Yu Yingwan had carried Fu Ye and escaped from the mountain.
But after just entering the woods, they were surrounded and circled by boundary flames that trapped the two of them.
The leader stood outside the circle and said directly, “The young miss saved the merfolk and was killed by the merfolk. By the time we arrived the young miss was already dead; we can only kill the merfolk to avenge the young miss.”
When Yu Yingwan heard that grandiose line, she knew at once it was men sent by Yu Chun.
These people wanted to kill her and lay it on Fu Ye.
Yu Yingwan immediately summoned her beast to help. Her beast’s combat power was strong, and the others also summoned beasts; for a time they could not subdue Yu Yingwan.
Yu Yingwan looked warily at the crowd, slowly set Fu Ye down, letting the already-immobile Fu Ye lean against a tree.
She lifted her head to look at Fu Ye. Fu Ye’s eyes were dull and resigned; he obviously had no will to live.
Yu Yingwan gritted her teeth and said, “Don’t be half-dead like that. Yu Chun lied to you. Your clan has suffered losses, but it has not been wiped out. Don’t you want to return and make amends?”
Fu Ye froze and looked blankly up at Yu Yingwan.
Yu Yingwan’s expression remained cold. She rose to her feet, turned, and drew her sword, charging straight toward the enemies.
But the ones who dared to come encircle her were naturally not here to die in vain. Though they struggled at first against her beast, once they joined forces, Yu Yingwan quickly began to suffer.
Already wounded, she found it even harder to hold on. Someone noticed that Fu Ye might be her weak point and deliberately struck toward him to divert her attention. Without hesitation, Yu Yingwan recalled her beast, flicked her sword hilt, and tossed the frail Fu Ye onto the beast’s back.
“Throw him into the sea,” Yu Yingwan ordered, intending to stay behind and fight alone.
The beast rose slowly into the air. Lying on its back, Fu Ye looked down at Yu Yingwan, and for the first time, a flicker of emotion stirred in his eyes.
“…Sister.”
Yu Yingwan trembled slightly at the voice that came from behind her. It was as soft as ever, without a trace of resentment. She had thought Fu Ye might hate her—but it seemed he didn’t. Perhaps the child only hated himself.
Without turning her head, Yu Yingwan faced her enemies again, giving Fu Ye the chance to escape.
Of course, she didn’t want to die either. If she died, then this child…
Gritting her teeth, Yu Yingwan fought on. But how could the enemies let Fu Ye escape? If their scapegoat got away, too many things would become unclear.
Someone directly attacked the beast. Forced to dodge, the beast twisted midair—but it wasn’t smart enough to realize the person on its back couldn’t hold steady.
Fu Ye slipped off in an instant.
Yu Yingwan saw and immediately lunged to catch him, but an attack came from behind. A blade slashed across her back, yet she still didn’t stop her dive forward.
Still, she was a little too late.
In that instant, a figure flashed by—catching the falling Fu Ye in midair.
Yu Yingwan looked clearly and at once recognized the person. It was Fu Junhua.
Junhua set Fu Ye down without a word and jumped straight into battle.
Just earlier, they had been enemies on the battlefield—but now they had to fight side by side. The tension between them was so sharp it was almost more terrifying than the killing aura directed at their foes. Yet with Junhua’s arrival, the tide of battle immediately turned in their favor.
Soon, with the last of the enemy fleeing, the fierce fight came to an end.
Yu Yingwan, unable to hold herself up any longer, collapsed to the ground. Her whole body was covered in blood. She looked up at Junhua standing before her.
If Junhua struck now, she would have no power to resist.
But Junhua only shot her a venomous glare before turning to the wounded Fu Ye, who was leaning against a tree.
“Second… Sister.” Fu Ye stared in a daze, as if he couldn’t believe he was seeing her so soon. Junhua crouched beside him, first glancing at his bloodstained, hollow eyes, then suddenly yanked open his robe—revealing a scar across his chest, glaringly visible.
Yu Yingwan saw this and immediately understood. Her face paled slightly.
That scar—was proof that Fu Ye had saved her.
It was…the pain of a heart being cut out.
Junhua suddenly let out a derisive laugh, then swung her hand and slapped Fu Ye hard across the face. He fell sideways, spitting blood.
“Look at what you’ve done! Helping the enemy, hurting your own people—is this what you call your deeds?”
Yu Yingwan instinctively shifted, wanting to move, but after a moment’s thought said coldly, “He was a captive, tortured and abused. If you hit him again, he’ll die.”
Junhua said through clenched teeth, “Do I need you to tell me how to discipline my own brother? If not for the mermaid bead, I’d have killed you already. You people from the Beast-Taming Manor all deserve to die.”
Yu Yingwan’s eyes flickered; she said no more.
Fu Ye clumsily struggled to his knees, positioning himself as if ready to accept Junhua’s punishment.
“I’m sorry, Second Sister… I’ve wronged the merfolk. I’m guilty. Second Sister… please kill me. No—please let me return to the Coral Reef and die there. That’s my last request.”
