We all looked over at the strange young man. From my impression, he looked like an average guy with above-average looks: short, dark purple hair and deep blue eyes.
Yep, pretty much your standard look—someone you'd forget easily if you only met them once.
Not that I expect much from an extra's extra in the main story, but couldn't the author have added some kind of striking feature for him?
While I was musing, Kiana shot to her feet and asked,
"Hey, you! Who the heck are you?"
There it was—that same familiar greeting. I think she welcomed me the same way when we first met.
"Oh, Kiana, Kiana," I thought, sighing internally.
"Maybe consider not talking to strangers like that? What if he's the kind who'd just smack you right in the face?"
Those were my thoughts, but the guy just kept smiling, unbothered by Kiana's attitude.
Oh, come on, dude, what's with the smile? Are you a simpleton? was what crossed my mind, but I let it go.
"Apologies, apologies," he said, chuckling.
"That was rude of me. My name's Mù Yuè Rěn Dōng, and I'm the author of that manhua you're holding."
He smiled as he pointed to the manhua Kiana was holding—the one I'd just lent her a minute ago.
Wow, this guy really knows how to play the part. I was thinking he could probably score a third-rate role in a low-budget movie. But Kiana seemed more impressed than skeptical and raised her voice in excitement.
"This manhua? Are you saying you wrote The Great Homu Adventure!?"
Hearing Kiana's enthusiastic tone, the guy grinned and replied,
"Yup, that's the one, young lady. But not just this volume—I've released 327 chapters, and there are 52 special volumes out too. The one and only Mo Nguyet Lao Su of The Great Homu Adventure is me! Furthermore..."
He leaned in toward Himeko as he continued, "To create these stories, I've studied a ton of Chinese legends. The tale of Jiuzhou alone is long and complex; how about we discuss it over some snacks and drinks, beautiful lady?"
I stared at him, speechless. Really? Using this as an excuse to hit on her? I could see why he'd go for Himeko, though; as some old wise man once said,
"A real man looks at the chest first." And as for chests, no need to guess who leads the pack around here, haha.
But alas for him, Himeko was currently in a foul mood, so she wasn't going to humor this charmer. Just as I thought that, she grabbed his collar.
"Listen up, you shut-in jerk," she growled.
"Quit running your mouth, and spill what you know already!"
"Oh, wait, hold on, gorgeous," he stammered, suddenly deflating, "don't get mad. I'll tell you everything."
He was caving in already? What a wimp. But fine, if he was going to talk, I might as well sit back and listen.
"Ahem! I heard that back then, when Chi You was defeated by the Yellow Emperor, he escaped to Jiuzhou. This is common knowledge, right?"
We nodded quietly, though I decided to chime in to spice up his storytelling.
"Sure, we know that, but we don't have a clue where this 'Jiuzhou' place actually is."
Apparently pleased by my question, he nodded.
"Ahaha! Jiuzhou is often mentioned in Shan Hai Jing. According to Chinese legend, it's a deep region connected to the Underworld."
"So, does anyone know where the world's deepest point is?" he asked, looking around.
I took the bait and replied, "You're talking about the bottom of the ocean, right?"
Snap—he clicked his fingers and smirked at me. "Bingo. No one has fully explored the ocean's depths yet. So, when they refer to Jiuzhou, it's actually hinting at a spot deep in the southern sea off Guangzhou."
Upon hearing this, Fu Hua nodded in understanding. "The seafloor, huh? That checks out. In Shan Hai Jing, Jiuzhou always appears alongside the sea."
Satisfied, Himeko finally let go of his collar. Unfortunately for him, this sent him sprawling onto the floor with a thud. Ouch. That must've hurt.
With a satisfied smirk, Himeko put her hands on her hips and said, "So, it's on the ocean floor? No wonder we've been combing the mountains and finding nothing.
"Alright," she continued, raising her communicator, "let the Guangzhou department know we'll need a ship for this mission. Please prepare one for us."
After relaying her message, she motioned for us to follow her. "Alright, people, let's start gathering our gear for a dive."
Fu Hua silently got up and followed Himeko. Kiana, looking a bit anxious, hurried after them. "Wait, Auntie Himeko, what about the bill? I don't have any money!"
"Hey, beautiful! At least give me your number!" shouted the author as he dashed after Kiana.
Watching them head off, I trailed along, feeling pretty glum. Why, you ask?
Because… I don't know how to swim, and if it weren't for the Xuanyuan Sword, no way would I take on this kind of insane mission.
And so, I followed them, resigned to my fate.
