Chapter 160: The Demoness, a woman of the Emperor's clan.
These have all been achieved.
Shen Lixia pondered, feeling a lump in her throat, unsure how to express herself. How could she say it? The magnificent mermaid capital was breathtakingly beautiful, the radiance of the luminous pearls illuminating the vast expanse of blue waves. It was a city chosen by a true dragon at first sight, even the fine sand shimmered with a translucent silver luster.
No one could have imagined that after the devastation of war, it would become a ruin, with all its splendor turned to seabed dust, and its inhabitants buried there, leaving only the white sand behind.
Many races that originated in ancient times have disappeared throughout history, especially the gods, whose number is now less than one in ten. This is simply a result of successive generations, nothing particularly surprising. But at this moment, Shen Lixia felt a heavy weight pressing down on her heart. She realized this was the true weight of "disappearance."
—Like the Azure Dragon tribe in the cracks of chaos.
The dwelling place of the Garan people was different from other places in the Chaos Rift. The stars still favored them. Even though it had become a ruin, the sun still shone brightly and beautiful trees grew. However, not a single member of their people could be seen anymore.
Only the water droplets on the leaves continue to condense and roll off day after day.
Shen Lixia suddenly understood why the sect leader had tear stains on her face when she returned from the depths of the tribe that day. How could she not be in pain, and how could she not shed tears?
Everyone may have offered their blessings for her growth, just as she experienced the love and protection from the other merfolk in Shen Yuan's illusion as Cang Yu. But those merfolk who offered flowers to the princess and traversed the seas all perished under the greedy blades of the alien race.
How could the only surviving princess not hate others?
If the existence of the Merfolk had been kept secret, would this raid have been avoided? And perhaps, even if Cang Yu had been taken away, the Merfolk might not have met such a tragic end...
Then, Qiao Yanshen would no longer have to bear the consequences that did not belong to her.
Shen Lixia stopped in her tracks. Cangming, who was walking ahead, heard the commotion and turned around, but was suddenly startled. After a moment, he quickly walked up to her.
"Why are you crying? Don't tell me it's because the lights are shining."
She showed no sign of sadness, as if she were simply lost in thought and tears were streaming down her face. Cangming then reached out and pinched the boy's cheek hard. Her hand was a little cold, and her fingertips were connected to a translucent membrane that appeared a faint blue.
She chuckled and said, "I've heard that only human children cry. You're as tall as me now." Then, as if realizing she'd been too familiar, she quickly withdrew her hand and shook it off.
"It's so hot! Are all humans as hot as you?"
Hearing these two sentences, Shen Lixia's tears flowed even more, prompting Cangming to quickly explain, "Sigh, I didn't mean to offend you..."
What should I do now? Wipe away her tears? But my mother never did that when I was a child; it should be a very intimate gesture...
While the princess was at a loss, Shen Lixia finally raised her hand and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. She took a deep breath and whispered, "It's okay, it's okay." It didn't matter if Qian was hot; it was normal for mermaids to find human body temperature annoying because they were cold. On the other hand, her senior sister had a colder constitution, yet she still let Shen Lixia hug her in the summer and said, "It's very warm."
Cangming is right. She cries too much. It seems like she's never cried so often before. It's only after coming here and meeting so many people that she's started to act like a teenager, always shedding tears.
But death grows heavier with the passage of time, becoming more profound as she comes to understand the deceased.
"That's enough for now. I'm not ready yet. I'll come visit you another day." Shen Lixia sniffed and wiped away her tears haphazardly. "I have to go now."
The princess, dressed in magnificent robes, blinked slowly, then smiled and said, "Alright, then come another day. I'll be waiting for you. If you come, just say my name, and I will definitely come to greet you." After saying that, she raised her hand, and a blue light emerged from her fingertips, which just happened to disappear into the water-repelling bead around Shen Lixia's neck.
Shen Lixia felt a lightness all over her body. The water around her suddenly became softer, and she became part of the water. She no longer needed to use her spiritual power to lift herself up and could swim naturally in it.
This must be the divine consciousness that protected her and allowed her to leave the sea safely.
Cangming then asked, "Can I entrust you with a task?"
Shen Lixia cupped her hands in thanks, "Please speak."
“Very good, you are my favorite human race.” Cangming smiled. “I would like to ask you to help me bring the true appearance of the Merfolk up there, to tell everyone that we are not a god-like people isolated from the world, and that we welcome friendly guests.”
She thought, this human before her was even more likable than Luo Yang. But Luo Yang was much more composed than her; at least she had never shed a tear—yes, would Luo Yang ever cry like her?
With a flick of her wrist, she produced a carving knife and a stone slab, and Cangming carefully carved words onto the slab. She carved with force, the sound crisp and clear, as if each stroke was imbued with much expectation.
Shen Lixia waited patiently. After a while, Cangming handed her the stone slab. She took it and looked at it, finding that although the writing on it was ancient, it contained content she was familiar with:
"In the South China Sea live mermaids whose tears turn into pearls. They are born in the sea and have their own kingdom."
In an instant, a strange and subtle feeling struck like lightning, flowing through the boy's entire body. She raised her eyes, her expression complex as she looked at the smiling person before her, and asked in a low voice, "Do you really want me to convey these words to others?"
“Tears turned into pearls…” She gripped the stone slab tightly. “Aren’t you afraid that someone will be greedy and come to plunder it, just like the dragons?”
