201: Chapter 201 Mo Li

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You girls are huddled here whispering, hmm? I heard everything you said just now. Thin stockings? Undergarments? ... Quite creative ideas you have."

Ling Hao's gaze swept over Qin Zhaoxue, Lu Changning, and Lin Xiwei, finally landing on Du Yuqing's shockingly full bust line. He chuckled teasingly, deliberately drawing out his words, "Don't think about reneging on your word later."

The blush had not yet faded from Qin Zhaoxue's face, but she had already regained some of her gentle and quiet demeanor. She pursed her lips into a smile, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she looked at the other Junior Sisters: "Rest assured, Revered Master, we naturally won't renege. Right, Junior Sisters?"

She emphasized her tone, her gaze sweeping over Lu Changning and Lin Xiwei, "Anyway, the Eldest Senior Sister would definitely be the first not to refuse."

Upon hearing this, Lu Changning and Lin Xiwei's cheeks turned so red they seemed ready to drip blood. One lowered her head to fiddle with the hem of her lotus-colored skirt, while the other turned away her cold, aloof face, her earlobes glowing a translucent red.

"Not enough."

This single utterance drew everyone's attention.

They saw Du Yuqing place her hands on her chest, staring fixedly at Ling Hao with glistening eyes.

"Revered Master, this disciple wants to make a dudou, but this fabric... is not enough."

Ling Hao looked over, his eyes met with a surging scene. He then swept his gaze over Qin Zhaoxue's slender waist, Lu Changning's delicate ankles, and Lin Xiwei's exquisite figure, and clicked his tongue: "You're right, this bit of fabric is indeed not enough."

He waved the merfolk silk in his hand, "Something the size of a palm, to make it into the clever uses you're thinking of, won't work. At most, it's barely enough to make a pair of... hmm, underpants. If you also want to split this bit of fabric among several people..."

He shook his head, his smile carrying a hint of wickedness, "I'm afraid it could only be cut into strips to make some... special embellishments."

The women were rendered blushing and embarrassed by his blunt words. Even Du Yuqing turned slightly to the side, her hand beneath her black sleeve subconsciously resting on her thigh, as if wanting to tug at something under her skirt.

Ling Hao stopped teasing them and turned to Qin Zhaoxue, asking seriously: "Where did you get this thing? This Moon-Glory Merfolk Silk is truly rare."

Qin Zhaoxue suppressed her smile and answered gently:

"Revered Master, please observe. This was obtained at an auction in the Nanzhao Kingdom. That auction was of a very high caliber, and this Moon-Glory Merfolk Silk was one of the grand finales."

She paused, a strange look flashing in her eyes, "After bidding on it, this disciple sensed someone following in the shadows."

"Oh?" Ling Hao raised an eyebrow.

"This disciple deliberately led her to a secluded place, and she indeed made a move." Qin Zhaoxue's tone was flat, as if she were speaking of a trivial matter,

"She only had the strength of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, not this disciple's match. After a few exchanges, she revealed her true form..."

"True form?"

Ling Hao saw her suddenly stop and asked in confusion.

"Continue, is it the Yao Race?"

Qin Zhaoxue smiled mysteriously and called out softly toward the courtyard gate: "Mo Li."

Light and shadow shifted, and a figure stepped into the small courtyard with slight hesitation.

It was a woman dressed in a water-blue gauze dress, her appearance peerlessly beautiful and clear, carrying a sorrow and ethereal quality that seemed to seep into her very bones.

Her features were as exquisite as a jade carving, her skin finer than snow, and her long, pitch-black hair hung down to her waist.

However, her movements were somewhat strange. Her steps were slightly stiff as she walked, as if she were extremely unaccustomed to this way of moving. Occasionally, she would display a subtle sense of uncoordination, like a child just learning to walk. Her eyes were like they were covered in a layer of mist, filled with a faint sorrow and vigilance.

"She is..."

"A mermaid, oh~"

"A mermaid?!" Ling Hao's eyes brightened.

Qin Zhaoxue seemed to have anticipated Ling Hao's reaction and chuckled.

"Yes, a mermaid, of the Merfolk Race."

