He lifted a strand of Hantao's dark hair, twirling it between his fingers. It was a seemingly frivolous gesture, but because of his handsome features, it only made him seem more alluring and captivating.
Fu Mingxu stretched out a hand, his slender white fingertips tapping the other's hard chin. When he looked up, he resembled a captivating siren. "City Lord, am I right?"
For a moment, even the Mermaid King was eagerly awaiting his answer.
A note from the author:
Fu Mingxu: I'll keep trying; the merman persona can't be ruined...
Hantao: Thank you for the gifts of nature.
(Actually, this happened quite naturally, thanks to the merman characteristics, the influence of Huan Hua, and the fact that the seme's possessiveness was suppressed to a certain extent. If he had returned to human form, it definitely wouldn't have been so smooth. A sincere question: Do you really think things unfolded too quickly?) Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2022-05-10 16:26:18 and 2022-05-11 16:32:42!
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 71
Han Tao grasped the finger that was lightly poking his chin in his palm, his profile gentle as he lowered his eyes, and softly hummed in response, giving everyone an answer.
The problem Meng Lian raised was thus resolved in a strange way. He stared intently at the two people opposite him, and he was already mostly convinced.
Of course, it wasn't that he believed everything Fu Mingxu said, but rather that the two's public displays of intimacy made him naturally feel that Han Tao had absolutely no feelings for the bride who was rumored to be marrying to bring good luck.
Merfolk have long lived in the deep sea and never come out, so even Meng Lian was unaware of everything that had happened in the Tianxuan Sect's market.
"In that case, everyone, don't forget to come to the wedding in three days." The Merman King sat contentedly on his throne, continuing to enjoy the song and dance.
It seemed that the Mermaid King had great faith in the effects of the Mermaid Pill. Fu Mingxu understood and simply nestled in Han Tao's arms, watching the song and dance performance with a smile, while his mind was communicating with the other party telepathically.
Li Chixue stared in disbelief at all that was happening, her usual coldness as a sword cultivator completely gone.
Han Tao, after catching and kissing the finger, looked up and said in a deep voice, "The dragon clan will come to witness it at that time."
The dragons are coming? Isn't this going too far?
Fu Mingxu tried to straighten up with a fishtail, but Han Tao held his tail down, and he immediately lost his strength, so he could only nestle limply in Han Tao's arms.
Originally, the two were just playing along. Meng Bai was previously controlled by demonic energy and could not reveal information about the Witch Clan, while Han Tao discovered that the Merfolk Clan was involved with the Demon Seed.
After all, the fact that the Merfolk used Mermaid Pills to transform newborn Merfolk was too astonishing.
For various reasons, the fastest way for this newly born merman to connect everything and get through the game was to get involved with the dragon clan leader and marry him.
Perhaps unwilling to take the Heart-Clearing and Desire-Severing Pill, Han Tao calmly analyzed the current situation with him after exchanging the information they already knew.
Fu Mingxu nodded repeatedly, no longer caring about the hand that was wrapped around his waist.
The singing and dancing continued until the sunlight disappeared from the top of the palace. The Mermaid King would occasionally glance at Fu Mingxu, and seeing the two so close together, he felt even more pleased.
Li Chixue watched all this in silence, and followed after the two got up and left.
There was no need for the merman to lead the way back to the palace. The merman king waved his hand, and mermen were already preparing for the wedding three days later.
"Are you really going to have a wedding ceremony?" The continuous palace lanterns illuminated the path for the two of them, their light blue scales gleaming softly. Fu Mingxu tilted his head and looked at him, jokingly asking, "Or are you planning to order the Dragon Clan to crush the Merfolk before the wedding ceremony even begins?"
He glanced sideways at Han Tao, his dark hair cascading down to reveal half of her delicate, fair neck, which looked exceptionally lustrous under the soft light, as if it would melt in one's mouth.
"If you're going to put on an act, you have to go all out." Han Tao lowered his eyes and noticed a red mark on his earlobe. Knowing the reason, his eyes darkened. "Mermaids need to enter the Mermaid Domain to get married. The Mermaid King's eagerness to marry into the Dragon Clan is probably related to this."
To find out the exact reason, we'll probably have to go into the Mermaid Realm.
Fu Mingxu nodded thoughtfully, then raised his voice as if he had just remembered something: "Wait, so you were already invited by the Merfolk King, and you knew that the Merfolk wanted to marry you?"
