Favorite of the Beast-world: I Got Rich Through Farming-Chapter 346 - 229: Bad Memories + An Awkwardly Placed Wound
An Jin’s vision went black, and the next second, her entire body plunged into the icy seawater.
A large, cold, and slippery hand gripped her back, pulling her deeper into the water.
’Am I... being kidnapped??’
Staring at the school of fish swimming leisurely before her, she thought, ’Ah, so I’ve been kidnapped and dragged into the sea.’
"Quiet down," the Mermaid behind her said coldly. "I’d advise you not to get any ideas about escaping. Otherwise, don’t blame me for knocking you unconscious and taking you to my master." He stared at the back of the silent female’s head, then had a sudden realization. "Oh, right. You can’t talk underwater. You must be feeling awful right now, huh?"
He immediately spat out a pale red bubble and fitted it over her head.
An Jin, ’...’
’This kidnapper Mermaid is so useless. The bubble he spat out is tiny—barely big enough to cover my head. He’s a far cry from my Little Mermaid Xi.’
’Also, did this guy forget to brush his teeth? The smell inside this bubble is... beyond description.’
An Jin’s expression immediately soured. Catching a glimpse of a red fishtail out of the corner of her eye, she pursed her lips and remained silent.
The Mermaid seemed to think this wasn’t very proper—or perhaps he realized it would be hard to control her this way. His face flushed as he painstakingly spat out a large bubble that could envelop her entire body.
He completely enclosed her in the bubble and began pushing her along.
An Jin didn’t resist, quickly accepting her new status as a "hostage." Her wings were useless in the water, making it nearly impossible to escape on her own.
Besides, the Mermaid who had abducted her seemed quite powerful. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to snatch her away from right under everyone’s noses so silently.
He had also chosen the perfect moment to strike, right after Mi Yin left. It seemed he was a Beastman who had infiltrated their group ahead of time, and his methods of concealment were quite sophisticated.
’In just a few seconds, a thousand thoughts raced through her mind. As for the "master" this Mermaid mentioned... Heh, I’m quite curious. Could this "master" be the same person in black from last time?’
A colossal wave, roiling with heaven-storming fury, surged toward them from behind. The Red-tailed Mermaid’s eyes widened in shock. Unable to dodge, he was blasted dozens of meters away before he managed to steady himself.
"Who’s there!"
He roared, warily scanning his surroundings as he clutched the bubble and slowly backed away.
The waves parted swiftly to either side, like Moses parting the Red Sea, and a long, azure figure gradually emerged from the roiling waters.
It was Xi.
’I knew he would come for me. That’s why I’ve been so fearless.’
His expression, however, was grim. His usual cheerfulness and smile were gone, replaced by a cold, murderous intent that radiated from his eyes.
"A common Mermaid? Daring to snatch someone from right under my nose?" Xi said coldly, his expression menacing.
He let out a low, unrecognizable hum from his throat—a unique form of communication among the Merfolk.
The Red-tailed Mermaid watched him with a wary and probing gaze. He clenched his fists, his scales flaring. ’I can’t believe it... a Merfolk with the King Bloodline?’
But once he recognized the Merfolk before him, he burst into laughter. "Well, well, if it isn’t the weakest little prince of the Mermaid Clan."
His gaze landed on Xi, and his lips curled into a sneer, making no attempt to hide his contempt. "Just like the legends say. You look like the type to be pinned down by male Mermaids with... special preferences. And you’re just as weak. I heard you’ve come of age but can’t even hunt a small Sea Beast. No wonder no female would have you..."
With every word, the color drained further from Xi’s face. Having these humiliating matters exposed so brazenly, he looked at An Jin in a panic. "Ah Jin..."
An Jin met his gaze with a steady, reassuring look. She wouldn’t listen to some stranger’s bullshit.
’So what if what this Red-tailed Mermaid said is true? I’ve been with him for years, I’ve seen every bit of his effort and progress. He’s not the useless trash these Mermaids make him out to be.’
The Shark Pearl connected their hearts and minds.
The panic in Xi’s eyes eased considerably. With a flick of his hand, he sent several powerful currents surging toward the Red-tailed Mermaid, who was too slow to dodge. The force swept away the surrounding reefs and corals, flinging them countless meters away. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
Even though the bubble prevented her from feeling the battle raging outside, An Jin could see its thin wall begin to wrinkle and deform. The frantically fleeing Red-tailed Mermaid no longer had the luxury of paying her any mind.
"Stop!" he shrieked. "If you don’t stop right now, I’ll pop this bubble and let this female drown!"
An Jin, "..."
Xi, "..."
The two of them couldn’t help but laugh.
"What are you laughing at?! Do you really think I don’t have the guts?!" The Red-tailed Mermaid grew even more flustered and enraged. His nails shot out, growing over ten centimeters long, and he lunged straight for the female’s neck.
Xi’s pupils shrank. "You dare!" His normally smooth scales flared out as he shot forward in a rage, his sharp fingers aimed straight for his enemy’s life.
The Red-tailed Mermaid had only meant to use his hostage to threaten Xi, but in his fear, his hand trembled and pierced the bubble.
But the female who should have been drowning moved like a fish, instantly darting more than ten meters away. A mocking smile played on her rosy lips.
"You... You didn’t drown!" The Mermaid froze, dumbfounded.
Rage followed his shock. "AAAAAH!" he screamed. "That act you put on at the start... So! You were tricking me all along! I’ll kill you!"
Before he could act, however, a sharp crack of Xi’s tail sent him flying dozens of meters. The blow was ruthless and decisive. "You dare touch Ah Jin? Then die!"
His taut, azure tail turned the tide. Its fins, as thin and sharp as the deadliest blades on earth, sliced the wicked Red-tailed Mermaid in half even as the force of the blow sent him flying.
BOOM! Shattered rock buried the Mermaid’s corpse, and large, stringy clouds of blood drifted through the water.
But he was also injured.
—The other’s sharp tail fins had slashed open his side, leaving a wound so deep that bone was visible. A gruesome flap of flesh and blood hung from the gash.
The thick scent of blood filled the surrounding water. It was sure to attract hungry Sea Beasts soon.
His opponent had been a Seventh Rank Mermaid, on par with him in power. Even with the suppressive advantage of his King Bloodline, defeating him without taking a single hit was nearly impossible.
He paid his own injury no mind, not even sparing it a glance. "Ah Jin..." he murmured, swimming straight toward her.
An Jin rushed to his side, taking his arm. "You’re hurt."
"It’s nothing. I’ll be fine with a little rest..." As he spoke, he coughed twice, fresh blood trickling from the corners of his pale lips.
An Jin’s heart ached even more.
’Xi got this badly hurt because he was saving me.’
’And the Little Merfolk is bleeding so much, the wound is so deep... I wonder if any of his vital organs were hit.’
"Hang in there, Xi. We’ll find a place to rest, and I’ll treat your wound..." She found a cave and helped him lean against the stone wall, having gathered some common healing herbs on her way in.
The entrance of the cave was blocked by a bubble, sealing it off from the seawater.
The Merfolk lay weakly on the rubble, his head bowed. His pale, slender fingers rested on his bleeding side, and his long fishtail, tangled in a few strands of seaweed, drooped limply.
’Luckily, none of his vitals were hit.’
After finishing her examination, An Jin breathed a small sigh of relief.
However, the Merfolk’s natural healing abilities were extremely poor, so his situation was still far from optimistic.
She chewed the herbs into a pulp, spat the paste into her palm, and was just about to apply it to his wound—
Xi flinched slightly, his back pressed against the cold stone wall, and whispered, "N-no..."
