73: Chapter 73 Second Investment Target

As soon as Ye Yuan entered the room, he could no longer support himself.

He smashed his fist hard against the wall, producing a dull thud.

"Useless... Ye Yuan, you are useless."

He couldn't help but growl under his breath.

"Watching the common people drop dead while the government does nothing, yet you hesitate and shrink back out of self-interest."

"If Zhao Feng were here, he would certainly..."

His words came to an abrupt halt, leaving only heavy breathing and boundless despondency.

He slid down the wall and sat on the ground, burying his face deep between his knees.

No tears could flow from those blind eyes, only deeper darkness and pain.

The long sword that Su Chen had transformed into was placed on the only broken wooden table in the main room.

As the sword soul, he could clearly feel the intense emotional fluctuations coming from Ye Yuan.

This once high-spirited sword immortal was currently being tortured to the brink of collapse by reality and the interrogation of his own heart.

Su Chen could only watch Ye Yuan quietly.

If it were the Ye Yuan of his youth, perhaps he would have dared to kick open the doors of the government office.

Unfortunately, he was no longer young.

He pitied the common people, yet because he had grown older, he had become hesitant and fearful.

Heaven had given him a heart that pitied all living beings, but it had not given him the ability to save them.

Even though his own life was far from satisfactory, he simply couldn't bear to see the myriad sufferings of this mortal world.

But then again, who isn't like that?

Ye Jingjun silently cleared a small space where she could stand.

Seeing her "father" in such a state, her lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing.

She simply picked up a rag and began to wipe the table and stools.

Her movements were very slow, and her eyes were empty, as if she were lost in thought.

Night fell quietly.

Ye Yuan was, after all, a person of resilient will.

After a moment of dejection, he forced himself to sit cross-legged and circulate his energy to heal his injuries, attempting to recover some of his strength as quickly as possible.

At the moment, he was still a wanted criminal of the imperial court; the more strength he could recover, the better.

The su chen sword lay across his knees, being nourished by his spiritual power while silently sensing the surroundings.

He was waiting for Ye Yuan to enter deep meditation before going to teach Ye Jingjun swordsmanship.

Just then.

From not far outside the courtyard, a cacophony of footsteps and shouting was heard.

The noise was not small, and it sounded like there was definitely a large number of people.

Moreover, they were getting closer and closer to the small courtyard.

Su Chen could even sense the light of torches passing through the window frames of the courtyard.

"...She cannot stay!"

"Burn her to death! It's all because of her that disaster has come to our East Lai!"

"Sea monster! The sea monster must be executed!"

"Burn her right by the sea as a sacrifice to Mazu!"

Amidst the chaotic shouts, Su Chen noticed that the words "execute the sea monster" were particularly clear.

Sea monster?

Wait...

Almost at the same time, the system in Su Chen's mind, which had been playing dead for a long time, finally spoke.

[Warning: Investment target Cang Mingyue is in life-threatening danger.]

[Host, please proceed to the rescue immediately.]

Su Chen's heart jolted.

Cang Mingyue?

His other investment target.

The Mermaid Maiden... wait, isn't that the "sea monster" these people are talking about?

"Could it be that other bad sea monsters brought the plague to the people of East Lai, and this Cang Mingyue just happened to be caught by them to be the scapegoat?"

"Such a clichéd plot?"

Su Chen curled his lip, but he felt that things were definitely not that simple.

Currently, Ye Yuan was in meditation, and Ye Jingjun was also leaning in the corner, seemingly dozing off.

For now, he could only break his promise to Ye Jingjun and go rescue Cang Mingyue first.

Without the slightest hesitation, Su Chen concentrated his will.

The long sword on the table flashed with a faint light, and a figure in green robes quietly appeared in the room.

He did not disturb the father and daughter, who were immersed in their own worlds.

Su Chen glanced at Ye Yuan, who was still circulating his energy, and Ye Jingjun, curled up in the corner.

His figure was like a wisp of green smoke, silently flitting out of the courtyard and merging into the night outside.

On the streets, a massive crowd held torches aloft, twisting into a winding fire snake.

They were surging toward the direction of the sea.

These commoners, who seemed so gentle and kind during the day...

Men, women, old and young—many of their faces and arms were already covered in scales of varying shades.

Their eyes were filled with fear, despair, and madness.

They held harpoons, wood-chopping knives, and torches, shouting the slogan "Burn the sea monster!"

They looked exactly like a group of evil spirits brainwashed by something.

Following the smell of fish, Su Chen moved back and forth between the rooftops along with the flow of people.

He heard the crackling of burning wood drifting on the wind from the direction of the sea.

Startled, he quickly bypassed the chaotic crowd and rushed toward the shore.

The closer he got to the sea, the brighter the firelight became, and the clamor of the crowd grew more piercing.

Finally, he burst out of the cluttered building area, and the view before him suddenly opened up.

On the beach covered with reefs, a massive pile of firewood had been stacked up.

In the center of the woodpile stood a thick wooden stake.

And on the stake, a figure was bound with thick iron chains.

It was a young girl.

Her long, azure hair was spread out like seaweed, contrasting with her skin, which was so fair it was almost transparent.

Her features were exquisite beyond compare, yet they carried a non-human, ethereal beauty.

Most striking of all was that her lower body was not a pair of legs.

Instead, it was a long fish tail covered in crystal-clear scales that refracted rainbow-colored light.

At this moment, that beautiful fish tail hung limply over the woodpile, its scales having lost some of their luster.

"Is this Cang Mingyue...?"

"Truly beautiful."

She seemed to be injured, her breathing weak, and her beautiful face was filled with terror and helplessness.

Her azure eyes were filled with tears.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"I know you don't believe me, but the plague in the city really wasn't brought by us sea monsters."

"If you believe me, I beg you to spare my life. I have Sea Monster Tears on me; perhaps they can save your lives."

The girl pleaded incessantly.

But the surrounding crowd didn't care at all about what she said.

After all, her identity as an alien race had already caused her to lose all credibility among these people.

In the very center of the crowd stood several people wearing official robes and hats.

Without even guessing, Su Chen knew these people must be officials of Donglai Prefecture.

A greasy-faced official at the head stepped forward two steps, cleared his throat, and spoke.

"Everyone, I presume you are all aware."

"This female sea monster has been wandering near our Donglai Prefecture city for nearly a month."

"Since she appeared, the number of people in Donglai Prefecture who have contracted the plague has been increasing."

"I trust I don't need to say more about what this means."

As soon as the greasy-faced official finished speaking, the sallow and emaciated famine victims around him instantly shouted in unison.

"Burn her to death! Sea monster!"

"I said it long ago, the disease was brought by them."

"Burn her to death and my wife and children will get better. Hurry up!"

The crowd clamored madly, their distorted faces looking like demons in the firelight.

The woodpile beneath Cang Mingyue had already been lit; tongues of fire began to lick the dry wood, and thick smoke billowed up.

Among the crowd, there were also some knowledgeable people and youths who voiced their doubts.

But these opinions, representing less than thirty percent of the total, were quickly ignored by the angry masses.

Su Chen was startled.

The situation was critical and allowed for not a moment's delay.

(Today I finished the outline for the second round of investment and sent it to my editor. As a result, I got praised by the editor, so happy~)

(But looking at the backend, my heart has gone half cold.)

(Why is all the data dropping? And it's a drop on the scale of being cut in half, ugh ┭┮﹏┭┮~)

(It's fine if the bookstore data is all gone, but where are my old readers who used to urge for updates every day? Where is my Power of Love?)

(It's painful, this humble author wants to eat a decent meal T-T)