[World 04] - 01

 in

a Famous Fishing Village.

Xi Long had just turned eighteen. At the crack of dawn, he grabbed his bucket and tools and ran outside. His mother, already up, called after him, "Come back early! Go work on the fishing boat with your father."

Xi Long hummed in response.

His family had been fishing for generations, but he didn't like it. His parents, however, hoped he would inherit the family business.

Xi Long was quiet, outwardly showing no resistance, but he studied harder than anyone else. He was intelligent and had been accepted into a top university in the capital. After this summer vacation, he could finally escape this place, escape the endless fishy smell.

As usual, he went to the nearby beach to look for razor clams, not because he liked them, but because he found them interesting.

After catching half a bucket, Xi Long planned to catch crabs.

But just then, in the shallow waters not far away, Xi Long saw a school of fish that he would never normally see. The fish swam towards him, gathering together.

Very strange.

A serious expression appeared on Xi Long's handsome face, tanned bronze by the daily sun exposure.

Something unusual must be going on.

He planned to go home and tell his father.

But every few steps he took, the fish followed, becoming restless. When Xi Long looked over, they would collectively point in one direction.

Xi Long suddenly understood.

The fish were guiding him. Although he didn't know why, he was young and followed the direction the fish were swimming, passing the beach and reefs.

The strangest thing was that the others who had come early to find seafood, like Xi Long, seemed not to see the fish. Xi Long seemed thoughtful but didn't stop.

Finally, he followed the fish to the other side of the beach, a place rarely visited, with caves of various sizes. After bending down to avoid sharp rocks, Xi Long finally saw the fish stop swimming.

In the dark and quiet caves, only the faint reflection of the water shone.

But Xi Long's night vision was excellent; he saw the human stranded at the boundary between the beach and the sea almost immediately.

He lay motionless on the sand, his white skin almost glowing.

Xi Long's heart tightened, and he rushed forward to try and help, but the closer he got, the less he could lift his feet. Finally, Xi Long almost lost all ability to move, his breathing becoming weak, as if afraid of disturbing something.

He saw a "human" lying on the beach, its face obscured, connected to a long, beautiful pink fishtail. Xi Long had never seen such a beautiful tail; even the most expensive ornamental fish in the fish farm couldn't compare to it.

The bucket fell from his hands with a clatter, scattering clams on the sand, but Xi Long couldn't spare a second thought.

As if startled by the sound, the "human" moved, slowly raising its head to reveal a breathtakingly beautiful face that bewitched Xi Long at first glance.

Xi Long forgot everything—the turbulent emotions surging within him at the sight of the mermaid, and even his usual wariness. He walked over, mesmerized, and embraced the mermaid.

The mermaid struggled, her sharp claws tearing at Xi Long's cheek, drawing blood. Xi Long, however, felt no pain; his eyes were fixed, as if he wanted to meld the mermaid into his own body.

Soon, the mermaid inexplicably lost her strength, letting out mournful, heart-wrenching cries. Her beautiful voice possessed a magical power, completely robbing Xi Long of his reason.

His eyes finally moved, looking at the mermaid's tail, where pale pink blood flowed. Beside the wound clung tightly to the black octopus tentacles, their suckers clinging firmly to the scales.

This was the source of the mermaid's suffering.

In a daze, Xi Long also felt immense sorrow. He carefully lowered the mermaid into the water, then waded into the sea, one hand on the tail, the other mercilessly tearing at the octopus tentacles.

Xi Long's muscles were massive, not the kind of fake strength developed through training, but the solid muscles honed through years of hard work. He was powerful, yet it still took him some time to tear off the octopus tentacle. Only when he did he notice a moving eye on the tentacle, its pupil a deep red, staring intently at him as if he were the person he hated most.

Xi Long wasn't afraid; the events of the day had been bizarre enough. He forcefully threw the tentacle into the deepest part of the cave.

Having done all this, Xi Long turned to the mermaid as if seeking praise.

But upon meeting those beast-like green eyes, his breath caught in his throat.

"...My name is Xi Long," Xi Long suddenly spoke, not caring whether the mermaid could understand him.

He stubbornly repeated, "My name is Xi Long, remember that."

Then Xi Long picked up the mermaid. She wasn't light, but Xi Long didn't care. He carried her to a puddle in the cave, a puddle connected to the sea, flowing, but the opening was too small for the mermaid to leave. Only then did Xi Long feel relieved. He solemnly promised the mermaid lying in the water, "I'll be right back."

Then he turned and ran away. He had never run so fast before, afraid that if he was even a little slower, the mermaid would disappear.

Xi Long's mother had just finished making breakfast when she saw Xi Long dash into the storage room like the wind. Before she could say anything, he was gone again.

"...Why are you in such a hurry?"

When he ran back to the cave, the mermaid was still there.

Xi Long's heart relaxed. He ran to the mermaid, grabbed her tail, and poured all the best medicine he had at home onto her wounds, then wrapped it with gauze.

"It will be alright," Xi Long hoped.

The mermaid was in much better spirits than when he first appeared. He braced himself with his hands, as if trying to get closer to Xi Long. Xi Long immediately moved closer and felt a soft touch on his cheek.

The mermaid was licking the congealed blood from the wound on his face.

Xi Long's breathing became rapid. He used a great deal of strength to suppress the urge to cup the mermaid and kiss him. He asked, "You like blood?"

His voice was extremely hoarse.

Almost the instant the words left his mouth, the mermaid, who had just been licking the blood, suddenly opened his mouth and bit Xi Long's cheek, tearing off a piece of flesh.

"Hiss—!" Xi Long subconsciously moved away from the mermaid, but looking at the mermaid's blood-stained lips and innocent expression, he suddenly felt no pain. He asked, "Do you really like it?"

"Are you hungry?"

