Chapter 139 - 17: The Events of Fifteen Years Ago

Chapter 139: Chapter 17: The Events of Fifteen Years AgoAt that time, Granny Li walked over with a smile, "Well done, you two youngsters. Indeed worthy of being heroic youths, those merfolk after being ruthlessly slain, should behave for a while now. Seeing that it’s nearly noon, this old woman doesn’t have much to offer, only some porridge and baked salted fish. Would you two care to try some?" The two looked towards the direction of the thatched hut and indeed saw a pot of porridge cooking over an outdoor fire, with a few salted fish being roasted. "Granny, there’s no need for courtesy, we have brought our own food so please help yourself." "Then I won’t stand on ceremony." Saying so, she took out a small knife and began to dissect the merfolk’s bodies, cutting off a few pieces of meat and packing them away. When the three returned to the front of the thatched hut, the boy looked at Granny Li with a troubled expression. "Granny, are you cutting the flesh of those merfolk to eat again?" "What’s the big deal? Merfolk aren’t humans, just some aquatic demons. Your father is a fisherman, and isn’t it only right and proper for a fisherman to eat fish? Just eat it." However, Li Baobao’s face turned gloomy, "I don’t want to eat it. Although the merfolk aren’t humans, they somewhat resemble humans, and I can’t bear to see them like that." "Tsk tsk tsk, you’re such a kind-hearted child. Then just eat the salted fish, but remember to drink plenty of water." With those words, she picked up a salted fish and placed it on a clay plate in front of the boy, then ladled a bowl of porridge for him. Xiao Jie was initially wary of the old woman, so he was unwilling to eat the porridge and salted fish. Now it seemed he was overthinking. Intending to dig out some information, he said, "I have some food here too, why don’t we all enjoy it together?" As he spoke, Xiao Jie laid out steamed buns, smoked meat, roasted chicken, roasted deer meat, Garden Roasted Cake, and boiled eggs from his bag onto the table. Li Baobao looked on with surprised delight, and Granny Li also revealed a hint of happiness. [System Prompt: Granny Li’s favorability towards you has increased by 10 points, now at 60.] "Then thank you very much." Saying thus, she grabbed a roasted chicken and started gnawing at it without hesitation. Granny Li may look old, but her movements were quite hearty, eating and drinking with gusto. Li Bao picked up a steamed bun and started nibbling on it, his actions quite refined, displaying the restraint of a scholar. After a few bites, Granny Li heaved a sigh, "Heaven pity us, trapped in this poor little fishing village for over a decade, rarely having such a hearty meal. Thank you, young man. Ah, only if there was also a jug of wine would it be even better." Xiao Jie smiled slightly, "That’s quite fortuitous, as I happen to have a jug of wine right here." Saying so, he took out a jug of Du Kang Wine. This jug of Du Kang Wine was bought when he first learned to fish, originally intended for the fisherman, but it became unnecessary due to the high esteem he garnered, thus saving it for later use. This time, it came in handy. Granny Li’s eyes sparkled at the sight, she took it and inhaled deeply, intoxicated, "Good wine!" After a large gulp, she declared, "Indeed, good wine." [System Prompt: Granny Li’s favorability towards you has increased by 10 points, now at 70.] With 70 favorability points, he should be able to extract some useful information now. "Granny Li, I’m quite puzzled by the actions of these merfolk, could you tell us what exactly happened here? In suppressing demons and eliminating merfolk, we should know the reasons behind it, these merfolk seem unsettled and will likely return again. If we can understand the key points, it would facilitate the subsequent enemy breaking." "Humph, have you not heard that less is more? Even if you knew, what could you do about it?" Li Bao also showed an expectant look, "Granny, just tell us, please. I’m almost fifteen now, and you’ve been keeping many things from me over the years, how could I not be aware? Do you intend to keep it from me for a lifetime? Where did my parents go, did they suffer an accident? As their son, how could I remain indifferent?" "Don’t be impatient, Bao’er. I’ve already told you, once you turn fifteen I will naturally tell you everything. There are only three days left until your birthday, so just wait a little longer." The boy sighed with resignation and dropped the questions, but Xiao Jie wasn’t so easily dissuaded. He suddenly noticed that the boy had a Treasure Bead hanging around his neck, emanating a faint halo, utterly different from his rough clothing. Merfolk Pearl Seeker—could it be that this is what they seek? "Let me guess, these Merfolk Pearl Seekers, since they are here to seek pearls, could it be—they are after this? Such a large pearl is no ordinary object, it must have a story behind it. Could it be that the pearl was stolen from the merfolk? That would explain why the merfolk are persistently bothering you." Granny Li, with no other choice, said, "Hmph, fine, if you must know, I will tell you. It all started fifteen years ago when Fenghe Village was thriving with many families—yes, this is Fenghe Village. In Fenghe Village lived a young fisherman named Li He. He was so handsome, literate and respectful, hardworking and reliable, and righteous to a fault, making him quite reputable in the village. One day, Li He went out to fish and unexpectedly found an unconscious woman by the riverbank. The woman was as beautiful as a celestial being, but regrettably, when she was revived, it was discovered she was mute. Li He was mesmerized by her at first sight, and the beauty also fell for him at once. Li He then took this woman home, married her, and gave her the name Yu Niang. Strangely enough, since marrying Yu Niang, the