Chapter 6
Her gaze swept across his face, then descended... down... through the slightly open collar, landing on that snow-white chest. How delightful, flat and indeed a man. She swallowed hard, her tail fin swaying even more joyfully, splashing a series of ripples. The person on the raft changed color, hurriedly covering his chest and spitting out a curse, "Where are you looking! No wonder they say mermen are lewd, it is indeed true."
Having nature is better than not having it. She nodded repeatedly, her slender arms gripping the bamboo raft, as sunlight poured down, illuminating her fair skin and bones, presenting a different kind of allure. Yet she remained unaware, joyfully splashing about, "Who are you?"
She looked up in surprise, and his tone sounded as if they had known each other before. Upon careful reflection, there was no face like this in her memory. She wanted to laugh, but the skin on her face felt tight and could not relax. She wanted to speak, but aside from producing more bubbles, there was no other way.
The fishermen are all from the nearby villages, who can hardly withstand such fright! ... Leaning in to take a look, it is now a tail of a rotten loach, and perhaps if placed in a water tank, it could transform into a nine-headed Xiangliu ... ... This thought immediately startled their three souls and seven spirits, so they decided to let it fall from the net, and a few of them shouldered their tools and turned to leave. It is better to keep quiet about such sinister matters; if the news leaks out, it would be disastrous if the loach came knocking at the door at night.
Yibo wanted to oppose but it was too late, trying to cover her head, but alas, she had no hands, rolling several times and getting covered in mud. In fact, whether she could return to the water was secondary; the crucial matter was to transform back. She would rather die beautifully than live in such an ugly manner.
What did he say? She actually did not hear clearly. A-Luo's shout came from the shore, becoming sharp and piercing with joy. She turned her head back, and a white shadow flickered at the corner of her eye. When she looked again at the bamboo raft, the person had already vanished.
No matter how he ridiculed her, Yibo considered it trivial, as long as he could return her former self, he was free to say whatever pleased him.
The waves spouted a string of bubbles, and without a chest, how could one hold up? Nevertheless, I still made an effort to arch the upper half, revealing a round and plump belly. It was a bit shameful, but at this moment, I couldn't care less.
Yibo felt very wronged, struggling to raise a finger, "Just one glance." Moreover, the lustful one is the sculpted merman, and the merman of Tide City waits a lifetime for just one person, being the most loyal and devoted. If, unfortunately, separated from their partner, even if they remain forever alone, they would never settle for someone else. To say she is lustful is truly a grave injustice to her.
She only knows a few short phrases, usually consisting of three or four words, and typically plays the role of a listener. He bent down, reached out to pull the sleeve that was draped over her shoulder, covering her arm completely, and made her look closely at his face, "Think carefully, do you really not recognize this seat?"
Alo watched the winding line for a long time, "Since there is such a spell, why not save you directly? Immortals are like this, complicating simple matters because they can live for a long time and, out of boredom, are willing to find something to do. What is so difficult about dealing with two or three people? They insist on turning you into an earthworm, isn't that just to tease people?"
She felt a bit annoyed, let out a sigh, and dove into the water towards the shore. A-Luo, with excitement and enthusiasm, said: "I found it, the rouge box is returned to its rightful owner, and the silver candle has also been sent out."
The person on the raft smiled gently, their laughter laced with teasing and helplessness, "After all these years, still no progress."
He let out a sound, "My name is ... ..."
She wagged her tail in a pleasing manner, saying, "The wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people, the sea water is flooding back." Finally, she added, "I can't hold it any longer!"
The person on the raft sighed, raised a finger and flicked it. Yibo saw her pectoral fins transform into hands, while her caudal fin floated gracefully in the water, becoming increasingly full, until it finally returned to its original state. She was overjoyed, leaped up, soaring two zhang high, and then with a loud crash, she fell back down, splashing a wave of water that reached a person's height, drenching that individual completely
Yibo was momentarily taken aback, suddenly feeling as if she had missed an opportunity. Regrettably shaking her head, she thought to herself that if it weren't for his sudden appearance, she would have almost uncovered the truth. They could not stay in Jiyize for long; since the matter was settled, they had to return. Whether there would be another chance to meet that immortal was uncertain. However, there was certainly hope, as he had promised to give her a pair of legs. A person with such a fierce brow center should not go back on his word
Yibo then remembered to tell A Luo about what had happened today, dipping water to draw on the stone surface: she saw an immortal, who carelessly got caught by someone and transformed into a loach, and the immortal helped her escape from her predicament
He tilted his head slightly, "The 'yi' in 'turning danger into safety', and the 'yi' in 'flattening to the ground'?"
