Last night, when Junhua and Three Bean were about to give up and return, they ran into Little Yezi.
Junhua could never have imagined that her gentle, weak little brother would dare sneak out while she wasn’t at the coral reef. With his meager cultivation, how had he even managed to infiltrate Beast-Taming Manor? She’d nearly kicked him straight back into the sea on the spot.
When she demanded to know why he had come, Little Yezi only said he wanted to help—and, in truth, he did have a better method. He had been working here as a servant, and the steward had told him about some restricted areas. Using those clues and quietly asking around, he soon pinpointed suspicious locations. Since merfolk who came ashore needed certain foods, he also checked the kitchen supplies. From there, he could roughly determine where they were being held. Then, by sensing where the strongest spiritual barriers were, he confirmed the exact site.
Sometimes what seems impossible on the surface can be easily done from a servant’s position.
Because Little Yezi had a special token, he could move freely through the formation without triggering its defenses. Once he found a gap and let them in, Junhua focused all her attention on rescuing the captured clansmen.
Seizing the opportunity, Little Yezi slipped away, saying he was too weak to help further and asking Junhua to take the rescued merfolk back to the coral reef. But Junhua suspected he had another motive for coming ashore—it couldn’t just be about saving their people.
By then, Little Yezi had already returned, sneaking back into his mistress’s room to quietly return the token.
The next moment, a bow was drawn in the darkness—an arrow aimed straight at him.
The arrow sliced through the air, but just as it was loosed, Little Yezi turned around to replenish the incense his mistress usually lit at night—thus narrowly avoiding a fatal strike.
Even so, the arrow grazed his arm.
Staring in shock toward the source of danger, he saw it came from behind the bed curtains.
In the moonlight, as the curtain was lifted by the arrowhead, Yu Yingwan—wearing only her inner garments but still radiating lethal intent—stepped down from the bed.
“Miss…”
“Who are you? Why did you steal my token?” Yu Yingwan’s tone was cold and sharp.
“Miss, I meant no harm—I just came… to look for someone,” Little Yezi stammered, eyes wide with panic, his voice trembling as he tried to explain.
“Look for whom?” Yu Yingwan frowned. She couldn’t sense any malice from the frightened youth before her. Though they’d only known each other for two days, his attentiveness and care were rare among servants—he always acted with her comfort in mind, exactly as she would wish. She’d been quite pleased with this new servant—yet it turned out he hid a secret agenda.
Seeing that he couldn’t answer, her face darkened.
No—she couldn’t let appearances deceive her. The moment he stole something, he ceased to be trustworthy.
Yu Yingwan said coldly, “If you won’t speak… our Beast-Taming Manor has plenty of ways to make intruders talk.” With that, she cast a spell to bind Little Yezi and prepared to hand him over to the manor’s interrogators. Once he was sent there, with that frail body of his, he wouldn’t last a day before confessing everything.
Meanwhile, after confirming her clansmen’s situation, Junhua could only withdraw—the sky was already beginning to brighten.
Hearing all this, Gu Baiqing sighed silently.
“So many of your people, and they’re imprisoned right inside Beast-Taming Manor. Are you asking for our help?” Mo Xuanli asked.
“No,” Junhua said flatly.
“Don’t be stubborn,” Three Bean protested. “There are so many of them, bound by chains and sealed by formations—you can’t handle that alone. Or do you still not trust my master and Xuanli? They’re not like the others.”
Junhua lifted her head, meeting their eyes. “I know you’re different—and I’m grateful for what you’ve done. That’s why I came to warn you.”
“Warn us?” Mo Xuanli asked.
“Leave Longan Port immediately,” Junhua said bluntly.
Mo Xuanli froze and turned to Gu Baiqing.
Gu Baiqing already had a sense of it, but he still asked, “Why?”
“I need to find the rest of my people,” Junhua said, her gaze cold.
“Haven’t you found them?” Gu Baiqing asked.
“The numbers don’t match,” Junhua said through clenched teeth. “When a merfolk is born, a unique pearl forms in the coral reef to represent their life. If a merfolk dies, that pearl loses its aura and turns to dust. The number of missing merfolk whose pearls still glow with life is at least ten times greater than those I’ve found.”
“An auction… could it be they’re being sold off to other regions?” Gu Baiqing asked. That part he truly didn’t know—nothing like that was mentioned in the original text.
Junhua’s eyes reddened slightly, but she didn’t speak.
“But what does finding your clansmen have to do with us?” Mo Xuanli asked.
