When Gu Baiqing woke, all was quiet.
He opened his eyes to see Mo Xuanli still beneath the robe, seemingly asleep.
Stretching lazily, Gu Baiqing sat up—just as a rustle came from behind. Turning around, he saw Mo Xuanli folding up the robe, while Three Bean yawned, transforming back into its kitten form and stretching its small body.
“Awake? How do you feel?” Gu Baiqing asked.
Mo Xuanli forced a faint, unnatural smile. “I was never really unwell, Master. You don’t need to worry. I’ll go repair the barrier.”
To Gu Baiqing’s eyes, Mo Xuanli seemed to have regained his energy—his expression lighter and brighter than before. It looked like he truly had just been exhausted.
When they arrived at the boundary, Gu Baiqing looked at the long stretch of the barrier line and felt his smile stiffen. It was enormous—maddeningly so.
Even with help, it usually took five or six days to finish. Alone, it might take ten or fifteen.
In the original story, other Zixiao Sect disciples were supposed to join them. The master rarely took action himself and tried to stay in the background—though he often ended up cornered by his disciple behind trees, in all sorts of compromising ways.
But this time, because of what happened back in Linxun Town, the sect’s training schedule had changed. According to Gong Zixing, only the two of them had come.
It would be tiring, yes, but also safer—since, in the original plot, those other disciples were little more than cannon fodder meant to provoke Mo Xuanli. Though Mo Xuanli’s relationship with them was now different, there was no guarantee that no one with bad intentions would stir up trouble.
“Master, there’s no need for you to do anything. I can handle it myself,” Mo Xuanli said when he saw Gu Baiqing approaching.
“I may not be able to use much spiritual power, but I can at least help with preparations,” Gu Baiqing replied. “Otherwise, it’ll take you far too long alone.”
Mo Xuanli paused, then said, “I looked over the barrier technique Gong Zixing gave us—it should only take three days, not long at all. Does Master wish to leave here sooner?”
Gu Baiqing stiffened for a moment, staring at him, suddenly realizing something.
In the original story, that wicked disciple—he’d probably enjoyed dragging out the repair work, using the excuse to sneak around the woods and torment his master, relishing the thrill of secretly touching him while the other disciples were nearby, forcing the master to keep silent…
All that voice acting effort and suffering—what a vile plotline.
Gu Baiqing sighed inwardly, glancing at Mo Xuanli’s face.
“Three days isn’t bad,” he said awkwardly. “I’m not skilled at barrier work. I thought it would take five or six.”
Mo Xuanli smiled faintly. “There are many spirit beasts in this forest. Master, please keep watch while I work.”
Gu Baiqing nodded, taking Three Bean along to stand guard while Mo Xuanli focused on the repair.
Now and then, small beasts passed by, but upon seeing Three Bean’s level of power, they fled immediately. There wasn’t even the beast-attacking-barrier scenario that Gong Zixing had warned about.
By the time the sea and sky turned black and the stars filled the horizon, they returned to the small fishing village. From a distance, they could see Gong Zixing strolling with his wife—but before they could approach, he had already sent her home.
At that moment, Mo Xuanli and Gu Baiqing understood that Gong Zixing had deliberately kept them from seeing his wife.
There was naturally very little information about such an NPC in the original text. Although the two of them found it strange, they didn’t think too much of it. After all, once they returned, Gong Zixing’s attitude toward them remained warm—he even gave them grilled fish his wife had made.
The three of them sat in the courtyard, eating grilled fish while discussing the day’s progress.
When Gong Zixing heard that Mo Xuanli could finish the repairs in just three days, he was astonished and clasped his hands in admiration. “Senior Brother Mo, you truly are remarkable. No one who’s come to make repairs before has ever finished this quickly! And they always came with more people than you did, yet even with fewer, you’ve repaired a larger area this time. I thought you’d be stuck here for at least half a month.”
“I once studied formation barriers for a time in Qianren Pavilion, so I’m a little better at them than the other sword cultivators,” Mo Xuanli replied.
“Oh right, I’ve heard of that,” Gong Zixing said gossipingly. “After Elder Luofeng took you in, you didn’t train at Luofeng Pavilion but were instead sent to Qianren Pavilion and Feihe Pavilion.”
Mo Xuanli immediately said, “Thanks to my master’s foresight. The more skills one has, the better—makes things a lot easier when traveling.”
Gu Baiqing, chewing on grilled fish, gave Mo Xuanli a look. Mo Xuanli grinned broadly and offered him a cup of tea.
