But once Fan Li snapped out of it and thought back on those rumors, she felt incredibly annoyed. After bidding farewell to Senior Seaweed, she couldn't stop grumbling: "I really don't know what those rumor-mongers are thinking. Why must they insist we’re in that kind of relationship? Just because I broke off an engagement, you’re 'picking up the pieces'? What a load of rubbish. It makes me so angry!"
"Actually, rather than people speaking ill of me, I’m more concerned that people might misunderstand our relationship before I’ve even managed to woo you. For a girl of the Ocean Race, having such rumors spread isn't exactly ideal."
"I don't care," Fan Li said, shaking her head firmly. "Let them misunderstand. Anyway, I haven't considered being with any other boy besides you."
Xing Hai gazed at her motionlessly, his thoughts unreadable, though a clear, warm smile danced in his eyes.
"Ah..." Fan Li suddenly covered her mouth. "I mean, *I* don't care, but... you, you would care, wouldn't you?"
Xing Hai blinked, his smile brightening. "I don't care."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Then it’s fine. At worst, we’ll just let them misunderstand. You’re so handsome anyway; it’s no big deal if they mistake you for my boyfriend."
Xing Hai didn't respond further. Seeing him smile so sweetly made Fan Li’s heart flutter. Resting her chin in her hand, she whispered, "Xing Hai, you really are so gentle..."
"Am I?"
"Of course! You’re handsome, you have a great personality, your grades are excellent, and you’re popular—even Kaimo and his lot want to hang out with you. Yet, you chose to open an orphanage and rescue a socially anxious girl like me. You’re just too wonderful."
"Lili, I never realized before how sweet your tongue is." Xing Hai was charmed into a laugh.
"Everything I say comes straight from the heart."
Because she was focusing too much on her studies and had reduced her part-time work hours, Fan Li’s wallet soon hit rock bottom again. Looking at the pitiful numbers in her ledger, she felt deeply conflicted, wishing a day had forty-eight hours while she still only slept six.
If this continued, she would either die of exhaustion or starvation. She had to find a way to get some money.
Thus, when she went to the Black Crocodile Guild for a physical check-up, she visited Mr. Ada’s office and brought up her desire for a part-time job.
"Haha, I just finished looking into your background and was about to suggest a job to you when you brought it up yourself. You are most welcome."
Mr. Ada’s immediate response caught Fan Li off guard. Her background? Which aspect did he mean?
"I have three jobs available for you to choose from right now. Take a look and see which one you’d like." With that, Mr. Ada handed her a form. It listed:
1. **Resurrection of the Sea Governor’s Mistress.** Hourly rate: 8,500 Fu. Cycle: Once a week, irregular timing. Agency: Black Crocodile Guild. Special requirements: Good health, no infectious diseases, cannot take similar part-time jobs repeatedly. Interview required before employment.
2. **Ritual Priestess (Holy Light Grade).** Hourly rate: 10 Fu to 2,000 Fu. Cycle: No less than 30 hours a month. Agency: Witch Maiden Heaven Club. Black Crocodile takes a 15% commission. Note: Hourly rate determined by age, looks, and measurements.
3. **Hallucinogen Salesperson.** Hourly rate: 0 Fu to no upper limit. Cycle: No less than 10 hours per week. Agency: Wild Psychedelia Co. Black Crocodile takes a 20% commission.
The first one was out immediately.
Hallucinogens sounded like nothing good, and as a salesperson, the pay would be unstable. The second one looked difficult, but it didn't mention any requirements for Arcane arts, so she could give it a try.
"I’ll choose the Priestess role."
"Look closely. This is a 'Holy Light Grade' Priestess, which means the maximum level of exposure. It’s very high difficulty."
"I’m not afraid. I like a challenge." Fan Li looked at the form again, unsure. "It’s just, I don’t understand. Why does it have to do with measurements?"
Mr. Ada used a tentacle to pick up a glass of wine, took a slow sip, and said leisurely, "In a profession that serves men, why wouldn't they look at measurements?"
"Are you saying the god the Priestess serves during the ritual is a man?" Were the male gods of the Light Sea that lecherous?
