Chapter 83: I am Personally Teaching You, How Can You Not Learn…
Mermen of various colors swam in the water, their wide, elegant tail fins swaying in the sea. If one ignored their faces, which were sharp with rage, and the righteous curses coming from their mouths, it would truly be a beautiful scene.
“Who are you? What is your relationship with that Thief Merman?” Several robust mermen holding weapons surrounded Yun Wuxiang, their gazes wary.
Yun Wuxiang denied it flatly: “No relationship.”
The troublemaking Song Yilou was “free-range”; what did it have to do with him?
The leading female merman had a bright red fish tail, with dark red spots like embedded gems. She held a trident and pointed it at Yun Wuxiangâs wrist with a cold sneer. “And you call this ‘no relationship’?”
“Three red threads. You fickle, muddled demon.”
The Merman Tribe was a race extremely loyal to love; once they chose someone, it was for a lifetime. They had always disliked fickle and promiscuous people.
Yun Wuxiang looked down at his wrist, examining the three red threads. “Forgot about these.”
The red-tailed merman lifted her hand, pressing the sharp trident slightly closer to Yun Wuxiang, and threatened Song Yilou, “Thief Merman! Hand over the Sea-Stabilizing Merman Pearl, or don’t blame my blade for being heartless!”
The black-tailed merman tilted his head, and the black-red poisonous jellyfish also turned to look. The two fragments looked at the red-tailed merman simultaneously.
Merman Song tilted his head, his long, slightly curly hair floating in the water. He asked with a smile, “Are you threatening me?”
The surrounding mermen all tightened their grips on their weapons, their alertness reaching its peak.
The jellyfish vanished silently into the water.
“Song Yilou.” Yun Wuxiang reached forward. He was aiming for the red-tailed mermanâs tail, a move that made her extremely wary.
Yun Wuxiang simply made a casual grab in the water near the edge of her tail. “I have business with the mermen. Don’t cause trouble and make enemies for me.”
He pulled his wrist back, and the black jellyfish slowly revealed itself. Yun Wuxiang directly reached out and rubbed the jellyfishâs cap twice. It felt bouncy and moist, very suitable as a pillow in summer.
After seeing the glamorous jellyfish being kneaded in his hand, the scales on the red-tailed mermanâs body all stood up.
The Blood-Veined Styx Tower Jellyfish. Highly toxic. Anyone below the Heaven Demon realm would die on contact, and even a Heaven Demon would be half-dead. The mermen just now had only surrounded the two Song Yilou fragments without getting close precisely because they feared this jellyfishâs toxicity.
Just now, how close were this jellyfishâs tentacles to her? Close enough to make the red-tailed merman break out in a cold sweat of fear.
The water surged as the black-tailed merman broke through the circle of dozens of mermen at lightning speed, darting to Yun Wuxiangâs side.
As for the fact that there were even more mermen here and they had quickly formed a sealed encirclement, Song Yilou didn’t care at all. His killing intent was focused entirely on his love rival, and he slashed at the poisonous jellyfish.
Pitch-black chains wrapped around the arm holding the blade. Merman Song: “The Guanzhu is stopping me from killing him?”
His gaze swept over the swaying jellyfish. “You prefer this kind?”
“Once I eat him, I can turn into that too.”
Yun Wuxiang: “I don’t care if you two fight, but give me the Sea-Stabilizing Merman Pearl before you do.”
He still needed to get the Black and White Floating Life Flower from the mermen. There was no reason to become enemies with the entire Merman Tribe for no reason.
Merman Song: “But I haven’t seen the Desolate Beast yet.”
Yun Wuxiang: “What Desolate Beast?”
The black-tailed merman drew close to Yun Wuxiang, his tail fighting with the jellyfish tentacles. “The Merman Tribe has a seal. An Ancient Desolate Beast is suppressed beneath the Sea-Stabilizing Merman Pearl. I want to see what that Desolate Beast looks like.”
The red-tailed merman, who was observing the situation, had a face as dark as iron. “Just for a reason like that, you would bring disaster to every living being in the North Sea!”
Yun Wuxiang held out his hand. “Give me the pearl.”
Merman Song: “But I haven’t seen the Desolate Beast yet.”
“You won’t?” Yun Wuxiang cupped the mermanâs face with two fingers and asked.
“I want to see the Desolate Beast.” Song Yilouâs voice grew weak, like a willful child acting coquettishly toward someone he trusted.
Yun Wuxiang went quiet for two seconds, then turned to ask the red-tailed merman, “Can’t the Desolate Beast be let out for a bit and then locked back up?”
Yun Wuxiang originally wanted to ask if he could go take a look at the seal, but after receiving the glares of the group of mermen, he realized it was likely impossible. He turned back and pressed down on Song Yilouâs head. “Change the condition?”
“I want to have a bridal chamber night with the Guanzhu!” Merman Songâs tail wagged happily, like an excited dogâs tail.