“Ah, no need to be modest—you really are skilled. Other disciples from Qianren Pavilion have been here before, but none were as capable as you. If you ask me, it’s Elder Luofeng’s sharp eye for talent—he knew you were gifted from the start,” Gong Zixing said with a laugh.
Mo Xuanli just smiled. Since that compliment also praised his master, there was no reason to deny it.
Then Gong Zixing asked whether they’d encountered any danger.
Gu Baiqing and Mo Xuanli told him about meeting a merfolk.
At that, Gong Zixing’s expression changed slightly. “Brother Mo, did you just throw him back into the sea?” he asked.
Gu Baiqing nodded.
Gong Zixing burst into hearty laughter. “Then it must’ve just newly taken human form—couldn’t hide its aura or walk properly, so it lingered there. To wander about like that—so reckless! Lucky it ran into the two of you; otherwise, its fate might’ve been very different…”
He sighed. “If it had run into someone else, one that weak probably wouldn’t have made it back alive.”
Mo Xuanli had never personally encountered a merfolk before—he’d only read in books that during the great war between immortals and demons, the merfolk sided with the cultivators, helping suppress the beast demons’ control over the spirit beasts. But the records were few; most texts mainly praised the Beast-Taming Manor for their “heroic contributions” in that war.
There was also an ancient alliance between the cultivation world and the merfolk—technically, they were allies. The merfolk were closer to humans by blood, since they could intermarry and have children with humans, most of whom would be born human. No other kind of spirit beast could do that.
Although there were always vile rumors about them, Mo Xuanli had no idea what the merfolk’s actual lives were like. Remembering Gu Baiqing’s earlier threats toward the young merfolk, he suspected their situation wasn’t good.
So he asked a few more questions—and that completely opened Gong Zixing’s floodgates.
“You can see how the merfolk live just by going to Longan Port,” Gong Zixing said. “In the mortal world, whether cultivators or common folk, how many can truly see them as equals? Most people treat them like mere beasts. And the longer this peace lasts, the worse the merfolk’s situation becomes. Merfolk tears turn into pearls—crush them and they release spiritual energy, just like spirit stones. Their flesh, if eaten, enhances strength and prolongs life, rivaling high-grade elixirs. Their blood can be used to make fragrant ointments that aid cultivation. Their bodies, once dead, can be refined into lamp oil that burns for a thousand years. If someone keeps a merfolk by their side, not only can they exploit the merfolk’s beauty for their own ends, but they can also use them to soothe spirit beasts and travel unharmed through beast-infested areas—it’s like carrying a living talisman.”
“To cultivators, a merfolk’s entire body is treasure—alive or dead. Why would they ever willingly draw moral boundaries around such a thing? Doing so would mean admitting they were beasts themselves, while giving up a walking trove of ‘heavenly materials and earthly treasures.’ So the whole cultivation world simply turns a blind eye to the merfolk’s suffering. That’s why people like you two—who actually send one back—are exceedingly rare.”
He exhaled deeply after finishing, clearly one of the few who regarded merfolk as equals.
“Can merfolk really control spirit beasts? If they’re that capable, then why…” Mo Xuanli trailed off, puzzled.
Gu Baiqing spoke up, “It’s not the same as beast tamers. Beast tamers control spirit beasts; merfolk soothe them. Spirit beasts won’t attack places where merfolk are present. If a beast has been forced to attack others, a merfolk’s song can break that control. They can also communicate with wild beasts and persuade them to fight willingly on their behalf. Spirit beasts are naturally fond of merfolk. Isn’t that right, Three Bean?”
Three Bean raised his head and flicked his tail. “I don’t like listening to merfolk myself, but if other cultivators disturb us, a merfolk’s voice can calm us down. Unless a spirit beast is bound by contract, they’re usually controlled by spells when attacking—it’s not what they truly want. Of course, once a beast becomes demonized, that’s different—they only listen to themselves and the beast demons. Then neither merfolk nor beast tamers have any effect. Those are dangerous ones.”
Now Mo Xuanli understood. “So in most cases, merfolk are both the nemesis of beast demons and the bane of the Beast-Taming Manor. No wonder their people are treated so poorly.”
Gong Zixing nodded vigorously—Mo Xuanli had already seen through what he’d meant to say.
“Not just Beast-Taming Manor,” he said. “Along the coast of the Eastern Sea, as far as I know, only our Zixiao Sect conducts itself properly. We occupy a stretch of coastline close to merfolk territory, yet never use it for exploitation. That’s why, for a while, when merfolk were forced ashore or came to trade, they only approached our shore. But… after enduring so much, even they stopped coming. And that’s probably for the best—those people from Beast-Taming Manor still show up around here from time to time. Even this coast isn’t completely safe.”
