“Yes, yes, what were we just discussing with His Majesty?” the Chief of the Everfrost Tribe chimed in immediately. “Oh, right, the Deep Sea Cultural Expo.”
“Indeed. Everyone, please follow me.”
Su Shiye rose from the Eclipse Throne and swam toward the window. Once they approached, he pointed toward a massive stretch of rock wall currently under construction in the distance. “The exhibition halls will be established there. Every nation and tribe in the Dark Sea will be able to showcase their culture and commodities. However, I feel the space is still a bit small.”
“That’s not big enough?!”
“Of course not. Our Endless City must be vast to live up to the name ‘Endless,’ wouldn’t you agree?” Su Shiye leaned closer to the window, looking from the bottom up. “You can’t see the full scope from here; you have to go to the top floor. But I believe it can be expanded several times over.” Having said that, he spread his hands against the window, tracing a large rectangle with a hint of excitement. “I plan to hollow out that entire rock face just for cultural exchange.”
“His Majesty Su Shiye is truly formidable. If we tried to build something ten kilometers wide back home, those useless subordinates of mine would fuss for ages, complaining about having no food, being starved to death, or having no energy. Truly, they are like mud that cannot be plastered onto a wall.”
“Food is something we do not lack here. As long as they can get used to land-based food, you are welcome to trade with our Empire at any time.”
“But we don’t have much to trade in return...”
“Labor is enough,” Su Shiye said with a smile. “Labor is energy; labor is technology.”
“That’s wonderful! I can finally whip those lazy fellows into doing some work. Thank you, Your Majesty!”
“Mutual development and the promotion of cultural exchange are only right.”
The Lord of the Twisted Void could no longer suppress his admiration. Looking at the man he had idolized for over two hundred years, his eyes sparkled. “Your Majesty, I have always been curious. The history of the Abyssal Empire is only four hundred and forty-two years old. How did you manage to govern the country to this state in such a short time? It is truly admirable!”
“I must also thank my homeland. Without the things I learned in the Light Sea, we wouldn't have achieved these results so quickly.”
Su Shiye spoke naturally, but the nearby Chief nudged the Lord with his tail, glancing sideways at Fan Li. The Lord covered his mouth and cleared his throat. “Ahem, I would very much like to see the upper floors. Could the Prime Minister show us the way?”
“Let’s go.” The Prime Minister cast another weary, disgusted look at Fan Li and the others. “All of you come along. I don’t want to give this tour twice.”
Yu Jin and the others followed.
Fan Li looked back at Su Shiye. He still had his arms crossed, gazing at the distant rock wall like a young boy admiring a meticulously built set of blocks. She had to admit, Su Shiye looked rather handsome like this.
Knowing she was watching him, Su Shiye didn’t turn around. He simply pointed toward the rock wall. “Look there. The commercial district below that cliff was built over a hundred and seventy years ago. At the time, some people were dissatisfied, telling me the Abyss should focus on survival first and not develop too quickly. But I said, if we don’t develop now, we’ll never catch up later.”
“Because the territory was expanding too fast, right?”
Su Shiye paused. “Yes.”
He hadn't expected that after all these years, Fan Li could still grasp his thoughts in a single second. He had almost forgotten the feeling of being understood instantly.
The more territory they held, the more resources they had, and the stronger the Empire became, making the citizens of the capital wealthier. But with more territory, resources became harder to distribute, making it difficult for new subjects to settle. He had been worrying about this lately, but unfortunately, his subordinates in Bamanboya couldn't see that far ahead; they only knew the Empire was powerful. Or perhaps, they weren't monarchs and didn't understand a ruler’s restless need for control.
That was the way of a powerful emperor. If he worried about everything, the people below him wouldn't work as hard. Back when he was the Dictator, he wasn't like this. He knew how to delegate power, how to use the human heart to make others work for him. Now, whether it was age or something else, he grew irritable at the slightest provocation.
“We still have to work harder,” Su Shiye added.
“You demand a lot of yourself, but in my eyes, you are already incredible,” Fan Li said softly, looking up at him. “There are few in any era who love their career and can take it to such an extreme. Someone like you, whose achievements will be recorded in the annals of both the Light and Dark Seas... I think you are unprecedented.”
“Thank you. I am happy to receive such affirmation from the First Goddess of the Light Sea.” Su Shiye looked back at her. “You have progressed quickly as well. I have always followed your news—the abolition of slavery, the promulgation of the new Clan Trade Act, the adjustment of the Light Sea’s elderly care policies, the hypothesis of the 32-chromosome fusion... every single thing bears your style: practical and hitting the mark. It’s wonderful. I am proud of you.”
