LSDWTWHA chapter 84

Chapter 83

“You arrived just in time.” Su Su relaxed completely upon seeing Yi Qing, feeling a fatigue that drained him to the point where even moving a finger seemed impossible.

Unlike holographic games, real combat consumed a massive amount of physical energy. Clearly, Su Su’s six months in the nutrient tank had caused him to neglect physical training.

The situation just now had been perilously close; had Yi Qing arrived a few minutes later, Su Su might have truly succumbed to being dragged ashore by the monsters.

The orca pushed Su Su to the surface, and when Yan San saw Su Su, he immediately pulled him back onto the hovercraft. Noticing Yi Qing poking her head out next to him, he appeared momentarily stunned: “Princess Yi Qing?”

Yan Bai had once planned to make himself Yi Qing’s substitute, so he naturally recognized her face.

Yi Qing supported herself with one hand on the deck, leaping up and sitting at the edge, her translucent top dripping water, her fish tail dangling in the air, swaying carefree: “I’m not a princess anymore; I’m just a mermaid who has transformed into an orca. I didn’t intend to get involved with you; I just came to return a favor to Su Su.”

“Su Su, you’ve worked hard tonight. You should rest on the boat; I’ll go comfort the members of the Dark Tide on shore and explain the situation… they are still in shock.” Although Yan Bai attempted to maintain a calm demeanor, the turmoil inside him was no less than that of anyone else present. The father who raised him was a bug creature; he had watched his father transform into a semi-transparent monster and revert to a human. Shock, sadness, confusion, and anxiety coursed through him, but as the leader of the Dark Tide, he had to appear steady to guide his followers.

“Alright.” Su Su watched Yan Bai step down the stairs, his back against the dawn light, standing as straight as he could, though he seemed burdened by the weight of the night.

There was no time to rest, reflect, or grieve. From now on, he had to appear clear-headed, resolute, and upbeat, telling his followers what had happened and what the path ahead entailed; this was the responsibility that came with being a leader.

“By the way, here’s something for you. When you left in a hurry, you didn’t have time to take the treasures hidden in the box. I thought you might need it, so I brought it.” Yi Qing rummaged through her clothes and handed Su Su a chip.

It was the teaching material chip that Su Su had used for learning!

Su Su hadn’t expected Yi Qing would bring this for him: “Thank you, I really need it.”

Su Su opened the loop on the top and hung it around his neck. This was proof of his first encounter with Qi Hanyi. Su Su thought he hadn’t told Qi Hanyi that he was the ‘Ah Yin’ in her heart; he could take out this chip later and surprise her.

“Alright, the matter is resolved, and I’ll be on my way now.” Yi Qing wasn’t accustomed to staying above the water’s surface, and seeing Su Su was safe, she planned to take her leave.

“Wait a moment.” Exhausted, Su Su managed to prop himself up; he still had a personal matter to inquire about the little mermaid.

“The song you just sang, can you teach me?” Su Su remembered that he wanted to sing to Qi Hanyi to help her recover from her mental force collapse, but he didn’t know any songs. Yet, the one Yi Qing had just hummed sounded lovely, lacking lyrics, yet seemed to give a sense of strength.

Yi Qing’s expression grew a bit strange as she tilted her head and asked, “You want to learn to sing from me?”

“I know mermaid hybrids can’t sing.” Su Su explained: “But I’m already a real mermaid now.”

“Well, I can tell, but…” Yi Qing became a bit curious: “Why do you want to learn to sing?”

“I want to save a human; he has a mental force collapse.” Su Su spoke directly.

“That general named Qi Hanyi?” Yi Qing vaguely recalled that was the reason he wanted to marry a mermaid: “Do you like him?”

“Yes.” Su Su answered without hesitation.

The wind scattered the thin clouds of night, revealing a dazzling starry sky. The star river reflected in Su Su’s eyes, spilling forth something even more radiant than starlight—a pure and straightforward affection of a youth.

