Chapter 25: Becoming a Merman
Chi Xiasheng never expected to open his eyes again.
On the boat, the restless feeling caused by his dehydration had already made his mind completely muddled. His body had started to run a fever again, and he was completely powerless, letting himself be tossed about by the waves.
It was only by biting his tongue again that he had managed to retain a shred of sanity. Otherwise, he would have definitely plunged headfirst into the sea to relieve the torment.
At that time, he had used a sharp piece of iron on the railing to cut the rope on his wrists. He had just broken free when he was brought before the kidnappers.
In fact, the moment he knew Su Chengjian had chosen to save Su Chimian first, Chi Xiasheng had completely given up hope. With his fever-addled brain, he tried to think of a way to escape.
But after thinking it over, it seemed that jumping into the sea was the only way.
Therefore, the moment the kidnappers relaxed after the gunshot, Chi Xiasheng used all his strength to run to the side and leap off.
But the bullet still hit his shoulder, making him tremble in the water from the pain.
In his last moments of consciousness, Chi Xiasheng only felt that the sea was really cold, pressing in on him from all sides and squeezing the air from his lungs. His eyes could only see a vast darkness.
In a daze, it seemed as if a light was rushing towards him.
But soon, his consciousness was sucked into a huge vortex, unable to escape.
After Chi Xiasheng fell unconscious, his body, like a feather, floated lightly downwards with the sea.
The wonderful feeling of returning to the ocean made every cell in Chi Xiasheng’s body tremble. The scales on his calves uncontrollably spread upwards.
His pants were eventually torn to shreds by the sharp scales, completely disintegrating and scattering on the seabed.
His legs finally transformed into a fishtail, but because the owner of the body had fallen into a deep sleep, the tail hung limply, unable to move flexibly.
Many sea creatures, attracted by the merman’s spiritual energy, floated with Chi Xiasheng in the sea, swimming around him in a daze.
When he opened his eyes again, Chi Xiasheng saw a face magnified in front of him.
A boy with golden-red hair, upon seeing Chi Xiasheng wake up, shouted loudly, “Mom! He’s awake!”
Chi Xiasheng felt a little stiff. His numb brain slowly began to work, and he finally understood his current situation.
Had he been rescued by someone after falling into the sea?
Chi Xiasheng couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. It seemed that jumping into the sea was indeed a way out.
But then, his expression froze. Because the golden-red-haired boy’s lower half was not two legs like a normal person, but…
A golden-red fishtail?!
Chi Xiasheng watched as the other flexibly swished his fishtail, parting the water with his hands, and swam forward in a hurry.
The joy of being rescued was now completely scared away by the boy’s appearance.
But then he calmed himself down. Although the image of a merman had never appeared before the public, it didn’t mean they didn’t exist at the bottom of the sea. After all, the underwater world was mysterious and vast. Thousands of years of human exploration had not been able to fully understand it.
And it seemed he had been rescued by a merman, which meant he definitely had no ill intentions towards him, so there was no need to panic.
But then, another question came to Chi Xiasheng’s mind.
I should be at the bottom of the sea right now, so how can I breathe?!!
Shouldn’t I have drowned?
Chi Xiasheng hurriedly looked around. As far as he could see, there were colorful fish swimming, various transparent and beautiful corals, jellyfish expanding and contracting as they swam, and four-legged sea turtles paddling through the water…
Seeing Chi Xiasheng’s gaze on them, the unidentifiable fish swam happily, gathering in a huge circle and surrounding him.
It was the first time Chi Xiasheng had ever seen so many beautiful and vibrant colors. He was dizzy from the ever-expanding circle of fish.
The shock in his heart had replaced all other emotions, and he stared unblinkingly at the magnificent underwater world.
His narrow worldview had been overturned and reorganized. Chi Xiasheng was still in a daze. It was only when a small, grayish-purple fish swam over and nuzzled his face that he came back to his senses.
But soon, this little fish was attacked by the other fish, surrounded, and thrown out.
‘Bad fish!’
‘No kissing!’
The fish had their own unique way of communicating, but surprisingly, Chi Xiasheng could understand what they were saying.
“Um, it’s okay,” Chi Xiasheng said, and then he was slightly taken aback.
Not only could he breathe, but he could also speak underwater.
The little grayish-purple fish was ostracized by all the other fish and was now hiding pitifully behind a clump of seaweed, looking at Chi Xiasheng with a wronged expression.
Seeing how pitiful and weak it was, Chi Xiasheng reached out and poked it.
