The Demonic Seed, The Little Fish-Cub, and a Mermaid’s Despair

Gu Yan paused, her gaze shifting as she looked at Xiyue.

‘Only half a month ago, she told me to remove the demonic seed from Su Xiaoxiao’s womb. Yet today, she insists I preserve it.’

‘And what’s more, she didn’t call it a demonic seed; she called it a little fish-cub. Could a trace of maternal love have awakened within Xiyue?’

‘Or perhaps she intends to live a beautiful, happy life with Su Xiaoxiao…’

Gu Yan considered numerous possibilities, but the one thing she never anticipated was that if the little fish-cub perished, Su Xiaoxiao would die along with it.

Xiyue clutched her head and told her, “Xiaoxiao is in your hands. You must protect her and the little fish-cub in her belly. I’m going to the back mountain.”

With that, she vanished from her spot, utilizing her demonic power. The lingering traces of her magic pointed towards the back mountain.

The spring cave in the back mountain was Xiyue’s cultivation ground. With the Heavenly Tribulation imminent, her inner demons had only grown more deeply rooted, causing Xiyue to visit the cave for cultivation with increasing frequency.

Su Xiaoxiao was left in Gu Yan’s care.

Gu Yan truly exerted immense effort, pouring out nearly all her life’s knowledge. She administered needles, fed medicine, and even performed qi regulation, ultimately managing to save the child in Su Xiaoxiao’s womb.

As for Chitang, she used her own handkerchief to wipe away Gu Yan’s sweat, fetched water, and generally assisted the busy physician.

Of course, small mishaps often occur when people are busy.

Gu Yan, nearing the final steps, failed to notice what was ahead. Chitang, engrossed in worry over Su Xiaoxiao’s safety, didn’t hear the approaching footsteps. Then, with an uncanny coincidence, they collided and tumbled to the ground.

Gu Yan landed on top of Chitang, face-to-face, their lips barely three centimeters apart. Time itself seemed to stretch endlessly in that moment.

Finally, both of them scrambled to their feet, their faces flushed crimson. After standing, their eyes met for a fleeting instant, and their blushes deepened even further. They quickly averted their gazes, saying nothing, yet conveying everything.

****

Su Xiaoxiao remained unconscious for several days before finally awakening.

Upon waking, she immediately began to weep, sobbing uncontrollably to Gu Yan, “Why did you save me? To die like this would have been a release.”

Gu Yan, naturally at a loss, frantically turned to Chitang and said, “Chitang, hurry to the back mountain and ask the Venerable One to come here. Tell her Su Xiaoxiao has woken and wishes to see her.”

Chitang glanced at Gu Yan and then anxiously rushed towards the back mountain.

Su Xiaoxiao hadn’t actually said she wanted to see Xiyue. However, after hearing Gu Yan’s words, she reflected on her current situation: having lost her little fish-cub, imprisoned in this demonic palace for so long, forced to serve and endure humiliation.

Given the plight she had fallen into, Xiyue should not be allowed to live so freely.

Su Xiaoxiao’s face was pale. Having just woken, she could barely endure such turmoil, and her voice was terribly weak. “Yes… she should come… I want her life…”

Gu Yan was utterly terrified. Could it be that her strenuous care for Su Xiaoxiao these past few days had made her ill, causing her to hallucinate?

‘What did this little fish just say? Whose life does she want? Xiyue’s life?’

‘Heavens, is she saying she wants the life of the Demonic Venerable, Xiyue?!’

Gu Yan was at a loss for words. Witnessing Su Xiaoxiao’s despair upon waking, she truly couldn’t fathom what Xiyue had done to her, to incite such murderous intent even from the gentle and kind mermaid race.

Fearing Su Xiaoxiao might become too agitated and further harm her heart and lungs, Gu Yan could only coax her, “Alright, alright, just lie down for now. Don’t let your anger consume you. When she arrives, you can demand her life then. Don’t rush now.”

Su Xiaoxiao, however, paid no heed. Fortunately, Xiyue arrived swiftly.

The moment she entered, she saw the little fish sitting on the bed, her face as white as paper, eyes red and swollen, and her cheeks glistening with tears.

‘She still hasn’t cried enough?!’

Xiyue stepped forward, but before she could speak, Su Xiaoxiao glared at her furiously, lunging forward as if to tear into her.

Su Xiaoxiao’s body was frail, unable to withstand the slightest exertion. Seeing her lunge, Xiyue feared the little fish would fall to the ground, so she reached out and embraced her.

