ISWTDB Ch120.1 [Arc 10]

Chapter 120.1: The Intersteller Mermaid (1, 2, 3)

Ying Jiyang howled in disbelief, his face filled with shock. But before he could utter another word, he was utterly crushed by the overwhelming power of the other man. Both his body and soul were completely shattered by the soul force, with no chance of survival.

Ying Zhao stood there, dumbfounded, staring blankly at the young man before him and asked, “You’re a Soul King?”

His mind was racing—when did this brat reach Soul Power Level 10? He had been living with him day in and day out, and he didn’t even notice.

Ying Youjie scratched his head somewhat guiltily. He couldn’t exactly explain that he had deliberately hidden his strength to take advantage of the situation. The young man quickly ran to Ying Zhao’s side, hugged him, and nervously said, “Well, I just accidentally reached Level 10. Uncle, you can’t dislike me!”

Feeling that wasn’t enough, he added, “Even if you do dislike me, it’s too late. You’ve already agreed to be with me, and we’re together now. You can’t go back on your word!”

Ying Zhao vaguely guessed the reason behind the young man’s reaction. Looking at his lover’s cowardly expression, he couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Gently pinching his cheek, he smiled and said, “What are you overthinking? I just didn’t expect my lover to be so amazing. I’m so proud!”

“Really?” The young man was ecstatic upon hearing Ying Zhao’s words. He quickly asked for confirmation a few more times, and after receiving positive answers, he finally relaxed.

However, after the recent incident, the young man claimed he was no longer in the mood to work. He instructed his subordinates to clean up the office and then took Ying Zhao back to the Ying family residence. Under the guise of needing comfort, he indulged in several rounds of very intimate emotional exchanges with his beloved uncle. Afterwards, just when Ying Zhao thought he could finally rest, Ming reappeared, using the excuse that fairness must be maintained, and devoured him a few more times.

In the end, completely exhausted and barely able to move, Ying Zhao inwardly cursed his fate, lamenting that next time he would absolutely not fall for this brat’s tricks!

Oh, the bitterness of having a lover who’s both full of energy and full of tricks!

Yet, after making this vow, he found himself eating his words time and time again, never able to escape the fate of being thoroughly exhausted.

Despite the chaos, the two of them lived a blissful life together. Just as Ying Zhao had originally planned, they spent two or three years fully stabilizing the Ying family. They even selected and groomed a successor from a side branch of the family.

Xu Jin’s death was of no concern to anyone. “Mo Yingying” went mad and was taken back by the Mo family, where she was cared for, at least with no worries about food or clothing.

The real Mo Yingying and Xu Hao lived a happy life after marriage. Xu Hao was favored by the head of the Xu family and was groomed to be the next family head. With the support of the Ying family, his future prospects were limitless.

In this life, Ying Zhao still lived happily ever after with his lover. Although his lover’s body was a magical artifact and technically didn’t have a finite lifespan, Ying Zhao, as a Level 9 Soul Power master, shared a contract with the artifact, granting him a long life as well.

Bound by the contract with his lover, who was his life-bound magical artifact in human form, Ying Zhao accompanied him for nearly a thousand years. However, in the end, his life did have a limit, and for the first time, he passed before his lover.

Knowing that once he was gone, the man would not continue to live, Ying Zhao was filled with sorrow and guilt. He gently stroked the man’s face and softly said, “I’m sorry, I have to leave. In the next life, I will definitely come find you again!”

With tears in his eyes, the man smiled and nodded. He tenderly kissed Ying Zhao’s lips, gently stroking his hair. Only after feeling the person in his arms take their last breath did the man calmly lay down beside Ying Zhao in the prepared coffin. Then, using his soul power, he destroyed his own mind, following the one person he could never part with in this life, leaving the world together.

—

White walls, cold machinery, and the faint smell of disinfectant mixed with the scent of seawater assaulted Ying Zhao’s senses, making him increasingly irritable.

A tall man dressed in a dark green military uniform strode forward, his expression too severe to be described as merely cold.

The person in charge hurried along behind him, puzzled as to why General Ying Xiao, who had always shown no interest in marriage, would suddenly come to the research institute, expressing a desire to adopt a mermaid. However, the mermaid General Ying had taken a liking to seemed to be unwell, in a very bad condition.

In this futuristic interstellar era, after a catastrophic galactic disaster, women had become extinct. Mermaids, as creatures capable of reproducing humans, were extremely valuable. Many people dreamed of having their own mermaid.

But the mermaid General Ying Xiao was interested in was different. Normally, once a mermaid reached the age of sixteen, people would line up to claim them, doing everything possible to win their favor.

