Volume 3: Deep Blue Sea
In the live broadcast room, there was silence, just like the atmosphere on the bamboo raft. Everyone was surprised by the little mermaid’s recent actions, and then deep in thought.
Meng Muyu walked to the side of the little mermaid and squatted down. His short, wet hair stuck to his forehead, and water droplets still clung to his body. The little mermaid subtly shifted, avoiding Meng Muyu’s enveloping area. Meng Muyu was slightly speechless but still carefully examined the little mermaid. “An evolved being? Or just a pure coincidence?”
The innocent big eyes of the little mermaid looked at Meng Muyu. Obviously, it didn’t understand what Meng Muyu was saying, but it politely rambled on.
Meng Muyu sighed, feeling that language communication was indeed a major obstacle. He wondered when the language analysis device would start working.
Shu Xun watched the interaction between Meng Muyu and the little mermaid. He suddenly smiled and gestured with a spell. The fishing rod was now in Shu Xun’s hands. The little mermaid became anxious, arching up to Shu Xun’s feet and then swishing its tail onto Shu Xun’s foot.
Shu Xun also crouched down, reached out, and poked the still-plump belly of the little mermaid, speaking casually. “The fish you ate is equivalent to this fishing rod, so I’m taking it back.”
The little mermaid rambled on…
Shu Xun smiled warmly. “You agreed, so I’m taking it back.”
The little mermaid put its hands on its hips, and a childish voice suddenly sounded. “I didn’t agree!”
Clear articulation, a familiar language echoed on the open water surface. On the bamboo raft and in the live broadcast room, everyone was momentarily puzzled. Soon they realized they had been played by this seemingly harmless little mermaid again!
After speaking, the little mermaid instinctively covered its mouth and then rambled on, singing a tuneless song.
Shu Xun flicked the fishing line on the fishing rod with his fingers. “Indeed, a highly evolved being with strong mental abilities. The learning capacity of language is much better than your language analysis device.” Shu Xun had long suspected the sudden appearance of the little mermaid, especially after Big Bliss was dragged into the water. If the mermaid’s intelligence was exceptionally high, it must have assessed that Big Bliss posed no threat, choosing him and Little Bliss as the entry points. Successfully obtaining the special little fishing rod in its eyes, the mermaid discovered its correct use. Unfortunately, unable to leave, after some time, the little mermaid speculated that Shu Xun might be the one who knew the correct use of the fishing rod. Unfortunately, Shu Xun was not affected by its hypnosis, leading to the little mermaid’s probing move to sit on Shu Xun’s shoulder and fish in the pot.
Shu Xun naturally employed a tactic within a tactic, appearing to let his guard down. He then pushed the hypnotized Meng Muyu into the water. However, Meng Muyu did not break free from the hypnotic state due to the immersion. Nevertheless, his actions seemed unaffected. At the moment of disturbance underwater, Shu Xun, taking advantage of the situation, demonstrated the activation of the fishing rod. The little mermaid, as expected, became exceptionally excited and quickly mastered the use of the fishing rod. This confirmed that the little mermaid was not merely an advanced life form but an evolved being, possibly even a highly evolved one with extraordinary mental abilities.
Meng Muyu looked horrified. “Impossible. The production of that device was a result of collaboration among multiple races, including the Phantom Clan. Its efficiency and accuracy are absolutely top-notch. Even for the Phantom Clan, it’s not possible to learn a language so quickly, maybe this planet uses the interstellar common language.”
“No, the spiritual power and intelligence of this fish far exceed our imagination. If they fabricate a language, it would be exposed when we explore the civilization of this planet later. Or could it be that the boss was deceived by the appearance of the mermaids? Highly evolved beings with strong mental abilities usually come with autonomous hypnosis.” Shu Xun’s tone was calm but instantly awakened Meng Muyu. Meng Muyu suddenly had an epiphany and carefully reconsidered the process of encountering the little mermaid. Even without thinking about the details, it was not difficult to notice that the outcome always favored the little mermaid.
Ask yourself, would a mermaid who could skillfully manipulate the fishing rod like Shu Xun be easily hooked by it? If the mermaid could easily control the fishing rod, was pulling Big Bliss into the water intentional or unintentional? Before this, did the mermaid judge that Big Bliss wouldn’t drown? “Why does it seem like only I am affected?”
Shu Xun shrugged helplessly. “Big Bliss and Little Bliss might still be cautious because they were pulled into the water, and I and Ye Qian both have strong wills. Maybe you’re just too weak?” What Shu Xun didn’t say was that Meng Muyu seemed to be the most uncautious one among them when it came to the little mermaid. At least, when Meng Muyu squatted next to the little mermaid just now, the mermaid actively avoided someone’s enveloping area for the first time. It couldn’t be water droplets that the mermaid was avoiding, so it was likely Meng Muyu. However, logically, this didn’t make sense because, among these people, Meng Muyu was the most affected by the little mermaid. Shu Xun couldn’t figure out the reason, so naturally, he didn’t explain it.
Not only Meng Muyu but also the audience in the live broadcast room had a momentary shock. Indeed, since the appearance of the little mermaid, their gaze involuntarily followed its every move, and they naturally accepted its actions with ease. Even after the sudden pull of Big Bliss into the water, they held a bit of resentment towards the indifferent attitude of the two blue butterflies, thinking Big Bliss and Little Bliss were somewhat heartless.
