Defeat the system! Kiss my little monster!

Their figures quickly disappeared from Yu Zhuo's sight. Yu Zhuo floated in the middle of the water and saw the silver fish tail sway, creating ripples as usual, before turning into a small point of light and disappearing without a trace.

Yu Zhuo was somewhat stunned. The surroundings returned to deathly silence. His pupils moved and he saw an unusually bright red spot on the barrier.

The little mermaid smashed her head open, and drops of blood fell onto the other side of the barrier.

Yu Zhuo landed on the colored spot and stared motionlessly at the blood. For some reason, he then looked down at his own body.

Several years ago, he would also have the same color liquid flowing from his body, instead of the transparent energy liquid.

The barrier rapidly absorbed the blood on it, and as Yu Zhuo saw the liquid gradually disappear, he unconsciously pressed his hand against the same spot inside the barrier.

A large, dense current overflowed from the barrier, and Yu Zhuo felt a dull pain in his fingertips from the electric shock. He immediately withdrew his hand.

His index fingertip split open, and crimson blood oozed out. Yu Zhuo lowered his head and licked his finger, finding the taste fishy and strange.

This is just a minor ripple in ordinary life and should not be disturbed by Yu Zhuo.

But when he returned to the valley, he felt inexplicably uneasy.

Beyond the barrier dwell other creatures. They move, they talk, they wag their tails and laugh adorably… full of life.

These are all completely different from where Yu Zhuo is now.

Yu Zhuo looked up at the sky again. The tops of the data cables led somewhere unknown. They were long and sturdy, hidden in a large expanse of indistinct black mist.

Aside from providing nutrients to Yuzhuo at fixed times each day, they do not have excessive contact with Yuzhuo.

Yu Zhuo's knuckles were icy cold. He pinched a small piece of skin on the front of his neck and opened his mouth, just like the mermaid he had seen before.

"...Ah, ah."

It can actually make a sound.

Yu Zhuo's golden eyes widened, as if he had discovered something extraordinary, and he returned to the edge of the barrier.

The bloodstains there had been completely swallowed up.

Yu Zhuo sat there with his knees drawn up, staring intently ahead, his fingers slowly gripping the data cable behind him.

These countless data lines are gradually being pulled away from Yu Zhuo's body. As Yu Zhuo grows to the next stage, they will be pulled away little by little according to a certain rule.

Yu Zhuo didn't know how much longer he would have to wait. The things behind him were densely packed and mixed together to form a towering tree.

Yu Zhuo tried to pull them off his body, but as soon as he exerted force, it pulled on the tendons and veins of his limbs, as if they were iron chisels and bone hammers, almost tearing him to pieces.

"Ah...ah..."

Yu Zhuo curled up, lying on the ground, cold sweat pouring down his face, and finally mechanically and slowly bit his index finger.

He needs to wait a while longer.

*

On the day Zhou Yanshu met Yu Zhuo, a once-in-a-millennium storm happened to be brewing in the deep sea.

Lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky, and a cold wind howled. The lightning struck straight into the sea, tearing several mermaids who couldn't escape in time to ashes.

Countless marine creatures were injured, and Yu Zhuo was among them.

His back was a bloody, festering sore, not a single patch of healthy flesh visible. His clothes were the same, tattered and reeking of foul odor. He looked like a clownfish pulled from a garbage can, lying lifeless at the palace gate.

These homeless, abandoned mermaids would soon be dragged away by the guards and thrown onto a remote riverbank, left to fend for themselves.

Zhou Yanshu passed by, glanced at the scene at the entrance, and then calmly looked away.

Frequent marine disasters have affected countless fish. Zhou Yanshu, being a member of the royal family, had no intention of lingering. He merely spoke a few words to his entourage, instructing them to send a medical team.

As Zhou Yanshu walked by, perhaps a slight breeze stirred up the merman who had been lying on the ground, seemingly lifeless, suddenly moved and grabbed Zhou Yanshu's ankle.

"How dare you! This is my prince! Let go of him!" The guards beside him shouted angrily. They stepped forward, grabbed Yu Zhuo by the hair, and were about to throw him backward.

Yu Zhuo held on tightly to Zhou Yanshu's ankle, refusing to let go. When one hand was too weak, he switched to both, gripping it tightly until his fingernails dug into Zhou Yanshu's flesh, drawing a little blood.

Zhou Yanshu hissed, frowned, dismissed the people behind him, and reached out to grab Yu Zhuo.

Seven years have passed. Zhou Yanshu has transformed from the little mermaid he met at first into a lord, while Yu Zhuo still looks like a child, barely reaching Zhou Yanshu's knees.

"Brother, what's wrong with you?" Zhou Yanshu lifted Yu Zhuo into the air with one hand. Yu Zhuo's back was ulcerated, and his white hair was dry and stiff, piled up on his head unsightly.

He stared intently at Zhou Yanshu, tilting his head slightly: "Ah."

Zhou Yanshu frowned: "Huh? What?"

Yu Zhuo bit his index finger, where Zhou Yanshu's blood remained between his fingers. He put it in his mouth and tasted it; it was indeed different from the taste of his own blood.

"Ah-"

He suddenly lunged forward and landed directly on Zhou Yanshu.

Zhou Yanshu was knocked backward by the bump. He thought the child was some kind of madman or little assassin, but he didn't expect that Yu Zhuo would stop moving after pounce on him, just hug his neck tightly and keep rubbing his cheek against his chin.

Zhou Yanshu: "..."

"Your Highness!" the guard exclaimed in surprise.

“…It’s nothing.” Zhou Yanshu raised his hand to indicate that they didn’t need to panic. He lowered his eyes and met Yu Zhuo’s bright golden eyes.

Yu Zhuo belatedly realized the inappropriateness of his actions. He tilted his head back and carefully wiped the dust off Zhou Yanshu's face.

Zhou Yanshu held Yu Zhuo's buttocks with one hand. He couldn't help but find it a bit funny to see Yu Zhuo clinging to him. "You really know how to pick people to climb on. Do I know you?"

Yu Zhuo remained silent and did not let go, clinging to Zhou Yanshu's neck without flinching.

Zhou Yanshu felt the dampness on his hands. He glanced over and saw a large patch of blood on his palm. The child's injuries were indescribably severe; blood was flowing from his back, and soon a pool of it was dripping onto the ground.

"Heh...poor thing."

Zhou Yanshu held him in his arms, turned around, and led Yu Zhuo into the palace.

There are specialized doctors there who can help treat Yu Zhuo. As for what happens after his injuries heal... Zhou Yanshu plans to throw him out again.

Yu Zhuo lay motionless on the hospital bed. He was very well-behaved and didn't make a fuss. Whether it was getting anesthesia or undergoing surgery, he lay quietly in place, receiving the doctor's treatment.

He just kept looking up at where Zhou Yanshu was.

If Zhou Yanshu is out of his sight, he will cry loudly for a while, and only when Zhou Yanshu comes over will he stop sobbing.