"Of course, the despicable thief must have accidentally left it behind!" Yi Yue gave her a puzzled look. ’This young female my son chose doesn’t seem very bright.’
"If the thief had left behind some hair or something similar, that might be more convincing. But what they left was a complete scale."
An Jin pointed to the Black Scale and continued, "Look, the tip of the scale is flat and smooth, without a trace of flesh and blood. This means the scale didn’t fall off naturally. It was pulled off and kept for a long time before being deliberately dropped in the Secret Realm."
At her words, the atmosphere grew tense again, and the Merfolk looked at each other in dismay.
’That’s right. A scale isn’t like a strand of hair. They don’t fall off easily, so how could one have been ’accidentally’ left in the Secret Realm?’
An Jin looked up at them. "Unless the culprit deliberately left us this clue."
The Merfolk felt their heads spinning. They weren’t accustomed to such complex thinking, and these twists and turns left them utterly bewildered.
"Th-th-then... what on earth is that person trying to do?" Yi Yue scratched her head. ’The minds of these Land Beastmen are so strange and cunning. Why steal something only to deliberately leave a clue?’
"Normally, there are two possibilities." An Jin stroked her chin. "Either the real thief is using another Beastman’s scale to misdirect you, or they intentionally left it to lead you right to them."
"Could you take me to your Secret Realm to have a look?" she asked.
"Absolutely not! The Secret Realm is our clan’s Holy Land. Only royal Merfolk are permitted to enter!"
The Merfolk instantly eyed her with suspicion, the scales on their tails bristling slightly. "Besides, you’re a Land Beastman! For all we know, you’re in league with the thieves and trying to get something out of this!"
"Ah Jin is my guest of honor! I forbid you from speaking to her like that!" Xi snapped fiercely at the agitated Merfolk.
The Merfolk immediately backed down, shrinking away in fear.
Xi immediately turned to her. "Ah Jin, why don’t I go take a look for you? I can enter the Secret Realm."
"Alright."
...
Knowing that the two of them would be staying in the city for a few days, Yi Yue arranged two rooms for An Jin and Xi. Schemingly, she put her son in the room next to An Jin’s, making it convenient for them to "foster their relationship" at any time.
"The Priest is still performing the Divination and must not be disturbed. We believe there will be more news soon. Our honored guests from afar, please rest here for the time being."
A Merfolk servant led the two into a palace.
Thanks to her connection with Xi, An Jin’s accommodations were instantly upgraded to the level of a five-star hotel.
"If you need anything, feel free to call us." The Merfolk respectfully handed her a small communication Conch Shell, then withdrew.
Because she belonged to a land-dwelling race, the room was encased in a massive bubble that perfectly sealed out the seawater.
The room had already been tidied up by diligent young Merfolk, so no additional furnishings were needed. To An Jin’s surprise, she even saw familiar cloth and pottery.
With a single glance, she recognized that the cloth and pottery were all products from her own city. She hadn’t expected these goods to have circulated all the way to a city under the sea.
The Merfolk bed was a large seashell, long enough for two people, and lined with soft, white fabric.
An Jin sat down in the seashell, resting her hands on its edge. Her body sank into the soft fabric, and she found it surprisingly comfortable.
"Do you like it here, Ah Jin?" Xi poked his head in through the doorway, revealing a pair of damp, azure eyes, and blinked at her.
"I love it," she said without hesitation, and she meant it.
Overjoyed, Xi rushed in from the doorway.
"If you like it, you can stay longer! You can stay for as long as you want~"
An Jin smiled and politely declined his kind offer. Instead, she pulled what looked like a "stone" tied with a red string from behind her back and pressed it into his hand.
"What’s this?"
She leaned forward slightly, and Xi instantly bent down. Pressing close to his ear fin, she whispered, "When you enter the Secret Realm, hang this stone around your neck. Then I’ll be able to see what the Secret Realm looks like."
’This was a small "monitoring device" she’d spent 500 gold coins on in the System Mall. It connected directly to her mind and Divine Sense.’
Without the seawater to interfere, the warm breath she exhaled washed over his ear fin, sending a tingling sensation through him.