CHAPTER 72: MEMORIES UNDER THE SEA

Clark’s eyes gradually opened. The cloud buildings towered above the cave, revealing the star-covered sky.

Since he had fallen here, he had never seen the sun.

He didn’t care, but the beautiful view of the stars brought back a strange memory buried deep in his heart!

He remembered a saying - perhaps someone had understood him, had understood his heart:

"True love and feelings should be understood between both parties, not just kissing and saying ’I love you.’"

Perhaps that’s why Clark would never love again.

Hai Lou Lan was sitting beside Clark.

She watched the gleam in his eyes. She didn’t ask why he had fainted.

For her, it was just a few minutes; everyone had moved past it now.

But something was stirring in Clark’s mind.

When he was Xian Tian, he had taken an extreme action by stealing a musical performance and was hunted by the entire world because of it.

At that time, he collapsed near a strange seashell by the southern sea full of islands.

At that time, Xian Tian believed in his death and that it was his end.

But he woke up in a bed inside a room.

A beautiful woman was beside him.

Xian Tian wasn’t deceived by her appearance. She was radiant and full of vitality.

That woman spoke:

•"Welcome to my home. You can rest; I won’t ask you anything."

Xian Tian was shocked! Normally, when an injured person falls at your doorstep, you would say: "What happened to you? Why are you in such a miserable state?"

Xian Tian laughed to himself and went to sleep.

After that, following a long sleep that lasted half a day, he woke up.

He walked around the area, saw breathtaking scenery. He discovered he was deep under the sea!

A strange palace with multiple paths, its structure like routes leading to numerous rooms.

And those paths around him were covered with glass allowing him to see the beautiful sea reflecting the wonders of the ocean, fish, and mermaids.

It was his first time seeing a mermaid in his life, and they were incredibly beautiful, with an appearance of kindness and grace.

They played with fish, even sharks that were supposed to be the fiercest of all.

Life was full of beauty, but Xian Tian’s heart had grown tired and he felt boredom and meaninglessness.

A bad world where there’s no punishment for the wicked or the good, for power rules.

That is the reality of life: if you are strong, you can enforce your laws as you please.

After a long walk and viewing the breathtaking scenery, Clark reached the guest hall of the lady who had taken him in.

She was half-mermaid, half-human.

She was full of wisdom despite her young age—not even thirty—while Xian Tian at that stage was 250 years old, though it didn’t show, as he still maintained his good appearance.

• "Welcome, you may sit. I will bring you a drink."

She was a humble lady who served her guests herself, not acknowledging anything called servants; everyone was equal in her eyes.

Clark sat and tied his black hair, sitting politely.

She offered him wonderful wine unlike any he had tasted before. Its excellence was such that a single sip could make you fall under the influence of alcohol, yet without the acidity everyone was accustomed to in alcohol.

When Clark sat, he felt he was being impolite:

•"I apologize if I am burdensome and my presence is out of place. I will leave in an hour."

The woman laughed:

•"No problem, I was looking for someone to keep me company. Actually, my name is Hai Lou."

•"All my life I’ve lived here between this beautiful and calm sea, but despite this tranquility, I felt bored."

•"Perhaps your fall here was a blessing!"

Xian Tian was surprised and felt curious:

•"Forgive me, my lady, but why am I a blessing? I am just a troublemaker, and I don’t know my purpose!"

Xian Tian’s expression was gloomy.

But Hai Lou smiled at him warmly:

•"No, no, it’s not like that. We waste time trying to study life while we leave living behind. Why don’t we live without any troubles?"

They were words Xian Tian had never heard in his life, making him feel familiarity towards Hai Lou.

Hai Lou continued:

•"As for why I said your presence at my home is a blessing, before you appeared, I was planning to go out and explore life."

Xian Tian was shocked:

•"But don’t you know that this world is full of enslavement? Aren’t you afraid something might happen to you?!"

•"What gives life its charm and enjoyment are the challenges. I lived my whole life alone without any companions."

