "We’ll ease into it. That’s plenty for now."

Xiao Ning was new at this guiding business. He’d scrambled for something clever to say, but when the words came to his lips, he found his mind utterly blank.

Occasionally, he tried to crack a joke to amuse his esteemed guests.

But his jokes landed like lead balloons.

The kid forced a smile in front of them, then scowled the second they looked away.

Finally, he just shot Su Mo a desperate look, afraid he might persuade the guests not to pay him.

It wasn’t until Xiao Ning had led everyone to the inn that Su Mo finally said:

"Alright, we’re beat from the road. Let’s crash at the inn tonight."

"Kid, if you’re around, swing by tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ning nodded eagerly.

As long as he was needed the next day, he was more than happy to help.

With a grin, he turned and left.

Watching his retreating figure, Su Mo gave a glance to Fu Hanyuan nearby.

Fu Hanyuan then slipped out through the inn's back door, quietly following Xiao Ning.

The rest of the group rested for the evening, and it wasn't until evening that Fu Hanyuan returned to report.

Xiao Ning checked out fine.

He truly was an orphan with just a younger sister.

The siblings lived hand-to-mouth, barely getting by on Xiao Ning's odd jobs around town.

After leaving the inn, the boy went to help a local carpenter elsewhere in town.

He worked until dusk before returning home with a handful of coins as payment.

Fu Hanyuan watched from outside for an hour before coming back to report.

After listening, Su Mo nodded slightly, clearly thinking it over.

Finally, he glanced at Fu Hanyuan and said:

"Skip the inn tonight. Go back to the ship and tell Xiaoxiao to keep an eye out.

"Have White Tiger sleep on the deck."

"Understood."

Fu Hanyuan nodded before turning to leave.

Once he was gone, Yang Xiaoyun said softly:

"Everyone else sneaks onto the island, yet we’re making such a show of it. Are you worried someone might 'board' our ship?"

Su Mo nodded:

"Our ship is the perfect hiding-in-plain-sight spot, so we must take precautions.

"Even if they do try to board, at least we should know who they are."

"Mm."

Yang Xiaoyun nodded slightly, gazing out the window at the already silent town, and smiled:

"Staying overnight in a small town like this occasionally isn’t a bad choice.

"So peaceful—it puts the mind at ease."

"If you like it, once things in the martial world calm down, I’ll take you to live deep in the mountains, away from it all, alright?"

Su Mo said with a smile. "With flowers, birds, and green hills around us, building a little home—leaving the world’s troubles behind to live like mountain immortals."

"Ha!"

Yang Xiaoyun couldn't help but burst into laughter: "I was just speaking casually. This kind of life is comfortable once in a while, but if it were always like this, it would become stale.

"You and I are destined to be tangled up in worldly affairs, so let’s not dream of escaping to the mountains for a peaceful life.

"Moreover, the Ziyang Escort Agency is growing stronger by the day. Just recently, a carrier eagle brought news that the situation is becoming even more stable. How can we simply abandon such a large business?

"Not to mention... we still have descendants.

"We could retreat to the mountains, but should we let them become mountain recluses too?"

"That’s true..."

Su Mo smiled at her words, reached out, and pulled Yang Xiaoyun into his embrace.

Yang Xiaoyun turned red and murmured, "Behave yourself...

"We’re far too conspicuous now. There could be dozens watching us under tonight’s darkness."

"No need to worry. Even if they gouged out their eyeballs, they wouldn’t catch a glimpse of our private moments..."

Just as he spoke, a sudden scream shattered the still night.

The two immediately stood up, walked to the window, and opened it to look in the direction of the sound.

They saw lights blinking on here and there.

Ordinary folks had clearly heard the commotion and woke with a start.

Su Mo raised an eyebrow:

"Someone's making their move?"

"Shall we go and check it out?"

"At a time like this, not watching the show would be just plain wrong."

As Su Mo spoke, his gaze turned toward the door:

"And here come the rest of the crowd."

The next moment, urgent knocking sounded at the door.

When they opened it, Wei Ziyi and Little Situ Taoist were standing outside.