Author's Notes

Chang Yi and A-ji continue talking...

The Crown Prince realizes...

The emperor decides...

Chapter 6 - Summons

She curls one of her hairs with her finger, and then speaks while looking at one of the corals, "I confess that when I was a child and started training my double wrist, I had another vision because I was starting to master my powers and I had limited eyesight from living in one place and only listening to what others said, causing it to wrongly shape my eyesight. I always judged that demons were evil and practices acceptable until I was able to go outside and walk beyond the capital . This made me change my conception. A little because there was still fear and hatred of demons, but, it was less where I came from. Including, I thought that if I had the power to change the culture of the Masters of demons, not allowing slavery and only attacking evil demons by making judgment of the demon's character a condition, it would be acceptable to maintain the culture of demon masters. But, that was my thought when I was very young before I started to enlarge my vision even more. As I grew up and read the history on scrolls about the Demon Masters, including their deep history and how it was in the beginning, I realized that time would corrupt the mission and if they were allowed to exist, the purpose would eventually be lost and we would go back to what it is today. It is impossible to remain immune to time with the exception of monks and their ancient teachings, in addition to the rules they follow. Therefore, I changed my mind and decided that the Demon Masters should disappear. If I could have that power, I would eradicate their existence."

Chang Yi arches his brow and asks, "And how would humans deal with demons?"

"There are monks. There aren't many because of the existence of the Demon Masters who indirectly suppressed them over the past two millennia, plus the relentless persecution of generations of the royal family just because they refused to kill demons indiscriminately. Furthermore, they they were against the practice of enslaving them, to the point of protecting demons. All this led to their number being drastically reduced along with the destruction of temples. They are practically hunted and therefore isolated themselves in places of difficult access and equally hidden. In relation to evil demons, monks can act if necessary. Demon masters are not suitable for this world because, as history has shown, they lost their way and began to act with cruelty and without any criteria. Monks, from what I 've read, have had criteria for millennia because of Buddha's teachings. Therefore, they are not going to condemn a demon just for being a demon and this thought has remained unchanged over the millennia. Therefore, if there must be humans capable of containing demons, the most suitable would be only monks. If I had the power, I would stop the pursuit of them."

"Well, from what we've heard about them, the monks seem sensible and don't purify demons indiscriminately, and they don't enslave my race. We didn't know they were being exterminated by the royal family."

"Yes. That's why I say that they are the best choice for this world. If we suppress the Demon Masters and stop the persecution, the monks will recover. Furthermore, only those who want to enter temples can enter. It is not mandatory and no one is allowed to enter. ripped from his family unlike those with occult pulse. The monks have some teachings for occult pulse from what I've read. So it wouldn't be a total loss of skills with the end of the Demon Masters."

"I never expected to hear that from one of you."

She looks at him and asks out of curiosity, "Changing the subject. What's your true form? I heard you guys don't usually show it. Can I see it, big-tailed fish?"

He becomes thoughtful and then nods, smiling as he sees her excitement as well as anxiety while also being relieved that the magic from his previous chant was still having an effect on her because she wasn't crying even though she knew it was a matter of time for that to happen finish.

"My true form is that of a white shark and I am four times its size currently. I am still young by my species' standards. I can get even bigger in the future."

The princess is dumbfounded as she sees a bluish-white glow overtake her in the form of mist, her body growing as her human features disappear, with the mist intensifying more and more until it ceases, revealing an immense and imposing white shark, with the young woman being surprised not to be afraid of the giant white shark standing in front of her and which exhaled even in that form, a majestic aura.

A-ji is excited and excitedly touches the tip of her palm to the top of his snout, caressing it while feeling the softness of the skin that was like silk, not realizing that the prince was smiling when he saw the absence of fear in her and the huge smile of happiness that showed on his face as he caressed the top of the tip of his snout.

"You are huge! You are so big and majestic!"

"I'm glad to see you're not afraid" He speaks in his baritone voice that sounded like thunder.

After looking at the shark's immense size, he realized that given its true form, the demon master should expect some change in her voice.

After all, in addition to retaining his baritone voice, it now resounded like thunder in the sky.

