The vehicle jolted and clattered into the underground.
Song Qianqian sat in the passenger seat, looking at the map, directing Orca, “Yes, yes, yes, just turn here, go through the middle of the construction zone, and in five minutes you’ll reach the spot where Brother Shen fired the flare.”
Orca replied, “Where… where do you want me to stop? Aren’t there supposed to be exotic creatures here?”
“It’s fine, we won’t let you enter a dangerous zone. Once we’re there, you can drop us off and leave. I’ve already told Brother Shen we’re coming — of course, I didn’t give him a chance to refuse.” Song Qianqian generously remarked, “I’ll make sure the association rewards you for your bravery, the highest amount.”
“Bravery…” Orca murmured, “I was just going out to buy discounted vegetables.”
The red car entered the pitch-black tunnel, and soon the trio heard rustling sounds from behind.
Fang Qing said, “Open the sunroof.”
Orca pressed the button, but the sunroof only opened halfway and then got stuck.
Orca exclaimed, “Ah, it’s jammed.”
Song Qianqian “…”
She turned and fiercely hit the sunroof with the butt of her gun, breaking it open to create space large enough for a person to stand.
Fang Qing, with his modified double-barreled shotgun, leaned out from the sunroof.
He pulled the trigger, and two bright yellow bullets whooshed into the deep darkness. They exploded mid-air like small fireworks, illuminating the tunnel momentarily — numerous crimson eyes suddenly lit up, and the walls were densely covered with nocturnal wraiths.
“Damn, we’ve hit the jackpot again,” Fang Qing cursed.
The bullets contained a special powder he had mixed. The nocturnal wraiths hesitated for a moment, but then charged forward even more aggressively.
The ground trembled, and something even larger lurked in the shadows. Orca saw everything in the rearview mirror and panicked, “Why are there so many?”
Fang Qing smashed the rear window with his gun butt, while Song Qianqian stood up, set up her heavy sniper rifle on the car roof, put on navy blue tactical goggles, and adjusted her aim.
Aiming under such high speed and bumpy conditions seemed impossible, but she rapidly focused, holding her breath—
The wind slowed around her ears, every detail of the nocturnal wraiths became evident, even droplets of saliva flying from their mouths.
Her high ponytail fluttered in the wind, her pupils slightly dilated, and she pulled the trigger.
The bullet flawlessly pierced through the crowd of nocturnal wraiths and hit the enormous creature in the head.
At the same time, Fang Qing threw out two flare bombs.
The light from the explosion revealed the massive corpse-eater. The bullet had hit it between its eyes, but even this specially designed bullet for exotic creatures was not lethal enough. Blood dripped from the bullet hole on its matted fur. It roared, its eyes glowing with intensified rage and bloodlust.
Behind the large scope, Song Qianqian’s face remained expressionless.
She held her breath.
With another precise and calm shot, she sent a second bullet into its head.
Dark blood splattered. Just one more shot, and the giant corpse-eater would fall.
As Song Qianqian prepared to fire again, she heard Orca’s panicked voice, “The road ahead is blocked!”
The dim headlights revealed large mounds of brown earth. With both Song Qianqian and Fang Qing, the nocturnal wraiths alone could be handled, but with this obstruction, it became tricky.
However, they were far from defeated.
Orca said, “My car definitely can’t drive over this.”
Song Qianqian shouted, “If we have to, abandon the car!”
Fang Qing cursed under his breath, quickly checking his ammunition bag, looking for the most explosive rounds. But the nocturnal wraiths didn’t give them much time, and the car couldn’t slow down.
As the mound of earth loomed closer, Fang Qing fired at it.
Dirt scattered, but the ammunition designed for exotic creatures was not effective against the blockade. Grinding his teeth, he aimed again—
Before he could fire, the mound of earth burst apart.
A bulldozer burst out from the other side of the mound, skillfully pushing the earth to either side before speeding past their car. It swiveled, its bucket striking and killing several of the leading nocturnal wraiths.
That wasn’t all; its treads left menacing black marks on the ground, crushing several daring nocturnal wraiths. It spun 180 degrees, using its momentum to swing its heavy bucket again.
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.
Ktf yeiivbhfg, vfrlucfv obg fzmjnjalbc, kjr ofgbmlber. Ktf cbmaegcji kgjlatr, klat atflg ibk ybcf vfcrlas, kfgf fjrlis mgertfv, oliilcu atf jlg klat atflg rmgffmtfr.
Ktf yeiivbhfg’r vglnfg wera tjnf yffc jc lcmgfvlyis juugfrrlnf nfafgjc. Lf vgbnf la ilxf j tfjns ajcx, rklculcu lar yemxfa jr lo la kfgf j uljca jzf bg ilutarjyfg, obgmlcu atf cbmaegcji kgjlatr ab gfagfja.
The trio in the car was momentarily dumbfounded.
The nocturnal wraiths temporarily retreated, and just as the wounded giant corpse-eater was about to approach, it froze.
A spear made of golden light pierced through its head.
Song Qianqian’s eyes lit up: “Brother Shen!”
Although she had called out, she couldn’t immediately locate Shen Zhaomu amidst the chaos.
As the corpse-eater fell, the area was shrouded in a black fog emanating from the dissipating corpses.
The nocturnal wraiths retreated.
A figure jumped down from that wild bulldozer—Shen Zhaomu. Seeing the slightly pale faces of Song Qianqian and her group, he remarked, “You shouldn’t have followed.”
