Ch 84: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Beneath the Sea of Tears, where light couldn’t penetrate, the deep ocean was tangled with seaweed and teeming with leisurely swimming fish.

At the edge of a steep undersea trench sat a male merfolk.

He idly played with a strand of seaweed, his vacant gaze fixed on the fish swimming past the trench. His silver tail hung limply over the edge of the cliff.

Hidden behind a cluster of coral, Jiao Niang watched the young merfolk’s melancholy figure, her eyes filled with sorrow.

He was her child.

But he didn’t understand her. He didn’t love her.

Jiao Niang stared at him, her tears turning into pearls that sank one by one to the seabed.

Lu Yao, having left the crystal palace, used the coral whistle gifted by the waterdrop seal to summon a bubble that isolated her from the seawater.

Her plan was to ride the bubble to the surface and then find her way back to the Chongdeng Inn to reunite with Zeyuan and Mo Bao.

She fixed two everlasting lights to the top and front of the bubble for visibility. As the bubble ascended slowly, her view gradually broadened.

That’s when she saw the pink-tailed merfolk hidden behind the coral, along with the pink pearls scattering like beans in the water.

Lu Yao paused. So this was what it looked like when merfolk cried.

During the New Year, the waterdrop seal had taken Lu Yao to see a trench filled with pearls.

Since Lu Yao liked them, the little seal had made a habit of collecting them during patrols, tossing any it found into the trench to store for her.

Bit by bit, the collection had grown.

It was said that the deep-sea goddess would shed pearls unconsciously while sleeping, and they would accumulate outside her temple.

Upon learning of Lu Yao’s fondness for them, the seals who guarded the goddess took turns collecting those divine pearls to gift her.

Lu Yao indeed had a tendency to hoard items, though not excessively.

Now, seeing the pink pearls scattered all over the seabed, she found herself unable to move on.

Following Jiao Niang’s line of sight, she saw a silver-tailed merfolk sitting on a reef.

That must be Xie Zili, the young master of the Xie family who had been “abducted.”

Jiao Niang noticed the presence in the water and turned around, spotting Lu Yao sitting in the bubble. She wiped away her tears, her brows furrowing. “What are you doing here?”

Lu Yao gave an awkward smile. “It’s a bit of a long story.”

Jiao Niang had abducted Lu Yao for the box, and now that she had it, she didn’t care whether Lu Yao stayed or left.

But seeing Lu Yao wandering about on her own, Jiao Niang sneered. “Did that old woman let you out?”

Lu Yao stepped back. “Not exactly.”

In truth, she had escaped on her own.

The ocean was Jiao Niang’s domain, and it didn’t take much effort for her to catch up. With a flick of her massive tail, she trapped Lu Yao’s bubble. “Where is the old woman? Did you hide her?”

Lu Yao shook her head. “No, it’s just me.”

Jiao Niang didn’t believe her. “Don’t waste my time. She’s with the box you hid—hand her over.”

Jiao Niang had already searched Lu Yao earlier and found no storage pouch or box.

But moments ago, Lu Yao had produced the box seemingly out of thin air, leading Jiao Niang to assume she had hidden Madam Xie in some unfamiliar artifact.

Lu Yao said, “I really didn’t take Madam Xie. She’s still lying on the shell bed in the crystal palace. If you don’t believe me, go check.”

Jiao Niang ignored her and tightened her tail, ready to crush the bubble.

“Jiao Niang, who’s this?”

The young male merfolk, hearing the commotion, swam over and saw Jiao Niang holding a human woman with her tail. His face turned pale. “You said if I stayed here, you wouldn’t go ashore again. Why have you brought another girl here?”

Jiao Niang released Lu Yao and turned to explain to the young merfolk. “Zili, I didn’t abduct her. She… she accidentally fell into the water. I was just about to send her back to shore.”

Lu Yao: “…”

Xie Zili’s face was filled with disappointment as he backed away, his tail swaying. “I heard everything. Why do you keep lying? I’ve agreed to stay here, to always be with you. Look at me—I can’t leave even if I wanted to. Isn’t it enough that you’ve taken Grandmother? Why drag innocent people into this? What are you trying to do?”

