Into The Sea

The tension in the hall was palpable, ready to explode at any moment. Fuyou stood surrounded by the crowd, listening to the chaotic footsteps, and let out a silent sigh.

Clang—

Her staff struck the ground, making a crisp sound that instantly drew everyone’s attention. She raised her left hand, and in her palm, a silvery glow began to form. “This is a memory left by my master, the former High Priestess. Once released, it will dissipate completely. That means it can only be viewed once. Since everyone is here, why don’t we all take a look and see what’s inside?”

Before anyone could react, she crushed the ball of light. Sparkling fragments scattered throughout the hall, and then, illusory shadows spread like mist, enveloping everyone in its haze.

“Your Highness, His Majesty urgently requests your presence.”

“Understood.”

A calm male voice echoed, and then, the scenery in their vision began to shift as the viewpoint began to move. The sea yaos pulled into the illusion looked around, confused at first, then slowly began to understand.

This memory did not seem to belong to the former High Priestess, but to the real Crown Prince, Lan Ji.

Lan Ji quickly swam into Dinghai Palace, where he saw Lan Zhichuan holding a jade scroll. Before Lan Ji could greet him, Lan Zhichuan turned and frowned. “Ji’er, I received news about Xiao Wu. She seems to have gone to the Abyssal Sea.”

“The Abyssal Sea?!” Lan Ji was shocked. “That’s the territory of the Sea Demons. What is she doing there?”

“Who knows? She has always been reckless and fearless. There is no place in this world she wouldn’t dare go.” Lan Zhichuan sighed. “Enough, quickly gather our most elite soldiers. We must go to the Abyssal Sea.”

“Understood, I will go at once.”

The scene changed, and the surrounding light suddenly dimmed. The ground was covered in black reefs, and heavy, rapid breathing echoed all around. Lan Ji seemed extremely tense, his sword pointed at a figure in the center. Around him, the other merfolk were also on high alert, but the older generals wore expressions of panic: “Your Highness?!”

The woman at the center shifted slightly and tilted her head with a mocking chuckle. “Yuan Heng, do you still remember me?”

The merman named Yuan Heng exclaimed in surprise. “It’s really you, Your Highness? You… you are alive? What’s going on? Why are you here? Why haven’t you returned all these years?”

“Returned?” The woman raised her head, her delicate face illuminated by a faint light. Her deep blue eyes looked coldly at the motionless Lan Zhichuan. “Would our esteemed Sea Emperor welcome me back?”

“Of course His Majesty would! You and His Majesty share the same mother, grew up together, and are closer than anyone!” Yuan Heng turned to Lan Zhichuan in delight: “Your Majesty, isn’t that right?”

Lan Zhichuan remained silent. Yuan Heng’s expression changed slightly, “Your Majesty?”

Beside him, Lan Ji blinked in confusion, overwhelmed by everything he was hearing. He looked at his father’s profile and asked in a trembling voice. “Father… General Yuan Heng… is he saying that this woman… is my aunt? But… didn’t you say she had already…”

Before he could finish, Lan Zhichuan said coldly, “Lan Yueyao is dead.”

The man raised his sword, speaking each word clearly. “This woman secretly infiltrated the Kunlun Sea and intended to overthrow our imperial rule. This is a capital offense. She deserves to die! Soldiers, listen to my command! You must kill her here and protect our clan’s peace!”

Yuan Heng exclaimed, “Your Majesty!”

“Anyone who disobeys will share her fate!”

Lan Ji shook his head, stunned. “Father! We came here to find Xiao Wu, didn’t we?!”

“Xiao Wu?” The one who spoke was the aunt he had met for the first time. “How naive. Even now, you cannot see your precious father’s true intentions?”

Lan Yueyao scoffed. “From the very beginning, he was coming for me.”

“…”

The scene shifted again, and everything in the vision seemed to blur with a layer of blood. Lan Ji coughed, blood seeping from his body. He leaned against the rocky wall, half-dragging, half-carrying the severely injured Lan Zhichuan, stumbling into a cave.

