Fantasy World: I Can Travel To Cultivation World-Chapter 159: We Are Humans Too!!!!

Luis looked at Luo Xiuyuan without responding.

"Why don’t you answer? We both know the truth," Luo Xiuyuan sighed. "Let me ask you—are you truly interested in us mermaids?"

Luis remained silent, observing Luo Xiuyuan carefully. He wanted to discern the man’s true intentions before speaking.

Seeing Luis’s quiet demeanor, Luo Xiuyuan’s eyes turned distant. "Do you know about vassal races?"

"I’ve heard a little," Luis replied.

"Every Foundation Building family on Ten Thousand Star Island has its own vassal races," Luo Xiuyuan began, his tone steady but subdued. "Our mermaid race does not wish to become one of them."

"A vassal race?" Luis echoed, intrigued. This was the first time he had heard such details about the major families in Guang’an Prefecture, and his curiosity grew.

"Yes," Luo Xiuyuan continued. "For example, the Purple Lightning Snapping Turtle Clan serves the Yang family, and the Green Water Ape Clan belongs to the Wu family. Even the Zhou family has a vassal race. It’s said to be a Golden Core race, though I don’t know which one."

Luo Xiuyuan shook his head, a trace of bitterness in his voice. "They call them vassal races, but in reality, they’re nothing more than dogs raised by the major families."

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Hearing this, Luis nodded thoughtfully. The relationship reminded him of corporate shareholders and their employees—workers who were often treated like tools or pets by the powerful.

He had long known the Immortal Clans of Ten Thousand Star Island possessed deep foundations, but he hadn’t imagined their reach extended so far.

Not only did these families bolster their strength with their own people, but they also extended their influence into the underwater world of the Ten Thousand Star Sea, exploiting its resources.

The more Luis thought about it, the more it made sense.

No one in this world was a fool—least of all these great families. If the Hartmann family could recognize the benefits of such arrangements, it was only natural that others had thought of it first.

After all, trading with alien races could yield immense wealth. It would have been surprising if the powerful cultivation families had not taken advantage of the underwater world.

Thinking about this, Luis added, "Since the mermaids have been captured by the Zhou family, why not choose to become their vassals? It’s at least better than having your clansmen reduced to slaves of the Zhou family."

Luo Xiuyuan’s expression darkened as he replied in a deep voice, "Slaves are still our fellow tribesmen, but vassals are not."

Luis frowned, puzzled. "I don’t understand what you mean, Senior."

Instead of answering directly, Luo Xiuyuan asked, "Do you know the origin of my mermaid race?"

Luis shook his head. Although he had heard rumors that the mermaids were a branch of the ancient human race, he wouldn’t dare voice such unverified claims. After all, the physical differences between humans and mermaids were obvious—one had legs, and the other had a fish tail.

"In ancient times," Luo Xiuyuan began, his voice tinged with both pride and sorrow, "monsters ruled this world, and humans were nothing more than their prey.

Faced with extinction, the human race was divided on how to survive.

One side vowed to fight the monsters to the bitter end. The other chose to flee, seeking refuge in the deep sea."

He paused, as though reflecting on a distant past.

"Countless years passed.

The humans who stayed on land fought valiantly, ultimately defeating the monsters and becoming the masters of this world.

But the humans who fled to the deep sea gradually lost their human traits. Their legs became fish tails as they adapted to their new environment.

Yet even in the deep sea, monsters abounded. When the humans on land triumphed, many defeated monsters sought refuge in the oceans, further crowding the underwater world.

This made it increasingly difficult for the humans who had fled to survive, and over time, their population dwindled."

Speaking of this, Luo Xiuyuan raised his head and said, "Yes, this branch of the ancient human race is the ancestor of our mermaid race.

You and I share the same bloodline, the same origin!"

Unexpectedly, Luis’s expression remained unchanged. He glanced at Luo Xiuyuan’s fish tail with a detached look.

As if provoked by Luis’s gaze, Luo Xiuyuan suddenly grew agitated. "Yes! We escaped back then! But our ancestors only wanted to survive, to preserve a trace of the human race’s bloodline!

