Gu Yan found an injured Siren. It was an Azure Tail Siren, with fair skin and delicate features, a face filled with innocence and bewilderment, and blue eyes—the color of the deep sea, pure and profound, drawing one in with its mesmerizing hue. Its crimson-blue tail was covered in shimmering scales that reflected a faint luster under the sunlight, as if it were crafted by divine hands, though this beauty was marred by a gruesome wound on the tail fin.
A deep cut, resembling one made by a propeller or wire mesh, started from the Siren's waist and extended down along the left side of its tail for several centimeters, long and deep, exposing flesh that had turned somewhat pale from being soaked in seawater, mixed with sand from the beach.
Gu Yan discovered the Siren near an inconspicuous rock by the seaside. This rock was just one among many remnants of cliffs eroded by seawater over the years, without any special features. He had been resting frequently along the coast lately; nearby stood a Mediterranean-style villa built for vacationing. Gu Yan had booked this villa and moved in last week to begin his holiday by the coast. If all went well, he would stay here for the remaining month.
Gu Yan did not enjoy staying inside the villa. Even though he could pull back the floor-to-ceiling curtains to reveal the azure sea without needing to come to the beach, he still visited the shoreline every evening. Here, he could truly feel the soft sand beneath his feet and the warm seawater warmed by the sun.
The sensation of water covering his ankles was addictive, making him want to immerse himself more deeply—from his toes to his slender calves, then up to his waist and chest, finally submerging his head completely in a solemn manner. The seawater engulfed his breath, bringing a tranquility akin to returning to the womb. Humans originally came from the ocean; even after becoming land-dwelling creatures, life began immersed in amniotic fluid, remaining closely tied to water throughout existence. This peculiar substance has immense inclusiveness and is the source of life. Just as the four ancient civilizations arose around great rivers, everything nurtured by water is diverse and wondrous; now, being in the ocean is even more vast than river waters.
Many people fear the deep sea, but Gu Yan was different; he loved water. In the first few days, he stood at the shallow waters gazing toward the Ocean as if searching for something. The sea surface was calm, with gentle waves lapping at him, and his face bore no excess expression. Over these days, he developed a new hobby: after his routine gazing session, he would walk along the coast aimlessly as if trying to measure its length but meticulously ensuring he did not miss a single spot. Thanks to this hobby, he encountered something delightful.
The long coastline bore Gu Yan's footprints as he passed many rocks that had existed for millennia and walked over layers of fine sand. Suddenly, he halted and scrutinized a rock before him. A distinct drag mark extended from shallow waters into this rock; even from afar, it could be faintly seen. It resembled a slightly smaller adult who could not exert force with their legs but had used their arms to crawl up to behind the rock—yet even so, that mark was too smooth without any trenches made by knees pushing against the sand.
It was as if there were no legs.
Gu Yan circled around the rock to its back and first noticed a vivid crimson-blue hue before discovering the injured Azure Tail Siren from the deep sea.
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