Chapter 62

At Qiwu Airport, a human and a supernatural being disembarked from their plane. As expected, they didn't see Wu Changgong, not even when collecting their luggage.

Chu Zhishui stood with her phone, waiting for the Qiwu Bureau contact, while Xin Yunmao followed behind pushing their luggage. As they walked out one after another, they spotted a familiar face at the exit.

Lan Quanxian wore a black uniform with a silver eye-shaped badge on the left collar - the symbol of the Observation Bureau. He still wore his hair in a small ponytail. Upon seeing them, his brows immediately furrowed, his face showing obvious wariness and vigilance as he stared intently at Xin Yunmao.

While Xin Yunmao had been chatty with Chu Zhishui inside, he switched back to his aloof and indifferent demeanor once outside. He stood beside her with one hand casually in his pocket, expressionless, not sparing even a glance at Lan Quanxian as if the latter didn't exist.

Chu Zhishui was surprised to see him: "I didn't expect Section Chief Lan to come."

This was indeed different from what she had anticipated. She remembered Lan Quanxian worked in the Observation Department, and logically shouldn't be handling Economic Development Section matters.

At the Yinhai Bureau, Du Zigui specifically managed business operations, which was why he had been so busy shuttling Chu Zhishui around during that period.

Lan Quanxian was clearly not as accommodating as Du Zigui. His face showed no warmth as he stiffly addressed them from beyond the barrier: "Director Chu, please come through."

Chu Zhishui and Xin Yunmao walked around the barrier. As she watched Lan Quanxian lead them toward the elevator heading underground, she couldn't help but ask: "Are we going to the underground parking?"

"No."

Moments later, Lan Quanxian led them to a coffee shop on the first basement level. He pulled out a chair, gesturing for them to sit: "Director Chu, we'll discuss the assistance terms right here."

Chu Zhishui pondered for a few seconds without sitting down, and reminded him: "Shouldn't we be discussing this at the bureau?"

"I cannot possibly let you into the bureau. The reason was explained during the last general meeting," Lan Quanxian narrowed his eyes, staring directly at Xin Yunmao. "Director Chu should have known bringing him meant you couldn't enter the Qiwu Bureau."

Hearing this, Xin Yunmao returned his cold gaze, his pitch-black eyes taking on a sharp edge.

Chu Zhishui remarked: "These days the borrowers are more arrogant than the lenders? I thought there'd at least be some pretense of courtesy before signing the loan agreement."

"The Qiwu Bureau has long been in conflict with the Dragon Temple, facing significant stability pressure. Rashly allowing in destabilizing elements would inevitably lead to disaster," Lan Quanxian said solemnly. "I know the Yinhai Bureau has a different attitude, but those who haven't personally experienced catastrophe naturally cannot empathize."

The atmosphere instantly became tense. Lan Quanxian's attitude was cold and his tone sharp - completely unlike a welcoming host.

Chu Zhishui smiled: "Section Chief Lan, I'll give you a chance to take back what you just said."

Lan Quanxian declared righteously: "I came today unafraid of threats. If he wants to step into the bureau, he'll have to step over my dead body first."

If this were Xin Yunmao's first time in Yinhai City, he might have responded with caustic mockery, hurling sarcastic remarks at Lan Quanxian just as he had done with Ye Huayu and other supernatural beings before.

But this time he had voluntarily come with Chu Zhishui, unlike his inadvertent entry into the Yinhai Bureau before. He couldn't easily make harsh declarations about never entering the Qiwu Bureau.

"Why would we need to step over your dead body? Your corpse isn't worth anything," Chu Zhishui said coolly. "Xin Yunmao, I wish for him to stop saying things I don't want to hear today."

Xin Yunmao was surprised to hear her make a wish, which was rare. After pondering the meaning behind her words and understanding what she didn't want to hear, he lowered his eyes gracefully and muttered: "What kind of wish is this? It's such a trivial matter."

This merman wasn't even worth her concern.

When Lan Quanxian heard the word "wish," alarm bells rang in his mind. His expression grew even tenser as he warned: "You two performed the ritual? Don't you know this kind of ritual will..."

