The Mermaid’s Sorrow and a Mother’s Heart

This little Mermaid was truly boundless in her naivete.

The Fox-Masked Girl paid her no mind, instead stating her purpose with directness. “I have heard the Ghost King possesses a spiritual medicine, treasured for a millennium, known as Jade Dew Clear Lotus Frost. My presence here is solely for this remedy.”

The Ghost King’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly, yet her demeanor remained utterly composed. “Indeed, I possess this spiritual medicine. If this young lady is prepared to lavish a million spirit stones and return this little Mermaid, then offering the medicine as a token of gratitude would be no trouble at all.”

“However, this elixir has resided within my treasure pavilion for millennia, and locating it may prove somewhat arduous. I would require the young lady to wait for a moment; would you be amenable to this?”

Upon hearing that the Ghost King not only possessed the medicine but also agreed to her terms, the Fox-Masked Girl’s joy was palpable. “Then this young lady extends her deepest gratitude to the Ghost King.”

The Ghost King offered a faint, knowing smile. “Someone, bring a seat. Young lady, please partake in some tea and rest for a moment; I shall personally retrieve the item.”

Once a chair was presented, the Fox-Masked Girl settled into it, then gestured to the little Mermaid, who remained rooted to the spot in bewildered sorrow. “You should sit down as well.”

“Didn’t you purchase me? Why have I become the Ghost King’s once more?”

Back at the auction, only after a beating did she shed a few small pearls. Yet here, without so much as a harsh word or a strike, she appeared on the verge of tears.

Even with the mask obscuring her expression, a hint of panic flickered within her. “Could you please refrain from such indiscriminate sorrow? What do you mean, ‘I bought you,’ or ‘became the Ghost King’s’? Do not utter such nonsense.”

Her voice, clear and resonant, conveyed a serious tone. “You belong to yourself; you are no one’s possession.”

****

The Ghost King departed the main hall, bypassing the supposed treasure pavilion entirely. Instead, she made her way to where Xiyue and Su Xiaoxiao resided.

Without preamble, she addressed Xiyue directly. “It appears to be a child from an immortal clan, quite young, wearing a mask, and seeking the Jade Dew Clear Lotus Frost from me. I surmise they bear a facial scar, making them reluctant to be seen.”

The Ghost King’s voice dropped to a near whisper, a glint of ruthlessness flashing in her eyes. “She is of the immortal lineage. Should we detain her here, she will undoubtedly prove useful in the future. What are your thoughts on this?”

Su Xiaoxiao, overhearing their hushed conspiracy, voiced her dissent. “Did she not just state that returning this little Mermaid was merely a condition for the medicine? Ghost King, you have already agreed; surely you would not renege on your promise?”

Though only a screen separated them, Xiyue had long since cast a powerful spell. The Fox-Masked Girl and the little Mermaid on the other side were utterly incapable of hearing or perceiving their presence.

Xiyue observed Su Xiaoxiao’s profound innocence and overwhelming sense of justice. If she were to assent to the Ghost King’s proposition, she feared Su Xiaoxiao would undoubtedly embroil them in prolonged discord, leaving no room for peace.

Serene days had been fleeting, and the inherent friction between herself and Su Xiaoxiao was already considerable. Xiyue deliberated for a moment, ultimately abandoning the Ghost King’s suggestion with a subtle shake of her head.

The Ghost King offered a smile of understanding. “Very well.”

****

A commotion echoed from the main hall. The little Mermaid, seated in her chair, inexplicably burst into loud sobs. The Fox-Masked Girl, utterly flustered, sprang to her feet in alarm, unable to articulate a single coherent word.

“Wuu, wuwu…”

She paced back and forth, imploring the little Mermaid to cease her weeping. Yet, as if deaf to her pleas, the little Mermaid’s cries only intensified.

As a junior of her own kind, the Mermaid’s heart-rending sobs sounded as if she had endured some monumental injustice. Su Xiaoxiao, with child, found the sight of a weeping junior unbearable, her own heart clenching in sympathetic pain.

The Ghost King, known for her particular favoritism towards the Mermaid race, observed Su Xiaoxiao’s evident distress. She then proposed, “It seems this little Mermaid is homesick. The Ghost Realm is both unfamiliar and perilous to her. Perhaps, Su Xiaoxiao, you could go and offer some comfort?”

Su Xiaoxiao nodded, preparing to step out. Xiyue, however, wore a displeased expression, clearly unamused, and intercepted her. “Can you not meddle in every trivial matter? Must you not simply remain here quietly for me?!”

“Did you not hear how sorrowfully that little Mermaid is weeping?” Su Xiaoxiao countered.

Xiyue shrugged with an air of indifference. “I heard her, but what of it?! How does it concern you?!”

