CHAPTER 198: CHAPTER 2 MERFOLK, SEA PEARL

Lingbo Pavilion’s Dancers were entirely different in style from those of the Flower Fairy Building in Flower Fairy Valley. The dances at the Flower Fairy Building possessed a delicate beauty characteristic of women; their Dancers appeared delicate, more easily invoking a man’s protective instincts. Lingbo Pavilion’s Dancers, on the other hand, possessed a sharp, almost fierce beauty in their movements. They had a dashing and heroic demeanor, and their attire was notably bolder.

As time passed, the empty seats within Lingbo Pavilion grew increasingly scarce, and the time for the Merfolk performance drew nearer.

"This Fellow Daoist, may I share a table with you?" a somewhat timid voice sounded.

Chen Jiuge looked toward the source of the voice. It was a Divinity Transformation Cultivator of unremarkable appearance, wearing a plain Vestment robe. His hands were clasped in a greeting gesture, but Chen Jiuge noticed his fingers underneath were nervously intertwined. A shy Cultivator indeed, a rare sight.

"Sure," Chen Jiuge agreed. He had reserved a large table that could accommodate eight people, originally intending for Ao Li and Li Kui to join him and watch. Unexpectedly, neither of them was interested.

For Li Kui, sleeping more seemed more appealing. As for Ao Li, he was preoccupied with caring for the young creatures he bought at Five-Colored Immortal City. They were running amok in his portable space. Although mostly Aquatic Spiritual Beasts, his collection included creatures like floating jellyfish and two-legged sea fish—quite an array of unique Spiritual Beasts.

After receiving Chen Jiuge’s permission, the plain-looking Cultivator immediately waved to a Female Cultivator not far away. Turning to Chen Jiuge, he said, "Fellow Daoist, my name is Hai Bo, and this is my Daoist couple, Jiang Huahua."

Jiang Huahua was also a very shy Cultivator. She blushed slightly as she greeted Chen Jiuge, then quietly took her seat.

"My name is Chen Jiuge. A pleasure to meet you."

"Mr. Chen, you’re here to watch the Merfolk performance, right?" Hai Bo said, handing some Spirit Stones to Chen Jiuge.

Although Chen Jiuge had a positive impression of these two Cultivators, he still accepted the Spirit Stones offered. "Yes, Mr. Hai. Is there something you wish to tell me?"

Hai Bo hesitated for a moment, then said, "I’d rather not say. Fellow Daoist, since this must be your first time seeing the Merfolk, if I tell you, it might spoil your anticipation."

Hearing this, Chen Jiuge didn’t press further. Just then, the Merfolk performance was about to begin.

「...」

The Dancers performing in the air descended one by one. A Female Cultivator, clad only in three strategically placed shells, slowly stepped forward—it was Lingbo Pavilion’s Pavilion Master, Tian Yiyi. She announced, "You are all here for the Merfolk performance, so this little lady won’t delay any further. Let the show begin!"

Under Chen Jiuge’s expectant gaze, the Merfolk took the stage.

Is this a Merfolk? Chen Jiuge stared at the bizarre Merfolk on stage. My dream of a beautiful mermaid is shattered!

My eyes must be deceiving me! To think I anticipated such an ugly creature all night—it’s rather sickening.

Noticing Chen Jiuge’s displeased expression, Hai Bo explained, "This is a male Merfolk. He is not the one who will perform; the performer is a female Merfolk. Mr. Chen, look quickly!"

A stunning figure appeared on the stage. Many Cultivators like Chen Jiuge, who were witnessing a Merfolk performance for the first time, were awestruck. They marveled at the wonders of creation.

Is this really the same species?

At that moment, Chen Jiuge found the Merfolk stunning. She’s exactly like the mermaid of my dreams!

Actually, if the female Merfolk had appeared from the start, I might not have felt this strongly. Perhaps this is the so-called beauty of contrast.

"Actually, this is intentional on Lingbo Pavilion’s part," Jiang Huahua quietly explained. "They intentionally show an unattractive male Merfolk first to frustrate the Cultivators. Then, they bring out the female Merfolk to create a stark contrast, which allows them to fetch a better price."

"Selling Merfolk?" Chen Jiuge asked in surprise.

"You didn’t know, Mr. Chen?" Hai Bo said, somewhat surprised. "After the female Merfolk’s performance, both Merfolk will be auctioned off. The highest bidder will become their owner."

The Cultivators here were primarily interested in purchasing the female Merfolk. Otherwise, who would come to watch Merfolk dance daily? No matter how beautiful a dance, one would eventually tire of it. Lingbo Pavilion thrived precisely by auctioning Merfolk.

The female Merfolk’s dance was indeed captivating. Her fishtail, so different from human legs, particularly stirred certain desires among many of the Cultivators.

"Alright, the performance is over," Tian Yiyi said, swaying gracefully as she moved forward. "Before the official auction begins, let me first introduce the lineage of these two Merfolk."

As the Pavilion Master of Lingbo Pavilion, Tian Yiyi held a significant status, though her reputation wasn’t particularly good. Despite her scanty clothing, nobody dared to jeer. Those who had dared in the past had mostly been sunk to the bottom of the sea.

"Everyone surely remembers the great battle against the Merfolk Tribe that occurred not long ago, correct? These two happen to be the Princess and Prince of a Merfolk Tribe that was annihilated. The Merfolk Bloodline they possess is far superior to that of ordinary Merfolk, so the auction price this time will also be very high."

"The starting bid is 300,000 Top Grade Spirit Stones," Tian Yiyi announced with a smile.

"What? 300,000?"

"That’s robbery! What’s the use of a strong Bloodline? They’re merely little Merfolk at the Divinity Transformation Stage."

"Pavilion Master Tian must be joking. No one will accept such a price."

Seeing the crowd below in an uproar, Tian Yiyi maintained her smile. She then made a small incision on the female Merfolk’s arm.

As blue blood dripped down and transformed into blue crystals upon hitting the floor, the Cultivators in the audience were stunned. A well-traveled Loose Cultivator among them, his voice trembling, said, "Could this be the legendary Merfolk blessed by the Sea God?"