Chapter 315 - 253: Congenital Hidden Ailment

"What do you think, Fellow Daoist Jia?"

"It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect."

After a thorough inspection, Fang Qingyuan saw no issues and spoke up.

"Thank you for arranging this, Fellow Daoist Shen. I’ll be relying on your good graces in the future."

Shen Wan Jun smiled warmly, her expression a little teasing.

"Well then, this little lady will be Fellow Daoist Jia’s creditor from now on. You’d better make your payments on time."

"I, Jia Changqing, never go back on my debts!"

This Beast Hunting Sea Ship was astonishingly valuable, with an asking price of three hundred Top-grade Spirit Stones. Although Fang Qingyuan had enough to pay, he couldn’t produce the sum directly due to his current identity.

An Independent Practitioner Alchemist might make good money, but three hundred Top-grade Spirit Stones was still an astronomical price for one.

Besides, Fang Qingyuan had spent forty-five Top-grade Spirit Stones on a Sea Spirit Whale’s heart two years ago, a fact he couldn’t hide from Shen Wan Jun.

Furthermore, just owning a sea ship without a beast hunting permit meant he wouldn’t be protected by the Beast Taming Sect. To avoid trouble, Fang Qingyuan simply arranged to rent a permit from Shen Wan Jun and operate under her name.

Of the three hundred Top-grade Spirit Stones, Fang Qingyuan only paid one hundred upfront. The remaining two hundred would be paid off over ten years. Shen Wan Jun was willing to front the money, banking on Fang Qingyuan’s status as a Pill Master.

In return, Fang Qingyuan provided the pill formulas for the Blood Soul Pill and the Blood Life Pill, and used the large ship as collateral.

The pill formulas were stored in a sealed box that could not be opened before the agreed-upon time.

If he failed to repay the debt, all of these items would belong to Shen Wan Jun.

After seeing Shen Wan Jun off, Fang Qingyuan gazed at the hundred-foot-long ship before him, his eyes resolute. ’My status as a Pill Master isn’t enough,’ he thought. ’My wealth isn’t accumulating fast enough.’

’I don’t have much wealth on paper, so I can’t openly purchase many of the good things I want.’

’Even though I’m sitting on a thousand Top-grade Spirit Stones, I can’t launder them. This situation where I don’t dare spend my own money is just embarrassing.’

’But with this Beast Hunting Ship and my Mind Map that spans forty li, I just need to catch a few schools of sea beasts like that Hippocampus swarm, and my wealth will be legitimized.’

’Then I’ll be able to buy all the Tier Three Spiritual Materials I want without worrying about drawing scrutiny from those with ulterior motives.’

Although his lifespan was long, the Golden Core pill discussion wouldn’t wait for him. To obtain the Beast Taming Sect’s Beast Taming Heart Method as soon as possible, Fang Qingyuan felt he could no longer afford to just drift along.

’I need to improve my Spirit Root’s quality and advance my Body Refining. Then, I’ll either return to the Beast Taming General Mountain or go to the Iron Wind Beast Taming Sect. In any case, I must get that Beast Taming Heart Method before I reach Late-stage Foundation Establishment.’

「...」

"The Changqing is hiring! Seeking Mid-to-Late Stage Qi Refining Cultivators! Responsibilities include operating the sea ship, cleaning and butchering sea beasts, plus cooking and swabbing the decks! Excellent pay! First come, first served!"

At the West Pier, Fang Qingyuan sat in front of his large ship, watching a Qi Refining Loose Cultivator he’d hired energetically calling out to passing Cultivators.

The Changqing was the new name for the Beast Hunting Ship behind him. Its old name didn’t matter; what mattered was that it belonged to Fang Qingyuan now.

Of course, this ship was just a stepping stone for him. In the near future, he would definitely be getting an even bigger one.

A new ship’s hiring call was always a prime opportunity for Loose Cultivators to sign up eagerly. Getting on board now meant becoming a veteran crew member.

On other Beast Hunting Ships, they would have to start from the lowest ranks. Besides, the pay Fang Qingyuan offered was by no means low.

Three days later, Fang Qingyuan looked at the three Late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators standing before him, his gaze as sharp as lightning as it swept over each of them.

All three Qi Refining Cultivators reeked of blood and didn’t look like the friendly type.

But this was exactly what Fang Qingyuan needed. He was looking for a first mate—a second-in-command who could keep things under control. On a Beast Hunting Ship, the captain wasn’t needed for daily tasks. As the crew’s strongest fighter, the captain’s only job was to take action when it truly mattered.

