Liang Feng was slammed by a wall of cold.
Everything turned into a mess of bubbles as he sank down, his arms and legs going crazy. The saltwater burned his eyes. But his legs—wow, his legs!—they were kicking, strong, and for sure working! He wasn't messed up anymore. A crazy laugh came out as he fought the water.
"Am I back... or still dreaming?" he asked himself, but the waves stole his voice.
He finally made it to the top, and the sky was super blue. It looked strange, but also like home. He took huge breaths and looked around, checking out the never-ending water. No mountains from Di Yu. No streets from Chengdu. Just the ocean.
"This… is this Earth?" he whispered, still unsure.
The water moved a bit. Then some shapes came out—thin stuff moving through the waves like they were silk. At first, he figured they were fish, but then they got closer. Their faces were smooth and pretty, with seaweed-like hair all around them. They watched him with eyes that you couldn't read.
These were women.
But they weren't normal. Their bottom halves glowed with shiny scales. Their tails looked so strong they could cut through the sea.
Mermaids.
Liang blinked a few times. Spirits? Tricks? His heart was going wild and crazy. He had to find out where he was. His voice was shaky when he called out, "Hey, um, where am I? What is this place?"
The women didn't say anything back.
Instead, they smiled. Their smiles were too spot on like they were hiding something.
Before he could even think, the water all around him went crazy. Long strands—were they seaweed? No, alive rope—wrapped around his wrists and feet. He kicked around, but they were too quick. The rope twisted tighter until he couldn't breathe.
"No—hold on—"
He was underwater before he finished.
Down, down where it was dark. He started to freak out. But even though he was scared, part of him was like, wow—his legs were working, strong and free. He felt great. The pain was gone.
He was fixed, even here.
They finally stopped in a cave where the rocks gave off light. The colors were wild, making the mermaids look pretty but also mysterious.
One swam up. Her scales were like moonlight. Her voice sounded like bells ringing underwater. "We haven't seen a guy in forever. You're… really lucky."
The others giggled. It made Liang's skin crawl. He fought the ropes, which only got tighter. The mermaids' tails brushed against him as they moved around him like he was food.
"I—I'm not going to hurt you," Liang choked out. "I just want to know… where is this place?"
Another one, with black hair and red lips, got closer. "You must be cute since you caught our eye quickly. What do you think? Are we… pretty to you?"
She touched his face with her fingers, which had webs between them. Liang moved back. His face went hot—not just from being scared, but from weird feelings. He was mad that even though he was trapped, he still was feeling something at their touch.
"Talk to us," the one with moonlight scales said. Her voice was soft but hard. "Do you want us?"
Liang's throat was dry. He couldn't think straight. He wanted to get away, but their beauty was all around him like he was chained.
"Why… why do you care what I think?" he asked. "Why… me?"
The mermaids smiled wider, showing off scary teeth.
"It's been so long since we've had anyone around, the one with dark hair whispered. And you… you came into our water. So you belong to us.
Liang's heart was beating super fast. Tell me where I am, he begged. Just tell me that much—"
The mermaid tilted her head. "You are in Hai Zhen—the Hidden Abyss. Even the gods don't remember this place.
Liang froze. Hai Zhen? The name sounded familiar. He had read about a lot of places when he was in Di Yu, but never this one.
"Are there… are there people who train here?" he asked, trying to find something he knew. "Do you have magic or fighters? The Ten Kingdoms?"
The mermaids looked at each other, then back at him.
"People who train? Magic? We don't know those words, the dark-haired one said. She was acting colder now, looking at him like he was a problem.
Liang's pulse went up. "You… you don't know? Is this a new place? Or is it hidden?"
The moonlit mermaid moved her tail, making the water ripple. "You ask too much, landwalker." She stared at him. "Maybe we should ask the questions."
Liang gulped. "Hey, I—"
Before he could finish, the ropes tightened, and he gasped. More strands wrapped around his chest and waist.
The dark-haired mermaid got closer, her eyes hungry. "Tell us your story, guy. Tell us about the people you liked… your heartbreaks. Tell us everything."
The other mermaids said yes to that, moving around him like they were going to eat him. Their tails touched his skin, and their eyes looked right into him.
Liang felt dizzy. He took short breaths. "Why… Why do you want my story?"
Our songs need feeling, the moonlit one whispered. Pain. We're hungry… and your story will feed us."
His heart hurt. They weren't just grabbing him—they were using him. Not his body, but his heart, his memories. And he also wanted to talk, to tell someone everything!
His voice cracked. "I… I loved someone once—"
He stopped before he said Mei Lin's name. He had to keep her face and Lan Xue's eyes to himself.
The dark-haired mermaid pushed her nails into his cheek. "Speak. Tell us. Now."
Liang's heart was racing. He knew he would lose something if he gave in. But the ropes got tighter, and their eyes glowed.
"I—" he stammered.