It was freezing cold in the north, yet it was sunny and pleasant in Hainan. The beaches of the demon village were empty, apart from a few women of alluring figures who were mending fishing nets. Docked at the shabby jetty were a few of the most rudimentary kinds of wooden boats which required manual paddling.

Such a scene was no stranger to Ning Tao. It was the same as when he had come here previously with Zhang Chengdong, the imperial Qing physician.

A woman noticed Ning Tao and greeted him. Instantly, the gazes of the few women who were weaving nets collectively fell on Ning Tao.

Ning Tao lifted his Heavenly Gem Magic Garment hood, then raised his hand up high, waving it. “Good day, beautiful ladies. May I ask if your chief is at home?”

A female fish demon suddenly shrieked. That voice was like the scream of a dolphin.

In an instant, a huge group of fish demons charged out of the palm tree forest from the back of the beach. Some of them held tridents, some held water crossbows for shooting fish, while others were holding items like clubs, choppers, and also barbecue racks and condiment bottles.

This scene was no stranger to Ning Tao either. He had experienced it previously. If he had not, he might have assumed that this was a certain production team filming “The Mermaid 3” or something. Nevertheless, it was precisely because he had personally experienced it before, such a funny and comedic scene filled him with alertness and vigilance. He knew, with these fish-killing knives and grills, these fish demons really wanted to grill and have him eaten.

“I have not expected that you would dare to return!” A deep voice came from behind the huge group of fish demons.

The fish demons quickly dispersed and gave way.

Yang Sheng, a muscular shark demon with huge build walked out of the group of fish demons. Following behind him were his wives, one of them was Bao Zhimei. That clam family’s daughter, Ruan Tianyin, who wanted to dance for Ning Tao and seduce him, was also among them. She was still as beautiful as before, wearing bells all over her body. The bells chimed with her every move, making her peculiarly alluring.

After one glance, Ning Tao smiled as he greeted, “Brother Yang, what’s the meaning of this? Is this how you welcome guests here?”

Yang Sheng huffed, “You left without a word previously, yet you still dare come again. Do you really think this demon village is somewhere you can come and go as you like?”

Ning Tao said, “The previous time I was here, I had fixed your magic tool, the Soul Trident, yet you wanted to snatch my cultivating tripod and your people wanted to eat my flesh. All I wanted was a few bunches of plantains. Did you need to be so vicious?”

Yang Sheng’s expression turned sullen. It was his intention to murder Ning Tao and take his possessions. Yet it was somewhat insulting to be exposed by Ning Tao to his face.

Bao Zhimei stood out, “Ning, did you know how badly our clam lady Ruan Tianyin cried when you escaped previously? She had given her heart to you but you’ve let her down. You heartless man, cutting all ties so candidly! Yet you’re blaming us for arresting you now. Isn’t it all because you’ve let down our Miss Ruan?”

Ning Tao was somewhat speechless but did not want to argue with Bao Zhimei. He glanced at Ruan Tianyin. That clam spirit was also looking at him, her pair of dark, beautiful eyes were sparkling at him.

Bao Zhimei suddenly pointed behind Ning Tao, gasping, “Damn it! You even brought helpers!”

Ning Tao turned around to look.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Just in the instant when Ning Tao turned around, with the Soul Trident leading, a swarm of knives, pitchforks, choppers, clubs, javelins, arrows, and even some things which could barely be considered as weapons came flying over, landing on his back.

If he were an ordinary human, he would have surely become a human hedgehog.

Nonetheless, the person these fish demons were attacking was Ning Tao, the cultivating doctor who had mastered Powerful Tolerance to Beating and was protected by the Heavenly Gem Magic Garment.

All the weapons, including Yang Sheng’s Soul Trident, bounced off Ning Tao’s back and fell onto the beach.

Ning Tao slowly turned around and looked at the fish demons expressionlessly.

The fish demons’ jaws dropped to the ground, each of them looked extremely shocked.

Especially Bao Zhimei, her mouth with lipstick was so big it could fit an adult’s head.

She was an abalone spirit.

Ning Tao shrugged. “Even though you had treated my gratitude with viciousness, wanting to plot after me and take my cultivating tripod, I am still going to forgive you and take you as friends. So I had come especially with an extremely precious gift, but little did I expect that you would treat me this way. Forget it, I’m done with you people. Farewell!”

Ning Tao was about to leave immediately.

“Wait!” Yang Sheng suddenly called out.

Ning Tao paused in his tracks and turned to look at Yang Sheng. “What else do you want? We can’t be friends and you want us to become enemies?”

“Hahaha…” Yang Sheng laughed oddly and immediately slapped Bao Zhimei’s face.

Bao Zhimei’s mouth was shut and a palm print appeared on her face. Yet she did not appear upset at all, and rather, she revealed an alluring smile and hit the other side of her face which had not been slapped on.

Smack!

Yang Sheng slapped her once again and said, “Brother Ning. This was all my wife’s idea. I’ll kneel down and ask for your forgiveness, what do you think?”

Ning Tao said, “What do you mean?”

Yang Sheng said, “It’s simple. We’re still friends. I’ll guarantee that nobody will touch you again. I’ll kill whoever who does!”

