Thanks to VenusUnchained for the detail help.

The Mermaid Queen was silent and thoughtful for a while as she leaned her cheek into her palm, her silver eyes looking down. Ai couldn't help but move her intertwined hands in nervousness. It had only been a few minutes, but the silence made it feel like a while before the Queen spoke up again.

"Alright. I will give you permission to do this task."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The mermaids spoke in unison.

With a cold solemnity, the Mermaid Queen continued speaking "However, the angel is from the Heaven Clan. Although he has stated his intentions in our sea, we cannot be sure whether he will not overstep his boundaries. I suspect that this task will take a while to complete. He will eventually have to return to Heaven at the end of each day. I want a report of when he arrives and when he leaves every day. I want you all to watch him closely. Is that understood?"

Ai couldn't help but widen her eyes. She really didn't think that Kǎi would do anything other than what he set out to do. But, after mulling it over, Kǎi was a foreigner and the Queen had a duty to protect the creatures of the Yellow Sea, so she had every right to be wary.

"Is that understood?"

The mermaids replied in unison "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Good, and Ruǎn yù, Zhihao, I want you two to guard them as well as aid in their task. I also want you to keep an eye on the angel as well, is that understood?"

Ruǎn yù and Zhihao agreed.

"Bring the High Priestess, Mei, and one of the temple guards to assist you as well. As for Qing and Lín, do you two have someone to take over your duties?"

Qing and Lín stated that they had apprentices who could take over if needed and gave the Queen the names of their substitutes.

Then the mermaids agreed with their Queen's command and thanked the Mermaid Queen before leaving the throne room.

Ai said out loud "I wonder why the Queen wanted us to bring Mei."

Qing said, "Mei can sense things we can't, she'll probably sense the dead souls before we even come across their bodies."

Ai said "Oh~ That makes sense."

When they finally reached the Temple of the Azure Dragon, there was a blue tailed, curly haired blonde merman with blue-gray eyes holding a spear and guarding the temple.

The group immediately recognized the merman.

They all waved and called "Yìngyù!"

Yìngyù smiled and waved back at the group.

Ruǎn yù dropped his spear as he held Yìngyù's neck in an armlock and affectionately rubbed his knuckles on Yìngyù's head.

"Working hard or hardly working?"

Yìngyù simply rolled his blue-gray eyes as he replied, "Of course I'm working." His expression changed into a smile as he asked "I should be asking the same thing to you, Ruǎn yù. It looks like you all have the day off."

Ruǎn yù tightened his arm around Yìngyù's neck causing the blue tailed merman to cry out "Ach!"

"Listen here, young merman. We didn't come here to pay you a visit. We're here on business."

"And…Wha… Is… Ness…Isdat? ..."

Ruǎn yù lifted his eyebrow in bewilderment "What did you say?"

Zhihao covered his face with his hand, due to frustration at his colleague's idiocy. "Ruǎn yù, just let Yìngyù go. Then, he can talk more clearly."

"Oh." Then when he said "Oh~" it was with a humored expression and mocking tone, knowing that he was making Yìngyù talk incomprehensively.

He finally released Yìngyù from his hold and Yìngyù made a loud gasp.

Ruǎn yù smiled mockingly as he held up his spear "What were you saying again?"

Yìngyù took a deep breath before speaking "As I was saying. What business is that?"

Ai spoke up and told the blonde merman about their task and why the Mermaid Queen sent them to the temple.

Ruǎn yù said "Speaking of which. Why don't we bring him along with us? The Queen said we needed a temple guard on the team."

Ai replied, "That's a good idea." She turned to Yìngyù and asked if he wanted to join them.

Zhihao got an attitude and asked "Um. So, the Queen makes us join and he gets a choice?"

Ruǎn yù bonked Zhihao in the head and told him to shut up.

Yìngyù smiled "Sure. It'll be a nice change of scenery. Plus, there's good company."

Ruǎn yù turned to Zhihao then said "See? There's no way he could refuse us. No need to get your tail in a knot."

Zhihao glared at Ruǎn yù.

Soon after, Yìngyù led the group in front of a pair of big red doors. He knocked on the door and loudly announced "High priestess Mei, the Queen has sent guests to see you."

From behind the doors, a mermaid with long raven hair with violet highlights wearing a red headdress, violet shell bodice, and red dress had her ruby tail in a kneeling position and her hands placed on top of her tail as her body faced forward. Across from her was a statue of the Azure Dragon placed on top of the altar.

Mei could sense the group's familiar auras. She couldn't help wondering why the Queen would send her palace staff to see her. Yìngyù had already learned long ago that it was not wise to joke with her.

Soon after, she spoke with the strength of a commander "Bring them in."

Ai furrowed her brows "Do you guys always speak this loudly?"

Yìngyù replied in a dramatic tone "YES. Because even though those doors are unlocked, you do NOT open them. It doesn't matter whether you're a guard in that room or a guard out here. NO ONE opens those doors without having the party out here state their purpose. Because everyone in this temple knows, you do NOT disturb the High Priestess when she's praying, meditating, or doing a divination for any old reason unless it's serious business and you have to announce it like I did right now."

Zhihao commented in a rude tone "Plus, they are talking behind doors."

Ai glared at Zhihao then the doors opened from the inside. As the group entered, Mei fixed her stern amethyst gaze on Yìngyù, causing him to swallow in nervousness.