Chapter 10: 010 Merfolk

At this moment, the Prime Minister's residence was already in a state of chaos, with the archers outside the estate all on standby.

Tang Meng slowed her pace. Seeing Luo Shang receding into the distance and vanishing among the guards, she hurriedly turned direction and headed toward the lake.

Her heart had long been filled with unease. Although the intervals between the Jade-Faced Wood Fox's crimes were very regular, after this commotion, he was likely already on high alert and would not appear easily in the Prime Minister's residence, let alone appearing today.

By the time Tang Meng reached the edge of the pond, the surface of the lake was already calm, like a mirror, without a single ripple appearing.

"Heaven is against me!" Tang Meng couldn't help but let out a long sigh. Suddenly, she realized something was wrong—who was the person who had just appeared in the Ninth Miss's boudoir?

Could it truly be that Jade-Faced Wood Fox!

Had her guess been wrong?

A rustling sound suddenly came from the flower bushes behind her. Just as Tang Meng was about to hide, she saw the newcomer with three thousand strands of black hair tied high, a black mask covering most of a handsome face, and a pair of bright eyes that looked so much like her own. Upon seeing this attire, Tang Meng's originally panicked heart finally settled down.

It was Tang Ying.

"You've been very strange lately." Tang Ying frowned, looking at Tang Meng with a serious expression.

"Me?" Tang Meng was puzzled and said hurriedly, "When did you get here? Did you see that Jade-Faced Wood Fox?"

Tang Ying did not speak, merely looking at Tang Meng.

Tang Meng couldn't help but knit her brows. Just as she was about to speak, Tang Ying said, "There are water traces by the lake again. He must have come, following the..."

Before Tang Ying's voice could fall, Tang Meng's figure flashed, and she chased after the direction of those water traces.

Tang Ying shook his head helplessly and followed after her.

It was still light out, and the water traces on the ground were very obvious, extending from the lakeside all the way to the Ninth Miss's room, but they suddenly vanished in front of the door.

The guards who were originally lurking in the surroundings had long since followed Li Xiu to chase after the fake Jade-Faced Wood Fox; at this moment, the entire courtyard was empty.

Tang Meng approached the door cautiously. Hearing no movement inside, just as she was about to open the door quietly, she suddenly burst through. After stabilizing her leaning body, she immediately turned around, only to see a man. His stature was even taller and leaner than an average man, and translucent flowing tassels were connected between his upper limbs and the sides of his body, making him look beautiful and ethereal. However, those eyes burning with rage were extremely mismatched with his delicate and handsome face.

A merman!

"Where is the Ninth Miss!" As soon as the merman finished speaking, his long arm swept across. Hard scales suddenly appeared on his originally fair skin.

Tang Meng dodged to the side, thinking to herself that this was bad—this merman was angry. He seemed desperate to find the Ninth Miss. Just what was the reason for the killings? All six people killed had their eyes taken; what exactly was hidden within this?

Tang Meng finally could not restrain her curiosity and asked, "What use do you have for the eyes of these young ladies from noble families?"

"Mind your own business! Those who block me die!" After the merman spoke, hard scales rose up not just on his arms, but all over his body. This was the merman's combat state.

Tang Meng alertly dodged the man's attack and drew her longsword. With a move of "Direct Talisman Delivering Books," fast and deep, swift and heavy, she flicked upward and pressed downward toward the merman's tiger's mouth acupoint.

The merman retreated several steps to dodge, and his arms, bristling with sharp scales, suddenly swept across again. His martial arts were unrefined, but his strength was immense; Tang Meng had known this after exchanging a few moves with him during their encounter at night previously.

"Tell me the reason, and I will spare your life!" Tang Meng let out a cold snort. With a flick of her longsword, she performed the move "Azure Dragon Emerging from Water." It looked as though she were aiming for the merman's chest, but it was a feint; the longsword sank, thrusting toward the merman's abdomen, yet it could not harm him in the slightest. The hard scales on his abdomen completely blocked her sword, which could cut through iron like mud.

Tang Meng frowned. Luo Shang and Li Xiu were likely to return soon; she had to settle this quickly.

With a surge of determination, she raised her longsword high and thrust straight toward the merman's eyes. No matter who a person was, the eyes were always the most fatal point.

A flash of panic crossed the merman's eyes, and he seemed to hesitate, but he still let out a long cry, turned, and fled toward the large lake in the garden. That long cry seemed to be a "Submerged Sound" understood only by their clan; it was impossible to understand its meaning.

Tang Meng was not in any hurry at all. Looking at her blood-stained longsword, her expression was somewhat complex. After hesitating for a moment, she chased after him.

The originally clear lake water had been poisoned at some unknown time. It was somewhat like ink, yet not quite; black water, like ink, rose slowly from the bottom of the lake, gradually dyeing the entire lake ink-black. A faint, fishy stench drifted through the air.

This was precisely the Ink Poison given by Master Jian Kong. With just a small porcelain vial, if sprinkled into any lake or sea, it could pollute all the rivers and lakes connected to that body of water.

This merman would not be able to escape within seven hours no matter what. Being away from water for too long would only cause him to become weak and fall into a coma until death.

Tang Meng walked out slowly and appeared before the merman.

"Follow me obediently. The Crown Prince merely wishes to see you." Tang Meng let out a long sigh. She would try to deceive him as much as possible; that hard armor of his would take a lot of effort to wound, and there was no telling how long it would take for him to collapse from dehydration!

"The Crown Prince!" The merman's face was full of shock, and he suddenly burst into laughter, "The Crown Prince wants to catch me, haha, the Crown Prince, Ling Shiye..."

A message to the readers

Since this is a new book, it won't be able to climb the rankings until next month. For those who want to use commemorative bricks or exchange scholarly points for bricks, please save them for now, o(∩_∩)o