The corner of his mouth twitched, "You should learn to speak properly. Ambitious merfolk do not resign themselves to living in the water for a lifetime. The world on land is fascinating; don't you want to take a look?"
He was forceful, "Not a single glance is permitted!"
Although his explanation was so extreme, Yibo did not take it to heart and asked with a smile, "What about you?"
He opened his mouth and spoke nonsense, leaving those few people in a daze. Yibo slowly regained consciousness, curled up there wanting to cry without tears, suddenly realizing that she had become like this, both fishy and filthy, fearing that even A Luo would not recognize her. What should she do next? Although she had no prospects as a mermaid, it was still better than being a mud loach. Thinking of her once delicate skin, and comparing it to her current thick skin, she instantly felt a sense of hopelessness, feeling that living was superfluous.
Yibo stared blankly, truly a handsome man! His true identity is unknown, but his magical abilities must be extraordinary, which is why he can transform himself into such beauty
The tip of the cloud-headed shoe poked several times, and finally, it managed to poke her into the water. She was about to sink, struggling to twist and turn, but floated back to the surface, constantly nodding and bowing to that person, pleading for him to allow her to return to her original form
She clung to the bamboo raft, her innocent big eyes blinking, still looking rather clueless. The Ling fish and the carved fish have legs, but the mermaids of Chaocheng do not, so she never harbored such extravagant hopes. Her wish was very simple: to stay quietly in the water. Wherever A Luo wanted to go, she would carry her and swim freely in the sea, and that was enough for her
"This is unfortunate; not only is it a loach, but it is also a dead loach." The man in white appeared quite regretful, "I had hoped to catch a glimpse of the merman's grace, but it turned out to be like this"
Indeed, it is so beautiful that not to tease would be a waste. Unfortunately, I have the heart of a thief but lack the courage, so I can only continue to gaze up in admiration
She lay on the ground, sobbing, her tears unable to transform into pearls. She was completely unaware of the process of her own transformation, not knowing whom to blame—these greedy individuals or the mysterious monster that had appeared.
Yibo submerged his body in the water, leaving only a pair of eyes peering at him in fear. He, in a fit of anger, shook off the droplets of water from his body, tousled his hair, which fell in strands from either side of his moon crown. Though disheveled, it resembled the ethereal beauty of ink and water, exuding a sense of careless elegance
The dashing young man was instantly drenched, resembling a drowned rat. He shouted, "You heartless one, how dare you take such revenge on me!"
"It's almost there. Such a beautiful mermaid, why must she turn into something so filthy?" After being annoyed for a while, A Luo sighed again, "Anyway, it's my fault for leaving you here alone. Fortunately, I encountered a celestial being, and it was a close call without any danger. If you had really been captured to be refined for oil, that would have been terrible! Did you inquire about the origins of the celestial being? It's beneficial to cultivate friendships with such individuals; perhaps we can gather information about the whereabouts of the Dragon Lord."
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He cast a sidelong glance at her and said, "What are you frowning about? Why are you hanging your head? Have you done something wrong? Straighten your back and look ahead."
