Seeing more than a dozen small boats gently rocking outside the pavilion, Luo Li raised a brow.
"So many people? Interesting."
If the current master were still Guangdai, she would never allow this many strangers to step into her domain.
That girl—
Lively and sweet in front of him.
But toward others?
Cold. Distant. Unapproachable.
Back then, even approaching the tengu settlement would earn a warning from her.
Setting aside his complicated emotions for now, Luo Li stepped into the pavilion.
Like the pirates before him, he first entered the vast courtyard filled with sakura trees and glowing blue-violet plants.
But when he passed through—
He did not encounter a narrow, dim corridor.
Instead—
A refined Japanese-style courtyard appeared.
Sunlight filtered through skylights, illuminating pavilions reminiscent of Liyue's architecture.
This was his first time entering the Thousand-Gated Void Vessel.
Yet everything felt familiar.
As if he had seen it before.
Continuing forward, the seemingly modest two-story structure revealed its true nature.
It was like a Liyue adeptal realm — a hidden paradise.
Rooms upon rooms extended outward. At the center, a suspended waterfall cascaded downward. Ancient trees twisted upward, vines draped gracefully.
Poetic. Serene.
As he ascended the spiral corridor, Luo Li passed many familiar objects.
Step by step, he measured the ground.
Once, he had promised Guangdai a day.
A date drifting across the sea.
He had never fulfilled it.
Now—
He arrived under entirely different circumstances.
Shaking his head slightly, he reached the highest level.
He ignored the treasures displayed in various rooms.
His gaze settled only on the closed chamber at the very top.
A faint fragrance lingered in the air.
Not perfume.
Something natural. Subtle. Feminine.
His footsteps creaked softly on the wooden floor.
In such silence, even the smallest sound traveled far.
If someone were inside—
They would have heard him.
"So… no one's here?"
Standing before the innermost chamber, Luo Li gently pushed the door open.
It wasn't locked.
The room revealed itself.
The faint fragrance intensified.
The chamber was simple — fifty or sixty square meters at most.
A bed with gauze curtains.
A long table scattered with small ornaments and personal trinkets.
A cushion set neatly nearby.
He stepped inside.
And saw it.
Resting prominently upon the table—
An old bow.
He picked it up slowly.
"…She kept it."
His gaze softened.
This was the first gift he had ever given Guangdai.
Five hundred years.
And it was still here.
Though worn and weathered, the bowstring thin as a cicada's wing and unfit for battle, the polished grip showed careful maintenance.
She had cherished it.
Yet no matter how carefully preserved, it could not withstand eternity.
It had been a casual creation of his — no divine power, no special enchantment.
For it to survive five centuries was already miraculous.
Just as he sank into memory—
A tremor shook the pavilion.
A dull explosion echoed from below.
Luo Li's brows furrowed.
He set the bow down and stepped out, looking downward through several levels.
His eyes pierced through walls, revealing everything beneath.
"The owners of those boats…"
He had nearly forgotten about the intruders.
A faint smile touched his lips.
He descended leisurely along the corridor.
They truly feared nothing.
Breaking into a tengu pavilion out of greed.
Had it been a ruined relic at the bottom of the sea, perhaps.
But this—
This clearly had a living master.
"Courageous, at least."
Lower Level — The Martial Hall
Below—
The pirates and treasure hoarders had successfully navigated the mechanisms and entered the mid-level training ground.
They spread out, searching eagerly for treasure.
The pirate leader frowned.
He still hadn't found an opportunity to eliminate the others.
No one had split up.
No traps had been triggered.
Half an hour more, and they would need to retreat before the master returned.
His gaze drifted to a hidden mechanism near a weapon rack.
An idea formed.
If executed properly—
He could wipe them all out.
Even sacrificing some of his own men would be acceptable.
Under the Sakoku and Vision Hunt Decrees, new pirates were easy to recruit.
Losses could be replenished.
Just as he prepared to act—
A thunderous rumble erupted.
On both sides of the hall, several warrior statues suddenly glowed red.
Gears turned.
Blades were drawn.
Cold, lifeless eyes locked onto the intruders.
The pirate leader froze.
Had someone triggered something first?
He glanced around.
Everyone looked equally shocked.
No one had moved.
A chill ran down his spine.
He instinctively rushed toward the exit—
Clack.
The passage sealed shut.
"…Damn it!"
The statues advanced.
Mechanisms within the walls and ceiling whirred ominously.
The group tightened formation, surrounding the four awakened warriors.
"Strike first! Destroy them and break through!"
The pirate leader shouted, charging forward.
With someone leading, the others followed blindly.
But amid the chaos—
He slipped quietly to the back.
Preparing to flee.
After all—
What good were treasures if he died here?