From the moment Mo Xuanli formed the pact with the merfolk, every merfolk came under his command—including Fu Qinfan.
At that instant, Fu Qinfan regained her memories. Everything flooded back—everything that had happened, even what she’d experienced after losing her wits.
She remembered the suffering Junhua and Fu Ye endured. She remembered the h*ll her people had gone through.
She knew—if she had only been more cautious, less trusting, she might have led the merfolk away from danger sooner.
But she had failed them. She had failed her clan, her younger brother and sister.
Now she lived only by borrowing the power of demonic energy—but that was not what the proud First Princess of the merfolk wanted.
She would never forget the deep affection Yu Qi once showed her—but neither would she forget that it was he who used soul-searching magic to extract the method of breaking Weak Water’s seal, leading the merfolk to ruin and leaving Fu Ye scarred for life.
So she crushed Yu Qi’s flute and helped Mo Xuanli.
And the moment their eyes met, Yu Qi understood everything.
But how could he bear to see Fu Qinfan looking at him with such pain and hatred? So he struck her unconscious, and while the barrier was still weak, summoned the demonic beast he had tamed before and fled with it.
His plan to control Mo Xuanli had failed, and the merfolk would never side with the demon clan now.
With the Spirit-Gathering Formation destroyed, he needed something to show for it. Yu Qi was cunning—he quickly thought of a way to make up for his failure.
He took Fu Ye with him, along with his despised father, Manor Lord Yu.
One day, the demon clan would have to face Mo Xuanli—and Manor Lord Yu and Fu Ye would serve as perfect witnesses.
Yu Qi only needed to deliver them to the Holy Maiden.
But things didn’t go as he planned. The awakened Fu Qinfan was no longer the docile merfolk he’d once kept in a crystal tank.
After being injured by Gu Baiqing and exhausting himself using the Demon-Flute, Yu Qi was gravely wounded. While he sat atop his demonic beast, drawing in demonic energy to ease the pain, he failed to notice that his sister, Yu Yingwan, had followed him.
Fu Qinfan saw her, and secretly helped Yu Yingwan rescue Fu Ye—and then Manor Lord Yu.
When Yu Qi discovered this, fury filled him. Looking at Fu Qinfan still left in the crystal tank, he asked coldly, “Why? Why not leave together?”
Fu Qinfan only looked at him silently.
Everything Yu Qi had done—every effort—had fallen apart because of her. Though he loved her deeply, his anger finally turned against her.
“So that’s it? You know you rely on demonic energy to live, and you think that means you can’t leave me? Fu Qinfan, I’ve treated you with all my heart—have you ever considered me, even once? You let them go—how am I supposed to explain that to the Holy Maiden? If I die for this, what will you do then? Taking them back wouldn’t have cost their lives! After all these years together—did you never care for me at all?”
Fu Qinfan’s eyes flickered, but she still said nothing. Yu Qi suddenly realized he couldn’t bear facing this version of her. After so many years together, he had unconsciously come to see Fu Qinfan as his possession. The fact that she had never tried to leave only deepened that illusion, so for now, he refused to bow his head.
“Wait here for me!” Yu Qi turned to chase after someone but still left a demonic beast behind to watch over Fu Qinfan.
He quickly found Manor Lord Yu and Yu Yingwan—father and daughter—still in the middle of an argument.
Yu Qi overheard Manor Lord Yu forcing Yu Yingwan to dig out Fu Ye’s mermaid bead, claiming it was the only way to ensure their safety in battle. Once they had the bead, they would leave this place and start anew somewhere else.
But Yu Yingwan could not possibly obey. Saving her father had been out of filial duty—she couldn’t bear to see him harmed—but she could no longer stand on the same side as him.
“You really can’t let him go, can you!” Manor Lord Yu roared in fury. “If you won’t do it, I will!”
“Father, if you insist on doing this, I will stop you, no matter what it takes.” Yu Yingwan’s voice was cold. “Even now, you still think you’ve done nothing wrong? In pursuit of power, you’ve committed unspeakable crimes. Beast-Taming Manor owes the merfolk too much. Even death cannot wash away our sins. Father, stop this. Leave this place.”
