Chapter 218 - 216: Dongying Remnant Island, The Greatest Overt Scheme in History

Jiuwu Port was a massive, bustling harbor. It was shaped like a crescent moon, curving inward, with an area not much smaller than Jinshui Port.

But it had a chaotic feel to it.

Before the ship had even docked, many locals in small boats swarmed around it. Unafraid of being crushed by the massive vessel, they hawked their wares in an utterly incomprehensible version of the "Yanhua language."

Vegetables, fruits, and even live chickens, ducks, and sheep.

Yang Shen peered down from the edge of the Sea Cape, finding the scene quite novel.

Shen Juanzhou appeared behind him at some point, a smile on her face. "This must be your first time here."

’Anywhere outside of Jianghuai is pretty much a first for me,’ Yang Shen thought.

Just a few months ago, that area could have been narrowed down to just Jinshui District.

Shen Juanzhou said, "This is just how it is here. The Dongying Remnant Island is economically backward and has no Martial Arts heritage. Selling goods to passing ships can earn them several times the normal profit."

"Of course, don’t think they’re simple folk. Their prices aren’t cheap. The only convenience is that you can use Yanhua currency, which is the official currency here."

Yang Shen recalled what he knew about the Dongying Remnant Island. He had never specifically looked it up, but he had a vague impression from growing up.

"Is this place completely under Yanhua’s administration?"

Shen Juanzhou said, "Not in name, but in practice, pretty much. The Dongying Remnant Island is very special..."

The female officer also walked to the edge of the deck and gazed into the distance. Beyond Jiuwu Port, the area was covered with vast stretches of low-lying wooden houses, looking like something from a century ago.

In truth, the level of civilization here wasn’t much better than in the Si Realm. It only had a few trappings of modernity because it was located on Cyan Blue Star and not in an Exotic Realm.

"East Japan was a vassal of Yanhua since ancient times. But over 250 years ago, with the appearance of the Sword Realm, they amassed considerable power in just two generations. This coincided with a time when Yanhua’s strength was at a low point, plagued by a Decaying Dynasty and the loss of public support. East Japan brazenly launched an all-out invasion of Yanhua, which in turn attracted other nations eager for a piece of the pie."

This was an undeniable part of the history books, something all Yanhu People learned in middle school.

Of course, that was a long time ago for Yang Shen, and the topic wasn’t covered in much depth in middle school.

"The calamity lasted for more than a decade. The East Japan People committed every atrocity imaginable in Yanhua, creating a blood feud. So, when the Xu Realm appeared and the Nine Martial Venerable emerged, the people of Yanhua believed that simply winning the war and driving out the invaders wasn’t enough. They had to cross the ocean to eliminate the threat for good..."

"So, after driving out the East Japan People and gathering strength for several years, the Nine Martial Venerable led tens of thousands of Yanhua’s Martial Arts masters across the sea, parting the waves. This war nearly annihilated East Japan’s entire fighting force and destroyed the entrance to the Sword Realm. A top-tier expert even shook the Earth Veins, sinking 40% of East Japan’s main island. From then on, this place was renamed the ’Dongying Remnant Island’."

The Sea Cape let out a deep blast from its horn, as if roaring in tribute to the monumental undertaking Shen Juanzhou described.

Yang Shen’s own heart surged as he listened.

However, he raised a question. "Why did the Nine Martial Venerable destroy the Sword Realm? Since the counter-invasion was successful, shouldn’t they have seized the entrance to the Sword Realm for their own use?"

After all, Exotic Realms were Cyan Blue Star’s most important strategic resource. A place like the Sword Realm, capable of empowering East Japan so quickly, surely had immense potential.

Shen Juanzhou smiled. "You have to analyze history based on the circumstances of the time. Although Yanhua’s retaliatory invasion was successful, it didn’t have the ability to occupy territory across the sea for an extended period. The country itself was in ruins and needed rebuilding. Destroying the entrance was the safe choice, and it wasn’t wrong. In fact, one of the Nine Martial Venerable was sacrificed in the process, so the price was enormous."

"No one can predict how times will change, can they? Looking back now, it might seem like there were other options, but at that moment, there might have been only one path forward."

Yang Shen nodded. "That makes sense... What happened later?"

"Later? The Dongying Remnant Island plotted to rise again several times, but Yanhua developed and recovered at a much faster rate. Every so often, Yanhua forces would come to clean house, thwarting their conspiracies time and again. Decades later, after another generation had passed, Yanhua’s strength was fully restored. They realized the hidden threat of East Japan had to be completely eradicated for future generations to live in peace."

’Vengeance means pulling out the problem by the roots...’

"So, the ’Buffer Zone’ system was implemented."

The Buffer Zone! The name resounded in Yang Shen’s ears like thunder. In his Exotic History Research class, the teacher had called it the greatest open conspiracy in history...

Once Yanhua had risen again, the threat and blood feud of East Japan naturally had to be dealt with cleanly.

But to kill all the islanders would have been too inhumane. Thus, the "Buffer Zone" came into being.

The Dongying Remnant Island was designated as a buffer zone for ’immigrants from Exotic Realms.’ Any Alien who wanted to immigrate to Yanhua had to live on the Dongying Remnant Island for at least five years and meet various criteria.

