Chapter 411: Is It Really Just for Fun?

Is that Gou Meng?

At a time like this, why isn’t she in a hurry to collect relics, but instead hanging out with a stran… a weird witch type? Mao Sanyou thought.

Last night, he waited for a long time at the old building of the College of Liberal Arts at Tang City University. Aside from running into two psychics with ill intentions and Liu Seer, who was tailing him, he never saw Gou Meng show up for the meeting.

Worried about the safety of Tang City, he rushed to the antique street early in the morning, planning to pay Gou Meng a visit, only to witness the scene just now.

After watching Gou Meng and Lu Yibei from a distance for a while, Mao Sanyou pulled himself together, pulled up his hoodie, took out a mask from his jacket pocket and put it on, then reached out to flag down a passing taxi.

“Sir, please follow that car in front!”

The taxi driver glanced through the windshield at the two pretty girls in the car ahead, then looked in the rearview mirror at Mao Sanyou in the back seat-his face hidden by a mask and hood, his burly figure like a half-orc-and his eyes grew wary.

“Uh…” Mao Sanyou noticed the driver’s odd look, gritted his teeth, and said fiercely, “I’ll pay extra!”

For a Midnight Watchers Society operator in Tang City, who lived on a meager stipend and usually had to resell trinkets to make ends meet, saying “I’ll pay extra” took a lot of courage.

“If you’re doing this kind of thing… it’s an extra three hundred on top of the fare!”

Wait, what kind of thing am I doing? And you just add three hundred… Mao Sanyou grumbled inwardly, waved his hand, and said reluctantly, “Fine, fine, just hurry up! Don’t lose them.”

“Don’t worry! I definitely won’t lose them.” The taxi driver replied, and as he spoke, he pulled out his phone, opened a social app, and sent a voice message.

“Hey? 07332, I just saw you on the road. Where are you headed this time?”

Mao Sanyou, “???”

That’s it? My three hundred yuan is just gone like that?

–

9:42 AM, outside the entrance of a themed park aquarium in Tang City.

Mao Sanyou watched as Gou Meng sat on the witch type’s shoulders, chatting and laughing as they bought tickets and entered the aquarium, his brows furrowed tightly.

He had guessed that Gou Meng and the witch type had arranged to meet at the aquarium for some secret reason, but he never expected that they really were just here to have fun.

Wait!

“No, maybe what they need to do can only be done inside the aquarium?” Mao Sanyou muttered to himself.

As far as he knew, there were hauntings in the aquarium.

These creatures from the sea, more or less, carried the aura of ocean legends-strange indeed.

Although their existence posed no threat to the city or its residents, and neither Gou Meng nor the Midnight Watchers Society had taken any action against them, their undeniable presence at such a sensitive time made it possible that Gou Meng was seeking them out to plot something secret.

This was Gou Meng! Someone on the same level as her father-how could she simply be here to have fun?

Could she be seeking help from the hauntings in the sea?

Or maybe…

“Sir, are you buying a ticket or not? The people behind you are getting impatient.” The girl at the ticket window interrupted Mao Sanyou’s thoughts.

“Yes, yes, how much is it?”

“238. Cash or scan to pay?”

So expensive… Mao Sanyou’s mouth twitched, and he asked weakly, “Can I use Huabei here?”

–

10:02 AM, in the souvenir shop near the aquarium entrance.

Looking at the cute plush toys, beautifully printed souvenir albums, lifelike great white shark models, and all sorts of trinkets in the shop, Gou Meng’s eyes sparkled. She jumped off Lu Yibei’s shoulders like an unleashed wild dog, dove into the shop, and filled a shopping basket in just three minutes.

Then, under Lu Yibei’s resentful gaze, she stuck out her tongue, hunched her neck, and spent over ten minutes reluctantly putting everything back, finally choosing only two jellyfish-shaped knit hats.

One light blue, one pink-one for her, one for Lu Yibei.

She had originally wanted to buy two rubber fish-head masks, but Lu Yibei mercilessly rejected her feeble request.

Who would want to wear something so ugly on their head?

After the two left, Mao Sanyou strolled into the souvenir shop, glanced at the price of the jellyfish knit hats, and gasped.

