Chapter 11. Such beautiful things as heavy rain cannot be retained.

The mining project is progressing day by day.

One day, a huge explosion resounded throughout the entire Liyue Village, announcing that the Qin family had finally found the mineral vein.

The Qin family was overjoyed and held a grand celebration banquet. The villagers were also happy; they had gained a lot of silks, satins, gold, and silver jewelry by doing business with the Qin family, and some of the people who had worked as laborers for the Qin family in the mines also received considerable rewards.

Everyone in the village was all smiles.

Xiao Jiang didn't understand what this meant; he only saw flocks of birds on the mountain being startled and flying away.

Some birds were leaving the forest and came to say goodbye to her.

Beside the waterfall in the forest, Xiao Jiang, as usual, carried Xiao Hai in a glass bottle to cleanse him. This place was deep in the mountains, surrounded by dense forests. Xiao Jiang had never met anyone here before, and only here could he safely let Xiao Hai revert to his original form even during the day.

Below the waterfall is a deep pool, constantly washed by flowing water, making the water crystal clear.

A very familiar gray magpie landed by the pool. It first saw the mermaid in the water, then walked to Xiao Jiang's feet and started chirping.

"It shouldn't be here."

Xiao Jiang understood what the grey magpie said and replied in the language of birds, telling the grey magpie about Xiao Hai's origins and current situation.

"It's my good friend," Xiao Jiang happily introduced to the gray magpie.

Even after hearing this, the magpie still insisted that she shouldn't get too close to the merman, saying, "Mermaids are not anyone's friend. Once you lose your value, they will leave you without hesitation."

Xiao Hai was her friend, and so was the gray magpie. Xiao Jiang remained silent for a while.

"But perhaps it's a good thing that he left."

The grey magpie continued, "I'm leaving now; I'm going further south."

Xiao Jiang suddenly looked up: "Are you coming back?"

The grey magpie shook its head. "We're not coming back. The atmosphere in the mountains has changed, and everyone is preparing to leave."

These days, Xiao Jiang has also noticed that more and more people in the village are wearing beautiful clothes, while fewer and fewer birds are appearing on the mountain. At first, she thought it was just the birds' migration season, but she didn't expect that they really weren't coming back.

Xiao Jiang was a little sad.

Suddenly, a gray magpie jumped onto her wrist and spat a piece of jade with a green luster into her hand.

"This is what the Mountain God asked me to bring you. It means that if you encounter a very dangerous situation, you should eat it."

Seeing Xiao Jiang's puzzled look, the gray magpie said nothing more and flew away.

Xiao Jiang pinched the piece of green jade in his hand. It was small, but very hard, and warm to the touch, probably the temperature of a gray magpie's body. Xiao Jiang didn't think much of it.

She had never actually seen the "Mountain God," but often heard the name from the birds. Through their whispers, she learned many magical arts from the Mountain God, making him, in a sense, her master. What her master had entrusted to the birds to bring her must surely be useful.

But if the birds are all leaving, will the mountain god also leave?

The azure sky is encircled by the trees, casting a patch of sunlight over the area encompassing the waterfall and pool.

Xiao Jiang stared blankly at the birdless sky for a while before putting the green jade stone given to him by his mountain god master into his pocket.

The sound of the rushing water behind him had been quiet for a long time when Xiao Jiang suddenly remembered what the gray magpie had said.

Xiao Hai, will you leave?

She knew it didn't belong here; she had even promised to help it return to the sea. She knew it was mostly wishful thinking, but the magpie's words were like a nail, easily shattering the illusion she had painstakingly built—that once she lost value to Little Sea, it would suddenly disappear, just as suddenly as it had arrived.

After all, Xiao Hai never promised her anything, did he?

Xiao Jiang sat on a rock by the pool, and even in July, she felt a chill.

There was still no movement behind him.

Has it already left?

Xiao Jiang felt a sudden tightness in his chest.

It's alright, it's okay that it's gone. It's been with her for a long time, and she has many wonderful memories of it. When she's alone in the future, she can look back on it and feel happy. Xiao Jiang comforted herself.

Xiao Jiang was prepared to face an empty pool, but when she turned around and saw what was in the pool, she was still stunned.

Beneath the emerald green pool, a mermaid swam, her enormous and agile tail swaying in the water. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting shadows on the surface. The shimmering water and the mermaid's gleaming tail created a halo of light that gathered around her, like fine golden sand. Her eyes were closed, and her long, grey-blue hair flowed like soft mist in the water. In the swirling light, her beautiful face appeared like a fleeting illusion, as if it could shatter at the slightest touch.

Pure and beautiful, like a miracle.

The scene unfolded vividly before his eyes, and Xiao Jiang couldn't help but hold his breath.

A gentle breeze blew by, and the fruit that had been sitting by the pond for a long time fell into the water with a "plop".

The moderate sound of water brought those on the edge of the pool back to their senses and also startled those inside.

The merman slowly opened its eyes, its icy blue pupils clearer than the pool water. With a gentle sway of its fan-like tail, the merman swiftly and gracefully caught up with the fruit that had fallen into the pool, holding the bright red fruit in its mouth. The moment it surfaced, Xiao Jiang felt he could hardly bear to look directly at its face.

The mermaid saw Xiao Jiang standing there, stunned, by the pool. Her eyes widened, and even her mouth formed a tiny circle. When she realized he was looking at her, she quickly turned around and started gathering her basket, pretending to be very busy.

"Hey, what's that over there? I'll go take a look."

The merman followed her gaze and saw a forest exactly like the one here. But her steps were hurried, as if urged on by something. Suddenly, she cried out in pain; she had tripped over a stone. Even so, she hopped over to a tree in the distance, resting her head against the trunk, looking quite annoyed.

