Into The Sea

Lan Yuan withdrew her sword and knelt down in front of Ji Xing, reaching out cautiously. Ji Xing flinched, instinctively recoiling, but Lan Yuan’s hand remained stubbornly suspended in the air until Ji Xing stopped retreating. Only then did Lan Yuan continue to gently touch her face.

Lan Yuan lowered her gaze, studying her for a long moment. “Are you my sister?”

Ji Lingyue was taken aback, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked between the two.

“The first time we met, I rescued you from the sea, and you told me I looked a lot like your sister.” She unconsciously stroked the cat demon’s cheek. “Later, when we met in the demon realm, no matter how much I refused, you insisted on calling me ‘sister.’ Even on that fateful night when we fought, you angrily said that you were also my sister. Did you say that because you saw me as your sister, or…” She bit her lip, asking hesitantly, “Am I really your sister?”

Ji Xing clenched her fist, her long lashes trembling, and a tear escaped.

Merfolk were naturally cold, but the tear that fell onto Lan Yuan’s fingertip felt as hot as molten lava. Lan Yuan instinctively curled her fingers, staring at Ji Xing in stunned silence. “So that’s how it is…”

Sunlight poured over the cat demon’s thin frame. Lan Yuan lowered her arm and closed her eyes weakly. “How did you end up like this?”

The question seemed to shatter her defenses. Ji Xing sobbed, covering her face with trembling hands. “I didn’t want this… I didn’t want this. Mother is gone, Xiaoxue is gone too… We were supposed to find you, but she died… She died on her birthday. I couldn’t save her. I lost everything…”

Lan Yuan paused. “Xiaoxue…? The rabbit?”

Ji Xing chuckled through her tears. “The rabbit? See, in your eyes, she’s just an ordinary rabbit. But I lived with her for a hundred years. I raised her, and we depended on each other. Even though we were poor, we were peaceful and happy. We could have kept living like that, but she wanted to see you. Even though she couldn’t remember what you looked like, she always wanted to see you. And in the end… she died on her way to find you…”

Lan Yuan’s body grew cold as she stared at Ji Xing without blinking.

Ji Xing shook her head, her voice trembling. “I don’t understand. Why did we end up like this when we did nothing wrong? Why did we treat others with kindness, only for humans to try and kill us? After Xiaoxue was badly injured, I wanted to find you. I had a chance to save her…”

Her broken sobs reached everyone’s ears. Ji Xing blinked, her chest rising and falling as if she couldn’t breathe, her red eyes filled with tears. “It’s all because of Lan Wu! I wanted to find you, but they accused me of impersonating Lan Wu and called me shameless! I wanted to find the Gourd Fruit to save her, but the last one was taken by two sea clans. No matter how much I begged, they refused to give it to me, all because they wanted to please Lan Wu!”

The cat demon’s voice grew more desperate. “That fruit meant nothing to her, but it was Xiaoxue’s only chance! Why is Xiaoxue’s life so worthless. Her life is not even worth one of Lan Wu’s pets!”

Lan Yuan instinctively said, “But Lan Wu didn’t know.”

“Does her ignorance make her innocent?!” Ji Xing clenched her fists, agitated. “She’s so spoiled, selfish, and useless, yet she has everything without even trying. What I desperately craved, she threw away like trash. What I struggled to find, she could get with a snap of her fingers! If it weren’t for her, Xiaoxue might still be alive. If it weren’t for her, what should have been mine wouldn’t have been taken!” Her whole body was trembling, her gaze falling on Ji Lingyue. “Not a single thing… would have been taken…”

Their eyes met briefly, and Ji Lingyue’s long lashes trembled as her expression darkened.

At that moment, she noticed someone standing not far behind them.

Lan Wu had arrived without anyone noticing, and it was unclear how long she had been there listening. She stood silently, her eyes red-rimmed, but her face was devoid of any emotion.

Ji Lingyue was about to go to her when Lan Yuan said, “Then you should hate Lan Zhichuan even more.”

Lan Yuan lowered her head, slowly prying open Ji Xing’s bloodied hand. “The one who abandoned you and your mother was Lan Zhichuan. The one who raised Lan Wu to be the way she is was also Lan Zhichuan. The sea clans tried to please Lan Wu to curry favor with Lan Zhichuan. You think Lan Wu is a pampered princess who has everything, but in reality, she has never truly owned anything. Everything she has is under Lan Zhichuan’s control. What she can have is only what Lan Zhichuan allows her to have.”

“You just needed someone to hate. If that’s the case, why not go after the real culprit?” Lan Yuan said sadly. “After all, she is your sister too.”

Ji Xing’s breath hitched, and she stared at Lan Yuan in shock.

Her long lashes were already damp with tears. Lan Yuan frowned, her voice hoarse. “Don’t keep making mistakes. We don’t need to torment each other. We didn’t have to end up like this. Ah Xing, tell me where Lan Zhichuan is. We can end this pain together and make him pay for what he’s done.”

Ji Xing blinked, her voice faltering. “Really?”

Lan Yuan pursed her lips and suddenly leaned forward, pulling her into a hug. “Of course, it’s true. Please, think carefully. Who is the one you should truly hate?”

Ji Xing stiffened, and after a long while, she slowly raised her bloodied hand and carefully placed it on Lan Yuan’s back.

“…Alright,” she whispered. “I’ll listen to you.”

A gentle breeze brushed against her face. The woman closed her eyes wearily and let out a soft sigh.

“He is… in the Kunlun Sea.”

Lan Yuan was taken aback. “Kunlun Sea? Where is he hiding?”

“He’s not hiding,” Ji Xing said: “From the very beginning, the one sitting on the throne of the Sea Emperor… has always been him.”