Mermaid Circus

In Douluo Continent, in the coastal region of Bin Xing City.

Jiang Mian and his group walked through the streets, admiring the bustling scenery of Bin Xing City.

Several children ran past them, happily holding windmills. The shouts of vendors filled the air, and the goods on display were dazzling and overwhelming.

"Look, look! The most famous Mermaid Circus in the Star Luo Empire is touring Bin Xing City!" A plump little fellow, holding a promotional poster, shouted loudly, attracting a crowd.

"The Mermaid Circus?" Xie Yue was slightly surprised. He murmured to himself, "How could such a large and famous circus come to tour a place like this?"

"Are they very famous?" Jiang Mian and Xie Di both looked towards Xie Yue.

"More than famous," Xie Yue said with a serious expression. "Their tickets are incredibly hard to get. Nana has always wanted to see their performance but never had the chance."

"Their main act is taming Spirit Beasts. I heard the Spirit Beasts can perform many difficult moves."

"Interesting," Jiang Mian chuckled. "Since we have nothing else to do, shall we go and see?"

"Listen up, everyone! I'm letting you in on an inside scoop." The little plump fellow stood in the middle of the crowd, speaking mysteriously. "The Mermaid Circus recently acquired a very rare Spirit Beast. They're debuting it for the first time. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a chance to witness history!"

"A very rare Spirit Beast? How rare?" Jiang Mian sneered. "It's not a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast, is it?"

"You jest, friend." The little plump fellow gave an awkward laugh and scratched his head. "It's a thousand-year-old Dragon Person Spirit Beast. These Spirit Beasts are said to live in the deep sea and only come to shallow waters when they're just weaned. The one the Mermaid Circus has was just weaned, luckily caught by fishermen, and then bought by the passing Mermaid Circus."

"Dragon Person?" Xie Di's expression stiffened. He pulled Jiang Mian and Xie Yue aside and whispered, "Dragon Person Spirit Beasts are as rare as hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts. How could they possibly capture one?"

"What's a Dragon Person?" Jiang Mian asked, surprised. "Why haven't I heard Di Tian mention them?"

"Dragon People are descendants of the Dragon Clan with mixed bloodlines. Di Tian has pure True Dragon blood, so naturally, he wouldn't bother with these distant relatives," Xie Di explained. "Dragon People have a long history. They don't live in the deep sea but often follow deep ocean currents to the legendary Sky City, which is the homeland of the Dragon People."

"Sky City?" Jiang Mian let out a wry smile. "A familiar name."

"Although that little fellow was right, Dragon People do come to shallow waters when they're just weaned to absorb a special kind of energy. That energy attracts terrifying Spirit Beasts from the deep sea, but strong Dragon People always guard them during absorption. How could humans possibly capture one?"

"We'll know if it's real once we check it out," Jiang Mian said, patting Xie Yue's shoulder with a smile. "Doesn't Nana want to see the Mermaid Circus's performance? It's a good chance for you to go back and tell her about it."

"Nana will kill us both," Xie Yue shivered fearfully. "I didn't even tell her we were going out this time. If I anger her when we get back, aren't we asking for trouble?"

"Look at your courage," Jiang Mian said, patting his chest confidently. "Don't worry, brother-in-law, I'll protect you."

"You?" Xie Yue chuckled. "You're the first one to run when things get tough."

"Hey." Jiang Mian grabbed Xie Yue's collar, intending to grapple him. However, Xie Yue anticipated Jiang Mian's move, flickered his body, and in turn, locked Jiang Mian in his arms.

"Your skills have improved," Jiang Mian said, trying to break free but finding himself held tightly by Xie Yue. "Alright, alright, let me go."

"Let's go buy tickets and see what this Dragon Person is all about," Jiang Mian said, marveling. "If they're faking it, their reputation will be ruined, won't it?"

"No one will believe us, though," Xie Yue shrugged. "After all, the Mermaid Circus has a huge fanbase. They won't ruin their reputation because of our words."

"They have quite the public support, huh?" Jiang Mian smiled slightly. "We shouldn't provoke them then, or Spirit Hall's reputation might be damaged."

"Spirit Hall has much more influence than these commercial teams," Xie Yue said. "If we, as Spirit Hall, say they're faking it, the public will definitely believe us over their circus."

"Let's buy three tickets first," Jiang Mian smiled and walked up to the little plump fellow. "Little brother, where are the tickets being sold?"