“Ah, I understand.” A hint of smile appeared in Yi Qing’s eyes. Su Su had fallen for his companion, which eased much of the guilt she had felt: “But I can’t teach you.”

“Why?” Su Su’s expression fell.

“I see that you’re simply unqualified to be a mermaid; you lack even the most basic knowledge of mermaids.” Yi Qing sighed: “Do you know how mermaids differentiate?”

“Um…” Su Su was stumped; he had never properly considered this question: “By seeing someone they like?”

“One could say so. Mermaids generate intense emotional fluctuations while interacting with their partner, and when their mental force exceeds a threshold, they will differentiate.” Yi Qing explained: “Do you know why only differentiated mermaids can sing beautiful songs?”

Su Su felt like a student called upon in class to answer a question, unsure of the correct response, yet he still worked hard to think of an answer: “Is it because differentiated mermaids have stronger mental force?”

“It’s about conviction. Differentiated mermaids have established their life path for themselves, thus possessing a clearer and stronger conviction. Mental force is conveyed through conviction; it cannot be seen, but it certainly exists. It will protect what you cherish and destroy what you detest. The stronger the conviction, the more apparent the effects.”

“Well, okay.” Su Su felt that Yi Qing’s explanation had moved into the realm of metaphysics, beyond mere science.

“Do you remember how I taught you to use mental force to communicate?” Yi Qing asked again.

“Yes.” Su Su nodded confidently this time.

Yi Qing: “Then didn’t you realize that when I was singing just now, I wasn’t using my throat to make sound, but rather my mental force?”

Su Su was stunned for a moment: “But I heard it.”

Unlike the perception of mental force, he was certain that he had indeed heard that song.

“The voice is a manifestation of mental force, even more condensed than the mental force we use to communicate. Even ordinary people without mental force can hear it. This is not a song defined by humans, but more like a feeling and resonance for what you love.”

“Resonance?” Su Su pondered, recalling Yi Qing’s earlier song; he could indeed sense the serene profundity and vastness belonging to the ocean, as well as the bravery and fearlessness associated with orcas.

Without a doubt, Yi Qing loved this sea, loved an orca named Pang Pang, and loved her kin—an affection that required no words to understand.

“Go and truly feel the things you love; the song of a mermaid cannot be imitated. You must sing your own song.” The little mermaid dove into the sea and surfaced as a small orca, emitting a sound akin to a soft flute, quickly receiving echoes from the nearby orca group.

The little orca swam happily toward her kin, and the melodious mermaid song once again drifted into Su Su’s ears before growing distant.

Utterly exhausted, Su Su succumbed to sleep amidst the song. By the time he awoke, it was already noon. A few hours of rest had granted him some strength back; although he still felt a bit sore, it was no longer enough to hinder his normal activities.

Keeping in mind Yan San’s warning that the bug race and humanity might soon be at war, Su Su felt uneasy and wanted to relay the news as quickly as possible. Thus, he prepared to take his leave from Yan Bai.

Su Su was escorted to the center area building, to the office on the top floor.

Yan Bai had not rested at all that night; he was busy taking over various affairs. Beside him stood a tall, dark-skinned young man who was helping him process paperwork.

“The remaining matters are mostly day-to-day affairs; just leave them to me. You should rest first; staying up like this will hurt your health,” the tall young man, who nearly overshadowed Yan Bai, looked more like a bodyguard at first glance.

Yan Bai took a sip of the coffee at his side and then pulled out new documents to read: “I’m not tired yet. Keeping busy makes it less likely for me to overthink… Su Su, you’re awake! How is your body recovering? Is there anywhere you feel uncomfortable?”

“I’m fine, just that I usually move too little, and suddenly having this much activity is a bit tiring. I’m almost recovered now.” As Su Su spoke, he saw the tall young man turn around, and his familiar face made Su Su freeze for a moment.

“Zheng Hui?” Su Su recalled seeing this face during the third preliminary round.

