The Supporting Male Characters Who Died Alone All Those Years Later

The Mermaid Palace lay deep beneath the sea. After an unknown amount of time had passed, amidst the blue-black expanse, many glowing aquatic plants gradually appeared. They started with one or two, then became clusters, and finally formed a whole patch, emitting a soft pink light, beautifully dreamlike.

“We’re almost there!” The five or six merfolk were extremely excited, swimming eagerly towards the pink depths, their beautiful tails flicking joyfully and scattering many pink light spots.

He Dongchen reached out and caught one of the light spots. He saw a piece of glowing aquatic plant in his hand, shaped somewhat like deer antlers.

“Leader!” A few merpeople ahead noticed that the leader hadn’t kept up and called out loudly, waving their tails and preparing to swim back.

He Dongchen released the aquatic plant and swam towards them. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something hidden among the pink aquatic plants. He moved quickly, swaying his tail and approaching slowly, then reached out to part the plants. He discovered a massive sea shell hidden inside. Even more astonishing, the shell was golden with a pinkish hue and surrounded by a layer of white aura, unmatched in its magnificence.

“Wow, there’s a shell here, and it’s so big! Let’s pry it open quickly.” Several mermaids excitedly swam over, circling the sea shell with eager anticipation, touching it from top to bottom. Merfolk loved to collect rare treasures, especially shiny objects, with pearls being their favorite. So, seeing such a large shell naturally thrilled them.

Whether it was an illusion or not, the sea shell seemed to respond, its massive body swaying slightly.

He Dongchen reached out and touched the unbelievably smooth shell, noticing that it had no parasites, which was clearly unusual.

Seeing the mermaids preparing to pry it open with sticks, He Dongchen quickly stopped them. “Returning to the palace is more important.”

The mermaids stopped their actions, their eyes full of reluctance. He Dongchen took one last look at the sea shell, memorized it in his mind, and turned to leave. The other merfolk followed suit.

Soon after, the sea shell disappeared back into the aquatic plants, seemingly falling into a deep sleep.

At the deepest part of the pink seaweed, a magnificently exquisite palace emitted a soft glow. From a distance, it resembled a mirage, ethereal and elusive.

He Dongchen swam to the palace gates, gazing at the enormous gates made of an unknown material. He placed his hands on the door, silently reciting a spell. After a moment, the Mermaid Palace trembled, and the giant doors slowly opened inward.

The merfolk behind him cheered with excitement.

The merpeople had settled comfortably on land, but the significance of their homeland in their hearts could never be replaced. This time, upon returning, many merfolk were eagerly anticipating, having fought among themselves to gain this opportunity.

As the palace gates opened, the group entered. He Dongchen, mindful of the library, instructed them to explore freely while he alone made his way through the crystal-clear Mermaid Palace to the library at its deepest part.

The library was surrounded by a magical membrane that blocked the seawater. As He Dongchen entered through the door, the seawater on his body evaporated instantly, leaving him feeling fresh and clean, even every strand of his hair was dry.

He Dongchen looked back and touched the membrane, finding it intriguing. The merfolk were indeed mysterious.

Without the seawater, He Dongchen’s feet touched the ground. A bit awkwardly, since his clothes always tore apart during transformation, he now felt a bit chilly. He looked around and saw a coat rack behind the door with a silver cloak hanging on it. It was made of an unknown material, spotless, likely prepared by previous clan leaders who had entered the library.

He Dongchen took the cloak, spun it around, and draped it over his shoulders. The cool, smooth material flowed easily, and the hem trailed behind him as he moved.

After fastening the cloak, He Dongchen began to examine his surroundings.

The library didn’t contain many books; just a dozen or so piled on a shelf. He reached for the book that originally held the secret method he had found and read it swiftly.

Disappointed, he closed it.

The book only described how to turn a mermaid into a human but didn’t include the method for turning a human into a mermaid.

“So it’s better to just throw it into the sea.”