Junhua replied coldly, “Unless you want to die here. I can’t say much more, but this is a grudge between our merfolk clan and the Beast-Taming Manor. I don’t wish for those who have shown kindness to the merfolk to be dragged into this. So you two should leave today—preferably back to your Zixiao Sect’s territory. In the future… if everything goes well, I’ll come find you. We merfolk always repay our debts. Whatever you want then, just name it.”
By this point, the plot had already deviated greatly from the original. In the source story, Junhua had never been this close to them.
According to the original plot, after Mo Xuanli helped her out of trouble at the Beast-Taming Manor, Junhua had planned to meet them that same night to talk. But she never came, and the two of them didn’t think much of it.
It was probably because of the later auction event that Junhua was delayed. By then, her hatred for humans had overwhelmed her reason—how could she have cared about them?
But with how things were going now, it seemed Junhua had come this time just to persuade them to leave and avoid getting involved.
Mo Xuanli glanced at Gu Baiqing.
Gu Baiqing thought for a moment. He wasn’t sure if they could leave—because in the original story, they were supposed to get entangled in this mess. But now…
Looking into Junhua’s firm eyes, he could only nod. “All right. Then your younger brother…”
“Right now, I can’t do anything about him. The clan’s safety is more important.”
Gu Baiqing opened his mouth, but couldn’t bring himself to say where Little Yezi was. After all, if he helped Junhua capture Little Yezi, the plot would basically end early. Yet, having already witnessed the tragic fate of the merfolk, he didn’t want them to suffer again. So he decided to glitch the script.
“If the servant can move freely in such a high-level area of the manor and even enter and exit through formations and barriers, then his token must have been stolen from a member of the Yu family. Which means his master’s status can’t be low. If you ask the stewards which courtyards recently took in new servants, you can narrow it down quickly. Start from those places—you’ll likely find him.”
Before Gu Baiqing could hint any further, Mo Xuanli had already pieced it together and narrowed the search. Gu Baiqing stared at him, astonished—this would definitely lead them straight to Yu Yingwan’s courtyard.
Junhua’s eyes brightened at Mo Xuanli’s words. “Thank you,” she said, then immediately stood up. Before leaving, she couldn’t help but add, “You must leave today. Tomorrow will be too late.”
“Why the rush?” Mo Xuanli frowned at her retreating figure.
“Tomorrow the merfolk will be shipped out,” Three Bean explained.
Mo Xuanli understood then—Junhua must have a plan, one that might drag them in if they stayed.
“Master, I think this time we should listen to Junhua and return to the fishing village,” he said softly. “Anyway, she’s a merfolk herself and said she’d repay her debt. We can deal with the Black Dragon matter later.”
Given their current identities, getting caught up in this would only bring trouble to the Zixiao Sect.
Gu Baiqing agreed with Mo Xuanli’s suggestion. The two of them packed up briefly and went to bid farewell to Manor Lord Yu.
Meanwhile, Junhua immediately began searching for Little Yezi after returning.
She finally heard he was in Yu Yingwan’s courtyard—but when she arrived, the place was empty.
Just then, someone came to summon her—the Second Elder wanted to see her.
Junhua frowned slightly, unease rising in her chest. She was about to find an excuse to avoid it when several experts appeared, insisting on escorting her to the Second Elder by force.
She dared not resist for now and could only comply.
When she arrived, her face immediately changed at the sight of what the Second Elder was toying with in his hand.
It was her inner-sect token—something she always carried for access. When had she lost it? Where could it have fallen?
“I don’t know what this means, Elder,” Junhua said calmly. “Have I done something to offend you?”
The Second Elder smiled coldly, narrowing his eyes. “Then tell me, little girl—why was your token found in the third underground level of the auction site?”
Junhua’s heart sank. She could come up with an excuse for anywhere else—but there? There was no way to explain it.
Her expression darkened.
“Whose side are you on?” the Second Elder pressed. “Are you trying to steal the merfolk from us and make an enemy of the Beast-Taming Manor—or…”
Before he finished, he suddenly struck out with a palm.
At that same moment, Gu Baiqing and Mo Xuanli had gone to see Manor Lord Yu. The lord was puzzled by their sudden decision to leave and sent someone to ask Yu Chun if they’d been poorly treated. Yu Chun didn’t dare say much, only mumbling that perhaps the guests had indeed been displeased.
Manor Lord Yu wanted to keep them—he was still quite interested in Mo Xuanli—but since Mo used the excuse of urgent sect matters, he couldn’t force them to stay.
