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While Li Fan was deep in thought, a somewhat chubby young man approached him from not too far away.
The young man patted Li Fan on the shoulder, acting quite familiar: "Brother, you look a bit unfamiliar. Don't know what position you hold in Dali, or perhaps you're a wealthy merchant from some other continent?"
Li Fan slapped the young man's hand off his shoulder and then glared at him coldly, saying nothing.
The chubby young man suddenly felt as if he was being stared at by a venomous snake, a chill rising up his back.
Although he felt a bit embarrassed to be scared by just a look, the chubby young man was not without discernment. Li Fan seemed ordinary, but the subtle aura of authority he exuded clearly indicated a long history of high-ranking positions.
Not an ordinary person!
The chubby young man quickly came to this conclusion and sensibly left.
Seeing this, the others realized that Li Fan was not very approachable, and no one tried to talk to him after that.
Amidst the flickering lights, the voices of the crowd gradually quieted down, and they all fell asleep.
Nothing happened that night.
The next morning, before dawn, everyone was woken up.
A middle-aged man with a long beard, dressed in a green robe, walked up to the group with his hands behind his back.
"I will take you to register for residence. Once you have your residence registration, you will officially become residents of Jade Island." The middle-aged man looked around and said coldly.
Upon hearing the middle-aged man's words, everyone's faces lit up with excitement.
"Remember, don't say anything you shouldn't. Otherwise, I can't guarantee your safety." The man narrowed his eyes and added.
Everyone knew that what they were doing was not something to be done in the light of day, and they all nodded in agreement.
Following the middle-aged man's instructions, Li Fan and the others all changed into ragged clothes.
They were then taught a uniform story.
"You are all residents of Western Dagu Island. Due to a typhoon, your island was destroyed, and you fled here. If anyone asks, that's what you should say."
Everyone agreed without hesitation.
Then, led by the middle-aged man and under the watchful eyes of four or five burly men in black, the group left the cave through a hidden passage and emerged on the surface.
After winding through the residential area of the city for what seemed like a long time, they finally arrived at a mansion.
Li Fan noticed that although their group of several dozen people was quite large, the island's residents mostly glanced at them casually and then paid no further attention, clearly indicating that this was a common occurrence.
They did not enter through the main gate of the mansion. After a servant went in to report, he returned and led the group through a side door to a large hall.
The hall was quite spacious, and before Li Fan and the others arrived, there were already two or three groups, totaling over a hundred people, gathered inside.
Despite this, the hall did not feel crowded.
The middle-aged man gestured for everyone to wait patiently.
Soon, it was Li Fan's group's turn.
"Manager Zhao!" The middle-aged man greeted.
"Are these the disaster victims coming to register?" Manager Zhao, who looked to be in his fifties and somewhat aged, had unusually sharp eyes. After scanning the crowd, he said with a half-smile, "Sun Zhang, these disaster victims are all wealthy and influential!"
Sun Zhang did not panic, but sighed, "Yes. They were all wealthy families from Dagu Island. Unfortunately, without the protection of an Immortal Master, when the disaster struck, all their wealth and glory turned to nothing. Now they can only travel thousands of miles to seek refuge on our Jade Island."
As he spoke, Sun Zhang took something from his pocket and discreetly passed it to Manager Zhao.
Manager Zhao glanced at it, accepted it, and then sighed, "Recently, the typhoon has been rampant, even affecting our Jade Island. The Western Islands have suffered greatly, with over two hundred islands reportedly flattened, and countless mortals lost to the sea."
"Fortunately, the Immortal Master is merciful and has ordered us to assist the disaster victims. Your Tianbao Tower's dedication is commendable! Rest assured, I will report this to the island lord. When the Immortal Master bestows rewards, you will not be left out."
Sun Zhang was overjoyed and continued to flatter Manager Zhao.
While listening, Manager Zhao began processing the residence registrations for the group.
Before long, it was Li Fan's turn. Manager Zhao glanced at Li Fan, his eyes showing a hint of curiosity.
"What's your name?" Manager Zhao asked.
"Li Fan," Li Fan replied honestly.
"Come, drop a drop of your blood here." Manager Zhao wrote Li Fan's name on a rectangular object that seemed to be neither jade nor paper, then handed it over.
Li Fan bit his finger and let a drop of blood fall.
The blood seemed to come alive, seeping into the name "Li Fan."
"Keep this Spirit Talisman safe. It will be your identity proof from now on. You will need to show it for various matters on the island, such as receiving work assignments, distributing food, and inspections. Do not lose it." Unlike with the others, Manager Zhao was noticeably more friendly to Li Fan and gave him additional instructions.
This drew curious glances from Sun Zhang and the others.
Li Fan did not say much in thanks, merely nodded, and put away the Spirit Talisman, walking to the side.
The efficiency of issuing residence registrations was high, and soon, everyone in the group had received their Jade Island residence registration.
Everyone's expressions were filled with excitement.
After leaving this place, they did not return to the cave. Instead, Sun Zhang led them to a large courtyard of a residence.
"Now that you have the residence registrations, can we sign the contract?" Sun Zhang asked Su Changyu, who was among the group.
Su Changyu carefully took out a thin piece of paper from his pocket, bit his finger, and solemnly wrote his name in blood.
As soon as he finished, the paper spontaneously ignited, turning into a wisp of green smoke that drifted away.
After the burning, only a small fragment of the contract remained.
"This is called 'Three Seals to Completion.' Once we are fully settled, I will sign the final contract as agreed." Su Changyu said with neither arrogance nor humility.
"Humph, dealing with you Liji Boundary is troublesome. If it weren't for the Immortal Master, our Tianbao Tower wouldn't do such a losing business," Sun Zhang coldly snorted, somewhat dissatisfied.
However, he did not say more but began explaining what they needed to be aware of while on the island.
"As residents of Jade Island, you can use your residence registration and Spirit Talisman to claim a dwelling. Although it's in the remote northern part of the island, at least you will have a place to shelter from the wind and rain. In addition, during the first year of residence, you can receive a certain amount of free food each month. Of course, if you are used to delicacies and can't stomach the free relief food, you can pay for better meals on the island."
...
After a long speech, Sun Zhang was parched and paused to rest, but suddenly heard Su Changyu ask a question.
"How can we start practicing cultivation?"
This was exactly what Li Fan was concerned about, and he perked up his ears to listen carefully.
(End of Chapter)