Chapter 2217: She is My Woman

Feeling everyone's gaze, Chiwen felt a little flustered.

He definitely didn't want to be the Sea King. Weren't these days of leisure and travel good enough? Why become Sea King, burdened by countless documents, political affairs, and various trivial matters, leaving no time for fun?

His only regret was his father's death. From now on, he had no one to rely on, no one to back him up when he was out and about.

Ah, if his second aunt became the new king, that would be great. She had always doted on him; the last time his father almost beat him to death, it was his second aunt who stopped him.

This thought was fleeting, quickly dismissed by him. How could a woman become the king of the entire Sea Race?

The next second, Zu An pulled Shang Hongyu forward and said, "The Mermaid Queen's wisdom has always been praised by the entire Sea Race. Recently, it was thanks to her wise and decisive actions that the demon race's plot was thwarted, saving the entire Sea Race. This further proves her capabilities, so currently, I believe no one is more suitable to be the new Sea King than she."

Chiwen's eyes nearly popped out. Had he, by chance, inadvertently cultivated the ability to make his words come true?

While he was lost in thought, the entire mourning hall erupted in chaos.

"This is outrageous!"

"This absolutely cannot happen!"

"How can the Queen become the new king?"

Some old-fashioned ministers were frothing at the mouth, condemning the absurdity of the situation.

Even with his high cultivation, this matter was too preposterous, and for a moment, everyone ignored propriety.

Zu An remained calm from beginning to end. An invisible aura blocked everyone's spittle, and he slowly stated, "Excuse me, this matter is not for discussion; it is to inform you."

Immediately, a powerful pressure descended upon the entire mourning hall. Everyone suddenly found it difficult to breathe, and the noisy hall fell silent.

Shang Hongyu couldn't help but glance at him, thinking how handsome he was. No wonder she had fallen for him so quickly after meeting him.

However, there was a hint of worry in her eyes. No wonder he had said nothing on the way; his method was so radical.

At this point, a Sea Race elder finally couldn't hold back. "Regent King, electing a new king is an internal matter for our Sea Race. It would be best if you, an outsider, did not interfere."

"Are you telling me what to do?" Zu An gave him a cold glance.

The pressure from that gaze almost made the Sea Race elder lose his footing, but he took a deep breath and said, "I wouldn't dare. Who in this world would dare to tell the Regent King what to do? However, even though you are very strong, it's hard to silence public opinion. Even if you forcibly put the Queen on the throne, the Sea Race will not be convinced, and her position may not be stable."

Chiwen, beside him, cast a sidelong glance. He'd heard them say earlier in the day that while Zu An was strong, he might not be a match for the countless masters of the Sea Race. Why had they changed their tune now?

He preferred their previous defiant demeanor.

"Is this a threat?" Zu An looked at the man coldly.

Those around recalled how an elder from the Ao Zhan lineage had previously defied him publicly, only to end up decapitated. This fellow, they feared, would likely meet a grim fate too.

The Sea Race elder, with a stiff neck, replied, "It's not a threat, merely the truth."

At this point, Shang Hongyu interjected, "Elder Zhang has always been upright and highly respected in the Sea Race. His current words are also objective."

Elder Zhang looked at her in surprise. He hadn't expected her to speak up for him, even though he was opposing her.

Zu An smiled. "Elder Zhang, you should thank the Queen. Otherwise, you might have lost your life here."

Feeling the pressure lift, Elder Zhang gasped for air, his back drenched in cold sweat.

The others all took another look at Shang Hongyu, thinking that the Queen was indeed virtuous.

Then Zu An spoke, "I know many find my proposal outlandish, but have you considered that after this calamity, the Sea Race is severely weakened, and masters from all tribes have suffered heavy casualties? Do we now need an ambitious strategist to take power, or do we need a wise and gentle leader to allow the Sea Race to recover and recuperate?"

At his words, everyone present, except for a few of the princes' confidants, fell into deep thought. What he said didn't seem entirely unreasonable.

Elder Zhang frowned. "But this matter is still too preposterous. Since ancient times, when has a woman ever ruled the Sea Race?"

"From today, there will be," Zu An retorted directly.

Elder Zhang gasped. "Regent King, you're being unreasonable!"

Everyone else held their breath for him, thinking Elder Zhang was truly bold.

Both his friends and political adversaries were filled with admiration, believing that at such a moment, he was probably the only one brave enough to speak out for justice.

