Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 107 - Origins (2)

Yin Li didn’t answer.

The Snake Shaman Clan existed outside the three realms, and it was said that the shamans of the Snake Shaman Clan could communicate between the human and heavenly realms. They could fulfill anyone’s wish, as long as they received the appropriate payment.

Yin Li had found a shaman.

He had heard that the shamans of the Snake Shaman Clan were unpredictable and that not everyone’s wishes could be fulfilled. So, before meeting the shaman, he had smoked his eyes with weeping grass for an entire night, collecting a box full of pearl tears as a gift for the shaman, hoping she would grant his wish.

The pearls in the box were large, round, and pure white. The shaman, her face covered with a black veil, had glanced at them and said indifferently, “You seek something from me.”

The little shark demon had nervously said, “I want to become human.”

“For a woman?”

The shamans of the Snake Shaman Clan could see the future without being told. They could glimpse the full story. Yin Li had looked up at her and said, “I want to accompany the princess. Can you make a deal with me?”

Her response was two cold words: “No way.”

“Why?”

“Because,” the snake shaman calmly lowered her eyes, “she is a dying person.”

“What?” Yin Li urgently lifted his head. “How can she be dying? She seemed perfectly fine.” As he spoke, he suddenly realized, “Did you see her future? What exactly happens to the princess?”

The snake shaman did not respond. This was a celestial secret and naturally could not be revealed to him.

“If she’s in danger, then I have all the more reason to stay by her side,” Yin Li murmured. He looked at the shaman and said, “I know making a deal with you comes with conditions. I’m willing to offer my most precious possession in exchange. I only ask that you turn me into a human so I can be with her.”

Perhaps it was the sincerity in his eyes that moved her, or perhaps it was the allure of ‘the most precious possession,’ but for the first time, the shaman looked directly at him. There was a faint trace of pity in her gaze as she said, “Humans and demons are different paths. Falling in love defies the natural order. Forcibly going against fate will never end well.”

“My life was saved by her, so at worst, I’ll give it back to her.”

“She will not fall in love with you, nor will she remember you. Your fate together is fleeting, a mere instant. Even so, do you still want to become human and not regret it?”

The shark demon’s deep blue eyes were as clear as the sea. He softly said, “I won’t regret it.”

The snake shaman stared at him for a long time before finally sighing. “Then, trade your demon core, Yin Li.”

The demon core was the essence of a demon.

Once a demon loses their core, years of cultivation are destroyed, reducing them to an ordinary mortal, in both lifespan and physicality. He would become as weak and vulnerable as a human, with no ability to protect himself. Perhaps a few minor spells might remain, but they would be of little use.

The demon core slowly emerged from Yin Li’s body. The pure white orb looked spotless, just like his heart at that moment.

The snake shaman took his demon core and said, “From now on, you are a mortal. However, you still have a demon’s bones, and if you encounter a cultivator, they will see your true form immediately. You must remove your scales yourself, and you can never speak in front of Princess Lizhu to avoid revealing celestial secrets.”

The shaman waved her hand, and a crystalline fragment was planted inside him.

“This is a Soul-Locking Crystal. You and I have an unfinished fate. Consider this Soul-Locking Crystal a return gift for the pearls you brought.”

The snake shaman disappeared, and Yin Li felt excruciating pain all over his body. When he woke up, his fish tail had turned into a pair of human legs.

Yin Li was extremely happy.

When Yin Ying found out, he was furious and had a big argument with him. He said, “You gave up your demon core for a woman and turned into a mortal? You will regret it, you definitely will!” He flicked his tail and swam into the Western Sea, disappearing without a trace.

Yin Li waited by the shore for a long time but never saw him again. He decided to go ashore to find Princess Lizhu. Knowing she had married into the palace, he figured that to stay by her side, he would have to find a way to become a guard.

Shark demons are beautiful, and after Yin Li removed the scales from his body, his beauty astonished everyone. People are always tolerant of beauty, so he smoothly entered the palace and became a junior guard in the outer palace.

Transforming from a shark demon to a human was a completely new experience for Yin Li.

His fish tail was gone, and he had to walk on two legs like humans, which wasn’t easy for the little shark demon. Walking was difficult, and he often had to endure pain in his feet. He frequently stumbled, and the palace guards would always tease him, “Brother, do you have knives in your shoes? Why do you walk so slowly!”

He would smile sheepishly, stand up, brush off the dust, and continue walking.

But there were also happy moments. He could walk openly among people. Human food, unlike the cold food of the sea, was always warm and had various flavors. He also enjoyed the wind and loved watching the moon from the Cloud Sea Garden.

The happiest and most cherished moments were probably when he occasionally saw Princess Lizhu while on duty in the outer palace.

Princess Lizhu often strolled in the garden with Emperor Shengning. Yin Li would stand guard from a distance, catching glimpses of the emperor tucking a flower into Princess Lizhu’s hair. She would smile at him, a smile more radiant than the flower by her temple. As Yin Li watched, his heart would ache.

He didn’t understand why he felt so upset, or why he even felt a bit angry. But at night, when he saw Princess Lizhu gazing at the moon alone in the outer palace, his anger would dissipate, quickly replaced by worry and unease.

Yin Li guessed that Princess Lizhu probably didn’t like the flowers she received during the day. A woman who could wield a bow and kill pirates wouldn’t find flowers very special. She would likely appreciate something more unique, like a blue conch shell. He had found one in the sea recently and hidden it in a box behind a reef. He decided to bring it next time, believing that Princess Lizhu would be delighted to see it.

But making Princess Lizhu happy seemed to be quite difficult.

On the ship in the Western Sea, Yin Li had once seen Princess Lizhu dressed in a red wedding gown, sitting at the bow, drinking and laughing with her attendants. Her brows were bright, her smile genuine, and the vivid red of her gown was unforgettable, unmatched by any color in the Western Sea. Now, in the palace, she wore snow-white court attire and light makeup. Although she often smiled at Emperor Shengning, Yin Li knew that Princess Lizhu frequently sat alone by the window outside the palace at night, staring into the distance.

She was unhappy.

This worried the little shark demon. He kept an eye on her secretly and even took a leave to return to the Western Sea, retrieving that precious conch shell. He planned to secretly place it where Princess Lizhu would find it in the coming days.

But that night, he unexpectedly encountered Princess Lizhu.

She had drunk a bit, her mind somewhat unclear. She was carrying her horn bow, trying to climb the wall of the outer palace. Halfway up, she seemed to come to her senses and turned back towards her quarters. Yin Li couldn’t help but step forward, afraid she might fall.

Princess Lizhu turned to look at him, and to his shock, there were tears in her eyes.

Yin Li was stunned.