Three thousand weak water surged back into Longan Port. When the seawater finally receded, chaos reigned. The Beast-Taming Manor’s buildings on the mountain were reduced almost to rubble.
The nearby Ten Thousand Beasts Forest was also affected; its beasts grew restless. The surviving cultivators had to hurry to the boundary to reinforce the barrier and fend off the attacking monsters.
Deep within the forest, a ferocious spirit beast was dozing, seemingly uninterested in the turmoil outside. Suddenly, something heavy fell onto its enormous head.
The beast was about to lash out in anger—but froze mid-motion, as if struck dazed, its whole body trembling uncontrollably.
What had landed on its head were two people—or more precisely, a man carrying a large, round, transparent crystal tank on his back, from which a woman climbed out.
“The Three Thousand Weak Waters have been unleashed. Qinfan, it seems your second sister was driven to desperation and finally took action. Are we too late?”
Qinfan was stunningly beautiful, yet her lovely eyes were blankly fixed on a butterfly fluttering in the distance. She reached out toward it as if wanting to catch it.
“Ah Zhong… butterfly… fly…”
The man trembled slightly. “Alright, I’ll catch it for you.”
At his words, he shifted his foot ever so slightly. The huge beast beneath him—still quivering moments ago—suddenly froze, and its massive eyes flushed red with frightening speed.
“Catch the butterfly for Qinfan first,” the man murmured, “then we’ll go check the Beast-Taming Manor… and take care of the Saintess’s instructions.”
Meanwhile, the small fishing village remained unharmed, thanks to the repaired barrier. But everyone had been frightened by the strange tsunami that had erupted nearby.
Villagers gathered to discuss it, talking about the merfolk—because when the tsunami hit, they seemed to have heard the merfolk’s song echoing from the sea.
Someone asked Gong Zixing about it, and he immediately used the chance to say, “I heard that over in Longan Port, they’ve been capturing and selling merfolk—terribly cruel business. Looks like retribution finally caught up to them.”
The crowd quickly nodded in agreement. After all, their own village had never done such things. They always treated encounters with merfolk as rare wonders, and any trades with them were done properly. They had only heard that the neighboring harbor dealt in the merfolk trade.
Because of this incident, even those who might have had such cruel thoughts would no longer dare act recklessly.
Just then, Gong Zixing saw his pregnant wife walking back from the cliffside.
He hurried to her, worried. She raised her arm slightly—and there, clinging to her sleeve, was Three Bean.
“Brother Mo’s contract beast?”
“What should we do? Could they be in danger?” his wife asked anxiously.
“I don’t know,” Gong Zixing replied. “Let’s wait until Three Bean wakes up—he can sense his master’s condition. For now, stay inside the barrier. Don’t go out. I’m sure someone will come here to investigate soon.”
His wife nodded quickly, though she couldn’t help but turn back toward the sea, her face full of worry.
Gong Zixing wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. “It’ll be alright.”
The next day, Three Bean woke up. He could sense that Gu Baiqing was still safe—though his location was strange. He was… under the sea.
When Three Bean pointed in the direction, Gong Zixing’s wife said that was where the coral reef was.
Three Bean immediately relaxed. “I knew it—Junhua must have saved them. I knew that little lass wasn’t that heartless.”
“Junhua?” Gong Zixing asked. “You mean, the merfolk you know?”
But his wife suddenly looked alarmed. “Junhua? You met a female merfolk named Junhua?”
Three Bean nodded and described her appearance. His wife was stunned. “Then they’re definitely fine.”
“Why?” Gong Zixing asked.
“Because Junhua is… the second princess of the merfolk.”
Both Gong Zixing and Three Bean were stunned. Junhua was actually a princess of the merfolk clan?!
Just then, someone knocked on the door. Gong Zixing immediately signaled the others to suppress their auras and went out to answer it himself.
The moment he opened the door, his brows furrowed—it was someone from the Beast-Taming Manor, a face he’d seen a few times before.
“Gong Zixing, notify the Zixiao Sect immediately. Their personal disciple, Mo Xuanli, was caught up in the merfolk’s attack on the Beast-Taming Manor and is now presumed dead or missing. Tell Zixiao Sect to send people to assist as soon as possible.”
Gong Zixing’s eyes flickered slightly, and he immediately acted the part. “What? Something like this happened?”
“Yes,” the man said grimly. “We’ve already informed all the sects whose disciples were attacked at Longan Port. It’s clear now—the merfolk clan intends to make enemies of cultivators. Everyone must be prepared.”
Gong Zixing nodded quickly. “Understood. I’ll inform them at once. How’s the situation at Longan Port?”
“Our Beast-Taming Manor suffered the heaviest losses protecting the harbor. Many bodies have already been pulled from the sea. As of now, even our young mistress’s life or death is unknown.”
When the messenger mentioned the young mistress, he sighed sincerely before finally leaving.
When Gong Zixing returned inside, his wife and Three Bean were both watching him closely.
Gong Zixing’s expression was grim. “It seems things are about to get troublesome.”
His wife immediately stood up. “I need to go back.”
