The Serpent’s Embrace and a Cunning Deception

Su Xiaoxiao wandered through the vast Demon Palace for what felt like an eternity. Her feet, at some point, had become chafed and raw, a searing pain piercing through her.

Driven solely by sheer willpower, she stumbled upon an exit, almost by accident.

With her cultivation almost entirely dissipated and weakened from a recent illness, leaving the Demon Palace meant she was nothing more than a succulent, walking piece of fish bait.

Beyond the Demon Palace lay a treacherous landscape of steep cliffs and precipitous drops. A stone bridge stretched across an abyss so deep its bottom was obscured, devoid of any greenery, save for withered, branch-like vines that snaked across its surface.

Su Xiaoxiao’s mind was a blank slate; she had no idea how to escape. She dared not look back, her pain forgotten in her desperate scramble to flee.

The vines, as if endowed with life, rustled and crackled as Su Xiaoxiao passed.

Just as she was about to cross the stone bridge, Su Xiaoxiao caught a whiff of an exceptionally sweet, cloying floral scent. It compelled her to halt, her strength seemingly draining away.

Then, the world spun violently around her, her breath caught in her throat, and a heavy, dull ache settled in her chest. Her ankle was abruptly encircled by something slick and icy.

She jolted awake, glancing down to find a black-and-white patterned snake coiled around her foot. Its crimson tongue flickered, fangs bared, as it bit into Su Xiaoxiao’s tender calf. Blood welled forth, and in her terror, she forgot the pain.

It was only then that Su Xiaoxiao noticed the pervasive hissing sound around her. Her eyes widened, and she stared, realizing it was…

A swarm of snakes, converging from every direction.

She had always been timid. Among the myriad creatures of the sea, Su Xiaoxiao’s greatest fear was legless sea snakes. Unlike other merfolk, when Su Xiaoxiao was younger, she would often cry out of fright, scrambling to hide in Elder Yunli’s embrace.

The psychological trauma inflicted by the scene before her would haunt Su Xiaoxiao’s dreams for centuries to come.

Just as she closed her eyes, certain her life was forfeit to the serpentine horde, she suddenly heard the tearing sound of sharp claws piercing flesh. Blood flowed like a river, rendering everything a gruesome mess of mangled bodies.

Snake blood splattered onto Su Xiaoxiao, staining her simple blue gown with splotches of crimson. It was as if a smooth, pearlescent jewel had been marred by vibrant red, the jarring contrast creating a shattered beauty that, paradoxically, made her even more striking.

The sticky, viscous sensation of the blood made Su Xiaoxiao’s stomach churn uncontrollably. She stared blankly, terror-stricken, at Xiyue.

Xiyue’s right hand had transformed into its true dragon form, sharp claws still impaling the mangled remains of dead snakes. Her exquisite face was a mask of profound darkness, like an abyss, as her cold eyes disdainfully swept over the venom-stricken, utterly disheveled Su Xiaoxiao.

With a look of disgust, she flung the bloody mass from her claws, then bent down and seized Su Xiaoxiao by the throat.

Her sharp claws had already reverted to cold, pristine hands. Xiyue’s grip was firm, and her voice was glacial: “I believe you genuinely wish for death.”

She then slit a small cut on her other bony, distinct finger and, ignoring Su Xiaoxiao’s struggles, forcefully inserted it into her mouth.

‘What in the world is she doing?!’

Su Xiaoxiao tasted blood, overcome by panic and fear.

Xiyue, however, found it amusing. She scrutinized Su Xiaoxiao’s face, taking her time before finally withdrawing her finger, which was now trailing a thin, white strand.

Su Xiaoxiao bent over, coughing violently, assuming she had tasted snake blood. She retched intensely, but Xiyue had already risen with an air of indifference. Having discerned the “stupid fish’s” apparent fear of snakes, she deliberately dropped a chilling remark: “Either you return with me, or I’ll throw you into the snake pit.”

There were many ways to die, but being devoured by snakes was certainly not one she wished to choose.

Xiyue had already captured her; escape was futile. With her cultivation gone, Su Xiaoxiao lacked even the ability to protect herself in times of danger.

Barefoot, she slowly followed Xiyue back to the Demon Palace.

Her entwined ankle felt dislocated, and the soles of her feet were raw and bleeding profusely.

Xiyue couldn’t be bothered with her; the fish should consider herself fortunate she hadn’t been strangled outright.

Seeing Su Xiaoxiao’s desolate, death-wish expression, Xiyue found her utterly obnoxious. Thus, she cunningly coaxed, “I know you want to go back, but your Elder wishes for you to remain here, understand?”

“I know you want to go back, but your Elder wishes for you to remain here, understand?”

The moment Xiyue uttered these words, Su Xiaoxiao was utterly dumbfounded.

A foolish fish was indeed a foolish fish; whatever she thought in her heart was plainly etched upon her face.

Su Xiaoxiao’s expression shifted from initial shock to bewildered dismay. Then, with a blink, her eyes instantly welled up, her long lashes glistening as large, heavy tears streamed down her face.

The tears traced paths down her jawline, transforming into tiny pearls as they hit the ground.

