C503 Changing Their Faces
On the deck of the Pirate Ship, Yu Yuan casually leaned against the railing, his gaze drifting past several people to settle on the pair of sisters from the Bright Sect.
The sisters frequently glanced upward, their attention fixed on the fourth-floor window of the room that the Babel Chamber of Commerce had arranged for Yuan Lianyao. The finely crafted mask gifted by the Chamber was a perfect fit, allowing Yu Yuan to adopt a new persona—a man in his late thirties or forties with a sallow complexion and scattered pockmarks, effectively rendering him unremarkable.
After descending the staircase from the fourth floor, he blended in with the first deck's crowd of solitary cultivators of lesser realms. Many had emerged from the accommodations on the first and second floors to the deck, including the sisters Chung Mann and Chung Miao, who thought nothing of it.
Yu Yuan, concealed behind his mask, observed the sisters for a long while amidst the throng. Chung Mann shot him a fierce glare, her eyes seemingly mocking him as if to say a toad lusting after swan meat. Chung Miao, on the other hand, hadn't spared him a second glance from start to finish.
Clearly, the Chamber's mask was no ordinary disguise; even with the sisters' level of cultivation, they couldn't penetrate its facade to recognize him.
Two days passed, and Red Devilland slowly came into view. Slightly larger than Rosy Island, the island boasted three dormant volcanoes, its landscape adorned with vibrant red azaleas. Nestled among the volcanoes were scattered buildings of varying heights.
With a sigh, Yuan Lianyao emerged from a fourth-floor window, stepping onto a series of red lotuses. Bathed in the rising sun's radiant glow, she resembled a fiery goddess, her sleeves shimmering with intense light as she gracefully made her way toward Red Devilland.
Onlookers watched her departure, their eyes filled with a sense of longing and reluctance to let her go.
"This fiery red lotus has finally made her way to Red Devilland. Alas, such a ravishing woman has chosen to bring a mere pretty-faced boy into her fold," someone lamented.
"To miss out on her affection is truly a lifelong regret," another sighed wistfully.
"Time to part ways, then."
As she departed toward Red Devil Island, many independent cultivators, coveting her beauty, sighed softly.
The fortunate Lee Qi was of little concern to them. They believed that once she grew bored of him, she would discard him like a worn-out shoe.
Lee Qi, with his handsome face but lacking exceptional cultivation talent or a superior realm, was deemed unworthy of her company.
That was the prevailing sentiment.
Yu Yuan, mingling with the independent cultivators, listened to their murmured conversations and couldn't suppress a wry smile.
He observed the two sisters from the Bright Sect scanning the crowd as Yuan Lianyao took flight toward Red Devil Island, clearly searching for something—or someone.
His suspicions were confirmed.
Chung Miao was after him, and she knew his true identity.
"Did Old Cash spill the beans?"
Pondering this, Yu Yuan caught sight of Old Cash peering out from a fourth-floor window, his beady eyes flickering with confusion as he surveyed the scene.
He was likely searching for Yu Yuan as well.
"Does Old Cash know about the incidents in the Ember Waters?" he wondered silently. "Could that old fiend have ties to the Bright Sect, aiming to strip me of the Evil Cauldron and the Giant Beast Amber through those sisters?"
The thought was inescapable.
Both the Evil Cauldron and the Giant Beast Amber were treasures seldom seen in the world.
His past dealings with Old Cash in the Absence Relic had been brief, and their relationship was far from deep.
It wouldn't surprise Yu Yuan in the least if Old Cash, aware of his identity and the treasures he possessed, harbored greedy intentions.
"Even Old Cash, with his Soul Wandering Stage prowess, is oblivious to my presence on the deck, amidst the crowd. The mask from the Babel Chamber of Commerce is proving its worth."
With his mind at ease, Yu Yuan waited until the Pirate Ship had covered a good distance. Then, alongside a few other cultivators on the deck, he leapt into the sea.
His Profound Break Stage cultivation, without the Mustard Seed Bracelet on display and only a storage pouch at his waist, made him utterly unremarkable.
As he descended into the depths, unnoticed, Yu Yuan blended seamlessly with the sea's mysteries.
The sisters remained transfixed by the window long after Yuan Lianyao had departed, lost in thought, perhaps fearing he lingered there still.
They surmised that Yuan Lianyao had bequeathed the now-vacant room to him upon her departure.
Half an hour later.
Old Cash stood before the door, tapping it gently, calling out, "Brother Lee Qi, Brother Lee Qi?"
The room offered no reply.
At the stairwell, Chung Miao and Chung Mann, the sisterly duo, silently emerged. They watched Old Cash knock, yet the door remained closed.
A shadow of concern crossed Old Cash's face, a premonition of something amiss taking shape in his mind.
...
Red Devil Island.
Yu Yuan had been exploring the ocean depths. As he surfaced by the rocky shore, he was greeted by Yuan Lianyao's smiling face. "No one saw you, right?"
Touching the mask on his face, Yu Yuan grinned, "This mask from the Babel Chamber of Commerce is top-notch. It fooled everyone, from the sisters to Old Cash, that crafty old devil."
Climbing onto the island, drenched, he shed his greenish-gray cloak, clad only in shorts, his muscles toned and symmetrical.