"If you can treat the client as a male god, that would be for the best, of course."
The two of them seemed to be talking about completely different things. Fan Li looked closely at the agency's name; it sounded a bit sleazy, and she sensed something was wrong.
In ancient Western temples, priestesses served the gods, but they also served the pilgrims who came to offer sacrifices. This so-called "service" was actually selling their bodies to patrons. Later, these priestesses evolved into prostitutes—a different history from China’s brothels. So, "Priestess" here actually referred to...
"I’m not doing this." Fan Li handed the form back to Mr. Ada, feeling a headache coming on. "None of these three jobs are good. Don't you have any legal work here?"
Mr. Ada clapped two tentacles together. "That is an excellent question. The black market is exactly the right place for law-abiding citizens to look for legal work."
"Fine, forget I asked."
Just as Fan Li was about to turn and leave, Mr. Ada called her back. "I have one more job here that you should be able to accept, though the pay isn't great."
The new form he handed over read:
**"Styx Heart" Salesperson.** Hourly rate: 2 Fu, with a 150 Fu commission for every successful package sold. Cycle: Unlimited. Agency: Black Crocodile Guild.
"Another one of these trap jobs. Is a life worth only 150 Fu?" Fan Li laughed.
"You don't have to work yourself to death. Just treat the salesperson role as a receptionist," Mr. Ada said, pouting slightly. "As long as you can withstand the temptation of money."
"Is the workplace right here?"
"Exactly. It’s actually a very easy job because most people who choose to come here have already made up their minds. You just need to listen quietly to their grievances, confirm their intent, and then hand them over to the professionals. If you do well, I might even introduce you to our mastermind behind the scenes."
"I’m not interested in that. I just want money."
"Really? Our mastermind is someone who holds great power even in the Holy City."
Fan Li froze. "The Holy City?"
"Well? Is a soulful young hunk not attractive enough?"
What strange logic. What if she met this mastermind? Even if she ascended to the Predator Race, there was still a galaxy’s worth of distance between her and someone like that. Fan Li smiled. "Mr. Ada, do you think that because this girl is only eighty-two years old, she’ll naively believe that 'knowing the powerful' equals 'entering the circle of the powerful'?"
"Hahaha, that has nothing to do with age and everything to do with human greed. I was just conducting a harmless little test. You’ve surprised me. I hope you don’t mind."
"I don't mind." Fan Li was truly wary of these old foxes in the Black Crocodile Guild; every one of them was silver-tongued, like the serpent offering the forbidden fruit to Eve.
"Alright then, you can start whenever you like. By the way, I originally wanted to save this job for a top-tier salesperson, but you yourself are a fresh, living advertisement. I hope my prediction is accurate."
"Why am I a living advertisement?"
"You don't know why you're a living advertisement? Stop teasing me."
"I really don't know."
Mr. Ada opened his mouth to reply, but the office door was pushed open. Then, a businesslike male voice rang out behind Fan Li: "Because you have a fiancé who is known by everyone in the Light Sea."
Fan Li turned her head and saw a middle-aged man in a grey uniform standing at the door. Although everyone in the Black Crocodile Guild took on a terrestrial form, the number of medals on his chest indicated that this man held an extraordinary rank in the military. He was likely of the Sea God Race.
Fan Li looked around to ensure there was no one else, then pointed at herself. "Me?"
"Yes, Miss Fan Li. Please follow me out to meet your fiancé."
"You have the wrong person." Fan Li’s reflex was to flee. "I have other things to do. I’m leaving."
"It’s fine; it won't take much of your time. He is waiting for you just outside the door."
She was dead. Her secret was about to be exposed. Before she could even promote to the Predator Race, her life was forfeit.
In the main hall of the Black Crocodile Guild, under the bronze Baroque decor, the man waiting for her looked like an old oil painting.
Staff had set up a cordon for him, and passing sea folk couldn't help but steal glances. But because they were in the black market, they had to suppress their urge to take photos.
The man was surrounded by a group of soldiers in grey uniforms and priests in togas. These attendants were all Radiant Sea God Race. On each of their armbands was a lion emblem radiating light.
