Chapter 2394: Evil Ritual

Zu An felt a degree of admiration but had no intention of pursuing her. He had just seen her in action and knew the Mermaid Queen's cultivation was formidable; she could certainly protect herself.

As he had already acquired the information about the Aurora Poison Dragon, he saw no need for further entanglement with her. After all, she was the ancestor of the Shang Liuyu sisters, and he was concerned that too deep an involvement might negatively impact them in the future.

As he was about to turn and leave, he suddenly let out a sound of surprise. With a grave expression, he turned to peer into the Sifang Palace.

Demonic energy! And a considerable amount, at that. He hadn't noticed it when he passed by outside, likely because of the formations within the hall designed to conceal such auras. Moreover, it seemed the Dragon Palace residents intentionally kept quiet about these demons during their conversations, so he hadn't overheard anything suspicious. This struck him as odd. There were so many demons deep within the Dragon Palace, protected by numerous elite Dragon Palace guards outside. No one would believe the Dragon King was unaware of this.

Meanwhile, the Mermaid Queen swiftly infiltrated the inner hall. With a graceful sway of her body, she could glide dozens of yards in elegant arcs. In contrast to the vigilant Dragon Palace guards outside, the demons within were considerably more relaxed. Since the recent assassin had already been apprehended, no one would anticipate another person brazenly walking into a trap.

She had a general understanding of the Sifang Palace layout. After a brief search, she pinpointed the location where the demons were holding the assassins captive. It was a secluded courtyard. Unlike the relaxed atmosphere elsewhere, this area was guarded by a significant number of demons, all keenly alert and observing their surroundings. Covert infiltration was now impossible, but the Mermaid Queen remained unfazed.

Instead, she retrieved a miniature harp from her storage space. The instrument emanated an enchanting sea-blue luminescence, adorned with coral and seashells that formed intricate and beautiful runes. Strangely, the harp lacked strings. Without haste, the Mermaid Queen removed her helmet, allowing a strand of her beautiful hair to unfurl. As it settled onto the harp, it astonishingly formed a series of almost transparent strings. With a serene expression, her slender fingers delicately plucked the strings, and subtle, ethereal melodies began to ripple through the surrounding water. Her decision to rescue them was not an impulsive one; she was confident in her abilities.

The harp did not produce overt musical notes; instead, it resonated with the sounds of ocean waves. In the vast ocean, the sound of waves was perfectly normal. Indeed, the demons harbored no suspicion; they simply found the ocean waves particularly soothing today. As they listened, the guarding demons began to yawn. Their weapons clattered to the ground; some leaned against pillars, while others simply sat down, one by one succumbing to a deep slumber.

The Mermaid Queen then revealed herself, gracefully stepping into the courtyard. The sea-blue harp floated beside her. Even without the Mermaid Queen's hands touching it, the harp continued to emit enchanting melodies. Upon closer inspection, one could discern her hair strands drifting in the air; each time a strand brushed the harp, the sound of waves would emanate. The reason she hadn't used it earlier was the immense size of the Sifang Palace. If she were to play the harp with full power, her identity might be revealed to the entire Dragon Palace. Therefore, she needed to infiltrate deeper to confine the harp's influence to an appropriate range.

She proceeded directly to a building in the courtyard, from which faint sounds of demons chatting could be heard.

"Why are the ocean waves so clear today? They're making me sleepy."

"I'm a bit sleepy too, but let's eat our fill before sleeping. Praise King Bulun, who has bestowed this assassin upon us brothers."

"Haha, excellent. This tender flesh looks utterly delicious. Eating our fill before sleeping will make it even more satisfying."

The Mermaid Queen was both shocked and enraged. These demons were actually planning to devour a vibrant young woman like the Peacock Princess? They truly were cruel and bloodthirsty demons!

She dared not delay. Kicking open the door, she prepared to rescue the Peacock Princess, but was suddenly bewildered. There was no Peacock Princess in the room; the captured assassins were merely two men. She recognized them as the Peacock Princess's personal guards, likely those who had accompanied her on the assassination attempt earlier that day. Both men were suspended from torture racks, covered in blood, with no patch of intact skin on their bodies. They had clearly endured brutal torture and interrogation. She recalled that the Peacock Princess's personal guards were distinctively dressed, one in white and the other in black. Now, the one in black was still identifiable, though dried blood had made his garments an even darker shade. However, the white-clad guard's attire had been entirely stained red.

The two demons in the room were startled as well. Just as they opened their mouths to shout, the harp beside the Mermaid Queen resounded, and an invisible sound barrier enveloped the entire room. Realizing their warning was futile, the two demons showed no fear. They roared, their eyes instantly turning crimson, their muscles bulging, and their clothes ripping apart. Being seasoned, they immediately realized something was amiss with their earlier drowsiness, so they instantly activated a secret technique to awaken their bloodline power.

The two demons' bodies rapidly expanded, appearing as though they would burst the entire room. With a sinister grin, they roared and charged forward, intent on tearing the audacious intruder to shreds.

The Mermaid Queen remained still. As the harp strings beside her vibrated, visible musical notes descended upon the two demons. The demons' crimson eyes gradually widened in astonishment as they observed their bodies slowly shrinking again, their recently activated bloodline power steadily dissipating. Moreover, they felt the surrounding seawater growing unusually viscous, causing their movements to become sluggish. A distance normally traversable in a single step now felt like an insurmountable chasm. The musical notes swirled around the two demons, eventually forming a sea-blue character for "Palace" that settled above their heads. By this point, the two demons had shrunk back to the size of ordinary humans. How could they possibly withstand this peculiar character, which felt heavier than a mountain? They were instantly crushed to the ground and perished.

The Xuan Su Twin Guards, who had been barely clinging to life, were utterly astonished by the scene unfolding before them.

"This is..."

The Mermaid Queen paid no mind to conversation. She plucked the harp strings, and a water blade sliced through the men's bindings. Simultaneously, a gentle melody emanated and settled upon them. Their wounds began to heal at a visible rate, and their breathing, previously shallow, became steady.

"Thank you for saving us. May we ask your identity, esteemed one?" Both men knelt and bowed, though their bodies still trembled slightly.

"No need to ask who I am," the Mermaid Queen quickly interjected. "Where is your Princess?"

Upon hearing about the Princess, the Xuan Su Twin Guards' eyes immediately reddened. "They appear to be performing some evil ritual on her! We must save her!" The two men had initially been relieved, believing the Princess had successfully escaped. However, during their torture, the demons—intending to completely break their will—had revealed that the Princess had already been recaptured.