Next came a long silence that lasted the time it takes for an incense stick to burn; the atmosphere inside the cave was extremely awkward.

“Uh…”

James Carter hesitated for a long time, thinking that if he kept quiet, he’d be at a disadvantage. Finally, he couldn’t help but speak up, “Miss Charles Black, I used my own herbs to treat your wounds. Shouldn’t you give me some compensation?!”

“Ah!”

Charles Black was taken aback. So all this time he hadn’t spoken, James Carter had been thinking about compensation for the herbs—how petty.

“But I don’t have any silver on me!”

Charles Black said.

“I don’t want silver! I saved your life, and gave you a pack of healing herbs. That should be enough to exchange for the body-tempering herb, Red Blood Vine, in your hands. I don’t like owing favors, and I don’t like being owed. Let’s keep things clear—neither of us owes the other.”

James Carter pointed at the Red Blood Vine in her arms.

“But I’m in urgent need of this Red Blood Vine too! I’m at the middle stage of body refinement and need it to break through to the late stage.”

Charles Black said anxiously.

She knew very well that if James Carter hadn’t saved her, she probably wouldn’t even be alive, let alone still have the Red Blood Vine. But her current situation was dire, and she really needed the vine to improve her strength.

“You have six inches in total—give me four, and keep two for yourself!”

“All right!”

After a long silence, Charles Black agreed.

She cut off four inches of her Red Blood Vine and tossed it to James Carter, keeping less than two inches for herself.

She was seriously injured now; if James Carter wanted to rob her, she wouldn’t be able to protect the vine at all.

James Carter had no such intentions, and didn’t take advantage of the situation in any way. She was secretly relieved. If the one sitting across from her had been that black-clad martial artist, she might have chosen to end her own life to preserve her honor.

“All right, now we’re even!”

James Carter accepted the four inches of Red Blood Vine with a clear conscience, then leaned against the cave wall to rest.

Adding the three inches of Red Blood Vine he’d gotten from the black-clad martial artist earlier, he now had more than seven inches in total.

James Carter was secretly delighted. He’d used just a pack of healing herbs worth a few taels of silver to exchange for a seventh-grade body-tempering herb, Red Blood Vine, worth several taels of gold. This deal was simply too good.

Once his internal injuries improved a bit, he could start tempering his body and attempt to break through to the seventh level of body refinement.

“Did you also end up on this island after your sea ship was caught in a storm?”

Charles Black seemed dissatisfied with the awkward atmosphere and spoke up.

“Yeah, the ship hit a big storm the night before last and drifted here. There should be quite a few martial artists on the island. I have no idea how we’re supposed to get out of here!”

James Carter said helplessly.

“Where are you from?”

“I’m from the Wu Kingdom. What about you?”

James Carter asked, a bit curious.

“I’m Princess Charles Black of Donglai Kingdom!”

The girl in green spoke of her identity with some pride.

“You’re a princess of Donglai Kingdom? Then why do you look so shabby, and why were you being hunted by that black-clad martial artist over a single body-tempering herb?”

James Carter was a bit skeptical of Charles Black’s identity and glanced at her indifferently.

“I brought more than twenty palace guards with me to sea, along with several chests of valuables! But when the ship sank, I was the only one who escaped. The guards either drowned or went missing, and all the chests were lost to the sea. I drifted alone to this desolate island, and aside from the sword at my side, I lost everything else. If my guards were still here, that black-clad man wouldn’t have dared to rob me—I’d have skinned him alive and cut him into pieces!”

Charles Black pouted, frustrated and upset.

“You’re really a princess of Donglai Kingdom? Then why did you come out to sea? For a small martial artist like me, there’s no future in the Wu Kingdom, so it’s normal to come to the East Sea for adventure. But you’re a dignified princess of Donglai Kingdom, with a noble status, enjoying delicacies every day, traveling in luxury carriages and fine horses. Why would you leave all that behind and come to sea to risk your life? Don’t you know how dangerous it is? Are you sure you’re not an impostor?”

James Carter was baffled and asked in surprise.

“Why would I pretend to be a princess? On a deserted island like this, it doesn’t make any difference! I’m not only a princess of Donglai Kingdom, but also the granddaughter of a cultivator in the Qi Refining stage. Unfortunately, my grandfather went traveling in the East Sea and hasn’t returned. I didn’t want to be a sheltered princess in Donglai, so I came to the East Sea to seek immortals and look for my grandfather, hoping he’ll take me to cultivate! I want to become a powerful cultivator like him.”

Charles Black pouted disdainfully.

“What, your grandfather is a cultivator?!”

This time, James Carter was truly shocked and sat up. In his eyes, being a descendant of a cultivator was a hundred times more impressive than being a princess of Donglai.

“Of course!”

Seeing James Carter’s astonishment, Charles Black couldn’t help but giggle.

“That’s amazing! Then you must know a lot about cultivators!”

James Carter quickly asked.

“Mm. When I was little, my grandfather often told me stories about the cultivation world in the East Sea. I know much more about cultivators than ordinary martial artists!”

Charles Black nodded.

“Back then, those sea merchants kept saying they knew the location of a spiritual island and immortal village in the East Sea. Is that true?!”

James Carter asked eagerly.