TRWSB – Chapter 147 A Lord’s Charm

City Lord’s Manor

“Young Master, thank you for stepping in to help me today,” Bi Liuyun said gratefully.

“Why the formality with me? Still, what exactly are you carrying? That woman seemed… very interested,” Zhuang Hao remarked. As a peak Level-9 sea clan practitioner, she wouldn’t covet ordinary items.

Bi Liuyun forced a smile. “It’s nothing, just a pearl.”

Qi Shaorong widened his eyes. “A pearl? Don’t tell me it’s the Sea King Pearl!”

Bi Liuyun hesitated. “…”

“I must be overthinking it. The Sea King Pearl, a treasure of the sea clans, couldn’t possibly be in your possession. Besides, it’s tied to the arranged marriage between the Merfolk and the Sea Dragon clans!”

Bi Liuyun remained silent, his smile awkward.

“That woman earlier—who could she be?” Qi Shaorong wondered aloud.

“If my guess is correct, it was Hailan, the Sea Dragon Clan’s war goddess. Ten years ago, she was already a Level-9 expert. She’s known for her temper. Over thirty years ago, her fiancé fell for a commoner and broke off their engagement. Since then, her demeanor became more peculiar. She’s been veiled ever since and dominates the sea clans’ battlefields. Many secretly call her the Bloodthirsty She-Devil,” Bi Liuyun explained.

Qi Shaorong raised an eyebrow. “Liuyun, you sure know a lot!”

Bi Liuyun chuckled. “It’s nothing. My mother is quite the gossip and often tells me about sea clan bigwigs. I’ve heard all sorts of embarrassing tales.”

“Hailan’s facial features are stunning. Removing her birthmark revealed quite the beauty,” Qi Shaorong remarked.

“It’s all thanks to your remarkable skills, Young Master,” Bi Liuyun said with a smile.

Flying Dragon Merchant Guild

“Aunt, your face…”

“I just visited the new city lord and had the birthmark removed. His skills are impressive,” Hailan said, lightly touching her face.

“Aunt, you look stunning now! Even the Merfolk Princess can’t compare to you!”

“You sweet talker, don’t exaggerate,” Hailan said, though her cheeks flushed.

“I’m serious, Aunt. You’re breathtaking now,” Hailing insisted.

“Enough of that.” Hailan, unused to such compliments, felt her face heat. “Qi Shaorong is truly talented.”

“The new city lord seems different from the others,” Hailing noted.

Hailan chuckled. “As long as he doesn’t cause trouble, we can coexist peacefully.”

“Aunt, you seem to have a good impression of him,” Hailing teased.

Hailan shot him a glance. “And what about you? You’re not getting any younger. Have you considered marriage?”

“Aunt, what are you saying? I’m still young!”

Hailan smirked. “You think you’re young, but the Merfolk Princess doesn’t seem to agree.”

Hands behind his back, Hailing replied, “The Merfolk can rush all they want. With the Sea King Pearl missing, there’s no need for a marriage alliance between the Merfolk and the Sea Dragon clans.”

Hailan narrowed her eyes. “Do you have any grievances against the princess?”

“None, but I don’t feel anything for her either,” Hailing replied nonchalantly.

“Is that so?” Hailan asked with a pointed look.

News of Hailan’s transformation spread rapidly among the sea clans.

“Have you heard? That so-called ugly hag of the Sea Dragon Clan had her birthmark removed. The new city lord did it.”

“Calling her an ugly hag? You’ve got guts!”

“It’s not like she can hear me. Hailan was always mocked for being unmarried due to her birthmark. Now that it’s gone, she’ll probably marry soon.”

“Not just marry—she’ll likely have many suitors. I heard several admirers have already come forward.”

“The new city lord is quite capable!”

“Indeed. He seems like a moneymaker, too.”

Merfolk Royal Palace

Princess Ariel paced in distress.

“Your Highness, is something troubling you?”

“Has Hailing returned to the sea?” Ariel asked.

“No, he’s still on the Azure Plains,” a maid replied.

Ariel frowned. “It’s so dry and sunny on land. Staying there will ruin his skin. The sea is far better!”

“Perhaps Hailing is preoccupied with the merchant guild. It’s said to be quite reputable,” the maid suggested.

Ariel scoffed. “That guild has managers. He only needs to check on it occasionally. Why would he stay so long? Unless… it’s because of Qi Shaorong.”

She bit her lip. Years ago, Princess Xuefeier of the Merfolk fell for a human, causing a scandal. She even left the royal city to escape the ridicule. Could Hailing be following in her footsteps?

Capital of the Yuan Kingdom

“Any news from the Young Master?” Mu Tingxuan asked.

Yi Fan nodded. “Yes, along with a trove of sea clan specialties.”

He handed over a spatial ring. Mu Tingxuan examined its contents and smiled. “It seems the Young Master is thriving among the sea clans.”