If that's the case, then wouldn't his appearance be just a coincidence?
Even if it's just for the Demon Seed, Han Tao will definitely make a trip to the Mermaid Domain.
With no one around, Li Chixue, who had followed, was about to step forward when she heard these words and stopped in her tracks for some reason.
After Fu Mingxu finished speaking, he glanced at him, his cheeks puffed out slightly, and after giving a cold laugh, he fell silent.
Han Tao understood what he meant and stared at him intently.
Fu Mingxu craned his neck to meet his gaze, only the red marks around his earlobes became more and more obvious, even Li Chixue, who was not far away, could see them.
“I did receive the message before.” Han Tao turned slightly to the side, completely obscuring his figure. “But I refused.”
He looked down at Fu Mingxu and said, word by word, "It was true that I was looking for you. Coming to the Merfolk was just an accident."
Her porcelain-white earlobes gradually blushed, and Fu Mingxu couldn't help but turn his head away, avoiding eye contact with her.
"So you don't care about the demonic seed in your Dragon Soul either?" he muttered.
Han Tao sighed, pinched his chin to force him to look up, and said seriously, "Whether you are an immortal or a demon makes no difference to me."
When he lowered his head, his brows furrowed, and his arrogant and cold lines were softened by a gentle light. His golden eyes reflected only the image of the person in them.
Fu Mingxu's heart pounded as he heard this. Ignoring the rough touch on his chin, he glared at him fiercely and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? You can't be a demon."
The dragon race is favored by the Heavenly Dao. Once they become demons, they are going against the Heavenly Dao and will be burdened with all kinds of evil karma. Even if they become the supreme ruler of the demon race, they will still be targeted by the Heavenly Dao, let alone ascend to immortality.
Fearing that Han Tao might have some rebellious thoughts, he glared at him fiercely and said sternly, "Did you hear me? Don't talk nonsense!"
Those delicate features were now filled with anger, and the worldly dust they had tainted them made them all the more captivating.
A fierce flame ignited in Han Tao's heart. His rough fingertips caressed his smooth chin, and his voice was deep: "Okay, whatever you say."
Fu Mingxu felt that his tone was a bit like coaxing a child. Suspicion flashed in his eyes, and he decided that he should keep a closer eye on this guy in the future.
Their eyes met, and from Li Chixue's perspective, it looked like they were kissing tightly.
Li Chixue didn't know how he left in such a disheveled state. Even though there was no wind in the Merman King's Palace, he felt cold all over.
After Han Tao left with Fu Mingxu, saying "If you're going to put on an act, you have to do it right," he glanced back casually and found that no one else was there.
...
As dusk settled, the Merfolk Palace was no longer as lively as it had been during the day. Apart from the mermaid guards, the other guests from the aquatic tribe had long since returned home, waiting to bring gifts to congratulate them on the wedding three days later.
When most of the palace lanterns had gone out, leaving only a few hanging at midnight, the two prepared to set off.
With only one day left until the effects of the Shark Elixir become irreversible, Fu Mingxu's body, though protected by medication, cannot afford to delay any longer.
Fortunately, he had taken the time in the past two days to analyze the ingredients of the Mermaid Pill. Most of them were unique spiritual herbs from the deep sea, and after describing the details to Han Tao, he concluded that the main ingredient was the blood of the Mermaid King.
The thought of swallowing a merman pill made from the blood of the merman king made him feel nauseous.
"Ugh, no wonder that shark pill tasted so strange. It couldn't even compare to half a drop of dragon blood." Fu Mingxu stated the facts based on his objective feelings. As he did so, he put on a robe that blocked spiritual senses and urged, "It's dark and windy, the perfect time to sneak in. Let's go now."
He was somewhat envious of Han Tao, who always wore all black, as it could be used as a night-clothes for night raids.
Han Tao frowned deeply: "The blood of the Merfolk King is extraordinary, and its ability to transform after being refined into a pill is definitely greater."
The two agreed that in order to neutralize the effects of the Mermaid Pill and to find out the relationship between the Demon Seed and the Mermaid Clan, they should start with the Mermaid King.
A black robe that isolated spiritual consciousness enveloped Fu Mingxu, revealing a face as white as snow. He parted his red lips slightly and said, "Let's go."
Han Tao nodded, then looked up and extinguished most of the palace lanterns in the room. He released a wisp of spiritual energy to lower the curtain, embraced Fu Mingxu, and disappeared from the spot.
