Stop Being So Naive
Xia Lin vows never to forget Fang Yuan’s guidance, and he asks what she wants to do most; she thinks of following him, but he says she has not thought it through. Fang Yuan strokes her face and says she still wears a mask, then asks her to cooperate in removing it as compensation, since she feels she owes him. She kowtows three times and promises to do whatever Master Chu wants. He tells her to become the saintess. ch. 1672
Several days later, at the final test of the Sea God Ceremony, Su Yi stares at Xia Lin in shock. Su Yi had been very confident of victory, since her rival was too badly hurt in the last round to compete again so soon. After the grand elder’s explanation, the crowd learns that the rival’s younger sister, separated from her for many years, has been found, and she is Xia Lin. Spectators say Su Yi’s supporters spread the lie that Xia Lin betrayed her. Some have heard that an investigator pleaded guilty and a recording of him pressuring Xia Lin is ironclad evidence. The two nannies sent by the clan to assist Su Yi face punishment if she loses. ch. 1672
Su Yi’s expression is extremely unsightly while Xia Lin calmly watches the crowd, and Su Yi snorts that the saintess position is hers. Xia Lin replies lightly, and Su Yi feels terribly irritated. Xia Lin searches the crowd for Master Chu, who said he would watch from it, wanting to tell him afterwards that she wishes to follow him. ch. 1672
Xia Lin is slightly better than Su Yi in the first round and wins the second by a little, and the audience erupts in shock at a result that greatly surpasses expectations. Fang Yuan, hidden in the audience, only looks shocked, for his heart is tranquil. Over those days he trained Xia Lin with immortal level time path methods, chose unique songs, and prepared sound path Gu worms for her. While the two sing, he secretly tampers with both performances, so that Su Yi’s performance turns choppy while Xia Lin’s grows better with his support. ch. 1672
Su Yi, pale, thinks of Xia Lin as a dull and ordinary girl whom she used only because she is a mermaid with gather oil Gu. Only the contest keeps her from scheming for Xia Lin’s rank five Gu worm. Her plan is to have Xia Lin hand gather oil Gu to the clan willingly, which she counts as sparing Xia Lin from being killed by others. Fang Yuan forged Xia Lin’s identity himself, so nobody in Sacred City can see through it, and even Su Yi believes the evidence is irrefutable and ironclad. Out of options, Su Yi transmits her voice to Xia Lin. ch. 1672
Su Yi asks Xia Lin to lose the next round, swearing by the Sea God to pay a price that satisfies her completely, backed by her family. Su Yi says the saintess position is a political game over the interests of Sacred City’s higher ups, and warns that Xia Lin’s elder sister’s side would make her a puppet. Su Yi adds that, as an outsider with no political force, Xia Lin would definitely fail to win benefits for mermen and mermaids and end as the most powerless saintess in history. Xia Lin, moved but unwilling, refuses, and Su Yi asks why, insisting all she said is truthful and telling her to stop being so naive. Xia Lin remains silent. ch. 1672
