Card Room

Shao Qingge drove the suspension car in the direction of the light. It was late at night and the whole sea was quiet and windless. The street lights around the coastline were getting further and further away from them. It was dark all around them. There were many stars visible in the sky and some stars were projected onto the surface of the sea, as if countless diamonds had been spilled across it.

Shao Qingge’s vehicle floated in the air and got closer and closer to the bright light.

Suddenly, a squall blew up around them, it was a hurricane. The team members felt a strong force and their whole bodies suddenly leaned back. Yu Hanjiang hurriedly hugged Xiao Lou’s waist. “Be careful!”

Ye Qi had been sitting on the sofa. Since the suspension car was blown over by the strong wind, he rolled to the rear of the vehicle like a ball. There was a loud ‘boom’ in his ear and the suspension car fell directly into the sea!

If the emergency escape window wasn’t opened in time when the vehicle fell into the water, the window would become more and more difficult to open due to the water pressure outside being greater than the air pressure inside the vehicle. Then the people trapped in the vehicle would suffocate and die.

Yu Hanjiang knew the emergency measures for falling into the sea.

He was quick. The moment the car crashed into the water, he took out the Night Devil Saber and slashed the skylight of the suspension car in one blow. Then he used the light footwork card and flew into the sky with Xiao Lou.

The skylight was split apart and water poured wildly into the car.

Ye Qi was caught off guard. Sea water poured into his mouth and he was forced to expel it, coughing. “Cough… cough!”

He couldn’t swim and a lot of water poured into his lungs while he was coughing. Ye Qi was uncomfortable as he waved his hands and struggled. Shao Qingge hurriedly swam over, grabbed him and swam out of the suspension car through the skylight.

Yu Hanjiang pulled out the white silk card. Shao Qingge grabbed the white cloth and Yu Hanjiang pulled the two of them out of the sea.

Lu Jiuchuan and Tang Ci could swim. They both had quickly held their breaths and climbed out of the suspension car.

At almost the same moment they climbed out, the metal car sank into the deep sea at a speed that was visible to the naked eye. It was only then that Lu Jiuchuan discovered there was a huge vortex nearby!

Lu Jiuchuan couldn’t help cursing. “Fuck! Did Di Renjie point us to a clear path or a dead end? If our reactions weren’t quick enough, we would have drowned…”

Xiao Lou exclaimed, “Everyone, run and pay attention avoiding the whirlpool!”

The vortex in the sea swept toward them like a tornado, threatening to consume all of them. Lu Jiuchuan’s expression changed and he decisively summoned his Vermilion Bird.

The big bird spread open its flame-like wings and flew into the air with Lu Jiuchuan on its back.

Yu Hanjiang threw the white silk card to his brother and Lu Jiuchuan took it smoothly. He tied Tang Ci with the white cloth and flew forward. Yu Hanjiang hugged Xiao Lou while moving away from the vortex with the light footwork card while Shao Qingge took out his teleportation card and helped Ye Qi teleport 50 meters at a time.

Ye Qi’s face was red from the coughing. Shao Qingge patted his back lightly and asked softly, “Are you okay?”

He took out the Night Pearl.

A chill went down Xiao Lou’s spine when he saw the sea area illuminated by the Night Pearl. “Look at the sea!”

His teammates turned their heads. They saw the wreckage of countless ships scattered on the surrounding sea surface and many white bones! Among them was a boat floating crookedly in the sea. The wood of the surface was rotted but they could faintly see a lot of blood on the wood as well as torn clothing.

Ye Qi’s eyes widened. “Is this a… sea restricted area?”

According to legend, there were certain areas of the sea where humans couldn’t enter. It was because it was impossible for those who entered to leave alive. There was the so-called ‘Devil’s Triangle’ in movies. All ships that arrived in this area couldn’t avoid the fate of being sunk.

Based on the wreckage of a large number of ships around them, they had accidentally entered a forbidden area. They could only escape alive by relying on some powerful cards.

The light designated by Di Renjie happened to be in the center of the sea vortex.

Xiao Lou took a deep breath. “What the hell is in there?”

Lu Jiuchuan suggested, “Perhaps that whirlpool is the entrance to the underwater world?”

It was a pity that none of them were professional divers. If they dove toward the bottom of the sea, they could barely survive for a minute or two. After a long time, they could only drown. How could they explore the vortex?

Xiao Lou asked Yu Hanjiang, “What should we do?”

It was the first time he had no idea about what to do next. Di Renjie might’ve helped them find the key sea area but how could they go down there? It would be great if there was Liu Qiao. Xiao Lou remembered that Liu Qiao had the fairy tale ‘Daughter of the Sea’ card in her hand. This could turn the whole team into merpeople and they wouldn’t have to be afraid of the sea.

He was just thinking this when a strange song came through the surface of the sea.

Everything around them was silent. There was only the ethereal and clear singing voice that was like a call from ancient times. It rang softly in everyone’s ears. They couldn’t hear what she was singing about but the sound was soft and beautiful, like it came from Heaven.

