Chapter 73: Dire Straits

“How dare you come to our Celestial Hong Pavilion to eat without spirit stones? The meals here are all spirit grain, do you paupers think you can afford it?! If you dare freeload here, we’ll break your legs and have the Celestial Guards drag you off to the mines as slaves!” Several burly waiters shouted, beating two destitute warriors out of the restaurant with sticks, drawing curious glances from the passersby.

“Who knows where those country bumpkins came from? They don’t even understand the rules. How dare they walk into Celestial Hong Pavilion, the finest celestial hall in Donglai Immortal Village!” A passing warrior sneered, his words sparking laughter among those watching.

The two battered warriors, faces bruised and bloodied, blushed in humiliation. The younger of the pair wanted to protest, but his companion quickly pulled him back.

Just then, a patrol of village guards passed by. The waiters hurriedly called them over to arrest the offenders.

“Freeloading and causing trouble in the immortal village—you must be tired of living!”

“Come on, off to the mines where you’ll behave yourselves!” The guards, hearing the story, flew into a rage and seized the two destitute warriors.

The pair’s faces turned ashen, and they dared not resist the immortals, trembling in fear.

Ye Mo stood not far away, watching the scene unfold with a grim expression. These two hapless warriors were “prisoner slaves” who had only recently disembarked from the pirate ship, as their shabby clothing betrayed.

“Master Ye, please save us! We didn’t know the rules here—we thought gold would buy us a meal! Master Ye, please ask the Celestial Guards to spare us, we won’t dare again!” One of the warriors, spotting Ye Mo, struggled and cried out.

“Freeloading and still arguing!” one guard snapped, kicking the warrior so hard he stumbled and fell.

The other guards halted, their eyes hostile as they regarded Ye Mo and his companions.

Ye Mo’s heart tightened; the guards’ stares made him feel immense pressure. Each of them was stronger than he.

“What’s your business here? Who are these warriors to you—your subordinates?” The captain of the guards asked coldly.

“I am Ye Mo, the new shipmaster. These warriors arrived with me, but they are not my subordinates. May I ask what punishment awaits them for their offense?” Ye Mo’s heart sank as he frowned.

The Celestial Guards were the village’s most formidable force—no one dared offend them lightly. He was new here, hadn’t yet gained a foothold, and wished to avoid trouble.

“Oh! So you brought these warriors to Donglai Immortal Village! According to past practice, anyone freeloading at Celestial Hong Pavilion would be tied up at the village gate and publicly flogged, as a warning to all!

But lately, there’s a new rule: unless it’s murder, warriors causing trouble in the village may keep their lives but are sent to the mines as slaves. So, will you pay their spirit stones? If you do, they can be spared.”

The captain sized up Ye Mo, noticing he was a cultivator, and became somewhat more polite.

“They are not my subordinates. If they have erred, they must bear the consequences. Do as you must,” Ye Mo said, suppressing his irritation.

He had no spirit stones to pay, and even if he did, he wouldn’t pay for the meals of two strangers.

“So you have nothing to do with them. Fine, take them away!”

The captain sneered and waved his men on, escorting the two dejected warriors away.

Watching the guards depart, Ye Mo’s anger simmered within.

“These Celestial Guards are outrageous! Over a single meal, they’ve condemned two warriors to the mines as slaves. How are we supposed to survive here?” Wang Hu muttered quietly.

…

Ye Mo, Mo Ling, Wang Hu, and the others left the village and hurried back to the pirate ship anchored at the dock.

When First Mate Chang heard Ye Mo had returned, he quickly came out to greet him.

“Chang Fei, back so early?” Ye Mo glanced at him indifferently.

“Master, how are things in the village? Is all well?” Chang Fei smiled awkwardly.

He had returned long ago and didn’t linger in the village. This was not his first visit to Donglai Spirit Isle; he was already familiar with the place.

“It’s hardly well. You knew the village situation, that’s why you didn’t stay long, right? Why didn’t you mention it earlier?” Ye Mo asked.

“Only by experiencing it firsthand does one understand! Words alone don’t sink in!” Chang Fei replied with a bitter smile.

He had long endured the humiliation of being a lowly warrior from the Nine Provinces mainland, called and ordered about in Donglai Immortal Village.

