Chapter 2212: Wedding Ceremony

Compared to her sister's shock, Shang Liuyu was much calmer. After all, she had witnessed his power in the Myriad Dragon Tomb and was already mentally prepared.

However, her dominant emotion now was shyness, as she wondered why Azu kept holding her in his arms. With all the merfolk kneeling below, this scene would surely spread throughout the entire Merfolk race in just a few days...

Aside from her shyness, there was also a hint of joy in her heart. What maiden doesn't dream of her beloved descending from the heavens like a god? And the current situation...

As soon as this thought arose, she quickly banished it. Her face instantly flushed crimson. "We're siblings," she chided herself, "What nonsense am I thinking?"

At this moment, Zu'an's voice, like an ethereal divine decree, resounded in the hearts of every merfolk: "Previously, it was only out of consideration for the Queen and the Shang Liuyu sisters that I patiently explained a few things to you, but did you truly believe I was afraid of you?"

"We wouldn't dare, we wouldn't dare!" The merfolk ministers who had previously voiced objections trembled and repeatedly kowtowed on the ground, begging for mercy.

The immense pressure, as if the will of the entire world was looking down upon them, made it impossible for anyone to even think of resisting. Every inch of their muscles trembled uncontrollably.

They were now filled with endless regret. "If we had known you were so incredibly powerful before," they thought, "why would we have opposed you? Who's tired of living?"

"Begging for mercy? Then it depends on whether the Queen is willing to forgive you." Zu'an looked at Shang Hongyu beside him, a hint of a smile appearing on his face.

Shang Hongyu's face truly flushed. How could she not know that he was helping her establish her authority? After all, with the Dragon King now dead, she, as the Queen, had always been known for her virtue but lacked a certain majesty. Even though her recent purge of demons had shown people another side of her, few still feared her.

Just now, for example, she had actively spoken up for Zu'an, yet the ministers had completely disregarded her words.

She took a deep breath: "The Regent Prince graciously offered his help, yet we not only failed to be grateful, but instead responded with insults. The Regent Prince is magnanimous, but we cannot let this matter simply pass."

"All who opposed just now shall be demoted three ranks and have their salaries withheld for three years!"

This was a good opportunity to purge some of the old-timers who relied on their seniority, making it easier to replace them with her own trusted confidantes later.

Of course, she couldn't be too cruel, otherwise it would go against her reputation for virtue and she might lose popular support.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you, Regent Prince!" The ministers kowtowed in gratitude. They were genuinely grateful at this moment; they had expected to follow in the footsteps of the unfortunate person who had just been dealt with, but instead, they had kept their lives. "The Queen is indeed a virtuous ruler," they thought.

In an instant, Shang Hongyu's image in everyone's minds grew significantly.

Zu'an nodded slightly, then said, "Out of consideration for the Queen, I will tell you the truth you were just curious about."

The many merfolk kneeling below were stunned, immediately saying they wouldn't dare.

The Shang Hongyu sisters were also somewhat puzzled, unsure what he was about to do.

"The truth is that Ao Yong attempted to usurp power. He and his trusted experts set up a demon-suppressing formation in the main hall of the Myriad Dragon Tomb and launched a rebellion. In addition, there were numerous demons, each possessing the strength of a peak Earth Immortal, and many powerful ancient beasts awakened in the Myriad Dragon Tomb. It was then that the Dragon King met his demise. In the end, I was only able to rescue Shang Liuyu."

"Originally, I thought that after such a drastic change, the Merfolk race needed rest and recovery, and I didn't want you to fall into internal strife again, which is why I didn't mention this matter. However, I didn't expect that Ao Yong's faction would harbor treacherous intentions. Since that's the case, I will reveal the truth completely, to prevent future upheavals in the Merfolk race."

Today, he had subdued everyone with absolute power, but he was concerned about leaving behind any hidden troubles for Shang Hongyu after he left. That's why he patiently explained.

