Chapter 95

Don't anger me.

Fu Guang's hand, braced on the Sentinel's abs, was seized by Lan'an, who held it and rubbed his cheek.

The Sentinel withdrew all his attacking power; his long lashes, drooping, seemed dotted with tiny beads of water, revealing a barely perceptible fragility. His voice, like surging waves in the deep sea, made one want to act on his words.

"Eat me, okay?" Fu Guang's fingertip, controlled by the Sentinel's hand, traced the tiny scales on his cheek, cold, leaving an imprint on her fingerpad.

"You're excited about my blood, aren't you?" His words breathed out lightly; Lan'an noticed the red mole on Fu Guang's wrist, and his rough fingertip gently rubbed it.

"No one will know, and you'll have no worries." His low voice continued to tempt his king.

"After eating me, you will be the undisputed king of the sea tribe. No one will defy your orders; you will possess supreme power and the adoration of all sea tribe."

He said many things, but the girl's expression before him remained unchanged. Unwilling to give up, he kept promoting himself, continuing to lure his king to eat him.

To him, dying for the king was an unparalleled honor, and of course because the king was her.

Fu Guang simply pulled her hand free, glanced at him, as if looking at a nonsensical troublemaker.

Her voice, like shattered jade falling into water, said, "Shut up!"

But she didn't notice; her eyes were shining now, like those of someone ravenously hungry.

Why should I restrain myself? My king.

Lan'an had a thousand things to say, but when he looked into those eyes, he finally swallowed the words in his throat.

Fu Guang clutched her chest, gasping two quick breaths, suppressing the surging killing intent; her nails lengthened, and her originally round scales turned diamond‑shaped, like a golden battle armor.

Fu Guang looked at Lan'an, frowning.

Sentinels are all madmen—do they also want to drive her mad? Her already wavering reason swung wildly; Fu Guang could not let herself fall into killing intent.

"Pure heart like water, clear water is heart...." Fu Guang closed her eyes and recited the Pure Heart Mantra, as she had done every time killing intent arose, firmly suppressing it.

She glanced at the calmed Lan'an, felt her tail itch, wanting to call him; Fu Guang didn't restrain herself, lifted her tail, and slapped it against Lan'an's chest.

"Smack!"

With a crisp sound, a fish‑tail‑shaped red mark appeared on her cold‑white skin; Fu Guang then felt she had let out a breath.

In her dizzy mind, she couldn't help recalling a journey down the mountain with her master.

It was a village slaughtered by demons; in the flickering yellow candlelight of a peasant's home, the master stroked her head and said, "Disciple, do you know how humans differ from demons? What is the simplest way to tell them apart?"

Fu Guang, still young in her cultivation, faced her first encounter with a demon‑razed village; nervous, she clenched her sleeve and hesitantly said, "Demons slaughter?"

"Sort of, but humans also have killers."

Warm and broad, the master's sword‑holding hand pressed down her raised hair; his voice crossed time, lighting her calm black eyes with candlelight: "Under normal circumstances, people do not eat people."

"But..." the young Fu Guang didn't understand; in times of famine, eating one another's children was commonplace.

"Thus we say all mortals suffer, but as cultivators, we can already choose our own fate."

"You must keep a righteous mind, uphold the proper path, never kill, never harm innocents without cause—remember that?"

The master's words were like an admonition, like a raised ruler, lightly brushing away the ignorance and cruelty in her mind.

At that time Fu Guang didn't fully grasp why the master gave such a warning, but he was the only one who treated her well, and she would keep his teachings in mind.

"Disciple understands; I will maintain a righteous mind and uphold the proper path." The clear girl's voice reached Fu Guang's ears now.

Thinking back, the master must have seen her nature and warned her not to stray; so she resolved to be a good person.

Fu Guang lifted her gaze, stared at the merperson, and said, "I don't like eating fish; no need to sell yourself."

"Don't provoke me again." Fu Guang's voice sank; her past life felt like a dream, and she could sense her memories being veiled.

She could no longer recall the faces of the departed, but the memories of their time together were imprints; she would strive to remember them.

"Good." After their spiritual forces had just merged, Lan'an could now clearly sense Fu Guang's emotions, and knew that if he went on, she would truly become angry.

Fu Guang looked at the Sentinel, who was much taller than her even counting his tail, his colorful lips slightly parted: "Power, adoration—will you offer them to me?"

"Naturally, I vow to devote all I have to the king."

Lan'an's gaze was utterly solemn; he promised the seemingly weak girl before him, "I will brave thorns and brambles for you, become a barrier guarding the throne, and become the sword in your hand."

Fu Guang swayed her golden tail, nodded gracefully, and said, "All right, I accept your promise."

"Treat your tail first, then scout the seabed."

Lan'an dismissed the idea because of Fu Guang's words.

But his gaze flickered for a moment; he hid his bloody tail behind him, for though his injury was severe it only showed his weakness, and he didn't want to appear incapable before the king.

"Give me your tail." Fu Guang repeated; she could smell the strong blood odor, which differed from the taste that ultimately stimulated her—the blood scent seemed to turn into sweet little hooks that lured her to bite.

"Do merpeople have the habit of eating their own kind?" Fu Guang asked next; her stomach felt a blazing hunger, and in the gloom she reached out to find the tail of the disobedient merperson.

"No, only because you are the king." Lan'an quickly retorted; merpeople become angry at a companion's injury and bare their fangs.

Only those in high positions show desire toward those below—just as he eats fish and fish eat shrimp, it's perfectly normal.

He reached out and drew the girl into his embrace, saying, "To die for you is my honor."

Fu Guang covered Lan'an's mouth; her mental resistance was extremely low, easily swayed by his voice—"Shut up." she said irritably, pressing a hand to her temple.

Lan'an's breathing grew heavy; his gaze fell on the offered delicate fingers, which lightly pressed his lips, his fangs protruding as he wanted to give a light bite.

A voice in his heart said, "Just one bite, just one." This should count as a reward for the king.

All of Lan'an's thoughts were drawn to those slender white fingers; wanting to be a perfect subordinate was truly difficult.

The king was so wonderful, matching every point of his courtship, and moreover pitied him, making it hard for him not to pursue her.

King, I really like you.

Lan'an's tongue tip lightly touched the girl's fingertip, and he saw that fluttering butterfly, as if startled, fly away.

"What about the tail?" Lan'an fell silent, as if the tongue he had just extended didn't exist, saying nothing.

Fu Guang gave a slow smile; she was actually laughing from anger, her hand at her side clenched, itchy—she feared striking him would excite him, and if all her retainers were like this pervert, she'd rather have none.

"Playing mute, huh? Then I'll assign you tasks when we go out!"

At that moment, a soft, smooth, icy thing brushed against her hand; Fu Guang felt it, realizing it seemed to be Lan'an's newly grown scales, not yet as sharp as normal scales.

She knew the Sentinel's recovery power was astonishing, but this fast?

She asked, Lan An remained silent as always, Fu Guang fell silent, when did Lan An become this obedient?

She said, "You may speak now."

At this moment, Lan An's voice sounded in her ear, naturally saying, "Because you are by my side."

Speaking, the merperson leaned forward, wanting to kiss her hand.

Fu Guang took a deep breath, feeling the merperson was like sucking on something fluffy, she sighed, "Must we get hands-on?"

Lan An's hand stroked her hair, his voice drew out slowly, "If the king is unwilling..."

"I just don't want you to notice."

Fu Guang was speechless, choked up.