No one expected Skylar Yule to win the embroidered ball and become the royal consort. Now that the result was set in stone, the rest could only leave disappointed.
Many were unwilling to accept it, but none dared provoke him—messing with him meant messing with the Mermaid Princess, and that would get you hunted down by the whole city.
Evan Chu and Skylar soon walked out, spotting Selena, Luna Chu, and Joan He waiting for them.
Luna Chu rushed over and asked, "Evan, did you succeed? I knew you’d pull it off!"
Evan Chu grinned and said, "You really are something—guess you fit that old saying about ‘big chest, no brains.’ Too bad I wasn’t picked, but your beloved Skylar got the beauty in the end."
The three women were stunned—none of them had expected Skylar Yule to become the royal consort, especially Luna Chu, whose face was full of disbelief as she stared at Skylar, hoping for an explanation.
(Author’s Note: Been super busy these days, updates are weak, but things will settle down soon—thanks for understanding, readers!)
Seeing Luna Chu’s expression, Skylar Yule felt a pang of guilt, but didn’t know how to explain. After all, they’d just started to develop feelings for each other, and this sudden marriage would be hard for anyone to accept.
"Luna, don’t be so suspicious—Skylar couldn’t help it. The embroidered ball actually landed in my hands first, but it had a powerful attack force I couldn’t withstand, so I tossed it to my big brother. Who knew he’d be fine? Maybe it’s just fate between him and the Mermaid Princess," Evan Chu explained.
"I’m not mad, so why are you explaining all this to me? Whoever he marries is none of my business," Luna Chu retorted at once.
"Now that things are settled, let’s at least go drink some of that hard-won wedding wine. Otherwise, we’d look downright rude," Evan Chu laughed.
"I’ll skip it. Lots of people in the palace know me—better to wait back at the residence for the sake of my sect master identity. Whether you get the Goldscale Coat or not is up to you," Joan He said.
Then Evan Chu and the other three entered the Mermaid Kingdom’s palace, while Joan He left on her own.
Evan Chu entered the palace without any trouble. He saw plenty of humans inside, and the whole place was decked out with lanterns and joy everywhere.
Soon, someone led Evan Chu’s group into a resplendent great hall. A merfolk palace maid said to Skylar Yule, "Consort, please come with me to change clothes. The Princess is ready, and the wedding will begin soon."
Evan Chu glanced at the palace maid—she was quite pretty, with no ear fins like most merfolk, but a couple of delicate scales at the corners of her eyes, which made her look even more charming.
Skylar Yule looked a bit embarrassed as he said to the group, "Wait here, I’ll be right back!" Then he followed the maid out of the hall.
"Evan, why did the Mermaid Princess choose such a bloody husband-selection method? Does she have some hidden motive?" Luna Chu asked.
"You think I don’t know what’s on your mind? Don’t forget his status—it’s normal for him to have multiple wives and concubines. Even I’m in that boat, so how much more so him? If you keep getting jealous, it’ll only make him dislike you.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you—if he dumps you one day, don’t come crying to me. I’m not helping you!" Evan Chu said.
"If he ever dares treat me like that, I’ll just castrate him myself—make sure he never touches another woman! You think Luna Chu is someone you can mess with?" Luna Chu snapped, her face full of fury.
Evan Chu and Selena were both stunned by her outburst. They hadn’t expected her to be such a she-tyrant. If Skylar Yule didn’t treat her right, he was in for a world of pain—they couldn’t help but worry for him.
Just then, several richly dressed figures entered from outside. Evan Chu recognized the Mermaid King right away—and saw that the item he wanted was on the King’s body.
Beside him stood a woman of regal bearing. Though she was middle-aged, she looked no older than thirty, with no merfolk features on her face.
"Greetings to the King and Queen!" Evan Chu and the other two immediately saluted.
"No need for formality. You’re friends of the royal consort, so you’re honored guests of the Mermaid Kingdom. Just being here proves we’re truly fated to meet," said the Mermaid King.
"Claire’s embroidered-ball husband-selection wasn’t her choice. Everyone knows my daughter is the Mermaid Kingdom’s greatest beauty and a powerful cultivator, but few realize she’s endured suffering thousands of times worse than others," the Mermaid Queen explained.
The three looked at the Queen in puzzlement, hoping she’d explain further.
The Mermaid Queen continued, "It’s not a secret—many nobles and ministers know. Ever since Claire was a child, she’s had a strange illness that flares up every full-moon night. The pain is unbearable.
On full-moon nights, scales grow all over her body, her whole form changes, and especially her legs—they fuse together and slowly turn into a fish tail.
That process is the most painful part. We’re called merfolk, but we aren’t truly fish—just some of us have fish-like traits, which is how we got the name.
It was a bizarre situation, but Evan Chu wasn’t surprised; he’d seen even stranger things, like the Sword Spirit Luna bound to him.
Luna Chu was different—she got worked up as soon as she heard it. "Your Majesty, what does the Princess’s illness have to do with picking a consort?"
The Mermaid King glanced at everyone and said, "Of course it’s related. After Claire turned twenty, only a man who can withstand the Spirit-Sealing Stone’s attack can help cure her strange condition.
Actually, it’s not really an illness—it’s an extreme Yin poison. Only by slowly purging it through Yin–Yang dual cultivation can it be removed over time.
Of course, it can’t be cured all at once—only tiny amounts can be removed each time, so the harm to the consort is minimized. But if the man’s constitution is weak, it could be life-threatening."
Evan Chu’s face fell when he heard this. He immediately protested, "So you’re risking the consort’s life? Treating human life like a joke!"
"That’s exactly why the Queen and I came to tell you. If anything happens to your friend, the Mermaid Kingdom prides itself on courtesy—we don’t want this marriage to sour relations," said the Mermaid King.
"No way, I won’t let my brother take that risk! Your Majesty, the embroidered ball was actually mine first. I couldn’t marry the Princess for my own reasons, so I passed it to my elder brother," Evan Chu said at once.
"Kid, you finally admit it. I knew when you caught the ball, but I was curious why your friend was unharmed. Did you seal the Spirit-Sealing Stone’s energy?" the Mermaid King asked.
Selena and Luna Chu looked at Evan Chu in confusion—they hadn’t expected this twist at all…