Those who drown, if they are not good swimmers, generally thrash about wildly, desperate to surface for air. But the more they struggle, the less they can reach the surface. In their inability to breathe, their bodies' natural instinct to breathe overrides their consciousness. Inhaling water leads to choking, and the feeling is unbearable. Once they pass out from choking or suffocation, their only path is reincarnation.
Zhou Fugui, being a competent swimmer, did not succumb to this fate. Before falling into the water, he took a deep breath. Upon entering the water, he opened his eyes, determined his direction, and swam towards the surface using both his arms and legs.
The light filtering down from the surface was his guide.
However, after swimming a short distance, a "mermaid" suddenly appeared in the illuminated area above. The "mermaid" stared at Zhou Fugui, its "tail" flicking, and charged down towards him from above.
The "mermaid" had long, flowing hair that drifted gracefully in the water, a truly beautiful sight!
But Zhou Fugui was in no mood to admire the "mermaid's" comely form and flowing hair. Seeing the approach, he reached out to seize the "mermaid."
At this moment, he would kill any obstacle, regardless of what stood in his way. Even if this "mermaid" were as beautiful as a celestial being, if it blocked his path, Zhou Fugui would crush it in the water.
Zhou Fugui's hand, a motion of pushing and grasping, extended towards the "mermaid." Just as he was about to make contact, he felt a sharp pain in his hand, and a trickle of blood bloomed in the water. The "mermaid" had wounded Zhou Fugui's right hand with a water-splitting shark bone dagger.
He couldn't afford to linger in the water for even a moment. Otherwise, even if he weren't killed by the "mermaid's" stab, he would suffocate to death underwater. So, ignoring the pain in his hand, Zhou Fugui turned his palm into a claw, grabbed the "mermaid's" wrist holding the dagger, and pulled it forcefully towards him. With his left hand, he aimed a punch at the "mermaid's" right chest, intending to incapacitate it and then escape.
But to his surprise, the water-resistant garment the "mermaid" wore, made of some unknown material, caused Zhou Fugui's left fist to slide off. The "mermaid's" wrist was also incredibly slippery, like an eel, and it slipped from Zhou Fugui's grasp.
Thus, the "mermaid" broke free from Zhou Fugui's control.
Like a fish, the "mermaid" swam behind Zhou Fugui and, with the water-splitting shark bone dagger, violently stabbed towards Zhou Fugui's back.
This blow was fatal. How could Zhou Fugui possibly survive? Startled, Zhou Fugui thrashed with all his might, swimming desperately upwards, narrowly dodging the "mermaid's" lethal attack. At this point, he was only half a body length away from the surface.
Zhou Fugui felt another sharp pain, this time in his left leg, which had again been wounded by the "mermaid."
The "mermaid" seemed unwilling to kill Zhou Fugui, perhaps wanting to toy with him. If it had aimed for a vital spot with that stab... and the previous blow hadn't been so easily dodged either.
With pain shooting from his left leg, Zhou Fugui was enraged. He forcefully kicked downwards with his right leg, aiming at the "mermaid." He didn't expect to hit the slippery "mermaid," but he hoped to break free from its entanglement long enough to surface and gasp for air.
Indeed, Zhou Fugui's desperate kick caused the "mermaid" to swim away slightly in fear, yet it didn't venture far, circling around Zhou Fugui.
"Splash!"
"Gasp!"
"Damn you..." a gurgling sound.
Taking advantage of the "mermaid's" evasive maneuver, Zhou Fugui kicked and paddled with all his might, finally breaking the surface. But as soon as he took a breath, the "mermaid" grabbed his legs and dragged him back underwater. Zhou Fugui cursed in anger, but before he could finish his outburst, he choked on a mouthful of salty seawater.
On land, Zhou Fugui might have subdued this "mermaid" long ago. But in the water, this "mermaid" was truly like a fish.
After struggling with her for so long, Zhou Fugui knew she was a woman, but he had no chance to see her face clearly.
As Zhou Fugui's legs were held and he was dragged underwater, he instinctively bent his body, clenched his fists together, and brought them down with force towards the "mermaid's" head.
Zhou Fugui's movements were fluid and swift. Despite the resistance of the water, they were still rapid and powerful. He thought he would surely knock the "mermaid" holding his legs unconscious, but this "mermaid" remained exceptionally cunning and agile in the water. It released his legs and disappeared from beneath him.
Floating in the water, Zhou Fugui looked around but could no longer find the "mermaid." He dared not delay any longer and quickly surfaced, only to find the "mermaid" floating above him with her arms crossed, smiling at him.
"Gulp..." Zhou Fugui muttered something unintelligible and swam away to the side.
"It's that enchantress. If I can't fight her, I can at least avoid her!" Zhou Fugui cursed inwardly.
Zhou Fugui finally saw the "mermaid's" face clearly. It was the same woman who had entangled with him in the woods previously, leaving him to sigh in frustration.
"Splash!"
"Gasp!"
"Holy crap!"