“Since things like this have been happening for a while and quite often, why not just forbid the merfolk from coming ashore? Unless… someone’s deliberately going underwater to catch them?” Mo Xuanli asked curiously.
“That’s impossible,” Gong Zixing sneered. “Where they live is surrounded by a special barrier. Even cultivators can only fly over it—if you go into the water, no matter how high your cultivation, you’re no different from an ordinary person. That sea is deep, complicated, and full of hidden currents. It’s extremely dangerous. Reaching the coral reefs where the merfolk live safely is almost impossible. No cultivator would go seeking death like that. If someone drowned there, wouldn’t that be a laughingstock?”
“Then if it’s so safe, how come…” Mo Xuanli frowned in confusion.
“…The merfolk are probably the stupidest race alive,” Gong Zixing sighed. “They’re simple by nature and terribly curious. When they hear someone crying for help, they rush over to save them—only to get caught themselves. Or they come ashore out of curiosity, to explore or trade, and end up tricked and captured.”
All right, thinking back to the little merfolk he’d met today, Mo Xuanli could easily picture it now.
Two days after repairing the barrier, they returned to the same cliff and found a few pearls there. Crushing them released bursts of spiritual energy—it seemed they’d been left behind by the merfolk. Faint footprints of a youth could still be seen nearby.
Gu Baiqing sighed softly. He still didn’t understand—why did that boy insist on coming ashore to die? No wonder Heaven hadn’t stopped him before. Perhaps it knew there was no use; even if it intervened, the story would still unfold the same way. The one thing that can’t be changed is the human heart.
Three days later, with the barrier repair completed, they said goodbye to Gong Zixing. Two men and one cat cut straight through the Ten-Thousand Beasts Forest, inspecting for any demonic beasts that needed to be cleared while heading toward Longan Port on the far side.
As they walked, Mo Xuanli suddenly paused mid-step, glancing sharply toward the dense forest. He exchanged a look with Gu Baiqing, and both leapt up into the trees.
Moments later, flocks of birds burst skyward, and weaker beasts scattered in all directions.
Along with the roar of a beast came streaks of sword energy and spell light shooting toward the sky—it was clear that a battle was happening nearby.
“So strong!” Three Bean’s fur puffed up slightly under the pressure of the beast’s aura.
“It’s a beast on the verge of demonic corruption,” Mo Xuanli said. The taint of demonic energy in such creatures was very distinctive, making them easy to sense. And once corrupted, a beast’s power surged dramatically.
“Let’s go take a look,” Gu Baiqing said, though he already knew what was happening.
The main storyline was beginning.
They flew over and soon reached the edge of the battlefield, choosing not to intervene right away but to observe.
A team of five was fighting a massive lizard-like beast.
“Sunset Lizard—fire attribute,” Mo Xuanli identified.
Three Bean clicked his tongue. “That thing’s nasty—loves to spit fire and burn everything in sight. With that temper, it’s no wonder it went demonic first.”
“Five people—three late-stage Foundation Establishment, two mid-stage,” Gu Baiqing noted. Exactly as he’d expected.
“With that kind of lineup they still can’t win? Has it already gone fully demonic?” Three Bean asked, puzzled.
“Looks like a temporary team,” Mo Xuanli said. “No coordination at all.” Worse, some were dragging the others down.
Among them, a young woman in a pink dress was clearly weaker—her strength didn’t match her supposed mid-stage cultivation. She mostly dodged and flailed, seeming unused to real combat, and had already caused several teammates to get hurt. She even kept barking orders as if she knew better than everyone else.
What was more absurd was that the others actually listened to her—so of course things only got worse. In Mo Xuanli’s view, this was the definition of a pig teammate.
With a different person leading, the team wouldn’t be suffering this much.
In contrast, another woman—also apparently mid-stage—fought much better. She wore bright orange robes, striking and radiant, her features bold and stunningly beautiful, the kind of beauty that demanded attention. She was also quite lucky, never once within the lizard’s attack range. She was the one launching the key offensives and sometimes even fought solo.
Though a bit reckless, Mo Xuanli admitted her way was the right one.
“Miss Junhua, can’t you follow orders? Everyone’s hurt now—if you keep this up, you’ll get us all killed!” the girl in pink cried anxiously.
“Why don’t you shut your d*mn mouth? You’re the one who doesn’t know what you’re doing! Are you working with the beast to feed us to it? Say one more word and I’ll feed you to this Sunset Lizard myself!” Junhua roared back.