"You are incredible."

The jiaoren glows and once again takes on the appearance of a bluish-white mist that regresses in size at the same time as human features appear, with it reverting to its usual appearance.

"I thought it was fantastic. Thank you so much for showing it."

Then, the prince sighs and looks to the side, narrowing his brow, attracting the attention of the young woman who follows his gaze, arching her brow as she tries to understand why he looks in that direction because he wasn't seeing anything unusual.

Suddenly, the merman took her in his muscular arms and used the same method as before by making the lotus-shaped fins bloom and the tip of his tail as well while the scales glowed intensely in radiance, with him coming out like a ray out of the water, and then fly, aiming to move away from the place because he had noticed a mermaid nearby and who was hidden in the fine sand of the reef, with him believing that he was from the clan of octopuses or squids to be able to camouflage himself impeccably on the ocean floor and for having the ability to temporarily reduce their demonic powers to help with camouflage, in addition to being able to restrict their scent and presence.

Chang Yi was grateful for the fact that he had assumed his true form because he hadn't been able to detect her with his senses in that hybrid form.

After all, his senses in his true form were more refined.

The prince agreed with the fact that mermaid was proficient in the art of spying and ambush because he had never seen a squid or octopus with the level of skills she demonstrated because it was the first time that someone from one of these clans managed to spy on him without being detected at first.

On the coral reef, the squid sighed sadly that the prince had wandered off before the emperor's arrival. The jiaoren hoped that her experience as a spy for the kingdom would help her at that moment, even when she was on vacation, with the spy understanding that the noble only noticed her presence because he had assumed his true form.

Although she was surprised by the Demon Master's thoughts as she recalled what had been spoken between them, she still remained apprehensive and afraid that the human might be lying.

After all, since jiaoren didn't lie, they had no practice in detecting lies.

In her view, what apparently seemed like a sincere opinion could be a deception aimed at deceiving them, in addition to the fact that he was getting too involved with someone who should keep his distance. Therefore, the mermaid feared for the crown prince.

Then, the emperor of the ocean appears accompanied by the mermaid with a gray tail, with her being the dolphin of yesteryear who decided to assume her half-human form.

The squid assumes the same form as the dolphin, with the difference that the tail is the same color as its large animal form, and bows respectfully as the monarch sighs heavily upon seeing that he is too late.

"It's my son?"

"He's fine. He's still with that human. She's a demon Master."

When the jiaoren speaks the end, the monarch is terrified and asks, "What did they say?"

The squid briefly repeats what they said, including the information the young woman gave, commenting, "She seemed sincere. But, as she is a master of demons, we cannot believe her. They are manipulative and liars, as well as hating us demons. "

"Yes."

The Emperor performs a rapid chant in their language whose sound waves propagate swiftly through the water in all four directions.

A few seconds later, twenty-four bluefin tuna answered the call and were four times the size of their animal counterparts. They belonged to the only clan composed of fish. Its members were very fast while not having great physical power. It was their speed that set them apart, with them using it in battle to compensate for physical strength, thus securing a place among the most important tribes of the jiaoren. Their speed was only inferior to the speed of the emperor and his son.

"We are at your disposal, Your Majesty." They speak in mill while bowing.

"Find my son and report his location without him noticing."

The jiaoren bow again and after agreeing with each other the directions they would take as a pair, they began to swim quickly, spreading across the ocean at the same time that they disappeared from sight in a matter of seconds.

"With their speed, it's only a matter of time before we find them. I need to find a way to make my son realize the risk he's taking."

"The problem, your majesty, is that I saw his gaze darken when the human female embraced him while he was instinctively reaching for her ear" What the mermaid said left him dumbfounded, "The prince regained consciousness and managed to subdue again his inner shark as he pulled back and struggled to clear his eyes again, with them returning to their normal color after a while."

The emperor sighed in relief while massaging his forehead, feeling an immense headache that had arisen at that moment because the situation was more serious than he initially imagined.

If what the spy said was true, her son's actions were completely explainable and equally logical.

