After Changing to the Ruthless Way, the Brothers Cried and Begged for Forgiveness Chapter 118: The Elder Merfolk

Yu Zhao surveyed her surroundings.

Big Boss Wu and his n wore twisted expressions, their foreheads slick with sweat, clearly struggling with their inner demons. Ji Han Zhou, having exhausted his spiritual energy and losing all senses, had inadvertently dodged the effects of the rfolk’s song. Instead, he was sound asleep, utterly unbothered.

Relieved, Yu Zhao smirked and strode boldly towards the rear of the palace. Within monts, she arrived at the back hall.

Heavy, labored breathing echoed within. A massive shell was flapping awkwardly on the ground, its surface weathered by ti. Perched on top was a gaunt, white-haired elder—clearly an aged rfolk. His nearly ten-foot-long tail swayed unsteadily in rhythm with the shell’s futile movents, his expression a mix of frustration and urgency.

Yu Zhao leaned casually against a pillar, arms crossed, watching this pitiful duo with evident amusent.

Finally, after exhausting himself to no avail, the elder rfolk gave up. He patted the shell beneath him and raised his head, his voice ringing with righteous indignation. “You despicable humans! You slaughtered my kin and now seek to rob us of our treasures. Retribution will co for you!”

Feigning shock, Yu Zhao replied, “Elder, weren’t you the one who used the map to lure us to this undersea palace? How is this our fault?”

The elder’s gaze flickered uncomfortably. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Clicking her tongue, Yu Zhao teased, “Elder, next ti don’t use scales from your own body to make a map. It’s far too obvious.”

The elder glanced down and, sure enough, saw a missing patch of scales near the end of his tail. Under the palace’s bright lighting, the gap was glaringly noticeable. Flushing with embarrassnt, he tried to maintain his composure. “Yes, I made the map, but it was forcibly taken by you humans!”

Yu Zhao considered exposing his lie but decided it wasn’t worth the effort. She shifted her tone. “Fine, let’s say we did take it. Since we’ve found the palace, everything here should belong to us. Don’t you agree?”

Her words infuriated the elder rfolk. What he had envisioned as trapping prey in a net had turned into inviting a wolf into his den. This cunning human wasn’t even affected by the illusions and had uncovered their secret so quickly.

Could this truly be the heavens abandoning the rfolk?

Tears welled in the elder’s eyes as his expression twisted in grief and indignation.

“Are you crying? They say rfolk tears are a miraculous healing elixir. I’ve never seen one before, so why not grant the honor of witnessing it?” Yu Zhao remarked with a hint of mischief.

The elder shuddered and imdiately forced his tears back. Even if he were to die, he wouldn’t let this wretched human benefit from him!

“Elder, are you the only rfolk left in this palace?” Yu Zhao asked, her eyes scanning the area curiously. She felt as though there might be others present—hidden, perhaps—but unseen to her.

“Yes!” The elder’s eyes blazed with fury. “My kin were slaughtered by your kind centuries ago. I’m the only one left in this world!”

His glare was fierce, but his frailty betrayed him. With loose, sagging skin and a hunched fra, he resembled a candle nearing its end, flickering on its final trace of wax.

Yu Zhao felt a pang of sorrow. Her playful deanor faded, and she spoke earnestly. “Elder, I harbor no ill will toward you or your kin. In fact, I’ve t one of your kind before. From them, I learned a great deal about your people’s history…”

The old rfolk turned his head and snorted disdainfully.

“The scattered mbers of the rfolk Tribe returned to the embrace of the Southern Abyss long ago. It’s impossible for any to have survived. Humans are so cunning, trying to soften up with such tricks. Keep dreaming! This old man won’t fall for it!”

Yu Zhao’s voice remained calm. “I cannot describe his appearance to you, but I can tell you this: he is unique—he is a rfolk who cannot cry.”

At first, the old rfolk sneered, but upon hearing the latter part, his body tensed abruptly, and the sluggish swaying of his fish tail quickened.

Yu Zhao continued, “His blood is blue, like yours. He can sing the rfolk’s Song, but his singing is far inferior to yours.”

“Where is he now?” the old rfolk’s composure cracked. His gaze, filled with a mixture of urgency, supplication, and hope, fixed firmly on Yu Zhao.

“I can only say that he is still alive, but his situation is dire,” Yu Zhao replied honestly.

She worried that if she revealed the full truth directly, it might be too much for him to bear. However, her ambiguous words instead sparked a cascade of dreadful scenarios in the old rfolk’s mind, leaving his heart in tornt.

“You want the treasures of the rfolk, don’t you? Bring him back to , and I will give you anything you desire. The treasures in this palace—you may take them all!” The old rfolk raised his head, his eyes burning with determination.

Yu Zhao shook her head. “I’m sorry, I can’t do that.”

The old rfolk erupted in anger. “You haven’t even tried! How can you say you can’t?”

“He is imprisoned by a Nascent Soul cultivator,” Yu Zhao explained.

At this, the hall fell into a dead silence.

The old rfolk was no stranger to the terror of Nascent Soul cultivators. The rapid downfall of the rfolk Tribe, their inability to resist, was due to the overwhelming power of several Nascent Soul cultivators who had participated in their siege. Their proud songs were utterly powerless against them.

Even now, the old rfolk vividly recalled the helplessness and fear of facing such power.

Realizing there was no hope of rescuing his kin, he seed to age another decade in an instant. His face carried a shadow of death, a reflection of his dwindling vitality.

Yu Zhao’s heart sank. She had noticed from the mont she t the old rfolk that he was nearing the end of his life. Perhaps, knowing his days were numbered, he had resolved to take revenge against the human cultivators in his final monts.

“So be it! Fate is cruel! This is the destiny of the rfolk Tribe—unchangeable, unalterable!” The old rfolk let out a mournful sigh, his voice filled with despair.

After a mont of thought, Yu Zhao decided she needed to act. She retrieved a palm-sized turtle shell from her storage space. Its surface was smooth and black, with scorch marks on its underside.

“Senior, would you like to divine the fate of the rfolk Tribe? If it doesn’t work, you won’t owe anything,” she said, holding out the Heavenly Divination Shell.

“The Heavenly Divination Shell!” The old rfolk’s eyes widened in shock.

“You recognize it?” Yu Zhao asked, equally surprised.

The old rfolk glared at her. “The turtle shell used for this divination belonged to an ancestor of an old friend of mine. Do you think I wouldn’t recognize it?”

Yu Zhao was at a loss for words. “What a coincidence.”

“Are you truly willing to let use the Heavenly Divination Shell for a reading?” The old rfolk imdiately noticed that the shell had very few uses left. He couldn’t fathom why this human would offer such a precious opportunity to him.