A vicious female is trapped in a beastly hell.

Chapter 201: Can’t live to be 20 years old

Shen Tang snapped out of her daze and frowned as she asked, "What's going on with the curse power within Jia Lan's body?"

A trace of sadness flashed across Lunas's golden eyes. He did not answer directly, but looked up at the sea.

Hundreds of millions of life forms live in the clear, boundless ocean.

“Our priestly clan has guarded the sea for generations. The supreme duty of each high priest is to purify the filth and maintain the purity of the sea. But since the pollution appeared, everything has changed.”

"The sea is not like the land. Once pollution spreads, it will be extremely terrifying. In order to ensure the purity of the sea, successive high priests have voluntarily become containers for the power of pollution."

"Later it was discovered that the power of pollution could be inherited from generation to generation, and it became... the curse you mentioned."

“Our clan has been cursed for generations, and our descendants have all died young in pain.”

"The former high priest preferred to live a solitary life rather than pass on the curse to his descendants, so he issued a decree that every high priest shall never marry."

"Can't get married, and can't have children? How will the priesthood continue?" Shen Tang looked at Lunas with a puzzled expression.

Runas explained, "Our race has a forbidden technique that allows us to exchange lives. When each priest's life is about to end, a new embryo can be created to become the new priest, who will continue to serve as a new vessel for the power of the curse."

"Then aren't you the same person as the high priest who first used the secret technique?" Shen Tang was dumbfounded.

"That's not quite right. They share the same genes, but are completely new individuals. This method can ensure the priesthood's lineage and also prevent the curse from being passed on to their relatives."

“But I never expected that he would be born.” Runas looked at the sleeping golden-haired mermaid in his arms, his eyes filled with complex emotions. “This child has borne all of this for me.”

Shen Tang finally understood that each high priest was a vessel for the polluting power of the sea, and the curse in Jia Lan's body was the polluting power passed down through generations of the priest family.

This cursed power should have been borne by the sea race's high priest, Lunas.

Unexpectedly, I ended up having a child.

The curse was then transferred to the child.

"So, High Priest, you are a purification-type orc?"

Runas smiled and said, "Supreme Purification System."

The most powerful force in the purification system!
Shen Tang snapped out of her shock, "Then why... can the corrupting power not be completely purified, and instead backfires to become a family curse?"

“The contaminated area is spreading too fast. I have no choice but to use this method. Otherwise, the sea will become the first battlefield for the contamination. This mission should be, and can only be, undertaken by our priest clan.”

Priests sound sacred and noble, but upon closer inspection, they are sacrifices who selflessly dedicate themselves to the sea.

Shen Tang was surprised to learn that Jia Lan had this background, and her feelings became even more complicated. She looked at the sleeping cub in Lunas's arms and asked, "What about Jia Lan?"

“Once the curse within him erupts, he will turn into a mad beast,” Runas whispered. “His body cannot withstand this power, and his lifespan will become extremely short. At most… he won’t live past 20 years old.”

"what?"

"However, the talisman you just took out is quite interesting. I'm curious where you got it. That sealing talisman can temporarily suppress the curse power in Jialan's body."

As he spoke, Lunas sighed softly, his expression not relaxing much. "Unfortunately, this is only a temporary solution. The sealing talisman can only suppress him for a year at most. After a year, he will once again degenerate into a mad beast who doesn't recognize his own family."

Shen Tang bombarded the system in his mind, "Why can the sealing talisman you gave only seal for one year?"

[Host, power requires an equivalent exchange. There is no absolute power in the world. The power of the sealing talisman is limited. The power within Jialan is too strong. The sealing talisman can only suppress it for a year at most, and that is its limit!]

"Could you give me a few more?"

The system rolled its eyes in exasperation. [There's no such thing as a free lunch. The sealing talisman is a random reward for completing a mission. Besides, didn't you read the instructions? It's a special item, limited to one use per person. Using it again will cause the target's body to develop resistance, rendering it ineffective.]

