-｛Distributor Di’an has increased the price of this Radiance-Splendor by 5%.｝

Yang Zicang silently raised his head, fixing his eyes on the man’s gaze and feigning nonchalance:

“But I heard that, decades ago, some Fogfolk had already been there—isn’t that right? “

“Ah, that… well, such legends did once exist. It was precisely after that event that this clear sky was found to be almost normal when entering Cheqing Island here otherwise remaining fog as Wü’d be associated yet none now else.“

Zhenan chuckled modestly and explained, “But you can ask around—is there anyone daring enough to go near that coast now? It’s still fraught with danger. The power within, they say, hasn’t been fully cleansed yet, so you still have a chance. “

“So, who exactly are you? “

The man seemed to have anticipated the question. He pulled an envelope from his pocket and retrieved some black-and-white photos.

“Heh heh, I knew you’d ask that, sir. Just look at these… “

He Yishu and Yang Zicang took the photos, taken across different periods.

“I take groups there every year. I’m the only one who knows the safe route. Hey, I’m your guide. “

On the surface, Zhenan appeared nonchalant, but inside, he was nervously watching Yang Zicang.

“Ah, it’s too late… Forget it, we’re leaving tomorrow anyway. For tonight, let’s treat it as our last peek behind her mysterious veil before we leave the Mist Sea. “

Zhenan breathed a long sigh of relief inside. Mission accomplished!

“Aha ha, that’s just wonderful, gentlemen. The whole family’s livelihood for these past two months rests on you two playing along tonight. “

“Same for us. Glad you could give us some excitement. “

……

Under the moonlight, the sea breeze carried thin mist and the briny scent of the sea, winding along the jagged coastline.

“Watch your step, my dear friends. “

The gravel underfoot, smoothed and slickened by years of tidal erosion, was a treacherous path. Beneath it lay a sheet of sharp reefs—a single misstep meant a fall and being dragged under by the waves, your bones ground to dust.

“Friend, you need to watch yourself. Stop looking back so much. “

Zhenan forced an awkward smile.

As a guide, he himself was walking perilously, yet the two Fogfolk behind him were remarkably steady.

As far as he knew, many Fogfolk possessed a certain ferocity—when fighting, they might not show systematic tactics, but they could definitely make someone suffer greatly. Even the seemingly frail women appeared as though they had been tempered through mountains of corpses.

But if among such people there were those who had undergone systematic training, then those special Fogfolk were undoubtedly the elites among fogfolk—and clearly, these two behind him were exactly that.

Lange had indeed found himself a big trouble.

｛I have negated 0.0003R｝

“Did you feel that?” Yang Zicang said to the scanning He Yishu. “This really isn’t a place ordinary people should come near.“

“I feel there’s poison here,” He Yishu said.

｛I have negated 0.001R｝

A very faint temporal decay was descending—a few milliseconds, a few seconds, or a minute or two.

This indicated that this place was inflicting damage on the bodies of any living being that entered.

Not far ahead, a massive stone wall corroded by the tides could be faintly seen.

Dark seawater was relentlessly pounding against the steep cliffs nearby, churning up large white waves, scouring the stone wall that had been built over decades, as well as some anomalously colored rocks around it.

｛Musing Night.｝

An indescribable sense of ethereal disarray covered Zhenan and He Yishu in an instant.

“Ah! ” Zhenan suddenly panicked and hugged a protruding rock. “I-I’ve made it this far, gentlemen. “

He Yishu jumped lightly from Zhenan’s body and landed on the opposite side, followed closely by Yang Zicang. The two moved as if they were true natives of the island, leaping along the cliffside path and bounding off into the distance.

• ｛Hand-woven red string talisman indicates: Distributor May Valkyrie is watching the glorious prelude I am brewing.｝ “The vibe here is a little off, ” He Yishu muttered softly.

Silver threads emerged from the surrounding void, shooting toward the ring materializing on Yang Zicang’s chest.

Hua Mi’s voice came through the mental link: {_ “Buchen, what time is your flight tomorrow… eh, what are you up to? ” _}

“We’re going to have a look at the ‘Aberrant Feigned Realm’ ruins on this island. “

{_ “Aberrant Feigned Realm? You—aren’t your efficiency levels… a bit too high. ” _}

In the connected vision, Xue Qi beside Hua Mi appeared a little blurry.

A quadrilateral… He Yishu withdrew his gaze from the halo of light at the young man’s chest.

He had grown up in comfort and privilege, but now, whether comparing models or experiences, he felt a gap between himself and the young man beside him.

He couldn’t help thinking of his grandfather. If the old man were in his shoes, he would surely think, ‘To meet such a formidable friend here is also a stroke of luck.’ So He Yishu let out a soft, involuntary laugh.

{It’s said that there are even “Bloodlines ” and “Statues ” to be found in the “Abnormal Illusion Realm. ” I’m really envious of you boys. }

｛What does this have to do with being male or female?｝

{They want to find people; wouldn’t they come to you men first? Ah, who wants to discuss this with you. Is the place you’re going dangerous? It’s not calm tonight. You ruined this place’s master’s good deed this evening, right? }

“Heh. ” Yang Zicang let out a faint smile. “It was the island master’s men who brought us here. “

{Ah! } The woman across from them opened her mouth in disbelief, causing Xue Qi, who was turned sideways with her back to them, to twist her head around.

“The island master probably wants to lure us here and then find a chance to kill us. “

“Exactly. ” He Yishu nodded in agreement with Yang Zicang.

Hua Mi said irritably, {Then why the hell are you still going? Are you stupid? }

_”If we always avoid danger and seek gain in everything, when will we ever have enough Radiance-s?

Yang Zicang’s figure had already disappeared behind several oddly colored reefs.

Hua Mi looked at the rock surfaces through her perception image. “Pfft, I guess you have a point. “

The stones were a pale blue, surrounded by seaweed that only grew at the bottom of the sea, some of them even swaying their ‘waists’ weirdly, as if they hadn’t realized they were no longer in the water. Just looking at the scenery, this place could almost be considered a scenic spot.

Beyond them, the blocked cliffside cave had a pitch-black gap.

A chilling aura directly seeped out of the dark, broken rock cave mouth ahead.

“Timely of you to contact us, Miss Xiaohua. I’d like to ask you to help look up some information about this island’s past. “

{What do you guys plan to do? }

Yang Zicang spoke:

“There are plenty of locals who landed on the island today. If they’re well-informed enough, they might have gathered some gossip about Wuche Island. Ask them onboard the ship, and you should get something. As for payment, have Xue Qi handle it. “

{No problem. Though from now on, just call me Miss Xiaohua—don’t use my full name. }

……

On the cramped cabin, Hua Mi, her face having regained some tenderness over the past few days, silently got up and pressed her ear against the door.

The people in the cabin were still lively. At the far end of the corridor, the “family brothers ” protecting the painter were playing a homemade deck of poker.

“Honestly, I used to think that sour-faced companion of yours was just a bully, keeping the good stuff for himself. But now—well, I get it… ” Hua Mi pushed the door open, whispering furtively to Xue Qi, “Let me handle the intelligence gathering this time, sis. “

A slightly bewildered Xue Qi nodded, but quickly noticed something off in Hua Mi’s tone.

“Intelligence gathering? What are you up to? “

“Hehe, I’m planning to, of course, launch a information-buying mission just like Yang Buchen did! “

She pulled a blue-covered notebook from her small bag, and on its cover, a languid eye slowly opened.

{What now, another ‘seminar’? }