The next day was calm and serene.
“We can be sure,” said Yang Zhiming, “that in the short term, no channel will be blocked again. No matter who they are, they wouldn’t dare to be so reckless. If they could feign ignorance this time, doing it a second time would mean treating everyone as fools. They probably had no choice this time; the analysis by Lu Shanhuai and Lu Shanyao was too swift.”
“That works for us,” said Shen Zhaomu. “We’ll bring back the stuff.”
He was referring to the passport brought back by Song Qianqian. The man from the Cherry Blossom Tavern connected to the Blood Worshipping Church, with his syringe and handwritten list, had been taken away by the investigators from the Audit Department. Only this piece of evidence remained.
It was evidence that couldn’t be handed over to anyone.
But without adequate resources, they couldn’t deduce any clues from it either.
Shen Zhaomu had already sent the photos via Yang Zhiming’s private channel to Lu Shanhuai.
Lu Shanhuai had begun his discreet investigation, roping in Yang Zhiming and his brother for help. If they were lucky, they might discern something from the target’s immigration records. If not, they might never find out what the Audit Department was trying to conceal.
That evening, after dinner, Fang Qing was at the inn’s front desk, busy with his ledger. “You wouldn’t know,” he began, “when I first joined the Association, I’d heard of such things a few times. But those incidents were hushed up because the hunters lacked the power to challenge the Audit Department. Even when they were deliberately obstructed, nothing substantial emerged. Once I became the head of that darn research group, I got dragged into it several times.”
Closing his ledger, he continued, “What I hate the most is falsifying data. If I say an experiment has an error, it must be redone. If I say a certain dose of poison can kill, it most certainly can. Lies have no place in science. Yet those imbeciles dared to insult my beloved poisons, which infuriated me so much that I resigned.”
Song Qianqian lounged in a rocking chair, swinging lazily. “Is that why you blackmailed the association for a retirement bonus before leaving?”
Fang Qing coughed, “Not exactly. I needed startup capital to open this inn.”
Sipping her tea, Song Qianqian remarked, “I’m just waiting for Brother Shen to become the chief and show those old geezers.”
“Indeed,” Fang Qing agreed, “Little Shen, you must excel. And while you’re at it, ask if my retirement pay can be increased a bit.”
In the inn’s corner, Orca cautiously asked, “When can I leave?”
He’d thought that bringing Shen Zhaomu to the Flower Street would end his association with this strange group, but the unexpected events had kept him around.
“What’s the rush?” Song Qianqian raised an eyebrow. “We haven’t finished questioning you about the Church.” She pointed at Fang Qing, “Did you know he was quite the torturer? Many have screamed in agony under his hands.”
Fang Qing modestly responded, “You flatter me.”
Orca’s face fell in despair. “I’ve said it so many times. I only knew that the Church would be interested in the mermaid and would pay a high price. That’s all they told me.”
Shen Zhaomu inquired, “Did you ever hear who the ‘boss’ is?”
The Association still hadn’t identified the owner of the underground ring in the capital.
Evidence from various corners of the capital, abandoned docks, and old air-raid shelters linked him to the Church.
Like a massive spider in the middle of a vast web, he cleverly hid himself in plain sight, using the chaos of Kassand as a cover. Even if he had fled elsewhere, his traces in this place would never fade.
Following the threads would lead them to the elusive prey.
And Shen Zhaomu was adept at that.
Orca shook his head vigorously, “I’ve never heard of such a name… Wait!”
Song Qianqian perked up, “Remember something?”
“I just realized today is Saturday,” exclaimed Orca, “There’s a sale at the supermarket. I need to buy groceries.”
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.
Vbcu Hljcdljc’r fzqgfrrlbc rqfiifv wegvfg.
Vtfc Itjbwe rabbv eq, “P’ii tfjv eqrajlgr jcv kjla obg Oe Vtjctejl’r gfreiar.”
“Eluta,” Mjcu Hlcu jugffv, “Mbg cbk, atja’r jii kf mjc vb… Qjla, kts jgf sbe ajxlcu ws jqqifr? P pera ybeuta atfw.”
Oslcu yjmx lc tfg gbmxlcu mtjlg, Vbcu Hljcdljc afjrfv, “Ljnfc’a P jigfjvs abiv sbe? Dgbatfg Vtfc ibnfr abgaeglcu rlcuifr. P’ii pera rtea eq jcv jkjla ws ojaf.”
Shen Zhaomu went upstairs, carrying a bag of apples.
He knocked on Long Shiyu’s door and heard a youthful, vibrant voice, “Come in.”
