"A thousand years ago, the merfolk could still come ashore occasionally, and there was still some interaction between the land and the sea.
Then, people who went out to sea would always bring news of the Ten Thousand Ghost King. They said that a fierce demon had appeared among the Ghost Clan, causing havoc everywhere and spreading panic.
We thought he was just a villain back then.
And the Four Cities were in constant battle with the Ghost Clan. As soon as one reached the land, it felt as if one could hear the shouts of the Ghost Clan and the Four Cities fighting each other.
I clearly remember that time when I and a few brothers went ashore and happened to encounter the Four Cities pursuing the Ghost Clan.
I saw that the fleeing group consisted mostly of the old, weak, sick, and disabled. I couldn't bear to see it and intervened to save them.
From their mouths, I heard a different story about the Ten Thousand Ghost King. They said he was their hero, their faith.
Without the Ten Thousand Ghost King, the Ghost Clan might have perished. I was deeply shaken and wanted to meet this hero.
So, I followed these people to Ten Thousand Ghost Mountain. At that time, we encountered righteous individuals attacking the Ghost Clan again.
At this moment, I saw a figure standing at the very front from afar, and behind him was a group of heavily wounded soldiers.
Although the affairs between the Four Cities and the Ghost Clan were none of our business, I couldn't help but join the battle.
His unwavering gaze deeply attracted me, making me set aside my prejudice and fight alongside him.
Unfortunately, we were outnumbered. Under the fierce assault of the righteous individuals, we were forced to retreat down the mountain. Later, we heard the news of his death."
Liu Shinian frowned slightly. He had always harbored doubts about the Ten Thousand Ghost King and the pain of not being able to save his master.
Recalling carefully, weren't all these things Tianlong mentioned what the Ten Thousand Ghost King should have done?
Thinking of this, Liu Shinian became disdainful again and said coldly.
"Wasn't this what he was supposed to do? Nothing to be praised for."
Tianlong saw that he seemed to harbor a deep hatred for the former Ten Thousand Ghost King and became curious about his grievances with the Ten Thousand Ghost King. He asked.
"You seem to hate the Ten Thousand Ghost King very much."
Liu Shinian did not commit and stated directly.
"Yes, I not only hate him, but I wish I could kill him. If I could have been born a thousand years earlier, I would have fought him to the death."
Tianlong saw his full of anger and fierce aura and was very confused. He asked again.
"Can you tell me? Perhaps I know some of the reasons."
Although Liu Shinian was full of rage, he still had doubts. After interacting with the Ghost Clan for many days, he had many feelings.
However, the revenge for his master's death was a naked reality, how could he let go of this hatred? He said fiercely.
"He killed my master."
Tianlong was startled. He had never heard of the Ten Thousand Ghost King killing any important figure and couldn't help but analyze carefully:
On that day in the great hall, he said his surname was Liu. And a hundred years ago, it was indeed heard that a person of the Liu clan, Master Liu, died on Ten Thousand Ghost Mountain.
Could it be that he was referring to Master Liu?
After some deduction, he reached a conclusion.
"Could it be that your master is Master Liu?"
When his master's name was mentioned, Liu Shinian was heartbroken. Every time it was mentioned, his heart ached a little more.
"Exactly. My poor master, who spent his life upholding justice, ended up with his body dismembered. Why was fate so unfair to him?"
He tried hard to control his emotions, not to appear agitated.
Tianlong listened, a little confused, and directly told him a shocking truth.
"Who said Master Liu was killed by the Ten Thousand Ghost King? Wasn't Master Liu killed by righteous individuals?"
Liu Shinian came back to his senses and looked at him incredulously. Suddenly, he raised his sword and pointed at him angrily.
"What did you say!"
Seeing him becoming more agitated, Tianlong calmly told him what he had seen and heard.
"I heard that Master Liu was forced to join the team to suppress the Ghost Clan back then. They chased and killed the former subordinates of the Ten Thousand Ghost King and some of the old, weak, sick, and disabled every day.
As a master of his generation, how could Master Liu do such a wicked deed? He left in anger.
Later, someone spread rumors that he was going to defect to the Ghost Clan, so he was deceived by righteous individuals to Ten Thousand Ghost Mountain and surrounded and killed."
Liu Shinian felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck him, shocking him into speechlessness.
But he thought carefully, the merfolk rarely came ashore, how could he know this? He immediately became angry and roared.
"You want to trick me!"
With that, he lunged with his sword. Tianlong drew his sword to block, spun, and landed to the side. Liu Shinian was relentless and pressed his attack.
Tianlong blocked and said.