Shen Tang's heart sank to the bottom. She had worked so hard to earn so much goodwill, and this bastard was just going to die like that? How could she accept that!

Seeing Shen Tang's expression of utter despair, Lunas's eyes flickered, and his voice revealed a hint of tenderness and affection, "Don't worry, there's another way, a life for a life."

He said, "I can use secret techniques to transfer the curse back into my body."

Shen Tang snapped out of her daze in surprise, "Then, High Priest, wouldn't you die?"

Runas nodded, then shook his head and sighed softly, "If it weren't for this child, my lifespan would have ended long ago. I would have sacrificed myself to split off a new individual to take my place. Now I still have this lifespan power, which I can give to Lan'er to extend his life." If the Empress knew about this, she definitely wouldn't agree.

Jialan certainly wouldn't want someone else, especially his own father, to prolong his life.

Shen Tang shook his head and said, "There must be other ways! Anyway, the curse in Jia Lan's body has been sealed for the time being, at least... at least for another year. Let's talk about it again after a year."

Looking at Shen Tang, Lunas said sincerely, "It is Lan'er's good fortune to have met you."

Shen Tang was stunned for a moment, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration, "Could it be that Jia Lan's marriage to me back then was also part of your plan?"

Runas's eyes showed admiration; she hadn't expected her to guess this. She chuckled softly, "That's right. It was I who discussed this with the Empress back then. The Night Glow Empire has a princess with S-rank spiritual power. Throughout history, S-rank spiritual power has been extremely powerful and mysterious. Perhaps it could suppress the power within him, but unfortunately—"

"Your spiritual tree is now broken, and it will be very difficult to fully recover."

Shen Tang: "But it's not like there's no possibility of recovery, is it?"

“Heh, yes.” Runas looked at her and chuckled, “It seems my decision back then was right.”

As he spoke, his spiritual form slowly dissipated. "I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now. If you and Jialan encounter any difficulties in the future, you can go directly to the Temple of the Priests to find me."

"You're leaving so soon? I brought you a gift for this trip."

“I used my power to help Jialan suppress the curse back then, it shouldn’t have erupted so quickly. I suspect someone is behind this, we must find out the truth.” Runas’s spiritual form disappeared in a streak of light. “…I’ve received the gift, and I’m also sending you a small return gift.”

His voice slowly faded away.

"Looking forward to seeing you and Lan'er again."

……

When Shen Tang woke up again, she was back in the magnificent palace.

She clearly remembered being in the wild when she lost consciousness.

She turned her head and saw Jialan lying unconscious beside her.

Both of them returned to the palace.

Shen Tang patted her head, her face full of astonishment. She really wasn't dreaming.

Jialan's father, who was rumored to have passed away long ago, actually came and brought the two of them back.

He was actually the legendary High Priest of the Sea Kingdom!

The system was extremely excited. [Host, Jialan's biological father's talent is extremely powerful, exceeding the system's detection limit and thus unable to receive a rating... Otherwise, host, please bring him over too! I really want Lunas's genetic data!]

Shen Tang's lips twitched violently, "If you're sick, go take cephalosporin. That's Jia Lan's biological father, the male that the Queen of the Sea Kingdom has her eye on. I'm not that perverted."

The system chuckled, "[What's wrong with father and son? The Queen and the High Priest have no feelings for each other, nor are they together. The host isn't committing any moral transgressions.]"

Shen Tang's forehead veins throbbed as he slowly uttered a single word.

"roll."

The system looked pitiful, squeezing out non-existent tears, and wrote: "You were mean to me, humph, I'm angry!"

"..." Shen Tang took a deep breath, "Can't you think about something serious, you lecherous system?"

"You called me a lecherous system, but these are all serious matters I'm thinking about."

Speechless, unable to refute, powerless.

"Uh~"

As the two bickered, the young man beside them slowly woke up, his voice hoarse and weak, "Tangtang..."

(End of this chapter)