Chapter 2114: A Big Black Pot

The style of the tavern, however, had a unique freshness to it. The entire building appeared to be constructed from the skeleton of a giant fish. The walls were not made of earth, but rather densely packed shells, like those of mussels, forming solid partitions. The windows were made from giant seashells, and many pillars and beams were adorned with colorful corals, giving the place a distinctly exotic feel. A statue of a strange fish stood rigidly on the eaves, gazing out towards the sea. Zu'an knew that large ships heading out to sea would erect such strange fish statues at their prows, seemingly to pray for calm waters and safe passage.

Pushing open the main door, Zu'an was hit by a strong fishy smell that almost made him gag. The tables inside were almost full. Many of the occupants appeared to be local fishermen, but unlike typical fishermen, their eyes revealed a fierce bravery, clearly indicating they were members of the Sea Race. There were also many individuals who were clearly Jianghu figures, either wearing bamboo hats or masks. Occasionally, their various scars were visible, suggesting they were desperate outlaws.

Zu'an's arrival immediately drew everyone's attention. Although his appearance was unremarkable, he was exceptionally clean, and his presence exuded a unique aura.

"Tsk tsk, it's a human."

"Looks like some young master snuck out for a bit of fun."

"A young master who looks so plain?"

"Who says young masters have to be handsome?"

Although they bantered amongst themselves, no one dared to cause trouble easily. While the Sea Race dominated here, there were also many humans and even some Beast Race members. Everyone lived dangerous lives, and before discerning someone's background, no one dared to act rashly and risk offending the wrong person.

Zu'an walked directly to the counter. He noticed that the layout here was very different from human taverns, somewhat resembling the bars from his previous life. He sat on a stool in front of the counter. "I hear this place has the best information?"

The bartender opposite him had a large tortoise shell on his back, and his greenish skin clearly marked him as a member of the Tortoise Race. Zu'an's gaze fell on the numerous bumps on his arm. He wondered if they were barnacles and felt an urge to pick them off.

"Information costs money. No money, no talk," the tortoise bartender said, wiping a glass with a cloth without looking at him.

Zu'an managed to suppress his urge to pick at the bumps and pulled out a Heaven-tier Elemental Stone. "Is it informative now?"

The moment the elemental stone appeared, it immediately drew the attention of everyone in the tavern. Many people's breathing grew heavier. Zu'an frowned slightly. He had intended to keep a low profile, which was why he hadn't pulled out an Immortal-tier or God-tier Elemental Stone. The whereabouts of the Divine Dragon Elixir were certainly worth a more valuable stone. Yet, it still caused quite a stir.

But he quickly understood. Being at the pinnacle of the Human and Beast Races, a Heaven-tier Elemental Stone was indeed common to him. However, these struggling Jianghu figures, who lived dangerous lives, didn't have many resources for cultivation. A mere Earth-tier Elemental Stone might even lead to a fight to the death among them. Realizing this, Zu'an felt only a brief moment of regret before regaining his composure, looking at the tortoise bartender opposite him.

"Informative now, very informative!" The tortoise bartender's mouth watered as he reached directly for the Heaven-tier Elemental Stone.

Zu'an, however, held the stone down. "You haven't even asked what information I'm looking for."

"As long as it's not about the whereabouts of the Mermaid Queen, we know everything," the tortoise bartender said with a smile.

"The Mermaid Queen?" Zu'an frowned, but then stated his purpose. "Do you know where in the Sea Race one can find the Divine Dragon Elixir?"

"I think I've heard of it, but it will take some time to investigate," the tortoise bartender said, smiling as he tucked the Heaven-tier Elemental Stone into his pocket.

Zu'an was surprised. He hadn't held much hope, simply asking on a whim. His main plan was to inquire with the Dragon King and Shang Liuyu in the Sea Race. He never expected the bartender to actually know something. Could it be that the Divine Dragon Elixir was well-known among the Sea Race? Thinking this, his mood finally improved a little. Saving Honglei had just gotten one step closer.

