“The Ten Fairy-Tales of Hua Yong” – The Mermaid (Reunion): He thought Hua Yong was a banished mermaid, never realizing he was in fact a king pursuing his mate.
“That catch was a gift from Heaven!”
Anyone who had taken part in—or even merely heard about—the haul could not help saying so.
They were not wrong.
It was indeed a present from fate. Anyone who had laid eyes on the thing itself would sigh that it was more than a worldly reward—it was nothing short of divine craftsmanship.
As the most outstanding young leader on land, Sheng Shaoyou froze for a full three seconds the first time he saw that masterpiece.
It was kept in an enormous aquarium. The special-grade bullet-proof glass was so thick it dulled the clarity, yet brilliant, lavish lights inside illuminated picture-perfect coral and reef; water-weeds a vivid, luminous green drifted lazily, and countless tiny, fluorescent, rainbow-hued fish blew bubbles in the crystalline water.
At the center of the tank stood a gigantic shell-bed, its nacre gleaming like a luxury lacquer finish. Scattered around the flared shell lay flawless, snowy pearls—each one worthy of a top-tier auction.
The entire tank was like a miniature ocean. Even the most seasoned fishermen had never seen so many deep-sea creatures alive at once.
By all common sense, those radiant deep-sea fish and the delicate coral should have perished the instant they left their native depths—beauty as fleeting as late-autumn blossoms, gone with a single gust.
Strangely, they now thrived, shining under the spotlights atop the tank, creatures that had never been suited to the land.
If those dazzling corals and fish were stars in the sky, then the youth reclining at the very center of the shell-bed was the blazing sun.
His brilliance outshone the fantastical scenery; not even the thick bullet-proof glass could dim that beauty. Immersed in the clear water, eyes closed, the spotlight turned his hair a shade near dark tea as it rippled, making his pale face even whiter—like the most precious piece of white porcelain salvaged from a thousand-year-old shipwreck.
The young man’s naked upper body was gracefully proportioned: shoulders of just-right breadth, a slim waist—perfect as a classical Greek sculpture from an art studio.
This Omega was inhumanly beautiful, Sheng Shaoyou thought.
Rousing from his brief daze, his gaze drifted down the youth’s slender torso and halted at the foot of the shell-bed. His pupils contracted slightly—there were no legs. Instead, a massive tail spilled over the shell’s edge, the tip hanging limp.
That tail was translucent, like blue glass overlaid with scales, and it was shackled by a heavy chain.
Staring hard, Sheng Shaoyou finally saw it clearly: near the lower section many scales were missing, as if savagely scraped off with something sharp. Around the wound was a small patch of dark-blue skin, and with each faint twitch of the tail-tip, a little blue liquid seeped out.
“That’s his blood.”
Noticing Sheng Shaoyou’s change in expression, the marine-biology expert beside him hurried to explain: “Our preliminary studies show this creature’s blood has extraordinary purification properties. This water hasn’t been changed in over a month, yet it shows no sign of clouding—in fact, it grows ever clearer. We’ve run several tests: whatever we add to the tank is rapidly broken down into natural seawater, even strong acids or alkalis. As long as he’s here, the microbial balance, cleanliness—even the pH—remain in a delicate equilibrium. It’s simply incredible!”
Excitement sparkled in the expert’s eyes. Immersed in his own world, he failed to notice the faint disapproval on the young leader’s face and went on: “Moreover, we suspect his abilities go far beyond purification! Look—everything dredged up with him was already dead. Yet when we injured his tail during capture—there, that dark-blue patch—”
“He was hurt?” Sheng Shaoyou cut in softly, halting the torrent of words.
The expert sneaked a glance at the powerful youth’s profile. Seeing the usual unreadable calm, he nodded. “Yes. Don’t be fooled by that fragile, harmless appearance—it took tremendous effort to net him.”
He proceeded to recount the entire capture in detail.
“It began with local fishermen in that area. They said a mermaid seemed lost and was often seen near the rocky shore.”
Sheng Shaoyou remembered that seaside city. More than ten years ago he had vacationed there with his father, Sheng Fang—the previous leader. His father’s partner had no fondness for him, and Sheng Shaoyou had almost drowned in those nearshore whirlpools, saved only by a passing tourist—hence his vivid memory of the place.
“After numerous reports, a sub-sea survey vessel patrolled the zone. It was supposed to be a routine sweep—few believed they would see a real mermaid in their lifetime. Such creatures were confined to fairy-tales. And yet—we detected him!”
The expert would never forget his own shock and awe at that first sight.
He burst from the sea, the enormous tail carving a powerful arc; every droplet shaken onto the deck bloomed into a luminous Victoria-jellyfish teeming with life.
He seemed a deity ruling the ocean, swimming from sapphire water onto land, bringing to the greedy, cunning bipeds ashore an incomparable wonder and splendor.
“Tranquilizers and narcotics were useless. We barely subdued him with high-voltage electricity and underwater armor-piercing rounds.” The expert paused, then flattered with a smile, “But there’s a widely-circulated tale among the soldiers.”
“—They say you captured this mermaid indirectly.”
Sheng Shaoyou turned his head; the handsome young face was cool and impassive. “Oh? Is that so?”
“Yes,” the expert said. “One navy soldier wore a pendant carved with your likeness. When the creature saw your face, he suddenly stopped struggling and was struck by a laser harpoon, allowing us to haul him ashore.”