Boss Wan had no idea that both she and Mr. Dragon were currently draped in rainbows.
It was her first time visiting a merfolk market and also her first time seeing actual merfolk, so she was a little excited. The market was not large and differed somewhat from the market in the capital.
Setting aside the novelty of seeing merfolk for the first time, even the glowing plants used as decorations fascinated her.
The merfolk in this world were rather different from those she had seen in films and novels. They did not wear shell bras while leaving their tails bare. Instead, they wore all kinds of tops, as well as unique skirt-like garments around their tails.
The colours varied greatly. After observing them for a while, Mu Wanwan noticed that female merfolk preferred brighter shades, whereas most male merfolk favoured darker colours.
However, there were not as many people as she had expected. The market even felt slightly desolate, and many of the shops appeared to be closed.
Mu Wanwan linked her arm through Mr. Dragon’s and allowed him to lead her forward. To the merfolk around them, it looked as though the two of them were swimming.
There were not many guards stationed at the entrance. The person responsible for collecting the admission fee was an older-looking shark mermaid. The exposed fin at the end of her tail was rather distinctive. Although she was quite attractive, there was a faint worry between her brows that caused an inexplicable sense of unease in Mu Wanwan’s heart.
Mu Wanwan could sense that her cultivation was very high. She was a shark mermaid above the fourth rank.
Her true form was probably rather ferocious.
Behind her lounged a pair of soft-bodied, octopus-like merfolk. Their cultivation also seemed quite high.
Mr. Dragon tightened his hold on Mu Wanwan’s hand, silently reassuring her.
Mu Wanwan smiled at him.
In the shark mermaid’s eyes, they appeared exceptionally affectionate.
“You youngsters have such a good relationship,” she said. “Where have you come from?”
Her voice sounded unusual, yet Mu Wanwan could hear it clearly through the seawater.
Remembering Mr. Dragon’s earlier instructions, she replied, “We came from the direction of Ye’er.”
“Oh.” The shark mermaid nodded. “The inner region. That’s still relatively safe.”
Although she looked somewhat fierce, the shark mermaid treated her fellow tribesmen kindly. After briefly testing their cultivation, she said, “Second rank. You may enter after paying one low-grade spirit stone. However, there are hardly any people selling things in the market now. Do you still want to go inside?”
Mr. Dragon frowned. “Did something happen?”
Although this place was somewhat close to the Demon Realm, it had once been the area richest in resources and trade among the merfolk territories.
While he had still ruled, the merfolk had paid a high price to purchase a top-grade sixth-rank defensive array from the dragon race. Before his fall, the area had always remained peaceful.
The market here was also the largest in the surrounding waters. It opened once every half month and had done so for many years. It had always been prosperous.
The shark mermaid’s expression darkened, revealing a trace of humiliation.
“After the Dragon Lord was defeated, our merfolk race lost its strongest backer.”
“The Demon Realm has very few resources, but there are countless low-level demons, and they don’t fear death. Some time ago, a massive army approached our borders.”
She sighed.
“Although a battle did not break out, many of our people still inhaled demonic energy. To avoid even greater losses, our king surrendered this stretch of sea.”
“You shouldn’t come back in the future. By then, this place will probably be filled with demons. You won’t be able to withstand the demonic energy.”
“Thank you for telling us.” Mu Wanwan handed her a low-grade spirit stone. “We’ll still go inside.”
“Keep these with you. You can use them to leave through the exit on the other side.”
The shark mermaid handed them two small pearls.
Mu Wanwan accepted them, then pulled the gloomy-looking Mr. Dragon further inside.
“It wasn’t your fault.”
Mr. Dragon reached out and stroked her cheek. His eyes curved slightly, as though telling her that he was all right.
He led her forward for a while before stopping outside a shop that sold marine plants.
When he saw Mu Wanwan’s eyes brighten, he paused and leaned close to her ear.
“Would you like to go inside?”
His lips brushed the edge of her ear, sending a tingling sensation through her.
Mu Wanwan shifted away slightly, unable to bear it, and her face turned red.
“Mm.”
The tips of Mr. Dragon’s ears grew hot, and his lips tingled.
He truly had not done it deliberately.
The hand holding hers seemed a little warmer. Mu Wanwan sensed that his body temperature had risen and felt slightly puzzled, but she did not dwell on it.
She knocked on the shop door, which Mr. Dragon had said was owned by a demon.
