Chapter 407: Slowly Sinking In

Chapter 407: Chapter 407: Slowly Sinking In

If any other Beastman had been present, they would have noticed Yan Lie on a distant stone bench, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings—yet completely ignoring Bai Wanwan.

Jiao Yin gazed down at the sleeping female in his arms, his voice a mere whisper. "Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you. I just need your help."

Deep in sleep, Bai Wanwan was completely oblivious. She only vaguely sensed a faint murmur by her ear, followed by a warm current slowly flowing into her body, as if she were enveloped in a gentle, warm spring.

She slept exceptionally well, and when she woke, her limbs felt pleasantly languid.

After washing up, Bai Wanwan found that only Xin Feng and Yin Ze were home.

Xin Feng was wiping the stone table. He immediately put down his cloth when he saw her. "You’re awake? Are you hungry?"

"I’m starving," Bai Wanwan said with a faint smile, stroking her rounded belly.

As her delivery date drew near, her appetite grew by the day.

"Just a moment."

Xin Feng quickly brought over a platter of roasted beast meat marinated in wild fruit juice. Golden fat was still sizzling on its surface.

Bai Wanwan ate with gusto, polishing off the entire platter in the blink of an eye.

Suddenly, the bell-like laughter of the cubs drifted in from the backyard.

She followed the sound, and as she rounded a corner, a heavenly song suddenly drifted to her ears.

The melody was distant and ethereal, carrying a mysterious rhythm unique to the deep sea that made her stop in her tracks to listen.

When she saw it was a merman singing, her heart gave a strange flutter.

"You’re here." The merman’s azure eyes looked past the frolicking cubs, landing on her with a gentle, smiling gaze.

"What song is that? It’s beautiful."

"It’s a song from my homeland. Do you like it?"

The last syllable of his words rose slightly, and his scales shimmered with a pearlescent luster in the sunlight.

The cubs had already gathered around the edge of the pool, their fluffy paws clutching the hem of her skirt.

"Yes, I love it."

Hearing this, the merman smiled. "Then I’ll sing it for you again."

When he parted his lips to sing again, it seemed as if even the wind fell silent.

The melody seemed to carry the power to wash over the soul, leaving her feeling nothing but pleasant and comfortable.

When the song ended, Bai Wanwan found herself clapping.

The cubs immediately copied her, patting their paw pads together. Their adorably clumsy display made the merman chuckle.

Bai Wanwan’s eyes were fixed on him. When she saw the smile on his lips, her heart gave another strange flutter.

She frowned and pressed a hand to her chest. ’Why is my heart so restless today?’

"What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" The merman swam closer, his tail slicing through the water.

"I’m fine. I’m just going to take a walk." But as she made to stand, the cubs clung to her.

"Mommy..."

The lion cub, the youngest of the lot, was going through a bold phase. "Mommy, the merman said there’s a new fire-breathing Lizard Beast on Beast Pet Street! I wanna go see..."

"A fire-breathing Lizard Beast?"

The cubs all nodded in unison, their big eyes on their small heads brimming with curiosity and anticipation.

Bai Wanwan didn’t want to be a spoilsport. She nodded. "Alright, let’s go take a look. Go get your Father Beasts, and we’ll head out!"

The cubs turned and ran off cheerfully.

"May I come with you?" The merman’s question made her turn back.

His long, silver-white hair cascaded over his shoulders, and he wore a somewhat forlorn expression.

"I can hide my fishtail and cover my face."

Her mind told her to refuse, but when she met those blue eyes that seemed to hold a sea of stars, a single word slipped from her tongue on its own accord: "Okay."

When Xin Feng brought over a linen cloak, a flicker of doubt crossed his gentle features. "Are you really taking him out?"

"Yes," Bai Wanwan replied instinctively.

Xin Feng’s gaze swept over the merman. "Bai Wanwan has agreed to take you out. Don’t cause any trouble. If you do, then you won’t be coming back with us."

Only then did he hand over the clothes.

The merman reached out to take them. "Thank you. I won’t cause any trouble."

With that, he turned to get changed.

"Yin Ze," Bai Wanwan asked, suddenly curious, "what other races are there in the deep sea? Are the Merfolk very powerful?"

"The deep sea is like the land; it has many Ocean Beastmen," Yin Ze explained slowly. "The Merfolk clan as a whole isn’t that strong, but their royal family is extremely powerful. So in the deep sea, no one dares to provoke even ordinary merfolk lightly."

"The royal family? How powerful are they?"

"In the ocean, a royal merman can kill high-level males above their own rank. Even on shore, with their power weakened, they’re no weaker than a Land Beastman of the same rank. But that only applies to the royal line."

Her curiosity piqued, she couldn’t resist asking, "Then what’s the difference between the royal family and ordinary merfolk? How can you tell them apart?"

Yin Ze shook his head. "The Merfolk Royal Family is very mysterious. No one on the continent has ever seen them. Even ordinary merfolk are extremely rare."

After a pause, Yin Ze added, "I just know that all merfolk are beautiful, and the royal merfolk are even more so. Also... I’ve heard that all members of the Merfolk Royal Family have the surname Jiao."

Jiao Yin had just stepped out when he overheard Yin Ze’s last sentence.

His pace slowed involuntarily. "What were you just talking about?"

"I just heard my Beast Husband say that your Merfolk clan rarely comes to the continent, and that the royal family, in particular, has almost never appeared here."

"Mhm. If it weren’t for Beastmen capturing us, my people and I would never have come here. As for the royal family... it’s true they cannot set foot on this continent as they please."

"Why?"

"I’m not of the royal family. I only know that they cannot leave the ocean as they please."

Bai Wanwan accepted his explanation and looked at him. "So, what’s your name?"

"My name is Luo Qing."

When the group arrived at Beast Pet Street, the merman trailed slowly behind everyone else.

"Mommy, look! There really is a fire-breathing Beast Pet!"

The cubs were ecstatic, their heads whipping left and right as if they wished they could grow extra pairs of eyes.

While Xin Feng went ahead to rein in the cubs, the merman moved to Bai Wanwan’s side.

"I wonder how many merfolk the Tiger Clan has in total?"

Bai Wanwan looked at him in surprise. "Are you asking me? To be honest, I didn’t even know there were any merfolk here until I met you."

His gaze flickered. "That’s a shame. If the Tiger Clan had more merfolk, it would bring you an unexpected surprise."

Yin Ze was right beside Bai Wanwan. At these words, he turned his head to look at the merman.

The merman seemed oblivious to Yin Ze’s stare, murmuring softly, "Do you want to see?"

’Do I want to see?’

The curiosity in Bai Wanwan’s heart seemed to magnify infinitely.

She wanted to see!

By the time she came to her senses, she had already had a Beastman go and notify Chou Rong.

She shook her head. Her curiosity was real, and she remembered the act of doing it with perfect clarity.

But she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

It wasn’t until that night, when Chou Rong returned, that he brought up the message. "You want to find other merfolk?"

Bai Wanwan nodded. She had, after all, been the one to start this.

"Yes, I’m the one who sent a Beastman to find you. Are there any other merfolk in the tribe?"

"I’ve already sent people to look. There should be news by tomorrow."

Ears pricked, Jiao Yin slowly sank his body back into the water...