362: Chapter 362 Unable to Make a Decision

Scales of the Merfolk Clan.

Those who obtain a scale can make a request to the Merfolk Clan. As long as the request is not too excessive, the Merfolk Clan will do their best to satisfy it.

The prerequisite is that the scale must have been given by the royalty of the Merfolk Clan.

Only the royalty of the Merfolk Clan have this qualification; scales from Merfolk outside the royal family are at most considered a type of Material.

Furthermore, the origin of the scale must be recorded.

The Merfolk Clan will not recognize Royal Scales of unknown origin, and they might even trigger an investigation by the clan.

This was because a human cultivator once slaughtered a royal member of the Merfolk Clan and took the scale from their body to the Merfolk Clan.

Later, the Merfolk Clan used certain means to discover that the other party had obtained the scale by harming their clansman.

They promptly tore that person into pieces and fed them to the fish.

"May I ask, Your Excellency, where did this scale come from?"

Wang Jin asked.

"I obtained this scale after saving a young girl from the Merfolk Clan; her elder gave it to me."

Lin Ming said.

"Guest, please wait a moment."

Wang Jin immediately changed his form of address.

He turned and walked out, while a waiter brought out some tea at that moment.

"This taste is a bit lacking."

Compared to when he came before, the hospitality President Fan Ling provided was indeed several levels higher.

However, he could make do with it for now.

Speaking of which, Lin Ming was actually looking for tea trees—specifically, higher-grade ones.

Unfortunately, he had no success so far.

A quarter of an hour—about a quarter of an hour later.

Princess Lan Longyu walked in first.

"It's you."

Princess Lan Longyu's eyes lit up when she saw Lin Ming.

She recognized at a glance that the person before her was the human who had saved her some time ago.

At this moment, Princess Lan Longyu was already in human form.

But her cultivation was in the Spirit Treasury Realm; she likely used something like a Shapeshifting Grass.

"Yuanxu Mountain, Lin Ming."

At this time, a young man behind Princess Lan Longyu spoke with a serious expression.

He recognized Lin Ming's identity instantly. Although they lived in the ocean and had no dealings with Yuanxu Mountain, they still kept records of the top powerhouses of the Human Race and their renowned Prodigies.

Just in case they ever encountered them, they would be able to recognize them.

"Immortal Master Prince Lan Luo."

Lin Ming also stated the other's identity.

Prince Lan Luo.

The tenth son of the current Merfolk Clan Chief.

It was said that he had reached the Bitter Sea Realm in only five hundred years of cultivation, making him a Genius among the Sea Race.

"Brother, you know each other too?"

Princess Lan Longyu asked with a curious expression.

"The Prodigy of Yuanxu Mountain and the Disciple of Nirvana Ancestor Master Yun Hua—who wouldn't know him?"

Prince Lan Luo said with a smile.

"You overpraise me."

Lin Ming said somewhat modestly.

"The Disciple of Nirvana Ancestor Master Yun Hua."

Princess Lan Longyu looked surprised and spoke as well.

Although she didn't know much about Lin Ming, she was somewhat familiar with Master Yun Hua, a Nirvana powerhouse.

She hadn't expected that the person who saved her would actually be the Disciple of a Nirvana Ancestor.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for saving my younger sister."

Prince Lan Luo also addressed him as Fellow Daoist.

Normally, given the gap in their cultivation, Lin Ming should have addressed Prince Lan Luo as Senior.

But under Lin Ming's powerful background, this point was naturally smoothed over.

After all, Lin Ming was the direct eldest Disciple of that Nirvana Ancestor.

As for him, although his father was the Merfolk Clan Chief and his ancestor was also the Nirvana Ancestor of their Merfolk Clan...

...he still had over twenty siblings. While he seemed to have a noble status, they had to compete—compete for cultivation resources and status. It all came down to one word: competition.

His status was worlds apart from Lin Ming's.

But befriending Lin Ming was a good thing; perhaps he could become an asset.

Lin Ming was worthy of the title "Fellow Daoist."

"It's a small matter."

Lin Ming shook his head.

Lin Ming also readily accepted the form of address.

"Fellow Daoist, what request do you have since you brought our clan's scale?"

Prince Lan Luo got straight to the point and asked.

He had not forgotten that Lin Ming had come with a Royal Scale of the Merfolk Clan.

He was also curious about what someone of Lin Ming's status would ask them to do.

"The sea abyss flower. I would like to ask your clan to trade a few sea abyss flowers with me."

As soon as he finished speaking...

...the expressions of the Merfolk, except for Princess Lan Longyu, all turned serious.

"Fellow Daoist, what use do you have for this sea abyss flower?"

Prince Lan Luo asked further.

"Just to refine some Medicinal Pills."

Lin Ming said.

"I'm sorry, the sea abyss flower is currently a forbidden item of our clan and cannot be traded."

Prince Lan Luo shook his head.

"Not even one?"

Lin Ming asked in return.

"This matter is not something I can decide."

Prince Lan Luo said helplessly.

The prohibition regarding the sea abyss flower was not issued by his imperial father, but by one of the Old Ancestors of the Merfolk Clan.

Furthermore, the Old Ancestor had even executed several clansmen who did not follow the rules because of this.

As a result, no one dared to violate the Old Ancestor's prohibition now.

Let alone him, even if his imperial father were here, he wouldn't dare to violate this prohibition.

Prince Lan Luo was also curious as to why the Old Ancestor would issue a prohibition on the sea abyss flower.

To the Merfolk Clan, the sea abyss flower was indeed a cultivation resource, but it wasn't unique.

Why be so persistent about it?

According to his imperial father, even he didn't know why the Old Ancestor had issued such a prohibition.

But whether he truly knew or not, only the imperial father and the Old Ancestor would know.

Trade the sea abyss flower?

Unless he had a death wish, he would not touch that prohibition.

"I understand."

From Prince Lan Luo's expression and the looks of the other Merfolk, Lin Ming could see that it was indeed impossible to obtain the sea abyss flower.

Of course, Princess Lan Longyu was an exception.

But he was also a bit puzzled and curious.

Why did the Merfolk Clan value the sea abyss flower so highly?

Could it be related to the unrest in the Sea Race?

"Then I'll hold onto this scale for now."

Lin Ming said.

"Naturally, that is fine."

Prince Lan Luo nodded.

He then tossed the scale in his hand to Lin Ming.

Lin Ming caught the scale in stride.

"Then I won't disturb you any further."

Lin Ming said.

Since his goal hadn't been achieved, Lin Ming didn't plan to waste any more time.

With this time, Lin Ming would rather go to the Huaqing Pavilion to listen to some tunes; it would be much more comfortable.

"Then..."

"Wait a moment."

A sudden voice directly interrupted Prince Lan Luo's words.

And the speaker was precisely Princess Lan Longyu.

"Brother Lin, since you're already here, can you take me for a stroll around Dongchao City?"

Princess Lan Longyu said with a cute expression.

"How old are you?"

Lin Ming said expressionlessly.

"Two hundred and one years old."

Princess Lan Longyu blinked and said.

Two hundred and one years old was considered just having reached adulthood in the Merfolk Clan.

One must know that the lifespan of a normal Merfolk is ten times that of an ordinary human.

After stepping onto the path of cultivation, their lifespan becomes even longer.

However, although the lifespan of the Merfolk Clan is long, their cultivation talent is far inferior compared to the Human Race.