TRWSB – Chapter 146 The Mystery of the Sea King’s Pearl

The Mermaid Palace

“Mother, where has the Sea King’s Pearl gone? Why haven’t you and Father looked for it?” Ariel asked, her voice full of grievance.

Queen Irina sighed, her tone filled with helplessness. “It’s not that we didn’t search for it, but the pearl has been missing for years. Your father made significant efforts to locate it back then, but all attempts were in vain.”

“Mother, how was the Sea King’s Pearl lost in the first place?” Ariel’s voice was tinged with frustration.

“The pearl was supposed to be in the merfolk treasury,” Irina explained. “After the previous Sea King passed away, the throne remained vacant, and the treasury was sealed. When it was eventually reopened, everything was intact—except the Sea King’s Pearl, which had vanished without a trace.”

Ariel clenched her fists. “Without the Sea King’s Pearl, Hailin won’t agree to marry me.”

Irina sighed internally and gently patted her daughter’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Ariel. You’re the most beautiful maiden of our merfolk. If Hailin doesn’t love you, who else could he possibly choose?”

“Mother, aside from the previous Sea King, who else had access to the Sea King’s Pearl?” Ariel asked.

“There is one other person,” Irina replied.

Ariel’s eyes widened. “Who?”

“This person is a disgrace to our merfolk, Princess Sapphire,” Irina said, her voice low.

“Merfolk princesses are usually renowned for their beauty and melodious voices. Princess Sapphire was neither. Her singing was dreadful, and her appearance unremarkable. The elders of our tribe disapproved of her, but the previous Sea King, her brother, adored her.”

Irina continued, “Princess Sapphire lacked talent yet had a knack for stirring trouble. She frequently transformed into human form to explore the human world. And worse, she fell in love with a human and eventually left the sea to be with him.”

Ariel’s eyes widened in shock. “Mother, are you saying the Sea King’s Pearl might have been taken by Princess Sapphire?”

Irina sighed again. “It’s a possibility. But even if she had it, it’s too late now.”

“Why?”

“Because Princess Sapphire is no longer alive,” Irina said solemnly.

Ariel froze.

“The Sea Dragon Clan has a unique technique for tracing the Sea King’s Pearl,” Irina added. “Right after the pearl went missing, they searched every corner of the sea but found nothing. This suggests that the pearl may no longer be in the ocean.”

Ariel’s voice trembled. “If it’s not in the ocean, does that mean it’s on land?”

Irina frowned. “Most sea creatures cannot leave the depths of the ocean, and those who can cannot stay away for long. If the Sea King’s Pearl truly ended up in human territory, retrieving it would be nearly impossible.”

The Governor’s Mansion

Bi Liuyun placed a sky-blue pearl on the table. A faint seal encased the pearl, but a thin crack had appeared on its surface.

Frowning, he muttered, “Mother, can this Sea King’s Pearl truly help someone ascend to the saint rank? If so, how would one even use it?”

The pearl emitted a faint glow. After staring at it for a while, Bi Liuyun grew bored and stored it away. He thought to himself, I mustn’t take this thing out so casually. The royal bloodline of the Sea Dragon Clan can sense the pearl’s presence if it’s nearby. Although it’s sealed, the seal seems to be weakening.

Leaning back, he mused, The saddest thing in life is owning a priceless treasure but being unable to use it.

In the Sea Dragon Clan’s Tianlong Trading House, Hailin’s eyes suddenly snapped open.

“Master, what’s wrong?” Hai Xiao asked.

“Nothing. I thought I felt…” Hailin trailed off.

“Felt what, Master?” Hai Xiao pressed.

Shaking his head, Hailin replied, “It’s nothing. I must have been mistaken.” However, he couldn’t shake the sense that he had felt the aura of the Sea King’s Pearl. The sensation seemed to originate from the governor’s mansion. Could it be…?

“Master, what are you thinking about?” Hai Xiao asked.

“Nothing important,” Hailin said, brushing the thought aside.

In the Flourishing Cosmetic Store

Qi Shaorong walked into the nearly completed storefront. With his hands on his hips, he remarked, “Liuyun, the setup looks great.”

Bi Liuyun smiled. “As long as you’re satisfied, Master.”

“I wonder how business will go once we open,” Qi Shaorong mused.

Bi Liuyun chuckled thoughtfully. “If we’re going to do business with the sea clans, we should hire a few appraisers. The sea clans rarely deal in gold coins.”