Ninety-eight yuan? Something that costs eighteen at the wholesale market sells for ninety-eight here? Once this is over, I’m setting up a stall outside the aquarium!

–

11:17 AM, aquarium [Coral Secret Realm] viewing platform.

The large space, separated from the upper and lower tiered viewing platforms by just a layer of glass, almost perfectly recreated a corner of the ocean.

Standing inside, it felt like curling up in a nook of the sea. The distant water surface flickered, reflecting shimmering light, and beneath the clear blue, the colorful corals looked like fireworks frozen in their most brilliant moment underwater-dreamlike and surreal.

But… where are the fish?

The aquarium was empty, like a grand underwater palace left deserted.

Gou Meng frowned, looked around, and hearing a commotion from upstairs, she followed the sound, her footsteps tapping as she ran up. Her face instantly darkened.

The fish, which were clearly part of the scenery, were all gathered in the water not far from Lu Yibei, as if admiring some breathtaking sight, lingering and unwilling to leave, drawing exclamations from the crowd.

Noticing Gou Meng’s arrival, Lu Yibei turned around and saw the little one’s face full of “sulking.” She shook her head helplessly.

Then she walked over, ignoring Gou Meng’s struggles, forcibly picked her up and set her on her shoulders, then returned to the glass, releasing her charm ability toward the aquarium.

In an instant, the fish that had been swimming farther away all gathered, swimming up and down in the water, twisting their bodies as if dancing, striking all sorts of courtship poses. Gathered together, they looked like a mass of bright, boiling paint.

“Ah, ah! This, this…”

The long-awaited scene appeared before her eyes in such a way that Gou Meng, as if she had found a treasure, was so excited she could barely speak coherently. She leaned forward, her small hands pressed against the glass, as if she wanted to stick her whole head into the aquarium.

While Gou Meng was immersed in the view, so excited she could hardly contain herself, Lu Yibei was watching her.

Just like the poem says, “You stand on the bridge watching the scenery, while the one watching the scenery is on the bridge watching you.”

Her fair profile traced out youthful lines, and the aquarium’s scenery was reflected in her emerald-like eyes, as if they were glowing with dazzling colors.

A gentle breeze blew, making her skirt and hair sway lightly, so exquisite she looked like a girl figurine from a high-budget anime.

That innocent and lively look made Lu Yibei lose herself for a moment, almost forgetting that the girl in her eyes at this moment was a deity who had existed for over five thousand years and was now on the verge of death.

Not far away, in a corner, Mao Sanyou watched the scene ahead in silence.

Unbelievable, is the witch type’s charm really that strong?

No wonder she’s a haunting that creates sin with beauty-even the fish aren’t spared.

But, is she communicating in some way I don’t know about with those hauntings hidden among the fish? Mao Sanyou wondered.

–

12:11 a.m.

When Lu Yibei and Gou Meng walked out of the dessert shop in the aquarium’s rest area, they were stopped by a group of teenagers. Mao Sanyou thought the people they were supposed to meet had finally shown up.

But…

There wasn’t the slightest psychic energy fluctuation on those teenagers. They just wanted Lu Yibei’s contact information. They had followed her all the way from [Coral Jungle], tailing her for a long time before finally working up the courage.

At a time like this, Lu Yibei suddenly regretted not buying that rubber fish-head mask earlier.

–

At first, Mao Sanyou didn’t believe at all that Gou Meng and that witch type had come to the aquarium just to have fun.

But after seeing them act like sisters on an outing-sometimes immersed in the beauty of the Coral Jungle, sometimes applauding the orca show, sometimes exchanging bites of each other’s ice cream in the dessert shop-he began to doubt himself.

Could I really be wrong? Are they really just here to have fun?

Not only did Gou Meng and that witch type look like they were here to play, but their interactions even gave Mao Sanyou a whiff of dog food, catching him off guard with a mouthful.

It doesn’t make sense. With her life almost over, how does she still have the mood to play?

What’s more, that gang of thieves is still looking for her everywhere, wanting her dead. Isn’t she afraid of being found?