After all, he had acted as a jiaoren protecting his mate. The tail he applied to him was irrefutable proof of that.

From what he understood, his son felt sorry for what he did, thus demonstrating that there were still ways to talk to his offspring.

From that moment on he was fully aware that killing the human female was out of the question considering his son's attitude. Now, there was no other option but to trap her in the ocean with a spell from her cedar tree, making it impossible for her to get out.

After all, it wasn't complex magic and could be performed smoothly even with the human female possessing the occult pulse.

Also, to be fair, it would provide the eternal ability to breathe underwater and deal with any surrounding pressure after he officiated the spell his son used to allow a human to stay at the bottom of the sea, as long as the human didn't try to use it his powers against another jiaoren for having the double wrist.

The reason he wanted to stop her from going to the surface was because he feared the information she could provide to third parties. The safety of the ocean was her obligation, and keeping her trapped in that environment would ensure that protection.

There was also the other hypothesis that consisted of sealing her memories, thus allowing her to return to the surface.

However, the problem with this method would be her son because if he chose her as his mate no matter how depressing that thought was for the king, Chang Yi would not allow the young girl to walk away due to the nature of her species. In terms of possessiveness, few could match them.

Meanwhile, far away from where they were previously, they both still found themselves flying again.

Suddenly, the prince descends into the ocean using magic so that the young woman does not get hurt and when they enter the water, she observes a huge shell, almost the size of a mansion and after entering, she observes a large pearl whose light illuminated everything.

She sits in one of the highest seats in that interior, with Chang Yi sitting sideways beside her while his large, majestic tail rests beside him.

After looking in wonder at her surroundings and then at the large, glittering pearl, the young woman asks, "Is your home outside the palace complex?"

"Yes. "

"Does everyone of your race like to sleep in places like this?"

"No. Each shark likes to rest in a different place. As for the members of the other tribes, they have their own preferences. I, for example, like to sleep in the shells of large clams after eating them."

A-ji turns her face away while gulping at the unexpected sincere answer why she thought that shell and pearl had been abandoned by the previous owner.

Of course, that jiaoren was a huge shark in his true form and there was logic in what he said. The reason she was shocked is that as she had talked to the newt before, she could not form the image of it devouring other species and then using the loot left by its prey after being killed.

After all, the fact that he took the shell of his prey to sleep in it after killing it could be considered disturbing and even cruel if he thought about it too much.

Then, the princess timidly asks, "What did the shellfish do wrong?"

"He hasn't done anything wrong. It's just delicious."

The young woman couldn't help conceiving what they were doing as a crime as she assimilated the fact that their world was bloody.

The princess confessed that she suddenly felt that the jiaoren in front of her took on a bloody appearance when she imagined him devouring the shellfish, then using the shell as a house and the pearl to light the place.

However, as it was remembered that his true form was that of a huge white shark, there was logic for him to be bloody. Sharks were the ocean's top predators, according to what she'd read in books. Eating a shellfish, and probably other species, was to be expected from a predator.

She was silent for a long time, assimilating what she heard, and then saying, "You jiaoren... indeed, you can be considered as the biggest and most powerful monsters of the deep sea. You can eat a huge mollusk, as well as using its shell to sleep while getting the pearls to light the place. Well, we humans are still reasonable. At least, most."

Chang Yi thought for a while and said with a serious face as he recalled humans' fame for lying, "Unlike humans, I don't lie to them. When a clam sees me, it tries to run away because it knows I don 't intend to let it live because I appreciate its meat. I use the shell to make better use of it. We jiaorens don't like extravagance and waste."

A-ji internally agreed that his kind were devoted, stubborn and sincere even when they ate others. Such knowledge made her startle. It was bloody, but there were no lies or deceit. Only brutal sincerity.

Then, she comments when walking inside the shell with him accompanying her, since the princess did not want to miss a single detail for not knowing if she would have the opportunity to see again everything she had seen until that moment while blushing at his proximity, " Well, as your real size is enormous and your power follows your size, you are certainly capable of devouring the flesh of such a large mollusk. But, everyone has that size to be able to turn huge mollusks into food and then at home?"

