Chapter 4

The Winged Ze has already penetrated deep into human habitation, far beyond ten thousand miles, making it very unsafe for the merfolk to go there. Elder Diancang did not allow even a slight possibility for negotiation, firmly stating that it was not permissible, "Human hearts are treacherous; if one were to fall into the hands of bad people, the consequences could be light, such as being kept for amusement, or severe, such as being skinned and rendered for oil. Is it worth going to such a place, risking one's life?"

Yibo was startled and shrank back, "He is already dead"

Yibo was stunned by their imposing presence, seemingly not even having the chance to speak. They had already made their decision, leaving no room for negotiation. Due to her questionable background, she was naturally subjected to stricter constraints than other merfolk. Her requirement was simply to avoid causing trouble and to exist quietly, with no allowance for her to wander outside freely

The deep sea is a shade of dark blue, where the moonlight cannot reach, only a faint glow is present. She swims forward, feeling a bit scared, softly calling out: "Dragon Lord... Dragon Lord..." No one answers her. Following the sandy bottom, she finally sees a vague dark shadow, a stone base towering high, with a divine treasure standing tall. She feels a surge of joy and swims with all her might towards it, but as she gets closer and sees the outline of the divine treasure clearly, the pillar stands straight, iron chains fallen to the ground, and that dragon has already vanished without a trace.

Not only that, there are also restrictions on A-Luo. "What is that snail spirit running to Tide City for all day? We are innocent mermen, she is a demon. In the future, let her come less, so as not to lead you astray."

She bent down and sank to the bottom of the abyss, where the water pressure remained immense. She knew that as long as she passed through that dark current, she could flick her tail and accelerate downward.

Yibo became even more timid, respectfully performed a bow, and Elder Shier dropped a word before turning to ask: "What is the matter for seeking an audience?"

Generally, the more timid a person is, the more they tend to harbor a sense of luck. Thus, they set off without hesitation, without even preparing a bag, evading the watchful eyes of the city-guarding merfolk, and holding their breath, they swam a thousand miles. When they finally raised their head again, they found themselves at the junction of the South Sea and the Silent Sea.

Alo continues to urge, "Do you still want to find Long Jun?" Seeing her say she wants to, she raises her head and says, "Then don't hesitate. If you don't step out of here, you'll have to wait for Long Jun to return on his own, and that could take ages. If you don't go, you'll regret it. If too much time passes, Long Jun might marry someone else, and you can only be a concubine.

Yibo Jucu Dao: "I had previously gone to Yunmengze with A Luo and did not encounter any danger... This time it was because A Luo saved someone..."

She retreated in a dejected manner, her back turned to the grand hall, her anger surging like a mountain. They had never favored her since childhood, and it remained the same even now. What should she do? It seemed that she could not go after all. With her head hanging low, she exited the Longxiao Palace, and A Luo came up from a distance, eagerly asking how it went, "Did the elder agree?"

Yibo realized that he had not given it enough thought, failing to understand the background of others. Why should he entangle himself recklessly? Long Jun is as bright as the stars and the moon, but other dragons may not be the same; she cannot simply feel a sense of familiarity just because she sees a dragon

Elder Diancang glared with both eyes and declared, "Regardless of whether they are from the sea or the ditch, none are allowed to make contact."

Ah, suddenly realizing, I was almost deceived by it. Fortunately, I did not suffer any losses. Now that it has left, it is for the best; freedom is always a good thing

Alo has been cultivating for four to five hundred years, and the story of how their friendship was formed is quite lengthy. For non-human beings in the process of cultivation, the first hurdle they must overcome is to transform into human form. After successfully doing so, they must ask the first merman they encounter, "Do I look like a human?" If the response is affirmative, their efforts are deemed successful; if the answer is negative, their century of cultivation is rendered futile, and they can no longer pursue cultivation. This chance encounter is specifically referred to as "seeking a title." Alo was relatively fortunate, as she met Yibo, who harbored no jealousy or ill intentions. When Alo approached her to seek a title, she was so frightened that her lips turned pale, yet she nodded through her tears and uttered the only human words she knew: "Like." From that moment on, the merman and the snail remained inseparable, accompanying each other for over a hundred years

She shook her head and said, "I won't agree, you can go by yourself."