•"My human father found my mother by chance when he was invading the mermaid sea."

•"At that moment, he was injured by many mermaids, but my mother took him in and healed him."

•"It was always said that the kindest creatures are mermaids, but I believe everyone has a good side, whether human or demon."

For the second time, her words plunged Xian Tian into moments of contemplation.

Days passed; Xian Tian lived beautiful and happy days with Hai Lou.

He would tell her about himself, his life, and his adventures outside, and how he had been robbed and that he had meager talent.

It was only weeks, yet Xian Tian felt as if he had known her for years.

And he didn’t hide in his heart that he loved her.

Xian Tian was skilled at playing the guzheng.

Hai Lou was skilled in the Transformation Path, so she transformed her feet into mermaid fins.

Meanwhile, Clark sat inside an open seashell and began to play. It was a bright and beautiful underwater cave.

Clark’s song was deeply sorrowful.

It was a harmonious duet in playing and dancing.

When they finished playing, Xian Tian was asleep on Hai Lou’s fins.

•"Xian Tian, you are not bad. None of us are bad."

•"We always think about evil and good, and accuse each other of being bad."

•"But a good person like you, why would he be accused of evil or fought?"

•"Life was created for all races: humans, mermaids, creatures, the good, the evil."

•"We only think about hostility towards each other."

•"But what affected me the most when I saw you was your cold face and empty eyes that held great sadness inside."

Xian Tian was suppressing his tears.

He had only known her for a short while, yet she had understood him and delved into his suppressed feelings.

At that, Clark awoke from his dreams.

•"Hahaha! Truly interesting!"

Clark stood and said:

•"Even in your best moments, peace and beauty, life still slaps you from the right cheek to the left."

•"Truly, love is just a fleeting experience in your life, and not important."

•"I don’t know the rest of that dream or the hidden feelings in it, but that was a beautiful experience."

Hai Lou Lan was following Clark, then she spoke after contemplating his words—perhaps he was addressing her or himself:

•"What happened to you? Why did you fall suddenly?"

Clark replied coldly:

•"And what business is it of yours? I recall it wasn’t mentioned in our agreement that you interfere in my affairs."

Hai Lou Lan didn’t get angry, instead:

•"Well, I know it’s clear that I’m not from the Demonic Path, but I only used it as a shield, nothing more."

He listened without any interest, but she continued:

•"But the feeling of insecurity and exhaustion... I even slept afraid. Maybe someone from the sect would kill me."

•"A worthless woman who lost her strong husband."

•"These opinions came often; they didn’t affect me, they just scared me."

•"Life... the whole world revolves around power."

•"If you are weak, you will fall from people’s sight."

Clark replied:

•"It’s funny that among everyone, you are the one saying this."

•"But I don’t take anything as a shield for me."

•"For everything we go through develops us."

•"If you still take everything as a shield for you, then you are worthless and your life is meaningless."

Hai Lou Lan’s eyes fell into darkness.

She felt she had been weak all along.

But they had finally arrived, and shockingly, their gazes fell upon the dead around them. Except for Su Tai, who was severely injured.

Clark looked while laughing in his mind:

•"Good, good! I’m happy that circumstances have served me well."

•"And I won’t refuse to exploit them, of course! Hahahahahaha!"

The true inheritance of Hai Chenqing was before him!!!!

Clark approached, pretending to be foolish, Su Tai who was standing in front of the last building’s door, his body severely injured.

Clark asked him:

•"Lord Su Tai, what happened to you?"

•"It’s the Winds of Assimilation. They didn’t accept me."

Clark’s face turned serious:

•"What do you mean?"

Su Tai was severely injured, but nevertheless, due to his strong body, he could speak:

•"It’s said there are destroyed worlds, and there are those who transmigrate from worlds."

•"And Hai Chenqing is one of them, trying to leave this world and return to his world, and place a true inheritance and protection for his legacy."

•"They were the Winds of Assimilation that would tear apart anyone not from another world but Bo Lan is still inside!!!"

To be continued.....