Chapter 592 76: Soaring Fame, Kongsang Xiruo (2)

As details were gradually revealed, the news broke: Song Changsheng had broken through to the Purple Mansion, comprehended an Innate Divine Technique, and fought three opponents at once, only to be grievously wounded and vanish.

This sent a massive earthquake through the Daqi Cultivation World.

Any single one of these revelations would have been shocking enough. But for them all to concern the same person—that wasn't just shocking, it was terrifying.

Some even suspected the news was deliberately fabricated to build up Song Changsheng's reputation.

But in the face of iron-clad facts, they had no choice but to believe.

And so, the name "Song Changsheng" once again swept through the entire Daqi Cultivation World, and even began to spread to the neighboring cultivation realms.

Now, Song Changsheng had truly become a household name—at least, within the Daqi Cultivation World.

He was now a true legend, the standard to which thousands of young disciples aspired.

In comparison, the news of the disastrous defeat of the Lieyang Sect and the Rong Clan was relegated to a footnote, of no interest to anyone...

Inside an inn in Luoxia City, Blood Eye listened to the surrounding chatter, his anger boiling. He abruptly crushed the teacup in his hand and snarled, "Useless! A bunch of useless trash!"

He couldn't believe that after such thorough preparations and a supposedly flawless plan, Hex Tai and his men could still fail.

He had paid a heavy price for this operation. In the end, he had neither annihilated the Song Clan nor captured his bargaining chip, Song Changsheng.

He could already imagine the severe punishment he would face from the Sect Leader upon his return.

"Song Changsheng, you have repeatedly ruined the great plans of my Holy Sect. I will not let you live!" Blood Eye shattered the side table with a single palm strike, filling the room with a terrifying aura...

While everyone, high and low, was abuzz with discussion, Song Changsheng was just waking from a coma.

The first thing to meet his eyes was a ceiling dotted with dozens of fist-sized Luminous Beads, framed by colorful seashells, many of a kind he had never seen before.

'Where... am I?' Song Changsheng wondered. Ignoring the sharp pain, he forced himself to sit up, his eyes scanning the room.

His view was obstructed by a pink bed canopy embroidered with a lotus design. Through the thin gauze, he could vaguely make out a dressing table directly opposite him. In its center stood a Linhua Copper Mirror, polished to a perfect, hair-splitting clarity, which reflected his pale, bloodless face.

On the vanity sat a large, red-lacquered jewelry box carved with plum blossoms, along with some rouge and cosmetic powders. To the left, a massive Sea Conch rested on a wooden stand.

The desk and chair were meticulously carved from fine sandalwood, their intricate patterns suffused with a delicate, gentle femininity.

He looked down. The mattress beneath him was made of precious ice-silkworm silk, soft and smooth to the touch. Upon closer inspection, he realized the bed frame itself was a giant white clamshell.

Everything about the room suggested it was a young lady's private chamber, yet it was filled with an uncanny and unusual air.

Sorting through his thoughts, Song Changsheng concluded that he must have been rescued. He lifted his clothes and saw that his wounds had been treated. Moreover, the Blood Evil Qi that had invaded his body was completely gone.

A flicker of astonishment crossed his eyes. 'This Blood Evil Qi is notoriously difficult to deal with. For me to purge it myself without leaving any lingering side effects would have taken several years at least.'

His savior was clearly no ordinary person.

At this thought, he tried to get out of bed, but the slightest movement triggered his internal injuries, making him gasp from the pain.

Just then, a sweet voice spoke near his ear. "Oh, your injuries haven't healed yet! You can't just move around like that. Lie back down, quickly."

Song Changsheng looked up and froze.

An exquisitely beautiful young woman approached him. Her face was of an almost unearthly beauty, shy yet endearing. Her bright eyes seemed to speak, and her skin was so tender it looked as if it might break at the slightest touch.

Even having seen a beauty on the level of Xia Qingxue, Song Changsheng couldn't help but stare, utterly transfixed.

But when his peripheral vision caught her shimmering, scaled fish tail, his expression instantly stiffened.

