The waters around the Babao Qionglou receded on all sides, and the pyramid-shaped Storm Artifact hovered above the Coral Palace, steadily weakening the dark undercurrents. The Merfolk race had already prepared to reopen the Sea Market.
Xiao Ran exited the side hall and circled counterclockwise, charging off in a fury to settle a score.
Meanwhile, Ji Shiyu from the other gate was walking in the same direction, and the two of them just kept circling around, their steps perfectly in sync.
Three full laps and they still hadn’t run into each other. Neither had caught a glimpse of the other, so they spun faster and faster, cursing all the way. The massive coral clusters were as dense as a forest on the ocean floor, and after circling for a while, Ji Shiyu grew dizzy. Every view looked identical to her.
“Ao Tian, which gate did I come out of just now?”
Ji Shiyu patted her head and only then remembered that she’d just had her outburst and forbidden the silly bird from coming near.
“Hmph, I’ll forgive it later.”
The little yellow-haired girl clutched her head with both hands and wandered aimlessly along the sandy seabed. She was heading back toward the central hall in the direction of the Night Pearl when she suddenly heard a voice coming from deep within the coral reefs.
At a time like this, who else but Xiao Ran, that string of firecrackers, would come out here to drink the northwest wind?
Could someone be having a secret tryst here?
Let me take a look!
Ji Shiyu crept over on tiptoes, and it turned out to be that little fish girl, who seemed to be in trouble.
Mu Shaohua’s face was pale, and her crystal-clear long tail trembled uneasily. She had clearly snuck out chasing after Lord Ji, but she’d run into the one person she least wanted to meet.
A deceased soul bound by blood.
Decades had passed since they’d last parted, and the familiar, reliable aura of old had turned sinister. Even if the body had changed, the Divine Soul hadn’t, and with a single glance, he recognized her.
“How… is it you?”
That terrifying aura was coming from a strange young man.
Not only was the young girl unhappy, she was terrified, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.
Just as her mother had said, that man hadn’t died, but he’d gone completely mad. Seeing no hope of Dragon Transformation, he’d chosen to devour his own kind.
She’d been hiding in the Tianyin Fang for so long, spending more time on land than in the water. Why did her father still refuse to let her go?
“I’ve been thinking of you day and night, longing for the day we’d reunite.”
“If not me, then who? It’s been so long, my little Rosy Consort has grown up. Don’t you want to see me again?”
Jie Lin’s gaze was gentle as he stepped forward slowly, reaching out to touch his daughter’s face.
Mu Shaohua shook her head in terror, retreating in fright while clutching a Jade Flute and waving it helplessly.
No, she didn’t want that at all. She didn’t even want to acknowledge the name he’d given her!
“Stay back! How… how did you sneak in here? The Qiongxiao Palace doesn’t welcome you!”
Jie Lin’s expression shifted drastically, deeply disappointed. He sneered, “Don’t forget, I am the true master here. How could a Half-Demon mongrel raised by Madam Yingluo stop a True Dragon? What, do you want to raise a hand against your own father?”
“The father I knew is dead. You… you’re not him!”
Jie Lin’s face contorted with uncontrollable rage, looking at his beloved daughter as if she were some kind of Monster.
“Outrageous! Even lowly races like the Human Race know that filial piety is the greatest virtue. Yingluo betrayed me back then, and now you want to defy me too?”
Mu Shaohua gritted her teeth and fought back: “Cultivation may have its levels, but races have no distinction between noble and lowly. There’s an old saying on the shore too: even a tiger does not eat its own cubs!”
The eavesdropping filial daughter rolled her eyes. Thanks, she felt personally attacked.
“So that’s what you’re afraid of. Rest assured, how could I bear to devour you? As long as you obey, once I’ve dealt with that woman, you will still be the Mistress of the Qiongxiao Palace, the consort of the great sea, and we, father and daughter, will never be separated.”
