The sea beasts' expressions shifted slightly, unease flickering through their eyes.
Three months later.
A war with the Ink Sea Dragon Palace? Just with them?
And that mysterious woman? Wasn't that the same as marching straight to death?
Besides, could she really guarantee safety for three whole months?
How was she supposed to do that?
The last person who killed a direct descendant of the Ink Sea Dragon Palace had been wiped out within an hour. And now this woman…
She'd killed Mo Yu. By now, the Ink Sea Dragon Palace had definitely received the news. It wouldn't be long before their forces arrived.
That barrier might look sturdy, but could it really withstand the combined might of so many Dragon Palace experts?
Impossible.
Staying here was no different from waiting to die.
Yun Jin looked over the gathering of sea beasts one by one, her voice calm as water. "From this moment, the countdown begins. You have two hours. Within these two hours, anyone who wants to leave can come to me. I'll hide your aura and send you out safely.
Don't feel ashamed if you choose to leave, and don't worry that I'll do anything underhanded. I, Yun Jin, have always acted openly and fairly. I'll never resort to tricks behind anyone's back.
But once you leave, you won't be able to return. Whether you live or die outside, it'll have nothing to do with me. From that moment, our karma ends."
Her tone was steady, almost indifferent. If anyone wanted to go, she'd never stop them. Even if their departure would slow down her mission progress in the system. Still, the rewards didn't matter much to her. Even if she couldn't complete the mission, she didn't want companions whose resolve wavered at the first sign of danger. After speaking, Yun Jin sat cross-legged and closed her eyes to rest.
Hei Chi, the shark, stepped behind her without hesitation. He'd survived this long for one reason only—decisiveness. Once he made a choice, there was no turning back.
A murmur rippled through the sea beasts. They gathered together, whispering in low voices.
"My sister and I will follow Senior Yun Jin," the older mermaid said firmly. "Even if we die three months from now, at least we'll have three months of freedom."
"Yeah. If not for Senior Yun Jin, our clan would've stayed enslaved for generations, never living for ourselves, from birth till death," her younger sister added, equally resolute.
Within the Sea of Domestication, the Charm Mermaids still had nearly a hundred tribesmen.
Most were young, both men and women, with only a few elders remaining.
"Carrie , Karma, are you sure this Senior Yun can be trusted?" one of the mermaids asked hesitantly.
Carrie and Karma—that was the name of the sisters.
They nodded without hesitation. "Her strength's unfathomable. Even Mo Yu couldn't survive a single strike. But it's not just power. I can feel it—she has compassion for those who've been enslaved."
"Or maybe she's only helping us so we'll fight against the Ink Sea Dragon Palace for her?" another mermaid asked.
Carrie rolled her eyes. "If we were that strong, would we have been enslaved for all these years?"
The others fell silent, shame in their faces.
Karma turned toward a mermaid beside her. "Sister Masha, remember how they forced you to sing every day because of your beautiful voice? In the end, your throat gave out, and when they got angry, they slit your vocal cords and forbade you from healing with spiritual power."
Pain crossed Masha's face.
Singing had once been her joy.
Now, she couldn't sing even if she wanted to. And she didn't want to anymore.
"Brother Hard, last month you were taken to serve one of the Ink Sea Dragons. When they sent you back, your body was covered in wounds you still haven't healed. Are you really content with that?"
Hard's jaw tightened, his eyes burning with fury.
"Grandma Fran, when you were young, your beauty was unmatched. Then one day, you came back with your face disfigured by poison. Even with spiritual power, you couldn't restore it. Are you content with that?"
"And you..."
Name after name was called, pain flickering in every pair of eyes.
Their clan had been enslaved for thousands of years, drowning in blood and tears.
"Sure, maybe if we hide our auras and run, we'll live. But that means our anger, our grief, our tears, will never reach those who hurt us!
I'll stay and fight! If I can kill even one member of the Ink Sea Dragon Palace, I won't have died in vain. Kill two, and I'll count it as profit! I'd rather die than let those arrogant dragons think we'll stay silent forever!" Carrie 's voice rang like thunder.
Silence fell for a heartbeat.
Then the white-haired Fran spoke softly, "My life's almost over anyway. If I can take a few of them with me before I die, I'll call it a worthy death."
"I'll stay too!" another mermaid growled. "Fuck it! Even if it kills me, I'll drag one of those bastards down with me for Senior Yun Jin!"
The Charm Mermaids' spirits blazed like fire.
A few, though, hesitated.
"Those who wish to leave, go now. Senior Yun said she won't hold it against anyone, and I believe her," Carrie said quietly.
"I'm sorry..."
A few mermaids murmured apologies, then hurried away toward Yun Jin without looking back. After suffering for so many years, all they wanted was to live. No one could say they were wrong.
Yun Jin didn't think they were either. She used the Yin Yang Law to cloak their bloodline aura and personally opened the barrier to send them away.
When they realized their auras were completely concealed, joy burst across their faces, and they left without looking back.
Yun Jin turned to the rest of the beasts. "See that? If you want to leave, you can go now."
After a short silence, a few more sea beasts stepped forward. She sent them away, calm and wordless. Some left. Others only grew more resolute.
"Go if you want," a tiger-striped fish said through clenched teeth. "Senior Yun saved my life. The Ink Sea Dragon Palace slaughtered my kin. Even without her, I'd fight them to the death!"
"Leave? Hell no! We're staying too!"
"Even if we can't win, we'll make them see our rage!"
"Better to die on the battlefield than under a chef's knife!"
Among the Spirit Pearl Clams, none moved. Not a single one.