Forty years ago, the human and demon races had not yet gone to war, and the three realms could be considered at peace. Although Li’er Kingdom had a secret realm, at that time Duzhou had abundant spiritual energy, so secret realms were not precious. Therefore, Li’er Kingdom’s secret realm was not particularly sought after.

Lizhu sat down below the ruler’s seat, her gaze becoming distant: “Back then, as a princess of Linshi Kingdom, I came to Li’er Kingdom through a marriage alliance with my servants, becoming the queen of Li’er Kingdom.”

At that time, Li’er Kingdom’s local secret realm had no particular advantages, the tourism industry had not yet developed, and very few cultivators came to tour this place. In the period just after Princess Lizhu married into Li’er Kingdom, nothing went wrong either, and she had a loving period with the old ruler characterized by mutual respect and harmony. Although that period was long ago, when Princess Lizhu spoke of it, her face still showed sweet nostalgic expressions.

“However, starting from the third month after I married into Li’er Kingdom, young women in the city began to be continuously killed.” Princess Lizhu’s gaze became somber, “Just like what you saw tonight, all the deceased had their blood completely drained. The ruler deployed many more city guards to patrol day and night, but gained nothing. Young women continued to be killed. That demon was extremely arrogant. The ruler also invited cultivators skilled in demon subjugation to exorcise evil, but those cultivators couldn’t find any trace of the demon either.”

“Later…” she paused, “the demon entered the palace.”

“Entered the palace?” Putao asked strangely: “Didn’t you say even the demon-exorcising cultivators couldn’t find any trace of the demon? How did you know this demon entered the palace?”

Princess Lizhu was silent for a moment before answering: “Because at that time, I always felt someone was secretly watching me from the shadows.”

At that time, the old ruler was still a young man, handsome like the golden statue by the coast, busy with state affairs every day. When Princess Lizhu was alone in the side palace, she often felt as though someone was watching her from behind. At first she thought it was her imagination, until one night when Princess Lizhu woke from a dream and saw that the window of her bedchamber had somehow been pushed open a crack, and through that window crack, a murky yellow eye was staring fixedly at her.

Princess Lizhu’s scalp immediately went numb.

She called the guards and had them stationed day and night by her bedchamber door, trying to catch that demon, but there were no more traces of the demon. However, that feeling of being secretly watched didn’t change, and Princess Lizhu was nearly driven mad.

“Your Highness means that demon was targeting you?” Zanxing couldn’t help asking: “During this period, were there any other victims?”

Princess Lizhu shook her head: “No, so my husband and I both believed that demon’s next target was me.”

During that period, strange things often happened in Li’er Kingdom’s royal palace. At night people heard sounds of monsters crying, teapots would float in mid-air by themselves, at midnight blood would flow from trees in the courtyard, maids would be tapped on the shoulder while walking only to find nothing when they turned around… In short, it was like being haunted, making everyone anxious.

“Then what?” Mendong nervously swallowed and asked: “How did you catch it?”

“My husband invited a famous master to exorcise demons for me. Demon-subduing talismans were pasted everywhere in the palace, and a demon-exterminating formation was set up in the royal palace. If that demon came, it would definitely fall into the formation and its soul would be scattered.” Lizhu said.

“Demon-exterminating formations aren’t something everyone can set up.” Rong Yu, who was holding Mimi, said quietly: “I once heard my master say that only talisman formation masters who specialize in demon-expelling formations can set them up.”

“Correct,” Putao also nodded: “Moreover, forty years ago, the three realms were still at peace, the great war between humans and demons hadn’t occurred yet. Demon-exterminating formations were considered very cruel demon-exorcising methods. Unless dealing with demons guilty of heinous crimes, cultivators generally wouldn’t use them lightly.”

Tan Tianxin snorted: “Having killed so many people, how is that not heinous? If you ask me, this demon-exterminating formation should have been used long ago. Unfortunately, our Chihua Sect doesn’t cultivate talisman formations, otherwise setting up a few demon-exterminating formations, in less than three days that demon would obediently fall into the net with no way out. How could it still wreak havoc in the mortal world?”

“You should listen to what the princess says first.” Nie Xinghong shook his fan: “Then what? Were those talisman formations effective?”

Princess Lizhu looked into the distance, as if reminiscing: “After those talisman formations, the strange incidents in the royal palace did indeed stop. However, my husband was still worried about my safety and had personal guards stay by my side every step. One night, when I returned to my bedchamber, I heard people outside shouting that they had caught that demon.”

“Did you see that demon merman?” Mu Cengxiao asked.

Princess Lizhu didn’t speak.

She still remembered that night.

Li’er Kingdom was hot year-round without distinguishing seasons, and every night seemed like a summer night. That night the weather was clear, the bright moon hung in the night sky, and cicadas in the trees kept calling incessantly. She heard the nervous shouts of soldiers in the front hall and, worried, grabbed her bow and arrows and ran into the front hall, where she saw the demon trapped in the center by the demon-exterminating formation.

It was a silver merman.

