Chapter 65: The Mermaid’s Final Chapter

Chapter 65: The Merman's Final Chapter

Lu Feng watched him, completely oblivious to Xiao Wenxuan’s complaints. A few minutes later, Xiao Wenxuan looked at Lu Feng, then at Wen Yanzhou, and suddenly realized something was amiss.

"Hey... Dad, do you two know each other?" Xiao Wenxuan tilted his head, asking Wen Yanzhou.

At a loss for words, Wen Yanzhou could only instinctively nod slightly in response to Xiao Wenxuan's question.

Xiao Wenxuan understood now: "Dad, is this the human you told me about?"

Then he tapped Lu Feng's leg: "Is this a human leg? It looks completely different from our tails!"

Xiao Wenxuan was undeniably clever. From just a few scattered stories, he had deduced Lu Feng's identity.

At this moment, Wen Yanzhou even felt a flicker of pride in his child's intelligence—if only he hadn't uttered the next sentence.

"No wonder you know each other, Dad. You're both equally clueless."

Wen Yanzhou: ...

Lu Feng finally snapped out of his shock. Reaching out from beneath his clothes, he was the first to speak: "Is... this your child?"

A chill ran down Wen Yanzhou's spine, but Xiao Wenxuan’s repeated calls of "Dad" left him no room for denial.

So Wen Yanzhou remained silent.

He wanted to ask Lu Feng why he had suddenly come to the seabed, why he had sought him out again, why he had disregarded their past and gotten engaged to someone else—but the words died on his lips, feeling utterly pointless.

So Wen Yanzhou chose a harmless question: "How are you able to move freely underwater?"

Lu Feng paused, then pulled a necklace from his clothes. On it was unmistakably the scale Wen Yanzhou had once given him.

He hadn't expected the scale to possess such an effect, but having already given it away, Wen Yanzhou saw no reason to ask for its return.

The two stood in silence. Wen Yanzhou no longer wished to concern himself with anything related to Lu Feng, and Lu Feng had no idea how to explain why he had imprisoned Wen Yanzhou and then vanished.

Ultimately, it was Xiao Wenxuan who broke the stalemate: "Dad, since there's nothing else going on, do you want to eat the cake?"

Xiao Wenxuan handed the cake back to Wen Yanzhou, who then realized that the cake had likely been brought by Lu Feng.

Lu Feng suddenly came to his senses and quickly produced another cake from behind him: "Wen Yanzhou, this... I brought this for you."

It was the same cake he had brought with him that morning before leaving.

Wen Yanzhou had no desire to speak further with him and simply pulled Xiao Wenxuan to leave: "No need, thank you."

"You must have your own reasons for coming to the seabed. I won’t see you out." Wen Yanzhou's voice was cold, but a closer look would reveal his fists were trembling.

Seeing Wen Yanzhou like this, Lu Feng felt as if his heart was suddenly submerged in seawater.

Yet, he remained outwardly calm, walking step by step toward Wen Yanzhou, just as he had during their first meeting. Only this time, he said: "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, Wen Yanzhou."

Wen Yanzhou ignored him, but Xiao Wenxuan, curious, swished his tail as he swam around Lu Feng: "Why are you apologizing to my dad?"

The water swirled and churned around Lu Feng as he continued his apology: "I'm sorry, back then... someone discovered your—"

Wen Yanzhou’s heart fluttered. So this was why Lu Feng had imprisoned him and cut off his signal.

But the most important thing...

Before Wen Yanzhou could respond, Lu Feng continued: "Later, on the battlefield... something went wrong. I was trapped and couldn’t return to the base. Everyone thought I had died in battle, which is why everything else happened."

So Lu Feng hadn’t returned to the main city, and thus hadn’t gotten engaged to anyone else?

Wen Yanzhou finally looked up, his eyes briefly glancing at Lu Feng.

Lu Feng immediately moved closer to Wen Yanzhou and said solemnly: "There was no engagement. Besides you, I would never get engaged to anyone else."

A faint scent of wormwood drifted over, but this was the ocean’s domain—how could Wen Yanzhou let him dominate?

He immediately seized on the loophole in Lu Feng's words: "Then the video couldn’t have been fake, right? I remember every word of the vow you made to her."

