Slowly Ascending to Immortality (Spirit Realm) Eighty-Five, Boarding the Upper Vessel

  Xiao Yao dryly laughed twice and said somewhat awkwardly: "I didn't think of it either, last time when I first arrived, I indeed didn't have any yuan crystals on me, so I could only exchange them for ling stones. And today, I was also careless and forgot to ask about the ticket price, both times taking advantage of fellow daoist's kindness. If I wasn't really in a hurry to leave, I would definitely gather enough money for the fare before coming back. Now, I'm truly asking fellow daoist for help, please let me get on the boat first, as for the remaining fare... I can work for the captain on the boat to make up for it."

  Hongyan saw that she didn't seem to be lying, and her attitude was extremely sincere. She slightly narrowed her eyes and sized her up from head to toe before asking: "Fellow Taoist, how many more yuan crystals do you lack?"

  Xiao Yao had a total of 580,000 mid-grade yuan crystals on her body, but she couldn't possibly hand over all of them to pay for the boat fare. After deducting another 10,000 mid-grade yuan crystals, she said: "In total, I only have 570,000 mid-grade yuan crystals left, which is still short of 30,000. I know that this journey will be long and arduous, taking at least two to three months. Along the way, we'll likely pass through dangerous areas like the Fragmented Star Zone. Apart from doing some odd jobs, if any danger arises, I'm also willing to lend a hand."

  To be honest, 30,000 medium-grade yuan crystals is not a small amount, but Hong Yan is just a spaceship merchant, not some spendthrift child. Even the smallest profit is still a gain. If this woman had offered to waive the 30,000 yuan crystals directly earlier, she would have definitely refused. An offer of more than 50,000 medium-grade yuan crystals wouldn't have worked either. However, the other party did say one thing correctly - the Shattered Star Zone is indeed very dangerous. In that region, if something unexpected happens and you encounter danger, having an extra helper is absolutely beneficial. This point made her consider the feasibility of the proposal. You should know that hiring a bodyguard doesn't come cheap; if this person really has skills, then losing 30,000 yuan crystals wouldn't be a loss.

  Thinking of her eyes slightly turning, she smiled cleverly: "Fellow Taoist, is this to use labor to offset the boat ticket? This is not impossible, but most of my ship's work is heavy labor, and the finer ones require craftsmanship. What is your specialty, do you know that 'Fei Hu' does not raise idle people?"

  Xiao Yao heard that she did not directly refuse, so he knew there was a chance. He slightly let out a breath and smiled: "Not to deceive you, I don't dare say anything else, but in terms of strength, I am no worse than the others on the boat. Hard work is something I can handle."

  Hongyan originally meant to test her abilities, but she said that she had great strength and could do heavy work, regardless of gender. How could she be considered a Taoist? She even said that her physical strength was not inferior to others. Wasn't she being overly anxious and having wild ideas? Looking at her polite demeanor and warm smile, it didn't seem like she was in a hurry or had lost her mind. With a playful glint in her eye, she said: "Don't boast and slip up, my friend. Most of the crew members on this ship are physically strong. Let's have a real test to see who's true and who's false. Are you daring enough to compete with one of them? If you can defeat any one of them, I'll agree to let you work off your debt; if you lose, you'll have to pay the full fare before boarding; if it's a tie, we'll discuss further. What do you say?"

  Just as expected, Xiang Yao immediately agreed: "Since the Taoist friend is the employer, he naturally has the right to test people. What's wrong with that? I just don't know what kind of comparison method the friend wants."

  This time it was Hong E's turn to look worried, tilting her head in thought: "Hmmm... what's good? Can't take too long... Ah!" Suddenly an idea struck her, a sly smile flashed across her eyes, and she clapped her hands together: "Arm wrestling! What do you think, fellow Taoist? One match will decide the winner! Simple and quick."

  In Xiao Yao's view, it was all the same, she smiled generously and said: "As you wish."

  Since they had reached a consensus, Hong Erye didn't beat around the bush either. She stretched out her hand and pointed at the sailors who were busy near the Fei Hu number, saying: "Those are all my companions on the Fei Hu number, you can choose anyone as your opponent."

  Xiao Yao glanced casually and found that everyone was busy, except for a supervisor with his back to her who seemed relatively free, so she pointed: "That man in the blue robe over there."

  "Li Wu?" Hong Yan was delighted, her lips slightly curled up, looking lively and dynamic. "Are you sure? He looks a bit refined, but... once chosen, it can't be changed."

  It was him, wasn't he the one who helped me choose the island in the first place?

  "It's him, no need to change." Xiao Yao heard the implication behind Hong E's words and knew that only Li Wu's strength could make her look like this. On the boat, he was considered one of the top two. This was exactly what she wanted, as she still didn't know who would be stronger between cultivators of the same level, humans or demons.

  "Alright," Hong Erye smiled mischievously, saying with some jest: "I must give a thumbs up to your good eyesight, Li Wu's grip on the Flying Tiger is only second to mine, the best on the entire ship. You're doing your best, aren't you? Since Li Wu is your opponent, in all fairness, as long as you can tie with him, you'll also be allowed to board."