Zheng Hui didn’t seem surprised; he smiled at Su Su and extended a hand: “It’s me. I’ve heard the young master mention you a lot, and we’ve crossed paths in the game several times. Today I finally get to meet you in person.”

Su Su held no good feelings toward Zheng Hui and had no intention of shaking hands with him. He said coldly, “So you’re with the Dark Tide. No wonder you’ve been targeting me in the game.”

“It was my order; at that time, I thought that if I could just let Zheng Hui surpass you and take first place, it would make it reasonable to eliminate you from the plan,” Yan Bai explained on Zheng Hui’s behalf. “I know Zheng Hui likes to play dirty, but he was doing it for the mission. If you mind this, just blame it on me.”

Su Su could understand Yan Bai’s intentions. Although he had hidden his identity for good reason, it was done to protect him. Moreover, since Yan San, the instigator, was now dead, the previous plans had naturally become void, and there was no reason for Su Su to hold any grudges against Yan Bai.

“I have no problem with him competing with me,” but he still felt displeasure toward Zheng Hui: “I just can’t stand how he plays unfairly; he only enjoys using underhanded tactics.”

“Playing a game is naturally about winning, within the rules, using whatever means necessary. I don’t see anything dishonorable in that,” Zheng Hui countered.

Just as Su Su was about to retort, Zheng Hui added, “But even with those means, I still couldn’t win against you. Your strength has earned my respect.”

Su Su felt good listening to this. His lips immediately curled into a smile, and his tone unconsciously softened: “You’re not that bad; you’re just a little behind me.”

First in the preliminary round and also first in the semifinals. If Su Su hadn’t participated in this competition, Zheng Hui would have undoubtedly secured first place overall.

“Seriously, Su Su, I need to thank you.” It was unclear if it was the absence of his online disguise or not, but the Zheng Hui in reality seemed much more sincere.

“Previously, I viewed gaming as a mission. Perhaps it was because I had never lost, so I found it extremely boring, thinking piloting a starship was just like that. But your presence allowed me to rediscover some of the joys in gaming. Although the Dark Tide’s plan has been scrapped, I will continue to participate in the competition from here on out. I’ll take it more seriously.”

“You won’t win against me even if you take it seriously.” Su Su raised his chin arrogantly. This confidence, rooted in his ability, was not off-putting; instead, it constituted a unique charm.

Zheng Hui chuckled in response: “See you in the finals.”

“Yeah,” Su Su replied, then turned to Yan Bai to discuss serious matters: “I need to hurry back; that bug creature said he informed the mother bug, and they might attack while Qi Hanyi can’t use her mental force.”

“I’ve already arranged for a ship; it will depart from here in the evening. Right now, the Dark Tide and the Yan family shipping company have been placed on the Empire’s wanted list, so I can only take you to the Mermaid Kingdom. Once there, the High Priest will send you back to the Empire.” Yan Bai had known Su Su would insist on returning and had already prepared the itinerary for him: “You should be careful on your way back; others might think you’re an accomplice of the Dark Tide. The influence of the Dark Tide has mostly retreated from the Empire lately.”

Su Su waved his hand dismissively: “I’ll be okay. I will explain what happened here; the Dark Tide is no longer what it used to be. The ones doing wrong are the bug creatures disguised as Yan San, and you were just a group that wanted to protect the mermaids, not intending to continue seizing starships.”

Yan Bai: “Even though we won’t seize starships, I will keep an eye on Qi Hanyi and the Empire’s authorities to ensure they treat the mermaids kindly. Otherwise, even without seizing starships, incidents like the attack on the Mermaid Training Center may still happen.”

Speaking of the Training Center, Su Su remembered Mo Lin, who had been involved in this situation: “By the way, what are you planning to do with Mo Lin?”

“I don’t plan to release him for now. Having him as a hostage ensures that the Mo family won’t dare to do anything harmful to the mermaids. However, as long as the Mo family behaves, I won’t do anything too excessive to Mo Lin.”