Given that Yu Chun had offended them earlier, their departure wouldn’t raise suspicion; in fact, it might even put Yu Chun’s mind at ease.
But just as they were about to leave, someone came running in with an urgent report.
Manor Lord Yu’s face darkened. He quickly nodded to the master and disciple, then hurried off, instructing his steward to see them out.
Gu Baiqing felt a faint sense of unease, but for now, he could only follow the steward.
“Master, don’t worry,” Mo Xuanli leaned close and whispered in Gu Baiqing’s ear. “I sent Three Bean to check it out.”
Gu Baiqing relaxed a little—but then his thoughts scattered again because Mo Xuanli’s breath brushed against his ear. After all, last night Mo had leaned in just like this, his low, hoarse voice murmuring by his ear, “Master… does that feel better?”
At that moment, Mo Xuanli hadn’t yet drawn back either, his gaze caught on the flushed red of his master’s ear.
That earlobe was slightly red and swollen—there were even faint, nearly invisible bite marks.
The evidence of his crime from last night.
Mo Xuanli’s eyes went blank for a moment. He swallowed hard. It seemed that… after last night, his self-control had grown even weaker. Without realizing it, his gaze lingered on a certain part of his master’s body again.
Just as the air between master and disciple grew increasingly strange, the steward walking ahead suddenly froze and cried out in shock.
“Heavens—what is that!?”
Both of them snapped back to their senses, only to see that the previously clear sky had, in an instant, turned pitch black with storm clouds. Lightning and thunder split the air.
If it had only been a sudden weather change, the steward wouldn’t have been so terrified—cultivators undergoing breakthroughs sometimes caused phenomena like this.
What horrified him was the sight in the eastern sky.
The two followed his gaze—and froze.
Mo Xuanli was stunned because he had never seen anything like it before. Gu Baiqing, on the other hand, was filled with question marks. Why now???
From the direction of the eastern sea, a towering wall of water—at least ten meters high—was rising like a mountain, rushing straight toward Longan Port, bearing down on them with crushing force. The pressure was so great it felt like the very air was being compressed; the ground itself began to tremble.
The peaceful morning at Longan Port vanished in an instant—replaced by panic, screams, and chaos that soon spread through the Beast-Taming Manor.
The tidal wave was advancing at terrifying speed—as if controlled by some unseen force—so unnaturally fast that it couldn’t possibly be a natural phenomenon. The air was already vibrating with a low hum, and raindrops began to fall from the sky.
At this rate, in less than ten counts, the place would be completely swallowed by the sea.
Mo Xuanli instantly realized—this had to be Junhua’s final move. She meant to bury Longan Port beneath the ocean, to save her people and cleanse the Beast-Taming Manor in blood.
No wonder she’d told them to leave early. Something must have gone wrong.
Mo Xuanli’s face darkened. He immediately pulled Gu Baiqing close, ready to open a spatial void and escape.
But the next instant, his expression changed. He tried again—and failed. The air was rich with spiritual energy, and his own body still held plenty of qi, yet…
“It’s useless. Don’t bother trying,” Gu Baiqing said calmly. “In a moment, just remember to hold your breath.”
“Master…”
“This is Three-Thousand Weak Water.”
Mo Xuanli’s eyes widened in shock. He looked up—the rain falling from above was actually seawater flung ahead of the incoming wave.
That entire tsunami wasn’t ordinary seawater. It was composed of the fabled Three-Thousand Weak Water that surrounded the coral reefs.
Only such water could reduce cultivators to mere mortals—allowing Longan Port to drown, forcing all to taste the fury of the merfolk.
But to summon Three-Thousand Weak Water required a great price. This was the merfolk’s resolve.
….
“Gods—what’s that—!?”
“Young Master! The Manor Lord ordered us to get you out—come quickly!”
….
“Where’s the Eldest Young Miss!?”
“No idea—she’s disappeared!”
“Everyone evacuate, now! The main force of the Weak Water is centered right here!”
“It’s too late—!”
The sky and sea turned over as the floodwaters came crashing down, surging toward the hillside where the Beast-Taming Manor stood. Within moments, people were submerged as if drowning—spells were useless, swimming impossible. The violent current swept everyone away, tossing them helplessly through the torrent before dragging them into the depths of the sea.
Most of Longan Port was swallowed as well; though the impact there was less than at the manor, it was still a scene of devastation.
The moment the water hit, Mo Xuanli clung to Gu Baiqing, refusing to let go.
They were buffeted and thrown about, disoriented. When the first wave passed, the two were caught in a strong undercurrent.
