Chapter 102: King of the Sea Wolves

“Father! Mother!” the young Lord of the Underworld called out.

Xue Shan and I removed the white veils from our faces and approached the young Lord. He reached out, wiping the tears from both our faces, then lowered his head quietly and said, “I understand now.”

As his words fell, the illusion dissolved. The lush grassy cave transformed into a vast crystal cavern. Xue Shan and I returned to our forms—an elder woman and a young man. The young Lord of the Underworld vanished joyfully, and the elder Lord took on his adult form. His eyes, once blinded by scorching, now shone brightly. It turned out that my tears had restored his sight and hearing.

The elder Lord rose and knelt before Xue Shan and me, bowing deeply.

“I never believed true sincerity existed in this world,” he confessed. “But just now, I saw with my heart that despite enduring worldly hardships and imperfect bodies, you both never abandoned a pure and loving heart. I once thought love was just a pretense, endlessly lost in illusory scripts seeking solace. Now I realize that although I possessed ghostly eyes and ears, I had long been blind and deaf in spirit.”

“Rise. Do you still wish to return to the Underworld?” Xue Shan helped him up.

“To return,” he replied.

I frowned. Could it be that he intended to continue aiding that Underworld King in expanding his realm?

“I will use my eyes and ears to guide lost souls who have strayed into the Underworld,” the elder Lord explained.

Xue Shan nodded. “There is already someone lost and in need of your help. Are you willing?”

“I am willing,” the elder Lord said.

“We will need to borrow your divine power and the Dream Entry Order,” Xue Shan said.

“No need. I can now listen with my ears and discern with my heart. I gift you both the power of the Underworld ghost eyes and the Dream Entry Order to help more lost souls in the world,” the elder Lord declared.

“I will take the Dream Entry Order. You should give your divine power to the elder woman. Without her, you’d still be trapped in illusion. She healed you,” Xue Shan said.

The elder Lord nodded. “Elder woman, please extend your hand.”

I stretched out my left hand. The elder Lord channeled energy into my palm. I adjusted my breath and absorbed the divine power into my hand.

As half of his power departed, the elder Lord revealed his true form—a creature with the head of a dragon, the tail of a lion, and the body of a qilin.

I could not help but wonder.

“You are not a dragon?” I asked.

“The Underworld King is a dragon; my mother is a qilin-lion,” he answered.

“Is the young Lord your biological brother?” I inquired.

“Yes and no,” he replied.

I thought such a matter could hardly be ambiguous.

“My mother was born a divine body. Her qilin child inherited immense power. So Father used a soul-confusing spell on her, forcing her to become queen. Mother bore me, but Father was not satisfied and forced her to bear another. Mother had exhausted her divine power; the second brother was born weak and frail.”

“How did the young Lord become the way he is now?” I asked, puzzled.

“Jiang said she had a way to help Father, demanding he spare her son as exchange. Father forcibly took the second brother away from Mother. When he was returned, he was strong but had changed utterly and lost his memories. Mother claimed Father killed her child, swapping him for another. Father said he healed the second brother’s body, so that was still her child. But Mother became melancholic and tearful forever after.”

“How did your mother die? Was she truly killed by the Underworld King?” I continued.

“Yes. Father forced her to marry into the Underworld. She never loved him, and after the young Lord changed, she avoided both of us. Father said Mother was stubborn and beat her until she obeyed, accusing her of clinging to old love,” the elder Lord said.

Xue Shan stood silently, expression grave.

I said nothing, harboring a deep hatred for the Underworld realm. It turned out the mother of both the elder and young Lords was also bewitched and forced into submission by the Underworld King.

“I was lonely. I loved watching those theatrical scripts; they intrigued me. I even deliberately tormented the young Lord and his little wife, wanting to see if true love really existed. But they too eventually parted. I was left only with my own talent. When my eyes and ears failed, Father discarded me like trash. The only one I cared for was the young Lord—a puppet in my eyes,” the elder Lord said bitterly.

“He is not a puppet. Like everyone else, he began with a pure heart,” Xue Shan said unhappily.

