The male supporting character was actually myself.

If Butler Hai doesn't mind, please come to my room for your daily meditation practice. Breathing and exhaling with the mermaid will not only accelerate your cultivation but also improve your breathing. Over time, your skin will become radiant, delicate, and fair, and your overall appearance will also be enhanced!

Faced with the mermaid's enthusiastic invitation, the clam spirit was both excited and nervous, and stammered for a while before finally agreeing.

Jiang Chen and Wen Menglong enjoyed their breakfast; Liu Ying and two other fairies from Hai Da also began to form a friendship.

It wasn't until everyone had finished their meal that the clam spirit suddenly remembered that she had rushed back to the Sea God with important news to report!

As a result, I was so caught up in the series of emergencies that I completely forgot about it!

"Young Master Jiang!" Remembering this, he hurriedly knocked on the door and called out anxiously, "Young Master Jiang, I have something very important to report to you!"

Jiang Chen was chatting with Wen Menglong, who was full of praise for the delicious breakfast, praising him for his discerning eye in finding such a capable and virtuous maid and cook.

"Wait a moment, I'll go see if the steward has any urgent business." He had already sensed something was wrong. He had clearly told the clam spirit to go shopping and take a stroll around to get used to life in the human world, so why did she rush back so soon after leaving?

However, Hai Da did not take the initiative to explain the situation, and I was having breakfast with Wen Menglong so I was unable to inquire.

Hearing his anxious voice, Jiang Chen hurriedly came out of the room.

"Young Master Jiang, something terrible has happened!" Hai Dayou pulled him to a secluded corner of the courtyard before lowering his voice and saying nervously, "I went out today to stroll around the streets and buy some things, but... I smelled a very dangerous scent! There seems to be some terrifying big guy hiding in Linzhou Prefecture!"

Chapter Twenty: A Certain Department with Cat Pancakes

"A terrifyingly large creature?" Jiang Chen was a little confused. "Is it friend or foe? Where did you sense it? Is it very threatening? Is it male or female? What is its origin?"

Faced with a barrage of questions from the Sea God, the clam spirit was clearly at a loss. "I... I first went to the east street to see if the shops were open. It was probably too early, so most of the shops were still closed. Then I wandered around and looked around. When I got near the school, I suddenly felt a dangerous aura."

It was carried by the wind, and the smell gave me goosebumps all over!

I don't know what kind of spirit it is, or whether it's male or female, since I didn't see it with my own eyes, and I didn't find any clues after searching the vicinity.

But based on a fairy's ability to sense danger, I think that guy must have eaten people!

The school wasn't in a remote location, so I figured the other person must have been more than just passing by.

Lord Sea God, you are a sea god and a minor, so please be careful on land!

I've heard from my elders that the demons on land are incredibly cunning. They dare to trap and devour even young gods. The key is that they possess extraordinary powers and have intricate connections with various deities—the so-called "connections and powerful backers"—giving them the confidence to attack or kill at will. They're terrifying!

Jiang Chen nodded, not taking the matter to heart.

As long as they're not after the male protagonist, it doesn't matter what kind of demon they are. If they've committed many evil deeds, Taoist priests and monks will naturally take them down. What does it have to do with me, an underage sea god?

"It's getting late, all the shops on the street must be open by now."

He took out another silver ingot and handed it to Hai Dayou, saying, "Take Liuying with you to buy some things you need. Also, help me find out the name of the most famous pharmacy and doctor in Linzhou Prefecture. Get the exact address so I can send my name card another day."

Hai Dayou took the silver and nodded honestly, saying, "Young Master Jiang, please rest assured, I will take care of it right away!"

A gentle spring breeze blows, and the fragrant aroma of the tall, canopy camphor trees brings joy to those in need.

After breakfast, Wen Menglong sat under a big tree, holding a medical book, and began to study diligently.

Jiang Chen casually picked up the most popular short storybook in the city, sat under a tree, brewed a pot of hot tea, and sipped it leisurely, enjoying the time.

Hai Dayou and Liu Ying, newly arrived in the human world, excitedly strolled around with silver in their pockets, finding everything fascinating. They looked around and asked questions, each holding a bag of desserts and having a great time.

Meanwhile, in the mermaid world on the other side of the underwater world, Lian Yunshang, imprisoned beneath a golden pagoda, silently sheds tears.

The scales on a mermaid's body are the most beautiful symbol, and the secret to keeping the tail dazzling is the most precious life scale.

It is a single piece, yet it gathers all the colors and radiance of the fish tail.

Removing other scales is like getting a minor injury; it hurts, bleeds a little, but it heals quickly. However, if you remove your own scale, the pain is excruciating!