Mao Sanyou wondered in surprise, looking up to see Gou Meng and Lu Yibei heading toward the area marked with the [Penguin Park] sign. He quickly pulled himself together and hurried after them.

Then…

As soon as he reached the entrance, he was stopped.

“Sir, the area ahead is for feeding penguins. You need to buy an extra ticket to enter! Would you like one?”

“Didn’t I already buy a ticket? Why do I need to buy another one?”

“Sir, it’s not an extra ticket. You don’t need a ticket for the area ahead, but…” The ticket seller turned to look at the price list.

Mao Sanyou followed the seller’s gaze and saw the price tag for [A Bucket of Small Fish 198], and couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Can’t afford it, can’t afford it.

Damn, I want to play with the cute little penguins too!

Yes, Mao Sanyou really liked penguins. To be precise, he liked most birds.

But…

He checked his account balance on his phone and fell silent.

I really don’t have a single drop left.jpg

At this moment, Mao Sanyou felt like he was playing one of those games that claim to be free but are actually full of in-app purchases-you can’t play at all unless you pay. Oh right, it’s probably penguin-related too. Damn it!

Better wait for them outside.

Poverty makes me desire nothing. See you again if fate allows, little penguins!

As Mao Sanyou was thinking this to himself, a wave of ominous psychic energy fluctuation flashed through his psychic sense, lightly disturbing his thoughts and making him annoyed.

Although the psychic energy fluctuation wasn’t strong, it was like grit in rice or a worm in an apple-unexpectedly disgusting.

In fact, after tailing Lu Yibei and Gou Meng for so long, although he was surprised they hadn’t done anything serious and were just playing, he wasn’t bored at all-in fact, he was a little happy.

He’d finally escaped the high-pressure work for a brief, leisurely half-day, with the bonus of watching beautiful girls interact up close. What could be better?

Besides, who doesn’t like watching pretty girls get close?

And now, someone wants to cause trouble?

In short, just watch if Grandpa here doesn’t beat you to death!

Mao Sanyou thought fiercely, looking in the direction the psychic energy fluctuation came from. His gaze landed on an employee in a uniform with a penguin logo on the back, standing in front of the staff passage, and his smile grew twisted.

That psychic, who had infiltrated Tang City for days and hadn’t even managed to join the front lines during the Arrow Tower ancient street pawnshop attack, never expected that while aimlessly wandering around, he’d run into the severely injured Gou Meng, tailing her all the way and finally finding a chance to strike-unaware that danger was quietly approaching.

As he pushed a cart of frozen fish deeper into the staff passage, a hand as big as a fan reached out from behind and patted his shoulder.

“Hey, friend, have you heard of the phoenix haunting?”

“???”

Confused and slightly annoyed, the psychic turned his head, meeting a pair of eyes as blazing as the sun.

In the next moment, the faint cry of a bird echoed through the narrow staff passage.

“Chirp-!”

A wave of heat swept through, and a sunhat with slightly scorched edges from the uniform ensemble slowly fell to the ground…

Inside Penguin Park, on that artificial ice field the size of a skating rink.

Amidst the white, chilly air, Gou Meng wore a rented down jacket, holding a small dried fish in one hand and resting the other on her hip. She looked at the round, chubby little penguins in front of her, her cherry-colored lips slightly parted, letting out faint bird calls from her throat.

As a haunting whose power is partly associated with birds, she did understand a bit of birdspeak.

“Don’t fight, do you hear me? I told you not to fight!”

“Listen, with me, you have to follow the rules. If you’ve eaten, step aside. If you haven’t, line up and come one by one. We need to have fairness and order, understand?”

A group of adorable penguins gazed eagerly at the human who wasn’t much taller than them, tilting their heads and blinking their eyes. Amazingly, they really started moving, forming a messy line.

Gou Meng placed a small fish into the mouth of the penguin in front of her, then patted its head and said righteously, “Very good. Since you’re so obedient, I’ll grant you a title… Hmm, let’s call you the Ruthless Fish-Eating Machine. From now on, I’m your queen, and you all have to behave, got it?”

As soon as she finished, the penguins seemed to respond, chattering noisily.

