Infinite Professions

Chapter 166 - 80: Change

In such a manner, decades have passed.

Dongting Lake, Fish Dragon Island.

"Hmm~!"

The darkness receded like a tide, and Lin Miao slowly awoke.

"Where is this...?"

Lin Miao looked around, dazed. Everything in his view went from blurred to clear; it was an antique bedroom with a faint scent of sandalwood lingering in the air, which jolted him awake.

"What is this place?"

"Why am I here?"

"Where are those people..."

A string of questions turned into vigilance, prompting him to hurriedly prop himself up.

Just then, footsteps sounded, and the door swung open as a person entered.

It was a young man, dressed in grey clothes with a simple and unadorned demeanor, exuding a sense of transcending the mundane.

He came into the room, looking at the alert and seated Lin Miao without much surprise, and spoke in a regular tone: "You’re awake?"

"You..."

Lin Miao looked at him with uncertainty, unable to drop his guard, cautiously probing: "Was it you who saved me?"

"No."

The young man in grey shook his head, "But almost."

"Almost?"

Lin Miao frowned, eyes revealing confusion.

"This is Fish Dragon Island."

The young man in grey said calmly, "Being able to drift here is also your destiny."

"Fish Dragon Island?"

"Destiny?"

Hearing this, Lin Miao frowned even more: "Why did I end up here?"

"You have to ask yourself that."

The young man looked at him with indifference: "What happened to you before?"

"I..."

Lin Miao was startled, sitting in place.

He was from the Chen Kingdom, born into the Yunning Lin Family. His father, Lin Zhan, was one of the three heroes of Yunning, known as Mad Lion Lin Zhan, with some renown in the Jianghu and martial arts world.

Months ago, while traveling the Jianghu, he acquired a unique treasure, intending to return home and celebrate with his parents. However, upon arriving home, he found his family slaughtered, his parents dead, and a group of mysterious people ambushing him.

In his fury, he fought them, but two fists couldn’t fend off four hands. He finally relied on the power of the treasure to break through the siege and jumped into the Yuning River by his home to survive.

After that... there was no after.

After jumping into the river, he fainted, and when he awoke, he was here.

Oh yes, that unique treasure!

Lin Miao’s gaze sharpened, instinctively reaching for his finger until he touched a ring on his right ring finger, relaxing slightly.

The young man in grey noticed his movements but didn’t point them out, instead calmly saying: "Have you figured it out?"

"This..."

Lin Miao was startled, then quickly stood up, hurriedly getting off the bed to kneel on the ground and thank the other: "Thank you, brother, for saving my life!"

He had realized that the other wasn’t one of the mysterious people who slaughtered his family, because their obvious target was the treasure in his hand, which was still with him, not taken by the other, enough to show their relationship.

Since they weren’t enemies, they were benefactors, and a proper salute was fitting.

Unexpectedly, the young man in grey shook his head: "I told you I didn’t save you."

"Then this..."

Lin Miao was perplexed, clueless about how to respond.

"It was Fish Dragon Island that saved you."

The young man added, then turned around: "Follow me."

"Yes!"

Though unclear, he deferred to the situation, unable to ask much, so Lin Miao responded and followed him.

Leaving the door, stepping outside, mist and clouds enveloped the surroundings like a celestial paradise.

Lin Miao stopped and looked ahead, finding himself amidst a vast lake with bridges and numerous pavilions and towers.

He was in one of these towers, seemingly as a dwelling.

The young man walked ahead, and Lin Miao dared not delay, hastening to follow closely, unable to stop observing the surroundings.

The pavilions and towers stood on the lake, amidst mist and clouds, connected by bridges, with dark boats traversing underneath, forming sections of fishing fields in the lake, where fishermen navigated, scattering feed, nurturing fish and shrimp.

Though they were fishermen, their outfits varied; some wore straw rain capes and hats resembling fishermen, while others wore scholarly blue shirts and white clothes, and some were dressed in Taoist robes and monk garments, even lavish pearl crowns and elegant palace dresses.

Some of them rowed boats, feeding fish and shrimp in the ponds, while others simply walked into the water fields, digging out sections of jade-like lotus roots and various inexplicable treasures.

Not only were there people, but non-human beings existed too; red-crowned white cranes walked delicately across the ponds, picking spiritual lotus roots with their long beaks and various poisonous bugs, with the former placed in pouches and the latter swallowed.

These white cranes acted like humans; besides that, there were already humanoid beings—shrimp soldiers, crab generals, fish spirits, water monsters—carrying shrimp claws and crab pincers, donning fish-headed faces, laboring like fishermen in these ponds.

"Monsters!? Monsters!?"

Even after facing many ordeals, Lin Miao couldn’t help but change color upon witnessing this, urgently chasing after the young man.

"Stop speaking nonsense!"

The young man turned back, "They are Water Race members enlightened by the island master, just like people, all residents of Fish Dragon Island. How could they be monsters?"

"Water, Water Race?"

Lin Miao halted, eyes full of bewilderment.

Coming from a Martial Arts Family, often mingling in the Jianghu, he heard many tales of Immortal Fate and vaguely knew of the Cultivation Realm’s existence. He could barely accept cultivation and the miraculous scenes before him.

But regarding these shrimp soldiers, crab generals, fish spirits, and water monsters, he struggled to come to terms.