Fan Li’s first reaction was astonishment.
The 32-chromosome hypothesis was research she had done last year, purely as a cross-disciplinary hobby. When reporters interviewed her, she had only given a few perfunctory remarks. She hadn't expected Su Shiye to know about such a recent, minor detail. She tried to force a smile, but only the corners of her mouth twitched. “Your Majesty is certainly well-informed.”
“Of course I would pay attention to your affairs. Otherwise, why would I have you come here for research? Someone will assign you your tasks once you reach the laboratory. After you’ve reviewed them, we will discuss the agreement.”
“Haha, alright. I’ll do my best.”
Su Shiye fell silent for two seconds, his voice low like a gentle wave in the deep sea. “And your life... are you doing well now?”
Tears nearly fell from Fan Li’s eyes instantly.
“I’m doing very well.”
“Good. As long as you are happy.”
“Mhm. I won’t ask you the same question.” Fan Li smiled and rubbed her eyes, not noticing she had involuntarily become a bit childish. “You’ve already proven a fact through your actions: a capable person is capable anywhere. Besides, your progress is much faster than mine. Although you didn't get divorced as quickly as I did, you already have a child.”
At the mention of the child, Su Shiye’s expression softened unconsciously. “Yes, Chi Yue is nearly seventy. Her grades are excellent, though her temper is a bit stubborn. You’ll meet her later.”
“How could your child not be smart or stubborn?” Fan Li felt as though a knife were twisting in her heart. Her smile was stiff, but she never dared to ask the question: *Who is the child’s mother?*
Su Shiye gave a light chuckle. “Let’s both keep working hard. We’ll leave it at that.”
From beginning to end, neither asked about the other’s romantic life. Yet, Fan Li could only remember the fragments of their past. The moment she threw herself into his arms upon their reunion; the countless fantasies of the future she had while looking at his profile after mating; the promise they made at the height of their passion to meet on land two thousand years later...
When she was still the human Fan Li and he was the Mimicry Star Sea, they possessed a love that neither time, race, space, nor life and death could crush. She was willing to give him all her future and trust; he was willing to wait two thousand years for her.
No matter how big the obstacle, it was nothing. They loved each other and recognized only each other; no hardship could stop their determination to be together.
She missed the two of them from that time so much.
Standing before him now, that affection was so shattered that not even ashes could be found.
The dream had finally broken. There were no two thousand years, no future. He was a nemesis hiding a blade behind a smile, the father of another woman’s child, a stranger who didn't even bother to show her negative emotions.
Seeing his departing back, Fan Li opened her mouth. “Your Majesty Su Shiye.”
“Yes?” He turned back.
*“I’m pregnant. The child is yours.”*—She desperately wanted to say those words. But his attitude was so clear; what did she hope to gain from him? Comfort? Child support? The freedom to return to the Light Sea?
None of those.
What she wanted was a reconciliation.
But that was precisely the most impossible thing to achieve.
“It’s nothing.” She shook her head. “Regardless of our public stances, for me personally, I hope you are well. I hope you are happy.”
Su Shiye watched her quietly for a moment. Her eyes were the color of the sea, and her forehead bore the mark of the High Priestess—the Light of the Sea. Even her hair was as fluffy as the freshest seaweed, dancing slightly. The most noble woman of the Light Sea was displaying her most elegant, impeccable, and sweet smile before him.
There seemed to be tears in her eyes.
“If you truly wish me well, then don't cry anymore. Academician Sui is a proud woman; how can she cry in front of a man at the drop of a hat? Living every day with your head held high is the greatest blessing you can give me.”
“I’m sorry, I couldn't help it. It’s been so long, I’m a bit overwhelmed.” Fan Li brushed away the tears at the corners of her eyes, silently cheering herself on.
“Time passes very quickly.” Su Shiye’s pupils turned a dark gold, merging with the golden light of Bamanboya outside the window. The color was beautiful, yet it held the melancholy of a fading sunset. “See, four hundred years vanished in the blink of an eye. Lately, when I stare out the window alone, I often think that a lifetime might pass just as quickly.”
“Mhm.”
“Enough talk.” Su Shiye turned and left.
But almost the instant he turned, Fan Li covered her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut, not letting a single sound escape, though tears once again fell stubbornly in large droplets.
