「The next day.」
At the crack of dawn, the Steward, Ling Zifeng, impatiently ordered all the Pearl Gatherers into the water to continue searching for Jade Crystal Winter Beauty Pearls.
It was because the Patriarch had sent someone to press him again last night. The Envoy had also subtly mentioned the impending arrival of foreign enemies, making the situation dire. Ling Zifeng dared not delay any longer.
With his Cultivation at the Peak of the Sixth Level of Qi Cultivation, he had held the position of Steward for ten years. The perks of the job weren't exactly overflowing, but they weren't scant either—at least enough to ensure he never lacked the resources needed to advance his Cultivation.
Ling Zifeng felt, 'If I just had a little more time, breaking through the bottleneck to the Qi Cultivation 7th Layer shouldn't be too difficult.'
'Then, if I spend some Spirit Stones to grease a few palms, I might even be able to trade up to a more lucrative position.'
'But... if I can't get past this current hurdle, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold on to my position as Steward.'
At this thought, Ling Zifeng stood on the deck, gritted his teeth, and barked, his face livid:
"From now on, anyone who brings back one high-quality Jade Crystal Winter Beauty Pearl will receive a reward of twenty-five Spiritual Sand, plus an extra meal tonight! All the Spirit Rice, meat, and Spirit Wine you can handle! Now put your hearts into it!"
The Pearl Gatherers assembled on deck erupted in cheers. It was rare to see the Lord Steward act so generously.
'All we have to do is find one Jade Crystal Winter Beauty Pearl and make it back alive, and we can eat our fill tonight?'
Ling Changqing smiled silently from within the crowd. 'Dangling a carrot to get your men to risk their lives... I've seen this trick far too many times.'
It was common knowledge that the standard set by the Ling Family's upper echelons was far more generous. The reward and family merit points for a single, high-quality Jade Crystal Winter Beauty Pearl were well beyond what Ling Zifeng had just announced.
But after being skimmed off at every level, by the time the reward reached a Pearl Gatherer's hands, it was reduced to a mere twenty Spiritual Sand and a pittance of family merit points.
The Pearl Gatherers were all well aware of this blatant corruption, but while they were furious, they dared not speak out. They could only accept their fate.
In Ling Changqing's eyes, it was the same in every time and every world. Those who did the most—the hardest, most grueling work—were always the ones who received the fewest rewards.
Meanwhile, those who did little or no work at all reaped the greatest benefits. And most people seemed to think that was just the way things were.
'It reminds me of the subcontracting system from my past life. With cuts taken at every level, all the money went to the middlemen. How much was left for the people actually doing the work? A few pennies?'
Sighing to himself, Ling Changqing touched the Water Repelling Talisman on his chest. Once the Lord Steward finished his speech, he walked toward the rope ladder at the ship's rail.
Numerous small boats were moored alongside the Large Sea Boat. Each Pearl Gatherer could choose one to board, and servants responsible for rowing would take them out to distant waters, where they would decide for themselves where to dive.
To prevent conflicts, such as stealing each other's finds or even harming companions, each Pearl Gatherer was assigned a different diving location and operational area.
This arrangement wasn't entirely ineffective, but its reach was limited. After all, the Lord Steward never asked about what happened beneath the waves.
It was no secret that some Pearl Gatherers, nursing deep grudges, would secretly travel long distances underwater to settle scores in the simplest, most brutal ways, or to steal another's haul.
This accounted for half the casualties among the Pearl Gatherers. The other half died from bad luck, falling prey to ferocious Sea Beasts.
Life as a Pearl Gatherer was tough; one wrong move could be fatal. However, for a low-level Cultivator, the options were extremely limited.
Compared to the many other bitter and exhausting jobs available, diving for pearls was a relatively high-paying way to make a living—assuming you made it back alive.
"That lucky kid is already in the water..."
Aboard the Large Sea Boat, Chen Tong's sinister gaze was fixed on a patch of sea a few hundred yards away. He watched from afar as Ling Changqing finished preparing his gear, left the small boat, and slowly slipped into the water.
Steward Ling Zifeng had already gone inside the Sea Boat to rest, leaving only a few Ling Family disciples from a close branch on deck, accompanied by some servants and guards to stand watch.
"Brother, shouldn't we head down too?"
A dark-skinned man beside him spoke softly, "That kid really is lucky. Even the Lord Steward has taken a shine to him. I wonder if he'll be as successful as he usually is..."
"Or maybe with one slip-up, he'll end up as feed for the Sea Beasts!"
Chen Tong sneered, unable to suppress the jealousy and resentment boiling in his heart.
Besides being refused a loan, there was another, unspoken reason for Chen Tong's animosity: Ling Changqing was simply too young. Although his Cultivation was currently low, who was to say he wouldn't have opportunities to advance further in the future?
'If Ling Changqing's luck holds out and he manages to cultivate to the Qi Cultivation 4th Layer, or even the 5th Layer, the Lord Steward will probably value him even more. What if he gets transferred to serve directly under him?'
'After all, youth is its own form of capital. It means endless possibilities.'
'Even among low-level Cultivators, a talented and sharp young person is bound to be noticed.'
'If that day really comes, the difference in our statuses will be night and day. I'm afraid I'll be the one bowing and scraping before him with a forced smile.'
'I absolutely can't let that happen!'
"Alright, Brother Chen, let's get in the water too!"
Chen Tong's companion urged him quietly, "You've already come back empty-handed for several days straight. You have to be extra careful this time. Otherwise, the Lord Steward's temper... you know how he gets."
Chen Tong sullenly withdrew his gaze and said in a harsh voice, "Fine. Let's go."
