novelraw Chapter 276 - 144: Negotiation
Chapter 276 - 144: Negotiation
Even as a fellow male, Xi would become infatuated with the king’s beauty every time he saw him. The female merfolk in the clan were even more obsessed, each utterly enthralled by the king’s allure."Xi, what did you gather today?" The king looked at Xi and asked softly, his voice ethereal, like a song that could enchant the heart without needing to sing.
"Today, I found a few humans whose appearances could rival those of our Merfolk Clan. I believe their status among humans must be significant." Xi respectfully moved before the king, his eyes slightly lowered as he spoke.
He dared not look directly at the king’s visage, fearing he would succumb to the king’s allure.
"Oh?" The king appeared somewhat surprised, his expression animated, "Are there humans whose beauty can compare to ours?"
"Yes, my king," Xi replied affirmatively.
"When the humans awaken, you may bring them here for me to see." The king’s slender fingers tapped the armrest of his throne with interest, as he spoke.
"Your orders, my king." Xi promptly responded, "But, my king, humans are deceitful; be wary of trusting their words too much."
Though the king was wise, Xi, having grown up with him, couldn’t help but care for him and reminded him thoughtfully.
"Rest assured, I am not as weak as you think." The king was somewhat helpless regarding Xi’s concern, though inwardly appreciative.
"My king, since the Golden Palace appeared before humans, its magical barrier has weakened considerably. If humans break in, our situation will be dire. I hope the king will plan ahead." Xi warned the king, thinking of the humans outside.
The appearance of the Golden Palace before humans was an accident. The array around the palace had been operating for millennia and was showing signs of wear; otherwise, humans would not have seen the palace at all.
Xi had experienced human greed before and feared they might harm his clan.
"I understand, the array is being repaired and will soon be fixed. The Golden Palace will vanish from human sight, so there’s no need to worry about a human invasion." The king rose from his throne, approached Xi, and softly assured him.
"Understood, my king is thoughtful, it was my oversight." Xi lowered his head, his tone exceedingly respectful.
Seeing Xi’s unease, the king waved a hand, saying no more, instead sending Xi to rest.
...
Gu Qingqing and the others waited in the room for a long time before the door was opened again.
All four of them looked towards the entrance, and upon seeing Xi, they were surprised.
This was their first time seeing a real merfolk, indeed as beautiful as the rumors suggested, and Xi was equally shocked to see Gu Qingqing and the others awake so soon.
"Are you a merfolk? Why did you bring us here?" Nan Hua feigned surprise, looking at Xi and asked.
"Humans, don’t be alarmed. I merely wish for you to assist in some matters." Xi swam close to Gu Qingqing and the others, speaking softly.
Gu Qingqing and his companions hadn’t expected Xi to offer such an answer.
The spherical enclosure used by Xi to contain Gu Qingqing and the others was extremely sturdy, unable to be opened easily, thus they were trapped within while Xi led them to another side of the palace.
There was a large open area, and as Xi entered it with them, Nan Hua sensed traces of an array, revealing that this space was enveloped by a vast magical formation.
"Why did you bring us here?" Nan Hua surveyed the surroundings, cautiously questioning Xi.
"You will know soon enough." Xi didn’t directly answer Nan Hua, instead producing a Jade Bottle from which he poured four elixirs, passing them through the spherical barrier to Gu Qingqing and the others, "These elixirs will allow you to breathe freely underwater, after consuming them you will be able to breathe underwater like us."
Gu Qingqing exchanged a glance with his companions, as Nan Hua eyed Xi, cautiously accepting the elixirs from him, and taking advantage of Xi’s inattentiveness, switched them with other elixirs purchased in Tianhai City, distributing them to Gu Qingqing and the others.
Seeing them consume the elixirs, Xi reached out, placing his hand on the spherical barrier and took that object away.
With the object’s removal, Gu Qingqing and his companions were free to move, exchanging cautious and puzzled glances at Xi, not entirely understanding his intentions.
You must know, besides that spherical barrier just now, Xi didn’t place anything on them to limit their actions. Now that the barrier is gone, with Gu Qingqing and the others’ skills, they could easily take action against Xi. This was not a wise move by Xi.
"Aren’t you afraid we’ll take action against you after you release us?" Nan Hua looked at Xi with a complex expression, unsure how to evaluate Xi’s actions.