The little grayish-purple fish seemed to be in disbelief that it had been touched by him. It was stunned for a moment before it blew a few happy bubbles and floated on its back.
Ah, I must be the happiest little fish in the sea.
The other fish were even angrier, looking down on this little fish that was using its young age to compete for favor. They wished they could just throw it into a big shark’s mouth!
‘Bad fish, bad fish!’
‘I want it too, I want it too.’
The fish’s communication was all short expressions, and their moods were easy to read. But with so many fish gathered together, it made Chi Xiasheng’s ears buzz.
Just as he couldn’t take these noisy little fish anymore, the golden-red merman who had saved him swam back.
But this time, he was followed by another red-tailed merman.
The other red-tailed merman was a female. Her hair, as thick as seaweed, draped down her back. Her skin was as white as snow, and her eyes held a beautiful, charming quality.
“See, I told you. He’s really awake. Mom, didn’t you say he wouldn’t wake up for another day?”
The young merman was chattering, his personality as fiery and lively as his hair. He stared at Chi Xiasheng without blinking.
When Chi Xiasheng looked back, the young merman shyly retreated a little, hiding behind the female merman.
“Be quiet!”
The woman’s voice was soft but very authoritative. As soon as she spoke, the little fish surrounding Chi Xiasheng scattered in a panic.
Chi Xiasheng felt as if the whole world had suddenly become quiet, and he couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.
“You’re awake. Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
The female merman’s voice was gentle and soft, like the afternoon sun in autumn. Her gaze on Chi Xiasheng was filled with a gentle, feminine radiance.
It was the first time Chi Xiasheng had ever felt such considerate care from an elder—oh no, an older fish. His face couldn’t help but flush, and he quickly shook his head.
But he still looked down at his left shoulder.
That was where he had been shot.
But now, that shoulder was smooth, as if the bullet had never been there.
Chi Xiasheng found it incredible. He reached out to touch it, but as his gaze moved down, he saw a white, blanket-like cloth covering his legs.
The cloth was very soft and close to the skin, with a light, gauze-like texture that was almost non-existent, which was why he had overlooked it before.
He saw a small patch of blue peeking out from under the cloth. With a puzzled expression, he lifted the cloth.
Under the white blanket, a silver-blue fishtail lay quietly on a bed made of shells. When Chi Xiasheng looked over, the tip of the tail uncontrollably flicked up at him.
Chi Xiasheng’s lips parted. His fingers were still frozen in mid-air, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“Th-this, tail…”
Chi Xiasheng couldn’t form a complete sentence. He even felt it might be better to faint, but he had just woken up. Even in the face of such a huge change, his mind was still relatively clear.
He touched the connection between his waist and the fishtail again and again, confirming that it had really grown from him. His expression was even more shocked than when he had seen the fishtail boy.
After all, seeing someone else as a merman and becoming a merman yourself were two completely different feelings.
Why did I wake up and change my race?
Chi Xiasheng’s mind was in a turmoil. Words from web novels he had read before—rebirth, transmigration, merman race—popped up uncontrollably.
He hurriedly looked for something smooth nearby, wanting to see his own face.
Could it be that I’m actually dead and have possessed the body of a merman? he thought, his imagination running wild.
Fortunately, the surface of the shell was polished very smooth. Chi Xiasheng looked up and saw a familiar face. The familiar mole under the corner of his eye made him feel a sense of familiarity.
He was relieved. It seemed his body was still his own, but his race had suddenly changed for some reason.
But many things were also explained in that instant.
For example, why he hadn’t died after falling into the sea, why he could breathe underwater, and why he could understand the fish…
Thinking of this, Chi Xiasheng’s brain capacity was a little insufficient, and he began to feel dizzy.
He felt he needed to calm down for a while to adapt to his new identity.
The golden-red-haired boy held his face, swishing his tail, and looked at Chi Xiasheng’s fishtail with envy.
“A silver-blue fishtail is very rare. And you’re a merman, that’s so great.”
Chi Xiasheng looked at the other’s swishing tail and subconsciously asked, “You’re not a merman?”
The boy’s eyes dimmed slightly, and he shook his head. “I’m not. I’m just an ordinary carp.”
Chi Xiasheng saw the boy’s disappointment but didn’t understand. With his current knowledge, he couldn’t understand the difference between a carp and a merman. In his eyes, they were all just fish.
The gentle female merman also sighed. “Isn’t that right? I went through so much trouble to give birth to you, you little rascal, and you ended up taking after that stinky koi. Look at your tail, it’s not even a pure red.”
The female merman’s voice was still as gentle as a warm sea breeze, but her soft words were full of disdain for her son.