A wisp of blood dispersed in the seawater.
The jellyfish tentacles pierced through the black-tailed mermanâs chest. “Keep dreaming! Go die!”
The black-tailed merman tore away the tentacles, his gaze vicious. “Obstaclesome rival.”
A hand blocked the space between them as Yun Wuxiang demanded again, “The pearl.”
Merman Song stabbed a claw into his own abdomen and rummaged around twice, pulling out a round pearl the size of an adult maleâs fist. It was still stained with blood when he placed it in Yun Wuxiangâs palm.
Yun Wuxiang withdrew his hand, and the two fragments resumed their brawl.
“Is it this?” Yun Wuxiang asked while holding the pearl.
The red-tailed mermanâs gaze toward him was extremely strange, but her feelings weren’t as important as the pearl. After reciting a string of incantations toward the pearl, it emitted a moist, divine lightâit was clearly extraordinary. “Yes.”
Having confirmed the pearlâs authenticity, the red-tailed merman instead seemed somewhat hesitant. She wanted to take the pearl but was wary of something, not daring to reach out easily.
Seeing that Yun Wuxiang didn’t seem hostile, the red-tailed merman asked, “What is your honorable business with our Merman Tribe?”
Yun Wuxiang touched his storage ring and revealed a white scale. “Bai Jiao asked me to come.”
The red-tailed mermanâs expression changed instantly, her gaze becoming complex. Her attitude softened significantly, and she cupped her hands. “Greetings, Guanzhu.”
“I am Tong Ji. The Great Elder has already sent a message to inform us. As long as Shadow Mo Jun can recover, you may take the Black and White Floating Life Flower at any time. However, your Dao Companion…”
Tong Ji looked at the three red threads on Yun Wuxiangâs wrist and couldn’t help but frown. Her eyes were full of disapproval, but because she had a request and had Bai Jiaoâs instructions, she forced her words back and only said, “May I ask who the detoxification specialist the Great Elder mentioned is?”
Yun Wuxiang: “Either one is fine. He has many clones; every single one is him.”
The mermen present looked along the red threads to the two Song Yilou fragments who were fighting to the death. When their gazes returned to Yun Wuxiang, the subtle resistance vanished, replaced by realization and pity.
To have a Dao Companion who was so narrow-minded he couldn’t even tolerate his own clones and went around causing troubleâhow unlucky.
Yun Wuxiang didn’t feel unlucky. He waited for the two Song Yilou fragments to decide the victor.
Song Yilou was exceptionally ruthless toward his rivals. They tore at each other’s flesh, blood dispersing in the seawater. The scent of blood drew nearby sea beasts, though they didn’t dare approach due to the mermenâs intimidation and only lingered nearby.
The tragic state of the battle caused the mermenâs expressions to change again.
Black-tipped, crane-feather-colored white hair floated in the water. The white-clad, black-robed demon watched his Dao Companionâs fragments slaughter each other, his red eyes calm as an abyssâas if he were watching two insignificant creatures. Yet the red threads on his wrist connected them closely.
The tribe’s territory was near Coral Island, and Tong Ji had seen all sorts of loversâ paths, a mix of love and hate. Having seen much, she could tell at a glance if a pair of Dao Companions loved each other or not; if there was affection, no matter how deeply it was hidden, it would show in the details.
But this pair of Dao Companions… she couldn’t understand them.
If one said they loved each other, the white-haired demon watched the fragments of his Dao Companion hurt each other without a hint of pity or intent to stop them.
Yet if one said he was heartless, this demon had just asked if the Desolate Beast could be let out for his Dao Companion’s absurd wishâhow could that not count as spoiling him?
Moreover, the red threads couldn’t be faked.
But it was truly strange!
While Tong Ji was slightly distracted by this confusion, Yun Wuxiang moved. He walked to the side of the two damaged Song Yilou fragments, a demonic sword appearing in his hand as he sent two strikes into their fatal points.
The black merman and the jellyfish glared deathly at Yun Wuxiangâs shoulder. There, a black scorpion provocatively lifted its tail and brushed it against the skin of Yun Wuxiangâs neck.
“A teleportation talisman… the Guanzhu is biased!”
“What right does he have!”
The third red thread had been pointing far away just a moment ago, yet it appeared on Yun Wuxiangâs shoulder in the blink of an eye. Clearly, there was a teleportation talisman. They knew their own situation; Song Yilou had teleportation talismans, but they were either stolen or robbedânone were drawn by himself.
This talisman allowed him to teleport directly onto Yun Wuxiang, so it could only have been drawn by Yun Wuxiang and given to that black scorpion.
They were all Song Yilouâwhy did he get the Guanzhuâs talisman!
Yun Wuxiang asked softly, “Are you dissatisfied with dying by my hand?”
The expressions of the two fragments froze for a moment, then became even more twisted with resentment as they glared at the black scorpion.
