Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts

“This fish, how about giving it to Brother Ao?”

Xu Ming smiled as he looked at Ao Jin.

Ao Jin’s brow twitched, his fist clenched tightly, but his face remained calm, even carrying a slight smile. “Brother Xu, you’re too kind, but I’ll catch my own.”

“Alright then.”

Xu Ming nodded and tossed the fish into a basket beside him.

Time passed, minute by minute.

Ao Jin had already let go of any competitiveness, catching only some insignificant small fish.

By noon, the group tallied up their catches and sold all the fish to an old man by the lake who collected them.

Watching the old man sell fishing hooks and bait while also buying fish, it was clear he was making a fortune.

Looking at it this way, the old man was making an absolute killing.

The group used the final selling prices as a reference.

As expected, Ao Jin ranked last.

Xu Ming happily secured second-to-last place.

Ao Jin was very open about it. “Looks like I lost. Come on, lunch is on me.”

Yu Wenxi laughed heartily. “Then we’ll let Brother Ao treat us this afternoon!”

Ao Jin nodded. “No need to be polite. Eat to your heart’s content—if you don’t get full, that would be my failing.”

“Let’s go, then!” Fang Yu was always happy when someone else was paying for food.

“You all go ahead. I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll excuse myself first,” Xu Ming said with a polite smile, clasping his hands in salute.

The others turned their gazes to Xu Ming.

Ao Jin chuckled. “Could it be that Brother Xu is looking down on me? Won’t give me this bit of face?”

Xu Ming shook his head. “How could that be? If Brother Ao is treating, of course, I would love to join. But I truly have someone I must meet. The time is just about right—if I don’t go now, I’ll be breaking my word. Surely Brother Ao wouldn’t want me to become an untrustworthy man over a single meal?”

Ao Jin: “…”

“Alright then, another time is fine. But Brother Xu, since you’re skipping Brother Ao’s treat today, you’ll have to invite us next time,” Yu Wenxi quickly interjected, his eyes darting as he stepped forward.

He didn’t know what kind of grudge these two had—after all, this was supposedly their first meeting.

But he figured he should play the peacemaker and give both parties a way out.

“Of course. I’ll be sure to host a banquet for you all another day,” Xu Ming said, taking the offered step down with ease.

“Then I’ll be looking forward to it, Young Master Xu.”

Even though Ao Jin harbored great displeasure toward Xu Ming in his heart, he still had to maintain an outwardly cheerful and polite demeanor.

“Enjoy yourselves, everyone. I’ll take my leave.”

With that, Xu Ming turned and headed deeper into the Coral Sea.

Watching Xu Ming’s departing figure, Ao Jin narrowed his eyes slightly.

After bidding farewell to the others, Xu Ming ventured into the depths of the Coral Sea.

Following the path given to him by Lord Turtle, it wasn’t long before he spotted a stone house.

A fence surrounded the house, enclosing an assortment of strange and exotic beasts.

Standing at the door of the stone house, Xu Ming clasped his hands and bowed.

“Junior Xu Ming of the Wu Kingdom greets Mr. Beihai (North Sea).”

His voice echoed through the courtyard.

A nearby sea dog lazily lifted its head to glance at him before flopping back down to sleep.

Xu Ming called out again. “Junior Xu Ming of the Wu Kingdom, here to pay a visit.”

Still, there was no response.

Xu Ming wondered if the person wasn’t home. Should he wait outside for a while?

Just as he was considering this, the door inside the courtyard swung open.

A middle-aged man stepped out.

But the middle-aged man acted as if he didn’t see Xu Ming at all. He simply picked up a watering can and began watering the flowers and plants in the courtyard.

Watering plants at the bottom of the sea—this was beyond bizarre.

But considering that fishing underwater had already seemed normal, Xu Ming just accepted it.

“Junior Xu Ming of the Wu Kingdom greets Senior.”

Xu Ming once again bowed and saluted the middle-aged man, but the man still completely ignored him.

Xu Ming didn’t feel embarrassed or angry—after all, he was the one seeking the other out, and how he was treated was entirely up to the other party.

If he couldn’t tolerate the man’s attitude, he could simply turn around and leave; there was no need to linger.

Besides, Lord Turtle had already warned him that this “Mr. Beihai” had a rather eccentric personality.

After several failed attempts to get a response, Xu Ming simply stood outside the courtyard and waited.

He watched as Mr. Beihai finished watering the plants, then proceeded to feed rice and grains to some sea chickens before preparing a bone broth for the sea dog.

Finally, Mr. Beihai boiled a pot of water, made himself a pot of tea, and leisurely settled into a chair.

“You, kid—who told you I live here?”

His residence wasn’t exactly hidden, but it was certainly not well-known.

For Xu Ming to find his way here, it had to be because some old geezer deliberately told him.

“Lord Turtle told me,” Xu Ming immediately betrayed him without hesitation.

“That old turtle, huh…”

Mr. Beihai rubbed his teeth and muttered, “That old turtle never takes care of serious matters, and yet, here he is, giving away my whereabouts and disturbing my peace.”

Xu Ming wisely remained silent. When two old friends were complaining about each other, the best thing to do was to say nothing at all.

“So then, kid, why has a human like you come looking for me?”

After taking a sip of tea, Mr. Beihai finally looked at Xu Ming.

Xu Ming clasped his hands together and got straight to the point.

“Junior wishes to learn about the Northern Sea Abyss.”

“The Northern Sea Abyss?”

Mr. Beihai refilled his tea and took another sip before glancing at him.

“And what do you plan to do there? That’s not a place someone like you can just waltz into.”

“I wish to retrieve the Linglong Pearl. This item is of utmost importance to me, and I have no choice but to go,” Xu Ming replied.

“The Linglong Pearl, huh?”

Mr. Beihai nodded thoughtfully.

“It is indeed a fine treasure, though its uses are rather limited.”

He studied Xu Ming for a moment before speaking again.

“I think I get it now. You want to enter the Northern Sea Abyss, and that old turtle couldn’t bear to see you walk to your death, so he sent you to me instead.”

He took another sip of tea.

“Indeed, I know quite a lot about the Northern Sea Abyss. If you’re set on retrieving the Linglong Pearl, I could certainly help you. At the very least, I could ensure you make it back alive.”

Then he narrowed his eyes.

“But tell me—why should I help you?”