However, among all those people, only the man himself had white hair, which was combed back to reveal a cold, stern face with features that looked as if they had been meticulously carved atop an Alpine peak. On his own armband was a scale emblem with swords hanging on either side.
The Radiant Lion was the symbol of the Storm Party’s Supreme Imperial Guard. White hair and an armband engraved with a clan emblem symbolized a descendant of the Seven Progenitor Gods of the Holy Sea. The sword and scale emblem was the mark of the Gath Clan.
Could this person be Suye’s fiancé?
While Fan Li was still pondering, the man keenly spotted her. He stared at her the entire time until she was less than five meters away. Suddenly, he lunged forward and clamped one hand around her throat!
"Ah..."
His strength was immense, lifting Fan Li entirely off the ground. If not for the buoyancy of the water, she suspected her neck would have snapped.
"You’re absolutely insane, taking the Styx Heart—" The man lowered his head, narrowing his eyes as he looked at her, speaking through gritted teeth. "What are you doing? Just because it’s not your body, you dare to act so recklessly?!"
Fan Li was completely stunned.
Great. They’d skipped the whole "lying—getting caught—covering up—getting caught again" process and gone straight to the execution. Choked so hard she couldn't breathe, she couldn't gather any Arcane energy. Her hands clawed at his, a raspy sound escaping her throat: "Hurts... let... go..."
"Oh, so now you know pain? Why didn't you think of the pain when you were injecting the Styx Heart!"
"I... I had no idea... what happened..."
"If you didn't know what was happening, you could have waited and watched. Who told you to take risks with *her* body?"
"I just wanted... to go back..."
At that moment, an octopus tentacle patted the man’s hand. Mr. Ada spoke calmly from the side: "Please let go, Your Highness. This is not the Storm Sea."
The man’s pupils constricted slightly. He slowly released his grip. "Ada, don't think that having Sushiye’s backing makes you untouchable. It remains to be seen who will win or lose."
Sushiye?!
So, the mastermind Mr. Ada mentioned was Sushiye... Fan Li felt surprised, yet also felt a strange sense of how much time had passed.
In stark contrast to the man, Mr. Ada looked exceptionally kind. "Haha, Your Highness, you overstate things. I wouldn't dream of offending you. However, Miss Fan Li is an employee of our Black Crocodile Guild. If you have other conflicts with her, you may resolve them outside of working hours. In short, let us value harmony."
The man gave him a cold sweep of his eyes and didn't respond. Instead, he turned back to Fan Li. "Regardless of who is currently in this body, you cannot ruin it further. If she cannot return, even if she is dead, I will grind your bones to ash!"
Fan Li carefully analyzed his words in her mind. It seemed the man had known from the start that the person in the body wasn't Suye. But as Suye’s fiancé, he didn't want her to die, so he wouldn't expose the truth about her using forbidden arts. And looking at Mr. Ada’s reaction, he didn't seem to care about soul-swapping forbidden arts at all. The underworld bosses really were different.
Fan Li breathed a sigh of relief, rubbed her neck, and said displeasuredly, "You two are quite the pair, making false accusations. Your fiancée took my body without my consent, alright? If I could, I’d want her back too! And now you won't let me use a method for longevity? Then how are she and I supposed to swap back? Am I just supposed to wait for death?"
"Longevity?" The man paused. "Forget it. Ridiculous. Remember, do not expose the fact that Suye used forbidden arts, or you’re dead."
Even such a handsome face couldn't save such a terrible personality. This "thief crying thief" act was exhausting. Fan Li’s anger flared. "You don't need to tell me! I know!"
"What is that attitude?"
"The attitude that if you keep nagging me, I’ll kill myself so she can never come back."
"You...!"
Mr. Ada quickly acted as the peacemaker again. "Alright, we all know you’re acting for the sake of Miss Suye’s body. Fan Li also wants to return to her own body and will certainly do her best; there’s no need to worry for her. If there’s nothing else, Your Highness may return early to rest. I still have work to arrange for Fan Li."
