I Can Recognize Everything, But the Information is Wrong

The next morning, Tian Lin, accompanied by Yu'er, headed towards Immortal Sinking Pond, just when the couple Gao He, busy throughout the day and night, appeared.

These two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, always brimming with energy, now had somewhat pale complexions and appeared fatigued.

Yet, Tian Lin could still sense that their spirits seemed to be rather good.

"Tian, how was your harvest last night?"

After Gao He asked, he heard Tian Lin respond: "Alas, with more people around, not a single sea fish to hunt nor a roaming soul to catch."

Watching Tian Lin walk away, Gao He couldn't help but say: "This guy really doesn't know how to behave. I passed him the cue, yet he didn't even ask how much we harvested."

Cai Shu scoffed coldly: "Isn't quietly making a fortune better? What's there to show off to him? Besides, we've wasted so many Elixirs tonight and still don't know how to break even."

By the time they returned home, Tian Lin had already reached the Immortal Sinking Pond with Yu'er.

Looking at the myriad of boats docked along the coast, as well as the bustling crowd of people shouting trades and sales on the shore, Yu'er was a bit taken aback.

She turned her head to look at the nearby river port, where a small shop of the Tong Family had appeared next to it.

The little shop clearly specialized in selling talisman paper and Elixirs.

"Master, you were right. These Cultivators heading to Immortal Sinking Pond to capture roaming souls consume a large number of Elixirs and talisman papers every day.

Even our Tong Family's Duobao Pavilion has set up a small shop here; the profits involved must be substantial."

After Yu'er finished speaking, she soon frowned and said:

"However, Master, can you source cheaper talisman papers and Elixirs from other places?

If we buy too little, others might not be willing to sell at a discount. If we buy too much, we might not be able to sell some items. Although I haven't learned business at home, I still know there's no such thing as a risk-free deal on earth."

Seeing her getting into the role, Tian Lin replied:

"I'll figure out a way for the talisman papers and Elixirs. Whether you can sell them, that's up to your own skills. Today, take a look around and get acquainted with the prices of Elixirs and talisman papers. In a couple of days, I'll hand over the talisman papers and Elixirs to you."

After finishing his words, he also took off his waist tag and handed it to Yu'er:

"If anyone causes trouble, show them this tag. After all, this is Immortal Sinking Pond, and my identity as a Tribute of the Tong Family should carry some weight."

Yu'er took the waist tag and watched Tian Lin set out to sea.

With her sixth-level Qi Refinement cultivation, under normal circumstances, no one in the bustling market would attack her.

And it was a good thing she was a Qi Refiner; otherwise, Tian Lin would not dare entrust the selling to her.

As the Great Elder said, the current Immortal Sinking Pond was a mixed bag, and the Tong Family alone couldn't control it.

——

In the following three days, not only did the crowd in Immortal Sinking Pond not diminish, but there seemed to be a trend of increasing numbers.

During these three days at Immortal Sinking Pond, alongside those who hunted roaming souls, the profession of corpse retrievers emerged.

These people usually did not carry talisman papers or flying swords, but a big scoop made from thousand-year-old wood.

With a scoop into Immortal Sinking Pond, saving people might be laborious, but scooping up people's belongings from the sea was not that difficult.

Among the many corpse retrievers, Tian Lin had also gained some notoriety.

He was the first person to salvage a fallen body's belongings from the waters in full view of everyone.

He was also the first Foundation Establishment Cultivator who, instead of rushing to catch roaming souls, specialized in retrieving corpses.

However, others did not have a bad impression of Tian Lin because he didn't intentionally kill to retrieve corpses.

He even helped rescue several people who were injured by roaming souls.

While Tian Lin's colleagues, like vultures eyeing rotten flesh, would linger behind other Cultivators heading out to sea, just waiting for someone to die to retrieve their corpses.

"Master, this business of selling really works out. We made a net profit of over fifty Low Grade Spirit Stones yesterday,"

Yu'er said with a smile on her face, evidently quite pleased with yesterday's harvest.

But a few dozen Low Grade Spirit Stones, how could that satisfy him?

This was less profitable than fishing.

"Sell these items, and I'll go check the south side later."

Tian Lin handed a Storage Bag to Yu'er, who then advised:

"Lately there have been Night Wanderers roaming the south side. Since Master has no intention of competing for the position of Outer Disciple of the Shuiyun Sect, there's no need to go retrieving corpses in the south.

Moreover, the bodies of Foundation Establishment Cultivators are probably not that easy to retrieve."

Tian Lin, however, didn't reply to her. Instead, he looked into the distance and said: "Isn't that girl over there Xiang'er? What is she doing here?"

Tian Lin had encountered Xiang'er once while out in Pingyang City; she was a pretty beauty.

Unfortunately, though Xiang'er was attractive, she was not at all favored by Fairy Cai.

Cai Shu always thought of Xiang'er as a bewitching temptress, and so took extra precautions against her.

Tian Lin remembered that just the day before yesterday, Cui'er had whispered complaints to Yu'er that Xiang'er mocked them for doing menial tasks.

Therefore, it struck him odd to see Xiang'er setting up a stall today.

"This matter—perhaps Cai Xian'gu saw you earning Spirit Stones, so she also became envious and wanted to send her own sword holder out to supplement the family income just like you did.

Now the tributes of Pingyang City, unwilling to sell things themselves, have all sent their sword holders out to the shores of Immortal Sinking Pond to vend."

