The two looked at each other, and in the end, no one spoke. They just looked at the moon and stars quietly, and the sound of crackling melon seeds could be heard.

The night passed quickly, and no one knew that the ship had quietly changed direction. By the time they noticed, several days had passed, and the route could not be changed at all.

The boatman looked at the person who came over with a somewhat numb expression.

"Father, what do you mean? This ship wasn't heading to the Central Plains. Who told you to deviate from the route? If it gets lost at sea, people will die."

"Speak up, who forced you to change your route? And where are you going? I've never been on this route before."

Everyone was speechless. Looking at the expressionless boatman, they vaguely sensed something was wrong. They waved their hands in front of him and shouted, "Boatman, can you hear us?"

The boatman looked numb, as if he couldn't hear anything they said.

After a long moment, his eyes moved and a rough voice rang out: "Go to Kirishima. After Kirishima, it's the Central Plains. Don't worry."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was shocked.

"What, Kirishima? Why is this ship going to Kirishima? Is there someone from Kirishima controlling the boat?"

"Yes, that must be it."

Everyone looked around vigilantly, with alertness and hostility in their eyes, as if they were about to take action at the next moment.

Jiang Sheng walked out of the cabin, followed by Bing, who lowered his voice, "Sure enough, there's someone from Kirishima who sneaked aboard this ship. It's most likely that little guy."

"Sora, I'm afraid your return home will be delayed for a few days. If everything goes well, you might be detained in Kirishima. Tsk tsk, this is really bad luck."

“…Oh, I understand.”

Wu Shuyan hid in the cabin and didn't dare to come out. He was afraid of seeing his elder brother's disgusted eyes. He really had no choice. His mother had been missing for so many years. He could only let them down if he wanted to bring her home.

Lian Ji coughed softly and looked increasingly weaker.

"Mom, mom, are you okay? Just hold on a little longer and we'll be home soon, very soon!"

"Well, Mom is fine, don't be afraid."

He put his hand on his chest and looked outside, muttering, "It's almost here in two days. That's great. We can let them leave when we get there."

Lian Ji gave a bitter smile and said helplessly, "I think they don't want to go to Kirishima this time. Just let them go, okay?"

Wu Shuyan hummed, "Don't worry, mother. I know."

Two days later, the ship arrived at the Kirishima barrier.

The mother and son felt the movement and slowly walked out of the cabin. Standing on the deck, they excitedly looked in one direction and said happily, "We're here! We're finally home."

The boatman came over with a numb expression and whispered, "We'll be at Kirishima territory in an hour. Should we get everyone off the boat?"

"No need. Once we get to the dock, we'll drop off mother and son. Anyone willing to go to Kirishima to replenish their food can get off the boat. After replenishing, we can return to Central Plains earlier."

"Okay, I understand."

The others stared at the mother and son with hatred in their eyes. It was they who prevented them from reaching the Central Plains earlier, and there was not much food left on the boat.

There is no other way except to go to Kirishima to replenish food.

Jiang Sheng was standing there with his bag on his back. He noticed the two gazes and ignored them. He whispered, "Bing, let's get off the boat later to buy some food and water to bring back."

Bing glanced at the mother and son and hummed, "Okay, buy some more food and charcoal to bring with you. We can have something warm to eat on the boat."

"Um."

An hour later, the boat docked with the sound of a gong.

The fishermen looked at the big ship and thought it was a merchant ship. They hurried over with their dried fish, wanting to exchange them for some household items with the merchant.

Every time they come on board the boat, it is their happiest time. If they are lucky enough to meet a noble person, they will buy their dried fish directly, which will be enough for them to chew for a year.

Wu Shuyan helped Lian Ji off the boat. Once he stepped onto the territory of Wudao Island, his heart relaxed. He whispered, "Mom, let's buy a carriage to go home later."

"You are not in good health. It would be better for you to take a carriage."

"Ahem, okay, I'll do as you say."

The fishermen rushed over and said enthusiastically, "Sir, we have some dried fish here. Do you need any? They are all clean and delicious."

The ghost slaves had already changed into ordinary clothes. The temple and Kirishima had always been at odds. If they appeared here openly, they would probably be torn to pieces without even knowing it.

Looking at the people gathering around him, murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

He whispered, "Get out of here! I don't want this rotten dried fish. It stinks like fish. If you come any closer, I'll kill you."

The fisherman was pushed to the ground, looking a little dazed and helpless.

Jiang Sheng walked over and helped the man up, saying softly, "Are you okay, old man? What's the price for this fish? I'll take it all if it's a good price."

"Ah, this dried fish is five cents a pound, and there are about a hundred pounds here. Do you really want it all? Eating too much might be a bit salty."

"It's okay, I'll take it home. My family might like it."

The old fisherman looked at him eagerly with caution in his eyes, and tremblingly handed him the backpack, which was full of dried fish, and the black inner membrane had been cleaned very cleanly.

Jiang Sheng really likes eating dried fish. Seeing how clean it was, he nodded with satisfaction and took out a tael of silver and handed it over: "Old man, this silver is for you. Please sell me the basket as well."

"It's too much, sir. I'll go and exchange some copper coins for it. Thank you very much, sir."

"No need. I asked for one ounce of silver to buy the dried fish and the basket. I am the one who is taking advantage of you. Don't give me the change. Just tell me where I can buy food."

The old man pointed and said, "Sir, that's the street. You can go in for a penny. There are food vendors, grocery stores, and even prepared food."

Jiang Sheng hummed, "Okay, thank you very much, old man. Let's go back early. It's a bit messy here, don't bump into anything."

"Hey, good, you are such a kind man."

Bing stood aside and whispered, "Let's go. After we finish shopping, we should board the ship to the Central Plains early. My time is very precious. I haven't had time to see the scenery of the mountains and rivers yet."

"I don't want to waste time on this foggy island. If my identity is discovered, I won't be able to leave."

"Well, let's go shopping."

Wu Shuyan trotted over, his eyes filled with guilt. "I'm sorry, big brother. I lied to you and didn't tell the truth. My home is actually in Kirishima, not the temple."

"Would you like to come to my house as a guest? I will treat you well. Even if you don't want to take this ship, we in Kirishima also have ships going to the Central Plains."

Jiang Sheng narrowed his eyes and asked tentatively, "Oh, what is Kirishima doing in Central Plains?"

"Well, that... I can't say anymore. Anyway, we only go to the Central Plains when something happens, so Kirishima also has his own ship."