〈Parallel Universes〉
23. “Dolphin Castle”

1. Dolphin Castle

In the vast South China Sea of the western Pacific, on the clear waters of the shallow seafloor, stood an underwater castle shaped like a huge transparent jellyfish. Its long pillars were made from coral skeletons, while its walls were covered with all kinds of colorful seashells. They glittered and sparkled like countless stars reflected on the seafloor, shining even more brilliantly than glazed tiles.

This Dolphin Castle had rested on the seafloor for countless years. No one knew exactly when it had begun, but at some point, it became the home of the dolphins. All the dolphins lived there—spinner dolphins, striped dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, and many other species. In the beginning, under the leadership of an old dolphin, the different groups lived together peacefully and happily. The dolphin tribe possessed extraordinary intelligence, and their architectural craftsmanship was the most advanced among all the aquatic creatures. The “Dolphin Castle” was the supreme symbol of their civilization.

Because the different dolphin species reproduced rapidly, their living space gradually became cramped. The various dolphin groups inside the castle often argued and clashed over territory. The groups were neither united nor harmonious. This gave the ambitious shark tribe an opportunity to take advantage of their divisions.

Among them was a handsome young bottlenose dolphin named Ji-Bao. He had a delicate-looking snout, a sleek, streamlined body, and dark skin as smooth as satin. He was extremely intelligent and had a strong personality. He did not like staying inside the castle all day amid the noise of his companions. He often wagged his little tail and swam outside the castle alone.

Near the castle was a beautiful coral reef covered with all kinds of strange underwater plants and animals. As the seawater flowed, the tentacles of the corals and sea anemones swayed with the currents of the tide. At night, some brightly colored, glowing tropical fish swam back and forth, bathing the coral reef in a dazzling array of colors. It was even more beautiful than a star-filled sky. Ji-Bao loved coming here to do somersaults or lie quietly on the white sand. He regarded this place as his secret hideout and, except for his parents, never told anyone about it. Ji-Bao lived a contented and happy life on his own.

But before long, a terrible disaster descended upon Dolphin Castle.

2. Disaster Strikes

One morning, the little dolphin Ji-Bao went alone to the coral reef to play. After playing for a while, he began to feel tired and was just about to lie down on the soft pile of sand for an afternoon nap when, suddenly, a harsh, piercing commotion came from somewhere nearby. Then powerful currents came surging toward him from ahead, nearly knocking him over onto the sandy seafloor.

He was so frightened that he froze in shock. It took him quite a while to recover, and then he hurriedly swam toward the castle. He had not even covered half the distance when a voice suddenly came from a pile of mud and sand on the seafloor.

“Little dolphin, little dolphin, where are you going?”

Ji-Bao looked down and saw that it was Uncle Flounder.

“I heard a huge commotion over there. Something may have happened, so I have to go back and take a look,” Ji-Bao said anxiously.

“Oh, you don’t know yet? Your castle has been invaded by the shark tribe under the command of an old octopus monster! Look over there—the seawater has turned red. That is all blood flowing from the bodies of the dolphins!” Uncle Flounder said urgently.

“What? What?” Ji-Bao was so frightened that he began sobbing. “What old octopus monster? Where are my mom and dad?”

“I don’t know where that old octopus monster came from. His belly is bigger than a house, and each of his eight tentacles is as long as ten surfboards. I was lying here just now, getting ready to take an afternoon nap, when I saw that monster lead the shark tribe straight into your castle.”

Uncle Flounder looked terrified. “Your parents are probably in serious danger. Whatever you do, don’t go back there now. Run for your life!”

With that, Uncle Flounder hurriedly swam away.

For a moment, Ji-Bao had no idea what to do. He anxiously spun around in circles where he was. Soon, however, he calmed down.

“I absolutely cannot go back now. I’ll wait until nightfall and then go see whether anyone else is still alive. I have to find a way to drive that old octopus monster and the shark tribe out of our castle.”

He secretly swore this to himself.

Ji-Bao returned to the coral reef, buried his body in the sand, and quietly waited for night to come. During this time, several sharks patrolled the area, but Ji-Bao hid so well that they did not notice him.

Before he knew it, the little dolphin fell asleep. In his dream, he seemed to hear his mother calling to him again and again.

He opened his eyes and discovered a jellyfish glowing with blue light. She looked like a transparent parasol opening and closing with the movement of the seawater.

The jellyfish spoke.

“Child, my name is Merishi. I am a grandmother-class fairy jellyfish, the wisest of all the soft-bodied aquatic creatures in the western Pacific. Your Dolphin Castle has been seized by the old octopus monster and the shark tribe. That old monster’s name is Scissor Tiger. He is a poisonous leopard-patterned octopus who has been hiding in a pitch-black ocean trench, practicing magic, for more than eight hundred years.

“Now his magic is complete. On top of that, he has subdued the fiercest shark tribe, making him even more powerful. His first move was to seize Dolphin Castle and use it as his base for expanding his power. He controls all the dolphins and forces them to spy for him, rob human ships, and seize their wealth. Step by step, he is carrying out his plan to dominate the entire western Pacific.”

Ji-Bao listened carefully. The jellyfish continued.

“Now, child, every dolphin except you has been controlled by Scissor Tiger. You are their only remaining hope. If you want to rescue your people, kill Scissor Tiger, drive away the shark tribe, and reclaim Dolphin Castle, you must find three treasures: the Sun Sea Anemone, the Moonlight Sea Urchin, and the spine of the Magic Marlin.

“When you find the third treasure, the marlin tribe, who always stand up for justice, will accept your request and drive away the shark tribe, allowing you to concentrate on dealing with the old octopus monster.”

“But where am I supposed to find these three treasures?” Ji-Bao asked anxiously.

“Don’t worry, child. The Sun Sea Anemone is in the warm tropical waters of the south, but a fierce electric eel guards it. You must find a way to lure the electric eel away, obtain the sea anemone, and then quickly escape the area.”

“I don’t understand, Grandma Jellyfish. I’m risking my life to find the Sun Sea Anemone, but what exactly is it for?” Ji-Bao asked, puzzled.

“The powerful light emitted by the sea anemone will temporarily blind the terrifying shark tribe. Only then will the marlins be able to use their spines to defeat the sharks. The intense light can also penetrate the thick clouds of nerve-inducing ink released by the octopus and break his hypnotic magic, allowing your dolphin people to regain consciousness. Once his magic is broken, you will have a chance to get close to the old monster and attack him,” the fairy jellyfish explained.

“Then what is the second treasure? Where can I find it?” Ji-Bao asked again.

“Good child, the second treasure you need to find is the Moonlight Sea Urchin. It grows beneath the dark, freezing layers of ice in the Arctic Ocean. A bad-tempered sea serpent with thirteen heads circles around it. You must find a way to anger the sea serpent and swim around it, causing its thirteen necks to become tangled together. That will give you enough time to take the Moonlight Sea Urchin right from under the sea serpent’s watchful eyes,” the jellyfish patiently explained.

“How am I supposed to use the Moonlight Sea Urchin?” Ji-Bao asked again.

“The Moonlight Sea Urchin’s poisonous spines contain a powerful toxin that can paralyze the old monster’s formidable tentacles, leaving him unable to move. At that moment, you must quickly take the spine of the Magic Marlin and drive it straight into the old monster’s vital spot. That will kill him.”

“His vital spot? What is a vital spot?” Ji-Bao asked, confused.

“A vital spot is the most vulnerable part of the body,” the jellyfish explained. “The old monster’s thick layer of fatty skin is slippery and elastic, more effective than steel armor. Ordinary knives and spears cannot hurt him at all.”

“Then how can I find the old monster’s vital spot?”