"I always intended for you to take action." Xi glanced at Nan Hua strangely and said directly, "I brought you all back because I wanted you to serve as sparring partners. Otherwise, what do you think I brought you humans back for?"
Hearing this, Gu Qingqing and the rest exchanged glances, speechless.
"Alright, you can start now." Xi looked at Gu Qingqing and the others and signaled with his eyes for them to take action.
"Are you so confident in your cultivation? What’s in it for us to spar with you?" Gu Qingqing looked at Xi and asked curiously.
"Why do I need to give you any benefits? Do you think you can defeat me?" Xi looked at Gu Qingqing, slightly frowned, and asked somewhat unhappily.
In his eyes, Gu Qingqing and the others were actually his captives brought back by him, belonging to him. Whatever he asked them to do, they ought to do. Why would they need any benefits? As for cultivation, Xi was confident in his own. Among the Merfolk Clan, aside from the king, his cultivation was the highest. He did not believe these humans before him could defeat him.
Hearing his words, Gu Qingqing and the others were also very speechless.
Previously, they thought the Merfolk were sly for using their voices to knock them out first, but now it seemed they were actually quite naive, with no real understanding of human treachery.
Furthermore, it seemed the Merfolk had not interacted with humans for a long time, remaining ignorant of human cultivation while still thinking themselves quite formidable.
Thinking this, Rong Ye, who always liked to stir things up, couldn’t hold back. He projected the pressure of his Half-step Immortal Rank onto Xi.
Xi suddenly felt as if a mountain was pressing on him, causing him to involuntarily step back. This pressure was one he had felt from the king before, recognizing it as belonging to the Half-step Immortal Rank. Looking at Gu Qingqing and the others, his gaze changed, with a trace of regret flickering in his eyes.
In fact, Xi’s confidence stemmed entirely from previously capturing many humans, whose cultivation levels were not high and they were no match for Xi. This led to a miscalculation of human cultivation on their part, resulting in the present situation.
Upon realizing that the humans he brought back might have a similar cultivation level as the king, Xi felt not only regret but also a bit of worry, fearing these humans would be harmful to his people, given the tales of human greed and shamelessness he’d read in Merfolk books.
"How about now? Do you realize our strength?" Rong Ye asked Xi arrogantly while resisting Rong Ye’s pressure.
Xi glared at Rong Ye, gritting his teeth, using all his strength to resist the pressure, "Humans, you are too cunning!"
"It’s not that we’re too cunning, it’s that you’re too naive. We’re just letting you know humans aren’t as weak as you think," Gu Qingqing rolled her eyes, speaking to Xi, "So you should think carefully. If you want us to spar with you, what can you offer us?"
Xi glared at Gu Qingqing, eyes red, gritting his teeth without saying a word. He opened his mouth, and a mystical song floated out.
"Silence!" Gu Qingqing glared at him as his first note emerged, and then a mysterious and ethereal voice floated from her mouth.
When she finished speaking, Xi was startled to find he couldn’t make any sound. He opened his mouth, tried to continue singing, but no sound came out, looking at Gu Qingqing with uncertainty.
"You really ought to quit this singing habit for no reason. It’s much better now," Gu Qingqing approached Xi, looking at him, smiling slightly.
Xi glared at Gu Qingqing with eyes filled with terror and some anger.
"You should be thankful you encountered us. If it were other humans, you might have already been captured, had your Spiritual Power and voice sealed, and sold at the auction house for a hefty price." Gu Qingqing eyed Xi up and down, speaking with ill intentions.
Nan Hua and the others watched from behind as Gu Qingqing coaxed Xi, a hint of amusement in their eyes.
Xi, however, was not feeling well, his face paled, cold sweat streaming down his forehead as he looked at Gu Qingqing and the others with a horrified expression.
Seeing Xi’s reaction, Gu Qingqing felt slightly guilty, cleared her throat, and spoke again: "We are reasonable people, if you can agree to our demands, not only will we spar with you, but we can help repair the outside array, keeping intruders out and ensuring your safety."
Xi turned his head, clearly skeptical of Gu Qingqing’s words.
"Actually, our demand isn’t excessive. We just want some of your Merfolk tears, oh, preferably tears of joy. As long as you can provide that, we will not trouble you," Gu Qingqing continued, ignoring Xi’s reaction, knowing that given the present circumstances, Xi would have to agree to their terms.