“What are you planning to do!” Manor Lord Yu shouted, his face contorted in anger. “They’re just merfolk!”
Yu Yingwan looked at him with chilling indifference. Perhaps the brainwashing of their ancestors had been too thorough—or perhaps her father simply could not admit the truth, because to admit it would mean confessing that his deeds were inhuman.
But to Yu Yingwan, it no longer mattered. “I am half-merfolk. I will stay and atone, however little that may mean. If they wish to kill me, flay me, enslave me, or use me, let them.”
Manor Lord Yu was consumed by rage and lunged to seize her—but at that moment, Yu Qi appeared.
Yu Qi looked at Manor Lord Yu mockingly. “You really haven’t changed.”
“Shut up! This is all your fault, you little b*stard!” Manor Lord Yu’s face twisted the moment he saw him.
Yu Qi reached to grab him; Manor Lord Yu tried to fight back—but Yu Qi no longer held any mercy for them.
In the violent clash that followed, Manor Lord Yu died by Yu Qi’s hand.
Yu Qi turned to seize Yu Yingwan, but she, bleeding heavily, had already fled. Just as he was about to pursue her, he sensed something wrong.
The demonic energy connection from Fu Qinfan’s side had been cut off. Yu Qi’s expression changed drastically—he rushed back at once.
When he arrived, he saw deep drag marks from a fishtail carved into the ground, leading toward the edge of the Ten-Thousand Beasts Forest. Heart pounding in dread, Yu Qi followed them—until he saw her.
Fu Qinfan’s fishtail was torn and bloodied. She sat at the cliff’s edge, her face lifeless, like a corpse, her expression steeped in sorrow.
Yu Qi rushed forward, grabbed her shoulders, and demanded, “What are you doing?! Without demonic energy, you’ll die!”
Fu Qinfan frowned slightly. “I was trying to see if I could gather the Three Thousand Weak Waters again. But without the mermaid bead… it seems I no longer have that right.”
Yu Qi froze—he remembered what he had learned during the soul search, the method of summoning the Weak Waters. “Do you have a death wish?”
Fu Qinfan turned to look at him, then sighed softly and leaned against him.
Yu Qi stiffened. From the day she was injured to all the years she had spent by his side, she had never truly come close to him.
But now, she rested in his arms, murmuring, “If I had fallen for you back then, maybe none of this would have happened.”
Yu Qi’s heart trembled. Emotion flickered in his eyes. He held her tightly, clinging to the illusion that perhaps none of the earlier miseries mattered anymore.
“All right, enough. Absorb my demonic energy,” he said.
But Fu Qinfan only replied faintly, “I want to go home.”
Yu Qi’s expression faltered. Without her bead, Fu Qinfan could never return to the sea—except through death.
Still, he tried to soothe her. “All right, I’ll find a way.”
“You promised,” Fu Qinfan said softly, with what might have been a faint smile—but her voice was growing weaker.
Yu Qi urged her again, even forcing his demonic energy into her body.
Then he realized—she was resisting. Fu Qinfan was merfolk. If she didn’t wish to absorb energy to prolong her life, no one could make her.
Yu Qi’s face went rigid. Panic crept into his voice. “Qinfan… don’t joke with me.”
“Qinfan, we can start over. Don’t hate me for what I did to your people. We’ve long since left behind the homes we once knew. Qinfan, let’s just… be together.”
His voice wavered. “Qinfan, my temper isn’t good, I know—but as long as you’re alive, I’ll restrain myself. I won’t harm the merfolk again. But if you die, I…”
Yu Qi finally broke down. “Qinfan, I was wrong—I was truly wrong! I’ll never hurt the merfolk again. I’ll even help you protect them. Qinfan, isn’t that what you want—to see your people restored? I—”
The body in his arms suddenly went heavy, as if all strength had left it.
Yu Qi jerked her away from his chest—only to find that Fu Qinfan’s eyes were closed forever.
The proud princess of the merfolk, even with so many regrets and attachments, knew she could no longer do anything for her people—and she refused to go on living like this.
