Chapter 149: The Little Mermaid (19)

Tang Mu followed Sang Wu's gesture and looked toward the coral stone house.

Indeed, it was plenty large and spacious.

"However, my abilities are limited. I cannot bring all the most dazzling and precious treasures of the sea and lay them before you."

"In fact, there are many shipwrecks scattered across the ocean floor. Among them lie numerous fine artifacts of gold, porcelain, and other such splendid things. Yet our ancestors strictly forbade us from ever touching a shipwreck."

"Therefore, the treasures within the wrecks are something we may only gaze at from afar, never approach closely."

"It's fine."

Tang Mu did not have a particular fondness for such trinkets. Thus, her reaction lacked any real enthusiasm.

"Why don't you take me to see your Mermaid Princess instead? I find myself much more interested in her."

Since the conversation had turned to the Mermaid Princess, Tang Mu wished to learn more and naturally asked further.

"Does your mermaid clan have a princess? Since there is a princess, does that mean there are also a king and a queen?"

A king and a queen?

Sang Wu smiled.

His smile was remarkably breathtaking, reminiscent of a spring breeze gently brushing against willow branches.

Yet, upon seeing it, Tang Mu's mind conjured only the face of Yan Xingwen.

Yan Xingwen's smile was equally captivating.

Whenever he smiled, Tang Mu felt as though her entire world burst into vibrant spring blossoms.

"Only those among us mermaids who possess the greatest power are bestowed with the title of 'Princess'. Well... in human terms, I suppose her status is roughly equivalent to a tribe's saintess or shaman."

"With her presence, our mermaid clan is blessed by the heavens and the earth."

"Since she is so extraordinary... why don't you take me to meet her?" Tang Mu asked softly.

No sooner had Tang Mu posed the question than the players who had entered the game pricked up their ears, their eyes brightening as they closely monitored the movements between Tang Mu and Sang Wu.

Although the players were already enjoying the game immensely, matters concerning their own lives still demanded a high degree of caution.

Sang Wu's gaze flickered.

Yet, in the end, he did not refuse.

"Very well. Follow me."

Although the Sea of Grass was not situated in the deep-sea zone, the presence of the dense kelp forests dimmed the light significantly. The sunlight from the surface struggled to pierce through the thick, interwoven canopy of seaweed.

Because of the inadequate illumination and the clinging kelp visible everywhere, one had to tread carefully, terrified that these annoying strands might entangle their fish tails.

The mermaids accompanying Sang Wu were also carrying iron chains, intent on locking up the iron-skinned skeleton here.

Meanwhile, the half-mermaids had expressed curiosity, claiming they wanted to see if the place where fallen mermaids were imprisoned was truly as gloomy and terrifying as legends suggested, and clamored to come along.

Unable to shake them off, the mermaids simply brought them all with them.

"This is the living area for the fallen mermaids."

"Those sent here generally fall into two categories: those who betrayed the mermaids in body, and those who betrayed them in spirit. Those who committed physical betrayal are these..." Sang Wu pointed toward a few mermaids who had abandoned their fish tails. "They fell in love with humans and declared they would go ashore to live with them among humankind."

"Although mermaids and humans can love one another, our ancestors vehemently opposed the surrender of our fish tails. For she believed that if a human truly loved a mermaid, they ought to be willing to forsake their life on land, sink to the bottom of the ocean, and dwell with the mermaid, rather than incessantly demanding that we mermaids venture onto the shore."

"As for spiritual betrayal..."

"These are the ones."

The fallen mermaids were all confined inside iron cages.

The chains securing these cages were driven deep into the bedrock and sand dozens of meters below.

Supported by the surrounding kelp, the chains and cages floated suspended in the mid-water.

Yet the mermaids tightly imprisoned within wore expressions of bitter resentment, glaring malevolently at the mermaids drifting outside the cages.

Outwardly, their minds appeared sound.

In reality, however, an aura of melancholy, hatred, greed, and malice constantly enveloped them.

"The mermaid is the king of the ocean! We possess the strongest physiques, the longest lifespans, the sharpest intellects... So why on earth must we allow those damned, inferior human creatures to dilute our superior mermaid genes?"

"Why refuse to open your eyes and look at these inferior beings whose energy levels fall far below our own? You speak to them of romance and love, while they speak to you of profit! The energy bodies of these low-level humans are patently more wretched than ours... yet you categorize us as fallen mermaids?"

"By what right?"

"By what right are we classified among the fallen mermaids?"

"Those mermaids who lose themselves entirely because of their foolish love for humans are the true traitors of our kind!"

The one shouting the loudest at the passing procession was a male mermaid with a cyan fish tail.

He possessed heavily developed muscles and a robust, imposing physique.

Yet he had been crammed into an iron cage vastly disproportionate to his size.

This forced him to curl his body, withering away within an extremely tiny, confined space.

"His name is Sunda," Sang Wu told Tang Mu. "Years ago, he was reportedly heartbroken by a human. Because of this, he harbors a deep resentment and hatred toward humanity—so much so that nowadays, he tries to tear apart any human he lays eyes on. If you happen to lose your way in the Sea of Grass, try to stay far away from him and avoid being poisoned by his venomous words."

"Oh, I understand." Tang Mu nodded.

Seeing that Sang Wu dared to so flagrantly ignore his words, Sunda grew even more sullen and enraged.

"Sang Wu! To think you are currently the chieftain of the mermaids, yet you take the lead in consorting with humans! I am laying it out for you here and now—you will regret this sooner or later!"

"You are her child... Can you truly pretend not to see the fate she suffered?"

...

"Shut your mouth." Sang Wu gazed back at Sunda with solemn severity. "Fallen mermaids are meant to be executed. If not for her, would you even have the chance to bray like this right now?"

Sunda choked, "..."

Consumed by fury, Sunda roared, "Everything I have done is for the good of the mermaid clan! By what right... by what right do you call me fallen? Call me a traitor? I refuse to accept this—I refuse!"

Sang Wu's eyelids twitched slightly. The kelp winding around Sunda instantly lashed out, binding his hands and feet tightly.

Even Sunda's mouth was muffled and smothered by the thick strands of seaweed.

"Noisy." Sang Wu's expression and tone alike radiated an extreme sense of displeasure.

This manic-depressive agitation lingered on Sang Wu for merely three seconds before vanishing entirely.

It dissipated so swiftly that Tang Mu almost believed what she had just witnessed with her own eyes was nothing more than an illusion.

"Sang Wu, you..."

"I am fine." When Sang Wu turned back to look at Tang Mu, he resumed his pure and innocent demeanor. "The 'she' Sunda spoke of is my mother."

Very well.

Perhaps there lay hidden here some small tale not meant for the ears of outsiders.

It was likely not meant to be shared.

So Tang Mu chose not to press further.

"Let's go. I will take you to see her."

"As for these rather insignificant sights along the way, there is no need to waste too much energy paying attention to them."