Qin Qi's Guga Nine Trials, Hook Wants the World!

[Congratulations on becoming the Nine-Star Holy Son. Your first task: find Sea God Guga's Trident of the Sea God. Guga—no, no, there is no Guga.]

Qin Qi listened to the voice echoing in his mind and turned to look at Sea God Guga.

"Guga. (Shh, shh, shh, shh.)"

Sea God Guga was so guilty that she did not dare meet Qin Qi's eyes. She looked up at the sky, pretending she had absolutely no idea what was going on.

"What are you pretending with me for?!"

"You were behind this, weren't you?!"

"Haki Guga, you really would stop at nothing just to act cute."

A Trident of the Sea God mark 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 Guga, pinched her chubby cheeks, and said,

"Guga. (Guga doesn't know! Guga didn't do it!)"

Sea God Guga stubbornly denied it.

"Ah, forget it. You want the Trident so badly, so it must be important to you."

"Don't worry. Even if I'm not your High Priest, I'll still help you find the Trident."

Qin Qi looked at Sea God Guga, shook his head with a gentle smile, and patted her head.

"Guga. (Human, you're so nice! Guga likes you the most!)"

Upon hearing Qin Qi's words, Sea God Guga 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 find 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 trial again.

If no one could complete it, she would not need to sacrifice her life. She could keep waiting for Tang Chen to come find her.

Romance Continent truly lived up to its name!

Led by Bo Saixi, the group set off to find the Trident of the Sea God.

Meanwhile, back at home, Zhongli was looking after a child.

"Hook, what do you want?"

Zhongli drank tea as he watched the lively Hook hopping about, then suddenly asked.

"Adults are always busy with their own affairs. No one has ever asked what Hook thinks."

"But now, someone has finally asked Hook what she wants."

Hook put on a profound expression. Well, she still looked adorably silly.

Hook the Great worked very hard, but her face was simply too cute.

"Hook seems to have had a miserable childhood too."

"What would this child want? An adult's companionship, or a trip to an amusement park?"

"Or perhaps just a hug?"

Zhongli thought of Hu Tao. When Hu Tao was little... forget it, he would tell that story another time.

"Hook wants... the world!"

As Hook spoke, she stomped her little foot and puffed out her chest.

"The world... the world?"

Zhongli had witnessed countless storms and trials throughout his life. He had seen who knew how many children.

But this was the first time he had seen a child like this!

"No, Hook means the world! This 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 simply be given away. The world is made up of countless people."

"It is countless matters, an immense responsibility that not even adults can bear."

"Hook, you want the world, but are you prepared to shoulder such a heavy responsibility?"

Zhongli did not think Hook was joking. He seriously explained to her what the world truly was.

"..."

Hook wore a bewildered expression. "Then... how heavy is the world?"

"As heavy as Mount Tai."

Zhongli answered.

"Mount Tai... then, then it must be very heavy."

Hook did not know what Mount Tai was, but the old witch had once made her a little backpack.

There were many books inside it. Hook found it heavy when she carried the books, so Mount Tai was probably a whole, 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 people wanted to obtain it.

"Why... yes, why?"

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 contend for supremacy, yet I knew the suffering of the people. I only wished to sweep away the troubles in all directions and protect one corner of this mortal world."

Zhongli sighed and spoke.

"Is, is that so? Hook doesn't really understand. Is the world really such a complicated thing?"

Hook lay on the table, her big eyes fixed on Zhongli, filled with confusion.

"Yes. The world is that complicated."

"Hook is still young. When you grow up, perhaps 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 then—"

"I hope you can let the common people live a little better."

Zhongli took a sip of tea and spoke.

"Hook is not a child anymore! Hook has already grown up!"

Hook hated it most when people called her a child. Usually, she also worked hard not to show her childish side.

She got down from the table and ran outside.

"Hook is going to water the Sunflowers."

Hook said.

"Hook, other than 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 in order to buy her dad a gift, Hook had no choice but to sell Junjun.

"Is that so?"

Zhongli said nothing more, merely committing the fact that Hook liked dolls to memory.

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 an enormous whale along the way.

"It's the Sea God's aura. Has the Nine-Star Holy Son appeared?!"

The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King sensed the strange phenomenon Qin Qi had triggered on Sea God Island and rose from the depths of the sea.

He happened to encounter Zero Doro and the others, but he paid Zero Doro no attention at all.

He stared directly toward Sea God Island.