Su Ying indeed had experience with hypnotists; she positioned herself facing Lu Yun but turned her face away, avoiding eye contact, and played with her hair.
“Miss Su Ying, how can I help you if you’re not cooperating? Please look at me.”
“That’s up to your skill. I agreed to let you try, but not to let you manipulate me.”
Lu Yun laughed, which I knew was a sign she was about to perform her magic. She walked over to the aquarium, reached out, and astonishingly, her hand went straight through the glass into the water. It looked so incredible yet so natural. I was stunned, doubting my own eyes. Su Ying, like me, was immediately captivated, staring with unblinking eyes. I realized Lu Yun had successfully breached Su Ying’s mental defenses.
With a wave of her hand, Lu Yun created a mist of water droplets that formed a screen in the air, not dispersing but solidifying. Lu Yun displayed her formidable power. I was shocked at the extent of her abilities. Perhaps it was all an illusion from the start, and what I saw were mere phantoms. Yet, under the overwhelming visual impact, my rational thinking nearly ceased. To me, Lu Yun’s techniques were as mystifying as those of the sea people.
Lu Yun closed her eyes, seemingly searching through Su Ying’s memories, while Su Ying entered a trance, staring at the water screen. Finally, Lu Yun opened her eyes and said, “Found it!” The water screen then began to display fluctuating images, presumably projections of Su Ying’s memories.
Scene after scene flashed like slides, revealing the truth about Su Ying. It was like a fairy tale, scenes so fantastical it seemed as if they could emit light, illuminating the dazzling colors on the creature. From the front, one could discern the traces of facial features, seeing eyes that moved. It approached at an astonishing speed from the distant seabed, its body seemingly able to change shape at will, encasing young Su Ying in a spherical form, and I could sense there was plenty of oxygen in that space, allowing Su Ying to regain consciousness gradually.
The sea people! I was struck with awe; there was no doubt about it. This must be the sea people. Su Ying had indeed encountered them. Then, together with the Su Ying of that time, we embarked on an unprecedented journey beneath the sea. At first, I heard Su Ying’s cries, which were heart-wrenching, but even more astonishing was another voice, a clear male voice, coming from the sea person. Could the sea people also speak Chinese? This was something Su Ying’s memories couldn’t explain. The only explanation was that the sea people possessed a high level of intelligence, learning the language Su Ying spoke. If that were true, my human pride was reluctant to acknowledge it. The sea person continuously comforted Su Ying, trying desperately to calm her down, but Su Ying, facing such a drastic change, was terrified, stranded in the vast sea with no help in sight, and the sea person was at a loss for what to do.
