TRWSB – Chapter 151 Visitors from the Sea Tribe

The Mermaid Kingdom Palace.

Ariel wore a sullen expression as she threw a tantrum. When Ariel was angry, the maids of the palace could only keep their distance.

“Daughter, what’s wrong?” Irina asked, her gaze full of concern as she looked at Ariel.

Ariel dove into Irina’s arms, crying aggrievedly.

“Mother, Hailin struck me! All for the sake of some lowly human. He actually raised his hand against me!”

Irina’s face darkened slightly at her words. “Hailin wouldn’t strike you without reason. What did you do?”

Ariel flushed with embarrassment and reluctantly admitted, “I broke his ship.”

“Why would you break his ship out of nowhere?” Irina frowned deeply.

The origins of Sabé’s throne had always been somewhat murky, and over the years, dissenting voices persisted. After the loss of the Sea King Pearl became known, Sabé’s position became increasingly precarious.

What Irina hoped for most now was for Ariel and Hailin to successfully unite in marriage. As long as the union happened, Sabé’s troubles would be resolved. Unfortunately, Hailin seemed to have little affection for Ariel, and every time Sabé proposed an alliance, the Sea Dragon Clan found an excuse to delay.

Fuming, Ariel said, “I originally thought Hailin had fallen for the new lord, so I even went to warn that person. But it turns out that Hailin is interested in one of the lord’s servants! Hailin, that guy! It’s bad enough that he likes a lowly human, but that person is just a servant!”

Irina looked at Ariel helplessly. “Alright, alright. Hailin does business with humans. Maybe he’s just a business associate with that person.”

Ariel’s mood eased a little. “If it’s just business, why would Hailin go so far for that person?”

“Maybe you went too far and embarrassed him. Hailin is the crown prince of the Sea Dragon Clan. You shouldn’t have undermined his dignity!” Irina said gently, trying to reason with her.

After much coaxing, Irina finally managed to calm Ariel down.

Qi Heng stepped into Qi Shaorong’s private courtyard and handed him a stack of ledgers. “Young master, these are the sales records for the recently sold cosmetics.”

Qi Shaorong took the ledgers and glanced through them, his face lighting up with excitement. “We sold so much! Ah Heng, you’ve done an excellent job!”

Qi Heng smiled modestly. “It was nothing.”

“Young master, here’s a list of people who want cosmetic surgery.”

Qi Shaorong nodded. “Alright.”

“These people are mostly from the merfolk, right?”

Qi Heng nodded. “Yes.”

“I didn’t expect so many merfolk to want cosmetic surgery.”

“This is already a filtered list. The number of actual applicants was even higher,” Qi Heng said.

“My reputation among the merfolk is really something!” Qi Shaorong said in surprise.

“It’s likely due to Senior Hailan’s celebrity influence,” Qi Heng replied.

Hailan, the famed warrior goddess of the merfolk, was renowned for her beauty and prowess. After the birthmark on her face vanished, everyone could guess it was Qi Shaorong’s handiwork.

Qi Shaorong handed the list back to Qi Heng. “Stick to the usual rules—choose the ones who bid the highest.”

Qi Heng nodded. “Understood.”

“Cosmetic surgery isn’t urgent right now. Focus on growing the cosmetics business first,” Qi Shaorong said thoughtfully.

“You’re right. Besides, you’re not short on money now, young master. There’s no need to push yourself too hard.”

Second Prince’s Mansion in the Imperial Capital.

“What are you looking at?” Shen Manwu walked up to Tang Tianfeng.

“Information from the Azure Sea Plains,” Tang Tianfeng replied.

“Qi Shaorong has been sent there for quite some time. Is he still alive?” Shen Manwu asked.

Tang Tianfeng sneered. “Alive? Not only is he alive, but he’s thriving. Shortly after arriving, he rebuilt the lord’s mansion and began selling cosmetics to the merfolk. His business is booming.”

Shen Manwu frowned. “Is that so? Qi Shaorong is indeed not easy to deal with.”

“That’s not all. He also gave the merfolk warrior goddess Hailan a cosmetic procedure. Now the Sea Dragon Clan owes him a favor.”

“Hailan? That ninth-level merfolk demoness?”

Tang Tianfeng nodded. “That’s the one.”

Shen Manwu crossed her arms. “This Qi Shaorong is truly remarkable.”

Tang Tianfeng smirked. “Actually, it’s not impossible to deal with him. Recently, rumors have surfaced in the Azure Sea Plains about the long-lost Sea King Pearl reappearing. And the location of its appearance seems to be near the lord’s mansion.”

Shen Manwu’s eyes narrowed. The Sea King Pearl was a treasured artifact of the merfolk. If the rumors were confirmed, countless merfolk would inevitably flock to Qi Shaorong. Surviving that ordeal would be…

“If Qi Shaorong were to perish, Yifan and Mu Tingxuan would no longer be a threat,” Shen Manwu said.

At the mention of Yifan, Tang Tianfeng’s expression darkened. With Mu Xingzhi as his backer, Yifan’s business had grown rapidly, and his power was steadily increasing.