She would not live as a mere ornamental fish.
Yu Qi stared blankly at her—her face, unchanged after all these years, still radiant in the morning light, still resolute and fearless, daring to love and to hate. He let out a few broken laughs, but soon tears streamed uncontrollably down his face. He had known, ever since she awakened, that it might end this way—that this was the Fu Qinfan he truly knew.
But when the moment came, he could not bear it. Grief twisted into madness, and his anguished cries startled countless birds into flight.
By the time Junhua arrived, only the shattered crystal tank, scattered scales, and remnants of exploded demonic energy remained.
Junhua realized something and could only stand there dazed for a while before quickly going to look for Yu Yingwan — she had already lost one family member and couldn’t afford to lose another.
But after searching for an entire day, they still couldn’t find Yu Yingwan. Not even anyone came to collect Manor Lord Yu’s body — it had been gnawed apart by spirit beasts.
In the end, with no other choice, Junhua could only bring the dazed Fu Ye back.
Seeing Fu Ye sitting blankly, Junhua tried to comfort her: “We’ll find her. Second Sister won’t let you die.”
Fu Ye only gave a faint smile, saying nothing more.
Junhua temporarily brought her people to the Dragon Palace — after all, she was worried about that master and disciple pair.
When they arrived, however, they found the entire Dragon Palace shrouded in clouds of spiritual mist.
Junhua led her people inside and ran into Ao Hang. “What’s going on? What happened to them?”
Ao Hang frowned. “Nothing much. He’s advancing to the Nascent Soul stage.”
Inside the Dragon Palace, one person lay unconscious, and another was suddenly breaking through. Three Bean refused to leave Gu Baiqing’s side, and Ao Hang, unable to force him away, could only sit gloomily inside the palace, pondering life.
Junhua, uneasy, left the unconscious Fu Ye and some wounded merfolk behind, then hurried back to the merfolk settlement to gather pearls and bring them over to provide spiritual energy for Mo Xuanli’s advancement. She also instructed everyone to move back to the coral reefs — though they had lost the Weak Water’s protection, Beast-Taming Manor was gone too. At last, they could rebuild their home. She also needed to discuss with the priests the issue of the human–merfolk hybrids. Though most had died, some were still alive — standing blankly in place, numb and lost — and Junhua felt she had to handle it.
After a long spell of busyness and exhaustion, when she returned, she found that Gu Baiqing had woken up.
His cultivation was strong; after sleeping a day and taking some elixirs, he was mostly fine.
When Gu Baiqing heard that Mo Xuanli was advancing, he was also startled. Checking the system interface, he discovered that a new mission had been issued.
【Mission Quest 3, Task 1: Successfully form the Nascent Soul and begin early-stage cultivation. Tip: This stage requires a continuous flow of spiritual energy from a spiritual vein. Beware of lightning tribulation damage, and do not let the Nascent Soul separate from the body — risk of demonization.】
Though Mo Xuanli’s advancement was fast, in such a state — nearly demonized, gravely injured, and breaking through while unconscious — was it really safe?
Junhua voiced her worries, and Gu Baiqing explained about the spiritual energy and lightning tribulation.
“This kid’s lucky. I happen to have a spiritual vein here,” Ao Hang said after listening.
Indeed — in the original storyline, Mo Xuanli also advanced here, draining the entire spiritual vein, which only slowly recovered its rich aura after a long time.
Gu Baiqing patted Ao Hang’s shoulder. “Thanks for your generous contribution. Also, your building can withstand heavenly lightning, right?”
He remembered that in the original story, Ao Hang had coiled himself atop the roof to block all the lightning strikes — since lightning doesn’t strike dragonkind.
Before Ao Hang could reply, Three Bean suddenly jumped out and said, “Ao Hang, now that Xuanli’s your master, you have to protect him! He’s injured and definitely can’t withstand the lightning. I remember that as long as you’re up there, the lightning won’t strike down. Why don’t you just stay up there for a while?”