Ning Tao appeared hesitant.

Yet, Yang Sheng hurriedly said, “Um, Brother Ning, you said you’ve brought me a valuable gift. What is it? Show me quickly.”

Some bullshit friendship.

Ning Tao could no longer be bothered to keep pretending and said candidly, “Brother Yang, I believe that you’ve seen how formidable this magic garment of mine is. It is impregnable and it is the only piece in this world.”

Yang Sheng’s eyes immediately shone. “Do you mean you’re giving this magic garment to me? Haha, wonderful, you really are my good brother!”

Ning Tao slowly opened the small medicine chest, taking out a paper package and opening it.

Inside the package was a pair of briefs. A pair of briefs which was made of Heavenly Gem Cloth.

This was the Heavenly Gem underwear that he had spent hours in Chen Pingdao’s cave abode making. He was using it to gain entry to this Hainan demon village.

Yang Sheng’s grin immediately turned stale once he saw that it was a pair of underwear. Dreams were hopeful but reality was disappointing. That was what he was feeling at the moment. He had thought that the gift would be the magic garment which Ning Tao was wearing, but little did he expect that it was a pair of underwear.

Ning Tao raised the Heavenly Gem underwear and displayed its front and back, then he wrapped it back up in paper and placed it inside the small medicine chest.

Only then did Yang Sheng react. He said in dissatisfaction, “Why did you take it back? Isn’t that a gift for me? Give it to me, I want to try it.”

Ning Tao said slowly, “Of course I want to gift it. But as a friend, what can you give to me?”

Yang Sheng furrowed his brows. “So you’re here to exchange it for spiritual material. You’ve already taken all the Iron Plantains, what else do you want?”

Ning Tao said, “The Authentic Ambergris.”

“Are you joking? You want to exchange a pair of underwear for The Authentic Ambergris?” Yang Sheng seemed to be getting angry.

Ning Tao continued patiently, “This pair of Heavenly Gem underwear is specially customized for you. You’ll know how good it is once you go into the water. It can resist water. No matter how long you stay in the sea, your… uh, will stay dry and fresh. It can deflect harm from your vital region, just as how I was unbothered by the trash you’ve thrown at me. Besides, wearing it will enable you to dance in fire. It would not be a problem at all.”

Yang Sheng and Bao Zhimei looked at each other. The married couple exchanged glances.

Ning Tao pretended that he did not see it. “You’ll decide whether you want to exchange or not.”

Yang Sheng said, “You said that this Heavenly Gem Magic Garment is impregnable to fire and water. I won’t bother starting a fire. You follow me underwater; I’ll see whether it is water-resistant. If it is, I’ll take you to look for The Authentic Ambergris.”

Ning Tao probed, “Don’t you have any with you?”

Yang Sheng said, “That’s the property of the real dragons. How would we fish people dare to? We would be cursed. I don’t dare to touch it. I will take you there and you’ll just take some.”

Ning Tao thought for a while. “Alright, let’s go underwater. You take me to get the Ambergris and I’ll give you the Heavenly Gem underwear.”

An almost undetectable grin appeared on Yang Sheng and Bao Zhimei’s faces.

Whoosh!

With his Soul Trident, Yang Sheng jumped into the sea from the demon village’s shabby jetty.

Ning Tao followed right behind and also plunged into the sea.

A huge group of fish demons crowded at the jetty as they watched. Each of them appeared to be gloating.

“Sister Bao, are we really going to kill that cultivating doctor?” Ruan Tianyin was probably the only fish demon who was not gloating.

Bao Zhimei looked over at Ruan Tianyin who was beside her. Her tone contained a sense of mockery, “Hey, have you really fallen for that cultivating doctor?”

Ruan Tianyin avoided Bao Zhimei’s eyes and mumbled, “How would I… I just thought… he can refine pills, fix magic tools, and can also weave fabric to make magic garments. Such a cultivating doctor is incredibly hard to come by. It’s such a pity to kill him. Isn’t it better to keep him and become friends with him?”

Bao Zhimei said, “Let’s talk about it again if he survives Yang Sheng. If Yang Sheng can’t kill him underwater, then there’s no way we’ll be able to kill him. Then it would seem like there’s no other choice but to make friends with him.”

This was the fish demon’s rule of making friends. If they could not kill you, only then you had the right to become their friend.

Ruan Tianyin’s lips quivered, seemingly wanting to say something but ended up silent.

Underwater, with his Soul Trident, Yang Sheng swam faster than the fishes.

Yet it was another situation for Ning Tao. The Heavenly Gem Magic Garment was water-resistant. Once he entered the water, he had plunged into the bottom of the sea. Seawater flowed around him. He could see it but could not touch it. Neither could he feel the pressure of the seawater.

Yang Sheng was swimming in the sea while he frenetically climbed in the current. Even though it was underwater, it was not much slower for him to use Ladder under Feet.

Yang Sheng turned around to watch Ning Tao who was running around in the sea. His eyes glistened in greed. If he had acquired such a gem, he could go to any oceanic region of the world, even the Yingling Trench which fish demons were so afraid of and unable to go to!

A fish and a human, went further and further, deeper and deeper…