Knocking on the door twice, Shen Zhaomu called out, “What’s wrong?”
“I want to sleep here.”
“It’s not raining outside.”
“Sob.”
“…Come in.”
Long Shiyu happily carried the blanket and climbed onto Shen Zhaomu’s bed.
Shen Zhaomu was originally pondering over matters regarding the “Undertakers” when he saw Long Shiyu approaching.
He looked to the side. Long Shiyu had wrapped himself up tightly in the blanket, leaving no gaps and only his head exposed. On the other end, a silver tail secretly poked out.
He was like… a dragon roll.
Long Shiyu was unaware that he had gained another nickname in addition to his previous one as the “dragon mop”. He asked his princess with concern, “Do you feel cold?”
“Nope.”
Long Shiyu’s tail drooped.
Shen Zhaomu said, “…Just a little.”
Long Shiyu regained his high spirits and quietly extended his tail into Shen Zhaomu’s blanket, wrapping around one of his ankles. His smiling eyes curved into crescents.
Dragon scales were supposed to be as hard as steel, with subtle differences between different individuals. However, perhaps because Long Shiyu’s one and only talent was breathing fire, he now deliberately made his tail warm. It was indeed comfortable.
Shen Zhaomu had no idea why, but the silly dragon abruptly became happy again after wrapping his tail around his ankle.
…Either way, him being happy was not a bad thing.
He put aside the Undertaker matter and turned off the light. Right after doing so, the dragon roll started inching closer on the bed, asking, “Have you been here before?”
“I visited here once a long time ago,” Shen Zhaomu said.
“What did you come here for?”
“To hunt exotic beasts.”
“Oh.” Long Shiyu wriggled again. “Is there anything fun here?”
Shen Zhaomu immediately warned, “Don’t go wandering around by yourself.”
“Nothing will happen. I’ve been here before; several times, in fact.”
“How did you end up in a place like this?”
“I just wandered over. The last time I came, I even worked here.”
“Worked here?”
“Yeah, there’s some organization here that was hiring security guards, so I applied.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Shen Zhaomu found it amusing, “The people here, hiring security guards? They were probably just looking for hired muscle.”
“Ugbyjyis. Slatfg kjs, atfs xfqa vgjuulcu bea atflg qjswfca, rb P dela.” Obcu Vtlse ralii ofia jcugs ktfc tf atbeuta jybea la.
“Qtja batfg pbyr tjnf sbe vbcf?”
“Helaf j ofk. P’nf kbgxfv jr j asqlra yfobgf, yea P kjr olgfv yfmjerf P rifqa abb wemt. P’nf jirb kbgxfv jr j mtfo, yea P kjr olgfv obg rcfjxlcu abb wemt obbv. Dea… yea… P’w regf P mjc fjgc j iba bo wbcfs jcv yfmbwf glmt ilxf yfobgf.”
Shen Zhaomu: “…”
He considered Long Shiyu’s food expenses. The dragon had probably spent all his wages on sustenance. Shen Zhaomu sincerely sighed, “You’ve had it tough.”
“It’s not that bad. I think I got by pretty well,” Long Shiyu said seriously.
Shen Zhaomu reached out and rubbed Long Shiyu’s soft black hair. He didn’t refute the other’s words and unconsciously smiled.
He said, “Let’s go to sleep.”
“Sob.” The rolled-up dragon closed his eyes while his tail still clung to Shen Zhaomu, warm and cozy.
The night passed by with nary a dream.
Early the next morning, Shen Zhaomu left. Before leaving, he sat on the edge of the bed and ruffled Long Shiyu’s hair. “Behave, don’t wander around.”
Long Shiyu mumbled in response, but when Shen Zhaomu, unable to resist himself, nudged his horns, he hummed in protest.
By the time he fully woke up, it was already noon. He put on his slippers and went downstairs.
This time, Fang Qing was not at the receptionist’s desk, but there was a half-closed door next to it.
Long Shiyu smelled a pungent chemical odor and tentatively looked inside — the man in there was casually decked out in a pilling coat and faded shorts, using a wooden skewer to scrape powder off a piece of paper.