Bodies occasionally slammed into them—people struggling and flailing—then were swept away and vanished.
Gu Baiqing knew that in such a torrent, swimming was impossible. They’d have to wait until the flow eased before they could do anything. Still, was Mo Xuanli holding him too tightly? His waist felt like it was being crushed.
Each time someone collided with them, Mo Xuanli’s arms only tightened further.
Suddenly, in the raging current, Mo Xuanli twisted around sharply, switching their positions.
Before Gu Baiqing could react, he saw—through the whirl of water—a heavy object slammed into Mo Xuanli’s back. Swept along by the current.
Mo Xuanli was… protecting him.
Gu Baiqing frowned slightly, wanting to stop him. He was a man too, his master at that—he didn’t need to be protected like a child.
But again and again, debris struck, until Mo Xuanli’s back was streaked with blood—and Gu Baiqing still couldn’t stop him.
In water, Gu Baiqing couldn’t even speak. He tried to hold Mo Xuanli still, but it was useless—the younger man’s underwater movements were far superior.
Furious and worried, Gu Baiqing could only smack his shoulder in protest.
But Mo Xuanli just hugged him tighter, one hand gently stroking his back, as if to soothe him.
Gu Baiqing was both exasperated and aching with concern.
At last, the current began to calm. Around them stretched only darkness—the visibility was nearly zero. They must have been dragged into the open sea. And since the surrounding water was still Three-Thousand Weak Water, they couldn’t use their powers; only swimming could save them now.
Neither of them noticed that from within Mo Xuanli’s storage pouch, faint ripples of strange energy were spreading outward through the water.
Far away, in the depths of the sea trench, a colossal dragon’s eye slowly opened.
Mo Xuanli finally released Gu Baiqing—but then, right before his eyes, he started untying his belt.
Gu Baiqing was startled, then immediately understood—Mo Xuanli meant to tie them together, so they wouldn’t drift apart.
However, Gu Baiqing suddenly remembered a certain clichéd plot. Before Mo Xuanli could tie the belt around his waist, he quickly darted upward through the water.
Mo Xuanli was caught off guard and immediately tried to chase after him, but his master was swimming too fast. He had already spent much of his strength protecting his master earlier, so he couldn’t catch up. Although he knew that, logically, his master’s reaction made sense—after all, in such a situation, both of them should be swimming upward as fast as possible—
Mo Xuanli’s heart was still filled with anxiety. The light around them was dim; the surface was clearly still far away. From the moment they were pulled underwater until now, they had already used up too much of their breath. They wouldn’t make it to the surface—they’d drown in the sea.
Mo Xuanli had wanted to tie them together precisely so they wouldn’t drift apart. That way, when the crucial moment came, he could transfer breath to his master.
Because he… could breathe underwater.
He had only discovered this after being swept into the sea, and hadn’t had the chance to tell his master yet. He didn’t know why, but at least this way, he could ensure both their safety. The problem was—he couldn’t catch up to his master.
Of course, Gu Baiqing knew what was happening. He wasn’t being willful; he simply knew that the merfolk would soon come to rescue them. So even if he was drowning for a bit, it wouldn’t matter. Moreover, Mo Xuanli couldn’t drown—though the original text never explained why, he was the only one who could breathe in seawater.
And Gu Baiqing’s own cultivation was high; his body was far stronger than ordinary people’s. Even if he drowned briefly, it wouldn’t kill him. He just needed to wait for the merfolk to arrive.
Therefore, there was absolutely no need for that romantic underwater breath-sharing scene from the original plot.
No need!
But Gu Baiqing’s vision was already darkening, his body growing heavier. The few bubbles he exhaled were his final struggle.
Within his dimming sight, he saw no sign of the merfolk—only his disciple rapidly swimming toward him.
When his body was pulled into an embrace, Gu Baiqing felt utterly hopeless.
Really? Was he destined to go through this scene anyway?
They had just gone through an awkward moment not long ago, and now it was happening again? Breath-sharing underwater—wasn’t this going to kill him with embarrassment?
Just as Gu Baiqing was despairing, a flick of a fishtail shimmered nearby.
His eyes lit up, and he hurriedly slapped Mo Xuanli on the shoulder.
But Mo Xuanli misunderstood, thinking his master couldn’t breathe anymore—and panicked.
So, when the merfolk arrived—led by Junhua—they were greeted by the sight of Mo Xuanli kissing Gu Baiqing underwater.
Gu Baiqing’s eyes rolled back, and he completely lost consciousness.