Lu Jiuchuan’s expression changed. This was exactly what he had heard before he fell unconscious on the bug planet.

There wasn’t even a shadow around them. It wasn’t known where the song came from.

The song continued, as if there was some magic spell calling them.

The six people gradually became a bit confused, as if a large garden had appeared in the whirlpool on the surface of the sea. There was a road leading into the depths of a sea of flowers that was even more beautiful than a mirage.

Yu Hanjiang pinched his legs and ordered, “Everyone, quickly cover your ears. This sound can confuse you!”

The group returned partially to their senses. Xiao Lou immediately took out the Voice Headset and gave it to everyone. The six people covered their left ears with one hand and pressed down on the bump of the right earpiece with their other hand. The singing could no longer be heard and they regained their sanity.

Ye Qi murmured, “I seemed to have had a hallucination just now?”

Lu Jiuchuan added, “This song is a bit magical. I remember that when I heard the song on the bug planet, I was in a trance and thought I saw Heaven. It must’ve been a illusion!”

Tang Ci said softly, “A marine creature that can sing? It is the legendary mermaid?”

Xiao Lou was stunned before he remembered a rumor. “Right! It was written in the Classic of Mountains and Seas that there was a type of fish person in the deep sea with the upper body of a human and the tail of a fish as the lower body. These fish people like to sing and are very good at confusing people with the magical singing. If a ship passes by and someone hears the fish people’s song, they will be bewitched and follow it until they crash and die. The fish people often use the singing to lure passing ships and kill the humans.”

Ye Qi this and suddenly realized. “I know the mermaids. Fairy tale games often have the mermaid singing setting… the fish people in the ancient Chinese legends are actually the mermaids in Western fantasy legends?”

Xiao Lou nodded. “Yes, it is the deep sea mermaids!”

Xiao Lou thought of the Daughter of the Sea card that Liu Qiao had drawn and had a strange premonition. “Perhaps Xiao Liu, Senior Gui and Old Mo aren’t human this time but deep sea merpeople!”

Lu Jiuchuan couldn’t help saying, “However, if they’re on this planet, why didn’t they react when we used the Peach Blossom Spring? Can’t they teleport if we are all on the same planet?”

Xiao Lou made a guess. “Perhaps the merpeople can’t go to shore or perhaps the deep sea environment blocked the call of the card?” He paused and added, “Of course, I’m just making guesses. I’m not sure if Xiao Liu and the others are here or not.”

Yu Hanjiang had a serious expression. “If Liu Qiao’s group are really merpeople, it is likely that the merpeople have a separate plot line. Something has happened that they need to solve.”

Shao Qingge rubbed his temples. “The question now is how do the six of us enter the environment of the merpeople?” He looked at Ye Qi, whose face was red and his hair was wet. “Xiao Ye and Professor Xiao can’t swim. Group Leader Yu, you might be able to swim but the merpeople live in the deep sea. Humans can’t go down there, right?”

They were stuck in an endless loop.

If Liu Qiao was present then everyone could become merpeople and they didn’t need to be afraid of the sea.

The problem was that they had no idea about Liu Qiao’s whereabouts.

Tang Ci’s expression was sullen. “My drones can’t enter the sea… I knew I should’ve made a mechanical submarine.”

Shao Qingge had a flash of inspiration. “Can I buy a submarine with money?”

Lu Jiuchuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Chief Shao, money can’t solve everything. Submarines are military controlled equipment and ordinary people definitely can’t buy them. I would’ve been able to use my authority to get one in the Locke Empire but I have escaped with Tang Ci… we aren’t familiar with this empire.”

The six people floated in the sea and looked at each other.

There was a moment of silence before Xiao Lou suddenly thought of a method. He hit his forehead energetically. “…Heart has a Tacit Exchange of Romantic Feelings! How could I forget about this?”

Ye Qi’s eyes lit up. “Yes! We can use Heart has a Tacit Exchange of Romantic Feelings to establish a mental connection with teammates. If Liu Qiao is on the planet, we can connect to her and have her come to meet us!”

Xiao Lou immediately summoned Qin Guan, used Heart has a Tacit Exchange of Romantic Feelings and invited Liu Qiao to establish a connection.

The invitation was sent out for a moment before there really was a response.

The familiar girl’s voice was heard in his mind. It contained a bit of doubt. “Professor Xiao?”

Xiao Lou was really pleased hearing this sound!

He hurriedly said, “Xiao Liu, where are you? We are now in the sea of Azure Planet. Since entering the Q secret room, I haven’t seen you. Are you with Senior Gui and Old Mo?”

Liu Qiao, “……”

There was sudden silence in Xiao Lou’s mind.

Xiao Lou was puzzled and wondered, “Xiao Liu?”

Liu Qiao’s voice rang out again. “Professor Xiao, what are you talking about? Didn’t we just meet?”

7th anniversary celebration event

Proofreader: Paranoid Ktten & Fictional Reality