CPS Chapter 3: Merfolk

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Xia Qing stormed out, grabbing the system hiding behind a red pillar by the collar. She cut straight to the chase, saying, "I want to hear the ending of Lou Guanxue's story! Tell me everything right now!"

The system instantly lit up with excitement. "Host, have you changed your mind?"

"No," Xia Qing said with a grim face. "I just want to know what kind of miserable end this idiot faces after acting so arrogant."

The system: "..."

The two of them sat down on the ground.

The system's blue flame flickered in the night breeze as it thought for a moment and said, "Host, do you know why we needed someone to replace Lou Guanxue?"

Without hesitation, Xia Qing replied, "Afraid he'd end up killing your precious protagonist?"

The system stammered guiltily, "He's not that scary..."

The system continued, "Lou Guanxue is required to fall in love with the protagonist later in the story and sacrifice his life to save him. But the original character is too unpredictable, so we decided to pull in another soul to take his place and follow the storyline."

Xia Qing, the "pulled-in soul," replied coolly, "Good thing I didn't agree to it."

The system became even more sheepish. "Actually, the later parts of the story aren't that hard to play out. Oh, by the way, I didn’t fully explain Wen Jiao’s identity. Besides being the little prince of Liang, he's also a pure merfolk."

Xia Qing was stunned. "Pure merfolk?"

The system nodded. "Yes. In this world, pure merfolk are priceless treasures: beautiful, fragile, their tears turn into pearls. The wealthy see owning a pure merfolk as a status symbol. Wen Jiao’s mother was a stunning merfolk who the king of Liang traded ten cities to obtain. However, children born from humans and merfolk typically have diluted bloodlines and are mostly human, so no one knows that Wen Jiao is a pure merfolk."

"He's sixteen now, and soon, he'll grow a tail. In the original story, pure merfolk also have a special trait: they emit a natural fragrance, and their gaze can awaken primal desires in people. Wen Jiao's first transformation happens in Lou Guanxue's bed. You can imagine how melodramatic things get after that."

Xia Qing: "..."

The system continued, "Lou Guanxue finds him intriguing and imprisons him, torturing him in countless ways. Then one day, a high priest from the Astrological Hall sees Wen Jiao, hidden away like a treasure, and falls in love with him at first sight. The priest secretly plans to help him escape. Of course, Lou Guanxue isn’t one to sit back and watch, so he tries to stop it. In the end, Wen Jiao falls off a cliff while fleeing and is rescued by a young noble from the capital, who, captivated by Wen Jiao’s resemblance to his deceased lover, takes him in as a substitute."

Xia Qing: "That's enough."

The system: "Yeah, it's all just melodrama. So, the later storyline is really just Lou Guanxue getting jealous, going dark, imprisoning Wen Jiao, tormenting him physically and emotionally. See? Simple. Aren’t you tempted to trade all this for another chance at life?"

Leaning against a massive palace pillar, Xia Qing, truly exhausted, closed her eyes. With a dry tone, she replied, "Not tempted."

The system's glowing flame dimmed visibly, dejected. "Alright then."

Its flame shrank pitifully.

"Well, Host, you'll have to manage on your own for a while. I'm heading back to the central system for some energy replenishment."

Half-asleep, Xia Qing waved it off. "Go ahead."

Not even a single word of reluctance! The system pouted, "Fine."

The wind stirred the bronze bells hanging from the eaves, making them chime softly.

The moonlight was as cool as silk, and the blue flame slowly faded away, like an illusory dream.

Thus, Xia Qing, a wandering ghost, began a life of mutual non-interference with Lou Guanxue.

The palace they resided in was called the "Zhaixinglou", named after the phrase "reaching for the stars." Standing a hundred feet tall, it offered a panoramic view of the imperial city.

Every year, in early March, Lou Guanxue had to stay in the top level of the tower for half a month without stepping outside.

The empress dowager, worried about his loneliness, often sent people to keep him company.

Aside from the dancer he killed at the beginning, Xia Qing noticed that Lou Guanxue hadn’t killed anyone since.

Over time, Xia Qing realized Lou Guanxue didn’t enjoy killing and seemed to have a distaste for blood, perhaps even a compulsion for cleanliness.

At night, the "Zhaixinglou" was lively, filled with young performers, music, and dancing.

Meanwhile, the young emperor sat atop his throne, his face ever calm and detached.

Xia Qing, however, floated on the beams, watching the spectacle with great interest, clapping at the entertaining parts.

Whenever this happened, Lou Guanxue would glance at him coldly.

Naturally, Xia Qing ignored him.

One day, Lou Guanxue suddenly asked, "What do you think that tower across the bamboo forest is for?"

Xia Qing looked around to ensure he was the only one being addressed before replying lazily, "Are you asking me? No idea."

Lou Guanxue smiled faintly. "Aren’t you supposed to be able to predict fate? And you don’t know this?"

Xia Qing: "Are you mentally ill?"

Lou Guanxue tapped the railing with his long fingers, his mole beneath his eye softening his gaze. "Yes, terminally. At least you guessed that much."

Disregarding the taunt, Xia Qing maintained his otherworldly, aloof demeanor. "Maybe if you stopped going on rampages and killing people, you could recover."

Lou Guanxue didn’t respond. Instead, his gaze shifted to the pagoda, and he said, "There’s a great demon sealed inside."

Xia Qing froze. "Really?"

Lou Guanxue: "Why would I lie?"

Still suspicious, Xia Qing muttered, "Then you'd better make sure it stays sealed."

Lou Guanxue changed the subject abruptly. "What’s your name?"