Upon entering, Long Shiyu’s eyes lit up at the sight of him — though Shen Zhaomu wasn’t sure if it was because of him or the apples.
In front of Long Shiyu was an old game console. He sat cross-legged, engrossed in play. The inn was cluttered with oddities, this particular item being something Fang Qing had dug up from ages ago.
Long Shiyu was fond of it, playing since morning.
“What are you playing?” Shen Zhaomu asked, sitting next to him.
“It’s called Monopoly,” Long Shiyu replied. “A fun game where you can make money.”
Just as he said that, the word “Bankrupt” flashed on his screen.
Long Shiyu pouted. Sob, QAQ.
Shen Zhaomu chuckled, handing him an apple, “Eat while you play.”
Long Shiyu continued to mumble about a character called “Money Lady” who always seemed to thwart him.
Shen Zhaomu had a rare day off today and spent it watching Long Shiyu play his game. His mood was unusually complicated.
Yesterday’s chaos hadn’t given him much time to ponder, but now something felt off. In the alleyway, while he was searching for Long Shiyu, he’d sensed a burning fluctuation.
It was distant and fleeting, but the dragon-hunting talent in his blood told him it was a dragon’s breath.
Had Long Shiyu been fighting someone?
But who? Surely not the Snake Charmer?
Shen Zhaomu quickly dismissed the notion.
In the Shen family, dragons were distinctly classified, with psychic power being a significant criterion for the lower-level dragons. Those with extremely weak psychic power would be classified as dragons with bloodlines more than five-times-removed. Alas, this was just a vague classification system. To Shen Zhaomu, it was akin to a bunch of novices squabbling.
Naturally, Long Shiyu, who didn’t exude any psychic power, was clearly among the weakest. His classification as a dragon with a bloodline more than five-times-removed was already very lenient.
Initially, when Shen Zhaomu tracked him down, he hadn’t imagined he’d be able to whisk away a young man having a meal on the street.
Therefore, even if the Snake Charmer had aged, Long Shiyu wouldn’t be a match for her.
It was probably just a benign local or another fleeing exotic creature.
With these thoughts in mind, Shen Zhaomu felt a sudden surge of calmness wash over him.
When he turned his attention back to the screen, he found that Long Shiyu had lost another game. He’d been completely swindled out of his assets and didn’t even own half a piece of land anymore.
The young man looked visibly irritated. He flicked his tail in exasperation, promptly shutting off the game console, and settled back to munch on his apple. As he continued to eat, his annoyance grew. A dragon might face death, but never humiliation. In a fit of pique, he whipped his tail, toppling the game console.
Shen Zhaomu was taken aback.
“Why did you go bankrupt again?” he teased, shaking Long Shiyu with one of his dragon horns.
“It’s all because of that Money Lady…” Before Long Shiyu could finish his sentence, his head was swayed left and right by Shen Zhaomu’s teasing. His tail curled defensively, struggling in vain to break free. He glared fiercely at Shen Zhaomu.
After enduring the intense stare for several moments, Shen Zhaomu’s better judgment prevailed, and he let go, “It’s getting late. Time for bed. There’s a thunderstorm tonight; I’ll stay with you.”
Twenty minutes later, Long Shiyu had cozied up beside him, wrapping himself in a blanket with just the tip of his long tail poking out.
Perhaps recalling the previous day’s events, Shen Zhaomu suddenly grew curious, “Have you ever been to a circus before?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because I found you after a circus owner called the police.” That eyewitness account had confirmed Long Shiyu’s existence for the Shen family, simplifying the hunt for him.
“Oh, that incident,” Long Shiyu began, then with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes said, “Tell me a bedtime story, and I’ll tell you everything.”
Shen Zhaomu sighed, “…That’s a tough request.”
“…Sob.”
“…Alright.”
Shen Zhaomu cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed.
Having seen the disastrous consequences of his previous attempts, he knew he should tread carefully. If sharing his experiences or those of others was problematic, he’d have to get creative.
Under Long Shiyu’s expectant gaze, he began, “Once upon a time, in a distant wasteland, there lived a beautiful and captivating princess who… well, shepherded sheep.”
Long Shiyu’s eyes sparkled, “What happened next?”
Pushing forward, Shen Zhaomu narrated, “One day, a burrowing dragon appeared, devouring the princess’s sheep and taking her away.”
“But,” Long Shiyu interjected, “burrowing dragons don’t like princesses.”
“Alright then, a nocturnal wraith took her.”