How to get to Hanchuan, she vaguely remembers. Holding onto the long seaweed, they advanced against the waves, gradually getting closer to the sea trench, still the dark bottom of the gorge, devoid of sunlight. Last time there was a sudden flash of light, but this time it felt very ordinary, the surroundings so quiet, occasionally the sound of swirling water could be heard. They stopped to observe carefully, remembering the rock that jutted out at the mouth of the gorge, it was definitely here.

Yibo contemplated this and felt that it was truly unacceptable, too heartbreaking. So, if I were to sneak out and then sneak back without anyone noticing, it should be fine, right

Since the dragon is no longer present, it doesn't matter if I say it! Yibo showed her the painting of yesterday's observations, and finally held up both hands, saying, "Dragon Lord"

It may not be difficult to escape from here, but a long life is filled with uncertainties. Who knows if A Luo will be able to survive the tribulation? What if she dies, leaving her all alone? Wouldn't that mean she would have to live in solitude for a lifetime?

Upon hearing this, the two elders suddenly stood up, "Saved a person? Where is the person?"

Anyway, the matter has passed, and there is no need to dwell on it. She gave a shy smile to A Luo, indicating that she would be more attentive in the future. Next, she prepared to go to Ji Yi Ze, but first needed to report back to the elders. Usually timid, she felt nervous in front of the elders. Although A Luo accompanied her to the palace entrance, she still hesitated for a long time while gazing at the majestic palace.

According to Yibo, the humanoid form of A Luo that day was extremely terrifying, dressed in a large red skirt, wearing a gauze hat. From behind, it appeared human, but from the front, its face resembled a lump of snail meat, flat and lacking features, with two eyes located on its antennae, extending a foot long. Yibo did not know what kind of compassionate heart filled with pity led her to ultimately utter the word "like." Did it resemble anything? In fact, it did not resemble anything at all; she had never seen such an ugly humanoid form, simply grotesque beyond measure. Yet, due to her insincere affirmation, A Luo succeeded, transforming into a bright and beautiful young woman. She then continued her cultivation, worshipping the moon every night, and after such a long time, her magical skills had become increasingly refined, making it absolutely no problem to deal with ordinary people.

Yibo murmured, "She is a conch, not a snail. The conch is from the sea, while the snail is from the ditch..."

A smile broke across her face, "Within the eight wildernesses, there is not just one dragon, just as there are good and bad among humans; dragons too can be divided into benevolent and malevolent. The Dragon Lord, with his elegant demeanor and unmatched beauty, has been missing for so many years; he must have gone into seclusion to cultivate, how could he possibly have fallen into such a state! Have you seen his true form? What is it like?"

Alo pointed to her fish tail, "Lord Long, your dragon scales are golden, aren't the scales of the Azure Dragon supposed to be blue?"

Someone inside responded with a sound, and she squeezed through the door against the wall. She saw two elders sitting across from each other, engaged in a game. Both were aged mermen, their beards and hair turned gray, and they glanced at her with expressionless faces

Yibo stammered, "I seek an audience with the elder... it is because... I wish to request leave from the elder to accompany A Luo on a trip to Jiyize."

Aloya incessantly educated her, "You must be more vigilant, otherwise you might be sold off. Besides me, you cannot trust anyone, especially this mysterious dragon of unknown origin. If it were not utterly wicked, why would it be locked on that large iron pillar? It's surprising that you dare to visit it today; aren't you afraid it will eat you?"

Upon hearing this, Yibo's eyes immediately lit up. In fact, she didn't even know what she wanted to do after finding Longjun; perhaps she would just ask, "Can I be your wife?" Regardless, seeking Longjun had become a long-standing habit, and she could dismiss any temptation, except for this one that was hard to resist

Yibo was about to cry, pouting and not daring to retort, his hands aimlessly fiddling with the scales, causing his fingertips to turn bright red

However, she hesitated. What if the elders deemed her unmanageable and expelled her from Tide City? A Luo noticed her concern and patted her chest, saying: "With me around, if Tide City does not take you in, we will choose another place and sever ties with Tide City."

