Although Su was baffled by what Mu Qingyun was doing, he still followed her instructions. He carefully drew slightly contaminated seawater and began the purification process, pouring the filtered water into the makeshift pot.
Mu Qingyun placed a glass sheet over the pot, igniting a flame beneath it with a flick of her right hand. The fire roared to life, heating the pot intensely.
The high temperature brought the water to a boil quickly. Soon, tiny droplets of condensation formed on the glass above.
As the heat increased, the droplets slid down rapidly, dripping into the bowl underneath. In no time, it was full of clear water.
Once the temperature cooled a bit, Mu Qingyun reached out and retrieved the bowl. Before Su could even voice his confusion, she poured the water back into the pot.
Su: ...
What the hell?
What was she doing?
Mu Qingyun repeated the process two more times. After distilling the water for a third time, she picked up the bowl, took a sip, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Perfect."
She handed the bowl to Su. "Try it."
Wait—this was it?
Su stared at the bowl in her hand and reflexively reached out to take it, but as he brought it close to his mouth, he hesitated.
Everyone knew that seawater, no matter how much you boiled it, was still poisonous. That was basic survival knowledge. He couldn't help but worry that drinking it would lead to his untimely death.
He was the top commander of a military academy. If he died from voluntarily drinking seawater, that would be utterly pathetic.
"Why aren't you drinking it?" Mu Qingyun asked, raising a brow in confusion. "Do you not like water?"
"No, I'm just not thirsty."
Su quickly shook his head. Thinking fast, he set the bowl down. "Let's save it for later. In case we run out of water, it'll come in handy."
Mu Qingyun: …
This guy must have something wrong with his brain.
Water was meant to be consumed immediately after boiling. What's the point of 'saving' it?
"Give it here," she said, grabbing the bowl from his hand. Tilting her head back, she downed the entire thing in one gulp.
Watching her finish the water, Su let out a silent sigh.
She was his chosen successor, sure, but if she lacked even this much common sense, maybe it was time to reconsider.
[Drinking seawater? Is she trying to die?]
[Maybe she realized she offended the princess and wants to die as an apology?]
[You guys seriously didn't pay attention, huh? She was clearly purifying the water. It might actually be safe to drink.]
[Yeah, right. It's been over a thousand years—everyone uses purifiers now. You think a few random tools will suddenly make seawater drinkable?]
[Let's just wait and see how long she survives with that ridiculous method.]
Mu Qingyun distilled more water using the same method. She planned to take it back for Xiong Ruoyou and the others. Since she couldn't seal the container, she had to carry the bowl herself.
But partway back, rain began to fall. She couldn't dodge it in time, and a few drops splashed into the bowl.
Crap.
She quickly covered it with her hand, but it was too late—the rainwater had already mixed in.
"What a waste," she muttered, frowning at the bowl. After a moment's hesitation, she sighed and dumped the contents out.
"Why'd you dump it?" Su asked, puzzled.
It was just rainwater, right? What's the difference? If she was okay drinking seawater, surely a little rain wouldn't hurt. In fact, rainwater should be cleaner!
"Rainwater isn't safe to drink," she replied flatly, shooting him a look of disdain.
Yep. Just as she suspected—this guy didn't know the first thing about survival.
Su: …
Why did it feel like she just judged him with that look?
Had she… looked down on him just now?
But he hadn't even looked down on her yet!
Both of them silently mourned the other's "ignorance" until they finally reached the cave and went to their own corners to rest.
Since there was still leftover grilled fish, Mu Qingyun decided to take advantage of the downtime and train. She didn't go out for lunch or dinner—just snacked on some of Su's protein powder whenever she got hungry and returned to cultivating.
Meanwhile, Su kept a close eye on her.
She had drunk seawater. A whole bowl of it.
And yet… nothing had happened.
No vomiting. No seizures. Not even a stomachache.
[Alright, folks, we can go now. Looks like Mu Qingyun's fine.]
[I don't buy it. She drank a whole bowl of seawater! No way she's okay.]
[But she is okay. What do you think, we're watching a ghost or something?]
[I swear, I feel like all the science I learned was for nothing.]
[Thanks a lot, Mu Qingyun. You made me doubt if I'm the idiot. I've been glued to this stream for hours waiting for her to die.]
Despite the audience and Su's silent anticipation, Mu Qingyun just sat there calmly cultivating, without a hint of illness.
Su grew increasingly anxious.
Could it be... his understanding of science was wrong?
No way!
Mu Qingyun opened her eyes and glanced at Su. He had been staring at her ever since they got back—first frowning, then looking all kinds of conflicted.
Had he hit his head or something?
She wasn't a doctor. She only knew basic wound care. This was problematic.
After thinking it over, she stood up and quickly walked over to Su.
"What is it?" Su asked as she crouched in front of him, confused.
Instead of answering, Mu Qingyun reached out and covered his ears, locking eyes with him.
Thump. Thump.
His heart pounded uncontrollably. He had no idea what she was trying to do. Aside from people he deeply trusted, no one had ever gotten this close to him.
Mu Qingyun examined his head carefully. No visible wounds.
She frowned and suddenly shook his head slightly from side to side, jostling him until his mind was spinning.
"What are you doing?"
Su grabbed her wrists, completely baffled by her behavior.
Mu Qingyun didn't respond. She stared at his face for a moment, then sighed.
"No obvious damage."
Huh?
What's not damaged?
Su looked up, just as Mu Qingyun pulled her hands away. She gave him a glance that was… oddly pitiful. Then she returned to her spot and resumed cultivating.
[What's going on here?]
[I ship it. #SolemnCP]
[Ship what? It's just pure brotherhood.]
[More like Dumb-Dumb CP. One's reckless, the other's clueless—perfect match.]
[You keyboard warriors call people dumb, but you'd be dead in a day if we dropped you on a survival island.]
[Seriously. I used to be neutral on Mu Xueyao, but her fanbase is so toxic it's unreal.]