"You've said all this, but what do you really mean? Let's not beat around the bush—just tell us everything that's on your mind! Of course, we've got plenty of questions for you to answer as well!" Evan Chu couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up.
"Dad, is what you said true? I'm not your real daughter? You're my uncle?" Mina, the mermaid girl, choked out the words, her eyes misting over as tears threatened to fall.
Most people couldn't accept something like this, and the fact that Mina was still sitting here was impressive. But Evan Chu understood—her heart must be aching, aching beyond words.
"Mina, this is the absolute truth. If your uncle hadn't met these two benefactors, maybe this secret would have stayed buried forever. I know it's cruel, but facts are facts—I can't hide it any longer. If something happened to me, how could I face your parents?" the middle-aged man said.
"I don't believe it! I don't believe any of this—you're my dad! You'll always be my dad!" Mina finally lost control and broke down crying.
At that moment, the middle-aged man's face was streaked with muddy tears. In his heart, he'd long seen Mina as his real daughter, but he couldn't be selfish—he had to tell her the truth, even if she couldn't forgive him.
"Mina, I know this is hard for you to accept. But right now, I'm the only family you have left in this world. If you're not my daughter, who is? The reason I'm telling you all this, revealing your origins, is because you need to return to the North Sea Domain Palace."
"You are the Young Lord of the North Sea Domain Palace. The responsibility to revive the palace falls on you—do you understand?" the middle-aged man said.
Mina slowly stopped crying. As hard as it was to accept, she knew she had to face it. "I guess I'm just going to disappoint you, Dad. I was born a waste, I can't cultivate at all. Even if I go back to the North Sea Domain Palace, I'll just be laughed at. Why should I bring shame to the Domain Lord's name? I'd rather not go!
I liked my old peaceful life. It was tough, but every day I was happy. I don't want any more pressure on me."
"This is your duty, and you have to fulfill it. Who told you you're a waste? If you can undo the energy seal your mother placed inside you, I believe you'll become a rare genius in the Sea Regions. Even without a shred of Divine Power, you already grew two human legs—no Merfolk has ever done that before." the middle-aged man said.
Evan Chu and Silver Dragon were both startled. They'd thought Mina was just a useless mermaid too. But Evan realized he and Mina had a lot in common: he couldn't awaken the remnant power in his body, while Mina couldn't unseal the energy within hers. Once that power was released, her cultivation would soar.
"Alright, let's not just sit here talking. Let's eat and chat, or the food and wine will get cold!" Evan Chu interrupted.
Mina immediately filled Evan Chu's, the middle-aged man's, and Silver Dragon's cups to the brim. "Let me toast our two benefactors first—thank you for saving my dad! I have nothing to repay you with, but if you ever need my help, just ask. I may be weak, but I'll do whatever I can!"
"Mina, you're too modest. There are plenty of things we might need your help with! Saving your dad was just a small favor, so don't worry about it," Evan Chu replied.
He'd wanted to say 'your uncle,' but worried it might upset her, so he swallowed the words and simply drained his cup in one go.
"I've told you the truth, so I'd like you two to be honest with me as well. Who are you, really? I know you're not true Sea-Clan from the Sea Regions. Of course, most people wouldn't be able to tell, not even the Dominion Lords. But I'm different.
The strong sea qi on you is actually absorbed from other Sea-Clan, not natural. My nose is extremely sensitive—I can tell all kinds of scents. From you, I smell the aura of an ancient divine beast, and it's the scent of a dragon. Am I right?" the middle-aged man asked.
Evan Chu was genuinely shocked. Their disguise was perfect, yet this man saw right through it. Clearly, he wasn't just anyone. "You really know the Dragon Clan? Have dragons ever appeared in the Sea Regions?" Evan didn't answer directly but threw the question back.
"Of course I've seen them. The Sea Dragon Clan are the true rulers of the Sea Regions. There are six major powers here—four are the Sea Domain Palaces in the east, south, west, and north. At the center is the Sea Dragon Clan's territory, called the Sea Dragon Hall.
Every hundred years, the four Domain Lords pay tribute to Sea Dragon Hall. Otherwise, with the Hall's strength, any one of the palaces could be wiped out. Rumor has it the Sea Dragon Hall Master has already broken through to the God-Venerable Realm, but no one has actually seen him—so it's hard to say for sure," the middle-aged man explained.
Evan Chu hadn't expected there to be dragons in the Sea Regions too. He wondered if the Sea Dragons were the same as the land's Dragon Clan, and whether his Primordial Dragon identity would matter here. But hearing the Hall Master was a God-Venerable, he could only grit his teeth and endure. Against a powerhouse like that, he had no chance. Maybe the mysterious expert who killed the North Sea Domain Lord had that kind of strength.
All these thoughts Evan Chu kept buried in his heart. "We're not natives of the Sea Regions—we ended up here by accident. We came to this city just to find a way out. I've heard there's a powerful barrier between the sea and the land. If I can find the entrance, I can return. Do you know where it is?"
"Just as I guessed—you must be from the land. You probably entered some kind of space and ended up in the Sea Regions. But leaving is incredibly difficult. No one knows where the barrier's entrance is. It seems some great power deliberately hid it.
Any space here could be the entrance, but breaking through is nearly impossible. Even with God-Venerable strength, you might not succeed! Unless you stumble into another special space and get sent back. But the Sea Regions' spatial fabric is extremely tough to tear open, so you should be prepared!" the middle-aged man warned.
Evan Chu's heart sank. If what the man said was true, getting back would be far harder than he'd hoped. But he refused to give up—if that mysterious expert could escape, so could he!
"Young master, don't overthink it! We'll deal with the future when it comes. For now, let's drink—it's been ages since we had any wine, and tonight we should drink our fill!" Silver Dragon said with a hearty laugh.