Caught off guard, Xia Qing answered instinctively, "Xia Qing." Then he froze and glared. "You tricked me?"

Lou Guanxue chuckled. "Fair’s fair. Shall I tell you mine?"

Xia Qing sneered. "I already know it."

Lou Guanxue’s smile deepened. "Where’s that flame that used to follow you?"

Xia Qing replied with exaggerated malice, "It leaked divine secrets and got obliterated by the heavens."

Lou Guanxue: "Oh."

Suspicious, Xia Qing asked, "Why are you being so talkative today?"

Lou Guanxue, with his jade-like features softened, smiled faintly and said, "Too lonely, perhaps."

"Lonely?" Xia Qing asked incredulously. "With so many people around you every day?"

Lou Guanxue replied, "For me, humans are more dangerous than ghosts."

Xia Qing was momentarily stunned.

Lou Guanxue’s pale skin and delicate lips held an inexplicable vulnerability. He spoke in a soft voice, “That woman wants to kill me.”

Xia Qing cautiously asked, “...The Empress Dowager?”

“Mm.” Lou Guansheng nodded. “I’m not her biological child. The late emperor had few heirs, and with the royal power in disarray and brothers fighting for the throne, I was the only one left to ascend. However, I was in poor health, and the Empress Dowager took over the administration.”

Xia Qing looked at him in confusion.

Lou Guanxue’s gaze fell on a distant point, a deep weariness in his eyes. He smiled faintly, “Now her brother, the Regent, has grown older, and she plans to eliminate me.”

Xia Qing quietly observed Lou Guanxue, and he couldn’t help but think that Lou Guanxue’s fragile appearance right now... could easily deceive someone.

“Why are you suddenly telling me all this?”

Lou Guanxue tilted his head and smiled, “Because I can only tell you.”

Xia Qing thought to himself: Liar.

Oh, wait, wasn’t he a ghost?

Although he didn’t fully understand Lou Guanxue’s intentions, Xia Qing, as a carefree ghost without any worldly ties, wasn’t too afraid of him.

After their last conversation, the tense atmosphere between them had eased a little.

When Lou Guanxue was reading alone, he would occasionally talk to Xia Qing.

One day, when Xia Qing came across the word “mermaid people or merfolk” in a book, he couldn’t help but ask a few questions, recalling what the system had said earlier: “Are mermaid people really good at seducing humans?”

Lou Guanxue thought for a moment, then chuckled lightly, his tone casual, “Maybe.”

Xia Qing flipped through a book titled Eastern Region Miscellaneous Talks, which recorded the history of merfolk from the real world to their capture.

The mermaid people had once only existed in legends, living in the distant ends of the vast and endless Sky Sea, serving the “True Dragon.”

To achieve immortality, the ancestors of the Chu Kingdom coveted dragon flesh and gathered Taoist priests to embark on a sea expedition, breaking into the mermaid people's territory.

The details of the process were unclear, but the outcome was clear.

The ancestors didn’t gain immortality; on the contrary, they died soon after returning.

The High Priest of the Chu Kingdom believed that the mermaid people were to blame, considering them a cursed and dangerous species. As a result, a decree was issued, and the mermaid people were made slaves, the lowest of the low.

From then on, the males were slaves, and the females were prostitutes, living as livestock for generations.

To prevent the mermaid people from escaping, a “wall” was built in the Sky Sea.

This wall lasted for centuries.

Over the course of a hundred years, the sea changed drastically. The number of pure mermaid dwindled, while mixed-blood sharks grew in number.

The distinction between pure and mixed mermaid was based on a bloodline awakening that could only happen with the blessing of the “True Dragon,” unrelated to the mermaid person's biological parents. However, due to the impurity of human blood, mermaid people born from human-mermaid unions rarely awakened their pure bloodline.

Xia Qing thought to himself, The Chu Kingdom really is a bandit nation.

Lou Guanxue looked at him, asking, “What are you reading?”

Xia Qing shook his head and casually replied, “Nothing.” But this world’s history was like this: humans oppressed and trampled on the mermaid people, showing no mercy to their own kind. The destruction of kingdoms and cities, the massacre of entire families, was all too common. When the emperor was angered, blood flowed like rivers.

Lou Guanxue didn’t let him off with just a casual answer. He reached out with his long fingers and snatched the Eastern Region Miscellaneous Talks from his hands.

Startled, Xia Qing scrambled and flipped through it, only to end up on a page that was not suitable for children.

The Eastern Region was the closest place to the Sky Sea. Eastern Region Miscellaneous Talks not only recorded the history of the mermaid people but also various lewd legends about them. This page described the famous mermaid prostitutes from the Eastern Region, with crude language like “crimson lips and jade pillows” and “perfect instruments of heaven.”

Lou Guanxue read it, smiled, and said casually, “Seems like it’s not wrong.”

“...” Xia Qing.

Well, Lou Guanxue, as the emperor of the Chu Kingdom, had probably seen and experienced it all.

However, their relationship wasn’t close enough to discuss such taboo topics. Xia Qing chose to keep quiet and flipped to another book.

But Lou Guanxue didn’t let him off: “Are you interested in this?”

Xia Qing instinctively protested, “Of course not.” That was the truth; since he was young, he had been indifferent to such matters. He had lived like a monk, without any romantic or sexual interests. His college roommates had even tried to help him by referring him to a urologist, worried that he might be impotent.

Lou Guanxue looked at him with a knowing gaze, “I can tell.”

Xia Qing wasn’t having it: “What can you tell so confidently?”

Lou Guansheng smirked, “I can tell you’re still a virgin.”

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