Hearing his voice rise, Chu Zhishui predicted another attack on the bamboo spirit was coming. Just as she was about to put on a stern face, a loud song burst forth, filled with unmistakable festive cheer!

"Good fortune comes, wishing you good fortune..."

It was still the same jubilant tune, but instead of a female voice, it was now male.

"Section Chief Wu?" Chu Zhishui instinctively looked around but didn't see Wu Changgong.

Looking more carefully at Lan Quanxian, she realized it was him singing "Good Fortune Comes"!

"What's going on?" Lan Quanxian covered his throat in panic and said angrily, "What did you do... Good fortune brings joy and love..."

Just as he tried to rebuke the human and supernatural pair, his words turned into song the moment they left his mouth, and a festive one at that!

Every time he tried to scold them, he would burst into song!

Chu Zhishui turned back in surprise and looked at Xin Yunmao, asking: "What's going on?"

Xin Yunmao looked puzzled: "You said to stop him from saying things you don't want to hear."

Chu Zhishui: "But why is he singing!?"

"This song embodies humans' good wishes, making people happy and energetic?"

"..."

Good grief, when she wanted Xin Yunmao to stop the other from saying unpleasant things, he went a step further and made him sing pleasant things instead!

But this was the kind of song sea crabs would like, not her aesthetic taste!

Lan Quanxian's face turned red with anger. He glared at them furiously, but his mouth kept singing: "Good fortune comes, our good fortune comes, welcoming prosperity across the four seas..."

The comical scene was like an angry wild cat trying to curse but humans could only hear "meow meow meow," completely failing to achieve any intimidating effect.

"I've never heard the male version before," Chu Zhishui mused thoughtfully, deciding to enjoy it. "You know what, it actually sounds quite good."

Lan Quanxian had a nice voice, and even singing this type of song sounded pleasant - perhaps it was a merman's natural talent.

Xin Yunmao immediately frowned: "Prancing around in public like this, he really should be made mute."

"What are you, the sea witch who makes deals with mermaids?" she quipped. "Now you even want to make him mute."

Lan Quanxian quickly figured out how to break the spell - as long as he didn't attack Xin Yunmao, he wouldn't trigger the "Good Fortune Comes" mode. Suppressing his humiliation, he gritted his teeth and said: "Director Chu, let's discuss the terms."

He just needed to get the agreement and send the human-spirit pair away, then his task would be complete.

Chu Zhishui flatly refused: "I won't discuss it with you. How can we settle the debt if we haven't even entered the bureau?"

"But Director Ye used to..."

"Then go find Director Ye." Chu Zhishui took out her phone to call Hu Chenrui, dismissively adding, "I won't discuss these matters with you - we're not the same rank, you're just a section chief."

One rank higher crushes the other - she hadn't cared about such things before, but that didn't mean she wouldn't use it.

Section Chief Lan was left speechless by Director Chu's retort: "..."

A moment later, Chu Zhishui finished her call with Hu Chenrui and said pleasantly: "Director Sha says to let us into the bureau."

"That's impossible!" Lan Quanxian raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Director Sha deeply understands the importance of Qiwu's stability, he wouldn't just for a mere million or so..."

His phone suddenly buzzed.

"Excuse me, I need to take this call." Lan Quanxian took out his phone and walked aside to answer it: "Hello? Director Sha, yes, I've met them... "

Chu Zhishui waited carelessly as he took the call, hearing Lan Quanxian's voice getting progressively quieter until it finally fell into a long silence.

After a while, Lan Quanxian stood frozen in place, holding his phone without speaking, unclear whether he had finished talking with Director Sha, and not turning back to look at the human-spirit pair.

Xin Yunmao: "Has he gone mute?"

Chu Zhishui: "Heh, talking about stepping over his dead body - is his corpse even worth a million?"

Lan Quanxian heard everything despite having his back turned: "..."

He slowly turned around to face them, stiffly bowing in apology, his heart dead as ashes as he said: "I sincerely apologize for my inappropriate words earlier. I deeply offended both of you. Let's wait here for a moment. We'll arrange familiar guides these two days, and after the assistance terms are finalized, you can both tour around Qiwu."

Director Sha had actually yielded for just over a million, even advising him that small concessions prevent larger chaos, taking the opposite side at this crucial moment.

