Before her stood a young man dressed in a pristine white shirt, his form-fitting waistcoat accentuating his slender waist, and high-waisted trousers hugging his legs snugly. A soft black hat perched atop his head, while in his hand, he held a deep black cane with an extended handle, a crimson rose adorning his chest.
His attire was both exquisite and opulent, and his countenance was radiant, as if he were a character straight out of a fairy tale.
Casting a puzzled glance, Long Shiyu replied, “It seems there was some kind of alarm, and the people here have all fled. I only found out when I came here to grab a late-night snack.”
From a distance, it seemed inconspicuous, but a closer look made Zhou Xin suddenly hesitate. She and Xu Jing had just emerged from the circus, and it was also where the exotic creature had awakened.
“…Why are you dressed up like this?” she asked skeptically.
His attire was a relic of the past, making him look like a time traveler or someone who had just stepped out of a dreamy circus performance.
“Oh, there’s a circus nearby,” Long Shiyu explained. “They were short on people and said I could work as a temporary hand tonight and enjoy a free buffet.”
With his prior experience, he decided not to deceive others into thinking he was a lizardman. After all, temporary work allowed for a more relaxed approach—although, based on past experience, he was likely to fall asleep during working hours.
Though he couldn’t sleep coiled around treasure with this outfit on, he could still sleep soundly.
It was probably similar to how students doze off quickly and deeply while listening to a teacher’s lecture.
Upon mentioning this, Will, who was standing nearby, began to mutter quietly, using strange phrases like “great disrespect” and “this servant is truly guilty,” expressing his deep remorse for Long Shiyu’s decision.
Throughout the day, he had tried to persuade Long Shiyu not to take the temporary job in the Undertakers’ base. There were plenty of delicious offerings there, including his favorite desserts, and there was no need to stoop to working for it.
But according to the circus’s promotion, tonight not only offered a buffet but also a performance related to a princess—just this alone made it clear that Will couldn’t stop Long Shiyu.
With no other options, he tearfully rushed the Undertakers to customize this outfit. Even if Long Shiyu was a temporary worker, his king had to wear the finest attire.
Zhou Xin pretended to be enthusiastic and said, “Then don’t go. We just returned from the circus, and they aren’t receiving guests tonight. See, the exit is right ahead. Let’s go there together.”
They didn’t know how much strength the man with half-white hair had, but the young man showed no signs of any supernatural abilities. Zhou Xin had genuinely been frightened by the monkey music box, and having one more person to cover her back was always a good thing. This way, if danger arose, the first casualty wouldn’t be her.
The world of mercenaries was ruthless, and she and Xu Jing had done their share of such things.
Long Shiyu felt regretful; once again, he had missed the princess.
But at this point, there was nothing he could do. He nodded and said, “Alright.”
Zhou Xin breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled and introduced herself, “I’m… Zhou Ruo. What’s your name?”
“You can call me Shiyu.”
The four of them then proceeded toward the exit of the commercial street.
This place wasn’t large, as legitimate industries in Kassand were quite rare. It was eerily quiet now, with most people having fled upon receiving the alarm. Small shops had left their doors open, and the bubbling pots of street food stalls filled the air with enticing aromas. Inside the general store, one could see miscellaneous items for sale, such as gun stocks for modified firearms, fake IDs, bulletproof vests, and drugs.
For some reason, after Long Shiyu appeared, the red-and-white monkey had disappeared without a trace.
…As if it were afraid.
Zhou Xin dismissed this absurd notion from her mind.
The journey proceeded surprisingly smoothly. They would likely reach the exit in about ten minutes.
Along the way, they noticed strange things such as multicolored scraps of paper which covered the ground, animal fur, and circus admission tickets bearing footprints. Most bizarrely, several brand-new carriages were parked in a corner.
These items had no business being here, making the situation especially eerie. Zhou Xin and Xu Jing exchanged a glance, and they couldn’t hold back anymore. In a hushed tone, Zhou Xin said to Long Shiyu, “Hey, look over there.”
She pointed at the carriages.
Long Shiyu glanced at them and said, “Carriages… Yes, the kind fit for a princess.”