He Dongchen placed the book back in place, his fingers trailing along the spines of the other books. Suddenly, he stopped at one, picking up a thin volume. The cover displayed a few simple, bold characters; ‘The Secret Method for Mermaid Survival’.

***

He Dongchen inexplicably thought of the strange sea shell from earlier and opened the book with some urgency, quickly skimming through it.

The first chapter described how merfolk could escape more quickly in dangerous situations. The second chapter explained how merfolk could signal for help when lost.

He Dongchen read several chapters in succession, finding them to be basic knowledge about merfolk culture.

He shook his head and chuckled, raising his hand to rub his brow.

Just as he was about to close the book and put it back on the shelf, a page flipped open, and a line of large characters caught his eye.

‘The Mermaid’s Sleep Method’

He Dongchen focused immediately and saw that merfolk, when gravely injured and isolated, could choose to enter a deep sleep, sealing themselves away and waiting to be awakened by their kin.

The Mermaid’s Sleep Method first required finding a sufficiently large sea shell to accommodate their body size. Just this requirement made the secret method quite impractical because the chance of encountering a giant sea shell when injured was extremely low.

Even if such a shell did appear, the difficulty of prying it open with a severely injured body was very high.

Assuming all these conditions were met, a mermaid’s sleep could last a maximum of 10 years. If they weren’t awakened by their kin within 10 years, they would die completely.

He Dongchen’s eyes flickered as he calculated the time; they had been onshore for nearly 10 years.

He read the book word for word, noted down the incantation to awaken the mermaid, and quickly left the library to gather the other mermaids and head toward the sea shell.

The other merfolk were puzzled but excited, “Leader, are we going to pry open that shell?”

He Dongchen shook his head, “It can’t be pried open.”

When a mermaid was in sleep, the sea shell couldn’t be pried open; only a kin’s incantation can unlock the seal.

After a moment of swimming, they arrived at the location. He Dongchen landed in front of the gold-dusted sea shell, placed his hand on the shell, and silently recited the incantation.

The other merfolk looked at each other in silence.

Suddenly, a golden light burst from the shell, blinding them. He Dongchen, caught off guard, raised his hand to shield his eyes. After a moment, he lowered it, and the golden light gradually faded. The shell opened a small gap, releasing a gentle white light.

The merfolk held their breaths, stretching their necks to see what precious pearl might be inside.

As the shell opened wider, its true form was revealed.

Once the white light dissipated, a mermaid was seen curled up with her tail wrapped around her. Her golden-pink tail was somewhat dull but still beautiful. Her golden wavy hair spread out, revealing pointed ears and a flawless profile. Her delicate brows were furrowed in unease, like a fragile vase, evoking a sense of protection.

The merfolk collectively gasped; she was incredibly beautiful.

He Dongchen reached out, intending to smooth the furrowed brows of the mermaid. Before he could get close, she suddenly opened her eyes, her golden gaze flashing. She bit down on He Dongchen’s wrist, showing her hostility.

The others were shocked! They reached out, trying to pry her mouth open.

“Don’t move,” He Dongchen said, stopping them. As he spoke, a drop of blood fell from his wrist onto her delicate chin. Paired with her stubborn and alert golden eyes, the scene was breathtakingly beautiful.

“Don’t be afraid, we’re here to save you,” He Dongchen tried to calm her, humming the merfolk clan’s favorite tune. Seeing that, the other merfolk joined in, their voices melodious and pleasing, like a warm current in spring, soothing the heart.

The golden-haired mermaid gradually relaxed, closed her eyes again, her brows no longer furrowed, and her lips slightly curled into a smile, as if dreaming of something beautiful.

He Dongchen sighed with relief, wiped the blood from her chin, and then looked at the deep bite marks on his wrist, shaking his head with a smile. She’s indeed fierce.

However, considering that merfolk lived in the deep sea, facing constant danger and fighting various sea creatures, they weren’t a particularly gentle race. Their beautiful appearance might make them seem harmless, but beauty didn’t equal fragility.

The sea shell was too heavy to move easily, so He Dongchen had no choice but to carry the golden-haired mermaid back to the palace.