Chapter 23

Just as Li Fan was deep in thought, a young man who looked a bit chubby approached him from not far away.

The young man patted Li Fan on the shoulder, acting quite familiar: "Brother, you look a bit unfamiliar. What position do you hold in the Great Li government? Or are you a wealthy merchant from some province?"

Li Fan slapped the young man's hand off his shoulder and then coldly stared at him without saying a word.

The chubby young man suddenly felt as if he was being stared at by a venomous snake, a chill rising up his back.

Although he felt a bit embarrassed to be scared by just a look, the chubby young man was also quite perceptive. Li Fan looked ordinary, but the subtle aura of authority he exuded clearly indicated that he was used to being in a high position.

Not an ordinary person!

The chubby young man quickly came to this conclusion and then wisely left.

Seeing this, the others realized that Li Fan was not very approachable, so no one came to talk to him after that.

As the lights flickered, the voices of the crowd gradually grew quieter, and they all eventually fell asleep.

Nothing happened that night.

The next day, before dawn, everyone was woken up.

A middle-aged man with a long beard, wearing a blue robe, walked up to the group with his hands behind his back.

"In a moment, I will take you to register for residency. After you receive your residency, you will officially become a member of Liuli Island," the middle-aged man said coldly, looking around.

Hearing the middle-aged man's words, everyone looked excited.

"Remember, don't say anything you shouldn't. Otherwise, I can't guarantee your safety," the man added, narrowing his eyes.

Everyone knew that what they were doing was not something to be seen in the light of day, so they all nodded.

Following the middle-aged man's instructions, Li Fan and the others all changed into tattered clothes.

They were then taught a uniform story.

"You are all residents of Dagu Island in the West. Due to a wind disaster, the island was destroyed, so you fled here. If anyone asks, tell them this."

Everyone agreed.

Then, led by the middle-aged man and under the watch of four or five black-clad men, the group left the cave through a hidden passage and arrived on the surface.

After winding through the residential area of the city for a long time, they finally arrived at a mansion.

Li Fan noticed that although their group of several dozen people was quite large, most of the island's residents only glanced at them casually and then paid no more attention, clearly indicating that this was a common occurrence.

They did not enter through the main gate of the mansion. After a servant went in to report, he returned and led the group through a side door to a large hall.

The hall was quite spacious, and before Li Fan and the others arrived, there were already two or three groups, totaling over a hundred people, gathered there.

Even so, it did not feel crowded.

The middle-aged man gestured for everyone to wait patiently.

Soon, it was Li Fan's turn.

"Manager Zhao!" the middle-aged man greeted.

"Are these all the disaster victims who are here to register?" Manager Zhao, who looked to be in his fifties and somewhat aged, but with unusually sharp eyes, scanned the crowd and said with a half-smile: "Sun Zhang, these disaster victims are all either rich or noble!"

Sun Zhang was not flustered; he just sighed: "Yes. They were all wealthy families from Dagu Island. Unfortunately, without the protection of a celestial master, the disaster struck, and all their wealth and glory turned to nothing. Now they have come to our Liuli Island from afar to seek refuge."

With that, Sun Zhang took something out of his pocket and discreetly handed it to Manager Zhao.

Manager Zhao glanced at it, put it away, and then sighed: "The wind disaster recently ravaged even our Liuli Island. The Western islands suffered even more, with over two hundred islands being completely destroyed. Countless mortals lost their lives at sea."

"Fortunately, the celestial master is merciful and has ordered us to help the disaster victims. Your Tianbao Tower's dedication is commendable! Rest assured, I will report this to the island lord. When the celestial master rewards us, you will not be left out."

Sun Zhang was overjoyed and continued to flatter him.

While listening, Manager Zhao processed the residency applications for everyone.

Soon, it was Li Fan's turn. Manager Zhao looked at Li Fan, his eyes showing a hint of surprise.

"What is your name?" Manager Zhao asked.

"Li Fan," Li Fan answered truthfully.

"Come, drop a drop of your fresh blood here," Manager Zhao said, writing Li Fan's name on a rectangular object that was neither jade nor paper, and then handed it over.

Li Fan bit his finger and dropped a drop of blood.

Then, as if it had a life of its own, the blood seeped into the name "Li Fan."

"Keep this spirit talisman well. It will be your identity proof from now on. You will need to show it for various matters on the island, such as receiving work, distributing food, and inspections. Do not lose it," Manager Zhao said, clearly more friendly to Li Fan than to the others, and gave him additional instructions.

This drew the attention of Sun Zhang and the others.

Not knowing what Manager Zhao had seen, Li Fan did not say much in thanks. He nodded, put away the spirit talisman, and walked to the side.

The efficiency of distributing the residency permits was high, and soon, everyone had received their Liuli Island residency.

Everyone looked very excited.

After leaving, they did not return to the previous cave but were led by Sun Zhang to a large courtyard of a residence.

"Now that you have the residency, can we sign the contract?" Sun Zhang asked Su Changyu, who was among the group.

Su Changyu carefully took out a thin piece of paper from his pocket, bit his finger, and solemnly wrote his name in blood.

As soon as he finished signing, the paper spontaneously ignited, turning into a wisp of blue smoke and disappearing.

After burning, only a small piece of the contract remained.

"Three contracts make a final one. Once we are fully settled, I will sign the final contract as agreed," Su Changyu said calmly.

"Hmph, dealing with you boundary-crossers is troublesome. If it weren't for the celestial master, our Tianbao Tower wouldn't do this losing business," Sun Zhang said coldly, somewhat dissatisfied.

However, he did not say more but instead instructed everyone on what to pay attention to on the island.

"All residents of Liuli Island can use their residency spirit talismans to receive a place to live. Although it is in the remote northern outskirts of the island, at least it provides shelter. In addition, in the first year after registration, you can receive a certain amount of free food every month. Of course, if you are used to delicacies and cannot eat the free relief food, you can pay to eat and drink to your heart's content on the island."

...

After Sun Zhang spoke at length, his mouth was dry, and he paused to rest, but suddenly heard Su Changyu ask a question.

"How can we practice cultivation if we want to?"

This was exactly what Li Fan was concerned about, so he perked up his ears and listened carefully.