Chapter 2397: You Are Acting Strange

Not to mention the demons, even the Mermaid Queen was bewildered. This was the Dragon Palace, deep beneath the sea! Water was everywhere, so how could there be a fire? Yet, everyone's peripheral vision instinctively turned towards the sound, and sure enough, not far away, Mogad's palace was ablaze.

The demons' eyes nearly popped out; they wondered if they'd woken up on the wrong side of the world today. Mogad: "???" After a moment of surprise, he realized that any flame burning in the Dragon Palace could certainly not be an ordinary fire. Could the Mermaid Queen have some powerful allies? Or was a rare treasure manifesting?

It was during this brief moment of distraction that the Mermaid Queen seized the chance to dodge his lethal attack. Mogad did not pursue; instead, he looked towards the direction of the fire, his eyes gleaming with intensity. This fire was extraordinary; for it to burn in the deep-sea Dragon Palace, it could only be the legendary True Fire.

Seeing the flames vaguely gather into the shape of white lotuses, he was delighted. Could this be the legendary White Lotus True Fire? If he could obtain it, his power would increase significantly, perhaps even allowing him to contend with the Lord of Demons. Thinking this, he quickly ordered his demon subordinates to continue their assault on the Mermaid Queen, while he himself rushed towards the burning palace.

He knew the capabilities of his demon subordinates; even if they couldn't capture the Mermaid Queen, they could certainly hold her back and prevent her escape. Once he acquired the White Lotus True Fire, he would return and deal with her properly. He quickly arrived at the burning palace, and as he felt the nature of the flames up close, the excitement on his face grew more intense. "Indeed, this is the White Lotus True Fire! But where is the origin of the flame?" He cast several defensive spells around himself and then entered the palace directly, searching everywhere for the potential White Lotus fire seed. However, his expression quickly changed, as he realized that this was not an ownerless White Lotus True Fire, but one that someone had deliberately released!

"Damn it!" he cried, rushing out immediately. Just as he entered the palace, the courtyard outside suddenly erupted into chaos. This was because a horde of seahorses burst forth from an unknown location! These seahorses were not the miniature creatures found on Earth, but true exotic marine species. They were the most common mounts used by the Sea Race army during their campaigns! Hundreds of tall, majestic seahorses, as if startled, galloped wildly and scattered throughout the courtyard. The demons, overwhelmed by the charging seahorses, finally broke formation.

The Mermaid Queen was both surprised and delighted, wondering if this commotion was caused by the Xuan-Su Guards she had just rescued. However, she immediately dismissed that idea. The Xuan-Su Guards were too severely injured; although they had received her treatment, they could barely move freely and had essentially lost their combat ability. They couldn't create such a grand spectacle. Especially the palace that was on fire nearby; that fire was clearly extraordinary. "Could it be the Dragon King? But he doesn't know I'm here, so why would he come to save me? Besides, given his cowardly nature, he certainly wouldn't come if he knew I was confronting the demons."

Just then, a voice, both strange and familiar, whispered in her ear: "What are you doing standing there dumbfounded? Run!" She saw a tall seahorse gallop past her, and a figure suddenly flipped up from its belly, grabbing her hand and pulling her onto the seahorse. Soon, the two individuals on one seahorse blended in with the other seahorses, taking advantage of the chaos to gallop away.

The Mermaid Queen had never before ridden on a single mount with a man, much less been held in his embrace. However, with life and death at stake, she didn't mind this. Instead, she turned her head, looking at the man behind her with curiosity. "It's you?" It was that silly guard!

Zu An smiled faintly: "Since we made an agreement, of course I have to fulfill my obligation. How could I just take your benefits without doing anything?" The Mermaid Queen felt a warmth in her heart. Although this silly guard had limited abilities, he was quite righteous. Not only did he show deep affection to save his sister, but he also risked his life to save her. In comparison, the Dragon King and other high-ranking officials, despite their immense power, dared not resist the demons; they were all spineless. They couldn't even compare to this junior guard. As she thought this, her gaze towards him softened slightly. She didn't even realize that she subconsciously no longer wanted to call him silly.

How could one not be moved when rescued from the brink of death? Just then, Mogad rushed out, and upon seeing this scene, he quickly began: "Escape is forbidden here..." Halfway through the word "escape," Zu An suddenly turned back and smiled at him: "What are you looking at?" "So what if I'm looking at you!" Mogad found himself unable to utter the rest of his spell and, by some strange impulse, replied. Mogad: "!!!" All the demons: "???" "Are you two performing a skit here?" It was during this moment of stupefaction that Zu An had already led the Mermaid Queen out of the Four Directions Hall.

A fleeting look of embarrassment crossed Mogad's face. He glared at his subordinates: "What are you looking at? You can't even keep one woman contained? Hurry up and chase them!" The demons inwardly grumbled, knowing full well that he himself had "personally" let them go, yet he was taking his anger out on them. But no one dared to say anything, and they quickly followed in pursuit.

As Zu An and the Mermaid Queen rushed out of the Four Directions Hall, the Mermaid Queen regained her composure, grabbing him. "Seahorses aren't fast enough to escape the Unholy King's pursuit. Follow me." With that, she grabbed Zu An's hand, tapped her foot, and leaped sideways from the seahorse. Zu An watched as she subtly swayed her waist, and the two of them covered a distance of hundreds of *zhang*. Even he was impressed by the miraculous agility of her movement technique; it was almost comparable to his own 'Great Wind' teleportation skill. Seeing her waist ripple like ocean waves, Zu An couldn't help but think of the sisters Shang Hongyu and Shang Liuyu. It seemed the waists of the mermaid race were indeed beautiful and very supple.

While he had only embraced Shang Liuyu, he had intimately experienced Shang Hongyu, the charm and allure of her twisting her waist while sitting on him, truly the most delightful rhythm in the world. *Argh, why am I thinking about such random things?* Zu An's old face flushed. Just then, the Mermaid Queen turned her head, looking at him with a half-smile: "You have impure thoughts right now!" Zu An: "???" *Seriously, how can you tell that?* He almost looked down to see if his 'little brother' had betrayed him, but it hadn't at all.

As if sensing his confusion, the Mermaid Queen snorted softly: "I am extremely sensitive to the emotional changes of men around me. Whether someone's intentions are pure or they are thinking something lewd, I know it clearly." Over the years, countless men had been drawn to her. If she couldn't discern their true intentions, with her beauty, she would have long been devoured, leaving no bones behind. When she was with this fellow before, it was firstly because she had hidden her identity, ensuring he didn't know who she was; and secondly, she hadn't sensed any ill intentions from him, which allowed her to be so relaxed in his company. However, just now, she sensed that he seemed to have developed some desires. Strangely, she wasn't angry; on the contrary, she found it somewhat amusing. How could this guy feel lust towards her ordinary, plain face?