The fairy forced me to marry into her family, so I retorted by throwing myself into the Pool of Fate

"what?"

Mu Fangxu walked up to her with great interest. "You seem to know me?"

Ruan Ling'er lowered her head and remained silent.

Mu Fangxu wasn't annoyed; he just smiled and began to scrutinize her carefully.

His gaze swept from her eyebrows and eyes to her neck, and then from her neck to her wrists.

As he looked, his eyes grew brighter, as if he had discovered something extraordinary.

Li Ping watched from the side, a slight thought stirring within him.

He knew Mu Fangxu well; he was a composed person who rarely showed such an expression.

What could elicit such a reaction from him must be extraordinary.

After waiting a moment, seeing that Mu Fangxu was still looking him over, Li Ping coughed lightly.

"Senior Brother Fang Xu, have you discovered anything?"

Mu Fangxu withdrew his gaze and nodded.

"This woman has mermaid blood."

Li Ping was taken aback.

Mermaid bloodline?

He had never heard of it.

Seeing his confusion, Mu Fangxu slowly explained.

"There are countless races in the world, and even in our Floating Jade Sea alone, there are many different races. The Merfolk are one of them, living in the deep sea for generations and rarely seen on ordinary days."

He pointed to Ruan Ling'er's eyes and said, "Look at her blue eyes, clear and bright, with a hint of water, which is a typical characteristic of the merfolk."

Li Ping turned his head to look.

Ruan Ling'er's eyes were indeed blue. He had previously thought it was due to some kind of cultivation technique, but he never expected it to be because of her bloodline.

Mu Fangxu continued, "Mermaids are born beautiful and skilled at singing, which attracted the covetous eyes of cultivators many years ago. At first, the mermaids were determined not to let their people leave the country."

"But the human race was too strong, and they coveted the magical treasures and elixirs made by the human race, so they came up with a compromise."

"Select some members of the collateral branches and combine them with the human race. In this way, we can obtain the necessary cultivation resources without having to sell our core members, and we can also maintain the purity of the main bloodline."

Li Ping seemed to be deep in thought upon hearing this.

"What Senior Brother Fang Xu means is that this woman is..."

"That's right." Mu Fangxu nodded. "Although the mermaid bloodline in her body is thin, it is definitely present. She should be the offspring of a branch of the mermaid race and a human."

Li Ping frowned: "What is the value of a woman with mermaid blood like this?"

Mu Fangxu glanced at him and understood what he wanted to ask.

"Extremely high."

"First, her appearance; second, her singing voice. Especially her singing voice, which is naturally captivating. If she cultivates the corresponding techniques, its power will be even more astonishing."

"As far as I know, women with mermaid blood are only sold in those great immortal cities, and they are very expensive, often with no market available."

Mu Fangxu paused, his gaze falling on Ruan Ling'er, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

"But how did it end up in a small place like Xikou Market?"

Li Ping's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "So, according to you, the person behind her has an extremely powerful background?"

Mu Fangxu remained silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"It shouldn't be."

He pointed at Ruan Ling'er, "Look at her reaction."

Li Ping turned his head to look.

Ruan Ling'er was looking up, her blue eyes filled with confusion, as if she were hearing this for the first time.

That confusion didn't seem feigned.

"If she were truly someone from a powerful organization, she wouldn't be so unaware of her own bloodline origins," Mu Fangxu said.

Did it accidentally drift to the open sea? Li Ping pondered to himself.

He didn't dwell on the issue; the most important thing right now was to find out the woman's background and purpose.

"Senior Brother Fang Xu, have you ever heard of the name Ruan Ling'er?"

Mu Fangxu frowned and pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

"I came to Xikou Market specifically to crack down on those who rob and plunder. I've thoroughly investigated their background both inside and outside the island. If such a person exists, I couldn't possibly be unaware of it."

Li Ping's heart sank.

Who is Mu Fangxu?

The son of the Mu family patriarch, with a cultivation level of the eighth level of Qi Refining, he manages a group of people who are specifically tasked with investigating and eliminating treacherous cultivators around the market.

He could even find out the origins of those few Tribulation Cultivators in the Great Black Sea.

If even he had never heard of the name Ruan Ling'er, then this woman's background was probably more complicated than he imagined.

Are we just going to let it go like this?

Li Ping looked at Ruan Ling'er.

The woman was also looking at him, her blue eyes filled with a hint of mockery, and the corners of her mouth slightly upturned.

Her expression suggested that she was certain he couldn't do anything about her.

Li Ping withdrew his gaze and touched the crescent-shaped jade pendant with his fingers.

The bluish-green jade surface gleamed with a warm luster under the sunlight, and the straight cut on the back of the jade pendant was clearly visible.

A pair of jade pendants.

That flash of light just now.

Ruan Ling'er's attitude suddenly changed.

These clues surged in my mind, gradually piecing together a vague outline.

Her accomplices were nearby.

Moreover, it is highly likely that they already know everything that happened here.

Just as he was pondering this, someone suddenly knocked on the courtyard gate.

Is anyone there?

An unfamiliar voice came from outside the door.

Li Ping and Mu Fangxu exchanged a glance and frowned simultaneously.

Who will come at this time?

Mu Fangxu raised his hand to signal Li Ping to wait a moment, then turned and walked out of the house. Li Ping followed behind him, and the two went into the courtyard.

The courtyard gate was half-closed, and a male cultivator stood outside.

He was around fifty years old, dressed in a faded gray cloth short-sleeved shirt, with a kind face and a thin body. His hands were folded in front of him, giving him an honest and simple appearance.

His aura was only at the third level of Qi Refining.

Li Ping glanced at it and then exchanged a look with Mu Fangxu.

Both of them ruled out the possibility that this person was Ruan Ling'er's accomplice.

Putting aside his low cultivation level, his trembling appearance alone doesn't suggest he'd dare to kidnap anyone.

"Who are you?" Li Ping stepped forward, his tone indifferent. "What are you doing here?"

The male cultivator was intimidated by his imposing aura, his body shrinking slightly, his voice trembling: "I...I am a rogue cultivator from the island, surnamed Zhou. I usually help people move goods at the dock. Today...today I have been entrusted to deliver a letter."

Deliver a letter?

Li Ping raised an eyebrow.

Could it be that something happened to Sister Hongxing? Or has that girl Li Yan gotten herself into some trouble again?

A thought flashed through his mind, but he remained expressionless and nodded.

"Where's the letter?"

The male cultivator quickly took out an envelope from his pocket and handed it over with both hands.

Li Ping took it, pinched it between his fingers, and found only a thin piece of paper inside.

He tore open the seal and pulled out the letter.

Upon unfolding it, there was only one sentence on the letter.

"This young lady is unruly; please be lenient with her."

Li Ping looked up, exchanged a glance with Mu Fangxu, and handed him the letter.

Mu Fangxu took it and his face darkened.

He turned to the male cultivator who had delivered the letter, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Who gave you this letter?"

The male cultivator's legs trembled under his gaze, and he stammered, "Yes... he was a passenger on a ship."