Jiao Niang, initially soft-spoken, became shrill under Xie Zili’s accusations. “What do I want to do? Why don’t you ask what that old woman wants to do? Zili, you are a merfolk. You shouldn’t return to the human world—you’ll only get hurt. But that old woman refuses to give up and still wants to take you back to the surface. I can’t… I can’t let you end up like me…”

Pain filled Xie Zili’s eyes, his expression one of utter despair.

He had great potential. At five, he joined the Lingxiao Sword Sect. By fifteen, he had become an inner disciple and was fortunate enough to be taken in as the sect master’s student.

Had he focused on his cultivation, it wouldn’t have been long before he found his path in the way of the sword.

But everything fell apart when he was sixteen.

The day before his grandmother’s birthday banquet, Xie Zili returned home. While strolling through the garden, he accidentally fell into the water, and his legs suddenly transformed into a massive silver tail, shocking everyone in the household.

As the youngest of his generation, Xie Zili had always believed himself to be the legitimate young master of the Xie family. He had never questioned his identity.

But he was a half-demon.

At sixteen, he learned that he wasn’t the child of his supposed father and mother but rather the offspring of his father and a merfolk.

The day it happened, Father Xie fainted upon hearing the servant’s report.

No one in the household dared approach Xie Zili, who was left stranded in a small pond, exposed and helpless.

It was then that Jiao Niang appeared and took him away.

From that day on, N City was rife with rumors that a merfolk had abducted the Xie family’s young master.

Merfolk come of age at sixteen. Upon reaching adulthood, their bloodline awakens, and they inherit their race’s ancestral memories.

For half-demons like Xie Zili, this awakening caused their legs to transform into tails, marking their hybrid nature.

Jiao Niang brought Xie Zili back to the Sea of Tears to live with her as a merfolk.

But for the first sixteen years of his life, Xie Zili had lived as a human. He wasn’t used to life in the deep sea.

In his heart, his mother was still the madam of the Xie family, not an unpredictable merfolk.

Every time he saw his unsightly tail and thought of Jiao Niang, he couldn’t suppress his resentment.

Why had she given birth to him?

Because of her, his entire life was ruined.

Xie Zili had initially resigned himself to his situation.

But less than half a year later, Jiao Niang abducted Madam Xie and brought her to the sea.

No matter how much Xie Zili begged or coaxed her, Jiao Niang refused to let his grandmother return to the surface.

Frustrated and powerless, Xie Zili’s repressed emotions boiled over when he saw Jiao Niang had captured another unfamiliar woman.

He didn’t want to accommodate her anymore.

A demon is still a demon, he thought. They don’t understand reason or human emotions.

Faced with the young man’s heated accusations, Jiao Niang lowered her head, unable to respond. Pink pearls continued to fall from her eyes, but this time they were streaked with blood, each one redder than the last.

Lu Yao, who typically avoided meddling in other people’s family matters, found the atmosphere unbearably tense and awkward. Still, the sight of Jiao Niang crying so heartbreakingly moved her.

Recalling Madam Xie’s earlier story, Lu Yao finally spoke. “Xie Zili, stop blaming her. I’m here because of Jiao Niang, but only to return something to her. Now that it’s done, I’m preparing to leave. As for why Jiao Niang brought Madam Xie here, perhaps you should ask her yourself.”

Jiao Niang abruptly looked up, her gaze toward Lu Yao filled with surprise and confusion.

Xie Zili frowned. “What’s going on?”

Lu Yao turned to Jiao Niang. “If you have something to say, just say it.”

Jiao Niang, however, only stared at Lu Yao. “You truly didn’t take the old woman with you?”

Lu Yao’s inventory could temporarily carry living beings, but Madam Xie had insisted on staying behind, asking only that Lu Yao ensure Xie Zili’s escape.

Lu Yao shook her head. “No, she really is still there.”