“Indeed, that is a difficult problem, because even I do not know. After you find the first two treasures, immediately head for the waters around the Hawaiian Islands. A member of the aquatic world’s wisest species lives in seclusion there: Dr. Seahorse. He will guide you in obtaining the spine of the Magic Marlin. It is a divine weapon left behind from ancient times, extraordinarily sharp and powerful enough to sever the old monster’s deadly tentacles. As for the old monster’s vital spot, the well-informed Dr. Seahorse may know.”

“I don’t understand. Why are you helping me this much, Grandma Jellyfish?” Ji-Bao asked curiously.

“Once someone entrusts me with a task, I must see it through, good child. I cannot tell you yet. Once you complete your mission and kill the old octopus monster, you will meet her.”

The jellyfish continued moving her skirt-like body as she spoke.

“Don’t think about it so much, child. It is time for you to set out.”

The jellyfish urged Ji-Bao to begin his journey. With that, the fairy jellyfish swam away and gradually disappeared from sight.

3. The Sun Sea Anemone

Ji-Bao followed the Kuroshio Current southward. The seawater was gray-blue, and he could not see the path ahead. At that moment, a krill suddenly jumped in front of him.

“Little dolphin, I’ll light the way for you.”

The krill emitted a faint glow from its body and led the way ahead. When dawn finally came and the sunlight appeared, shining across the surface of the sea, the krill quietly left. Ji-Bao had not even had time to thank this warmhearted friend.

“Warmhearted friend, I will remember you,” Ji-Bao silently said to himself.

Ji-Bao kept swimming, not knowing how far he had traveled. He became more and more exhausted, and his dorsal fin and tail were almost out of strength.

Suddenly, far in the distance, he saw a coral reef covered in an intense, mushroom-shaped glow. He guessed that the glowing object might be the “Sun Sea Anemone” the fairy jellyfish had told him about, and there should probably be an electric eel guarding it nearby.

Ji-Bao decided to hide first, observe the situation, and figure out what was going on before waiting for the right moment to act.

Sure enough, when a foolish porcupinefish was attracted by the intense light and wagged its little tail as it approached the coral reef, a huge electric eel, more than ten feet long, immediately shot out from a cave in the reef. In an instant, it bit the porcupinefish and dragged it into the cave.

“That was close!”

Ji-Bao was relieved that he had remembered the fairy jellyfish’s warning and had not recklessly approached the coral reef. With those sharp little saw-like teeth, that creature did not even care about the poisonous spines covering the porcupinefish. If he had been bitten and torn apart by those jaws, he would have been lucky to escape with his life.

Ji-Bao hid behind a clump of sea grass and thought, “I have to find a way to lure this creature away first.”

So he decided to turn back and ask the group of squid friends he had encountered earlier to help him.

Ji-Bao persuaded the squid leader to have them spray thick clouds of black ink, creating a huge smokescreen to cover his actions.

At that moment, an old sea turtle appeared at just the right time. He had come all the way here specifically to help Ji-Bao.

“Little dolphin, someone told me you would run into trouble here and asked me to hurry over and help you,” the old sea turtle said, gasping for breath.

“Oh? Was it the fairy jellyfish who told you?” Ji-Bao guessed.

“Of course not. That old jellyfish moves far too slowly,” the old sea turtle replied, panting heavily.

“Then who could it be? Who knows my whereabouts so well?”

Ji-Bao was actually asking himself this question.

“That is not the important thing, little dolphin. What matters is that you must hurry and obtain that Sun Sea Anemone.”

The old sea turtle brought the conversation back to the matter at hand.

“With this hard shell of mine, that old electric eel cannot bite through me. I think you will have enough time to take the sea anemone from the reef before I get shocked unconscious.”

“Grandpa Turtle, how could I let you go through such suffering?” Ji-Bao said apologetically.

“Don’t be so polite. Compared with the debt I owe for saving my life, a little suffering like this is nothing…”

The old sea turtle spoke thoughtfully.

“A debt for saving your life? Who do you owe that debt to?” Ji-Bao tried to get the answer out of the old sea turtle. His curiosity about the mysterious person who could command both the fairy jellyfish and the old sea turtle was growing stronger and stronger.

“There you go again, young fellow. Don’t try to trick me into revealing anything. When the time comes, you will naturally know.”

The turtle turned around and pulled the squid leader aside. In a low voice, he said, “Squid Chief, you and your men must do your best to spray black ink later and help the little dolphin obtain the sea anemone. This is a message the princess asked me to deliver. When the rewards are handed out for your achievements in the future, you certainly won’t be left out.”

“The princess? Was this mission given to us by the mermaid princess?”

The squid leader was somewhat overwhelmed by the honor.

“When have I, Old Turtle, ever boasted? Especially about something this important.”

The sea turtle spoke with a serious expression.

“That’s true. Grandpa Turtle has always kept his word and never told lies.”

The squid leader nodded in agreement and said with a smile, “Since this is a mission from the princess, we brothers will risk everything. We will throw ourselves forward one after another, and even if it costs us our lives, we will accomplish this mission.”

“The princess did not ask you to risk your lives fighting the old electric eel. Once I have him occupied, you begin releasing the smoke and block his vision.”

The old sea turtle explained the steps of the operation.

“All right. We’ll do as you say,” the squid leader replied.

After everything had been explained and everyone had taken their positions, the old sea turtle put on a calm and relaxed expression and leisurely swam toward the coral reef where the sea anemone was located.

Although the old electric eel’s eyesight was failing with age, he could recognize the old sea turtle’s distinctive scent from far away.

“Has this old fellow grown tired of living? What business does he have wandering into my territory?”

The old electric eel watched the old sea turtle swimming toward him and thought suspiciously, “He is swimming so calmly. He doesn’t look like he has any bad intentions. I’d better watch him carefully.”

“Oh my! What is this? What a beautiful sea anemone!”

In order to lure the old electric eel out of the cave where he was hiding, the sea turtle deliberately spoke aloud to himself. Then he raised his voice even more.

“This is quite a treasure. If I carry it home, it will certainly come in handy.”

The old electric eel, who could hear every word clearly from inside the cave, could no longer restrain himself. He charged out of the cave and opened his jaws to bite the old sea turtle while simultaneously releasing more than a thousand watts of electricity.

“My goodness! Who dares to ambush me?”

The old sea turtle deliberately shouted.

By then, the old electric eel had already clamped his jaws onto the sea turtle’s backside. The old sea turtle struggled to drag the electric eel away from the coral reef.

“Get your filthy mouth off me, you old eel! I’m about to fart!”

The old sea turtle deliberately provoked the electric eel.

The old electric eel kept his jaws clamped tightly onto the turtle, so of course he could not speak. Instead, he violently whipped his body back and forth, making the old sea turtle dizzy and disoriented.

“You filthy eel! I never did anything to you, yet you bite me, electrocute me, and then drag me around and fling me back and forth!”

The old sea turtle was already seeing stars.

At that moment, the squids quickly surrounded them and began releasing clouds of ink. The seawater instantly turned gray-black, and both the old sea turtle and the electric eel were completely enveloped in the smoke.

The old sea turtle endured one electric shock after another coursing through his entire body. Even with his extraordinary endurance, the electricity still left his mouth twisted and his eyes askew.

Seeing that he could not miss the opportunity, Ji-Bao immediately rushed toward the Sun Sea Anemone. Without a second thought, he grabbed the sea anemone in his mouth and took off, quickly escaping the chaotic scene.

4. The Moonlight Sea Urchin

Ji-Bao attached the sea anemone to the front of his pectoral fin and headed north.

Ji-Bao was filled with gratitude for the help from the sea turtle and the squids, especially toward the mysterious person who had secretly arranged every step of his journey.

