Fang Yuan strolled through the Merfolk Holy City without any disguise, still wearing Chu Ying's appearance. However, his aura was completely suppressed, making him seem like an ordinary mortal.
The streets were packed with streams of people. The Gu Masters brushing shoulders with Fang Yuan would never have guessed that they were passing by an Eighth Transformation Gu Immortal.
On both sides of the street, shops and houses stood in dense rows, all with the distinctive merfolk architectural style — mostly shaped like seashells and conch shells. Many of them were actually converted from enormous shells, conchs, or the carapaces of giant crabs and turtles. There were also a few Gu Houses, each one a symbol of wealth and status, possessing formidable defensive capabilities in their own right. Apart from private residences, the Gu Houses used for commerce were all prime locations, their businesses booming.
As he walked, the flow of people ahead of Fang Yuan suddenly stirred, and lively cheers erupted.
Drawing closer, Fang Yuan happened to witness a female merfolk, her eyes red with emotion, carefully accepting a Jade Eye Pearl from a male Gu Master's hands.
This type of pearl was quite rare — jade-like in texture, with a luminous halo forming the shape of an eye.
For a regional power, it was nothing remarkable. For Fang Yuan, it was mere mortal material beneath his notice. But this male Gu Master was only at the Second Transformation level, and being able to produce a Fourth Transformation-grade Gu material like the Jade Eye Pearl was no small feat.
The merfolk girl was apparently moved by the Gu Master's sincerity. Accepting the Jade Eye Pearl before everyone's eyes was tantamount to accepting his affections.
Then, the merfolk girl placed the Jade Eye Pearl in her mouth, and the surrounding crowd immediately burst into jeers and cheers, sending a flush of shy crimson to the couple's faces.
This gesture carried a profound significance — it meant she was accepting the young Gu Master's marriage proposal!
"In this paradise, there are no rigid rules. Merfolk and humans can fall in love freely, marry and have children without anyone standing in their way."
"But out in the Five Regions, romance between merfolk and humans is taboo. It receives no encouragement whatsoever, and any children born of such unions are despised and ostracized by both races — or even killed outright."
Fang Yuan's gaze grew distant and unreadable.
The Sea God Festival was approaching, and the entire Holy City was overflowing with a festive, joyous atmosphere.
This couple was not the first pair Fang Yuan had seen like this. They were perhaps both quite ordinary, insignificant figures in the vast Holy City. But ordinary did not mean excluded from happiness. This beautiful moment would become a pearl in the journey of their entire lives.
Memories from five hundred years in his past life slowly rose to the surface of his heart.
A squad of merfolk approached with heads held high, their manner imperious, coming to stand before Xie Hanmo, Fang Yuan, and the others.
"I am Inspector Wu De. I have received numerous reports from clansmen that the current Saintess of our clan, Xie Hanmo, is having an improper relationship with the human Gu Master Gu Yue Fang Yuan. I am here to investigate!" The leader, a green-scaled merfolk, spoke in a voice cold as ice.
"What?"
"How dare you say that again!"
The two guards behind Xie Hanmo immediately bristled, seething with fury, ready to draw their weapons.
Xie Hanmo's expression remained calm, but Fang Yuan's face was dark, his fists clenched tight.
He had helped Xie Hanmo investigate the Gambling Stone Hall, uncovering substantial evidence of corruption. The Saintess's mission had made a breakthrough.
But the other side would hardly sit back and wait for death. They had resorted to scheming and vicious rumors, spreading word that the current Saintess was impure, that she was having an affair with the human Gu Master Fang Yuan.
Originally, these rumors were baseless, nothing but grasping at shadows. Xie Hanmo, Fang Yuan, and the others hadn't taken them to heart. But who would have thought that they would actually draw out an Inspector from the Merfolk Holy Court!
"Without any evidence, they've deployed an Inspector. This can't be Patriarch Han Chao's corruption alone — there are bigger figures behind this!" Fang Yuan sent a secret voice transmission to Xie Hanmo.
Xie Hanmo's brows furrowed slightly, a look of contemplation crossing her face. She spoke slowly: "I am the Saintess. You, a mere Inspector — do you bear a token of authorization from the Elder Council?"
The green-scaled merfolk smiled and immediately produced a communication-path Gu Insect.
Xie Hanmo's expression remained perfectly composed: "Only this one token?"
The green-scaled merfolk smiled again: "A single token certainly won't suffice to investigate Your Ladyship the Saintess. But Fang Yuan is a different matter — he's a human Gu Master. Never mind one token; even without any token at all, we can investigate him!"
Though Fang Yuan was human, and humans were now the absolute overlords of the Five Regions, the Merfolk Holy Court of the East Sea was a supreme power, and Fang Yuan had no backing whatsoever. So the green-scaled merfolk's words were not empty threats.
"Scheming and vicious — who would have thought Patriarch Han Chao was such a contemptible man!"
"They're afraid. They know how formidable young Fang Yuan is, and they fear he'll help us uncover even more evidence in the future."
The two guards stepped forward to shield Fang Yuan of their own accord.
During their time together, they had come to respect him.
"Hold your hands, you two. If a clash breaks out between both sides, it will only play into their hands and make matters even murkier. I'm willing to go with them. We've already made tremendous progress at the Gambling Stone Hall — even without me, if you continue following the method we established, you can still achieve a great victory!" Fang Yuan sent through voice transmission.