As Yi Qing said this, a somewhat wicked smile appeared on her face: “Doesn’t he like to draw mermaids? There are plenty of mermaids here, so let him stay and draw to his heart’s content.”

The sunset painted the sea a rosy hue. The hovercraft cut through the waves, speeding toward the Empire’s direction.

After traveling several hundred nautical miles, Su Su’s personal terminal reconnected to a signal. He eagerly opened the communication, intending to share what had occurred during his one day and night on Freedom Island with Qi Hanyi.

However, what popped up was not a waiting connection but a recorded video left by Qi Hanyi.

In the video, Qi Hanyi, dressed in combat gear, was seated inside a launcher heading to the space station. His cold expression matched his silver-white combat uniform, resembling a sharp weapon. Anyone could tell that the mental force of the person before them was already shattered and perhaps within a month, he would fall into a nightmare and not awaken until death came.

“Su Su, by the time you see this video, I should already be on my way to the space station.” In the recording, Qi Hanyi spoke.

“The war began very suddenly; your guess should be correct. The disguise of Yan San has been successfully unraveled, and the bug creatures have been forced to abandon their infiltration plan and will attack the planet while I cannot use my mental force.”

“This is bound to be a tough battle. If it comes to an emergency, I will use the mental force stimulated by the drug; once the drug’s effect ends, I will likely die immediately.”

As he spoke, Qi Hanyi paused slightly, not expressing fear of death; rather, it was as if he deeply cherished the remaining moments: “I used to think death was a form of liberation, but at this moment, I hope I could live for a few more days—just a few days—to end this war before I die and give our planet a bit more time… and let me see you one more time.”

It seemed that Qi Hanyi rarely expressed his emotions; he clearly hesitated for a few seconds as he spoke, and his gaze involuntarily shifted away.

“I’m sorry for not responding to your feelings sooner, as I cannot decide my own life or death, which would be quite irresponsible to you. Up to now, I am grateful that you did not differentiate for me like other mermaids; this way, you won’t lose your life because of me.”

“I have persuaded my grandfather that regardless of whether I live or die, he will tirelessly recommend you to become the new starship pilot. Without me, the road ahead will be up to you. It’s a difficult and tiring path, but I think you might enjoy it.”

“The backup privilege chip of the Bai Ze is stored in Ah Yin’s eyes, kept for you as a memento.”

“However, I do not intend for you to inherit Bai Ze; you should have a starship more suitable for you. I have finished the initial design draft and submitted it to the design institute. In about half a year, it should be built. You will have the first genuine dual-form starship; I want to name it Kunpeng—the Kun is a giant fish, but it can transform into a bird, soaring across the nine heavens… very much like you.”

A series of urgent alerts echoed in the background.

Qi Hanyi seemed like he had more to say to Su Su, but upon hearing the sound, he paused, as if contemplating why time was suddenly passing so quickly.

“I’m about to head out.” Qi Hanyi stared at the camera, as if trying to see Su Su beyond the time and space. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly as he awkwardly smiled at the camera—a piercing sharpness melted away in that smile like spring water: “Don’t worry about me. In the days to come, I wish you everything you desire and a century without worries.”

“Plop.” A single tear fell from Su Su’s cheek. He gradually realized that he seemed to have shed tears. He wiped his eyes, only to have more flow out.

“Who wants a century without worries? You’re not here; how can I be without worries?”

Su Su felt as though a heavy stone pressed upon his heart while a fire burned within him. He had transformed into a mermaid; he could differentiate; he could sing to Qi Hanyi and heal his affliction.

Yet at this critical moment, Qi Hanyi chose to head into battle! He intended to forcefully use his mental force, risking his life to win this fight.

“Don’t you dare die! Don’t you dare die!” Su Su tightly clenched the ring, his fingertips turning pale.

No, he had to hurry back and then find a way to the space station, to the space battlefield. As long as he could find Qi Hanyi before he used his mental force, he could heal him and bring him back safely.

“Can you hurry it up a bit? I’m in a rush.” Su Su urged the crew of the hovercraft.

