They broke the surface, creating ripples which disrupted the reflection of the setting sun.
An orange-red glow enveloped everyone, making them look like solemnly tragic warriors returning from a bloody battle.
Elvis sped towards the waters and took Gu Mengmeng over from Fei Rui. Holding her in his warm embrace, he scanned her body like an x-ray. He finally relaxed when he confirmed that she was alright.
Lea wrapped Gu Mengmeng up in the skinned fur which had already been warmed by the fire. He took a quick headcount of the group and frowned slightly, but didn’t say anything.
They had departed with a huge crowd but returned with only a handful—including the heavily wounded Fei Rui and Carter, a pale-faced Melinda and less than 20 other pathetic stragglers. One could guess what had happened even without asking.
Lea and Elvis knew very well that Gu Mengmeng cherished life above all. They did not want her to blame herself for the loss of those lives.
They carefully observed Gu Mengmeng, who looked like she hadn’t been much affected. Only then did their heart settle down.
What they didn’t know was that the present-day Gu Mengmeng had a much better control over her own emotions. It was not that she had become numb towards death, but she knew there was nothing she could do for those who had died. She had to look forward, to be brave—so that those who were still alive around her would not be affected by her depression.
Remember how her earlier emotional state had brought so much torment to Elvis and Lea?
Her heart ached for her own men. She couldn’t always start sobbing every time she met with some issue, and cause Elvis and Lea to worry?
Gu Mengmeng held up the black pearl for Elvis and Lea to see. “This item is quite awesome. I want to go back down tomorrow and use it to finish absorbing the rest of the poisonous fog, in case our water source gets tainted.”
“What poisonous fog?” Elvis asked with a stony face as his heart gave a jolt.
Gu Mengmeng narrated the entire story, including how they descended, how they retrieved the Kiss of the Ocean, what happened on the way back, as well as what Wabei was busy doing now…
The more Elvis and Lea heard, the more concerned they became. They clenched their jaws, desperately wishing they could pinch that trouble-making girl to death. Why was she always running towards danger? She had just charged into a poisonous fog so thick that even Wabei could not withstand? She was so delicate and fragile, how could she be more resistant than Wabei’s snake scales?
Regardless of how Gu Mengmeng tried to explain that she was fine, Elvis and Lea had made up their minds that she must have lost several layers of skin in that poisonous fog.
“Well, no matter what, we already have the Kiss of the Ocean now. But…” Gu Mengmeng’s gaze landed on Carter and Fei Rui, and at Melinda, who was still suffering from her fright. “The Mermaid Tribe and the Giant Fish Tribe suffered major losses while awaiting my return. I cannot just leave them like that.”
Lea stroked Gu Mengmeng’s hair. “We can discuss other matters, but no way are you going back into the sea.”
Gu Mengmeng protested. “I still need to finish absorbing that poisonous fog. How to do that without going back down?”
Lea refused to give in. “Let Wabei take that stupid pearl to go and absorb the poisonous fog. You be a good girl and stay on shore.”
Gu Mengmeng. “I refuse!”
Lea chuckled. His eyes filled with a lingering warmth. He whispered gently in Gu Mengmeng’s ear, “You must believe… Elvis and I have a hundred ways to make you too exhausted to go back down… do you want to try?”
Gu Mengmeng gave an embarrassed smile. “Forget it, I surrender.”