A Bitter Fate and a Bustling Market

Gu Yan thought to herself,

‘It’s not hard work.

‘Ah, it’s merely a bitter fate.’

They continued their journey. Across the Nine Provinces, everyone knew war between the Immortal and Demon Clans was imminent, making the times turbulent and increasingly unsettled.

As night fell once more, mischievous spirits began to stir in the wilderness. Gu Yan, having lived for several millennia, found dispatching these assaulting lesser spirits to be more than effortless.

When the carriage was abruptly forced to a halt, Su Xiaoxiao leaned forward. “Gu Yan, what has happened?”

Gu Yan observed the hideous, repulsive spirits crawling from all directions. Mentally, she cursed Xiyue several times over. With a calm demeanor, she replied to Su Xiaoxiao, “There are some roadblock dogs.”

“Dogs?” Su Xiaoxiao questioned, her brow furrowed in confusion. As she spoke, she made to push open the small window beside her.

Gu Yan, however, interjected, “Don’t move. Just stay seated inside, and I’ll deal with this quickly.”

Su Xiaoxiao could only retract her hand, settling back obediently.

Gu Yan cast a spell, and an emerald-green light enveloped the carriage. This was to ensure that no unsightly elements would startle Su Xiaoxiao, should Gu Yan’s attention lapse.

From the void, Gu Yan summoned a long whip. With an unperturbed expression, she glanced at the spirits ahead before flashing away, directly engaging the creatures.

Inside the carriage, Su Xiaoxiao grew increasingly uneasy. Hearing the screams from outside only heightened her tension.

Yet, just as Gu Yan had promised, silence soon returned. Gu Yan wiped the blood from her hands and cheeks, then called out calmly, “Xiaoxiao, are you alright?”

It should have been Su Xiaoxiao asking *her* that. “I’m fine, but what exactly happened?”

“Nothing important,” Gu Yan replied. She cast a disdainful glance at the spirit corpses surrounding the carriage. “The troublesome creatures have been dealt with. Let’s depart.”

Only then did Su Xiaoxiao sigh in relief. She would have felt immense guilt if Gu Yan had been injured because of her.

For several days running, such bizarre incidents were frequent. Once, upon hearing a tremendous roar from outside, Su Xiaoxiao finally couldn’t resist lifting the curtain. Still, Gu Yan remained out of sight.

At another time, it was only after sending out her divine sense that she perceived Gu Yan locked in combat with a colossal beast, as large as a small hill.

Gu Yan noticed her. “You, why have you come out?!”

Su Xiaoxiao’s face instantly blanched. Though severely frightened, she still yearned to help. However, even without the little fish-cub in her belly, her spiritual energy was now completely depleted. She could do nothing but be a hindrance.

Gu Yan swiftly dispatched the colossal beast. Su Xiaoxiao watched, wide-eyed, as Gu Yan, wielding a silver-white whip, tore open the beast’s corpse with a single strike and extracted its heart.

Gu Yan held it in her hand, examining it for a moment. The gory scene churned Su Xiaoxiao’s stomach.

Gu Yan quickly tossed the heart to the ground, remarking with utter disdain, “Inferior quality, low-grade.”

Gu Yan turned, only to see Su Xiaoxiao uncontrollably retching.

Gu Yan was filled with remorse. She had forgotten that Su Xiaoxiao was an innocent young mermaid, utterly unlike those like herself who had been accustomed to the law of the jungle since birth. Such a bloody spectacle was naturally unbearable for her.

Gu Yan immediately retreated, instructing Su Xiaoxiao to take the pill she had given her.

Su Xiaoxiao complied. Gu Yan then went to a nearby river to wash away the bloodstains from her body.

Once Gu Yan had cleaned herself and returned, Su Xiaoxiao asked her, “Have there been several incidents like this these past few days…?”

Gu Yan did not deny it. Instead, she informed Su Xiaoxiao, “You wouldn’t know, but the Immortal and Demon Clans could start a war any day now. With the situation in chaos, there are simply more fools who overestimate themselves.”

Su Xiaoxiao fell silent after hearing this. Her expression remained poor, lost in thoughts unknown.

Gu Yan, believing she was frightened, reassured her, “There’s no need to worry. I promised to escort you back to the South Sea, and I will ensure no harm comes to you.”