She had chosen all of this. Years ago, above the Meteorite Trench, she had wavered, wanting to throw herself into his arms. When she held his hand, she had wanted to pull harder, to drag him up. Back then, he still loved her—loved her enough to sacrifice himself, to give everything. She could have clearly let go of everything and jumped into the Abyss with him to start over. But back then, she couldn't let go of her responsibility, couldn't let go of the guilt for the twenty thousand people who died on the Charybdis Plains or the Flame Clan of Hot Sand Island. She chose to continue the revolution.
This outcome was entirely expected.
*But Su Shiye, why did you have to let me see you again?*
*Better to have never met again than to reunite like this.*
*Better to forget while yearning through the long years than to slice open the old wounds of memory once more.*
When she was finally alone in the vast hall, Fan Li buried her face in her hands, her tears warming the surrounding seawater.
She knew she couldn't stay this sad, so she began to think of other things to distract herself. After the liberation of the slaves, there was an old man who had knelt outside her house, insisting she accept the kelp he had brought from his hometown.
“High Priestess, truly, thank you,” he had said while kowtowing. “I hadn't seen my son for a hundred and seventy years. It was you who restored his freedom, allowing me to see him standing tall before me again before I enter my coffin. You must accept this gift. You are the greatest person in the history of the Sea Race...”
And another time, she was reading alone in a park. A little girl brought her a basket of pink seaweed, saying in a milky voice, “Big Sister Sui, Mama told me that the reason I can go to school and make so many friends is all because of you!”
When she said “so many,” she dragged out the words and sweetly drew a large circle with her hands.
That little girl was truly so cute...
The kelp the old man sent was also very, very delicious; every bite had a special meaning.
All the effort she had put in was worth it.
***
That evening, Su Shiye went to the Red Rose Palace to visit his daughter. As soon as Princess Chi Yue, Su Li, heard her father’s footsteps, she jumped off the bed and rushed over like a flying arrow, thrusting a photograph in front of him. “Dad, look at this!”
Su Shiye looked down. In the photo, a girl held a camera, pointing it at herself and a pink-themed room. Though the room wasn't large, it was clearly meticulously cared for: dolls, pink curtains, a bed floating in the seawater, vibrant seaweed, a fish tank full of glass squid... every detail was adorable, like a model room in a housing advertisement.
“What is this?” Su Shiye asked.
“This is my classmate’s house! Look at this bedroom, isn't it pretty?”
“Mhm, it’s pretty.” Su Shiye was somewhat distracted.
“Do you know how this bedroom came to be? Her father designed and decorated it himself, and her mother personally helped her arrange it.”
“And so?” Even as he asked, Su Shiye knew his daughter’s old habit was acting up again.
“So, Dad, can you design and decorate a room like this for me too?” Su Li grabbed his arm, shaking it back and forth. “Please, please! My classmate has so much to brag about when she mentions her dad. But my dad, even though he’s the Red Moon Emperor, doesn't give me anything to brag about.”
As expected, the same topic she had been harping on since she was little. Su Shiye sighed. “Having an Emperor for a father isn't enough for you to brag about?”
“It’s not enough! I want a father’s tender love! I want a room like this!” Su Li poked the photo as if venting her anger. “And you, besides arranging guards for me, only know how to give me money! I don't want money anymore!”
“Fine, I’ll go handle it for you.” Su Shiye took the photo.
“Are you going to have Uncle Aize do it again? I don't want him to do it! How is that any different from you just giving me money!”
“Li-li, stop being difficult.”
“Am I being difficult? Am I? From the time I was little, you’ve never personally picked out a single gift for me. Everything is bought by your secretary or Uncle Aize. In the end, my birthday passes and you don't even know what gifts I received. This year’s birthday will surely be the same! You’ll come out, give a speech, and still have no idea what you gave me!”
Her voice rose, carrying a hint of a sob, but the anger in her tone clearly outweighed the sadness—a common affliction for girls her age. Su Shiye patiently stroked her hair and said gently, “My precious daughter, the care I can give you is indeed not as much as other fathers, but you should know that since your father is Su Shiye, no one in the entire Abyss dares to bully you, and no one’s status can be more noble than yours.”
“I don't want a noble status!” Su Li wasn't buying it anymore. “I’d rather you weren't so powerful so you’d have more time to spend with me!!”
“I am not just your father; I am also the sovereign of this country. Whether the fathers of countless other children have jobs depends on whether I am willing to spend more time on my work.”
