Chapter Six: First Arrival in Celestial Sea
Unbeknownst to them, the sun had crept into the woods. Li Taiyi stood up and said, “It’s about time. There should be boats coming and going at the ferry now. Let’s head out.”
Liu Lingshuang patted her stomach. “Alright, let’s hurry to Tianhai Village. This young lady is ready for a feast, hehe.”
Ye Sansi cheered as well. “Wonderful! A feast awaits, hahaha!”
Led by Li Taiyi, the three made their way to the ferry and saw boats bustling back and forth, fishermen lively and busy. Ye Sansi was thrilled; to Liu Lingshuang and Li Taiyi, such scenes were nothing special, but for Ye Sansi, this ferry was the most vibrant and prosperous place he’d seen since descending the mountain.
For someone like Ye Sansi—a “wild man”—happiness was simple. His thoughts were pure: eat good food, be happy every day. Perhaps the life at Nameless Peak was truly what he longed for.
Ye Sansi stood on tiptoe, gazing at the fishermen coming and going, laughing joyfully. “Lingshuang, Taiyi, look at all these people! Wow! Hahaha!”
Liu Lingshuang watched Ye Sansi’s excitement and shook her head with a smile. “This is nothing. Lingzhou City is hundreds of times livelier than this. When you come to my home, I’ll take you out for real fun.”
“Fantastic! The world below the mountain is so much fun!” Ye Sansi cheered.
Li Taiyi said, “Brother Sansi, Miss Lingshuang, let’s go up ahead and see if there’s a ferryboat.”
“Alright.”
They approached an old man sitting in a small boat. Liu Lingshuang stepped forward and asked, “Sir, could your boat take us to Tianhai Village?”
The old man looked them over and waved his hand. “No, no, I don’t ferry people. I’m a fisherman, not in the business of transporting passengers.”
Li Taiyi glanced around, seeing no idle boats. He took out his purse, weighed it, and said, “If you take us to Tianhai Village, name your price. It’s sure to be more worthwhile than a lifetime of fishing.”
“I said no, and I mean it. You young lad don’t understand words? I eat my fill and my family doesn’t go hungry. What’s the use of so much money? Go elsewhere.”
Li Taiyi smiled and said to Ye Sansi and Liu Lingshuang, “This old man is a bit like me in his ways. Let’s try elsewhere. No need to trouble him.”
Just as they were about to leave, the sword on Ye Sansi’s back stirred. Sensing it, he took it down, and the sword soared into the air, circling before returning to him. Ye Sansi laughed delightedly, “Sanshi Sword, you’re finally awake! Haha!”
Li Taiyi, seeing the sword, exclaimed excitedly, “Its blade emits a chill, icy as frost, and its form is slender. My father told me about this divine sword—its name is Heaven’s Wrath.”
Upon hearing the name “Heaven’s Wrath,” the sword spun as if in response. Ye Sansi scratched his head. “So your name is Heaven’s Wrath? Haha, from now on, that’s what I’ll call you. Father never told me your name, making me call you the wrong thing for so long.”
Li Taiyi thought to himself, “His father left it to him. No mistake—it’s him. I must protect him well from now on.”
“Hey, Taiyi, what are you thinking about? Let’s hurry and find a boat. This young lady is starving!” Liu Lingshuang waved her hand before Li Taiyi’s eyes.
Li Taiyi snapped back, and just as the three were about to leave, the old man called after them, “Wait, you’re immortals?”
Ye Sansi scratched his head and smiled. “We’re not immortals, just mortals. I plan to cultivate immortality, haha.”
The old man slapped himself lightly. “Please forgive me, I failed to recognize true talent and offended you. Seeing this young fellow’s magical treasure, it’s clear you’re cultivators. Please, board my boat—I’ll take you to Tianhai Village.”
“Thank you, sir.” With that, the three boarded the old man’s small boat. Once they were seated, Li Taiyi took out some money and offered it to the old man. “Sir, please take this. We can’t let you work for nothing.”
The old man pushed Li Taiyi’s hand away. “Immortal, you’ll ruin my principles. Mortals on my boat could offer gold and silver, and I wouldn’t even look at them. Immortals ride for free—that’s my rule for life. Don’t make me break it.”
Ye Sansi laughed. “So you like sword immortals too, just like me, haha.”
The old man guided the boat and nodded. “Twenty years ago, my wife and I built a hut at this ferry. We fished on Tianhai to support our family, and life was good. Later, we had a son and a daughter. We planned to buy a house in Tianhai Village and settle down, but then came that cursed monster—”
The old man grew sorrowful. Ye Sansi asked softly, “Monster?”
The old man composed himself and continued, “One night, I returned late. As the boat docked, I heard a beast’s roar. Rushing home, I saw the hut collapsed and, under the moonlight, the monster tearing at my wife’s chest, biting off her hand and devouring it. Overwhelmed by grief, I collapsed. Ye Sansi and Liu Lingshuang hurried to support him, and Li Taiyi took the pole to steer the boat.”
Ye Sansi struck the side of the boat angrily. “Damn monster! If I ever meet it, I’ll roast it and eat it!”
Tears streamed from the old man’s eyes. “Thank you, immortals. When I wanted to fight the monster, I thought my children might still be alive. If I died, they’d be left uncared for and starve in the wild. Just as I was about to escape, the monster spotted me, leapt over, and pinned me down. I thought death was certain, but then a giant sword descended from the sky, piercing the monster’s chest and ending it. When I opened my eyes, it was an immortal. I was pinned and couldn’t move, and hadn’t even thanked him before he flew away.”