But Lu Feng grasped Wen Yanzhou's hand, not letting go no matter how hard Wen Yanzhou struggled: "The video is real."

Wen Yanzhou was about to smack Lu Feng across the face with his tail.

"That video was recorded in the palace. I was already preparing for the engagement back then—and the engagement was with you."

The tail stopped, but the currents it had stirred up did not, still slapping recklessly against Lu Feng's face.

"She is the one I have chosen for this lifetime. I will be with her, always together."

Wen Yanzhou carefully replayed every word Lu Feng had said on television and finally realized that not a single one mentioned Princess Ning Luo's name.

Every "she" was actually "he."

It was Wen Yanzhou.

Those scenes broadcast defiantly on television were, in fact, Lu Feng's sincere words to Wen Yanzhou.

"The news of my sacrifice would have caused a major upheaval in the human military, and with the alien beasts still not eliminated, no one dared to reveal it recklessly. Emperor Aivell, to stabilize morale, fabricated my whereabouts and orchestrated this."

Lu Feng couldn’t die, but his absence from Lancheng would inevitably raise suspicion, so they could only pretend he had gone to the palace.

The truth of the matter turned out to be like this. Wen Yanzhou was stunned, bubbles escaping his mouth. Xiao Wenxuan, thinking his dad was playing a game with him, chased the bubbles around.

"Dad is so amazing! I want more bubbles!"

Wen Yanzhou was snapped out of his reverie by Xiao Wenxuan's voice. The bubbles stopped, leaving Xiao Wenxuan a bit confused.

Wen Yanzhou was about to ask: "So what exactly happened on the battlefield—"

Before he could finish, Lu Feng cut him off sharply: "Whose child is this? Why does he call you Dad?"

He knew what Wen Yanzhou wanted to ask, but he wasn’t ready to answer that question yet. Should he talk about his origins, the alien beast siege, how the scale had saved his life in the end, or—

Wen Yanzhou was indeed distracted by Lu Feng's question. He seemed troubled and after a moment’s hesitation, finally said: "Wen Xuan is my child."

Xiao Wenxuan quickly swam to Wen Yanzhou's side: "Yeah, I’m Dad’s child, so of course I call him Dad."

Then he gave Lu Feng a look of disdain.

Lu Feng felt like his intelligence was being questioned by a child again.

But how could it be? Wen Xuan looked at least four or five years old. If he was born, it must have been before Wen Yanzhou came to land.

But whether in his dreams or during their time together later, he had never once mentioned a child. Given Wen Yanzhou's personality, that was totally impossible.

And... Wen Yanzhou hesitated just now when answering the question.

It suddenly clicked for Lu Feng, and he immediately deduced the truth: Wen Xuan was adopted by Wen Yanzhou, but Wen Xuan didn’t know yet. To spare Wen Xuan’s feelings, Wen Yanzhou had lied and told him he was his biological child!

Lu Feng mulled it over—this deduction seemed flawless.

So, under Wen Yanzhou’s puzzled gaze, Lu Feng scooped up Xiao Wenxuan and declared, "I understand now!"

"From now on, I’ll be your other father. I’ll tell you stories every day and give you cake every day."

For Wen Yanzhou, he could treat this little one as his own biological child.

Wen Yanzhou blushed slightly, and he lowered his head.

Xiao Wenxuan was about to protest—"You didn’t give birth to me, how can you be my dad?"—but upon hearing Lu Feng’s promise of daily stories, he bit back his words.

Maybe... an extra dad could work? After all, it’s just in name. In his heart, only Daddy Yanzhou truly mattered!

And so, a seemingly harmonious family of three came together in this odd way.

Lu Feng had actually come with a purpose. After escaping from the mutant beasts, he headed straight for the base, only to learn that Wen Yanzhou had already left. So he set out again for the main city.

After checking with Old Huo, he finally confirmed that both he and his mother were fish. But by then, Lu Feng had already made peace with it.

He fought against the mutant beasts because, for decades, these creatures had terrorized the land and hunted humans—he couldn’t accept such behavior.

Even if he wasn’t entirely human—not truly human—as long as he followed his conscience, that was enough.

Back then, Xiang Yifeng had got wind of this information and revealed it at a pivotal moment in the war...

This news was likely known only among the merfolk and the fish, so it must have come from under the sea.