I glanced at Xue Shan, unsure why he was so displeased. He seemed to genuinely care for the young Lord, his gaze filled with tenderness whenever he looked at him.

The young Lord longed desperately for his mother’s love, craving approval yet burdened by profound insecurity, caught in conflict and pain. He resembled my Little Bai greatly. But my Little Bai never blamed fate, nor was he self-loathing or spiteful; he would never inflict his pain upon others.

“I will teach you a method to clear your heart and calm your spirit. Practice it in this cave to cleanse the impurities clinging to your six senses. Once I finish my affairs, I will arrange for your return to the Underworld,” Xue Shan said, inscribing the “Pure Heart and Universal Benevolence Incantation” from the Jade Clear Realm onto the crystal wall.

The elder Lord bowed in thanks.

Xue Shan and I left the cave. I glanced back at the elder Lord, silently abandoning my deep hatred for him.

“Thank you for your efforts, Elder woman,” Xue Shan said.

“Yes, at my age, dancing has nearly broken these old arms and legs,” I joked, rubbing my shoulders.

“Let’s rest a moment once we reach shore,” Xue Shan suggested.

“No need. We should hurry to the Sea Wolf tribe,” I insisted.

After days of travel, I wanted to resolve these matters quickly and return to see Little Bai while he was still young and needed me—so I could hold him tightly.

Xue Shan and I emerged from the cold abyss of the Sea Eye and entered the Sea Wolf tribe’s waters. At noon, we landed on Sea Wolf Island, found an inn, and ate some seaweed porridge before retiring separately to rest. I had a large tub of hot water prepared, soaking to soothe my “old arms and legs.” Running my hands through my silvery hair, I thought of the dance with Xue Shan earlier. My heart unexpectedly quickened. “What is Xue Shan doing now... Oh! Why am I thinking of him again!” I slapped the water and lightly tapped my head.

After bathing, I lay on the bed, pondering what kind of dreamscape to craft for Jiang Ye of the Sea Wolf tribe—one that would pierce his heart and guide him back from his misguided path. Sleep overtook me unknowingly.

I was awakened near dusk by a knock. Sleepy-eyed, I opened the door to find Xue Shan.

“Have you scouted out the palace’s location?” I asked, still drowsy.

“Yes,” he said.

“Do you know Jiang Ye’s preferences?” I continued.

“Yes,” he replied.

“Is the plan ready?” I pressed on.

“Yes,” he said.

“Hold out your hand,” I commanded.

“What?” Xue Shan was puzzled.

“I’m giving you the power of the Underworld eye. I trust you to handle things. I need to sleep more,” I yawned.

“Elder woman, you can’t be lazy,” Xue Shan smiled.

He briefly explained his plan: to create a dream where the celestial realm rejects Jiang Ye for his greed, severing ties, and the Underworld invades the Sea Wolf tribe—a nightmare Jiang Ye would find unbearable. The key point involved his beloved concubine, Tiao Ge.

“You handle the killing, arson, and looting. I’ll cooperate. As for that young Lord, you take him. I won’t create his dream,” I said.

“Understood. I’ll act accordingly,” Xue Shan agreed.

Together, we flew to the palace and entered the Sea Wolf King’s chamber. Xue Shan created a boundary to isolate the chamber. The king, Jiang Ye, and his concubine, Tiao Ge, were sound asleep. We joined hands and used the Dream Entry Order to enter his dream.

“We are illusions now. We can change our appearance and behavior, and alter Jiang Ye’s dream,” Xue Shan said.

“Let’s see what he’s dreaming,” I said.

A strong young sea wolf swam vigorously in the sea. Leaping onto the shore, he transformed into a dark-skinned, muscular youth, brimming with fearless ambition. “I, Jiang Ye, will make the Sea Wolf tribe the strongest clan!” he shouted to the heavens.

His mother was low-born, and he was shunned by his people. Taken as a hostage to the celestial realm, he lived worse than a dog or pig, abused and commanded like a house pet by the Crown Prince Tian De. Jiang Ye howled in rage, struggling to break free, only to be beaten and starved. He grew thinner and weaker. Tian De casually chained him behind the Chongde Palace’s rear gate, leaving him hungry for days. Near death, a celestial maiden—a goddess—appeared.