Upon hearing this, Tian Lin laughed and said, "That's good, with this, your group of sisters who are also sword holders will no longer have the face to laugh at you."

Tian Lin didn't chat further with Yu'er, accepted the hot food that Cui'er handed to him, and after a simple meal, Tian Lin set out to sea again.

This time he didn't head west but instead sailed southward through the dense fog.

He had traveled for a nautical mile south, and by the time he encountered human habitation, he would no longer run into Qi Refiners.

Before long, Tian Lin spotted Gao He and his wife near the outer rim of the southern sea.

The couple was on a boat of modest size, with Gao He holding the Soul Needle in his left hand and a wooden sword in his right, looking around vigilantly.

Beside Gao He, Cai Shu was sitting cross-legged, meditating to restore her True Qi.

The sea breeze caused the talisman paper on their cabin to flutter loudly, depriving the two on the boat of quiet.

Gao He's stern face finally relaxed and brightened upon seeing Tian Lin.

"It's a pleasant thing to encounter an acquaintance at sea. Tian, how come you've ventured south today?"

After speaking these words, his gaze caught sight of the large net on Tian Lin's wooden boat, and he immediately remembered Tian Lin's identity.

In an instant, Gao He felt as though he had swallowed a fly, unable to spit it out or swallow it.

"Rest assured, Gao, I'll be leaving right away; I won't bring you any bad luck."

Tian Lin also knew his identity as a 'corpse retriever' wasn't pleasing to others, so he didn't want to be unpleasant here.

He cupped his hands towards Gao He, continuing to sail southward on his boat.

But once Tian Lin entered a layer of fog, he dived into the sea and stealthily approached the direction of Gao He and his wife's boat.

From beneath the sea, he only saw Cai Shu standing up from her meditative state, and heard her saying:

"From now on, talk less to that surname Tian fellow, he seems to harbor ill intentions towards me."

Then he heard Gao He laugh and say, "Such a wretched old man as him, even if he takes a fancy to you, would he dare to lay a hand on you? Rest assured, I will speak less to him from now on."

Immortal Sinking Pond could block a person's Spiritual Sense, so the couple did not sense Tian Lin's presence.

Even the faint sounds of movement underwater were masked by the waves. Most importantly, no one expected someone could be hiding beneath the sea.

At this moment, Tian Lin beneath their boat felt a bit stupefied; he initially came back to see if there was a chance to retrieve corpses, but instead, he overheard the couple's criticisms of him.

Tian Lin reflected on himself, did he really harbor ill intentions towards Cai Shu?

He had only seen her twice, and she wasn't some celestial being—how could he have any improper thoughts about her?

"During this time, we have tirelessly collected Residual Souls day and night, and we have reaped plenty. But now as there are more and more mid-stage Foundation Establishment coming to Immortal Sinking Pond to collect Residual Souls, how can we compete with these stronger mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators?"

Suddenly Cai Shu sighed, and Gao He said:

"One person may not be a match, but two people together may not necessarily lose. Although they are at mid-stage Foundation Establishment, they fight alone, whereas you and I, husband and wife, work together? Once I become an Outer Disciple of Shuiyun Sect, I will find a way to help you collect the Fire God Pill."

"Good, I don't aspire to cultivate a Five Elements Dharma Body, just to succeed with a Fire Dharma Body and become a mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator will be enough."

The couple talked on the boat for half an hour, and Tian Lin spent half an hour freezing under the boat.

After this half an hour passed and no roaming soul appeared, Tian Lin guessed that this couple wouldn't die tonight.

He could only dive back under and return to his small wooden boat, continuing to venture deeper south.

While Gao He's boat was already in the outer boundary of the near sea, Tian Lin went further in, approaching the deep sea.

The deep sea had numerous roaming souls, and Night Patrol Deity wasn't nonexistent. Entering the deep sea to the south was not without risks and danger.

However, Tian Lin stopped his boat when he neared the deep sea, flipping over and diving back into the water.

The Immortal Sinking Pond in the south was only dangerous on the surface, but just like the western side of Immortal Sinking Pond, it was safe below the surface.

Convinced that the Night Patrol Deity would not dare enter the water, Tian Lin boldly dived into the deep sea.

After swimming stealthily for a quarter of an hour, he saw lights flicker in the distance on the sea.

Tian Lin quietly emerged from beneath the sea and only saw on a wooden boat someone he had once met at the Tong Family, Tribute Li, sitting at the bow.

Li had talisman paper all over his boat, a ball of fire spinning in his hand slickly.

This orb of fire didn't spin for long before it burst into flames three feet in front of Li with a wave of his hand.

Tian Lin saw with his own eyes, four or five roaming souls hit by the firelight immediately turning into Residual Souls.

Li didn't wait for the Residual Souls to disappear, as his Soul Collector Pearl flew out first, gathered all the Residual Souls, and then swiftly returned to the palm of his hand.

This sequence of actions was impressively quick and truly dazzled Tian Lin.

He remembered that Li was at Early-stage Foundation Establishment and had cultivated both water and fire elements of his Dharma Body.

Strictly speaking, Li's water and fire Dharma Bodies were not yet fully formed, but even so, his techniques were exceptionally sharp.

"Is this the difference between having a Dharma Body and not? Moreover, observing Li, it seems he hasn't exerted much effort."

At this moment, Tian Lin underwater truly felt envious, as if he indeed had some ill intentions toward Li.