Chapter 100
Xing Nuo, not understanding the elder’s words, looked up at him, his face filled with confusion.
The elder, a merman with an icy blue tail, his expression usually stern, but his blue eyes soft as he looked at the little merman,
swam over to Xing Nuo and pointed at the octopus on his head, making a shooing motion.
The little octopus blew a stream of bubbles at the elder, as if trying to attack him.
But the bubbles popped harmlessly before they even reached him.
The elder, sensing the octopus’s weak power, the flicker of familiarity he had felt earlier fading, snorted and reached for the octopus.
The little octopus, dangling upside down by a few of its tentacles, its little beady eyes filled with rage, blew more bubbles.
The elder waved his hand, dispersing the bubbles, and carried the octopus out of the training grounds.
Xing Nuo, seeing the octopus being taken away, anxiously followed them.
“Little Octopus, why they take you?”
The little octopus, its tentacles flailing, blew a stream of bubbles, its voice filled with indignation.
“That ugly merman said I can’t stay on your head. Merpeople are so annoying!”
I should have stolen more of their gems! Not even leaving them a single one!
Xing Nuo, in this underwater world, could only communicate with the little octopus. Worried about it, he followed the elder.
The elder, tossing the octopus outside the training grounds, turned around and almost bumped into the little merman.
“Little Merman, don’t worry about your pet. Go back to class.”
His expression softening, he gently took Xing Nuo’s hand and led him back to the training grounds.
Xing Nuo, looking back at the little octopus every few steps, was finally pulled back and made to stand in line with the other little merpeople.
The elder cleared his throat, his voice clear and pleasant.
“Today, we’ll be learning the most important skill for a merman: singing.”
Merpeople’s songs had hypnotic and controlling effects, their sound waves capable of causing physical damage, their main method of attack.
The elder demonstrated, singing a short melody.
Although Xing Nuo didn’t understand the words, the power of the song transcended language, resonating deep within his soul.
Xing Nuo, a newly transformed merman, was captivated by the beautiful melody.
It’s so beautiful!
No wonder merpeople were also called sirens. Their voices were more enchanting than any human singer’s.
The other little merpeople also started singing, their voices sweet and innocent, lacking any offensive power, but still beautiful.
Singing was indeed a natural instinct for merpeople.
After they finished singing, each receiving praise from the elder, they happily spun around in the water.
Xing Nuo gasped in admiration and clapped his hands like a seal.
The elder, his gaze now on the new little merman, his voice gentle and encouraging, said:
“Little Merman, you try too. Don’t be afraid.”
Xing Nuo, seeing the other merpeople looking at him expectantly, his ears turning pink, took a deep breath and sang “Little Bunnies.”
It was a song he had learned at kindergarten and was quite good at.
He sang slightly off-key, but his voice was soft and sweet, and he sang with all his heart.
The other little merpeople, having never heard this song before, gathered around him.
When he finished, they clapped their hands like seals, imitating him.
“So pretty!”
“Never heard that song before!”
The elder, his gaze softening, praised him.
“Very good. Did you learn that song outside?”
Xing Nuo, not understanding, just looked at him blankly.
The elder, seeing that Xing Nuo still hadn’t learned their language, was slightly puzzled.
Merpeople learned to speak easily.
They didn’t need to be taught. Newborn merchildren could understand and speak, albeit haltingly, after just a few days.
Why couldn’t this golden merman speak their language?
He dismissed the thought, assuming that the little one, having suffered in the outside world, was perhaps less gifted than the other merchildren.
He looked at Xing Nuo with a hint of pity in his eyes.
After the morning training session, the little merpeople were allowed to play.
Xing Nuo hurried out to find the little octopus.
The little octopus was huddled in a corner outside the training grounds, its tentacles tucked under its body, looking like a small, white ball.
Xing Nuo, after searching for a while, spotted a tentacle slowly emerge and found it.
“Why you hiding here?”
He picked up the little octopus, which immediately attached itself to his hair.
“Stupid merpeople don’t like me. I don’t want trouble…so hiding.”
The little octopus, being a non-merperson, was a liability for Xing Nuo, and it didn’t want to jeopardize his relationship with the merfolk.
A little humiliation is nothing. I can always get my revenge later.
