Chapter 309: A Scourge for a Thousand Years
Sixteen little Merfolk.
Yu An thought of the sixteen Shark Pearls from the Mist Forest. The numbers matched up perfectly.
’The lake only contained the Shark Pearls of Merfolk who had died young, not their bones. Could it be that these sixteen little skeletons are them?’
While she was pondering this, Xiao Yu had already touched each one in turn, and their legs all transformed into fish tails.
When the other skeletons saw this, they actually revealed a hint of... affection?
The skeletons stopped running around wildly, and the scattered piles of bones were reassembled with the help of Han Fengyun and Han Xiaoyun.
Since the skeletons couldn’t speak and weren’t very lucid, Yu An couldn’t learn their origins from them.
However, based on the sixteen little Merfolk skeletons, she guessed this group of skeletons might have come from the Beastman World.
She recalled that opening the stone house passage between the Beastman Continent and the Beast God Continent required a large blood sacrifice each time.
Beastmen were drained of their blood and died in the Mist Forest, their bodies vanishing without a trace. At least, no one had ever seen their remains.
Just as she was speculating, the skeletons suddenly parted to make way for a skeleton with a fish tail for a lower body, which floated over.
It saw Xiao Yu, and then the little Merfolk whose tails had been restored. The frantic aura around it grew gentle.
Unlike the other skeletons, it had over a dozen Shark Pearls of different colors where its heart should be.
"Young... Young Master."
The skeleton hadn’t spoken in a very long time and had almost lost the ability to speak. Its voice was hoarse, and it struggled just to utter those two words.
Yu An was pleasantly surprised. ’As long as they can communicate, it’s fine.’
She already had an army of skeletons in her space and didn’t mind adding a few dozen more, so Yu An sent them all inside.
The talking Merfolk skeleton received some special treatment. Yu An had someone dig a pool for it and diluted some Divine Spring Water for it to soak in.
The goal was to soothe its throat. Drinking it directly would have been faster, but unfortunately, a skeleton couldn’t drink water—it would just leak out.
"Female Mother, are they the little Merfolk we met in the Mist Forest?"
"Yes. The other skeletons are probably Beastmen who died in the Mist Forest. Once the large Merfolk skeleton can talk, we’ll be able to find out their origins."
Xiao Yu grew thoughtful. After a moment, he volunteered to go into the space to teach the large Merfolk skeleton how to speak and take care of the little Merfolk at the same time.
The Zaizai always did everything together. This was perfect; with them in the space, the adults could focus on traveling.
And so, the skeletons in the space were in for a rough time.
The Zaizai felt that these skeletons were quicker to react than the ones in the Beastman World, which must mean they were smarter and could learn to speak and read.
So, each little teacher took on a dozen or so skeletons and began giving them serious lessons.
Obedient ones were rewarded with a little red flower. The disobedient ones... with a shout of "Aunt Lü," Lu Lu would lash out with its vines, tie them up, drag them to a corner, and string them up for a beating. That usually taught them to behave.
After passing the skeleton trial, Yu An’s group encountered no other obstacles. Barring any surprises, they would be out soon.
All the while, screams and cries for help were constant. Yu An could hear them clearly and estimated that monsters had appeared in over a dozen passages.
It was more or less what Xue Yin had said. In the end, it all came down to luck.
Just as they were about to set off again after a short rest, they heard the sound of hurried footsteps behind them.
Yu An turned and saw that it was, surprisingly, the Mo Family Head and his party.
Their group, which originally had dozens of people, was now down to just over a dozen. Every one of them was injured, and they looked utterly wretched.
Seeing Yu An’s group ahead, their clothes clean and neat, the Han Family Master looked as if he had seen his saviors.
"Li’er, save your fath—"
Before he could finish, Han Fengyun and Han Xiaoyun stepped in front of Han Li, their expressions hostile.
The Han Family Master’s words caught in his throat. He was stuck, unable to speak or stay silent.
The relentlessly pursuing skeletons behind them gave them no time to stand there dazed. They quickly caught up and started biting anyone they saw.
Someone wasn’t fast enough to dodge. After a piercing scream, their flesh and blood seemed to be sucked dry, and they instantly turned into a skeleton.
It then turned and joined the ranks of the skeletons, pouncing on its former companions.
They were like zombies from the Apocalypse World, but even zombies weren’t this bizarre. One bite, and all your flesh and blood would vanish in an instant.
Yu An didn’t let Han Li and the others engage. She commanded her vines to bind the skeletons. The vines were numerous, and seeing the skeletons struggle relentlessly, she simply decided to break them down into pieces.
In other words, she dismantled the skeletons. Now, they were still.
The survivors finally had a moment to catch their breath. They were still shaken, slumping to the ground, unable to get up for a long time.
The three family heads were, after all, more experienced and worldly. They were calmer than the younger generation and recovered quickly, calling out to Yu An as she was about to leave.
"Thank you for saving us, miss," the Mo Family Head said gratefully. "May I ask your name? We will be sure to reward you generously in the future!"
"There’s no need," Yu An said without stopping or turning back. "Just keep an eye on the Han Family Master and don’t let him bother my husband. That would be the greatest reward you could give me."
The Mo Family Head and Master Lan both looked at the Han Family Master. Seeing his awkward expression, a strange sense of satisfaction washed over them.
’So what if your son and daughter-in-law are powerful? They don’t even acknowledge you as their father.’
The Mo Family Head coughed and gently advised, "Brother Han, you heard what the young lady said. We’ll be following behind them for now. If we run into more of those monsters up ahead, we’ll need their help again."
Master Lan was more direct. "Just like the young lady said, don’t go looking for that boy Han Li. It’s not like he acknowledges you as his father anymore, anyway."
The Han Family Master’s old face flushed beet red. After a long moment, he squeezed out, "I’m his real father."
The Mo Family Head didn’t say anything, but he thought to himself, ’But he doesn’t acknowledge you.’
Master Lan, however, said it right out loud, making the Han Family Master so angry his vision started to go dark.
Feng Qi wasn’t badly injured and was clutching a bundle to his chest the whole time.
Others just assumed he was protecting Patriarch Feng’s ashes, but he was actually guarding the Snow Flower seeds.
He had a very low presence in the group and listened to the three family heads in all matters. By the same token, he was also the fastest to run whenever danger appeared.
Seeing the Han Family Master was about to come to blows with the other two, he quickly chimed in, "Uncle Han, we should get moving. We still don’t know what else we might encounter here."
His reminder made the Han Family Master realize that Yu An’s group had already gotten far ahead. Not daring to delay any longer, they quickly sped up to follow.
Once they caught up, they maintained a distance that was neither too close nor too far from Yu An’s party. This way, they wouldn’t disturb them but could also receive protection at a moment’s notice if danger arose.
Yu An glanced back but said nothing. She had collected the skeletons right away because she suspected they might be the remains of people who had turned into Blood Crystals. If they encountered something else, she wouldn’t be so quick to save just anyone.
She might end up saving an enemy, which would be a thankless and troublesome task.
Besides, if they were strangers, she might have lent a hand. But that group behind them, especially the three family heads... she couldn’t stand them.
Han Li also glanced back, muttering, "The wicked live long," and, like Yu An, ignored them completely.
However, he keenly felt a gaze fixed on him. Han Li frowned and glanced back discreetly, but he didn’t see anything.
The gaze held no malice, but it felt like he was being sized up like a premium piece of merchandise, which made Han Li uncomfortable.