Little by little the cultivators around began to notice that something was odd.

After destroying the floating island the Sea-Treading General had not pursued Alliance Master Wen, and the Yan family senior showed no intention of taking his people away.

Which meant this water-kin prodigy had not come for the Water-Moon Merchant Alliance.

But if the object was to overawe the Nanhong Seven… given his standing, that would be a little ridiculous.

Wen Qiujin had in fact guessed at something.

Though guessing hardly came into it.

Chiefly because the Sea-Treading General's coming was so pointedly aimed, and the purpose was already perfectly plain.

At the thought, Wen Qiujin stared hard at the Sea-Treading General.

Under his show of composure his palms were in fact clenched until the joints creaked; he had saved his life, but for a man of business the accumulation of many years destroyed in a moment made the heart weep blood.

And it was then.

The silver-armored young man sitting there at last opened his eyes.

They proved to be a pair of vertical pupils.

As he lifted his head, the mood nearby tightened all at once.

A somewhat hoarse voice was carried out on the sea wind.

"I have brought neither soldier nor officer today. I come only to avenge my father. This affair has nothing to do with the Nanhong Seven."

"You do not need to stand up so high to overawe me."

"That I can come today at all is by the Dragon Palace's leave — my life's whole record of service, traded for one chance to please myself."

As he spoke he rose slowly, looked up through those vertical pupils toward the clouds, and cupped his hands without haste. "The one standing behind me is in fact here to watch me. It acted because the Yan family came."

"I would ask the Exalted Immortal Liuyun to give the Dragon Palace some face."

The Sea-Treading General let his hands fall, neither servile nor arrogant, and waited for the answer from above.

Almost everyone turned their eyes to the clouds.

That white robe worked with…