“You have a point,” Qi Shaorong agreed. He thought privately, What I lack now isn’t gold but resources. If the sea clans use their unique goods to trade, that would suit me perfectly.

Qi Heng approached Qi Shaorong and whispered, “Master, that rotund young master is back.”

Qi Shaorong’s eyes lit up. He loved wealthy customers, especially those with more money than sense. Even if they were demanding, he could endure it.

The last time that young master visited, he brought a bag of blood pearls. Qi Shaorong had tested them, and the results were outstanding. Not only had his physique improved, but his magic power had also grown slightly.

Breaking through the seventh level of magic power was notoriously difficult, but the blood pearls seemed to offer a glimmer of hope. If human methods for advancing magic were hard to come by, then turning to the sea clans might just be the key.

A well-rounded young master swaggered into the store. “So, Lord, this is your newly opened Allure Cosmetics Shop?”

Qi Shaorong nodded. “Indeed.”

“I heard you’re developing waterproof cosmetics. Any progress?” the young master inquired.

Qi Shaorong nodded again. “We’ve succeeded. Are you interested in purchasing? I can give you a discount if you pay with those red pearls from last time.”

“Blood pearls? I’ve run out,” the rotund young master said awkwardly.

Qi Shaorong observed his uneasy demeanor and thought: Even the wealthiest seem to have lean times. No wonder this guy’s attitude is more subdued than before.

Bei Zhuang scratched his head. Last time, he brought the cosmetics home to Bei Xue, who was delighted and even praised him, which was rare. However, when his parents found out he had traded blood pearls for cosmetics, they flew into a rage and cut off his allowance. Fortunately, he had kept a set for his mother, which helped mollify her anger.

Qi Shaorong crossed his arms. “No blood pearls? Then how will you pay?”

“How about white pearls?” Bei Zhuang suggested.

“They’re acceptable, but they’re not as valuable as blood pearls,” Qi Shaorong remarked.

“I know, so I’ll give you more,” Bei Zhuang offered.

“Fair enough,” Qi Shaorong conceded.

The young master handed over three large bags of pearls and left with ten sets of the latest ocean-themed cosmetics.

Looking at the pearls, each the size of a baby’s fist, Qi Shaorong smiled. “This guy may have a sharp tongue, but he’s a generous soul! If all sea folk were like him, life would be grand.”

“Young master, if we’re planning to create pearl face masks, we won’t have to worry about raw materials with this benefactor around,” Bi Liuyun said.

Qi Shaorong nodded. “Exactly.”

A stranger suddenly appeared in the shop. Draped in a veil, she exuded a cold, menacing aura.

Zhuang Hao, standing beside Qi Shaorong, whispered, “Be cautious—she’s a peak Level-9 sea clan practitioner.”

Qi Shaorong faced the stranger and said, “I am the current lord. How may I assist you?”

“The lord is quite young,” the stranger remarked, eyeing him.

Qi Shaorong smiled. “Thank you.”

The woman’s gaze shifted to Bi Liuyun. “You… you have the aura of the Sea Dragon Clan. Are you one of us?”

Startled, Bi Liuyun replied, “No, I’m human.”

“Indeed, you’re not of the Sea Dragon Clan. But still, you…”

Qi Shaorong interjected smoothly, “Perhaps Liuyun’s been in close contact with members of your clan recently or handled many of their belongings, causing his aura to carry a trace of the Sea Dragon Clan.”

“Is that so?” The woman’s tone remained suspicious.

Qi Shaorong changed the subject. “Senior, you must have come here for a reason. How can I assist you?”

The stranger studied him. “I’ve heard you’re skilled in cosmetic surgery.”

Qi Shaorong nodded. “That’s correct. Is there someone you’d like me to help?”

The woman removed her veil, revealing a striking upper face but a lower face marred by a birthmark. “Can you fix this?”

Qi Shaorong replied confidently, “Of course.”

Internally, he mused: Her upper face is stunning, but her lower face… This is quite the transformation project. Who would’ve thought I’d not only expand my cosmetics business to the sea folk but also my cosmetic surgery services? No matter how powerful they are, they still need me to look their best.

The woman, known as Hailan, the “Goddess of War” among the sea folk, felt a surge of excitement. Despite her revered status, many mocked her behind her back, calling her an ugly demon or a fearsome witch. Her betrothed had gone to great lengths to annul their engagement due to her appearance.

Qi Shaorong gestured politely. “Senior, please follow me. Your birthmark is a minor issue; I can resolve it entirely.”

Hailan’s tense expression softened. “Thank you, Lord.”