***
In another corner of the restaurant
A petite girl with pinkish hair covering one eye and fierce, golden eyes glared at us from her seat.
With her knees up on the chair, she dug into a spread of Chinese dishes, baring sharp teeth as she grumbled to herself.
"Damn it! Who the heck is that smug idiot? How does he know so much? Half the scroll is still in our possession."
She stomped her foot in frustration, her face twisted with anger.
"That guy's just asking for it. We should tie him up and interrogate him. Maybe hack off a few fingers while we're at it."
As she muttered threats, a deep, elegant voice came through her earpiece, trying to calm her down.
"Relax, if you overdo it, you'll ruin the plan. Head back; we'll handle things with Himeko's group."
"Understood..."
"Oh, one more thing..."
"What now?"
Annoyed, she barely held the phone properly to her ear as she listened.
"You're at that Chinese restaurant, right? How's the food there? If it's good, bring me some too, yeah?"
"No way," she replied bluntly, and hung up, just as the server brought another dish to her table.
*****
A few moments later~
We were waiting for the boat at the harbor. Blue skies, cool ocean breeze—ha, yeah right!
Standing here all this time, my legs were starting to feel sore. Even Fu Hua glanced down at her watch.
"Looks like it'll be another four hours before our ship arrives."
After hearing this, Himeko couldn't hold back her complaint.
"Ugh, what a waste of time."
Exactly. Blue ocean, my foot—let's go home. That thought kept playing in my head on a loop.
Oh, you're all asking why I hate the sea? This landlubber here's disliked it since childhood. Long story, so I'll spare you the details.
While Kiana was busy watching the docked ships, I was eyeing the seagulls with a dead-fish stare, and Fu Hua kept checking the time on her wristwatch. Then a voice drew our attention.
"Well, isn't this a coincidence? We meet again."
Hmph, he followed us all the way here, huh? Coincidence, my foot. You're not fooling anyone, buddy—I know you just pretended to split up halfway but secretly tailed us the whole time.
"Looks like you all are having some trouble. Need any help? I could give you a ride if you'd like."
No thanks. Maybe I'd have considered it earlier, but now that I've seen the sea, I've changed my mind—I just want to go home! Oh, how I wish I could scream that out loud and cry.
While I was wrestling with my own thoughts, Himeko shot him a glare.
"It's you again? Why are you still here?"
"Since we left the restaurant, he's been tailing us, Aunt Himeko," Kiana chimed in to clear up Himeko's question. The manhua artist then opened his mouth to speak.
"Oh, come on! I'm a manhua artist, remember? How could I miss an exciting adventure like this? This is prime material!"
And of course, I just happen to have a yacht at the harbor. If you'll let me tag along, you're all welcome to use it."
No thanks! And drop that smug tone—that's what we call a "crow's mouth." As if provoked by his words, Himeko grabbed his collar and issued a warning.
"Don't mess with me! This isn't some fun little trip we're on. There could be monsters underwater. If you value your life, beat it!"
Second time today, huh? This guy sure knows how to press our buttons. But, in response to Himeko's threat, he only smiled smugly and kept on taunting.
"Aren't you all in a bit of a hurry? Unfortunately, I was born with a curious, adventurous spirit. Even if you don't let me join, I'll find my own way to follow along."
After a moment of silence, Himeko let go and replied coldly.
"Fine, you said it. I'll allow you to come. But if anything happens to you out there, don't expect me to save you. Even if you're about to die, I won't lift a finger. Understood?"
In response, he only grinned wider and led us over to his yacht.
It was a big, fancy yacht with a Homu bunny logo on the side.
"Whoa! So cool!" Kiana's eyes lit up as she excitedly hopped around, admiring the boat.
I had to admit, I was a little impressed. Guess being a manhua artist pays well.
"Are you sure it's safe to bring him along, Major?"
Fu Hua asked Himeko, pushing her glasses up with a finger.
Himeko smirked with a confident glint in her eye.
"Hah, I have my own way of dealing with him. Alright, let's get on board, everyone."
As everyone started boarding, Kiana noticed me standing there, staring blankly at the sky, and came over to pat my shoulder.
Whack
"What are you spacing out for, Yumeji? Come on, or we're leaving you behind!"
"Ah, right, coming."
With a sigh of resignation, I stepped onto the boat. Who knows, maybe I'll get seasick after all?
While my mood was utterly gloomy, that artist's excitement was through the roof. He eagerly grabbed the wheel, brimming with energy.
"All right! Is everyone ready? If so, let's set sail! Let's go!"