"Right at the Bin Xing City Plaza," the little plump fellow said with a simple smile, pointing the way for Jiang Mian and the others. "My name is Fu Da. If you mention my name, the ticket price might be a bit cheaper."

"Oh, you have that much pull, little brother?" Jiang Mian teased. "Then we must thank you."

"It's actually an internal discount. Otherwise, with the usual prices, tickets wouldn't sell at all," Fu Da said with a wry smile, his chubby cheeks wobbling. "Bin Xing City is developed, but it's still not on the same level as the imperial capitals of the two empires or other major cities."

"How much are the tickets?" Jiang Mian asked.

"The original price is one Gold Soul Coin per ticket," Fu Da replied.

"Not expensive," Jiang Mian said with a smile. He then suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs, "Anyone who wants to watch the performance, follow me! I'm treating everyone!"

Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately surged forward, surrounding Jiang Mian and his group several layers deep.

"What do you want us to do?" a middle-aged man in rough clothes, carrying a very cute little girl on his shoulder, asked. "Do we need to pay anything?"

The man was clearly very cautious. After all, such offers often came with hidden traps, costing anything from money to even their lives.

"Don't worry, you don't need to do anything," Jiang Mian said. "We from Spirit Hall appreciate everyone's support over the years. As the circus is touring, we'll be treating our friends in Bin Xing City to the performance out of our own pockets."

Xie Yue, who had mingled into the crowd at some point, shouted slogans to boost everyone's morale.

"Spirit Hall not only awakens our Martial Souls but also treats us to performances, bringing benefits to us common folk! We swear our loyalty to Spirit Hall!"

"This kid is pretty good," Jiang Mian's lips curved upward as he inwardly gave Xie Yue a thumbs-up.

"All of you, follow this brother to the ticket booth. I'll cover the expenses," Jiang Mian said, casually taking out five bags of Gold Soul Coins and handing them to Fu Da. "There are a thousand Gold Soul Coins in here. See if it's enough. If not, I'll give you more."

"That's far more than we'll need," Fu Da said, his voice trembling as he cupped the Gold Soul Coins in his hands. "Seniors, the circus can only accommodate five hundred people at most."

"We'll treat people for two days," Jiang Mian said, patting Fu Da's shoulder. "Five hundred people a day, first come, first served. If you're late, you won't get in. Come on, everyone!"

"Thank you, Spirit Hall!"

"We are loyal to Spirit Hall!"

"Spirit Hall, I want to be your ox and horse!"

The crowd shouted slogans and rushed towards the Bin Xing City Plaza as if in a frenzy.

"What are you doing?" Xie Di finally asked, watching the crowd disappear.

"Just boosting Spirit Hall's popularity a bit," Jiang Mian said with a laugh. "It doesn't cost much anyway."

Just as Jiang Mian was getting ready to watch the performance, a middle-aged man in a Spirit Hall uniform suddenly walked over and politely inquired, "Who are you people?"

"And who might you be?" Jiang Mian asked in return.

"I am Rui Sha, the bishop of the Spirit Hall's Bin Xing City branch."

"Oh, so you're a bishop." Jiang Mian clasped his hands together and smiled, "My name is Jiang Mian, an honorary elder of the Spirit Hall. This is my badge."

As Jiang Mian spoke, he took out the badge that symbolized his status. Rui Sha was startled at first. He looked at the badge with disbelief. After confirming it was genuine, he suddenly knelt on the ground with a thud. Holding the badge with both hands, he said respectfully, "Greetings, Elder."

"There's no need for this," Jiang Mian said, helping Rui Sha up and putting the badge away. "By age, you are the senior."

Rui Sha wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a trembling voice, "Elder, you flatter me greatly."

"Shall we go watch the performance together?" Jiang Mian invited with a smile. "Since we're here, you should play the host, shouldn't you?"

"Please," Rui Sha said, naturally accepting the invitation. Being able to latch onto the elder was a promising prospect for his future promotions.

The people who ran fast had already obtained their tickets and were obediently taking their seats inside the circus tent, while those who didn't manage to get tickets left dejectedly.

"Don't be discouraged, everyone. The event lasts for seven days. While I can't guarantee everyone will get a ticket," Jiang Mian quickly called out to the citizens who were preparing to leave.

"You'll pay for the rest of the money," Jiang Mian said with a slight smile to Rui Sha. "Is that alright?"

