Dealing with Clever People

Anbaixiu and Aige were respectfully escorted inside by the merfolk. The coral reef where the merfolk dwelled was no natural formation. Cultivated over countless years, it had been constructed with the unique magic of their kind. The moment Anbaixiu crossed the threshold, he sensed many distinct types of magic permeating the water. Massive coral reefs weighing tons could shift and drift freely under the merfolk's command. A reef that had previously resembled a tightly closed bud unfurled before them like a blooming flower. Whether it was sea algae or fish providing the glow, the entire display was breathtaking. Even Aige murmured in admiration, "I have long heard that merfolk are the elves of the sea, possessing refined artistic sensibilities. These coral groves truly are magnificent." Anbaixiu nodded. Even without an artistic bone in his body, he could see the care and craftsmanship poured into the place. All the better. Anyone who could afford to live in such splendor belonged to a major tribe. As a priest of such a group, even if Nepris could not commune directly with the gods, he could easily find someone who could. It was far more convenient than dealing with minor tribes. Such was the advantage of proper connections. Nepris respectfully guided Aige and Anbaixiu onto an open platform, dazzling with vivid colors. The tables and chairs carved from reef stone and living coral were undeniably aesthetic. Nepris invited them to sit, then bade his attendants bring two cups fashioned from conch shells. Anbaixiu was mildly surprised. Inside each shell sat a pool of crystal-clear liquid, like fresh spring water. Now, this was intriguing. They were surrounded by seawater—why didn't this liquid blend into the ocean around it? Nepris enthusiastically introduced it. "The waters around the Blue Algae Tribe are as barren as the Dead Sea, leaving us with little of worth to entertain our esteemed guests. This is pearl dew, a magical draught brewed from pearls. It offers a modest degree of nourishment to the soul. Please, have a taste." Surprised, Anbaixiu asked, "It affects the soul?" Aige looked equally astonished. She had roamed the oceans for many years and had never heard of anything in these waters that benefited the soul. The most common substance affecting the soul was the venom of the ixitxachitl, but that was lethal poison. Even when distilled into liquor for the undead, it merely used trace toxins to induce a drunken state; it was hardly beneficial. Anbaixiu took a small sip. It looked like water, but in the mouth, it had the texture of melted jelly. It was likely water-insoluble, which explained why it could be held in an open conch shell underwater. Anbaixiu could taste nothing, but he could sense the draught dissolving swiftly into his soul the moment it passed his lips. It formed a thin protective film, leaving him with the sensation of having enjoyed a restorative soul massage. "I have never heard of merfolk possessing such a treasure," Anbaixiu said with appreciation. "Mr. Nepris, you truly do not treat us as outsiders." Nepris smiled warmly. "Against enemies, one brings out the sharpest harpoon; to welcome guests, one serves the freshest fish. Such is the way of our kind. It is only because our guests are undead that our finest sea cucumber sashimi would be unpalatable, leaving us no choice but to offer this pearl dew instead." Anbaixiu understood Nepris's underlying meaning perfectly. If they had come in peace, the pearl dew was a welcoming gift. If they harbored ill intent, the harpoons would be ready to run them through. Anbaixiu particularly enjoyed dealing with clever people who practiced restraint and spoke with tact. It saved time, and their logic was entirely predictable. The most tiresome people to deal with were fools and madmen. Clever minds operated on uniform logic, whereas fools and lunatics each had their own brand of chaos, rendering it impossible to handle them by any consistent standard. Nepris was a quintessential clever man: deep, decorous, and thorough in all things. Dealing with such a man was simple—one only had to show him who was truly the cleverest person at the table. Having finished his pearl dew, Anbaixiu remarked wistfully, "To think the merfolk have already developed a potion specially engineered against the ixitxachitl. It seems you truly intend to contest the new territory in the Volcanic Sea." Nepris's expression stiffened. What was with this lich? He had deduced so much from a single cup of tea—and worse, his guess was spot-on. The merfolk had always maintained strict neutrality, minding their own borders and staying out of conflicts between other races. Yet this time, they had chosen to strike proactively. The reason was simple: their sworn enemies, the ixitxachitl, were mobilizing en masse, seemingly aiming to turn that entire sea into their breeding grounds. If the ixitxachitl truly seized a territory as vast as a kingdom, it would spell doom for the merfolk. They had no choice but to fight. At home, magical wards could repel the ixitxachitl's venom, but an offensive campaign would incur catastrophic casualties. Upon discovering the ixitxachitl's movements, the high priest had prayed to the goddess Eadro for guidance. The goddess had bestowed this recipe, allowing them to brew pearl dew from pearls to ward off the ixitxachitl's venom. Nepris had simply been unable to think of anything else suitable for a lich, which was why he had brought out the pearl dew. Who could have foreseen that this lich possessed such an overactive