236: Chapter 236 Deep-Sea Caravan, Alien Races Bow Down!

Xiao Ba was filled with immense astonishment.

He raised his head and re-evaluated Lin Xiao.

A human who could obtain Emperor Xi's inheritance and seal the Lord of the Abyss—his strength was likely beyond imagination.

Back then, Lord Mo Yuan was hailed as the strongest in the Di Peoples Kingdom and was the only merman capable of withstanding three blessings; yet even so, he failed to gain Emperor Xi's favor.

But this Short-lived species before him had succeeded.

He bowed his head and offered his respects once more.

"Though this was an accident, the outcome is good. To stumble into a reunion with Princess Xiyao and to meet the Lord of the Kingdom and all you human friends is the greatest luck of Xiao Ba's life!"

"Lord of the Kingdom, I have a group of brothers. They escaped the Black Tide with me and are currently eking out a living in a cave."

"They are all good people—honest, hardworking, and never cause trouble. Could they please come aboard as well? I guarantee it on my honor as a fish!"

Lin Xiao glanced at him.

"As you wish."

Xiao Ba was overjoyed and quickly removed a fist-sized conch from around his neck.

The shell's surface was covered in patterns etched by time, with several fine cracks at the edges carefully repaired with some kind of resin.

He brought the conch to his lips, puffed out his cheeks, and blew hard.

Woo...

The sound wasn't loud, yet it possessed a strange piercing quality.

Soundwaves rippled out from the conch in circles, penetrating the steel walls of the carriage, passing through the Coating, and merging into the seawater around the Astral Express, spreading into the deeper reaches of the ocean.

Soon, Lin Xiao sensed a response.

Several targets were rapidly approaching through the seawater around the train.

They didn't have the chaotic, disordered aura of Calamity Creatures, but were instead an organized group in formation.

With a slight thought, monitoring screens expanded at the edge of his vision.

Visual receptors located at various points on the roof slowly extended, presenting real-time images.

It was a group of... creatures riding sea fish.

At first glance, they looked like the mermen, but closer inspection revealed obvious differences.

The leader was burly, his body covered in dark red carapace—not armor he wore, but an exoskeleton grown from his body.

The shell was covered in fine patterns and protrusions, forming heavy shields at the joints, making him look exceptionally robust.

A pair of massive pincers hung in front of him; the left pincer was a size larger than the right, with serrated keratinous teeth on the inner edges.

The creatures behind him took various forms. There was a tall, thin one covered in scales with a row of tentacles swaying on his head.

Another had slender limbs and a flat torso, looking like a standing flounder with both eyes on the same side.

Furthermore, every sea fish carried a large bundle taller than the rider themselves, tightly bound with ropes woven from seaweed.

Soon, the sounds of heavy objects landing rang out in succession.

Thump, thump, thump...

Ripples spread across the surface of the Coating as over a dozen sea fish carrying riders penetrated the barrier, landing steadily on the roof of Dining Car 09 and surrounding carriages.

The riders leaped off the fish, and unintelligible shouts rose and fell.

Lin Xiao closed the monitoring screen and turned to walk up the spiral staircase toward the roof.

Fan Sinian followed closely, and several captains also came along.

On the roof, a group of bizarre-looking creatures were warily observing their surroundings, especially when they saw the turrets at the front and back of the carriages, looking as if they were facing a great enemy.

Seeing human figures appear at the top of the stairs, the leading burly, shell-covered creature spun around, his pincers snapping open in front of him in a defensive stance.

His brothers behind him also stopped their work; some reached for bone blades at their waists, while others used the sea fish as cover.

"Humans! Hand over Xiao Ba immediately, or we, the Fishman Crowd, will make you regret this!"

"Oh, Boss Crab... Boss Crab!"

Xiao Ba squeezed out from the crowd, his eight tentacles moving in alternation at high speed. "It's all a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!"

He leaned in toward the creature called Boss Crab, standing on his tentacles to whisper a long explanation in his ear.

Boss Crab's pincers slowly lowered.

Then...

"May the Lord of the Kingdom show magnanimity!"

The guy performed a direct sliding kneel, coming right up to Lin Xiao.

The carapace on his knees scraped against the anti-slip steel plates of the roof, producing a piercing friction sound.

Unfazed, he pressed his pincers together above his head, his posture as devout as if he were worshipping a sea god.

"The brothers haven't seen much of the world. Please don't take those words to heart!"

Lin Xiao looked down at this shell-covered creature who had knelt so decisively and asked in confusion, "These... people are?"

Xiao Ba hurriedly moved forward, his tentacles pointing to the group of bizarre creatures behind him as he introduced them one by one.

"Lord of the Kingdom, Xiao Ba runs a convenience store and often travels between various tribes. These are all my partners!"

