Chapter 118: The Old Siren
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
Yu Zhao surveyed the surroundings with a calm demeanor, taking in the gravity of the situation. Boss Wu and his companions were all visibly struggling, their faces twisted in agony as beads of sweat dripped down their foreheads. It was clear that they were all battling fierce inner demons.
Ji Han Zhou, on the other hand, had collapsed from overexertion, his senses dulled into a deep, unconscious sleep. Ironically, his exhaustion proved to be a blessing in disguise. The powerful siren’s song, which tortured the others, had no effect on him as he slumbered peacefully.
Seeing this, Yu Zhao’s lips curled into a faint smile. Her concern for Ji Han Zhou diminished, allowing her to turn her attention to the matter at hand. With confident strides, she made her way toward the back of the palace, her steps echoing softly in the eerie silence.
In mere moments, Yu Zhao had circled around to the rear hall, where she heard the sound of labored breathing. As she approached, her eyes fell upon a massive shell, aged and worn, struggling to move under its own weight. Perched atop the shell was a frail old man with long, white hair. However, this was no ordinary man—it was an ancient siren.
The siren’s once-glorious fish tail, nearly three meters long, now moved sluggishly, as if weighed down by the passage of time. His face, etched with lines of urgency and despair, was a portrait of a being far past his prime.
Yu Zhao leaned casually against the doorpost, crossing her arms as she watched this pitiable scene unfold. There was a strange fascination in observing the combination of old age and weakness struggling before her.
After what seemed like an eternity of futile effort, the old siren finally gave up. He patted the shell beneath him with a sigh of resignation, then lifted his head to glare at Yu Zhao. His voice, though weakened by age, was filled with righteous indignation as he shouted, “You despicable humans! You slaughtered my people, and now you seek to steal our treasures! Retribution will come for you!”
Yu Zhao feigned surprise, raising an eyebrow in mock disbelief. “Elder, wasn’t it you who lured us to this underwater palace with your map? How can you blame us for following the path you set?”
The old siren’s eyes flickered with unease at her words, but he quickly tried to mask it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he muttered, though his voice lacked conviction.
Yu Zhao’s amusement deepened as she clicked her tongue playfully. “Elder, when you create a map, perhaps you shouldn’t use scales from your own body. It’s far too obvious.”
The old siren’s gaze involuntarily shifted downward to his tail, where a section of scales was indeed missing. The gap, now illuminated by the bright palace lights, stood out starkly against the rest of his tail. It was a small detail, but one that betrayed his deception.
Embarrassment flushed the old siren’s face, his attempt at maintaining composure faltering. “The map may have been mine,” he admitted grudgingly, “but you humans stole it from me!”
Yu Zhao considered exposing his lie further but decided against it. She saw little point in continuing the charade. Instead, she shifted her tone, speaking more directly. “Fine, let’s say we did steal it. But now that we’ve found the underwater palace, doesn’t that mean its treasures should belong to us? Wouldn’t you agree, Elder?”
The old siren’s anger flared at her words. His once-confident trap had instead allowed a predator into his domain, and the realization filled him with bitter regret.
The human before him, unaffected by his illusions and quick to see through his ruse, was not someone he could easily dismiss. Despair gripped him as he wondered if this was truly the end of the siren race, fated to be destroyed by the cruelty of fate.
Tears welled up in the old siren’s eyes, his face contorted in a mix of grief and rage.
“Are you about to cry?” Yu Zhao asked, her voice tinged with amusement. “I’ve heard that siren tears are a miraculous healing elixir. I’ve never seen one before. Would you be so kind, Elder, as to let me witness this?”
The old siren’s body trembled as he quickly suppressed his tears. Even in the face of death, he would not give this vile human the satisfaction of witnessing such a sacred and rare phenomenon.
Yu Zhao’s curiosity was piqued as she glanced around the room. “Elder, are you the last siren left in this palace?” she asked, her tone shifting from playful to serious. She couldn’t shake the feeling that there were others like him hidden somewhere within the palace’s depths, but she saw no sign of them.
“That’s right!” the old siren declared, his eyes burning with hatred as he glared at her. “My people were slaughtered by you humans centuries ago. I am the last siren alive!” His voice, though filled with defiance, was tinged with the sorrow of one who had seen too much death and destruction.
The siren’s frail body, with sagging skin and sunken eyes, was a stark reminder of his age. He was like a candle burning down to its final flicker, ready to be extinguished by the slightest breeze.
