Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off-Chapter 454: The Last Morning on Mermaid Shores
The entire mermaid tribe was bustling with energy. Everywhere you looked, people were weaving baskets, smoking meat, and stacking salt in beast skins.
The peaceful days of the beach were being replaced by the steady rhythm of a tribe preparing for a great journey.
Su Qinglan watched the chaos with a smile, knowing that while the road would be long, at the end of the long road she would meet her family, which filled her with excitement.
The day of departure finally arrived.
After three days of intense preparation, the beach was crowded with people and heavy bundles of supplies.
Su Qinglan stood with her family, ready to face the long road ahead.
Beside her, Lan Yue was prepared for the journey with her two husbands. Bo Jin held a large stone bowl carefully in his arms, where their small, finned baby splashed contentedly.
Almost the entire Mermaid Tribe had gathered at the water’s edge to see them off.
Many of the mermaids had tears in their eyes; they had grown very fond of Su Qinglan and her lively family.
They didn’t want to say goodbye, but they knew they couldn’t be selfish and keep such powerful individuals trapped in one place forever.
One young mermaid boy was sobbing particularly hard, clutching Xiao Yi’s neck. "Brother, don’t go! I’ll miss you so much!" he wailed.
Xiao Yi looked helpless as the eight-year-old boy clung to him.
Even though Xiao Yi was technically younger in years, he acted like the mature one, patting the older boy’s shoulder and mumbling in his tiger language, "Don’t worry, big brother will come back to visit."
Xiao Er and Xiao San also rolled their eyes as they watched from the side. They knew Xiao Yi was being a bit dramatic.
He had practically become the little "gang leader" of the mermaid children during their stay, and he was secretly very excited to start a new adventure.
But here he was, shedding tears like he too didn’t want to go.
Elder Tang stepped forward, nodding respectfully to Su Qinglan.
"You are always welcome in our tribe," he said warmly.
"The beast world is vast, and you must follow your path, but if you ever encounter trouble, remember that the Mermaid Tribe will always open its doors to you."
He then looked toward the other husbands. "Please look after our men. Transporting this much salt to the Dragon City is a risky task."
Su Qinglan smiled and nodded. "Don’t worry, Tribe Leader. We will keep a close eye on everyone. Nothing will happen to salt...after all, I have a share in that salt too!"
Elder Tang laughed heartily before turning to Lan Yue.
He patted her head gently. "Child, if you meet your father in the city, please give him my regards. It has been a long time since we spoke."
He looked into the stone bowl at the baby, who was smiling happily. "I hope you and my son have a strong cub together."
Lan Yue blushed a deep red, while his son smiled proudly. "Father, we should be going," he said, eager to start.
Bo Jian also nodded at the side; he too was very eager to start the journey.
With a powerful leap, Bo Jin dived into the sea and transformed into a massive, majestic Orca. His back was broad and strong, providing a perfect platform.
Su Qinglan and Lan Yue, along with the land-based husbands...Han Ju, Rong Ye, Shi Feng, and Hu Yan all climbed onto his back with the cubs.
While Xuan Long simply decided to swim in his beast form.
The other mermaid beastmen transformed into their aquatic forms to escort them, while some stayed in their human forms to hold the salt bundles high above the water so they wouldn’t get wet.
With a final wave to the shouting crowd on the shore, the group began their long journey toward the Dragon Beast City, cutting through the waves with new hopes.
The sea stretched endlessly before them, waves rising and falling in a steady rhythm as Bo Jin’s massive orca body cut smoothly through the water.
The wind rushed past them; it was sharp and cool, snapping against their faces.
Xiao Yi and Xiao Er stood near the front, their small hands gripping tightly onto Bo Jin’s back. Their eyes sparkled brightly, full of excitement.
They had never traveled like this before.
The feeling of the open sea, the speed, the wind... it made their hearts race.
Both of them could feel something deep inside them stirring wildly. It was almost like an instinct.
A strong urge to leap high into the sky and dive straight into the water below.
Their bodies even tensed slightly, as if ready to jump at any moment.
But then...
Both of them slowly turned their heads at the same time. Their gazes landed on Su Qinglan.
She was sitting calmly behind them, holding her hands around them so they wouldn’t fall, her expression gentle as she looked in the distance.
The two tiger cubs immediately stiffened. Their excitement froze on the spot.
They quietly swallowed.
If they dared to jump now... they didn’t even need to imagine what would happen next. Their precious little bums would definitely suffer.
Xiao Yi coughed lightly and straightened his back, pretending to be calm and mature.
Xiao Er also nodded seriously, acting like he had no such thoughts at all.
The two of them behaved so properly that it almost looked suspicious.
Behind them, Xiao San peeked out carefully from behind Su Qinglan’s shoulder.
His tiny tail clutched tightly onto her clothes as his small face looked around with curiosity. His eyes were bright, clearly happy to see the vast sea and sky.
But unlike his brothers, he didn’t dare to move too much.
The wind was strong. Each gust made his little body sway slightly, and that alone made him tighten his grip even more.
He was afraid. Afraid that if he let go even a little, he would be blown away.
Xiao San pouted slightly.
He had once tried turning into a human baby before... just to see how it felt. But after that one time, he never did it again.
It was too strange and uncomfortable.
In that form, he couldn’t move the way he wanted. He couldn’t hide inside his mother’s or father’s hair.
He couldn’t curl up safely where no one could find him. It made him feel exposed... and unsafe.
So now, he firmly stayed in this form, where he felt the most secure.
Su Qinglan, on the other hand, was in a very good mood. A soft smile rested on her face as she looked at the endless sea ahead.
Beside her, her husbands carried the bundles of supplies, their expressions focused as they kept everything steady.
Beside her, Lan Yue also held the stone bowl carefully, making sure the small finned baby inside was safe and comfortable.
Behind them, the mermaid tribe slowly began to disperse.
One by one, they turned back toward the shore. The once lively beach gradually became quiet again.
The laughter, the tears, the noise... all faded away with the waves.
Soon, only the empty shore remained.
