Empress... Minister Qin, this is the crime of deceiving the sovereign

Time passed slowly.

Qin Luo and Su Muwan strolled side by side along the ocean floor, their feet sinking slightly into the soft, powdery sand.

Occasionally, a few brightly colored fish would dart past them, eyeing the two uninvited guests with curiosity.

"Qin Luo, why is it so quiet down here?"

Su Muwan blinked, her voice slightly muffled by the water.

She brushed aside a stray lock of hair drifting in the current, her eyes alight with wonder.

Their live stream had already been cut off, leaving the screen black.

Countless comments scrolled by—just question marks.

Qin Luo turned his head, glancing at Su Muwan’s adorable profile before smiling faintly. "The ocean floor is always like this—quiet, like another world entirely."

"But..."

"With you here, Young Miss, it feels a lot livelier."

Su Muwan’s lips curled up involuntarily, though she quickly feigned annoyance and shot him a glare. "Stop it. You and your sweet talk."

Qin Luo chuckled and shook his head. "If I’m going to sweet-talk anyone, it’ll only be you, Young Miss."

"Hmph. Smooth talker."

Despite her sharp words, Su Muwan unconsciously leaned a little closer to him.

A flicker of delight flashed in her eyes as she looked at Qin Luo. "Luo Luo~~"

"Oh? Calling me ‘Luo Luo’ now?"

"Hmph! What about it?!" Su Muwan glared at him. "Since those ‘Chosen Ones’ haven’t reached their destination yet, why don’t we do something fun?"

"With the stream off, no one’s watching anyway."

Qin Luo froze for a second, then gave her a dubious once-over. "Young Miss, we’re in the middle of the ocean... Shouldn’t we at least wait until we’re home—"

"Not that! What are you thinking?!"

Su Muwan’s face flushed crimson as she gritted her teeth. "I meant sightseeing! What kind of girl do you take me for?!"

Shaking with indignation, she fumed internally.

Am I really that kind of girl? Sure, I like certain things, but I’m not that desperate!

Qin Luo sighed in relief. "Ah, I see."

"???"

The two continued forward as the water around them grew deeper and darker.

Su Muwan raised a hand, summoning a sphere of icy blue light that illuminated their path like a small lantern.

She glanced at Qin Luo. "Do you think there’s any treasure down here? Like shipwrecks or ancient ruins?"

Qin Luo raised an eyebrow, adopting a mysterious tone. "Who knows? If this were some other protagonist’s story, they’d probably stumble upon a chest full of legendary artifacts by now."

Su Muwan nodded thoughtfully before suddenly pointing at herself. "Are you saying that because I’m here, we won’t find anything?"

"Cough..."

"You—!"

My fists… they’re clenching.

Su Muwan took a deep breath and forced herself to relax. "Never mind. More than treasure, there’s something else I’ve been thinking about."

"Oh? What’s that?"

Qin Luo perked up, half-expecting her to start pummeling him playfully.

After all, teasing the young miss was one of his favorite pastimes.

Su Muwan stopped walking and turned to face him, her expression softening into a radiant smile. "I was just imagining… when we’re old, could we still be like this? Walking together in some quiet place, just enjoying the scenery."

Qin Luo was momentarily speechless. Gazing at her smiling face, he felt an indescribable warmth in his chest.

He grinned. "So the young miss wants to spend her whole life with me?"

"Is that not allowed?" Su Muwan pouted, her cheeks tinged pink. "Or did you have someone else in mind? Su Bailian, maybe?"

"Why bring her up again?"

Qin Luo laughed and pinched her cheek lightly. "Of course it’ll be with my beloved young miss."

Smack!

Su Muwan swatted his hand away, pretending to be angry. "Keep your hands to yourself, you rogue!"

Qin Luo blinked, then leaned in with a mischievous smirk. "Then is using my mouth okay?"

"Wha—"

Before she could react, Qin Luo pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.

"You—!"

Su Muwan’s eyes widened in flustered outrage as she swung at him.

