Pure and sincere care.
"Ha, yeah, I really didn't think of that before."
"But it's not too late now."
Wang Zhong responded with a cheerful smile.
This naturally earned him a coquettish eye-roll from Haidie, "Really, you're so silly."
"Alright, what did you want to see me for?"
His smiling expression quickly subsided. Wang Zhong asked with curiosity, "Haidie, I want to ask, does your mermaid tribe have any method or treasure that can allow me to live freely in the sea?"
Haidie tilted her head, confused, "Why do you want to live in the sea?"
"It's like this, didn't you remind me about using the weight generated by water pressure in the deep sea for physical weight training?"
"I did find a place for that, but the problem now is that I can't hold my breath in the water for too long, so it's not very effective."
"And, there's also a very shameless sea soul beast there. Clearly, I beat it, but it cheated. Seeing that I'm a land soul master and can't stay in the sea for too long, it dived into the deep sea and refused to come out."
Thinking of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's actions, Wang Zhong felt a surge of anger.
Seeing Wang Zhong's angry expression, Haidie giggled. Having been with him for so long, she had never seen him make such a face.
"It seems that sea soul beast is indeed quite a cheat."
Her eyes narrowing into crescent moons, Haidie couldn't help but think.
"Haidie, stop laughing."
"Please help me!"
Her crescent moon-shaped eyes clearly conveyed her current mood and amusement. Wang Zhong sighed helplessly.
Her eyes darted around, and Haidie, clasping her hands behind her back, said playfully, "I do have a method."
"However, why should I help you!"
"You're from the Spirit Hall. If you use this method to bully me or everyone on Sea God Island in the future, what then?"
"I'm not a fool!"
As she said this, she took a small step back defensively. But right after her last sentence, she winked her right eye at Wang Zhong, as playful as a sea sprite.
Wang Zhong's eyes lit up, knowing Haidie had a way. He raised his right hand as if taking an oath and vowed, "I swear!"
"As long as the people of Sea God Island do not harm the people of the Spirit Hall, I, Wang Zhong, will certainly not harm anyone on Sea God Island!"
Wang Zhong's tone was serious and solemn.
The Spirit Hall had once launched an attack on Sea God Island. In that battle, the Spirit Hall suffered countless casualties, and Sea God Island surely also had its share of losses, leading to a rather negative perception of each other.
There was likely a bloody feud between the two.
But to Wang Zhong, past events were irrelevant to him. He also didn't care about the current thoughts of the Spirit Hall members towards Sea God Island.
If he truly became the Saint Son in the future, or even the Pope, regardless of what his subordinates thought, as long as Haidie was on Sea God Island and as long as the people of Sea God Island did not initiate war against the Spirit Hall, he would never have any designs on Sea God Island, nor would he allow his subordinates to do so.
If the Spirit Hall was merely a reactive participant in that war, as the Saint Son of the Spirit Hall, Wang Zhong felt it was necessary and important to clear the Spirit Hall's name.
But that was an unjust war! And Wang Zhong detested such wars!
Wars initiated to satisfy personal desires were merely games played by those in power, creating countless displaced people and orphans!
To expect Wang Zhong to cleanse Qian Xunji of the shame of that defeat was like a fool's dream!
If he, Wang Zhong, were to become the Pope, he would ensure there were no more wars in the world!
Wang Zhong's serious tone and solemn expression caused Haidie to gently purse her lips. The playful smile that had been on her face quietly receded in the face of such seriousness and solemnity.
She felt Wang Zhong's sincerity.
"I believe you!"
Haidie extended her hands and clasped Wang Zhong's raised right hand, holding it to her chest, her face radiating warmth and tenderness.
As sea princesses of the ocean, mermaids had few human friends. This was not due to arrogance or coldness, nor was it because they were reclusive and suspicious. If that were the case, why would countless shipwrecked people be rescued from the sea?
They were kind and pure!
So kind that they couldn't bear to see human lives lost in the ocean, and so pure that they were as ethereal and serene as the sea itself.
Human emotions and thoughts were too complex and volatile. When the kind and pure mermaids came into contact with them, they instinctively felt a desire to retreat. Consequently, few humans could become friends with mermaids.
But Wang Zhong was different. Although Wang Zhong was not a kind person, he was an exceptionally pure one!
He was like a mirror. If you were good to him, he would be equally good to you, frank and straightforward.
Coupled with a heart that could easily discern sincerity from falsehood, this mirror became perfectly clear and flawless.
In their time together, Haidie discovered this purity in him. Two pure and simple hearts would naturally attract each other.
Thus, when Haidie was homeless, and even separated from the vast ocean by thousands of miles, she developed a dependence and trust in Wang Zhong.
He said he would take her home, and Haidie believed him, not thinking it was a deception.
He said he would wait a while, and Haidie believed him, not thinking it was a delay.
He said he would take her back to the sea, and Haidie believed him, not thinking he intended to sell her off or dispose of her.
Finally, Wang Zhong fulfilled all his promises, and she returned to the sea. At that very moment, a love for Wang Zhong, which she herself couldn't understand its origin, bloomed within her.
A name blessed by the Sea God was never given lightly!
Although Haidie was naive, she was not foolish!
"Actually, it's quite simple for you human soul masters to live in the sea," Haidie's face once again lit up with a smile, her sea-blue eyes now possessing a distinct allure.
Wang Zhong's hand was still tightly held by Haidie against her chest. The beating heart and warmth he felt made him a little embarrassed.
Haidie was a friend, and her child-like purity of heart truly prevented Wang Zhong from harboring any amorous thoughts.
He quietly tried to pull his hand back in a natural manner, but after a couple of attempts, he found he couldn't.
"Really?"
"Then how do I do it!" Wang Zhong had no choice but to let her hold his hand, asking with excitement.
"Kiss me!" Haidie said seriously and boldly.
"???" Wang Zhong was stunned.
But at this moment, Haidie displayed unprecedented boldness and passion.
She directly let go of Wang Zhong's hand, and her two slender, soft palms cupped Wang Zhong's cheeks, pressing her sea-blue lips firmly against his.
As their lips met, Wang Zhong's pupils instantly widened.
Clumsy and dumbfounded!
This was Wang Zhong's most accurate description at the moment; he had been forcefully kissed by a fish.
"Silly boy!"
Feeling Wang Zhong's stiffness, Haidie shyly chided him in her heart.
"If I don't do this, how can I give you my inner core?"
The inner core, also known as a鲛珠 (jiāo zhū), was a treasure for mermaids that cultivated both life and spirit. Giving away one's 鲛珠 was akin to entrusting one's life to another.
With the existence of the 鲛珠, Wang Zhong would gain the ability to live in the sea like a mermaid.
Inside Haidie's body, a perfectly round, deep blue, and translucent pearl was radiating a brilliant light, which even emanated from within her.
From her dantian, it gradually moved upwards, then into Wang Zhong's mouth, forcing him to swallow it.
Only then did Haidie part her lips from Wang Zhong's, her face flushed.
"Now, you can live in the sea just like me."
"But you must protect my inner core well. If anything happens to it, I will die."