Chapter 307: Priest Clan Fish-man 1 |
Gurgling sounds came from outside the Deep Sea Temple.
Immediately after, one fish-man after another passed through the temple entrance passageway and entered the temple, lining up in a row.
The Fish-man Chieftain said something, and Pula relayed, "It says these are all the remaining young adult members of the Priest Clan in the fish-man tribe."
Qin Ziwen looked at the fish-men lined up at the temple entrance, counting from left to right: one, two, three, four... five?
From the very back, a tiny figure squeezed out.
Among the tall and imposing Priest Clan fish-men, it looked completely out of place, like a tender yellow bamboo shoot poking out of the soil.
Unlike the four burly, tall, broad-shouldered, wasp-waisted, barrel-chested compatriots in front, the last Priest Clan fish-man appeared to be less than 1.4 meters tall.
But its chest was puffed out the highest, and its light yellow skin was truly unique.
It formed a stark contrast with the other Priest Clan fish-men around it.
"This little one... is also from the Priest Clan?" Qin Ziwen looked at Pula, who in turn looked at the Fish-man Chieftain.
At this moment, the Fish-man Chieftain's face was dark, staring intently at this little fish-man.
Feeling the Chieftain's gaze, the little fish-man opened its mouth, "Baba ba~"
"What is it saying?" Qin Ziwen asked Pula.
"It says it also wants to participate in the selection, that it is also a Priest Clan member, and that it is very powerful," Pula translated in a low voice.
The Fish-man Chieftain's eyes were practically freezing over with iciness. Meeting its stare, the little fish-man shrank its neck, stealthily shifted a step, and hid behind another of its clansmen.
Qin Ziwen found this curious and tossed out an Insight.
[Superhuman·Fish-man: ☆]: Level 1 Enchantment (Swiftness), Level 1 Rain Prayer, Level 1 Water Flow Manipulation
Qin Ziwen was stunned for a moment, then immediately threw Insight at the four muscular brothers in front.
[Superhuman·Fish-man: ☆]: Level 1 Deep Sea Wildness
...As expected.
Recalling what Pula had told him earlier about other fish-men and comparing them, Qin Ziwen suddenly realized that this little shrimp was probably the one with the pure-blooded, spell-casting Priest Clan lineage.
Those other, larger fish-men were more like "melee mages" who had invested in muscle talent.
Could it be that this little yellow runt was the pure-blood?
Thoughts racing, Qin Ziwen had already made a decision.
Regardless of its identity, he had definitely chosen this little shrimp!
Choosing one of the other big guys would only get him a capable fighter. While superhuman warriors were also scarce, they weren't that indispensable.
In other words, at this stage, the destructive power of these superhuman warriors could, in a sense, be replaced by a single Vehicle-mounted Crossbow.
Unless it was a "giant beast superhuman" the size of a Tyrannosaurus rex or a Mosasaur, then it would be different.
But he also had Little White Dragon and Little Black One. Just keeping those two bottomless pits fed was already a struggle for Qin Ziwen.
Even if he were given a few more, he wasn't sure he could sustain them.
"Master, the Fish-man Chieftain says you may select one Priest Clan fish-man."
"That one," Qin Ziwen pointed to the yellow fish-man at the very back.
Seeing the direction of the finger, the little fish-man's eyes lit up. It jumped for joy, leaping four or five meters high. *Duang!* Its head hit the ceiling.
The little fish-man covered its head, tears welling in the corners of its eyes from the pain.
The Fish-man Chieftain watched this scene in silence for a long while, finally letting out an extremely deep, extremely slow sigh from its throat.
The sigh seemed to carry more of a sense of relief, something long foreseen.
The Fish-man Chieftain suddenly stood up, extended its thickly scaled hand, gently beckoned, and led Qin Ziwen and Pula to a partitioned room at the back of the temple.
The air here was even more oppressive, and even the rippling light filtering through the cracks in the walls seemed dim.
The Fish-man Chieftain turned around, a flicker of weariness in its vertical pupils.
It didn't speak directly to Qin Ziwen, but instead faced Pula, emitting a series of low, guttural syllables from its throat.
Pula assisted with the translation. "Master, it says there is something you must know before you take away the chosen Priest Clan member."
Qin Ziwen gave a slight nod.
Pula continued, "It says that little yellow fish-man is its child, named Luoen, and is also the last fish-man of pure Priest Clan bloodline in this tribe.
That heavy rain on the sea surface earlier was summoned by Luoen."
Hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed Qin Ziwen's eyes.
That massive, sky-connecting, earth-linking rainstorm that lasted nearly two days was actually summoned by that little bean sprout?
He admitted he had underestimated it.
Pula went on, "It says that in the past Romyue, in order to survive in the deep sea, the nearly extinct Priest Clan and Hunter Clan were forced to intermingle. While they gained strength and size, they also lost many of the Priest Clan's true talents.
After Luoen's atavism, it can not only resonate with the ocean but also control water flow and bestow blessings. It is a precious treasure of the tribe. Letting Luoen leave pains it greatly, but it knows that keeping Luoen in this decaying tribe would be the greatest waste of its talent.
Although reluctant, it is willing to let you take Luoen.
It hopes you will treat Luoen well. Luoen is a clever and mischievous child with great potential and will become a good helper for you. It only hopes you will not casually torment or humiliate it."
Qin Ziwen fell silent. Torment, humiliate... where did this Fish-man Chieftain's thoughts go?
"Tell it that once someone joins my Home, they are my companion. I have no habit of humiliating my companions," Qin Ziwen said, putting himself in the other's shoes. Entrusting one's child to another race would indeed lead to many worries.
Receiving Qin Ziwen's affirmation, the Fish-man Chieftain looked at him, a trace of relief appearing on its face.
It could become the Fish-man Chieftain partly because it was the strongest fish-man in the tribe, and partly because it possessed a talent other fish-men lacked: the ability to discern lies.
It could smell that Qin Ziwen's words carried no scent of falsehood.
"Master, it says it has prepared another gift for you," Pula said while looking at the Fish-man Chieftain.
They saw the Fish-man Chieftain turn around, pry up a floor tile, and then retrieve a seashell from the crevice.
It opened the shell.
A riot of colorful light instantly illuminated the entire partitioned room.
Qin Ziwen's eyes reflected the glow as he watched the Fish-man Chieftain reveal the opened shell—inside were stacked, overlapping cards emitting a faint, fiery fluorescence.
Qin Ziwen wanted to refuse. He considered himself an upright person.
But looking at these colorful, variously glowing cards.
He hesitated, words caught in his throat.
If he didn't accept them, would the Fish-man Chieftain feel uneasy?
But just accepting them like this... didn't seem quite right either.
Qin Ziwen pondered for a moment, then waved his hand. "Forget it, I won't take these cards. Since Luoen is joining my Home, I will definitely treat it as one of my own."
The Fish-man Chieftain sniffed the air. Although it didn't understand the words, it smelled insincerity.
It stepped forward and forcefully shoved the seashell into Qin Ziwen's hand.
"This is really too much," Qin Ziwen sighed and shook his head.
The Fish-man Chieftain shot him a sidelong glance. It discovered that this human possessed a common flaw prevalent among many humans—hypocrisy.