The seawater grew colder and colder. Fortunately, the heat of the Sun Sea Anemone continued to keep Ji-Bao's body warm. He did not know how many days and nights had passed before he finally saw sheets of floating ice, along with seals lazily basking in the sunlight on top of the ice. He thought to himself, “The Arctic Ocean must be getting close, right?”

Ji-Bao asked a nearby group of seals about the Moonlight Sea Urchin. The leader of the seals looked at the spirited young dolphin before him and said kindly, “Little fellow, stealing the Moonlight Sea Urchin right from under the eyes of that thirteen-headed sea serpent is a thousand times harder than meeting the Sea God Dama. You might even become the sea serpent's snack before you ever get a chance to touch the sea urchin.”

“No matter what dangers lie ahead, even if I have to cross a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, I will keep moving forward,” Ji-Bao said firmly.

“All right! Since you insist on going, I wish you success.”

“Where can I find the sea serpent?”

“That won't be difficult either. He is coiled beneath the freezing ice cap north of Greenland.”

The seal leader pointed toward Greenland to the north and said, “You'd better go to the bay in the south first and ask the leader of the blue whales there about the sea serpent's location. That way, you won't make a wasted trip.”

Ji-Bao thanked the seal leader, gathered his strength, and continued swimming toward the island.

The island was visible in the distance and seemed quite close, but in reality, it was still a long way off. It was not until sunset that Ji-Bao finally swam into the bay on the southern side of Greenland.

The muffled calls of a pod of whales echoed through the waters. Dragging his exhausted body along, Ji-Bao followed the sounds in search of the whales and soon found them.

The whales had just finished hunting and were lazily resting. Ji-Bao swam toward the largest blue whale among them.

“Big Brother Blue Whale, I'm sorry to disturb your rest,” Ji-Bao said as he pressed himself close to the blue whale's ear canal.

The blue whale slowly lifted his eyelids to see who was calling him.

“You finally made it, little brother. I've been waiting for you for several days.”

“Waiting for me for several days? How did you know I was coming?” Ji-Bao asked in surprise.

“That's right. I received a notification a few days ago and have been waiting here for you.”

The blue whale stretched lazily and continued, “It's getting late. Why don't we rest first? Once we've had a good night's sleep and regained our strength, we'll have the energy to deal with that sea serpent tomorrow.”

“How is it that you already know?”

Ji-Bao thought to himself that it must once again have been that mysterious person who had notified the blue whale. Who exactly was this person? How could he command such enormous creatures?

“Of course I know. I am in charge of this entire Arctic Ocean.”

With that, the blue whale fell sound asleep.

As soon as the sky began to brighten at dawn, the blue whale woke Ji-Bao and set out with him for the ice-cap region in the northern part of the great island.

The thirteen-headed sea serpent took turns keeping watch, with the different heads rotating through night duty. The Moonlight Sea Urchin was attached to a small reef directly beneath their watchful eyes, surrounded by the sea serpent's body.

“Little dolphin, I'll lure the sea serpent away later. You go and get the sea urchin.”

After giving Ji-Bao his instructions, the blue whale boldly swam toward the sea serpent.

When the sea serpent saw the blue whale, he instinctively became alert.

“Big Brother Whale, what brings you here today?”

“Heh-heh, little brother Sea Serpent, I heard you've been going around telling everyone that you want to challenge me and take my position as the boss of the Arctic Ocean. Is that true?”

The blue whale deliberately picked a fight.

“That's not true, Big Brother Whale. I have never thought about challenging you. It must be a rumor spread by those meddlesome aquatic creatures.”

One of the serpent's heads quickly denied it. He had no desire to provoke this enormous creature.

“Of course you're no match for me in a fight. How about this? To avoid damaging our friendship, I heard you're a very fast swimmer. Let's have a race and see who swims faster.”

The blue whale made the suggestion.

“All right. Since Big Brother Whale wants to race, I'll take you on.”

Another head, hoping to settle the matter peacefully, agreed.

“Then let's swim around Greenland and see who can complete one lap and return to the starting point first.”

The blue whale explained the rules of the race.

“But I have to guard the Moonlight Sea Urchin. The Sea God Dama entrusted me with this duty.”

Another head objected.

“Don't be so stubborn. You'll spoil Big Brother Whale's fun and anger him, and then we'll never hear the end of it!”

Yet another head spoke up.

“Here's what we'll do. I'll find someone to guard the sea urchin for you.”

After saying this, the whale turned around and called to Ji-Bao, who was hiding behind the reef.

“Little dolphin, come out for a moment.”

Ji-Bao timidly swam out.

“There he is!”

The whale pointed him out to the sea serpent.

“He looks like a sneaky little thief. Can we trust him?”

Yet another head spoke suspiciously.

“No one has ever dared question what I say. You're the first!”

The whale's expression suddenly changed.

“Please don't take it personally, Big Brother Whale. He was only joking.”

Another head hurriedly explained. “Let's just treat this as a friendly race. I'll race with you, Big Brother.”

“Little dolphin, you give the starting signal.”

The whale instructed Ji-Bao.

The command to begin the race was given. The sea serpent sped southward, while the whale deliberately slowed down and allowed the sea serpent to take the lead.

Once the two of them had swum far enough away, Ji-Bao quickly picked up the Moonlight Sea Urchin in his mouth. He turned toward the whale, bowed deeply three times from a distance, and then rapidly headed south toward the Hawaiian Islands.

…

5. Dr. Seahorse

After three days, Ji-Bao arrived in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands. He asked the aquatic creatures for directions to Dr. Seahorse's residence.

Dr. Seahorse's home was near Oahu, in a warm tropical coral reef. Ji-Bao spent half a day searching before finally finding the grand and luxurious residence.

Ji-Bao rang the special bell for visitors at the entrance, and a servant immediately came to open the door.

Ji-Bao was ushered inside and waited in the main hall. The hall was well lit, spacious, and bright. Its furnishings were filled with calligraphy, paintings, pictures, and books of every kind, giving the entire place the scholarly atmosphere of an academic's home.

Dr. Seahorse came out of his laboratory.

Ji-Bao stepped forward and respectfully said, “Dr. Seahorse, I am Ji-Bao, a dolphin. Someone directed me to come to you and said that you would take me to the Sea God's palace.”

“You want to go to the Sea God's palace?”

Squinting through his old, farsighted eyes, Seahorse carefully examined the dolphin standing before him and asked, “Why do you want to see the Sea God Dama?”

“I want to borrow the spine of the Magic Marlin.”

Ji-Bao explained the reason for his visit.

“I need this magical sword-spine to deal with the old octopus monster. He has occupied our dolphin homeland and enslaved my people.”

“Young fellow, are you sure you want to find the spine of the Magic Marlin? That magical weapon is in the Sea God Dama's palace. Both routes to the palace are extremely dangerous. The route on the left passes through several lairs of ferocious sea monsters. The route on the right is even more dangerous. You have to pass through a long underwater volcanic tunnel, and the boiling lava will certainly cook you and your friends alive. So far, not a single aquatic creature who has gone in there has ever come back alive.”

“No matter how dangerous the road ahead may be, I will keep moving forward and obtain the spine of the Magic Marlin. I am not afraid of danger or hardship. Please, you must help me and show me the way.”

Ji-Bao pleaded with him.

“The spine of the Magic Marlin is an extraordinarily sharp divine weapon. The Sea God's palace contains all kinds of rare and precious treasures. Since you have already decided to risk your life to enter the Sea God's palace, why are you interested only in that magical sword-spine?”

The doctor asked curiously.

“Only the spine of the Magic Marlin can pierce the old octopus monster's thick skin and belly and kill him.”

Ji-Bao continued explaining.

“Someone told me that I must find three treasures—the Sun Sea Anemone, the Moonlight Sea Urchin, and the spine of the Magic Marlin—in order to destroy the old octopus monster and the shark tribe around him. I have already obtained the first two treasures. The only thing missing is that magical sword-spine.”

