Chapter 31 - 30: By the Way, Our Big Sis is a Bit Changeable

Xiong Jiaojiao hadn’t been abducted for long, but finding her still took a great deal of time.

An unremarkable cliff overlooked a turbulent, churning sea.

The Xiong Jiaojiao before them was completely unrecognizable. Her animal hide clothes were gone, replaced by a form-fitting dress made of leaves.

Her ears were long and pointed—a distinct characteristic of the Elf race.

Countless thick, long vines extended from her back, and without exception, each was skewering a Beastman.

Her eyes... were red. Unnaturally so. It was as if she had lost her mind.

The pair landed on the cliff. Chu Liangyu saw that the leader was there too, but he lay dead at Xiong Jiaojiao’s feet.

’Things went about as I guessed, but why did Xiong Jiaojiao become like this?’

Chu Liangyu didn’t approach, instead watching her and calling out tentatively, "Xiong Jiaojiao!"

Instantly, it was as if a switch had been flipped. The red in Xiong Jiaojiao’s eyes flickered like an unstable signal before finally returning to black.

"Sister Liangyu?"

She seemed uncertain at first, but after a moment, Xiong Jiaojiao broke into a wide smile. "Sister Liangyu, look! I got my revenge!"

The vines retracted into her body. Xiong Jiaojiao pointed at the Beastman on the ground, showing Chu Liangyu, looking overjoyed.

Chu Liangyu’s expression softened, and she congratulated her sincerely. "I can’t believe you got revenge all by yourself. That’s amazing!"

Xiong Jiaojiao’s eyes flickered, and the faint glint of tears welled up.

Seeing her looking both happy and sad, Chu Liangyu didn’t know what to say. She wanted to go over and pull her back.

’Standing on the cliff’s edge is too dangerous. Something feels wrong.’

"Female Master, wait. What if she’s faking it?"

Feng Qiwu grabbed Chu Liangyu’s sleeve. The arrogance on his face was gone, replaced by a wary vigilance as he stared intently at Xiong Jiaojiao.

"She wouldn’t."

’Xiong Jiaojiao swore an oath to the Beast God. Regardless of whether she lost her sanity, a contract bound her, preventing her from acting recklessly.’

Feng Qiwu, however, didn’t know this. He just felt that Chu Liangyu was being too trusting.

He grabbed her again and said, "We’ll go together."

Chu Liangyu nodded. She was about to say something when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a hand reach for Xiong Jiaojiao, seemingly intending to push her into the sea while she was off guard.

Chu Liangyu’s heart leaped into her throat. "Watch out!" she screamed.

Shoving Feng Qiwu out of her way, Chu Liangyu scrambled forward.

But she was too late. With a look of pure confusion in her eyes, Xiong Jiaojiao fell from the cliff.

Furious and frantic, Chu Liangyu viciously plunged her dagger into the man’s neck, delivering the finishing blow before leaping after Xiong Jiaojiao without a second thought.

"Female Master!"

Feng Qiwu transformed into a Phoenix and dove after them, but they were falling too fast. He couldn’t reach them in time.

He could only circle above the surface of the sea, watching as they plunged into the depths.

The moment she hit the water, the trident on her wrist dissolved into a ball of white light that enveloped her entire body.

A moment later, the white light faded.

It was then that Chu Liangyu noticed something extraordinary: her legs had merged into a fish tail.

Its pale green scales seemed almost transparent in the water. At the same time, her upper body was now clad in the attire of a Mermaid.

It all happened so suddenly. Chu Liangyu was stunned for only an instant before she quickly gained control of her new body.

Her speed instantly increased, and she swam toward Xiong Jiaojiao.

Her movements were light and natural, as if she were a true Mermaid.

’The Wood Spirit Clan doesn’t need air, but they can’t swim. If I don’t save her, she’ll just sink to the seabed.’

’If she were to run into any fish that fed on seaweed, she would end up just like it.’

The deeper they went, the lower the visibility became.

Whether in her original world or the Beast World, the ocean had always been a place of mystery and danger.

Chu Liangyu knew this, of course, so she didn’t slow down. On the contrary, she swam faster and faster.

Just as she was closing the distance between them, the world around them plunged into darkness.

They had reached the deep sea. Chu Liangyu’s heart sank.

’Now that I’m a Mermaid, can I speak underwater?’

Chu Liangyu tentatively tried to speak. "Xiong Jiaojiao, can you hear me?"

BLUB... BLUB... Other than a few bubbles that escaped her mouth at first, Chu Liangyu could speak normally.

"I can hear you."

A moment later, Xiong Jiaojiao’s voice responded.

Without another word, Chu Liangyu followed the sound of the voice.

They kept talking to pinpoint each other’s location until, finally, Chu Liangyu caught Xiong Jiaojiao’s arm.

Xiong Jiaojiao finally stopped sinking. She patted her chest, a wave of relief washing over the lingering fear.

"Sister Liangyu, thank goodness you’re here. Otherwise, I would’ve died in this pitch-black abyss."

"It’s alright. We should head up first, before we run into any more trouble."

Xiong Jiaojiao agreed, and Chu Liangyu began pulling her upward.

Even though it was pitch black all around them, Xiong Jiaojiao couldn’t resist glancing back.

That one glance was enough. She discovered something and immediately pulled Chu Liangyu to a halt.

"Sister Liangyu, there’s a palace down there."

"It’s so dark, how could you..."

Chu Liangyu was about to ask how she could possibly see anything in the dark, but the moment she turned around, she understood.

The palace was emitting a multicolored glow that illuminated the surrounding deep-sea region. It was impossible to miss.

"Should we go take a look?" Xiong Jiaojiao asked, her voice a mixture of desire and hesitation.

Chu Liangyu was silent for a moment before nodding. "Let’s go."

’Besides, I’m not the same as I was before, and even Xiong Jiaojiao can protect herself now.’

’This palace might hold some treasure. It’s worth the risk.’

Chu Liangyu led the way and they swam back down. The light from the palace illuminated them both.

Xiong Jiaojiao immediately noticed Chu Liangyu’s transformation and began to stutter. "S-Sister Liangyu, how did you become a Mermaid?"

Xiong Jiaojiao had seen Chu Liangyu’s beast form; she remembered her having wings. How could she now be a Mermaid?

Chu Liangyu had no idea what wild thoughts were running through Xiong Jiaojiao’s mind. She continued to survey the palace as she explained, "I obtained a trident. This is its power."

"Oh, I see."

’So it wasn’t what I thought.’ Xiong Jiaojiao couldn’t quite put her finger on the feeling, but she felt it wasn’t that simple.

"Let’s go inside."

The palace was made of jade. It was incredible, but true.

Chu Liangyu stared for a long time but couldn’t figure out where the light was coming from.

The moment they entered, Chu Liangyu felt a sudden warmth. It was very comfortable.

They headed straight for the most magnificent chamber, only to find it completely bare.

"This... Sister Liangyu, look at this."

Xiong Jiaojiao was standing at the entrance to another room, staring at something inside.

When Chu Liangyu walked over, she discovered some kind of barrier blocking the doorway.

She reached out and pushed. The barrier gave way like soft jelly, but she couldn’t pass through.

"Who are you?"

Suddenly, an enlarged face pressed up against the barrier. Startled, both Chu Liangyu and Xiong Jiaojiao jumped back several steps.

"What’s it to you? Who are you, skulking around playing ghost!"

"Are you an idiot? You come into my palace and ask who I am."

The voice was youthful yet full of energy. It had to be a young man.

The voice seemed familiar. An idea sparked in Chu Liangyu’s mind.

’Could he be...?’