Chapter 38 Enmity

"...They are going back." Jack maintained a half-human, half-snake form underwater, his silvery, immense serpent tail trailing along the lakebed as he closed his eyes to sense the ripples above.

The Fifth Prince paused. "What should we do? Wasn't it decided that we would bring Little Six back now?"

He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Moreover, hasn't she expressed a strong desire to attend the Four Seas Celebration? She cannot be entirely unaware of the proceedings; otherwise, she might embarrass herself before all the clans—I imagine she'd be quite vexed."

It is important to note that the participants of the Four Seas Celebration are not solely the permanent residents of the ocean depths. For instance, this time it is being held in the East Sea, and all nearby water spirits who are able to attend will surely make their way there.

The entire East Sea will transform into a festive venue, teeming with joyous creatures.

Due to the dragon clan's branches residing in the East Sea retreating into seclusion centuries ago, the governance of the East Sea has temporarily fallen to the water snake clan, which is a distant relative of the dragons and possesses considerable strength.

Naturally, Jack, being a younger member of the Clan Jack and not much older than the mermaid princess, did not partake in the arrangements for the celebration; his role was merely to make an appearance when the time came.

Representatives from various sea clans first arrived at the celebration venue to reminisce before dispersing. For the first three days, they met with other spirits at various strongholds in the East Sea, then reconvened at the venue for the following four days to socialize and observe potential young matches.

If a suitable candidate was found, they could even arrange a marriage alliance.

After all, only a handful of families hold the premier positions in the entire ocean, making it challenging to find a satisfactory match for their young ones through mere "self-production." Additionally, a bond is necessary to maintain amicable relations among the clans.

The mermaid matriarch cast a resigned glance at the Fifth Prince. "And what do you have to say for yourself? Who told you to frighten Little Lu? Now what? Are we truly going to snatch her back from that human?"

"I merely wanted to see her; I had no idea she would react so strongly…"

The Fifth Prince felt unjustly accused, yet he recognized his mistake and sheepishly replied, "I just intended to greet her."

He had been startled by Little Six, after all!

He barely had a moment to show his face before Little Six overwhelmed him; was he not entitled to feel aggrieved?!

"What should we do now? That human took her by surprise; we did not even wait for Little Lu's response before she was taken away." The First Prince furrowed his brow and shifted the topic.

"Really, it is just a human. We could easily take Little Lu away ourselves; as for that human's reaction… it is of no concern to us," Jack remarked nonchalantly.

If they were extreme, they could simply deal with it. After all, it was merely a human; what could they possibly do without one?

Jack struggled to comprehend why the mermaids were so indecisive—

To call it indecisiveness may not be entirely accurate, for centuries ago, when humans ruthlessly hunted and tormented the merfolk, the mermaids had shown no mercy in their subsequent actions.

Yet, in their everyday lives, mermaids seemed perpetually naive and hesitant.

They were reluctant to seek knowledge or interact with the outside world, yet their dominion over the ocean compelled them to engage and understand it.

In Jack's view, the mermaids' demeanor was entirely unnecessary—if they possessed the ability to resolve matters, they should do so decisively, without the burden of superfluous emotions and hesitation.

It was akin to his confusion over why, after Lu had overturned a human vessel, she appeared so regretful in having the dolphins rescue the majority of the castaways. The mermaid matriarch was discreetly monitoring everything, instructing the octopus to return the humans abandoned by the irate dolphins.

To Jack, this seemed utterly absurd.

During that tumultuous period centuries ago, how many mermaids, deemed beautiful and graceful by human standards, had been lured and imprisoned by humans, taking advantage of their innocence?

Those humans did not bring the mermaids to land merely to admire their exquisite beauty…

The uproar caused by this incident had left nearly all sea spirits in shock, unable to believe that the formidable merfolk could be deceived by mere humans.

What followed was well-known: a decades-long, one-sided massacre of humans by the mermaid guard who patrolled the waters—though human armies were not absent, in the ocean, the mermaids were the undisputed rulers.

Meanwhile, those mermaids who had been taken to the mainland mostly perished under human torment and despair, with only a few returning to the depths, scarred and battered.

…It is difficult to ascertain who was right or wrong in this situation, but the enmity was undeniably forged.

Now, merely a few centuries later, the fleeting lifespans and generational shifts of humans have allowed them to forget this history; however, this past remains fresh in the long lives of the merfolk.

Even if the humans here do not hail from the same continent as those of the past, they are still humans. 

Jack's nature is inherently cold, making it even more challenging for him to harbor any feelings for beings of different races; to him, the humans of the East and West are merely different labels for the same species. 

Thus, he has consistently endeavored to correct Lu's inexplicable fondness for humans, which has been influenced by her mermaid grandmother. 

Humans are all guilty. 

…Years ago, when the mermaid matriarch was with a human, she faced relentless opposition and exclusion from the entire oceanic community, and even radical factions had once attempted to assassinate that human. 

Yet, the mermaid matriarch remained steadfast, unwavering in her commitment to one individual… and ultimately, that human did not betray her. 

Otherwise, the sight of ships from various human factions traversing these waters would be unimaginable today. 

"There's no rush; after all, there are still a few days left," the mermaid matriarch said slowly, offering reassurance. "Judging by Little Lu's demeanor, she likely holds that handsome human in high regard. It wouldn't hurt to give her a bit more time for farewells." 

Moreover, the mermaid matriarch harbors the intention of nurturing Lu's sense of belonging to humanity— 

The depths of the ocean and the surface cannot remain eternally isolated. The cycles of heaven and earth dictate that humans and merfolk are inherently complementary, with mermaids playing a crucial role in mediating between the two. If the land and sea remain at odds for too long, issues will inevitably arise. 

However, to achieve harmony, it is essential that there be high-ranking individuals from both sides willing to negotiate peace. 

Unfortunately, under the influence of the mermaid king and queen, several princes regard humans with great trepidation, leaving only Lu, who has always been drawn to her, to harbor a less hostile view towards them due to her personal interests. 

"But she still has so much to learn, doesn't she? Are we truly going to let her participate in the celebration without preparation?" 

The Fifth Prince crossed his arms, letting out a disdainful scoff. "And why should we allow her time to say goodbye to that human? Is she to sneak back to land like a fish in the future?" 

Absurd! The mermaid princess they cherish and protect cannot simply be whisked away by an ordinary human! 

What good is superficial beauty? No matter how glamorous the outside world appears, who knows what vile thoughts lurk in that human's heart! 

"Little Five," the mermaid matriarch looked at him with exasperation, "...what do you propose we do?" 

This child is far too headstrong. 

"What do I propose?" The Fifth Prince glanced at Jack, who stood silently to the side with a somewhat sullen demeanor, and hesitated. "...Well, we must accompany Little Six to see for ourselves; what can we do at the bottom of this lake? We wouldn't even know what's happening on Little Six's side." 

Something seems off about this water serpent, doesn't it? 

Jack, sensing something amiss, raised his half-closed, drowsy eyes to meet the Fifth Prince's azure gaze. "What's the matter?" 

The Fifth Prince replied, "...It's nothing. Let's just follow Little Six, what do you think?" 

"Very well."