Not only does the wound take a long time to heal, but the entire fishtail also becomes dull and lifeless, and the mermaid's cultivation level is also affected, making the mermaid look like she's half dead. Under normal circumstances, in order to weave the Rainbow Robe, mermaids will drink the soup brewed by the Spirit Woman in advance, which can offset most of the pain, and even if they are weak, it won't be too serious.

Afterwards, the more diligently you cultivate, the faster your strength increases, and the faster your natal fish scales will grow. Once new scales grow, your fish tail will naturally regain its previous dazzling brilliance.

Removing one's natal fish scales is just the beginning. To weave them into a celestial robe, the scales need to be carefully tempered forty-nine times to transform into soft and dazzling fish scale threads. Once enough shimmering threads are gathered, magic power is used to weave them into a seamless celestial robe.

The whole process was both long and painful.

As for using one's own life essence to refine mermaid candles, that would be a purely punitive act. Mermaids are blessed with a wealth of treasures from head to toe. After reaching adulthood, a mermaid's dantian will fill with a crystal-clear essence through cultivation. If this essence is refined and solidified using magical power, it can be made into colorful and beautifully shaped candles.

A complete mermaid candle can burn for nearly ten thousand years without going out and can also be used as a medicinal ingredient to refine precious pills. Naturally, it is a treasure that other cultivators, demons, and gods are vying to buy.

In the past, only serious criminals who committed grave offenses within the mermaid clan were ordered to have their life essence cut off to make mermaid candles to atone for their sins.

The pain of having one's vital energy stripped away from the dantian is no less than that of having one's life-giving fish scales removed!

Unfortunately, at this time, Lian Yunshang was suppressed inside the Golden Pagoda, so where could she find a medicinal soup brewed by the Spirit Woman to alleviate her pain?

To prevent Lian Yunshang from slacking off, the clan leader Si Zhuo specially ordered the golden-armored mermaid to personally remove her life-bound fish scales and sprain her life-bound ointment. The pain made her curl up in a corner, tears streaming down her face.

"Yunshang, my dear granddaughter. Grandpa knows you're suffering right now, but there's nothing we can do about it."

After reciting the "Mermaid Clan Instructions," the elderly Lianqi rested his hand on the golden pagoda and sighed, "You did something wrong. It's already a miracle that Jiang Chen managed to plead for you and you weren't beaten to death."

You are still young, so suffering a little isn't necessarily a bad thing. If you don't want to be in so much pain, then seize the time to cultivate diligently. This is also a way to encourage you to cultivate.

"It's all Grandpa's fault for spoiling you. He let you run around and play whenever you didn't want to cultivate. You should take advantage of being imprisoned under the Golden Pagoda to work hard and catch up with the other younger generation."

The clan chief ordered him to read the "Mermaid Clan Instructions" to Lian Yunshang. Naturally, the sound restriction was turned off at this time, and the old and frail voice could be heard clearly inside the golden tower.

"Grandpa! Waaaaah~ It hurts so much!" Lian Yunshang cried uncontrollably, slumped in the corner like a dead man, her lips pale, and even her once dazzling blue-purple fishtail was dull and lifeless, making her look pitiful.

Even the fins felt sorry for them, but what could they do?

If the granddaughter is truly the chosen one, this trial might be the opportunity to embark on the path to immortality. Therefore, we can only kindly advise her to cultivate diligently.

When the time came, the golden-armored mermaid released the sound barrier, so that no sound from the outside could reach the golden tower; naturally, the movements inside the golden tower were also unknown to outsiders.

"Why is my life so miserable!" Lian Yunshang pounded the ground with her fists and cried bitterly, showing no intention of admitting her mistakes, repenting, or working hard to atone for her sins.

"I don't want to have my scales and fat scraped off anymore, it hurts so much!"

"Waaaaah... Brother Chen, where are you? Please come and save me!"

"Who, who can save my life and rescue me from this terrible cage? I, Lian Yunshang, will repay you with my life!"

"God! Please have mercy on me and send someone to save me..."

…………

[Mission: Rescue Lian Yunshang from the Golden Pagoda within three days. Reward: One-time use A-grade item x1.]

The sudden task caught Jiang Chen off guard. Another one?

Which department is this?

Do you have any cat biscuits?!

"So dirty..."

The golden conch shell made a calling sound. He glanced at Wen Menglong and saw that he was still engrossed in his medical book. He put down the book, got up, and went into the house.

As soon as the communication conch connected, the little white cat's distinctive bubble-like sound was heard: "Gurgle~ Host, I've filled the gourmet maker's warehouse with lots and lots of seafood, did you notice, meow? Gurgle~"

I wonder which department is acting strangely again. Is this mission going to be difficult?

