Werebeast Gongs CH 105 Destination
Life at sea was truly unbearable.
Huddled ungracefully on the back of a beluga whale, Lei Jin couldn’t help but think this—especially in the dead of winter. The ocean waves were rough, and though the blizzard had stopped, the temperature showed no sign of rising. The sun overhead was nothing more than a decoration, going through the motions without the slightest intention of providing warmth.
Lei Jin exhaled into his cupped hands, rubbing them together. No matter how many layers he wore, the cold still seeped into his bones, sharp as needles. His breath fogged white in the air, and he half-expected it to freeze into ice shards and clatter to the ground.
Mingya circled overhead, never straying far. Seeing Lei Jin’s discomfort, he folded his wings and landed, pressing his warm body against Lei Jin’s back before lifting a wing invitingly. At this point, Lei Jin had no energy left for pride. He twisted around and burrowed into Mingya’s embrace, clinging shamelessly to the living furnace. Who could refuse such warmth, especially when reduced to a shivering icicle? Mingya wrapped his wings tightly around him.
Finally, Lei Jin felt somewhat alive again. He rubbed his itchy nose and let out an enormous sneeze.
"Lei Jin, hugging me will keep you warmer." Mingya nuzzled the top of Lei Jin’s head with his large muzzle, heart aching at the sight of him burrowing deeper into his fur. Thank goodness I came along. What would he have done without me?
"Yeah, hugging you now." As a grown man, it was a bit embarrassing to cling to someone else for warmth. But this was Mingya—they were close enough that it shouldn’t matter, right? After a brief internal struggle, Lei Jin quickly made peace with it. Familiarity really does make things easier.
Mingya’s plump front paws patted Lei Jin’s back gently.
Though reluctant to leave the warmth, once the numbness in his limbs began to fade, Lei Jin pushed at Mingya. "Alright, I’m not cold anymore. You should get up."
He was lucky—Lan Qi had given him a glowing blue pearl to swallow that protected him from the seawater. But Mingya wasn’t so fortunate. The whale cut through the waves, icy spray drenching Mingya’s fur within minutes. Lei Jin had tried asking Lan Qi for another pearl, but the merman had not only refused but rolled his eyes dramatically, muttering something about the pearl not being "something you pick up off the ocean floor" and how Lei Jin was lucky to even have one.
"But your face is still cold." Mingya licked Lei Jin’s chin, pleading softly. "Mingya isn’t cold at all. Let me stay a little longer?"
Lei Jin reached up to touch the back of Mingya’s neck—damp and freezing. After a pause, he patted his head and threatened, "Get up, Mingya, or I won’t let you follow me anymore."
Grudgingly, Mingya rose, nuzzling Lei Jin’s neck one last time before taking off with obvious reluctance.
Lei Jin nearly lost his temper, fists clenching and unclenching as he resisted the urge to smack Mingya’s forehead. The kid seemed simple-minded—the type who’d help count the money after being sold—but when it came to taking advantage of Lei Jin’s soft spots, he was anything but stupid. Especially on this journey, where his acting spoiled had escalated to new heights.
"Can you even handle three?" Lan Qi, who had surfaced unnoticed, propped his chin on his hand, watching with amusement.
Lei Jin found the question oddly familiar. After a moment, he realized Berg had asked the same thing. These two really are a match made in… somewhere.
"You could always try it yourself," Lei Jin quipped, raising an eyebrow with a roguish grin.
"No thanks. Berg alone is enough to drive me mad. Add one more, and I’d lose my mind. Besides, if I ended up with someone like you, I’d die without even knowing where to dig my grave." Lan Qi gave Lei Jin a once-over, his gaze dripping with disdain. His first impression had been spot-on—this person was nothing but trouble. Just look at what he’d done to his poor werebeasts.
Lei Jin blinked, then feigned offense, touching his ear dramatically. "Me? What’s wrong with me? A high-quality hunk like me—meeting one in your lifetime is a blessing. And you dare complain?"
Lan Qi turned away silently, his lips twitching uncontrollably. After meeting Lei Jin, he realized he’d been a humble and prudent guy all along.
The whale dove beneath the waves, seawater rushing over them. At first, Lei Jin had been fascinated, but after swallowing the pearl, it felt no different from being on the surface. The underwater world was dimly lit, schools of fish darting past. Twice, they encountered sharks, but before Lei Jin could even muster fear, the predators fled in a panic.
A sudden thought struck Lei Jin. He nudged Lan Qi with his elbow, expression grave.