“You’re lying…” Su Xiaoxiao choked out, her voice thick with sobs.

Indeed, what else could one say but that she was foolish, easily deceived?

Though her words accused Xiyue of deceit, her reaction clearly betrayed her belief.

Xiyue stifled a laugh, feigning seriousness as she continued her deception. “You heard it yourself at the birthday banquet that day: a great war between the Immortal and Demonic clans is imminent. Your Elder told me afterward that you are to remain in the Demon Realm, as a fish hostage.”

“The Elder would never…” Su Xiaoxiao sobbed, unable to articulate further.

Xiyue knew she was now even more convinced. “How do you know she wouldn’t? She wrote a letter to you; would you like to see it?”

Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Xiyue, having already concocted her scheme on the journey back, was naturally well-prepared to make such a claim.

She ordered a servant to deliver the pre-prepared letter. Su Xiaoxiao, heedless of her bodily pain, limped forward and snatched it from the attendant’s hand.

The letter indeed stated that Su Xiaoxiao was to remain obediently in the Demon Realm. It even instructed her to meekly follow Demon Lord Xiyue’s commands, lest Xiyue, in a fit of rage, annihilate the Southern Sea Merfolk. It warned Su Xiaoxiao not to forget her roots, nor her duty as a merfolk to prioritize the safety of her entire clan.

The language was ornate and difficult to decipher, but Su Xiaoxiao still grasped the general meaning.

Yet, something felt off. Though she had only met Elder Yunjie once, the Elder’s gentle and modest demeanor was utterly disparate from the stern, authoritative tone permeating the letter.

The Merfolk clan had lived in seclusion for many years, not because they preferred tranquility; quite the opposite, the young merfolk loved lively gatherings. Heaven itself favored the Merfolk, bestowing upon them a unique cultivation physique and a blessed living environment. Unlike other races who struggled with every step of their cultivation, constantly facing divine retribution and lightning tribulations, the Merfolk were spared.

The Merfolk were like Heaven’s favored daughters, granted privileges that other races could only dream of.

However, their very purity and kindness made them susceptible to deception. Tens of thousands of years ago, the Merfolk almost faced complete annihilation.

As if under a curse, any merfolk who ventured beyond the Southern Sea—to the Human, Demon, Immortal, Monster, or Ghost Realms—never met a good end.

Their breathtaking beauty and pure cultivation naturally drew the covetous gazes of other races.

The Merfolk were too kind-hearted, always harboring beautiful illusions about everything. They could be easily deceived with just a few words, and if an adversary showed even a hint of weakness, the Merfolk would exhaust themselves to help them.

This vulnerability had nearly led to the entire Merfolk clan’s demise. Many young merfolk, whose bodies and hearts had been deceived, suffered unbearable heartache. Some even despaired to the point of almost succumbing to demonic corruption, or chose to end their lives when their desires remained unfulfilled.

It was then that the clan leader established a rule: the Merfolk were to remain secluded, dwelling only on the shores of the Southern Sea.

However, though the rules were set by merfolk, they were not immutable.

Generation after generation of leaders, right up to the present day, allowed the young merfolk to occasionally sneak out to play. The clan leader and elders would turn a blind eye, only cautioning them not to casually commit to anyone and to return home before dark.

Xiyue gazed at the foolish fish before her, shaking her head inwardly. Tens of thousands of years had passed, yet the Merfolk remained precisely as rumored: showing no progress, and perhaps even regressing.

“Alright, stop crying.” Xiyue gently pushed her onto a soft couch. “Don’t act as if you’re on your deathbed. I’ve shown you your Elder’s letter. Are you still making a fuss about leaving?”

Su Xiaoxiao blinked, her tear-filled eyes making her look remarkably beautiful, even in her extreme distress.

After a long moment, she shook her head.

Xiyue hadn’t expected this fish to be so utterly foolish.

‘Being foolish isn’t so bad; it makes her easier to trick.’

With a show of magnanimity, she reached out and, none too gently, wiped away the tears from Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes with her thumb. “Be obedient, understand?”

Su Xiaoxiao nodded, then whimpered, “My feet hurt so much.”

Her delicate, pale feet were chafed and bleeding, leaving crimson stains on the grand hall’s floor. The snakebite on her calf had already turned an ugly bruise, and her eyes, fixed on Xiyue, were swollen and red, giving her a strangely pitiable appearance.

Xiyue told her to lie down. Su Xiaoxiao, having likely resigned herself to the fact of staying, felt her psychological burden lighten considerably.

In the Southern Sea, whenever she was hurt or felt wronged, she would confide in the elders and her clan. Here in the Demon Palace, Su Xiaoxiao only knew Xiyue, this one “demoness,” and so she instinctively spoke to her.

Xiyue, inherently cruel, was not swayed by such displays of weakness.

Her initial intention was to ignore her, but upon catching sight of the snakebite marks on Su Xiaoxiao’s calf, she was suddenly overcome by an inexplicable irritation.

“You brought this upon yourself,” she grumbled, her words unforgiving, yet she still picked Su Xiaoxiao up.