"Sister Qin."
Zhou Ming's affectionate call made it impossible for Qiu Hongyan to remain cold and distant; she could only respond by addressing her as'Sister.'
However, seeing Cai Zhiyin staring intently at Zhou Ming, a look of intoxication on his face, she felt a surge of anger and anxiety, and her budding good impression of Zhou Ming instantly vanished.
'No, I must find a way to attract my Cousin's attention. I can't let him be deceived by a bad woman!'
Qiu Hongyan's eyes darted around, and she smiled sweetly, "Sister Qin, Cousin invited me to fish on the deck. Why don't you join us?"
"Fishing?" Zhou Ming tilted her head slightly, feigning confusion, "Now? The ship is moving so fast; can we even fish?"
"It's precisely because the ship is fast that fishing becomes interesting!"
Seeing Zhou Ming's interest, Cai Zhiyin eagerly cut in before Qiu Hongyan could speak.
"Fishing is a skill everyone in the Eastern Sea possesses, but Miss Qin, you probably haven't experienced fishing from a fast ship, have you?"
"This is a game born from our merchant ships, constantly moving across the sea. The faster the ship, the more skillful one appears when catching fish, and the more respected one becomes."
"Come, come, let me demonstrate for Miss Qin."
Cai Zhiyin rolled up his sleeves, took a fishing rod handed to him by a nearby Gu Master, and with a flick of the long rod, the fishing line plunged into the sea. It was instantly pulled taut, dragging a thin, long wake in the water.
"Haha, look at my technique, Accumulated Mud Gu!"
A yellowish-brown light glowed in Cai Zhiyin's hand holding the rod. The light traveled down the rod to the fishing line, extending into the sea.
Soon, a mass of yellowish-brown mud formed where the fishing line entered the water.
This mud was not left behind by the rapidly moving ship; it seemed to be one with the fishing line, pulled along with the ship.
The mud's range continuously expanded, quickly covering an area of a hundred meters. The mud churned, as if something inside was struggling to break free.
"Miss Qin, look, this is my Natal Gu, Accumulated Mud Gu. It's not an offensive Gu, but by combining it with other Gu, I can unleash various offensive abilities."
"I have a proud Killing Move called Accumulated Mud Platform, which uses Accumulated Mud Gu as its core. It took me two and a half years to master. If there's an opportunity, I must let Miss Qin witness it!"
"I am an Earth Path Gu Master, and on this vast sea, I don't really have an advantage. However, I am still confident that with my talent, I am not inferior to any Gu Master of the same Rank!"
Cai Zhiyin exuded strong confidence. He suddenly pulled the fishing rod, and with a splash! The mud mass broke through the seawater, sending up high waves, flying above everyone's heads, and crashing down heavily.
Cai Zhiyin waved the fishing rod, and the mud mass's descent slowed, gently stopping on the deck without scattering.
Only when Cai Zhiyin shook the fishing rod did the mud mass suddenly open, immediately releasing a large number of fish. The smallest one was as long as a person's arm, and they varied in shape, thousands of different kinds.
"Good!"
"Young Master Cai is mighty!"
"Cousin is amazing!"
Cai Zhiyin's display yielded a rich harvest, immediately drawing cheers from the Gu Masters on board. Qiu Hongyan was even more excited, jumping and shouting, her cheeks flushed.
"Hahaha, these are all for you!"
Cai Zhiyin laughed heartily, flicked his fishing rod, and from the pile of live, jumping large fish, he reeled in a pearl mussel the size of a washbasin. He held it in his hand and tossed the fishing rod to the Gu Master beside him.
Crack!
He pried open the pearl mussel, and instantly, an egg-sized pink pearl appeared before everyone.
Cai Zhiyin took out the pearl and, under Qiu Hongyan's envious and expectant gaze, presented it to Zhou Ming.
"Miss Qin, this pearl is for you."
Qiu Hongyan's previously smiling face instantly darkened, its radiance fading, her expression becoming one of disappointment and jealousy.