Our ancestors just wanted to live—they didn’t want to die! What did we do wrong?!" His voice rose in anguish before it was cut off by a violent fit of coughing.

Luis said nothing, his expression indifferent as he watched the other man.

That cold gaze did not seem to be one directed at a fellow tribesman.

Luis’s attitude shattered the deepest wounds in Luo Xiuyuan’s heart. For a late Foundation Building cultivator, it was a rare moment of overwhelming sadness and heartbreak.

Different choices had led to vastly different destinies for their races.

One branch of humanity had risen to become the masters of this world.

The other—his people—now struggled to survive, even in the most basic sense.

And yet, the humans who ruled this world no longer saw the mermaids as a part of their shared lineage.

Luo Xiuyuan’s mind drifted to the time he had attacked Guang’an Prefecture.

He remembered the looks those rogue cultivators had given him.

It was as if they were staring at a strange, newly discovered monster—mockery and disdain filling their eyes.

Now, standing at the edge of death, Luo Xiuyuan couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sorrow.

If only their ancestors had chosen to stay on land and fight side by side with the humans instead of fleeing to the deep sea.

How different everything might have been.

How much better it could have been.

After a long time, Luo Xiuyuan finally calmed down. He raised his head and said, "We, the mermaids, are willing to become vassals of the Hartmann family."

Luis raised an eyebrow. "Didn’t you just say your mermaid clan didn’t want to become vassals?"

Luo Xiuyuan’s expression dimmed. "Because of Li’er."

"Miss Luo?" Luis frowned.

Luo Xiuyuan’s voice softened, but his tone carried weight. "She told me that you were the only one who didn’t look at her like she was a monster."

He paused and then emphasized, "We are not monsters, nor are we aliens. We are human!"

Luis took a deep breath at those words, his gaze serious. After a moment, he nodded. "Alright. On behalf of the Hartmann family, I accept the loyalty of your mermaid tribe. This will be your best decision."

Acquiring the loyalty of the mermaids had been one of Luis’s goals.

Yet, for some reason, he didn’t feel the excitement he thought he would.

Instead, a trace of sadness lingered in his heart.

Sometimes, one wrong choice could lead to eternal regret.

Luo Xiuyuan straightened his posture, then knelt before Luis. He spoke solemnly as he made the vow, "I, Luo Xiuyuan, leader of the mermaid tribe, swear here on behalf of all mermaids that from this day forth, we will remain loyal to the Hartmann family until our deaths!"

In the air above them, an invisible contract formed, sealing their racial subordination.

At that moment, Luis felt a faint connection with every member of the mermaid tribe.

This bond wasn’t one of control, but it allowed him to sense their loyalty.

This was the power of the racial subordination contract.

More than that, Luis realized that the mermaids had also been subtly linked to the vortex within him.

Luo Xiuyuan sighed quietly and whispered, "Li’er, I hope your father’s decision is the right one this time."

For the first time, Luis’s indifferent demeanor softened into a faint smile. It was clear how deeply Luo Xiuyuan loved his daughter.

Even as he neared death, Luo Xiuyuan had entrusted his daughter and his people to the Hartmann family for protection.

Luis’s gaze at Luo Xiuyuan as he asked, "Let me ask you one thing: do you consider yourself a mermaid or a human?"

"In ancient times, our ancestors were indeed human. But now, even if I deny it, our race has changed. Still, we are very similar to humans," Luo Xiuyuan admitted solemnly.

Although he didn’t state it outright, his words implied that the mermaids were humans who had undergone mutations. Read exclusive content at empire

"Yes, yes, I also regard mermaids as human," Luis said with a nod. "Even though you have different physical traits, you can clearly transform your fins into legs. Can you show me your human form?" he asked, his curiosity evident.

Luo Xiuyuan smiled wryly. "I can’t… I don’t have much time left, and my control over such transformations has significantly weakened. I can’t even manage basic spells anymore."

Luis’s expression turned serious. "Now that you’re affiliated with the Hartmann family, how could I let you die so easily? I need you to manage the vast resources of this underground world. Humans shouldn’t just rule the land—they should also dominate the seas."

"Huh?!" Luo Xiuyuan gasped in shock as a swirling black vortex suddenly appeared before him.