Finally, taking advantage of the manatee's still-warm body, Xiang Wan managed to suck some milk to fill her stomach before falling asleep.
It's really not easy for a baby with such a small body and such a fragile stomach to manage to stay awake and fall asleep without being hungry.
She slept soundly, oblivious to everything around her. The siren watched her silently nearby, expressionless.
The sea was calm and the sun was shining brightly. The sunlight filtering through the water was warm and had a dreamlike beauty.
Her body was absorbing oxygen from the seawater on its own. The seawater surrounding her body flowed slowly along her skin, as if her body was naturally covered with a thin, self-sealing membrane. She could feel the temperature around her, but she wasn't actually underwater.
The tribe in which the original owner was born was the most intelligent of all the bipedal animals on the continent. They called themselves the Heavenly Tigers, possessing strong physiques and agile minds, and they became powerful by conquering other tribes.
As soon as a member of the Tianhu clan is born, they are taken before a priest for baptism and divination.
Baptism can awaken a baby's latent abilities. And the person who performs baptism is a priest.
Each generation of priests is a chosen one, possessing the ability to foresee the future without baptism. Others, however, have their potential prematurely awakened through the priest's magical enhancement. In this way, the supreme leader, Water Tiger, will make the next steps for each person based on their abilities and capabilities throughout their life.
The strength of the Sky Tiger Clan is inextricably linked to their baptism. Therefore, those among the Sky Tiger Clan with immense strength are generally either warriors or fighters. Those with keen senses serve as the leader's eyes and ears, specifically tasked with gathering intelligence on the movements of surrounding tribes and their own members. There are also various other individuals with diverse abilities, all of whom are put to their full potential.
There is only one secret to securing their loyalty: during baptism, the leader must personally open their eyes. Whoever is the first person they see upon opening their eyes will be the one they must never betray for the rest of their lives, or they will suffer endless mental torment.
This is why Water Tiger was able to become the leader; it is because of his ability: mind control.
The priest was a clever man who could also perform divination, so he naturally knew who would be the next leader and sided with the Water Tiger early on.
As the leader, Shuihu had many wives and concubines, one of whom was the original owner's mother, Ji Yuan. Ji Yuan was beautiful and gentle, with captivating eyes, which won Shuihu's favor. However, the priest divined that Ji Yuan was the nemesis of the Tianhu clan.
The priest's words carried immense weight within the Tianhu clan; no one disbelieved them. Therefore, after Ji Yuan gave birth, Shui Hu personally executed her.
The original owner was fed and cared for by the servants brought by Ji Yuan for a month, but in the end, he still could not escape his fate and became the target of everyone in the Tianhu clan.
An infant still in swaddling clothes, the child of a water tiger, was not able to receive baptism like normal children to unleash their potential, nor was he given a name. He was simply labeled a monster.
The original owner was still young and knew nothing, only remembering those angry faces and the scene of being judged.
She was unwelcome from the start, and her death brought peace of mind to the entire Tianhu clan. Shuihu felt no remorse whatsoever for harming his own daughter.
With a "plop," he was thrown into the most turbulent part of the canyon, and all the scenes began to fall apart.
I woke up in the evening, drenched in sweat, and the dream came to an abrupt end.
Sweat mingled with the seawater. Xiang Wan raised her wrist, a sense of doubt rising in her heart. She strongly suspected that the priest must have foreseen the original owner's future, which might have some impact on him or the Tianhu clan, and that's why he nipped it all in the bud.
However, the original owner did not die after falling into the sea, so it is unknown whether this was within the scope of the priest's divination.
It's a bit too early to think about these things now. Her first priority is to grow up safely.
It was quiet all around. The sirens had disappeared, and Xiang Wan was alone in this place surrounded by water plants on all sides.
Not far away, there was a reef that rose directly from the seabed to the surface. The reef was covered with clams and barnacles, and many colorful little fish swam around.
When I woke up, it was already evening. The setting sun, like a fire about to burn out, used its last bit of strength to dye the sea red.
Less than ten meters from the sea, one could look up and see the sunset glow, tinged red by the afterglow, gently swaying with the waves. Gazing at it for a while gave one the illusion of being in a dream, unwilling to wake up. A tiny, transparent fish, no bigger than a thumb, darted through Xiang Wan's fingertip, then turned back to kiss her fingertip. Xiang Wan could see the sunlight shining through its belly, and its tiny, beating heart.
If the sea could remain as calm and beautiful as it is now, Xiang Wan wouldn't mind living here for the rest of her life.
"Ugh, so annoying! I should sleep and eat when I need to, I'm so tired."
A long, languid voice came from not far above, quickly blocking out most of the sunlight overhead.
Backlit, Xiang Wan carefully traced the outline of the fish. Good heavens, it was a giant oval fish that was ten meters long, with a pointed piece on each side that was moving.
"You're Little Bubble? Gududu specifically told me to keep an eye on you."
After getting used to the environment, it looked up and saw a small eye that seemed disproportionate to its size, staring at it intently.
Her eyes are small, but that's relative. In reality, they're much bigger than Xiang Wan's small frame.
After a closer look at the shape of the fish submerged in the sea, Xiang Wan confirmed that it was a sunfish, commonly known as the dumbest fish in the sea, bar none.
It may be huge, but what's with that bunch of round tails it has swimming around? And there are several giant, long fish swimming close to its belly.
Xiang Wan remained silent and motionless because she saw the creatures swimming beneath the sunfish, many of which had already burrowed into its flesh.
Parasites, and living ones at that, it's enough to send chills down your spine.
"Hey, where did the sirens go? It's been so long, I miss them terribly."
"Hey, want the sirens to teach you a lesson again?"
An oarfish, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, darted over quickly, baring its sharp teeth, and in a few swift movements, chewed up the creature inside the sunfish's belly and swallowed it whole.
"Hey, I've helped you so much, let me take another bite, and we'll be even."
"Big Yellow, if you keep eating it, it'll sink to the bottom."
“I won’t bite you, but other fish will. For the sake of our long-standing friendship, I won’t actually eat you.”
After saying that, the oarfish took a bite out of the sunfish's belly. Xiang Wan felt a pang of pain for the sunfish at that ferocity.
"Ptooey, Bobo, you did that on purpose, didn't you? You look so disgusting. Last time, your skin wasn't this thick."
The oarfish spat and spat out its contents, leaving behind scraps that scattered everywhere. A group of small fish instantly sprang into action and devoured everything.
"Last time...? When did we meet?"
Oarfish: "..."
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