This Sword Cultivator is Somewhat Dependable

Among the mundane, inn waiters are inevitably the most well-informed group of people. As long as you're willing to spend a little money, there is nothing you can't find out.

So the moment he set foot on Jiaolong Island, Lu Qingshan headed straight for the harbor tavern in Jiaolong Port.

In a place like Jiaolong Port, bustling with such a large flow of people, the taverns were naturally doing very brisk business. The large three-story tavern was already near full capacity even before mealtime.

Lu Qingshan found a private seat by the window on the third floor and, after ordering a lavish spread of food and drink, stopped the waiter who was serving him and slipped him a small piece of silver. "Little brother, I'd like to enquire about something."

Instead of immediately accepting the silver, the waiter politely asked, "What would you like to know, young master?"

"I'm new to the island and would like to understand a bit about the local situation. Could you enlighten me?" Lu Qingshan said with a smile.

Once he understood what Lu Qingshan was seeking, the waiter gladly accepted the silver, carefully wiped it clean with his sleeve, and tucked it into his pocket. With a lifting and falling intonation, he said, "You've asked the right person, young master. I've been working at this tavern for five or six years.

I might not know everything down to the last detail, but I know eight or nine out of ten things about the island..."

Although Jiaolong Island is large, because of its unique topography, ninety-nine percent of the population actually resides in the southern coastal areas around Jiaolong Port; the further north you go, the sparser the population.

"Moreover, curiously enough, there is an active volcano crater in a large portion of the southern island that erupts periodically..." said the waiter with a suspenseful tone.

Lu Qingshan calmly waited for more, "What's so strange about a volcano crater?"

Seeing Lu Qingshan take the bait, the waiter excitedly continued, "The strange thing is that what this volcano spews is not magma, but a sky full of mist."

"Oh?"

"Even more bizarre is that this volcano crater is dark and bottomless, without visible edges, and it possesses an incredibly strong absorption force, like an abyss that devours everything.

It is said that even cultivators, who have the ability to fly through the sky and escape through the earth, would have no ability to resist if they accidentally fell into this volcano, immediately being sucked deep inside and vanishing!" the waiter added.

This piqued Lu Qingshan's interest; a volcano crater that could devour even cultivators was indeed worth noting.

After talking about the island's geography and customs, the waiter introduced the power dynamics on the island to Lu Qingshan.

Above Jiaolong Island, the largest force was the Sea God Sect, which could be described as all-powerful, controlling the only city on Jiaolong Island, Jiaolong City.

And Sea God Sect got their name because of the "Sea God" who stands behind them.

"Sea God?" Lu Qingshan frowned.

The waiter explained, "That refers to the Jiaolong Clan. The waters near the Poseidon Archipelago are inhabited by the Jiaolong Clan. Their king claims to be the Sea God, and the whole Poseidon Archipelago is under their rule. The Sea God Sect is a sect supported by the Jiaolong King's favor."

"I've just heard a saying that the Sea God Sect betrays their brethren to please demon beasts..."

The waiter looked as if struck by lightning, his whole body shook, but he didn't reply.

The influence of the Sea God Sect on Jiaolong Island was indeed very formidable.

Seeing this, Lu Qingshan secretly noted it and discretely handed over a whole ingot of silver.

Hesitation flashed in the waiter's eyes. He struggled for a while, but ultimately couldn't resist the temptation of the silver.

Gritting his teeth, he took the silver from Lu Qingshan's hand and lowered his voice a few notches, saying, "On the surface, the Sea God Sect is a sect supported by the Jiaolong Clan, but in fact, they are nothing but the Jiaolong Demon Race's lapdogs, the executioners over our human race!

The Jiaolong Demon King, self-styled as the Sea God, is cruel by nature. Every year, they hold a grand ritual in which ninety-nine pairs of boys and girls are sacrificed.

This task is carried out by the Sea God Sect, and this tradition has continued for hundreds of years. Countless families on the island have been destroyed because of it."

Lu Qingshan's expression grew grim. "Has no one tried to resist?"

"Dare they?

Not to mention the Jiaolong Clan's ability to turn rivers and seas upside down in their own waters, just the sheer power of the Sea God Sect alone is not something an ordinary person would dare to challenge." Just as the waiter finished speaking, he suddenly remembered something, "However, it seems that in recent decades, there have been cultivators on the island who disapprove of the Sea God Sect's tyranny.

They've secretly organized a force in an attempt to overthrow the rule of the Sea God Sect. It's just unknown whether they will be successful..."

