"It must be an evil water spirit that wants our blood!" Another said it with a blood-drained expression.
"Indeed, I am what you say." Xu Kai got to his feet. "Tell me. Who sent you to—?"
Whoosh—! The boss of the thugs swiftly took a proper stance and blasted flames out of his palms.
It was like his palms had transformed into flamethrowers. As the jet of fire reflected in Xu Kai's crimson eyes, shock could be spotted.
He knew none of these thugs had broken through to the Bodiless Realm so how was it possible for that thug to release such massive flames that required deep fire dao knowledge?
His eyes wandered over and he saw other thugs throwing pills inside their mouths.
His eyes swiftly constricted.
Although this body looked powerful, its strength wasn't any different than his, so apart from looking different, there were no other gains from this form.
Xu Kai swiftly took a step back and fell into the water with a mild splash.
Before he vanished into the water, a word flashed through his mind. 'Chengs!'
"Hahaha, the b*st*rd is gone." The boss burst into laughter.
"It seems like Lady Cheng Xiao knew we would need these flame-boosting pills." One of his lackeys said.
"Did you see the shock on his face when he saw the flames?" One mocked, causing the others to laugh even louder.
Suddenly —!
The skies grew darker and the waves of the sea became so fierce that each wave caused so much commotion that they thought the boat would capsize.
"Brothers… I… I'm not sure that spirit left." The man's words had not been properly digested when a massive shark burst out of the wave.
They could see and count the number of knife shaped teeth that could bore huge holes in their bodies.
As the ferocious sea beast flew past two thugs, its pectoral fins, sharper than mortal blades, cut through their skins. Instantly, ice spread into their bodies!
The boss quickly pushed his two remaining lackeys forward, opened a box, and began to prepare the weapon inside.
By the time he stood back up, his lackeys, both of them, stood on Xu Kai's right and left. Blood trickled down their lips and was washed down by the rain.
Plop—!
They fell, like the first two.
Xu Kai's crimson eyes met the boss' eyes. "Cheng Xiao sent you to kill small kids and you went ahead because of money. Clearly, you have no morals or sense of humanity. You're a beast, much worse than an actual one."
His cold voice slammed the man's heart.
In the end, after all Xu Kai said, the thug pointed the spear at him. "What connection do you have with them?"
Xu Kai smirked. "You might survive the sea so I'll let you send them a message. Tell them. Xu Wulin won't let you harm his son."
In the next moment, he transformed into a Spirit Skylark Shark and vanished into the sea's depths.
Even after the skies cleared and the light of the sun brightened the place, the thug remained frozen.
"Xu Wulin. Isn't that Xu boy's father and the most renowned blacksmith on the island who died nine years ago?!"
Goosebumps covered his body and the sun's warmth couldn't drive away the internal chill that almost consumed him.
"Xu Wulin used the Skylark as a brand for his works. To think that after he died, he became a Skylark Shark spirit and those patterns and that water coverage over his body truly prove he's now a water spirit!"
The man shuddered. He lifted his head and saw the shores a short distance away. A small figure stood on a stone, waving at him.
"That's Xu Wulin's son!" Fear drilled into the thug. He grabbed the paddle and began to move the boat away from the shores.
When he was far away from sight, Xu Kai put down his hand and chuckled. He looked at the remaining petal and smiled in triumph.
"I guess Xu Wulin is born. Forgive me, father," he said, cupping his fist toward the sea and jumping down.
"Qing Xian. Hurry up, I'm on my way to Fatty Tian's shop!"
A small head came out of the treehouse. "Brother, why are you always in a hurry?" She grumbled while making her way down and running after Xu Kai.
****
Several hours later...
A thug was led into a circular hall by two guards wearing bamboo armor and straw hats. Only their spear heads were made of mortal grade metal ore.
Inside the hall, Cheng Wei, the patriarch of the family, sat on a large chair. His daughter, Cheng Xiao, stood, discussing matters with him, while Cheng Yu stood on the sidelines.
The hall had a fiery aesthetic, making it seem like you were one step away from a volcano.
The thug's entrance made them turn toward him. Upon seeing him, Cheng Xiao's expression turned ugly.
"You failed to deal with a small brat?!" She scowled.
Cheng Wei frowned. Although he wasn't aware of his daughter's plans, her words gave him the chance to put the pieces together.
Still, he didn't question her. Because his thoughts matched those of his daughter's, but his position restricted him from acting as freely as she did.
"Xu Wulin stopped us. He severely wounded the others and sent me to inform you not to try harming his son!"
Cheng Xiao tilted her head. "Have you gone insane? Xu Wulin? Are you telling me that a man who died nine years ago appeared and wounded your men?!!"
"It's the truth! Xu Wulin was obsessed with the Skylark Shark and this is the same beast he appeared to us as! Even the sky became dark and rain fell!"
"It rained? We saw no rain." Cheng Yu said it with a raised brow.
"You're delusional." Cheng Xiao sneered.
"No, I'm not! I saw Xu Wulin, and I saw him transform into a Skylark Shark several times. He could cause waves and make it rain! Only a spirit can do that!" The thug screamed like he was going hysterical.
His reaction made Cheng Xiao and her son quiet.
The thug must have seen something that would make him scream right in front of patriarch Cheng Wei.
"I… Is Xu Kai's father actually protecting his son?" Cheng Yu's lips trembled. He didn't feel comfortable going into the sea, knowing fully well that the father of the boy they plotted to eliminate could appear at any moment.
"Cheng Xiao. You acted recklessly. Leave the boy. The jade tag will return to our family by tomorrow." Cheng Wei finally spoke and his words caught his daughter and his grandson's attention.