“We’re already at top speed,” the crew member replied awkwardly.

As Su Su grew increasingly anxious, wishing he could fly directly to Bai Ze, Qi Hanyi had already taken the pilot’s seat of Bai Ze. The distance to the bug creatures’ defense line was only seven hundred star units, and it was estimated that in five hours, they would encounter the bug creatures’ vanguard.

This time, as the defending side, the expeditionary forces had not moved too far from the space station. Instead, they had established three defensive lines centered around it, in conjunction with stationed guards.

“We will defend in this formation and drag it out for a month or so; we will surely break the bug creatures’ attacking lines.” The commander of the space station was quite confident.

“This is too conservative. First, we spend seven days to gauge the enemy’s general strength, and after seven days, I will lead a team to ambush behind; we will aim for a swift annihilation of the mother bug,” Qi Hanyi sketched an appropriate ambush route on the map.

“From the intelligence gathered by the frontline, there’s a high probability that this is an SSS-grade mother bug, likely with six to eight equally ranked guardian male bugs. Isn’t this too reckless? Besides, your mental force is not…”

Qi Hanyi interrupted the other party: “You don’t have to worry about my mental force. This is settled; I will hand over command to you later, and the expeditionary force will leave the defending troops to you for deployment.”

After the long-distance joint meeting concluded, Zheng Hui, who was with Qi Hanyi on Bai Ze, entered the cockpit.

“Commander, our expedition army is good at ambushes, but isn’t this plan a bit hasty? The bug creatures’ attack came unexpectedly, and we can’t gather enough supplies for an ambush within seven days, nor do we have sufficient intelligence. Moreover, in three days, the mother bug probably won’t be able to reach an ideal ambush position; we could definitely wait a few more days…”

“We can’t wait… My time is running short.” With less than half a month until the drug lost its efficacy, Qi Hanyi hoped to resolve this battle while he was still alive. This time, the bug creatures were coming in force; if they could successfully annihilate this mother bug, it might grant humanity a peace period of half a year to a year. That would be ample time for Su Su to grow from a gamer into a true starship pilot.

“Don’t worry; we will win this battle.” Qi Hanyi had already made up his mind. Once he used his mental force to confirm the mother bug’s location, he would detonate Bai Ze. The terrifying energy from Bai Ze’s explosion would be enough to destroy all surrounding creatures, and the other members of the ambush team would only need to confirm the mother bug’s death after the explosion.

Due to the need to change ships at the Mermaid Kingdom, the return journey took a total of three days.

As soon as Su Su got off the ship, the execution team from the Nobility Council appeared at the pier, surrounding him and carefully inspecting the vessel he had arrived in.

The team leader drew closer, expressing his concern for his younger brother: “Why are you the only one back? Where’s Mo Lin?”

“He’s on Freedom Island painting mermaids; Yan Bai said he would take good care of him,” Su Su repeated what Yan Bai had told him: “Yan Bai said that as long as you don’t harm the mermaids anymore, they can guarantee that Mo Lin will be just fine.”

“Just fine? Being locked away on Freedom Island and not being able to go home is considered just fine?” Mo Shan scoffed: “It seems you really are in league with the Dark Tide. I should have guessed it; you and Yan Bai bear some resemblance; there must be some blood ties between you. Since he took my brother, then I’ll have to trouble you to come with me as well. When will he return Mo Lin, when will I free you?”

He gestured for his men, who immediately prepared to take Su Su away.

“Master Mo’s hand is a bit too long, don’t you think? Su Su is Qi Hanyi’s partner, the wife of the heir of the Qi family. If you want to take someone, have you consulted the Qi family’s opinion first?” Qi Yue emerged from an adjacent alley, clearly having been waiting at the harbor for quite a while.

Hearing this voice, Su Su breathed a sigh of relief. It had not been in vain that he contacted Qi Xingli before coming, saying he had a way to heal Qi Hanyi’s affliction, asking him to send someone to the pier to pick him up.