"I know you don't believe me, but I have proof."
Liu Shinian became even more enraged and roared at him.
"Do you think you can exonerate him with your past friendship with the Ten Thousand Ghost King? It's not that simple. I will never rest until he is dead."
Tianlong blocked a sword strike, leaped onto a nearby rock, and explained to him.
"At that time, the Ten Thousand Ghost King had already died at the foot of Ten Thousand Ghost Mountain, and his divine consciousness was suppressed by the Sky Pillar. How could he have come out to kill people? You must have been deceived by those people."
Liu Shinian still couldn't believe it. Centuries of hatred had all turned out to be in vain.
The chivalry he had trusted had deceived him, and the evil he had hated had saved him.
His mind became more and more chaotic, so much so that he couldn't distinguish who was righteous and who was evil.
He covered his head with one hand, unable to stand steadily, and leaned against a large tree. His Willow Sword also fell to the ground.
Tianlong knew that he couldn't accept such a cruel truth for a while, so he quickly stepped forward to comfort him.
"This is a huge blow to you. Don't think about it too much for now. I'll take you back."
Liu Shinian shook his head slightly, trying to stay conscious.
"It's okay, let me be alone for a while, let me be alone."
He staggered forward, his mind replaying the past, the words people had said to him.
"Your master was killed by the Ten Thousand Ghost King."
"Don't go up, you won't find him, hurry back."
"You must avenge your master in the future."
The cold, damp sea breeze blew, hitting his face again and again.
His gaze was vacant, yet he clearly remembered how miserably that little boy had cried at the foot of Ten Thousand Ghost Mountain, and how much hatred he had.
He had doubted, struggled. If he hadn't seen the Ten Thousand Ghost King possessing his master, he wouldn't have really believed that the Ten Thousand Ghost King had killed his master.
It was just that no one expected that the person he had trusted the most was the one who had deceived him the deepest.
He walked step by step towards the seaside, looking at the boundless sea, and shouted helplessly.
"Why did you lie to me!"
Then he plunged headfirst into the sea, wanting to confuse himself.
At this moment, a pair of large hands suddenly pulled him out of the water and dragged him ashore.
He looked up and saw that it was Tianlong. Tianlong sighed slightly and enlightened him.
"I know it's hard for you to accept right now, but knowing the truth is much better than being deceived all along."
Liu Shinian's heart was like a knife twisting. He knew that what he had heard was not the whole truth, but this truth was too cruel for him.
He covered his face in pain, not wanting anyone to see him.
At some point, the commotion also reached the ears of the patrolling merfolk brothers. They rushed over with torches, shouting and asking.
"What's wrong? What's wrong?"
Tianlong waved his hand and said.
"It's nothing, you can go back."
The crowd looked confused but turned and left as he said.
Yue Yao also heard the commotion here. Worried that Tianlong would bully Liu Shinian, she also rushed over in a hurry.
She ran to the seaside and saw the crowd returning. Without time to ask more, she quickly ran over.
Passing through the crowd, she suddenly saw Liu Shinian lying on the ground and was immediately shocked and worried.
She quickly ran over, disregarding the etiquette between men and women, and hugged him tightly, asking anxiously.
"Brother Liu, what's wrong? Are you injured?"
Liu Shinian refused to speak, covering his face tightly.
She forcefully moved his hand away and saw that his face was full of water droplets, but she didn't know if it was seawater or his tears.
Liu Shinian tilted his head, closed his eyes with a muffled sound, and remained silent.
Yue Yao knew that Tianlong must have bullied him, causing him so much pain.
She immediately became angry and turned to Tianlong, shouting angrily.
"Great Protector, do you have any humanity? Brother Liu traveled a long way, he is a guest.
You are so inconsiderate and bully him. I will go to my father and report you, and make you reflect properly."
Tianlong swallowed his saliva silently, explaining with great embarrassment.
"Princess, you can't blame me. I was just telling him the truth."
"Telling him the truth? You have the nerve to bully someone and still be justified."
Tianlong was speechless for a moment and made no further defense, pouting and acting like a helpless scapegoat.
After scolding Tianlong, Yue Yao looked at Liu Shinian with concern. Seeing his face full of sadness and his heart as if dead, she didn't know what to do. She could only hold him tightly and comfort him again and again.
"Brother Liu, don't be afraid, it's okay, it's okay, I'm here, it's alright."
Under her gentle and soft comfort, Liu Shinian slowly regained consciousness. He slightly opened his eyes and looked at the person holding him tightly.
The pain in his heart seemed to be brushed by a layer of warmth by the spring breeze, gentle and moving. He said softly.