“Oh? Then it must have been the fairy jellyfish of the western Pacific who told you. She is the wisest aquatic creature in that region, and she is also the nursemaid of the mermaid princess, the daughter of the Sea God. Young fellow, you've encountered a benefactor. The fact that she was willing to guide you may mean that she was acting at the princess's request. The princess is a beautiful young woman with a compassionate heart.”

The doctor made his deduction.

“The mermaid princess?”

Ji-Bao cried out in surprise. The mystery had finally been solved. The mysterious person who had secretly been helping him was actually the beautiful mermaid princess.

“I've heard that she lives on Pearl Island in the South Pacific. On nights when the moon is full, the mermaid princess sits on the coral reef and sings. Her singing is so sorrowful that the pearl oysters beneath the water shed tears of sympathy, and those tears become crystal-clear pearls. That is why the shallow seafloor around the place where the mermaid princess lives is covered with pearls, and the island came to be called Pearl Island.”

Ji-Bao told the doctor everything he had heard from his grandparents about the legend of Pearl Island.

“You certainly know a lot of things! But back to the matter at hand, young fellow. This old octopus monster has committed countless evil deeds over the years. The Sea God Dama has sent several powerful warriors to subdue him, one after another, but that fellow is naturally cunning and cautious. On top of that, he has spies everywhere. Every time, he receives advance warning and manages to escape.”

As Seahorse spoke, he pulled Ji-Bao into the laboratory.

“First, I'll use my all-purpose computer to investigate this old monster's background for you. Know your enemy and know yourself, and you'll have a better chance of dealing with him later.”

The doctor called up the old octopus monster's information on the computer.

“Wow! This fellow really is a formidable character. In the past few years alone, nearly a hundred ships have been ambushed by him. No wonder Dama wants to subdue him as soon as possible.”

The doctor moved the mouse and scrolled down the screen.

“Found it! I've found the vulnerable spot on this fellow's body. It's right at his belly button.”

The doctor turned around.

“Based on the information above, this fellow is extremely difficult to deal with. His eight tentacles are as powerful as long whips made of steel, and only the Magic Marlin's spine can be used against him.”

The doctor pondered for a moment. His expression became serious.

“Young fellow, this mission will be extremely difficult. There is a good chance that you could die at the hands of the old octopus monster.”

“As long as I can save my people and reclaim the castle, I am willing to sacrifice my life.”

Ji-Bao spoke firmly.

“Since you have made up your mind, I'll accompany you on a journey to the Sea God's palace.”

The doctor said.

6. General Lanternfish

The Sea God's palace lies beneath the waters around the Hawaiian Islands, in the crater basin of a dormant volcano. Dr. Seahorse took Ji-Bao through an underwater tunnel. Their first stop was the military station of General Lanternfish. When the crab warrior guarding the entrance saw that the visitors were the wise old seahorse and a little dolphin, he immediately went inside to announce their arrival. The old seahorse and the little dolphin were invited into the reception hall.

General Lanternfish personally came out to greet them.

“Ha-ha! What an honored guest! Old Seahorse, your visit has truly brightened my humble place.”

Lanternfish warmly welcomed his guests.

“Lanternfish, don't be so formal. I wouldn't come all this way without a reason. This time, I've brought along a new little friend of mine. We're on our way to see the Sea God Dama, and since we were passing by your place, we thought we'd stop in and say hello.”

The old seahorse explained the situation simply and directly.

“You are a distinguished guest whom I normally can't even invite, and the fact that you've come to my humble station and are willing to sit for a while is already the greatest honor I could ask for.”

After saying this, the general was about to order his men to prepare a feast, but the old seahorse stopped him.

“Don't bother. We're leaving right away.”

“Stay for a while! It's not every day that you come here.”

Lanternfish turned toward the little dolphin and asked sharply, “Young fellow, are you going to see the Sea God?”

“Yes,” Ji-Bao answered calmly.

“To get past my station, you must fight one of my men. I will let you pass only after you win. That's the rule I established.”

Lanternfish's expression was stern, and his eyes shone with authority.

“Lanternfish, forget your stupid rules. We're in a hurry.”

The old seahorse sprang up from his seat and spoke with disdain.

“I'm sorry, old friend. You may come and go freely in the Sea God's palace, but outsiders may not.”

Lanternfish was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

“All right. I accept your condition, General.”

Ji-Bao did not want to make things difficult for either side, so he agreed to the duel.

The old seahorse looked troubled. He was worried that the little dolphin might not be able to handle it.

The two opponents went outside to the flat seafloor along the sandy shore.

Lanternfish agreed that neither side would use weapons and that the fight would be conducted with their bare bodies. Ji-Bao's opponent was a huge swordfish named Wula. The long, sword-like spike extending from the front of his snout was powerful enough to pierce through the body of a full-grown shark. Just on this point alone, the little dolphin was clearly at a disadvantage.

The swordfish was agile and capable of swimming long distances at tremendous speed.

Facing such a formidable opponent, Ji-Bao showed no fear. Relying on his advantage in speed, he repeatedly dodged the swordfish's attacks. He also found opportunities again and again to ram Wula's body with his short snout and knock him aside.

The two fought back and forth. Wula gained no advantage and was knocked over several times by the little dolphin. Feeling humiliated, Wula became increasingly furious, and his attacks grew even more ferocious.

Wula kept missing his attacks. General Lanternfish applauded generously and called out encouragement, while the soldiers around him shouted and cheered loudly.

After the two had fought for half an hour, Wula had several bruises and patches of scraped skin on his body. Ji-Bao seized an opportunity, spun around, and swept his tail across the swordfish's head, knocking his opponent unconscious on the spot.

“Excellent! Very good! Truly, heroes emerge from the young!”

Lanternfish stepped forward, took hold of Ji-Bao's pectoral fin, and praised him enthusiastically.

The old seahorse also came over. At last, he breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing the little dolphin's high fighting spirit and extraordinary agility, he began to believe that even against the old octopus monster, the little dolphin would not be without a chance of victory.

7. General Coelacanth

At their second stop, they arrived at the military station of General Coelacanth.

The coelacanth is known as a “living fossil.” It is believed to have appeared in the oceans as early as approximately 350 million years ago. It belongs to the lobe-finned fishes, an ancient group of prehistoric fish that was thought to have gone extinct 65 million years ago. Lobe-finned fish could not only breathe air but could also use their fins like legs to walk. This is important evidence of the evolutionary transition from fish to amphibians.

General Coelacanth was obviously much gentler than Lanternfish. He had also established a condition for passing through his station, but he allowed visitors to choose between a physical contest and a battle of wits.

Ji-Bao had already expended considerable energy fighting the swordfish Wula at Lanternfish's station, so this time he chose the battle of wits.

Coelacanth came from a family of scholars and possessed vast knowledge and experience. He was the smartest and wisest scholar-general under Dama. In his eyes, apart from the old seahorse and the fairy jellyfish, there was no other aquatic creature wiser than himself.

The rules of the battle of wits were very simple: if you could stump him with a question, you passed.

This time, the old seahorse was even more worried, because no one had ever managed to stump Coelacanth—not even himself.

Ji-Bao came up with his questions in a very short time. His inspiration came from the Sun Sea Anemone and the Moonlight Sea Urchin.

“General, I have a question. A sea anemone is clearly not a plant and cannot perform photosynthesis, so why is it named after a plant? And a sea urchin clearly does not secrete bile, so why is it named after the gallbladder?”

Ji-Bao threw out both questions at once, leaving Coelacanth completely stunned.

“These two questions... Give me some time to think them over carefully.”

The old seahorse beside him stroked his long whiskers and began thinking about the two questions as well.

