I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

"I'll need to trouble you to talk to Sister and Huijie about it, sir. Don't worry, I'll handle it as soon as possible."

"Okay, go ahead, Ah Xi."

Although it wasn't the first time she'd seen him go on a business trip, her reluctance to part with him never diminished, no matter how many times it happened.

Sitting alone at the table, even the sweet and sour oranges tasted like tasteless dry wax in my mouth.

Xi glanced at the time, sighed softly, and got up to prepare dinner.

The little girl has been using her brain too much lately, she needs to nourish her body properly, let's make her some soup.

You can feed them anything you want during the year; that's the only benefit of not being picky about food.

Ah Xi...

I forgot to bring him any food. Although the food outside tastes good, it's ultimately not as safe and healthy as home-cooked meals...

As Xi picked vegetables, she thought about the departing day.

……

"Welcome, Divine Lord!"

Bai Zhou silently watched the heavily armed guards, layer upon layer, and the colorful dragon lord on the other side.

Fortunately, he had sent a message to his brother in advance to move the meeting place to the Dragon Palace. Otherwise, if he had appeared in the temple, not only would he have been unable to hide his tracks, but if these people had shouted it out, all the worshippers outside would have known that the God had arrived.

At that point, let alone discuss matters, he would have to take this group and run away to avoid being blocked by those enthusiastic pilgrims and ruining things.

"No need for formalities, gentlemen. Please be quiet for now, and I will discuss this with you after I have consulted His Majesty."

Bai Zhou nodded to them in greeting, then stepped directly into the main hall.

"Ancestor."

The emperor was discussing matters with his ministers with a solemn expression when he saw Bai Zhou enter. He immediately stood up and greeted him.

"This is a matter of utmost importance; there's no need for formalities."

Having spoken with the True Dragon, Bai Zhou waved his hand to indicate that everyone did not need to bow, and then said, "Gentlemen, do not worry, I already know about this matter."

"Decades ago, when Iberia was in turmoil, I foresaw that one day Agor would follow in their footsteps."

"However, although they are full of arrogance and prejudice towards us land creatures, the connection between the sea and the land cannot be severed because of their calamity."

"If we do not lend a helping hand, and it is destroyed by the sea, then our Great Yan will also suffer the pain of the sea disaster."

"We urge Your Majesty to dispatch capable individuals to the coastal areas to relocate the people."

"I will use my meager strength to eliminate those who have overstepped their bounds before you all."

"We respect the divine might of our ancestor, who protects our Great Yan."

All the previously discussed battle plans were shelved after Bai Zhou's words. What could Zhenlong say?

He was forced into this role by circumstances. Although he had studied the art of being a ruler under Bai Zhou for several years, he knew he didn't have much talent for it. Rather than trying to prove himself a wise ruler, he thought it better to create a suitable child to succeed him and let him suffer while he lived his own life.

Now, this calamity, which the knowledgeable ministers considered a world-ending disaster, has been decided so casually by his own ancestor. He not only has to give it his full approval, but also shout "Ancestral Master is awesome!"

"Homage to the divine might of the Divine Lord, and protect my Great Yan!"

The ministers looked at each other, then all prepared to sit back and wait for victory.

"Gentlemen, there is no need to worry about the maritime disaster. With the end of the year approaching, let's cover up these troublesome matters."

After speaking with them, he looked at the true dragon in broad daylight.

"Ah Huang, go and go out with the Ancestor to convey my imperial edict."

With just one glance, Zhenlong understood what he should do, and ordered the eunuch beside him to work with Bai Zhou.

"Here."

The eunuch received the decree, quickly came to Bai Zhou's side, followed him out of the main hall, and announced the dispatch order to the Imperial Guards and the Divine Dragon Venerable gathered outside.

"By the grace of Heaven and the True Dragon, it is decreed: As the year draws to a close, this should be an auspicious day. However, harmful creatures from overseas have repeatedly invaded our land, endangering our people. Therefore, we are recruiting more than a thousand people of goodwill to go to the coastal areas to evacuate the people."

“Those who are interested can register at Shenjun Temple. The deadline is midnight.”

After reciting the imperial decree, the eunuch looked towards Bai Zhou, waiting for him to issue his orders.

