Chapter 28: with translation of chapter title

Thick water mist drifted, the ironclad ship rose and fell on the water as it advanced, an island loomed faintly in the distance.

"Is that Giant Whale Island?" Zhou Shuo stood at the bow facing the sea mist, gazing at the island ahead, his heart couldn't help but feel some anticipation; after five days at sea, they were finally nearing their destination—once he got the item, things would be easy for him.

"If we haven't taken a wrong turn, it should be that one." Yao Yue Ru nodded while gazing at the island's silhouette, then glanced at Zhou Shuo with her double pupils.

"If we did go wrong, where would we end up?" Zhou Shuo turned his head to look at the girl with double pupils who was scanning him, blinking—how could we still go wrong?

"Thousand Buddha Island, Black Shark Island, Dragon Island—I'm not sure either; that's just how sailing at sea goes." Yao Yue Ru shook her head; there are many islands in the Phantom Mist Bay, the largest being Thousand Buddha Island, Black Shark Island, Dragon Island, Langya Island, and Giant Whale Island, all occupied by pirates, and behind those pirates lurk the influence of Yunmeng State; this sea area is called Phantom Mist Bay, where besides the environment, powers are all mixed together.

"I hope we don't take a wrong turn, otherwise I'll be in trouble, and you will too." Zhou Shuo looked up at the distant island, sincerely hoping.

"Brother Zhou, actually I want to say—no matter which island you go to, it's all the same." Yao Yue Ru looked at Zhou Shuo's expression, her double pupils flickering slightly.

"But Giant Whale Island is different; I need to go there to find something. By the way, you and Miss Yue Ting—who's the older sister and who's the younger?" Zhou Shuo looked at the girl whose double pupils were flashing, suddenly recalling something: Yao Yue Ru and Yao Yue Ting, these twins—who's the elder, who's the younger!

"Why are you asking that?" Seeing Zhou Shuo not continue, Yao Yue Ru didn't want to press further, rolled her beautiful eyes, and suddenly asked such a question!

"Just curious to ask!" Zhou Shuo sat idly, bored.

"Then I'm also curious to ask you—what are you preparing to look for on Giant Whale Island?" Yao Yue Ru wrinkled her jade nose, curious to ask, and then I'm also curious to ask you.

"Well, then can I trust you?" Zhou Shuo looked at the spoiled girl, couldn't help but smile; how these two questions got tangled together, though the girl's curiosity is normal, just wondering whether he should speak.

"Why wouldn't you trust me?" Yao Yue Ru retorted, she and her sister had used a ship to send him out to sea—what could he possibly have that he can't say?

"Because your Yao Chi Sect's power is too great, I'm afraid." Zhou Shuo looked at her straightforward gaze in those unfocused double-pupil beautiful eyes, answering in the most down-to-earth manner; on this ironclad ship there are two or three hundred Yao Chi Sect members, and there must be hidden experts among them, otherwise those sister flowers wouldn't dare to run out and roam the jianghu so freely.

"Hmph, what do you think of our Yao Chi Sect?" Yao Yue Ru instantly displeased, "Do we look like bandits to you?"

"I don't think of your Yao Chi Sect as anything; it's just that the treasure I seek is too precious, I fear few would see it and not be moved." Zhou Shuo looked at the displeased girl, shook his head, speaking frankly: Hong Yi could become a lesser sage because six CDs were environmental background characters supporting him; that fellow might be a bit scheming, but his words generally count, others are not so reliable—especially those aristocratic clans hidden beneath the Great Qian Dynasty, they're utterly a bunch of parasites.

"Really or fake?" Yao Yue Ru looked at Zhou Shuo's appearance, couldn't help but feel doubtful—what kind of treasure could make their Yao Chi Sect disregard face?

"Of course it's real; I'll say it bluntly—this treasure, if word got out, even the court would have to lower its dignity to snatch it." Zhou Shuo was very blunt; later the Great Qian Dynasty indeed attacked Giant Whale Island for that treasure.

"But do you want to know? If you do, I'll tell you." Zhou Shuo looked at the girl full of disbelief, about to speak, he preempted with a turn, his eyes holding a faint smile.

"You, you speak." Yao Yue Ru met Zhou Shuo's gaze, her face involuntarily flushed; she wanted to look away but felt that would show weakness, and being led by his thoughts, she forced herself to overcome shyness and retort, "I want to see what you say—whether it's really that precious; don't think you can fool me with lies!"

"Come closer, lest there be ears on the wall." Zhou Shuo looked at the slightly shy girl, the corners of his mouth turning up.

"You won't be playing some dirty trick, will you?" Yao Yue Ru looked at the smirking fellow, her double-pupil gaze focusing, her right hand gripping the chain spear 'Lingyu Wraps Fingers Softly' hidden in her middle sleeve; if this guy dared to act like a rascal and take liberties with her, she'd run him through with one thrust.

"What are you daydreaming about?" Zhou Shuo saw the girl's right sleeve twitch, quickly composed his face, secretly on edge; besides, he really had just had a stray thought, but considering the girl's martial prowess, he'd better drop it.

"Speak." Yao Yue Ru looked at Zhou Shuo's composed expression, tilted her ear slightly.

"Qiankun Pouch." Zhou Shuo looked at the girl guarding against him as she leaned in with her crystal-clear lovely ear, suppressed his heartbeat, restrained the thought, leaned over and turned the four words into a breath of air blown into her ear—can't kiss, but teasing like this should be fine, right?