While Coelacanth was deep in thought, Ji-Bao took the opportunity to look at the collection displayed in the reception room.

Coelacanth's collection of rare and precious treasures was said to be second only to that of the Sea God Dama. In the great hall, pearls, agates, and diamonds were nothing unusual. Various rare swords and other weapons that he had collected were also commonplace. His most prized possessions were an invisibility cloak and a military strategy book.

Ji-Bao focused his attention on the invisibility cloak.

Half an hour later, Coelacanth spoke.

“I admit defeat. I cannot answer either of these two questions. Young fellow, would you tell me the answers?”

The little dolphin smiled.

“Actually, both sea anemones and sea urchins were named according to their appearance. Their names have nothing to do with their actual properties or functions. The naming of species is simply a matter of convention.”

Coelacanth suddenly understood and burst into hearty laughter.

“That makes sense. What an interesting way of putting it. Young fellow, in all these hundreds of years, you are only the second visitor who has ever stumped me. From now on, you are welcome here anytime.”

Ji-Bao really liked the invisibility cloak. He thought that once he returned to his homeland and entered the castle, the cloak would certainly come in handy. He decided to make a request to General Coelacanth.

“General, thank you for conceding the contest. I hope you will forgive my boldness in making a request. I would like to borrow that invisibility cloak from your collection.”

Coelacanth was slightly surprised.

“Young fellow, you certainly have a discerning eye. You recognized what a valuable treasure it is. Since you are the one asking, I will lend it to you.”

8. General Stingray

At their third stop, they arrived at the military station of General Stingray.

Stingrays appeared alongside sharks during the Mesozoic Era, during the Jurassic Period, approximately 180 to 140 million years ago. They have the habit of hiding in the sand on the seafloor. These are the stingrays we know today.

A sharp poisonous spine developed from a modification of the stingray's dorsal fin. The spine is replaced every year, and its venom is potent enough to kill a predator.

General Stingray had a very peculiar personality. He loved listening to jokes but never laughed at them. The condition for passing through his station was to tell a joke that made him laugh. Otherwise, the visitor could fight him, but fighting him was definitely not a good idea.

Ji-Bao was confident that he could succeed. He told an old joke he had heard from his grandfather.

“Once there was a monk who, before becoming an abbot, loved eating fish. After becoming an abbot, he often went to the market to buy fish and bring them home to cook. Whenever a worshiper asked about it, he would claim that the fish were offerings to the gods.

“One day, the abbot bought two fish, wrapped them in lotus leaves, and placed them on the altar. When he wasn't paying attention, a stray cat carried them away.

“When the abbot told a young monk to take the fish to the kitchen and cook them, the young monk in charge of the offerings discovered that the fish were gone. Afraid that the abbot would blame him, he thought that perhaps he could find a ready-made substitute and make do with it.

“Half an hour later, the young monk brought the steamed fish into the room in a large bowl. The abbot lifted the lid, took one look, and was startled. Can you guess what happened?”

Ji-Bao asked General Stingray.

“What happened? Wasn't it just steamed fish?”

General Stingray widened his eyes.

“When he looked closely, it turned out to be the black wooden fish from the altar.

“The abbot deliberately asked, ‘What kind of fish is this? Can it still be eaten?’

“To his surprise, the young monk scratched his head and said with a foolish grin, ‘The fire was too strong, and all the water evaporated, so it turned out like this.’

“It turned out that the young monk had taken the wooden fish used for chanting prayers on the altar and put it in the cooking pot. At the time, the young monk had thought, ‘Well, a wooden fish is still a fish, so I might as well steam it.’”

After hearing the joke, General Stingray suddenly broke his usual habit and burst into laughter.

“You little rascal! What a terrible joke. I can't believe you came up with that. You've really got something!”

Dr. Seahorse had told Ji-Bao that General Stingray was an expert in poisons. Ji-Bao thought that since he was carrying the extremely poisonous Moonlight Sea Urchin, he would need a pair of gloves capable of protecting him from the sea urchin's venom when the time came for his final battle to the death with the old octopus monster.

So he made a request to General Stingray.

“Young fellow, you've come to the right person. I always use poisons to defeat my enemies, so of course I have plenty of gloves like that. Since you made me laugh so heartily, consider them my welcoming gift to you.”

Stingray immediately ordered someone to bring a pair of gloves and hand them to the little dolphin.

They passed General Stingray's station easily with just one joke.

9. The Sea God’s Palace

The Sea God’s Palace was magnificent, with a splendid exterior covered in gold and dazzling colors. Sea God Dama ruled over countless aquatic creatures and was a wise and mighty deity of the sea.

Over the past several decades, as human industry on land rapidly developed, pollutants such as garbage, wastewater, and oil spills from tankers flowed into the ocean, causing enormous damage to the aquatic ecosystem.

As a result, Sea God Dama had endless problems to deal with every day and was so busy that he was constantly overwhelmed. Fortunately, his daughter, the Mermaid Princess, was naturally intelligent and helped him shoulder much of his workload.

When Dr. Seahorse and the others arrived at the palace, their host, Dama, was not there. According to the servants, he had rushed to the North Sea to deal with an oil spill from a tanker. His chief steward, Minister Lobster, therefore came forward to receive them.

“Old Seahorse, our master knew you were coming and specifically instructed me to wait here for you,” Minister Lobster said in his slow, unhurried manner.

“Since Old Dama already knows we’re coming, there’s no need for me to beat around the bush. My young dolphin friend wants to borrow the magic swordfish sword from Old Dama to deal with the octopus monster occupying the western Pacific and wipe out his evil forces,” Old Seahorse said.

“Dealing with the octopus monster and eliminating his evil forces is certainly a good thing. Originally, our master took pity on him because he had trained for so many years and had not acquired his abilities easily. He still held out some hope for him and sent several of his generals, one after another, to subdue the octopus monster, intending to lead him onto the right path. But judging from the situation now, the monster’s evil forces are rapidly expanding, and subduing him is no longer possible. Our master has therefore agreed that he should be eliminated. Destroying the monster and his evil forces was originally the responsibility of our master and his subordinates, but this heavy burden has now fallen on the shoulders of this little dolphin. Our master feels deeply apologetic about this. Not only has he agreed to lend you the magic swordfish sword, he has also ordered his most elite mixed swordfish-and-marlin army to be mobilized and placed under your command and that of your young dolphin friend to deal with the vicious shark clan,” Minister Lobster explained the Sea God’s decision in detail.

“That’s excellent! With the mixed swordfish-and-marlin army helping us, victory is practically assured.” A relieved smile appeared on Old Seahorse’s deeply wrinkled face.

“However, little dolphin, Old Lobster must warn you in advance. Although this swordfish sword is unbelievably sharp and can cut through almost anything, there is something sinister about it. You may very well end up losing your life. You had better think carefully about the consequences…” Minister Lobster said solemnly, his expression grave.

“Senior, Ji-Bao has no other choice. If I can save my entire clan, I will gladly risk my life a hundred times over!”

Ji-Bao’s attitude was firm.

“If you take this sword, your death is almost certain. Aren’t you afraid at all?”

“Without this sword, I cannot kill the octopus monster, and my people will continue to be enslaved by him. If I live on alone, what meaning would such a life have, even if I were free?”

After questioning him repeatedly and confirming the little dolphin’s true intentions, Minister Lobster immediately ordered the servants to bring the command flag and the swordfish sword. He personally handed them to Seahorse and the dolphin, then sent an order to General Lanternfish to lead the mixed swordfish-and-marlin army on the expedition.

10. The Army’s Expedition

News of the army’s expedition was quickly discovered by the octopus monster’s spies. When the monster in the castle heard the news, he threw his head back and laughed from his throne.