"You have done a good job. The matter has been accomplished. You may go back now."

Bai Zhou praised him with satisfaction, and then rode the wind and headed straight for the East China Sea.

"...Gentlemen, what are you all standing there for? It's already late afternoon."

The eunuch looked at the crowd, reported the time, and then took in the magnificent sight of the flock of birds emerging from the forest with satisfaction. He then turned back to report to the true dragon.

……

"..."

He swam for an unknown amount of time, until the smell of blood was gone, until the seawater was no longer icy cold, until the warm currents enveloped him, before the young hunter closed his eyes and let the currents carry his weary body into the unknown sea.

"Home……"

"Compatriots...enemies..."

"Grandma...don't leave me..."

Countless fragments of the past flashed through his dream. Then, in a half-asleep state, the young hunter felt someone pull him out of the waves and faintly heard a voice calling his name.

"Wake up, Deepsea Hunter. I am Doctor."

Return to the Lonely Hunter of Eighty-One

"Doctor?"

The young hunter opened her eyes in confusion, trying to see who was calling her, but the blinding sunlight made her close her eyes immediately. She even squeezed out a few tears due to physical discomfort, and her chubby little face involuntarily scrunched up.

"Hmm, he seems to be mentally normal and hasn't shown any signs of assimilation."

That strange voice rang out again, that language with its odd intonation... just like the one her grandmother had taught her... the Yan dialect.

Grandma often said that Yan was a good place, and if it weren't for her responsibilities, she would have settled there and never returned.

Back then, the hunter wasn't a hunter yet; she was just an ordinary little girl named Agor who would pester her retired grandmother every day to tell her stories from the past.

What about following the divine dragon of Yan Kingdom to slaughter those marine disasters, what about the many commendable delicacies in the land-based kingdoms...

The little orca calf was filled with longing for everything its grandmother told it.

"Hmm, you look familiar, little guy."

A hand pinched her face, interrupting her reverie.

"You, you are..."

The hunter asked in his half-baked, fiery voice, and tried to open his eyes.

It seemed that her eyes had become accustomed to the sunlight; although it was still a little blurry, she could now see things clearly in front of her.

The person pinching their own face... is a man.

Yes, he's a very handsome land-dwelling man.

"Hmm... let me think..."

As Bai Zhou pinched the hunter's soft, bouncy cheeks, he recalled that name.

“Alessa. Right, Alessa.”

He looked down at the hunter before him and asked her in Agor, "Little girl, do you know a warrior named Aresa?"

Aresa?

That name sounds so familiar...

The hunter wanted to recall, but he couldn't muster the strength to think.

Ah, yes.

She was a little hungry.

How can you have the energy to think about those things if you don't fill your stomach?

She needs to find something to eat to replenish her energy.

"Oh, are you hungry?"

Bai Zhou was very familiar with the hunter's expression, and based on the examination he had just performed, he was quite certain that the hunter was currently suffering from hunger.

"Get up, Little Mermaid. Hunger is no fun. Come, I'll take you to get something to eat."

He reached out to the hunter to help her, comforting her in her familiar native language.

"Thank you."

The hunter wanted to hold his hand, but her exhausted body didn't give her the chance, and her remaining strength only allowed her to give the simplest response.

"You look like you've suffered a lot."

During the day, Bai Zhou supported the hunter's back with one hand and her arm with the other, helping her to her feet.

"Waaah..."

Because of the significant size difference, the orca became stranded after the arm was placed on its shoulder.

The orca girl looked up at him with her beautiful, coral-like eyes. Whether it was his imagination or not, Bai Zhou felt as if he could see a sense of grievance in her eyes.

"Alright, alright, Little Mermaid, I'll try a different position."

Because of the height difference between them, the hunter was practically hanging on him on tiptoe, and the weak hunter was unable to walk.

In order to get more information as quickly as possible, Bai Zhou picked her up and took her to his makeshift camp to solve the problem of food.

[Seafood paella is cooking...]

"Awoo awoo~……(￣～￣) Chew!"

The orca girl was slurping her food down from a large bowl.

During the day, he watched her cook with a smile.

"Eat slowly, there's plenty more. Get more if you're still hungry."