However, from Big Bliss and Little Bliss’s perspective, being suddenly pulled into the water while fishing and wildly roaming for a long time—how many could remain as composed as Big Bliss, or even worse, if Big Bliss and Little Bliss were not spiritually connected beings but actual butterflies, they might not have survived, let alone thrived. Looking at Big Bliss’s still calm expression on the bamboo raft and Little Bliss leisurely fluttering its wings, everyone felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured on them, instantly sobering them up.
Shu Xun watched the little mermaid crawling around, singing on the bamboo raft without any urgency. Its tone remained unchanged. “So, the reason you can safely roam this planet is due to hypnosis, right? It seems that among the native inhabitants of this planet, the mermaids’ spiritual power should be the highest. If there are still survivors, then it’s highly likely that mermaids are the last survivors. Little one, am I right?”
The little mermaid flicked its tail and, still singing, arched towards the edge of the bamboo raft. However, after taking just a few steps, Big Bliss had already blocked its way. The little mermaid immediately nonchalantly grabbed its tail and started playing.
“Also, a few more questions. If you don’t answer, we’ll assume it’s okay. One, is the torrential rain that submerged the continent related to you, and was it because you wanted to come up to the land? Two, how long have you been following us? How did you recognize the uniqueness of this fishing rod and determine that I am the one who knows how to use it? Is it because the mermaids’ spiritual power is special, allowing them to sense the differences among outsiders?”
Hearing Shu Xun’s inquiries, the little mermaid finally let go of its tail. “I didn’t cause the rain, I wouldn’t do that! As for the fishing rod, it just looked special, and you are also special. It wasn’t intentional; I really like the little fishing rod, but no one told me what to exchange for it, so I accidentally got hooked. I’m sorry, and thank you for those delicious fish.” As it spoke, the little mermaid started shedding tears, and colorful, transparent tears rolled down onto the bamboo raft. The little mermaid cried while picking up its own tears, and amidst sobs, it said, “Mermaids’ tears seem to be… very precious. I’m giving these to you, I’m sorry…”
Watching the little mermaid crying and picking up its tears with determination, the people on the bamboo raft remained silent. Did the earlier deduction really have no mistakes?
Meng Muyu slightly averted his gaze. At this moment, he was truly confused; this little mermaid was too cunning. He couldn’t determine if what it said was true or false, but its pitiful appearance was undeniably heart-wrenching.
After picking up its tears, the little mermaid crawled in front of Shu Xun, and then with two chubby hands, it held up its tears to show Shu Xun. Shu Xun remained silent for a moment, then sighed with a helpless and light laugh. “This is probably the strength of mermaids. Even if I know you’re pretending, I still can’t help but be softened.”
Upon hearing Shu Xun’s words, the little mermaid instinctively excitedly wagged its tail twice. Then it realized it had once again lost control and exposed genuine emotions. With a face of regret, it shrugged its sky-blue furry little head. Amid its low spirits, a slender and graceful hand reached down in front of the little mermaid, and on the palm was the small fishing rod that the little mermaid had been longing for. The little mermaid lifted its head in surprise, meeting a pair of smiling and gentle eyes. In an instant, the little mermaid’s eyes welled up with tears again, accumulating more and more. Unlike the previous iridescent tears, these were two water-blue tears. The tears rolled down the little mermaid’s cheeks and dripped onto the bamboo raft. They silently settled in the depression where the green bamboo connected. One water-blue tear followed another, and finally, the little mermaid burst into loud sobs.
The little mermaid cried for a long time, and when it finally stopped, it lowered its head and saw that the hand was still quietly in place, never having moved. The little mermaid bent down to pick up the small fishing rod, cherished it by rubbing it gently and then lowered its head to lightly kiss Shu Xun’s fingertips. “Thank you. My name is Ling Yang, a descendant of mermaids, just 203 years old. This is the first gift I’ve received. As a token of gratitude, sir, would you be willing to become my future partner?”
Shu Xun: “…”
With a cold expression on his face, Ye Qian stepped forward, bent down, and lifted Ling Yang by its tail, turning the mermaid upside down.
Ling Yang, who was trying to maintain an elegant demeanor, was caught off guard and instantly turned upside down. Ling Yang curled its tail, making itself upright again, and looked at Ye Jian as he spoke elegantly. “Sir, I’m sorry, but a mermaid has only one partner in its lifetime, and I’m not interested in you. Can you let me go? We have no future together.”
Ye Qian looked at the mermaid, now in a U-shape on his fingertips, with the urge to bundle it up and throw it into the water directly. However, Ye Qian maintained a poker face and coldly spoke. “This one is too old, not suitable.”
The little mermaid immediately became indignant. “How can it not be suitable now! How can it not be suitable now!”
Ye Qian chuckled. “Too old, not suitable for roasting, only suitable for stewing. But since you insist so strongly, it’s worth a try.”
Seeing Ye Qian, who was smiling in a particularly frightening manner, Ling Yang felt a chill. “No, no, it’s not suitable.”
Ye Qian nodded, threw the fish he was holding, and looked at Shu Xun. “He himself said you’re not suitable.”
Shu Xun: “…”
Ling Yang: “…”