Back then, Tang Tianfeng had crossed paths with Yifan a few times through Mu Xuelan and never took him seriously. Now, watching someone he once looked down on rise to prominence made Tang Tianfeng feel deeply unsettled.

Qi Shaorong opened the door and was met with the sight of a towering figure in black standing in the room.

Zhuang Hao glanced inside and couldn’t help widening his eyes. Before Qi Shaorong could speak, both of them were pulled into the room, and the door shut behind them.

The figure was draped in a heavy black robe, face completely obscured save for a pair of piercing eyes that sent chills down their spines.

Zhuang Hao, standing behind Qi Shaorong, discreetly traced the character “9” in the air. Qi Shaorong frowned slightly, understanding his meaning.

“May I ask what business brings you here at this late hour, senior? I… I…” Qi Shaorong stammered, thinking, I don’t have the Sea King Pearl!

The black-robed figure didn’t respond but instead pulled out a crumpled, faded poster and handed it to Qi Shaorong.

Initially, Qi Shaorong thought the visitor was there for the Sea King Pearl. However, upon seeing the poster, he realized the man’s target was him. The poster featured bold, eye-catching words: “Want to slim down to lightning speed? Visit the Evil Doctor’s Cosmetic Center today!” Below, there was a stark contrast between a plump woman and a stunningly slim beauty.

The poster looked worn out and old. Qi Shaorong recognized it as one of his earlier advertisements from his days in the imperial capital—a campaign that had been out of circulation for a long time. He had no idea how it had ended up in this man’s hands.

“Senior, are you here for weight loss?” Qi Shaorong ventured cautiously.

The black-robed man nodded earnestly and said, “Yes, indeed. I used to be a handsome man in my prime. But after inheriting the throne, I was overwhelmed with tributes from countless subjects, and, well… I ate a bit too much and ended up like this.”

Qi Shaorong: “…”

If you wanted cosmetic surgery, you could’ve come during the day. Showing up at night like this is enough to scare someone to death!

The man pointed to the slim figure on the poster and asked, “Can you make me look like this?”

Qi Shaorong’s eyes widened. From the voice, he deduced this was a man. Does he just want to lose weight, or does he also want gender reassignment? Qi Shaorong had never attempted such a procedure before, but if the senior insisted, he supposed he could give it a try. Gender reassignment isn’t that complicated—just a simple snip.

Seeing Qi Shaorong hesitate, the man grew impatient. “You can’t do it?”

Sensing the oppressive aura emanating from the man, Qi Shaorong quickly snapped back to reality. “I can! I can absolutely do it! Senior, if all you want is to slim down, you can rest assured—it’s not difficult at all!”

The black-robed man relaxed slightly. “Not difficult? Good.”

“Please, follow me,” Qi Shaorong said, leading the man to a guest room.

Halfway there, the man abruptly seized a hidden Sea Clan operative lurking in the shadows.

“Shadow Star, what are you doing here?” the black-robed man demanded.

The operative’s body shifted strangely, attempting to escape the man’s grip. However, with a single punch, the black-robed man reduced the intruder to a pulp.

Qi Shaorong’s heart skipped a beat.

“Lord Qi, it seems you’ve got no shortage of trouble,” the man remarked.

Qi Shaorong forced a smile. “Not too much trouble, I hope.”

“Rumors are spreading among the Sea Clan,” the man continued.

Qi Shaorong’s curiosity piqued. “What kind of rumors?”

“They’re saying the Sea Dragon Clan’s sacred treasure, the Sea King Pearl, is in your castle,” the man revealed.

“That’s completely unfounded! The Sea King Pearl went missing over a decade ago—I was just a child back then,” Qi Shaorong replied, trying to keep his composure.

The man chuckled. “I’m not interested in the Sea King Pearl, but many others are. Be cautious, Lord Qi.”

“Thank you for the warning, senior,” Qi Shaorong said with a nod.

Zhuang Hao frowned. He had heard whispers that certain factions were spreading rumors about the Sea King Pearl being in Qi Shaorong’s possession. He could guess who was behind it, but there wasn’t much he could do.

The black-robed man followed Qi Shaorong into a guest room.

“Please lie down on the bed,” Qi Shaorong instructed.

Zhuang Hao’s expression turned slightly sour. He had custom-ordered this bed to ensure it was large and sturdy enough to withstand any activities he and Qi Shaorong might engage in. However, Qi Shaorong had relegated the bed to the guest room, deeming it unnecessary. And now… it was finally being put to use.

The black-robed man sprawled on the bed, which, despite its massive size, didn’t seem oversized at all for his frame.

Qi Shaorong glanced at Zhuang Hao and said admiringly, “You’re really something, you know? Did you foresee this would happen? Without such a large bed, we’d be in trouble!”

Zhuang Hao forced a smile. “Of course. You should know by now that I’m always one step ahead.”

Qi Shaorong: “…”

The black-robed man shot an impatient look at Qi Shaorong. “When will we begin?”

Qi Shaorong laughed nervously. “Right away! Zhuang Hao, I’ll need your help.”

Zhuang Hao nodded. “Got it.”