"Hey, are you all right?"

Qiao Xixi instinctively moved forward to help him up, but he suddenly grabbed her hand.

"Qiao Xixi... please, help Xiya."

In that moment, Qiao Xixi felt that his mental state was normal after all.

"If you’re too injured to move, I’ll go out and check on her for you."

"Thank you."

After helping him lean against a large rock, Qiao Xixi turned, scooped up the tiger cub, and hurried to the cave entrance.

The moment she stepped outside, she saw two Sea Turtle Beast cubs, each with a heavy shell on their back, forcefully pinning Xiya down.

Xiya’s little face was flushed red from the pressure, her round cheeks nearly distorted.

One of the sea turtle cubs viciously stomped on her chubby little hand. Seeing this, Qiao Xixi’s vision filled with rage.

"Hmph, you stupid Xiya! If you don’t listen, I’ll drag you home and beat you every day!"

Even though she was in immense pain, Xiya clenched her jaw and didn’t make a sound. She was afraid her father would hear her cries of pain and worry about her.

Furious, Qiao Xixi rushed forward and sent both Sea Turtle Beast cubs flying with a kick each.

"Where did you damn turtle bastards come from? Get lost!"

Perhaps Qiao Xixi’s aura was too intimidating. After being knocked to the ground, the two sea turtle cubs were stunned for a long time.

"Xiya, how are you?"

Xiya had been holding it all in. It wasn’t that she wasn’t in pain or afraid. But with her father injured and so weak out of the water, she had to fight on her own, and she had always believed she could handle it.

But when she saw Qiao Xixi scoop her up with a worried expression, all her suppressed emotions came flooding out.

"I... It hurts so much, it hurts... WAAAAH..."

Qiao Xixi’s heart genuinely ached for her. "I’ll blow on it to make it better in a little bit, okay?"

"Who are you? How dare you harm my cubs?"

Qiao Xixi’s gaze shifted to a female wearing a shell on her head. With her long eyes and sharp chin, she had a very harsh and mean-looking face.

Behind her stood two male Sea Turtle Beasts. When they saw Qiao Xixi looking at them, they both stared back, dumbfounded.

’This Land Beast female is so beautiful, even more beautiful than any of the merfolk females we’ve ever seen.’

"Your cubs hurt my cub first, and you think you’re in the right?"

The female, Flower Shell, was taken aback and sized up Qiao Xixi in disbelief. "What did you say? You’re this merfolk cub’s mother? Impossible! What is your relationship with Xijing?"

Judging from the shrew’s reaction, Xiya really was her cub. "Xiya is my cub, and I am her mother."

"Impossible!" Flower Shell practically shrieked.

"Whether it’s possible or not, I don’t need to prove anything to you. You let your cubs bully my Xiya, and for that, you owe me an explanation."

Flower Shell was still consumed by her anger. She sneered, "A squabble between cubs isn’t bullying. If she gets hit, it just means she’s weak and useless."

Qiao Xixi let out a cold laugh. "Is that so? Then what you’re saying is, it’s only natural for the weak to be beaten."

Flower Shell lifted her chin smugly. "That’s right—AH!"

Before Flower Shell could finish her sentence, Qiao Xixi sent her flying to the ground with a kick, causing her to wail in pain.

"Mistress!"

Her two beastman-mates snapped out of their daze and rushed forward in alarm to help her up.

"You damn Land Beast! You dare hit me?! What are you two standing around for? Hit her back! Beat her viciously and throw her into the sea for me!"

The two male Sea Turtle Beasts hesitated, but they had to obey their mistress, so they steeled themselves and moved forward.

However, as soon as they got close, Qiao Xixi’s Dull Liquid splattered onto them.

When the two male Sea Turtle Beasts found their movements becoming sluggish, they were too shocked to speak.

Qiao Xixi didn’t even spare them a glance. She strode forward, knocked them to the ground with a kick each, then grabbed their shells and rolled them toward the sea. "Off you go."

"You—" Before the furious Flower Shell could finish, she too was sprayed with Dull Liquid and rolled into the sea by Qiao Xixi.

As for the two remaining sea turtle cubs, the moment they saw Qiao Xixi approaching, they didn’t even wait for her to act—they scrambled and rolled into the sea themselves.

"Hmph. As if I couldn’t handle the likes of you."

"DING."

"Congratulations, Host. Mission complete. Points have been distributed."

Qiao Xixi put away the Dull Liquid and turned to see Xiya staring at her, her eyes rimmed with red.

’That look in her eyes is enough to melt my heart.’

Qiao Xixi picked her up again. "Don’t be afraid. Mother will protect you."

The little girl’s large, azure eyes were filled with disbelief. "But... you’re not my mother."

Er... Qiao Xixi suddenly recalled Xijing’s mournful expression and forced herself to swallow the words of confirmation.

’Give me some time to figure this out first! Why on earth do I have a connection to a merfolk from such a distant sea?!’

"Come on, let’s go inside and check on your injuries first."

Receiving no answer from Qiao Xixi, Xiya’s big eyes filled with disappointment.

For a moment, she had truly believed this was her mother. If only she were her mother...

Qiao Xixi carried Xiya into the cave. Overcome with worry, Xijing had actually fallen off the large rock again.

"Xiya?" Hearing the sound, Xijing called out anxiously.

"Father, I’m okay! Auntie Xixi just chased away that nasty Flower Shell female."

Xiya’s voice sounded cheerful, as if she hadn’t been hurt at all.

Xijing reached a hand out in the direction of Xiya’s voice. "Xiya, come here."

Xiya ran over and took Xijing’s hand.

Xijing carefully ran his hands over his cub’s body, seeming to check her for injuries.

"Father, I’m not hurt."

Xijing let out a soft breath. "I’m sorry, Xiya. Your father failed to protect you."

Xijing turned in Qiao Xixi’s direction. "Thank you again, female Qiao Xixi."

Qiao Xixi felt it was now even more impossible for her to say that Xiya was her cub.

"Xiya is a brave cub. You don’t need to worry. I will protect her."

Qiao Xixi beckoned to Xiya, who eagerly ran over to her.

"Here, let me see your injuries."

Xiya obediently sat down beside her, letting Qiao Xixi examine her all over.

The more Qiao Xixi looked, the more her heart ached.

Xiya’s body was covered in old bruises, making it look as if she suffered new injuries every day.

"Do the bruises on your body hurt?"

Xiya wanted to shake her head, but looking into Qiao Xixi’s gentle eyes, she nodded. "A little bit."

"I’ll put some medicine on them for you." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Qiao Xixi took some medicine from her space and carefully applied it to the wounds on her body.

"If you’re tired, sleep for a while. I’ll watch over you."

Xiya obediently lay down next to the tiger cub and closed her eyes.

Only after he heard her steady breathing did Xijing speak.

"You can tell me your purpose now. If it’s within my power, I will help you achieve it."

Qiao Xixi was a little surprised. "I do, in fact, have some questions for you."