Shuishu and Zidian

If Shui Miaomiao had not come looking for Xu Mu, Xu Mu would have taken the initiative to find her.

That was because he had just learned something extremely important: one stage of the clan chief election would highlight the candidate’s leadership and prestige.

In this contest, Shui Shu and Shui Yuanyao were not allowed to fight.

As for leadership experience and the like, those were secondary.

The most important thing was to find young experts willing to help.

The more powerful allies one had, the greater the chances of winning. That was why Xu Mu had intended to volunteer himself.

He had not expected Shui Miaomiao to come to him first.

It seemed that she had already thought of this from the moment she first struck up a conversation with him.

“What kind of help? Aren’t you afraid of being targeted just because you’re spending so much time with me?”

Xu Mu asked with a smile.

“I’m not afraid. You’re only wanted by two major races. That’s a personal grudge between you and them,” Shui Miaomiao explained. “They won’t say anything just because I’m close to you—unless you’re wanted by all four major races.”

“I see. Even so, I should probably keep a low profile.”

Xu Mu took a black robe from his body and put it on. “I have a pretty good impression of you, so let’s find somewhere to talk. If it’s just a small favor, I can probably help.”

“Thank you.”

Shui Miaomiao pointed ahead. “There’s a private room in that teahouse. We can talk there.”

Xu Mu nodded.

After the two of them left, the remaining members of the Water Spirit Clan all turned to look at their backs.

“Elder, Miaomiao, she…”

“That’s right. It’s exactly what you’re thinking. She wants to invite Xu Mu to join us. I want to as well, but I can’t be the one to say it.”

The Water Spirit Clan’s elder shook his head slightly. After all, he was a prominent figure.

If he openly did such a thing, the Black Moon Clan and the Netherworld Clan would certainly think he was deliberately going against them.

Shui Miaomiao, however, was different. As a junior, she would not be made things difficult for by those two races.

At most, they would pressure her to stop associating with Xu Mu in the future.

Under Shui Miaomiao’s guidance, Xu Mu arrived at a private room on the second floor of a teahouse.

Shui Miaomiao told Xu Mu that the owner of this teahouse was one of her father’s informants, mainly responsible for gathering intelligence.

There were many other businesses like this throughout the royal city. Some worked for the Council of Elders, while others served the clan’s direct descendants.

Using his perception, Xu Mu examined everything around him.

As expected of the royal city of a first-rate race, it was far more prosperous than any city he had seen in the Inner Realm.

Along the main streets stood rows of solar-powered streetlights.

The goods being sold were also varied. Even modern clothing and uncommon items such as children’s toys could be found in abundance.

The only major difference between this place and the outside world was probably the architectural style.

All the buildings here were made of stone. The tallest were only three stories high, and there were no skyscrapers.

As they approached the teahouse, Xu Mu suddenly stopped in his tracks.

“What’s wrong?” Shui Miaomiao asked curiously.

“Nothing.”

Xu Mu smiled and shook his head. More than a thousand meters away, he had spotted someone familiar.

It was Zidian of the Black Moon Clan—the legendary genius.

He was sitting alone in a private room on the third floor of a restaurant. A token lay on the table in front of him.

Xu Mu followed Shui Miaomiao into the teahouse, and the two of them soon arrived at a private room on the second floor.

The private rooms were separated by stone walls, providing excellent privacy.

The room was not large. In the center stood an extremely smooth stone table, with sofas on either side. There was also a window opposite them.

It was the sort of window commonly found in high-rise buildings, with excellent insulation and sealing.

A waiter entered with them, brought over a pot of tea and a plate of pastries, then withdrew and closed the door behind him.

“This room is very private. No one outside can hear what’s being said inside.”

Shui Miaomiao smiled at Xu Mu.

Xu Mu raised a hand. “I feel some kind of primordial power rampaging through my body. Could you give me the length of one song?”

“Of course.”

Shui Miaomiao picked up the teapot and poured tea into Xu Mu’s cup.

At that moment, Xu Mu used his perception to observe the private room more than a thousand meters away. Normally, he would not have needed to pay such close attention.

But just now, the token on Zidian’s table had flashed, and a woman had appeared inside the room.

The woman removed the hood of her black robe, revealing a mature and alluring face.

It was none other than Shui Shu.

Since the two of them had met, Xu Mu naturally had to listen carefully.

Meanwhile.

After removing her hood, Shui Shu sat down opposite Zidian. “You suddenly called me out. What is it?”

“It’s nothing major. But given our relationship, I definitely couldn’t keep it from you.”

Zidian leaned back in his chair and gazed at the noble woman before him.

Whenever he thought about how this woman, so noble and pure in front of outsiders, privately served him, he could not help but feel excited.

As a genius, he had no shortage of women—beautiful women least of all.

But after playing around for a long time, one’s threshold for pleasure naturally rose.

For him, the source of that pleasure had shifted from appearance to status.

Only high-ranking figures who seemed noble and untouchable to outsiders, or exceptionally talented women from prestigious backgrounds, could give him the thrill of conquest he craved.

“Stop beating around the bush. If there’s something to say, just say it.”

Shui Shu giggled, exuding a seductive charm.

She casually picked up a grape from the plate and popped it into her mouth.

“A few days ago, I ran into the legendary Hao Yang at a ruin,” Zidian explained. “At the time, my clan’s elder and I hadn’t yet reached the deepest part, but he had already come out. That made me suspect he had obtained some treasure.”

“Really?”

A smile appeared on Shui Shu’s face. “So you attacked him?”

“That’s right. The elder and I had both heard of his reputation, but neither of us had ever fought him, so we wanted to test him.”

At this point, Zidian changed the subject. “We lost, but he didn’t intend to finish us off. He only took our spatial rings. My phone was inside mine as well.”

Upon hearing this, the smile on Shui Shu’s face abruptly vanished.

She demanded sharply, “What did you say? Are you saying our videos fell into his hands?”

“That’s right. I could have kept it from you, but considering our relationship, I came here especially to tell you.”

Zidian explained.

Bang!

Shui Shu slammed her fist into the stone table, shattering it on the spot. The plates on top smashed into pieces as well.

Her mature, charming face suddenly twisted with rage. “Zidian! Are you expecting me to thank you? If that video gets out, how am I supposed to show my face again?”

“Don’t get excited!”

Zidian hurriedly waved his hands. “It was a newly replaced phone, and there weren’t many videos on it. Besides, his goal was obviously the treasures. He might not even look at them.”

“But what if he does? I didn’t want to record them in the first place! You insisted. Now that things have turned out like this, how are you going to compensate me?”

Shui Shu clenched her fists and snarled.

“Doesn’t that prove how much I love you? When you aren’t with me, I rely on those videos to comfort myself.”

Zidian walked over to Shui Shu and spoke softly. “Don’t worry. I’ll definitely make it up to you. I can promise you this: the position of Water Spirit Clan chief is yours and yours alone.”

…

Xu Mu lifted his teacup and took a light sip.

So that was how it was.

Earlier, he had thought the phone Hao Yang gave him was meant to relay messages. He never expected it to have belonged to Zidian all along.

“Mr. Xu Mu, how are you feeling now?” Shui Miaomiao asked with concern from across the table.