Jiao Niang tilted her head slightly, her expression curious. “You’re so strange.”

Lu Yao: “…”

Xie Zili also looked at Lu Yao with confusion.

Madam Xie had revealed the entire history between the Xie family and Jiao Niang to persuade Lu Yao to agree to take Xie Zili away.

It was only much later that Jiao Niang confided in Lu Yao herself, but she had vowed never to tell Xie Zili these truths.

Seventeen years ago, shortly after Jiao Niang gave birth, she was sent to a remote estate by the Xie family.

The steward of the estate, emboldened by her fall from grace and captivated by her beauty, harbored vile intentions.

But Jiao Niang had regained her memories by then and, after years of living among humans, was no longer the naive and helpless girl she once was.

One rainy night, Jiao Niang killed the steward who tried to harm her. Covered in blood, she dragged herself back to the Xie family manor, only to see the eldest young master and his new wife happily holding her child.

Filled with hatred, Jiao Niang revealed her demon form. The sight terrified the young master and his wife, who fainted on the spot.

Only the infant, unaware of anything, reached out with tiny hands, cooing softly as he gently gripped Jiao Niang’s fingertip.

The overwhelming resentment in Jiao Niang’s heart softened slightly.

This child carried half of her merfolk blood and would one day need to return to the sea.

Jiao Niang picked him up, intending to take him away.

Hearing the commotion, Madam Xie arrived with a demon catcher in tow.

The experienced exorcist struck Jiao Niang with a binding talisman, immobilizing her on the spot.

Madam Xie personally took the infant from Jiao Niang’s arms and ordered the exorcist to drive her away.

However, the exorcist grew greedy and attempted to capture Jiao Niang for his own purposes.

Risking the backlash of her demon power, Jiao Niang forcibly advanced her cultivation, breaking free from the talisman’s constraints. Severely injured, she fled to an abandoned courtyard and leaped into a well.

The well contained a secret passage leading to the Sea of Tears, a route Jiao Niang had prepared in her early days of living at the Xie estate.

Grievously wounded, Jiao Niang returned to the sea, but her injuries took a long time to heal.

Even so, she couldn’t stop thinking about the child she left behind at the Xie family. She counted the days, waiting for the right time.

Her original plan was to take Xie Zili before his coming of age, but the Xie family’s vigilance forced her to delay.

By the time she managed to sneak back into the Xie manor, years had passed, and Xie Zili’s demon blood had awakened.

He had already transformed into his hybrid form within the estate due to the surge in power from his awakening.

Jiao Niang took him away without hesitation.

To outsiders, it seemed like the Xie family’s young master had been abducted by a merfolk, and the Xie family servants, all dismissed, revealed nothing.

There was another hidden truth: since seeing Jiao Niang’s demon form, Master Xie had been haunted by a shadow in his heart. For years, his health declined, leaving him incapable of fathering more children with either his wife or concubines.

This meant that Xie Zili was now Xie family’s only heir.

Despite Xie Zili being a half-demon, Master Xie and Old Madam Xie were unwilling to give up on him.

Together, they planned to seek out the demon catcher from years ago.

Meanwhile, Jiao Niang noticed Xie Zili’s persistent gloom after bringing him to the Sea of Tears. Taking another risk, she sneaked back to the Xie estate to retrieve some of Xie Zili’s belongings, hoping it might cheer him up.

It was then that she overheard their plans and, in a fit of anger, abducted Madam Xie.

Without his mother, Master Xie was powerless—nothing more than a paper tiger.

Xie Zili, however, could not comprehend Jiao Niang’s actions. Their mother-son relationship became a tense and stubborn standoff.

Now, hearing Lu Yao’s words, Xie Zili turned without another word and went to find Old Madam Xie.

Tears welled up again in Jiao Niang’s eyes.

Lu Yao sighed softly, a hint of helplessness in her tone. “Jiao Niang, would you like to come with me?”

Jiao Niang stared at her, baffled. “Go with you? To where?”

