The Little Mermaid Fell for the Jiaoren 6

Chapter 6: Catching Fish

This wordless song, a song to which even the ocean became mere accompaniment, was so beautiful that one couldn’t help but drift off to sleep.

Si Jisheng’s perpetually tense mind, ever since he fell to this planet, suddenly relaxed. It was as if he had fallen into a soft cream puff, surrounded by a sweet, cloying scent, sinking deeper and deeper.

Si Jisheng blinked, his powerful body swaying precariously twice before he collapsed onto Deng Xi.

Deng Xi scrambled to support the little mute, but the silver-tail’s heavy body pulled him down toward the seabed. He hung his head in dejection. “I forgot.”

He hadn’t meant to knock the little mute out.

A merman’s singing voice naturally carried a charm, but the little mute hadn’t been bewitched by Deng Xi’s voice when they first met. Deng Xi found it a bit strange. Logically, since the little mute was his kinsman, the effect should have been very slight.

It wasn’t until they sank deeper and the scent of blood in Deng Xi’s nostrils grew stronger that he looked down and realized blood was continuously flowing from the silver-tail’s waist and abdomen.

At some point, the side of Si Jisheng’s waist had been slashed open by the sharp teeth of a great white shark, leaving a shocking wound. The flesh was turned outward, and fresh blood flowed freely, dyeing the seawater a pale pink as it spread.

Besides the merman’s song, Si Jisheng was also affected by excessive blood loss. He had pushed himself to his limit, and his body’s functions could no longer bear it, forcing him to pass out and rest.

So pitiful.

Deng Xi looked at the wound and panicked. “I told you not to run this way.” Then he muttered, “See, you’re injured again. That’s what you get for not listening to me.”

The silver-tail was very, very heavy, but Deng Xi did his best to hold him up. Deng Xi had thought it over carefully; he couldn’t just stand by and watch his only kinsman die.

This was also why, despite the silver-tail’s terrible attitude, Deng Xi couldn’t bring himself to abandon him and always came back to save him.

The ocean was too big and too quiet.

Deng Xi wanted a companion who could understand him.

Moreover, this companion was different from him. The little mute, unable to speak and without a merman’s song, could still survive in the dangerous ocean. He must be much stronger than him!

He had saved the little mute. Once the little mute’s wounds healed, maybe he would have a kinsman to catch fish for him!

As for “people” and “star coins,” Deng Xi had never heard of them. That species he had never seen must be trying to trick him! Trying to drive a wedge between him and his kinsman!

Deng Xi nodded his head with conviction.

Deng Xi returned to his old task, huffing and puffing as he carried the little mute towards his lair, like a diligent little bee. After much effort, flapping his tail, he finally brought the silver-tail back to his nest.

Like hiding a treasure, he stuffed the little mute into the shell he usually slept in.

Si Jisheng’s silver tail was simply too long and didn’t fit in Deng Xi’s small shell at all. Deng Xi tried to curl it up and stuff it in, but it was no use. He had to let the silver-tail’s tail rest on the edge of the shell.

While he was unconscious, his mischievous hands couldn’t resist and randomly stroked it a few times. “Little Mute, you have to wait for me to come back, okay?”

Deng Xi swam out of his lair, preparing to hunt.

The little mute couldn’t move anymore, so the great responsibility of finding food for the family temporarily fell on his shoulders.

Deng Xi had lived in the ocean for many years. When he was serious, catching a fish was still quite easy.

The first rule of hunting: camouflage.

Deng Xi chose a prime location near the great white shark’s territory. That was the only place with any fish. If he wanted to go elsewhere, he would have to swim a very, very long way.

Deng Xi lurked near a coral reef on the seabed, lying motionless on a rock. The seawater flowed gently. If he waited long enough, he would eventually find a foolish little fish that had lost its way and would deliver itself to his doorstep in a daze.

A long, long time passed. Deng Xi’s eyes began to open and close. He was so sleepy he could barely stay awake. Why hadn’t any fish come yet?

Are there so few foolish fish these days?

Deng Xi thought drowsily.

With a “slap.”

Deng Xi was startled awake, his eyes wide. He realized that a small red fish with yellow stripes had appeared in front of him at some point and had even slapped his face with its tail!

You’re finished!

You smelly fish!

Deng Xi pounced with a “chomp,” but bit into empty water.

