Fusang Sword Heart Diagram

Chapter 42 The Mermaid Trade

A-Quan said, "The Southern Star Sword Sect promised to cooperate with our Merfolk clan and did not plant any life-or-death talismans in our bodies. Compared to other clansmen, our experience is already quite good. At least for the next two hundred years, we don't have to live in fear of being captured and turned into lamp oil at any time."

She lowered her eyes and said, "But when you live under someone else's roof, you always have to give something. Even without the Life and Death Talisman, there's a saying that you're not in control of your own destiny. In this vast world, Qingbo Cave Lake is the only place we have to stay. I never thought that even this last place to live would be gone."

"If we really get to that point, what should we do?"

A-Quan's voice was bitter, and her face was filled with confusion. She was confused about the fate of her people in Qingbo Cave Lake, and she was also wondering about the future of the Merfolk.

After all, the Merfolk royal court has been destroyed, and the Merfolk race can no longer return home.

Yang Ruo scratched his head: "Is it really that complicated? The sect leader is fair and just. As long as I report this, he will definitely punish those who sell mermaids. At that time, Qingbo Cave Lake will be guarded by a different person. With this precedent, I think the next person will not dare to do it again, and at least there will be peace for a while. You and your people will not lose your lives."

Seeing that Yang Ruo spoke with such sincerity, A Quan felt grateful. The human youth before him seemed quite different from the humans that the elders and grandfathers often described.

She was slightly tempted and raised her eyes to ask, "Will the leader of the Southern Star Sword Sect really stand up for us?"

When A-Quan moved to Qingbo Cave Lake with his parents, he was still very young, but he could remember things. It was the leader of the Nanxing Sword Sect who made the decision and signed a cooperation agreement with the clan chief.

The Southern Star Sword Sect never enslaved them, and the amount of yarn woven by the clansmen each year was set very low. During that period, they lived a relatively peaceful and easy life.

The elders often warned the younger generation that humans slaughtered merfolk for profit, and that the Southern Star Sword Sect provided Qingbo Cave Lake for them to live in and cooperated with the merfolk for profit.

Only when the benefits from the Shark Silk are great enough will they be safe enough. They want the Southern Star Sword Sect to see that they are more useful alive than dead.

In the tenth year of Qingbo Cave Lake, the production of shark silk doubled. Sixty years later, the first elder stationed at Qingbo Cave Lake returned to the sect and, due to his great contributions, entered the inner sect.

This is now the fourth resident elder. According to the deadline, he will soon return to the sect. He wrote a letter back to the sect saying that there were not enough people to harvest the mermaid yarn this year. In fact, he was asking for credit. Under his management, the mermaid yarn production in Qingbo Cave Lake was so high that the people in Qingbo Cave Lake could not harvest it all.

Yang Ruo didn't understand these intricacies, but Ning Fusang saw them clearly.

Her mind raced with thoughts as she wondered if Master Gu's dispatch of Yang Ruo to Qingbo Cave Lake to retrieve the mermaid silk was truly unintentional.
Master Gu did not assign any tasks to Yang Ruo. Ning Fusang believed that Yang Ruo was too naive and could not keep secrets. What Yang Ruo said to him on the flying carpet that day was the truth.

but--

By cleverly taking advantage of the east wind, the east wind itself doesn't need to know about this; it only needs to blow in its original direction.

Ning Fusang smiled gently, already having some thoughts in mind.

When Ah Quan thought of the sect leader, he felt a little wavering. After all, the sect leader had taken good care of them in the initial alliance.

Who doesn't want to live? She didn't want to die, nor did she want to watch her people be turned into lamp oil.

Yang Ruo assured him, "I will personally speak to the sect leader."

A-Quan looked at him again and hesitated, "The disciples of Qingbo Cave Lake are all outer disciples of the Southern Star Sword Sect, and they cannot leave the cave lake at will. Can you see Sect Leader Shen?"

