The Sea God Festival had concluded, and the result left everyone stunned. The one chosen as the Holy Maiden was someone no one had anticipated — Xia Lin.
Within the Holy Maiden Palace, everything was resplendent and magnificent, with throngs of servants bustling about.
Xia Lin had already changed into the distinctive attire of the Holy Maiden — her fish tail coiled atop a cloud, draped in flowing white gauze.
At this moment, she stood by the open window, gazing out at the vast courtyard. The colorful coral formations could not capture her attention.
Her eyes were vacant, unfocused. *It's been several days since the Sea God Festival ended. After Master Chu secretly sent me a voice transmission on the day of the festival, he hasn't shown himself since. When will he come back?*
"Holy Maiden, your sister has come to visit." A maidservant walked gently up behind Xia Lin and made the announcement.
Xia Lin's brows knit slightly. She sighed softly before speaking: "Show her in."
Xia Lin's "sister," Zhao Lu, stepped into the Holy Maiden Palace.
She was, of course, only Xia Lin's sister in name. After Fang Yuan had tampered with her memories, altering them so thoroughly that this sister had never once questioned the authenticity of Xia Lin's identity.
"Sister, what about what I told you the other day — have you thought it over?" Zhao Lu asked, getting straight to the point.
Xia Lin shook her head slightly. "I'm terribly sorry, but I don't want to get mixed up in other affairs. The position of Holy Maiden isn't something I ever wanted. If I had a choice, I'd rather not be the Holy Maiden at all."
Zhao Lu laughed.
Her laughter carried a sharp edge of mockery, underlined with jealousy.
She had competed with Su Yi until the bitter end, only to narrowly lose, and then Xia Lin had burst onto the scene. The factions backing Zhao Lu had decided to try supporting Xia Lin as a last resort — and to everyone's shock, she had actually succeeded!
The political forces behind Zhao Lu naturally had no intention of letting Xia Lin slip away. They wanted to use her as their mouthpiece.
But before departing, Fang Yuan had sent Xia Lin a voice transmission, instructing her not to agree to anyone or align with any political faction.
So Xia Lin had already turned Zhao Lu down days ago.
For Zhao Lu, her mood had naturally taken a turn for the worse.
First, a long-lost sister had suddenly reappeared in her life. Beyond the bond of blood, she had no genuine emotional connection to Xia Lin whatsoever.
Second, after all her efforts, the Holy Maiden position had been snatched away by Xia Lin, who had cut in line at the last moment. It was tantamount to stealing her lifelong dream!
And third, the forces backing her wanted her to personally recruit and persuade her sister Xia Lin — and Xia Lin had refused!
With all of this, Zhao Lu's mood was anything but pleasant.
"Xia Lin, my dear sister — if you truly didn't want to become the Holy Maiden, why did you stand up in the first place? Spare me the speech. We both understand how things work here. Just name your conditions, and I guarantee this deal will satisfy you!" Zhao Lu decided to lay her cards on the table.
Xia Lin's frown deepened. She knew perfectly well that Zhao Lu was not truly her sister — it was all Master Chu's doing.
Hearing Zhao Lu speak like this, Xia Lin's impression of her sank even further.
"Sister," Xia Lin said gently. "I truly am sorry, but I have no desire to involve myself in these matters. But rest assured — since I've rejected even you, I absolutely will not cooperate with any other faction either."
Zhao Lu's eyes flew wide. "Xia Lin, you really are hopelessly naive if you actually believe that! I always assumed you were just playing hard to get. Ah, I overestimated you. In that case, let me be perfectly clear — without our support, you will die. Understand?"
Xia Lin stared at Zhao Lu, momentarily taken aback. "Could it be—"
Zhao Lu shook her head. "Don't let your imagination run wild. We never intended to harm you, even if you ultimately refuse to cooperate. You are the Holy Maiden — the one chosen by the Sea God. In the merfolk's territories, who would dare raise a hand against you? If any plot were exposed, they would be buried without a trace!"
"What I'm telling you is this: every newly chosen Holy Maiden has one most critical mission. She must travel to the Demon-Subduing Regret Crying Sea and sing for three days and three nights, using her song to counteract the demonic energy that grows ever denser in those waters! It is an extraordinarily perilous mission — the kind where nine out of ten do not return. Many previous Holy Maidens perished outright in the Regret Crying Sea, and those who came back alive were driven mad, babbling incoherently. The Holy Maiden's position may be coveted, but it comes with tremendous risk and peril. If not for this mission, the number of merfolk women competing for the title would be at least ten times greater!"
"There's such a thing?" Xia Lin was stunned.
Zhao Lu smiled. "You think I'm making this up? The information is classified, but it's hardly a state secret. With your current status and position, you could easily verify it yourself. Go ask anyone you like — though of course, ordinary merfolk are kept in the dark."
"Among all the sea regions governed by the Holy Court, the most dangerous is the Demon-Subduing Regret Crying Sea. It is an absolute forbidden zone! Legend holds that the Immortal Venerable of Paradise once suppressed a peerless Demonic Path Gu Immortal in that place. The Immortal Venerable could not bring himself to take the Gu Immortal's life, so he sealed him there and forced him to repent. This Demonic Path Gu Immortal was compelled to confess his sins, which is why his remorseful weeping can often be heard echoing across those waters. But his sins ran far too deep, his demonic nature far too potent. Periodically, the demonic energy in the sea accumulates, influencing the creatures within — making them stronger, far more vicious and malevolent."
"The Holy Maiden's task is to travel to the very heart of the Demon-Subduing Regret Crying Sea and sing with all her might, using her voice to offset the demonic energy in those waters. Otherwise, given enough time, the demonic energy will only continue to grow, making the creatures within increasingly savage and aggressive, spreading destruction in every direction. This demonic energy is even self-propagating — it causes the boundaries of the Regret Crying Sea to expand, growing ever wider."
This was the first time Xia Lin had heard such secrets, and a look of shock appeared on her face. "In that case, even with backing and full preparation, it's incredibly dangerous. If I were to go alone, without your help, I'd essentially be walking to my death?"
"Not essentially — it would be certain death!" Zhao Lu's tone was absolute.
She had fully expected this to convince Xia Lin, but to her surprise, Xia Lin shook her head once more. "Even so, I won't cooperate."
"Even if it means death?" Zhao Lu's expression turned cold.
Xia Lin hesitated — she was not without doubt — but the image of Fang Yuan in her heart kept her anchored to the promise she had made to him.
"Yes. I'm resolute. Even if it means death."
Zhao Lu was furious. She forced a thin smile. "Then... I suppose I have no choice but to wish you good luck!"
The two sisters parted on bitter terms.
"Haha, so it really did appear!" Before the Merit Stele, Fang Yuan's eyes blazed with a brilliant, piercing light.