He brightened up at the thought.
Zhou Xin: “…”
As they continued on their way, these unusual items became more prevalent. Zhou Xin and Xu Jing were growing increasingly nervous, while Long Shiyu engaged in quiet conversation with Will.
Will said, “You may not know, but I used to live in the sewers for a while.”
“The sewers? Why did you live there?”
“I used to have three turtle brothers, and we served as ninjas in the sewers.”
“What are ninjas?”
“They’re really cool, you know? They can do all sorts of amazing things, like scaling walls and leaping from rooftop to rooftop.”
“That sounds amazing.”
Will was immediately moved to tears. “Receiving your praise makes my life complete, sob, sob, sob.”
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.
Zhou Xin didn’t quite catch what they were talking about and furrowed her brow.
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Without hesitation, Zhou Xin turned and forcefully pushed against Long Shiyu.
She used all her might, but it was as though she had struck a steel plate.
The young man remained unmoved, while Zhou Xin was sent flying backward, her vision fixed on the rapidly receding red rose on the young man’s chest.
She landed in a clumsy heap on the ground, her hand completely numb, and even the muscle in her arm went tingly.
Wide-eyed with shock, she stammered, “Y-you…”
Long Shiyu was bewildered. “Are you okay?”
The rumbling sound behind them was getting closer. Before Zhou Xin could react, Xu Jing had already grabbed her, and they sprinted toward the exit.
=========
Shen Zhaomu stood on the commercial street.
Currently, Song Qianqian and Fang Qing were in other peripheral teams, leaving him alone to enter this area, prepared to search for their target within the circus.
Newly awakened exotic beasts were often quite vulnerable, making it an excellent opportunity. But the situation was uncertain, and he wouldn’t easily let other hunters take the risk, so he came alone.
He carried all the risks on his shoulders, just like every time before. It was a matter of confidence in his abilities and his inherent nature; deep down, a touch of madness always thrived.
Tonight’s hunt had already begun, and he wouldn’t back down.
A few years ago, the battle in the icy seas where the Kraken resided was too restrictive. Now, the upper city of Kassand was the hunters’ domain.
The perpetually burning oil lamp hung silently by his side, casting long shadows.
Shen Zhaomu walked through the empty commercial street, where a thick layer of colorful paper scraps had accumulated underfoot. Colorful ribbons danced in the air as though conjured out of nowhere.
All the items from the circus along the way carried strong remnants of the exotic beasts’ psychic energy. The other side must have used powerful psychic abilities to shape everything in this area.
He bent down and picked up a few scraps of paper.
Some had already materialized, tangible to the touch, while others were mere illusions, disappearing completely under the lamplight after a few seconds.
When Shen Zhaomu raised his head again, a red-and-white monkey music box sat before him.
The next second, cheerful and joyful music emanated from it, as if some grand ceremony were commencing, but the music had a strangely jerky quality.
The monkey raised its cymbals and began to clang them together, its smile widening.
Shen Zhaomu said, “…You’re out of tune.”
The monkey’s smile froze.
“Practice some more and come back,” Shen Zhaomu said as he picked up the music box and tossed it into a nearby trash bin, casually closing the lid.
Ahead was a construction area with a maze of pipes, cables, and unfinished dark tunnels leading who knew where. The circus scene became even more vivid, with colorful balloons floating in the air.
Hunters knew that Shen Zhaomu possessed powerful psychic abilities, but they had no concrete concept of it.
Now, his psychic energy slowly swept through the area, making the residual emotions of the people stand out, and echos of the past reappeared in a very blurry manner.
Four people had just passed through here. Shen Zhaomu seemed to hear their slightly hurried footsteps, feel their rapid heartbeats, and even sense the lingering warmth of their breath.
Two of them were humans, a man and a woman, both radiating fear. One was a exotic beast, while the last figure’s features were indistinct, but there seemed to be…
An oddly cheerful emotion?
Shen Zhaomu had a brief moment of self-doubt.
At that moment, a faint tremor came from the ground, something rapidly approaching through the dark tunnel.
