The king's intentions were evident. He sought to entice Liao Ning into his fold. With her assistance, the empire could not only control the merfolk but also gain influence over the populace.
Regret seeped into the king's thoughts. He pondered how things could have been different had he simply abducted Liao Ning from the outset. If she had been brought into the empire as a princess from the beginning, the current situation wouldn't be so complicated.
His dissatisfaction with Loya reached its zenith. Given Liao Ning's arrival, he saw this as a golden opportunity not to be missed.
Meanwhile, within the rebel army, it had become apparent that Liao Ning had vanished. The production of the antidote for the loyalty potion had ceased, leaving some mermaids without access to the remedy.
"How did she escape? Did no one notice? They're all useless!" Li Xian raged, his desk in disarray. Despite his subordinates' efforts to search the base, Liao Ning remained elusive.
