James Carter only remembered that at the moment the huge sea ship was torn apart by the storm, he jumped into the sea, desperately swimming away from the sinking ship, and in a blur, clung tightly to a broken plank floating on the surface. After that, he lost consciousness.

When he woke up, he was lying on the beach of this deserted island.

James Carter stared at the vast sea for a long while before shaking his head with a bitter smile.

“So unlucky!”

“I spent all my savings just to buy a ticket to follow a merchant ship to the East Sea in search of the legendary Immortal Village. And now, not only did I not find any immortals, the storm destroyed the ship, and I was washed up on this godforsaken island.”

“Still, the fact that I managed to drift alive onto an island, instead of being drowned by the waves, is a stroke of luck in misfortune. That ship carried thousands of martial artists from all over the Nine Provinces, but I wonder how many were as lucky as me, surviving the storm and not ending up as food for the fish.”

Just thinking about last night’s storm made James Carter shudder.

Fortunately, after jumping into the sea, he managed to grab a broken plank, or else he would have sunk to the bottom and become fish food.

“How am I supposed to get out of here? Am I going to be trapped on this island for the rest of my life?”

James Carter gave a bitter smile and sat on the beach for a while, gradually regaining some strength.

“That’s right, my Qingfeng sword, the herbs, the ancient painting.”

James Carter suddenly remembered something important and quickly felt around his body. He found the hard hilt of his sword on his back and a coarse cloth bundle at his waist.

Thank goodness.

The Qingfeng sword on his back was still there!

“Clang!”

James Carter drew the Qingfeng sword from his back.

This sword, made from top-grade refined iron and forged hundreds of times, was incomparably sharp, gleaming with a cold light—a true treasure among weapons.

Ordinary martial artists in the Wu Kingdom used iron swords at best; even high-level martial artists rarely possessed such a fine weapon.

He had spent forty-five taels of silver on this sword at the weapons shop specifically for this journey to the East Sea, and tied it securely to his back with a thick rope. Luckily, he hadn’t lost it in the shipwreck.

James Carter sheathed the Qingfeng sword.

He opened the coarse cloth bundle at his waist. Inside were several packets of healing herbs and a very old-looking ancient painting scroll. The healing herbs had cost him five taels of silver and were wrapped in oiled paper, so he didn’t have to worry about them getting soaked by seawater.

The Qingfeng sword and the precious herbs were not what he valued most.

What James Carter cared about most was that one-foot-long ancient painting scroll.

James Carter still remembered his mother once saying that when she gave birth to him, this Immortal Village painting had mysteriously appeared, and it had been with him ever since. It was extremely mysterious. This was his lifeblood—he could not afford to lose it.

The painting was very old, with a scroll handle made of rare gray material.

Unrolling the one-foot-long ancient painting, he saw a scroll depicting a misty, ethereal Immortal Village.

James Carter had carried this ancient painting with him since childhood. Its texture was strange—soft cloth, yet impossible to damage by any means. Fire and blades could not leave a mark on it.

“As long as the ancient painting is safe!”

Seeing that the painting was unharmed, James Carter breathed a sigh of relief.

He had sold everything from home; this was the only thing he kept. It was a painting full of immortal charm, and the only keepsake he had left.

After thinking for a moment, James Carter tucked the ancient painting inside his clothes at his waist to prevent losing it.

“First, I should search the beach for something to eat. If I managed to wash up here, maybe some of the ship’s food supplies floated here too. After all, there was enough food for over a thousand people—several full holds. Even if just a little drifted over, it would be enough for me for a while. I should also see if there are any other survivors. That giant ship carried over a thousand people, most of them martial artists. Surely some others survived and washed up here. If I find them, we can figure out together how to leave this island!”

James Carter pondered. He touched his empty stomach, feeling famished—he must have been unconscious for at least half a day.

He looked around, brushed the sand and mud off himself, tidied up the bundle at his waist, slung the Qingfeng sword on his back, and started walking along the beach.

There were no obstacles on the beach, and the view was wide open, making it easy to spot other survivors. If he was lucky, he might even find some fish in the shallows and have a good meal.

Dozens of yards from the beach stretched rolling hills, with huge, gloomy forests and dense thickets.

James Carter was unfamiliar with the island and didn’t want to venture into the dense woods and bushes. There could be poisonous snakes, scorpions, insects, and ants hiding inside. His Qingfeng sword could kill wild beasts, but it was useless against tiny insects. If he got bitten by something poisonous, he’d be doomed on this deserted island.

Walking on the sandy beach was much safer, with none of those worries.

He looked far into the distance. The island seemed huge—just the long stretch of beach suggested it was at least several miles across.

James Carter walked several miles along the beach.

Suddenly, he saw some broken shipwreck planks ahead.

“Shipwreck! Maybe I can find something to eat!”