Seeing the man still hesitating, Fan Li said crossly, "Just leave. I don't want to see you again for two thousand years. Otherwise, I’ll kill myself."
"Fine, I’m leaving." Despite saying so, the man’s expression was grim. "I only hope you aren't stupid. Don't forget your identity."
"Then please take care, Prince Gath. I shall see you out."
Mr. Ada followed him out.
Fan Li recalled the events with a face full of questions. It wasn't until Mr. Ada returned that she said somewhat dazed, "Mr. Ada, you knew this body belongs to Suye?"
"I only found out after seeing your genetic test report. Forgive us, we investigate the past of every client." Mr. Ada smiled. "So, don't blame Mr. Gath for being fierce; he’s right. Although Suye is the blessing of the black market—after all, the 'Styx Heart' is her masterpiece..."
"What?" Fan Li couldn't help but interrupt. "How could Suye have researched such a potion?"
"That’s what I wanted to say. She isn't just some good-girl scholar. During the years she helped the Dictator conquer the world, over seventy percent of the slave markets in the Light Sea were under her control. Her people are everywhere in the black market. After she defected, the resources and connections in the Holy City Party’s black market fell into the Dictator’s hands, but it still hasn't eased his wariness of her. You must remember, she is a traitor to the Holy City Party. If you accidentally expose the soul-swap, you might just be beheaded. But if you expose her identity, someone might want to mince you into meat paste. You’ve seen who her fiancé is."
"I knew her fiancé was from the Gath Clan, I just didn't expect to run into him here."
"Wait, you don't recognize him?"
Fan Li shook her head honestly.
"How is that possible? Were you some illiterate from a backwater village before?" Mr. Ada looked at her in disbelief. "Gath Hitian—have you heard of him?"
"He’s Gath Hitian?!"
Mr. Ada raised an eyebrow and nodded.
Suye really was something; her fiancé was actually the Crown Prince of the Storm Party, the eldest son of the Gath Clan Leader.
"Now I believe it," Fan Li said slowly. "Suye really did want to completely break ties with Sushiye. She had no intention of looking back."
"Complicated, isn't it? This sister utterly betrayed our Lord Sushiye."
"Speaking of Lord Sushiye..." Fan Li said cautiously, "Will he blame me for using his sister’s body to take the medicine?"
"His sister wants him dead; would he still care about her safety? If he found her, given Lord Sushiye’s personality, she would most likely be either imprisoned for life or killed outright."
Now, Fan Li finally understood.
Suye had fled so urgently not to hide from others, but to hide from Sushiye! She remembered that on her first day in this body, Dangdang had told Xing Hai that Suye had run away in a panic after seeing the headline of the *Red Moon Sea Morning Post*. Then, Suye drank the soul-swapping potion or used the forbidden art.
The front page that day was the news of Sushiye visiting the Red Moon Sea. Suye knew that if she were caught by him, she wouldn't escape death. So, the only way—a desperate measure—was to directly abandon this body that he could track at any time. If she was lucky, Sushiye wouldn't kill the newcomer; if she was unlucky and the body was destroyed by him, Suye could still continue her revolution in Fan Li’s body two thousand years later.
What a terrifying woman—cruel to others, and ruthless to herself.
However, she didn't understand. Since Suye’s fiancé was Gath Hitian, why didn't she stay in the Storm Sea and seek protection with him? Although Sushiye’s power was currently superior, if Hitian wanted to protect his fiancée, it shouldn't be too difficult. Given his level of concern for Suye, leaving her to fend for herself in the wild didn't seem to make sense.
Also, Sushiye’s reaction when he first met her was very abnormal. Fan Li felt a bit awkward, but felt this topic couldn't be avoided: "Um... Mr. Ada, in the laws of the Light Sea, is it strange for a brother and sister who aren't related by blood to kiss?"
"That’s disgusting. Even I couldn't accept that." At this point, Mr. Ada’s eight tentacles all twitched. "What do you mean? Lord Sushiye and Suye kissed? Impossible, they both loathe each other."
"Not Suye..." Fan Li took a breath. "Me."
"Lord Sushiye kissed you?"
