Ch. 70 – Hao Thick Face

When Fang Yang and Cao Zirui were finished laughing, they got back to business.

Cao Zirui went to the counter to ask the hunchbacked shopkeeper about the prices and functions of these magic tools. The shopkeeper was extremely kind and patient as he explained everything. And Crab Eighteen stood next to them, occasionally chiming in with a few words to supplement the conversation. He could be considered a very conscientious guide in the tour guide industry.

Fang Yang listened along for a while, but grew a little bored, so he turned to see what his Useless Shixiong was up to.

Feng Ye was still arm in arm with Hao Chen, feeling that although he had temporarily calmed the fish, his emotions were still somewhat unstable.

Hao Chen stared at Feng Ye for a moment after the man finished praising him, then suddenly looked away and lowered his head so that Feng Ye couldn’t see his expression.

He said nothing, and there was no way to know what he was thinking.

Feng Ye had been keeping an eye on him in order to stop him if he tried anything, and noticed this abnormality.

Although he couldn’t see his expression, he could see Hao Chen’s ears. And at this moment, the tips of them were an uncharacteristic red.

Could it be that Hao “thick face” is shy? Feng Ye thought incredulously.

He was as shocked as if he had discovered a new world, and moved closer, trying to see what Hao Chen was hiding.

But before he could catch a glimpse, Hao Chen raised his head again with a normal expression. The tips of his ears had also returned to normal, as if the red hue Feng Ye saw had been an illusion.

It seems that Hao “thick face” is still Hao “thick face.” Even if he was shy, it was only for a brief moment, Feng Ye thought.

When he saw Feng Ye looking at him with a strange expression, Hao Chen sent him a puzzled look.

Feng Ye smiled, offering no explanation.

Hao Chen smiled back, pretending nothing had happened.

Although his reputation was no longer secure, the Lord of the North Sea was still the Lord of the North Sea. But that wasn’t him right now, so logically speaking, the Lord of the North Sea calling a tortoise a turtle had nothing to do with him.

His skin thickened a bit, a testament to its tempering through countless trials and tribulations. 

“Shixiong!” Fang Yang suddenly left Cao Zirui and ran to Feng Ye and Hao Chen, calling out in a low voice.

The two turned to look at him, and saw Fang Yang send a glance toward Crab Eighteen and the hunchbacked shopkeeper. Seeing that the crab and turtle were talking animatedly to Cao Zirui and not paying attention to them, he ultimately couldn’t hold back, and began to complain to the two of them: “I used to think that the Lord of the North Sea was very majestic, but I never expected him to do something as unreliable as calling a tortoise a turtle. He’s just like the incompetent rulers in the history books who call a deer a horse!”

Fang Yang spoke in a whisper so that neither Crab Eighteen nor the hunchbacked shopkeeper could hear him. Even though Fang Yang had always been naive, he still knew not to bad-mouth an idol in front of his fans.

He just never imagined that although he cleverly hadn’t said it in front of the fans, he ended up saying it to the idol himself.

Hao Chen: “……” 

He once again clenched the hand holding his mini fan. Although he wanted to pretend that the Lord of the North Sea had nothing to do with him, the facts could not be changed. He was the Lord of the North Sea, the one who had called a tortoise a turtle. An incompetent ruler.

The whitewashing Hao Chen had managed to create was shattered by Fang Yang’s words. Seeing that he was about to get angry again, Feng Ye quickly put himself between him and Fang Yang, retorting to the foolish boy who had no idea what disaster he had caused: “You shouldn’t say that. No one is perfect, and no one is without fault. It’s not as if gods are infallible. Think about it, when you’re sleepy, doesn’t your own mind become dull?”

Fang Yang thought about this seriously, and gave a nod.

Feng Ye continued: “The Kunpeng has such heavy responsibilities in the North Sea, and he must be more tired than you can imagine. So when he got sleepy, he couldn’t tell a tortoise from a turtle. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Fang Yang was somewhat persuaded.

Feng Ye went on: “Also, for countless years, despite its remote location and extreme climate, the North Sea has been as prosperous as the largest cities in the world. This is all thanks to the peace in the North Sea that has never been broken all this time. The heavens are not paradise, and wars often occur there, but such disasters have never reached the North Sea. Is this because no one cares about this sea region?”

He answered his own question: “Of course not. This peace is because of the Kunpeng silently guarding it. Because of this, the various tribes of the North Sea have been able to develop peacefully and achieve the prosperity they enjoy today.”

“I was wrong. The Lord of the North Sea is still very powerful!” Fang Yang admitted his mistake and gave a sincere apology. 

Feng Ye turned his head to glance at Hao Chen, and found that his loss of composure was nowhere to be seen. His eyes were downcast, as if he was lost in thought. Although there was no telling what was on his mind, Feng Ye was able to breathe a sigh of relief and pat himself on the back for his quick reaction.

“I’ve bought what I need. Let’s go.” While the three of them were whispering, Cao Zirui had already chosen his magic tools and paid the bill. 

Finished with his commentary, Fang Yang went back to Cao Zirui without any worries and asked: “Where should we go next?”

Crab Eighteen was also watching Cao Zirui, waiting for his sponsor’s word.

Cao Zirui considered for a moment, then said: “Let’s buy some pills.”

After waving goodbye to the hunchbacked shopkeeper, the group prepared to go to the next location.

