74: Chapter 74 First Encounter Under the Moonlight

At this moment, Cang Mingyue, who was tied to the pyre, was still struggling with all her might.

As a member of the Merfolk Clan, she possessed some cultivation herself.

However, the ropes binding her had been tampered with.

Right now, she could do nothing.

She could only watch helplessly as the tongues of fire engulfed the hem of her dress, closing her eyes in despair.

Suddenly.

Within the crowd, a white shadow flashed by like a startled swan.

It was faster than the naked eye could track.

The figure's speed was so fast that neither the commoners nor Cang Mingyue could react in time.

Everyone felt a blur before their eyes, and a biting sword wind had already swept across.

"Pfft—"

Several heads, accompanied by spurting filthy blood, soared into the sky.

They were precisely those officials, dressed in official robes, who had been inciting the crowd.

Su Chen landed on the spot, breathing heavily.

While killing these individuals, he also took the opportunity to release a small wisp of sword energy, severing the ropes that bound Cang Mingyue.

He could clearly judge the current situation.

The only ones on the field with cultivation, and the ones inciting everyone's emotions, were those few officials.

However, the expected sound of bodies hitting the ground did not come.

Those headless torsos swayed on the spot.

Far from falling, disgusting flesh buds squirmed and grew from their severed necks.

The official robes on their bodies were torn apart by their rapidly expanding torsos, revealing not human flesh, but thick scales covered in viscous slime and shimmering with an eerie green luster.

Their arms transformed into twisted, sharp claws, and their bodies expanded and elongated.

In an instant, they turned into several hideous monsters that exuded a thick, fishy demonic aura and were still able to move despite having lost their heads.

Truth be told, they were definitely more like sea demons than Cang Mingyue.

"There are monsters!"

"Heavens, those officials are actually monsters too!"

The crowd's screams were so shrill they became distorted.

The officials of Great Ning were all appointed by the imperial court.

They could never have imagined that these local officials had problems.

The commoners, who had just been filled with righteous indignation, were now terrified out of their wits, fleeing in all directions while crying for their parents, trampling over each other.

The madness that had gathered moments ago dissolved in an instant, leaving only the most primal desire to survive.

The scene was in complete chaos.

Su Chen landed gracefully.

In order to let the two investment targets distinguish him, he had specifically changed into a set of snow-white robes when coming to see Cang Mingyue.

"...Something is wrong."

"This epidemic must have been spread by the demonic clan within these government offices, and then blamed on the Merfolk Clan?"

Although those headless demonic creatures had no eyes, they seemed able to use their senses to lock onto the only target present that posed a threat to them: Su Chen.

In an instant, they waved their sharp claws and lunged at Su Chen.

The aura of each one was actually no weaker than Ye Yuan's.

"I'm still not quite familiar with the fighting style of a sword soul..."

Su Chen's sword light was like a dragon, and his movements were elusive.

This was his first battle since arriving in this world, so he was somewhat rusty.

Moreover, fighting with the body of a sword soul always gave him a strange feeling.

His single-target attack power was very high, but his body was relatively fragile.

These demonic creatures had extremely high physical resistance to sword energy, but the erosion contained within their demonic power made his blood slightly churn.

Failing to dodge once, the sleeve of his left arm was torn by the aftermath of a demonic claw, leaving three shallow bloodstains.

A little bright red blood seeped out.

What the demonic beasts did not expect was that this minor injury actually incited Su Chen's ferocity.

His eyes turned cold, and his sword momentum became increasingly sharp and overbearing.

"Evil beasts, you dare to act so fiercely?"

He let out a clear shout, and his figure rose from the ground.

Several brilliant rays of light exploded from his sword, instantly enveloping the few demonic creatures.

"Boom, boom—"

The sword light dissipated.

Those demonic creatures had been thoroughly purified by the yang-dominant, rigid sword energy, turning into piles of dust that seeped into the gravel.

Su Chen landed gracefully, an extra smear of blood on his white robes.

He turned around.

He stepped over the pyre that had burned down and was already beginning to collapse.

The commoners who had gathered here were frightened by the demonic creatures and had long since fled in all directions.

The Merfolk Clan girl saved by Su Chen remained curled up under the pyre frame, shivering, still terrified.

At this moment, the sea breeze happened to disperse some of the smoke and dust.

A bright moon hung in the center, and the clear moonlight spilled onto Su Chen without reservation.

Cang Mingyue looked up, her azure blue eyes wide open, reflecting Su Chen's figure.

She watched this man who had descended like a heavenly god; his white robes were stained with blood, yet it did not detract from his peerless demeanor.

His long black hair fluttered slightly in the night breeze, and his face was handsome and unparalleled.

Especially his eyes.

They were even deeper than the deepest ocean she had ever seen.

Su Chen walked up to her and crouched down.

He reached out his hand.

His palm was facing up, and his voice was gentle.

"It's alright now."

"Miss, see if you can stand up?"

Su Chen's fingers were slender and clean.

She looked at that hand, then at Su Chen's eyes.

This was the first time she had seen such an emotion in a human's eyes.

He felt no pity for her, nor was there any curiosity at seeing her fish tail.

There was only a kind of concern that bordered on compassion for all living things.

She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately, timidly and cautiously, placed her cold, slightly trembling hand into that warm palm.

"My name is Cang Mingyue."

"Thank you for saving me."

"Su Chen."

He stated his name, then swept his gaze across the messy surroundings and the commoners who had fled to the distance but were still watching in terror.

"You said the epidemic was not caused by the Merfolk Clan, but those impostor officials and these commoners firmly believe you did it."

"What exactly is going on here?"

Feeling the warmth and strength from Su Chen's palm, Cang Mingyue calmed down slightly.

Her azure blue fish tail curled up weakly, and tears welled up in her eyes, sliding down her fair cheeks and dripping onto the beach, actually turning into tiny, crystalline pearls.

"Young Master Su."

"I, I am of the Merfolk Clan."

"I fear I am the only one left of the Merfolk Clan in these coastal waters now."

Her voice choked with sobs as she began to tell her story.

"My clan originally lived in the deep sea near Donglai Prefecture, living in peace with the world."

"But in recent years, I don't know from where, many ferocious sea demonic clans have come to the near shore to compete with us for living space."

"They pollute the waters, drive away, and even slaughter my clansmen."

"I was lucky enough to escape and settled down near the shore."

"I saw the commoners on the shore suffering from a strange disease, in great pain."

"I remember an ancient legend in our clan that our merfolk tears, when shed sincerely, contain the power of vitality and might be able to alleviate their suffering."

"But I was afraid," Cang Mingyue lowered her head, her voice becoming smaller.

"Although we merfolk do not harm people, we are still a type of sea demon."

"In the legends on land, we are always portrayed badly."

"I was afraid they wouldn't believe me, afraid they would treat me as a monster that brings disaster."

"So I only dared to approach the village at night, wanting to find an opportunity to help, but I was always hesitant."

"I didn't expect that those monsters who turned into officials discovered me."

"They instead framed me, claiming I brought the plague, and incited the people to capture me."

"I, I didn't think it would turn out like this..."