Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 199 - 196 First Hearing of Penglai

Chapter 199: Chapter 196 First Hearing of Penglai

Before even landing on the small island, the passengers on the boat had already discovered those mermaids gathered at the edge of the island, singing under the moonlight.

Just like in the legends, from a distance, they all appeared to be female, with a fish tail, a human torso, dense seaweed-like long hair, and delicate facial features.

Their upper bodies, unclothed, were even whiter and smoother than the finest porcelain, with slender, snow-white waists abruptly turning into huge fish tails below the navel.

Silver, gold, blue, red, green... the mermaids had tails of different colors.

And what was common was the jewel-like dazzling glow that each of their colorful tails emitted under the moonlight, so beautiful it was blinding to behold.

"They’re truly beautiful!"

"The song is beautiful, but the singers are even more so!"

"The scales of these mermaids must be worth a fortune!"

The hundred or so passengers on the ship were already lost in the song, each and every one of them dazzled and entranced.

Besides the growing appetite, an almost insane greed had caused them to throw all their past caution to the wind.

Driven by the sea vessel, a group of mermaids panickedly fled into the small bay at the edge of the island behind them.

The water here was extremely shallow, stretching from the sea towards the dark land, forming a pocket-like shape overall.

The ship carrying the crowd came to a steady stop just in time to block the entry of this "pocket," leaving the mermaids with no escape.

Splash! Splash!...

Without the need for anyone to direct, the passengers frantically drew swords, daggers, and even the vicious steel crossbows that everyone had on hand.

Falling over each other to jump into the bay, fearing they’d be outdone, they half ran, half swam, howling and rushing forward.

"Hurry, hurry! Don’t let them get away!"

"I want immortality, I want wealth beyond measure!"

"..."

Most citizens of Yan Han were thorough pragmatists, holding very simple religious beliefs.

If an immortal comes, worship the immortal; if Buddha comes, worship Buddha. As long as there’s a benefit, what do I care whence you came?

For them, faith was essentially a mutual benefit transaction.

If one day the status of gods was measured by faith alone, then the God of Wealth would undoubtedly be the rightful Yan Han Divine King!

Thus, unlike when the ship captain had once spread the word of Shan Jun and no one showed interest, this time their initiative had been stimulated to two hundred percent.

At that moment, should anyone dare to stand in their way, all that awaited them would likely be a blade to the head!

However, when the crowd broke through a strange fog that suddenly rose and fully saw the scene on the shore, they were collectively stunned.

The mermaids, instead of running away, were dancing on their own around an ancient altar half-submerged in water at the shore.

Thud, thud, thud...

Accompanied by the beat of hand drums, seven or eight mermaids continuously sang as they danced around the altar in an extremely strange exorcising dance.

Even though these mermaids were the epitome of beauty, the dance moves were chaotic and frenzied with no aesthetic sense, resembling a group of dying insects.

At this time, the hundred or so passengers could not care less.

They felt as if they would starve to death if they didn’t eat soon. How could they care whether the mermaids, aside from a tail, were identical to humans?

"Fire!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!...

Someone shouted, and from the crowd, abruptly a dozen crossbow arrows were launched, striking toward the group of mermaids like lightning.

In this world, with the dedicated efforts of magicians, metallurgical technology was highly advanced. The method for refining spring steel had been mastered, and the steel crossbow, a deadly weapon, had been invented.

It turned the crossbow into an all-weather, all-terrain convenient weapon, completely getting rid of the dilemma of wooden and sinew-made crossbows that lost their power at sea.

There were no surprises.

After just two volleys of arrows, all seven or eight mermaids lay in pools of blood.

"Eat! I must eat!"

The traveling merchant was at the forefront, grabbing the ivory-like snow-white arm of a mermaid and ferociously beginning to tear and bite into it.

The others were not far behind.

At that moment, the fishy taste was nothing less than heavenly, far surpassing any delicacy of the mountains or seas.

Each and every one devoured voraciously, covered in fresh blood.

Compared to these half-human, half-fish mermaids, they were the ones who looked like true beasts!

"From the moment they heard the singing, they were already ’deceitfully entranced.’ It’s impossible to save them now,"

Wang Yuan had a "Mountain Shifting and Scenery Changing Talisman" affixed to him, using a scenery from another place to thoroughly hide his form, and followed the crowd onto the island.

When the singing resounded in his ears, Wang Yuan’s "Tribulation Energy" on top of his head suddenly fluctuated, making him realize that what was meant to come would never be avoided.

Even before he had reached Red-Tail Island, he had already "luckily" collided head-on into that weird event.

In his "Eyes like Deep Blue Jade" vision, those mermaids being voraciously devoured by the passengers were far from enchanting beauties.

A long tail, similar to that of an eel, completely devoid of scales and instead coated with a viscous, fishy mucus, was lined with spike-like dorsal fins.