“I’ve been worried that they wouldn’t come looking for me. In the past, I was all alone and had to hide everywhere to evade their pursuit. But now I possess the strongest force in the entire ocean world—the shark army—and I control the dolphin clan here. Even if Dama himself personally led an army against me, I wouldn’t take him seriously.”

Though he said this with his mouth, the monster still mobilized his troops and generals and actively deployed his forces for this once-in-a-century decisive battle, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

He knew very well that once he crushed the invading swordfish-and-marlin army, there would no longer be any force in the entire sea capable of threatening his position. Moreover, without the swordfish-and-marlin army, Sea God Dama would become a toothless tiger, and the remaining shrimp and crab soldiers would pose no threat. He could even press his advantage and successfully replace Dama, taking the throne as supreme ruler of the ocean.

The swordfish-and-marlin army was led by the brave and battle-hardened General Lanternfish, while the resourceful Old Seahorse naturally became the military strategist.

During the march, the swordfish warrior Wu-La, who had originally been defeated by Ji-Bao, unexpectedly became Ji-Bao’s closest friend, proving the old saying that you become acquainted through fighting.

The swordfish sword hung beneath Ji-Bao’s belly fin, its crystal scabbard emitting a cold, clear glow. Ji-Bao was full of energy, with a heroic spirit in his eyes and expression. He was eager to return home and could hardly wait to fight the octopus monster to the death.

11. The Battle on the Outskirts

The swordfish-and-marlin army had barely approached the waters of the South Sea when the octopus monster’s shark army was already fully prepared for battle.

The two sides formed their battle lines. The sharks launched the first charge, instantly stirring up billowing clouds of mud and sand in the water.

At the right moment, Ji-Bao threw out the Sun Anemone. Its intense light immediately caused the shark soldiers to temporarily lose their sight, leaving them with only their sense of smell.

General Lanternfish saw that the opportunity could not be missed and ordered the messenger to sound the signal for a full-scale charge.

Wielding the swordfish sword, Ji-Bao charged into the enemy formation alongside Wu-La. The swordfish sword was unbelievably sharp, cutting through everything in its path. Ji-Bao swung it left and right, moving through the enemy ranks as though no one were there. The soldiers of the swordfish-and-marlin army followed close behind and charged into the enemy formation.

With nothing but a field of blinding white before their eyes, the shark soldiers were terrified, and their formation immediately collapsed under the assault.

Within only half an hour, the shark army had completely disintegrated. The soldiers scattered in panic, covering their heads as they fled. The swordfish-and-marlin forces pursued them relentlessly, leaving the enemy stripped of armor and weapons, with bodies scattered across the battlefield.

The swordfish-and-marlin army won a sweeping victory in this battle. Only a small number of soldiers were wounded, and their injuries were minor.

The octopus monster lost two-thirds of his forces. When the soldiers who had escaped back to the castle reported that the enemy had unleashed a terrifying secret weapon that caused the entire army to lose its sight, the monster became furious. He smashed things throughout the hall and stomped his feet in rage.

The swordfish-and-marlin army quickly closed in on the Dolphin Castle, intending to wipe out the octopus and the surviving shark forces in one decisive attack.

Some sharks realized that the situation was hopeless. Continuing to fight would only mean sacrificing their lives for nothing, so they began slipping away one after another.

Only a unit of palace guards and a small number of soldiers remained inside the castle. As the saying goes, once an army is defeated, its collapse is like a landslide.

Seeing the critical situation, the octopus monster used hypnosis to control the dolphins who had already lost their minds, ordering them to fight the swordfish-and-marlin army outside the castle.

Ji-Bao and Old Seahorse had sharp eyes and immediately realized that the ones charging out were all dolphins. They knew that the octopus monster must have hypnotized them.

Old Seahorse immediately told the little dolphin to release the Sun Anemone again, while ordering General Lanternfish to command the entire swordfish-and-marlin army to hold their positions temporarily.

The intense light emitted by the anemone instantly broke the monster’s hypnosis. Many dolphins reached the front of the army formation and suddenly regained consciousness. They were bewildered and could not understand why they had somehow ended up together all the way outside the castle.

When Ji-Bao saw that his people had regained consciousness, he immediately went forward to look for his parents.

After some time, he finally found his mother, but his father was nowhere to be seen.

With tears in her eyes, his mother sadly told Ji-Bao, “When the shark clan attacked the castle, your father led more than a dozen young dolphins in a brave resistance. Later, they all died heroically. I heard that the sharks tore their bodies to pieces. From that moment on, I never saw your father again.”

Hearing this terrible news, Ji-Bao could not hold back his grief and burst into tears.

Old Seahorse, standing nearby, also could not keep his eyes from reddening with tears.

General Lanternfish and the swordfish warrior Wu-La supported the heartbroken Ji-Bao and quickly comforted him, telling him to turn his grief into strength and pull himself together again.

12. The Final Battle Inside the Castle

All the dolphins had completely regained consciousness, and Ji-Bao no longer had anything to worry about behind him.

In his rage and frustration, the octopus monster never imagined that his prized hypnotic magic could be so easily broken by the enemy’s magical treasure. What was even more unbelievable was that the one who had broken it was said to be the little dolphin who had escaped him back then.

The monster cursed his own miscalculation. At the time, he should have held the elderly and young dolphins of the clan hostage and forced them to fight the swordfish-and-marlin army to the death. But now it was too late for regret.

As the monster brooded over his mistake, he also began to grow deeply anxious, pacing back and forth in the hall. At this point, it seemed that all he could do was keep the castle gates tightly shut and remain trapped inside.

Ji-Bao put on the invisibility cloak. Old Seahorse instructed him to sneak into the castle first and open the gates from inside, acting as their inside man so that they could launch an attack from both inside and outside.

Ji-Bao lowered his body and quietly swam toward the castle, hiding outside the gate. He imitated the muffled cries of the sharks.

When the shark guards at the gate opened it and swam toward him, Ji-Bao immediately stopped making any sound.

The sharks were simple-minded. After searching for a while without finding even a trace of anyone, they had no idea what was going on. They could only shake their heads and swim back.

After this happened more than a dozen times, the sharks became dizzy from turning their heads. Unable to contain their anger, they began roaring and rolling around, stirring up the sand on the seafloor and making the seawater so murky that it blocked their own vision.

Only then did the little dolphin quietly swim to the castle entrance and slip inside.

Once inside the castle, Ji-Bao first slipped into the city hall. He wanted to see this feared villain, the octopus monster, for himself.

He carefully hid behind a stone pillar and watched the monster, knowing that the right moment had not yet come.

Even so, the octopus monster’s sense of smell was extremely sharp. He still detected the scent of Ji-Bao and shouted to the shark palace guards beside him, “There’s an intruder in this hall! I can smell a dolphin. Search the place thoroughly. Don’t miss a single corner.”

Ji-Bao calmly withdrew from the city hall and returned to the eastern gate of the castle.

He saw that the guards were about to change shifts, so he patiently waited until the shift change was completed before looking for his opportunity.

He first eliminated the four guards at the entrance and then opened the gate.

At that moment, the swordfish-and-marlin army had already been lying in ambush outside the eastern gate. The coral reefs and rocks in that area provided the best concealment.

The entire army was waiting for Ji-Bao to open the gate so they could rush into the castle and engage the remaining shark forces in the final slaughter.

Meanwhile, inside the hall, the shark palace guards had searched everywhere for quite some time but had clearly found nothing.

Although they did not dare openly question the octopus monster, they could not help complaining among themselves.

After the guards changed shifts, Ji-Bao quietly approached the guard on the left from behind.

Ji-Bao was wearing the invisibility cloak, so the guard facing him did not notice his presence.

“What’s that smell? It smells a lot like a dolphin,” one guard on the left said cautiously.

“I smell it too. We need to stay alert,” said another guard on the left.