Pearls formed at the corners of his eyes and rolled down. Overwhelmed by fear and guilt, Fu Ye wept uncontrollably. He had no excuse for the disaster he had brought upon the merfolk—it was his carelessness, his naïveté, that gave others the chance to attack the Coral Reef. It was all his fault.
Junhua shut her eyes in anguish. Words couldn’t express the torment in her heart. She knew Fu Ye wasn’t truly to blame.
If their enemies knew that Fu Ye’s eyes could open the Weak Water, they must have also known that dyeing the Weak Water red with mer-blood could unseal it. Fu Ye could not be said to have caused the merfolk’s tragedy. Even she herself had made mistakes.
“You do need to go back,” Junhua said at last. “You must atone for what you’ve done. Our royal family—all of us—must atone.” She had already decided to take her brother back, to imprison him and let the priests judge him. Royal blood or not, sibling or not, she would not shield him.
Having spoken, Junhua turned to Yu Yingwan, a fierce light flashing in her eyes. In the next instant, she struck out—she meant to seize this woman as well.
This one must be taken too—whether for Fu Ye’s sake or to make the Beast-Taming Manor wary, she could not be left behind.
Yu Yingwan saw Junhua move and tried to dodge, but her injuries were too severe—she couldn’t move in time.
Just then, a spell shot toward them.
Junhua retreated swiftly, only to see one of the men who had fled earlier thrown forward—dead on the spot. The one who followed was none other than Manor Lord Yu himself.
Seeing Manor Lord Yu appear with a group of men, Junhua’s face instantly changed. She turned, intending to flee with Fu Ye—but found they were already surrounded.
“Seize them!” Manor Lord Yu ordered, and the men surged forward.
Even though none of them were top fighters, Junhua was still outnumbered—two fists could not fend off so many hands.
Seeing Junhua overwhelmed, Yu Yingwan gathered the last of her spiritual power, leapt up, and struck one of the men back.
Manor Lord Yu raised his hand, and everyone halted.
Yu Yingwan stood protectively in front of the two merfolk, watching as Manor Lord Yu took one step after another toward them.
“Father, he… he saved me… please, let them go.” Yu Yingwan said with difficulty. Facing her father was like facing a pile of unbearable truths—so unbearable she could hardly stand it.
A sharp slap landed across her face.
“Get over here! You’re human, they’re merfolk. You should know very well which side you belong on!” Manor Lord Yu roared. If not for the fact that the clan elder urgently needed a mermaid bead—and he feared the elder would snatch his daughter’s bead first—he would never have realized that his daughter had gone mad enough to try saving a merperson.
Yu Yingwan snapped her head toward her father. “I already know the truth hidden in the mountain. Does Father truly think what you’ve done is right? We can take revenge on the merfolk for our family’s hatred—but not by doing something so… so vile.”
Another fierce slap landed. Yu Yingwan had never been struck like this before. The cold armor around her heart cracked slightly, and her eyes turned red.
“Insolence! Who are you calling vile? Have you lost your mind?” Manor Lord Yu, nearly shaking with rage, shouted, “Go—dig out the merfolk’s bead now! I want you to swallow it and inherit Beast-Taming Manor. This is the destiny of our family. This is what we must do! The opportunity is right before you—grab it! The villa is beset from within and without, and you still dare throw childish tantrums? Someone! Take the young lady to retrieve the mermaid bead!”
Junhua immediately stepped forward to shield Fu Ye.
Yu Yingwan once again drew her sword across the way.
“I will not!”
Manor Lord Yu’s expression twisted grotesquely, as though recalling the worst of memories. “Don’t tell me—you’ve fallen for that little merfolk? You’re hopeless! Just like your second brother, bewitched by merfolk! Simply—”
“What second brother?” Yu Yingwan froze.
Only then did Manor Lord Yu realize he had let something slip in his anger.
At that very moment, the talisman hanging from Junhua’s waist ignited on its own—it was a signal. She instantly understood that Mo Xuanli had already found Gu Baiqing. Junhua could no longer care about what was happening here and opened her mouth to release a sonic call.
If they couldn’t escape, then at least they could trigger the beast riot to ensure the safety of their kin and that master-disciple pair.
Junhua’s sudden action made Manor Lord Yu instantly wary. “What did you just do?”
“What’s wrong? Scared?” Junhua said coldly, steadying Fu Ye. “Your retribution has only just begun.”
In that instant, the sounds beyond the forest turned chaotic. Before long, unrest broke out at Longan Port—it was clear things had fallen into disarray.
Shouts of people and cries of beasts echoed continuously—it was as if the monsters from the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest had rushed into Longan Port. Alongside the distinctive sonic waves of the merfolk, the swiftest beasts had already taken to the skies.
“I underestimated you,” Manor Lord Yu sneered. “Still struggling, are you? Fine. I was just short on mermaid beads—since you’ve come to me yourselves, how could I refuse?” He was about to strike when Yu Yingwan blocked him again.
“You defiant child! Get out of my way!”
“What did you mean just now? What about my second brother?” Yu Yingwan’s heart filled with dread. She had been too young then, and her memories were hazy.
Manor Lord Yu had three children—Yu Zhong, Yu Qi, and the youngest, Yu Yingwan.