Ao Hang narrowed his eyes at Three Bean and suddenly said, “Fine. I’ll give you a few more days — let’s see how long you can keep hiding. I hope, when the time comes, you can give me a satisfactory explanation. Otherwise… hmph!”
Three Bean trembled at once. Ao Hang transformed into a black dragon and blew a snort of air at Three Bean, sending him stumbling backward. Then, shivering, Three Bean watched as the black dragon flew up to the roof, ready to face the tribulation lightning.
Gu Baiqing looked at Three Bean, who forced a dry laugh. “I… I’ll apologize later. I just haven’t figured out how to tell the truth yet.”
Gu Baiqing could only shake his head helplessly. Fortunately, things were proceeding just as in the original — Mo Xuanli should be able to form his Nascent Soul smoothly.
After finishing arrangements for Mo Xuanli, Gu Baiqing finally turned his attention to Junhua.
Junhua briefly recounted what had happened afterward. Gu Baiqing wasn’t sure whether to feel glad — Fu Ye and Yu Yingwan’s fates had indeed changed, but where had Yu Yingwan gone?
“She wouldn’t have run away in fear of our revenge, would she? Without her blood offerings, in a year…”
As he was speaking, the roof suddenly trembled — a signal from the black dragon above.
Someone had arrived.
The dragon didn’t come down, so Gu Baiqing and Junhua went out to check. They saw the merfolk guards Junhua had stationed temporarily blocking someone’s way.
Junhua tilted her head and looked, her face full of confusion. “A monk?”
But when Gu Baiqing saw him, he was startled — and rushed forward. “Qian Yue!”
Gray robes, a red mark between the brows — the very image of a refined monk. Though they had only met a few times, Gu Baiqing immediately recognized Qian Yue. Yet the Qian Yue before him now felt entirely different from the man he’d met in the Void Spirit Secret Realm.
Qian Yue was speaking expressionlessly, but when he heard someone call his name, he looked up — surprise flashing across his icy features.
“Immortal Luofeng.” Qian Yue immediately saluted.
Gu Baiqing suddenly realized he was still in his original face and quickly assumed his usual cold demeanor. “You’re unharmed? Escaped from the demons?”
A trace of awkward bitterness crossed Qian Yue’s face. “Yes.”
Gu Baiqing asked, “Then why are you here?”
“I came here to investigate something,” Qian Yue said. “But in the Ten-Thousand Beast Forest, I encountered a female cultivator who asked me to deliver something to a merfolk named Fu Ye.”
“Ten-Thousand Beast Forest… female cultivator…” Junhua’s expression instantly changed. “Where is she?!”
Gu Baiqing said, “Qian Yue, Fu Ye is here, but he’s badly injured and has been unconscious. This is her elder sister — you can speak to us directly. Do you know where that woman went?”
Trusting Elder Luofeng, Qian Yue said, “Better to look at what she left first.”
As he spoke, he took out three items: a pearl, a letter, and a crystal that was nearly black-red.
“She said she owes much to the merfolk Fu Ye. She’s returning this bead, leaving a farewell letter, and this blood crystal. When Fu Ye needs it, he can melt it with spiritual energy and use a drop of blood.”
Junhua didn’t even care about the bead or the letter — her eyes were fixed anxiously on the blood crystal. “What the h*ll is this thing? Does it really work?”
Gu Baiqing, however, frowned slightly. A blood crystal… He remembered it was a crystallization formed from the essence blood of a human body. For such a large piece…
“If what that benefactress said is true — that her life is connected to Young Master Fu Ye’s, and their link is through shared blood — then this should indeed serve that purpose,” Qian Yue said calmly.
“What exactly happened when you met her?” Gu Baiqing asked.
“I promised the benefactress I would keep her secret,” Qian Yue replied with a blank face.
Gu Baiqing’s expression shifted slightly, but Junhua immediately snatched the letter and read it. The letter contained Yu Yingwan’s cold and distant farewell — an apology to the merfolk, saying she felt too ashamed to face them, so she was leaving. With the blood crystal in place, there was no need to meet again in this life. She wished Fu Ye peace for the rest of his days.
“What the h*ll is this woman doing!” Junhua almost exploded in fury.
