Into The Sea

In the quiet of the night, the small town slept, unaware that a bloody massacre was unfolding in a manor to the southeast.

A discordant tune echoed through the courtyard. A slender figure walked through the pools of blood, slowly approaching the woman huddled on the ground. She tossed something at her feet.

It rolled, stopping at the woman’s feet. She trembled, looking down at a pair of wide, bloodshot eyes, staring up at her with death.

A scream erupted but was abruptly cut off. Ji Xing squeezed her throat, lifting her high. “After all these years, you’re still living in this place. It saved me the trouble of searching for you.”

She smiled, watching the woman’s terrified eyes. “Is a human’s heart also made of flesh and blood?”

“I don’t believe it.”

Her sharp claws plunged into the woman’s chest, instantly staining the white robes crimson. The heart still faintly pulsed, thick blood oozing between Ji Xing’s fingers.

Ji Xing stared at it for a long time. “Why is it red too?” she murmured.

She released her grip. The woman’s body slumped to the ground, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The clouds parted, and the cold moonlight fell upon the solitary figure in the courtyard.

The girl’s eyes were half-closed. She lifted her hand, licking the blood from her palm with indifference. After a moment, she slowly raised her head. Her face was pale under the moonlight, but her lips were an unnatural, vivid red.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the shadows. Ji Xing’s lashes fluttered. “Who’s there?”

A tall figure emerged from the darkness, his hair like flowing silver, his eyes the color of the sea—a typical merfolk.

Ji Xing knew his identity at once, but still asked, “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

“Who am I? Didn’t your mother tell you?” The man lowered his head slightly, his voice gentle. “I’ve been watching you for a long time. Over the past decade, your reputation in the demon realm has grown. Among your peers, no one surpasses you. You’re truly worthy of being the Sea Emperor’s descendant.”

“The Sea Emperor?”

He smiled, putting on a fatherly expression. “Don’t you understand? I am your father. Come to me, my dear daughter.”

Ji Xing glanced at his outstretched hand, remained silent for a moment, then obediently stepped forward.

The man’s smile widened. When she was just a few steps away, the girl suddenly drew a knife, plunging it into his chest with cold determination. Lan Zhichuan was shocked. His demonic energy exploded, throwing her back. Ji Xing stumbled, regaining her balance. She looked up, a similar smile on her face. “Die.”

The false smile vanished. Lan Zhichuan’s face darkened. “You want to kill your own father?”

“Is that not allowed?” Ji Xing tilted her head lazily. “To me, you’re no different from anyone else in this world, just a disgusting, rotting flesh.”

Lan Zhichuan frowned. “I can give you my love. I can give you a complete family.”

Ji Xing stared at him for a moment, then scoffed. “Disgusting.”

She turned to leave, but Lan Zhichuan asked, “If that’s the case, what do you want?”

“What do I want?” she murmured, her eyes downcast. “What I want… you can’t give me.”

“I am the Sea Emperor. What can’t I give you?”

Ji Xing turned back, her eyes bloodshot. “Fine! I want Lan Wu dead! I want her to suffer eternal damnation! Can you give me that? Will you kill your precious daughter?!”

Seeing the man’s furrowed brow, she smiled knowingly, shaking her head. She was about to leave when a calm voice spoke from behind her. “Of course, I can.”

Ji Xing froze, turning to stare at him. His face was calm, as if he were saying something ordinary. “Just Lan Wu? Should I kill Lan Yuan too?”

Ji Xing said instinctively, “No…”

Lan Zhichuan blinked, seeming to realize something. “I see. So, that’s what you want…”

Ji Xing interrupted him. “How will you kill her?”

“How else? I’ll lure her to the Abyssal Sea and kill her quietly. But her mother is very protective of her. It might take some effort to separate Lan Wu from her.”

“No.”

Lan Zhichuan was taken aback. “What?”

“I don’t want her to die so easily.” Ji Xing said with a pale smile, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I want her to be abandoned by everyone. I want her to be condemned by all. I want… I want her to die amidst the curses of her own kind. All the love and adoration she once received must be repaid a thousandfold. Can you do all that?”

Lan Zhichuan nodded. “I can. But… you have to help me with some things.”

Ji Xing blinked, looking up at him.

“Recently, an unknown demon has emerged in the demon realm. I want you to get close to her, become her most trusted follower, and monitor her every move for me.”