A mermaid soon swam out. She appeared to be around twenty years old, and judging by her tail fin, she was an ordinary first-rank mermaid.
“What variety of marine plant would the customers like to purchase?” Her face was a little pale, but she seemed to be in good spirits.
Mu Wanwan looked around the shop. Although most of the plants were ordinary, they had all been cultivated extremely well.
What attracted her most were the glowing marine plants displayed at the entrance. They would be useful for illumination.
“Ah.” The mermaid smiled. “Judging by your clothes, the two of you must be very affectionate.”
She looked at Mu Wanwan with envy.
“My partner is never willing to wear clothes in colours like these with me. Are you planning to buy marine plants to make your home feel more romantic?”
Mu Wanwan fell silent.
She glanced suspiciously at Mr. Dragon, whose face had turned red.
She now desperately wanted to know what exactly Mr. Dragon had made them look like in the eyes of everyone else.
“This heart-shaped variety is quite rare,” the mermaid began introducing her merchandise. “It emits a pink glow in complete darkness.”
“This type can also be pinned onto clothing as a decoration. It’s another excellent choice.”
Mu Wanwan stared speechlessly at the spirit plant in the mermaid’s hand.
She had just been about to say they would pass when a certain dragon nodded in strong approval. He then took out a purse she found extremely familiar.
“How much?”
Mu Wanwan felt slightly embarrassed.
It was the purse she had embroidered with a broken horn. She had not expected him to keep it all this time.
“This one—if you buy several, I can give you a discount. And if your purchase reaches one low-grade spirit stone, I’ll also include something that can be used for lubrication—”
Before the mermaid could finish, Mu Wanwan’s face turned bright red and she hurriedly interrupted her.
“We already have lubricant.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the atmosphere descended into a peculiar silence.
The mermaid looked at her teasingly before calmly finishing her sentence.
“—a complimentary product for lubricating scales and preventing them from becoming dry and falling off.”
Mr. Dragon had already turned completely red.
His phoenix eyes were filled with shock and embarrassment. He cautiously glanced at Mu Wanwan, pressed his lips together, and stopped speaking.
Mu Wanwan was speechless.
This was so awkward.
So humiliating!
She—
In the end, Mu Wanwan did not even know how she left the shop.
Her entire face was burning.
Mr. Dragon held her hand as they continued swimming, but Mu Wanwan felt as though her soul was about to leave her body.
She could no longer endure the atmosphere. Spotting a small alley in the corner of her eye, she dragged the dragon into it.
There were already very few people in the market, and the light in this area was dim. However, her night vision had improved after advancing, so she could still see the road.
Fortunately, Mr. Dragon cooperated and followed her into the alley.
Mu Wanwan looked around. Only after confirming that no one was nearby did she explain in a quiet voice, “What I meant was that we already have something for lubricating scales. Don’t misunderstand.”
“…”
She waited for a moment but received no answer.
When she raised her head, she saw the dragon staring at her with an indescribable expression.
His gaze was filled with burning anticipation, and the words *I don’t believe you* might as well have been written clearly across his face.
“It’s true.” Under his intense gaze, Mu Wanwan’s heartbeat gradually accelerated. She felt as though every explanation only made the misunderstanding worse. “I’m not lying to you.”
It was the first time Mr. Dragon had seen her entire face turn so thoroughly red.
He took two steps forward.
She retreated one step, then another, until her back touched the slightly cold wall.
Mr. Dragon bent down somewhat shyly. His nose brushed against hers, and he gently bit her lower lip.
Then, for the first time in front of her, he smiled widely enough to reveal his sharp little teeth. Even his small dimples appeared from happiness.
“Mm. Naturally, I believe Madam.”
Mu Wanwan was speechless.
This dragon was terrible.
Seeing that Mu Wanwan’s breathing had already become uneven, Mr. Dragon stopped “bullying” her.
“I’ll take Madam to eat something delicious.”
The shop he mentioned seemed to be very far away. They swam for almost fifteen minutes before reaching the end of the market.
Mu Wanwan gradually calmed down as she followed him past rows of colourful shops and watched the shifting lights beneath the sea.
For a brief moment, she almost forgot that they were still fugitives.
Then Mr. Dragon suddenly stopped.
“We’re here.” His voice carried a hint of nostalgia and regret. “It’s closed.”
Mu Wanwan stood before the small shop.
It was clearly very old. The owner must not have closed it for long, as the area around the door was still clean.
