Chapter 6: The Enemy

When Li Mingxing and Zheng emerged from the cabin, most of Li Mingxing’s subordinates had already regained consciousness. Li Mingxing noticed his harpy underlings standing on the ship’s mast, drying their feathers. Their expressions betrayed a deep resentment toward their recent defeat.

At the bow, where the griffins used to be, it was now entirely occupied by the mermaids who had just joined Li Mingxing. As usual, these mermaids drew seawater onto Li Mingxing’s deck, softly singing their enchanting songs.

The dark green-headed mermaid had completely transformed. Her head and scales had turned a purplish-red, and she sat cross-legged at the ship’s prow, seemingly having replaced the lost zombie as Li Mingxing’s figurehead.

“I heard that having a mermaid figurehead on a ship can prevent most storms at sea. Is there any truth to that?” Li Mingxing suddenly asked as he approached the bow.

The mermaid turned her head to look at him and replied, “That’s just a legend. But if you don’t like storms, my modest magic can assist you.”

“I think it’s unnecessary. I’m actually curious about your kind. By the way, I forgot to introduce myself—I’m Li Mingxing. You can call me Poison Needle or Master.”

“I’d prefer Master,” she said. “As for me, you can tell I’m not a pure-blooded mermaid. Even though I was born into the royal mermaid lineage, I was never accepted by them. In the end, I had no choice but to leave with my followers.” She gestured toward the mermaids sunning themselves on Li Mingxing’s deck.

“We had just found a place where we could survive and were preparing for battle with the nearby factions when we met you. If you hadn’t spared most of my followers, I might have fought you fiercely, because you made me lose all my dreams.”

“Dreams?” Li Mingxing sighed. “What dreams?”

“Not difficult ones—just to see the royal mermaids become a thing of the past, and for the half-demon mermaids to become the rulers among mermaids.”

“Half-demon mermaids?”

“That’s my current state. I carry half-demon blood. Because of that, my followers and I have a significantly higher aptitude for mental confusion spells. The royal mermaids, however, are the purest bloodline and are more talented in water magic.”

Listening to her explanation, Li Mingxing nodded and asked, “Are mermaids widely spread out? How many support you half-demon mermaids?”

“There are thirty-one mermaid settlements in this sea, numbering about three thousand in total. It’s a decent number.”

“And who is your greatest enemy?”

“That’s hard to say. Some settlements are hostile to fishmen, others to sea elves. But the royal mermaids’ greatest enemy remains the naga sea demons.”

“Naga sea demons? What’s the difference between them and regular nagas?” Li Mingxing was startled at the mention of nagas, as in his experience, nagas were creatures with power levels above the fifth or sixth rank.

“There’s some connection, but these sea demons have evolved toward the sea demon side. Some even have eight arms, but none are as powerful as pure-blooded nagas.”

“Is there a nearby naga sea demon settlement? I want to assess their strength.”

“Let me think… Yes, about ninety nautical miles southeast there’s a small settlement with around ten naga sea demons. But there’s only one female naga; the rest are males. Even if you go there, you won’t get a clear sense of their true strength.”

“Female and male? They have gender distinctions?”

“Of course. They’re not like us mermaids who are all female. In naga society, females are stronger. I heard the difference between male and female power levels is at least two ranks.”

“Two ranks? What level are the female naga sea demons then?” Li Mingxing was startled again. A two-rank gap meant the female naga sea demons must be quite powerful. Seeing his concern, the half-demon mermaid reassured him, “Don’t worry too much. Most female naga sea demons are at rank four, while ordinary males are around rank two. With your troops, you can easily handle them.”

Relieved, Li Mingxing thought for a moment and nodded. “Then let’s go. By the way, do you think there’s a chance I could recruit them all?”

The half-demon mermaid glanced at him. “Are you desperate for reinforcements? With your current forces, survival in this world isn’t a problem. Why the urgency for more troops?”

Li Mingxing was stumped; he couldn’t reveal that he was facing six or seven enemies, including two possible gods.

Seeing his silence, the mermaid realized she had asked a question she shouldn’t and fell silent, staring at the calm sea. For a while, the ship was enveloped in peaceful quiet.

As Li Mingxing’s ship sailed toward the naga sea demon settlement, nearby waters witnessed another unfolding battle.

The vanished mermaid group was replaced by a black fleet of seven ships, varying in size. The largest was only half the size of Li Mingxing’s treasure ship, and the smallest about one-fifth its size. Unlike Li Mingxing’s ship, these vessels lacked sails but were chained at their bows to giant sea monsters—octopus-like or whale-like creatures—whose movements propelled the ships forward.

On the decks stood numerous warriors clad in scale armor, holding weapons like tridents and water spears, standing as motionless as statues. On the largest ship stood a man with fish-like features and dark skin.

When he saw that the mermaid nest had vanished completely, the pride drained from his face. He shouted loudly, “What happened? Why are they all gone?”

No one answered. After a long silence, a figure emerged from one of the ships. He wore a better, more refined scale armor than the others, revealing grayish-red skin beneath.

Stepping forward, he said, “Ijac, didn’t you say there was a group of mermaids here? Why isn’t there a single one now?”

“I’m not sure. There used to be about forty mermaids and four or five sea monsters here, but now…” Ijac trailed off.

“Now they’re all gone?” the man said lightly. “Looks like someone’s recruiting on our territory. Ijac, you know mermaid habits well—check if they’ve been in battle.”

Without hesitation, Ijac dived into the sea. Half an hour later, he returned and reported, “They fought, and strangely, their enemy used lightning power.”

“Lightning? How could that be? This is our lord’s domain. Even if the Lightning Lord of the Light Alliance came here, we would know. Besides, this place is far from his territory. He couldn’t have come so easily.”

“Boss, could it be the mysterious visitor our lord has been talking about these days?” Ijac suggested.

Hearing this, the man slapped his thigh. “Right, that’s possible. We must inform our lord immediately. Ijac, take others and search nearby. If you find them, don’t attack—just keep watch. You’ve done well. When our lord has time, I’ll recommend you as a follower.”

Ijac was delighted. “Don’t worry, boss. I’ll handle this and won’t disappoint you.”

“I know you won’t. But be careful. This visitor is one of the top-ranked masters in the Dark Alliance. Don’t engage unless you’re absolutely sure.”

“Don’t worry, boss. I’m not a fool. I know the power of a trainee hero. I won’t act recklessly.”

Satisfied, the man nodded and took a ship away with him. The remaining fleet, under Ijac’s command, set out to find Li Mingxing, who had vanished without a trace.

One had to admit: naga sea demons like Ijac had a keen understanding of the sea. They only needed to circle the waters once before discerning the direction Li Mingxing had taken.

A faint smile crept across Ijac’s lips. “Heading to my home? Perfect timing—I want to show them that males can be powerful too.”