Yi Fan held up a blood pearl. “This is said to enhance physical strength and magical power.”

Mu Tingxuan chuckled. “The Young Master is as generous as ever.”

Yi Fan nodded. “Indeed, his generosity always puts others to shame.”

“What Else Did the Young Master Mention in His Letter?”

“Young Master said he used some specialties from the Sea Clan to develop a few new formulas and asked me to test their effects. Additionally, he plans to expand production and increase the supply of cosmetics to the Sea Clan,” Yi Fan replied.

“The Young Master seems very motivated!”

Looking at the formulas in his hand, Yi Fan said, “If the effects of these formulas can be verified, our Qingcheng Cosmetics’ scale can expand several times over. I need to get started on researching them right away.”

Mu Tingxuan observed Yi Fan and remarked, “Ah Fan, you’re very dedicated too.”

“With such an amazing Young Master, I can’t afford to fall behind!” Yi Fan declared.

Zhuang Family Residence, Yuanguo

Zhuang Qian read and reread the letter in his hand.

“What does your brother’s letter say?” Zhuang Renquan asked.

Zhuang Qian glanced at Zhuang Renquan and replied, “Big Brother says that Qi Shaorong seems to be warming up to him. He even personally cooked some herbal soup for him. From the tone of the letter, Big Brother seems really happy.”

Zhuang Renquan snorted, “Our Zhuang family has a reputation for winning over their partners within three months. Your big brother has been around Qi Shaorong for so long, and Qi is only just showing a little affection? That’s a failure.”

“You can’t put it that way! If he hadn’t been held back, Big Brother wouldn’t have had such bad luck,” Zhuang Qian retorted.

Zhuang Renquan: “…”

“Third Uncle, Big Brother sent you a lot of Sea Clan specialties. He really treats you well,” Zhuang Qian said, sounding a bit jealous.

Zhuang Renquan rolled his eyes. “You don’t understand.”

Back when he lent Zhuang Hao a sum of money as “romantic capital,” Zhuang Hao now repaid him with a pile of mostly useless Sea Clan specialties. Still, he had to admit some of the items were high-quality goods.

“Qi Shaorong seems to have opened a cosmetics business in the Sea Clan’s territory. Big Brother mentioned in his letter that Qi plans to open a cosmetic surgery center. Qi Shaorong really is a money-making machine. Wherever he goes, he’s counting cash,” Zhuang Qian said admiringly.

Zhuang Renquan nodded, “Indeed.” Qi Shaorong was so focused on earning money that he seemed to disregard any potential danger to himself.

“Third Uncle, Big Brother and Qi Shaorong won’t run into any trouble, right?” Zhuang Qian asked.

“Based on reports from the Zhuang family’s guards with your brother, Qi Shaorong has managed to establish good relations with the two major forces on the Azure Sea Plains. For now, there shouldn’t be any danger,” Zhuang Renquan assured him.

Zhuang Qian nodded in relief. “That’s good to hear.”

Seaside, Azure Sea Plains

Qi Shaorong and his companions were gathered by the water.

“Young Master, the life ring you requested has been made, but does this thing really work?” Bi Liuyun asked skeptically.

Qi Shaorong nodded, “Of course it works.”

Bi Liuyun threw the life ring into the water, and a sea beast quickly emerged, grabbing the ring and swimming away with it.

“Young Master, it seems the life ring is very popular with the sea beasts. Perhaps we should consider selling life rings as a business,” Bi Liuyun suggested.

Qi Shaorong: “…”

“Forget swimming. Let’s catch some fish and barbecue them,” Qi Shaorong said.

Rolling up his sleeves, Bi Liuyun volunteered, “Young Master, leave the fish-catching to me. I’m the best at it!”

“Are you sure you can do it?” Qi Shaorong asked.

“I’m an expert at fishing,” Bi Liuyun declared.

Qi Shaorong patted Bi Liuyun on the shoulder. “Alright then, it’s all up to you.”

“Just watch me,” Bi Liuyun said confidently as he approached the lakeshore. He began singing loudly, and soon the fish in the water started flipping belly-up.

Qi Shaorong watched the floating fish, internally lamenting, These poor fish have suffered such tragic deaths…

When he turned around, he saw the Sea Dragon Clan’s Young Master, Hailin, standing nearby, looking stunned.

Qi Shaorong thought, Hailin must be completely shocked by Bi Liuyun’s singing.

Feeling embarrassed, Qi Shaorong pulled Bi Liuyun aside. “Liuyun, Liuyun, stop singing. There are more than enough fish to eat now.”

Bi Liuyun glanced at the many floating fish and nodded, “Ah, so many have already died. Looks like it’s enough. But I wasn’t even singing my best yet—how did so many die already?”

Qi Shaorong: “…”