Wei Yang raised her head from between her knees in a panic.
“Holy crap!”
It was over, it was over, it was over—how could she have forgotten that fish!
Wei Yang scrambled to her feet and sprinted all the way to the edge of the barrier. Fortunately, Fu Ping was still there, remaining under that same large tree.
Fallen leaves had piled up on her head, but Fu Ping didn’t react at all.
As she drew closer, Wei Yang’s lips twitched as she noticed the light had completely vanished from the girl’s eyes.
“Fu Ping?”
Fu Ping swayed slightly at the sound of the call and slowly lifted her head. Her elegant face made it clear she was extremely dissatisfied, and her eyes were rimmed with red.
“You… you finally remembered to come back…”
Hearing that awkward, tearful tremble in her voice, cold sweat broke out on Wei Yang’s forehead. She averted her gaze, unable to look the girl in the eye.
“Well, you see, an accident happened. I got held up.”
“An accident? What kind of accident could make you leave me here for several hours? I thought you didn’t want me anymore, that you’d left me here all alone to wait for death.”
“How is that possible? I’m not that kind of person… probably.”
“Then what exactly happened?”
“Uh, to put it simply, my house exploded. I was busy dealing with that and forgot for a moment that you were still out here.”
Fu Ping’s face was the picture of disbelief.
“You’re messing with me, aren’t you?”
“No, no, it’s true. Two giant holes were blasted in it. Though it’s barely repaired now, I felt bad asking the owner if one more person could move in. I’m sorry.”
The light in Fu Ping’s eyes dimmed further.
“So, I can’t join you?”
Wei Yang nodded.
The moment Fu Ping received the response, she raised her hand. A stream of water erupted from the divine artifact, the Water Cave, and quickly condensed into a long blade.
“If that is the case, I can only prove my resolve through death!”
“Wait, wait, wait, how are you!”
“I’m fine, thank you… my foot! If I can’t serve my master, what point is there in living? The third rule of the mermaid race’s code: if a loser cannot become the victor’s servant, they can only atone through death.”
“What kind of garbage code is that!”
Wei Yang’s pupils melted and reshaped into hearts. Her charm ability activated, instantly seizing Fu Ping’s vision and locking her gaze onto Wei Yang. Taking advantage of the opening, Wei Yang stepped forward and grabbed the hand holding the blade.
“Give up on that idea. I have a much more important mission for you.”
Fu Ping nodded and dispelled the water blade. Wei Yang sighed in relief and deactivated her eye technique.
“Listen to me, little mermaid. Do you remember when I said we had to wait for the Zhuji incident to end before taking action?”
Fu Ping nodded again.
“I remember.”
“The situation has changed. Chao Yan might be planning something, but I can’t leave this place. I need someone to go and investigate.”
“Chao Yan?” Fu Ping frowned. “You mean the Shendu official who can adapt to any phenomenon—the one known as the strongest late-hand strategist?”
“That’s her. How much do you know about her?”
“Not much. During the dragon riot last year, there was some contact between the Nine Provinces and Shendu. Do you want to know her recent movements? I can investigate for you.”
“That would be a huge help. But remember, don’t force anything. If you run into danger, get out of there fast. I don’t want to receive news one day that you’ve been turned into sashimi by Chao Yan.”
Fu Ping did not look amused.
“I won’t be turned into sashimi.”
“You can’t be sure about that. You were just trying to kill yourself a second ago.”
“…That’s two different things. Diced fish head with chili is not the same as sashimi.”
Wei Yang shrugged.
“I don’t know how strong Chao Yan’s counter-intelligence is. If you can’t get any information, we’ll just change the direction of the investigation. Aside from the Zhuji, there might be other miracle tools that can suppress the plague in the Nine Provinces.”
Fu Ping pondered for a moment.
“I see. I’m starting to understand everything. Rest assured, Master, I will not fail my mission.”
“You don’t need to be so formal.”
“This is for the pride of the Mermaid Princess!”
‘This kid is so serious.’
“Alright, alright. Just stay safe.”
Fu Ping gave an “OK” gesture and stood up.
“I’m off then. If there’s an emergency, use that water doll substitute to contact me.”
“Yeah. I’m counting on you.”
Watching Fu Ping’s retreating figure until she vanished, Wei Yang turned and stepped back through the barrier.
Time to go home.
Returning to the mostly-repaired house, she knocked on the door. Lu Ran soon came running to welcome her.
“Lady Wei Yang, welcome home!”
Wei Yang stepped inside to find the living room looked completely refreshed. Many things had been broken by the falling stones earlier, but the two of them had purchased replacements.
The chairs smashed by the rocks had been replaced. A new set of teacups and water glasses sat neatly on the table. The broken windows were fixed, making the place look much cleaner.
“I am truly sorry, Lu Ran.”
“You don’t need to worry about it, Lady Wei Yang. As long as you are alright, that’s all that matters. Besides, this house was already quite old; it would have collapsed sooner or later. Just think of it as that day coming a bit early.”
Wei Yang was deeply moved. This girl was far too understanding.
However, she couldn’t help but complain silently to herself. ‘Actually, I’m quite lucky the house wasn’t that sturdy. If it hadn’t been, I wouldn’t have been able to use my spiritual relics to smash through the roof and counterattack Yuchan.’
Of course, she couldn’t say that in front of Lu Ran.
“Lady Wei Yang, would you like some tea?”
“Yes, please.”
While Lu Ran went to brew the tea, Wei Yang thought about what to do next.
Yuchan’s appearance made her realize she had to hurry and finish this Special Grade Case.
The current situation was clear: she had Fu Ping investigating Chao Yan, and Ah Li was monitoring Anna. Everyone was working hard, so she needed to put in more effort as well.
She would start with the Zhuji. This resource, which had the Nine Provinces and Huyin Town at a standstill, was the top priority. Come to think of it, she hadn’t even seen what the Zhuji looked like yet.
“Lu Ran, what does the Zhuji look like?”
Lu Ran walked over with a teacup and placed it before her. “The Zhuji? They are a type of gem somewhere between amber and pearl. At night, they emit a faint fluorescence. They can only be found inside clams at the bottom of Moon Palace Lake. Only the water quality and environment there are suitable for their growth.”
“I see. So, where is Moon Palace Lake?”
“To the north of the town. It is also protected by a barrier, and only two people have permission to enter that lake. One is Miss Lilith; she is the town manager and is responsible for the mining and trading of the Zhuji. The other is High Priestess Ah Li.”
Wei Yang picked up her teacup and blew on it.
“Ah Li has permission too?”
“Yes, because many of the cathedral’s ceremonial items require Zhuji,” Lu Ran explained. “Furthermore, High Priestess Ah Li holds a very high status in the town, and Miss Lilith trusts her deeply.”
In that case, it wasn’t hard to understand.
Wei Yang thought it over. She wasn’t close with Lilith, having only met her a few times. If she went and asked to see the Zhuji, she would likely be rejected.
She would have to pay Ah Li another visit.
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