Extra 2
Qiu Yingxi had never imagined that her greatest skill would become disguise and impersonation, not poison.
She watched a whale swim overhead, then, with a flick of her tail, she swam away, breaking the surface of the water, settling onto a rock, her gaze fixed on her reflection: a face different from her own.
She didn’t know why she was hiding. Perhaps it was guilt.
She slapped the water with her tail, the droplets scattering, shimmering like tiny rainbows.
Bored, she muttered, “It was just a prank. Did she really have to issue a kingdom-wide warrant for my arrest?”
The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt, her self-pity turning into anger. She dove back into the water.
She swam towards the merfolk palace.
The merfolk were busy. Something had happened recently.
This was convenient. It meant she was less likely to be discovered. And merfolk had long lifespans. Too many memories could damage their souls, so they periodically purged their memories.
Even with her presence, they would simply assume they had purged the irrelevant memories.
She found a quiet corner, braiding seaweed, then, tired of that, she turned her attention to a jellyfish, its translucent body pulsing gently, its tentacles trailing behind it.
Staring at its numerous tentacles, she thought of Luo Nianshang, her lips curving into a small smile as she remembered Luo Nianshang’s clumsy attempts to control her extra hands.
Then, the smile faded, and a wave of longing washed over her.
She missed that stoic, awkward woman.
She released the jellyfish, watching as it floated upwards, her own mood sinking.
“What am I going to do?” she whispered.
The ocean was cold, but she shivered, hugging herself, the water around her growing even colder.
A shadow passed overhead, and she froze, her heart pounding.
She glanced up, then, seeing that the figure had moved away, she relaxed slightly.
“Are you afraid of me?”
The voice, familiar and close, its tone curious, made her jump.
She turned to see Luo Nianshang staring at her, her gaze intense.
She panicked, afraid of being recognized. She shook her head, then, feigning fear, she swam away.
She was about to change her disguise and flee when she realized she couldn’t move.
She looked down to see Luo Nianshang holding her tail, her expression impassive.
Her heart leaped into her throat. She had been discovered. She braced herself for the inevitable punishment.
She expected Luo Nianshang to say “Still” or “Freeze,” but instead, Luo Nianshang’s voice, calm and even, said, “Guide me.”
Qiu Yingxi remained silent as she led the way, her curiosity piqued. She had no idea why Luo Nianshang wanted to visit the merfolk palace, but Luo Nianshang wasn’t the type to cause trouble.
Luo Nianshang, her gaze fixed on the merfolk swimming ahead of them, who seemed unable to speak, felt a pang of sympathy.
Merfolk lured their prey with their songs, then devoured them. This mute merfolk wouldn’t be able to survive.
And she felt a strange connection to this little merfolk.
But this wasn’t the time for such thoughts. Led by Qiu Yingxi, they soon reached the palace.
The merfolk, having lived in seclusion for so long, their contact with humans rare, were wary of Luo Nianshang, her aura powerful, her expression cold and intimidating.
Luo Nianshang, surrounded by their nervous gazes, her hands clenching, her voice sharp, asked, “Where is the Merfolk Queen?”
Qiu Yingxi, watching her, her eyes wide, thought that if she hadn’t known Luo Nianshang so well, she would have assumed Luo Nianshang was about to attack.
A beautiful merfolk, her expression resolute, as if she were prepared to sacrifice herself, swam forward. “What do you want, human?” she asked.
Luo Nianshang, sensing the queen’s regal aura, didn’t hesitate. She retrieved a pile of treasures from her spatial ring: rare herbs, powerful artifacts, and a small mountain of spirit stones.
The merfolk, their eyes gleaming at the sight of such wealth, gasped.
Luo Nianshang, her voice calm, said, “I want your Soul Nourishing Pearl.”
The Demon Lord, mentally calculating the value of the treasures, realized they were worth at least a hundred Soul Nourishing Pearls. Luo Nianshang was incredibly wealthy.
She watched Luo Nianshang, her gaze intent, then Luo Nianshang turned to her, her voice soft. “Would you like to come with me?”
The Demon Lord, her heart pounding, assuming she had been discovered, quickly refused. “No, thank you,” she said.
Luo Nianshang, surprised that she had spoken, said, “You can speak? I apologize for my assumption.”
The Merfolk Queen soon returned, the Soul Nourishing Pearl, its surface shimmering, its aura gentle, resting on her palm.
Luo Nianshang accepted the pearl, her gaze softening as she held it.
The Demon Lord, a twinge of jealousy in her heart, asked, “Why do you need the Soul Nourishing Pearl, Venerable One?”
Luo Nianshang, who usually didn’t share such personal details, but feeling a strange connection to this merfolk, said, “It’s for someone… important to me.”