So Lu Feng used the scale to journey to the seabed, searching for merfolk and fish alike.

When Lu Feng encountered Wen Xuan, he originally intended to use him to reach the merman clan’s base and gather more information. But unexpectedly, he found Wen Yanzhou instead—and Wen Yanzhou didn’t live with the other merfolk.

So Lu Feng temporarily stayed in the cave, helping Xiao Wenxuan fish and telling him stories every day, while also using the cave as a base to gradually expand his search for traces of merfolk or fish.

Finally, after who knows how many days, Lu Feng spotted what looked like merfolk traces.

Lu Feng returned to tell Wen Yanzhou that he was going to investigate the truth and asked Wen Yanzhou to stay there with Wen Xuan.

But Xiao Wenxuan eavesdropped on their conversation. Knowing that Lu Feng was going to meet other merfolk, he demanded to tag along.

Lu Feng had always given in to Xiao Wenxuan, not daring to ruin his image as a "good dad" in the little Omega’s eyes. Under Xiao Wenxuan’s nonstop pestering, he couldn’t refuse the request.

In the end, Wen Yanzhou also couldn’t do anything about Xiao Wenxuan, but he was too worried letting the child go alone, so he decided to accompany both of them.

Wen Yanzhou thought that encountering another merman shouldn’t pose any great danger. But when they finally met that merman, he realized how wrong he was.

"Uncle? How is it you!" Wen Yanzhou exclaimed, tail swishing in surprise.

This merman was none other than Wen Yanzhou’s uncle, an elder of the merman clan—and also A Xi’s father!

The elder merman facing them clearly recognized Wen Yanzhou too. "Ah, Yanzhou, it’s you! Where have you been all these days? I haven’t seen you."

Wen Yanzhou was excited. "I went to the land, Uncle."

Not waiting for the old merman to respond, he quickly followed up, "Uncle, do you know where my father and the others went? I can’t find them."

The old merman lowered his head, a flash of malice in his eyes, though Wen Yanzhou didn’t notice.

He murmured, "The land... you went to the land..."

Wen Yanzhou replied, "Yes, I went to the land. You haven’t been, have you? It’s really fun!"

Then he paused, adding, "Though lately the land might not be very safe. It’s better not to go."

When the old merman looked up again, he had reverted to his usual cheerful act. "Is that so? Well, I’ll have to find time to visit the land then."

"By the way," the old merman said, as if he hadn’t heard Wen Yanzhou’s question, taking Xiao Wenxuan by the hand, "Who does this little merman belong to, Yanzhou?"

Wen Yanzhou gave Xiao Wenxuan a sheepish pat on the back. "He’s my child, born recently. I haven’t had the chance to tell you yet."

Lu Feng, who had been standing aside while Wen Yanzhou caught up, froze instantly upon hearing this.

Wen Yanzhou gave birth to him? How could Wen Yanzhou have given birth to him, and recently?

Lu Feng realized he’d been mistaken: Xiao Wenxuan was a merman, not a human! How could he have compared his growth to that of a human?

Lu Feng silently clutched his knife tighter, suddenly feeling that Wen Xuan’s constant complaints about him being "so, so dumb" might not have been entirely wrong.

Lu Feng quickly turned to look at the three of them. At that moment, the old merman also happened to look down, and Lu Feng spotted a hint of malice in his eyes.

The old merman continued smiling. "Yanzhou, you already have a child? Time sure flies."

Then, as if finally remembering Wen Yanzhou’s earlier question, he added, "Oh right, your father and the others... they probably went to hunt mutant beasts."

"They’ll be back tomorrow." The wrinkles on the old merman’s face creased deeper. "I’ll take you to find them tomorrow!"

Wen Yanzhou agreed immediately. He hadn’t expected to find his uncle so easily, and now he would see his father and the others tomorrow. If he’d known, he would have ventured out sooner to find everyone.

Wen Yanzhou felt a twinge of regret. His uncle also left, citing other matters, leaving behind Wen Yanzhou’s family of three.

Wen Yanzhou sighed. "I should have come out earlier. Then I wouldn’t have had to wait until now to see everyone."

But Lu Feng’s expression was graver than usual. He asked, "That was your uncle?"

Wen Yanzhou nodded. "Yes... is there a problem?"

Lu Feng frowned. "Have you ever wondered why no other merfolk are around, except for your uncle?"

