Chapter 10: Energy Qi
[Scene Setting: The dimly lit Starstone Market in the Underground City is divided into four sections (East, West, South, and North).]
Koda trailed behind, eyeing their clasped hands with disdain. He muttered under his breath, “Indecent! Indecent!”
Ouyang Xiaoli turned around, his gaze cold and sharp.
Koda: “…” (Silence, implying fear)
My gosh, what kind of ears does he have! he thought. He vowed never again to speak ill of his boss, and if he ever had to, he would keep a safe distance. Those ears were gigantic!
The Starstone Market was divided into four zones: East, West, South, and North. There wasn’t a strict rule that people could only buy from their designated zone, but most people tended to stick to their own.
Ouyang Xiaoli, the boss of the East Zone, was immediately given way by his subordinates as he entered his territory. He released Xia Yi’s hand, keeping a distance between them.
The people of the Underground City acknowledged him as their boss because of his overwhelming strength; no one could defeat him. He didn’t actively manage his subordinates; the title of “boss” was mostly nominal. As long as they maintained order and didn’t cause trouble under his nose, it was fine.
The little merman was exquisitely beautiful: his skin was smooth, translucent white, his eyes were dark and lustrous like glistening grapes, and his cherry-red lips were slightly pursed, as if pouting for a kiss. His eyelashes were long and curled, playful like butterflies.
The rarity of a natural golden merman in the Underground City and the Silver Sea Empire needed no explanation. If this group of “untamed pups” found out, it would inevitably cause a commotion. Even with him as boss, there would be a few unscrupulous individuals who would try to exploit the situation.
The Underground City was chaotic, and Ouyang Xiaoli couldn’t always be by the little merman’s side. If danger arose, he couldn’t guarantee timely intervention. So, discretion was key.
Ouyang Xiaoli glanced back at Koda. While Koda was usually unreliable, he was dependable in crucial moments. He immediately understood Ouyang Xiaoli’s unspoken instruction and pulled Xia Yi behind him.
However, some people still noticed the beautiful youth behind Koda. His appearance was exceptional; the Underground City rarely saw such beauty.
Koda yelled, “What the hell are you looking at?!”
Fewer people dared to stare after that. If anyone continued, Koda would glare fiercely, brandishing his fist with a threatening expression.
Xia Yi was amused by Koda’s display. From their interaction over the past two days, he realized Koda was a paper tiger—all bark and no bite.
Koda quickly covered the little merman’s mouth. “My little darling, don’t laugh! Do you see those greedy eyes like wolves? If the boss wasn’t here, you’d be eaten to the bone! So, don’t go out alone. You’re too weak; you can’t even clench your fist properly!”
Xia Yi looked at his tiny fist, smaller than a bun.
“…”
He had to admit Koda was right. He started practicing, adopting a stern expression and mimicking Koda’s fierce demeanor to appear intimidating.
Koda: “…” (He sighed internally)
He helplessly ruffled the merman’s hair, which felt like seaweed. “Don’t worry, Koda-gege will protect you.”
Koda knew these people weren’t afraid of him; his bravado stemmed from the boss’s presence. They feared Ouyang Xiaoli.
Meanwhile, Ouyang Xiaoli was examining a pile of newly arrived starstones. Many people were selecting stones, while others were watching the spectacle. Entertainment was scarce in the Underground City; watching the cutting of starstones was a common pastime for most people, mostly the common folk.
Ouyang Xiaoli paused, his gaze sweeping the crowd. He noticed two suspicious slaves. Slaves didn’t belong here; they existed only in the trading market, bought by the nobles of the Silver Sea Empire. Slaves had no freedom—how could they be in the starstone market?
The gap between advanced and underdeveloped civilizations was evident in many ways. The Silver Sea Empire had built specialized tunnels between the surface and the Underground City for transporting starstones and slaves, while the Underground City’s commoners had to sneak onto the surface like rats, fearing discovery by the Empire’s military.
The Underground City dwellers resented but also envied the nobles, while the Silver Sea Empire’s nobles despised the Underground City inhabitants. They were worlds apart.
Ouyang Xiaoli looked away.