The Demon Lord’s jealousy intensified. “Important?” she asked, her voice laced with a hint of bitterness. “Isn’t traveling so far, offering such valuable treasures… proof enough of their importance?”
Luo Nianshang nodded, her gaze distant, her voice soft. “Yes,” she said. “She’s very important to me.”
The Demon Lord wanted to scream, to cry, to tear her hair out, but she restrained herself, her composure admirable.
Luo Nianshang, her mission accomplished, her hand clutching the pearl, vanished.
The Demon Lord lingered, the merfolk’s whispers reaching her ears.
“She’s so beautiful. And so powerful. She must be very popular.”
“Yes, and she’s clearly someone of high status.”
“I want to go to the surface and find her.”
“Perhaps she already has a lover. Did you see the tenderness in her eyes?”
“What a shame.”
Each whisper was a dagger to the Demon Lord’s heart, and she quickly changed her appearance, then, to the merfolk’s astonishment, she flew towards the surface.
Luo Nianshang, sensing someone following her, paused, her gaze sweeping over the forest below, her voice sharp. “Show yourself!”
The Demon Lord, hidden among the trees, cursed inwardly. Luo Nianshang’s senses were growing sharper.
She had been discovered. She stepped out, her expression one of feigned fear, her voice trembling. “V-Venerable One,” she stammered. “I-I mean no harm.”
Luo Nianshang, seeing her torn clothes, the scratches on her arms and face, her heart softening, but her gaze still wary, asked, “Why are you following me?”
This was the Demon Lord’s specialty. She instantly conjured tears, her voice trembling as she recounted a fabricated tale of woe. Her tears, initially fake, became real as she imagined Luo Nianshang with another lover.
Luo Nianshang, seeing her distress, her desire to join the Ejian Sect, her old habits resurfacing, her compassion overriding her caution, pulled the Demon Lord onto her sword.
The Demon Lord, her plan succeeding, her heart soaring, but still wanting to know Luo Nianshang’s destination, asked, “Why are you here, Venerable One? In such a remote location?”
Luo Nianshang, ever the honest one, replied, “I came to acquire something. To save someone.”
The Demon Lord’s heart ached. She wanted to ask more, but they had already reached the Ejian Sect.
Perhaps because she was in a hurry, Luo Nianshang didn’t bother with discretion. She didn’t go to her residence. She landed beside the well.
The water rippled, and a figure emerged.
Luo Nianshang bowed respectfully. “Master Fang Xin.”
Fang Xin nodded, her voice eager. “Did you bring it?”
Luo Nianshang presented the Soul Nourishing Pearl. “Here,” she said. “I’ve confirmed its authenticity. Do you need any assistance, Master Fang Xin?”
Fang Xin, accepting the pearl, shook her head. “Yue Lian’s soul is too fragile,” she said. “Your spiritual energy is too… potent. I’ll handle this. It might take longer, but it’s safer.”
Her gaze drifted towards the distance, a wistful smile curving her lips. “Perhaps, in a hundred years, she’ll be able to see you,” she murmured. “I wonder what she’ll think of you now.”
Luo Nianshang, her own longing for her masters resurfacing, her voice soft, said, “If you need anything, Master, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Fang Xin waved a hand dismissively. “No,” she said. “You have your own responsibilities.”
Thinking of her quiet, introverted disciple’s current predicament, her relentless pursuit of the Demon Lord, she felt a pang of sympathy.
She patted Luo Nianshang’s shoulder, her voice gentle. “Sometimes,” she said, “you don’t have to follow the rules. A little ruthlessness can be… effective.”
She smiled. “If your Master Yue Lian were here, she would have simply captured those demons and forced the Demon Lord to appear.”
The Demon Lord, listening, her heart pounding, silently prayed that Luo Nianshang wouldn’t take her master’s advice.
She was a heartless boss, but she didn’t want her subordinates to die.
She stared at Luo Nianshang, hoping she would refuse.
Luo Nianshang, her voice firm, her gaze unwavering, said, “I don’t need such methods. I can find her.”
The Demon Lord let out a sigh of relief.
Fang Xin, seeing her disciple’s resolute expression, couldn’t argue. And Luo Nianshang, despite her youth, had experienced far more than Fang Xin and Yue Lian.
She smiled. “Then do as you see fit,” she said.
The left envoy, back at the Demon Palace, suddenly shivered. She looked up from her mountain of paperwork, her gaze scanning the room, but everything seemed normal.
But the unease lingered.
She adjusted her mask.
A cultivator’s instincts were rarely wrong. She was convinced something bad was about to happen. And there was only one thing that could truly upset her.
She snapped her brush in half, her voice a low curse. “That damned pink dragon! Even after I left, she won’t leave me alone!”
She decided to flee. She quietly left the Demon Palace, sending a message to the right envoy.
A moment later, the right envoy’s furious roars echoed through the palace.
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