The mermaid tilted his head, his long, waterfall-like hair cascading down his shoulders, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin. His water-soaked hair clung to his skin like a winding snake, exuding an eerie and astonishing beauty.

Xi Long laughed, "Okay, you don't understand what I'm saying."

"I'll catch you some fish."

Catching them fresh was too slow, so Xi Long went home and picked out the freshest fish from his catch. He brought them back to the cave, and the mermaid sniffed them a few times before taking a few bites.

During this time, Xi Long noticed the mermaid's sharp teeth, each one like a small triangle, incredibly cute.

He wanted to reach out and touch them, but the mermaid looked at him warily. Xi Long stopped and reassured her, "I won't do anything bad to you."

After the mermaid finished eating, she ignored Xi Long, leaving him somewhat disappointed. He could only repeat his name in the mermaid's ear again and again.

"Xi Long, Xi—Long—, my name, this is my name."

For some reason, Xi Long always felt that the mermaid possessed the ability to speak, even though she didn't.

It didn't matter; Xi Long could wait, until the day the mermaid was willing to speak to him.

Every minute spent with the mermaid was so blissful. Soon, the sun set, and he heard his parents calling him from afar. Xi Long reluctantly said goodbye to the mermaid: "Don't run away, I'll come see you during the day." The

mermaid stirred the water, but didn't react.

Xi Long felt incredibly oppressed. He ran out of the cave and to his parents, but his blood-covered face frightened them. Xi Long explained that he had slipped on the rocks.

This happened often; his parents gave him a light slap, telling him to be careful next time.

When the moon reached its zenith, Xi Long, who should have been asleep, opened his eyes. He still couldn't let go of the mermaid. He got out of bed, took some frozen tuna, and, with a lamp in hand, returned to the cave.

The mermaid lay in the water, seemingly asleep, and Xi Long sat beside her, watching.

Looking at the mermaid's exquisite sleeping face, Xi Long felt his heart melt.

But after staring for a while, Xi Long sensed something was wrong. He hurriedly helped the mermaid up, only to find her face pale and bloodless, clearly unconscious.

"What should I do... what should I do?" Xi Long panicked, his eyes reddening.

[He needs human flesh.]

A cold voice echoed in Xi Long's mind.

"..." In a daze, Xi Long suddenly knew clearly how to save the mermaid. He pulled out a knife and, without hesitation, slashed his own arm, cutting a piece of flesh.

The pain made Xi Long's veins bulge, but he didn't blink, forcibly stuffing the bloody piece of flesh into the mermaid's soft, jelly-like mouth.

Then, visibly, the mermaid regained her color.

But it wasn't enough; the mermaid's injuries couldn't be healed by this little bit of flesh. The mermaid's eyes were still tightly closed, her long, thick eyelashes trembling, stirring Xi Long's heart.

But continuing to feed her was something Xi Long himself couldn't bear.

Xi Long, having thought of something, made up his mind.

Late at night, on the hill behind the fishing village, Xi Long dug with a shovel. This was where the village buried unidentified bodies. The village was near the ocean, and occasionally bodies would wash ashore. They were usually handed over to the police station to be claimed, and if no one claimed them within a month, they would be buried.

This particular body had been buried recently.

Xi Long dug for a long time, finally unearthing a handsome man. Xi Long didn't care about that; he cut off chunks of flesh with a knife, buried the body again, and held the flesh in his arms.

"That's enough, this should be enough."

Large chunks of flesh entered the mermaid's belly, and Xi Long's eyes grew brighter.

Finally, the mermaid opened her eyes; her green pupils shone brilliantly in the moonlight, and her lips were soaked with blood, vividly red.

Xi Long was mesmerized.

Finally, Xi Long watched the mermaid fall asleep on the beach, and when she awoke again, it was already dawn. The mermaid was still fast asleep, and Xi Long couldn't bear to disturb him. Moreover, when he came to his senses, the pain in his arm was unbearable

. Having no other choice, Xi Long went to the hospital early in the morning. For the next few days, Xi Long almost never went home, lying that he was out playing with classmates. He stayed by the mermaid's side day and night, only

leaving the cave to catch fish for her and to feed her. This day, as usual, Xi Long rushed back to the mermaid's side after finishing his meal.

But as soon as he entered the cave, he saw a tall, unfamiliar man standing before the mermaid. Xi Long's eyelids twitched, and he said coldly, "Who are you?"

The man turned and glanced at Xi Long, a single glance that almost made Xi Long jump, giving him goosebumps.

Because the man before him was none other than the corpse Xi Long had cut flesh from that night.

But now, not only was he alive, but the missing flesh was also completely intact.

The man looked mature and handsome. He said to Xi Long, "Thank you for taking care of my wife. Now I should take her away."

This sentence drew Xi Long's attention. He asked, "Your wife?"

"Haven't you been spending time with her?" The man looked at the mermaid with tender eyes as he said this. He said, "My wife, Jiang Nian."

"We've been separated for too long. It's time to reunite."

The man was telling the truth, and Xi Long immediately realized what was happening.

But…

no—

he couldn't take the mermaid away; she was his… hers.

When he came to his senses, the man had already been smashed on the head by Xi Long with a stone, lying motionless on the ground, bleeding profusely. This was Xi Long's first time killing someone, and he wasn't even sure if the man was human, but he was still afraid. However, more than that, he was terrified that the mermaid would be taken away by the man.

How could this be?

He gasped for breath, sweat dripping from the corners of his eyes. Then, Xi Long closed his eyes, his hand trembling, and smashed the stone into the man's head again.

Blood splattered.

Again and again.

Xi Long only stopped moving when the mermaid grabbed his arm. He said apologetically to the mermaid, whose blood had splattered on him, "...I'm sorry, I startled you."

"Niannian."

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