Zuo Yinwan stood in a shadowed corner, her gaze not on the starstones but coldly fixed on Xia Yi. Earlier, Ouyang had rushed into the crowd without explanation, ignoring her calls. Now he returned, holding the little merman’s hand.
Zuo Yinwan coldly snorted.
Xia Yi blinked at the starstones, confused. He tugged at Koda’s sleeve. “Why do they buy these stones?”
Koda casually replied, “Because there are treasures inside; everyone wants them.”
“But why do some ordinary-looking stones fetch high prices?” Xia Yi remained puzzled. He saw a faint glow in some stones, various colors—white, black, green, red. Some were intense, some faint, yet some people chose stones with nothing inside.
“Don’t underestimate those ordinary-looking stones. Many treasures lie within, but…it’s a matter of luck. I bought one last time, and my luck was good; it was jade, with decent energy.” Koda eagerly watched others buy and cut stones, sharing in their excitement and disappointment. He explained to Xia Yi, “See that middle-aged man with the stubble? He was unlucky; he didn’t find anything.”
“Treasures aren’t easily found.”
Xia Yi tilted his head. “But that stone had nothing inside; even if he cut it open, nothing would change.”
“Uh-huh…” Koda started to brush him off, then abruptly stopped, staring intently at Xia Yi. He lowered his voice, “How did you know that starstone had nothing inside?”
“I saw it,” the little merman said innocently.
Koda nervously gulped.
“You mean…you can see the energy qi within the starstones?” Koda whispered, glancing around cautiously.
Xia Yi hesitated, then nodded.
Koda’s eyes widened. “!!!”
If this were true, they’d struck gold! This solved the starship’s energy problem! Koda felt a surge of excitement.
A group of people had their starstones cut, followed by a wave of disappointed sighs. Koda snapped back to attention and looked over. He discreetly pointed to an inconspicuous person and whispered to Xia Yi, “That person just chose a starstone…”
Xia Yi glanced at it. “Red.”
Koda: “!!!” (Could it be red jade?!)
He watched the person intently as they began cutting the stone. It seemed to take forever, but finally, the stone was revealed. It was indeed a piece of red jade!
“Xia Yi, you’re amazing!” Koda exclaimed, his face flushed with excitement.
If the boss knew, he’d be even more thrilled, knowing how deeply he desired a functional starship. Of course, the boss wouldn’t be as unrestrained; he was better at hiding his emotions.
Koda remained discreet, keeping his voice low and his gestures subtle. No one around them realized what they were whispering about. Some might have thought Koda was introducing starstones or analyzing techniques to Xia Yi. Most of the onlookers were there to watch others cut stones and discuss techniques.
“Koda?”
A clear, melodious voice interrupted. Koda turned and saw Zuo Yinwan looking at him meaningfully. His heart pounded. She hadn’t heard their conversation, had she? He’d been so careful!
“I heard the boss is going to the surface. Are you going too?” Zuo Yinwan asked, smiling.
Koda felt baffled. The boss frequently went to the surface; it wasn’t unusual. Why was Zuo Yinwan asking?
“The boss did mention it.”
“I’m not going.”
He’d been disheartened after a previous trip to the surface and didn’t want to interact with the nobles.
Koda’s disinterest didn’t apply to Xia Yi, who discreetly observed Zuo Yinwan. At the entrance to the Starstone Market, Xiu Di had mentioned that his brother had suddenly appeared in the Underground City and then left without a word. He suspected Xia Ni was in the Silver Sea Empire.
Zuo Yinwan glanced at Xia Yi, smiled enigmatically, and looked towards the tall man selecting starstones. A subtle curve formed on her lips. She remembered something.
She’d wondered why Xia Yi looked so familiar—she had seen him before, not Xia Yi himself, but someone identical. That person had a cold demeanor and reportedly knew ancient Earth martial arts, defeating many opponents. She had seen him with Xiu Di.
He was low-key and rarely appeared. He had reportedly gone to the Silver Sea Empire and never returned.
Zuo Yinwan pondered. What was the relationship between that person and Xia Yi? Were they brothers? Did that mean he was also a golden merman? That person had kept it a secret! No one in the Underground City, not even Xiu Di, knew he was a golden merman. Otherwise, it would have been a huge sensation.