Taming the Merman - Chapter 8

The tempering succeeded, and even the lust demon’s core fused into the broken sword.

The wretched fire poker might devour money, but every tempering made it markedly stronger.

Now my hands itched. Badly.

If I did not spar with someone and test its power, I would not sleep tonight.

In the past, I would have chosen Lan Shiyu without hesitation. But I had sworn never to trouble him again.

As I wrestled with the dilemma, the barrier around my cave dwelling trembled.

“Xie Wanfeng, open the door! Stop hiding. I know you’re back!”

It was Junior Brother Ling Shuxing, who had always disliked me.

I rubbed my aching forehead. I had no desire to see him.

His father was one of the sect elders—the very man responsible for our classes on demon races. Perhaps because of that influence, Ling Shuxing was a sword cultivator obsessed with demons.

More precisely, he was Lan Shiyu’s fanatical admirer.

Whether mermen counted as demons was debatable, but to Ling Shuxing, Lan Shiyu was the kindest, strongest, most perfect creature alive.

That made me, his nemesis, a thorn in Ling Shuxing’s side.

He harassed me exactly as I harassed Lan Shiyu. Just as defeating Lan Shiyu was my highest ambition, Ling Shuxing’s was to defeat his senior sister.

He had studied every one of my habits for that purpose.

I beat him senseless every time he came, but—

Wait.

Beat him senseless?

I glanced slowly at my eager new sword, and my eyes lit up.

Hadn’t a perfect test subject just delivered himself to my door?

Outside stood a proud young man in robes as red as flame, craning his neck toward my cave. When I emerged, he hurriedly straightened the jeweled ornament on his chest and smoothed his fringe before stamping over.

“Xie Wanfeng! Why didn’t you tell me you were back?”

I suspected something was wrong with his mind. “Because we aren’t close?”

We truly were not. We had only fought a few hundred times.

“You—!”

Ling Shuxing glared coquettishly. With his delicately pretty face, it looked more like pouting than intimidation.

“Hmph. You only know how to say infuriating things. I was worried you might have been injured.”

He tossed me a medicine bottle that might as well have had “I am extremely expensive” engraved on it.

“Don’t misunderstand.” His face reddened at my puzzled look. “I was afraid you would hide an injury. If I defeated you then, it would hardly be fair!”

So he had only come to fight.

Understanding at last, I set the bottle aside. “I won’t need it. You might in a moment.”

Ling Shuxing fell silent.

Then he exploded. “Xie Wanfeng, I show you kindness and you trample on it! You… you idiot!”