"I've just explained the reasoning to you. The Queen has long been the most revered figure in your Sea Race, second only to the Dragon King, and she is deeply popular throughout the Sea Race. When I first arrived, I heard people expressing their admiration for her in a casual roadside tavern."

As Zu An spoke, Shang Hongyu involuntarily looked at him, their gazes intertwined. Thinking of their initial meeting, a sweet feeling welled up in her heart.

Zu An continued:

"So the Queen has a strong popular base for governing the Sea Race. Furthermore, as I mentioned before, the Queen deserves primary credit for quelling the demon calamity. She used cunning to deceive the demons, then employed decisive measures to purge many of them. You must have witnessed her capabilities these past few days."

Everyone recalled the events of the past few days and admitted that the Queen had indeed proven herself remarkable.

At this point, a minister loyal to the Second Prince muttered, "Perhaps those were the methods of the Dragon King and yourself, Regent King."

"No, the entire plan was designed by the Queen," Zu An replied.

The others exchanged strange glances, thinking that with the Dragon King dead, Zu An could say whatever he wanted.

"But the Dragon King has many descendants. To choose an outsider instead of one of them is contrary to etiquette," Elder Zhang interjected.

Zu An scoffed, "In the world of cultivation, when did the throne ever pass down through bloodlines?"

Elder Zhang's expression turned serious. "Indeed, since ancient times, only the most powerful could become king. It's just that the Dragon Race has always been strong, so kings have often come from their lineage. Although the Queen's cultivation is good, if she wants to break this rule, she's probably still far from being able to suppress all the formidable contenders."

Theoretically, everyone adhered to the concept of the strong being revered, but in practice, it often overlapped with hereditary rule, as seen with the Zhao family among humans and the Golden Crow tribe among demons.

Shang Hongyu took a deep breath, about to state her willingness to decide the outcome by cultivation. For some reason, her cultivation seemed to have advanced quite rapidly recently. Was it because Zu An's... *things* were very nourishing? As long as she didn't face some of the grand elders, she had a good chance.

However, Zu An directly stopped her and stated, "Suppress all contenders? As long as she says the word, I will help her suppress them all."

At these words, everyone's expression changed. This declaration was incredibly resolute.

Shang Hongyu's gaze towards him grew softer. So this was what it felt like to have a man shield her from wind and rain...

The previous Dragon King only pursued other women everywhere, even having his home easily encroached upon. He was completely unreliable.

At this, Elder Zhang became anxious. "You are you, and the Queen is the Queen. You are not of the Sea Race, and you have no right to participate in the contest for our Sea King. As for the Queen, if the Sea King must rely on others, wouldn't that make her a laughingstock? While you can help her for a while, can you help her for a lifetime?"

"Of course, I can help her for a lifetime." Zu An paused, then looked at Shang Hongyu gently. "Because she is my woman."

At these words, Shang Hongyu's mind went blank. This wasn't what they had agreed upon.

If it were announced now, perhaps...

The entire mourning hall fell into a deathly silence. Everyone exchanged glances, wondering if they had misheard.

But seeing the terrified expressions on each other's faces, they knew they hadn't misheard.

Oh no, oh no. Would everyone present be silenced by him?

But this matter was utterly outrageous. This was the Dragon King's mourning hall; he was trampling on the entire Sea Race's dignity.

Chiwen, meanwhile, was pondering another question: In the future, should he call him "Auntie's husband" or "Dad"?

However, Elder Zhang's voice, a mix of shock and anger, interrupted his thoughts. "Regent King, you are simply too much!"

Elder Zhang's rage level: 999,999,999...

At this point, Elder Zhang completely threw caution to the wind. "She is, after all, our Sea Race's Queen, representing our dignity. The Dragon King has just died, and you are here..."

"The Dragon King personally asked me to take her," Zu An interrupted directly.

"Even if the Dragon King asked... huh?" Elder Zhang, who had been passionately speaking out for justice, suddenly looked dumbfounded. What in the world? This was beyond anything he had ever known.

Everyone else in the mourning hall was also stunned. What was happening? They had heard the Dragon King enjoyed cuckolding others, but never that he had a preference for being cuckolded himself.

Shang Hongyu also looked surprised. Zu An hadn't mentioned this to her. Was he just making it up to help her, or was it... true?

"Nonsense! How is that possible!" Elder Zhang snapped back to reality and immediately roared.