Shen Zhaomu’s gaze darkened, and strands of light particles immediately swirled around him, ready to burst forth like a tide.
Faintly, a carriage appeared at the end of the tunnel.
The carriage was resplendent in gold, with deep red curtains covering its windows and silver patterns adorning its wheels. But in front of the carriage…
There were no horses.
There was only a burrowing dragon pulling the carriage with tears streaming down its face.
Shen Zhaomu: “???”
He had never seen anything like this before. Before he could figure it out, the coachman sitting at the front, holding the reins, stood up and waved happily at him. “You’re here too!”
Long Shiyu tugged at the reins, but the burrowing dragon struggled to brake. The carriage sped past Shen Zhaomu, and Long Shiyu jumped off the carriage, straight into Shen Zhaomu’s arms.
Shen Zhaomu instinctively reached out and caught him.
Under his touch was an exceptionally supple waistline.
Dressed in a pristine white shirt, a form-fitting waistcoat, and a red rose, Long Shiyu looked like he had stepped straight out of a fairy tale. The young man in his arms smiled with his eyes curved into crescents. “You caught me again.”
Shen Zhaomu took a few seconds to find his words. “…Why are you here?”
These days, he had asked Fang Qing to keep an eye on Long Shiyu to prevent him from wandering around. It had taken a lot of effort to make him behave for a few days.
But he realized now that Fang Qing was currently outside.
…No wonder Long Shiyu had managed to slip out.
Shen Zhaomu felt his temples throb. Why did Long Shiyu always end up in such strange places?
Long Shiyu replied, “I came to find the circus. I was with a friend, but he’s already left.”
Will had parted ways with Long Shiyu tearfully ten minutes ago due to a conflict with the Undertakers and the interstellar police.
Long Shiyu explained the buffet and princess performance to Shen Zhaomu and then happily pointed at the carriage. “I was just thinking of driving it out to show you.”
Princesses always liked carriages!
Shen Zhaomu hesitantly responded, “…I understand the logic, but why is there a burrowing dragon pulling the carriage?”
“Oh,” Long Shiyu replied, “it suddenly appeared, and I thought, why not ask if it wanted to pull the carriage? It happily agreed, and we tried running a couple of laps.”
Shen Zhaomu looked at the burrowing dragon.
The burrowing dragon wore a look of grievance and despair.
Shen Zhaomu: “…Yeah, it’s really enjoying itself.”
He took a deep breath. “Let’s go. I’ll take you out of this area.” He pointed towards the passage. “There’s a construction zone ahead, which is closer.”
“Sure, let’s take the carriage,” Long Shiyu suggested.
Shen Zhaomu replied, “Let’s not…”
“Sob.”
Shen Zhaomu climbed into the carriage.
Long Shiyu sat beside him and flicked the reins. The carriage rumbled along, while the frightened burrowing dragon, tears streaming down its face, sprinted forward desperately.
A faintly cold wind blew through the tunnel. Long Shiyu asked, “Why did you come here alone?”
“I sensed a powerful exotic beast here.”
“What I meant was, why did you come alone?”
“Because it’s dangerous here.”
“Why aren’t other hunters with you?”
“They don’t need to come for now.”
“…Then next time, take me with you. I’ll accompany you.”
Shen Zhaomu looked somewhat surprised.
But Long Shiyu seemed earnest. “I’ve encountered many exotic beasts before. If they’re the dangerous kind, I can tell you how to defeat them.”
Shen Zhaomu just smiled without answering. He reached out to straighten the young man’s slightly askew tie.
He never doubted Long Shiyu in this regard.
Long Shiyu had a long life, and he must have seen many exotic beasts and had numerous experiences, perhaps too many for humans to imagine.
So, the Long Shiyu he knew was far from the entirety of who he was.
Realizing this brought a subtle shift in his mood.
Was it because he wanted complete control over his prey, or…
Shen Zhaomu asked, “So, what’s your backstory?”
“I worked odd jobs to earn a living. I traveled to many places and spent a long time trying to find my princess.”
“What’s your princess like?”
“My princess? The best princess in the world, of course!”