Fan Li nodded and gave a brief account of their first meeting, though she omitted the details of her date with Sushiye.
"You’re such a pure little girl, can't you see Lord Sushiye’s intentions?" Mr. Ada’s smile grew playful. "He specifically instructed me to take good care of you. I felt something was off between you two back then."
"He told you to take care of me? When was this?"
"The day after you took the medicine. See how much he cares about you? Don't you feel your heart racing?" At this, Mr. Ada slapped two tentacles together. "Ah, right, if you pass your exams in the second half of the year, you’ll be going to St. Yegana, right? Then you can go out on dates with him all the time..."
"Wait, no, I don't want to."
"Why?"
"He isn't monogamous. I like men who are faithful."
"Lord of the Deep Blue, have you gone mad? You’re about to promote to the Predator Race, and you still want to play this game of faithful, pure love? Believe me, by then, one mixed-blood boy won't be enough for you."
"You don't understand. Xing Hai’s goodness has nothing to do with race or primal needs. I like him because he has a righteous and kind heart. Like me, he insists on a monogamous romantic relationship. So if I’m to have a boyfriend, he’s the only one I’m considering right now."
"Oh, if you really think that way, then there’s no hope for Lord Sushiye." At this point, Mr. Ada suddenly raised his eyebrows. "Then, what if Lord Sushiye were willing to give up polygamy for you? What if he told you: 'My dear, from now on I won't touch another woman, I only want you, you will be the only Lady Dictator of the Light Sea.' In that case, between him and the mixed-blood boy, who would you choose?"
Fan Li originally wanted to say "Xing Hai is more important" without hesitation, but the words caught in her throat.
"You wavered."
It was a paradox. Admittedly, a monogamous Sushiye would be lethally attractive. However, if he truly were a monogamous man, he wouldn't possess that extreme sexual charisma. He would be very much like Xing Hai—ascetic and noble. She would still choose Xing Hai without hesitation. These tests of human nature were boring. Fan Li said expressionlessly, "Are you doing another harmless little test?"
Mr. Ada laughed loudly and stopped teasing her.
"Miss Fan Li, actually I’ve always been curious—what race were you originally? I’m usually a good judge of character, but I can't see any racial or cultural traits in you. Could it be that you weren't originally of the Sea Race?"
"Yes, I came from the land."
"The land? Are you human?" Seeing her nod, Mr. Ada looked at her with newfound respect. "You aren't even of the Sea Race, yet you’re risking the promotion to the Predator Race?"
"Because I need to live until two thousand years from now."
"Why two thousand years... wait, are you saying Academician Suye has already developed a soul-swapping potion that crosses time and space?"
"Yes."
"By my Progenitor God Sephi, her speed is truly unexpected... However, if you successfully promote to the Predator Race, you probably won't want to return to the land, will you?"
"I still want to go back."
"Why? Human lifespans are so short. If this body were human, at this age, you’d already have one foot in the grave."
"It has nothing to do with lifespan, just a sense of belonging." Fan Li shook her head. "The world I live in isn't as colorful as this one, but it’s peaceful. I have parents and friends, and there are prestigious universities like Luoya University waiting for me. I don't have much ambition; I just want to be a good student, support myself, and then become a technical talent to help my country solve a tiny, tiny bit of its social problems. At the same time, I’ll earn a little money to buy myself some pretty dresses and start a cozy little family with a boy whose values align with mine."
Mr. Ada was stunned for a moment. "Fan Li, you are a good girl."
"I only seem good because I’m ordinary, having grown up in a peaceful country. In our world, there are no slaves. There are conflicts and prejudices between races, but it’s not as exaggerated as in the Light Sea."
"I suddenly feel a bit envious of the world you live in. No war, no internal strife—could such a utopian nation really exist?"
"Of course it’s not that perfect; everything is relative. It might just be that my living environment was quite simple—nothing but studying."
"Truly an enviable world. If only our world could become like that in two thousand years—though, I might lose my job then, haha."
During her break, Fan Li went to the black market to buy food. Just as she was about to go for some grilled squid, a large hand threw a massive coin stamped with the number "50" to the owner.
