Ch 76: The Cannon Fodder Won’t Play Along Anymore [QT]

The mermen did not believe his words.

The eldest among them, who acted as their captain, Bi Fei, said:
“If Ying Luo hears of this, he will surely bring that human and save us. He must not know what has happened yet.”

She had absolute faith in her clansman.

The others nodded as well, convinced that was the truth.

Mu Xing realized mere words could never sway them.

He thought of something and said:
“Don’t we have the secret art to contact Ying Luo? Let’s call for his help directly.”

Bi Fei hesitated.
“But that can only be used when life is truly in peril…”

Before she could finish, Mu Xing clutched his chest, face deathly pale, and toppled sideways.

The mermen beside him hurriedly supported him.

Mu Xing looked weak and whispered:
“Big Sister Bi Fei, I feel so awful. If I don’t get back into water soon… I’ll die.”

Bi Fei’s expression changed. They had no water left. Translated on hololonovels.

The adults could still endure a little longer, but Xiao Xing was only a child.

The mermen were few in number. Sometimes a hundred years passed before a single infant was born. Each child was a treasured jewel of the clan.

Xiao Xing should have been lying beneath the clear, beautiful seawater basking in sunlight, not wasting away like this.

Bi Fei hardened her resolve. She extended her right hand, drew a nail across her left wrist. A droplet of blood, red with a tinge of dark gold, fell—yet it did not reach the floor, instead suspending in the air.

Closing her eyes, she chanted an obscure incantation, then snapped them open.

The blood began to burn in the void, releasing a unique scent only mermen could sense.

The ritual lasted only a few breaths, but Bi Fei was clearly drained. Her pale face lost all color, and her companions rushed to support her.

—Meanwhile, hundreds of li away, in a hidden cave—

A disheveled yet breathtakingly beautiful young man stirred awake.

The wind and mist carried to him his people’s plea: they were calling for him, asking him to bring the human.

Ying Luo’s face flickered with conflict. He turned to the man lying on the hay.

Chu Xu was burning with fever, his whole body hot, his lips cracked and bleeding.

Earlier that day, when drinking from a forest spring, Ying Luo had gleaned from friendly water spirits some news: his clansmen were besieged, their captors demanding he hand over Chu Xu.

But Chu Xu—if discovered—would surely be killed.

The clan was different. The humans had no deep hatred toward them; they might not kill outright.

Or so he told himself. And the clan is so strong. Surely those humans cannot harm them all.

Yes. He reassured himself—his clansmen would be fine.

But if Chu Xu appeared, he would certainly die.

Biting his lip, Ying Luo stared in the direction of the plea. Tears silently slid down, and he whispered countless apologies.

Pearls clattered onto the ground.

But no one left the cave.

—

In the dark cell, the mermen waited long, but no response came from Ying Luo.

Bi Fei’s face was pale.
“What’s going on? Did Ying Luo not see my message?”

Mu Xing was equally pale. He hadn’t been faking entirely—his chest throbbed with pain.

And without water, his whole body felt aflame, every touch like tearing flesh.

“We can’t wait for him,” he said softly. “We must find our own way out.”

Dozens of breathtakingly beautiful faces turned toward him, wide eyes blinking.

Mu Xing suddenly felt a pang of softness.

“But we… we have no strength,” one striking beauty murmured in despair. “Even my nails can’t scratch these walls.”

“I have a way,” Mu Xing said faintly, his weak voice floating. “But I’ll need your cooperation.”

No one answered.

Perplexed, he looked up—and found every single one of them, even the steady Bi Fei, staring at him in amazement.

“Xiao Xing, you’ve changed so much,” Bi Fei said.

Mu Xing’s heart skipped. Had he revealed too much? If they suspected him now, it would be disastrous.

But before he could invent an excuse, Bi Fei added brightly:
“You talk more now, and seem much smarter too. Ying Luo always said going out into the world broadens the mind—he was right!”

The others nodded in agreement.

Mu Xing: “…”

Alright, he had been overthinking it.

These mermen had no intricate schemes or paranoia.

Realizing that, all his worries faded.

Propped up by a clansman, he stood.
“I have a plan to get us out. Just follow my instructions.”

The mermen exchanged looks. They weren’t fully convinced, but seeing the child’s firm expression, they decided—even if it came to nothing, they would humor the little one.

—

Outside the dark cell, countless military tents stood. In the central command tent, several men were speaking.

“General, are we really going to kill one merman every day?” someone asked.