Restrained by Xiyue, Su Xiaoxiao’s anxiety spurred her to blurt out, “You are utterly devoid of compassion! If, one day, our own little fish cub were to cry like this, would you also dismiss it so callously?”

Xiyue was instantly struck dumb by her words, her lips parting slightly, yet no sound escaped them.

Though Su Xiaoxiao’s loose robes concealed her pregnancy, only Xiyue was privy to the truth. Once disrobed, Su Xiaoxiao’s belly revealed a subtle, yet undeniable, swell. Within, the little fish cub was brimming with vitality, swimming and frolicking, a constant flurry of activity.

That little fish cub was destined to arrive in a few months. A newborn would be fragile and prone to tears; and as it grew, it might well prove delicate, perhaps even resembling the weeping little Mermaid outside…

Xiyue’s assertive demeanor instantly deflated. She offered no further obstruction, and Su Xiaoxiao proceeded to exit the hall.

The Ghost King wore an expression of amused detachment, a half-smile playing on her lips as if thoroughly enjoying a spectacle. Once Su Xiaoxiao had departed, she could not resist a playful jab. “Did you not profess a dislike for children? How then…”

Xiyue, a hint of irritation in her voice, snapped, “Be quiet!!!”

****

When Su Xiaoxiao materialized in the hall, the little Mermaid paused, startled, but her cries were too fervent to cease immediately. She continued to sob, pearls scattering from her eyes like rain.

The Fox-Masked Girl, still crouched on the floor collecting the scattered pearls, had not yet noticed Su Xiaoxiao’s arrival. She spoke to the little Mermaid with palpable impatience. “Can you please stop crying?”

She gathered every teardrop that had fallen to the floor and transformed into a pearl. Suddenly, noticing the little Mermaid’s cries had softened, she lifted her gaze. There, a woman with exquisitely beautiful yet somewhat delicate features, her long hair a cascade of blue and white, was slowly approaching.

“You, you are also…?” the little Mermaid uttered, her voice tinged with a dazed wonder.

The Fox-Masked Girl, too, was momentarily stunned. Though she and Su Xiaoxiao were meeting for the first time, the aura emanating from Su Xiaoxiao drew her in with an irresistible urge to approach. It was a sensation profoundly familiar, akin to the very essence of her own mother.

Su Xiaoxiao produced a handkerchief, offering it to the little Mermaid to dry her tears, and gave a gentle nod.

Su Xiaoxiao inquired, “What is your name?”

As fellow Mermaids, the instant Su Xiaoxiao appeared, a mere glance was enough for her to discern the other’s identity. When faced with Su Xiaoxiao’s query, she offered no resistance, instead responding docilely, her tears even ceasing. “Jingling.”

Su Xiaoxiao’s future generation of fish cubs would bear the ‘Jing’ character in their names; thus, this was indeed a junior fish of the Mermaid clan.

“Where are your parents? How did you come to be captured and brought here? How could the elders permit you to venture out to sea at such a tender age?”

It was better left unsaid, for at the mere mention, the little Mermaid began to sob anew. “Many wicked people came to our home. Father and Mother are gone. Mother told me to flee, to head south, to a place called the South Sea, where she grew up. But I couldn’t escape; I was caught…”

This clarified the situation. The Mermaid clan, being reclusive, would have their patriarch and elders carefully consider any Mermaid wishing to venture out. Even if a few Mermaids did leave and fell in love with other species, the patriarch would neither grow angry nor forbid such unions.

Moreover, those Mermaids who chose to leave their secluded home never severed ties with their kin. Upon the birth of their descendants, they would invariably inform the clan.

For children bearing the Mermaid bloodline, the elders and patriarch would personally bestow a good name upon them, solemnly celebrating their birth.

The Mermaid patriarch would also affix a plaque, inscribed with the little fish cub’s name, onto the Life God Tree. There, they would pray for the Heavenly Dao’s benevolence, seeking to safeguard the young Mermaid from misfortune, to grant them health and courage, and to ensure their cultivation progressed smoothly.

Should a little fish cub be born among the South Sea Mermaids, they were forbidden from leaving the South Sea unaccompanied by an elder before reaching five hundred years of age. This was due to their unstable cultivation and naive minds, which made them susceptible to deceit.

Su Xiaoxiao and the little Mermaid, Jingling, currently before her, were both rare exceptions. Su Xiaoxiao, at three hundred years old, had embarked on a distant journey with an elder, only to encounter Xiyue. Jingling, a mere century-old fish cub, had lost both parents and was captured while attempting to return to the South Sea.

Truly, life was an unpredictable tapestry. Naturally, being older, Su Xiaoxiao readily assumed the responsibility of providing comfort.