As soon as he finished speaking and turned around, he let out a muffled “Ugh.” His body immediately went limp and collapsed.

A hole had been stabbed through his chest, and bright red blood poured out.

A fellow guard nearby was just about to help him when a hole was likewise stabbed through his chest. He collapsed and died.

The two guards on the opposite side of the eastern gate saw their two companions mysteriously stabbed to death without any warning. The sight made their scalps tingle with terror, and their entire bodies trembled with fear.

“An assassin! Brother, be careful!” one of the guards on the eastern side said nervously.

Both of them immediately raised their spears and went on alert, their faces filled with fear and horror.

The blood of the shark guards immediately masked the scent of the little dolphin.

Ji-Bao circled around behind the two guards and, moving with lightning-fast speed, killed both shark guards with one sword strike each.

Poor as they were, the four shark guards died without ever understanding what had happened.

Ji-Bao immediately lifted the gate bar and pushed open the castle gate.

The swordfish-and-marlin army quickly surged into the castle.

The shark guards on the watchtower at the eastern corner of the castle discovered the enemy army pouring through the eastern gate and immediately blew their conch horns.

The shark squads stationed along the streets throughout the castle heard the horn signal and swam toward the eastern gate one after another.

The two armies launched their second round of fierce fighting in the streets around the eastern gate.

The octopus monster’s most elite shark palace guards soon arrived, preparing to join the battle.

Ji-Bao released the Sun Anemone for the third time.

The shark soldiers who had already suffered from the anemone’s intense light knew how powerful it was. The moment they encountered the blinding light, they immediately turned and fled, crashing into the palace guards coming to reinforce them and sending them sprawling in all directions.

The palace guards were thrown into even greater panic by their own comrades’ terrified retreat.

When they finally encountered the Sun Anemone themselves, they realized just how powerful the enemy’s magical treasure was. They did not dare remain there for even a moment and, like their comrades who had fled before them, turned around and swam away.

General Lanternfish and the two swordfish-and-marlin commanders led from the front, chasing the retreating shark palace guards through the streets with their weapons raised.

Many shark soldiers escaped through the other three gates of the castle.

Most of the shark palace guards retreated into the city hall and shut the doors and windows tightly.

“Report to Your Majesty! The enemy army has already fought its way into the castle, and we are completely surrounded. The enemy possesses a terrifying magical weapon that has rendered all of us incapable of fighting!” the panicked captain of the palace guards reported breathlessly to the octopus monster.

“Useless fools! What are you panicking about? With me here, the enemy still won’t dare force its way inside,” the octopus monster said, pretending to remain calm.

In truth, he already had a feeling that his end was near.

The invading enemy possessed a powerful magical weapon, and Sea God Dama had mobilized the elite swordfish-and-marlin army in force to destroy him.

The captain muttered to himself, “It’s no solution to keep hiding and refuse to fight.”

13. The Final Battle Inside the Castle

As the saying goes, a cornered beast will fight to the bitter end.

The monster knew perfectly well that he was now surrounded by the enemy and would have little chance of escaping unharmed. He decided to throw caution to the wind and simply wait for the enemy to break in.

General Lanternfish’s army guarded the outside of the city hall.

Seeing that the enemy had shut themselves inside and refused to come out and fight, the general and his commanders could not think of a solution for the moment.

They could only look toward Old Seahorse, their military strategist. They knew that at this critical moment, the strategist would certainly have a brilliant plan for defeating the enemy.

Old Seahorse was experienced and calculating. After thinking for a moment, he said, “The monster has nowhere left to escape. But to capture the bandits, first capture their leader. You just remain patiently on guard. I already sent the little dolphin inside the hall ahead of us.”

“Strategist, how could you send my dolphin brother into such danger alone?” Swordfish warrior Wu-La asked with a worried expression.

“The old octopus is no ordinary ruthless opponent. I’m simply using the same trick again. He certainly won’t expect it. The little dolphin is carrying magical treasures and knows how to act according to the situation. We’ll provide support at the right moment. Then we can destroy the monster’s lair and wipe them all out,” Seahorse said calmly.

Ji-Bao put on the invisibility cloak and followed the retreating shark palace guards into the city hall for the second time, hiding in a secluded corner.

This time, several guards had been wounded, and the water was filled with the smell of blood, so the monster did not detect Ji-Bao’s scent.

Once the guards around the monster had all returned to their posts, the monster closed his eyes and rested in his seat.

Only a small squad of palace guards remained on duty in the hall.

At this point, Ji-Bao had already decided on his course of action.

He would first eliminate the four guards guarding the hall entrance, let General Lanternfish’s army enter, tie up the shark palace guards inside the hall, and then concentrate on confronting the monster himself.

Ji-Bao slipped behind the guards at the entrance.

With two quick swishes of his sword, he first took down two of them.

The other two guards were so frightened that they shouted, “There’s a ghost in the hall!”

They turned and ran for their lives because they had not seen any enemy at all. They had only seen their comrades suddenly collapse—one with his head severed from his body, the other with a gaping hole through his chest and blood pouring out.

This immediately alerted the octopus monster on his seat and the four personal guards beside him.

Those four large guards, each holding a different weapon, charged toward the hall entrance.

Ji-Bao swung the swordfish sword and, with a clang, cut through the bronze door bar and pulled open the gate.

The Lanternfish army waiting outside heard the commotion inside and had already raised their weapons, ready to attack.

The moment the gate opened, General Lanternfish led the charge inside.

Lanternfish wielded a four-foot-long spiked mace. He smashed the first two of the four shark guards coming toward him, leaving their heads bloodied before they collapsed and died.

The swordfish and marlin commanders immediately finished off the remaining two.

The soldiers each led their units and were about to search for the remaining enemies in different directions when the monster left his seat and walked down into the hall.

He let out a long roar.

“You came at just the right time. Now you can taste the power of my nerve poison ink!”

He immediately sprayed out thick black ink like dense smoke, first wrapping himself in it before rapidly spreading it in all directions.

“Ji-Bao, release the Sun Anemone and break the monster’s magic!” Old Seahorse shouted.

By then, the invisible Ji-Bao had already quietly circled behind the monster and was hiding behind a stone pillar.

“Leave the monster to me. You go search the hall for those sharks!” Ji-Bao had no choice but to speak.

But by doing so, he exposed his position.

So while releasing the Sun Anemone, he simultaneously moved from place to place.

As soon as the anemone was released, the monster’s black ink, struck by its intense light, actually evaporated into white smoke.

The monster’s true form was exposed as he crouched in the center of the hall.

The swordfish-and-marlin soldiers split into groups and moved down the various corridors of the city hall, searching room by room.

The entire hall was now left with only Old Seahorse, Swordfish warrior Wu-La, the octopus monster, the invisible little dolphin Ji-Bao, and the six dead shark bodies.

“You little dolphin, you’ve gotten the better of me again and again. Since you’re already here, why not take off that invisibility cloak and come out to face me?” the old octopus roared.

He deliberately tried to provoke Ji-Bao.

“Hiding your head and showing only your tail is no way for a true hero to behave.”

Ji-Bao remained silent.

He had no intention of falling for the monster’s provocation.

He was waiting for an opportunity to release the Moonlight Sea Urchin.

“Octopus monster, I’ll take you on!” Swordfish warrior Wu-La raised his spear and leaped forward.

The action was so sudden that Old Seahorse had no time to stop him.

“Swordfish, watch out!” Old Seahorse cried out.

The monster pulled out two of his long tentacles and swung them horizontally at Swordfish like two steel whips.

“Brother Swordfish, get out of the way!”

Seeing Swordfish trapped in danger, Ji-Bao rushed out from the rear corner without a second thought and stood in front of Swordfish.