Strangely, in the past, whenever Su Shiye explained it this way, Su Li would be very obedient, nodding and going off to play no matter how aggrieved she felt. But today, she seemed possessed, throwing a full-blown tantrum. “I don't want it, I don't want it, I don't want it! You’ve used the same lie to trick me for so many years! So what if you’re a sovereign? You have no time for me, and you didn't let me grow up in an environment with a mother’s love! Don't tell me about your other identities; as a father, you just aren't trying!”
Su Shiye realized she had likely read some articles about balancing work and family and was applying what she’d learned.
He didn't respond further, merely looking at his daughter with a cold, disappointed gaze. “Do you think being this willful makes you look like a princess?”
After staring back at him for a moment, Su Li’s eyes suddenly reddened, and she threw herself onto the bed, sobbing.
Su Shiye sighed and slowly leaned over, wanting to pat her head, but she stubbornly turned her body away, refusing to let him touch her. He sighed again, patted her shoulder, and left her chambers.
Aize was waiting for Su Shiye outside. Having heard everything, he recalled that his own parents were over three thousand years old when they had him. His Majesty was only six hundred or so. No matter how brilliant his political achievements or how successful a king he had become, he was still a bit too young when it came to being a father. Moreover, he wasn't an ordinary father, but a single father burdened with myriad affairs. For such a man to have a daughter in her rebellious phase was a domestic disaster.
Thus, not long ago, Aize had suggested to Su Shiye that he find a stepmother for the child. Because Su Li’s personality was so boyish, it was related to her spending all her time with her father and a bunch of uncles. If she spent more time with a stepmother, she might become gentle and lovely.
Aside from a brief romance with Su Li’s mother, Su Shiye had suddenly become like a member of the clergy after arriving in the Abyss, never seeking another female companion. So, when he first heard the stepmother suggestion, Su Shiye refused. But after Su Li made another scene, he compromised.
The Red Moon Emperor always acted efficiently. Within a few days, he had secured a Flame Demon girlfriend named Gexi.
Gexi’s appearance quickly proved how foolish the ideas of a "straight man" could be. Su Li didn't feel happy about having an extra "mother"; instead, her dissatisfaction with their family happiness intensified.
But having finally become the official girlfriend of the Red Moon Emperor, Gexi wasn't about to let this opportunity slip away. She did everything in her power to please Su Li. Every time she saw her, she would exclaim, “Our little princess is just too, too, too beautiful!” or “Is today’s hairstyle specially done? It suits you so well!” If Su Li so much as mentioned being hungry, Gexi’s speed in going to cook was faster than a special forces unit assembling. When Su Li went to summer camp in the Twilight Zone, Gexi knelt on the ground in her land-form, folding Su Li’s clothes one by one and packing them into her suitcase... She was even willing to eat the half-eaten piece of fish Su Li left behind—swallowing the fish bones and all.
Despite all this, Su Li’s dislike for her only lessened slightly; she completely failed to accept this woman who had appeared out of nowhere.
Gexi had a massive headache. She knew Su Li disliked her because a stepmother’s appearance would steal her father’s affection. But if a potential threat appeared who wasn't good enough to Su Li, the situation might change.
When Fan Li arrived in the Abyss, Gexi suddenly had an idea.
She knew that whether from history textbooks or from gossip in daily life, Su Li loathed the Light Sea, especially the High Priestess who had exiled her father.
The government had arranged for Fan Li and the others to stay near the "Eye of the Abyss" in the west of the capital, but on the first day, they hadn't had time to unpack, so they stayed a night in the Endless Palace.
The next morning, Fan Li changed into her pressure-resistant suit. Just as she swam out of the side hall, she saw a shadow flicker in the plaza. Seeing no one there, Fan Li thought she was hallucinating, but in the next instant, a white-haired Sea Demon girl stood before her.
“You’re the High Priestess of the Light Sea, Sui, aren't you?” The girl looked at Fan Li indifferently, a trace of anger in her ice-blue eyes.
“I am.” Fan Li stared at the girl without blinking, thinking that genetics were truly terrifying.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Princess Chi Yue.”
“Heh, you’re not stupid.”
“...” With this copy-paste level of genetic similarity, it only tested basic eyesight; it didn't require any actual intelligence...
Furthermore, according to the laws of reproduction for etheric bodies, a child would inevitably display the racial characteristics of the mother. Fan Li now knew that Princess Chi Yue’s mother was a Sea Demon. In the past, although Su Shiye had many girlfriends, he had never produced a child; that was the reason. He was quite picky about the mother’s genes.