“Why?”

“You don’t need to know the reason. Just understand that I will turn both the demon and human realms upside down,” Lan Zhichuan said, his gaze fixed on her. “Or are you going to sympathize with those unknown demons and humans?”

“Sympathize?” Ji Xing shook her head, laughing tremulously. “Why should I? They’re all just weeds. It’s best if they die along with Lan Wu. And those cultivators, those disgusting cultivators… I want them to suffer. I want to destroy everything they hold dear…”

“It will all come true.” Lan Zhichuan stepped forward, as if to touch her shoulder. Ji Xing jerked away, her tear-stained face turning cold again. “We’re just using each other. Don’t think for a second that this means we can play out some father-daughter reunion.”

She sneered. “You’re no better than Lan Wu. Don’t think you can control me, manipulate me, or treat me like one of your stupid subordinates. Understand?” she said, each word clear. “Father.”

She didn’t care what Lan Zhichuan wanted.

The agonized wails of the dead, the desperate cries of loved ones, the weak groveling at her feet, begging for a shred of mercy—these were the things that captivated her, bringing her a twisted sense of joy.

Killing her own kind, taking their demon cores, devouring their flesh—at first, she did it to forget the nightmares of the past. But over time, she became addicted to the endless slaughter. Her cultivation advanced at a terrifying rate, but she wasn’t the only one consumed by madness.

She didn’t know the true name of the demon she followed, but she could guess her identity from her appearance. Together, they wreaked havoc across the five demon cities, their infamy spreading far and wide. Years later, she watched as this demon killed the Demon Queen and took his place, ascending to the most revered throne.

On New Year’s Eve, the new Demon Queen led an attack on Penglai. Ji Xing was the first to break into the palace. Young cultivators charged at her, their faces filled with fear and confusion as they fell.

Standing in the pool of blood, she found it all laughable.

These fools—did they know that while they fought desperately to protect the palace, their masters had already fled, leaving them to die?

Humans were indeed the most disgusting creatures in the world.

Everything went smoothly until she reached the depths of the palace, where a long-dead body blocked her path. Though soulless, the woman was guarding the Hall of Eternal Life with a stubborn will, refusing to let her pass. After a prolonged battle, Ji Xing, severely injured, managed to swap the stone tablet recording the resurrection technique just before the Demon Queen arrived.

After giving the real tablet to Lan Zhichuan, she returned alone to the demon realm. But halfway there, exhausted and weakened, she collapsed.

The girl, covered in blood in the freezing snow, closed her eyes, and her body began to shrink, transforming into a small, thin black cat.

As her blood and warmth slowly drained away, snowflakes fell on her face, reminiscent of that day under the gourd tree.

If she could die like this, it wouldn’t be so bad.

She closed her eyes, breathing out a soft sigh.

Crunch…

From the depths of the forest, she heard the sound of footsteps. Someone was walking through the thick snow, step by step, coming towards her.

A human?

Warm hands gently lifted her body, cradling her carefully. Ji Xing’s lashes fluttered as she weakly opened her eyes, catching a glimpse of a face flushed red from the cold.

The girl carried a hunting bow. Her chin was tucked into her thick winter clothes, and her breath turned into white puffs of air. “Are you hurt, little cat?”

The cat, of course, didn’t answer. The girl seemed to realize how silly she sounded, and smiled, gently tucking the cat into her warm clothes. “It’s okay, I’ll take you home.”

***

Authors note:

I debated whether to include more about Ji Xing and Ah Yue’s time together but decided to stop here.

However, it’s certain that during those months, Ji Xing genuinely cared for Ah Yue. She even helped her hunt, and when Ah Yue later discovered Ji Xing was a demon, she wasn’t afraid and continued to treat her kindly. But when Ah Yue refused to leave with her, choosing to stay for her family, Ji Xing snapped.

“Why do the people I love always have someone more important in their hearts? Why do they always abandon me? Why am I always left with nothing?”

“If I kill those important to her, she’ll be mine.”

This was the mindset that drove her to madness.

After being rescued by a passing cultivator, Ah Yue buried the entire village. The following spring, she embarked on her own path to immortality. In the summer, while passing through Lianzhou’s Qihuang Mountain, she found a girl in blue unconscious in a flower field. Moved by compassion, she saved her.