Dying by Yun Wuxiangâs hand was the ending Song Yilou longed for. But seeing another version of himself staying by Yun Wuxiangâs side before dying was differentâthey would die with their eyes wide!
Once the two fragments grew increasingly weak, their soul-bodies were swallowed one by one by the black scorpion.
Soul-bodies with deep resentment were a great supplement for a ghost.
After a hearty meal, the black scorpion returned leisurely to Yun Wuxiangâs shoulder.
Yun Wuxiang flicked his sleeve to destroy the remains of the two fragments and held out the pearl to Tong Ji. “Not taking it back?”
Tong Ji hesitated for a moment and admitted, “We retrieved the Sea-Stabilizing Merman Pearl before, but it was coated in high toxicity. The mermen who were poisoned have been in a coma until now, relying on the tribe’s Sacred Spring along with Shadow Mo Jun to preserve their lives.”
Yun Wuxiang tapped the black scorpionâs head. “Song Yilou, detoxify it.”
The black scorpion stretched into human form, standing behind Yun Wuxiang with his chin on his shoulder and his face rubbing against his neck. He tapped the pearl casually. “Done.”
With that, he grabbed the pearl and threw it carelessly, his body sticking to Yun Wuxiang without bones.
Tong Ji hesitated but still reached out to catch the pearl. The other mermen all watched her situation nervously.
After two breaths, Tong Ji felt no discomfort and felt more at ease. She said to the surrounding mermen, “Weâre going back.”
Coral Island was still on the sea surface, but the Merman Tribe didn’t have only one entrance. Only the one blocked was the main gate known to the Demonic Realm.
Yun Wuxiang naturally went with them to the Merman Tribe, waiting in the palace where they received guests.
It wasn’t a cold reception; rather, the Merman Tribe had no mermen left who could host him.
To resolve Bai Jiaoâs divination, a group of elders had suffered backlash and were in seclusion.
To suppress the Desolate Beast seal, another group of high-cultivation mermen was trapped on the seal and couldn’t leave.
In the end, only Tong Ji, at the Heaven Demon realm, brought Yun Wuxiang here and then hurriedly left with the pearl to replace the tribe’s experts suppressing the seal.
As for the remaining mermen, they wished they could stay a hundred meters away. They dropped off the spiritual fruit for hospitality and flicked their tails to leave.
They were all afraid they would catch some mysterious poison.
Yun Wuxiang understood their warinessâit was just the aftereffect of having been victimized by Song Yilouâs poisoning. He asked the mermen for a few classic texts on divination and read them himself.
Then, he remarked with feeling, “Bai Jiaoâs divination art indeed has some ingenuity.”
If he hadn’t been here today, given Song Yilouâs difficult nature, even if Tong Ji had led these mermen to recover the pearl, their fate likely wouldn’t have been much better.
Who made Song Yilou a madman who never valued his own life, and a madman who was covered in toxicity?
A single Merman Song had turned the Merman Tribe upside down, let alone having a Jellyfish Song nearby.
Their timing was also very coincidental, happening to arrive on Red Thread Day. The three red threads allowed the two fragments to know of Yun Wuxiangâs arrival. No matter what they originally planned to do, the moment the red threads appeared, it would turn into a fight to the death to seize the only position to stay by Yun Wuxiangâs side.
The result was exactly as it stood now.
And Song Yilou had swallowed the two fragments. Once he finished digesting them, his cultivation would naturally rise, reaching the level where he could detoxify Shadow Mo Jun.
Everything was so coincidentalâcoincidental enough to allow the Merman Tribe to avoid a great catastrophe.
Thinking of this, Yun Wuxiang gained some interest in the path of divination. However, he had many things he needed to research at present; he only wanted a general understanding, as the actual operation was left to Bai Jiao.
Song Yilou began to bargain again, trying to escape studying to jump into practice. “Guanzhu, Iâm detoxifying that personâcan I skip learning the dual cultivation technique?”
Naturally not. Yun Wuxiangâs eyes were dangerous, and he didn’t mention detoxification at all. “I am personally teaching you; how could you not learn? Do you look down on my teaching ability?”
He didn’t believe he couldn’t teach Song Yilou a single dual cultivation technique. It must be that the method wasn’t right; heâd try more, and heâd eventually succeed. After all, a Ghost Gu couldn’t be broken by teasing.
Realizing he was truly becoming serious, Song Yilou slumped down, falling into Yun Wuxiangâs lap. He buried his head in the otherâs waist and began to sob.
Not long after, the text in Yun Wuxiangâs hand whacked him on the head.
Song Yilou, who had been hit while trying to take liberties, stopped pretending. He grabbed the hand holding the book and bit down on the wrist.
His sharp canines brushed across the skin. The willful ghost was happy to play with his beloved Guanzhu, but his patience was truly limited.
“The Guanzhu can teach however he likes, but I won’t wait too long if I can’t learn, you know~”
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