“I’m here for the gemstone.”
Jiang Meng looked puzzled, “…Gemstone?”
“Yes,” Long Shiyu confirmed, pulling out a small notebook from god-knows-where. “230 years ago, in May, you borrowed a blue gemstone to decorate your snake staff, promising to return two. You never did.”
Jiang Meng: “…”
Veins throbbed at her templates and she stiffly replied, “That gemstone is long gone.”
“Huh? Why’s it gone?”
“I broke it.”
Long Shiyu was immensely disappointed. Resigning to the fact, he stood up and bid his farewell.
“Alright, goodbye.”
“…You’re leaving just like that?”
“You don’t have any food here.”
After a few seconds of silence, Jiang Meng said with a hint of frustration, “You’ve never seen me as a rival.”
Long Shiyu blinked and replied, “I don’t like fighting.”
His princess would surely disapprove.
“You didn’t have that attitude when you killed the old Dragon King,” Jiang Meng murmured, “I can smell… the pain on you. It’s so sweet and intoxicating.” Her serpent-like greed shone through.
“You seem gravely injured, an ideal prey for a snake. You might not want to fight, but I do.”
Suddenly, everything in the room began to warp. Picture frames twisted, the floor bulged, and even the golden beads moved of their own accord. Their surfaces transformed, appearing alive.
Deadbeat Wang instinctively stepped back, terrified, unable to comprehend the unfolding scene.
Jiang Meng’s eyes turned emerald, her powerful attack making all illusions vanish. Her youthful beauty decayed, revealing green snake scales mixed with wrinkled skin.
She raised the azure flute with her eerie hands, blowing out a sequence of bizarre notes—
A chilling psychic force spread throughout the room.
The next moment, golden beads and the corners of paintings began to sprout serpent heads. With a flick of Jiang Meng’s hand, the floor cracked inch by inch, and a writhing mass of serpents erupted within the room.
All the light sources in the room were snuffed out. Flames extinguished, colors dimmed, as everything around them dulled, resembling aged film. All that remained were the monochrome shades of black, white, and gray. The shadowy serpents, intertwined like maggots, rolled forward from the floor, ceiling, paintings, and hanging curtains, their venomous fangs gleaming white and scales rustling.
The only beacon of brightness emanated from around Long Shiyu.
He sat calmly on the cushion, undisturbed, his white coat neatly buttoned. The fiery patterns of the sun and moon adorned on it accentuated his remarkable appearance.
He gazed serenely at the palm of his right hand, where a tiny, crimson-gold dragon breath burned.
It was faint and minuscule, but remarkably, the room’s darkness couldn’t extinguish this luminescence.
Jiang Meng had aged and her movements were no longer as swift as her younger days. Even her most potent attack now seemed sluggish to him.
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.
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The scene was much like now, with writhing snakes everywhere and the dragon breath quietly burning.
So much time had passed since then. The contenders for the throne from the past no longer held their power.
The room was filled with the gaping maws of shadowy serpents. As Long Shiyu looked up, his eyes were cloaked in intense gold. He raised his hand—
But suddenly, the room was blanketed in flying snow.
Long Shiyu: “…?”
The dark serpents hissed in agony, recoiling from the blinding light. They tried to escape to the corners, but the massive swarm disintegrated, their bodies turning to shadows before being pierced and dissipated by the golden glow.
As Jiang Meng’s expression shifted, rays of light erupted from the floor’s cracks.
The light beneath her transformed into sharp blades, directly piercing her throat.
Dark green blood spewed before she could utter a word. The last thing she saw was a handsome man pulling Long Shiyu into his embrace.
…A hunter?
But how could a hunter be with…
Her consciousness dimmed.
Long Shiyu, held tight in Shen Zhaomu’s embrace: “…Sob?”
“Stay quiet. There are agents from the Audit Department here; it’d be hard to explain if we’re caught,” Shen Zhaomu said.
