The Funeral of Love

Poseidon approached slowly, the seawater forming a staircase for him. Everyone present fell silent. For a time, there was no sound but the surf. Just as the crowd was almost unable to breathe, a peacock bathed in rosy light flew down from the sky.

"Poseidon, what is the meaning of this? Are you challenging my authority at my own sacrifice?"

The peacock spoke in a woman's voice, beautiful to hear but carrying an inviolable authority.

"Oh, Queen Hera, I had no intention of disturbing your sacrifice. These people were offering a sacrifice by the sea, so I thought they meant to offer the Golden Fleece to me."

Poseidon looked at the peacock, and the intense pressure eased considerably.

The peacock turned to glance at Bai Mo, then continued, "Don't play dumb, Poseidon. You had better give me a reason that will calm my anger, or you can expect to face it."

Poseidon glanced at Medea, and the look nearly froze the blood in her veins.

"Medea, do you remember your sacrifice to me?"

"Great sea god, why? Our sacrifice stipulated that if my beloved abandoned me, I would become your maidservant. But this is the happiest moment of my life. Can't you see our love?"

Medea was dressed in wedding clothes. Even when put in such a difficult position, she still addressed Poseidon respectfully. Such was the sorrow of the weak: when facing the strong, they could only pray for mercy and place their hopes in the rules.

But unfortunately, rules were ultimately just tools made by the strong to exploit the weak more efficiently.

"Hmm, good. It seems you remember quite clearly."

"That's enough, Poseidon. Since the two of them are in love now, you shouldn't stand in their way any further."

The peacock spoke. As queen of the gods, Hera had to defend her dignity now. At any other time, a mere Medea would not have been worth antagonizing Poseidon over.

"Ah, that's right, but Queen Hera, I did help them. Wouldn't it be rather inappropriate to send me away empty-handed?"

Was this guy some kind of scoundrel? A bastard who broke his word? But he had the right to make the demand, because he was a god and Medea was human. Hera would not object either, because ultimately, the gods were the beneficiaries of this arrangement.

If Hera objected, then the next time a god did something like Poseidon, wouldn't humans invoke her name and land her in trouble?

Besides, as long as he didn't take Medea herself, Hera didn't care what else he took.

"Indeed. Then what do you want, Poseidon?"

Assholes, a fucking bunch of assholes! That was the only thought in Bai Mo's mind. He wanted badly to point a finger at Poseidon's nose and curse the promise-breaking bastard, but that would only give him a moment's satisfaction. It would be sheer stupidity.

"Hmm, how about this? Medea, I won't make things difficult for you. Give me the thread on the ring finger of your left hand."

As soon as he finished speaking, Poseidon looked at Bai Mo. He had sensed a gaze upon him, cold and indifferent, but with a will to fight hidden beneath it.

So alike. Truly alike.

Poseidon thought to himself. He had once taken part in the war against Cronus, and during that war, his younger brother had looked at him just like that. The last time he had seen such a look, it had been in Athena's eyes.

Medea was about to hold out her hand, but Jason grabbed her finger and shouted, "Medea, have you forgotten the promise we just made?"

"But, my love, any sacrifice is worth making for our happiness."

"Medea!"

The two were at an impasse, while Hera found herself in a difficult position. Bai Mo was Athena's pawn, and now that the two goddesses had formed an alliance, Hera ought to stop the sea god for the sake of her own interests. But in her mind, Bai Mo was now Zeus's illegitimate son, and her hatred for him was real.

"Poseidon, the Thread of Fate was entrusted to Medea by Hecate, goddess of the night. The trial was proposed by Bai Ermo himself. Medea has no right to offer it as a sacrifice."

An ethereal voice came from the sky. Bai Mo immediately recognized Athena's voice. At long last, she had come.

Poseidon clicked his tongue. He knew he had lost his chance to get his hands on this pawn. Medea had only just breathed a sigh of relief when she sensed something was wrong.

"What's happening?" Medea stared at her hands in disbelief. Her once-slender fingers were now covered in wrinkles. She stroked her cheeks with hands as dry as sticks and found them covered in countless wrinkles as well.

Medea, once known for her beautiful cheeks, was now nothing more than a decrepit old woman, aged and ugly.

At the sight, Poseidon's calm expression finally changed. He smiled, like a spectator watching an amusing comedy onstage.

"Ahhh!"

Medea clutched her face and let out a heart-rending scream. At the same time, Poseidon burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Medea, of everything you possess, your beauty was the only thing that interested me. So I'll take your youthful years. Don't worry, your life won't be shortened. You'll have to get used to it from now on. But it doesn't matter, does it? You still have a husband who loves you, don't you?"

Hearing Poseidon's words, Medea looked at Jason as though grasping at a lifeline.

Before the wedding began, almost everyone present had envied Jason. But now, all they felt for him was sympathy.

In a marriage witnessed by Hera, if either party had a change of heart later on, heh heh heh, even death might become a luxury. Besides, Medea had only lost her looks. She still had a long life ahead of her, and she was still a powerful witch.

No matter how many storms Jason had weathered, an extremely ominous feeling now welled up in his heart, and cold sweat poured down his body!

"Jason, it's our wedding, Jason!"

Medea's meaning could not have been clearer. Hera was right there before them, and it was time to make their vows.

Jason swallowed, sweat streaming down his face. Seeing him like this, Medea grew even more anxious and grabbed his hand, but the next moment, Jason pulled his hand free.

Medea stared in disbelief at the hand he had shaken off. She froze. For a moment, everything was silent. She slowly raised her head, and Jason had already backed away several steps.