Zhou Ming did not take the pearl; instead, she reached out to the Gu Master holding the fishing rod.
"Thank you, Young Master Cai, but I usually prefer to acquire things myself. I never like receiving gifts from others."
A vine shot out from her palm, wrapped around the fishing rod, and snatched it. With a flick of the rod, the thin line fell into the water, and the slender, emerald green vine immediately attached itself to the rod, coiling around the fishing line and plunging into the water.
Soon, Zhou Ming's wrist moved slightly, and a "gurgle" sound came from underwater. The vine pulled the fishing line out of the water, bringing with it a huge shadow.
It was a pearl mussel as large as a person, its surface adorned with winding patterns resembling green waterweeds. Wrapped in slender vines, it gently landed on the deck.
With a 'crack,' the vine pried open the shell, revealing a pearl the size of a quail egg, gleaming with a white-gold luster, sparkling brilliantly in the sunlight.
"Wow!" Many Gu Masters exclaimed in surprise.
Zhou Ming gently beckoned, and the vine coiled around the pearl, placing it in her hand.
She held the pearl in her palm, examining it closely. Suddenly, she smiled. Her face and the pearl's radiance reflected each other, making her smile dazzling and captivating.
"How is it?" Zhou Ming asked the surrounding Gu Masters.
"A good pearl, a truly good pearl!" A Gu Master couldn't help but praise.
"Indeed, it's a rare and excellent pearl. I never imagined Miss Qin possessed such fishing skill; I truly feel ashamed of my own inferiority."
Cai Zhiyin spared no words of praise, commending her profusely.
"What's the big deal? It's not even as big as the pearl Cousin caught."
Qiu Hongyan pouted. Although she was still upset that Cai Zhiyin hadn't given her the pearl, she couldn't help but speak up for him.
"Hongyan! I tell you to study more, but you never listen. The reason I don't want to bring you out is because I'm afraid you'll say foolish things when you don't understand anything. It's very embarrassing, you know?"
Cai Zhiyin frowned and reprimanded Qiu Hongyan, making her face flush red then pale.
"Do you know that Miss Qin's pearl, with its inner radiance and concentrated essence, only becomes smaller?"
"Before it condensed, its volume would have been four or five times larger than it is now, but that would only be Rank Three Gu material. Now that it has condensed, it is already Rank Four Gu material, and its quality is quite excellent. If cultivated further with proper techniques, it might even become Rank Five Gu material!"
"Compared to Miss Qin's pearl, mine is as worthless as a pebble by the roadside. It truly doesn't suit Miss Qin."
Cai Zhiyin then looked at the pink pearl in his hand and, without a trace of reluctance, tossed it into the sea.
"Ah!" Qiu Hongyan stared blankly as the pearl fell into the seawater, instantly left behind by the merchant ship and disappearing from sight.
Her heart suddenly felt empty.
"Young Master Cai, why did you throw that pearl into the water?" Zhou Ming walked over gracefully, speaking coolly, "Young Master Cai's pearl was also a Rank Three Gu material. Discarding it like that is truly a waste."
"It's just a Rank Three Gu material," Cai Zhiyin said indifferently, "If it can't bring a smile to Miss Qin's face, what use is it?"
"To bring a smile to this humble girl's face does not require anything precious; even a blade of grass would suffice. Young Master Cai should not trouble yourself for me, and instead, you have overlooked the person truly cherished by your side."
Saying this, Zhou Ming presented her own pearl to Qiu Hongyan.
"Sister Hongyan, my pearl is for you."
Qiu Hongyan looked at the pearl, and a sudden surge of grievance welled up in her heart. She snatched the pearl and flung it into the sea.
"Who wants your pearl! If I want one, I'll fish for it myself!"
"Hongyan!" Cai Zhiyin shouted in anger.
Qiu Hongyan ignored him, her eyes red as she snatched a fishing rod and fiercely cast it out.
