Chapter 166 (1/2)

Nangong Sanba cautiously sat at the table. It was another bad day for him. He had faced off with two elder werewolves. These werewolves had been alive for the past 1000 years and no demon hunter could really have an advantage against them. Being a half-baked demon hunter himself, Nangong Sanba was like a sheep walking into a wolf pack. He was still trembling from fear. He drew his crossbow because it made him look more heroic although he knew deep inside that he would not have stood a chance…

Hao Ren and Vivian offered words of apology to Nangong Sanba. As for Bluphlei and Blushedt, witnessing for themselves how all the unusual creatures got along so well, their doubt vanished. They began to marvel at how many more secrets were hidden in this tiny shelter: never before has there been a demon hunter who could assimilate with unusual creatures, not in a thousand years. But, it happened right before their eyes. It would make sensational news.

Of course, Hao Ren would not allow it to become news. He specifically gave the gag order. Basically the narrative ran like this: the place was a sanctuary of solitary; as demon hunters were becoming stronger, news of Nangong Sanba’s defection would jeopardize the safety of the moles he had planted among the demon hunters. So, the two elder werewolves agreed not to divulge the secret.

Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief as the misunderstanding had been cleared. Worried about the little mermaid, Hao Ren took her from Nangong Wuyue. The little mermaid had stopped crying; she lay on the table, her tail stretched straight and her hands crossed. She was lying there there in dead silence!

Hao Ren was shocked. He held her up with one hand, he slapped her face lightly and caressed her tail—the intimate gestures she always liked—but this time, she did not respond. Her eyes were shut and her body was stiff.

Everyone panicked. They tried to wake her up by calling her name and pulling her tail but it was futile. The lively baby fish seemed to have become a dead fish.

“How did this happen?” Lily was almost crying. “She was as lively as a cricket a moment ago. She’s dead now…?”

“Bollocks!” Vivian slapped Lily on the head. She then sniffed the little mermaid. “Doesn’t smell dead. She’s still breathing. She might be sleeping.”

Hao Ren quickly put Lil Pea next to his ear and listened—no heart beat. He reached his finger under her nose—then he felt her breath. It was very soft breathing. Slow but calm. Vivian was right, the little one was sleeping soundly.

“What’s happening?” Hao Ren was confused. The little mermaid’s body felt dead cold. “She was still crying just moments ago. And now she’s asleep?”

Nangong Wuyue thought for a long moment and came up with a wild guess. “Is she hibernating?”

Everyone was silent. Hao Ren glanced around, snow flakes were everywhere. It was Vivian’s doing. She had turned the temperature in the living room 20°C below zero. The food on the table was basically cold. The little mermaid’s body was as hard as a frozen fish. Could she have started hibernating?

Vivian could not hide the awkwardness on her face as she smiled. “She’s hibernating? That was fast…”

Hao Ren stared curiously at her, marveling at her strange biological behavior and the wonders of a different race. “She bathes in hot water and sleeps at – 20°C. Creatures from the alien world are amazing. How can we wake her up?”

“Boil her in water?” Lily’s ears stood erect. Her suggestion was rather creative.

Her crude method was opposed unanimously—not because they were afraid the little mermaid would be cooked but, they were concerned that Lil Pea would catch a cold after all the sudden swings of temperature…

Hao Ren decided to let Lil Pea defrost naturally in room temperature, giving her the time to slowly adjust her body to the environment’s temperature and not fall ill. He felt he had a responsibility to take good care of her even though the little mermaid was tough like a tank. However, the whole scene was a little strange: the little mermaid was lying down in the midst of a table full of food. Ignorant folks could have mistaken the diners for a bunch of cannibals.

“Hey…wait a minute!” Nangong Sanba, who was not getting a chance to say a thing, was shoved out from the crowd. He pointed at the baby fish on the plate. “What… what’s this?”

Hao Ren said, “Oh, that’s my daughter. She was unexpected.”

Nangong Sanba held Nangong Wuyue by her hand, almost in tears. “My dear sister, I’m not against you marrying the guy but, you’ve got to at least give me a heads-up. We come from a conservative family, we don’t marry in haste—and definitely no shotgun weddings…”