"Chapter 1: Sea of Carnivorous Vines

On a crisp autumn day during the Osmanthus Month, under skies layered with heavy gray clouds, a father and son sat in silence on the riverbank shore. Between the vast expanse of sea and sky, the two anglers remained wordless.

""You’ve got your old man sacrificing his weekend to go fishing with you, and not a single word to say?"" Old Gu broke the stifling silence, his expression one of conflicted frustration.

Like most members of the Gu family, Old Gu was a large man, tall and sturdy. Though sporting a noticeable beer belly, his imposing demeanor remained undiminished.

""Talking scares the fish away; serious fishing needs silence. Dad, you can’t possibly be clueless about basic angling etiquette?"" The reply came from someone who, while sharing his father’s imposing build, carried a distinctly bookish air—reserved and economical with words. A stark contrast to the bluff Old Gu.

The elder Gu paused thoughtfully, then cracked a bitter smile, shaking his head. ""You little rascal. You already know what I want to talk about, don’t you?""

""If we both know what’s coming, why bother saying it out loud?"" Gu Yu snapped, clearly vexed. His precious weekend off, ruined not only by being dragged here to fish, but also by the inevitable lecture. Just thinking about this particular topic gave him a headache; he dreaded it, yet his parents seemed determined to bring up exactly what he most wanted to avoid. Deep down, he sighed with exasperation.

""Do you think I enjoy nagging like a fishwife? But you’re not a kid anymore. It’s time to find someone, settle down.""

""Sigh—"" Gu Yu knew it. He immediately slapped a large hand against his forehead, letting out a dramatic groan as if his head was throbbing.

""Dad, how old am I, really? Loads of people these days don’t marry until their thirties or even forties! The average marrying age is what, 30.9? I genuinely don’t understand why you two are in such a rush.""

""Rush? Of course we're rushing to hold a grandchild! Look at the other young men your age around here—most are married! Some already have toddlers calling me 'Grandpa'! Just the other day I saw Ah Bin—you remember him? That sniveling kid whose dad died young? Well, he managed to get married! His wife’s already pregnant! Have you given any thought to what your mother and I feel?""

Gu Yu had to concede; on the matter of marriage and offspring, he had indeed disappointed his parents. He swallowed back any further argument, feeling a pang of embarrassment.

Silence descended between them.

One second...

Two seconds...

Three seconds...

His father pressed on, ""Your old man’s not demanding you tie the knot tomorrow. But at least start seeing someone! Get to know them for a year or two, then getting married would be just perfect. Right?""

Gu Yu stayed silent. If he agreed, his parents would hold it over him if he still didn't bring someone home later. If he disagreed, he'd only face a fresh barrage of nagging.

""Honestly, that little Ying from across the street seems ideal."" Old Gu didn't wait for a response. ""Looks? Top-tier—outshines any actress by miles. And her figure? Excellent, especially that ample rear—perfect childbearing hips...""

""Dad!"" Gu Yu couldn’t stomach his father's outdated notions. More importantly, he recoiled at anyone—even his father—talking so disrespectfully about Wen Xiaoying, his childhood friend. The girl he'd practically grown up beside.

That said... if it were actually Xiaoying he was meant to marry... well, Gu Yu wouldn't shy away from that.

But would Xiaoying ever marry him?

He had zero confidence. Xiaoying was stunning. Skin like flawless jade, putting frost to shame. Her large, expressive eyes sparkled like speaking stars. And that cascading waterfall of jet-black hair, lustrous and fragrant, had haunted his dreams countless times. Since touching it just once as a child, he'd never forgotten its silken texture—smooth, warm, and slippery beneath his fingers.

All these years, he’d yet to meet a woman more beautiful than she.

Yet, she was never short of suitors.

As they'd grown older, Gu Yu felt the distance between them widening, an inevitable drift that one day might leave them unable to see each other at all. The thought filled him with quiet melancholy and frustration, though his expression remained carefully neutral.

The sharp call made Old Gu pause, momentarily taken aback. He quickly recovered. ""Am I wrong? Of course, it’s not just looks! Character matters even more! And Xiaoying’s character is impeccable. Truly wonderful."" On this point, Gu Yu couldn’t disagree. Adopted, and conscious of her unique status, Xiaoying had grown up remarkably well-behaved and sensible. He'd always cherished her company—she brought a unique comfort and joy.

Seeing his son offer no further protest, Old Gu pressed his advantage. ""You see? You agree she’s a catch too. Well then, get moving! You know the situation. Your Second Uncle passed early, your First Uncle has no sons... the duty of perpetuating the Gu lineage falls entirely on your shoulders.""

Gu Yu sighed inwardly. This heavy, generation-spanning duty inevitably surfaced during every single ""marriage-intervention.""

And it was a burden difficult to argue against.

Seeing Gu Yu’s silence, and noticing the absence of outright irritation on his face, Old Gu knew he’d struck a chord. His son couldn't refute this argument. Buoyed, he grew more animated. ""You know that old poem—uh… something about flowers? Something about picking them when... uh..."" He frowned, groping for the words. ""Can't quite recall...""

""Sigh—'When flowers bloom, pluck them now; wait not for bare branches later to bow'. Dad, really,"" Gu Yu finally seized a moment of victory after enduring the pressure, a small spark of triumph igniting within him. ""Stick to what you know. If poetry isn't your thing, stop trying to cram yourself into the poetry circles.""