“I’m telling you, ‘High Priestess,’” Su Li said through gritted teeth, “Father doesn't hold a grudge against you because he is magnanimous. But I’m not as generous as him. I hate you! If it weren't for you forcing Father into the Abyss, he wouldn't be this tired or this busy! Father and I would be much happier!”
“He might have been very happy without me. But without me, there would be no you.”
“Eh?”
“Your mother is a Sea Demon, isn't she?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“If he hadn't come to the Abyss, how would he have met your mother?”
“Ah, that...” Su Li blinked rapidly. That face, which was nearly 100% identical to Su Shiye’s, quickly flushed red—a sight to behold. “So what? You’re still the bad person who hurt Dad. I hate you!!”
As expected, one always sees their own children in the best light.
Su Shiye praised his daughter for being smart, but this child clearly didn't seem to have a very sharp mind...
“Fine.” Fan Li looked at the sky expressionlessly. “I’m a bad person. I’m hateful.”
***
### CHAPTER_START ### 96 Her 430 Million Years
Just then, Yu Jin arrived in a powerful sports-model submersible, stopping in front of Fan Li and Su Li. He opened the window and lifted a rechargeable metal fish tank. “Sister Fan Li, look at this.” Behind the transparent glass of the tank, a boxfish with an orange body and black spots swam around with its mouth puckered.
“Isn't that Dudu?” Fan Li thought for a moment, realized Dudu couldn't have lived this long, and added, “No, this must be Dudu’s descendant?”
“Right, this is Little Dudu. I only found out this morning after talking to the people in the Endless Palace that you can buy tanks for Light Sea pets in Bamanboya, so I rushed to the mall to get one.”
“Then how did you bring it here before?”
“Using stored Arcane energy. That doesn't last long, a week at most.”
“...Are you planning to return to the Light Sea every week? Just to keep Little Dudu with you?”
“Yes. But I don't have to go through that trouble now. The Abyssal energy here is truly amazing; the conversion rate is incredibly high. As expected of a power famous for devouring... Why are you looking at me like I’m a salted fish, Sister Fan Li?” Yu Jin rubbed his chin with a serious expression. “I know. Sisters of your age have lived through the Great Famine and the Economic Depression. You put a lot of pressure on yourselves and live very hard lives, so you can't quite understand the hobbies of us young people. You always think we’re a lost generation.”
“I’m only a hundred and eighty-six years older than you! For a Poseidonian, is a gap of less than two hundred years that big? Stop acting young!!”
“Even if it’s only a hundred and eighty-six years, I haven't been married yet.”
Yu Jin blinked his eyes, looking at her with a "bling-bling" gaze, his face practically screaming, *Sister, look at this pure and flawless young hunk.*
But Fan Li only interpreted it as: *Sister has already been married four times.* Encountering two "problem children" in one morning was giving her a headache.
“What is that thing...” Su Li, who had been silent, finally couldn't help but speak as she stared at the tank Yu Jin was holding. “Is it a boxfish?”
“Yeah.” Yu Jin finally noticed Su Li and said in surprise, “This must be Princess Chi Yue?”
Fan Li nodded. But Su Li completely ignored his question, swimming over slowly to focus intently on Little Dudu. Her large blue eyes were full of curiosity, finally showing a hint of the pure cuteness a princess should have. “It’s my first time seeing a live boxfish. Its mouth is so upturned, and how does its little tail fin move so fast...” She even mimicked the boxfish’s movements, waving her hands rapidly.
“Has Princess Chi Yue never been to the Light Sea?” Yu Jin said gently.
Su Li looked up at Yu Jin, struck by how handsome this older brother from the Light Sea clans was. She shook her head slightly. “No.”
“That is truly tragic.”
“How is it tragic? Is not going to the Light Sea tragic?!”
“No. When I was little, my dad took me to the Dark Sea to play.”
“...”
“His Majesty Su Shiye must be very strict, not letting you go out to play.”
“...”
Fan Li felt a headache coming on. What was Xiao Yu doing? Shouldn't the standard answer be "You’re welcome to visit the Light Sea"? Why was he bullying a child?
Though Princess Chi Yue was a bit overbearing, she was still just a young girl. Fan Li quickly grabbed He Ge and Sha Sha, who had just arrived, boarded the submersible, and urged Yu Jin to leave.
Su Li was clearly unhappy. With a flash of red light, she vanished without a trace—some deep-sea races possessed bioluminescence and brief invisibility; blue light was the most common, while red was the rarest (as it was the hardest to penetrate).