But as soon as they walked out of the Turtle Shell Shop, Hao Chen suggested to Feng Ye: “Didn’t Fellow Daoist Feng Ye want to buy some clothes? They’re off to buy medicinal pills, and it’s getting late. To save time, how about I go clothes shopping with you while they’re doing that?”

Feng Ye glanced at Hao Chen, who wore a sincere look that proclaimed, ‘I’m thinking about you.’ But Feng Ye knew this was not the case. This guy was probably afraid that Crab Eighteen would reveal more of his dark history, and was eager to separate him from the crab.

It seems Hao Chen has quite a bit of dark history, Feng Ye thought, but he didn’t expose him. He just pretended to think for a moment, then asked Fang Yang and Cao Zirui: “Then should we split up?”

Both of the youths nodded. They weren’t toddlers who needed an adult to accompany them to the market. Before they parted, Fang Yang turned and said to Feng Ye, who was walking in the opposite direction: “Shixiong, change your clothes quickly, ah!”

Feng Ye: “…..” If he had the money, he would have changed long ago.

He touched the two spirit stones in his pocket. In fact, two spirit stones was enough to buy an ordinary piece of clothing. One spirit stone was worth one or two gold in the human world, which was enough to buy a whole set. 

The issue was that this was not the human world, and the people walking the streets were either cultivators or monsters. Ever since Feng Ye arrived in North Sea City, all of the clothing stores and stalls he’d seen were selling magic items, so two spirit stones was definitely not enough.

Logically, North Sea City was not a long-term human settlement, and the people opening shops here were all sea monsters. Human cultivators would only come here occasionally to sell their wares, and none would stay for a long period of time.

Naturally, there would be no human daily necessities around, and these monsters had no need for clothing at all. Crab Eighteen was a perfect example.

Feng Ye actually didn’t have high expectations of finding clothes he could afford, but he accompanied Hao Chen regardless. Because although this was a thick-skinned fish, once something broke through his defenses, he would throw a tantrum and do a series of unpredictable things.

For the sake of world peace, Feng Ye resolutely agreed to Hao Chen’s suggestion and gave up the pleasure of hearing about his dark history from Crab Eighteen.

The two walked down the street side by side. At first, Hao Chen pretended to look around, as if sincerely helping Feng Ye shop for clothes. 

After walking for a short while, he revealed his true colors. No longer looking at the vendors around them, he simply fanned himself and abruptly returned to the previous topic: “Was Fellow Daoist Feng Ye’s previous opinion about the Lord of the North Sea…..genuine?”

Feng Ye turned to look at Hao Chen when he heard this. He was naturally referring to what he had said to Fang Yang.

He didn’t answer immediately, but observed the other’s expression. Hao Chen seemed a little off-kilter. His tone of voice was very cautious, and his sparkling eyes seemed to urge him: ‘Quickly say yes!’

Feng Ye always felt that Hao Chen was full of bad intentions, completely unaware that he was exactly the same. Hao Chen wanted him to say yes, so he said: “No.”

Upon receiving an answer he didn’t want to hear, Hao Chen stopped fanning himself, but still forced a smile and asked: “Why is that?”

Feng Ye rolled his eyes, donning a thoughtful expression: “I’ve never personally seen what kind of person the Lord of the North Sea is. Everything I know is hearsay, and rumors should never be completely trusted. Perhaps what Fang Yang said in the beginning was correct, and he is an incompetent ruler.”

Hao Chen smiled and nodded, gesturing for Feng Ye to continue. But he was holding his mini fan in both hands, practically bending the sides. It wasn’t convenient for him to vent his anger on Feng Ye, so his mini fan took the brunt of it.

Before Hao Chen could break the fan that had already been broken once, Feng Ye suddenly changed the subject. He crossed his arms, observing the bustling market in front of him: “But that was just what I thought before today. Seeing is believing.”

Hao Chen’s heart skipped a beat when he heard this. Could it be that Feng Ye had really found out?

Feng Ye carried on without prompting: “Whether a monarch is competent or not cannot be determined by others. Only his people are qualified to judge. Although Crab Eighteen was boasting blindly, it’s clear that he truly respects the Lord of the North Sea. And the owner of the Turtle Shell Shop may not have said it explicitly, but his face was filled with admiration when he spoke of his lord.”

“North Sea City isn’t the North Sea, but it certainly has a lot in common with it. If a market like this can be so busy and prosperous, then the North Sea must be even better.”

“A monarch like this who is praised by his subordinates even when he is far away may have some flaws, but overall, he must be a wise ruler. What do you say, Fellow Daoist Hao Chen?” At the end of his speech, Feng Ye raised his eyebrows toward Hao Chen with a smile.

Flattered by the praise, Hao Chen was momentarily stunned. Then he said with a hint of self-satisfaction that he couldn’t control: “I think that what Fellow Daoist Feng Ye said makes a lot of sense.’

Look at this guy, he’s so proud he’s about to float away, Feng Ye thought with amusement. At the same time, he fanned the last gust of wind Hao Chen needed for takeoff, saying with feigned seriousness: “Speaking of which, I very much admire the Lord of the North Sea, such a powerful and prestigious god who guards a place like this.”

“Really?” Hao Chen’s eyes were as bright as night pearls in the deep sea.

Feng Ye nodded earnestly: “Really.”

Hao Chen vigorously fanned himself. Had the conditions here allowed it, he would have transformed into a Peng bird and joyfully flown into the sky.

---

Consider donating via Kofi here.

Chapter 69 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 71