Wen Yanzhou was about to retort, "Didn’t he say the others went to hunt mutant beasts... wait..."

Wen Yanzhou’s words trailed off. He suddenly remembered how strangely his father had reacted when he’d asked about A Xi in a dream days earlier.

And... if his uncle was here, where was A Xi?

A cold sweat broke out on Wen Yanzhou’s skin. He immediately swished his tail and sped toward his cave.

The other two, not knowing what was happening, hurried after him.

Upon reaching the stone cave, Wen Yanzhou rummaged through his belongings until he found what he was looking for—

That scale!

The scale he had seen in the main city. He had always felt it was familiar but couldn’t recall who it belonged to.

As Wen Yanzhou traced the faint patterns on the scale, it finally came back to him.

The scale belongs to Uncle... but he just admitted that he had never been on land.

Lu Feng took the scale from Wen Yanzhou and finally understood the truth.

There was a traitor among the merfolk, and that traitor was Wen Yanzhou's Uncle.

Wen Yanzhou shivered violently and was gently embraced by Lu Feng.

It all made sense now. He had been a traitor to the merman clan from the very beginning. Very few people had handled the information transmitted by his brother, and one of them was him.

Uncle had tampered with his brother's message, intending to provoke conflict between humans and merfolk, and moreover...

Back then, when he and A Xi were trapped underwater and unable to escape, A Xi happened to have learned teleportation magic. Coincidentally, Wen Yanzhou was teleported to land, and just by chance, he encountered a monster as soon as he arrived on land...

Even more terrifying, given his brother's strength, how could he have been ambushed and imprisoned as soon as he returned to the sea? It must have been someone extremely familiar, someone his brother was caught off guard by...

Wen Yanzhou felt a chill run through his entire body.

A long time later, Wen Yanzhou's body was enveloped in warmth.

Lu Feng held him close, holding Wen Yanzhou tightly in his arms.

"Don't be afraid."

The calm voice brought Wen Yanzhou infinite comfort.

After a long time, Wen Yanzhou finally looked up: "Tomorrow, he wants to take me to find Father..."

Lu Feng thought he still intended to go and hurriedly stopped him: "Don't go. He definitely won't take you to see your father."

"I know," Wen Yanzhou said with extreme calmness. "I mean, tomorrow is a great opportunity."

A great opportunity to capture him and put an end to all of this.

But this also meant that Wen Yanzhou would have to put himself in danger, acting as bait to lure out his Uncle.

Lu Feng initially wanted to refuse, but Wen Yanzhou's expression was too resolute. After a long silence, Lu Feng nodded gently.

The water was Uncle's territory, and most areas were likely already under his control. Taking action underwater would be like a suicide mission, so Wen Yanzhou's goal was to lure Uncle onto land, where Lu Feng could gather forces to surround and capture him.

Lu Feng was very busy that night. With only one day, he had to complete all the preparations. Fortunately, just before dawn, he finally finished everything and breathed a sigh of relief.

After bidding farewell to Xiao Wenxuan, Wen Yanzhou slowly set out on the path to his Uncle's place.

—Originally, he needed to bring Wen Xuan along; otherwise, Wen Yanzhou going alone would surely raise the Old Merman's suspicions. But no, Wen Yanzhou couldn't let Wen Xuan take such a risk. No matter what, he had to go alone.

Sure enough, the first thing the Old Merman asked upon seeing Wen Yanzhou was: "Where's the child? Why didn't he come?"

Wen Yanzhou smiled: "The little one has never been outside before. After going out yesterday, he fell ill and is now resting at home, feeling unwell."

The Old Merman looked a bit suspicious, but Wen Yanzhou paid no mind and continued: "I was thinking maybe I should take care of him first and have you take me to find Father another day."

At this, the Old Merman immediately grew anxious: "No."

Realizing he had spoken too hastily, he added: "I mean, your father and the others have returned and are waiting anxiously for you."

Wen Yanzhou feigned a sigh: "Yes, what should we do about this?"

"I really can't leave him alone at home."

The Old Merman fell silent, clearly hesitating as well.

Seeing this, Wen Yanzhou felt a slight stir inside. Uncle's concern for Xiao Wenxuan was clearly beyond his expectations.

In that case... things became even simpler.