Long Shiyu turned to him, his happiness infectious. The deep black top hat on his head was blown off by the oncoming wind.
This infectious joy made Shen Zhaomu smile, and he reached out in time to catch the hat, gently pressing it back in place.
The wind still whistled in his ears as the tunnel remained dark, and the carriage swayed forward.
Suddenly, he didn’t want to continue with the questioning.
Regardless of who this princess might be, someone who could genuinely make Long Shiyu happy was probably a very good person.
Just like in a classic fairy tale, the fierce dragon deeply loved the princess.
And he was the hero who slayed dragons. There was no place for him in this story.
He only wanted to find Akasamo through Long Shiyu.
So when the Dragon King died, it would be the day they parted ways.
Up ahead, a pile of rubble blocked the way, and the road beyond was even more uneven. They couldn’t continue forward.
The carriage came to a gradual stop.
Long Shiyu leaped down and untied the reins, while the burrowing dragon, now with tears dried, dug into the ground and escaped.
They climbed over the rubble and continued deeper into the tunnel.
Bright lights in the distance grew nearer, and when they reached the next construction area, they would reach the surface.
In the darkness, a tail reached out, hooking Shen Zhaomu’s left wrist.
Long Shiyu returned to their previous conversation. “I don’t want to see you take risks alone. Next time, let me come with you. I’m really strong.”
Shen Zhaomu hummed in agreement.
“I’m serious. I’ll go with you anywhere.”
“Well, let’s discuss that after we get out of here.”
“Okay…”
In the distance, the light grew closer, casting colorful iridescence on Long Shiyu’s silver scales, shifting and shimmering. From golden-yellow to rose-red, and after dark blue came emerald green and raven black, blending all the beautiful colors together.
Shen Zhaomu’s thoughts drifted.
He was highly knowledgeable about dragons, but he had never seen such beautiful hues.
It resembled the fusion of galaxies, where stars gave off a dazzling glow.
So he asked, “Who are your parents? Were they also silver dragons? I’ve never seen this color before.”
In the long, dark tunnel, the young man held his hand and looked surprised by the question.
Then, with a smile and a glint in his eye, he whispered into Shen Zhaomu’s ear, “It’s a secret. I’ll only tell you.”
He tiptoed and leaned in closer. “Because… I’m the child of the stars.”
The universe exploded, and a miracle was born from countless stars.
Shen Zhaomu: “…”
So, Long Shiyu was an orphaned dragon, and he still believed in this white lie.
Shen Zhaomu looked at Long Shiyu with a newfound sense of sympathy, patting the tip of his tail. “It’s okay. You have me.”
Long Shiyu blinked in confusion. “?”
Author’s Note:
One cutesy sob a day: 1/1
Today, the legendary battle between a princess and an orphaned(?) dragon was fought. The audience? One calm and collected burrowing dragon.
…Shen Zhaomu, you think too much. Shiyu is not dumb, he’s powerful enough to not care.
Thank you for the chapter!
I mean if the dragon king dies you’ll definitely be parting ways…
just not in the way he’s expecting
Ah, Shen Zhaomu, when will you realize that in this story, you are the princess!
…that monkey music box tho 🤣🤣🤣
Did Will just referenced teenage mutant ninja turtles 😂😂 and tsk tsk zhaomu, you still have a long way to go before you realised YOU’RE the princess XD
Yes! I need to know which Turtle he thinks he was 😄
I love the fact that LS never actually tries to hide that he’s like massively powerful from SZM. Like he told him that he owned half the wealth in the universe, that he’s super strong, and that he was born from the stars, but SZM just doesn’t believe him. One day, when the truth comes out, SZM is gonna feel super betrayed and ask why LS hid it from him, and then he’s gonna realize that he just… didn’t.
+1
Im probably overthinking this, but hopefully, there wont ever be such a day where SZM is gonna slay the Dragon King, aka LSY 😭😭 I wont be able to bear the angst 😢😢
Long Shiyu seems to be stepping into his actual role just a little more, as it pertains to protecting his princess. Ah, and I can’t get enough of the cuddly tail 🥰