Then, they headed directly to the residential area near the "Eye of the Abyss."
The house the government arranged for them was an air-pocket house. This meant that as long as they were inside, they could remain in their land-form without wearing pressure suits, making movement much more convenient.
The primary energy source in the Abyss was Abyssal energy. Because resources were exceptionally abundant, the price was over fifty times cheaper than the Arcane energy of the Light Sea. In the past, the Abyssal tribes could barely meet their basic needs, so they didn't see much use for all that energy. They habitually lived in waters near the Twilight Zone so they could occasionally go to the Light Sea for a big meal.
After the Abyssal Empire was established, Su Shiye made proper use of Abyssal energy, creating many air-pocket greenhouses on the seabed to simulate land-based farming. They cultivated plants found only on land, such as wheat, and by adjusting water pressure, they raised shallow-water marine life on the seabed, thus solving the hunger problem. However, no matter how advanced the technology, the cost of obtaining food in the Abyss remained high; it wasn't like the Light Sea, where it was produced naturally by the ton. Therefore, they still advocated for fish and meat trade with the Light Sea.
The air energy industry in the Abyssal Empire was well-developed, with factories mass-producing air pockets. These pockets were filled with various gases: oxygen, nitrogen, methane, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen, and so on. Higher gas concentrations were more expensive, and different types of air canisters had different packaging and vendors.
Air-pocket houses were operated by air energy companies providing air to the property management. Most residents were Abyssal tribes from depths above three thousand meters who couldn't adapt to Bamanboya’s pressure, or a few Flame Demons who preferred dry methane and hydrogen sulfide. These houses weren't more expensive than ordinary commercial housing, but the monthly management fee was more expensive than the mortgage or rent.
After the landlord finished the introduction, Fan Li asked, “Then if the machinery accidentally malfunctions and the energy supply stops, won't we die instantly?”
“Rest assured, the situation you fear will not occur.” With that, the landlord swam to a corner of the wall and turned off the main air valve. Suddenly, the indoor lights turned a flashing dark red, and a piercing “Beep!! Beep!!” alarm sounded from the ceiling. Simultaneously, a mechanical female voice announced: “Your main air valve has been closed. Please put on your pressure suit within thirty minutes and prepare for evacuation. Your main air valve has been closed. Please put on your pressure suit within thirty minutes...”
“Thirty minutes? It can last that long?”
“Yes. And there’s also this.” The landlord pulled a red tube from beside the main valve and inserted it into a small hole next to the switch.
The female voice then said: “Your main air valve has been closed. You are now connected to the temporary power supply system. Please contact us within 24 hours to repair your air energy system as soon as possible. If you do not contact us after 24 hours, a fee of 2,000 Crimson Coins per hour will be charged and deducted directly from your bank account...”
“Alright, I feel much more at ease now.” Fan Li found such a sophisticated automated system incredible. She then remembered that the exchange rate between the Light and Dark Seas hadn't been established yet. “So, what does two thousand Crimson Coins represent, roughly?”
“My daughter works in clothing sales; her monthly salary is 55,000 Crimson Coins.”
With the help of her two assistants, Fan Li settled into her new home and then went to the research institute to report, where she encountered an old acquaintance.
The person greeting her was an old classmate.
She still wore round-framed glasses and was just as reserved and soft-spoken as she had been in university. However, her appearance had become much more feminine. Her snow-white curly hair reached her waist, she had straight bangs, and her chest was exceptionally full. Her smile was still soft and weak, and she spoke in a gentle voice without a hint of aggression. “Fan Li, it’s been many years.”
Fan Li opened her mouth, wanting to call her name, but in her memory, this face only held the label "Kunti’s younger sister." Awkward. The woman seemed accustomed to being treated this way and simply adjusted the name tag on her collar—Sephi Shami.
Fan Li knew that after Su Shiye’s "Whale Fall," Sephi Kunti had been very brave. At her father’s command, she had taken the illegitimate child of Allen and the Kunti housekeeper’s daughter and followed him into the Meteorite Trench. She hadn't expected the younger sister to come along as well.
“It really has been over four hundred years,” Fan Li smiled. “I didn't expect you to be working here. Does this mean we’ll be colleagues for a while?”
“Mhm, yes.” Shami swam toward the inner room. “Come, let me introduce you to the equipment in the lab.”