She cultivated the relatively rare Flame Path in the Eastern Sea. For sea fishing, her Flame Path Gu would first have their power reduced by a third. With her agitated state of mind, how could she catch anything?
Infuriated, she threw a violent tantrum, slamming the fishing rod to the ground, then turned and ran off, shedding tears.
"Hongyan! Hongyan! Hmph, that crazy girl!"
Cai Zhiyin called out twice. Seeing that Qiu Hongyan didn't turn back, he angrily shook his hand, then turned to Zhou Ming, his face breaking into a wide smile.
"Miss Qin, please don't be offended. Hongyan has been spoiled by her parents since she was young; she just has this bad temper. It's not directed at you, Miss Qin, so please don't take it to heart."
Zhou Ming smiled faintly, nodding lightly to Cai Zhiyin, "This humble girl naturally won't quarrel with Sister Hongyan. Young Master Cai, you should go and comfort Sister Hongyan quickly. This humble girl will return to her room first."
"Ah? Hey, Miss Qin, don't leave, Miss Qin..."
...In a blink, the fleet sailed for five days on the sea, getting closer and closer to the Furei Sea Area.
During these five days, Zhou Ming diligently cultivated without interruption, continuously solidifying her soul cultivation, allowing her soul to become increasingly condensed.
As for the improvement in her Realm, before her cultivation recovered, her Realm would always be difficult to advance further, so she didn't bother focusing on it.
As these days passed, Zhou Ming already felt that the uncomfortable feeling that had been restricting her since entering the Eastern Sea had diminished somewhat.
It is estimated that in another three to five days, her cultivation will be able to recover from Rank Three Peak to Rank Four early stage. At that time, she would still be on the ship, so she could only first use Deception Gu to disguise her cultivation so as not to reveal any flaws.
Not all of Zhou Ming's original Gu were sealed and replaced; this disguise Gu was one of the Gu that remained on her.
It was Zhou Ming's only Gu that she had exchanged from the Main God Space. After being refined into a Gu in the Gu World, it had always stayed by her side, not a one-time consumable Gu.
This Gu was quite peculiar; its function was to disguise a Gu Master's Qi, similar to the Concealment Gu of Southern Border. Once activated, it would continuously function with very little expenditure of true essence, which was why Zhou Ming was able to use it consistently even at Rank Three.
Its food was also very unique; it wasn't a physical substance, but lies, and they had to be successful deceptions. Therefore, Zhou Ming had to deceive others from time to time to feed the Deception Gu.
"Miss Qin, are you in your room? We have entered the Illusory Wave Sea Area. The Illusory Wave Sea Area has unique scenery; Miss Qin, would you like to come out and admire it?"
Outside the room, Cai Zhiyin's voice came through.
Zhou Ming opened her eyes, a hint of a smile appearing in them.
Over these past few days, her attitude towards Cai Zhiyin had always been one of subtle distance, which not only made Cai Zhiyin even more diligent in his solicitousness towards her, but also caused Qiu Hongyan to become increasingly heartbroken through repeated setbacks and outbursts of anger. Her attitude towards Cai Zhiyin had silently undergone some changes that even she herself hadn't noticed.
For Zhou Ming, doing these things didn't require much thought, nor did she intend to gain significant benefits from them.
Although Cai Zhiyin offered her many treasures to win her favor, she rejected most of them. She would only accept a small portion, simultaneously giving Cai Zhiyin a smile, which was enough to make him happy for quite a while.
Zhou Ming's reason for doing all this was more for amusement.
After all, she couldn't truly enjoy cultivation itself. During the monotonous process of cultivation, she also needed to find fun to adjust her mindset.
And Zhou Ming simply chose this method to find enjoyment, even if this kind of enjoyment might seem somewhat abnormal to outsiders.
Zhou Ming, who was gradually moving further and further in the Gu World, as her cultivation continuously improved, her past appearance had long since blurred. How much of her current self resembled her former self?