Years ago, the eldest and the second son had both died suddenly—rumor had it the merfolk killed them.
At the time, Yu Yingwan only remembered that her eldest brother had been about to wed a beautiful woman and had been greatly favored by the villa, already serving as the young master in all but name. Her second brother, though more gifted, never fought with his elder brother; the two had always been close. Yet during that period, second brother had seemed unhappy, drinking constantly—and not long after, both brothers perished.
A wedding turned into a funeral.
Their mother had died early, their father was often away, and it was only her brothers who had accompanied her. She had never imagined losing both of them in a single day.
Later, she learned that many in the villa had been attacked by merfolk while cultivating beast-taming arts—her own mother had also died at their hands.
From then on, her hatred of the merfolk had never faded.
“What do you think happened? They were killed by the merfolk! Their sister—the eldest princess of the merfolk—sneaked into our villa and murdered your two brothers. And now you’re entangled with her brother and trying to protect them! How can you face your brothers?” Manor Lord Yu pointed accusingly at Junhua and the others.
Yu Yingwan trembled all over, staring at her father in disbelief, then turned to Junhua.
Junhua shouted back, “Old dog, stop spouting lies! My elder sister went out to investigate the disappearance of our kin! It was your Beast-Taming Manor that killed her! You deceived her, made us believe your manor was innocent—but it was all a lie! And now you dare to turn it around and accuse us?”
“Father! What is going on?!” Yu Yingwan screamed.
Manor Lord Yu glared venomously at Junhua, too enraged to answer, and was about to attack when suddenly—
“Little sister. You can ask him all you want—he’ll never have the courage to tell you.”
Manor Lord Yu’s face changed drastically. Yu Yingwan froze at the familiar voice and turned toward the descending figure.
It was a man in a black robe, carrying a crystal tank on his back—and inside that tank was a beautiful merfolk, watching them curiously.
“Big Sister!” the merfolk siblings cried out in unison. Junhua immediately rushed toward them.
Yu Yingwan’s lips trembled. “Second brother…?” she asked uncertainly.
“That merfolk—she’s still alive?!” Manor Lord Yu exclaimed in shock.
Hidden behind a tree, Gu Baiqing, who had just arrived, was stunned by what he saw. He had never imagined that there were so many secrets buried between Beast-Taming Manor and the merfolk.
That man was clearly a demon—he must be the Beast Demon mentioned earlier.
The Beast Demon was Yu Yingwan’s second brother, Yu Qi? But wasn’t he the one who set up the Spirit-Gathering Array to destroy Beast-Taming Manor?
And the merfolk in the tank—was that Fu Qingfan, the eldest princess of the merfolk? She was alive? But hadn’t Junhua said her bead was already shattered?
What on earth was going on?
At that moment, Junhua had already rushed toward the crystal tank, reaching out to pull Fu Qingfan out.
But seeing someone charge at her so fiercely, Fu Qingfan shrank back in alarm. “Ah? Ah Zhong!”
Yu Qi immediately soothed her in a low voice, “Don’t be afraid. This is your younger sister—she’s a merfolk too.”
Junhua froze in place, and Fu Ye, who had been trying to crawl closer, also stopped in shock.
Yu Qi looked at Junhua and said, “Don’t frighten her. She doesn’t recognize you.”
“You—how is my eldest sister in your hands? What are you trying to do? Threaten me?” Junhua demanded angrily.
“Of course not. How could I ever harm Qingfan? Otherwise, the first time I met you, I would have used her against you.” Yu Qi said calmly. “Things have reached this point, yet you never summoned me—I had no choice but to appear. I was worried Qingfan would grieve if she lost both her younger brother and sister. And… frankly, I couldn’t keep listening to this farce.”
As he spoke, Yu Qi cast a mocking, disdainful glance toward Manor Lord Yu.
Yu Yingwan shook her head in disbelief. “You really are my second brother…? But why did she call you Ah Zhong?”
Her eldest and second brothers had always looked exactly alike—the elder proud and confident, the younger gentle and modest. The man before her truly did resemble her second brother more.
“I thought you’d be more concerned about why I’m still alive—after everyone said I was killed by the merfolk,” Yu Qi said slowly.
Yu Yingwan felt as if her mind would split from the questions crowding in. But that tone of voice—it was unmistakably her second brother’s. “Second brother… you’ve fallen into demonhood? You’re a Beast Demon now? What happened—what is all this?”
She turned toward Manor Lord Yu, realizing now that she must have been completely deceived by her father.
“I now serve under the Demon Realm’s Saintess—as the Beast Demon,” Yu Qi said evenly. “And the reason I became a demon… is because I learned the truth.”
“Shut your mouth!” Manor Lord Yu suddenly barked, panic flashing across his face.
Yu Qi only laughed. “Father, you truly are shameless. You’ve lied all this time, throwing every crime onto the merfolk. What’s the point? If you dared to do it, then own it. Are you afraid little sister will find out that it was you who killed Mother? That our eldest brother blew himself up? Or about our filthy origins? She was bound to learn sooner or later.”
