Chapter 139: The Mermaid Princess (9)

Page 1/3

Tang Mu knelt, crying and trembling, her expression the epitome of fear. It was as if she truly dreaded the man before her.

“I didn’t,” she stammered through tears, fragile and harmless like an ant that could be crushed at any moment. “I was only giving you a suggestion. Whether you accept it or not isn’t up to me.”

Zi Yushu glanced at the mermaid again. Only after seeing worry, pain, and a hint of aggression directed at himself in her eyes did he withdraw his foot from Tang Mu’s hand.

The mermaid pearl connection—it revealed everything. Whether this woman was acting or not, only she truly knew. Fear and terror could be feigned, but mermaids were different; they lacked the complex deceptions of humans. Love was love, hatred was hatred. Attack was attack; vulnerability was vulnerability. They were far easier to understand than this woman before him.

“I’ll tell you this: I won’t leave the coast,” he said. “There’s a cliff atop this mountain. From the cliff, you can see far across the sea.”

“Should I go to the cliff for you?” Tang Mu quickly suggested, barely concealing a flicker of excitement deep in her eyes.

Zi Yushu scoffed and then suddenly struck Sang Wu.

With a sharp ‘thud,’ Sang Wu, utterly defenseless, was slammed against the rocky wall by the stream. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Ten minutes passed without him recovering.

Seeing Sang Wu so weakened by the loss of his mermaid pearl, Zi Yushu’s lips curled slightly, a knowing look of control spreading across his face.

“You stay here,” Zi Yushu told Tang Mu. “He’ll go to the cliff.”

Before Sang Wu’s eyes, Zi Yushu sliced Tang Mu’s neck once more.

“Remember, you only have two hours. If the mermaid doesn’t return by then, I’ll cut into your flesh, one slice at a time, until the luster of the pearl inside you dims and can no longer heal your wounds, until all your blood runs dry.”

At this moment, Zi Yushu was twisted and merciless—completely devoid of humanity.

“Timing starts now. Every ten minutes, I’ll make another cut. I hope you can endure, that you won’t die before the two hours are up.”

“Of course, I know mermaids can summon and command their kind. If he dares to call for help, you’ll suffer even more.”

“What if he doesn’t get the message I want at the cliff?”

Tang Mu did not cover the wound on her neck. She wanted Zi Yushu to see clearly that the intact mermaid pearl was with her and that her wound was healing.

Page 2/3

“If he doesn’t find the clues I want on the cliff... then the mermaid himself is the clue. I will kill you, extract the pearl, become a mermaid, and sink to the bottom of the sea.”

He acted as if everything was under his control.

This mission was called “Mermaid Princess,” naturally tied to the mermaid.

But Zi Yushu did not reveal this clue to Tang Mu.

He rolled up his sleeve to reveal a watch. “It’s 13:16 now. If he’s not back by 15:00, I’ll kill you and take the pearl.”

Sang Wu looked at Tang Mu. His wet eyes were filled with concern for her.

But Tang Mu remained silent.

She used the pearl to issue orders to Sang Wu, forcing him to leave.

Sang Wu obeyed without hesitation. It was as if Tang Mu handed him a cup of poison and he swallowed it without question.

In truth, when Zi Yushu pressed down hard on Tang Mu’s right hand earlier, Sang Wu was ready to attack and kill Zi Yushu. But it was Tang Mu who forced the mermaid to suppress his murderous intent.

When Zi Yushu attacked the mermaid, it was Tang Mu who made him deliberately delay his healing.

Everything she did was to kill Zi Yushu.

How does one bring down a man who arrogantly considers himself a god?

One must find the weakness deep within his soul and shatter his confidence from within.

He loves control—so take it away.

He craves authority—so strip it from him.

For someone like Zi Yushu, if you don’t do this, you cannot wound him at his core.

If you don’t attack his pride and arrogance, he will always rise again, harming, manipulating, and toying with others for his amusement.

Of course, Tang Mu’s nature was essentially the same as Zi Yushu’s. She also enjoyed toying with others.

The difference was that Tang Mu liked to toy with demons, while Zi Yushu’s favorite pastime was destroying angels.

Some say that by tormenting evil, she is doing good.

Is it really good?

Page 3/3

She didn’t think so.

She simply wanted to play with the pride of demons.

Most of life was dull, joy and fulfillment were rare.

Playing with ordinary people and good souls brought no pleasure or satisfaction.

Only by making demons fear and dread her, by seeing their shock and disbelief when their self-righteousness bites back, could Tang Mu experience a unique and ultimate thrill.

It was like declaring to the demons: Look, as devils, you cannot defeat me. And as angels, you can only watch from afar.

Like useless trash.

Returning to the present, Tang Mu’s gaze toward Zi Yushu was still filled with “fear.”

Like a viper lurking beneath scorching desert sands, waiting to strike.

All her feigned weakness was merely to deliver a fatal blow to her prey.

Perhaps because all was under his control, Zi Yushu was in an unusually good mood, summoning Tang Mu as if she were a maid called to serve and dismissed at will, even flashing her a rare smile.

He made Tang Mu crawl toward him on her knees.

Like soothing a dog, he gently lifted her chin.

“Do you know why after all these years, you’re still so afraid of me? The moment I even touch you, your confidence and beauty are completely shattered in an instant. All that remains in your bones and soul is fear and obedience to me.”

Tang Mu’s eyes brimmed with tears; she bit her lip, shaking her head while crying.

Her expression was full of confusion and disbelief.

“Do you know PTSD? Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Perhaps in his good mood, he was willing to explain more to Tang Mu. “Patients who experience actual death or threats of death to themselves or others develop this condition.”

“When you first appeared before me, I saw your soul like a cluster of light in the midst of darkness.”

“I wanted you to belong to me completely.”

“But how could I make you mine?”

“I thought long and hard and finally came up with a method.”

“To abuse you.”

“Only then could you think of me every moment. And when you think of me, you feel the utmost fear through me.”

“That’s why you have to remember me for your entire life.”

“Isn’t that right?”