Chapter 117: Meeting the Merfolk Again
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Lady Hua stood at the entrance of the passage, overwhelmed by the sight before her. If not for Yu Zhao’s presence, she might have impulsively swept everything she saw into her storage pouch.
“Lady Hua, why have you stopped?”
Turning her head, she met a pair of icy, penetrating eyes. It felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, instantly quelling her excitement. With Yu Zhao here, the possibility of monopolizing these treasures was slim. Moreover, they hadn’t even reached the heart of the Merfolk Tribe’s Territory yet. To cause infighting at this stage would be foolish and short-sighted.
Realizing the consequences, Lady Hua averted her gaze and proceeded into the passage without another glance.
Zhao Xian and his wife hesitated briefly, but Yu Zhao nudged them forward with a gentle push of spiritual energy, propelling them into the passage. She then casually dragged the unconscious Ji Han Zhou along and strolled in as if she were on a leisurely walk.
Big Boss Wu brought up the rear, his eyes darting to the sides, his large hands itching to grab something. After a brief internal struggle, he couldn’t resist picking up two Sea Beast Cores, each nearly the size of a human head, and quickly stashing them into his storage pouch.
Yu Zhao noticed his sneaky actions but chose not to intervene. In truth, Lady Hua and the Zhao couple were also discretely pocketing items along the way. As long as it didn’t slow their progress, Yu Zhao decided to turn a blind eye.
The six of them walked down the passage for almost half an hour. No one showed signs of irritation; instead, their faces were glowing with delight. Realizing that Yu Zhao wouldn’t stop them, they grew bolder, blatantly filling their storage pouches to the brim. It was no exaggeration to say their pouches were nearly bursting.
Yu Zhao herself collected some beautiful gemstones and corals, intending to gift them to Senior Sister Zhou and the others when she returned. She also didn’t forget Ji Han Zhou. Since he had contributed the most and was still unconscious, she prepared a separate storage pouch for him, filling it with various treasures as they walked.
“We’re almost at the exit,” Lady Hua announced, a trace of regret flickering across her face as she saw the end of the passage. The others sighed wistfully in unison, quickening their pace.
If the passage held such a wealth of treasures, the Merfolk Tribe’s Territory itself must be brimming with unimaginable riches.
At the end of the passage was a light screen as thin as a cicada’s wing, impenetrable to divine sense. Ordinarily, Lady Hua would have hesitated, weighing her options before stepping through. But after the dazzling bounty of the passage, she leaped in without a second thought.
The Zhao couple hesitated for a moment before gritting their teeth and following.
Yu Zhao, however, paused. This journey had gone so smoothly that it felt unnaturally deliberate.
“Friend Yu, we’ve come this far. Whether it’s fortune or calamity, we must see it for ourselves,” Big Boss Wu said, noticing her hesitation. His carefree tone seemed to dispel her doubts.
“You’re right, Big Boss Wu. I’m overthinking it,” Yu Zhao replied with a smile. Without further delay, she stepped into the light screen.
Big Boss Wu let out a hearty laugh and strode forward boldly. A flash of white light blinded him, and he instinctively closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself in a resplendent palace.
“This… this…”
Big Boss Wu gazed at the eight massive pillars forged from Spirit Stones, their crystalline surfaces gleaming with brilliance. He stood there, dumbfounded.
“This is Millennial Submerged Gold! A piece this large… its value is beyond comprehension!” Zhao Xian exclaimed as he caressed a desk, his fingers running greedily across its surface, his eyes filled with avarice.
Nearby, Wang Zhen discovered a bracelet.
The bracelet was crafted from the rare pearls of the Southern Abyssal Sea, radiating unparalleled beauty under the room’s resplendent light. Wang Zhen held up her bracelet-adorned hand, admiring it with delight.
Yet, Lady Hua and Yu Zhao stood apart from the joyful crowd. Their faces bore identical solemn expressions, as if something ominous was on the horizon.
“Eee-ya-ya~”
A piercing, soul-penetrating song abruptly broke the air.
Yu Zhao’s pupils shrank in an instant.
This is… the Merfolk Tribe’s Song!
The realization struck her like lightning. Before she could react, the magnificent palace dissolved into a scene of corpses and rivers of blood.
In the midst of the carnage, a lone figure stood defiant. She held a Purple Cloud Bamboo Flute in her left hand, and her right clutched a bloodstained pouch. The embroidered patterns on the pouch were blurred, yet the outlines of beasts and birds remained discernible.
Yu Zhao trembled.
That figure… was undeniably her!
She looked again, and the bodies in the sea of blood were all too familiar: her senior brothers, her master, and those who had once humiliated her with words or deeds.
The figure across from her slowly raised her head, revealing a bloodthirsty face. She sneered chillingly.
“I killed them for you. Are you happy now?”
Yu Zhao stayed silent.
“Why won’t you smile? They’re your enemies! They wronged you! They deserved to die!”
The figure’s voice grew wild, her emotions spiraling out of control as she screamed accusations of their misdeeds at Yu Zhao.
In her daze, Yu Zhao saw a reflection of her past self—the one consumed by self-pity, unable to move on or break free.
“Yes, I am you, and you are me. We are one.”
The figure chuckled softly before launching herself at Yu Zhao with thunderous force.
Yu Zhao tried to evade, but her body felt paralyzed. Helpless, she watched as the other self merged into her being.
At that moment, an overwhelming tide of negative emotions surged through her. Scenes of her past flashed vividly before her eyes:
The helpless fear during her imprisonment in the Black Prison.
The shame and sorrow when rebuked by her Eldest Senior Brother.
The pain and grievance when her Second Senior Brother made things difficult for her.
…
The past, which she had once let go of, now returned with a vengeance, tearing through her resolve.
Yu Zhao bit her lip hard. She kept repeating to herself: This is just a heart demon.
She reminded herself that she no longer feared loneliness or craved familial love. What once hurt her could no longer bind her.
But the voice echoed persistently in her mind:
“Yu Zhao, don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you from now on. I’ll kill anyone who dares harm you!”
“You don’t need friends. I am your only friend, and I’ll always, always be with you!”
“Yu Zhao, open your Sea of Consciousness and accept me. Together, we can storm the Five Elements Dao Sect and annihilate everyone who mocked you!”
Yu Zhao’s brows furrowed deeply, and her clenched fists trembled. She seemed trapped in an endless internal struggle.
Sensing her hesitation, the voice grew more fervent, its tempo increasing with urgency.
Crack.
A shattering sound echoed from within Yu Zhao.
She exhaled deeply and opened her eyes, which now gleamed with unwavering determination.
“Thank you for helping me break through.”
Her Dao Heart had grown even more unshakable.
The voice in her mind faltered, followed by a torrent of obscene curses.
Yu Zhao wrinkled her nose in distaste and dragged the heart demon out of her Sea of Consciousness. “If your skills are so lacking, stop pretending to be a heart demon. You’re just polluting my ears.”
With those words, she clenched her hand, causing the surrounding space to tremble. Large fragments of light shattered and fell away.
In an instant, she was back in the palace.