Chu Zhishui nodded with satisfaction, smiling: "Section Chief Lan is still young. This is how society works - better get used to it early."

Lan Quanxian felt complicated being lectured by a human in their twenties, but he endured it.

Shortly after, Lan Quanxian led them to the parking lot to get in a car, where the local guide arranged by the Qiwu Bureau also appeared.

Chu Zhishui watched Wu Changgong waving at them from a distance, thinking to herself that the Qiwu Bureau was being quite ruthless. They couldn't possibly expect everyone to socialize just because they were all in Huaijiang. This arrangement was not only disrupting the work of both human and supernatural being but also interrupting Wu Changgong's vacation - truly a case of being too clever for one's own good.

Wu Changgong's face was equally ashen, but he still greeted Lan Quanxian first, then opened the car door for them. He sat in the passenger seat and made small talk: "Director Chu, I just came out looking for you. Weren't we supposed to meet after the flight? I was planning to show you around these couple of days."

Chu Zhishui and Xin Yunmao sat in the back seat, and she gave a helpless smile: "We just didn't want to disturb Section Chief Wu's family leave. It's fine, you should go back to your family."

"It's no disturbance at all, how could it be? I can spend time with family in the evening too. I must fulfill my duties as a host!" Wu Changgong forced a smile, gazing out the window before letting out a soft, "Ah."

That sigh was filled with the bitterness of having escaped the airport only to be called back.

The car drove out of the airport and onto Qiwu's main road, with glimpses of the ocean visible on the horizon. The clouds and waves merged at the seaside, appearing to become one.

This was a coastal city in transition between old and new. The walls in the old district had been eroded by sea winds, leaving dark black marks where the white paint had peeled off. Many electric bikes weaved through the streets, daringly crossing from sidewalks onto the road, appearing to charge recklessly about.

Lan Quanxian drove in silence, clearly not wanting to engage in conversation.

Wu Changgong, however, was quite talkative and actually gave them an introduction: "These are the old buildings here, mostly occupied by long-time residents. There's a seafood market nearby where you can buy seafood and have restaurants cook it for you - fresh from the ocean type of thing, cheaper than in Huaijiang."

"The new district is on the other side, and the Qiwu Bureau is on a small island in the sea. We need to take a boat from the dock to get there."

Thinking of how Jin Yu swims to work, Chu Zhishui was curious and asked: "Do any staff members swim there?"

Lan Quanxian, who had been quiet until now, interjected: "The Qiwu sea is filled with the dragon god's supernatural energy, and countless ruined dragon god temples lie at the bottom of the sea. Those are the dwellings of exile merpeople. Going into the water rashly would only cause trouble."

The conflict between the Qiwu Bureau and the dragon god temples has never ceased. Unlike the humans living by the sea, they are considered the number one enemy in the eyes of the exile merpeople.

The traffic light turned red, and the car stopped. They had time to look at the street scene outside.

The old district had countless winding alleys. The humid air and oceanic climate made the temperature here relatively high. Numerous vines wrapped around the simple alleyways, where there were actually native residents' homes. Several clotheslines crossed overhead, hanging yellowed clothing.

The sky gradually grew darker, making the poorly lit alleys seem even dimmer. In one corner stood a small wooden shrine, with not-so-fresh fruits placed in front and red candle wax staining the wooden boards.

Xin Yunmao caught sight of the wooden shrine and frowned slightly.

Chu Zhishui noticed his unease and followed his gaze to the shrine next to the human residences, asking, "What's that?"

Xin Yunmao remained silent.

Wu Changgong turned his head to look and explained dryly, "It's a worship point humans set up for the dragon god."

"People still worship the dragon god?" Chu Zhishui said, "Isn't he suppressed underground?"

Lan Quanxian: "We've worked with human civil servants many times to try to eliminate local belief in the dragon god, but many people are still deceived and continue to worship him, remaining under his delusion."

Xin Yunmao let out a light snort, his eyes turning cold as he mocked, "Although that dragon wasn't a good creature either, saying they're under delusion makes them seem too innocent."

"Whether it's human believers or merpeople groups, can you honestly say you're without fault?" He curved his lips in derision, "Because he fell from power, you pile all blame on him - that's just self-deception."

