"Alright, go get some rest," Mu Qingyun glanced at them, then crouched down to pick up the fish and lobster on the ground. She took out a large pot and began cooking.
Just as the meal was ready and she was debating whether to wait for Xiong Ruoyou and the others, the comment section of her livestream suddenly exploded.
[Mu-ge! Hurry, go save Fan Xuanye!][Wait, isn't it still not time to fight over the bio points? Why are they attacking now?][No idea! Even if they attack now, it won't count.][I have a theory — maybe those four thought only Bear Sis and Fan Xuanye were there, so they wanted to knock them out early to reduce the competition.][Damn, they broke Fan Xuanye and Bear Sis' livestream devices! Now they can't even press the emergency button!][These people are just vile. Why can't they just get someone out the normal way? Do they have to go for the kill?]
"You guys eat first." Mu Qingyun's eyes turned cold. She placed the food on the ground and stood up quickly while looking at the screen. "Please point me in the right direction. Thanks."
[Got it, Mu-ge!]
"Uh… so, do we eat or not?" Yi Beixuan raised an eyebrow, holding his bowl, uncertain whether to start.
Sighing helplessly, Su turned off both of their livestream devices and frowned in frustration. "Damn things are such a pain. Who the hell came up with this idea?"
"It's because of them that this is the fairest selection competition ever," Yi Beixuan said as he looked toward the direction Mu Qingyun had gone. He pointed. "Should we follow and check it out?"
"Yeah. Sounds like it's four against one — when it counts, we've gotta step in." The more Su thought about it, the angrier she got. "What's up with the review committee? What kind of people are they letting in?"
Yi Beixuan shook his head. "The committee reviews ability, not character."
...
Following the directions from the comments, Mu Qingyun quickly found where Fan Xuanye and Xiong Ruoyou had been.
But when she arrived, the scene was eerily calm.
Several corpses lay scattered on the ground, each with a clean cut to the throat. Mu Qingyun frowned as she glanced around.
She didn't recognize any of the dead. The terrain was open with only the sea beside it — there was nowhere to hide — yet there was no sign of Fan Xuanye or Xiong Ruoyou.
[Where are they?][I saw it! Those four tried to drown Fan Xuanye and Bear Sis in the sea, but suddenly a merman came out of the water, saved them, and killed the four attackers!]
A merman?
Seeing the chat begin to talk about this supposed merman, Mu Qingyun raised an eyebrow in doubt.
"Ugly one, are you friends with those two just now?"
Suddenly, a teasing voice came from behind. Mu Qingyun spun around and saw a merman leaning on the shore, his tail submerged in the water, eyes narrowed as he studied her.
She had only seen merfolk in mythical texts like the Shan Hai Jing, which described such beings as heavenly — "existing in the sky, not on the earth." Supposedly, they could enchant people not with songs but just by their looks.
Now that she saw one for herself, Shan Hai Jing hadn't lied.
This merman had a beauty beyond human standards — not just handsome, but strikingly enchanting. Pointed elven ears, water droplets rolling down his eight-pack abs…
"What are you staring at?" Kazel tilted his head, smiling playfully. "First time seeing someone this good-looking? In awe?"
"Don't kid yourself. With how ugly you are, you'll never look like me."
Mu Qingyun: …
Why do good-looking people always have the most annoying mouths?
[OMG this merman is so cocky.][But he's not wrong tho. At this level of hotness, he can be arrogant.][Ahhhh husband, scold me more! I love it!][Nope. If you wanna go feral, go do it in his livestream. Don't ruin Mu-ge's vibe!][I would, but his stream isn't even on!][Wait, you guys didn't notice? Isn't this merman the same Kazel who's in the princess' team?][Huh? Kazel wasn't this hot though.][True, but look at his features — he looks just like Kazel. Maybe a brother?][I came from the princess' stream. Trust me, this merman is Kazel. He talks just as snarky and even treats the princess like this.]
"Ugly one, go back. Your two friends already left," Kazel said lazily, arms resting on the shore, preparing to dive back into the sea.
"If you're here, you must be a contestant," she said calmly, eyes on him. "So why'd you save them? Wouldn't their deaths help you?"
Kazel fell silent for a moment. He swirled his hand in the seawater and let out a faint smile. "I hate people polluting the sea. They could've killed on land, but they had to try drowning them."
"If they're so free, I don't mind sending them somewhere with even more peace and quiet."
Mu Qingyun nodded but didn't leave right away. Her eyes were fixed on Kazel's tail, which was hidden behind the shore. She was trying to get a clear look at it.
Noticing her gaze, Kazel sneered. "What? Still not leaving?"
"Nothing. Thanks." She gave his body one last glance, then turned and left, a little disappointed.
What a waste. Rare chance to see a merman, and she couldn't even get a proper look because the tail was hidden behind the shore.
[LOL was Mu-ge trying to check out the tail?][Of course! Why else would she keep staring? LOL. Has she never seen a merman before?][HAHA she kept staring like a perv. People watching might think she's a creep!]
...
"Looks like everything's fine," Yi Beixuan, hiding nearby, turned to Su and raised a brow.
"Let's go. We have to get back before her," Su shot a cold glance at Kazel, then turned and walked toward the cave.
"No way we beat her back. Didn't you hear? That merman said Xiong Ruoyou and Fan Xuanye already returned," Yi Beixuan said, pulling her arm. "Relax. Whether we're early or late doesn't matter."
"It does matter. If Mu Qingyun gets back and doesn't see us, she'll worry," Su frowned. "Better to head back early."
Yi Beixuan couldn't help but chuckle. "Didn't know you cared that much."
Su frowned at him but ultimately said nothing.
Beep beep beep—
Suddenly, Yi Beixuan's communicator began to ring.
He pulled it out and saw the green signal light flashing continuously. He hesitated, unsure if he should answer.
"Why aren't you picking up?" Su's eyes sparkled with amusement as she crossed her arms, ready to watch the show.