"At the time, she was defeated and thought she could not escape her doom. Seeing that she had no malicious intent and was afflicted by erosion qi, I did not harm her. Instead, I used some Sheng-Sheng Creation Spring water to help her drive away the suffering of the erosion qi. Afterward, we traveled together to Nanzhao City, and on the way, I learned about the current situation of the Merfolk Race."

Mo Li lowered her head slightly and performed a somewhat awkward bow to Ling Hao, her voice soft and thin like a mermaid's weeping in the night:

"Mo Li greets... the human Senior."

After speaking, she turned to Qin Zhaoxue, her face full of pleading,

"Human, will you let me go, please?"

Qin Zhaoxue shook her head,

"No. With your level of strength, if you were outside and others found out you were of the Merfolk Race, not even your dregs would be left."

"I..." Mo Li still wanted to say something.

Qin Zhaoxue interrupted her,

"Alright, I've already said it. We will not kill you, and we don't want your merfolk pearls or merfolk grease."

"Your merfolk pearls are top-tier auxiliary materials for refining Grade Four or Five Magic Treasures and can increase spiritual sensitivity; merfolk grease lamps can also help people calm their hearts and speed up their Cultivate. But these are of no value to us."

"Also, don't you want to find your tribe?"

Mo Li fell silent. Ling Hao glanced at the girl with her head bowed and asked.

"What's going on?"

"I used some small tricks, so she cannot escape now." Qin Zhaoxue wore a mischievous smile, then sighed.

"Her Merfolk Race, because they possess the ability to turn tears into pearls, are skilled at weaving Dragon silk, and have grease that burns forever, have been hunted by human Cultivators and are now on the verge of extinction. Furthermore, because erosion qi has corrupted their homeland, the tribespeople have fled in all directions, separated from one another."

"This piece of Moon-Glory Merfolk Silk was woven by her mother's own hands. I estimate she wants to find her tribe."

Ling Hao's gaze landed on Mo Li, carrying a scrutinizing intensity that made Mo Li feel uncomfortable, causing her to shrink back slightly. He did not immediately believe it, but instead looked at Qin Zhaoxue: "Merfolk true form?"

Qin Zhaoxue understood and pointed to the small pond in the corner of the courtyard: "Mo Li, reveal your true form and let my Revered Master see."

Mo Li hesitated for a moment, met Qin Zhaoxue's gentle gaze, then looked at Ling Hao, and finally nodded gently. She walked to the edge of the pond with a slightly unsteady gait, and soft blue water light rippled around her body.

As the light flowed, her legs quickly underwent Fusion and elongated, covered in fine, gem-like azure scales, forming a slender and powerful fish tail.

The water-blue gauze dress seemed to have a life of its own as it changed, transforming into a piece of merfolk silk of the same material, covering the key parts below her waist and abdomen, revealing only that dreamlike fish tail. Rippling light shimmered around her, enhancing her sorrowful and beautiful aura even more.

Ling Hao's gaze lingered on Mo Li's true form for a moment, then he nodded slightly.

"You want our Moonshadow Sect to help you find your lost tribe?" Ling Hao asked directly.

Mo Li's fish tail swayed gently in the water, creating subtle ripples. She lifted her head, the pleading in her eyes even stronger:

"I... I don't want to. Human Senior, will you let me go, please..."

Ling Hao also shook his head,

"Just as Xiaoxue said, the outside world is the most dangerous place for you. Staying by our side is the safest."

Mo Li was silent for a while, then said cautiously,

"Then what you want is... merfolk silk?"

Besides merfolk pearls and merfolk grease, this was the thing of their Merfolk Race that was most "welcomed" by humans.

"That's right!"

Ling Hao waved the small piece of Moon-Glory Merfolk Silk in his hand, looking at her with burning eyes:

"I want exactly this. A large amount of high-quality merfolk silk."

Mo Li was completely stunned.

She looked at the piece of merfolk silk in Ling Hao's hand that her mother had woven, then at the garment of the same material on her own body, and then at Ling Hao's handsome face, completely unable to understand. Although merfolk silk was precious, compared to merfolk pearls and merfolk grease, its "practical" value seemed... not the first choice?