He held Long Shiyu and leapt out of the window, using his psychic force to protect the dragon and ensure a silent landing.
Inside the Flower Exhibition Building, the old manager gaped at the chaos. He was still trying to comprehend the situation: in mere minutes, Long Shiyu had fled, the courtesan was dead, and a hunter had stormed in and left like the wind.
Shen Zhaomu led Long Shiyu away from the Flower Exhibition Building. Only after ensuring they weren’t being followed did he turn around, his tone noticeably irked, “What were you thinking? Why did you go there on your own?”
Of course, he knew of the Snake Charmer. The Hunter’s Association had been uncertain if she had died. Unexpectedly, she had been hiding in the bustling flower street.
Exotic beasts were more attuned to sensing each other, especially those of the same lineage.
This was why he had kept Long Shiyu by his side. He wanted to find more dragons, especially the Dragon King known as Akasamo.
But he hadn’t instructed Long Shiyu to seek out the Snake Charmer himself.
Shen Zhaomu had never been this furious. Following the traces of Long Shiyu, he circled back to the Flower Exhibition Building. On arrival, he found the place swarmed with serpents, and the silly dragon was sitting on a cushion lost in thought.
He didn’t even know how to flee properly!
Long Shiyu explained, “I went to retrieve my gem from her.”
Shen Zhaomu: “…” He was too frustrated to speak.
Noticing his displeasure, Long Shiyu whispered, “Are you mad? But I didn’t mix with the Undertakers today.”
He merely wanted to retrieve his gem.
Taking a deep breath, Shen Zhaomu said, “Stay close to me and don’t wander off. We’ll discuss this once we get back.”
“Okay.” Long Shiyu obediently followed.
Shen Zhaomu’s annoyance persisted and he occasionally turned back to check if Long Shiyu was still following. After a few glances, Long Shiyu tugged at a dangling string of Shen Zhaomu’s coat, earnestly promising, “I won’t wander off. When we get back… I’ll let you rub my dragon horn.”
Holding onto that string, he trailed behind Shen Zhaomu, incredibly obedient.
This somewhat improved Shen Zhaomu’s mood.
They headed in a direction opposite to the Flower Exhibition Building.
Fang Qing and Song Qianqian had already moved on. With the help of Orca, they found that their target had left the Flower Exhibition Building. The target could potentially head to two places. One was named “ʀɛʄօʀʍ քֆʏƈɦɛɖɛʟɨƈ ֆɨռ” and the other “Cherry Blossom Tavern.”
Both were establishments on Flower Street. Fang Qing and the others went to the tavern, so Shen Zhaomu arrived at the entrance of “ʀɛʄօʀʍ քֆʏƈɦɛɖɛʟɨƈ ֆɨռ”.
Long Shiyu asked, “What does this shop name mean?”
Shen Zhaomu replied, “I believe it’s supposed to be ‘Reform Psychedelic Sin’.”
Long Shiyu was again puzzled, but was quick to praise his princess. “You’re so knowledgeable.”
Shen Zhaomu: “…I don’t find it flattering when you praise me like that.”
The boss of this shop was evidently suffering from chronic chuunibyou syndrome. The shop’s embarrassing name was holographically projected in vibrant colors. Beside the main sign, in glaring system default red fonts, were advertisements:
Amazing!!! 100 off as long as you spend 999?!?!?!
Terrifyingly affordable clearance prices!!!
Centered between them: Men’s Refueling Station! Women’s Beauty Parlor!
It was a shop specializing in electronic erotica. Inside, a sea of blue lights painted the ambiance, casting a mesmerizing water-like reflection.
Upon entering, Long Shiyu observed not just holographic discs for sale but also several humanoid robots dancing sensually around poles. Their features were so lifelike it was hard to distinguish them from humans.
Shen Zhaomu’s destination was the shop’s VIP area—a frequent spot for their target.