However, the mermaid that General Ying Xiao had his eye on was already thirty-two years old and still had no takers. Not only was it because of the mermaid’s rough appearance and build, which lacked the delicate beauty typical of other mermaids, but also because of the black, vein-like birthmark that covered half of the mermaid’s face.

Moreover, this mermaid’s ugly black tail was missing half of its fin, and during examinations, the researchers even discovered that the mermaid had no gestation pouch, meaning he couldn’t bear children.

In this interstellar era, the only way to obtain a mermaid was through earning large amounts of military merit or making significant contributions.

Naturally, most people sought mermaids for the purpose of reproduction, so given the choice, no one would exchange their military merits or contributions for a mermaid that was both unattractive and infertile.

The person in charge wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking how surprising it was that General Ying Xiao, a star idol of the galaxy, had such unusual taste. Glancing cautiously at the general’s stern face, he couldn’t help but feel nervous, sensing that the general cared more about this mermaid than expected. 

However, the caretaker in charge of the mermaids, Ya Heng, had already reported that the mermaid’s condition was very poor. Due to illness, he had been moved to a separate tank for isolated observation.

It was unclear how General Ying Xiao had heard about the mermaid’s situation, prompting him to rush over so urgently.

As they continued walking, Ying Zhao heard the sound of shouting up ahead. He glanced at the person in charge, who also frowned, and Ying Zhao slowed his pace.

Signaling to the person in charge, they quietly approached the room where the mermaid was being monitored in isolation.

From the glass window outside, Ying Zhao could clearly see a man holding a blood-drawing needle, a tube, and a sizable bottle. Beside him was a bucket that seemed to contain a few fish.

The man was shouting insults at the mermaid in the tank: “You ugly thing, if you want to eat, you’d better hand over your blood. Otherwise, get ready to starve for another day!”

Inside the tank, the mermaid let out an angry growl, extending his sharp claws to try to injure the man. But the man dodged. Infuriated, the man grabbed a long pole from the ground, intending to strike the mermaid.

The mermaid was partially blocked by the man, so Ying Zhao couldn’t see his face clearly. But from the mermaid’s outstretched arm, it was clear that he was emaciated.

It was impossible to tell how long the mermaid had been starving, but it was clear that he no longer had much strength. The swipe of his claws seemed to have used up all his energy, and now he couldn’t even avoid the man’s attack.

Seeing this, Ying Zhao’s pupils shrank sharply. No longer content to merely observe, he kicked open the door and punched the man who was about to strike the mermaid, knocking him to the ground.

As a general in the empire, Ying Zhao’s strength was formidable. With just one punch, he sent the man flying, knocking out several of his teeth.

The man, face covered in blood, looked utterly wretched. His expression was one of terror, as if he feared Ying Zhao would continue attacking him.

Ignoring the man’s pathetic state, Ying Zhao turned to the person in charge and said coldly, “If I remember correctly, imperial law clearly states that anyone who intentionally harms a mermaid is punishable by death. I never imagined such a thing would happen in a research institute known for its protection of mermaids. I wonder what the people of the empire will think when they hear about this.”

Hearing Ying Zhao’s words, the person in charge broke out in a cold sweat. Although he had long neglected this particular mermaid due to his condition, he had never expected that his staff would be so bold.

Mermaids were undoubtedly precious to the empire. So regardless of whether this mermaid was ugly or disabled, once people learned that such a thing had happened within the research institute, everyone involved would be held accountable.

Thinking of this, the person in charge looked at Ya Heng with hatred in his eyes. He quickly turned his head, putting on a flattering face, and said to General Ying, “General Ying, the research institute truly did not know about this matter. All the responsibility falls on Ya Heng alone! We will provide the best medical arrangements for this mermaid and ensure his health is restored as quickly as possible!”

General Ying ignored the person’s promises; all his attention was now on the mermaid trapped in the small, cramped pool.

The mermaid was indeed very different from the typical mermaid images people have. His skeletal structure was significantly larger than usual. He had dark red long hair and eyes, and his tail was not the beautifully colored rainbow but a solemn pure black.

He had sharp claws on his fingers, and there were fragmented black markings on the right side of his cheek. His ears resembled fish fins, and his teeth were sharp when he opened his mouth.

In fact, the mermaid’s appearance was very handsome. Despite the markings, Ying Zhao could still see the resemblance to his beloved across various worlds in the mermaid’s well-proportioned features.

However, this keen appearance was indeed not delicate, which did not match the aesthetic preferences of most interstellar people. No wonder he had been ignored for so many years.

The mermaid’s complexion was pale, and it was unclear how long he had been starving. His body was extremely emaciated, and even through the water surface, one could see his ribs clearly under the water.

The water in the pool had clearly not been changed for a long time, appearing very murky. Ying Zhao noticed that next to the man he had just thrown to the ground, there was a bucket containing only a few rotting fish, emitting a foul odor.