After saying that, she felt disappointed. She was so eager to grasp at this lifeline that she forgot about the huge difficulties that lay ahead.

Yang Ruo grinned: "You don't need to worry about that. My master is Gu Pingsheng, an inner sect elder, and he has a very good relationship with the sect leader."

“I am Yang Ruo, his second disciple. Master said that I have never been down the mountain, so he sent me to Qingbo Cave Lake to gain experience. After I finish collecting the mermaid silk, my junior sister and I will return to the sect.”

Ah Quan seemed dazed for a long time before softly saying, "My name is Ah Quan."

Yang Ruo said sincerely, "Miss Aquan, don't worry, I will report this matter once we return to the sect." Ning Fusang couldn't help but chuckle, drawing their attention. She asked softly, word by word, "Who is Senior Brother going to report? There must be at least a hundred people in Qingbo Cave Lake, right?"

Yang Ruo was stunned, his eyes widened, and he muttered, "Who else could it be but Elder Lu who is stationed at Donghu Lake?"

He thought about it carefully, then suddenly realized: "And Elder Dou?"

Ning Fusang said calmly, "Senior brother, please be careful with your words. Without evidence, how can you wrong two sect elders who have made great contributions by guarding Donghu?"

"Among the hundreds of people at Qingbo Cave Lake, if there are one or two disciples with impure intentions, it is understandable that Elder Lu might not notice them for a moment."

Yang Ruo blurted out, "How dare an ordinary disciple break the rules?"

Ning Fusang glanced at him sideways: "Didn't Senior Brother also violate the precepts and secretly go to the cave lake?"

Yang Ruo was momentarily speechless, then explained, "I have my reasons..."

Ah Quan understood perfectly. She bowed to Ning Fusang with the salute of the merfolk, her eyes sparkling: "Whatever you wish me to do, I will do without hesitation."

Seeing that she was quite intelligent, Ning Fusang nodded in satisfaction and asked, "Besides Lu Cong, has anyone else been privately involved in the trade of merfolk?"

Yang Ruo knew that her mind wasn't quick, so she kept quiet and listened attentively.

Qingbo Cave Lake has had four leaders in total. When it first signed the alliance with the Merfolk, no one dared to be so bold. The trade in Merfolk began with the third resident elder.

A-Quan nodded: "The previous resident elder had sold a group of clansmen."

Yang Ruo clenched her fists in anger, but Ning Fusang remained calm and continued to ask, "Do you know his name? To whom did he sell those merfolk?"

A-Quan replied, "I only know that the elder's surname is Lü, and that's all I know."

A look of sorrow crossed her eyes: "Those people were sold to Chunhe Prefecture in the far south."

Chunhe Prefecture is far away, and so many years have passed; any trace of the past should have been erased by now.

Ning Fusang paused for a moment, then looked at the elder surnamed Lü within the sect, realizing she had no recollection of him. This was normal; many elders within the sect were referred to by their Daoist titles, their secular names long forgotten.

"Then do you know who Lu Cong made this deal with?"

"Autumn Frost Sword Sect".

Yang Ruo's eyes widened immediately, and he opened his mouth: "Our Southern Star Sword Sect has always been at odds with the Autumn Frost Sword Sect. How dare Elder Lu make a deal with people from the Autumn Frost Sword Sect?"

Ning Fusang casually lifted her eyelids. As long as there are common interests, even enemies can cooperate. What does it matter?

She asked in a calm tone, "Has Lu Cong ever sold merfolk before?"

“Once, I sold it to Lingyu Palace.” Aquan once found a bird feather on a jade pendant identifying a Lingyu Palace disciple in the lake.

Lingyu Palace is a sect specializing in the taming of beasts, primarily controlling flying birds; hence the name "Yu" (羽, meaning feather).

Ah Quan was somewhat discouraged: "They were careful in their actions and left no evidence."

(End of this chapter)