'A mermaid? No, in this world, they should be called Merfolk!'

The Merfolk girl didn't seem to hear Song Changsheng's muttering. She knitted her lovely brow and sized him up. "You're a strange one. You have so many peculiar injuries, yet you woke up this quickly. Is the Recovery Power of the Human Race always this strong?"

Only then did Song Changsheng come to his senses. He straightened his back, cupped his hands and said, "I am Song Changsheng. Thank you, Miss... Fairy, for saving me."

"Song Changsheng? What a strange name. My name is Xiruo, Kongsang Xiruo." Xiruo touched two fingers to her forehead, bowed her head slightly, and performed a greeting unique to the Merfolk Race.

Her words sent another shock through Song Changsheng, and he blurted out, "Kongsang? You're from the Merfolk Royal Family?"

To his surprise, Kongsang Xiruo looked baffled. She pointed to herself and said, "Are you talking about me? My surname is Kongsang, but I'm not from any royal family."

Her confusion didn't seem feigned, and Song Changsheng began to have his doubts.

The Merfolk are a powerful clan among the Demon Race. They once ruled over all the Water Races of the world, their might undisputed. Later, they suffered a great calamity that decimated their population, forcing them to retreat into the depths of the Four Seas. They are very rarely seen nowadays.

As for the "Kongsang" Royal Family, they hadn't been seen in the world for ten thousand years. It was said their bloodline had died out completely. The person before him might not actually be from the legendary Merfolk Royal Family after all.

He quickly cupped his hands. "I was speaking out of turn. I hope you can forgive me, Fairy. If I may ask, how long was I unconscious?"

Xiruo tilted her head and did a quick calculation. "It's been nine days since I found you.

You're very lucky. If I hadn't gone out for a stroll on a whim that day, you would've been swept away by an undercurrent."

Then, she wrinkled her nose and added, "Your injuries were a real hassle! It took me three days just to purge the Blood Evil Power from your body, and another two to repair your damaged organs.

I thought you'd be unconscious for at least six months to a year, so I'm surprised you woke up so soon.

My father told me the Human Race are very frail creatures, but now it seems he was lying."

"You've never met another human, Fairy?" Song Changsheng asked, curious at Kongsang Xiruo's indignant expression.

Kongsang Xiruo shook her head. "Father placed a Restriction here so I can't enter the Human Race Territory. He says that humans are despicable, shameless, and treacherous, and that it would be dangerous if they saw me.

So, you're the first human I've ever met."

Song Changsheng gave an awkward smile. Although he was a human himself, he had to admit it was true. Given the unearthly beauty of the Merfolk, not to mention the various special properties recorded in ancient texts, if Kongsang Xiruo were to appear in the Human Race Territory, she would be devoured, with not even her bones left behind.

"Then why did you still save me? Weren't you afraid I was a bad person?"

Hearing Song Changsheng's words, the realization seemed to dawn on Kongsang Xiruo. She gasped, "Oh, right! Father said not to let any outsiders know I'm here."

Seeing her anxious expression, Song Changsheng instantly understood. Despite her powerful Cultivation, Kongsang Xiruo was, in reality, just a naive little girl who knew nothing of the world. She was as pure as freshly fallen snow, had never ventured outside, and had no concept of the evil in people's hearts.

If Song Changsheng had been a man of ill intent, Kongsang Xiruo's kind deed would undoubtedly have brought great disaster upon herself.

Fortunately, although Song Changsheng wasn't exactly a good person, he still understood the principle of repaying kindness.

Seeing Kongsang Xiruo's flustered state, he smiled. "It's true there are bad people among the Human Race, but you happened to save one with a conscience. I won't harm you, and I certainly won't reveal your location."

"Really?" Kongsang Xiruo's beautiful eyes brightened, sparkling like clear Crystal Stones.

"Of course." Song Changsheng gave a faint smile.

Kongsang Xiruo finally let out a sigh of relief, a smile returning to her face.

She pulled a nearby stool to the bedside and sat down, looking at Song Changsheng with an expectant expression. "In that case, can you tell me what the outside world is like?"

...