The child looked to be only four or five years old, his silver fishtail shimmering under the sunlight.
He darted back and forth in the water, chasing the black carp one moment and poking at a toad the next.
The toad had only three legs. Getting annoyed by the constant poking, it dove into the water with a splash and moved to a different lotus leaf.
The child giggled and immediately gave chase again.
"A silver-tailed merfolk..." Cangming murmured. In the entire Eastern Region, there was only one merfolk with a silver tail.
The previous Sea Emperor, Cang Yu.
That was his father.
Cangming's eyes instantly turned red.
He opened his mouth, wanting to call out "Father."
But the word caught in his throat, unable to be voiced.
Because the child was currently busy chasing a toad.
With a sudden flick of his silver tail, the child lunged out of the water, pouncing toward the lotus leaf.
"Don't run, toad! Play with me!"
The toad jumped into the water in a panic, causing the child to miss and faceplant into the pond with a loud splash.
He didn't mind at all, wiping the water from his face as he continued the pursuit with a grin.
"Hehehe, I caught you!"
Cangming was speechless.
Cangche was speechless.
This... this was their father?
That majestic, steady Sea Emperor who had guarded the Eastern Region for three thousand years?
The hegemon who sat upon the Dragon Throne, making the entire court of civil and military officials afraid to breathe too loudly?
The sovereign who had stood guard in the cold spring for a millennium, never flinching even as he sacrificed his very heart and blood?
And now, he was chasing a toad?
By the edge of the pond, the Golden Toad was finally fed up.
It poked its head out of the water, puffing out its cheeks and letting out a muffled croak.
"You little brat, stop it already!"
The child blinked in surprise.
"Oh? You can talk?"
The toad rolled its eyes.
"Of course I can talk! I am a Golden Toad! I used to be a great demon king!!!"
Seeing that the toad had retreated among the lotus leaves and refused to come out, Yusai looked a bit disappointed.
He turned his head toward the immortal cranes by the shore.
"Little crane, play with me!"
The Nine-Age Crane turned its head elegantly, pretending it hadn't heard him.
Yusai then looked at the black carp in the water.
"Little fish, don't run away!"
The dragon carp flicked their tails and swam even faster.
Yusai tilted his head and pouted, looking a bit aggrieved.
"Nobody wants to play with me..."
Standing by the pond, Cangming watched this scene, tears nearly falling from his eyes.
It turned out that his father had such a lively side.
So this was what his father was like as a child.
He had never seen it before.
For three thousand years, the father he knew was always majestic, heavy-hearted, and burdened by the weight of the entire Eastern Region.
His father never smiled.
At least in Cangming's memory, his father had rarely ever smiled.
But now, this little silver-tailed merfolk was laughing so happily.
Chasing toads, chasing carp, chasing cranes.
Laughing without a care in the world.
Beside him, Cangche had already started wiping away tears.
"Brother... Father... he's so cute..."
Cangming took a deep breath, suppressing his roiling emotions.
He stepped forward and knelt by the pond.
"Little... Yusai."
Yusai turned his head and looked at him curiously.
"Who are you?"
Those eyes were crystal clear, without a single shadow of gloom.
There were no three thousand years of weariness, no millennium of torment, no pain of a carved heart, and no suffering of the freezing spring.
There was only the innocence and curiosity unique to a child.
Cangming's Adam's apple bobbed.
"I... I am..."
He couldn't finish the sentence.
"I am your son."
How could he say those words?
How could he say "I am your son" to a four-year-old child?
Yusai tilted his head as he looked at him, and his eyes suddenly lit up.
"You're a merfolk too!"
He pointed at Cangming's legs.
"Where is your tail?"
Cangming paused, looking down at his own legs.
"I... I have transformed."
Yusai leaned in curiously.
"Transformed? What does that mean?"
"It means... turning a tail into legs."
Yusai looked down at his shimmering silver tail.
"Why turn it into legs? The tail is so pretty."
Cangming was momentarily at a loss for words.