The mermaid's lips curved slightly, and the small figure was reflected in her icy blue eyes.

Xiao Jiang is currently engaged in deep self-reflection.

Every time Xiao Hai washed in the pool, she would consciously turn her back, just as humans don't want to be seen when they bathe. She believed that Xiao Hai must feel the same way. She had always treated her as an equal friend, even though merfolk were usually naked, but just now... she actually felt guilty for spying.

She swore she wasn't peeking! She just wanted to make sure it was still there.

But the scene from just now stubbornly unfolded in her mind: are all mermaids this beautiful?

Such beautiful things are indeed impossible to preserve.

She remembered the magpie's words and suddenly felt relieved. It didn't matter if the friendship wasn't equal, it didn't matter if they parted ways. Being able to stay by her side for even one more day with such a beautiful creature as a mermaid was a bonus, and being friends for a while was also good.

The merman carefully ate the wild fruit. Although he didn't need to eat, he had recently come to enjoy its sweet taste. Every day, she would pick fresh fruit for him and wash it with clean pool water. He could clearly feel his power returning to his body, and his previously shattered spiritual sea finally showed a faint reaction, a sign of improvement.

Although it didn't understand why such a place, rich in spiritual energy, existed in the mortal realm, it was a rare treasure trove. Normally, such places brimming with spiritual energy would have been occupied by cultivators long ago, until the energy was depleted. But this place was not only abundant in spiritual energy, but also devoid of any trace of cultivators. It could be said to be the most suitable place for it to heal, second only to the ocean. These past few days, it had been staying in the forest with her every day, and its spiritual sea was gradually filling up, perhaps not far from complete recovery. But it wasn't in a hurry to return to the sea.

There's someone who's becoming increasingly incomprehensible to it.

He looked towards the distant woods, where the human girl still had her back to him. During the time he had spent with her, he had often observed her, but he still couldn't figure out her identity. She was clearly just an ordinary human, and he hadn't seen her cultivate like those immortal cultivators, yet she could use magic, communicate with bird spirits, and even find this place for him to restore.

The merman tapped the glass bottle, producing a clear, ringing sound.

She taught him this, but he never spoke, and she always thought he was mute.

She came quickly, but unlike usual when she heard knocking, she wasn't excited; her eyes were somewhat dim. She said, "Are you angry? I didn't mean to... If you don't like it, I'll walk away."

He realized that she was apologizing for turning away earlier.

He shook his head.

Sure enough, her eyes lit up instantly, her golden pupils shining brightly like sunlight. She was always like that, wearing all her emotions on her sleeve.

She placed him back into the glass bottle and hung it at her waist. Through the translucent bottle, he could see the world around her and hear her voice. She had to admit it was a good choice.

He knew the bottle was precious to her, and he also knew it didn't originally belong to her. He had heard her plead with her father after she was caught stealing it, and he had seen her protect the bottle with her body even when she fell from the tree, choosing to get hurt herself.

Why treasure a bottle like this? Perhaps it's because of a promise made to him, the merman thought.

She promised to take care of him and bring him home.

On the way back, a drop of water fell into the glass bottle. The mermaid looked up and saw that the sky had become very gloomy.

The world inside the bottle swayed back and forth, and she quickened her pace.

It's July weather, and it changes in an instant. Before long, large raindrops began to fall to the ground.

There was nowhere to shelter from the rain in the woods, and she hadn't brought an umbrella before leaving home, so she was soaked to the bone almost immediately.

A slender hand partially covered the top of the glass bottle, creating a small haven from the rain.

He is a shark that grows in water, and he doesn't really care about getting rained on.

The noisy rain created an isolated sound field inside the glass bottle.

Outside the glass bottle, the wet and disheveled figure was blurry and looked miserable, a stark contrast to his completely undisturbed state inside the bottle.

Amidst the commotion, the merman looked at the hand above his head and remembered its owner.

—She's such a fool.

*

Qin Yuqi missed the rain.

He had been recuperating at the inn for the past few days. When it started to rain that day, he was lying on the soft bed in the inn, and his sickly appearance was somewhat concealed by his large robe.

The physician treated his wounds, applied the best medicine, and gave him a long, rambling list of things to be careful about in the coming days. After doing all this, the physician could have left, but he just stared at his bruised and battered face, hesitant to speak.

"Your Highness... was the injury on your face really from a fall on the mountain?"

Although His Highness the Crown Prince is highly skilled, he is still young, and it's hard to guarantee that he won't be bullied by some barbarians in this uncivilized land. The physician thought.

Upon hearing this, Qin Yuqi's face immediately showed impatience, and his dark and sharp eyes turned to the physician, making him feel uneasy.

"Otherwise what? Does Your Excellency think I'm lying?"

The physician realized he had spoken out of turn and quickly apologized, "Your Highness, I dare not, please forgive me."

Qin Yuqi simply waved his hand impatiently.

After the physician left, Qin Yuqi moved the hand hidden in his sleeve, revealing an antique silver bracelet.

The bracelet had a smooth surface without any engravings, and looked quite ordinary. Compared to the jewelry in the palace, it could be considered shabby. There were even many scratches and dents on the surface, which made it clear that it was something the owner often wore.

He had kept the bracelet in his hand ever since he found it in the woods that day.

Qin Yuqi's gaze lingered on the silver bracelet for a long time, his thumb unconsciously rubbing back and forth on the back of the bracelet.

Outside the window, a torrential downpour continued. Qin Yuqi looked out the window. In the distance, wispy clouds gathered on the mountain peaks, blurring the ridgelines. The moisture seeped into the room through the open window, softening his usually sharp gaze in the misty atmosphere.

His thumb stroked the silver bracelet again and again, caressing the three small characters engraved on the back: Jiang Yuhuo.