The upper half of the mermaid’s body was even more exaggerated.

Its entire skin was a dull green, with only the underbelly a milky white. The head resembled a kind of deep-sea fish, with only the faintest trace of human features.

The two eyeballs protruded high like those of a dead fish, and on either side of the neck were still-quivering gills.

It was clearly a Weird that had completely mutated and fallen demon!

When these "mermaids" fell, the sacrificial altar they had surrounded was revealed, as well as the Weird deity statue that was half-submerged in the water on top of it.

The statue as a whole resembled a ball of snakes.

Upon closer inspection, one would realize that it was a large eel head with dozens, if not hundreds, of appendages trailing behind it like eel bodies, or human intestines.

At the foot of the statue were inscribed the revered names of gods, representing the deity worshipped by the Ship Captain and his crew—the Shan Jun!

Not only Wang Yuan but also those passengers who had gradually "eaten their fill" soon discovered this statue.

But with just one glance, they immediately felt a tingling on their scalp, and even their heartbeat slowed for half a beat.

There seemed to be rustling noises growing louder and closer at the edge of their ears.

Soon, something formless yet tangible, sticky and slimy, crawled along their gazes and bit by bit entered their brains.

"Ugh!"

The next moment, they each began to strangle their own necks vigorously, muscles and bones distorting, legs merging together and slowly transforming into the very "mermaids" they had just devoured!

Everyone turned into stunning beauties.

This... was even more chilling than an ugly interior.

Of course, more accurately, these were the lower-level Weirds contaminated by the Shan Jun.

Within moments, the bloody bay was devoid of any humans.

Only those shipworkers with dead fish eyes and Wang Yuan, who had previously eaten raw fish and was unharmed by the Weird, remained unaffected.

Gripping the Heart Communication Conch in his hand, he stared intently at the over a hundred singing mermaids.

[Weird: Mermaid]

[Taboo: Using singing as a medium to impose the contamination of the higher-level Weird, the Shan Jun.

Those who hear the singing will be caught in the instant, altering their dispositions, and gradually developing a craving for fish, especially mermaid meat.

Eating raw fish in time can exempt one from the effects.

Mermaid meat is a strong source of contamination, containing knowledge of Yan Han’s Daoist skills. Mortals who consume it are beyond saving.]]

This Deceit Object, when facing Weirds, is akin to a divine artifact, its value definitely not less than that of the Wolf Fang Club of Morality obtained after slaying the Fanatics.

Even after being influenced, its effects have not improved significantly. Only the taboo of "devouring the old master and pledging allegiance to the new" was removed.

It transformed into: If the requirements for sacrifice aren’t met, the conch will refuse to continue its service.

Its greatest advantage is that it does not require subduing the opponent; even in absolute disadvantage, it can rely on it to find a glimmer of hope.

"’Eating mermaid meat grants immortality’—there’s something fishy about this claim to begin with.

Just think about it; if you were granted immortality by consuming mermaid meat, why would you so kindly share this monumental secret with others?

Every year, countless people rush to the sea for this legend, little knowing that... they themselves are the mermaids they are so desperately searching for."

Wang Yuan shook his head, not rushing to slay demons and exorcise ghosts, but quietly moved to where the Ship Captain and a group of shipworkers stood.

"Heh heh, by consuming mermaid flesh, you can transform into new mermaids, ensuring endless generations.

Eventually, you will surely receive eternal life in the belly of Shan Jun.

May Shan Jun bless you, granting boundless longevity and fortune!"

Although the Ship Captain and the shipworkers were mere mortals, they were like Chang Ghosts raised by tigers, specifically targeting their own kind to feed the Weird, though it was unclear what benefits they could gain from this.

"Let’s go, move the ship away, and let these mermaids swim back to Penglai Immortal Mountain on their own."

Just as the Ship Captain, who had once again led to the pit killing of a boatload of passengers, was about to turn around.

"Soul Capturing!"

A sudden chill wind rose, and a group of people fell down like logs without any resistance.

Shortly after.

Wang Yuan repeated the fragmented information he had obtained from the souls of these people:

"Above the East Sea are Three Immortals Mountains: Penglai, Yingzhou, and Fangzhang, the dwellings of the Immortals.

Penglai Immortal Mountain, seventy-two li northeast of Red-Tail Island, has gold and silver for palaces, and the Pearl Pavilion Trees abound, bearing fruits with delectable tastes, eating which bestows longevity and immortality!

This is the domain ruled by the Scaleless Young Master."

"Penglai?"

Upon hearing this name, the first thing Wang Yuan thought of was not any blessed land of immortals.

But rather the Penglai Immortal Formula from the secret longevity elixirs of the Medicine Immortal Sect of Peach God Tao!