""You ungrateful whelp!"" Old Gu bristled, color rising to his cheeks. ""I've sweated blood to put you through all those years of schooling! Now you’re the educated one, huh? Ready to look down on your old man? I know I haven't got the gift for poetic fancy—can’t compose verses to save my life—but I grasp the meaning just fine! I just can’t rattle it off word-for-word, that’s all!""

Gu Yu tasted bitterness. This was exactly why you shouldn’t argue on equal terms with elders. You only ended up swallowing the loss. He had no choice but to accept this particular silent defeat—and even look suitably chastised while doing so.

Seeing his son properly silenced, Old Gu finally cracked a triumphant smile. ""So, you do know the verse. Then you understand how spot-on it is! 'When a man is grown, he ought to wed; when a maid is grown, she ought to wed.' The girl is grown! It’s her time to marry. If you don’t step up, someone else will! So be timely! Be proactive! Understand?""

Many understood the principle—few could actually execute it. It was advice for those who succeeded effortlessly on the first try, not for someone like Gu Yu, who tended to make a clumsy fool of himself the moment he acted.

Before he could articulate this sentiment, however, a searingly crimson “shooting star” suddenly blazed across the overcast sky, piercing the thick cloud layer above the sea. Trailing a long tail of fire, it plummeted into the tranquil water’s surface with earth-shattering force, kicking up a colossal tidal wave.

""F*CK!"" Both father and son cursed simultaneously, an expletive even escaping the usually refined Gu Yu. Had the “meteor” landed even a fraction closer, they’d have been vaporized. Rage washed over them.

What in blazes were those golden telescopes at the Defense Department good for?! If that thing had hit the village, or even the nearby town, the casualties would have been catastrophic! They weren't uninformed villagers. They understood the Defense Department couldn’t precisely control such falling objects to such a small target zone. Which meant... its descent here had been authorized. But why hadn’t they blasted it out of the sky?! Had they sunk so low they’d trade lives for convenience?

Their anger mixed with a growing unease. But they had no time to ponder further. With a terrifying ""Whoosh!"", a mountain of seawater, towering like the walls of the world itself, surged towards the shore in a terrifying, earth-shaking spectacle—powerful enough to flatten mountains.

Reacting almost as one with their curses, both men spun around and bolted towards their parked motorbike. Though officially banned in the city ages ago, motorbikes remained the primary transport in their remote village.

What they didn't know was that far more lethal than the tidal wave racing towards the land was the “shooting star” itself.

Behind the curtain of surging water, the object that had crashed moments earlier was expanding at a horrifying rate—growing a hundred zhang per heartbeat. Before they could reach the bike, the “meteor” had already swelled to the size of a colossal mountain.

The “star” revealed itself as a monstrously gigantic seaweed. Thriving on the water it absorbed, it began to grow uncontrollably, seemingly without limit.

Merely enormous seaweed would have been startling enough. But this colossal sea plant was thickly covered with writhing vines resembling gigantic sea serpents—carnivorous tendrils.

The dark green tendrils squirmed and swayed with an almost feverish energy, as if dancing in excitement. Along with this disturbing dance, sharp-looking teeth lining the vines parted and closed rhythmically, mimicking silent shouts of glee.

closer look, however, revealed these “teeth” weren't rigid and sharp. Instead, they curved and flexed fluidly with each opening and closing motion, looking more like dancing willow fronds than lethal fangs.

After several rhythmic sways, viscous, glistening fluid began to seep from the dark green tendrils, possessing an unnatural, oily sheen. Where droplets occasionally fell into the seawater, they instantly hissed and sizzled fiercely. This apparent lubricant harbored unimaginably potent acid and corrosive power.

Suddenly, with lightning speed, blood-red maws gaped wide along every tendril. The vines shot forward explosively—faster than a frog’s tongue snagging a fly—reaching their targets in the blink of an eye. The air filled with a relentless chorus of ""Swish! Swish! Swish!""

Every living creature near the monstrous seaweed became instant prey. Large fish, tiny shrimp—all were consumed whole by the snaking tendrils, leaving no trace behind. Hopelessly outmatched, the sea life stood no chance; escape was impossible.

After devouring vast quantities, the dark green tendrils began to flush with an ominous, hidden crimson, glowing with unnatural, bloody light. Only the central mass of the gigantic sea algae remained its original deep green.

The tendrils worked with terrifying efficiency. Within a few short breaths, the waters around the monster had been stripped bare of life. Its hunger unsated, the carnivorous vines inevitably turned their voracious attention towards the shore—and the creatures upon it, including the fleeing father and son.

Engrossed in their desperate scramble for the motorbike, Gu Yu and his father remained oblivious to the nightmare unfolding behind them. The cacophony of the thrashing tendrils was completely drowned out by the colossal roar of the tidal wave bearing down on them. The world in their ears was filled only with the relentless, thunderous BOOM.

Panic consumed them. Every thought was focused on reaching safety; dwelling on the danger behind was a luxury they couldn't afford. Speed was their only chance. Hesitation meant death.

Thanks to the brief distraction offered by the sea life that had been devoured first, Gu Yu and Old Gu managed to reach their motorcycle. Old Gu was already fumbling for the ignition key in his pocket.

Fwip! Fwip!

Two dark green tendrils, moving with monstrous speed that defied the surging tide, pierced through the very wall of water. Slime-covered, gaping mouths snapped open, lunging silently at their exposed backs to engulf them."