Lu Qingshan thoughtfully asked one last question, "When does this year's ritual take place?"

"Young master, you're in luck. In five days, it will be the day of this year's grand ritual."

...

After asking about the specific situation of the island, Lu Qingshan gradually fell into deep thought. When he came back to his senses, wanting to eat some food and wine, he discovered the table was already a mess.

It wasn't all down to the Great King of Western Mice because, this time, Lu Qingshan had an additional companion by his side—Zang Xiaojian, who had suggested they travel together after disembarking.

Lu Qingshan looked helplessly at the young girl sitting in front of him, who was digging into the food with eyes shining as bright as the Great King of Western Mice.

"On the boat, it was nothing but seafood. This, now, is what people are supposed to eat!" Zang Xiaojian, realizing Lu Qingshan's gaze, explained.

The Great King of Western Mice nodded hard a few times, deeply relating to her words and feeling a kinship with Zang Xiaojian.

Lu Qingshan thought for a moment and then asked Zang Xiaojian, who was busily munching away, "What brings you to Jiaolong Island? Visiting relatives? Friends?"

Zang Xiaojian had been of some assistance to him, and it seemed she would be accompanying him for a while. He couldn't really refuse her, but it was important to clarify her intentions.

Zang Xiaojian shook her head and said vaguely, "No... um, wait for me a moment."

She was stuffing a large meat bun into her mouth with her chopsticks, having only taken a small bite, exposing the steamy, oily filling; the girl clearly didn't plan to give up the bun yet, but was eager to answer Lu Qingshan. So, she put down her chopsticks, disregarding the heat and manners, and shoved the rest of the bun into her mouth, puffing her cheeks out like a steamed dumpling.

After struggling to swallow the meat bun, Zang Xiaojian quickly picked up a teacup, gulping down a mouthful of tea, then patted her chest and caught her breath, "I almost choked..."

Then, the girl's piercing black eyes stared straight at Lu Qingshan, and she said candidly, "I'm here for the same reason as you, to find my Life-bound Sword!"

Lu Qingshan was startled and glanced at the Great King of Western Mice, who was busily eating at the table, oblivious to the world outside.

Zang Xiaojian immediately understood Lu Qingshan's thoughts and waved her hand to clarify for the Great King of Western Mice, "The Great King didn't tell me.

I was born with an ability to extraordinarily sense Sword Artifacts.

In your Dantian, I didn't sense the presence of a Life-bound Sword."

"Later, I asked the Great King where you came from and learned that you and the Great King are from Qing State's Zhenjiang Prefecture."

"My father once told me that seven years ago, near the South Sea, he sensed an extremely powerful Sword Artifact. I just happen to need a Life-bound Sword, so my father let me try my luck in the South Sea."

Zang Xiaojian didn't tell the whole story, but her meaning was clear: A Sword Cultivator without a Life-bound Sword had traveled thousands of miles across two states to the South Sea, where a powerful Sword Artifact had once appeared. What else could she be seeking but this powerful Sword Artifact?

The deduction was very reasonable.

The Great King of Western Mice, hearing its name, looked up with a puzzled face at the two of them.

Lu Qingshan said irritably, "Just eat."

He wasn't surprised by Zang Xiaojian's actions. Just as he had tried to figure out Zang Xiaojian's background, it was only natural for her to casually inquire about his own circumstances.

Just that he didn't expect Zang Xiaojian to have such a special ability to easily deduce his purpose.

However, the girl was very candid about her purpose for seeking a sword, which undoubtedly prevented any resentment from arising in Lu Qingshan's mind.

Such a clever girl!

The extraordinary sensory ability for Sword Artifacts was indeed a peculiar talent, albeit one that didn't seem to be very useful. Even with Lu Qingshan's knowledge of the Nine Heavens, it was something unheard of.

Since Zang Xiaojian was so forthright, Lu Qingshan didn't hold back either and nodded, "Yes, I am here to find my Life-bound Sword."

Zang Xiaojian said with a giggle, "I saw you head straight for the tavern to gather information as soon as you arrived on the island, so you definitely don't have a confirmed direction either.

Like you, I'm in the same situation. Maybe we can exchange the information we have and find the location of this Sword Artifact."

"As for who gets the Sword Artifact…" Zang Xiaojian cocked her head and looked at Lu Qingshan, her tone rising playfully, "Let's see who has the better ability when the time comes, what do you think?"