The writing on the sign was somewhat faded. Mu Wanwan studied it for a moment before finally understanding the words—
**Beloved by Young Cubs: Soft and Fluffy Sea-Fruit Candy.**
Mu Wanwan was silent.
She suspected that Mr. Dragon had failed to notice the words *young cubs*.
“Let’s look at another shop,” she said reluctantly, comforting him with the mentality that loving someone meant accepting all of them.
Mr. Dragon also reluctantly pretended that he had been comforted.
…
A few hours earlier, while Mr. Dragon had been building the house, Ao Qin was negotiating with Wu Yao.
“Are the conditions the same as last time?” Ao Qin looked at the witch tribesman before him.
He felt that Wu Yao’s aura had become even stronger than before, yet he lacked the murky sensation possessed by the previous leader of the witch tribe.
Ao Qin became wary.
“No.” Wu Yao narrowed his eyes.
Watching Ao Qin instantly grow tense, he rubbed his chin.
“The conditions have changed.”
Wu Yao recalled the chaotic energy that had vanished before his eyes that day, and his heart ached as though it were bleeding.
That chaotic energy had been extraordinarily precious. There had been many times more of it than the chaotic energy he had absorbed from Chaos recently.
Its value far surpassed the treasures Ao Qin was willing to offer.
That energy represented his hope of ascending.
“Three conditions,” Wu Yao said. “First, I want thirty per cent of the treasures you offered last time. That isn’t excessive, is it?”
Ao Qin nodded.
The dragon race could easily accept thirty per cent.
“What else?”
“Second, I want ten per cent of the flesh and blood left after you sacrifice the Dragon Lord.”
Ao Qin’s pupils contracted.
After struggling internally for a moment, he nodded.
“Lastly, I want one hundred thousand first-rank cultivators from within the dragon territories,” Wu Yao said after thinking for a moment.
“Wu Yao.” Ao Qin laughed in anger. “One hundred thousand first-rank cultivators? You’d have better luck dreaming.”
Wu Yao had expected him to refuse.
He clapped his hands.
“Then give me one million ordinary people instead. You choose.”
Ao Qin considered it.
One million people amounted to no more than the populations of two cities, and they were merely ordinary mortals.
He began to waver.
“What do you want those people for?”
Wu Yao glanced sideways at him. His voice became chillingly cold.
“To refine a human gu, of course.”
“With one million people, even the weakest result should reach the fifth rank. Tsk, tsk. A fifth-rank blood gu—perhaps even a Gu Emperor.”
Ao Qin was instantly disgusted by him.
Nevertheless, he said, “Fine. I agree. However, you must help me surround and kill the Dragon Lord.”
Wu Yao nodded. “Agreed. Then I want twenty per cent of the flesh and blood from the blood sacrifice.”
Ao Qin’s face turned livid.
“Don’t push your luck.”
The Sun-Devouring Rat tribe had brought several demon tribes to offer their help voluntarily, yet their reward was only ten per cent of the flesh and blood.
The two of them argued for some time before finally settling the agreement.
Ao Qin would first pay ten per cent of the treasures. Once the forbidden region was opened, he would pay the remaining twenty per cent.
After that, the witch tribe would assist the dragon race in surrounding and killing the Dragon Lord, who was highly likely to be hiding in the Demon Realm.
Once he was captured, the dragon race would give the witch tribe one million people.
After the blood sacrifice succeeded, the dragon race would also give the witch tribe fifteen per cent of the flesh and blood.
“The contract is established.”
Wu Yao smiled.
“Come. I’ll take you to retrieve the dragon horn.”
Ao Qin also smiled.
It would not be long now.
With only one more step, he would become the dragon race’s true and undisputed lord.
When that time came, the orphan dragon who had oppressed him for so many years would become food on his plate, used to increase his strength.
The mere thought of that scene made him want to laugh.
And as for the witch tribe—
Once the dragon race obtained the treasures, how could they possibly continue tolerating the witch tribe’s insolence?
Wu Yao, however, was not afraid.
They had signed a contract, so the dragon race would be forced to hand over the one million people.
Once the witch tribe obtained the treasures and refined the Human Emperor Gu, would they still need to fear the dragon race?
At present, it appeared that the witch tribe could not cast curses against opponents above their own rank.
But once the Human Emperor Gu was created, that might no longer be true.
The two men looked at each other and smiled.
Behind both smiles hid filthy ambitions and delusions of grandeur.
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