The Mermaid King's residence is located in the very center of the palace, where the guards are most numerous, making it easy to find.
It was late at night, and all was quiet. Han Tao led him stealthily, and they arrived at the Merman King's residence in no time. The guards at the gate had no idea what was going on, and simply assumed it was a peaceful night as usual.
As soon as Fu Mingxu arrived at the Merman King's residence, he keenly sensed that the temperature here was much lower than outside, and he subconsciously shivered.
Without the restriction of the demon bone chain, the chaotic energy circulated throughout his body, dispelling the chill. At the same time, a wisp of dragon energy entered his meridians.
The dragon energy entered his body exceptionally smoothly, and Fu Mingxu, knowing the reason, felt his whole body burning hot.
"That's enough, I'm not cold anymore." He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked around warily. "Why is it so cold here?"
Only one palace lantern remained in the palace, its faint light casting shadows, making one think that the Mermaid King was extremely frugal.
In the dim light, Fu Mingxu smelled a strange odor. It smelled like an old object that had been soaking in water for a long time, almost rotting, emitting a disgusting smell.
"Come closer to me." Han Tao squinted and looked around, finally settling his gaze on a wall. "The Merman King isn't here."
Not here? Fu Mingxu wondered if this wasn't the Merfolk King's residence? Had they come to the wrong place?
But the stench of decay seemed to be everywhere, suffocating everyone.
Knowing the gravity of the situation, Fu Mingxu obediently moved closer to him. Their shadows were stretched long in the dim light, like two bamboo poles pressed tightly together.
He chuckled inwardly at his own strange analogy, then transmitted his thoughts to Han Tao in his mind: "The smell here is peculiar, can you smell it?"
"The smell?" Han Tao shook his head honestly, his expression unchanged, and simply pointed to a wall. "Smell it, is that the source of the smell?"
Fu Mingxu was extremely talented in alchemy and medicine making, and he was also extremely sensitive to all kinds of smells. He connected the smells he described with the strange phenomena he had perceived, and a guess arose in his mind.
So he carefully sniffed along the wall that Han Tao had mentioned, and Han Tao followed closely behind him. Then he saw him turn around and gag the moment he got close to the wall.
"It stinks, ugh." Fu Mingxu covered his mouth, afraid of making a sound, and bent over, thinking to himself, "Could this wall be the Merman King's outhouse?"
While patting him on the back to help him catch his breath, Han Tao chuckled and said, "The Merfolk also cultivate using spiritual energy, and they eat things rich in spiritual energy, so why would they need to excrete?"
Fu Mingxu was just saying it casually. After nodding, he put a pill with the effect of clearing his qi into his own mouth. After feeling that the stench was gone, he didn't forget to pinch one out for him: "Eat it, so you won't be bothered by the smell later."
The stench is coming from behind the wall, so it's best to be prepared.
The fingertip landed on his lips. Han Tao initially wanted to say no, but then he flicked his tongue and swallowed the pill.
When his delicate fingertips touched the warmth, Fu Mingxu's heart skipped a beat, as if he had been bitten, and he quickly withdrew his fingers.
He turned his head away, tapping the wall with the tip of his fishtail: "Let's hurry before dawn."
As Han Tao watched him wield the fishtail with increasing skill, he couldn't help but recall how the fishtail had tightly wrapped around him before. The pale blue fishtail was tinged with an extremely vibrant red, as if it had been sprinkled with the finest wine, making one feel intoxicated.
"Okay." His throat felt a little itchy.
Fu Mingxu listened to his slightly hoarse voice without thinking anything of it. In the dim light, he didn't even look at the other person's expression. He flicked his tail and sighed, "Looks like this stench has irritated your throat."
Han Tao's lips twitched, and with a wave of his hand, a magic circle flashed, carrying him silently through the wall.
The moment he stepped inside, even after taking the elixir, Fu Mingxu nearly had his skull pop out from the overwhelming stench. Had Han Tao not timely deployed a spell array to isolate the aura, he probably would have vomited on the spot.
"Are you alright?" Han Tao wasn't as sensitive to smells as he was, but she still found the smell too strong.
Fu Mingxu nodded, his gaze fixed ahead. "Not bad."
Seeing that he was alright, Han Tao led him forward.
This place resembles a secret room, with pitted and uneven walls on both sides, as if the craftsmen who built the secret room had cut corners.
After walking a few steps, Fu Mingxu finally understood where the stench was coming from.