fisherman’s luck turned, and he caught abundant fish every day, making good money. Besides daily expenses, he would also buy books to read for pleasure. The two of them, one fishing and the other weaving, lived a contented life. However, when the unexpected happened, Yu Niang became pregnant after a few years but fell gravely ill with the pregnancy, losing all appetite. Li He asked her what was wrong, and Yu Niang then said... I Want to Be Immortal: "Hold on, wasn’t Yu Niang mute?" Granny Li paused, then said sheepishly, "Yes, that’s true. But Yu Niang could read and write, and she wrote that message by hand, telling Li He that the illness she suffered from was incurable, and the only cure was to catch a golden carp in the sea, eat it, and then she would be healed. So, for the sake of his wife and child, Li He had no choice but to sail down the river and out into the sea, but after three days and nights, he caught nothing." It was at that very moment that Yu Niang went into labor. Because of her severe illness, it turned out to be a difficult birth. By the time the child was born, she too was not going to make it. Before she died, Yu Niang told the villagers to never give her a water burial, or there would be a catastrophe. However, this was a custom in Fenghe Village. There was an ancient rule that as people come from the water, they must return to it, and the villagers of Fenghe had always practiced water burial. Now, hearing Yu Niang’s adamant warning, the villagers didn’t believe her and agreed haphazardly. But when she died, they still gave her a water burial. Little did they expect that after that, merfolk frequently appeared in the lake, kidnapping children, slaughtering men and women, harassing them day and night. The fishermen of the village couldn’t bear the disturbances and moved away one after another, so Fenghe Village gradually became what it is today." "What about Li He?" Xiao Jie asked. "Li He? Perhaps he got lost at sea and couldn’t find his way back," came the reply. Granny Li’s voice carried a trace of sorrow. Xiao Jie continued, "What about the child?" "The child is right before your eyes." Looking at the astonished Li Baobao, Xiao Jie suddenly realized that this was indeed the child. Fifteen years, and now grown up to look like this. But this still didn’t explain what the deal was with these merfolk. At this moment, Li Bao also asked shakily, "Grandma, is my dad dead?" "Your father is blessed with good fortune and must be alright. Maybe he drifted to some deserted island and can’t come back. After you turn fifteen, I’ll go with you to look for your father." Li Bao nodded, "Granny, I’m thirsty." "Then drink more water. You’ve eaten too much salted fish." Watching as Granny Li scooped another ladle of water for Li Bao. After quenching Li Bao’s thirst, Granny Li turned to the two men. "Brave sirs, I’m afraid those merfolk will attack again this afternoon, so I’ll have to trouble you two today. You shall be compensated, of course. Today you two have slain a total of twenty-nine merfolk, and I’ve kept count. Here is your payment. We’ll settle up once at midday and once in the evening every day, with no delays." [System Notification: You have received 1450 Wen as a task reward.] Since it was a team task, each person received half, amounting to one tael and a half, which was not too shabby. Xiao Jie thought to himself that this task was awesome, offering plenty of experience, low difficulty, and generous rewards. Could these rewards be what the River God meant by ’deserved compensation’? Was the River God sending them here to help Granny Li fend off the merfolk for three days? But what did this have to do with honesty? And compared to an extraordinary event, the reward seemed quite generous, but still too ordinary. There must be a secret here, not as simple as it seems on the surface. Seeing Xiao Jie’s silence, Granny Li thought he found the money insufficient. "My good men, such a small amount of money may not catch the eye of brave warriors like yourselves. This pearl is a Li family heirloom. After my son Li He disappeared, I entrusted the pearl to Bao’er. It has nothing to do with the merfolk. I really don’t know why those merfolk harass the fishing village, but no matter the reason, I won’t let them harm my little Bao. Bao’er is the only remaining bloodline of the Li family, and he must be kept safe. Though the Treasure Bead is precious, it’s nothing compared to my grandson’s life. As long as you help me get through these three days and repel those merfolk until after Bao’er’s fifteenth birthday in three days, this matter should naturally be resolved, and I will reward you with the Treasure Bead. This Treasure Bead is not an ordinary trinket; it’s a Magic Artifact. As for the Magic Artifact’s effect, forgive me for keeping you in suspense, but I assure you that it will be satisfactory. What say you?" [System Notification: You have triggered the extraordinary event [Three-day Contract].] Task Description: Granny Li has told you an incredible story and hopes you will help protect her grandson, Li Bao, for three days. Task Objective: Prevent Li Bao from being harmed by the merfolk within three days. Task Reward: One Mysterious Treasure Orb.] Huh? Now Xiao Jie was even more baffled. He had thought those merfolk attacked for the Treasure Bead, and Granny Li’s goal was to protect it, but now Granny Li directly made the pearl the task reward. This completely baffled him. However, the task still had to be accepted, perhaps the truth would come out once the attribute of the Mysterious Treasure Orb was revealed. "Do not worry, Granny. With us here, those merfolk will definitely not be able to harm Bao." After accepting the task, the two returned to the lakeside to keep guard. Seeing that there was no one around, I Want to Be Immortal suddenly said in a low voice, "Feng, there’s something wrong with the old lady’s story. She’s lying!"