Even with his Cultivation, the whip marks on his back still throbbed with pain, filling Chen Tong with humiliation and resentment.
Far below the surface, Ling Changqing had already descended calmly to the seabed, dozens of yards deep.
The Water Repelling Talisman on his chest emitted a faint golden glow. Working in concert with his third-layer Water Manipulation Technique, it negated the immense pressure of the sea, allowing Ling Changqing to move about freely underwater.
Jagged, black reefs came into view, surrounded by dense seaweed that shimmered with a kaleidoscope of colors. Marine creatures of all shapes and sizes swam leisurely all around him.
But this seemingly beautiful and peaceful Undersea World was fraught with lurking danger. You never knew when some deadly creature might dart out, leaving a Pearl Gatherer with no way to defend themselves.
Therefore, Ling Changqing dared not let his guard down for a moment. He kept his Mind on high alert, cautiously watching for any sign of trouble.
He had an Early Grade Magical Artifact dagger, one Water Escape Talisman, two Heavy Armor Talismans, two Thunder Control Talismans, and several Sealing Talismans—all of them First Grade Talismans.
In addition, he had a Silver Thread Net Bag wrapped around his waist and a single Healing Elixir tucked away in his clothes. This was the sum total of Ling Changqing's possessions.
Compared to the unpredictable dangers of the Undersea World, Ling Changqing's meager Cultivation and limited resources were hardly enough to guarantee his safety.
If he were targeted by a ferocious Sea Beast, one small mistake could get him devoured, with not even bone fragments left behind.
However, this was the fate of all Pearl Gatherers.
From the day of their first dive, every Pearl Gatherer was destined to meet their end at the bottom of the sea within a few years, or a decade at most. Few ever died a peaceful death.
Of course, the current Ling Changqing had a degree of confidence. As long as he wasn't actively looking for trouble, it shouldn't be too difficult to survive long enough to leave this place for good.
Aided by the power of his Water Manipulation Technique, Ling Changqing's body floated weightlessly in the water, weaving like a fish through the countless bizarrely shaped reefs.
At the base of the reefs, he could occasionally spot dark caves of varying sizes. They emitted a bone-chilling coldness that was eerie beyond description.
Ling Changqing focused his mind and swam calmly, carefully sensing and distinguishing the auras emanating from the various caves as he searched for traces of the Yusha Clam.
The Yusha Clam was the undersea mollusk that produced the Jade Crystal Winter Beauty Pearl. It was naturally alert and cunning, skilled at camouflage and concealment. While it didn't quite meet the threshold of a First Rank Demon Beast, it was still difficult to find and capture in its underwater habitat.
The Ling Family's upper echelons had considered artificially farming the creatures to ensure a steady supply of Jade Crystal Winter Beauty Pearls, but despite repeated efforts, they had always failed.
A Yusha Clam would never produce another Jade Crystal Winter Beauty Pearl once its first had been harvested.
Eventually, the Ling Family's leadership gave up on the idea. Whenever their stock ran low, they simply sent the family's team of Pearl Gatherers out to sea to risk their lives to meet the family's demand.
After searching silently for nearly half an hour, Ling Changqing finally locked onto a target, relying on the perception of his now significantly enhanced Power of the Divine Soul and a gut feeling.
It was a cave, a little over three feet in diameter. It was silent inside, save for the occasional stream of fine bubbles that drifted out soundlessly.
'If I'm not mistaken, there should be an adult Yusha Clam hiding in there. If I'm really lucky, maybe even two or three?'
'Of course, if I've misjudged and stumbled into the nest of a Deep Sea Blood Python, then I'll be delivering a meal right to its doorstep.'
Many inexperienced and unlucky Pearl Gatherers had lost their lives in just such a foolish manner.
Ling Changqing paused at the entrance to the cave for a moment. His sharp eyes scanned the area, familiarizing himself with the terrain and, more importantly, checking if any other Pearl Gatherers were approaching his turf.
'The last thing I need is for someone to swoop in and snatch my prize at the last second after all my hard work.'
Gripping the Weapon in his hand, Ling Changqing slowly entered the cave. The light from his Water Repelling Talisman illuminated the wrinkled, uneven walls, revealing the occasional fuzzy clump of seaweed.
Bone-chilling water flowed past him as he moved deeper. After advancing nearly a hundred feet, Ling Changqing finally found the Yusha Clam's hiding place.
Half-buried in the thick, dark gray sand was a clam the size of a human head. It shimmered with a faint golden-red luster and emitted a weak, baleful aura.
And according to Ling Changqing's intuition, this Yusha Clam held a Jade Crystal Winter Beauty Pearl. 'My trip won't be for nothing,' he thought.
Ling Changqing let out a soft breath. He recalled his first year as a Pearl Gatherer, when miscalculations were a daily occurrence. Even if he was lucky enough to find an adult Yusha Clam, one wrong move and it would escape.
Other times, he would manage to catch one, only to find it completely empty, without a trace of a Jade Crystal Winter Beauty Pearl inside.
His current string of successes was largely thanks to his enhanced Divine Soul Power and his greatly improved Luck and Fortune. His luck was now so good that he rarely came up empty-handed.
The Yusha Clam seemed oblivious to its impending doom. Its hard shell opened and closed slightly, silently releasing strings of fine bubbles.
Ling Changqing didn't hesitate. He took out a Sealing Talisman, locked onto the Yusha Clam's aura, and channeled his internal Spiritual Power.
HUMMM—
A dark red web of light flashed in an instant. Before the Yusha Clam could react, the Sealing Talisman was already pressed firmly against its shell.
Immediately after, the Silver Thread Net Bag descended, trapping the creature completely. The entire sequence of actions was executed in one smooth motion.