The Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 1588 - A Confession from the Sunset Palace's Mermaid Princess

Qing Shui was not afraid of any tricks they might have up their sleeves. For a warrior of his level, traps were useless.

As he followed the Apeman, he noticed that many people greeted him respectfully. It seemed like the Apeman had a decent position here.

The surrounding tents piqued Qing Shui's interest. There were tents everywhere as far as he could see, but he did not feel threatened at all.

The Apeman kept quiet and walked hurriedly, followed by Qing Shui. He did not seem to be moving quickly, but he was able to keep up with the apeman rather effortlessly.

"The Palace Lord's tent is just up ahead. I cannot escort you any further, as it is against the rules." The Apeman's tone became polite after he witnessed Qing Shui strength.

Qing Shui did not doubt his words. He could feel a powerful presence from the middle tent. He nodded and started walking towards the tent, but stopped right in front of it.

Then, a soft voice came from inside the tent,"What? Don't tell me you're scared already?" The voice was very soothing. Without replying, Qing Shui entered the tent.

The tent was very spacious. It was lightly decorated with nothing lavish. The interior was mostly grey, with some floating furniture. Overall, it was simple but impressive.

In the tent sat a woman sipping on some tea. Qing Shui could sense that she was strong, but there was also something not quite human. He recalled hearing a rumor saying that the Sunset Palace was ruled by Mermaids.

This woman was probably a Mermaid. She had a slender body with magnificent curves. She looked very sexy even though she was sitting. Qing Shui then looked at her face. It was stunning. She had dazzling eyes and beautiful brows. Her long gorgeous hair was clipped with a blue hairpin, making her look more elegant.

The woman stood up, showing her long, slender legs. She was slightly shorter than Qing Shui. She just smiled at Qing Shui.

"Are you the Palace Lord?" Qing Shui asked with a smile, rather amused.

"Do I not look like the Palace Lord?"

"Not really."

"Take a seat." The woman said and poured a cup of tea for Qing Shui.

"What's with the sudden visit?" The woman continued as she poured the tea. She did not ask Qing Shui for his identity, because she already knew.

"I was just wandering around and somehow ended up here, so I thought of paying you a visit." Qing Shui told the truth.

However, the woman seemed to doubt his words. Well, no one sane would have trusted him straight away with such blithe words like that.

"My, what confidence you have, Master Qing! You came here alone and yet you're not nervous at all." The woman laughed out loud.

"The Sunset Palace is an interesting name, huh? I wonder why it was named so." Qing Shui changed the subject.

"How rude. How could you ignore my question?" The woman seemed to be pouting, but her tone was still gentle.

"There's nothing to be nervous about anyways. Now, I've realized that this is a Mermaid paradise." Qing Shui replied. Even though she was the Palace Lord of Sunset Palace, she was rather charming. He thought it might be a good idea to be a little flirty.

That was what he thought, but the woman did not seem to waver at all. He was surprised at how composed she was. Had he lost all of his charm…?

"Even you are full of lies. I guess good men are now extinct." The woman chuckled at Qing Shui.

Qing Shui paused, then smiled. "You're the first one to say that I'm a good man."

"Oh. Why so?"

"Because I'm a pervert. I can't resist temptations."

"There you go again with your lies. Do you have eyes for your Palace Mistress?" The woman smirked.

"Alright, let's end this topic here. Though I do think that it's time for you to find a man." Qing Shui replied.

The woman was flustered, shook her head and then said, "Let's end this topic then. What business do you have here today? A peace negotiation?" The woman said, still with a smile on her face.

"Well, forget about negotiations. I just came to see what kind of person someone who doesn't go with the flow is. I also want to know what your actual thoughts are and what is it that you really want." Qing Shui said bluntly, but his expression looked like an old friend joking around.

It was the first time someone had ever spoken to her like that. Moreover it was a young man. She didn't lost her cool just like that, but she still felt uncomfortable. No one liked to have their mistakes pointed out. It was not easy to accept criticism positively.

"I don't care how I do things, as long as I get the results. What do you think, Mr. Qing?" The woman was still smiling, but it seemed forced.

"You haven't answered my question. What are your intentions towards the Sea King Palace?" Qing Shui repeated his question.

"The Sea King's Palace destroyed my subordinates, the Sea Dragon Palace and the Vicious Shark Palace. Do I need any other reason?" The woman glanced at Qing Shui, hoping to see any reaction, but she failed.

Qing Shui shook his head,"There's definitely more to it than just this. Come on, spit it out. I do not wish to settle this unpleasantly."

The woman stared at Qing Shui. This man was not easy to deal with. Not only was he strong, he also had remarkable confidence as well. Such vigor... she could barely hold back the urge to fight him.

She laughed at her own thoughts. How many years had it been since the last time she felt like this, she wondered. Could this be destiny?

However, she did not want to make this man a foe, nor did she want him to kill or hurt her. These feelings inside her grew more and more intense.

He was good at reading people, so he quickly noticed that something weird was going on with her expression. "What's wrong?"

The woman came back to her senses. She quickly recovered, smiled and replied, "Would you believe me if I said that I want you?"

Qing Shui flinched. It was hard to understand a woman's thought process. Most of the time he thought they were just unreasonable and unpredictable.

Puzzled, Qing Shui stared at the woman. He could not help but admit that she was extremely beautiful, even comparable to Muyun Qingge and Yiye Jiange - she was a Mermaid after all.

"I'm being serious here. If you agree to be my lover, I can let go of everything here." The woman said blushing, making her look more attractive.

Qing Shui did not expect this sudden pleasant surprise, and he was not prepared for this. Normally he was the one who made the first move. But this time, the one making a move on him was a mature, elegant and strong, beautiful Mermaid. Plus, she was the Palace Lord of Sunset Palace. Moreover, this was their first time meeting.

"Now, what can you do to make me believe you?" Qing Shui was filled with a sense of accomplishment.

"I'm not a kid anymore, you know. I belong to the proud Mermaid race. You might not believe me but when I look at you I get this nostalgic and familiar feeling, as though I've known you for a long time." The woman said truthfully.

"Only a hero is befitting for a beauty like you. I'm no hero, so I can't accept your proposal." Qing Shui rejected her.

Qing Shui also remembered a rumor saying that she had cast away all romantic feelings ever since she gotten hurt in the past. Although he did not doubt her completely, he had already decided not to be involved with women like this. He already had a lot of women. There were plenty of good women out there, but there was no way he could have them all.

Women always became more excited the more they get rejected [ED note: what…]. The Sunset Palace Lord felt a blow when she realized that Qing Shui was really rejecting her. Despite her killer looks and her cultivation in charm techniques, this was the first time someone had rejected her.

"Am I not beautiful? I know what the rumors about me are, but I can assure you, I have never had a man before. Indeed, I was in a relationship once, but I never even held hands with him. Of course, I have cut off all ties with him ages ago." She said seriously.

"Yes, it's true that you're beautiful. But why would you want a man who can get any pretty lady he sees?" Qing Shui laughed and replied.

The woman paused, then said, "Okay. How about we have a duel tomorrow, just to make an excuse for me to withdraw my troops? This is a one-time offer."

Qing Shui could sense the tension in the air but he kept his smile and said, "Okay then. I will take my leave now."

As Qing Shui was about to exit the tent, a voice rang behind him, "Tomorrow, the Sunset Palace shall bring forth the Silver Battle King Crab."