  Xiao Yao spread out her hands and said, "How can this be considered a draw?"

  "A moment," Hong Yin said: "As long as Brother Dao is not knocked down by him for a moment, it's considered a draw."

  After finishing speaking, she loudly shouted towards Li Wu: "Li Wu! Come over here! This Taoist friend wants to have a wrist-wrestling match with you!"

  This loud shout was not only heard by Li Wu, but also by the boatmen who were moving goods nearby. Everyone loved to join in on the fun and tease Li Wu, saying "Hey, Second Master! A girl has taken a liking to you, why don't you hurry over?" They teased him while putting down their work and nudging Li Wu to walk over, leaving him with a gloomy face. When he arrived in front of Hong Yan, he asked gruffly, "Master, what's going on here?"

  Hongyan didn't bother explaining much to him, just saying: "Let you compare then compare, what's the point of so many useless words? Listen well, don't even think about cheating."

  Li Wu was already confused, and being ordered by his own family not to let water out made him even more perplexed. This wrist-wrestling thing was something the sailors would do to pass the time when they were bored, and maybe even make a bet or two, but competing with a woman? How did he end up competing in a wrist-wrestling match with a woman, of all people?

  Unfortunately, before Li Wu could figure it out, some kind-hearted people had already moved over a few crates to serve as seats. Seeing that the other party was already sitting down with an air of confidence, under the half-threatening and half-teasing gaze of the master of the house, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and sit down across from them. Looking at those slender and delicate hands placed on the crate, which were a far cry from his own bony and rough hands, he could only hope that he wouldn't hurt the other party too badly later on.

  As soon as the two hands clasped together, a burst of cheers erupted around them, accompanied by the warm sensation in his hand. Li Wu couldn't help but blush slightly, feeling somewhat distracted, and after hearing the starting signal, he exerted himself slightly, just wanting to quickly end this awkward situation.

  It's just that he didn't use much force, but as soon as he did, he felt something was off. The other person's hand didn't move at all!

  He finally looked at the woman sitting across from him, who he had met before. She was gentle and courteous, with a delicate appearance, but not particularly impressive in the world of immortal cultivation. What caught his attention was her faint smile, as she gazed at him warmly without any signs of exertion. Perhaps it was just that his own strength was too weak. As he thought this, he unconsciously increased the force in his hand, from one part to two parts, then three parts, four parts... until he had used up eight parts of his strength, but her hand remained steady and unmoving.

  Li Wu was stunned in disbelief for a moment, and then he heard Xiao Yao speak up: "Is this the greatest strength of Daoist friends? Then it's my turn next."

  As soon as the voice fell, Li Wu felt a sudden weight in his palm and immediately used all his strength to resist the opponent's force. In no time, he had used up twelve points of his strength, with blue veins bulging on his arm and his face red enough to bleed, but his hand was still being pressed down bit by bit by the opponent.

  Those who watched the commotion thought his red face was due to shyness, and they all believed he was holding back. Suddenly, they burst into laughter: "Both Second Master and Eldest Master said not to hold back, but you're still being so gentle! If you keep going like this, you'll really lose!"

  Li Wu was furious, what kind of eyes did these damn guys have?! He had used all his strength to eat, who the hell let him off?! This woman was simply a reincarnation of Hercules!

  His mind had not yet reacted, but his hand was already pressed on the box. Just then, Xiao Yao said, "Li Daoyou, I'm sorry." The fierce force on his hand instantly disappeared, and looking at his slightly numb hand, he didn't know what to say for a moment.

  No one expected Li Wu to actually lose, the dramatic reversal at the last moment did not materialize, and the sailors were stunned for a moment, but soon burst into waves of laughter like thunderous applause, with everyone shouting.

  "That doesn't count! That doesn't count! The Eldest Master clearly said no letting up, but the Second Master still went easy on Chong'er."

  Li Wu suddenly choked with anger, roaring: "Who said I was going easy? Who the hell can try it themselves? If any of you can beat her, I'll cut off my head and let you kick it like a ball!"

  He was originally born with a refined and handsome appearance, and his speech was also quite literary. Only when he got angry would he shout and scold coarsely, without regard for his image. Now everyone knew that he was truly furious, and just now he hadn't held back either. So they all looked at Xiao Yao in disbelief, wondering what her background was?!

  The surroundings suddenly became quiet and silent, the atmosphere was stagnant. Hongyan stood up and clapped her hands: "Alright, alright, it's time to rest too, everyone go back to work. If we can't set sail on time in an hour, everyone will be deducted half a month's salary."

  When they heard that their wages would be deducted, everyone took off running and in a flash returned to their busy state.

  After seeing Li Wu return to his post with a dejected expression, Hong E whispered around Xiao Yao twice, curiously clicking her tongue: "Dual Cultivation of Body and Mind?"

  Xiao Yao just smiled, neither confirming nor denying it.

  She didn't answer when she saw her, and Hong E also stopped asking. She nodded in satisfaction: "En, I allow you to board the ship! From now on, fellow Taoist must work hard!"