Ying Zhao’s anger grew even more intense. He immediately opened his holographic communicator, contacting his deputy to have the military personally take Ya Heng away. He absolutely would not let this person who dared to mistreat his beloved get away.

As for the person in charge standing by, he did not plead for Ya Heng but hoped that Ying Zhao would calm his anger quickly and not implicate the entire research institute.

After making the call, Ying Zhao turned back to face the mermaid in the pool, taking a few steps forward. When the mermaid saw him approaching, his expression momentarily showed confusion but quickly became wary.

Ying Zhao’s heart ached, and he moved forward regardless, trying to touch the mermaid.

The person in charge, seeing this, immediately became anxious and said, “General Ying, this mermaid has shown aggressive behavior towards people before. Although he is very weak now, he is still likely to harm you. How about we take care of him for a while, wait until his condition stabilizes and he becomes more docile, and then notify you to come over!”

Ying Zhao ignored the person in charge’s words. Having seen such a scene today, how could he leave his beloved here?

So he walked up, directly stepping into the pool and attempted to grasp the mermaid’s shoulder. The mermaid was clearly taken aback by Ying Zhao’s action. He retreated while extending his sharp claws, waving them in front of Ying Zhao, seemingly trying to intimidate him, but did not actually strike.

Ying Zhao knew that his beloved did not want to harm him subconsciously. His heart softened, and he took the opportunity to grab the mermaid’s arm and pull him towards himself.

Only upon closer contact did Ying Zhao realize that the mermaid’s body was covered with numerous injuries. Most of the wounds were whitened by the pool water, with new and old wounds clearly not caused in a single day.

Narrowing his eyes, Ying Zhao’s gaze turned pitch black. He then horizontally lifted the mermaid. Despite the mermaid’s size being larger than Ying Zhao’s, as a 3S-tier General of the Empire, he could easily manage it.

The mermaid was startled by Ying Zhao’s action and instinctively bit his shoulder. His sharp teeth penetrated the military uniform, piercing Ying Zhao’s skin and causing him to grunt in pain.

The grunt startled the mermaid in his arms. He quickly let go and, after smelling the faint blood scent from Ying Zhao’s shoulder, felt a pang of pain in his heart. Fearing that he might hurt this person, he dared not resist further.

Seeing his beloved suddenly become docile in his arms, a smile flickered in Ying Zhao’s eyes. He spoke gently to the mermaid, “It’s okay, I’m not hurt. Can you tell me your name?”

The mermaid, keeping his lips tightly sealed and turning his head, did not answer. Ying Zhao was not annoyed and glanced at the person in charge. The person in charge trembled and answered, “He, he is named Cecil.”

“Cecil, what a beautiful name,” Ying Zhao said with a slight smile, carrying his beloved and striding towards the door.

However, when passing by the man lying on the ground, Ying Zhao paused slightly and seemingly inadvertently stepped on the man’s leg. There was the unmistakable sound of bones cracking and the man’s miserable wail. The man’s face turned pale from the pain and he fainted.

The person in charge behind shuddered at the sight but still, trembling, suggested to Ying Zhao, “General Ying, it might be better to leave the mermaid here for now. After all, this is the research institute. We can wait until his condition improves and then you can take him away.”

The person in charge awkwardly kept up with Ying Zhao’s pace, trying to resist the general’s murderous gaze and said, “After all, this is the research institute. We can’t know if there are any media outside. If news gets out that such a mermaid came from here, it will definitely become the target of public criticism.”

Even though the person in charge was afraid of Ying Zhao, he had to try to keep the mermaid here.

But how could Ying Zhao not see through the person in charge’s intention? His eyes were cold as he said, “I can take care of my own mermaid. Leaving him here, I haven’t seen how well you’ve actually taken care of him. The Ying family will definitely pursue this matter to the end.”

After saying this, he ignored the stunned person in charge and directly carried the mermaid back to his floating vehicle.

Unbeknownst to Ying Zhao, as he spoke these words, Cecil in his arms was completely shocked. Although he had been incubated in the research institute, over the years, mermaids also received some education and were shown the outside world.

So Cecil had seen images of General Ying on the research institute’s public screen and knew that his status was extremely high.

He had even heard other mermaids excitedly discuss General Ying Zhao, saying that he was a hero of the Empire and that they hoped to be taken away by him.

But according to rumors, this person seemed to have no interest in mermaids, so even though he could have chosen any mermaid with his military achievements, he had never come to the research institute.

However, hearing this person’s words now, it seemed that he had chosen to take him away. Even though he was now sitting in the floating vehicle, Cecil still felt a sense of unreality.

Looking at his damaged tail fin, he could not imagine why an Imperial General like Ying Zhao would choose such an ugly and damaged mermaid like himself.