He had been told to expect access clearance from the tech team fifteen minutes ago, but there was no sign of it. He tried contacting them again.
Silence.
This was unusual. As per the Association’s rules, there should always be someone responsive on the tactical channel.
The only thing he had blocked was Lu Shanhuai’s personal number, but the latter remained silent even on the tactical channel.
He alerted Fang Qing and Song Qianqian with a message. They acknowledged but continued their search at the tavern.
Time was of the essence. Their target was cautious; every additional minute was a risk.
After a quick scan of the shop, Shen Zhaomu had a plan. Ordinary staff had access cards to the VIP area, which seemed loosely guarded. He just needed one of those cards.
Noticing his intent, Long Shiyu whispered, “Do you need that card?”
“Yes,” Shen Zhaomu answered absentmindedly, thinking about how to approach the staff.
Considering his efficiency, forceful acquisition wasn’t out of the question.
However, within moments of this thought, Long Shiyu had disappeared from his side.
After a brief scan, Shen Zhaomu spotted the young dragon approaching a lively group, wielding a paper fan—seemingly procured from the Flower Exhibition Building. It matched his outfit.
In the few moments it took to approach the group, Long Shiyu cast his gaze down. He had met many, many people in his long life, and recalled how others typically behaved in such settings.
When he lifted his eyes again, his demeanor had entirely transformed. With seductive allure, he quirked his lips in a smile and placed his slender fingers upon the paper fan, asking the group, “May I sit beside you?”
The room’s blue lights cast a spellbinding reflection, and Long Shiyu’s allure was palpable. Different from his splendid aura earlier; he now seemed intoxicatingly charming.
The group was entranced.
But in the next moment, their table was flipped over by Shen Zhaomu. Drinks spilled everywhere. Before the group could react, Shen Zhaomu had snatched an access card from one of the employees and quickly dragged Long Shiyu away.
Long Shiyu: “…Sob.” QAQ
For some reason, his princess seemed even more annoyed.
Moments later, they entered the VIP area.
The employee finally reacted, hitting the alarm. A piercing sound filled the shop. Within the VIP area, things were chaotic, and their target was nowhere in sight.
However, in a corner, individuals dressed in gray-black tactical suits sat surrounded by a chilly aura.
Surprisingly, they were members of the Audit Department.
Recognizing Shen Zhaomu, they showed no surprise.
His terminal buzzed with a message from Song Qianqian: 【Be careful, Brother Shen. Bai Yiyi and the Audit Department are involved. Old Fang and I are on our way. Please wait for us.】
【They’ve blocked the tactical channel.】
The atmosphere in the room was tense.
With the tactical channel blocked, it meant that the hunters’ body cameras, which functioned like law enforcement recorders, were also ineffective. These devices, used during confrontations with exotic beasts, gathered a lot of data. In disputes, they helped the Association determine right from wrong.
In other words, the Association was blind to what was transpiring.
Shen Zhaomu eyed the group in the corner, nonchalantly lit a cigarette, and shielded Long Shiyu behind him.
Seeing Shen Zhaomu’s calm demeanor, one of the Audit Department members stood up. “Shen Zhaomu, we have observed suspicious activities from you, including but not limited to…”
Before he could finish, Shen Zhaomu landed a punch on him.
The man was thrown several meters away, crashing into a wall and leaving a crack. He managed to stay conscious thanks to his psychic shield. The hunters immediately sprang up, ready for action.
“…including but not limited to assaulting Audit Department personnel,” Shen Zhaomu continued with a smirk. “Blocking the tactical channel? I’ve been playing these tricks for a decade.”
Extinguishing his cigarette under his heel, he cockily asked, “How many bones would you like broken?”
Oh my. No one’s looking.
Thank you for the chapter
Sob!
Sob sob QAQ
That store name LMAO, love the commitment!
For somebody so experienced, how can Shen Zhaomu be so self-unaware…🤭😅
Rescued by his Princess again 🤭