Royal Blood, Courage to Live

In her cute voice, Nuwang said, "I thought I would have to wait, but who would have guessed you were Innate Full Spirit Power as well."

Mengbao was surprised. "It's you from last night! Was it not a dream, after all?"

She nodded. "I spoke with you last night to confirm my doubts and access your character. Although you are a bit different from the Merfolk I knew, you still seem to be a fishperson. Thus, I can confidently pass my bloodline to you and leave this world."

He was even more confused than before. "Wait... Merfolk? And what do you mean leave this world... are you meaning that..."

With a wistful look in her eyes, she looked off in the distance. "Yes, I no longer wish to be of the living. But I cannot let the Merfolk become extinct, so I wanted to pass my bloodline on to another fishperson."

Menghao wrinkled his brows. "But I am not a fishperson, so I can't be the person you need."

She shook her head with such confidence that it even made Menghao wonder. "You are indeed a fishperson. Although you feel different than Merfolk, I am certain of at least this much. Do you know your parents?"

Mengbao was dragged into her flow of conversation. "Well, my father is a fisherman. And I... have never met my mother."

"That settles it then," she said, "your mother must be a fish, and judging by the quality of your bloodline, quite a pure one."

Mengbao shook his head, not believing the situation. "That's ridiculous."

With firm eyes, Nuwang only made one remark. "Is it? Then what's this." She pointed at her golden fish tail and then her own pretty face.

Mengbao had no response.

Waving her hand, Nuwang switch topics. "Nevermind that anyway. I am not going to discuss your heritage with you, I only wish to tell you that I want to give my bloodline to you so that I can die with the peace that the Merfolk will continue to exist."

Mengbao was an astute child, it was only that the circumstances took him a bit off guard. He quickly noticed the nature of her sentences. "I might be wrong but, it sounds as... you greatly want to die."

The intelligent look of Nawang's eyes disappeared to be once more replaced with a forlorn look. "Wish or do not wish, what does it matter. I am deserving of death for what I have done to my race. No--it's a privilege to only die."

Mengbao's eyes widened in shock at the words escaping her mouth. "You only look a couple years older than me. How can you deserve such bad things?"

She looked him in the eyes with a sad expression. "Although I appear like this, from our experiences combined, I would say that I am over a million years old. I could be your great ancestor."

Growing up with his father, Mengbao had often seen this same expression on his father's face. Over time, he had figured out the solution was to make a joke. Not wanting to see her continue to be sad, he asked with fake surprise, "Could it be... that you are my fish-mom?" At that moment, he did not realize that she was the second person he had ever shown this side of himself to.

And it worked like a charm. The sad expression went away and was replaced by the liveliness of a little girl as she hit him on the hand with her small hand. "Idiot! How can I be your fish-mom when I am surely older than your grandparents!?"

Mengbao playfully chuckled, causing Nuwang who had held a stiff face for a million years to finally smile and laugh. Seeing her laugh, Mengbao did not know what he was feeling, but he knew that he wanted to see more of it.

He said in such a soft voice that it even surprised himself, "I don't know what you did wrong, but I don't think you should hate yourself for it. This you that smiles so brightly; I think that this is what your Clan would have wanted to see. So keep living and, if you still cannot find the courage to do so, then... you can have mine."

Nuwang's world instantly grew a few shades lighter as tears welled up in her eyes. No one truly wanted to die, especially not a girl her (mental) age. As she cried into his arms, her brave front had finally crumbled.