Lan Qi tensed, assuming something was wrong. "What happened?"
"I just wanted to ask—if this pearl makes me waterproof, how am I supposed to bathe?" Lei Jin frowned. Being permanently waterproof sounded like a nightmare. It’d rob him of one of life’s few pleasures.
Lan Qi stared at him blankly, too exhausted to even twitch. You’re a female, and I’m a male merfolk. Have you no sense of propriety? None at all?
"Maybe I can spit it out when we reach shore and return it to you." Lei Jin mused aloud. "But how do I spit it out? Got any ideas, Lan Qi?"
This time, Lan Qi didn’t bother responding. He plunged back into the sea, swimming far away before stopping to bang his head against a nearby reef. What kind of deity sent this person to torment me? That pearl was his life-core—even if Lei Jin could vomit it up, Lan Qi couldn’t take it back. Instead of worrying about such nonsense, why not focus on the dangers ahead in the forbidden area?
Once Lan Qi was gone, Lei Jin glanced up at Mingya’s shadow on the water’s surface, his gaze turning somber. As a school of fish brushed past, he discreetly sprinkled the last of his sleeping powder onto a roasted rabbit leg.
He’d never been to the forbidden area, but he knew it was no paradise. Surprisingly, Lan Qi was familiar with it too—calling it the "Forest of Reincarnation." According to merfolk legends, the Forest of Reincarnation on land and the Abyssal Sea near the golden merfolk tribe were the two most mysterious places on the continent. Those who entered never returned, so no one knew what lurked in their depths.
After much deliberation, Lei Jin refused to let Mingya risk it. Leaving had been his choice, so if anything happened, he alone would bear the consequences. Persuasion? Useless. The only option was to knock Mingya out and have Lan Qi return him to the tribe.
Thanks to Lan Qi, their sea journey was relatively smooth. Most of their time was spent traveling, stopping at islands at night to rest and replenish water. Twelve days later, half-frozen but alive, they skirted the Abyssal Sea and reached shore. Lan Qi explained that the Abyssal Sea and the Forest of Reincarnation lay on the same latitude—as long as they didn’t lose their way, heading straight inland would lead them to the forest.
A minor incident occurred when they encountered a group of golden merfolk returning from a hunt. They surrounded Lan Qi, expressions a mix of fear and anger. The tension dissolved only when Lei Jin produced a knotted rope Berg had given him. The merfolk’s faces lit up at the sight, though Lei Jin had no idea what the knots signified.
Lan Qi's expression, however, didn't look too pleasant.
Delayed by the encounter, they reached shore after dark. Lei Jin found the cave where he, Xiya, and Moya had once stayed. Though others had clearly been here since, the cave remained largely unchanged. A thick layer of hay still lined the eastern side, though dampness had rotted much of it.
This must have been where it happened. Where the child had been conceived—without him even realizing.
Lei Jin pressed his lips together, stubbornly turning away. It’s over. It’ll all be over soon.
"Lei Jin, Mingya will go find food and fetch water." Mingya approached, taking Lei Jin’s hand. His youthful face was bright with innocence, his smile radiant.
"No need. It’s too dark and cold outside. We still have food in the basket, and the merfolk gave us seafood. There’s water in the bamboo tubes too—we’ll go tomorrow." Most of their rations had gone untouched, thanks to Lan Qi’s fishing.
Lei Jin rummaged for broken pottery in the cave, building a makeshift rack with branches. He boiled seafood and dried meat in one pot, reheating the rabbits over the fire.
The seafood carried just a hint of spice, tolerable for both Lan Qi and Mingya. The rabbits went entirely to Mingya, who soon fell asleep against the cave wall.
As Lei Jin repacked the basket, he set aside the remaining rabbits for Mingya.
"Lan Qi," he said calmly, though his gaze carried undeniable weight, "no matter what happened in the past, take Mingya safely back to the Leopard Tribe, and we’ll call it even."
"But he doesn’t seem willing." Lan Qi poked the fire with a stick, flames flaring to illuminate the cave.
Lei Jin turned to see the sleeping boy, two glistening tears trailing down his cheeks.
"Do this for me." Lei Jin looked away, as if afraid he’d change his mind, and strode out of the cave without pause.
"Even if I owe you, why should I listen?" Lan Qi dusted his hands, watching Lei Jin’s retreating figure vanish into the darkness. Lei Jin, I’m starting to wonder—which version of you is real? This is getting more interesting by the minute.