Lan Quanxian, being a merperson, retorted with displeasure: "What fault do we have? He was fine in the beginning, treating all living beings with kindness..."

"When he followed your wishes, you called it kindness, but when he didn't meet your expectations, you turned against him. Was he really fine in the beginning, or did you know there were problems but didn't care because it benefited you?" Xin Yunmao's gaze grew deep as he said coldly, "Wasn't the high and mighty god elevated by you all?"

"Just having eternal life makes one a god, just fulfilling your wishes makes one a god - what foolish and shallow thinking. There was never any dragon god in this world; the dragon god was created by you, and everything now is self-inflicted, reaping what you've sown." He glanced sideways at the shrine with utter disdain.

Therefore, he never felt pity for these humans and supernatural beings, nor would he bother interfering in their lives. After all, neither side had pure intentions; it was just filth gathering together.

He didn't know why heaven and earth made him a god, but he had no intention of following their will. He had no divine nature, nor did he want to show kindness.

Lan Quanxian was stung by his words, but having already left his clan and recognized the dragon god's true face, he didn't lash back in anger. After a few moments of silence, his expression changed slightly as he said: "I didn't expect you to say such things, to actually believe he wasn't the dragon god, when you yourself..."

If Xin Yunmao believed there was no dragon god, how did he, as a deified supernatural being, view himself?

Xin Yunmao's face remained expressionless: "How disgusting. Don't compare me to that fool."

Chu Zhishui noticed his displeasure and smiled to smooth things over: "Alright, freedom, equality, honesty, and kindness - Lord God is the number one supernatural being in fighting feudal superstition, so naturally his ideological awareness would be different!"

Lan Quanxian: "..."

Lan Quanxian looked at the human and supernatural being through the rearview mirror. After hearing Xin Yunmao's words, his opinion suddenly changed, and he opened up: "Your traveling together reminds me of a rumor."

"What rumor?"

"It's supposedly a local legend from Kong Sang. I'm not sure about its authenticity; I just heard it from others." Lan Quanxian said, "They say the dragon god fell in love with a human woman, but sadly, humans have limited lifespans that even the dragon god couldn't extend. So when he learned of the birth of a second god, he wanted to use this to extend the woman's life. Your situation seems quite similar."

Xin Yunmao's eyes widened; he clearly hadn't heard this before and showed a surprised expression.

Chu Zhishui sat up in shock, her face flushing as she said: "Section Chief Lan, you can eat carelessly but you can't speak carelessly. How is that anything like us?"

The dragon god falling in love with a human woman - what did that have to do with them!?

Lan Quanxian was startled: "It's not similar?"

Aliali: 674843b7c4f3f33ac47659ac

Seeing the close relationship between the human and supernatural being, he naturally thought it quite fitting.

"No, spreading rumors is deplorable behavior. Anyone analyzing this rationally would know it's impossible." Chu Zhishui argued earnestly, "Think bigger picture - looking at human war history, when has there ever been one purely about love? That's narrow thinking. The essence of war is to gain or maintain political status and economic benefits. We need to look at issues objectively."

"This is like saying 'Chinese men could mostly have been sages if not for women ruining them' - it's completely about shifting responsibility. The theory is obviously full of holes!"

Lan Quanxian listened to her eloquent speech in confusion: "I really don't know if it's true either; it's just a rumor." S~eaʀᴄh the Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Wu Changgong: "Yeah, yeah, we're just chatting, Director Chu, don't get worked up."

"I'm not worked up, I'm just using logic to analyze why Section Chief Lan's comparison isn't reasonable." Chu Zhishui explained stubbornly, then looked at the silent Xin Yunmao and said through gritted teeth, "Say something too. Didn't you say the old god would weaken upon sensing a new god? He must have started the conflict because he feared becoming weaker, not because of some human lover."

As long as the dragon god's romance was denied, the next line of reasoning would naturally be denied, completely overturning Lan Quanxian's words.

Xin Yunmao glanced at her and, rather than clarifying, said matter-of-factly: "I don't know what he was thinking."

"..."

He was doing this on purpose, wasn't he? Nothing had even blossomed between them, what was he playing at!