But Qin Luo had already dodged, sprinting ahead with a laugh.

"Qin Luo! Get back here!"

Su Muwan chased after him, kicking up clouds of sand in her wake.

The two moved effortlessly through the water, defying physics.

Sometimes, Su Muwan wanted to ask—Qin Luo, how do you even face your physics teacher after this?

After a short chase, Qin Luo suddenly stopped and turned, spreading his arms wide.

"Oof!"

Su Muwan crashed straight into his chest.

She looked up, scowling. "Why’d you stop like that?!"

Qin Luo gazed down at her, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Young Miss, if I kept running after you chased me so earnestly, wouldn’t that make me heartless?"

Su Muwan huffed, though her lips twitched into a smile. "You’re just asking for a beating."

"Please, no. At your current cultivation level, one punch from you might be all I can handle."

"Heh. Then you’d better behave, or else—tiny fists incoming."

"At this rate, I’ll have to write a book."

"What book?"

"The Days I Was Brutally Bullied by a Tyrannical Young Miss."

"??? What kind of title is that?!"

"Good that you don’t get it."

...

Meanwhile, at the Martial Arts Alliance headquarters...

Ouyang Xuan massaged his temples as he stared at the blacked-out screen among the eight live feeds.

Seriously? What are those two up to now?

He had already received tens of millions of emails asking—

Are Qin Luo and Young Miss Su dead?!

As if! Even if the whole human race perished, those two would still be fine!

They’re obviously off in their own little world!

Sighing, Ouyang Xuan turned his attention to the other seven screens, each showing teams battling fiercely.

Once again, he lamented—

Some are fighting for their lives… while others are on vacation.

Life really isn’t fair...

...

"Qin Luo, what’s this?"

Su Muwan stared curiously at the enormous seashell before them.

"Well… simply put," Qin Luo explained, "it’s a resting spot. I had Lan Xi prepare it in advance."

With a flick of his finger, a golden light traced the shell’s seam.

Click.

The shell slowly opened, revealing a crystalline interior—a small ice-glazed cottage.

Coral beams supported the ceiling, glowing pearls served as lanterns, and a plush rug covered the bed. A steaming pot of spirit tea sat on the table.

Su Muwan was speechless. "...You had her set this up ahead of time?"

"Asked her to arrange it last night."

Qin Luo dusted off the nonexistent lint on the bedding. "After all, someone looked like they’d had enough of seafood and battles."

"So..."

Qin Luo saw right through Su Muwan’s act and smiled at her. "We should find a clean place to have some afternoon tea and relax."

"Who wants to drink your tea?"

"So you deliberately didn’t assign anyone to our team just for this?"

She shook off Qin Luo’s hand and plopped onto the soft couch, swinging her legs while blinking playfully at him. "Where’s the dessert?"

Seeing this, Qin Luo chuckled and shook his head.

Then, as if performing a magic trick, he pulled out a plate of sakura mochi, the pink-and-white pastries stacked into a small tower.

Next, he conjured a few bags of plain potato chips and a bottle of Coca-Cola—Su Muwan’s favorite combo.

He leaned over and pushed the snacks toward her. "Your Majesty, please enjoy~~"

Oh?

Now they were playing along?

Su Muwan glanced at the snacks, her lips curling slightly, but she still pretended to be displeased. "Qin, my dear minister, have you forgotten your manners? Is this how I taught you to serve?"

Qin Luo stood by with a grin, bowing slightly, his tone respectful yet teasing. "Your Majesty, forgive this humble servant. I shall feed you at once."

With that, he picked up a piece of sakura mochi and held it to Su Muwan’s lips.

Su Muwan raised an eyebrow and took a delicate bite. The sweet flavor melted in her mouth, softening her gaze.

"Mmm~~ Not bad at all~~" she mumbled between chews.

Qin Luo’s eyes glinted with amusement. "If it pleases Your Majesty, I shall now pour your tea."