Her heart felt as though it were being cut to pieces. As she looked at Jason, countless words welled up inside her, but she could neither bring herself to say them nor wished to. It was simply that she refused to give up until all hope was gone.

"I won't marry you, Medea."

Jason's words were like a knife, cutting Medea's heart to pieces.

Jason was a man who looked to the future, and he knew exactly what he wanted. Pelias had died at Bai Mo's hands, and the throne was already within reach. There was no need to waste any more on this woman.

She was a powerful witch, ruthless and vicious, who might turn on him at any moment. Now that her beauty was gone, Medea's disadvantages outweighed her usefulness in Jason's eyes.

Medea's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Pointing at Jason, she screamed, "Why?! Is it because I've lost my beauty? I have countless ways to restore my face. No, I can become even more beautiful! Jason, why are you doing this to me?!"

Jason answered coldly, "Because... you're no longer of any value, Medea."

When Jason was in trouble, he needed Medea's help. But... Jason was not an innocent romantic. He knew full well that, like Zeus, he would become interested in other women. As for restoring her beauty, forget it. Poseidon's curse couldn't be broken so easily. Her solution would probably be to tear the skin off another girl's face and wear it over her own.

No girl stayed eighteen forever, but there were always eighteen-year-old girls.

Besides, Zeus could do as he pleased because he was strong enough. But Jason? Medea had far too many ways to kill him.

So shouldn't he stop now, become a king, and live a life of luxury?

What's wrong with that? What have I, Jason, done wrong? This woman was a tool from the start, and those sweet words were just the fuel that drove it. Once a tool has no value, what's wrong with throwing it away?

Why should I give up my future happiness for Medea, a woman who has offended the gods and is no longer beautiful?

Jason's words and the coldness in his eyes were like a knife, slicing Medea's heart into little pieces, cut by cut.

Medea panted, her body trembling. Then she pointed at Jason and cursed him. "Jason, you faithless wretch! Who do you think helped you get where you are today?! I should have poured the poison into the wine cup at the banquet! When my father plotted to kill you, who warned you? Without me, how could you possibly have found the Golden Fleece? The cloak of invisibility that protected you and let you stride about freely was my token of love to you!"

As Medea spoke, she grew more and more agitated. Her body trembled, and tears streamed down her face.

She continued through her sobs, "When you were knocked unconscious by the venomous dragon's flames, I gave you the medicine that saved your life. I endured the pain and carried you out of that sea of fire. When the Argo had no food, I even used my own younger brother to help you get supplies. How could you have gotten where you are without me? For you, I betrayed my country and my father. I even wanted to kill my younger brother! I gave up everything for you, and now, now this is how you repay me?! Has everything I did for you not made you feel... feel..."

Medea could say no more. She simply stared at Jason, her heart filled with agony. She only wept, then began to cough, coughing until blood ran from her mouth.

Jason was like an enraged gladiator. Unafraid of Medea's gaze, he said viciously, "So what?! Aphrodite, the goddess of love, made you fall in love with me. If I'm going to thank anyone, it'll be her!"

Medea felt as though she had been struck by lightning. A grating sound came from her mouth: she had clenched her jaw so hard that her aged teeth broke. Blood kept flowing, and a sharp pain filled her mouth. But at this moment, how could the pain of a few broken teeth compare to the pain in her heart?

It hurts. It fucking hurts! Compared to the pain in my heart, what are a few teeth? They can't ease my pain in the slightest. What can I do now? What can end this pain?

Kill!

Kill the faithless man before me. His blood will surely ease the pain! Medea's heart screamed and roared. Now she had to kill this lover of hers. If she didn't, she would surely go mad.

"Bai Ermo, kill him, and I'll give you the Thread of Fate! No, more than that, I'll give you everything I have, my magic, my all!"

Medea screamed, and at last Poseidon could no longer contain his laughter.

"Hahaha, wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! Hahahahaha!"

Like someone who had watched a movie he could boast about everywhere, Poseidon laughed freely and heartily, building his own happiness on Medea's suffering without a care.

"Bai Mo, don't listen to this madwoman! Attendants! Seize her! She hasn't prepared any magic in advance. Quick, all of you, get her!"

"Bai Ermo, don't forget, I can make your thoughts vanish with a single thought of my own! What are you waiting for?!"

Ugh, if I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have held back earlier. With that thought, Bai Mo moved.

In an instant, Medea's pupils shrank to pinpoints. Bai Mo appeared before her so quickly that no one had time to react.

Almost at the same moment, Medea felt something plunge deep into her abdomen. To the onlookers, Bai Mo had made his decision. He had killed Medea.

"Hahaha, Medea, do you regret it now? If you beg me, I might still take you as my lowly maidservant. Hahaha!"

Poseidon once again burst into mocking laughter, but it stopped abruptly when an ill-timed voice rang out.

"What's so funny?"

The voice was not loud, but everyone heard it clearly. They all froze and looked at the person who had spoken.

Regret it? A little... If I'd known this guy was such a bastard, I would've just cursed him out earlier, Bai Mo thought.

"Boy, are you sure you're talking to me?"

Poseidon's voice was like a bone-deep chill, and everyone present felt an icy killing intent.

Bai Mo seemed not to care at all. He supported Medea so she would not fall, and with his help, she slowly sat down.

"Are you hard of hearing? Then I'll say it again, so listen carefully."

No one dared blink. They stared fixedly at the scene: a man facing the sea god, standing proud like an unbreakable rock by the sea.

"I said, what's so funny about doing something that causes this kind of pain, you bastard?"

A gust of wind blew past. In Bai Mo's hand was the antidote to the curse of love: the little love god's leaden arrow.