The three of them stared at each other, their bodies tense, ready to take action at any moment.
Ji Yunxi was the first to speak. "Junior Sister, stop. Don't hurt him. If we anger the merman, our journey will become extremely difficult."
Yun Luotian nodded, indicating that she understood.
Just as she was about to turn around and leave, she suddenly remembered one of her treasures.
She took out a golden, glowing rope from her bosom. "This magical tool is called the Soul - Binding Rope. It's made from the fur of an ancient demonic beast. It can even bind gods, let alone a mere merman."
After saying that, she activated the Soul - Binding Rope and threw it at the merman. The rope seemed to come to life and automatically wrapped around the merman. In just a moment, it had tied the merman up.
Seeing itself tied up, the merman opened its big mouth and let out a roar. It swayed its body from side to side, trying to break free from the rope.
Yun Luoxi, who was standing relatively close to the merman, was startled. She raised her hand to cover her ears and took several steps back. "Senior Sister, where did this merman come from?"
"I don't know either." Ji Yunxi was also quite puzzled. She didn't expect that there would be a merman living in such a cold place.
Speaking of which, she felt rather helpless. It was really one problem after another.
The merman watched them talking and struggled even more forcefully. The Soul - Binding Rope showed faint signs of loosening.
"Let's go. Let's just throw him back into the sea," Ji Yunxi said. She was also a bit unable to bear the merman's roar.
Yun Luoxi released spiritual power from her fingertips and waved the Soul - Binding Rope from a distance. She threw the merman into the sea, and the rope automatically shrank and returned to her hand.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the merman was thrown into the sea, the sea surface churned with waves, and the water roared!
"Don't tell me it's coming back?!" Yun Luotian took a defensive stance and listened warily to the surroundings. Ji Yunxi also stared at the churning waves.
"Splash!" Two figures jumped onto the boat, breathing heavily. They kept muttering, "Scared me to death, scared me to death..."
The two were just about to take action when they found that it was Qing Xuan and Yun Hui.
Yun Luotian was shocked. "What happened to you?!"
"What the hell was that? It was so fast. Master, did you see it?" Qing Xuan ran straight to Ji Yunxi after getting on the boat. He felt relieved when he saw that she was unharmed.
When Ji Yunxi saw him, she let out a sigh of relief and relaxed her whole body. "See what? Just now, a merman somehow got on the boat. We just threw it back."
Qing Xuan used magic to dry his clothes. "So that was a merman. I always thought mermen were just a legend."
A look of worry flashed across Ji Yunxi's eyes. She said in a solemn tone, "Mermen like to live in groups. I'm afraid we've entered the merman's territory. Everyone, be careful on the rest of the journey."
Everyone nodded. "Understood."
Yun Hui stepped onto the boat deck, holding several big fish in his hand. The fish were still wriggling. "It's good that it's not something strange. The catch tonight is quite bountiful. I'll roast them for everyone later."
Saying that, Yun Hui looked around and carefully noticed that the helmsman was not there. He asked Ji Yunxi, "Where's the helmsman?"
Ji Yunxi had been so focused on fighting the merman that she really hadn't noticed the helmsman. Oh no, don't tell me the merman ate him. She regretted letting the merman go.
The four of them looked around, but there was no sign of the helmsman.
"Don't tell me he was eaten?" Just as Yun Luotian finished speaking, the helmsman suddenly ran out from somewhere.
"There are monsters! There are monsters!"
Ji Yunxi quickly stepped forward. "Don't be afraid. It's gone. It won't come back."
Only then did the helmsman gradually calm down. "It... really gone!"
"Really gone."
At this moment, the helmsman's legs were still trembling slightly. He couldn't help but pray silently, begging the Goddess of the Sea to protect them.
Everyone tidied up the broken planks from the fight with the merman. The fire rose slowly.
Yun Hui put the fish on the fire. Soon, the fish were sizzling with oil.
The group wasn't very hungry at first, but the delicious smell made them feel a bit greedy.
Ji Yunxi was poking the fire on one side. She couldn't help but tease Yun Hui. "It smells so good. You've gained a lot of experience as a fisherman over the years."
Yun Hui smiled shyly. The fish were roasted to a crispy outside and tender inside. Yun Hui first handed one to Ji Yunxi. Ji Yunxi took a bite and praised it repeatedly.
Yun Luotian had been in a daze. Suddenly, a fish appeared in front of her. She was very surprised. She followed the outstretched arm and saw that it was Yun Hui.
Flattered, Yun Luotian didn't react for a moment.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Yun Hui's voice was flat. He pretended to take his arm back.
When the others weren't looking, Ji Yunxi quietly nudged Yun Luotian's back with her shoulder.
Yun Luotian immediately reacted and took the fish. She said in a very soft voice to Yun Hui, "Thank you, Senior Brother."
"Okay." Yun Hui responded faintly and focused on roasting the fish in his hand.
Ji Yunxi watched them quietly, a faint smile on her lips. She knew that the rift between them had almost been resolved.
Qing Xuan was happily eating the fish and didn't notice the interaction among the three of them at all.
"Is it delicious?" Ji Yunxi suddenly asked when she saw his carefree look.
"Delicious!" Qing Xuan nodded and took another big bite.
Ji Yunxi shook her head helplessly. Qing Xuan looked at her blankly.
Ji Yunxi patted him. "Just eat your fish!"
Yun Hui handed a roasted fish to the helmsman and casually asked, "When can we set sail, young man?"
The helmsman thanked him and took the fish. "I think the fog has dispersed a bit. According to my previous sailing experience, the thick fog won't completely disperse tonight, but we can move forward slowly."
Hearing this, Qing Xuan suddenly interjected, "At this speed, when will we reach the Northern Land?"
The helmsman looked at the thick fog and shook his head. "It's really hard to say. Conservatively estimated, it should be tomorrow morning."
After hearing this, Ji Yunxi slowly said, "It doesn't matter if it's slower. Safety is the top priority."
"Yes, this young lady is right. Safety is the most important thing!" The helmsman still had a lingering fear when he remembered what had just happened. It was his first time encountering a merman after so many sea voyages. He would have something to brag about to his family when he got back.
Yun Hui was silent. He looked at the vast sea. The fog was swirling, taking on strange shapes under the night sky. The fog was like a thin veil, wrapping around them layer by layer, making people feel suffocated.
After everyone had finished eating the roasted fish, the fog dispersed a bit more.
The helmsman turned the boat's pole, and the boat slowly sailed in the thick fog. Soon, it disappeared into the distance.