Chapter 54: If You Want to Trap Me, Try Again in the Next Life!

Lin Qiu had inherited precious little memory from the legacy.

“So, Lord Hua, you really shouldn’t be so resentful. If you were as domineering as the ancient Lord of the Other Shore, every beauty in the heavens, earth, and waters could have become part of your harem.”

“What a pity! Different fish, different fate. In this lifetime, you’ll never have that chance!”

Biqi, the mermaid, smiled coyly, a teasing glint in her eyes.

“Just stay here and be my husband quietly.”

“Though you are now the new lord of the Other Shore City and resemble the ancient lord, you are not him. You’re just a little killer whale!”

“In the distant past, the killer whale clan were merely gatekeepers.”

“In every ancient city, it was always the killer whale!”

“I…”

Lin Qiu felt as though he’d suffered a devastating blow.

Her words were not only destructive, but deeply insulting!

He’d always thought his ancestors were mere gatekeepers, but never imagined that in ancient times, the entire killer whale clan served as such.

A profound sense of defeat washed over him; his pride was utterly crushed.

“But at least I’m a city lord!”

“Ha!”

Biqi’s only response was a mocking laugh.

She gazed at him with sultry eyes. “But you’re still a killer whale!”

Lin Qiu thought this woman had no talent for conversation.

With just a few words, she’d killed all enthusiasm.

He waved his hand dismissively. “I don’t want to see you. Vanish from my sight right now.”

“Hmph!”

Biqi snorted coldly. “If you didn’t look exactly like the Lord of the Other Shore, I wouldn’t even bother with you.”

“I, Biqi, am a noble by birth—a bloodline of the mermaid clan. I would never stoop to flirt with a killer whale!”

“So after we’re married, you’ll be nothing more than a decorative vase. Don’t even think about entering my chambers.”

“Wonderful, wonderful!” Lin Qiu’s eyes brightened. He nodded eagerly. “It’s better for us both if we keep to ourselves.”

“Pathetic!” Biqi shook her head and left in obvious annoyance.

The reason Biqi sought marriage with Lin Qiu was not because she fancied him, but because she was taken with his appearance.

His looks were unrivaled among the aquatic clans, but among them, ability mattered more than appearance.

Her choice was dictated by a mermaid tradition: every adult mermaid must marry on the day of her coming-of-age ceremony.

This was a rule handed down by their ancestors, and even as the ruler of a city, Biqi had to obey.

The rule existed because a mermaid has only one chance in her life to bear offspring.

The day of the coming-of-age ceremony is when their bodies are at their peak.

Miss this day, and it becomes nearly impossible to have children.

Some mermaids who defied the rule, regardless of what methods they tried, never managed to bear offspring.

Thus, every mermaid’s adulthood is the time she marries.

Especially since the mermaid clan has no males.

No matter which aquatic bloodline they marry, their children are always female mermaids—without exception.

Lin Qiu did not know any of this, and even though Biqi did, she had no intention of bearing a little mermaid with him.

She simply wanted to respect tradition, to let everyone know that she, Biqi, was of age and married—nothing more.

“To think you could father a mermaid, a mere killer whale is far beneath me!”

“This city lord seeks not to reproduce, but to rule the Mermaid Royal City!”

Biqi walked outside, gazing into the distance, her eyes ablaze with ambition.

Since awakening the inherited memories, she had dreamed of reaching the Mermaid Royal City and claiming its lordship.

But she knew the royal city was surely occupied by powerful mermaids.

To become its ruler, her cultivation was not yet enough.

Even attaining the ninth level wouldn’t be enough to breach the city’s defenses.

But she believed that with hard work, she would eventually reach the realm of her ancestors.

Once she possessed their power, no matter how strong the royal city’s defenses, she could break through.

Then she would depose that mermaid and become the new ruler, reigning over the seas as the true princess of mermaids.

Such was Biqi’s ambition.

Yet as she left, she failed to notice Lin Qiu’s figure vanishing from his chamber.

“Want to confine me? Maybe in your next life!”

Outside the ancient city, Lin Qiu’s form materialized.

He gazed at the city beneath the luminous pearl, his eyes full of mockery.

He had a contract with the human Xu Bing, which had established a mental channel.

Just as Biqi left, he used that channel to depart, briefly visiting the human world.

In that instant, he returned through the channel.

Lin Qiu’s eyes showed a hint of relief. “So, after signing a contract, sometimes it can be a lifesaving option!”

He looked down at the ancient city below, his gaze sharp and ruthless.

“Biqi, you brought this upon yourself. Don’t blame me for settling accounts with you later!”

Lin Qiu took a final, deep look at the ancient city, then turned and left swiftly.

“Sun Erniang, wait for me!”

He sped up, swimming toward the deep sea.

“Scoundrel!”

Within the ancient city, when Biqi learned of Lin Qiu’s escape, her expression changed drastically.

She controlled every corner of the city, yet had no idea how he’d managed to leave.

“Lin Qiu, I truly underestimated you. But don’t forget—your beloved is still in my hands.”

“I believe you won’t let me down. You’ll come back obediently.”

On Biqi’s flawless face, a cold, indifferent smile appeared. She waved her hand and issued a command: “Lock up that little wretch Sun Erniang in the prison.”

“Spread the word: on the day of my great celebration, use the blood of a white fish maid to add a touch of festivity for the city lord!”

This command, through special channels, was instantly transmitted throughout the underwater ancient city.

White fish, among the aquatic clans, are beautiful but lack fighting power.

They are natural gourmets, and their chefs are the most popular in every ancient city’s inn and lord’s mansion.

Yet, white fish are also considered the most delicious among all aquatic races.

Thus, these gentle, beautiful white fish chefs, while preparing all sorts of aquatic delicacies, are also prime targets for hunting by other clans.

And when it comes to hunting white fish, the other aquatic folk feel no resistance.

Their own brothers and sisters may well be ingredients in the hands of white fish chefs, so the white fish clan is the most hated—without question.

When the news spread, only the white fish chefs, whether female or male, ground their teeth in fury.

Because, when the time came, the ones to butcher might be their own kin.

For them, that was unbearable. But living under another’s roof, they had no choice but to bow their heads.