"Wrap it all up for her." Whether it was because of his naturally low-pressure personality or because the man’s voice was simply deeper than that of ordinary sea folk, just hearing him speak carried a sense of overwhelming pressure.
"Prince Gath!" The cooking utensils nearly fell from the owner’s hands. "Is it Prince Gath? I never thought I’d see you here!"
Fan Li turned around and saw it was indeed Gath Hitian, draped in a black cloak. He gave a grunt of affirmation. While the owner was packing the food, he grabbed Fan Li’s wrist and led her to a less crowded spot by the roadside. Using a soundproofing spell, he raised his snow-white eyebrows. "You... really aren't Suye?"
"No."
"No wonder she chose you as her double. You are very much like her." Hitian said coldly, "She will return eventually, so remember: do not use her body to do anything unclean."
"Don't worry, I’m very hygienic..." But halfway through, Fan Li realized something was wrong. She frowned. "What do you mean by 'unclean'?"
"Do not let other men touch her body. My wife must be a virgin when she marries me. If you let her body become soiled, even if you return to your original body, I will kill you. Understood?"
These words made Fan Li feel uncomfortable all over. It wasn't because of his harsh views on chastity, but because of the heavy sense of being a squatter in someone else’s home. She said unhappily, "Then find a way to let me go back."
"I cannot do that right now, apologies."
"Then I cannot agree to your request either, apologies." Fan Li said indifferently. "If I get a boyfriend, I can't guarantee nothing will happen with him. So, to stop me, I suggest Your Highness find a way to get her back as soon as possible so we can each return to our own bodies."
"You..." Hitian was somewhat enraged, but he controlled his temper and took out his communicator. "Take my contact information. Listen well: whatever you want, you can come to me. Money, accommodation, a private ship—anything. But you cannot let Suye lose her virginity. This is the rule for a Gath Clan marriage alliance."
Fan Li wanted to say she didn't have a communicator, but seeing his stance, he might just buy her one immediately, which would mean being saddled with a burden she couldn't shake off. She waved him off. "I’m not Suye; we don't need any private dealings. I’m just curious—Suye has been missing for so long, yet you don't seem to care about her personal safety at all. You only care if her body has been defiled by another man. I wonder, do you really love her?"
"Love?" Hitian’s eyes widened slightly, as if he had heard the world’s coldest joke. "Suye and I are simply getting married. Why would I need to love her?"
Getting married without love—impressive. Then again, the descendants of the Progenitor Gods were ancient and powerful races. Literary and theatrical works centered on them were almost always about war and political intrigue; only a tiny fraction were love stories, and those almost always ended in critical tragedies. Perhaps they didn't even have the capacity for "love." Besides, for people like them, how boring was love compared to the delicious taste of power?
The descendants of the Progenitor Gods possessed god-given genes, and most were highly attractive. The "Deep Blue" quality represented by the Gath Clan was "Justice," so their overall temperament was naturally different from the beautiful Buco Clan; they possessed a more cruel, cold air. Gath Hitian was especially good-looking, his profile as perfect as an ancient Greek statue, but he was also as emotionless as a statue. Compared to his rival Sushiye, the latter’s elegance and approachability were truly national treasures.
As for Hitian, she gave up on communicating. After thinking of a thousand words, she finally condensed them into one sentence: "That answer of yours is something else."
"What did you say?"
Why did he always look so fierce? Fan Li was nearly speechless with him. She tried to lighten the mood: "Nothing. I was saying, Prince Gath is so pretty-pretty, there must be many-many girls who like you."
Like Aize, Hitian had spent his life following his father, mostly in the military, and rarely dealt with women. Even when he did, they were Sea God Race women like Princess St. Tifengjin. In over two hundred years of life, no woman had ever dared to speak to him like this. He froze for a long moment, his white eyelashes trembling. "I am a man, you—" His earlobes turned slightly red. "Presumptuous! Frivolous!"
"Alright then. When frivolous me needs money-money, I’ll look for pretty-pretty Prince Gath." Fan Li smiled and waved her communicator, turned to look at the sky, let out a long sigh, and walked back to work without looking back.
***