The public has a curious nature. No matter the matter, they will always feel there's a conspiracy behind it. Moreover, the incident at the Myriad Dragon Tomb indeed had many suspicious points.

But the public is often ignorant. As long as they are given a conspiracy they can believe in and a "villain," they will be perfectly satisfied, with a sense of superiority that comes from thinking, "It's just as I expected." Few will then bother to think about deeper implications.

Sure enough, upon hearing his words, everyone suddenly understood. They glared angrily at the officials from Ao Yong's faction.

In truth, many merfolk had already sensed Ao Yong's ambitions. Now, upon hearing this explanation, they immediately believed it.

Those under Ao Yong trembled, wanting to flee, but under such immense pressure, they couldn't move an inch.

At this moment, Shang Hongyu also reacted, her expression turning cold. "Guards! Seize Ao Yong's remnants and interrogate them thoroughly!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Soon, her trusted guards stepped forward and apprehended Ao Yong's remnants.

Only then did Shang Hongyu bow to Zu'an. "Thank you for your assistance this time, Regent Prince. It is late now, perhaps the Regent Prince would care to move to the Dragon Palace for some rest."

Zu'an was worried about the situation in the capital, but he knew that after such a long time, things had likely settled.

Instead, there were many matters regarding the merfolk that he needed to discuss with Shang Hongyu, and he also needed to support her in stabilizing the situation among the merfolk.

At the same time, Shang Liuyu was also injured and needed treatment. So, he nodded in agreement.

Once Shang Hongyu had welcomed Zu'an into the Dragon Palace, the merfolk ministers in the square finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"We truly didn't know what was good for us," one murmured. "The Regent Prince clearly helped our Merfolk race by eliminating those terrifying demons, yet we treated him like that. It's despicable."

"Fortunately, the Queen and the Regent Prince have a good relationship," another said, "otherwise, there might have been a bloodbath today."

"It's not just the Queen," another added, "the Queen's sister also has an extraordinary relationship with him. If not for the two sisters intervening, our Merfolk race might have been doomed this time."

Initially, many people saw Zu'an and Shang Liuyu's intimacy and felt envious and displeased. Now, each of them wished the two had an even better relationship.

When everyone's strength is not too dissimilar, envy is most easily bred. But once that gap widens into a chasm, such envy disappears, replaced by admiration and reverence.

Soon, the events that transpired here spread throughout the entire Dragon Palace, and then rapidly propagated to the various races across the sea.

Many major clans discussed in secret:

"Now that the Dragon King is dead," one elder began, "and so many elders have also died, and Prince Yong's lineage is also being purged, our Merfolk race has suffered a great blow to its vitality. If any external enemies invade, the situation could be dire."

"Indeed," another agreed. "He is the Regent Prince for both the Human and Demon races. If the Human and Demon races decide to target us, he will surely side with them."

"Solving this problem is actually quite easy."

"Oh, brother, what brilliant idea do you have?"

"I hear the Regent Prince is somewhat fond of women," someone suggested, "and our Queen is renowned for her beauty. If the two of them could be together, then the Regent Prince would also become one of us from then on. We wouldn't have to fear the Human and Demon races anymore."

"The Dragon King just died; wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

"What's wrong with it?" another countered. "Didn't the Little Demon Queen get together with the Regent Prince after the old Demon Emperor died? And over in the Human race, the former Crown Princess, now the Empress, also seems to have an ambiguous relationship with the Regent Prince. Our Merfolk race is already naturally behind. The Queen should make a sacrifice for the foundation of our Merfolk race, especially since I see she seems to have a good relationship with the Regent Prince."

"That's right," yet another chimed in, "our Merfolk race has another advantage over the Human and Demon races: the Queen also has a younger sister. If the sisters are together, their appeal would be far greater than that of the Little Demon Queen or the Human Empress."

Similar conversations were taking place in all the major clans, with some even thinking of sending someone to persuade the Mermaid Queen to be more proactive.