I was stunned. That was the little wolf dog chained behind the palace gate! And that goddess was me in the past!

In his dream, I was gentle, feeding him immortal peaches from the Peach Garden, holding and soothing him.

At the time, I never held him. This was his dream.

“Little dog, we shall meet again,” the dream-me smiled and ran away.

“Little fairy! Don’t go! Don’t go!” he screamed, trying to catch me but restrained by chains. After eating many immortal peaches, he gradually regained strength, broke free from his chains, and escaped back to the Sea Wolf tribe.

He became the clan leader, proclaiming himself “Sea Wolf King.” What the celestial realm owed him, he would take back doubled! He would never go hungry again. He would be wealthier than that Crown Prince, and his people richer than the celestial nobles. Jewels, treasures, mountains of gold and silver, happy lives, no more hunger—he believed threatening the celestial realm could achieve all this. Dream-Jiang Ye laughed heartily.

I felt a pang of guilt, wondering if I had been wrong back then.

“Ah... he really gives me a hard time,” Xue Shan sighed, a mix of scolding and affection.

“Jiang Ye’s vision is short-sighted, but yours is broad, like a true leader. Let’s get started!” I smiled at Xue Shan.

He cast a spell, placing Jiang Ye into a dream of a shattered alliance with the celestial realm, a brutal battlefield pressed by the Underworld army. The scene was terrifyingly vivid: fierce screams, clashing blades, heads severed in an instant, blood gushing forth! One stroke of the divine blade cleaved bodies open, spilling viscera. Some intestines writhed desperately, fleeing. Ghostly wails and howls filled the battlefield littered with corpses—a grim horror.

In the dream, the young Lord gathered the Sea Wolf people, selecting strong men and women as beasts to be bred for “sea wolf oil.” The weak, elderly, and sick were thrown alive into fires to render oil.

Jiang Ye’s palace was burned, looted, and his concubine, Tiao Ge, dragged out and violated. Jiang Ye screamed hoarsely but could do nothing.

Covered in blood and utterly exhausted, Jiang Ye stood alone.

Though I had experienced internal war among the Mu Tuo tribe, it was swift and decisive. I had never seen such brutal carnage. The scene was unbearable, especially seeing the young Lord’s likeness so vividly. I closed my eyes, thinking Xue Shan was truly talented—how could he conjure such cruelty? Had he witnessed this or was he simply twisted?

The slaughter ceased; silence fell.

“Keep going. Victory is near!” I urged.

Xue Shan was speechless.

I opened my eyes to see Jiang Ye, drenched in blood, desperately fleeing with dream-me. “Little fairy! The Sea Wolf tribe is gone! Only you remain... only you...” Jiang Ye neared madness.

“Why am I involved?” I thought awkwardly.

“What to do? This obsession must be broken! Why does Jiang Ye dream only of me... never mind, I’m done watching. Let Xue Shan handle it,” I grumbled.

“Please continue, Elder woman,” Xue Shan said.

“I cannot commit such cruelty to the innocent. You handle all the killing and destruction already; one more won’t matter. But don’t let her suffer like that concubine... I’m a woman—I cannot bear it. You understand! Hurry, don’t waste time,” I insisted.

Xue Shan summoned the young Lord to stand before Jiang Ye. After a fierce battle, he bound the bloodied Jiang Ye and threw him to the ground. Dream-me was captured and whipped brutally.

“I’m a bit tired. You take over,” Xue Shan said wearily.

Seeing his exhaustion, I was helpless. I wondered, “Is this to torment Jiang Ye or me? But I’m not used to killing innocents—though it’s just a dream, it’s tough.”

How to proceed? Should I use the time the young Lord hurt me? No, I couldn’t bear that. Perhaps the time spring breeze frightened me half to death.

I cast a spell causing dream-me to cough blood, tears streaming, struggling as I said to Jiang Ye, “Jiang Ye... the Underworld wolves are ambitious. You must face the Sea Wolf tribe’s strength... without the celestial realm, you have nothing... you were wrong... truly wrong...” Then dream-me died coughing blood.

Jiang Ye was hysterical...