Chapter 2464 - 2367: Annihilation of the Clan

Seeing Huo Sining’s actions, Yue Shuwen and Zhong Xiaoyao were a bit at a loss.

The gray-patterned snake over there, upon seeing Saiji being attacked, thought Huo Sining intended harm for Saiji. It reacted quickly, springing forward with a sudden strike towards Huo Sining.

Huo Sining, with her keen perception and quick reflexes, had been keeping an eye on the snake upon realizing there was something odd about it. Once she discovered it was attacking her, she didn’t have time to think further and simply waved her hand, collecting the snake into her storage ring.

"Let’s go!"

Huo Sining didn’t explain further, simply gesturing for Yue Shuwen and Zhong Xiaoyao to follow. The group first decided to find a small reef island to rest.

On the way, Huo Sining had already noticed an area not far away that had many reefs, indicating a reef belt. With various strangely-shaped reefs that seemed to float in and out of sight on the sea surface, it was a colossal underwater bomb for passing vessels but a natural barrier and ideal resting spot for them.

Soon, the three, along with Saiji, found a massive platform within the reef belt that could easily accommodate them.

The platform was located amidst a cluster of reefs, shielded on three sides by the rocks. Even if passing ships came by, they would absolutely not discover their whereabouts.

It’s not that Huo Sining was overly cautious, but she had realized during this time that the world was not entirely unaware of the existence of Jiaoren. Just the organization behind Fujiwara Seiho alone couldn’t be underestimated.

Huo Sining always preferred to avoid directly confronting enemies if possible, so being as careful as possible was always the best option. During this period, the Fujiwara Family surely sought ways to investigate Fujiwara Seiho’s cause of death, and it’s possible someone might have already taken notice of her; hence, she hoped to consider thoroughly whatever she did.

If fishing or cargo vessels passed this area now and discovered them, firstly, it would be hard to explain how a few women ended up stranded on a desolate reef island. Moreover, their relaxed demeanor and excellent condition showed no signs of shipwreck, making it easy to arouse suspicion.

Thus, it was more prudent to choose a concealed resting spot. On this platform surrounded entirely by barriers, Huo Sining didn’t need to worry about such issues unless their opponents had the power to utilize satellites to locate them.

Having spent quite a bit of time on this journey, Huo Sining and the others all felt somewhat hungry. Without much ado, Huo Sining fetched the pre-prepared meals from her storage ring and placed them on the platform, and the three began eating.

The enticing aroma of hot meals seemed too irresistible, stirring Saiji awake, who had initially been knocked unconscious by Huo Sining’s strike. She turned her head, seeing the three women gobbling down their meals, and sat up slowly, looking a bit bewildered:

"Where am I?"

Huo Sining shrugged: "A reef belt two nautical miles from the sea snake spot you found earlier. Sorry, you were agitated; I feared something might happen, so I knocked you out—a temporary measure. Hope you don’t mind!"

Saiji only then remembered the previous events. Upon thinking of the old gray snake, her eyes dimmed involuntarily, and she shook her head lightly, softly saying, "I don’t mind."

Despite saying she didn’t mind, it was apparent to Huo Sining that Saiji was deeply dejected, with her eyes swelling uncontrollably red, appearing quite sorrowful.

Seeing this, the others, who were originally eating heartily, exchanged awkward glances and felt too uncomfortable to continue eating.

Huo Sining put down her lunchbox, looking directly at Saiji:

"Perhaps I shouldn’t interfere with this matter, but considering our acquaintance, I regard you as a friend. So, let me boldly ask, what exactly happened just now?"

Saiji remained silent for a long time, and just when Huo Sining suspected she wouldn’t speak again, she unexpectedly let out a long sigh, saying softly:

"My hometown lies in a very inconspicuous corner of the Biluo Sea. The half-mermaid lineage has always struggled to propagate; by my and my brother’s generation, offspring became scarce."

"But I thought, even with significant challenges in childbearing, half-mermaids could live longer than humans. After all, it’s merely been over a thousand years. I should still be able to find our clansmen."

"The place I took you to earlier is where my hometown used to be."

"However, I couldn’t find my clansmen, because my entire family perished after encountering a massive plague."

"The entire clan was wiped out; none survived by luck."

Saiji’s voice was faint and gentle, yet one could hear the immense sorrow and despair within.

Huo Sining, Yue Shuwen, and Zhong Xiaoyao exchanged stunned looks, each shocked by the unexpected turn of events.

"A plague, what kind of plague would wipe out an entire clan? What exactly happened? Also, how do you know it was caused by a plague?"

Saiji lifted her head, looking at Huo Sining:

"Earlier, you should have seen the blood spell I used; it’s one of the ancestral magic left behind by my forebears. Only a few in the clan could receive the magic legacy, as it relies on talent and understanding. Back then, I was young, but due to my decent talent, my grandmother taught me everything she knew."

"Unfortunately, I was only able to master thirty percent of my grandmother’s power before being captured by Ge Zhichuan upon reaching adulthood."

"That blood spell is used to communicate with other sea species."

"I inquired along the way with sea creatures, which led me to my hometown."

"But most fish get replaced every decade or so; they only knew the approximate location of my home, but none had any information on my clansmen."

"That’s why I tracked here, but what I didn’t expect was seeing desolate ruins instead of the familiar scenes in my dreams."

"In fact, upon seeing those ruins, I already had a bad feeling. Yet, I clung to some hope, thinking perhaps they collectively migrated to another sea region."

"However, upon seeing Grandfather Jiashu, he shattered my illusions. He told me my clansmen succumbed to a plague, and he witnessed them one by one falling ill and dying."