"By the way, what was that about the Mermaid Queen you mentioned?" Zu'an recalled his earlier question. If things went as planned, he would meet the Mermaid Queen, Shang Liuyu's sister, when he met the Dragon King. Gathering information beforehand would be helpful.

The tortoise bartender handed him a glass of wine. "You must be new around here, customer? To not even know about such a big event."

"Oh? Do tell." Zu'an took a sip of the wine. It was far from good, with a cheap, pungent smell. This guy was truly a profiteer.

"Seeing how generous you are, I won't charge you for this piece of information," the tortoise bartender chuckled. "Perhaps it could even offer you a chance to make some money."

"Oh?"

"The biggest news recently in the Sea Race is the disappearance of the Mermaid Queen. The Dragon King has issued a widespread bounty for her," the tortoise bartender said mysteriously. "The reward is very high. Anyone who provides useful clues will be heavily rewarded, and if someone can capture the Mermaid Queen, they'll be set for life with wealth and glory."

Zu'an's eyes widened instantly. "What?" He never expected such a development. From both Shang Liuyu and Chiwen, he had learned that the Dragon King and Mermaid Queen had an excellent relationship. How could she not only be missing but also a wanted person?

"Haha, everyone reacts just like you when they first hear this news," the tortoise bartender said, looking somewhat smug at Zu'an's reaction.

"What exactly happened? Why is the Mermaid Queen being sought with a bounty?" Zu'an asked urgently.

"No one knows for sure. Some say the Dragon King adopted this extreme method to find the Mermaid Queen quickly," the tortoise bartender said, shaking his head. "But no one believes that. Another rumor is far more convincing."

"What rumor?" Zu'an picked up his wine glass, needing a moment to process this astonishing news. If something like this happened between the Dragon King and Queen, would it affect his quest for the Divine Dragon Elixir? He knew that in the Sea Race, he was only close to Shang Liuyu, and the Mermaid Queen was her sister. He wondered if Shang Liuyu would be implicated.

The tortoise bartender glanced around cautiously, then leaned closer to Zu'an and whispered, "The rumor is that the Mermaid Queen was secretly seeing another man behind the Dragon King's back. The Dragon King came back early for something, caught them, and the Mermaid Queen fled with her lover."

Zu'an: "..."

Just then, a woman at a nearby table trembled slightly, seemingly having overheard the bartender's words. Zu'an couldn't help but glance at her again. In fact, he had noticed her when he first scanned the room upon entering. It wasn't just him; many other patrons also found themselves frequently looking in her direction. Dressed in a simple wooden hairpin and a plain cloth skirt, she appeared to be a farmer's wife, yet she possessed an exceptionally graceful and enchanting back. Unfortunately, her face was sallow, and her features were extremely ugly. It was unclear which Sea Race tribe she belonged to. The regulars in the tavern were all experienced Jianghu figures, who also carefully observed her neck, wrists, and other areas. They were indeed as sallow as her face and had some bumps, which were rather repulsive to look at. "What a shame, such a perfect figure," many people secretly sighed.

Zu'an withdrew his gaze and gave the tortoise bartender an annoyed look: "That's utterly impossible." He scoffed at the news. Although he had never met her in person, he had seen her through the heavenly projections and distinctly felt that she was a gentle and virtuous woman. Moreover, their relationship as husband and wife was loving; how could such scandalous things happen?

"The Mermaid Queen was once the most beautiful woman in our Sea Race, and she was gentle by nature. The Dragon King, on the other hand, had quite a temper. If not for the Queen's frequent intercessions, who knows how many offenders would have been executed," the tortoise bartender said, a look of remembrance on his face. "In fact, I was saved by a single word from her back then, which is why I was exiled here and got to keep my life."

Hearing the respect in his voice, which didn't seem feigned, Zu'an said grumpily, "If that's the case, why are you slandering her behind her back?"

"Many people have received her kindness, so of course, we believe the Queen wouldn't do such a thing. But this is the most plausible explanation, otherwise, why would the Dragon King suddenly issue a worldwide bounty for her?" The tortoise bartender said, looking distressed.

Zu'an slowly drank the wine from his glass. It was no wonder the public was so engrossed in this gossip; there really seemed to be no other possibilities.

