[Congratulations on becoming the Nine-Star Holy Son. Your first task: find the Trident of the Sea God Guga—no, no, no Guga.]
Qin Qi listened to the voice ringing in his mind, then turned to look at Sea God Guguga.
"Guga. (Shush, shush, shush, shush.)"
Filled with guilt, Sea God Guguga did not dare meet Qin Qi's eyes. She raised her head to look at the sky, pretending she had no idea what was happening.
"What are you pretending with me for?!"
"You're the one behind this, aren't you?!"
"You little Haki Guga, you'll stop at nothing just to act cute."
The mark of the Trident of the Sea God appeared on Qin Qi's forehead. It was the mark of the Sea God's Nine Trials.
He stepped out of the formation, walked over to Sea God Guguga, pinched her chubby cheek, and said,
"Guga. (Guga doesn't know. Guga didn't do it!)"
Sea God Guguga stubbornly insisted.
"Ah, forget it. You want the Trident so badly, so it must be very important to you."
"Don't worry. Even if I'm not your High Priest, I'll help you find the Trident."
Qin Qi looked at Sea God Guguga, shook his head with a gentle smile, and patted her head.
"Guga. (Human, you're so nice. Guga likes you the most!)"
After hearing Qin Qi's words, Sea God Guguga immediately beamed and threw herself into his arms, acting spoiled.
"Now that I'm the Nine-Star Holy Son, can we go take a look at the Trident of the Sea God?"
Qin Qi looked at Bo Saixi and spoke.
Don't worry about whether I became the Nine-Star Holy Son properly or not. I am one now, anyway.
"..."
"Fine. I'll take you to the Trident of the Sea God."
Bo Saixi looked at Qin Qi. She knew something was off, but selfish thoughts rose in her heart.
She thought that if Qin Qi and the others took away the Trident of the Sea God, no one would ever be able to complete the Sea God's trials again.
If no one could complete them, she would not have to sacrifice her life. She could continue waiting for Tang Chen to come find her.
Romance Continent truly lived up to its name!
Led by Bo Saixi, everyone set out to find the Trident of the Sea God.
Meanwhile, back at home, Zhongli was watching the children.
"Hook, what do you want?"
Zhongli drank tea as he watched the lively Hook bouncing around. Suddenly, he asked her.
"Adults are always busy with their own things. No one has ever asked Hook what she wants."
"But now, someone has finally asked Hook what she wants."
Hook put on a solemn expression. Well, even though she still looked adorably silly.
Hook the Great had tried very hard, but her face was simply too cute.
"So Hook had a tragic childhood too."
"What could this child want? An adult's company, or a trip to the amusement park?"
"Or perhaps just a hug?"
Zhongli thought of Hu Tao. When Hu Tao was little... never mind, he would tell that story another time.
"Hook wants... the world!"
As Hook spoke, she stomped her little foot and declared with her chest puffed out.
"The world... and the world?"
Zhongli had witnessed countless storms throughout his life and seen who knew how many children.
But this was the first time he had encountered a child like this!
"No, Hook means the world—the whole world! Hook wants to command all the armies under heaven!"
Little Hook had a big dream. She wanted to become the ruler of the world!
"Hook... do you know what the world is?"
Zhongli fell silent for a moment before speaking.
"I do. The world is... the world is... Anyway, Hook wants the world!"
"Give me the world, give me the world! I want the world!"
Hook thought about it but could not figure out what the world was. Still, she wanted it.
"Hook, the world is not something that can be given away at will. The world is countless people."
"It is countless matters, an immense responsibility that even adults cannot bear."
"Hook, you want the world, but are you prepared to shoulder such a heavy responsibility?"
Zhongli did not think Hook was joking. He was earnestly explaining what the world truly was.
"..."
Hook wore a puzzled expression. "Then... how heavy is the world?"
"As heavy as Mount Tai."
Zhongli answered.
"Mount Tai... then, that must be very heavy."
Hook did not know what Mount Tai was, but the old witch had made her a little backpack.
There were many books inside it. Hook already found it heavy when she carried those books, so Mount Tai was probably a whole lot of books.
"But if the world is so heavy, why does everyone want it?"
For the first time, Hook seriously discussed what the world was and why anyone wanted to obtain it.
"Why... yes, why indeed?"
Zhongli raised his head to look at the sky. Memories of the past surfaced in his mind, and he remembered.
"Because the common people suffer."
"I never intended to vie for supremacy, yet I knew the suffering of the common people. I only wished to sweep away the turmoil in every direction and protect one corner of this fleeting world."
Zhongli sighed and spoke.
"I-Is that so? Hook doesn't really understand. Is the world really such a complicated thing?"
Hook lay sprawled across the table, her large eyes fixed on Zhongli, full of confusion.
"Yes. The world is that complicated."
"Hook is still young. Perhaps when you grow up, you'll understand what the world truly is."
"Then you can decide whether you still want to obtain the world. If you do want it by then..."
"I hope you can let the common people live a little better."
Zhongli took a sip of tea and spoke.
"Hook isn't a child anymore. Hook has already grown up!"
Hook hated it most when people called her a child. Usually, she worked hard not to show her childish side.
She climbed down from the table and ran outside.
"Hook is going to water Sunflower."
Hook said.
"Hook, besides the world, what else do you want? Do you like dolls?"
Zhongli looked at Hook. He thought girls probably all liked dolls.
"Hook likes... N-No, Hook doesn't like such childish things."
Hook thought of her good friend, Little Bear Junjun. But to buy her father a gift, Hook had no choice but to sell Junjun.
"Is that so?"
Zhongli said nothing more, merely silently remembering that Hook liked dolls.
At that moment, in the Purple Pearl Sea, the forgotten Zero Doro was enthusiastically leading Zi Zhenzhu and the others back to the island.
However, Zero Doro suddenly encountered a gigantic whale on the way.
"It's the Sea God's aura. Has the Nine-Star Holy Son appeared?!"
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King sensed the disturbance Qin Qi had caused on Sea God Island and emerged from the deep sea.
He happened to run into Zero Doro and the others, but he paid Zero Doro no attention at all.
He stared straight in the direction of Sea God Island.
Before you continue