Chapter 37 Chaoyun Kingdom - Chaos Pearl (Part 1) Having obtained the Chaos Pearl, ...
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Song Qingshu's lips twitched: "You already knew?"
Shi Xianxue scratched her face embarrassedly, and after a long while said sincerely, "Li is the surname of the Chaoyun Kingdom. Who doesn't know that the Crown Prince of Chaoyun was sent to the Qingyun Sect to study martial arts from a young age? Moreover, he has such a large dragon-patterned jade pendant on his waist. I think it would be hard not to know that."
Song Qingshu exclaimed, a look of sudden realization on her face. The two little girls sat quietly on the swing. Autumn had already passed in the Central Plains, and weightless maple leaves drifted lightly onto their knees. Song Qingshu picked up a root and stared at the patterns on it, lost in thought. Suddenly, she asked, "Xiaoxue, how did you cross the Li Huo Mountain that day?"
Shi Xianxue thought for a moment and said honestly, "It's because of Wu Xiutang."
"Young Master Wu?"
"Hmm, he's unaffected by the flames and unafraid of them, moving about as if he were in an empty field. Although we don't know the exact reason yet, I don't think getting involved with the demons is a good thing." The wind lifted the girl's skirt, the rose-colored hem swaying and blooming like flowers, it was extremely beautiful.
Song Qingshu stared blankly at the swaying hem of her skirt.
She knew for certain that she did not possess the bloodline of Wushan. She was also surprised by what happened that day. As for the fact that she could catch the Li Huo with her bare hands without getting hurt, since many people could pass through the Li Huo, Li Fuchao believed that the people must have something in common. At the same time, he was also vaguely worried that this earth fire, which had been burning for tens of thousands of years, was about to lose its effectiveness.
Song Qingshu didn't think so. Instead, several fragmented, unfamiliar, and absurd memories appeared in her mind.
Heavy snow, behind Misty Peak, Mother's tombstone, handsome older brother.
She had no memory of that snowy night, but the image that suddenly popped into her mind when she caught the fire head-on seemed absurd and bizarre to her.
This must be a trap set by those cunning demons.
Song Qingshu thought so.
Fu Chao is right. Since Young Master Wu can also travel through the Li Huo, it means that the Li Huo is not as rumored, that only goddesses and demon lords can control it. She and Young Master Wu must have something in common. She remembers that the Lantern Tree is impervious to water and fire. Perhaps she accidentally obtained a fragment of the Lantern Tree's bark while fighting the Lantern Woman.
Thinking this way, she gradually felt relieved.
Looking at Shi Xianxue's pale jaw, she felt grateful: "Xiaoxue, your brother Li and I have been very worried about you while you were unconscious. If you encounter such a dangerous situation again in the future, just focus on saving your own life. Don't risk your life for us again, understand?"
Her words made Shi Xianxue a little embarrassed.
Honestly, she's a coward, selfish, and stingy person. If it weren't for the 50 million that motivated her, she probably wouldn't have been able to awaken her abilities.
So Shi Xianxue clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I have a guilty conscience. Actually, I'm afraid I'll die."
Song Qingshu was at a loss for words. After a long while, she said softly, "A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions."
My fingertips traced the serrated edges of the maple leaf, and the surging wind carried the sound into the air.
"Everyone dies eventually, and to die a worthy death is my life."
It's not yours.
Because Shi Xianxue was still recovering from a serious illness, the group rode their horses northward.
At dawn on the third day, the three reached the border of Jingzhou.
With the Ghost Festival approaching, the closer we get to the capital, the stronger the festive atmosphere becomes. Red lanterns hang along the long street, river lanterns and funerary objects are displayed on stalls, and various promotional displays are being set up.
The Ghost Festival, an auspicious month, is a good time to express gratitude and pay respects to ancestors. The organizers of the event dare not be negligent and have devoted a lot of manpower and resources to it.
Before even stepping into the capital, the group heard about the disappearance of the princess's entourage.
Emperor Chaoyun was furious. It was the autumn harvest season, and the emperor not only issued a death order for officials along the way to prioritize finding the princess, but also dispatched the third prince, Li Fuxuan, to lead a group of sorcerers to search for the princess's whereabouts.
