novelraw Chapter 270 - 138: Merfolk Rumors [Second Update]
Chapter 270 - 138: Merfolk Rumors [Second Update]
He glanced arrogantly at Nan Hua, signaling the woman serving him to take the Storage Bag that Nan Hua handed over, and after a quick glance inside, a hint of surprise flickered in his eyes. He then casually put away the Storage Bag, looking at Nan Hua, nodding as if bestowing a favor."Our Jiang Family still holds some status in Tianhai City, and you, Young Master Zhuo, must have heard of us. I have a good relationship with Young Master Zhuo, so in the future when you’re in Tianhai City, you can mention my name." Having accepted the gift, Gu Qing naturally considered Nan Hua a friend he acknowledged and felt obliged to offer some benefits. Jiang Xin believed he was still quite generous in this aspect.
"Thank you, Mr. Jiang." Nan Hua resisted the urge to roll his eyes and cupped his hands towards Jiang Xin. "I heard that the Jiang Family’s ships often sail to sea. I wonder if I can join once; I’m very curious about the scenes on and beneath the sea."
Nan Hua looked at Jiang Xin, tentatively asking.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xin frowned, recalling the recent rumors in the family, and did not agree directly, "I still need to ask around about this, after all, not just anyone can board the Jiang Family’s ships."
If it weren’t for those rumors, Jiang Xin would have agreed immediately. It’s just about having one more person on the ship; he could still make that decision. After all, even he couldn’t access those main ships of the Jiang Family. Naturally, he couldn’t arrange for Nan Hua to board them. But lately, there have been rumors all over the family, saying that merfolk have appeared at sea, causing the Jiang Family to lose quite a few people. Even lesser important ships can’t be boarded randomly at this time.
Although Jiang Xin was a bit of a playboy, he wasn’t completely brainless. He knew what should and shouldn’t be done!
"Thank you, Seventh Young Master; I toast to Seventh Young Master." Nan Hua’s eyes flashed as he discerned some hints from Jiang Xin’s behavior, stepped forward, personally poured a glass of wine for Jiang Xin, then found a clean glass for himself and toasted to Jiang Xin.
Afterwards, Nan Hua stayed in Jiang Xin’s compartment, chatting with him. After all, Nan Hua was taught by Wen Guiyun, having traveled north and south for many years. Not only was he knowledgeable, but he was also charming and humorous. Someone like Jiang Xin, a complete playboy, was no match for him, and unwittingly, Jiang Xin revealed a lot under Nan Hua’s subtle probing.
Nan Hua accompanied Jiang Xin drinking half the night, successfully becoming considered a confidant by Jiang Xin, and he agreed to find a chance to arrange for Nan Hua to board a Jiang Family ship.
...
The next morning, Nan Hua informed Gu Qingqing and the others of his progress. Gu Qingqing immediately gave a thumbs up to Nan Hua.
"Indeed, Third Senior Brother, handling interactions with people like this is just your forte. Amazing!" Gu Qingqing didn’t hold back her praise for Nan Hua. Being able to lower his stature to converse with Jiang Xin wasn’t something just anyone could achieve.
"Of course, just look at what your Third Senior Brother usually does; this small matter is no challenge at all." Nan Hua was also quite satisfied with this particular skill of his, his numerous past romantic encounters without any mishaps being a testament to his prowess.
"If we can get on the Jiang Family’s ship and sail out to sea with them, that would be perfect. The Jiang Family’s rich experience will be invaluable in assisting us at sea." Gu Qingqing looked not far ahead, somewhat pleased with this result.
It was their first time by the seaside, and having never ventured out to sea before, they were unfamiliar with the sea’s circumstances and could easily suffer losses. With the assistance of an entity like the Jiang Family, which frequently sails and is well acquainted with various situations at sea, the difficulty would be considerably reduced.
"That’s right. The Jiang Family has been in Tianhai City for over three hundred years with abundant maritime experience, far beyond what we can compare." Rong Ye also nodded, expressing his agreement with this point.
"Let’s proceed with the original plan: Third Senior Brother, continue interacting with Jiang Xin, trying to get him to arrange for us to board the ship soon and also inquire about the merfolk rumors. Fifth Senior Brother, you can go scout the seaside later, while Jun Wu and I collect other information in the city." Progress on the first day in Tianhai City gave Gu Qingqing confidence in their mission. So she spoke to Nan Hua and the others.
Nan Hua and Rong Ye naturally had no objections, nodded, and then set out to act separately.
Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu left the inn, walked around the streets, and ended up at a teahouse. It was a place bustling with people and ideal for gathering news, as many stories told by the storytellers were sometimes based on real events. They might gain some insights from them.
It was their good fortune to find a teahouse where the storyteller was narrating the long-standing merfolk tales from the Sub-immortal Realm as they walked in.
"Speaking of merfolk, there are many versions circulating on the mainland nowadays. It’s said that merfolk are a deep-sea race, rumored to be exceptionally beautiful, regardless of gender. Their eyes are deep blue, with upper bodies like humans and lower bodies like fish tails.
Their singing is quite enchanting, capable of weaving illusions. Their tails and nails serve as their weapons, with nails being extremely sharp and poisonous, making it easy to become poisoned if caught. The tail, on the other hand, is very powerful, and it’s said that a single swing can slice a three-tier demon beast in half.
Legends say merfolk have always lived in the very center of the Heavenly Illusion Sea, where a palace of the merfolk is said to exist at the seafloor, extraordinarily beautiful and lavish. Merfolk have a penchant for splendid things, using those to decorate their palace.
On nights of the full moon, merfolk are rumored to appear on the sea surface. It’s said that their tears of sadness turn into brilliant pearls, while tears of joy possess miraculous effects. However, making a merfolk cry is exceedingly challenging, and getting them to shed tears of joy is even harder.
Over the years, countless people have sought to find the merfolk, entering the Heavenly Illusion Sea annually in hopes of discovering traces of them, only to return disappointed. Moreover, the Heavenly Illusion Sea is incredibly perilous, becoming more dangerous the deeper one ventures, with stronger demon beasts. So far, only a few have survived reaching the center of the Heavenly Illusion Sea..."
The storyteller’s voice echoed through the teahouse, while Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu quietly listened. Although there were merfolk legends in other parts of the mainland, they often only mentioned that there were merfolk in the Heavenly Illusion Sea, without specific descriptions. This was their first time hearing these particular tales of merfolk, so they naturally wanted to pay close attention.
Especially since it was said that mermaid tears must be tears of joy to have the desired properties, which caught both Gu Qingqing’s and Jun Wu’s attention.