Elyon shook his head slowly, his brow furrowing.

"No. Not a single whisper. Someone like her would be famous. You’ve seen how she looks. No one would forget her. That strength. That presence... she’s not someone you overlook. Either she’s not from this part of the Immortal Court, or she’s keeping herself hidden on purpose."

Cattaleya let out a laugh that was somewhere between amused and dismissive.

"Now, now, I’m flattered, truly. But you lot are jumping to conclusions."

Meng Bai, still visibly shaken from the siren’s enthralling melody, sat on a nearby stone. His fingers twitched at his knees as he frowned, trying to piece things together in his mind.

"So... were there more sirens like that one?" he asked cautiously.

"Three others," Cattaleya said with a nonchalant shrug. "Two are already dead. Tricky bastards. This one was the last I was tracking, but they’re sneaky. Sometimes they make illusions of themselves or lure passersby into traps with their songs."

She paused and then nodded toward the burnt remains of the creature nearby.

"This one nearly caught a few other travelers near the shore a week ago. Song skills like this is a nasty thing."

She tilted her head slightly, eyes narrowing curiously at Lin Mu, who had yet to say a single word since she arrived.

"You’re awfully quiet," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Suspicious, or just shy?"

Lin Mu met her gaze evenly, his posture still and unreadable.

"Assessing," he replied plainly. "You’re clearly no ordinary cultivator. That was no mortal weapon. You compressed a low-grade immortal stone into a sphere and hurled it fast enough to pierce an immortal beast’s core. And you did it with a slingshot."

Cattaleya’s smirk deepened, though she didn’t confirm or deny anything.

"Everyone has their talents," she replied airily. "You’ve got your qi and swords and calm-eyes vibe. I’ve got my arms and marbles."

She gestured lightly to the heavy sheath across Lin Mu’s back. "Besides, you’re not exactly hiding what you are either, sword saint."

Her voice was teasing, but her words carried a hidden edge of awareness. It was enough to make Meng Bai chuckle faintly, though the tension in the air had not fully lifted.

Daoist Chu stepped forward next, folding his arms across his chest.

"You mentioned a convoy. Whose was it?"

"Trader from the Violet Star Alliance," Cattaleya answered. "They were transporting rare beasts through this region. Most of the creatures were safely secured, but some got out when bandits ambushed them. Tried to hijack the convoy and use the beasts for their own purposes, but... well, they weren’t ready for what they unleashed."

"You were moving beasts across the ocean?" Lin Mu asked, a little surprised.

"Yeah. It’s a lot easier than hauling them over mountains and deserts. Especially with the sheer number of goods they were carrying. There was an entire fleet of ships," she replied casually.

"I see... that does make sense," Lin Mu muttered, though his eyes never left her.

To him, Cattaleya’s build reminded him of Karlia, the Demon Tribe Chief and wife of Ziran. It wasn’t just the raw power that showed in her movements—it was how naturally her body held it. She didn’t walk like someone carrying strength. She was strength.

Her name also stood out.

’Cattaleya... definitely not from any conventional cultivation world,’ Lin Mu thought to himself. ’Even her clothes are different—practical, tight-fitting, more for function than tradition. But still—striking.’

"Where are the bandits now?" Elyon asked, snapping him from his thoughts.

Cattaleya’s grin turned just a bit sharper.

"Buried. Or splattered. Depends on the one."

That earned her a nod of quiet approval from Daoist Chu.

"But why haven’t we heard anything about this?" Elyon continued. "There should’ve been reports. Or at least rumors from the ports."

Cattaleya shrugged again and gave a slow, indulgent stretch.

The motion pulled her shirt tight across her broad shoulders, revealing more of her toned core and lean, powerful muscle. Her build was unapologetically athletic—arms forged like steel cables, legs shaped by relentless motion.

She didn’t wear her outfit to attract attention, yet she commanded it with every move. Her black hair hung in a long braid, swaying lightly behind her like a whip.

"I don’t know. Maybe the Violet Star Alliance didn’t want the word getting out. Or maybe they’ve got secrets tighter than most. Or maybe..." she smiled faintly, "I just handle things quickly."

Lin Mu’s gaze remained fixed.

"Or maybe you’re hiding something," he said quietly.

Cattaleya met his eyes then—dark, stormy, and unblinking. A silent exchange passed between them. Her smile faded, and for a moment, the air between them was taut as a drawn blade.

Then, she laughed again. A warm, rich sound that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

"I like you," she said. "You don’t take things at face value. That’s good. You’ll live longer."

Elyon felt a stir of unease as he watched the way she was interacting with Lin Mu.

’She doesn’t know who he really is... what kind of monster he can be...’ Elyon thought to himself.

Cattaleya turned her gaze back to the charred remains of the siren.

"Anyway, this one’s done. I’ve got to make sure there aren’t more. If there are, and they’re hiding, they won’t stay that way for long."

"You’re hunting alone?" Meng Bai asked, still wary.

"For now," she replied. "Less weight. Less noise. Easier to move fast. Besides, no one’s fast enough to keep up with me."

Lin Mu nodded slowly.

"You’re welcome to travel with us for a while. But understand—we’re not bounty hunters. We have our own destination."

He wasn’t being generous. He was being cautious. He felt something off about her—not threatening, but unfamiliar. Strange. She radiated power... but not like a qi cultivator. No, she was a body cultivator. That much he was certain of.

But there was more.

Something else she concealed. A deeper layer beneath muscle and might.

’Perhaps these freed monsters have something to do with the Ephemera Sect...’ Lin Mu thought grimly. ’They’d love beasts like this. Perfect sacrifices.’