Morning light passed through the thin mist, dyeing the surface of the lake a faint gold.
Yi stood by the lake, gripping the trident in her hand, her long water-blue hair drifting gently in the morning breeze.
Her body had already stabilized at the size of a normal human, but her face was still so pale it was nearly translucent, like someone just recovering from a serious illness.
"Are you really leaving?"
An aged voice came from behind her.
Yi turned and saw the village chief standing at the village entrance with the villagers.
The old man's back was bent, a cane in his hand, and his cloudy old eyes were filled with tears.
Behind him, men and women, old and young, all knelt down.
"Lord Water God..."
The village chief's voice was trembling.
"We were ignorant. We were blind...
When that Snake Demon impersonated you, not one of us noticed...
We even... even helped it sacrifice children..."
The old man knocked his forehead against the dirt with a dull thud.
"Please don't abandon us... please..."
Yi looked at the villagers kneeling across the ground.
She took a deep breath, stepped forward twice, and crouched down in front of the village chief.
"Elder, please get up."
Her voice was very soft, very gentle.
The village chief lifted his head. Through tear-blurred eyes, he saw the Water God smiling at him.
That smile was exactly the same as the one in his memories.
Three years ago, before the Water God had been sealed, every time he rowed his boat to the heart of the lake, he could see the Water God emerge from the water and smile at him like this.
Warm, merciful, embracing everything.
"I don't blame you."
Yi reached out and gently helped the village chief up.
"That Snake