C494 Under the Sun Killing Intent

Beneath the coconut tree, Old Cash gently swayed his fan when a sudden intuition struck him.

Abruptly, the fan in his grasp came to a halt!

As Chung Mann, his sister, continued her desperate pleas, his vision blurred unexpectedly.

In an instant, Old Cash vanished without a trace.

His sister, who had been quietly observing from behind, now stepped forward, her icy gaze shimmering as she surveyed the far end of Rosy Island.

Whoosh!

Unperturbed, Old Cash strolled along the island, his fan still in motion.

His sudden appearance startled the lesser rogue cultivators, prompting them to swiftly put distance between themselves and him.

Old Cash chuckled, paying no mind to them, instead turning his attention to Yu Yuan and Yuan Lianyao, who were walking on the fine sand near the water's edge.

The sight of three blood-stained corpses was a harrowing testament to Old Cash's brutality.

His focus, however, was on the spot where the fisherman had vanished just moments before, his brow furrowed in concern.

"Whoosh!"

Chiang Yurong soared from the "Pirate Ship" like a majestic bird, her approach swift and direct.

Within moments, she landed before Yu Yuan and Yuan Lianyao. Without sparing Yu Yuan a glance, she spoke with urgency, "Master Yuan, our leader urges you to return to the ship. It's only there that she can ensure your absolute safety."

Yuan Lianyao paused, contemplative, "Is it because of the fisherman who just appeared?"

Chiang Yurong took a moment to scan the surroundings before giving a subtle nod.

Yuan Lianyao hesitated once more, then turned to Yu Yuan.

With an easy smile, Yu Yuan said, "Sister City Lord, please head back to the Pirate Ship. Rest assured, I'll be fine."

Saying this, he deliberately caught Old Cash's eye and nodded in acknowledgment.

Old Cash burst into hearty laughter, brandishing his fan through the air. He called out to Chiang Yurong, "Miss Jiang, no need for undue concern! I've taken quite a liking to Brother Lee Qi here on the island; we're about to become sworn brothers."

The revelation sent a wave of shock through the scattered cultivators.

Curious and incredulous stares converged upon them from every corner of Rosy Island.

The copper coin whizzed through the air, striking down three rogue cultivators of the Penetrating Stage who had blocked the path. To onlookers, it appeared that Old Cash was simply currying favor with Yuan Lianyao.

Some speculated that Old Cash, the notorious devil, was smitten by the beauty of the "Blazing Red Lotus" and sought to ingratiate himself.

Others surmised that Old Cash aimed to curry favor with the Red Devil Sect, using this dramatic gesture as a feeler.

Given the Red Devil Sect's rising prominence, rivaling the might of the Demon Palace and Devil Palace, it was a strategic move.

For a rogue cultivator like Old Cash, beset with enemies and facing the bottleneck of the Yang God stage, aligning with the Red Devil Sect as a devotee would be an excellent escape route.

Despite the various theories, the consensus was that Old Cash's actions were directed at Yuan Lianyao.

Yet, to everyone's surprise, during his conversation with Chiang Yurong, Old Cash brought up Lee Qi, the unassuming newcomer who boarded the Pirate Ship midway and possessed modest cultivation.

What was it about this attractive young man, favored by Yuan Lianyao, that caught Old Cash's eye?

Or was Lee Qi merely a pretext for Old Cash?

Could his true objective still revolve around Yuan Lianyao?

Even Chiang Yurong from the Babel Chamber of Commerce was taken aback upon hearing Old Cash express a sudden kinship with Yu Yuan, proposing they become sworn brothers. She was utterly bewildered.

Chiang Yurong was speechless.

"Thank you for your concern, Manager Jiang, but we're just enjoying a leisurely walk on the island. We won't encounter any trouble," Yuan Lianyao said with a gracious smile, politely declining the offer. With a slight bow, she confidently linked arms with Yu Yuan and continued their seaside stroll.

Their public display stirred a mix of envy and resentment among the watchers.

Since disembarking, Yuan Lianyao and Yu Yuan's demeanor and conversation suggested a closeness that left much to the imagination, though they had previously kept a physical distance.

Now, under the watchful eyes of Jiang Yurong, with Old Cash nearby and the deaths of the three cultivators drawing attention, Yuan Lianyao brazenly took Yu Yuan's arm...

It was as if she intended to make a statement with this gesture, signaling to all that her relationship with Yu Yuan was far from ordinary, steering thoughts towards a romantic entanglement.

"Who is that guy? How did he get so lucky to catch her eye?"

"Am I not more handsome and imposing than him? I'm even at a higher realm. Why haven't I been the one to win such favor?"