The boy turned away in a huff, not wanting to deal with his mother who was always putting him down.
“Sigh, you’re really a handful. Little merman, let’s not pay attention to him. What’s your name?”
The female merman was excited to see one of her own kind for the first time in a long time. She swam to the shell bed and blinked at Chi Xiasheng.
After a moment of daze, Chi Xiasheng said his name.
“Chi Xiasheng, what a nice name. Can I call you Xiaxia?”
Perhaps because she was a mother, the female merman couldn’t help but look at Chi Xiasheng with a hint of affection. Her gaze was as warm as sun-drenched sand, soft and comforting, as if she were indulging a naughty child.
Chi Xiasheng had never been looked at with such a gentle gaze before and was a little flustered for a moment. After all, even his own mother had never looked at him so warmly.
Thinking of this, Chi Xiasheng felt a sense of sadness.
“What’s wrong? Don’t be sad.” The female merman beckoned a small, transparent pink fish over, letting it swim in front of Chi Xiasheng to cheer him up. “Look at this little guy, isn’t he cute?”
Chi Xiasheng’s attention was indeed diverted, and he nodded. This underwater world was vast and mysterious, capable of nurturing all kinds of creatures. This transparent little fish, as it swam, even revealed the white fish bones inside its body, which amazed him.
“My name is Wen Shu, and this is my son, Wen Nian.”
The golden-red-haired boy, hearing his mother call his name, quickly came forward and smiled shyly. “I… I’m Wen Nian. Hello, little merman.”
Chi Xiasheng didn’t feel small at all and found the title very awkward. He said, “I’m an adult. You can just call me Chi Xiasheng or Xiaosheng.”
Wen Nian said, “Oh,” and, sensing that the other was indeed not very old, he scratched his head. “Alright then. But how did you fall from above? My mom and I had to drag you for a long time to escape the hurricane that night. You don’t know, that hurricane was so scary. It was the first time I’ve ever been chased by a hurricane so closely. If we had been a little later, you would have been torn to pieces, and…”
Wen Nian had no peers around and had always been lonely. Seeing Chi Xiasheng now, he was so happy that he couldn’t stop talking, his little mouth babbling on and on.
In the end, his mother, Wen Shu, let out a long sigh and, with a “gentle” flick of her red fishtail, hit him on the head, finally stopping his meaningless one-sided conversation.
“Niannian, you’re really so noisy, just as noisy as those gurgling fish.”
Wen Shu’s tone was like her personality, always gentle and soft. But beneath the gentle tone, her words were heartbreaking.
But Wen Nian was used to his mother’s style. He pouted and then continued to talk to Chi Xiasheng with wide eyes.
Chi Xiasheng found this mother-son pair quite interesting and couldn’t help but laugh.
“I fell from a ship. Thank you for saving me.”
Wen Nian looked at Chi Xiasheng’s smile and blushed, feeling a little shy. After all, Chi Xiasheng was too handsome, completely hitting all of Wen Nian’s aesthetic points, making this fish who had never even experienced his first crush a little shy.
But in the end, his talkative nature won out over his shyness, and he spoke again. “That’s so sad. But why were you on a ship? Your tail is so beautiful. Did you live on land before…”
Chi Xiasheng was dazed by Wen Nian’s rambling questions, but fortunately, the other didn’t require him to answer, happily talking to himself.
Under Wen Nian’s explanation, Chi Xiasheng finally learned a little about the underwater world.
Wen Nian was the child of Wen Shu and an enlightened koi fish. But he hadn’t become a merman like Wen Shu; instead, he had become the most ordinary little fish in the sea. But Wen Shu had reluctantly accepted it and had made a home with him in this sea area.
According to Wen Shu, the reason she had settled here was because the temperature was suitable, the depth was sufficient, it wouldn’t be easily discovered by humans, and there were many underwater fish for company.
They had lived here for a long time. It wasn’t until recently that a small hurricane was about to hit the seabed. Wen Shu had sensed it in advance and had planned to move with her son.
Just as the mother and son were carrying their only piece of furniture, the shell bed, and migrating south, they accidentally found a merman sinking to the bottom of the sea.
Wen Shu hadn’t seen a new merman in hundreds of years. She had even once thought she was the last merman left in the world. So, when she felt the fluctuation of a fellow merman’s spiritual energy, she was so excited that she threw the shell bed to her son and ran to check on Chi Xiasheng’s condition.
Fortunately, Chi Xiasheng was just exhausted from overusing his spiritual energy and had fallen into a temporary deep sleep.
