Looking at the vast sea before them, the mood instantly became clear.
Yu Su glanced at Lu Yan and saw him staring intently at the sea, evidently enjoying the scenery.
Knowing that Lu Yan had always been active inland and had never been to the seaside before, Yu Su intended to stay here a bit longer. He asked Fox Thirteen about their fishing activities by the sea.
Fox Thirteen explained, "This area has shallow waters, not convenient for anchoring ships. Behind those trees over there, there's a bay with deep waters where we anchor our fishing boats."
Yu Su had initially thought that Fox Thirteen and the others were just engaging in activities by the seaside, like fishing and collecting seafood. He hadn't expected them to go out to sea on boats.
Now intrigued, Yu Su expressed his interest in going to see the boats.
Fox Thirteen led Yu Su and Lu Yan to the location. After walking about a hundred meters to the right, they reached a protruding small grove with slightly higher terrain. Passing through this grove, they saw the small harbor that Fox Thirteen mentioned.
Indeed, several boats were anchored there. These boats were different from the wooden boats drifting on the river outside Sanhe Village; they were proper boats with canopies, resembling the real deal.
Yu Su was surprised, "Did you make these boats yourselves?"
Fox Thirteen nodded, "Yes, we have a branch of Blue Foxes in our clan. They are skilled carpenters, and they've crafted these boats and the wooden houses in the clan. They are quite impressive."
Yu Su thought they were indeed impressive for creating boats like these.
"So, your father was bitten on the boat, not by the seaside?" Yu Su asked.
"That's right. At that time, my father went out to sea with two others and was targeted by a sea beast. To protect the other two and escape, my father got bitten. Although there were some obstacles in the water, luckily, our Golden Fox lineage is good at running away, so my father managed to escape to the shore," Fox Thirteen explained.
Yu Su nodded, thinking that indeed, the Golden Fox clan was exceptionally fast. If it had been on land, there was no way a sea beast could outrun them. Apparently, Fox Yu was on the boat at that time.
Observing the surroundings, Yu Su found some foxes in the nearby woods, drying fishing nets. These nets were woven from the fibers of a plant into grass ropes, and Yu Su found them to be quite sturdy.
"Did the Blue Foxes weave these as well?"
"Yes."
Fox Thirteen explained that many tools of the fox clan were woven from materials like wood, grass ropes, bamboo, etc. There were even peculiar things like carrying baskets made from bamboo that slid down from the mountaintop. All of these were created by the Blue Fox lineage.
"They are indeed quite skilled," Yu Su remarked.
If it weren't for the prevalence of sea beasts in the sea, living by the seaside would be quite comfortable for the fox clan.
After touring the harbor and inspecting the boats, Yu Su and the others prepared to return to the beach.
"Help!..."
Unexpectedly, as soon as they stepped out of the woods, cries for help echoed from the sea.
Fox Thirteen and the others looked toward the sound. The keen-eyed members of the Blue Fox lineage had already identified the one calling for help, "It's Fox Star!"
Behind Fox Star, a large sea beast was chasing the boat. It looked like a small mountain, and the faces of Fox Thirteen and the others turned pale.
"It's a Sea Tiger Beast," Fox Thirteen shouted anxiously, about to jump into the water to save Fox Star.
Yu Su reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Don't be hasty."
Yu Su looked at Lu Yan, who nodded. Lu Yan flew over the sea with his sword, lifted Fox Star, and struck a blow toward the Sea Tiger Beast.
"Moo..."
A sound resembling a cow's bellow came from the Sea Tiger Beast's mouth. The wound caused by Lu Yan's sword sank into the sea, and seeing this, Lu Yan didn't pursue further. He carried Fox Star back to the shore.
Fox Star was already frightened, and being lifted into the air at this moment made him panic even more, flailing his limbs and screaming, "Ah, ah, ah, ah."
Lu Yan placed him on the beach, and he immediately collapsed, his legs giving way beneath him.
Fox Thirteen and the others rushed over to help him up.
"Fox Star, are you okay?"
Fox Star shook his head, then lowered it and vomited, only calming down after a while.
"It was Brother Lu Yan who saved you," Fox Thirteen explained.
Since Yu Su and Lu Yan visited the Fox Clan last time, Fox Star had seen them and witnessed them flying with their swords. Now he recognized them. He walked up to Lu Yan, thanking him.
Being younger than Lu Yan, he expressed gratitude, "Brother Lu Yan, thank you for saving me."
Lu Yan glanced at him, "Stopped flailing?"
With a red face, Fox Star said, "I won't do that again."
Lu Yan asked, "What happened with the Sea Tiger Beast?"
Talking about the Sea Tiger Beast, Fox Star's face turned pale again as he explained, "This season isn't the time for Sea Tiger Beasts to be active, and they rarely come near the coast. I was fishing peacefully when, for some reason, a Sea Tiger Beast suddenly appeared and relentlessly chased after me."
If it weren't for Yu Su and Lu Yan coming to the seaside today, Fox Star's life might have ended there. Just recalling it made him shudder, and his face turned even paler.
Yu Su inquired, "When do Sea Tiger Beasts usually come out?"