This was mainly because Zu'an's displayed power was too astonishing. Whichever side such a being stood on, the scales of victory would tip in their favor.

The Human and Demon races had already gained the upper hand in this regard. Their Merfolk race had no choice but to take precautions.

And the only price to pay was a woman. What's more, they were a perfect match in talent and beauty; it wouldn't be an insult to the Queen.

As for the recently deceased Dragon King, no one cared.

Well, that's not entirely accurate. Back then, countless wives and concubines of ministers had been favored by the Dragon King, and everyone had been angry but dared not speak. Now, all of this could be considered the Dragon King getting what he deserved.

They naturally wouldn't dare to disrespect the Queen, but instigating her to seduce the Regent Prince... didn't it bring an uncontrollable sense of vengeful pleasure?

Meanwhile, when Zu'an returned to the Dragon Palace, given his current status, he naturally could not stay in his previous quarters. Instead, Shang Hongyu arranged for him to reside in a particularly luxurious palace.

This was a place the merfolk had specifically prepared for esteemed guests of the Old Demon Emperor and Human Emperor's stature in the past. Over the years, it had only been used twice, but unexpectedly, it was put to use once more.

Zu'an left Shang Liuyu in the palace, focusing wholeheartedly on healing her injuries and assisting her in refining the Mermaid Ancestor's legacy.

He was about to leave soon, and hoped to help as much as possible before his departure.

"How do you feel now?" Zu'an asked with concern after a period of circulating his energy.

At this moment, Shang Liuyu was covered in fragrant sweat, her whole body steaming with heat. Her usually cool face was flushed, looking like a luscious, ripe apple, making one want to take a bite.

"Much better," she replied. "With your help, my injuries might heal a month earlier." Shang Liuyu squirmed slightly, feeling sticky and uncomfortable all over.

"That's good," Zu'an breathed a sigh of relief. "Once your injuries are fully healed, you can focus on secluded cultivation to fully digest and absorb the Mermaid Ancestor's legacy."

Shang Liuyu hummed in acknowledgment, then looked at him with her large eyes. "You're still a bit handsome today, you know."

"Just a *bit* handsome?" Zu'an instantly felt a little displeased.

"Because in my heart, you'll always be that little brother." Shang Liuyu pursed her lips and smiled.

"I'm not little!" Zu'an retorted subconsciously. As soon as the words left his mouth, both of them froze.

A blush spread from Shang Liuyu's neck upwards. She stood up awkwardly. "I've sweated quite a bit; I'll go bathe next door first."

Zu'an hesitated. "How about I escort you back to your own quarters? Healing was one thing, but if you bathe here, it might damage your reputation."

Shang Liuyu rolled her eyes. "How can you even say that? You held me in your arms for so long in front of tens of thousands of merfolk earlier; my reputation is already completely ruined by you."

Zu'an: "..."

"My sincere apologies."

"What is there to apologize for?" Shang Liuyu said with an easygoing attitude. "At the time, I was indeed so weak I could barely stand upright. If you hadn't held me, I probably would have made a fool of myself. In fact, I should be thanking you."

"It was clearly you who protected my physical body; I should be thanking you." A smile also appeared on Zu'an's face. Sister Shang was indeed Sister Shang, without the usual pretentiousness of young girls.

"Even without me then, you would have been fine; you had clearly already returned at that time." Speaking of this, Shang Liuyu felt a bit annoyed. Although there was a reason for it, the thought of him watching her "performance" from the side at that time made her feel mortified.

"Are you two getting married, bowing back and forth to each other?" Suddenly, a charming laugh came from the doorway.

A graceful figure in white slowly walked in from outside. Shang Hongyu was not in her usual attire today, but dressed in a snow-white gown, making her appear exceptionally elegant and beautiful.

Especially with the white sash lightly tied around her waist, her waist appeared slender enough to be clasped in one hand.