“Never mind. Go and warn all the warriors on board: no trouble in the village. Lord Zou, the ruler of Donglai City Village, is always scheming for mine slaves. Already, some have been sent to the mines for freeloading at Celestial Hong Pavilion. Have them be cautious, or else many might become slaves without knowing why.”

“Yes, Master. The ship’s food supplies are running low…”

“Food? Forget about relying on the village for provisions—figure out how to catch sea fish yourselves. I recall we have some small boats on board; assign warriors to fish near Spirit Isle and try to feed the hundreds aboard. They don’t forbid fishing nearby, do they?”

“No, fishing is allowed around Spirit Isle. I’ll arrange it now.” Chang Fei hurried off to carry out the orders.

Ye Mo sat alone in his cabin for a while, weighed down with worry. It wasn’t just regular warriors—even as a cultivator, establishing himself in Donglai Immortal Village would not be easy.

Several hours later, Gao Jian, Lin Zhi, and others returned to the ship.

Ye Mo summoned all his companions from the island.

“This must be Lord Zou’s doing,” Gao Jian said angrily. “Ye Mo refused to sell the slaves aboard, so he’s using village rules to have the guards arrest warriors for minor offenses. Donglai Immortal Village is no different from the kingdoms of the Nine Provinces—might makes right, the strong prey on the weak!”

“It’s hard to gain a foothold here. We’ll have to proceed step by step. At least we have our ship; though cramped, it can house hundreds. Our top priority is food—what we have won’t last ten days. Once supplies run out, the warriors will surely riot.”

Lin Zhi’s expression was grim. He rarely spoke, but his mind was sharp.

“I’ve already had Chang Fei send some out fishing, and cut everyone’s rations to stretch supplies for now. But that’s only a small problem. The real issue is how to establish ourselves in Donglai Immortal Village!

We have dozens of companions, plus hundreds of ‘captives’ and ‘pirates’ aboard, all needing work and a way to earn spirit stones.”

Ye Mo pondered and spoke calmly.

Lin Zhi shook his head. “I’ve been asking around all over the village. It’s not easy for warriors to find suitable work here. Jobs like waiters or laborers are taken by the immortals’ relatives. Heavy labor outside the village is limited to two kinds: mining and logging spirit wood—but those are done by slaves.

Cargo handling at the docks is handled by each ship’s own crew; rarely is anyone hired, and payment is only food or silver.

The key point is, warriors only get silver for their work, never spirit stones. Only cultivators earn spirit stones—alchemy, artifacts, spirit beast taming, spirit grain farming—all offer many ways to earn them.”

“Warriors only earn silver?”

“That means we can’t get Vitality Pills.”

Upon hearing this, everyone’s faces darkened. Most were warriors, except Ye Mo.

“So, we have no real chance in the village!” Gao Jian slammed the table in fury.

“Let’s observe for a few more days! Everyone should keep moving around, gather information, and find ways to earn spirit stones, whatever it takes,” Ye Mo said, standing up.

Though a cultivator, Ye Mo was only one man; he couldn’t help the dozens of companions from the island, much less the hundreds of warriors aboard.

Everyone exchanged glances—this was all they could do for now.

…

Night fell.

On the pirate ship, most warriors trickled back from the docks.

Their spirits were low, gone was the excitement and joy of arriving at Donglai Immortal Village. After a perilous crossing, they had thought their immortal fate was at hand, only to discover that even survival here was a struggle.

Unable to stay in village inns, they could only return to the cramped ship cabins. Hundreds crowded together in narrow quarters, their hardship obvious.

Establishing themselves in Donglai Immortal Village was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

Especially with the guards seeking any excuse to turn offenders into mine slaves, fear gripped them all; many timid warriors dared not enter the village again, lest they be seized without cause.

That night, everyone’s food ration was halved to stretch supplies, causing discontent, though none dared defy Ye Mo’s order.

Some warriors were sent fishing by Chang Fei.

Yet a handful refused to give up hope, and at dawn scoured the village for opportunities.

Lin Zhi, the poison master, took his trusted aides into the village at first light, busy until nightfall.

Ye Mo, Gao Jian, and others also searched for ways to earn spirit stones, hoping to find suitable work for warriors.