Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 259: Chapter 96 Authority

The “Spirit of the Duck” cleaved through the winds and waves, casting shimmering reflections, as seagulls flew past Li Yan’s face in a sky that stretched vast and clear, with the azure blue sea seemingly endless.

After reaching Guangdong, Li Yan gave up a considerable part of the spoils, briefly raiding before turning back to Lantau Island. His purpose was to exchange the control of Mage Island with Cai Qian. At this moment, with twelve drawings of the Exotic Beasts from Southern Fujian in his possession, he was eager and set out for Mage Island.

In Macau, a contingent of elite forces was stationed, and right now, Cha Xiaodao was conversing with Li Yan in the local Mazu Temple.

“Did you kill Lin Yuanfu?”

“The latter half is true,” he replied.

In his hands, Li Yan held a three-foot sword adorned with tourmaline hanging on its silver hilt, which he was wiping with a towel.

The sword’s name was Azure Phoenix, a rare treasure that Li Yan had plundered from Guangzhou. Its sharpness rating was 70, with the special feature “Evil-Breaking.”

After the Ring Dragon had been damaged, the Azure Phoenix was the most suitable weapon he could find among all the weapons, and he planned to use it until the Ring Dragon was repaired.

“That old man surnamed Lin… he was actually not a bad person.”

“What about me?”

“Haha!”

“Hehe!”

“By the way,” Li Yan spoke again, “I’ve brought back several ancient texts from Guangdong for you. Your ‘Script Devouring’ should be able to benefit quite a bit from them.”

“Hmm, when will you arrive?”

“Tonight.”

“There’s something else. This morning, Zhao Xiaoyi was in a rush to leave, and I stopped him, leading to a scuffle.”

“And then?”

“I intercepted him, so he didn’t succeed.”

The incident with Zhao Xiaoyi did not surprise Li Yan; he assumed that the news of Madam Guo’s death at the hands of the Demon Thief had reached his ears.

Madam Guo himself had once contested Zheng Yiguai for the leadership of the Alliance and failed. When Madam Shi took power, he made trouble and ended up with his reputation tarnished. However, even so, within the Five Flags Alliance, his prestige and power were among the top.

Two months ago, when the South Seas were at peace, bringing up Black Flag Gang’s leader Madam Guo meant a call to arms more influential than Tianbao himself, who at best was considered the second-in-command of the Red Flag.

Who could have predicted that in the changing times, before Madam Guo could stir up any trouble, he was “falsely killed” by Madam Shi and left to die in a water pit, so that at the grand meeting of the Tianbo Division, everyone thought Madam Guo was already dead.

Anqianlu from the Black Flag Gang blatantly defected to the Demon Thief Zhang He, unlike the diehard loyalists like Zhao Xiaoyi, who were almost non-existent.

“I’ll take care of it. If he wants to leave, don’t stop him.”

At the Tianbo Division meeting, Zhao Xiaoyi threw Hu Laosan, who had intruded onto the “Spirit of the Duck,” overboard—ostensibly showing his loyalty while secretly saving Hu Laosan’s life. At the time, Gu claimed he had ulterior motives, but Li Yan thought that Zhao Xiaoyi was sentimental and had a sense of measure, not stubborn to a fault.

Humans are creatures of emotion. Madam Guo wasn’t dead yet, and it was unrealistic and even petty to demand Xiaoyi to demonstrate his loyalty so boisterously.

Now that Madam Guo was dead, Li Yan was even less worried about falling out with Zhao Xiaoyi.

Though the Demon Thief had fled far, his influence lingered, and Anqianlu, who became a traitor, still commanded nearly ten thousand troops. As a standalone commander, Zhao Xiaoyi couldn’t achieve anything without the support of the Red Flag Gang at this time.

That very night, Li Yan hastened to Mage Island, where the locals were renovating the Mazu Temple, praying for auspicious weather in the following year. Li Yan learned that when the Heavenly Mother crossed the sea a few days earlier, a vague yet majestic woman’s face had appeared in the sky over the entire island for two days and nights. The locals regarded it as a miracle, with some elderly claiming that every time the Heavenly Mother crossed the sea, such an apparition would occur over Mage Island.

Such rumors only strengthened Li Yan’s conviction that the secret treasure of Yan Fu, the Mage Tool, was indeed on the island.