So, on their way back, Xing Nuo listened to the little octopus grumbling about “stupid merpeople,”
his ears almost numb from the constant complaints.
He rubbed his ear and whispered:
“Little Octopus, don’t say bad things ’bout merpeople. They vewy nice.”
Having lived with the merpeople for several days, having experienced their kindness, Xing Nuo had developed a fondness for them.
The little octopus grumbled and tugged on Xing Nuo’s hair.
“Xing Nuo, you going wrong way.”
The merchildren’s crystal houses were in the opposite direction.
Xing Nuo shook his head, glancing in the direction the other merchildren had gone, and sighed.
“I leaving now. Can’t stay with merpeople anymore.”
He wasn’t one of them. He knew he was just a fake merman.
The little octopus didn’t object, just said, “Good.”
“Those stupid merpeople annoying anyway. I take you to my lair! More pwetty gems there!”
Xing Nuo, not knowing where else to go, swam towards the coral reef where the little merpeople had taken him yesterday, planning to leave from there.
The little octopus, on his head, pointed with a tentacle.
“Go left! Path with jellyfish…then my lair.”
Xing Nuo swam in that direction, then suddenly said:
“Little Octopus, you smell like someone.”
Cool and smooth, his body temperature always cold, and although they were different species, his emotionless, beady eyes also reminded him of someone.
The little octopus, not paying attention, waved a tentacle dismissively.
“Like what? Takoyaki?”
Grilled octopus was the closest scent it could think of.
Xing Nuo giggled, his tail swishing gently.
“No. You eat takoyaki before? I have.”
It was a bit fishy and greasy. He had only taken one bite, then given the rest to Shen Baizhou, who had devoured it happily.
The little octopus didn’t reply, seemingly not wanting to continue the topic, and directed Xing Nuo through the coral reef.
Just as Xing Nuo was about to emerge from the coral, his tail was grabbed.
“Little Merman, where do you think you’re going?”
Oxi, the red-haired merman, on patrol, his shell knife in hand, quickly released Xing Nuo’s tail, seeing him struggle.
“It’s dangerous out there. You can’t leave the coral reef without permission.”
He then took Xing Nuo’s hand and led him back to Lia.
“It’s almost dinner time. You should go eat with Lia and then go to sleep.”
Xing Nuo, having just escaped, was caught again.
He looked at Lia and the other chattering merchildren and sighed.
Lia, giving him his plate of fish and fruit, scolded him gently:
“It’s a good thing Oxi found you! It’s very dangerous outside!”
The red merchild circled Xing Nuo, complaining:
“Why didn’t you take me?! We could have explored together!”
Lia lightly smacked his head.
“You can’t leave the clan’s territory! There are dangerous sharks and monsters out there! And a giant octopus that eats little merpeople!”
This frightened the other little merpeople, who huddled together, then asked curiously:
“What do the monsters look like? And the octopus? Is it like the one on Xing Nuo’s head?”
Lia glanced at the small, white octopus, her suspicion still lingering.
She had mysteriously fallen asleep last night and still wondered if the octopus had done something.
But it was so small, its tentacles barely bigger than her fingers. How could it be that powerful?
“The octopus in the deep sea is very ferocious. It can swallow a shark whole, let alone little ones like you.”
Having successfully instilled fear of the giant octopus in the little merpeople, seeing them scared, she quickly changed the subject.
“Alright, alright, time for dinner. As long as you stay within the clan’s territory, you’ll be safe.”
Xing Nuo, listening to Lia’s serious tone, nibbled on a fruit and asked the little octopus:
“What Merman Sister saying?”
The little octopus, smug, waved a tentacle.
“She said she’s afraid of me.”
Xing Nuo: “…”
“Really?”
She didn’t seem scared.
The little octopus, proud of its reputation as a fearsome predator, said:
“Of course!”
Xing Nuo, unsure whether to believe it, sighed softly and fed the little octopus a piece of raw fish.
The little octopus scooped it up and swallowed it whole.
As it ate, it promised:
“I’ll buy you takoyaki later. It’s very yummy.”
Xing Nuo smiled, his eyes crinkling, and nodded obediently.
“Okay. I no like spicy.”
The little octopus mumbled, “I know,” and continued eating the fish.
After eating a few fruits, Xing Nuo, dragged around by the other little merpeople, didn’t have a chance to escape.