The general was a burly man with a beard. At those words, he replied:
“This is His Highness Prince Ding’s order. His Highness is in a fury—we need only obey.”

The man sighed with regret.
“What a pity. Those mermen… each one of them is of peerless beauty. If we could just have one to ourselves…”

He smacked his lips.
“That would be paradise on earth.”

The general chuckled.
“If that’s the case, we’ll keep a few alive, so we brothers can reward ourselves properly…”

The men in the tent all burst into laughter.

Just then, a guard hurried to the entrance.

“General, a merman has come out, saying he’s willing to reveal the traitor Chu Xu’s whereabouts.”

“Truly?” The general’s spirit stirred.

He loved beauty, yes—but he understood well that the most important matter was capturing the traitor. If not, he would never survive Prince Ding’s wrath.

If power was lost—if even his life was lost—what use was beauty?

Mu Xing, supported by Bi Fei, was led out of the cell by the guards.

It turned out it was night outside.

They were in the mountains. At intervals, soldiers stood guard with torches. In the distance, clusters of tents gathered together.

The sound of hooves fell. Upon a black steed sat a towering bearded man.

Drawing on the memories of the merman body, Mu Xing recognized him as the commander of the pursuers.

The general looked at the pair brought forth—one tall, one small.

Both had long, slightly curled blue hair. The taller woman’s features were so gentle and refined one hardly dared to breathe too loudly in her presence. The smaller one wore the garb of the merfolk, hair loose, delicate features ambiguous between male and female.

Both were unmatched beauties rarely seen in the world.

The general’s throat bobbed unconsciously. If he could claim such exquisite beings for himself…

But then the smaller merman’s clear eyes looked straight at him—like the snows of the far north—shattering his lewd thoughts to dust.

The general steadied himself, did not dismount. He raised his whip, pointing at the pair.
“You know where that traitor Chu Xu is?”

Mu Xing nodded.

The general’s heart leapt.
“Where? Take me to him at once!”

Mu Xing tilted his head and asked,
“If I tell you, will you let us go?”

His voice was clear and ethereal, like pearls falling onto jade, making hearts quiver.

The general narrowed his eyes and smiled.
“Once I’ve caught the traitor, naturally I’ll let you go.”

But the little merman’s autumn-water eyes fixed coldly on him.
“You lie.”

The general froze, then barked in anger:
“What did you say?”

Mu Xing ignored him, speaking calmly:
“We mermen are a race blessed by the Sea God. You first humiliated us, and now you try to deceive us. Are you truly unafraid of the Sea God’s wrath?”

Just as he spoke, a breeze rose in the mountains, chilling the spine.

The general tightened his reins and sneered.
“What Sea God? There are no gods in this world…”

Even as he spoke, the little merman curved his lips in a cold smile and opened his mouth.

That clear, enchanting voice rang through the entire camp:

“Those who humiliate my clan and show no reverence for the Sea God shall bear divine wrath.”

Boom!

A storm broke. Dark purple lightning fell from the heavens, striking the general squarely.

The horses panicked, breaking their tethers and rampaging through the camp. Chaos erupted as soldiers rushed to check on their commander.

At the same time, fog began to rise through the forest, thickening until no one could see.

Mu Xing’s whole body shook, too weak to stand.

Bi Fei simply hoisted him onto her back. She heard him whisper in her ear:
“No one will bother us now. Use this chance—take our people and run. Don’t stop. Go back to the sea!”

He finished—and fainted, his condition dire.

Bi Fei dared not delay. Following his words, she broke open the cell in the confusion, and the group fled into the forest without looking back.

The night wind and mist guided their path, helping them evade enemies and patrols until they found a river—and dove in headfirst.

For the merfolk, finding water was like finding home.

The torment binding Mu Xing’s body finally ebbed. His tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and he drifted into peaceful slumber.

That sleep was blissful.

When Mu Xing awoke, every part of his body felt refreshed. All pain was gone.

He opened his eyes—and to his astonishment, realized he was underwater.

The water was crystal-clear. Unknown green water plants floated about. Small fish darted past.

He breathed naturally, marveling at the sensation.

He raised his hand to stir the water, opened his mouth, and released a few round bubbles.

Looking upward, his eyes widened.

Not far away, his clansmen slumbered, long hair like drifting seaweed. Their legs had become silver-blue tails. Sunlight streamed down from above, spilling over the sleeping merfolk—an image so beautiful it stole the breath.

❣╰(⸝⸝⸝꒳⸝⸝⸝)╯❣