The day-to-day beast hunting, navigation, and management could all be handed over to the first mate.

Under Fang Qingyuan’s oppressive gaze, subjected to the immense spiritual pressure of a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator—over ten times stronger than that of the Qi Refining realm—all three men were struggling.

Fang Qingyuan was testing them to see who had the deepest cultivation and who could better withstand the pressure.

After a few breaths, the three began to break out in a cold sweat. It was an involuntary physical reaction, difficult to control.

Two breaths later, Fang Qingyuan began to mix his Soul Power into the pressure. Ultimately, two of them could no longer bear it and collapsed onto the deck, gasping for air.

Only the last one, a Cultivator with an eyepatch over his left eye, gritted his teeth and held on, though he too was on the verge of being crushed.

Seeing that his choice was clear, Fang Qingyuan slowly retracted his spiritual pressure. He was afraid that if he withdrew it too abruptly, he might injure the three men.

"What’s your name?"

Fang Qingyuan asked casually. The Cultivator with the eyepatch replied,

"This junior is named Tuoba Ye, from the Tuoba Clan of West Wind Island. Due to the limited resources within the clan, I had no choice but to come out and work for cultivation resources."

West Wind Island was one of the six subsidiary islands of the Iron Wind Islands. Fang Qingyuan had heard of this Tuoba Clan. Their Clan Leader was a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, known for being selfish and greedy, hoarding clan resources to bolster his own cultivation.

This was, in fact, the norm for Cultivator Clans in the Outer Sea: the entire clan was exploited to support a single person. If this top fighter were to fall, the entire island would be slaughtered.

Tuoba Ye had a clean background and didn’t seem that old—perhaps thirty or forty. He still had the ambition to reach Foundation Establishment, which was why he had left his clan to make a name for himself.

"From now on, you’re the first mate of the Changqing. We’ll discuss your pay later. For now, see these two out."

With that, Fang Qingyuan tossed several Mid-tier Spirit Stones to Tuoba Ye. Understanding the gesture immediately, Tuoba Ye cupped his fist to the two Late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators, who had by now recovered their breath and were, just moments ago, his rivals.

"My apologies, fellow Daoists. This way, please."

「...」

After politely escorting his two competitors off the ship and giving them each a Mid-tier Spirit Stone as compensation, Tuoba Ye returned to Fang Qingyuan’s side.

Fang Qingyuan looked at the eyepatch over Tuoba Ye’s left eye and asked curiously,

"Is your eye injured?"

Tuoba Ye bowed, gently lifted the patch, and revealed a dull, gray, lifeless eye. He then gave Fang Qingyuan a wry smile.

"Blind from birth. If my mother hadn’t desperately protected me, I wouldn’t have lived to be three, let alone survived long enough to have my Spirit Root tested."

’No wonder he’s so resilient,’ Fang Qingyuan thought. ’He must have suffered a lot as a child. The Outer Sea Islands don’t support freeloaders. Someone with a congenital disability like his would most likely have been drowned at birth.’

’And even after Tuoba Ye was found to have a Spirit Root, though mortals wouldn’t dare bully him anymore, his peers in cultivation probably took pleasure in tormenting someone different.’

’But it was precisely these experiences growing up that forged his unyielding character. Among the three just now, Tuoba Ye’s cultivation wasn’t the highest, yet he was the one who lasted until the end.’

Seeing Fang Qingyuan lost in thought, Tuoba Ye’s expression dimmed. He put his eyepatch back on and bowed to Fang Qingyuan in gratitude.

"Thank you for your consideration, Senior. This junior will take his leave now."

"Hmm? Did I dismiss you? What are you standing there for? Can’t you see most of the positions on this ship are empty? For the next half a month, I want you to focus on recruitment."

Tuoba Ye was taken aback. He had thought Fang Qingyuan found him wanting because of his disability and had tried to leave tactfully so as not to put him in an awkward position.

But from Fang Qingyuan’s tone, it sounded like he’d been accepted?

"Senior, you don’t mind my congenital defect? Having a one-eyed first mate... I’m afraid others will mock you."

Fang Qingyuan curled his lip and said bluntly,

"A humble birth and a physical defect are no cause for shame. A true man is one who can adapt to circumstances and remain unfazed by favor or disgrace. You still have much to learn."

’Besides, a one-eyed first mate... now that’s the right flavor.’

Of course, there was no need to share that particular reason with Tuoba Ye.