Chapter 173: Reason for the Rebellion
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
With the aid of the young Zerg, Zhou Ye skillfully assumed Kevin’s identity and managed to infiltrate the rebel army. Through his exceptional mental strength and sharp intellect, he swiftly gained the trust of the rebel army’s leader.
Under Kevin’s guise, Zhou Ye finally comprehended the true motive driving the rebel army’s quest to overthrow the empire.
The rebel leader, Li Xian, hailed from a unique background. His father, once an officer in the empire’s mermaid army, was compelled to retire due to severe injuries. Consequently, he returned to the Blue Sea Planet, where the mermaid community had thrived for generations.
Mermaids were not only inherently powerful but also possessed extraordinary beauty. Their melodious voices resonated like the finest symphonies, capable of enchanting people with just a few notes.
The group of interstellar space pirates turned poachers had embarked on a grand scheme. Their intention was to capture numerous mermaid offspring and sell them, subsequently abandoning the mermaids forever.
Due to unfortunate circumstances, Li Xian’s father, weakened and alone in mermaid territory, became an additional target for the poachers, in addition to the mermaid cubs. The poachers didn’t exert much effort in seizing this severely injured yet stunning male mermaid.
Rarely did poachers capture adult specimens, but Li Xian’s father, captured during that incident, was successfully purchased at an astronomical price by an immensely wealthy individual.
Initially, this tycoon held a disdainful view of minority races like mermaids. However, he was persuaded to spend a considerable sum of money on acquiring a mermaid due to his daughter’s intense fascination with them, influenced by certain nobles within the empire. As her birthday approached, she had pleaded with her father to present her with a mermaid as a gift.
The tycoon had arrived on the starship of the interstellar space pirates to participate in the auction, intending to acquire a mermaid cub as a birthday gift for his daughter. However, he was taken aback to discover the presence of an adult male mermaid for sale. Considering the formidable abilities possessed by adult mermaids and his daughter’s frailty, the tycoon promptly abandoned his bid for the mermaid cub and redirected his attention towards acquiring the male mermaid at a staggering price. His plan was to utilize a loyalty potion crafted by the elves, ensuring that this male mermaid would become his daughter’s devoted bodyguard.
On his daughter’s birthday, the wealthy man presented her with the mermaid who had consumed the loyalty potion. The alluring and powerful mermaid captivated the rich man’s daughter without exception.
Naturally, due to the empire’s explicit prohibition on privately keeping mermaids, nobody knew that the tycoon had acquired them. Outsiders merely believed that he had expended a significant sum to hire a formidable bodyguard for his daughter.
Since acquiring the mermaid bodyguard, Li Xian’s mother would bring the mermaid along wherever she went. Perhaps over time, she had developed a genuine affection for the mermaid through their interactions. She endeavored to please the mermaid to the best of her abilities.
Li Xian’s mother understood that once a mermaid fell in love, their devotion lasted a lifetime. Having grown accustomed to witnessing the tumultuous private lives of many aristocratic men, she yearned for a love that remained dedicated to a single person for eternity.
Indeed, mermaids would only fall in love with someone they held affection for, and once that love was established, it endured for the entirety of their lives. Unfortunately, she had forgotten the reasons why mermaids were compelled to leave their homes and how poachers resorted to ruthless methods to capture them.
Now, the relationship between Li Xian’s mother and the mermaid entailed both victim and perpetrator. Even if she herself hadn’t captured the mermaid, the fact remained that the poachers had found willing buyers like her.
Victims rarely fall in love with their perpetrators unless the merfolk suffered from Stockholm syndrome.
When unrequited love festered, individuals could resort to extreme and irrational behavior. Li Xian’s mother hailed from a wealthy family and had always been indulged. She had grown accustomed to acquiring whatever she desired..