"Lee Qi, a distant relative of the Devil Moon Empire. After falling out of favor with the Lee family, he fled to the Crack Archipelago to escape his troubles."

Suddenly, Yuan Lianyao's affectionate gesture made Yu Yuan the object of envy, drawing countless jealous stares sharp as blades and clubs.

Yu Yuan faced the hostile glares with a slight smile and gave Old Cash a nod. Turning to Chiang Yurong, he reassured, "Don't worry, we're fine."

With that, he intertwined his fingers with Yuan Lianyao's and they resumed their leisurely walk along the shore.

Chiang Yurong paused, about to offer further advice, when a telepathic message reached her.

She nodded in response and cautioned Yuan Lianyao, "City Master Yuan, please stay vigilant."

She let the matter go, her brow furrowed in concern, and after a final glance at Old Cash, she headed back to the Pirate Ship to debrief the lady.

Under the blazing midday sun, the heat was relentless.

Yu Yuan, with Yuan Lianyao on his arm, strolled casually along the beach, occasionally pausing to linger on the soft sand.

Initially, a few solitary cultivators kept a watchful eye on him.

But as time passed, the others from Rosy Island busied themselves with their own affairs and dispersed.

Even Old Cash stopped following. After Chiang Yurong boarded the Pirate Ship, he shared a knowing look with Yu Yuan and settled in a shady spot to cool off with his fan.

An hour later.

Yu Yuan and Yuan Lianyao had made their way to the far side of Rosy Island, some distance from the Pirate Ship docked by the Babel Chamber of Commerce.

Beside them stood a small hill.

"Ah!"

A chilling scream, signaling the death of a solitary cultivator, abruptly pierced the air from the hill.

Yuan Lianyao's face paled slightly.

Yu Yuan, however, seemed unfazed. "Some people are bound to die on this Rosy Island before nightfall."

"You seem very familiar, almost comfortable with this," Yuan Lianyao observed, her bright eyes filled with suspicion. "Logically, this should be your first time at sea, yet you act as if you've long known the ways of the deep."

"I'm heading to the Ember Waters first," Yu Yuan explained.

"No! It's not the same," Yuan Lianyao huffed. "The Ember Waters are governed by the Demon Palace and the Devil Palace, where there's a sense of order. Rosy Island and the Crack Archipelago we're heading to lack powerful sects to enforce rules and order. I find it hard to adjust to those chaotic, lawless places where it's survival of the fittest."

"You, on the other hand, seem far too composed, or should I say, unnaturally calm. It strikes me as odd."

Suspicion was written all over her face.

"You're overthinking it," Yu Yuan replied with a smile.

Just then, a gaunt figure emerged silently from the summit of a small hill.

The man's complexion was ghostly pale, as if he had been deprived of sunlight for years. He stood against the roaring sea wind, his clothes whipping around him, his eyes casting a somber shadow as he surveyed the scene below.

Yuan Lianyao, who had been laughing and chatting, instantly felt a presence and sharply turned her gaze upward from the beach rocks.

The man's lips twisted into a sneer, his eyes on Yuan Lianyao like a venomous snake targeting its prey.

A sense of foreboding washed over Yuan Lianyao, and her expression darkened.

Yu Yuan frowned at the sight of the small hill and the pallid man. In a low tone, he muttered, "He's asking for trouble."

Yuan Lianyao grew more agitated and hissed, "Keep quiet!" Even from the distant peak, the man could hear Yu Yuan's hushed words with his level of cultivation.

She recognized the emaciated man; he, like her and Old Cash, was a resident of the fourth level.

Living on the fourth level, where one pays a thousand Spirit Stones daily, was a mark of prestige!

His cultivation level was surely above hers. If he chose to disregard his affiliation with the Red Devil Sect, she might not be able to defend Yu Yuan from a sudden attack.

"Your mouth is a magnet for trouble," Yuan Lianyao scolded.

"I'm not wrong, though. He's practically asking for it, standing up there so high and visible," Yu Yuan retorted, his lips twisting. Seeing the man's rage, he waved dismissively and called out to the man on the peak with a sly grin, "Farewell, I won't be seeing you off."

A fierce glint flashed in the man's eyes, signaling his intent to leap down and commit murder.

Yuan Lianyao's face turned ashen as she inwardly cursed Yu Yuan for courting disaster. The man had emerged atop the mountain peak with malevolence in his gaze as he looked down upon her and Yu Yuan. And yet, Yu Yuan seemed intent on fanning the flames, whispering foolish provocations. Why on earth would he goad such a man?

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