Subsequently, large numbers of Aliens were released and flooded into the Dongying Remnant Island, settling down there. This didn’t just include people from the Si and Hai Realms controlled by Yanhua; some neighboring countries that controlled other Inhabited Exotic Realms were also allowed to establish "Buffer Zones" here.

This process brought about a massive clash of cultures, ideas, and even bloodlines.

The main culture and ethnicity of the Dongying Remnant Island were gradually diluted by the complex mix of outsiders. Aliens generally had weaker Martial Arts aptitude than Cyan Blue Star People, and with so many new arrivals, intermarriage was inevitable.

Those who intermarried would be repatriated if they failed to meet the immigration requirements themselves, but their offspring, for "humanitarian" reasons, were allowed to stay on the Dongying Remnant Island and continue to procreate.

The number of Aliens who could actually pass the review and enter the various nations of Cyan Blue Star was minuscule—not even one in a hundred might make it. But getting a chance to come to the Dongying Remnant Island was a much looser process.

On top of that, some Aliens stayed illegally, and Yanhua turned a blind eye. Large numbers of people from nearby underdeveloped regions also smuggled themselves in, and Yanhua continued to turn a blind eye.

They even invested some funds to turn the place into a "showcase" for the eyes of smaller, impoverished nations.

And so, after generations... the bloodline and culture of the Dongying Remnant Island were completely washed away...

Yes, it was equivalent to annihilation.

Simply put, the Dongying Remnant Island now exists only as a geographical island. It has no nation, no cultural cohesion, and no distinct race to speak of. It’s just a giant hodgepodge.

Yanhua had spent over a century to bloodlessly annihilate a blood feud.

And the Dongying Remnant Island had become one of the most motley places on Cyan Blue Star.

It was known as the "Isle of Freedom."

Shen Juanzhou smiled. "Look over there. That’s one of the Nine Martial Venerable Memorial Halls. There are nine of them in total on the Dongying Remnant Island. We’ll be docked for at least six hours, so you can go take a look if you’re interested."

Following her finger, Yang Shen saw a conspicuous steel-and-concrete building amidst the vast expanse of low wooden houses, exuding a modern air that set it apart.

"The Nine Martial Venerable Memorial Halls, there are nine of them?"

"Yes. They are located at the main battlefields of each of the nine Venerables and named after them. Also, don’t you find the terrain of Jiuwu Port a bit strange?"

Yang Shen nodded. "A crescent-shaped harbor is indeed peculiar."

"Taihang Zhenren punched it into existence back in the day. That memorial hall is also called ’Taihang Hall’."

Yang Shen was speechless.

’Taihang Zhenren... isn’t that the President of my own Jiangti Martial Arts Academy!’

’A big shot is truly a big shot. The man is still alive, and his memorial is already this magnificent!’

’The president is awesome...’

After the Sea Cape docked, the crew began loading and unloading cargo. Some goods were to be brought on board at Jiuwu Port, and three more team members were also scheduled to embark here.

Yang Shen said a quick goodbye to Shen Juanzhou, then leaped dozens of meters from the deck and landed on the soil of the Dongying Remnant Island.

’I have to go see the president’s memorial hall, no matter what.’

The surrounding vendors weren’t the least bit startled to see someone jump down. They were probably used to the sight of Martial Artists showing off their power. They even swarmed around him enthusiastically.

They all spoke the Yanhua language, but not one of them had a standard accent.

"Boss, want my vegetables? Fresh!"

"Boss! My girl! Very smelly-good! Very, very good!"

This place truly felt like it had been forgotten by time. And everywhere he looked, the bloodlines were muddled.

There were no purebred Yanhu People, nor any purebred Europeans or Magna People.

Everyone was of mixed heritage... double-mixed, triple-mixed, nine-revolutions-infinitely-mixed, even FedEx-UPS-DHL-mixed...

Yang Shen saw they were all selling ordinary food. He had only been on the ship for a day, not stuck at sea for three months, so he had no interest. With another tap of his foot, he flew over the crowd’s heads, leaping dozens of meters.

If he did this in Yanhua, he’d be intercepted mid-air by a traffic cop’s axe kick and slapped with a couple of tickets, at the very least.

But here, a Martial Artist could do whatever they wanted...

The stench-filled streets and overflowing sewage actually made Yang Shen afraid to tread on the rickety rooftops, so he just moved quickly along the main road.

He originally had no interest in places like this. His only plan was to glance at the memorial hall and return, or at most, buy some souvenirs for his family at the port.

But as he passed a certain alley, he unexpectedly heard a system prompt...

"New Side Quest → Exploring the Outer Seas: As the Patriarch of the Immortal Race, your first arrival on the outer islands naturally calls for a search for new and strange treasures. Please collect 3 Curiosities that are rare on your family’s home continent (0/3)."

"Option One: Acquire them through legitimate channels. Splash some cash."

"Option Two: Treasures of Heaven and Earth belong to the worthy. No need to waste words on these outer-sea ants."

"Quest Reward: The Curiosities have been marked. They are their own reward."

Almost simultaneously, thirteen red dots appeared in Yang Shen’s mind, scattered all over the Dongying Remnant Island.

Yang Shen froze.

’Damn it!’

’I only have a few hours!’

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