"Now that's the look of a man."
Yuan Lianyao's lips curved into a smile, her eyes sparkling as she couldn't stop gazing at him.
In the sunlight, Yu Yuan's face may not have been remarkable, but his physique, sculpted by the Evil Body Refining Skill, was the epitome of strength and aesthetic form.
Yu Yuan retrieved a fresh set of clothes from his storage bag and dressed. "Did the Red Devil Sect ask you anything?"
"You're a friend I met on my journey," Yuan Lianyao chuckled. "The sect members on the island have never met me; they only know my reputation isn't the best. When I mentioned a male friend was visiting, no one batted an eye, as if it were completely natural."
Yu Yuan was taken aback.
"Don't worry about it, let's move on." Yuan Lianyao took the lead, striding under the fierce sun toward the pavilions nestled between the three dormant volcanoes, specially constructed by the Red Devil Sect. "My name is already in the sect's annals, and I carry a token from Lord Faang Yao. That means I can choose a pavilion befitting my status to settle into on the island."
As she walked, she offered explanations.
Yu Yuan, however, was nonchalant and didn't pay much attention. He was well-versed in the customs of the major sects within the Crack Archipelago, so there was no need for Yuan Lianyao's detailed briefing.
"We'll spend a few days on Red Devil Island. Wherever you choose to go, I'll be by your side."
Yuan Lianyao conversed with him in an easygoing manner, neither bored nor in any rush.
Eventually, she brought Yu Yuan to a spot between the three dormant volcanoes. Upon their arrival at the red rock pavilions, they were met with many curious glances.
It reminded him of the Pirate Ship at the Babel Chamber of Commerce.
"The ruler of Darkmoon City, favored by the Demonic Seed and Lord Faang, is truly stunning. However, the choice of her male companion seems somewhat less discerning."
Atop the balcony of a three-story pavilion, an elderly woman sat on a large drum engulfed in flames.
She was refining the drum beneath her with the essence of her blood, her face etched with deep lines and her eyes, bloodshot and red, as if from countless sleepless nights.
She shook her head, seemingly in disappointment for Yuan Lianyao.
Others, too, watched with interest, drawn by their curiosity about Yuan Lianyao, and in turn, casting odd looks at Yu Yuan.
But no one else spoke up, careful not to displease her.
All were members of the Red Devil Sect. Though Yuan Lianyao was new and hadn't yet visited the sect's headquarters, her reputation was already growing within the sect, thanks to the endorsement of the Demonic Seed and Faang Yao.
Many of the sect's disciples and elders recognized that her status was poised to rise swiftly.
Few wished to openly offend her and incur her displeasure.
"Thank you for your flattering words, Sister Pei. I'm hardly worthy of such praise," Yuan Lianyao responded with a gracious smile and a bow to the old woman. "I'll be staying on Red Devil Island for a few days and hope not to be a bother."
Pei Zhen nodded. "I mean you no harm. It's just that I think you deserve better."
The Red Devil Sect had appointed her to oversee the island. Should she choose to enforce the rules strictly, Yu Yuan, as an outsider, would only be allowed on the island's periphery.
She was actually critical of Yu Yuan because she valued Yuan Lianyao, a junior from her sect, and upon scrutinizing Yu Yuan, whom Lianyao had brought along, she realized his cultivation was only at the Profound Break Stage, prompting her harsh words.
Yuan Lianyao's notorious reputation within the Devil Moon Empire was something she met with skepticism, but ultimately, the truth of it mattered little to her.
Her true wish was for Yuan Lianyao to advance to the Yin God Stage with the sect's resources and, in turn, show gratitude for their investment by dedicating herself more earnestly to her cultivation, rather than to any man—especially not to someone like Yu Yuan, who lacked any remarkable qualities.
"I understand," Yuan Lianyao said with a smile, guiding Yu Yuan through the watchful eyes of the Red Devil Sect's disciples to a two-story red stone pavilion arranged for her by Pei Zhen.
Yu Yuan remained composed, neither arrogant nor humble, disregarding the disdainful and peculiar stares from the onlookers.
He was indifferent because he had no intention of staying on Red Devil Island for long. A brief stopover of a day or two, and he would slip away quietly.
"Huh!" he exclaimed internally, catching the intense scrutiny of a strange gaze. He glanced toward a similar two-story pavilion to the right.
There, a young girl with a melon-shaped face gazed back, her eyes wide with bewilderment.
Yu Yuan took a quick look and then averted his gaze, noting the coincidence. He had seen this melon-faced girl before, during the trials in the Ember Waters alongside Hou Tianzhao.
He only vaguely remembered her, her name escaping him.
"After altering my appearance, Chung Miao and Chung Mann couldn't recognize me, and even Old Cash didn't see through me. She shouldn't be able to either," Yu Yuan mused with a frown.
The puzzlement in the Red Devil Sect girl's eyes suggested she was onto something, which he found odd.
"Xiao Yun, come here," Pei Zhen called out.
After Yu Yuan and Yuan Lianyao had entered the building, Pei Zhen beckoned the melon-faced girl from the Red Devil Sect to his side with a gesture.
"Do you recognize that man with the sallow complexion?"