‘Otherwise, Xiyue would surely kill me and make me her funerary sacrifice.’

“These minor skirmishes are beneath my notice; I can resolve them swiftly,” Gu Yan explained to her. “Currently, all the various clans are taking sides.

“Even the slightly stronger ones have pledged allegiance and joined armies, so they won’t be out foraging at this critical juncture.”

Su Xiaoxiao nodded, her concern for her clan members deepening even further. Shayue undoubtedly knew she had escaped. Seeing no pursuit, Gu Yan’s medicine was indeed effective, but it was difficult to predict whether Shayue, in her fury, would seek trouble with the Merfolk clan.

After all, back then…

“If you disobey, I will purge your South Sea Merfolk clan in blood.”

The mere memory sent a shiver down Su Xiaoxiao’s spine.

Another day passed. Su Xiaoxiao knew they were very close to the sea now; the salty, damp scent of seawater, a fragrance she knew intimately, was carried on the wind.

Su Xiaoxiao and Gu Yan finally reached the shore. If Su Xiaoxiao still possessed spiritual energy at this moment, she could transform into a mermaid and swim back to her clan’s territorial islands in less than half a day.

However, with her current condition, Su Xiaoxiao was indisposed. Gu Yan could only disguise herself as a mortal merchant and go through the motions of purchasing a boat.

Having served as a carriage driver, she now became a boatman.

Towards Su Xiaoxiao, Gu Yan naturally harbored no complaints, not even displaying a hint of impatience.

In her mind, however, she had long since cursed Shayue to no end.

Su Xiaoxiao, who had initially been anxious to return home, grew quiet at this moment. She told Gu Yan, “It’s not suitable to set sail today; there will be a heavy downpour tonight.”

Gu Yan glanced at the clear sky, her expression puzzled. “Rain?”

Su Xiaoxiao nodded earnestly. This was an innate ability of her Merfolk clan, a natural talent for sensing changes in the weather.

Since Su Xiaoxiao wasn’t in a hurry, Gu Yan felt even less compelled to rush. The past few days of travel had been arduous, spent in desolate wilderness. Now that they had reached a bustling human settlement, it seemed better to pause and rest properly, and perhaps allow Su Xiaoxiao to enjoy some good food.

They entered the market.

Su Xiaoxiao was, after all, still young (three hundred years old and not yet an adult). From the bottom of her heart, she was filled with curiosity for the novel and lively human affairs.

Truth be told, this was her first time witnessing a mortal market, and she was astonished by its vibrancy.

Following a tantalizing scent, Su Xiaoxiao settled down at a wonton stall. She was already exceptionally beautiful, but pregnancy had bestowed upon her an added aura of gentleness and tranquility. Her attire, moreover, was clearly of noble quality. Naturally, others took her for a young lady from a wealthy family.

“Esteemed guest, would you care for a bowl?” The vendor, a man of business, greeted her with a smiling invitation.

“Hmm, I’ll have two bowls, please. Thank you.”

“Certainly, esteemed guest! They’ll be right out.”

Gu Yan, who had been walking slightly ahead, turned back upon seeing Su Xiaoxiao stop. “Want to eat?” she asked.

Su Xiaoxiao nodded, and Gu Yan joined her, ordering two bowls of fresh shrimp wontons.

As the gentle sea breeze caressed her and she observed the bustling market, Su Xiaoxiao felt a rare sense of tranquility. Even her previous worries seemed to fade away.

Her gaze fell upon two boisterous children squatting and playing nearby.

The talkative and cheerful vendor noticed her attention and casually struck up a conversation with Su Xiaoxiao. “My children are a bit mischievous, please excuse their antics.”

Su Xiaoxiao quickly replied that it was quite alright. A moment later, for reasons unknown, the two children burst into tears. They ran towards the vendor’s wife, who was helping out, crying like little calico cats. “Mama, my brother took my toy!”

The other child immediately ran over as well, clinging to his mother just like his sibling. “No, I didn’t!”

Their chirping and chattering were indeed noisy, much to Gu Yan’s disdain.

Su Xiaoxiao, however, was mesmerized. A profound sense of guilt suddenly welled within her, and she subtly touched her belly.

She realized that she had actually considered seeking death, taking her little fish-cub with her. What a cowardly and preposterous thing that would have been.