He ponders for a few minutes how best to explain it to her, then says, "It depends on the tribe and lineage. As I am the son of the emperor of the ocean tribes and come from a long line of emperors and empresses who hold the ocean cedar control, we are immense. We are larger than any other jiaoren, in addition to being more powerful and faster. Our tails also excel in beauty, size and strength. In matters of physical strength, speed and magic, we have achieved it overcome any other demon. So, regarding your question, not everyone can do what I can do. It's a pity there aren't bigger molluscs so I can get more meat."

"What do you eat?"

"Well, my species eats everything. Shrimp, algae, molluscs, crustaceans, other fish and other beings, among them, other species of demons as well if they enter the ocean for some reason. The only exception is that I don't eat beings that they are of the same species as mine. That is, not like other jiaoren because no jiaoren feeds on their own species. We can at best kill in some battle to the death. Furthermore, when we die, we turn to sea foam at the same time as our power and life is dissipated to the ocean. As for the food of the other species, I can't say for sure what their food preferences are."

This final explanation leaves her relieved as she judged that his species was better than the human in that regard.

After all, humans kill, rape and destroy their own species while the jiaoren don't do it to each other. In that respect, they are much better than humans.

"So shellfish is your favorite food?"

"Yes. Their meat is very tender."

With his answer, she looks again at the shell where a shellfish once lived.

In fact, his preference was spelled out right in front of her.

Then, the princess collects herself and asks feeling a little wary, dreading the answer as she remembers something he said, "Are there any exceptions besides your species?"

"No."

The answer startles her a bit, with the young woman asking in a confirmation tone as she stammered, "Eat everything without exception?"

"Yes."

"I mean, do you eat everything?" The princess asks again because she was stunned by the addition of one more look at that handsome jiaoren.

More precisely, a bloody look at the thought of him eating everything.

She looked him up and down, trying to ignore the well-built, strong appearance that filled her eyes because she was analyzing everything she knew about the merman.

"Yes" The crown prince replies while not understanding the human's worried face that made him arch his brow.

"Do you eat everything?"

"Yes. We eat any meat available, as long as it's not the same species as mine. After all, the only exception is that we don't prey on our own species for food."

"Is it only your species that makes the exception?"

"Yes. We can even devour other demons, but never another jiaoren" The merman explained again as he tried to understand why she was fixated on asking about exceptions.

With that answer, she feels a slight shiver of fear that he didn't name humans as an exception.

After sighing, the young woman tries to avoid thinking too much about the fact that humans are not included in the exception.

After all, as she recalled what he'd said, feeding on everything must imply humans as well, and thinking about it, she reminded herself that this was the domain of his species and that the jiaoren didn't go out on dry land to hunt.

Therefore, if a human enters the water, it ends up offering itself as a meal if it is very unlucky.

Furthermore, he is a shark and despite the fact that a shark would attack a human by accident mistaking it for a seal, for example, hardly coming back for a second attack, a jiaoren could attack a human for food and if you looked coldly at the fact that both being from different races, it couldn't be judged as a reprehensible attitude on Chang Yi's part.

From that moment on, the young woman was relieved and immensely grateful that he was protecting her while also taking care of her so that she would not become food for another merman or mermaid.

After all, the princess believed that the prince would not allow another member of his species to attack her when she remembered that he defended her from the attack of the cedar of the oceans and with this thought in mind, the master of demons is relieved, starting to not fear being at the bottom of the sea with him while experiencing this beautiful and majestic world that was inaccessible to humans.

A-ji comes out of her thoughts and blushes when she sees that the merman is looking at her curiously, with the proximity of both of them making her blush intensely as she struggles to control her heart, in addition to preventing her eyes from wandering to the magnificent male specimen beside her.

The princess comes out of her thoughts with his question in a confirmation tone when the jiaoren realized the reason for her insistence, "The reason for insisting so much is because when I said everything, did you understand that it involved your race?"

"Yes. So…you eat humans?" She asks while trying to dispel her mind that she was going for another type of food, with the young woman cursing her mind that decided to become perverted in the presence of that beautiful jiaoren.