Chapter 40: The Young Beast

After returning to Wisdom City, Quan Zhi did not let down his guard. Instead, he dispersed his mermen, using them as scouts to keep constant watch on the direction of the tiger flood-dragon. If that colossal beast were to rampage through the area and smash his fledgling city to pieces, all his years of effort would be in vain. Such an outcome was utterly unacceptable to Quan Zhi, for the destruction of his foundation would be a blow worse than death itself.

For more than ten days, the merman scouts kept vigilant watch on the tiger flood-dragon until it finally left the sea near Wisdom City, allowing Quan Zhi to breathe a sigh of relief and count his blessings. Meanwhile, the Ink Sea Beast also survived, though it was not quite as Quan Zhi remembered its kind. Normally timid and docile, this particular beast was erratic, even injuring several mermen by mistake. As a result, the mermen of Wisdom City dared not provoke it and could only attempt to tame it gradually.

Months passed, and one day, a merman came to report urgent news to Quan Zhi—the Ink Sea Beast was in trouble. Startled by this, Quan Zhi hurried to the enclosure where the beast was kept. This uncontrollable creature had sparked in him the hope of forging a war machine; if he could tame it, it would become a formidable force, equal to a hundred or two hundred merman guards. Losing it would be tantamount to losing all those warriors at once.

When Quan Zhi arrived, he found the beast half-collapsed on the ground, groaning in distress. “What’s going on?” he demanded, turning to the governor for an answer. The governor could only shake his hands helplessly. Quan Zhi looked next to the merman slaves, who all bowed their heads—even the governor didn’t know, so how could they dare to presume?

“Lord of the City, I know!” Suddenly, a slave stepped out from among the others and called out, “It’s about to give birth! Back at the Royal Court, I was in charge of raising sea foals; I’ve witnessed their births before, and this is exactly the same!”

“Give birth?” Quan Zhi stared in surprise at the Ink Sea Beast, and then a wave of joy swept through him. Over the past months, the beast had only mated once. If it was truly about to give birth, the nature of its offspring was obvious—it would be the child of that great beast, the very sight of which had left Quan Zhi anxious and at a loss for how to respond. If it was indeed the beast’s progeny and could be tamed, Quan Zhi would become the undisputed king, the perfect successor to the wisdom of the former king.

With this thought, Quan Zhi looked again at the slave who had spoken, finding something vaguely familiar about him. Suddenly, realization dawned. It had always been this one slave offering small suggestions and asking questions. Quan Zhi had never cared before, believing it the slave’s duty to share his master’s burdens. Now, he realized that every suggestion had come from this slave with the white tail fin.

Quan Zhi recognized the significance of the white tail fin. It was said that his father and the former king had both been ensnared by the white-finned mermen. Yet, to Quan Zhi, that was clearly the result of his uncle Quan An’s schemes.

“What is your name?” Quan Zhi asked. The slave immediately bowed low, pressing his forehead into the dirt with utmost respect. “I once bore a lowly name, Bai Que. After becoming a slave, I was known only as the Lord’s slave. I beg my Lord to grant me a new name so that I might become a true merman again. I would be eternally grateful.”

Seeing such humility, Quan Zhi felt a surge of satisfaction and replied offhandedly, “Ink. You shall be called Bai Mo.” “Thank you, Lord, for bestowing me a name!” Bai Mo exclaimed in delight. For a slave, receiving a name from the master meant emancipation from slavery and entry into the ranks of freemen. Among the slaves, those who had once bullied Bai Mo now lowered their heads, faces pale and trembling with fear.

Quan Zhi asked, “Bai Mo, do you know what to do in this situation? Will the beast’s birth go smoothly?” “Well...” Bai Mo, newly named, pondered for a moment before answering, “My Lord, from the current state, it seems unlikely to go well. I once saw something similar at the Royal Court—the great sea foal died in labor, but the young one survived.”

He answered honestly, the memory vivid. That incident had changed his fate: the death of the sea foal had resulted in a charge of ‘slacking’ from the slave overseer, who then sent Bai Mo south with Quan Zhi. Indeed, a single difficult birth had altered his entire life. Although all slaves, there were stark differences between those of the Royal Court, the Seven Cities, and the frontier settlements.

“The great sea foal died and the young one lived?”

Hearing this, Quan Zhi’s heart leapt with joy. If the Ink Sea Beast’s offspring survived, the mother’s death would be a small price. What he truly feared was both mother and child dying, which would leave him with nothing. After a tense wait, accompanied by the beast’s anguished cries, a small, round creature slid out of its body, steaming hot, with a fragile shell gleaming with some mysterious luster. With the birth complete, the Ink Sea Beast let out a mournful wail and collapsed, breathing its last.

To bear the child of a divine beast demanded more life force than words could express, and there were only ever two outcomes: the mother survives and the child dies, or the child survives and the mother perishes. This beast had chosen the latter.

Seeing the infant safely delivered, Quan Zhi burst into laughter and hurried over, carefully lifting the newborn. There was hope for him yet. “Uncle, just wait. One day, I will reclaim my rightful throne!”

“As for the Ink Sea Beast... never mind, let’s not eat it. After all, it bore such a rare offspring. Give it a proper burial. If anyone dares to desecrate the corpse, they will be executed without mercy!”

Cradling the infant, Quan Zhi turned to the slaves and commanded, “Bai Mo, this task is yours. Make sure everything is done flawlessly; do not disappoint me!” “At once!” Bai Mo replied, overjoyed, bowing deeply in obedience.

“Go! Find the nearest sea beasts for me—alive, and of the kind that gives milk. Don’t bring back any egg-laying beasts!” “Whoever captures a suitable beast will be freed from slavery and enrolled as a citizen!” “All of you, go search!”