Hearing that indulgent voice, Mu Shaohua’s hair stood on end. The man before her was terrifyingly unfamiliar, and his goal was none other than her Dragon Pearl.
“I… I won’t. Go away! If you come any closer, I won’t be polite!”
“Oh?”
Mu Shaohua wanted to cry out for help, but she was pinned in place by a powerful Divine Sense, her voice growing weaker and weaker as she was backed into a corner of the reef.
She forced herself to play, the flute’s sound transforming into waves of sound, the spiritual energy rippling softly.
“So this is the Merfolk technique you’ve learned?”
Jie Lin smiled contemptuously, sharp claws forming on his five fingers. He effortlessly shredded the Golden Core aura and stepped closer step by step.
“Just as I thought, women are all the same—base creatures. They swear they’ll never leave, then turn ungrateful in the blink of an eye. You, and your mother—if it weren’t for me, would the Merfolk race have come this far!?”
The eavesdropping crowd member Ji Shiyu had witnessed a whole cutscene, and as she listened, she got caught in the AOE again. She couldn’t crouch there any longer.
“Ahem, ahem!”
An untimely sound appeared, and the moment Mu Shaohua saw the golden-haired youth, she cried out in delight.
“Young Master Ji!”
He’s come to save me!
He actually dared to jump out. Gotta admire the courage.
“We meet again, Lord Ji.”
Jie Lin’s smile turned eerie. He’d long since noticed this insect, but he hadn’t expected the other party to actually come out.
“It’s you again. I just happened to be passing by after finishing my business. Is there anything I can help you two with?”
“No, we’re just old friends catching up.”
Jie Lin clicked his tongue, pretending not to know. If the young man had any sense, he’d stay far away, or else face the consequences himself.
Mu Shaohua, however, quickly swam behind Ji Shiyu and shook her head in denial.
“I don’t know him!”
Ji Shiyu glanced at the little fish girl clinging to her arm. She didn’t pull away, just shrugged and said, “You heard her. She said she doesn’t know you.”
“Let me give you one last piece of advice, Lord Ji. Don’t meddle in other people’s business, especially family matters.”
Jie Lin smiled slightly, and Ji Shiyu instantly felt a sharp sting between her brows. She frowned and focused her mind.
In her Soul Vision, the sinister young man had a phantom image of a Flood Dragon emerging behind him—a ghostly face with a Spirit Boar Tusk, roaring straight at her.
The young girl’s Sword Heart in her Sea of Consciousness stood firm, and the Jade Palace Golden Core, empowered by Dragon Blood, quickly dispelled the attack.
“Look at you, all that pride. Bullying a girl… what kind of accomplishment is that? I don’t have Mr. Yun’s good temper. Since I’m in a good mood right now, scram!”
Ji Shiyu glared, about to say “daughter,” but swallowed the word at the last moment.
Forget about morals for a second—everything should be consensual. Who raises a kid like that?
This wasn’t just some random matter anymore. As someone’s own sweet little jacket, she wasn’t about to tolerate a beast in human skin!
Jie Lin’s eyes turned cold, surprised by the young man’s soul realm, but he had no intention of starting a fight here.
Father and daughter reunited. Today was just a greeting. It wasn’t yet time to retake the Qiongxiao Palace.
“Very well. I’ll remember you, Ji Shiyu. Good luck to you—in the depths of this sea, you’ll need it.”
“Right back at you. Next time we meet, I won’t hold back. No one threatens Mr. Yun in front of me.”
Anyone can throw threats around.
The little yellow-haired girl countered with stubborn pride. After all, she was in charge of guarding the fish girl one-on-one, and as for that snake-skin father—she’d leave him to Mr. Yun.
Daughter to daughter, father to father. Nobody came out at a disadvantage.
Jie Lin gave Ji Shiyu one last meaningful look before strolling away. The Rosy Consort had disappointed him beyond words. In that case, he’d settle things his own way.