Yes, his father was right.
The tail was beautiful.
But they had all grown up, transformed, and hidden their tails away.
Only his father had returned to his childhood form, reclaiming this silver fishtail.
"Brother, let me try."
Cangche squeezed past and knelt by the pond, wearing what he thought was his most friendly smile.
"Little Yusai, how about we play together?"
Yusai blinked.
"Play what?"
Cangche thought for a moment.
"Hide and seek?"
Yusai's eyes sparkled.
"Okay, okay!"
With a flick of his tail, he submerged himself in the water, leaving only his eyes visible.
"You guys come find me!"
Cangche stood up, pretending to look around.
"Huh? Where did little Yusai go? Where is he hiding?"
Yusai held back his laughter underwater, his small body shaking with mirth.
Cangche circled around a few times before suddenly lunging toward the pond.
"Found you!"
Yusai shivered from the startle before bursting into giggles.
"You found me! You found me!"
Cangche scooped him up.
Yusai squirmed in his arms, unable to stop laughing.
Cangming stood to the side, watching this scene.
Watching his younger brother hold their father... it felt a bit strange, but their father was laughing so happily.
He felt a sense of loss and heartache, but also a trace of inexplicable relief.
If his father still remembered the things from his life—the millennium of torment, the pain of the carved heart, the bone-eroding cold of the spring...
How painful that would be.
It was better not to remember.
By not remembering, he could start over.
"I'm joining too."
Cangming also jumped into the pond, snatching Yusai from Cangche's arms.
Yusai was stunned for a moment before laughing again.
"You're the other big brother!"
Holding him, Cangming's eyes stung.
"Yes, I am the other big brother."
Yusai reached out a small hand and touched his face.
"Brother, why are you crying?"
Cangming turned his head away.
"I'm not. Some water just got in my eyes."
Yusai tilted his head, then suddenly leaned in and kissed his cheek.
"Don't cry, don't cry. Little Yusai's kiss makes the pain go away."
Cangming's entire body stiffened.
And then, he could no longer hold back his tears.
He held Yusai and squatted in the pond, crying like a fool.
Beside him, Cangche's eyes were also red, yet he still tried to act tough.
"Brother, is that really necessary?"
Cangming ignored him, simply holding Yusai as his shoulders shook with sobs.
Being held like that, Yusai was a bit confused.
He looked up at Cangche.
"What's wrong with the big brother?"
Cangche sniffled.
"Nothing. He's just too happy."
Yusai nodded as if he understood, then lowered his head to pat Cangming's back.
"Don't cry, brother. I can play with you too."
"Okay."
Cangming placed him back in the water.
With a flick of his tail, Yusai dove back into the lotus leaves.
Cangming and Cangche stood by the pond, watching the silver figure weave through the leaves, his laughter never-ending.
"Brother."
Cangche suddenly spoke up.
"Yeah?"
"Father being like this... it's actually quite nice, isn't it?"
Cangming was silent for a while.
"Yeah. It's very nice."
The two of them stood by the pond, watching that small figure.
Watching him chase the toad, the carp, and the cranes.
Watching him laugh so happily.
Suddenly, Yusai poked his head out from the lotus leaves.
"You two, come find me quickly!"
Cangche smiled.
"Coming, coming!"
He jumped into the pond, lunging toward Yusai.
Yusai gave a little shriek and turned to run.
His silver tail carved a beautiful arc through the water.
Cangming also smiled.
He jumped into the pond as well, joining Cangche in the chase.
The three of them splashed and laughed in the pond, playing around.
Water splashed everywhere.
The Golden Toad poked its head out from under a lotus leaf and rolled its eyes.
They've gone mad again.
The Nine-Age Crane led a group of cranes to retreat elegantly to the edge of the pond to avoid getting wet.
The dragon carp swam to a corner, silently watching the three fools.
The Wanshou Tortoise lay on a blue stone, letting out a long sigh.
"Sigh—"
Rate on N.U.