That detestable, smelly fish flicked its tail, its movements agile, and swam away smugly.

Deng Xi puffed up his cheeks in anger, his translucent golden gills, as thin as a butterfly’s wings, also trembling with rage. “Don’t even think about running!”

A great chase began.

Mermen were not fast swimmers, not even a match for a small fish. Most of the time, Deng Xi would flick his tail fin and use the force of the water to lunge forward.

The little fish was exceptionally agile and would immediately swim away upon sensing danger.

After working hard for half a day, Deng Xi hadn’t even managed to scrape off a single fish scale. His body, however, was covered in bruises.

There were too many coral reefs here. Every time Deng Xi pounced, he would crash into them. His delicate white forearms were covered in red marks, and the butterfly bones on his back had dark purple bruises that hurt to the touch.

The disheveled little merman looked dejectedly at his blunt, flat claws. The little mute’s hands were different from his—big and long, with sharp, terrifying fingertips.

In contrast, Deng Xi’s small hands left a red mark with just a touch. They were soft and weak, without a shred of strength.

Seeing that Deng Xi was no longer chasing it, the little fish turned around and swam closer, wagging its tail curiously.

Deng Xi saw it out of the corner of his eye, and his eyes lit up. But on the surface, he maintained a dejected appearance, even the flick of his tail fin was lazy.

However, as soon as the little fish got close, Deng Xi flicked his tail fin, lunged forward, and bit into the fish’s belly!

The little fish thrashed wildly in Deng Xi’s mouth. Deng Xi gradually tightened his teeth until the metallic taste of fish blood filled his mouth and the little fish stopped struggling. Only then did Deng Xi let go, wiped his mouth, and snorted, “I wasn’t playing with you.”

After catching the fish, Deng Xi went to pull up some edible seaweed and red medicinal grass, then returned to his lair, panting.

Si Jisheng had been awake for a long time, but because of the wound on his waist and the broken bones in his tail, he couldn’t move at all. Fortunately, the Jiaoren’s powerful healing ability had already stopped the bleeding.

It was very dark in the lair. Only the shell he was lying in shimmered with a bit of silver light, emitting a faint glow. The shell looked very exquisite, probably specially chosen. It had a pearly white, lustrous sheen, and the inside was padded with soft seaweed. It was even decorated with beautiful red coral stuck on with clay.

It was beautifully decorated.

It also made Si Jisheng very uncomfortable. He had the illusion of having invaded someone’s cozy little home, like a shameless robber.

He didn’t belong.

“I’m back!”

Deng Xi returned, laden with spoils.

The blue-tailed little merman was carrying a large pile of things and swam in through the entrance with difficulty. As if about to collapse from exhaustion, he let go of everything. Seaweed, medicinal grass, and a fish with its eyes wide open in death all floated in the seawater. Deng Xi waved them all away.

He propped himself up on the upright side of the shell, resting his chin on his hands as he looked down. “Little Mute, let’s get this straight first.”

Si Jisheng furrowed his brow, confused.

Deng Xi counted on his fingers. “First, I’ll allow you to live in my lair, and I’ll help you heal your injuries.”

“Second, I want ten fish… uh, no, no, I want you to catch a hundred fish for me!”

The golden-haired, blue-tailed little merman’s eyes curved into a smile as he rested his chin on his hands. “How about it? Let’s make a new deal.”

“My only kinsman.”

Si Jisheng looked at Deng Xi for a long time before giving a slight nod in agreement.

Deng Xi’s blue eyes lit up. “No take-backs!”

He swam over, grabbed the dead fish with its eyes rolled back, swam back, and placed it in the little mute’s hands.

Deng Xi straightened his back, his hands behind him. His curly golden hair floated behind him, covering the bruises.

He said with a smile, “I caught this. It was super easy!”

“I’m super amazing! Right?”

Si Jisheng looked hesitantly at the single fish in his hand, then fixed his gaze on Deng Xi.

Deng Xi panicked slightly and grabbed a handful of seaweed. “I’ll eat this. I already had fish today. I need to eat some sweet seaweed to cleanse my palate.”

Si Jisheng’s suspicion faded, and he averted his gaze indifferently. He used his sharp fingertips to slice open the fish’s belly and began to eat slowly and methodically.

As a Jiaoren, catching a fish was indeed not a difficult task.