Wen Yanzhou feigned sadness by lowering his head: "My poor baby, ah. He's always clinging to me. What will he do without me today? When he wakes up and sees I'm gone, he'll surely cry to come find me..."

Sure enough, Uncle's expression grew even more hesitant.

Wen Yanzhou's gamble paid off—Uncle was extremely concerned about Wen Xuan. He wanted to control every member of Wen Yanzhou's family, leaving none behind.

After a moment, the Old Merman spoke: "Yanzhou, how about this: I'll go with you to see the child. I happen to have some medical knowledge and can take a look at him. After that, you can both come together to see your father and the others. Wouldn't that be better?"

Wen Yanzhou was inwardly delighted, but on the surface, he still wore a worried expression: "Is that really okay? Won't it be too much trouble, Uncle?"

The Old Merman waved his hand: "It's nothing. Take me there."

Only then did Wen Yanzhou lead the Old Merman on their way.

Wen Yanzhou first pretended to take several detours, excusing himself by saying he didn't often come out and was a bit lost. Finally, he led the Old Merman toward the trap they had set in advance on land.

The Old Merman seemed to sense something amiss, but Wen Yanzhou played dumb, only saying, "Isn't it right? I remember this is the way." The Old Merman had no choice but to patiently wait for Wen Yanzhou to find the way.

However, after too many detours, the Old Merman grew impatient: "Yanzhou, I see you don't really know the way. How about I go back first, and you come find me again once you've figured out the route?"

Wen Yanzhou explained: "Uncle, just wait a little longer. It'll be ready soon. The child is waiting for us. Please help us out—let's go see him."

The Old Merman gritted his teeth and agreed.

At this point, Wen Yanzhou also grew anxious, afraid the Old Merman might escape, so he quickened his pace toward the trap.

Finally, as they neared the water's surface, the Old Merman suddenly halted abruptly, realizing something was wrong.

But Wen Yanzhou had already given the signal, indicating to Lu Feng that the capture could begin. They just needed... to stall for a few more seconds.

"Uncle? What's wrong? Why have you stopped?" Wen Yanzhou swam to the Old Merman's side and asked curiously.

The Old Merman vigilantly looked around: "Where is this?"

Just as Wen Yanzhou was about to explain, the Old Merman suddenly turned and swiftly grabbed Wen Yanzhou by the throat: "You know."

Lu Feng was coming soon. They couldn't afford to fail now. Wen Yanzhou could only struggle and play dumb: "What are you talking about, Uncle? Why are you grabbing my neck? I'm Yanzhou!"

"You..." The Old Merman was about to press Wen Yanzhou for answers when he suddenly understood everything. He immediately let go, ignored Wen Yanzhou, and dove frantically with all his strength to escape.

As the grip on his neck suddenly loosened, Wen Yanzhou, without even catching his breath, chased after the Old Merman. He couldn't let him escape like this!

Wen Yanzhou exerted all his strength, and his pheromones exploded around him. The Old Merman's movement stalled, and Wen Yanzhou seized the opportunity to grab hold of him, blocking his escape.

Lu Feng finally arrived, but at that moment, the Old Merman also countered, pulling out a knife from behind and pressing it against Wen Yanzhou's heart.

Troops began to swarm in, layer upon layer of soldiers encircling the area, with more continuously arriving.

Their previous diving training had proven useful.

"So... you intended to harm me after all." The Old Merman knew there was no chance of escape now—except for the Wen Yanzhou in his grasp.

Lu Feng said gravely, "Let him go."

The old merman snorted coldly, "No way! If I let him go, will I have any chance of survival?"

At this moment, Wen Yanzhou yelled desperately, "Don't worry about me, just take action now!"

Everyone heard Wen Yanzhou's words, but nobody made a move.

A few seconds later, Lu Feng dropped the knife in his hand. His gaze first swept over Wen Yanzhou, then settled on the old merman. "How about this? You let him go, and I'll be your hostage. What do you say?"

The old merman remained silent.

Lu Feng continued, "I'm a human admiral. If you take me hostage, no one here would dare to make a move. Isn't that a better deal than keeping Wen Yanzhou?"

But the old merman grated out a laugh and spat toward Lu Feng. "Do you think I'm stupid? If I trade for you, I'll truly have no way out."