He had a magnificent silver fish tail, but his upper body was human in appearance, with deep blue long hair reaching the ground. The scales on his body were mottled and incomplete, with dark blood flowing from some places.

Seeming to hear someone approaching, this merman looked toward Princess Lizhu, and she could see his face clearly. His face was also covered with growing silver scales, looking somewhat fierce and terrifying, while his eyes were the same deep blue as the Western Sea.

Seeing it was Princess Lizhu, this demon merman trapped in the center of the demon-exterminating formation began struggling violently, lunging at her viciously. The demon-exterminating formation was arranged with thousands of talismans, the talismans transforming into golden light, countless golden lights crisscrossing like a fishing net trapping the merman within. When the merman leaped up, the parts of his body touching the talisman formation were burned, producing wisps of smoke and causing him to emit hoarse, muffled roars of pain before falling back to the ground.

Princess Lizhu inexplicably felt somewhat frightened.

“Lizhu, don’t come closer!” The ruler, holding his treasure sword, shouted to her: “This merman wants to harm you, quickly move away!”

Princess Lizhu stepped back.

Later…

Later she often thought, if that night she hadn’t stepped back, would the ruler not have died, and would she not have lived such a difficult life these years?

But the past couldn’t be changed. Princess Lizhu’s retreat that day seemed to infuriate that demon merman. No one saw clearly how the demon merman escaped the demon-exterminating formation. When they came to their senses, the ruler had already been knocked down by the demon merman. The demon merman’s claws had pierced through his chest, blood dyeing the ruler’s snow-white ceremonial robe bright red.

The palace guards, seeing the ruler in danger, all rushed forward and killed the already wounded demon merman, but the ruler couldn’t be saved.

After that…

“After that, following the ruler’s burial, court ministers invited masters to destroy the demon merman’s soul, and the demon merman disappeared from the world. Soon after, I discovered I was with child.”

A foreign princess whose husband died shortly after marrying into this land, giving birth to a prince, having to raise the young child, safely supporting the young child to the throne through various open and hidden struggles—it really wasn’t an easy thing. Fortunately, she managed it.

She had thought those nightmare-like pasts were like stones on the West Coast, eventually eroded by seawater into sand, leaving no trace. She hadn’t expected that decades later, the nightmare would replay.

“So you believe Li’er Kingdom’s recent tragedies were caused by the same demon merman?” Gu Baiying asked.

Princess Lizhu emerged from her memories, looked at everyone, and said: “This is exactly what puzzles me. After the demon merman was killed back then, the ministers specifically invited the master who had set up the demon-exterminating formation to come and destroy the demon merman’s soul. The master had said the demon merman’s soul was scattered and could never exist in the world again. For these forty years, Li’er Kingdom has indeed been safe and sound. If it weren’t because the women killed this time were the same as forty years ago—all drained of blood—I wouldn’t speculate like this either.”

Everyone fell into silence. Although demons’ lifespans were indeed long, Princess Lizhu had personally witnessed the demon merman being killed, and since that demon-subduing cultivator had the ability to set up a demon-exterminating formation, he definitely had the ability to destroy a demon merman’s soul—there was no reason to let the demon merman escape. Moreover, if the demon merman had really escaped, there was no need to wait forty years before returning for revenge.

“Fellow Cultivator Gu, what do you think?” Nie Xinghong politely asked for Gu Baiying’s opinion.

Before Gu Baiying could speak, Tan Tianxin over there impatiently opened his mouth: “All this guessing is meaningless. Better to first catch that troublesome demon—then we’ll know if it’s the same demon merman.”

“Easier said than done,” Putao asked: “Li’er Kingdom isn’t big but it’s not small either. That demon is cunning. Nie and I followed the demonic aura today and still couldn’t find it, let alone catch it.”

Tan Tianxin smiled proudly: “Catching demons is nothing but a small matter for our Chihua Sect.” After speaking, he deliberately glanced at Gu Baiying.

Gu Baiying ignored him.

Tan Tianxin then continued boasting: “Before leaving, I casually grabbed a few magical artifacts from our sect’s treasury, one of which is the ‘Thousand-Li Demon Toad.'”

“What’s a Thousand-Li Demon Toad?” Putao asked.

“It’s a treasure, a toad that specifically eats demonic aura. If demons pass by, no matter how weak the demonic aura, this toad can follow the demonic aura and eat its way through. Tomorrow morning, we just need to release this toad and follow it all the way to definitely find that demon’s lair.” Tan Tianxin said: “Once we find it, regardless of whether it’s some merman or not, we can make its soul scatter again!”

He spoke lightly, quite proudly, as if deliberately showing off like a wealthy household flaunting spiritual treasures.

Zanxing: “……” What Thousand-Li Demon Toad? It sounded like a traveling frog.

However, upon hearing this, Li’er Kingdom’s ruler was overjoyed and said: “Really? In that case, won’t that demon have nowhere to escape?” He stood up and bowed deeply to everyone: “I first thank you immortals on behalf of Li’er Kingdom’s people. When you immortals capture the demon merman, I will definitely present generous gifts in gratitude.”