Lu Yao smiled. “I’ve opened a shop on Baixian Mountain, and I’m in need of a beautiful shop assistant. I think you’d be perfect.”

For some reason, when Lu Yao looked at this merfolk, she was reminded of her late mother.

Though they shared no resemblance, both had lived turbulent lives.

If left as they were, it was likely that in ten or twenty years, Jiao Niang and Xie Zili would still fail to understand each other, leaving only regret and estrangement.

Lu Yao rarely made impulsive decisions, but if Jiao Niang was willing, she wanted to bring her to Baixian Mountain.

Meanwhile, Zeyuan and Mo Bao, accompanied by Chi Jiumeng, rushed to the Sea of Tears, ready to dive in to search for Lu Yao.

With a splash, a large wave broke on the shallows. Lu Yao, Xie Zili, and Old Madam Xie emerged from the water, walking toward the shore.

Mo Bao shouted, “Lu Yao! How did you escape on your own?”

Seeing the three figures on the shore, Lu Yao quickened her steps.

Chi Jiumeng was as surprised as Mo Bao.

This human woman had escaped unscathed from the clutches of a merfolk—something she had not expected.

She had been looking forward to a grand scene of the Demon Lord rescuing the damsel, only for it to end anticlimactically. How dull.

Xie Zili, too, noticed the trio on the shore. Relieved that Jiao Niang hadn’t stubbornly kept Lu Yao, he felt a faint chill at the thought of what might have happened otherwise.

Back in the crystal palace, Xie Zili hadn’t yet managed to get answers from Old Madam Xie about the reason for her abduction. Before he could press further, Jiao Niang appeared and, surprisingly, insisted he escort both Old Madam Xie and Lu Yao back.

Without hesitation, Xie Zili complied, leading the two of them to the surface.

After reuniting with Zeyuan, Mo Bao, and Chi Jiumeng, Lu Yao waved to Xie Zili as a farewell.

Xie Zili didn’t approach, simply nodding in return before turning to take Old Madam Xie back to Ni City on his sword.

He planned to return to the Sea of Tears after safely delivering his grandmother to the Xie family estate, resolved to stay peacefully with Jiao Niang.

Just as the trio prepared to leave, Lu Yao stopped them.

“Wait a moment, there’s one more person.”

Chi Jiumeng raised an eyebrow. “Who?”

Lu Yao turned her gaze toward the sea.

A merfolk leaped from the water and swam toward the shore.

Lu Yao introduced her to Zeyuan and Mo Bao, “This is Jiao Niang, my shop’s new assistant.”

Before they could respond, Chi Jiumeng blurted out, “Isn’t this the merfolk who abducted you?”

Jiao Niang came ashore, her pink fish tail transforming into human legs. With a flick of her hand, she cast a spell to don a human outfit and carried the black makeup box she held so dear.

Lu Yao asked, “That’s all you’re bringing?”

Jiao Niang shook her head, walked past Lu Yao, and placed the cherished makeup box on the shore. “Let’s go.”

She had long since let go of that person. What she couldn’t release was the dreamlike time they’d shared, a memory that had turned into resentment because it could never be relived.

Lu Yao hesitated. “Did you tell him?”

Jiao Niang shook her head. “He won’t return after this trip. I think there’s some truth to your words, so I’ll go with you to Baixian Mountain. If it doesn’t work out, I can always come back.”

Lu Yao smiled. “I doubt you’ll want to return so quickly.”

Chi Jiumeng was still confused. “What’s going on?”

Lu Yao turned to Zeyuan, a bit embarrassed. “I’d like to take Jiao Niang to settle in at Baixian Mountain first. Can we go to the city tomorrow to find what you’re looking for?”

Zeyuan had been quietly watching Lu Yao the whole time—from the moment she emerged from the water and walked to the shore, to when she spoke to others. His gaze never left her.

Finally, as she turned her eyes to him and spoke, he blinked, pressing a hand to his chest in confusion. “It’s fine.”

It seemed he had already found the thing he had been searching the heavens and earth for.

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