He retrieved a pot of hot tea from his system space and poured it gracefully into a cup, the fragrant steam wafting through the air.

Su Muwan accepted the cup and took a sip, the tea’s aroma blending with the sweetness of the mochi. She couldn’t help but close her eyes in satisfaction.

"Yes, the tea is good too."

She nodded approvingly, then suddenly snapped her eyes open, glaring coldly at Qin Luo.

"But... what I really wanted was ice-cold Coke! Qin, my dear minister, you dare serve me hot tea? This is treason!"

"Such a crime cannot be forgiven!"

What kind of nonsense was this?

Qin Luo suppressed a laugh and sat beside her on the couch. "Your Majesty, spare me! Have mercy on this lowly servant!"

"Hmph! No! Treason is unforgivable!"

"Fine then..."

Su Muwan hooked a finger under Qin Luo’s chin, her voice icy and haughty. "Qin, my dear minister, you shall come to my chambers tonight. Only then will I forgive you."

"But... Your Majesty is of imperial blood, and I am merely..."

"Enough. You will come to my chambers tonight."

"This..."

"Come to my chambers!"

"Uh..."

"Come to my chambers!"

Qin Luo’s chin was squeezed tighter and tighter until he finally relented, biting his lip. "Be gentle with me..."

"Pfft—!"

"?? What’s so funny, Miss? Was my acting bad?"

"No, it’s just—where did you learn this, Qin Luo? You make me want to pin you down and mess you up!"

"........?"

......

.....

Meanwhile, unlike Qin Luo and Su Muwan’s playful banter...

The other seven teams were locked in a life-and-death struggle against the shadowy sea creatures Qin Luo had prepared for them.

Over in Su Jiu’er’s team...

An elder from the Bewitching Heart Demon Palace stroked his beard smugly. "I’ve had my eye on this pawn for a while. Born with the innate physique of a succubus, she’s perfect for inheriting my legacy."

"Everyone, observe—Su Jiu’er’s combat style is undoubtedly the most unique among the pawns."

The crowd nodded and turned to watch.

Then...

"Damn it!"

Su Jiu’er, clad in a red dress, her tail bristling with fury, stomped her foot in frustration.

Their sector of the sea was overrun by mutated sea serpents.

She had planned to use her charm to control them and let her teammates handle the rest.

But thanks to Su Bailian’s incompetence and her teammates standing around like idiots, she abandoned her support role entirely.

"Just die already!"

With a furious shout, she flicked her folding fan, transforming it into countless crimson blades laced with bewitching energy. They sliced through the serpent horde, sending them into chaos—some attacking themselves, others turning on their kin.

Seizing the moment, she smashed one serpent’s skull with her fan, black blood splattering everywhere.

The battle was brutal.

The live chat exploded.

[Su Jiu’er’s lost it—she’s gone full berserk!]

[One flick of her fan and the serpents lost their minds! OP!]

[Meanwhile, Su Bailian’s still crying in the corner, LOL!]

In the shadows...

The spectators exchanged awkward glances.

"Indeed... quite... unique..."

The elder’s eye twitched violently, his body trembling.

Ignoring the others’ "admiration" for his pawn, Xuan Xingzi continued his divination. His expression sharpened as the image of the abomination grew clearer.

It seemed...

The leader of this insignificant territory wasn’t entirely useless—they had actually stumbled upon the abomination’s location.

His pawn must have been corrupted by it.

No matter. Once he retrieved her, he could restore her to normal.

But one thing puzzled him.

The pawns’ strength was to be expected, but...

Why?

Xuan Xingzi’s thoughts drifted back to Qin Luo and Su Muwan.

Why were these two so powerful?

Their destinies were mediocre—they weren’t chosen by fate. Yet, at such a young age, they had reached such heights.

Ah.

Xuan Xingzi smirked.

How could he forget?

These were the typical early-stage prodigies—the ones who shone brightly at first, only to be left in the dust by the true protagonists later on.

Their cultivation... would stagnate here.