"Please rest assured, Elder," Rui Sha quickly replied. "We will not fail your important trust."

Jiang Mian nodded. Fu Da saw Jiang Mian and his group approaching and quickly went to greet them, leading the four of them to seats that had already been reserved.

It was the best vantage point for watching the show. If Bin Xing City weren't so small and the venue hadn't been temporarily set up, it would have been able to accommodate thousands, or even tens of thousands, of people.

Fortunately, the temporary setup was small; otherwise, Jiang Mian wouldn't have been able to play the part of a rich young master.

The first few acts were mediocre, featuring common hundred-year-old Spirit Beasts performing relatively difficult maneuvers with their tamers, such as jumping through hoops – familiar circus acts.

What truly caught Jiang Mian's interest was a giant water tank brought onto the stage at the beginning. It was made of transparent glass and housed a mermaid princess, the signature attraction of the Mermaid Circus.

The mermaid princess and a very handsome beast tamer performed a series of outstanding routines that drew thunderous applause.

Even someone like Jiang Mian, who usually maintained a reserved demeanor, couldn't help but clap and cheer. Their performance was elegant and grand, yet also conveyed tender emotions, touching the audience with its subtle details. It was truly an excellent silent performance.

"Friends, today our Mermaid Circus's main event is about to begin!" A short man dressed as a clown suddenly appeared from somewhere. He rubbed his hands together, and the entire venue was instantly filled with spectacular fireworks. "The highly anticipated Dragon Person performance! This is the unprecedented first showing, and you are all witnesses to history."

It was the same giant glass water tank used by the mermaid princess earlier. However, this time, a Dragon Person appeared – someone with the lower body of a fish, the upper body of a human, and two dragon horns growing on their forehead.

Her scales shimmered, and she seemed very shy about being exposed to the public, constantly trying to hide in a corner.

The beast tamer, holding a chain around her neck, forcibly dragged her to the front. The Dragon Person looked panicked and swam back and forth in the tank. The beast tamer's face darkened, and he unexpectedly pulled out a terrifying wolf-tooth mace, intending to tame the Dragon Person in front of so many people.

Xie Di frowned. His eyesight was incredibly sharp. Xie Di leaned close to Jiang Mian's ear and whispered, "It's fake, as expected. This is definitely not a Dragon Person."

"Why are they doing this?" Jiang Mian was very confused. The circus that was so famous in Xie Yue's words had stooped to deceiving the audience with fakery.

"I can't accept this," Xie Yue said, covering his cheek, seemingly unwilling to believe that the Mermaid Circus would deceive its audience.

"You're a loyal fan of his too, huh?" Jiang Mian looked at Xie Yue speechlessly and whispered, "There must be some inside story here."

"Elder, do you want me to expose them?" Rui Sha suddenly leaned over and asked.

"Give them an out," Jiang Mian shook his head. "Perhaps they have their own difficulties."

"Look quickly, the beast tamer is hitting the Dragon Person!"

Someone shouted, and Jiang Mian and the others' attention was immediately drawn to them. Inside the water tank, the Dragon Person's hands were gripping the chain around her neck, desperately dodging the beast tamer's mace. Her body was covered in wounds, and blood was continuously staining the water tank red.

"Stop!" Jiang Mian frowned. He couldn't stand such injustice and immediately reprimanded, "What do you think you're doing!"

"You don't understand, sir. Creatures like this, with undeveloped intelligence, must be treated this way. Otherwise, they become wild and will harm people," the clown quickly explained.

"Nonsense," Jiang Mian retorted angrily. "A thousand-year-old Dragon Person Spirit Beast would endure being beaten without fighting back. Stop this at once!"

The beast tamer also had a temper. Upon hearing Jiang Mian's words, he immediately surfaced and yelled, "You don't know anything! Just watch your own show obediently."

"What did you say?" Before Jiang Mian could speak, Rui Sha slammed the table and said indignantly, "Do you know who this is? This is an Elder of the Spirit Hall! How dare you be so presumptuous! Are you tired of living?"

"Ah!"

The beast tamer was instantly stunned. The clown's legs went weak, and he quickly knelt on the ground, begging, "Sir, we were blind and didn't recognize your greatness. We deserve death, but please, in your magnanimity, don't hold it against us."

Jiang Mian, however, remained calm and composed. He said indifferently, "Who is in charge of the Mermaid Circus? Get them here immediately."