Chapter 1276: One Battle Secures the Southwest (Thirteen) [Happy National Day]

Shen Tang's suspicion was written all over her face.

The mermaid, even with his limited understanding of human relationships, could see through the situation. He knew that coming to him at a time when Kangguo was at war with its southwestern allies would raise suspicions about his motives, and to gain their trust, he had to be honest. The mermaid said, "I know Lord Shen doesn't believe me, but I can't produce a pledge of loyalty to prove my innocence."

A genuine surrender or a feigned surrender?

Shen Tang put the matter aside for the time being and asked, "May I ask what grudge your ancestors had against Luo Yuan?"

The mermaid said, "Oh, he slept with my breastfeeding mother."

Shen Tang: "..."

One sentence completely baffled her.

If she hadn't been in charge for many years and hadn't greatly improved her emotional control, the mermaid's words would have made her lose her composure. To blurt out such explosive content—wasn't the mermaid treating her too casually? Gu Chi clenched her fist, covered her lips, and coughed incessantly.

The mermaid looked at everyone's reactions with some confusion.

"That's right, he slept with my grandmother, almost angered my grandfather to death, and my father committed suicide out of shame. This ancestral feud is too great; it must be avenged." Aren't people outside supposed to be very wary of this kind of thing? Isn't what Luo Yuan did irrefutable evidence that he wanted to kill the other party?

Shen Tang: "...Revenge is no problem."

She was more concerned about why the mermaid shared the same surname as Luo Yuan.

Are the mermaid's ancestors related to Luo Yuan?

When Shen Tang asked the question, the mermaid replied, "No, it's because Luo Yuan deliberately abandoned his original surname and took my grandfather's surname in order to learn my grandfather's true teachings. He also gave my grandmother to my grandfather. So I take my grandfather's surname, and it has little to do with Luo Yuan."

A fee is required to become an apprentice.

He simply gave his wife away as tuition.

It would have been better if he hadn't explained; the explanation only made the relationship more complicated.

Shen Tang opened her mouth as if to say something, but after a while, she swallowed her question back. Seeing her conflicted expression, the mermaid roughly guessed what she was thinking and scratched her medium-length hair, saying, "This kind of thing was quite common back then. People that Luo Yuan, a good-for-nothing, couldn't support, should rightfully be protected by men who could support them. Living with a good-for-nothing who couldn't afford tuition when he became an apprentice and changed his surname overnight to pledge his loyalty to his teacher? That's pitiful, wouldn't he go hungry nine times out of three?"

If given the chance to find a powerful figure to rely on, it's a survival strategy that the weak have no other choice. At least his grandmother lived to a ripe old age without illness or disaster while her peers starved to death in the prime of their lives.

Shen Tang inexplicably felt a bit full.

I can tell from their eyes, they've been eating too much gossip.

"Since you say this is a common occurrence, why hold a grudge? Luo Yuan sent the woman away, didn't your ancestors know anything about her background?"

Shen Tang thought the enmity stemmed from deception, but the drama of life was far more twisted and complex than any storybook, because stories require logic, while reality does not: "My grandfather naturally knew, but he was unaware of Luo Yuan's wolfish ambitions and his disregard for human ethics!"

“He has already sent my grandmother away and learned a lot of skills from my grandfather. He actually took advantage of his absence to fight a war…” The mermaid’s expression was indignant, her handsome face contorted with rage, and she couldn’t hide her disgust. “My grandmother gave birth to two children who were not my grandfather’s.”

When the master and disciple met on the battlefield, Luo Yuan, unable to defeat his opponent, actually exposed the truth in front of the entire army, greatly impacting his grandfather's fighting strength. His grandfather was so angered that he suffered internal injuries and was defeated by Luo Yuan, barely escaping with his life.

From that moment on, the hatred was sealed.

Shen Tang: "..."

This grudge is indeed very deep.

"If this is true, then Luo Yuan truly deserves to die. For his own selfish desires, he offered his wife for personal gain. He harmed her to this extent, and even let her give birth to two… If this matter is exposed, these two children will likely also face death." The veracity of this claim remains to be verified, but Shen Tang already believes it to some extent. People in this era still have some integrity; if it weren't true, why would they fabricate such a story about their ancestors?

The mermaid nodded: "Indeed, my father committed suicide out of shame. If it weren't for Luo Yuan, I wouldn't have been born without a father."

Gu Chi: "???"

Gong Xichou and his brothers: "???"

Shen Tang's head popped out as well: "???"

No, isn't that a lot of information in the mermaid's words?

She was speechless almost as many times today as she has in the past year: "What you're saying is that you are... Luo Yuan and your grandmother's... grandson? And you're going to kill Luo Yuan?"

The mermaid replied confidently, "Yes, that's right."

Shen Tang: "..."

She repeated it again.

Judging from her expression, does she seem to believe it?