There were no other merfolk around. Remembering the bloody massacre, Lan Ji still felt cold all over. When they reached the depths of the cave, he carefully placed Lan Zhichuan down and whispered. “Father… Father…”

Lan Zhichuan’s face was pale, covered in blood. After Lan Ji called him several times, he managed to open his eyes with difficulty. “Ji’er…”

“Father!” Lan Ji was overjoyed, his words tumbling over each other. “You’re alive, I thought you, you…”

Lan Zhichuan interrupted him weakly. “Where is Lan Yueyao?”

Lan Ji stiffened. He bit his lip. “I don’t know. Just now, General Tingzhen and the others stayed behind to buy us time. That is the only reason I was able to get you out. But they probably… they probably won’t hold out much longer.”

Lan Zhichuan was silent for a moment before asking, “Ji’er, do you resent me?”

Lan Ji quickly shook his head. “Resent you? No, of course not. I was raised at your side. I know your character. You must have your reasons for doing this…”

“Even if it meant sacrificing so many of our people?”

“They… They wouldn’t blame you. As your subjects, giving their lives for the Sea Emperor is an honor. Even General Yuan Heng was fighting to protect you.”

As if making a decision, Lan Ji clenched his fist, gritting his teeth. “Father, if Aunt comes after us, even if it costs my life… I will do everything to get you to safety.”

“Is that so?” The man smiled faintly, then asked, “What if I told you that I knew from the start that coming to the Abyssal Sea would lead them to their deaths?”

Lan Ji was stunned. “Father… what do you mean?”

Suddenly, a deep blue light shot into his forehead. Lan Ji’s body stiffened, unable to move.

Puppet technique.

His mind was in turmoil, but he couldn’t resist. He could only stare at Lan Zhichuan with wide eyes.

Yet Lan Zhichuan’s expression remained calm. “Only by paying such a heavy price would she believe she truly killed me.”

“!” The young prince’s long lashes trembled, his eyes turning bloodshot. Under his incredulous gaze, Lan Zhichuan placed his cold palm on his face. At such close range, he could even see his own face reflected in Lan Zhichuan’s eyes.

No—what he saw was not his own face anymore. His features were gradually morphing… becoming identical to Lan Zhichuan’s.

The man studied him and slowly smiled. “My good son. If you were willing to die for me, there is no need for all that effort…”

“Just die as me.”

“After all, it’s an honor.”

A single tear of blood slid down.

Lan Ji’s body rose of its own accord, lifelessly swimming out of the cave. He swam further and further away, faster and faster, until a shadow silently blocked his path.

The overwhelming stench of blood flooded his senses.

Lan Ji trembled and raised his eyes—meeting a face as cold and merciless as death itself.

And then…

The memory faded into pitch darkness.

…

Silence fell upon the great hall. No one spoke. It was so quiet, one could hear a pin drop.

Then, a gentle female voice suddenly broke the silence. “Fuyou.”

Fuyou was startled and looked up: “Master?”

“When you hear this, Fuyou… you must be grown up by now.” The woman’s voice was gentle. “I once peered into the future and saw a world of blood and chaos, with countless innocent sea yaos perishing. I traded my lifespan with the gods, hoping to find a way to change this fate. But in the end, I later realized that fate is inevitable. What we call prophecies are merely the inevitable outcomes of cause and effect. By the time I understood this, my lifespan was nearly spent.”

She chuckled softly, her voice growing fainter. “I know you have always been clever. I’m sure you will uncover everything I left behind. This memory is the last bit of consciousness I found from the Crown Prince’s spirit. Although the end cannot be changed, the path and timing to reach that end are ever-changing.”

“So, I hope you will use it at the right time.”

“No, I know you will use it at the right time.”

“After all, you are my only, and my most capable, disciple.”

Suddenly, another voice called out from afar, this one belonging to a young Fuyou: “Master, who are you talking to?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” The woman chuckled, then paused. Her final words were soft, but full of tenderness:

“Goodbye, Fuyou.”