I was born a god, the son of the Demon Lord.

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Hai Linghua neither refuted nor questioned further. She simply put down the inkstone pen in her hand, leaned back in her chair, and looked at her daughter whom she hadn't seen for many years in the audience with a complicated expression.

"...Get up."

Lin Qingyue straightened up and then raised her eyes to meet the gaze of the Sea Emperor on the stage.

The mother and daughter faced each other across a dozen steps, their pearly light falling silently, and schools of fish swam through the gap between them. Neither could tell what the other was thinking.

"...What brings you back this time?"

Lin Qingyue didn't beat around the bush. She flipped her hand, and a pale blue phantom appeared in her palm. It was a small mermaid, about the size of a palm, with a round face, round eyes, curly hair, and upturned corners of her mouth. She looked adorable.

"I would like to ask His Majesty the Sea Emperor to help me find someone within the Dream Sea, but the exact location is unknown. The ocean floor is too vast; if we search alone, it might take us thousands of years to find them."

Hai Linghua's gaze lingered on the illusory image of the little mermaid in her palm for a moment, then she looked up at Lin Qingyue: "...You knew I would agree without even asking?"

Lin Qingyue met her gaze without flinching: "You will agree."

Hai Linghua looked at her for a long while, then softly hummed in agreement: "I'll have someone go look for him. Just leave a trace of his scent."

As she spoke, her gaze shifted from Lin Qingyue's face to the deep blue sea outside the palace gates, her voice softening slightly: "How long will you stay this time?"

"...I haven't decided yet."

"Then stay here. Your bedchamber is still available."

"I understand, Mother Queen."

She turned and walked out, pausing briefly at the palace entrance, but without looking back.

A school of fish swam past her, the pearly light shining on her back, casting a long, slender shadow.

On the throne, Hai Linghua tightened her grip on the pen, the tip lingering on the paper for a long time without writing a second word.

Lin Qingyue walked back along the underwater street, but after walking less than a hundred steps, she suddenly frowned.

Something's wrong. Someone's following her.

The feeling of being watched was like a needle pricking the back of her neck, and she couldn't shake it off no matter how fast or slow she walked.

Lin Qingyue did not turn back, nor did she stop walking. However, as she rounded a coral rockery, she suddenly turned back, her figure flashing like a blur in the direction she had come from.

The breath is still there.

She held her breath and followed the path, her hand resting on the spear at her waist. She turned past a dense thicket of sea anemones but found nothing.

Only a faint trace of breath remained in the seawater, and in some distant corner, a silver mermaid's tail flicked swiftly before disappearing into the shadows of the reef.

Silver.

Among the merfolk, silver tails are often the symbol of the royal guards.

Lin Qingyue narrowed her eyes, stared at the reef for a moment, and then turned back without chasing after it.

If it was someone sent by her mother, that wouldn't be surprising. If it was someone else... they would show themselves when the time was right.

She quickened her pace.

-

Underwater Inn.

Although it's called an inn, it's actually a three-story pavilion made from a giant giant clam shell. The shell walls are inlaid with luminous pearls and colorful mother-of-pearl, and the curtains are made from a single jellyfish umbrella, hanging down in a semi-transparent way and swaying gently with the water.

In the lobby on the first floor, several sea creatures were drinking, and in the corner, an octopus was playing a harp. The tune was crooked and distorted, but it didn't sound too bad.

In the innermost room on the second floor, Xu Nanyi and Shen Xizhou were sitting side by side on the edge of the bed.

Xu Nanyi swung her short legs, rested her chin on her hand, and gazed at the underwater scenery outside the window, muttering, "Why did Aunt Yue take so long..."

Shen Xizhou slumped on the table, listlessly staring at a clownfish passing by the windowsill: "Could something have happened? Should we go out and check?"

"Let's wait a little longer," Xu Nanyi said, but she kept her ears perked up, paying attention to the sounds in the corridor.

The voice just fell.

dong dong dong.

There was a knock on the door.

Xu Nanyi tensed up instantly and exchanged a glance with Shen Xizhou.

The two of them slid off the edge of the bed in unison and tiptoed towards the door.

The seabed has been anything but peaceful lately. Although the Dream Sea is nominally under the jurisdiction of the Merfolk, no one knows whether what's lurking in the shadows is friend or foe.

With the lesson learned in Shanghai still fresh in her mind, Xu Nanyi is now wary of anyone who comes to her door.

She leaned closer to the crack in the door, about to ask—

A sweet, excited voice called from outside the door: "Yiyi! Are you in there?!"

Xu Nanyi was taken aback.

That voice…Haley? How did she know I was here?

Xu Nanyi turned her head and exchanged a glance with Shen Xizhou. Shen Xizhou silently took out the dragon bone whip from his waist, took a half step back, and lowered his body to prepare to pounce at any moment.

Xu Nanyi took a deep breath and quietly opened the door a crack...

Standing outside was a small mermaid with silver-blue hair, her hair curly as if it had just been blown by the ocean current, and her big, bright blue eyes lit up the moment she saw Xu Nanyi.

"Yiyi! What are you doing here?!"

Before Hailey could finish speaking, she had already pounced on him.

Xu Nanyi was knocked back two steps by the enthusiastic pounce, and the two of them fell onto the carpet together. Hailey hugged her neck and rubbed against her neck several times, as excited as a little dolphin playing around.

Shen Xizhou grew anxious, flicked his whip, and pointed it at her: "Right now, let go of my sister!"

Hailey stopped, turned around and glared at him, slapping the ground with her tail in dissatisfaction: "Why are you being so mean!"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xu Nanyi quickly pulled out the Nine Nether Ghost Seal from her bosom. Before Hailey could react, she flicked her wrist, and the Ghost Seal steadily covered Hailey's head.

The vermilion imprint landed on Hailey's forehead, flashing a dark light before gradually turning gold. A fine pattern swirled across the imprint for a moment before silently disappearing into Hailey's forehead.

Nothing happened.

Xu Nanyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The fact that the Nine Nether Ghost Seal did not react meant that there was no Ghost Immortal parasitizing the other party's body; it was Hailey herself.

Hailey didn't flinch when she was given a stamp; she just tilted her head back and waited for Xu Nanyi to finish. Then, she blinked her blue eyes and asked, "Yiyi, what are you doing?"

Xu Nanyi retrieved the Ghost Seal, a sweet smile appearing on her face. She reached out and patted the patch of silver-blue hair on Hailey's head that had just been covered by the seal.

"It's nothing, it's nothing! This... this is because I missed you! I'm giving you my stamp to prove you're my good friend!"

Although Hailey didn't quite understand, she was happy to hear the words "good friend".

Shen Xizhou put away his whip, squatted down beside her, and looked Hailey up and down several times before whispering to Xu Nanyi, "Sister, how did she know we were here? We've only been at the bottom of the sea for less than half a day, right?"