He swung his sword repeatedly with four rapid slashes.

One of the strikes sliced off the tip of one of the monster’s tentacles.

But Ji-Bao himself was caught and bound by the monster’s other tentacle.

Only then did Swordfish behind Ji-Bao realize how terrifying the monster truly was, and cold sweat broke out all over him.

It turned out that the monster had already calculated that the invisible dolphin would certainly come to the rescue if his companion were in danger.

He had therefore deliberately feinted an attack against Swordfish in order to force the dolphin to reveal himself.

At this critical moment, Old Seahorse shouted loudly, “Ji-Bao, release the Moonlight Sea Urchin!”

However, Ji-Bao was tightly held by the monster’s tentacles and could not move. His life was hanging by a thread.

Swordfish came to his senses and thrust his long spear straight toward the monster’s protruding left eye.

The monster swung one of his tentacles at Swordfish, instantly tearing him open and smashing him against a stone pillar, knocking him unconscious on the spot.

The moment the monster loosened his grip slightly, Ji-Bao put on the poison-resistant gloves, took the Moonlight Sea Urchin from beneath his belly fin, and pressed it against the monster’s tentacle wrapped around him.

The sea urchin’s venom immediately entered the tentacle, and a purple aura spread from the wound. The resulting numbness instantly caused the tentacle to loosen its grip.

After breaking free, Ji-Bao drew the swordfish sword and chopped down at the tentacle, severing it completely from its owner. At the same time, he once again threw the Sun Anemone and the Moonlight Sea Urchin at the monster.

A violent convulsion made the monster roll uncontrollably across the floor, generating a powerful current that forcibly swept Old Seahorse out through the hall entrance. Ji-Bao was also carried by the current and thrown against a stone pillar.

Ji-Bao quickly carried Swordfish out of the hall and placed him on the steps outside the entrance, then turned around and rushed back into the hall.

At this moment, the intense light of the Sun Anemone left the monster staring into a field of blinding white, while the Moonlight Sea Urchin repeatedly stung his tentacle.

The monster desperately shook his body, but the sea urchin followed him everywhere like a vengeful spirit.

The monster’s tentacle had already suffered repeated sword wounds, and now it was being stung again and again by the sea urchin. Waves of pain and numbness attacked him at the same time, gradually driving him into a frenzy.

Facing the enraged octopus monster, Ji-Bao held the swordfish sword and moved around his body, without the slightest trace of fear on his face.

Whenever he found an opening, he slashed and stabbed at the monster. One section after another of the monster’s tentacles was chopped off, as if he were pruning the tangled branches of a dead tree.

After a long while, the monster was left with only two tentacles.

One wrapped around his navel, while the other thrashed and clawed wildly through the air.

The venom of the Moonlight Sea Urchin gradually spread through his body. Purple vapor rose from his severed limbs and spread upward through his body.

The monster was struggling desperately on the verge of death.

Seeing that the time was right, Ji-Bao decided to deliver the monster a fatal blow.

He fixed his eyes on the position of the monster’s navel beneath his tentacle. He planned to descend from directly above the monster’s head like a falling cannonball, spinning as he dove downward, and drive the sword through the tentacle and into the monster’s navel.

The blinded monster heard the rapid sound of water rushing above his head and saw through the little dolphin’s trick.

His remaining two tentacles immediately withdrew and swiftly coiled over his head.

The little dolphin plunged directly into his tentacles.

“I’ve got you, you little brat! I’m going to tear you to pieces!”

The monster’s two tentacles tightly bound Ji-Bao and repeatedly tightened their grip.

Ji-Bao gradually lost his ability to breathe and his consciousness…

At that moment, Old Seahorse, who had returned to the hall, witnessed Ji-Bao being torn apart by the monster and let out a long, anguished cry.

“Ah~~~!”

The monster tore Ji-Bao apart into three pieces and threw them onto the floor.

His head and chest, abdomen, and tail were separated from one another, and bright red blood poured from the jagged torn surfaces.

The magic swordfish sword fell to the ground in front of Ji-Bao.

“You little brat, this is what you get!” the octopus monster said.

Enduring the pain, he waved his remaining two tentacles and exposed his navel.

Then a miracle happened.

After the magic swordfish sword had been fed by Ji-Bao’s blood, it began to tremble as though suddenly awakened from a dream.

It then flew diagonally toward the monster like a meteor and pierced his navel with perfect accuracy.

The monster let out a horrifying roar of pain.

His thick-skinned belly burst open, his internal organs spilling out, and his body immediately went limp and collapsed to the ground, dead.

Old Seahorse had seen everything clearly, and only then did he suddenly understand.

It turned out that for the magic swordfish sword to unleash its hidden power, the life of the person wielding it had to be offered as the price.

No wonder Minister Lobster, Dama’s steward, had repeatedly warned the little dolphin to think carefully about the consequences and had predicted that his journey would result in “certain death.”

14. The Mermaid Princess

The hall was packed with swordfish-and-marlin soldiers and members of the dolphin clan. Everyone surrounded the body of the little dolphin, Ji-Bao.

Ji-Bao’s mother held the mutilated body of her beloved son in her arms and wept bitterly.

The wounded Swordfish warrior Wu-La, with several bandages wrapped around his body, crouched beside Ji-Bao and sobbed uncontrollably. He was a straightforward warrior who placed great importance on loyalty and affection.

Tears and mucus streamed down Old Seahorse’s deeply wrinkled face, making him look like an old stray cat.

Even General Lanternfish, normally known for his extraordinary boldness, could not help wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes.

Many of Ji-Bao’s childhood companions were crying sadly.

The older ones among them knew that Ji-Bao had suffered this tragedy because he had sacrificed himself to save his entire clan.

The younger ones could only think that from now on, they would never again see Ji-Bao sitting quietly in a secluded corner, deep in thought.

At that moment, a beautiful song came from the distance.

The Mermaid Princess had arrived, surrounded by her attendants.

Everyone quickly moved aside to open a passage for her.

The Mermaid Princess took Ji-Bao’s head and chest from his dolphin mother.

She slowly removed the white jade hairpin from her hair, along with strands of hair as golden as fine gold thread, and carefully stitched together the torn wounds between Ji-Bao’s chest and abdomen and the wounds at his tail.

Two streams of clear tears rolled down the princess’s cheeks.

Her tears, sparkling with the light of love, fell one by one and instantly crystallized into perfectly clear pearls.

The Mermaid Princess picked up the pearls and placed them in her mouth.

Then she tenderly kissed Ji-Bao and slowly fed the pearls, one by one, into his mouth.

At that moment, another miracle occurred.

The fish skin covering Ji-Bao’s body began to peel away inch by inch.

A human form appeared beneath it: a head and face, a torso, and four limbs.

And he was a handsome young man.

Everyone watching was stunned for a moment, staring in astonishment.

The boy slowly opened his eyes and saw the Mermaid Princess with her long hair falling over her shoulders.

“Prince, you’re awake. Do you remember me?” the Mermaid Princess said gently.

The boy who was called the prince nodded and supported himself with both hands as he slowly raised his upper body.

“In your previous life, you wronged me. Before you died, you promised that in your next life you would marry me, return to the ocean, and live with me there. Do you remember?” the Mermaid Princess said again, gazing at the prince with deeply affectionate eyes.

“Princess, I remember my vow,” Ji-Bao said, nodding.

“I saved all the dolphins and fulfilled my promise to Sea God Dama. Princess, today, in front of my people and my friends, I formally ask you to marry me. I will take you as my wife, and from this day forward, we will remain together for the rest of our lives. We will grow old together and never abandon each other.”

After saying this, the prince lifted the Mermaid Princess into his arms.

Amid the blessings and cheers of countless aquatic creatures lining the way, he slowly walked out and headed toward the vast blue ocean…