Mo Shan turned to look upon hearing Qi Yue’s voice, noticing she was alone without anyone accompanying her. It made sense; after all, the military was responsible for guarding the space, while coastal defense fell under the jurisdiction of the Defense Bureau; using military force on the ground was a royal taboo.

Realizing this, Mo Shan showed a contemptuous expression: “When he colluded with the Dark Tide to take my brother, he didn’t consult the Mo family’s opinion. Until my brother returns safely, the young mistress of the Qi family will have to endure a few days at my Mo family.”

“Take him away.” Mo Shan coldly ordered, pausing briefly before adding, “But be careful not to injure Miss Qi Yue.”

With his command, his men bound Su Su and prepared to haul him toward the flyer.

A specially painted flyer landed at the harbor, interrupting the farce. Princess Tang Xiruo walked out from within; her tall figure paired with a specially designed royal outfit made her appear dignified and commanding. Behind her was a fully armed royal guard, who surrounded the Mo family’s crew.

Tang Xiruo walked over to Qi Yue’s side, protectively positioning Su Su and Qi Yue behind her as she glared at Mo Shan: “Mo Shan, you’re impressive! You dare to privately arrest someone from the Qi family without the royal family’s permission along with the Council’s execution team? Who gave you the authority?”

Upon seeing Tang Xiruo appear, Mo Shan immediately guessed she was the reinforcements Qi Yue had summoned. Realizing he had gotten flustered due to concern, he remembered Qi Yue was clever and crafty. If she intended to save someone, it was impossible for her to come alone.

However, Mo Shan had no intention of letting the other party simply pin him down with a disrespectful label toward the royal family. Composing himself, he explained: “I was just anxious about my brother. I was in a hurry and overlooked some formalities; I hope Your Highness can forgive me.”

“But this time my arrest of Su Su isn’t for personal reasons. Su Su colluded with the Dark Tide under the pretense of being a male mermaid, marrying into the Qi family with improper intentions. The evidence is conclusive. I believe this marriage is invalid and thus cannot be considered a member of the Qi family. I’m bringing him back because the council needs to investigate his motives for impersonating Yi Qing and marrying Qi Hanyi, as well as his collaboration with the Dark Tide to blow up the Mermaid Training Center and abduct several dozen married mermaids.”

“The matters related to the Dark Tide have already been assigned to me for full investigation by the Emperor. As for Su Su, General Qi Xingli has already clarified to my father that it is impossible for him to be colluding with the Dark Tide; this operation was also to tackle the threats posed by the Dark Tide, cooperating with Qi Hanyi’s actions. Regarding Mo Lin, the Mermaid Training Center he managed seems to have been engaging in illegal activities for some time now. This incident’s exposure has ignited massive public outrage; the Mo family should think about how to provide a reasonable explanation to the public.”

Mo Shan hadn’t anticipated that Qi Xingli would actually stand up for Su Su. As the most loyal Minister of Defense, his words held great weight with the Emperor. For him to vouch for Su Su was indeed enough to clear Su Su’s suspicions and thoroughly disrupt Mo Shan’s plans.

Though unwilling, he had no choice but to leave temporarily and come up with a longer-term plan: “Your Highness speaks truly; in that case, Mo Shan will not disturb the princess from carrying out her duties.”

After sending Mo Shan away, Qi Yue sighed in relief: “This Mo Shan actually planned to go hard; luckily, you arrived.”

“Mo Shan usually likes to plan before acting but rarely does something this extreme. However, this matter concerns Mo Lin, so he did lose his temper,” Tang Xiruo said, her imposing demeanor subsiding as she inspected Su Su: “So you are Su Su, truly good-looking; I thought Qi Yue was bragging.”

“I never brag, okay? I’m just very good-looking! I’m even better looking than my big brother!” Qi Yue exclaimed loudly.

“Yes, yes,” Tang Xiruo chuckled helplessly while shaking her head, “This journey must have been unsettling. Let’s go; I’ll escort you back to the Qi family.”