“Um…” Long Shiyu spoke up.
Fang Qing was startled and nearly jumped in fright. His large, instinctive response caused the white powder to scatter in the air.
He turned around and angrily scolded, “What the hell is wrong with you…?”
However, right after speaking, the man collapsed weakly to the ground. Snores resounded mere seconds later.
Long Shiyu: “…”
He sniffed the scent of the powder in the air, and though he didn’t know the exact composition, it had the distinctive aroma of Dreamgrass.
Fang Qing was ruthless; he hadn’t worn any protective gear and worked directly with the drug.
The drug’s dosage was completely ineffective on Long Shiyu. He squatted by Fang Qing’s side and shook time a few times.
The man continued loudly snoring away.
Long Shiyu was at a loss. He hadn’t expected that he would knock his princess’s good friend out. He just wanted to ask the other if his inn provided breakfast.
Long Shiyu helped Fang Qing up and adjusted him so he was lying against his table before going up to the receptionist’s desk to look for something to eat.
There was nothing.
The receptionist’s desk was empty, with only a tattered bill lying there. There wasn’t the slightest scent of food. All Long Shiyu could smell was a permeating strange chemical smell.
Long Shiyu felt very disappointed.
After giving the place another search, he faintly heard Fang Qing turning over in the room.
Long Shiyu returned to the small room and saw Fang Qing half-asleep, mumbling something incoherent. Long Shiyu listened carefully.
…Fang Qing seemed to be cursing at him.
Long Shiyu: “…”
He pretended not to hear and approached Fang Qing, asking, “Do you have any food here?”
“I do, I do…” Fang Qing said. “Like hell I do, motherfucker.”
Long Shiyu was silent for a few seconds and then asked again, “In that case, can I go out for a meal? When the time comes, please help me explain things to prin… Shen Zhaomu.”
Fang Qing had no energy left and could only roll his eyes at him weakly. “Get lost.”
So Long Shiyu happily left the hotel.
The weather wasn’t the best today. The sky was overcast with dark clouds, and a chilly wind was blowing. Most people on the street were dressed in dark clothes, wrapped tightly in coats with their hats pulled down, walking hurriedly, unwilling to show their faces.
It was clear that there were no street vendors here.
Long Shiyu smelled the aroma of food in the air and chose a place wafting with the fragrance of grilled meat. Following the scent, he entered a dim alley.
The alley was filled with stagnant sewage, even more rundown and foul-smelling than the slums in the capital. Some socks and underwear were soaking wet in the water, and it was unclear where they came from. There was also a drunkard vomiting while holding a garbage can, burying his head in it. Through the holes on the back of the man’s shirt, Long Shiyu could see dry skin.
Looking up, the windows of the buildings were tightly shut, but there were a few colorful clothes hanging on the clothesline. People here didn’t care about clothes dryers; even in this era, drying clothes was only a matter of a dozen seconds.
Long Shiyu walked along the wall, which was covered in ragged scratches and faded graffiti. Near his calves, inscriptions were carved into the wall as well. They were pitted and uneven, and it was unclear who had left them. Stroke after stroke, the words “I’m still alive.” were carved with great force into the stone.
At the end of the alley was the main street, and it was a bit livelier there.
Just as Long Shiyu had expected, there was a place that resembled a restaurant at the end of the alley. As he walked past, he heard a forceful male voice coming from inside: “Damn it, laozi’s gonna fuck you up today!”
“Go on, then! Your head will be hanging on a utility pole by the end of today.”
“Motherfucker!”
The shouts were followed by a burst of gunfire, the sound of clashing psychic powers, and the buzz of a lightsaber being unsheathed.
Long Shiyu: “…”
Still wanting a meal, he opened the door and entered the restaurant.
The inside was in chaos. Two groups of people were using pillars and tables as cover, and several tables flew through the air amid a hail of bullets.
It was impolite to disturb others, so Long Shiyu hugged the corners of the restaurant and walked to the counter.