Wen Shu couldn’t possibly ignore one of her own kind. After all, if nothing unexpected happened, this merman would be the only other member of her race besides herself.
After that, Wen Nian carried the huge shell bed by himself, while Wen Shu carried Chi Xiasheng, and they migrated south together, avoiding the hurricane.
They swam for a whole half a month, and Chi Xiasheng had been in a coma for about that long.
When Wen Nian said this, his tone was inevitably filled with dissatisfaction. “It’s all Mom’s fault. I told her this shell bed is heavy and big and not easy to move, but she insisted on bringing it. I really don’t understand. Xiaxia, you don’t know, I was so tired from carrying such a big bed by myself that I almost became a dead fish.”
Wen Nian was too lonely at the bottom of the sea. Besides Wen Shu, it was rare to meet a talking fish, so when he finally met Chi Xiasheng, he unconsciously talked more and more.
Wen Shu glared at her son. “This bed grew up with me. I didn’t even give up on it during the demon beast war. How can I sleep without it?”
Wen Nian immediately cried out, “Then this bed has been used for more than five hundred years, no wonder it looks so old.”
Wen Shu swatted him with her fishtail. Wen Nian quickly dodged and swam away.
Chi Xiasheng watched the mother and son bickering and couldn’t help but feel a sense of longing and envy in his eyes. It seemed that no matter what race, there was an enviable affection between mother and child.
Except for himself…
Chi Xiasheng blinked, trying hard not to think about the day he had fallen. It would only make his already cold heart even more numb with pain.
After all, being abandoned without hesitation by the person closest to him in the world was a very difficult thing to not care about.
The place they were now was warmer, a location further south, and not too deep. The sunlight could penetrate the sea surface and illuminate the seabed, so during the day, the entire underwater world was crystal clear and brilliant.
Chi Xiasheng’s spiritual energy had not yet recovered, and Wen Shu suggested that he should rest for a while.
Although Chi Xiasheng had no idea what spiritual energy was, since Wen Shu was an experienced merman, he trusted her words.
When Wen Shu learned that Chi Xiasheng was only in his early twenties, her affection for this little merman grew even more.
“Who are your parents? How could they let a young cub like you run around like this?”
Wen Shu thought that if she had a merman baby, she would definitely tie him to her fishtail and take him with her wherever she went! And he was so beautiful. His silver-blue fishtail was more dreamy than the most beautiful starry sky she had ever seen, making her want to hold his head and make him call her godmother right there and then!
Chi Xiasheng didn’t dare to look at Wen Shu’s fiery gaze for too long. It was too piercing and made him feel a lot of pressure.
“I don’t have parents.”
Chi Xiasheng couldn’t explain why he had become a merman, nor could he explain his origins, so he could only be vague.
But hearing this, Wen Shu’s eyes instantly lit up.
No parents!
This was a wild little merman!
Wen Shu felt that the heavens must be looking out for her, letting her encounter a little merman without parents to raise him!
Ah, today must be my lucky day!
Wen Shu hummed a little tune in her heart, but her tone became even gentler.
“It’s okay. Our merman race is like this, it’s difficult to have offspring…”
The merman race, just as described in fairy tales, possessed exquisite beauty and a voice that could shake all living things. And not only that, they also had super high spiritual control, able to easily capture all things.
Even a merman with powerful spiritual energy could make the seabed tremble with a single song, making all the animals who heard it fall in love with him…
But this scene had only appeared when the merman race was prosperous. It was difficult for mermen to have offspring, and they were naturally loved by all living things, a species that was not known for its loyalty.
This had led to the gradual extinction of the merman race. By today, it seemed that only Wen Shu was left.
Wen Shu had also tried to find others of her kind. She had once swum all the way up until the seawater turned cold and froze before turning back. The seabed was too vast for her to swim through the entire ocean. And later, she had accidentally become pregnant with Wen Nian, so she had to temporarily find a place to settle down.
Meeting Chi Xiasheng was an accident, but also a surprise.
Wen Shu thought that perhaps the heavens did not want the merman race to go extinct. They had finally left behind a little cub!
And it was a little merman with no parents. The motherly love in Wen Shu’s chest instantly filled her entire heart. She felt that she had never been as lucky in her long life as she was today!
She would definitely take good care of him and leave a hope for their merman race!
“That’s great. You must grow up well. As an elder of the merman race, I will definitely protect you.”
Chi Xiasheng looked at the gentle tolerance in Wen Shu’s eyes and the determination to protect him, and his heart suddenly soured.
But he quickly lowered his head, trying his best not to let Wen Shu see the tears in his eyes.
