Chapter 858: The Little Fry’s Big Splash

Chapter 858: Chapter 858: The Little Fry’s Big Splash

The next day arrived quickly.

After finishing breakfast, Su Qinglan immediately set to work preparing the promised medicine for Lin Muyu.

She had already gathered the necessary herbs yesterday, and after carefully grinding, measuring, and blending them together, the solution was finally ready.

Su Qinglan held up the small glass bottle, admiring the deep color of the mixture. "Done."

All she needed to do was drop it off at Lin Muyu’s residence, and then she could head straight back to the east gate of Dragon Beast City.

Yesterday’s vegetable soup had been an overwhelming success, but today, she was aiming even higher...she was going to sell the fresh vegetables themselves!

Thankfully, she had planted another large batch of seedlings yesterday, and Rao was looking after them surprisingly well.

That raccoon beastman worked with incredible dedication; he never complained, watered the plants every single morning at dawn, checked the crops for pests, cleared out wild weeds, and meticulously inspected the fences for any damage.

Su Qinglan had been so pleased with his hard work that she gave him a huge, steaming bowl of vegetable and meat soup yesterday.

The poor fellow had almost burst into tears of sheer happiness right on the spot! Naturally, after receiving such a delicious reward, Rao worked twice as hard.

Su Qinglan couldn’t help but sigh with genuine fondness. "What a wonderful beastman."

If only she could find a few more workers like Rao, half of her daily headaches would instantly disappear!

Securing the medicine bottle in her pouch, she stepped out of the house alongside An Mo. But before they could take more than a few paces toward the road, a soft, familiar voice called out from behind them.

"Sister!"

Su Qinglan turned around and immediately smiled. "Lan Yue!"

Lan Yue hurried over, offering a polite greeting to the male beside her. "Brother-in-law."

An Mo nodded politely in return. "Little sister."

Lan Yue looked up at Su Qinglan, her eyes filled with an anxious, restless light. "Sister, where are you heading?"

"I’m on my way to deliver this to Lin Muyu," Su Qinglan replied, raising the basket for her to see. "Is something wrong?"

Lan Yue hesitated, biting her lip. She cast a nervous glance toward An Mo before softly confessing, "You know that we will have to return to the East Sea soon..."

Su Qinglan nodded gently.

"It’s just... my little fry has grown so big now," Lan Yue said, her brows furrowing into a tight knot of worry. "How are we supposed to take him all the way back?"

Su Qinglan instantly understood. "The little orca?"

Lan Yue nodded rapidly. "He still hasn’t transformed into his human form." She lowered her voice, her tone laced with self-reproach.

"Do you think there’s something wrong with him? Could something be preventing his transformation? Or is it because he hasn’t been living in the deep ocean?" Her eyes welled with tears.

"I’m so terrified that I did something wrong..."

Su Qinglan immediately shook her head. "Don’t blame yourself, Lan Yue."

"I know, but... can you please check on him?" Lan Yue looked at her with desperate hope. "Can you?"

"Of course," Su Qinglan agreed without a second thought. "Let’s go right now."

Lan Yue’s gloomy face instantly brightened. "Really?!"

"Yes!" Su Qinglan smiled warmly. "I haven’t seen the little fellow in a while anyway. I want to see just how big he’s gotten!"

The trio quickly made their way down to the nearby river. Bo Jian was already standing by the grassy bank, while Manis was sitting close by with Tang Wu. In the water, the tiny shark cub was happily swimming in circles.

The moment the water-loving cubs noticed Su Qinglan approaching, they immediately surfaced and paddled toward the shore.

"Little fry!" Su Qinglan crouched near the river’s edge, waving her hand.

The little shark cub quickly poked his snout out of the water, followed closely by the massive shape of the orca baby. He had grown tremendously since the last time she saw him!

Su Qinglan’s eyes went wide as she stared at the sheer size of the giant black-and-white aquatic beast. "My goodness... you really have grown into a giant!"

The little orca let out a joyful squeal. "Ahhh!" He excitedly slapped his powerful tail against the surface.

Su Qinglan laughed delightfully. "Look at you! You still remember your aunt!"

The orca baby let out another happy vocalization and affectionately rubbed his massive, smooth head against the shallow water near her boots.

Su Qinglan reached out, gently stroking his slick skin while beginning a thorough diagnostic examination.

At first, his vitality seemed decent enough, but as she inspected him more closely, her playful expression gradually shifted into a serious frown.

His inner energy was noticeably weaker than it should be, and his movements seemed somewhat restricted. Although his body had expanded in sheer size, his internal organs and spiritual core weren’t developing at a matching pace.

Most importantly... there wasn’t a single trace of transformative energy lingering around his core.

Su Qinglan’s brow furrowed tightly into a deep line.

Lan Yue, who was watching her every move, caught the change instantly. "Sister...?"

Su Qinglan looked up at her. Lan Yue’s face was already deathly pale, her hands trembling. "Is... is something terribly wrong with him?"

Su Qinglan didn’t answer immediately. She knew that if she bluntly blurted out that staying away from the sea had indeed disrupted the little fry’s natural development, Lan Yue would collapse under a wave of crushing guilt.

Su Qinglan cast a quick, silent look at An Mo. Understanding her intent instantly, he stepped closer. Su Qinglan leaned in and softly whispered an instruction directly into his ear.

An Mo nodded silently. Reaching into his spatial storage space, he withdrew a warm, vibrant orange crystal. The crystal glowed with pure, concentrated vitality energy, glowing softly in the palm of his hand.

"Little fry!"

The massive orca immediately perked up his face, fixing his large eyes on her.

"Auntie has a delicious treat for you," Su Qinglan coaxed gently. "Open wide!"

The little orca didn’t hesitate for a single second. He tilted his broad head back and opened his enormous mouth wide. "Ahhh!"

Su Qinglan deftly flicked her wrist, tossing the orange crystal straight into his gullet. The crystal dissolved instantly as it slid down his throat.

For a brief, tense moment, the little orca froze completely motionless in the water. Everyone stood around the bank, holding their breath and watching him intently.

Then...

SPLASH!

A gigantic, explosive wave of river water burst into the air and came crashing down straight onto the bank!