An Unexpected Reunion

Confirming she hadn’t been mistaken, a wave of delightful surprise washed over her.

Although only a few days had passed, she still missed the goofy little creature. Their shared experiences during a time of peril were deeply etched into her memory, impossible to forget.

Just as she was about to step out onto the deck to greet White Feather, she suddenly recalled Little Nightingale’s explanation of telepathy and its methods of use.

For humans, the eyes were the windows to the soul.

When two gazes met, it was easiest to build a psychic bridge and communicate thoughts.

If the target was within one’s field of vision, establishing a psychic bridge became somewhat more challenging, its success depending on the psionic’s skill level.

Telepathy that transcended spatial and temporal distances was perhaps a feat only gods could accomplish.

Recalling Little Nightingale’s instructions, Ming Yu tried to concentrate, her gaze fixed on the white eagle beneath the clouds. With a single thought, she reached out.

****

Meanwhile.

White Feather, clutching its prey, beat its wings, stirring powerful gusts of wind as it approached the command vessel not far away.

There were few perching spots out at sea. Among them, the largest aircraft carrier, displacing over a hundred thousand tons, offered its mast and deck as undoubtedly excellent choices.

Yet, without any warning, a familiar voice echoed within White Feather’s mind.

“I never expected to meet you here. What a coincidence!”

The clear, ethereal voice held a hint of surprise and delight.

The moment it heard that voice, White Feather’s outstretched wings suddenly stiffened, nearly disrupting its aerial glide.

The next instant, it shifted its posture, beginning to circle nearby, its sharp eagle eyes surveying the azure sea below.

‘Such a familiar voice…’

‘It’s Ming Yu…’

“Ming Yu, is that you? Where are you?”

White Feather chattered internally, its voice seemingly echoing in Ming Yu’s ears. Its tone sounded somewhat urgent, as if it, too, was astonished by this unexpected reunion.

‘Didn’t Ming Yu say she wouldn’t return to the sea?’

It tilted its head in confusion, its enhanced keen vision quickly catching sight of a particular glass porthole. Spotting the silver-white silhouette within, its eyes immediately lit up.

“Woah! Found you!”

Accompanied by a magnificent eagle cry echoing through the sky, White Feather furiously flapped its wings, diving down excitedly towards the silver-white figure.

Before the porthole, a pure white sea eagle hovered in mid-air, its wings beating, its gaze never leaving the figure inside the window.

‘It really is Ming Yu!’

“Ming Yu, Ming Yu! Open the window, let me in!”

White Feather was quite agitated, instinctively squawking its demands.

After bidding farewell to Ming Yu, it had constantly felt as though it had lost something important. Its heart had been empty, unable to recapture the joy of soaring through the blue skies and chasing freedom.

‘What exactly did I lose…’

White Feather, uncharacteristically, put its small brain to work, pondering the reason for its inexplicable melancholy. Eventually, it arrived at a conclusion.

‘Ming Yu isn’t here, so no one can make sea beast barbecue for me!’

‘I lost the delicious barbecue!’

‘This cannot be!’

Consequently, upon seeing Ming Yu again, White Feather appeared quite anxious.

Although only half a month had passed, it had unconsciously grown accustomed to the company of a certain human.

In Ming Yu’s perception, White Feather’s emotional fluctuations became rather intense.

She could vaguely sense its joy, yet she couldn’t precisely discern its specific thoughts.

“Mm-hm, one moment.”

Ming Yu offered a faint smile, uncrossed her snow-white legs, and slowly rose. She walked to the porthole and pushed it open.

The salty sea breeze instantly swept in.

White Feather tried to squeeze inside, but quickly realized its size was too substantial. With the prey still clutched in its talons, there was no way it could fit.

After a moment of hesitation, it gritted its beak and released its prey, letting it plunge into the sea. Then, it perched on the window ledge, its pristine white tail feathers upturned, and nudged its head directly towards Ming Yu.

“Hehehehe, I’m in!”

……

Witnessing this, Ming Yu couldn’t help but press a hand to her forehead, a nearly imperceptible twitch playing on her lips.

‘This creature, it hasn’t matured at all. It still seems rather unintelligent.’

“White Feather, a little quieter, a little more composed… If you act like this, you won’t win the favor of the opposite s*x. Your beloved beautiful sea eagle will abandon you, you know.”

“Uh, really?”

White Feather swayed its head from side to side, looking somewhat dumbfounded.

Hearing this, Ming Yu suppressed the smile tugging at her lips and gave it a slight nod.

“Of course.”

“But I don’t like the opposite s*x?”

“You will, eventually.”

“But I don’t like the opposite s*x?”

“You will, eventually… Hmm? What did you say?”

“Uh, uh, nothing.”

At Ming Yu’s slightly raised, questioning tone, White Feather shivered all over. It timidly retracted its head and began shaking its beak from side to side, indicating it had said nothing at all.

This time, it wasn’t just a twitch of her lips; Ming Yu’s eyelid was also faintly twitching.

‘Wait, what did I just hear…’

‘White Feather actually said it doesn’t like the opposite s*x…’

‘No wonder the White-feathered Sea Eagle species is on the verge of extinction…’

Ming Yu let out a soft sigh, extending her arm. White Feather’s talons gently clasped onto her forearm, supporting its body.

‘It feels much heavier again.’

‘How does it even fly, being so plump?’

Ming Yu silently clicked her tongue, returning to her seat. She meticulously observed the feathers on White Feather’s body, its majestic yet elegant physique etched into her gaze.

Taking advantage of the warm, dappled light, White Feather carefully rubbed its head against Ming Yu’s arm.

It retracted to its original position, its curiosity becoming irrepressible. Cautiously, it asked:

“Ming Yu, why have you changed your mind again? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t return to the sea?”

“Mm-hm, that’s true, but—”

Ming Yu raised an eyebrow, her gaze suddenly shifting from White Feather to the closed cabin door, as if intending to pierce through it.

She paused, then stated calmly:

“Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this will be my last time at sea.”

“My physical condition is already quite poor. I can no longer sustain days of continuous high-intensity combat.”

Behind the door, Seti and Jiang Chen exchanged glances.

They had already drafted the battle plan, and Ming Yu occupied several crucial roles within it: efficiently hunting low-tier sea beasts, weakening the forces of S-rank sea beasts, and directly intercepting legendary leviathans…

Thanks to her sudden return, many hunters who would have inevitably sacrificed themselves in this battle had their positions filled, gaining a chance at survival.

If Ming Yu’s words were true, and her body could not endure prolonged high-intensity combat, then her suitability and value as a tool would be greatly diminished.

“Who is she talking to?”

Seti was somewhat puzzled, while Jiang Chen merely shrugged.

“Who knows… Maybe she sensed our presence and said it specifically for us to hear.”

“Is that so…”

Seti nodded slightly in contemplation. Without further ado, he reached out and pressed the doorbell.

Ding-a-ling-ling! Ding-a-ling!

The crisp ringing echoed within the room, startling White Feather. It immediately began squawking “Waaah! Waaah!” causing Ming Yu’s eyelid to twitch slightly as she let out an exasperated hum.

“Stop squawking wildly.”

“R-right, I’m sorry, I was wrong…”