"Is that so?" Kazel raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical of her explanation.
"It does not sound very believable," Su added, unusually siding against her, his face laced with suspicion.
Fan Xuanye and Xiong Ruoyou both fell silent in unspoken agreement. As much as they wanted to believe Mu Qingyun, what she had said was… simply not convincing.
Correction: it was utterly unbelievable.
[I don't buy it either.][Is Mu-ge taking us for fools? This kind of lie might fool an idiot, but telling it to us? That's just insulting.][Hey, watch your mouth! Who are you calling an idiot?][…][…]
Mu Qingyun listened to their murmuring without surprise. She had already expected such a reaction.
"If you do not believe me, then go ahead and think what you want," she said, tilting her head slightly, an innocent expression playing on her face.
Her acting was not particularly convincing, but because it was Mu Qingyun who said it, they had no choice but to accept it—at least for now.
"Let's just rest," Su said after observing her for a while. Eventually, he sighed in resignation. If she did not want to talk, then there was no point in forcing her.
He had not expected the successor he had chosen to have so many secrets buried within her.
"Oh." Xiong Ruoyou glanced at Mu Qingyun, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to trust her unconditionally.
Now back in human form, she headed toward her sleeping quarters.
Having had her sleep interrupted twice, the adrenaline from earlier had faded, and exhaustion quickly swept over her again. She longed to collapse into her sleeping bag and pass out immediately.
"Yes, everyone should get some rest," Mu Qingyun said, waving at the others. Then she lowered her head to look at Bai Feifei, who was still lying on the floor where she had left her.
After a brief pause, she crouched down and shoved Bai Feifei into a sleeping bag, not bothering to check if the girl was comfortable or not. She stood up and walked away into the shelter.
[Wait, that's it? It's over just like that?][They're really not going to question her at all? Not even ask a single follow-up? Just because Mu Qingyun said so?][This is ridiculous. What's she hiding? Thinks she's some kind of big shot now? I'm dying of laughter.][Give it a rest. It's her business. If she wants to talk, she will. You're just nosy.][Seriously, I'm so done reading some of these comments. If you can't show some respect, maybe you should just leave her livestream.]
Back in her room, Mu Qingyun collapsed into her sleeping bag. She raised her left hand, studying it intently.
If she wanted to find out who that so-called "Warrior" really was, she would need to ask the Rat King. Possibly the ants or snakes might know as well. One thing was certain—she could not ask anyone around her.
The moment she brought up the question, the sharp ones in the group would instantly notice something was off.
She suspected this "Warrior" had to be a plant-type ability user like herself. He must have done something significant to earn the loyalty and respect of a venomous creature army that now called him "Warrior."
No use overthinking. She would have to find a way to ask the right people.
Closing her eyes, she began to meditate and rest.
The next day, just before dawn, the camp was jolted awake by a sharp, high-pitched scream.
"What now?! What happened this time?" Xiong Ruoyou bolted out of her room, only to crash headfirst into a panicked Bai Feifei who was running in from outside.
"Ow—!"
They were about the same height, and neither managed to stop in time. Their foreheads collided with a dull thud, and both tumbled to the ground.
Rubbing her aching head, Xiong Ruoyou, who had already been woken up twice during the night and had not had a proper morning rest, snapped in frustration. Her tone was sharp. "What are you screaming for in broad daylight? Did you see a ghost?"
[Big Bear Sis is angry! I think this is the first time I've seen her actually mad.][Honestly, I just opened the stream and nearly had a heart attack from Bai Feifei's scream. What a wake-up call.][Seriously, who needs coffee when you've got this kind of alarm clock?]
"Rats! A whole swarm of them!" Bai Feifei stammered, clearly still caught in the throes of a nightmare. She looked mentally unstable, her eyes wide with panic.
"Rats? Mu-ge chased them off yesterday," Xiong Ruoyou grunted, frowning as she pushed herself off the ground.
Chased them off...?
Bai Feifei racked her brain. Then, as her memory returned, she remembered what happened before she fainted—the moment when she had clung desperately to Mu Qingyun out of fear.
Mu Qingyun's waist had been slim, soft, and surprisingly toned beneath the fabric. It felt nothing like a man's body. If anything… it had felt more like a woman's.
"What's going on now?" came a cold voice.
The woman from her memory now leaned lazily against the doorframe, eyeing Bai Feifei with obvious irritation. "What are you yelling about this early in the morning?"
"I—I just thought the rat swarm hadn't left yet! Why are all of you ganging up on me like I'm the bad guy?" Bai Feifei retorted, fed up after being scolded so many times. "It's not like you are never scared!"
Mu Qingyun snorted. "True. But I'm not like you—afraid of everything."
She stretched lazily and walked past them without another word.
"Mu-ge, where are you going?" Xiong Ruoyou asked quickly, noticing her heading toward the forest.
"Morning training," Mu Qingyun replied without even turning her head.
"I'm coming with you!" Xiong Ruoyou called out and quickly caught up. "You're still in recovery. If something dangerous happens, I can carry you on my back and run!"
"…That won't be necessary."
"Fine then, I'll carry you bridal-style," she joked, forming a comical gesture with her fingers as though pinching Mu Qingyun up like a doll.
"Absolutely not." Mu Qingyun's face twitched. The mental image of herself being held like some ragdoll made her feel indescribably awkward. She shook her head. "Just let me rest my hand on your shoulder. Your fur is coarse—I can grip it better."
Coarse?
That one word triggered Xiong Ruoyou's memory of Yuehu, the fox girl.
Yuehu's tail had been soft, lush, and delightfully fluffy—clearly better to touch than hers.
The more she thought about it, the more downcast she became. Her shoulders slumped, and her entire demeanor wilted like a deflated balloon.
Mu Qingyun, of course, had no idea that her offhand comment had just triggered a mini crisis of self-worth in Xiong Ruoyou.
Meanwhile, Su and the others had emerged from their quarters and noticed that both Mu Qingyun and Xiong Ruoyou were gone.
"They've probably gone for morning practice," Su said, recalling how Mu Qingyun had once trained him. He was almost certain of it.
"Last night was intense. If Mu Qingyun hadn't driven off that rat swarm, even if we had survived, this house would not have," Kazel said, a faint smile playing on his lips. His violet eyes shimmered with a cold light.
"What are you trying to say?" Su shot him a sharp glance, clearly annoyed by the man's indirect wording.
"If Commander Su Qiluo were here, we would not have had to fear a mere swarm of rats," Kazel replied, raising a brow. There was a faint menace in his tone. "Wouldn't you agree?"