imagination—and that his deductions would hit the mark so squarely? But it defied logic. Had someone leaked the intelligence to him beforehand? Nepris could not help glancing at Aige. In his eyes, the ruler of the Silent Night Sea was the true guest of honor, while the lich was merely an adviser or strategist for the pirate armada. For the lich to speak in this manner—did the Silent Night Pirates have designs on this war? Had they come to negotiate, or to flex their might? Anbaixiu noted every subtle shift in Nepris's expression. Fortunately, merfolk faces closely resembled humans, so his ability to read micro-expressions remained quite useful. He had already guessed roughly nine-tenths of what was running through Nepris's mind. As he had thought, he loved dealing with smart people. They overthought everything, spinning elaborate theories from whatever scraps he fed them. And now that Nepris was overthinking, he was primed to step straight into a trap. Pressing his advantage, Anbaixiu said, "What? Could it be that I guessed wrong?" Nepris offered a bitter smile. He had no choice but to concede; with war on the horizon, deceiving the Silent Night Pirates would achieve nothing beyond making enemies. "Our guest guessed correctly, but this matter remains strictly confidential. If possible, I must ask that you refrain from spreading the word." Nepris could not help adding, "Might I ask where our guest heard of this? If you could tell me the source of the leak, the Blue Algae Tribe would be immensely grateful." "Grateful? Grateful enough to gift me some pearl dew?" Anbaixiu asked. Nepris answered generously, "Naturally. I will immediately have ten conches of pearl dew brought over." Anbaixiu thought to himself that ten shells was barely enough to brush off a minnow, but he kept his demeanor polite. "I was only joking. I didn't get this information from anywhere—I deduced it just now. I can hardly accept such a gift." Nepris frowned slightly and pressed, "Deduced it? How could you deduce that the merfolk are going to war from a cup of pearl dew? What necessary connection is there between the two?" Anbaixiu chuckled. "Does Mr. Nepris want to hear the lie, or the truth?" "May I hear both?" Nepris asked. "Haha, but of course," Anbaixiu said amiably. "Even our Captain Aige had never seen this pearl dew before, meaning it cannot be an established recipe. Otherwise, a potion beneficial to the undead wouldn't be completely unheard of to the Silent Night Pirates; it had to be a recent creation. Furthermore, its effects are far too targeted. Ixitxachitl poison harms the soul, while pearl dew repairs the soul. Its properties resemble an antidote developed specifically to counter that venom. "I am an alchemist myself, so I understand full well how exorbitant the research costs are for such specialized potions. If it were merely for the occasional poisoned casualty, your merfolk priests' divine spells would be far more practical and cost-effective. Developing a dedicated potion could only be meant for an overwhelming number of casualties where your priests would be stretched beyond capacity. "Merfolk typically stay within their own borders, where ixitxachitl can hardly pierce your magical defenses, meaning mass poisonings are virtually impossible at home. It must therefore be preparation for an external war. Connect that to the newly emerged territory in the Volcanic Sea, and the motive becomes obvious: contesting ground with the ixitxachitl. That is the lie you wished to hear." Nepris nodded repeatedly. The logic truly was airtight... Wait. What did the lich just say? That was the lie? Nepris blurted out, "Wait, you said that entire explanation was a lie? Then what is the truth?" Anbaixiu replied calmly, "The truth is, I guessed purely on intuition, without any reason at all." Nepris said helplessly, "That joke is hardly amusing. How can such meticulous deduction be a lie, while a wild guess born of intuition is the truth?" Anbaixiu spread his hands. "Because I am a divination wizard. In my daily life, I trust my intuition far more than deductive reasoning. The Goddess of Fate occasionally plays pranks on us divination wizards, testing whether we truly believe in destiny. If our faith wavers, severe punishment swiftly follows. Shoot the arrow first, then paint the bullseye around it—such is the daily routine of a divination wizard." "A divination wizard?" Nepris was taken aback. It was an exceptionally rare calling, though one he felt he had heard about quite recently. "Wait... may I ask your name, sir?" Nepris had assumed all along that Anbaixiu was Aige's puppet. Undead society observed a ruthless hierarchy; to high-ranking undead, subordinates were mere tools rather than individuals with independent agency. Thus, Nepris had believed he was communicating with Aige all this time, treating the lich as nothing more than a mouthpiece. He hadn't even bothered to ask for his name, keeping his attention fixed entirely on Aige. Yet now, something felt terribly wrong. A terrifying name surfaced in Nepris's mind—the legendary figure who had banished an entire kingdom and created the Volcanic Sea. Noticing the undisguisable panic washing over Nepris's face, Anbaixiu smiled. "Indeed. It is precisely the name you are thinking of." Hearing that, Nepris coughed out a trail of bubbles. Once he managed to catch his breath, his first words tumbled out: "Master Ultraman! My eyes were blinded by sea silt! As an apology, I am willing to present you with three hundred conches of pearl dew, if only you will forgive my wretched rudeness!"