"Gurgle~ Should I go back and help my host complete the mission, meow? Gurgle gurgle~"

"It's good that you're back." Jiang Chen pondered for a few seconds, thinking that since he needed to complete the mission and solidify the female lead's "prison break" charge, it would be more convenient, faster, and leave no trace if Rong Tuanzi did it herself!

Chapter Twenty-One: Which deity is trying to steal the show?

"Alright! Host, please wait a moment, glug glug~ I'll sweep up this shipwreck first!"

The little white cat hung up the communication and pounced on a huge, dark shipwreck on the seabed. Once it found the gold and silver treasures inside, it used its little paws to frantically stuff them into the system space.

Jiang Chen frowned slightly, thinking seriously about how to make the "rescue" and "prison break" seamless.

Around noon, Hai Dayou and Liu Ying, who had a great time shopping and playing, finally returned carrying a bunch of things. The two were excitedly chattering away, having seen so much of the world, and clearly had found a lot more in common.

"Young Master Jiang, I have found out what you asked me to do!" Hai Dayou put down his things and hurriedly came over to report, "I heard that a new pharmacy has opened in Jixiang Lane in the west of the city. Although it has only been open for a few days, the shopkeeper's medical skills are superb, and he has cured many difficult and complicated diseases!"

That pharmacy called Jishetang was always packed with people seeking medical advice and medicine.

I also inquired carefully and found out that the owners of Jishetang are surnamed Ye, and they are two unmarried sisters.

My elder sister, Ye Qingyun, is as beautiful as a fairy and has superb medical skills. Yesterday, a person who had been poisoned by arsenic was on the verge of death. He was carried into the pharmacy and under Ye Qingyun's silver needles, the poison was expelled in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and the person was fine!

I originally planned to go to Jixiang Lane to check the situation before reporting back to the young master, but there were just too many people there. I couldn't use magic to trick them in front of a group of sick mortals and delay their treatment, so I couldn't squeeze in.

If you still have doubts, I will go and inquire about the details this afternoon and then report back.”

Can it cure the poison of arsenic trioxide?

Jiang Chen frowned. Wasn't this the scene where the female lead stole the show in the original plot?

Was this brought forward or just a coincidence?

In the original story, after the male and female protagonists got married, they opened a pharmacy in Bianzhou and returned home in glory. They also opened a "Jishetang" in Linzhou Prefecture. In order to save an innocent old woman who was poisoned by arsenic, they fought with the Black and White Impermanence and got involved in all sorts of messy troubles. Under the halo of the female protagonist, Jishetang became famous and gained great popularity.

How come there's now a Jishetang that's famous for being able to cure arsenic poison?

There was also a beautiful and exceptionally skilled female shopkeeper.

Who is this deity who stole the female lead's spotlight?

"I understand. You don't need to queue up to inquire about information anymore." After thinking for a moment, Jiang Chen instructed, "Since other monsters have been spotted not far from us, you and Liu Ying should stay at home if you have nothing to do recently, and be sure to protect Young Master Wen."

If he goes out, you can follow him openly or secretly.

"If you encounter any danger, don't be reckless unless you're absolutely certain of victory. Just bring Wen Menglong back. There are magic arrays and restrictions I've set up in the house; ordinary monsters can't get in."

"Yes!" Hai Da bowed respectfully, then went to the backyard to discuss with Liu Ying how to renovate the abandoned yard, raise some fish, plant some flowers, and other miscellaneous matters.

Wen Menglong lived a very comfortable life. The housekeeper Hai Dayou and the maid Liuying took care of everything at home perfectly. The windows were clean, the tables were bright, and the food was delicious.

My sister and brother-in-law took some time to visit me again, bringing some food she had made herself. The gathering was lively and warm.

Jiang Chen, on the other hand, was busy making inquiries from various sources and getting a clear understanding of the situation of Jishetang, which had appeared ahead of schedule. That afternoon, he asked Hai Dayou to deliver a visiting card, hoping to find an auspicious day to take Wen Menglong to visit them.

"Young Master Jia of the Jia family? A good-for-nothing playboy, no fun at all."

"Master Liu of the Liu family? Such an old man, yet so disrespectful..."

Ye Qingyun had a large pile of visiting cards on her desk. She opened them and tossed aside any cards from people who came to pay their respects. No matter how flowery the words or how earnest the sentiments, they were useless to her.

After reading through a whole bunch of things, Ye Qingyun's brows furrowed even more. Where exactly did her calculations go wrong?

It's clear that there's an opportunity in Linzhou Prefecture, so why has there been no movement for so long?