“I’m going with you. I have to find my master and Xuanli,” Three Bean said at once.
“No,” Gong Zixing said firmly. “It’s too dangerous. You’re still pregnant, and the child carries mixed blood—the Weak Water barrier won’t recognize it. In your condition, you might not be able to pass through the Weak Water, and bringing Three Bean with you would make it even more impossible.”
His wife grew anxious. “Can’t you see what’s happening? They’re gathering forces to attack the coral reef—to go after the merfolk!”
This incident would be used as a pretext to mobilize the sects. The development would surely bring great harm to the merfolk clan.
“Don’t forget,” Gong Zixing said quickly, “they can’t cross the Weak Water. No matter how many people they bring or how powerful they are, it’s useless. And… there’s something strange about all this.”
His wife looked at him, puzzled.
Gong Zixing continued, “Before Brother Mo left, he told me—no matter what happens here, I’m not to inform Zixiao Sect for a month. It was as if… he had already foreseen that something would go wrong.”
His wife froze.
Three Bean also looked confused.
Gong Zixing went on, “Besides, they can’t pass through the Weak Water anyway. And I believe your Second Princess won’t act rashly—she must have anticipated retaliation and won’t be unprepared. Moreover, both Young Master Mos are still at the coral reef. They’ll be fine.”
He reassured his wife, then turned to Three Bean. “You should stay here for now. When you sense that Brother Mo has returned to shore, then go find him. Don’t take unnecessary risks. We can observe the situation from here.”
His reasoning was sound, and both his wife and Three Bean accepted his advice.
But inwardly, Gong Zixing was resentful—resentful that the Three Thousand Weak Waters hadn’t wiped out the scum from Beast-Taming Manor in one go. How could they recover and retaliate so quickly?
Sure enough, the moment they caught their breath, they began scheming again—using others to kill on their behalf, sowing discord. He only hoped this wouldn’t escalate into an all-out war; if it did, countless lives would be lost, and even his own wife and child wouldn’t be safe.
Meanwhile, on a desolate island in the middle of the sea, Yu Yingwan slowly regained consciousness.
Her memory was still stuck on the moment she had just driven away Little Yezi.
She had originally intended to send Little Yezi for interrogation, but her old internal injury suddenly flared up. In her panic, she hadn’t brought medicine with her—and collapsed on the spot.
When she woke, not only was she fine, but Little Yezi was right beside her, eyes red and face full of worry.
She couldn’t understand why this boy—someone she had known for only two days—was looking at her with such a strange, desperate gaze, as though seeing her wake was the greatest joy in the world.
And yet, she had just been about to send him off for questioning.
Even when she raised her blade again to his throat, making him freeze in terror, no matter how she interrogated him, Little Yezi refused to say anything.
In the end, Yu Yingwan hadn’t sent him for interrogation—she had decided to drive him out of the Beast-Taming Manor instead.
She didn’t believe such a fragile-looking youth could pose any threat to the villa. If he truly had, he would never have dared come back.
So she allowed herself a moment of softness—and let him go.
But unexpectedly, as soon as she returned, the tsunami struck.
In the midst of it, no spiritual power could be used, and even her summoned contracted beast had been swept away.
Yu Yingwan instantly realized—this was the merfolk’s Three Thousand Weak Waters.
The Beast-Taming Manor and the merfolk clan had been mortal enemies for generations, often capturing merfolk. She didn’t know exactly what the manor did with them, but she was sure it was tied to vengeance. As for the captured merfolk being sold—she knew of it, and believed they deserved it. To her, the merfolk were evil creatures who bewitched and harmed humans.
After all, her mother, her two older brothers, and many of the women in her family had all died at the hands of merfolk. If the manor was striking back, she would be the first to stand in support. Her desire to inherit the master’s seat was not for power, but for revenge.
But she hadn’t expected that the Three Thousand Weak Waters, which protected the coral reef, would suddenly surge onto land and strike the Beast-Taming Manor instead.
Yu Yingwan coughed up seawater, forced her eyes open, and saw—under the harsh sunlight—a figure leaning over her, shouting urgently: “Miss! Miss, wake up! You can’t fall asleep—if you sleep, you’ll die!”
It was Little Yezi’s voice.
Yes, she remembered—in the water, when she was on the verge of drowning, a frail figure had appeared, giving her breath again and again, keeping her alive. That person had been the same boy she’d just driven away.
But—
Yu Yingwan’s eyes flashed cold. She suddenly sprang up and, in one swift motion, clamped her hand tightly around Little Yezi’s throat.
Little Yezi was so shocked that he didn’t even have time to react—by the time the feeling of suffocation spread up his neck, he was already struggling instinctively.
Meanwhile, Yu Yingwan’s gaze had shifted downward. She remembered fragments of what she saw in the water—if it hadn’t been for this boy’s ability to move freely beneath the waves, she would have been dragged into the deep sea and drowned. So when she saw the lower half of his body—the fish tail trailing in the seawater—her expression finally twisted with fury.
Her grip tightened viciously as she snarled at the boy who was struggling in pain before her: “You’re a merfolk! You lied to me! You were the one who attacked Beast-Taming Manor!”