With that, he pressed the knife forward another inch. "Step aside now, or he's a dead man."

As blood seeped from Wen Yanzhou's chest, everyone cried out together.

But Wen Yanzhou refused to be threatened and continued shouting, "Do something! Don't worry about me!"

After a tense standoff, Lu Feng finally took a step back.

Wen Yanzhou closed his eyes, trying to think of a way to persuade Lu Feng again, when suddenly a bright, young voice rang out.

"Daddy, what are you all doing?"

Wen Xuan had appeared out of nowhere, streaking through the water toward Wen Yanzhou. At this speed, he would soon reach the old merman.

"Wen Xuan!" Lu Feng bellowed, but Wen Xuan had never paid much attention to this "daddy's" orders.

Wen Yanzhou could no longer hold back. Taking advantage of the old merman's distraction, he shoved off from him and scooped himself around Wen Xuan.

Wen Yanzhou held Wen Xuan tightly in his arms. Behind him, the old merman, less than two meters away, flung the blade fiercely at Wen Yanzhou.

Wen Yanzhou was no longer in his grasp, and everyone swarmed forward, pinning the old merman to the ground. But the thrown knife was already on its way, about to bury itself in Wen Yanzhou.

Wen Yanzhou closed his eyes, but the expected sharp pain never came. Instead, there was the sound of steel ringing.

"Clang—"

Lu Feng ripped a scale from his chest, deflecting the knife's trajectory by an inch.

The scale shattered with the impact.

This was the first time since returning to Lancheng that Lu Feng had let a scale leave his body.

And Wen Yanzhou's scale, which had already withstood the attack of a mutant creature, now finally gave out as it blocked the knife.

Xiao Wenxuan finally squirmed free from Wen Yanzhou's arms. Watching as many people restrained the old man from yesterday, he asked Wen Yanzhou curiously, "Daddy, what's going on?"

Wen Yanzhou smoothly concealed the fallen knife beside him. "It's nothing. Maybe they're playing a game too."

Lu Feng finally began the proper interrogation.

The old merman, having no reason left to resist, confessed everything.

It was true that he had allied with the mutant creatures to start the war, but there was one more merman behind the instigation—Lu Feng's mother's brother.

The brother, seeing his sister depressed day after day, was sure she'd been wronged on land and was determined to seek revenge for her.

Wen Yanzhou's uncle, who looked down on the merfolk's peaceful policies, believed that with their strength, they should conquer the land and expand their territory.

The two joined forces and managed to contact the mutant creatures, jointly launching this siege against humans. However, human strength had been accumulated over millennia, and despite throwing everything they had at it, they failed. Now, they could only retreat temporarily and prepare for the next attack.

The old merman revealed the location of the merman base, and Lu Feng led his troops there, wiping it out in one go.

Just before leaving, a hazy figure seemed to appear before Lu Feng's eyes. She swam away slowly, just as she had many years ago, and Lu Feng could only see her receding figure.

"Pops, who is that? Is she a merman too?"

Wen Xuan's voice spoke up. Not wanting to call both "daddies" by the same name, he used "Pops" to address Lu Feng.

Lu Feng turned around, picked up Wen Xuan, and avoided answering the question. "You slipped out again? It's so dangerous. Your dad will definitely tan your hide if he finds out."

Xiao Wenxuan stuck out his tongue. "You can put in a good word for me, Pops!"

Lu Feng booped his nose. "Do you think only your real dad can discipline you?"

Xiao Wenxuan pouted. Though he didn't say anything, it was clear that was exactly what he thought.

Lu Feng looked at his little face. "Let me tell you, I'm also your real dad."

"Really?"

"Of course it's true."

"How can you prove it?"

Lu Feng thought for a moment, then carried Xiao Wenxuan back to the stone grotto and laid down on the hard stone bed.

"Close your eyes. Time to sleep."

In the distance, Wen Yanzhou suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness. This feeling... He closed his eyes.

The familiar glowing screen appeared again, but this time, Wen Yanzhou was the one the dream-visit was happening to.

Lu Feng held Wen Xuan in his arms. The little boy in his embrace asked curiously, "Where is this? Didn't I fall asleep?"

Lu Feng simply gazed forward, as if he knew exactly where Wen Yanzhou was.

"Wen Yanzhou, do you see me?"

—End of Text—