The weather was pleasant, with a bright and sunny sky.
The vast, deep blue ocean lay calm and tranquil, with occasional ships passing by leisurely.
A carriage approached and stopped on the sandy shore. Wang Zhong leaped from the carriage, opened the rear door, and with one hand lifted the massive water tank, walking towards the sea.
Gazing at the ocean, just a step away, Wang Zhong set down the water tank and asked Ah Die, who was inside, "Is this okay?"
Ah Die poked her head out of the water tank and looked around at the sea. She nodded repeatedly with joy, her heart filled with the anticipation of returning home.
With a leap, she emerged from the water tank and plunged into the sea. Ah Die's face was radiant with the joy of returning home.
"Wang Zhong, thank you."
Her tail fin swished continuously, keeping her afloat on the sea's surface. Ah Die smiled charmingly.
"You're welcome."
"Hurry home."
Wang Zhong waved goodbye with a smile, urging her to go home quickly.
Having been away from home for so long, her family must have been worried sick.
"Mm-hmm."
Ah Die nodded lightly, then dove into the sea with a flick of her body, disappearing beneath the waves.
Wang Zhong thought she was gone for good, but to his surprise, after only two breaths, Ah Die suddenly leaped out of the sea, water splashing all around, and landed in his arms.
Her sea-blue lips lightly touched Wang Zhong's. Her eyes, the same color as the sea, now held a hint of tender emotion.
"My name is Hai Die."
"As long as you are on the sea, no matter where you are, just call this name, and I can come to your side in the shortest possible time."
"Remember, you must call my name!"
"I will come back for you."
With that, before Wang Zhong could respond, Hai Die gave him a deep look, leaped from his embrace once more, and darted back into the sea, disappearing into the distance like a streak of light.
Wang Zhong chuckled to himself, "This little fish."
"Hai Die!"
"I heard that every mermaid is blessed with a name by the Sea God, their most precious treasure."
"The one who receives this name will be blessed by the mermaid."
"Silly fish, did you forget I'm from the Spirit Hall? You just told me your most precious name like this."
Just as Wang Zhong was amused by Hai Die's actions, a large crowd suddenly appeared behind him.
"Everyone, quick!"
"It's him! I saw him with my own eyes, this guy captured the Sea Princess."
"Quick, quick, stop him!"
"Don't let this guy get away..."
Without a word, a throng of people surrounded Wang Zhong, their faces filled with rage.
Sea Princess was a special honorific bestowed upon mermaids by Sea Soul Masters, as legends abounded of mermaids rescuing people who had fallen into the sea due to storms or sea beasts.
This kindness had earned them the respect and affection of all who believed in the Sea God.
Anyone who harmed a Sea Princess, whether a land soul master or a sea soul master, was considered a grave sinner.
Because they lived by the sea and worshipped the Sea God, the soul masters here fought primarily in ways related to the sea, fundamentally differing from those who lived on the mainland.
To distinguish between these two groups, the terms Sea Soul Master and Land Soul Master came into being.
Among the crowd, two burly figures, resembling leaders, stepped forward.
The two were similar in appearance, with deep blue skin and fin-like ears. Golden symbols resembling waves were painted on their faces.
They were brothers, the elder named Hai Bai and the younger named Hai Gui, both powerful Sea Soul Masters in this area.
The two approached Wang Zhong, scrutinizing him, then turned their gaze to the massive water tank beside him. Their expressions immediately darkened.
Who would bring such a large water tank to the seaside normally?
"Who are you, and what are you doing by the sea?" Hai Bai demanded sternly.
"I'm here for travel and sightseeing." Wang Zhong raised an eyebrow slightly, finding the sudden appearance of this group strange. However, considering the murmurs of the villagers and some knowledge about Sea Soul Masters, he quickly understood the situation.
"If you think I'm here to capture a mermaid, then you might be mistaken."
"I have no such intentions."
"Besides, if I wanted to capture one, would I be foolish enough to do it here?"
"Everyone knows the status of mermaids in your hearts when they come to the seaside. Doing something so foolish here is no different from seeking death."
Hai Bai and Hai Gui were taken aback for a moment, and the surrounding crowd fell silent.
Wang Zhong's words had answered every question they wanted to ask.
"Nonsense! I saw it with my own eyes just now, a Sea Princess's head popped out of this water tank!" a villager-like man shouted indignantly.
Wang Zhong could only nod in agreement. Hai Die had indeed been in the water tank earlier.
"You're right, there was a mermaid in this tank before, but she has already returned to the sea."
A flicker of anger crossed the faces of the crowd. The Sea Princess belonged to the sea; why would she be in a large water tank? The intention was obvious.
"You really have ulterior motives!"
"The sea does not welcome you!" Hai Gui, Hai Bai's younger brother, roared angrily, expressing his intense hostility towards Wang Zhong.
"Sigh."
"Are all Sea Soul Masters like this? Stubborn, xenophobic, and brainless."
"I told you, I'm here for sightseeing! I would not, and could not, do what you're thinking. So where would my ulterior motives come from!"
Wang Zhong glanced at Hai Gui, his words making the latter's face turn crimson with anger.
"You..."
"Brother, stop!"
In his fury, Hai Gui was about to lash out. Five spirit rings, yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, rose from his feet, showcasing his power as a Spirit King.
Just as he was about to attack, Hai Bai quickly stopped him.
"My esteemed friend from afar, I apologize for my brother's behavior."
With that, Hai Bai bowed to Wang Zhong, then continued his explanation.
"Because the Sea Princess holds a supremely high position among us Sea Soul Masters, any harm done to her is something we cannot tolerate."
"That's why we became agitated upon hearing the villagers say someone was capturing a Sea Princess."
Seeing Hai Bai's demeanor and tone, which were clearly much better than Hai Gui's, Wang Zhong waved his hand casually and sighed, "I know all this."
"That's why I stated my intentions from the beginning, yet your brother didn't listen to a single word."
"He remained stubborn and judged me with malice."
Hai Bai couldn't argue with Wang Zhong's words. In the beginning, his own mindset had been similar to Hai Gui's.
However, he had caught a piece of information from Wang Zhong's earlier statement.
"My friend, I'd like to ask, you mentioned that there was a Sea Princess in this tank before, but she has returned to the sea. What did you mean by that?" Hai Bai asked with curiosity.
"A friend wanted to go home, and I sent her back."
Wang Zhong's words stunned everyone around.
Sea Princess, friend! Sent her home!
"Impossible!"
"How could you, an outsider, be friends with a Sea Princess?" Hai Gui exclaimed in astonishment.
While Sea Princesses might save people, that was simply their innate kindness. To become friends with one was incredibly difficult.