Upon reaching Mage Island, local dignitaries such as the Acting County Magistrate, the leaders of the Official Military Office, local gentry, and leaders of the Volunteer Army who had been supported by the Red Flag in resisting the Portuguese, all threw a banquet to welcome and cleanse Li Yan of his journey’s dust.

Everyone has the instinct to seek benefit and avoid harm; the locals of Mage Island had been oppressed by the foreigners, and now nobody knew what mood the Red Flag’s leader was in. They certainly wanted to establish good relations at this moment.

Li Yan was not one to turn away guests, drinking and toasting. As for the minor issues, they were not worth mentioning.

As the night wore on and a group of people were laid low by drink, Li Yan, who staggered to his feet from the feast, exchanged glances with Cha Xiaodao. They then retired to the quieter rear courtyard.

Li Yan personally handed over the twelve drawings of the Southern Fujian Exotic Beasts to Cha Xiaodao.

When Cha Xiaodao saw the complete drawings and the message left behind by Mi Li, known as the Kui of the Azure Dragon from Yan Fu, he felt a mix of emotions. Yet, without the slightest hesitation, he was ready to initiate the Yan Fu event.

“You have collected twelve remnants of Yan Fu, which allows you to initiate a specific Yan Fu event (this event can be shared with fellow travelers who have established a team contract).”

“Initiate.”

“You have initiated a major Yan Fu event, participants: Li Yan, Cha Xiaodao.”

“This Yan Fu event pertains to the legacy left behind after the demise of other Yan Fu Walkers. After collecting all the remnants of the previous Walker, Esteemed Walker only needs to complete the subsequent steps of the event to achieve completion and obtain all rewards.”

“Checking progress…”

Li Yan and Cha Xiaodao waited patiently, distorted light and shadows flickering in front of their pupils.

The progress is as follows:

Experience Heavenly Mother Crossing the Sea: 1/1

Kill more than thirty-six varieties of the three thousand kinds during Heavenly Mother Crossing the Sea: 1/1

Acquire the recorded scroll of Knotted Ice Ancient Buddha’s Hand: 1/1

Acquire the scale of ‘Yan Gong’ and offer it as a sacrifice: 1/1 (Caution!)

The above were accomplished by the previous Walker.

Destroy all the churches on Mage Island and expel all the colonial invaders from Mage Island: 1/1

“Current progress 5/5!”

[You have completed one of the most challenging Yan Fu events: Heavenly Mother’s Remaining Wishes!]

Rating: 90%

Your evaluation topped the charts in this event!

Your purchasing rights topped the charts in this event!

You have earned extraction rights to the Yan Fu Secret Treasure: Mage Tool!

Exclusive rewards for high-difficulty Yan Fu events are as follows:

Inheritance: Spirit of Mazu!

Legendary Exotic Object: Heavenly Consort’s Eyebrow Pencil!

Legendary Exotic Object: Taoist Priest’s Kerchief!

Unable to suppress the excitement in his heart, Cha Xiaodao lit up a cigarette, frowned, and looked at Li Yan, “Should we, perhaps, reconsider?”

Li Yan stretched languidly, “No need to reconsider, my mind is made up.”

Cha Xiaodao gritted his teeth, “Fine, it’s your find, so you call the shots.”

When a Walker obtains an Inheritance of the Five Immortals Category, they will receive the following notification. (Li Yan is not of the Five Immortals Category, therefore it was not mentioned before)

To compensate for the relative weakness of the Five Immortal’s Category inheritance, Walkers with this inheritance enjoy the following privileges.

First, they can view the exploration notes of high-ranking Walkers without charge, to gather intelligence.

Second, natural charm.

Third, high-ranking Five Immortals Walkers and Proxy Travelers will take on certain responsibilities for the operation of Yan Fu. Among them, Five Immortals Proxy Travelers will assume core responsibilities.

Fourth, Yan Fu allows a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Five Immortals Walkers to invoke the right to a free wish on the principle of equivalent exchange.

Please note that each Walker has this right only once in a lifetime, and changing inheritances does not grant another opportunity to make a wish.

“[Inheritance: Authority of the Chief Celestial], exercise the right to a free wish.”

“Forego exclusive rewards of the Yan Fu event, in exchange for the right of the Walker who carried out this event to enter this fruit at will.”

No sooner had Cha Xiaodao spoken than silence fell on the other side.