Fox Thirteen answered on behalf of Fox Star, "Typically during winter."
Yu Su pondered, "Strange. It's not winter now, and this place is close to the coast. Why would it go against its usual behavior and come here?"
Yu Su asked Lu Yan, "When you saw that Sea Tiger Beast, did you notice anything?"
Lu Yan replied, "The Sea Tiger Beast had an original injury. There was a hole in its back, not caused by teeth or spikes typical of beasts. It looked more like a magical weapon."
Yu Su was taken aback. A magical weapon?
He immediately asked Fox Thirteen, "Are there foxes or humans in this coastal area who understand making magical weapons?"
Fox Thirteen shook his head, "Never heard of it. Not to mention magical weapons, only we have boats that can go out to sea. Even the human villages to the south only operate near the coastline."
A young fox hesitated, "I heard the clan leader and the clan doctor mention that there are powerful merfolk in the sea, and they might have magical weapons."
Merfolk?
Yu Su and Lu Yan exchanged a glance.
Chinan is from the merfolk royal family.
Yu Su asked, "Have you seen the merfolk?"
Fox Thirteen and the others shook their heads. The young fox who spoke earlier added, "The clan leader said merfolk are far in the deep sea, quite distant from here. They hardly come to this area."
Lu Yan suggested, "If the Sea Tiger Beast was wounded by a merfolk's magical weapon, they might have been in this vicinity recently."
Yu Su added, "This is unusual."
Both of them were concerned about whether this incident had any connection with Chinan.
Lu Yan said, "Ask him when we get back."
After this incident, Yu Su and the others didn't stay at the seaside any longer. After returning Fox Star to the Fox Clan, they met the Fox Clan leader and informed him about the Sea Tiger Beast's recent activity. They advised him to keep the clan away from the sea for a while to avoid encountering that Sea Tiger Beast again.
The Fox Clan leader nodded, "I understand. Thanks again for saving Fox Star this time."
Despite the Fox Clan leader having deep psychological shadows regarding the human race, at this moment, he was filled with gratitude towards Yu Su and Lu Yan. Leaving aside other matters, Yu Su and Lu Yan had saved members of the Fox Clan multiple times, deserving thanks from the entire Fox Clan.
Yu Su noticed the change in the Fox Clan leader's attitude and raised an eyebrow.
He and Lu Yan didn't linger in the Fox Clan for long, bidding farewell to the Fox Clan leader quickly.
The Fox Clan leader escorted them to the border of their territory, then returned with the fox guards, seemingly intentionally leaving space for Yu Su and the others.
Yu Su remarked, "When he's not stubborn, he's quite reasonable."
Lu Yan casually hummed in agreement.
Yu Su stored the ores and the basket of dried fish given by Fox Thirteen into his spatial storage. Together with Lu Yan, they flew back to Yu Village using their swords.
At this moment, Yu Village was bustling with the construction of the city. Lu Yan descended directly onto the construction site to help, while Yu Su entered the village to find Chi Nan.
Since becoming a teacher in the school, Chi Nan had been diligently educating the students. Over the past year, most of the village's eligible children had successfully started their education, with no issues in reading and writing.
Yu Su always felt that Chi Nan hadn't lost his memory. He didn't know why, but Chi Nan had been staying in Yu Village without mentioning leaving.
With time, they had naturally developed a bond with him, considering Chi Nan part of Yu Village. So, when there was news about the merfolk, they felt it was essential to inform him.
When Yu Su arrived at the school, Chi Nan had just given the students a fifteen-minute break.
Seeing Yu Su, Chi Nan knew he must have something important.
Chi Nan said, "Don't tell me you've come up with more ideas for me?"
Yu Su replied, "Not this time. I have something to tell you about the merfolk."
The relaxed expression on Chi Nan's face eased, "What happened?"
Yu Su explained, "I just visited the Fox Clan. I saw a Sea Tiger Beast chasing the foxes near the sea. It had a severe injury on its back, resembling a magical weapon wound, likely from the merfolk."
Chi Nan asked, "How's the wound?"
Yu Su conveyed what Lu Yan had mentioned about the wound.
Chi Nan frowned after hearing it, "Indeed, it's a merfolk's magical weapon—a type of long spear only used by merfolk warriors of level three or higher."
Yu Su said, "I heard merfolk usually live in the deep sea far from the coast. The Mountain God also mentioned that the merfolk's territory is quite distant from this side of the West Continent. Their sudden appearance here might be related to you?"
Chi Nan shook his head, "I don't know, but there's a high probability."
Yu Su expressed his concern, "Do they have a way to locate your position? You seem reluctant to go back. Did you have any conflicts with them?"
Chi Nan smiled faintly, "Sit down and let's talk inside."
Chi Nan's residence was quite large. Besides the reception living room, there was also a spacious study. The interior decorations were exquisite, indicating that he had a comfortable life in Yu Village.
"I know you've been suspecting that I haven't lost my memory. I indeed haven't lost it, but for some reasons, I don't want to return to the merfolk. As long as I don't activate the power of my bloodline, they won't be able to detect me. You don't need to worry about that. Even if they did discover this place, I would leave without causing any trouble for Yu Village," Chi Nan explained.