The elder extended his hand towards Qingxun. His usually stern face rarely revealed a friendly smile, and even his voice softened considerably: "Qingxun, come here. Grandpa Elder will take you in."

Qingxun sweetly replied, "Okay." Just as she was about to place her soft, white, and delicate hand into the elder's, the captain of the guards quickly intercepted her hand and held it in his own: "Little Princess, you can't go in."

Qingxun blinked his wet eyes, revealing a hint of confusion: "Why? I want to see my uncle."

The captain of the guards was so shocked by her gaze that his heart almost melted into a pool of water. However, thinking of the Mermaid King's order, he gritted his teeth and said, "The King said you can't go in."

"Can't I too? I heard that my uncle is sick, and I'm worried." Hearing that she would also be turned away, Qingxun pursed her rosy lips and her voice was filled with tears.

Seeing this, the elder unceremoniously punched the captain of the guards on the shoulder, causing him to howl in pain. "Just let Qingxun go wherever she wants to go. You dare to disrespect the princess? Believe it or not, I'll have you thrown into jail!"

The captain of the guards rubbed his shoulders and said aggrievedly, "I didn't disrespect the princess."

Such a cute little cub, he couldn't love her enough.

The elder pulled Qingxun over and gently touched her head: "Qingxun, let's ignore him. Come on, Grandpa Elder will take you in."

"No, no!" The captain of the guards opened his arms again and stood guard at the door. "The king said no one can enter."

The elder was repeatedly stopped, murderous intent flashing in his eyes. However, realizing that the little princess was still watching, he took a deep breath and suppressed his anger. "What's going on with him? Why can't anyone come in just because he's sick? We're not here to disturb him. We're just here to visit out of concern. Could there be something else behind the king's illness?"

The elder looked at him scrutinizingly, as if he were looking at a hateful accomplice.

"B-Because..." The guard captain stuttered for a moment, then suddenly an idea flashed in his mind and he said, "It's the king. He has an infectious disease. If you get too close, you will be infected."

Qingxun opened his mouth in surprise: "Infectious disease?"

"Yes, this disease will cause scales to fall off continuously, leaving bald patches here and there on the body, revealing white flesh. If the little princess gets close, she will immediately become ill. When all the scales fall off, it will be extremely painful, and she will become like this—"

The captain of the guards squatted down, put his face close to Qingxun, rolled his eyes upwards, leaving only the whites of his eyes exposed, and stuck out his tongue, looking like a hanged ghost with his eyes open.

His original intention was just to vividly describe the severity of the disease, but the little princess was frightened by his grimace and immediately whimpered, hugged the elder's waist tightly, and dared not raise her face.

"Wow, that's so scary." Qingxun burst into tears.

The elder quickly hugged her, patted her on the back and comforted her softly. The captain of the guards was also startled, and he stepped forward at a loss, wanting to pat her as well.

The elder slapped his hand away and said angrily, "Look at what you have done!"

"I...I didn't mean it."

He also didn't expect that the usually strong little princess would cry like this just because of his face.

The elder coaxed Qingxun for a long time, and when he felt that Qingxun's crying had subsided, he lowered his head and asked, "Qingxun, can grandpa find someone to take you back? Your uncle has an infectious disease, and you are still young, so don't go to see him."

Qingxun sniffed, nodded, then took the elder's hand again and said pitifully, "Grandpa Elder, I don't want to go back by myself. Can you please take me back?"

"This..." The elder was a little embarrassed.

Qingxun is still young and doesn't have to go in, but as an elder, he should go to visit the patient and understand the king's condition.

He discussed with Qingxun, "How about you go back first and Grandpa come to see you later?"

"I don't want it!" Qingxun threw him away and hugged his hands angrily: "Grandpa Elder is not good to Qingxun at all. He doesn't want to care about Qingxun anymore!"

"How could I not care about Qingxun? Qingxun is my favorite little female." The elder looked at her straight in the eye. He had never had much patience, and the little he had was completely reserved for the only little princess of the mermaid tribe.

The captain of the guards looked on in amazement.

This was the first time he had seen such an elder!

After coaxing him for a long time, Qingxun finally paid attention to him. Her white and tender little hand took his big hand and shook it: "Then the elder grandfather will take me back."

"Okay, okay." The elder was so upset by her that he could only agree repeatedly.

After getting the promise, Qingxun stopped crying. She stretched out her soft, white arms and wrapped them around the elder's neck. The elder sighed helplessly, held her in his arms, and let her sit on his arms.

After coaxing the little princess, when facing the captain of the guards, the patient and gentle elder disappeared and turned back into his previous irritable self.

He patted Qingxun's back gently, but spoke to the chief guard in a cold tone: "Have you asked the witch doctor to come and see the Mermaid King's illness?"

The guard captain was still immersed in shock when the elder glared at him. He manually closed his mouth and said respectfully, "I have examined him. The witch doctor is taking care of him in the palace now."

The elder nodded, and this statement was barely accepted.

"What did the witch doctor say?"

The captain of the guards quickly said, "He said that the king is ill and cannot be approached, otherwise he will be infected. But he will recover if he is well cared for. Don't worry."

So you better leave quickly and don’t come back, the captain of the guards thought secretly.

At this moment, there was no seriously ill mermaid king or witch doctor in the palace. There was only a witch doctor who was trapped inside to prevent the news from leaking out, and a guard who was watching him.

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