Outside the lab, a television was on, broadcasting current affairs:
“...The Light Sea Federation ignores the basic tenets of the ocean, forcibly occupying the Twilight Zone and promoting the logic of might and hegemonic behavior. It has become the destroyer of tens of millions of years of peace in the ocean, flouting the existence of the Dark Sea tribes and blatantly engaging in racial discrimination. The entire Dark Sea society sees this very clearly. As an extraterritorial government, the St. Yejana government, out of its own selfish interests and fearing that the Well of Storms is not chaotic enough, is stirring up trouble in the Twilight Zone, doing everything possible to cause chaos for the Shadow Tribes and seriously interfering with the stability of the sea...”
Fan Li nearly fainted.
Indeed, one should not listen to foreign media reports about their homeland while abroad, or they might die of sheer frustration.
Shami also heard the news and switched the channel to the Abyssal Potion Channel:
“We have just received notice from the Imperial Government that the Abyssal Empire will undergo a major reform of potion bureaus nationwide: all potions with non-standard instructions will be classified as counterfeit, and pharmaceutical factories will be required to revise them all. This plan will be officially implemented in Bamanboya this December...”
Fan Li’s ears perked up—was this too much of a coincidence? She had only recently submitted a proposal for this very policy to the Light Sea through the Arcane Academy, and it had just hit the news. The Abyss was doing the exact same thing?
Just then, a young man’s voice rang out: “Aunt Shami, have you received the High Priestess?”
As the words fell, the boy swam out of the lab. His eyes met Fan Li’s, and he exclaimed, “It really is High Priestess Sui herself. Hello.”
The boy before her made Fan Li feel the power of genetics once again. She almost blurted out the name “Allen.”
“Fan Li, this is Qiong, Allen’s son.” Shami gestured toward Auda Qiong.
“Hello.” Fan Li smiled.
Though Qiong had the same spirited brow and a face handsome enough to cause a stir as Allen, he bowed politely to Fan Li. He was incredibly well-mannered, completely unlike his father.
Auda Qiong was one of the lucky few. Many Light Sea tribes had died from failed mutations or inability to adapt to the environment upon entering the Abyss, but he had been just an infant back then and had stubbornly survived, growing up healthy.
Regrettably, his Aunt Kunti disliked him intensely.
Kunti had adopted him and brought him along when she married a Flame Demon. The marriage was unhappy; the husband’s reason was his wife’s terrible temper, but Kunti always blamed Qiong. She subjected him to a daily barrage of three specific insults:
“It’s because of you that I had a bad marriage.”
“It’s because of you that my husband and I always fight.”
“If it weren't for a drag like you, I could have had a better life.”
Consequently, Qiong had been cautious, well-behaved, and polite since childhood, though it didn't make Kunti scold him any less. Every time he was berated by Kunti, he would go to Shami to cry, saying he wanted to live with her. Shami doted on him and would make the request to Kunti, only for Kunti to launch into a tirade against her own sister: “I knew you were siding with that slut Sephi Qing! She was shameless and stole your brother-in-law, and now you’re doting on her son! You heartless thing!”
At the same time, Kunti refused to let anyone else raise him. She paid for Qiong’s expensive tuition and gave him the best material life while utterly loathing him. Unexpectedly, this resulted in a boy who was excellent in both character and academics and very popular with the opposite sex.
But Kunti’s demonic attacks were suffocating. As soon as Qiong became an adult, he fled from his terrifying aunt, moving out on his own and working to send her living expenses, but he refused to spend time with her.
Aside from hanging out with friends, he spent most of his time with Shami.
Fan Li left early because she received a phone call.
The communication device had been given to her by the government, pre-loaded with many work-related names and numbers, but the incoming call was from an unfamiliar number flickering with Abyssal light.
“Hello.”
“Hey.”
The “Hey” was in the Abyssal language, much firmer and crisper than the Light Sea style. But what made her heart race even more was the owner of that voice.
“...Your Majesty Su Shiye?”
“Come to the Endless Palace to sign the agreement.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll come right now.”
“Efficiency. Good.”
It was madness. She had only seen him and spoken to him the day before, yet just hearing his voice now made her tremble with nerves. Efficiency was a lie; she simply wanted to see him. But she didn't want to hang up yet, so she quickly cleared her throat. “By the way, I just saw a news report...” She told Su Shiye about the potion bureau reform.
“What about it?”
“Is this what they call ‘great minds think alike’? I only just proposed the same reform.”
“It’s not,” Su Shiye said without a hint of shame. “I simply copied your idea.”
“Huh? Who could be so shameless!”
“Me.”
“...” She was truly speechless. To admit it so openly—was that also a form of shamelessness?