Alois nearly stumbled, "You love to play the heroine, but others may not agree to be the beautiful and virtuous one. The first wife despises the second wife the most, especially someone like you who is so timid. Knowing that you dare not complain, she torments you every day, making you cry in the wind. Once your tears are all shed, she will kill you, and the oil from your body will burn for a thousand years without extinguishing, allowing you to watch the Dragon Lord and her in their affection, driving you to the brink of madness."

While walking along the road, I caught many fish, shrimp, and shellfish. Yesterday, I probably did not eat enough, so today I will bring more. Having been hungry for a hundred years, it is truly pitiful

Yibo has the aspirations of a mermaid, yet lacks the ambition found in most women. Even the women of the mountains and fields understand that one cannot allow others to sleep soundly beside them, but she seems indifferent, saying, "Men prefer younger wives"

Alo was anxious to set off and kept urging her. She had no choice but to enter the Dragon Silk Palace, looking back three times with every step. The Dragon Silk Palace was once the place where the mermaids wove silk, and the Dragon Lord often came to inspect it. At that time, Yibo's skills were not yet refined, and she was not qualified to enter, only able to drool with envy. By the time her skills had reached perfection, the mermaids in the Dragon Silk Palace had all been dismissed, and the palace had been vacated to become the meeting place for the four great elders.

She responded with a sound and stepped back two zhang. A Luo hurried forward and saw Shen Zhen standing there, robust enough to block out the sky and the sun, which startled her.

Yibo thought for a moment, "Canglong."

A Luo was furious, her brows furrowing in anger, "Why not? Those old fish are just a nuisance. Are they afraid of being caught? What is there to be afraid of? I can use magic, saving one of you is still possible."

At this moment, a shout from behind was heard; it turned out that A Luo had not returned to Chao City but had come straight after me

Elder Shier waved his hand and said, "Even if Yize is not allowed to go, he is also not permitted to think about it. It is settled just like that, no need for further discussion. You may return now."

She stopped in astonishment, the seaweed in her hand falling to the ground, and the freed fish and shrimp immediately scattered in a rush. Looking up, Shen Zhen stood there all alone, made of nine-turn iron, dark and somewhat desolate. Yi Bo could not help but feel a sense of melancholy; it must be time, it was free.

The hall is tranquil, with thirty-six jade-carved supporting pillars propping up the ceiling, creating a chilling emptiness at first glance. As she ventured deeper, she finally heard voices and hesitated behind a stone door to report: "Yibo requests an audience with the elder..."

Yibo believes in her abilities, yet she does not dare to disobey the elder's orders, so she gives all the candle silver to her, allowing her to take it and fulfill her wishes

What is this object? What are you doing here?" As she asked, she swam over and touched the large iron pillar a couple of times, "Did you escape here because of the lightning yesterday?"

Only then did they breathe a sigh of relief. "If the location of Tide City is leaked, you will be a sinner of the Shark Clan. You also trade goods in the Sea Market and know the value of Shark Silk and Shark Pearls. Human nature is greedy; how many people in the Eastern Continent are inquiring about the whereabouts of Shark City? If, due to your momentary impulse, you bring disaster upon the entire Tide City, you will be utterly unable to escape the blame, even if you die a thousand deaths!"

Alo has no companion, appearing rather dispirited. "You need not heed their words; act first and report later. Consider this: you have searched all around the Silent Sea, and you have also been to the Yunmengze. What if the Dragon Lord is somewhere between the Ying River? A trip to Yize might just yield some clues about his whereabouts"

Yibo took A Luo's hand, allowing her to climb onto his shoulder as he swam upstream. Originally, he had to worry about this place when going far away, but now that it is no longer here, he is relieved of the burden.