But Gu Baiqing, reading the letter, merely sighed softly. “She’s dead, isn’t she?”
The blood-bead’s mechanism required an annual supply of blood to sustain it; if the blood ceased, the bead would shatter, and the merfolk would die. However, it didn’t mean that the merfolk would die instantly upon the other’s death. He suspected that Fu Ye’s current coma was due to the bead’s shared-burden function — when Yu Yingwan died, the shock struck Fu Ye, causing his unconsciousness. But as long as the bead didn’t break, he would eventually wake up.
Qian Yue said nothing, only lowering his eyes slightly.
“For such a large blood crystal to form, all the blood in a person’s body must be drained dry. You met her when she was dying, didn’t you? She sought your help — fearing her death would harm Fu Ye — and you, after learning the reason, provided a way for her to condense the blood crystal?” Gu Baiqing said casually, as if guessing aloud.
Qian Yue did not deny it.
Gu Baiqing was a little surprised — he hadn’t expected to guess correctly.
Junhua, hearing this, was shocked speechless. Looking again at the bead and letter, she finally understood Yu Yingwan’s intent.
“Where is her body?”
Qian Yue slowly turned his gaze toward the endless sea outside.
“Thrown into the sea?”
Qian Yue finally spoke. “It was her request. I fulfilled it.”
In the end, Qian Yue accepted Gu Baiqing’s invitation to stay. Having once been taken to the Demon Realm, he held knowledge Gu Baiqing needed. Qian Yue seemed in no hurry to leave — he planned to remain in Longan Port for a while, and upon hearing that Mo Xuanli was in the midst of advancement, decided to wait until it was over before visiting them again.
As for Junhua, after much hesitation, she decided to keep the truth from Fu Ye once he woke. After all, Fu Ye didn’t understand the nature of the blood crystal. With the letter and bead as comfort, he would be able to face everything calmly.
After all they’d been through, it was impossible for the two to be together again. Yet when Fu Ye saw the letter, his reaction was eerily calm — so calm it made Junhua uneasy.
But when he saw the bead, he froze for a moment, as if recalling its origin.
Back then, when they had been stranded on the deserted island, those few days together had actually been beautiful. Even though Yu Yingwan was cold and sharp-tongued, when he was injured or faced danger in storms, she still protected him. When he caught fish and secretly sent them to her, she would throw back roasted ones in return. Though he didn’t need cooked food, he was still happy that she was willing to share with him.
But when her old illness flared up and she was about to collapse, he had cried in panic. At that time, Yu Yingwan clutched a pearl and scolded him for crying, then angrily told him to leave — to get out.
He hadn’t understood then. Only later, when he was captured, did he realize: Yu Yingwan’s body carried a death-triggered signal that would summon Beast-Taming Manor’s people to find her. If he stayed, he would inevitably be captured too. She had only driven him away to protect him.
But he hadn’t listened. He stayed.
Fu Ye gave a dry, bitter laugh, gathered all the things Yu Yingwan had left, and whispered hoarsely to Junhua, “Second Sister, I want to go home.”
Junhua nodded and brought him back to the newly rebuilt coral reef.
No merfolk called for punishment — everyone was simply overjoyed that their little prince had returned safely.
Some even pitied that his destined bond had not worked out.
But the next day, when Junhua woke and was about to visit Gu Baiqing, she heard an uproar outside.
She stepped out — and saw that the waters surrounding the coral reef were being pushed apart. The Three Thousand Weak Waters had reassembled, encircling and protecting the coral reef once more.
Everyone was astonished at this miracle. Only Junhua’s eyes reddened with tears.
To summon the Three Thousand Weak Waters, the royal family had to perform a death sacrifice — their flesh and blood dissolving into bubbles that merged with the waters.
It was a secret known only to the royal bloodline — and only they could accomplish it.
Fu Qinfan had once said that if they found her body, they should bring her home. Fu Ye too had once said he would die to atone for his sins, but that he didn’t want to die outside — he wanted to die at home.
They had both prepared themselves for the sacrifice.
And Fu Ye… had fulfilled it.