"And we recently received news that finally explains everything," the tortoise bartender said bitterly. "Since the problem wouldn't be with the gentle and kind Queen, it must be with that lover."

Zu'an chuckled wryly. "What kind of man in this world could poach the Dragon King's woman, and more importantly, make a woman like the Mermaid Queen willing to do so?" As he spoke, he drank the last half-glass of wine. Although the wine was coarse, its pungent flavor oddly made him feel nostalgic. His nerves had been too tightly wound lately; he needed to relax a bit.

"For an ordinary person, of course, it would be impossible. But for the Regent King who is both Human and Beast Race, anything is possible," the tortoise bartender declared confidently.

"Pfft!" Zu'an spat out the wine in his mouth, splashing it everywhere. He ignored his damp clothes and looked up at the bartender in shock. "Who did you say the lover was?"

"Why, Regent King Zu'an of the Beast and Human Races," the tortoise bartender replied, giving him a look as if he were a country bumpkin. This fellow was truly ignorant; did he not even know who Zu'an was?

"Let me tell you, ever since the old Demon Emperor and Zhao Hao of the Human Race fell one after another, there's been a rumor that Zu'an is the strongest master in the world. Of course, I don't think he can necessarily beat our Sea Race's Dragon King, and we Sea Race are low-key, so we naturally won't argue with outsiders," the tortoise bartender lectured him like an experienced veteran schooling a novice. "That Zu'an not only has exceptional cultivation, but he's also young and handsome. I heard he's quite the philanderer; wherever he goes, he'll sleep with someone, and he has a multitude of stunning beauties around him."

Zu'an: "..."

"What's with that look?" The tortoise bartender, sensing Zu'an's gaze, became a little agitated. "Don't you dare not believe it. When someone's cultivation reaches that level, many beautiful women will actively throw themselves at them. What's more, that Zu'an is exceptionally handsome and dashing; he doesn't even bother looking at ordinary beauties. Judging by your expression, you probably haven't experienced that kind of pleasure."

Zu'an gave an awkward smile. As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face. With the bartender continuously praising him, it became difficult for him to get angry.

"I heard that when he was in the human territories, he 'ruined' the local number one beauty, and also forcibly took a married woman. He even found her husband inconvenient and killed him..."

"Who said that?!" Zu'an's face darkened with frustration. Was this about Zheng Dan? Sang Qian had brought that upon himself; it had nothing to do with Zu'an. He was the victim from start to finish!

The tortoise bartender, however, ignored him, growing more excited as he spoke: "When he got to the Human Race's capital, which beautiful woman in the capital—be it the Crown Princess, Empress, Empress Dowager, or other princesses—didn't fall victim to his schemes? Not to mention all those royal descendants and noblewomen."

Zu'an was startled. Had these matters been exposed? But he quickly realized that it was likely just some idle Jianghu wanderers spreading baseless gossip, exaggerated and smeared by hostile foreign factions, which led to such rumors.

"And after he arrived in the Beast Race, it was even more astonishing! Not only did he conquer the Beast Race's number one beauty, Queen Medusa, but he also snatched the Tiger King's concubine, and the fox spirit Queen of Qingqiu. It's even rumored that after the old Demon Emperor died, the beautiful widowed young Demon Queen was also taken to his bed," the tortoise bartender said, looking gleeful, his voice rising slightly. He seemed almost on the verge of tears from envy.

Zu'an: "..."

It seemed that since the Sea Race was also under the Beast Race's jurisdiction, their intelligence about this side was much clearer.

Just then, a patron at a table not far away suddenly slammed his wine bowl down: "This son of a bitch is practically a walking stud! I can't believe he dared to mess with our Sea Race this time."

His outburst immediately drew agreement from others: "Exactly! The Mermaid Queen is so beautiful and gentle, yet she was defiled by this philanderer!"

"Didn't you notice? All the women around that guy are renowned beauties from all over the world. Besides being highly cultivated and handsome, how can he conquer so many perfect women?"

"Oh, right, I've been to Brightmoon City in the Human Race's territory before. That's where that stud first rose to prominence."