The mermaid noticed the unusually quiet atmosphere and explained, "My grandfather was very good to me, and he was also very good to my father and uncle. We're family. Luo Yuan was my grandfather and grandmother's enemy, my family's enemy, so naturally he's my enemy too!"

"Your grandfather was magnanimous."

"My grandfather said that there can only be a future if someone has children."

In those days, widows with children were highly sought after in the surrounding villages. More people meant more labor, and more labor meant more hope of survival. Who had the energy to care whether the child was their own? As long as the child could pass on the surname and the father-son relationship was genuinely acknowledged, then the child was their biological offspring.

Even though the mermaid's grandfather, as a highly skilled martial artist, doesn't need to follow this kind of thinking that originated from the grassroots, who can escape being swept up by the tide of the times?

When he first learned of this past event, he was also curious about his grandmother's attitude—one pregnancy could be considered an accident, but she didn't tell his grandfather about two pregnancies. Was her relationship with Luo Yuan truly forced?

The widowed mother tapped him on the head as a warning.

The affairs of the older generation are none of your business, as a junior.

They were afraid that their son would say something wrong and cause trouble.

Finally, the answer to this question was found before my grandfather passed away.

Grandfather had a large family, whether they were his own children, children given to him by Luo Yuan, or children he adopted from his fallen soldiers, they were all raised by him. Among all of Luo's children, Mermaid's talent was far superior.

They also showed more favoritism towards this grandson and put a lot of effort into nurturing him.

Faced with his grandson's question, he said, "It's meaningless."

Why is it said to be meaningless?

"...The weak are never forced. They act voluntarily. Because they are so insignificant and weak, they fear those who put pressure on them. Out of survival instinct, they choose to submit, yet they cannot let the other party know that they are forced rather than acting voluntarily. So, to outsiders, it all appears voluntary." The old man, who could barely stand upright, casually pointed to one of his followers and sneered, "Tell me, if I asked him to take off his pants right now, do you think he would act voluntarily or be forced?"

Mermaid: [...]

The attendant sighed: "The general is far too lenient."

When giving examples, don't use old men over fifty. Instead, bring out a young and beautiful woman. Wouldn't that be more convincing?

The old general spat: "In short, when you're concerned about whether someone acted willingly, you first need to see if they have the means to act against their will. If they don't even have that, what's the point of arguing? Just assume they were forced."

Old attendant: [Was the old lady forced to be with you back then?]

The old general retorted: "What else? Why sleep with a man in his fifties or sixties instead of a teenager?"

He knew the woman was forced to give herself to him, but he accepted the gift; he also knew that the woman and Luo Yuan were half still connected and had feelings for each other, and half had been coerced by the other party, half reluctantly agreeing, but he kept Luo Yuan's two sons and didn't blame her.

Judging from her physique, I walked ahead of her.

These things should be handled separately.

The mermaid took a deep breath: "It has nothing to do with magnanimity, it's just a matter of one thing at a time. I must kill Luo Yuan. This is not only a feud between the Luo family and him, but also the dying wish of my grandmother and mother. Without his head, I can't go into the water for the annual ancestral worship."

The graves of my grandparents and parents are all built underwater.

Every year, members of the Luo family would go into the water to worship their ancestors, but he couldn't, because he hadn't yet obtained Luo Yuan's head. Luo Yuan had always kept a tight grip on his secrets, rarely daring to show himself; he was determined to kill him!

Shen Tang carefully considered his request.

Then I asked a question that was somewhat off-topic.

"Are all these people you brought your private soldiers?"

The mermaid nodded, then shook her head: "They can't really be considered private soldiers. Some of their ancestors were my grandfather's private soldiers, some were my mother's dowry soldiers, and some were my cousins. The rest I raised myself. But they are all trustworthy."

He paused, recalling the news that Kangguo was not good at naval warfare.

He added, "They are all excellent swimmers and naval warriors."

His grandfather, severely injured by Luo Yuan, had been struggling to recover and was forced to consider retiring. However, the mainland was in chaos due to the ongoing wars, making seclusion unsafe. So, he took his accumulated wealth overseas. The Luo family now resides on a small island, communicating with the mainland only when supplies are needed. Aside from the somewhat impoverished conditions, life is alright; the island now has a population of nearly ten thousand.

The mermaid gritted her teeth.

"If Lord Shen does not believe me, he may send someone to the island."

These words carry the weight of a blood oath.

If the mermaid's surrender was feigned rather than genuine, then once Shen Tang recovered, he could send two thousand elite troops to slaughter the island. Shen Tang raised his hand, interrupting the mermaid.

“Since you are so frank, I will naturally treat you with the same sincerity. I will believe 60% of what you say for now, and I will send someone to verify it later. You have all been traveling and working hard, so why don’t you rest for a day or two?”

The mermaid breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay."

Regardless of how Shen Tang tries to prove that it has nothing to do with him.

Shen Tang asked one last question.

"May I ask how I should address Mr. Luo?"

So engrossed in gossiping, I forgot to ask the other person's name.