“I’m not… I am a merfolk, but I didn’t attack…” Little Yezi struggled to speak, tears bursting forth and turning instantly into pearls as they fell.
He did, in fact, know a little of Junhua’s plan—but he believed that fighting evil with evil was wrong. It would only bring trouble upon their people. He wanted to find a peaceful solution that wouldn’t endanger their kind. Yet the priests of the tribe all supported Junhua’s plan, leaving him no choice but to leave.
At Beast-Taming Manor, he thought Junhua had already found their people and wouldn’t do anything reckless again—but he was still too naïve.
“I really didn’t know things would turn out like this. I just wanted to find my people… and to find you.” Little Yezi felt himself on the verge of death, so he could only sob out the words. At the very least, before he died, he wanted to tell her— “I came to find you, Sister. Don’t you remember me? Twelve years ago, you saved a stranded little merfolk by the shore. Everyone wanted to catch me, but you treated my wounds and secretly sent me back to the sea. Do you remember? I promised to collect pearls of every color to make you a necklace. Have you really forgotten me?”
Yu Yingwan’s hand stiffened. Her expression shifted several times—and just as Little Yezi was about to be strangled to death, she suddenly released him.
Little Yezi fell back into the sea. After a while, he swam back up and saw Yu Yingwan standing coldly on the shore, looking down at him.
Little Yezi shrank his neck timidly, wanting to retreat into the water, but in the end he couldn’t help inching closer to her.
Yu Yingwan’s pupils constricted as she looked at the merfolk who dared to come near despite everything.
“Sister, you remember—”
“I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’ll let you go, but only because you saved me in the sea. I, Yu Yingwan, don’t owe anyone a debt. Don’t appear before me again—or I will kill you. Now go!”
Little Yezi shuddered in fear, staring blankly at Yu Yingwan as she turned and walked deeper into the island.
After a moment’s thought, he called out loudly, “This area is part of the Weak Water Domain—you can’t use spiritual power here! Unless a ship comes near, you won’t be able to leave safely.”
Yu Yingwan had clearly already tested that; she ignored him completely. Waiting to die wasn’t an option—she would have to build a raft to leave this place.
In the end, Little Yezi still came ashore. He waited for the sunlight to dry his body so he could shift into human form. He remembered how, when they had been in the sea, they had encountered reefs several times—and each time, it was Yu Yingwan who suddenly woke and pulled him out of danger. Because of that, she must have gotten hurt.
Without spiritual power and already injured—how could Little Yezi possibly feel at ease?
Once his body had dried and he’d taken human form, he hurried inland to look for her. Sure enough, he soon found Yu Yingwan unconscious.
…
Gu Baiqing woke with a start—only to be nearly blinded by the dazzling scene before him.
The room truly was a spectacle of color. Most of it was made from jade, pearls, shells, and coral, all glowing with a soft, dreamlike luster. Through the windows, he could even see the ocean outside, teeming with marine creatures—and of course, the unmistakable sight of merfolk.
“Ah, you’re awake!” a crisp, childish voice suddenly rang out.
Gu Baiqing turned his head and saw a very pretty little girl holding a tray, staring at him with wide, curious eyes.
The moment he looked back at her, she turned and ran out.
A moment later, a cluster of small heads appeared at the door, all peeking in at him as if he were some exotic creature.
He felt like a specimen on display.
“You all—”
“Ah! The land person can talk! He really can talk, just like us!”
“Of course he can. But we’re still better—we can grow tails and breathe underwater! They can’t. If they’re not careful, they’ll drown. So we have to be careful and not take them swimming!”
“Really? That’s so pitiful… they’re so weak.”
They were a bunch of six- or seven-year-olds, chattering noisily and giving him no chance to speak. Seeing how lively they were, Gu Baiqing gave up trying to interrupt and started looking around on his own.
Finally, he spotted something like a screen, which seemed to divide off another section of the room.
Even though his mind was still foggy from just waking—still processing the embarrassment of being stared at by a crowd—he grew anxious when he realized he hadn’t seen Mo Xuanli anywhere. Spotting that screen gave him hope. He got up, a little unsteady on his feet, and hurried toward it.
He went around the screen—and froze.
On the bed before him was a sight so shocking that every hair on his body stood up. He spun around at once, turning his back to it.
Wait—what had he just seen? That profile—he couldn’t be mistaken. It was Mo Xuanli.
But why was Mo Xuanli lying there, face-down and unconscious?
And why… was he completely naked?!
That was way too—indecent! Who did this?
Maybe he’d seen it wrong? He should check again… If it really was that bad, he’d better cover him up—there were children outside, after all!
Gu Baiqing hesitated, then cautiously peeked back around the screen.
From his angle, he first saw a pair of long, well-shaped legs—there were a few injuries there. Then—ahem—the skin was fair… the lines of his waist were surprisingly good… that waist really looked powerful. Below the broad shoulders, the muscles of his back were well-defined—but there were many wounds.
Just as Gu Baiqing frowned, a familiar female voice suddenly sounded behind him.
“What are you doing sneaking a look at your brother’s body like that? Is it nice to look at?”