"I'm fine, let's go back."
Hearing his voice, Yue Yao finally felt relieved and followed his lead.
"Okay, let's go back."
Tianlong, standing aside, seemed to be a witness to this unspoken intimacy, standing awkwardly aside, ignored by everyone.
He squinted his eyes slightly, feeling a bit envious of Liu Shinian.
"This kid, is he that charming? He's only been here a few days and has already made the princess dizzy with infatuation. I really don't know what's so good about him."
After muttering to himself, he silently followed them.
Yue Yao had only walked a few steps supporting Liu Shinian when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. He covered his chest slightly, spat out a mouthful of thick blood, and then fainted on the ground.
In his ears, he vaguely heard chaotic shouts.
"Brother Liu!"
"Liu Shinian!"
The next morning, a ray of sunlight shone.
He slightly opened his eyes and saw that it was already bright outside. He turned his head and saw Yue Yao asleep by his bedside.
He didn't make a sound, just involuntarily turned his head, but still woke Yue Yao. Yue Yao suddenly opened her eyes and saw that he was awake.
Her tired face was full of worry.
"Brother Liu, you're awake. Are you feeling better?"
Liu Shinian turned his head back and felt a little embarrassed to see that he had woken her up.
"Yue Yao, you've been, you've been guarding me here all this time?"
Yue Yao nodded gently.
"How long have I slept?"
"Not long, only a day and a night."
He vaguely recalled that he had vomited blood that night and fainted on the sandy ground.
He figured that his body, which had been injured in the dungeon, had not fully recovered.
Now, hearing that suffocating truth, he had become so agitated that he vomited blood.
However, he dared not think too much about it. Such a cruel truth, how could he accept it in a short while?
He let out a slight sigh and stopped thinking wildly.
At this moment, the maid Shui Xiao entered from outside with a bowl of medicine, saying.
"Princess, Young Master Liu, this is the blood-replenishing medicine stewed by the Great Protector.
Young Master Liu vomited blood and is currently very weak. He needs to be properly nourished."
"Let me do it."
Yue Yao actively got up and took it over.
Shui Xiao retreated very tactfully and came to the door. She vaguely heard some noises in her ears.
She turned her head and saw several people crouching by the wall.
"What are you doing?"
She frowned and asked in a low voice.
They turned their heads and saw Shui Xiao, beckoning her over.
She couldn't resist her curiosity and tiptoed over, joining them in eavesdropping.
Yue Yao, holding the medicine, sat back by the bed, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and then fed it to Liu Shinian.
Liu Shinian had never been treated like this before. He felt a little shy and said awkwardly.
"I'll do it myself."
Yue Yao disagreed.
"Brother Liu, you are weak now. The only thing I can do is feed you medicine.
When you are better, you can do these things yourself."
Liu Shinian couldn't find any words to refute and had to learn to accept it.
He opened his mouth and gently drank the medicine.
Yue Yao's face also flushed slightly, not knowing if it was because the herbal medicine was too hot, or if she was blushing at the sight of the delicate man.
The sky above the open window was filled with eyes, and everyone watched clearly.
Although the two didn't say a word, their suggestive expressions said it all.
They sighed slightly, showing envy, and then, regardless of whether they were discovered or not, they all rested their faces on the window sill and watched intently.
At night, a gentle breeze stirred, and Tianlong couldn't hold back any longer. He leisurely went to see him.
As soon as he entered the room, he saw the two of them talking and laughing. He coughed slightly, breaking the sweetness.
Yue Yao turned her head and saw him. She again had a displeased expression and complained.
"You want to bully him again."
Tianlong looked helpless and secretly cast a pleading look at Liu Shinian. Liu Shinian secretly smiled and decided to explain for him.
"Yue Yao, you misunderstood the Great Protector."
"Misunderstood? He's so fond of bullying people, how could I misunderstand."
Liu Shinian couldn't help but chuckle, but he patiently explained.
"The Great Protector just told me some things I didn't know, and I was too upset to think straight, which is why I was angry."
"Really?"
She seemed a little suspicious.
Tianlong sighed helplessly and said.
"Princess, you only protect him, and I'm taking the blame for nothing."
Yue Yao pouted dismissively.
"Then you shouldn't say it."
Tianlong sighed helplessly and could only change the subject.
"Young Master Liu, how are you?"
"I'm fine now. I probably had some internal injuries before, but thank you. The medicine you sent that night was quite effective."
"As long as it's effective, don't let the princess blame me again."
Hearing his grievance, Yue Yao couldn't help but laugh.