Cangming shook his head, his azure eyes bright as the sky after rain, and his voice was clear and resonant: "This is something our clan has always been proud of, and naturally we must let others know it. Besides, even if someone attacks, we will simply defend ourselves. Don't forget... this is the sea."
It was their hometown, the place where their mothers had given birth to them. Nestled in their mothers' arms, they firmly believed that they would always prevail.
I don't want to bring this stone slab up with me.
It would be best to destroy even that phrase, so that I never hear it again...
The words of refusal almost escaped her lips, but Shen Lixia finally remembered that this was an illusion. Even if it wasn't her, someone else would have carried those words—perhaps another human who had accidentally wandered here and been rescued. Whoever it was, as long as Cangming still had a kind heart and was a pure-hearted creature from the deep sea, she would definitely rescue the person who had fallen into the water and then entrust them to deliver those words to the land.
It seemed as if this was an unbreakable impasse, with the only path for the merfolk being extinction. Even with the protection of the gods, even if they hid in the deep sea, they would still meet their death like stars after their initial shimmer, just like the countless stars that had died in the void, and the countless races that had vanished in history.
The ashes of what war and greed destroyed drifted lightly into her palm, yet felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
Finally, she nodded and said, "Okay, I will take this stone slab up with me."
"Thank you." Cangming's eyes sparkled. "I will remember you."
Shen Lixia turned around, and the seawater automatically formed steps for her, making her feel as if she were stepping on a floating sword, able to cross countless waves with a single step. After walking up for a while, she paused slightly, turned her head hesitantly, and looked down.
In the distance lay the still-prosperous kingdom of the mermaids; closer, Cangming gazed at her with eyes as clear as water. The young man had been watching Shen Lixia the whole time, and when she turned to look back, he raised his hand and waved at her.
"Remember—" Cangming called out, "Come back and visit! I'll also have Luo Yang meet you!"
Shen Lixia bit her lower lip, quickly turned her head, and leaped upwards with all her might. The sound dissipated in the seawater, like an arrow about to catch up with her. She had to walk faster, much faster, to avoid being struck by this arrow that had traversed so much time.
In the end, there was no right or wrong, it's just that nothing can be changed.
The image of the Mermaid Kingdom faded further and further, and the boy's appearance also turned into a phantom and disappeared into the boundless ocean.
-
This is the second year of a battle whose name has been erased from history ten thousand years ago.
The Earthly Spirit Realm, a corner of the ancient wilderness.
Not far from the coast, towering trees with intertwined roots reach into the sky. A young woman walks beneath them, a golden bow in hand, cautiously scanning her surroundings. Her face is heroic, and she wears silver armor, like a blade honed to perfection, yet her sturdy body is like an impenetrable shield.
This person himself is the most perfect sword and shield in the world.
The next moment, she frowned, and in the blink of an eye, the bow was drawn, the arrow poised to leave the string, and she aimed at a spot among the giant trees.
The young man shouted in a deep voice, "Come out!"
She couldn't bear to damage the tree that had grown so tall with such great effort, yet she would show no mercy to any hiding enemy. At her next warning, a rustling sound came from behind the giant tree, and a boy slowly walked to a branch, steadied himself, and raised his hands to show that he meant her no harm.
The boy's hair was slightly disheveled, and his clothing was rather peculiar, unlike that of any tribe, but rather in line with the style of the Heavenly Spirit Realm. The young man's gaze swept over her, finally stopping abruptly when he saw her face, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Although she had golden eyes, she could still tell that the boy's features were very familiar. His flamboyant, striking appearance, with upturned eyes like the most powerful stroke of ink from a celestial being, was unusually beautiful, like a blazing flame with countless stars falling into his eyes.
But she was also certain that she had just met that person. How could someone like her be in the mood to play around, to conjure up an incomplete disguise, and to jump up a tree to tease her?
Amidst his confusion, the young man had no choice but to continue pointing the arrow at the boy and announce his name first:
"I am a servant of Lord Lingguang, the daughter of the Heavenly Spirit Emperor. Who are you, impersonating Lord Lingguang and causing trouble here?"
When Shen Lixia heard her name, she stared incredulously into the other person's dark eyes and finally understood where this sense of familiarity came from.
She had sensed an unusual aura and followed it from the coast to this place, finally finding a branch among the giant trees whose color differed from the others. The branch was a deep color and emitted a ghostly aura. Shen Lixia immediately understood that this was one of the treasures hidden in the illusion, a reward that could be taken out, so she climbed the tree to retrieve it.
Unexpectedly, she heard a commotion below. Shen Lixia secretly went to look and saw a familiar yet indescribable figure holding a magnificent golden bow, seemingly patrolling the forest.
Now, she remembered the other person's name.
The woman was a daughter of the Emperor. During the ancient war, demons raged, unleashing great storms and incessant floods. The Lord of the Moon summoned her, and the floods ceased. Later, she served as a companion to Lord Lingguang, always dressed in blue.
—This is the same person who was later written as the "drought demon" Ba.
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Author's note: 慊 = dislike, 懢 = greed.
The character "妨" was censored for some reason... Why?
In my view, the Di clan is a woman. When I read the original text, I felt that the fate of the mythological figure Ba was too tragic, so I wanted to write about her.
You can sense that this is another woman being stigmatized.
Ah, it's been so long, Sister Ba!
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