At those words.
"..."
Azure Sea Fairy stiffened violently and fell utterly silent.
She stared fixedly at the general her father trusted most, the madness in her eyes gradually fading.
Unbidden, the Southern Immortal Palace, shrouded year-round in purple mist, surfaced in her mind.
Along with that imposing figure who always stood with his back to her, as impossible to defy as a god.
She had thought that although her father had been enraged by her insistence on marrying a lowly carp spirit, he had ultimately held his nose and accepted it, even secretly providing resources to support them.
That had been the last vestige of her father's love for her.
But now...
For her father's general to appear at this moment...
It meant he had been watching everything from the shadows since the very beginning.
"So..."
Azure Sea Fairy's eyes reddened, and she suddenly cried out in anguish, "This supposed title of young palace mistress, this supposed reverence from countless demons... what did any of it amount to in the end?!"
The demon general stood with his hands behind his back, his face expressionless.
Looking at the woman on the verge of collapse before him, his lips curled in mockery. "You were born into the Southern Immortal Palace. This was always how it should be."
"Since childhood, you have enjoyed the endless treasures of heaven and earth from the southern Cloud-Dream Realm and received the prostrations of countless demons. Naturally, you have responsibilities to shoulder. When you hold a position, you must attend to its affairs, follow its path, and bear its duties. The thousands upon thousands of demons of the Southern Immortal Palace have supported you. When you squandered their offerings, you never said you hated being part of the Southern Immortal Palace. Yet now, when you are