The boss was huddled under the desk with half a cigarette in his mouth and a modified firearm in his hand. He seemed only slightly nervous — after all, such events were too common here.
Long Shiyu went around the counter and asked, “Boss, what do you serve here?”
The boss was so frightened that he nearly shot him. Then he scolded, “Brat, are you trying to give people a heart attack? Is there something wrong with your head? With that bunch fighting outside, why are you still asking for food?”
“I’m hungry,” Long Shiyu explained sincerely. “So, what do you have on the menu?”
Boss: “…”
He suspected he was dealing with a madman. “Even if we have menu items, I can’t serve you now. Are you standing here so boldly because you’re afraid no one will hit you?”
Long Shiyu was disappointed.
But as he observed the group of people in the midst of the brawl, he realized he shouldn’t disturb them, so he left the restaurant while keeping close to the wall.
He was just about to search for another restaurant when he spotted a group of people in the distance.
There was a huge square there, where a group of people clad in black stood silently. Although there were about twenty or thirty people, they didn’t communicate with each other at all. They were all dressed in black robes that covered their entire bodies, leaving only their eyes visible.
Under the gloomy sky, the few members at the forefront of the group held candlesticks high. Under the light from the flickering flames, their shadows stretched out eerily.
They were standing around a black coffin.
Seemingly sensing something amiss, the footsteps of the people on the street quickened, their reluctance to approach the square evident.
Here, few dared provoke the Undertakers.
Kassand had its own illegal dealings, and many major businesses were controlled by the Undertakers, such as the largest bar, the second-largest casino, and an entire street dedicated to carnal entertainment. They also colluded with officials from the federal government, making the industries here a large money-making machine.
The Undertakers had two main leaders, and one of them was rumored to be a fierce exotic beast.
These guys would conduct similar activities every two weeks, performing their rituals in the streets.
There was an elevated platform-like structure in the square. The leader of the black-robed people held a candlestick and stood on it as the others placed the coffin on the ground.
Long Shiyu smelled the fragrance of food.
Sure enough, after a while, someone covered the shabby long table in the square with a white tablecloth and served up food. This was likely part of their eerie ritual as well. The meat and soup were cold, and the bread was as hard as a rock.
But dragons had never been picky eaters. Long Shiyu’s eyes lit up.
The ritual of the Undertakers continued. The leader chanted in a deep voice, “He shall return, wandering through the desolate wilderness of the cold night, his giant wings covering the sky…”
The people below echoed in low voices, “He shall return, wandering through the desolate wilderness of the cold night, his giant wings covering the sky…”
The leader continued, “The flames shall incinerate the stars, and the moon shall fall.”
The people below echoed, “The flames shall incinerate the stars, and the moon shall fall.”
The leader said, “On that day, the throne will make its glorious return… Fuck, why is someone eating here?”
The people below echoed, “On that day, the throne will make its glorious return… Fuck, why is someone eating here?”
The next moment, they all came back to their senses, and their gazes focused on Long Shiyu.
Author’s Note:
One cutesy sob a day: 2/1
The dragon roll worked hard, but alas, the cost of food was too high
TYSM for dah chappyy! Objection! There were two sobs this chapter. And this is too cute whsjfhisjsbs
Fixed, thanks!
Hey, it sounds like the offering was to him anyway so it’s all good, guys.
Now, will these cultists chase off the random that’s disturbing their ritual or are they insane enough to think they somehow managed to summon their Dragon King with hard bread and cold soup? I mean, they did summon their Dragon King with hard bread and cold soup but I don’t think it happened in quite the way that they thought it would.
❤
Lmaofhjk when they mindlessly repeated the lines ‘fuck, why is there someone eating here?’ 🤣 poor dragon roll shiyu deserves more than hard bread and cold soup!
Two cutesy sobs this chapter lol!
And lmaooo the cultists! Where they actually trying to summon the dragon king?
They didn’t get the dragon king they wanted, but did they get the dragon king they needed?
feed him!!!
TYSM for the chapter
They successfully attracted the dragon king!
Maybe there wouldn’t be so much crime there if food was easier to find 🤷