Liu Lingshuang asked, “Sir, what happened to your children?”
The old man sighed helplessly. “They were never found. Probably eaten by the monster. That cursed beast. Since then, I’ve lived on this boat, anchoring at the ferry every night, thinking of my wife and children.”
Ye Sansi cursed angrily. “That monster is unforgivable. When I return from cultivating, I’ll wipe out all the monsters in these woods.”
“Sir, don’t be sad. We’re about the same age as your children. Once our business is settled, we’ll often visit you,” Liu Lingshuang said gently, holding his arm.
Tears glistened in the old man’s eyes. “Thank you, immortals. I’ll be around Tianhai. If you need a boat, just let me know.”
“Thank you, sir,” Liu Lingshuang said, bowing deeply.
Li Taiyi announced, “We’ve arrived!” Ye Sansi poked his head out and saw the lively scene of Tianhai Village, more bustling than the ferry at Li Family Village. Though called a village, Tianhai’s prosperity surpassed Li Family Village by far, even if it didn’t match the grandeur of cities. Ye Sansi called out excitedly, “Wow, so lively! So many people! I never knew there were so many down here.”
The boat docked. The three stepped off, said their farewells to the old man, and Liu Lingshuang urged impatiently, “Quick, Taiyi, find an inn. This young lady is starving!”
Li Taiyi beckoned them to follow. “I’ve been to Tianhai Village a few times. I remember a great inn with delicious food. Come with me.”
They entered the inn and found places to sit. Soon, the waiter came over. “Honored guests, what would you like to eat?”
Li Taiyi took out a silver ingot. “Bring us everything you have. Money is no issue.”
“Certainly, sir. Just say the word if you need anything.” The waiter retreated.
Liu Lingshuang looked at Li Taiyi. “Taiyi, your family must be wealthy to be so generous.”
Li Taiyi smiled. “Not really. I’m just treating Miss Lingshuang and Brother Sansi, so I can’t be stingy.”
Liu Lingshuang turned away, laughing. “You sure know how to talk. Ye Sansi, why aren’t you speaking now that we’re in Tianhai Village? Are you scared by the crowds?”
Ye Sansi replied slowly, “Taiyi, Lingshuang, you say my sword is called Heaven’s Wrath, but who is my father?”
Liu Lingshuang patted his shoulder. “Ye Sansi, don’t worry so much. You want to cultivate, right? Your father was a sword immortal. Maybe you’ll meet his friends during your training.”
Ye Sansi nodded. “Alright, Lingshuang. I won’t think about it. Right now, helping you get home is most important.”
Soon, the table was filled with dishes—five meat, two vegetable, three soups. Liu Lingshuang was famished and devoured her food ravenously. Ye Sansi, though he’d eaten roasted flatbread earlier, seemed to compete with Lingshuang, grabbing food with his hands and stuffing it into his mouth. In the past, Liu Lingshuang would have scolded him loudly, but after less than a day together, she already regarded Ye Sansi as a friend—even family.
Liu Lingshuang laughed, “Slow down, no one’s fighting you for food. There’s more after you finish.”
Ye Sansi mumbled through mouthfuls, “Lingshuang, Taiyi, this is tastier than wild boar. Mmm, so fragrant, so delicious.”
Li Taiyi ate most elegantly, watching Ye Sansi and Liu Lingshuang’s manners with a smile. He asked, “Brother Sansi, where do you plan to cultivate?”
Ye Sansi glanced at Liu Lingshuang, who understood and answered quickly. “He’s considering three sects: Divine Sword Manor, Square Inch Immortal Isle, and Tianluo Mountain. Taiyi, do you have any advice?”
Li Taiyi replied, “That’s up to Brother Sansi. Where do you want to go?”
Ye Sansi scratched his head and laughed. “I don’t really know. Whichever is closest to Lingshuang’s home, I’ll go there. As long as I can learn sword flying, I’m happy, haha.”
Liu Lingshuang thought for a moment. “The closest to Lingzhou City is Tianluo Mountain. The immortal arts there are excellent. Shall we go to Tianluo Mountain?”
Li Taiyi considered in his heart, “If Brother Sansi goes to Tianluo Mountain, trouble may arise, perhaps even danger. I must persuade him.” He said aloud, “Brother Sansi, Miss Lingshuang, my father once said Tianluo Mountain’s arts were top-notch a dozen years ago, but now they aren’t as advanced as Square Inch Immortal Isle or Giant Sword Manor. Why don’t we visit Square Inch Immortal Isle first? It’s farther, so we can travel and enjoy ourselves—once we start cultivating, freedom will be rare. Also, the scenery at Immortal Isle is said to be beautiful. I’d love to see such a celestial place.”
Liu Lingshuang agreed, nodding. “Good idea. Let this wild man see more of the world so he won’t cause trouble at the sect. By the way, Taiyi, are you going to cultivate as well?”
Li Taiyi nodded. “My father says many skills are never a burden. Haha, I’ll train with Brother Sansi so he won’t get bullied by other disciples.”
Ye Sansi was delighted. “Wonderful! With Taiyi to keep me company, I can learn sword flying and binding spells. So much fun!”
Li Taiyi and Liu Lingshuang watched Ye Sansi’s childlike enthusiasm and laughed aloud. Ye Sansi felt no embarrassment, treating them as family, and continued to devour the delicious food.