Wait a minute, where is my master?

Youren Island.

A medium-sized island scattered throughout the waters of the East Sea.

The Island Master Wu Youren, was said to be an enlightened "Water Monkey" whose cultivation level was unknown.

However, the long-term residents of the island often whispered that, when their Island Master got drunk, he would boast that he was no ordinary water monkey.

He claimed to be a descendant of the bloodline of Wuzhiqi, one of the four Monstrous Monkeys from ancient times. Among the numerous Island Masters under the Shui Clan, everyone had to show him some respect.

And indeed, Wu Youren did enjoy a high reputation amongst the other Island Masters in the East Sea.

But this had little to do with his Wuzhiqi bloodline.

The main reason was that Wu Youren had once eaten food prepared by a certain talented alchemy prodigy—a girl—three times!

This had left a profound impression on the other Island Masters that he was a "ruthless monkey."

——————

And today, this Water Monkey Island Master of unknown cultivation.

Was, as usual, honing his martial skills in the heavy water pond below his cave dwelling.

Suddenly, his consciousness jolted.

He stopped his iron staff in time and a puzzled look appeared in his Eyes of Golden Flame.

A moment later, Wu Youren stood in the heavy water, closed his eyes, and let his Spiritual Sense sweep over to Youren Island's pier.

Then, in less than a breath's time, his eyes snapped open, and he rushed out of the heavy water pond.

As he walked out of his cave dwelling, he anxiously scratched at the fur on his body.

Meanwhile, he mumbled to himself, "Didn't the Great Elder say that this little ancestor had gone out to gain experience? Why is she back causing trouble on my lousy little island again?

Dammit, looks like she's brought two companions this time. I'm not going to be forced to taste test her cooking again, am I?"

——————

Youren Island, pier.

The little Taoist dispelled the golden light and, along with two women, leapt out of a pit on the sandy beach.

As the three of them emerged, they shook their heads in unison, accompanied by spitting out sand.

Jin Xu thought to himself, "I've learned another little cultivation trick today.

If by accident you land on the sand, make sure to crawl out of the pit before withdrawing the Spiritual Power Shield."

"Tch!"

As he reflected, he spat out another mouthful of sand.

A few breaths of time passed.

The three, under the curious and astonished gazes of the surrounding cultivators and merchants, cleaned the sand off their bodies thoroughly.

Then, led by Yu Yaoer, they made their way towards the location of the Ice Spring.

Only when their figures gradually disappeared from the view of the people on the pier did someone start whispering about this trio that had fallen from the sky.

"What's the background of these three? They seem to have flown in directly from the sea—could they be Great Cultivators of the Refining Void or even Divinity Transformation Realm?"

A server responsible for attracting customers at the pier asked curiously.

"Shh, brother be careful what you say. If these seniors really are of such a realm, they could still hear us talking right now," a kindly Golden Core cultivator who had a stall nearby advised.

"Hmph, what Great Cultivator, I tell you, just by the lack of finesse in their landing, they could just be some clan's juniors who've stolen some Escape Light Treasure and sneaked out to play.

Didn't you see those two women reeking of demon energy, and the Taoist-clad man in the middle devoid of spiritual power? Might be a pair of demonesses bringing a pretty boy along for some fun," another Golden Core cultivator with a stall nearby disagreed with the previous opinion and shared his own speculation.

Even after he finished speaking, he still wore a sleazy expression that seemed to say he knew it all.

Then...

His not-so-pleasant-looking face was met with a big, furry hand.

"Slap!"

The man was slapped through the air for more than ten meters, and as he spun, one could clearly see blood and teeth flying from his mouth and nose.

"Splat."

After spinning countless times in mid-air, the Golden Core cultivator finally hit the ground.

Dazed and his head throbbing from the slap, he staggered to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of blood mixed with broken teeth, and slurred out,

"Who the hell dares to hit me? Didn't you see the emblem of Guangying Island on the clothes I am wearing... ah, Lord Wu."

The man was ranting when he suddenly saw Wu Youren, with his body covered in alternating stripes of blue and white fur, looking at him coldly and indifferently.

His legs went weak involuntarily, and he collapsed onto the ground, his mouth no longer as arrogant as before.

"Lord Wu, Youren Island has always had a good relationship with my Guangying Island... Why did you strike me?"

"To utter filthy words deserves a slap. If it weren't for considering the old guy from Guangying Island, I would have smashed you with a stick today.

Someone take this man and tie him to the next ship going to Guangying Island. I will explain his offense to the Island Master of Guangying Island."

At Wu Youren's command, cultivators in charge of maintaining order on the dock immediately approached.

The Golden Core cultivator's face turned ashen; he couldn't understand how his usual idle chatter had landed him in such trouble.

After the man was taken away, the Water Monkey Island Master snorted coldly and his Eyes of Golden Flame surveyed the rest of the people on the dock.

The reason he didn't smash the man who had uttered filthy words to death right away was that he didn't want to let him off so easily. Once returned to Guangying Island, the man would certainly be stripped of his islander status.

At that time, a Golden Core cultivator with no backing and severe injuries would definitely not fare well in the waters of the East Sea.

Moreover, during that slap, Wu Youren had secretly imbued it with the force of heavy water, which he had driven into the man's body.

Should the foul-mouthed cultivator manage to survive, that force of heavy water would explode in his Dantian in a month's time.

To call Wu Youren cruel was to miss the point; in the territory of the Shui Clan, if you slander the Great Elder's granddaughter, you deserved no less than cruelty.

At this moment, the people on the dock were visibly anxious.

They said that although the Island Master of Youren Island was named Wu Youren, he was rumored to have a kind nature.

Sometimes, when the mood struck him, he would drink and chat with Qi Cultivation cultivators, treating them like brothers.

But who exactly were the three people that had arrived today, provoking him to such fury?

The cultivators who had just participated in the quiet discussion now felt fortunate.

They were thankful that they usually spoke with caution, not uttering any inappropriate comments.

"Those three who just arrived, in which direction did they go?"

After staring at the crowd for a while, Wu Youren suddenly asked.

"Your lordship, those three left following this road. It looks like they're heading to the small mountain outside the city."

The cultivator in charge of maintaining order on the dock quickly replied respectfully.

"Looks like the little ancestor has come to my island to soak in the Ice Spring again. Sigh, I just hope this time she doesn't say she's developed a new dish."

Seeing his subordinate point in a direction, Wu Youren roughly guessed in his heart.

After praying silently to himself, he said to the people on the dock,

"Alright, continue with your work. Also, all of you, be mindful of what you say in the future. Casual chat is fine, but if I catch anyone making malicious conjectures about others, that cultivator's fate will be yours."

With that, he didn't wait for a response from the crowd and walked towards the Ice Spring.

...

Meanwhile, near the Ice Spring, a vivid and colorful seductive scene was unfolding.