“Hurry over. I’ll have someone meet you outside the hall.” Su Shiye paused. “I have things to do later. Be quick.”
“Alright.”
After hanging up, Fan Li sped up her swimming toward the Endless Palace. Along the way, she saw many passersby, but every time she saw women of the Predator or Flame Demon clans, it was quite an eyesore. They could freely go topless, and those two mounds were always swaying in front of her, drawing the eyes of men up and down. The Flame Demons, in particular, always had exquisite figures and remained in land-form; their bodies were like burning flames, leaving trails of Abyssal light as they swam. Consequently, even their breasts left similar shadows in the water.
The Abyssal tribes were truly uninhibited.
But compared to the person she saw at the gates of the Endless Palace, those women’s chests were far from "shocking."
From a distance, she saw a tall young man swimming toward her, waving his hand. “Sui, over here!”
Hardly believing her own eyes, Fan Li rubbed them until they hurt. The person speaking to her was... was Qiu Sha!
But something was wrong.
The young man before her had flame-like Abyssal energy flowing from him, and his red hair drifted in the seawater. He looked just like the Qiu Sha from land, but he wasn't of the Flame Clan. This man was a Flame Demon.
“Who are you...” Fan Li looked him up and down.
“You don't even recognize me? I’m your ex-husband.” The young man scratched his head and laughed heartily, revealing a row of snow-white teeth. “Even if we weren't a couple in fact, we were a couple in name. You’re too cold-hearted!”
“...Qiu Sha? Is it really you...” Fan Li clasped her hands over her chest and pinched herself hard several times. “Is this real? Am I dreaming?”
“You bad girl, you stole the ‘Eye of Flame’ without my permission. I haven't settled that score with you yet. If His Majesty Su Shiye hadn't saved us, our clan would have truly been wiped out.”
The Flame Clan and the Flame Demon Clan were originally kindred races created by the Lord of Flame, an elemental being. The Flame Clan were natural creatures born in volcanoes, while the Flame Demons were born from crimson Abyssal energy. After the remains of the Flame Clan sank into the sea, as long as they came into contact with a massive amount of Abyssal energy and the restorative power of an ancient god, they could be resurrected like etheric bodies, becoming Flame Demons capable of living in the deep sea.
After Su Shiye sank into the sea, he ordered all the remains from Hot Sand Island to be moved to the source of the Abyssal energy and used the power of the Lord of Ether to transform them all into their current forms.
Afterward, Qiu Sha and the clansmen from Hot Sand Island formed an army, swearing fealty to the Abyssal Empire and becoming Su Shiye’s capable assistants in expanding his territory. Now, Qiu Sha was the Grand Marshal of the Empire’s First Legion.
After hearing Qiu Sha’s explanation, Fan Li didn't say a word. She transformed into her land-form and knelt before him, kowtowing. “I’m sorry, Qiu Sha, I am so sorry! It was all my fault; I was the one who harmed you all!”
“Hey, don't do that. I didn't mean for you to apologize.”
Qiu Sha hurried to help her up, but she refused to rise, continuing to kowtow with force. “I have owed you this apology for centuries, and now I finally have the chance to say it! You all welcomed me with such warmth, yet for my own interests, I caused the destruction of your clan. That is a fact that doesn't change just because you’ve been resurrected. Please give me a chance to make it up to you!”
Qiu Sha forcibly pulled her up anyway, then hugged her and patted her back. “There’s no need for amends. I know the whole story now. You did it to save His Majesty, didn't you? If it were for anyone else, I would definitely be angry, but since that man is Su Shiye, I’m not angry at all. Truly.”
Fan Li could not be convinced. She hugged Qiu Sha tightly, crying in his arms like a three-year-old child.
“It seems an ex-wife isn't necessarily just an ex-wife...” Qiu Sha suddenly showed a hint of a tough man’s tenderness. “How about you marry me for real? I’m still single. If you’ve divorced Joe Garth Moore, I don't mind marrying you again.”
Fan Li was considering whether to mention that she had already divorced when she heard a voice from behind them. “Qiu Sha?”
The two turned to look. Su Shiye was standing on the steps, arms crossed, watching them coldly.
“Oh, ahem.” Qiu Sha rubbed his neck, keeping his arm around Fan Li’s waist as he guided her toward the steps. “Let’s go inside first.”
Su Shiye’s gaze swept over Qiu Sha’s hand, then he raised an eyebrow at him. Qiu Sha cleared his throat again and withdrew his hand. “Business first, business first.”
***