“But,” Long Shiyu shuffled in his bedding, “nocturnal wraiths don’t fancy princesses either; they prefer corpses.” Halfway through the sentence, he gasped in realization, suddenly gripping the tip of his tail, awaiting Shen Zhaomu’s next words anxiously.
Shen Zhaomu hesitated.
Rushing to amend his tale, he blurted, “Not a nocturnal wraith. It was an evil dragon who took her.”
After much thought, Shen Zhaomu realized that the best antagonist for this story was still a dragon.
Long Shiyu visibly relaxed, his tail wagging joyfully in the air.
“The evil dragon took the princess to his castle, enraging the king. He dispatched a brave hero to defeat the dragon. The hero, unaware of the dragon lair’s location, traveled from azure lakes to villages where smoke curled from the chimneys, from snow-capped mountains to the ends of the seas. His valor was lauded by all. Paparazzis… no, I mean, wandering minstrels, sang praises of his courage.”
Long Shiyu listened intently.
For reasons Shen Zhaomu couldn’t quite grasp, he felt increasingly immersed in his tale, as if these events truly transpired. He continued, “One day, the hero discovered that the evil dragon was keeping the princess in a desolate castle. As he embarked on his rescue, he faced challenges from cyclops, griffins, skeletal merfolk, and the entrancing sirens. Thorns clung to his robe, and marshes tried to swallow his boots.”
“But the young hero defeated them all, eventually confronting the castle where the menacing dragon lay. Drawing his sword, he—”
Shen Zhaomu hesitated.
In typical fairy tales, the hero always slays the dragon, rescues the princess, and basks in universal acclaim.
But that wasn’t the ending he sought. Not by a long shot.
Attempting to navigate the sudden twist, he continued, “Little did the hero know that a witch had bewitched his sword, turning it into flowers and apples. Though the dragon cherished the princess, he also loved flowers and apples. Thus, he struck a deal with the hero.”
“Eventually, the hero and the evil dragon became the best of friends. They often journeyed together, exploring azure lakes, quaint villages, snow-clad mountains, and the endless seas. If spotted, the hero would shout ‘Run! Run!’ pretending to combat the dragon fiercely, resuming their adventures once out of sight.”
“The hero bought gems for the dragon, while the dragon took him soaring through the skies. If the hero’s blade dulled, the dragon sharpened it with his sharp claws.”
“Minstrels fled at the dragon’s sight, and the king believed the hero had found love with another princess. Thus, years passed, and this grand adventure became a secret known only to the two.”
Drawing a deep breath, Shen Zhaomu concluded, “That’s the end of the tale.”
Long Shiyu was silent.
Hesitatingly, Shen Zhaomu looked at him, fearing another inexplicable reaction since the princess had mysteriously vanished in the latter part of the story.
But then, Long Shiyu’s face broke into a grin, tail whipping joyfully, “I absolutely adore that story!”
Shen Zhaomu chuckled, “I’m glad you liked it.”
After a moment, he added, “Your turn now. Tell me about your time at the circus.”
“Oh, I was broke at the time. Seeing the circus recruiting, I approached them.”
“And then?”
“I offered to perform for them.”
Shen Zhaomu frowned, “Perform? Shouldn’t they be hiring staff instead?”
“True, but I didn’t know any circus jobs. Figuring they hadn’t seen many exotic beasts, I thought I could work there. However, after my act, they vanished.”
Something still didn’t sit right with Shen Zhaomu, “What act did you propose? How did they discover you?”
He still vividly remembered the circus owner’s pale face and panicky eyes when approaching the Shen family, appearing as though he might faint at any moment.
Long Shiyu replied, “Ah, I told them I could perform a quadruped lizard man jumping through flaming hoops.”
Shen Zhaomu: “…”
Shen Zhaomu: “………….”
Author’s Note:
One cutesy sob a day: 2/1
Shiyu, who likes princesses and gems, is a standard western dragon hahaha. He’s not an Eastern dragon, so when he reveals his tail, his feet won’t disappear.
HHAHAHHA QIARDUPLED LIZARD MAN………..
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
My weekly dose of cute silly dragon : ☑
SORRY BUT YOUR PFP IS SO DMAN FUNNY HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
SHIYUUU adorable cutie pie :’D
Shen Zhaomu: “you know it’s funny, I felt a dragon’s presence when I walked into the room. I sure hope the dragon that I came in to save and who I live with didn’t have to fight that dragon, but I didn’t see any sign of the other dragon anywhere. I’m sure nothing important was missed” here 🤡
😂
The mean Money Lady keeps bankrupting the Long Shiyu but in the end it’s ok because Princess Husband has apples and a story ☺️