Winning Her Over

"I can't accept it... Is my background really... that hard for me to accept?"

Hearing Chen Ming's words, Dong Qianqiu's heart leaped into her throat. He gave a slight nod.

"At least, for ordinary people, it's hard to accept. Though this has become much less common over the past several tens of thousands of years, there are still people who might come after you."

Chen Ming folded his arms and got straight to the point. Dong Qianqiu clenched the hem of her skirt and began to wonder who she really was. She considered all sorts of possibilities, but still couldn't figure it out.

Just then, Di Qiu'er came out of the Forging Room and sat beside Chen Ming, then reached over to poke at him.

He pulled out a bag of snacks to distract Di Qiu'er, and she finally stopped.

"...I want to know about my background."

After bracing herself, Dong Qianqiu looked up at Chen Ming with her azure eyes. She was ready.

"All right. By the way, what do you think of Soul Beasts?"

Chen Ming suddenly changed the subject. Resting his head on one hand, he asked her. Dong Qianqiu froze for a moment, but still considered the question.

"I don't really have an opinion. I remember Soul Beasts moved to other planets to live, right? Why are you bringing them up all of a sudden?"

Dong Qianqiu didn't know why he'd changed the subject, but she'd never encountered a Soul Beast growing up, so she couldn't say much.

"Then... let me tell you a story. A story about Little Shark."

Chen Ming kept her in suspense. Hearing there was a story about Little Shark made Dong Qianqiu eager to listen. Her instincts told her it had something to do with her.

"Okay."

She nodded at once to show she wanted to hear it, and Chen Ming began.

"Four thousand years ago, there were two powerful figures on Douluo Planet: Angel Douluo Qian Yuhan and Sea God Douluo Poseidon.

"A hundred-thousand-year-old Demon Soul Great White Shark became the Sea God's mount, accompanying him as he conquered the seas. In the end, Poseidon became a god.

"He established Sea God Island, and that little shark became its guardian beast king. The Little Shark I'm about to tell you about was born around that time, too.

"She was born on Sea God Island, under the protection of Sea God Poseidon and loved by her parents. She was kind-hearted and a little silly, and loved blowing bubbles. Her parents named her Bai Paopao."

At the mention of Bai Paopao and the Demon Soul Great White Shark, Dong Qianqiu's body trembled. Those words seemed to strike at her brain, bringing her unbearable pain.

Chen Ming got up and sat beside Dong Qianqiu, then handed her a bottle of Life Essence he'd made himself.

"Are you all right? We can take a few days to finish the story, if you want."

"I... I'm fine... Please, go on."

Dong Qianqiu took the jade bottle and drank it in one gulp. The life energy nourished her body, and the pain in her head eased a little.

Dong Qianqiu looked straight at Chen Ming. She was certain everything he said was true—she could feel it. She also had a few guesses of her own.

"All right. The little shark thought the name her parents had given her was too ugly, so they gave her another one: Bai Xiuxiu."

As the second name was spoken, fragments of memory flooded Dong Qianqiu's mind. She clutched her head and instinctively reached out to brace herself against Chen Ming. Her breathing grew ragged.

"She lived ten thousand carefree years, but everything changed when a man named Tang San arrived.

"Tang San was the successor chosen by Sea God Poseidon. He later killed the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, who was close to a million years old, and inherited the position of Sea God.

"Afterward, Tang San ascended, and the divine presence on Sea God Island vanished. The Sea God no longer protected Sea God Island, but instead protected Shrek Academy's Sea God Island.

"Meanwhile, Sea God Tang San was scheming and ruthless. He plotted against the Star Dou Auspicious Beast, and forced the Sun Moon Empire to change its name to the Tiandou Empire through a divine descent.

"Sea God Island was also caught up in his schemes. The Demon Empress, wife of the million-year-old Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, was used by Tang San as a pawn to contact the abyss.

"The Demon Empress destroyed the Demon Soul Great White Shark Clan in the depths of the sea, leaving only one little shark alive. The Sea God's son saved her. After the abyss was defeated, Douluo Planet devoured it and advanced into a god-level plane.

"That little shark then reached a hundred thousand years of cultivation. With her entire clan reduced to a single shark, she chose to take human form and enter the human world. In the end, she lost her memories and ended up on Tiandou Planet."

As Chen Ming finished the last few lines, Dong Qianqiu clutched her head and weakly collapsed across his lap, moaning.

Scenes and memories flashed through her mind. A giant whale, its resentment almost tangible, attacked. Her mother hid her using a divine artifact left behind by Sea God Poseidon.

"Mom... Mom!"

The little shark watched in despair as the great shark was swallowed by the Demon Empress. Thinking of the millennia-long scheme Chen Ming had described, Dong Qianqiu's tears fell, soaking his thigh.

"Mom..."

Dong Qianqiu's choked voice rang out. Chen Ming stroked her head, soothing her.

Dong Qianqiu clung tightly to Chen Ming and sobbed. Her tears soaked the clothes over his abdomen.

Seeing Dong Qianqiu bawling, even Di Qiu'er stopped eating her snacks.

The hall fell utterly silent, with only Dong Qianqiu's sobs breaking the stillness. Chen Ming gently stroked her smooth, sky-blue hair.

About ten minutes later, Dong Qianqiu's sobs gradually subsided. She lay in Chen Ming's arms, her eyes vacant.

A millennia-long scheme. The Demon Empress destroyed Sea God Island. Back when Sea God Poseidon was still around,

even the enormous Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, with nearly a million years of cultivation, could only be driven back by the high priest.

But after Tang San became a god, the high priest was gone—or rather, Ning Rongrong took her place.

The trials bestowed by the Sea God had disappeared, too, leaving Sea God Island without successors. It had all happened because Sea God Tang San arrived.

Without Tang San, Sea God Island, protected by Sea God Poseidon, would probably have been one of the strongest forces on the continent. Then her parents and uncle wouldn't have died.

At the thought, Dong Qianqiu's arms tightened around Chen Ming, and her grip grew stronger.

"Do you want revenge? Do you want to punch Sea God Tang San?"

Chen Ming's gentle voice reached her. Dong Qianqiu looked up and met his calm expression. His black eyes met her blue ones.

"I do..."

Dong Qianqiu's voice was hoarse, her eyes filled with hatred and fury. If she could, she wanted revenge.

She wanted to tear apart the bastard who called himself the Sea God. She knew she couldn't do it on her own, but the man before her was unfathomably mysterious. If she had a chance to get revenge, she would seize it.

Chen Ming stroked Dong Qianqiu's soft cheek and wiped away her tears. Then he lifted her up and helped her sit upright while she composed herself.

"Then join us and prove your loyalty!"