The Player was utterly shocked, but her master was still charging headlong toward matters of the bedchamber.
Li Yin halted the runaway topic and cleared her throat. “Master, I haven’t seen the Demon Venerable yet. What does he look like?”
She felt a bit nervous, clutching the Messaging Mirror and holding her breath.
This was a question every little demonic cultivator had wondered about. It was perfectly normal.
A Spirit Message came through. Li Yin received it, and it carried a woman’s cold laugh.
“The Demon Venerable has been asleep for centuries now…” The Jade Joy Palace Lord’s tone was unkind as she said coldly, “He’s an old undead thing with a full head of white hair.”
White hair!
Seizing on the key detail, the Player shrank back.
Afraid her master would pick up on something, she pinched her voice again. “He’s an old man? Then he must be super ugly.”
Her little disciple’s curious question didn’t disappoint her master, who replied emphatically, “Ugly—uglier than sin! Hideous face. No wonder his dao companion dumped him.”
The woman cursed outright. “Hah, if he’s got the guts, let him sleep forever. Best if he just ascends on the spot—dies, that’d be perfect. Save him hogging the Demon Venerable seat.”
Hearing her master put it that way, Li Yin figured it was probably the opposite. She definitely had some bad blood with the Demon Venerable.
The Player kept probing while shrinking back. “So ugly, and he actually had a dao companion?”
“Otherwise why would his dao companion kick him to the curb.”
They could’ve followed the topic into a chat about the Demon Venerable’s dao companion, but the Jade Joy Palace Lord suddenly went silent. There was no sound for a long time.
Li Yin stayed quiet too, lost in thought. Among her exes in the Demon Domain, besides the beautiful strong pitiful half-demon, she now had to add a Demon Venerable.
Recalling the events from the corresponding save file, the Player broke down silently.
It wasn’t even a big deal. She had just done what any player would do.
Put it this way: A player tackling a strategy game stumbles on a prime capture target in an amnesiac state—stunning looks, elegant poise, that rare white hair and red eyes combo. What does the player do?
Thank the heavens for the gift, of course.
Piecing it together from memory, the Player had swooped in when that white-haired Demon Venerable was at his lowest—severely injured and amnesiac.
She’d played the savior and fiancée to build affection, then swiftly proposed marriage and dual cultivation.
She’d succeeded in becoming dao companions with the amnesiac target, claiming his pristine body and the yuan yang he’d guarded for years.
This was her one fully maxed-out capture target. In other words, she’d done everything there was to do.
Without what came later, the Player might’ve pushed further and snagged the one and only happy ending.
Li Yin remembered what happened next. The capture target suddenly regained his memories and flew into a rage, shredding the marriage contract they’d signed.
Probably because a lowly little cultivator had deceived him and defiled his body.
And after that…
She scratched her head. The furious Demon Venerable had thrown her into the Demon Domain’s prison.
After busting out with some effort, the Player had no intention of circling back to the target. Favorability had tanked to zero—no sense in chasing humiliation.
She’d finally glimpsed the shadow of a happy ending, only for it to turn into her ninth bad end. The more she dwelled on it, the madder she got, and she rage-quit the game.
That ninth bad end was the final straw. It had her bolting upright in the middle of the night, cursing the game, storming the official forums to drop a thousand-word rant of a review. And right after that…
She’d transmigrated straight in.
This game really deserved to die.
The Player clenched her fist and punched the air.
That said, if the Demon Domain hadn’t changed hands, that white-haired Demon Venerable was probably another one of her exes.
Luckily, the Demon Venerable was deep in slumber.
And luckily, she’d started off smuggling right into the Cultivation World. Best if she never crossed paths with him in this lifetime—she had zero interest in rotting in jail again.
The Player suddenly remembered something else and asked carefully, “Master, do you have a bad relationship with the Demon Venerable?”
She racked her brain, combing through the save files. Among the characters the Player knew, was there a female cultivator named Mi Shu?
But from the other end, her master chuckled twice. “What bad blood? My Jade Ecstasy Palace is utterly loyal to the Demon Venerable.”
The Jade Joy Palace Lord’s loyalty rang out strong and true. Li Yin nodded to herself, dropping her curiosity about whatever grudge lay between her master and the Demon Venerable. Probably just some random backstory.
Her master abruptly switched topics. “Run into any interesting male cultivators in the Cultivation World? How many have you supplemented? Let Master have a look.”
She asked with eager excitement, only to get a yelp from her little disciple in return.
“Master!”
The woman didn’t get mad. She just chuckled twice. “Fine, fine, no more talk. Off you go. As for Calamity Birth Mansion, who knows what nonsense they’re scheming this time. I’ll send people to keep an eye on them.”
The Spirit Message cut off.
The Player shoved thoughts of her botched ex aside and pressed forward. The Celestial Pool gradually came into view.
Li Yin hopped down into the snow. It had been a while since her last visit to the Celestial Pool, and the cold made her shiver.
She cast her usual warming spell and pulled items from her Mustard Seed Pouch. Besides the Scar-Removing Ointment prepared for the merfolk, there was food for the little fish.
Hugging everything, she crunched through the snow to the water’s edge. The little fish swarmed over to greet her.
Li Yin scanned the area but saw no sign of the merfolk.
That’s when it hit her: she didn’t even know the merfolk’s name.
The Player mulled it over, then squatted down to feed the fish while muttering under her breath.
“Eat up, eat up. Once you’re fed, I’m out…”
A good while later, the fish food in her hand was gone. The wind was gentle, the water still, but still no merfolk.
Li Yin stood and brushed the crumbs from her hands. “Oops, accidentally fed it all.”
The merfolk still didn’t show. She stretched lazily. “All fed. I’m off, then.”