‘What is this? Did she change her nature after being unconscious? Why is she throwing herself into my arms and offering herself to me…’

“Hiss—” Xiyue frowned.

After lunging, Su Xiaoxiao had actually opened her mouth and bitten directly into Xiyue’s neck.

Su Xiaoxiao had truly exerted force, yet her body was too weak, only managing to lightly break the skin. Xiyue instinctively raised a hand to strike, but then realized the little fish was frail. The palm that should have landed heavily on Su Xiaoxiao’s back instead settled gently on her nape.

Xiyue massaged her nape, as if calming a mischievous kitten. “Let go.”

Su Xiaoxiao naturally refused. Xiyue, fearing that if she transformed into her true form, she might shatter the little fish’s teeth, allowed her to behave so brazenly.

Gu Yan quickly interjected, “Xiaoxiao! No! The situation with the fetus in your womb is not yet stable. You absolutely must not get so angry!”

‘Fetus… in my womb?’

Su Xiaoxiao suddenly released her bite. She clung to Xiyue with both hands and feet; had Xiyue not held her waist with one arm, she would have surely fallen.

Su Xiaoxiao was somewhat dazed, afraid that she had misheard. She looked blankly at Gu Yan. “Are you saying… the little fish-cub is still here?”

Gu Yan nodded vigorously. “Please sit down first, don’t fall.”

It wasn’t that she feared Su Xiaoxiao falling; rather, she worried that if Su Xiaoxiao continued to act so brazenly, she might truly enrage Xiyue and suffer again.

Xiyue carried Su Xiaoxiao and gently placed her on the edge of the bed. She gazed at Su Xiaoxiao with a detached expression, no emotion discernible in her eyes.

While Su Xiaoxiao was unconscious, Xiyue had asked Gu Yan a question.

“It’s merely a demonic creature. Why is she so reluctant to part with it?”

Gu Yan replied, “Venerable One, every race is different. From the moment we demons open our eyes, it’s a world of the strong preying on the weak. The mermaid race, however, enjoys the favor of the Heavenly Dao. They don’t undergo Heavenly Tribulations, nor do they need to cultivate deliberately. All day long, besides planting vegetables and herbs, they simply focus on giving birth to little fish.”

“Oh, and raising little fish.”

Xiyue pursed her lips and then said, “She told me that if the demonic creature in her womb were gone, she would no longer live.”

She paused, then looked at Gu Yan, asking seriously, “Do you think her words were true or false?”

“Naturally, they were true.” Gu Yan, without a hint of hesitation, recounted to Xiyue the rumors she had heard in her early years, when she had fled outside.

“The mermaid race is renowned for their exceptional beauty, capable of toppling cities. Yet, they possess innocent and naive hearts. When one first entered the mortal realm, she encountered an elder of the Ghost Clan, who became infatuated with the young mermaid. Later, the Ghost Clan elder’s sister also developed feelings for the mermaid.”

“What happened then?” Xiyue asked.

Gu Yan continued, “That mermaid later became pregnant, caught between the two women. Only then did she realize she was merely a pawn in their struggle for power, a victim of their vanity and rivalry.”

Xiyue then asked, “What became of the pregnant mermaid in the end?”

“What transpired in between is unknown, but it is said that in the end, after the mermaid lost her child, she couldn’t bear the shock. She became somewhat mad and deranged, eventually taking a sword and committing suicide in front of both women.”

“The two Ghost Clan sisters still refused to give up, even attempting to seize the mermaid’s corpse. Ultimately, the Mermaid Clan’s chieftain intervened, personally bringing the mermaid back to the South Sea. Thousands of years have passed since then, and the Ghost Clan has never dared to invade the mermaid territory.”

Gu Yan had strayed so far in her story simply to convey one point to Xiyue: “The mermaid race has always shown compassion and care towards the weak, let alone their own flesh and blood.”

Every word Gu Yan spoke, both explicit and implicit, was urging Xiyue to keep the child.

Xiyue merely frowned upon hearing this.

She didn’t understand why she was soft-hearted towards Su Xiaoxiao, why she hadn’t steeled her resolve and crushed the demonic creature in her womb.

Her inner demons always surfaced when she least expected them, fostering wicked thoughts and making Xiyue increasingly irritable.

She wouldn’t abandon her plans just because Su Xiaoxiao was seeking death, but she couldn’t deny that the fish was extremely satisfying in bed, and for her to die like this would indeed be a pity.

However, Xiyue had not softened her stance on this demonic fetus, nor had she compromised.

Since she couldn’t forcibly remove the demonic fetus, it would be better to compel Su Xiaoxiao to willingly abandon it.