Despite her initial amusement, Yu Zhao couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for the old siren. The playful mood she had felt earlier evaporated, replaced by a more solemn and respectful tone. “Elder, I hold no ill will toward you or your kind,” she said softly. “In fact, I once met one of your kin. From him, I learned some of your stories.”
The old siren turned his head away with a dismissive snort, clearly not believing her words. All the sirens who had been lost in the world had long since returned to the embrace of the Southern Seas. There was no way a siren could have survived out there. This human was lying, trying to manipulate him with some soft-hearted tale. He would never fall for such tricks!
“I can’t describe his appearance to you,” Yu Zhao continued, undeterred by his skepticism, “but I can tell you he was unique—a siren who couldn’t cry.”
The old siren initially sneered at her words, but as she spoke, his body stiffened. His tail, which had been moving slowly, suddenly began to sway more quickly, a sign of his rising agitation.
Yu Zhao observed his reaction carefully and continued, “His blood was blue, just like yours, and he could sing the siren’s song, though his voice wasn’t nearly as beautiful as yours.”
“Where is he now?” The old siren could no longer maintain his calm. His gaze bore into Yu Zhao with a mix of desperation and hope shining in his ancient eyes.
Yu Zhao hesitated for a moment before answering honestly, “I can only tell you that he’s still alive, but he’s not doing well.” She chose her words carefully, sensing that the full truth might be too much for the old siren to bear.
However, her hesitation only fueled the old siren’s worst fears. His mind filled with terrible images, each one more heartbreaking than the last. It felt as if his heart was being torn apart by invisible claws.
“You want the siren’s treasure, don’t you?” the old siren suddenly asked, his voice filled with urgency. “If you can bring him back, I’ll give you anything you want! You can take whatever you like from the palace!” His desperation was palpable, and for the first time, his pride seemed to waver.
Yu Zhao shook her head gently. “I’m sorry, Elder, but I can’t do that.”
The old siren’s anger flared again, this time more intensely. “You haven’t even tried! How can you say it’s impossible?”
“He’s being held by a Nascent Soul cultivator,” Yu Zhao explained, her voice steady and calm.
At her words, the back hall fell into a heavy silence. The old siren knew all too well how dangerous a Nascent Soul cultivator could be. The siren race had been nearly wiped out in an instant during the initial assault, with several Nascent Soul cultivators among the attackers. Their proud song was powerless against such overwhelming strength.
Even now, the old siren could remember the helplessness and terror he felt when facing those Nascent Soul cultivators. The memories haunted him, a bitter reminder of the powerlessness of his kind.
Realizing there was no way to rescue his kin, the old siren seemed to age another ten years on the spot. His face took on a deathly pallor, the signs of impending death growing ever more apparent.
Yu Zhao felt a heavy weight in her chest as she watched the old siren’s life force dwindle before her eyes. From the moment she had first seen him, she had sensed that he was like a candle at its end, burning out. It was likely that, knowing his time was short, he had planned this as a final act of revenge against human cultivators.
“Enough! This is fate! The destiny of the siren race cannot be changed!” the old siren finally said, his voice filled with deep sorrow as he let out a long, weary sigh. The resignation in his words cut through the silence like a blade, leaving Yu Zhao with a sense of unease.
After a moment of contemplation, Yu Zhao felt compelled to offer something, anything, that might ease the old siren’s suffering. Reaching into her storage space, she pulled out a small tortoiseshell, its surface gleaming black with scorch marks on the belly.
“Elder, would you like me to divine the fate of the siren race?” she offered with a slight smile. “If it’s not accurate, I won’t charge you anything!”
The old siren’s eyes widened in shock when he saw the tortoiseshell in her hand. “Divination Shell!” he exclaimed, his voice filled with both awe and disbelief.
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
Yu Zhao was also surprised by his reaction. “You recognize it?”
The old siren glared at her, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions—anger, sorrow, and a hint of something else. “The tortoiseshell used for this Divination Shell came from the ancestor of an old friend of mine. Do you think I wouldn’t recognize it?”
Yu Zhao was at a loss for words. What a strange coincidence, she thought.
“Are you really willing to use the Divination Shell to divine for me?” the old siren asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. He could tell that the Divination Shell had been used many times already, and its remaining power was limited. He couldn’t understand why this human would be willing to offer him such a precious opportunity.
As she prepared to use the Divination Shell, Yu Zhao couldn’t help but wonder about the path she was choosing, and the consequences that might follow for both herself and the last of the siren race.