"How did you come by this news?" Yao Yue Ru heard the four words blown as a breath into her ear, felt a slight itch, though she didn't dwell on the odd sensation, she stared at Zhou Shuo in astonishment—the Qiankun Pouch, a minor world treasure of the Great Zen Temple; if it's that item, likely even the other five holy lands would lower their faces to seize it, but where did this intel come from? This fellow has no sect or clan, yet is being hunted by the Wu Sheng Dao and True Void Dao!

"I can't be certain either; I just heard some rumors, saying that thing isn't on Giant Whale Island but deep in the Wastelands, brought out years ago by a martial sage—by the way, did your Yao Chi Sect not take part in that siege back then?" Zhou Shuo lowered his voice, simultaneously extended his perception, and threw out a question as a lead.

"Back then I wasn't even born! But I heard my mother say— that place has too many martial masters, fighting there would be horrifying; our Yao Chi Sect's ghost immortal experts would just be sending themselves to death, so we didn't send anyone; actually that was the right move, I heard that a ghost immortal expert of the Fangxian Dao was outright beaten to the point of soul and spirit scattering." Yao Yue Ru hearing Zhou Shuo's words also felt her heart tighten, lowered her voice and switched to addressing the 'Great Zen Temple', not wanting to spread the talk lest it leak.

"That's about right; let me tell you, the people behind the Wu Sheng Dao and True Void Dao are a high-ranking court official; they fabricated this heretical sect to gather incense for that person." Zhou Shuo looked at the girl whose heart was raised, following his set line of thought, couldn't help but toss out another piece of info—even a clumsy lie is better than a clever falsehood.

"Are you also being hunted for that reason?" Yao Yue Ru instantly guessed and connected: the court official gathering incense, I've heard the Great Zen Temple's 'Future Wu Sheng Sutra' is a method for cultivating the incense-fire divine path—could it be that this fellow, having unknowingly learned this news, is being pursued by the Wu Sheng Dao and True Void Dao, and the whereabouts of the Qiankun Pouch is just an accidental gain?

"No, that's not it—I'm being hunted because I offended someone; this matter really isn't convenient to tell you, it's a personal grudge." Zhou Shuo doesn't casually tell lies; a lie would need countless lies to cover, and sooner or later he'll run into He Wu Sheng again—if any loophole shows, it'll be bad.

"We should turn back now." Yao Yue Ru looked at Zhou Shuo not speaking, not convenient to ask, but after a moment's thought she couldn't help but speak.

"Why?" Zhou Shuo heard the words, his heart involuntarily sank; we've come this far, no matter what, you still have to get me to the destination!

"If it's Qian, that treasure—we can't handle it; I need to go back and find my mother." Yao Yue Ru looked at Zhou Shuo's unchanged expression, inexplicably feeling a bit weak inside.

"And what about me?" Zhou Shuo heard the girl's words, his heart eased a bit; this girl willing to discuss like this shows his sense of life's illusion isn't an illusion—she and her sister indeed have some goodwill toward him, but this goodwill…

"You, why not join our Yao Chi Sect? Our Yao Chi Sect fears neither Wu Sheng Dao nor True Void Dao; you wanted to learn the Taiyin Innate Divine Chapter, right? If you become a disciple you could possibly learn it." Yao Yue Ru spoke with some expectation; this guy's ability is decent, and having defected from the heretical sect, if he could be a companion that would be excellent.

"But do you really teach? Just because of a secret, you'd accept someone like me with no background? I know how those aristocratic clans treat outsiders who join!" Zhou Shuo could feel Yao Yue Ru's sincerity, yet still showed distrust; initially he hadn't not considered becoming a disciple and joining the army, but joining a sect's military, an obscure background can't be explained; even if he succeeded in initiation, he wouldn't learn true martial arts, instead being used as cannon fodder slaves under the guise of 'testing loyalty'—this world is a so-called ritual-feudal society; he is a person, not a slave, he doesn't want the world to change because of him, nor will he casually compromise himself for this world.

"I…" Yao Yue Ru opened her mouth but found no words to rebut, because she couldn't guarantee such a promise—the Taiyin Innate Divine Chapter is the supreme secret of the Yao Chi Dao; she can't assure Zhou Shuo would learn it upon becoming a disciple; in the Yao Chi Sect she's practically born with a silver spoon, yet she understands the issue of status even better, being an illegitimate daughter she's experienced the clan's legitimate vs. illegitimate distinctions, seen the sect's inner vs. outer divide, and holds a deep aversion to ritualistic status distinctions; thus she not only can't refute Zhou Shuo's words, she actually understands his feelings more.

"Just get me to Giant Whale Island!" Zhou Shuo looked at Yao Yue Ru unable to speak, let out a faint breath.

"You want to go alone…… all right!" Yao Yue Ru opened her mouth, but then felt she'd asked a foolish question, and could only nod helplessly.

"After you go back, you'll tell your mother about this, right?" Zhou Shuo looked at the girl helplessly nodding her head, couldn't help but ask.

"Mm!" Yao Yue Ru nodded silently; she couldn't hide this matter, the Qiankun Pouch is too precious, and it would greatly affect the Yao Chi Sect.

"I'll go find Yue Ting." Yao Yue Ru thought of the precious Qiankun Pouch, glanced at Zhou Shuo, suddenly remembered her sister, tossed out that sentence and headed below deck, leaving only Zhou Shuo alone on the bow gazing at the still hazy island.