However, after searching for nearly a month without any news, which was completely inconsistent with the decisive and efficient style of the Chaoyun royal family, some people in the city speculated that the princess had been eaten by a monster, while others said that the princess already had a lover and had pretended to agree to the marriage, but in fact eloped with her lover halfway.
This was the first time Song Qingshu had heard of this matter. She had been on the mountain for so long that she had to ponder for a while before raising her eyes to ask sincerely, "Is the princess here to marry you?"
Li Fuchao looked embarrassed for a moment, then answered sincerely, "My father has three sons, and they are no less than me in terms of appearance or ability."
Song Qingshu said seriously, "But what if the princess truly falls for you?"
Li Fuchao stared at her quietly with his bright eyes for a while before saying in a low voice, "I'm afraid I can't comply."
The princess seemed to see a familiar figure, and like a fledgling bird, she stretched her neck to look in the direction of the crowd. When she saw the person's face, she looked away in disappointment. But the next moment, as if she had seen something new and interesting, she flew away like a sparrow.
Looking at that figure, Song Qingshu suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "Xiaoxue's surname is Shi, and she comes from Xiliang."
Li Fuchao was stunned, as if he had remembered something: "She said she was being forced into marriage?"
The coincidence was so absurd that the two gasped and turned to look in Shi Xianxue's direction.
"Hey, you knocked over my steamed bun, and instead of paying me back, you didn't even apologize!" Shi Xianxue was furious.
Opposite her was a burly man, tall and with arms even thicker than Shi Xianxue's thighs. He stared at her face for a few seconds, then took out a few copper coins and threw them at her: "No apology."
Shi Xianxue grabbed the steamed bun and said angrily, "Are you trying to fob me off like a beggar? Besides, open your eyes and look at me carefully. Do I look like someone who's short of two copper coins?"
The burly man remained silent, but took out his money pouch and threw a few pieces of silver into it, insisting, "I won't apologize."
Shi Xianxue was furious, pacing back and forth: "This is too much, too much! Don't think that..."
The burly man simply tossed the money bag over. Shi Xianxue instinctively caught it and weighed it in her hand. She was stunned when she felt its weight, then opened the money bag and craned her neck to take a look.
The next moment, she smiled broadly, cupped her right fist in her left hand and bowed in the air: "No problem, no problem. I didn't expect you to be so handsome and charming, and so reasonable. I was narrow-minded just now and my attitude was bad. Please forgive me, brother."
Li Fuchao, who was about to go help, was speechless.
Song Qingshu: "I take back what I just said."
Li Fuchao took a step back, nodded in agreement, and said, "Me too."
Unlike Chaoyun, Xiliang is different. The surname Li is the royal surname of Chaoyun, and anyone associated with Li has a close relationship with the royal family. However, in Xiliang, the surname Shi is very common. Moreover, it is said that after the beginning of autumn, every day in Xiliang is an auspicious day for weddings.
The two put the matter out of their minds. At noon, they arrived at an inn in the city. After settling Shi Xianxue and the other person in, Li Fuchao prepared to return to the palace.
Song Qingshu called out to him softly, and their eyes met for a few moments in the air, as if they had something to say. Li Fuchao then followed her out.
Shi Xianxue would rather lie down than sit. She slumped into the soft quilt and quickly fell asleep.
The following days were filled with continuous autumn rain. On the fifth day, the rain intensified, and a thin layer of white mist rose from the ground. The wind and rain trapped Shi Xianxue inside the inn.
Shi Xianxue felt like a rotting, moldy salted fish, so she mustered her spirits and went for a walk in the backyard.
The five-star inn in Chaoyun City mainly provides accommodation, but its dishes are just as good as those in restaurants. The dishes are plentiful and exquisite, and a small plate of carved radish is worth fifty taels of silver.
Shi Xianxue clicked her tongue in amazement.
Further east from the capital, beyond Penglai City lies the Chongming Sea, where Kun and merfolk roam, making seafood a common dish.
I heard that in order to maintain the freshness of the taste, the animals are all killed and cooked on the spot, and then marinated raw to enhance the flavor, which is very popular among the people of the capital.