Zhou Fugui, confident in his speed, avoided the "mermaid" and surfaced to catch his breath, only to be dragged underwater again.
"Gulp... Gulp..." Zhou Fugui's eyes widened in fury. Gulping down two large mouthfuls of seawater meant, "I'll fight you to the death!"
And so, they began to fight underwater again.
From above, one could see a body pale as white flesh, like a white snake entering the water, and another clad in tight black water-resistant clothing, like a black snake emerging from the sea. The white and black intertwined, a captivating sight!
"Gulp... Gulp... Gulp..."
When Zhou Fugui surfaced for the fifth time to breathe, only to be dragged underwater again, he could no longer endure it. After gulping down several mouthfuls of seawater, his vision darkened, and he passed out.
...
"Thud!"
"Pfft!"
Something struck Zhou Fugui's bare abdomen, causing him such pain that his features contorted as if squeezed together. With a shout, he spat out some seawater and awoke from his unconsciousness.
The first thing that entered his vision was a beautiful leg of the "mermaid" pressing down on his bare stomach. The owner of the leg was Rong Cheng Lanmin, clad in tight black water-resistant clothing. The black, smooth, and form-fitting garment accentuated Rong Cheng Lanmin's perfect figure: slender waist, long legs, rounded hips, delicate shoulders, and a partially exposed bosom. Against the black attire, her skin was dazzlingly white. Even more astonishing were her sea-blue eyes, gazing at Zhou Fugui with amusement.
Such a figure might be considered imperfect by the eyes of the world, but to Zhou Fugui, it was perfect.
And in the face of great danger, lust still arose. In this situation, Zhou Fugui felt a stir, but thankfully, his loincloth was still in place, saving him from complete embarrassment.
Surrounding Zhou Fugui were numerous East Sea pirates of various grotesque appearances and fierce expressions, all watching him with curiosity. Many gazes also lingered on Zhou Fugui's lower region...
Zhou Fugui's hands and feet were bound with鲛筋 (jiaojin - merman sinew?), and he appeared quite dejected.
"This guy's got a thick skin. After drinking so much seawater, he's still alive?" Rong Cheng Lanmin stood barefoot on the deck, her delicate foot pressing down on Zhou Fugui's bare abdomen, one step at a time... she said with a smile.
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
With each step Rong Cheng Lanmin took, Zhou Fugui coughed up another mouthful of seawater. Eventually, with no more water to expel, he could only retch.
Zhou Fugui glared at Rong Cheng Lanmin.
"Princess Mackerel Shark, even a dying fish struggles."
"No matter how much it struggles, it cannot escape death. Princess Mackerel Shark, allow me to kill him?"
"Yes, he killed so many of our brothers! Kill him, avenge our brothers!"
"Indeed, indeed, kill him, kill him."
"Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the sea to sacrifice to the sea god!"
"Throwing him into the sea is too easy for him! Let me, I'll do it, I'll make sure he doesn't die too quickly, hehe!"
"... "
A group of fierce Zhen Ao pirates were agitated, surrounding Zhou Fugui and chattering incessantly, their faces filled with malice, eager to take Zhou Fugui's life.
"No need to rush! He's already in our hands, do you think he'll escape?" Rong Cheng Lanmin silenced the pirates' clamor, then crouched down and looked at Zhou Fugui, saying, "You little thief, you dog official, where are you looking? Believe it or not, I'll dig out your thieving eyes?"
As Rong Cheng Lanmin crouched down, Zhou Fugui's gaze was inevitably drawn to her chest. Angrily, Rong Cheng Lanmin took the water-splitting shark bone dagger and first made a gesture near Zhou Fugui's eyes. Then, the tip of the blade moved downwards from his eyes, tracing a path across his face, throat, and chest, all the way down. The tip of the blade finally stopped on Zhou Fugui's loincloth. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Previously, by the sea in Huanghua County, during Zhou Fugui's battle with Rong Cheng Lanmin, Zhou Fugui had torn her clothes, exposing her, and she had been seen to her heart's content.
Rong Cheng Lanmin was filled with shame and fury, but her anger far outweighed her shame. Since childhood, Rong Cheng Lanmin had never been so disheveled. How could she not be furious? Now that Zhou Fugui was in her hands, she was naturally ecstatic, planning to take her revenge.
Rong Cheng Lanmin smiled at Zhou Fugui, her intentions clear. She intended to make Zhou Fugui lose some parts...
"Enchantress, kill me if you want, give me a quick end!" Zhou Fugui shouted in fright upon seeing this.
With the pirates surrounding him, if his only covering, his loincloth, were to be removed... Zhou Fugui would rather die than suffer such humiliation.
"You want a quick end, but I'll deliberately deny you that..." Rong Cheng Lanmin did not get angry. Instead, she playfully drew the water-splitting shark bone dagger back and forth on his loincloth, saying with a smile, "Lord Governor Zhou, who is so imposing, I'd quite like to see Lord Governor Zhou with his bare backside..."
"Hahahaha!" The pirates burst into a fit of laughter upon hearing this.