Yibo temporarily forgot the terrifying experience from earlier, and it was a joyful thing to fulfill A Luo's wish. She wanted A Luo to recount the events. A Luo sat on a stone by the lake, speaking animatedly, "Actually, it was quite easy. After I came ashore, I followed the bluestone path to the street corner, and I saw the words 'Candy Shop' at a glance. It turns out the candy shop has opened a rouge store, selling only rouge and lead powder. I showed her the box and asked if it was hers, and she said it was. I then placed the silver ingot in front of her and asked if she knew someone named Deng Bao. Deng Bao has passed away and entrusted me to deliver this bag of silver ingots to the candy shop. It turns out the candy shop has opened a rouge store, selling only rouge and lead powder. I showed her the box and asked if it was hers, and she said it was. I then placed the silver ingot in front of her and asked if she knew someone named Deng Bao. Deng Bao has passed away and entrusted me to deliver this bag of silver ingots to the candy shop. At first, she was stunned, but then she cried tears of joy and even gifted me a box of rouge as a token of gratitude! You see, good people are rewarded for their kindness. We, as fairies, must also cultivate virtue, as it will be beneficial for us when we face tribulations in the future, balancing our merits and demerits, which will aid our prospects.
Only one person and a loach remained by the shore, the loach with its sesame-sized black eyes staring at him. He crouched down and poked it with a grass stick, saying, "How disgusting, how can I get you back into the water? I might as well kick you into the water!"
Yibo corrected her, "It is a loach."
As they spoke, they were about to step forward and pull him. The man in white continued to smile, "Indeed, the mortal flesh is filthy. I have come to save your lives, yet instead of gratitude, you heap complaints upon me." He pointed with both hands, "Look at this loach, its eyes gleaming with brilliance, dark and shiny. It has already transformed, becoming a merman to deceive you, seeking to absorb your essence. In this world, spirits and monsters have always loved to change into beautiful forms; only their true shapes are too ugly to be seen. You have been blinded by greed, mistaking the loach for a stunning beauty. Is that not laughable?" Look at this loach, its eyes gleaming with brilliance, dark and shiny. It has already transformed, becoming a merman to deceive you, seeking to absorb your essence. In this world, spirits and monsters have always loved to change into beautiful forms; only their true shapes are too ugly to be seen. You have been blinded by greed, mistaking the loach for a stunning beauty. Is that not laughable? Fortunately, I arrived just in time; had I been a moment later, you would all have perished here. And now you wish to drag me to see the officials? Truly, the world is in decline; it is impossible to be a good person anymore.
He slightly turned his gaze and noticed that she was staring at him foolishly, seemingly very pleased. He smiled faintly and said: "Do you think I am quite easy on the eyes? Very beautiful?"
The fisherman turned around, anxiously moving about like an ant on a hot pan, "What is going on? Just a moment ago, it was clearly a merman, how could it change in the blink of an eye?" In a fluster, he looked around, "No, something must have gone wrong..." Three pairs of eyes glared at him fiercely, "Did you use some kind of illusion to steal our merman? You monster, look at you, dressed like a beast, come with us to see the authorities!"
Fairies do not have such convoluted thoughts; they are simple and direct, believing that others are the same as themselves, as they harbor no ill intentions. Yibo clapped her hands in praise of A Luo's cleverness, and A Luo took out some rouge to apply it on her first, then thickly applied a layer on herself. As they stood by the water reflecting their images, their cheeks flushed red, resembling the ladies in wall paintings. The two exchanged a smile, sharing a joy that resonated deeply between them.
He looked down at her, as if observing a small kitten or puppy, filled with compassion, "One day, when I am in a good mood, I might grant you two legs, so you can see the land."
The sun is about to set, and the evening glow fills the sky. They emerge from the water and stand side by side to watch the sunset, feeling that the present world is stable and that life is filled with surprises at every turn
He jumped onto the bamboo raft, his expression calm and indifferent. "You merfolk are truly foolish; clearly, you are clumsy with your words, yet you still plead for them." He glanced lazily again, "Not only are your words clumsy, but your gaze is also lacking."
The mark on his forehead is indeed peculiar; it gradually emerges after coming into contact with water, deepening from a faint layer to a bright red, resembling a divine eye opening, reflecting on his fair skin, making it even more radiant. This thing is called the "Brow Wheel," which Yibo knows is a symbol that appears only after transcending the Three Realms. A Luo has practiced for so many years without it, so this individual must have an impressive background, and it is unrelated to the Qingqiu fox.
She pouted in grievance, feeling dejected, her body also becoming heavier, as if it were sinking. Remembering that she had not yet clarified his name, she resurfaced, first pointing to herself, "I... Yi Bo."