However, she felt that the fishy smell outweighed the umami flavor, so when the waiter made a recommendation, she conservatively chose the braised pork knuckle.
But the fishy smell of seawater and blood lingered, constantly surrounding Shi Xianxue, making her feel nauseous.
After wandering around for two days with a specific purpose, she finally discovered the source of the salty and fishy smell.
In the backyard of the inn, there was a wooden door with a copper lock. Shi Xianxue tiptoed and pushed it open a crack, and saw an abandoned house. The floor tiles had been removed, a deep pit had been dug and filled with water, and it had become a pool for raising sea creatures. An iron cage descended from the sky and covered the entire pool. The seaweed rippled with the water, and something was swimming and playing in the water.
The little yellow dog that brought her barked twice at her, then disappeared into the overgrown corner of the wall.
She parted the tall grass and, sure enough, saw a narrow dog hole.
The autumn sun was dazzling, and Shi Xianxue was momentarily stunned by the scale-like reflection, causing her to pause in her drilling.
The little yellow dog crouched on one side of the dog hole, its yellow eyes warily fixed on the center of the pool.
Under Shi Xianxue's gaze, the calm water surface rippled, then spread outwards in concentric circles, as if something had risen from the bottom.
Just as something underwater was about to surface, a series of hurried footsteps sounded behind me.
"Miss Shi."
A man and a dog lowered their heads as they were scolded.
“Miss Shi, you are a distinguished guest of our Chang Le Ju. You may freely wander around the west and south sides of this place, but you cannot enter this locked area.” The manager, who was over fifty years old, paced back and forth anxiously. “I am glad I arrived in time today. If I had not noticed and let you in, the sea monsters inside would have torn you to pieces.”
"A siren?" Shi Xianxue looked up, her light brown pupils shimmering with tiny lights. "I thought it was a mermaid."
"Oh dear, you mustn't talk nonsense." Seeing that no one was around, the shopkeeper finally spoke.
"Legend has it that eating the flesh of a top-grade mermaid can prolong life, and that grinding the mermaid pearl into powder and applying it to the face can also beautify the skin. The fairy children of the Star-Gazing Pavilion capture mermaids and then give them to the nobles in the palace to enjoy. Ordinary people who sell mermaids privately will be punished with a beating."
Shi Xianxue imagined the scene and her breathing quickened: "Mermaids have human heads and fish tails, which part do they eat?"
If it were as she imagined, what difference would there be between that and eating people?
"Naturally, you should eat whichever part is most beneficial."
Shi Xianxue remained silent for a moment before following the shopkeeper out of the backyard.
“But the sirens in the kitchen are only about the height of an adult’s calf. When you hold them by the tail, they just howl and don’t bite. How could they possibly tear me to pieces?”
"Those are the young ones, newly landed sea monsters, so naturally they're not aggressive. The courtyard Miss Shi just visited has a female adult sea monster imprisoned there. Her childbirth is different from humans; she can give birth to hundreds of offspring at once. I'll select a few to raise, and then I'll have countless sea monsters at my disposal. These artificially bred ones are also docile. If—"
He chuckled at the end, his face crinkling with wrinkles, his eyes gleaming with a wistful, lingering look, as if he had remembered something that had brought him pleasure.
Shi Xianxue was utterly shocked.
Humans have always been incredibly sensitive to matters of the bedroom between men and women. Almost immediately upon seeing his expression, Shi Xianxue knew the true purpose of the adult sea monster.
Seeing her unusual expression, the shopkeeper laughed without any hesitation, "Miss Shi, the world is not peaceful these days. The crops are not thriving, there are floods in the south and insect plagues in the north. There are natural disasters and man-made calamities, and demons are rampant. Business is difficult. If I didn't have to come up with some ingenious tricks and demonic words, Chang Le Ju would have gone out of business long ago."
Shi Xianxue listened with mixed feelings.
But she is an ordinary person, neither Song Qingshu nor Li Fuchao, and does not belong here. All she needs to do is obediently complete the mission, leave this world, and get the 30 million reward.
This relatively mature industrial chain is deeply intertwined and unfathomable, even involving the imperial family and nobility. It is not something that can be resolved overnight by her alone.
Obtaining the Chaos Pearl was of paramount importance to her.
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