TRWSB – Chapter 159 Awakening of the Golden Mermaid

The Palace of the Merfolk

“The Princess, Greta has returned,” a maid reported to Ariel.

Ariel cast the maid a sideways glance. “He’s back? Did he take care of that Biliuyun?”

The maid shook her head. “I don’t think so. He fled back here.”

“I knew it!” Ariel sneered. “That useless man.”

The maid looked at Ariel and tried to calm her. “Greta probably did his best. He’s always been obedient to you.”

“What use is obedience without power?” Ariel snapped, clearly frustrated.

The maid hesitated for a moment. “Perhaps the Princess is mistaken. Hailing is from the Sea Dragon Tribe. Why would he be attracted to those hypocritical humans?”

“That’s why I said he’s bewitched!” Ariel clenched her fists, her eyes closing with humiliation and anger.

She had never imagined that one day she’d be rejected so coldly by Hailing. Thinking of his indifferent expression, Ariel’s heartbreak quickly gave way to rage.

“Humans may be weaker than us overall,” she murmured darkly, “but some of those wretched commoners can be quite the headache.”

In Biliuyun’s Room

“What’s wrong? You seem a bit down,” Qi Shaorong asked as he walked into Biliuyun’s room.

Biliuyun gave a dry smile. “It’s nothing.”

“Really?” Qi tilted his head. “Are you worried more merfolk will come to cause trouble? Honestly, no matter how many show up, it won’t be a big deal.”

“That’s not it,” Biliuyun said quietly. “Young Master, do you know? The decline of the merfolk didn’t start recently—it began a long time ago.”

Though he didn’t feel much attachment to the merfolk, the thought of his mother and uncle dedicating their lives to a dying race left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Really?” Qi Shaorong scratched his nose. He didn’t know much about merfolk affairs. Still, why was Liuyun suddenly so concerned?

“Yes. With the fall of the royal bloodline, many merfolk elders grew desperate. Any child showing traits of a golden mermaid would be intensively trained. But they pushed too hard, too fast, and ended up draining the children’s potential prematurely.”

His mother once told him that his uncle had undergone brutal training from a young age. If not for an early injury that left lasting damage, his achievements would have far surpassed what he ultimately reached.

Liuyun closed his eyes, his mother’s voice echoing in his mind:

“Placing too much hope, too much pressure on a child—that’s tragic. I’d rather you grow up free, safe, and happy.”

She had hidden his identity not just because of his half-human bloodline, but to help him escape the cruel fate of the royal merfolk.

Both his uncle and mother had given their lives for their people.

Liuyun slowly took out a pale blue crystal.

“What’s that?” Qi Shaorong asked, curious.

“It’s… a gift from Hailing,” Liuyun said softly.

Qi picked it up, skeptical. “This isn’t just some cheap glass stone, is it? Giving out low-grade trinkets—what a terrible habit!”

“No,” Biliuyun said firmly, holding the crystal. “This is the Heart of the Mermaid. Its value rivals that of the Sea King Pearl.”

“Really? Doesn’t look like much,” Qi muttered, staring hard at the gem.

Just then, Zhuang Hao entered the room. “What are you guys doing?”

Qi pointed to the crystal. “Talking about the gift Hailing gave Liuyun.”

Zhuang Hao scoffed, arms crossed. “Oh, that pretty-boy? Looks like junk to me.”

“Exactly what I thought,” Qi chimed in.

Liuyun: “…”

He clutched the crystal. The Heart of the Mermaid suddenly burst into radiant light.

His body was engulfed in shimmering energy. His dark hair turned sky blue, and his legs transformed into a long, flowing fishtail.

Qi’s eyes widened. “Liuyun! Your legs—they turned into a tail!”

He thought back to his previous life as a plastic surgeon. Someone had once asked if science could ever make people into real-life mermaids like on TV. He never had time to watch such shows before, but now, here in this life, his subordinate had transformed into a mermaid right in front of him. Maybe this was fate making up for his past regrets.

Qi looked at the glowing crystal. “Liuyun, that stone turned you into a fish!”

Zhuang Hao frowned. “No. Liuyun was already a merfolk. His innate abilities were sealed. The crystal triggered a resonance that awakened his powers.”

Qi blinked. “Who sealed them?”

Liuyun shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“Your tail is golden! Does that mean you could become a saint-level being?” Qi asked, astonished.

Zhuang Hao shook his head. “That’s still far off. A golden tail just means potential, nothing more. However…”

“However?” Qi prompted.

Zhuang narrowed his eyes. “That resonance earlier—there was a strange energy surge. It might’ve drawn unwanted attention.”

Liuyun looked down. They probably already know…

“Can you change back?” Qi asked.

With a flick of his tail and a deep breath, Liuyun’s fish form faded, replaced by human legs once more.

But his pants had been torn during the transformation, revealing long, pale legs beneath his robe.

Qi’s eyes lit up, and he reached out with a “curious” hand—only to have it grabbed mid-air by Zhuang Hao.

Qi scowled and withdrew his hand.

“Time to eat,” Zhuang Hao said calmly.

Outside, Black Shark greeted them, his eyes landing on Biliuyun.

“Master Liuyun, you… look more beautiful today.”

Liuyun cupped his face shyly. “Really?”

Black Shark nodded. “Yes. There’s… something new about you.”

Qi looked closer, and only now noticed the change. He couldn’t tell exactly what was different—but Liuyun was definitely more attractive. If anything, he now gave off a subtle air of allure.

“You’re right,” Qi said. “You really do look better.”

Liuyun blushed. “Thank you, Young Master.”

Zhuang Hao scowled and grabbed Qi’s hand. “He doesn’t look better than you. You’re the most handsome.”

Qi Shaorong: “…”

In the Sea Palace

Irina stood in the palace, gazing toward the Blue Sea Plains.

“You called for me, Mother?” Ariel asked.

Irina nodded. “I sensed the aura of the Heart of the Mermaid.”

Ariel’s eyes widened. “That’s impossible!”

The gem had been dormant for years. Only a pure golden mermaid was said to be capable of awakening it—but such a being had long since vanished from the world. Descendants often lacked the pure bloodline necessary to stir the stone.

Many had tried, and all had failed.

“It’s on the Blue Sea Plains now.”

“But… the Heart was supposed to be with the Sea Dragon Clan!” Ariel said in shock.

“I borrowed it from their palace recently. But now, it’s not there anymore—it’s on the mainland,” Irina said gravely.

“You think Hailing took it there?” Ariel asked. “Why would he do that?”

“I was wondering if it has something to do with that human you mentioned,” Irina murmured, her eyes narrowing. First the Sea King Pearl reappeared—and now the Heart of the Mermaid had awakened. Could these events be connected?

Ariel leapt to her feet. “That’s impossible!”

“Calm down,” Irina said. “It’s still just a theory.”

The Sea Dragon Clan

“Hailing, your aunt is looking for you,” Haolan said, walking in. “What happened to the Heart of the Mermaid? Word is, you were the last to have it.”

“I… lost it,” Hailing admitted.

Haolan chuckled coldly. “What convenient timing.”

Hailing frowned. “You’re acting strange today.”

“Not me. You,” she replied. “Word is a golden mermaid has awakened among the merfolk.”

“That can’t be…”

“Apparently,” she continued, “an old prophecy said the royal merfolk would suffer tragedy between thirteen and eight years ago. If they survived, they’d rise again. If not…”

“Well, in those five years, the main bloodline was wiped out. Only distant relatives remain,” she added.

Hailing lowered his head, lost in thought.