The moment she turned, a patter of water sounds rang out.
Li Yin whipped around. There, behind the rocks, was that beautiful merfolk.
His silver eyes were clear and dewy, pristine as if freshly washed. He refused to meet her gaze straight-on, shooting her just one awkward glance after surfacing.
Li Yin flashed him a smile.
She faintly caught a soft hum. The merfolk deliberately looked away, refusing to meet her eyes.
“I thought you’d ascended or something. Guess not.”
“Who says? There are still little fish waiting for me here, so I descended once more.”
She said it shamelessly, her words loaded with meaning.
Underwater, his gorgeous fish tail went rigid. Then it flicked up, splashing a spray of water beads at her.
The merfolk’s pale cheeks tinted pink as he shot her a glare.
Li Yin dodged the spray, her smile innocent and a touch guileless. She pulled out the ointment. “Here—this should be plenty for you.”
“Gift for you. I don’t want anything back. Can’t have people saying I’m in it for the profit. Other disciples will come check on you later. I won’t disturb you anymore.” She chattered on to herself, set the items down, and turned to leave.
A few steps later, the water behind her surged with a splatter. Li Yin heard a sharp call.
“You—”
The rest caught like a sob. She turned back for a look—
On the snowy shore, the pure white reflected the youth’s delicate, beautiful skin and frame. His fish tail couldn’t leave the water, so his upper body lay prostrate in the snow.
His long hair draped like seaweed, veiled in starlit blue Gauze Veil—feather-light and sheer. It shadowed his trembling form like a fallen stretch of galaxy.
A few twinkling star-motes had indeed tumbled into the snow, rolled from his reddened eyes. They hit the ground and made her heart clench.
Merpearls. Merfolk tears.
He lay at the water’s edge, crying.
The heartless human cultivator had bullied an underage merfolk.
Li Yin jumped in alarm. She’d overplayed her hand. She rushed over to help him up.
The pretty youth she’d made cry flushed scarlet. He clutched her clothes tight, refusing to let go, then pounced vengefully—knocking her flat and tumbling into her arms himself.
The two crashed to the ground together. Li Yin stared up at the sky as the sound of his fish tail paddling filled her ears—light and exuberant.
He buried his face in her clothes, probably trying to wipe his tears on them as payback.
But merfolk tears turned to pearls on falling. They wouldn’t wet her clothes at all. Instead, a lapful of lovely little pearls rained down.
The merfolk’s voice came muffled. “The wounds just hurt… It’s all your fault!”
Those last three words rang out loud and clear.
“Help me apply the medicine.” He bossed her around again.
Li Yin looked down at him. The youth kept his head lowered, so all she glimpsed was his tail swishing back and forth below.
Did looking that good mean he could do whatever he wanted?
It did.
The Player steadied him and picked up the ointment from the ground. But he clung tight. “Like this, how am I supposed to apply it?”
The merfolk let out a few soft huffs before releasing her. They sat together at the shore, and only then could Li Yin apply the medicine.
The scars on his tail were all gone. Only his upper body remained.
He tugged at his clothes, his face still fiercely red. The thin gauze bunched around him, growing messier with every pull. The dangling beads and silver chains clinked musically.
The merfolk couldn’t sort it out and lost patience. “You undress me.”
Gazing at his snow-pale skin, the Player moved slowly, afraid she’d melt the handful of snow.
She gently smoothed the shimmering Gauze Veil, then carefully undid his coverings. The young alien’s body shivered in waves, as if from the cold. He inched closer to her bosom, nearly burrowing in.
With his clothes off, Li Yin focused intently on applying the medicine.
Scars marked his front and back. Her touches grew even lighter.
Her warm fingertips pressed and stroked his cool skin. Soft moans slipped from between the merfolk’s lips. He quickly tried to play it off. “You… what have you been busy with lately?”
He made it sound casual, offhand.
“Contracting spirit beasts?” Li Yin gave a rough summary, unsure.
The mood plunged into silence.
After a beat, she heard him speak again.
“I-I bet you don’t even have many spirit beasts anyway. Your cultivation’s so low. But since you’ve been running around for me, I’ll reluctantly sign an Equal Contract with you.”
His silver-blue fish tail stilled in the water, rigid with tension.
Li Yin paused in her work.
She glanced up at his flushed earlobes and smiled suddenly. “Sure.”
“But…” She dragged it out, teasing him. The merfolk, who’d turned his face away, whipped back to stare.
The girl grinned slyly as she reminded him, “My contract mark might hurt a bit. You’ll have to tough it out.”
The merfolk schooled his expression to indifference, but his tail betrayed him, flicking up a joyful spray of water beads.
Li Yin’s gaze roamed slowly over him. On such a beautiful merfolk, a Supplementation Mark would look good anywhere.
Still, she checked with her furnace first.
“Where do you want my contract mark?” she asked.
The merfolk bit his lip.
Too inexperienced to spot anything off, he didn’t realize normal Equal Contracts left no visible mark.
Then his silver eyes flickered, cheeks blooming red. “Wherever you think looks best on me—just put it there.”
The Player fell into thought.
Seeing her go quiet, the merfolk grew sulky and slapped his tail against the water.
“You’re good-looking everywhere,” the Player said. “Give me a sec to pick.”
In an instant, the merfolk’s cheeks flushed like rosy clouds.
The Player settled on a spot quickly, her eyes drifting to his fish tail.
Realizing she meant to place the mark on his tail, the merfolk huffed. He wasn’t surprised and didn’t object.
“I knew it,” he muttered.
His tail was the most beautiful part, after all. Earning admiration from humans was only natural—fated, even.
He curved his tail up, taking the rare initiative to deliver a scale right into the girl’s palm. He gave a slight nod, arrogance on full display. “Go ahead.”