I can't exactly call her "Mermaid" next time we meet, can I?

The mermaid said, "Kill. My name is Luo Sha, courtesy name Shenlu."

Despite his handsome appearance, his name is menacing.

The group Luo Sha brought didn't need any testing; their swimming skills were indeed excellent. It wasn't obvious on land, but once they were in the water, it was like returning to their hometown—truly embodying the meaning of "like a fish in water." Even Shen Tang was envious, her palms itching to cast a line from the shore.

"What do you all think about the Luo killing incident? Is it true or false?"

Gong Shuwu said, "It should be true."

He never expected to get to know the follow-up to the old story: "Wei Cheng once told me about this past incident. Luo Yuan only got dealt with after he fell into his hands and had no choice but to stay in the Eternal Life Sect to serve him."

Back then, Wei Cheng even mocked Luo Yuan, saying he was a failure as a person, looking down on Luo Yuan for having the ability but not daring to reclaim his woman and instead secretly having an affair with her, which was not a virtuous act. He was both pathetic and shameful, so it's no wonder that not only did the descendants of his "mentor" want Luo Yuan dead, but even the descendants of his own children wanted to kill him. Luo Yuan was in a morally bankrupt position, and anyone could point fingers at him.

but--

Gong Shuwu then mentioned another detail.

"Wei Cheng also said that Luo Yuan's enemies were also puppets supported by the Inner Society of the Gods. Since the Inner Society collapsed and all its members died, Luo Yuan's backer fell, and only then did Luo Yuan, who had been hiding all this time, dare to show his face. In other words..."

Luo Sha and the Luo clan are related to the inner society of the Gods Society.

However, since the inner society has been gone for many years, it's hard to say what the relationship is between the two now: "Instead of pushing Luo Sha out, I think it would be more reassuring to keep him under our noses and keep an eye on him."

Shen Tang rubbed his temples.

She was unaware of this relationship.

She had originally thought that it wouldn't hurt to use the combat power that had come to her door, but since Luo Sha had this background, she had to be cautious.

We can't lift a rock only to drop it on our own foot.

Gu Chi suggested, "How about we test the waters?"

Anyway, Luan Xin will be here soon.

"...Justice should arrive in the next couple of days. Let him use my Confucian methods to get information out of Luo Sha. This fish doesn't seem very bright; perhaps we can get something out of him." At least we need to know whether Luo Sha is harmful to our side.

If it's harmful, keeping it under our noses makes it convenient for us to monitor, but it also makes it easier for the other side to commit crimes. No matter how you look at it, it's not worth it.

Shen Tang nodded: "Alright, let's wait for justice first."

Unfortunately, plans can't keep up with changes.

Luo's killing of his subordinates unexpectedly became the trigger for the war between the two sides.

Any one of his men was a far better swimmer than Shen Tang's men; they could infiltrate the enemy's territory by water without making a ripple, leaving no trace. When they cooperated with scouts, their collaboration was virtually flawless. To demonstrate his loyalty, Luo Sha dispatched several of his best swimmers, second only to himself…

The reason it is described as "almost flawless" is because one variable was overlooked: Luo Yuan and these experts are from the same school.

These skilled fighters' abilities can be traced back to Luo Sha's grandfather, and Luo Yuan learned the essence from him, constantly improving over the years, surpassing his master far beyond. After shooting down the large arrow fired by Shen Tang, Luo Yuan didn't return to camp to rest; instead, he went for a stroll along the riverbank. As a result, he discovered the trick.

What lurks beneath the seemingly calm surface of the river?

The Southwest Allied scouts hadn't spotted anything, and the soldiers patrolling the riverbank were completely unaware. Luo Yuanzheng, with nowhere to vent his anger, immediately attacked the scoundrel. Even the best swimmer couldn't escape the nineteenth-rank Marquis of Guannei's attack: "Heh, where did this trashy ant come from?"

The explosion occurred underwater.

The Luo family members in the water couldn't dodge in time, and their bodies were forced out of the water by a terrifying gravitational pull due to the impact of the huge explosion.

The moment he left the water, he desperately parried half a palm strike.

He was trying to use his life to buy time for others.

Luo Yuan's expression instantly changed from disdain to solemnity.

Staring at the two severed pieces of human body and fish tail on the ground, his facial muscles twitched violently, and even his chest, where the wound had long since healed, felt a sharp pain—the spot where the old injury had once been. When did these creatures, neither human nor fish, manage to come ashore again?

Luo Yuan chose to eliminate the threat completely.

The nineteenth-rank Marquis of Guannei was quick at killing fish, but Luo's speed in transmitting intelligence underwater was even faster. He blasted out the last mermaid, and Luo, the mermaid who killed him, arrived in an instant. Luo Yuan looked up and could already see the location of the Kang Kingdom's camp.

His eyelid twitched violently.

After seeing Luo Sha's strength, his other eyelid started twitching.

(＞＜)

(End of this chapter)