As he spoke, he patted Boss Crab's shell. "Boss Crab is responsible for carrying heavy loads. These pincers of his can crush reefs; moving several hundred pounds is nothing to him. He's also skilled in combat and protects me!"

A tentacle then pointed to the seahorse-like creature.

"Brother Ma is the bookkeeper. He has an exceptional memory and remembers every transaction he's handled clearly; he can even pull up accounts from a hundred years ago."

"Old Bian is the lookout. His two eyes can look in different directions, providing almost full coverage of the field of vision."

"Saman is the scout. The tentacles on his head can sense changes in ocean currents; he knows exactly where the undercurrents and whirlpools are."

"And this one..."

Xiao Ba pointed to a creature huddled at the very back of the group, wrapped in a tattered cloak. "Sister Yilu is in charge of security. She doesn't talk much, but when she starts fighting... tsk tsk."

A faint blue fluorescence peeked out from under the edge of the cloak.

This was a jellyfish.

Lin Xiao's gaze swept over this bizarre team one by one.

These humanoid creatures had clear divisions of labor and worked in perfect harmony.

They were essentially a small caravan that had survived in the deep sea for untold years.

Xiao Ba used a tentacle to lift a wooden chest half the height of a person. The chest's surface was covered with a waterproof membrane, and its corners were reinforced with bone fragments.

He placed the chest steadily in front of Lin Xiao and flipped open the lid.

Inside was a dazzling array of items.

Several unrecognized deep-sea gems, a bundle of parchment rolls tied with seaweed rope, and many more strange objects he couldn't name—every piece bore the marks of being soaked in time.

"I brought some supplies with me—good stuff I've saved up over the years."

Xiao Ba's tone held the characteristic eagerness of a merchant. "If you see anything you like, you can buy it anytime. Since it's the Lord of the Kingdom and you human friends... I'll give you a seventy percent discount!"

"Seventy percent off?" Boss Crab let out a strange cry, his pincers snapping open. "That's way too—"

Before he could finish, Xiao Ba's tentacle whipped against his breastplate.

"That's right, seventy percent off!"

"Straightforward." Lin Xiao smiled.

"The carriage below happens to have some empty space. You can set up your goods there for sale, and I'll notify the others to come and buy."

Dining Car 09 had many vacant areas, enough to accommodate all the goods of this caravan.

And this carriage, with its bar and public tables and chairs, was originally where he had planned to open a private shop.

"Alright!" Xiao Ba's eight tentacles all stretched out at once.

Lin Xiao added, "The items won't sell out in a short time; you can temporarily stay on the Astral Express."

Xiao Ba and the Fishman Crowd behind him looked at each other.

They had been hiding in that crude cave for too long, constantly on guard against external dangers. Having a safe place to rest was something no one would refuse.

Xiao Ba turned back and nodded vigorously. "Lord of the Kingdom, it would be rude to decline, so... we shall trouble you!"

Princess Xiyao watched this scene from the side, unable to suppress the smile on her face.

She stepped forward, her voice tinged with excitement. "The mermen are now permanent residents on the Astral Express, and Brother Lin Xiao is very good to them. Xiao Ba, if you stay, you won't have to hide anymore."

Xiao Ba looked at Princess Xiyao, his tentacle gently touching the back of her hand.

"Mhm!"

As they chatted, they began moving the supplies, heading down the spiral staircase into the carriage.

Boss Crab shouldered the largest wooden chest, the muscles under his shell bulging as he walked with steady steps.

Just as he was about to head down, he suddenly stopped.

"Xiao Ba!"

"Ah?"

"What about the Flying Fish?" Boss Crab's pincer pointed to the dozen or so sea fish lying quietly on the roof.

Their gill covers slowly opened and closed, and their tail fins occasionally slapped the anti-slip steel plates with a soft 'thwack'.

"Flying Fish can't survive for long out of the water!"

Xiao Ba slapped his head, his tentacle curling into a frustrated loop above him.

"Right, I forgot about that!"

He turned around and looked pleadingly at Lin Xiao.

Standing at the top of the stairs, Lin Xiao's gaze fell upon the dozen or so sea fish.

They had streamlined bodies and exceptionally wide side fins that looked like two wings when spread.

A moist membrane was faintly visible beneath the gill covers, drying up at a rate visible to the naked eye.

This was a deep-sea species capable of short-distance gliding above the surface, but they were still essentially aquatic creatures and would die of dehydration if away from seawater for too long.

Then, he opened his private messages and found Captain Lu Gongda's name.

[Car 07-01 Lin Xiao: Brother Lu, come to the roof of Dining Car 09, there's an emergency.]

He closed the message interface and looked at Xiao Ba and Boss Crab.

"As for temporary housing, I have a few ideas."