Having successfully tamed the penguins and recruited them as temporary members of Taoyuan, Gou Meng turned around, her face full of excitement as she waved at Lu Yibei, who was sitting on a bench in the corner of the rink. “Look, look!”

“……”

Pesky little sister, don’t get too happy too soon. If I can charm fish, penguins are nothing.

Believe it or not, I could make them dance to Extreme Ecstasy?

Lu Yibei grumbled inwardly, then suppressed her rising competitiveness, raised both hands, and gave Gou Meng a thumbs-up.

Just then, the door to the staff passage not far away opened, and a burly figure walked in, quietly coming to sit beside Lu Yibei, carrying a faint scent of blood.

Sensing someone suddenly beside her, Lu Yibei froze for a moment, turned her head, and her eyes widened.

Mao Sanyou, what’s he doing here? Is he here for Gou Meng? Lu Yibei wondered, unconsciously clenching her pink fists.

The next moment, she heard Mao Sanyou lazily say, “Penguins really are such cute and silly creatures! Miss, do you like penguins too?”

“……” Lu Yibei glanced warily at Mao Sanyou from the corner of her eye. Seeing he had no intention of making a move for now, she rolled her eyes and replied, “Don’t be fooled by their looks.”

“They only look cute and silly on the outside. In reality, they’re disgusting and nasty, ambushing their companions, mooching off their parents, molesting baby seals-they’ll do anything.”

“I once saw a documentary where a male penguin came back from fishing, only to find his mate living with her new boyfriend in his nest. The two male penguins screamed and attacked each other. It was really violent.”

Mao Sanyou, “……” Don’t ruin the image of penguins in my heart, you jerk!

“Enough with the nonsense. You’re with The Midnight Watchers Society, aren’t you?” Lu Yibei suddenly asked, getting straight to the point and hitting Mao Sanyou head-on.

She was here to hang out with Gou Meng today and didn’t want anything to interrupt them. If possible, she thought it would be best to get Mao Sanyou to leave without any conflict.

“……” Mao Sanyou was silent for a while, then let out a wry laugh. “Heh, looks like this Witch miss is pretty straightforward?”

“Then I won’t hide it. Actually, I’ve been following you all morning. I just wanted to ask, what exactly are you two up to?”

“Playing,” Lu Yibei answered simply. “To be precise, I’m keeping her company.”

As she spoke, she turned to look at Mao Sanyou, meeting his eyes, and said word by word, “So, if you have any ideas, can you save them for another day? I don’t want to fight, and I don’t want to ruin her good mood.”

If you insist on causing trouble, even if you’re a senior brother and a fellow member of The Midnight Watchers Society, I’ll still beat you up! Lu Yibei added silently in her heart.

“You’re really just playing?” Mao Sanyou pressed.

Although he already had his suspicions, he was still surprised when he got a definite answer.

A King of Hauntings ruling over an eight-hundred-mile region, and a witch type haunting whose psychic energy fluctuation carried a hint of danger, actually going out together like sisters, best friends, lovers, or some other close relationship, happily having fun with no other purpose.

“Why?”

“Because…” Lu Yibei looked at Gou Meng, who was surrounded by penguins, and said softly, “She doesn’t have much time left. As her friend, after helping her, all I can do is keep her company.”

“……”

After a moment of silence, Mao Sanyou gave a bitter smile. “I understand. I won’t bother you two. Look, I even helped you deal with someone who was about to cause trouble just now!”

“But I still have to say, if you keep playing like this, you might attract more troublemakers. I’ll try to hold them off for you, but if I can’t…”

Mao Sanyou was still speaking when a scream suddenly interrupted him.

“Ah-! Help, help, help!”

At the sound, both of them froze for a moment and looked over. The penguin group that had just been obedient at Gou Meng’s side had, in just a few minutes, erupted into a massive rebellion.

Two penguins had somehow crawled onto her legs and were wriggling obscenely, while several others were naughtily biting her hair and skirt, pulling hard in different directions.

This scene was probably the most humiliating moment in the life of the dignified deity Lady Gou Meng.

Of course, it had to be commemorated!

So, Lu Yibei and Mao Sanyou almost simultaneously, silently took out their phones, switched to video recording mode, and aimed their cameras at Gou Meng…