Song Qianqian frowned, “You conveniently sent us to another team and slipped away quite swiftly, didn’t you?”
Orca shivered, “Out of all of us, I’m truly the most innocent one here…”
Fang Qing’s focus wasn’t on this exchange. He glanced at the bulldozer with the words “Azure Wings” on it and asked, “Are there any other hunters here? Who’s this hero? Impressive driving skills.”
He hadn’t realized there was someone so wildly talented in the association. They could operate even a bulldozer!
The driver’s door opened.
Long Shiyu hopped out.
Fang Qing: “…”
Song Qianqian: “…”
Fang Qing held back his words for a while before finally asking, “Where did this vehicle come from? Your wife is skilled in driving excavators too?”
“There are a few of them in the construction area,” Long Shiyu replied. “I used to work on a construction site and drove excavators a few times. Though I was eventually fired for overspeeding.”
Song Qianqian remarked, “There are so many questionable points here… Wait.” She paused, realization dawning, “Why is sister-in-law here?”
Long Shiyu replied, “I came to get some late-night snacks.”
“… Little Shen,” Fang Qing patted Shen Zhaomu on the shoulder, “I know love can make one less rational, but no matter what, you shouldn’t bring your wife to such a dangerous place.”
Shen Zhaomu coughed twice, “He really came to buy…”
Song Qianqian interrupted, “Exactly, Brother Shen, what’s going on? And why let others lie for you?”
Shen Zhaomu: “…”
Realizing the more he tried to explain, the harder it got, he accepted that he’d be carrying the blame for this one.
Changing the subject, he turned to Orca, “Why did you bring him in?”
Song Qianqian said, “We commandeered his car, so naturally, we had to bring him along, right?”
“No,” Shen Zhaomu spotted an inconsistency, “Using the car is one thing, but does he need to be around?”
Orca finally caught on, “Exactly! Why didn’t you just take my car and leave me behind… Hey, both of you, stop looking so enlightened!”
The situation became even more chaotic. Rubbing his temples, Shen Zhaomu said, “There’s a group consisting of Behemoth and a few Undertakers in the construction area ahead, waiting for backup. Regardless, let’s head there first. We can leave the excavator here.”
The five of them got into the beat-up car and bumped their way forward.
On the way, Long Shiyu leaned close to Shen Zhaomu’s ear, “How did I do just now?”
Shen Zhaomu smiled and praised him.
“Impressive.”
He truly hadn’t expected Long Shiyu to be skilled with an excavator, and to handle it so wildly yet proficiently.
Hearing the praise, Long Shiyu’s eyes sparkled, “Then, will you tell me another bedtime story when we get back?”
“Mm.” Shen Zhaomu couldn’t resist and vigorously tousled Long Shiyu’s head.
Soon, they arrived at the well-lit construction area.
Shen Zhaomu got out of the car and said, “All of you, wait here for backup, including Shiyu.” With Song Qianqian and Fang Qing there, he could finally ensure Long Shiyu would stay put.
Long Shiyu pouted. “Sob.”
But before Shen Zhaomu could respond, he felt the psychic energy of the exotic creatures converging on Long Shiyu—
Had they detected his dragon nature?
Shen Zhaomu frowned. Exotic creatures weren’t exactly known for their friendliness. Many held deep animosities toward dragons. If Long Shiyu became their target, things could get complicated.
Before he could devise a solution, a sharp, mocking laughter erupted.
The lights dimmed, and a mini-stage appeared with humanoid flowers swaying their stems. Two familiar dolls danced upon it.
A child’s voice narrated, “Upon returning home, Jack told his mother the good news and gave her the gold coins he had stolen from the giant.”
The female doll was delighted to receive the gold coins.
The trio, unfamiliar with this puppet show, looked on in bewilderment.
Fang Qing mumbled, “Have modern exotic creatures developed a fondness for these fancy displays?”
“The next day, Jack climbed the vine again. This time, he aimed for the goose that laid golden eggs and the self-playing harp.”
The boy doll reappeared in the clouds, sneaking into the giant’s castle.
“Unfortunately, the giant came home again. For the second time, he smelled a human in his home and decided to search thoroughly.”
The giant doll appeared, pacing around his castle. Jack, clutching the harp and the goose, hid behind a teacup as tall as himself, trying to stay silent.
“But,” the narrator’s pace quickened, “the giant felt thirsty and picked up the teacup to drink.”
“Jack was discovered.”
The boy doll’s face showed horror as he scrambled out of the giant’s castle, the enraged giant hot on his heels.
As they continued their chase, Jack’s speed was evidently not sufficient. In his panic, he stumbled and fell, the giant quickly closing in on him—
“Suddenly, cheerful music resonated from the skies above. Jack looked up and saw a shimmering golden light amidst the clouds.”
“A monkey wearing a hat was blowing a horn, one hand holding a balloon as he descended from the sky. Accompanied by applause and shrieks of delight, zebras adorned with colorful feathers marched in unison, pulling behind them a large, multicolored tent. Elephants stood on either side of the tent, raising their trunks and trumpeting, with water spraying out to form rainbows in the air.”
Both the giant and Jack were dumbfounded. A man emerged from the tent, leisurely descending in front of Jack, holding onto a balloon.
A male puppet dressed in circus attire appeared with a warm smile.
“He asked, ‘Friend from the clouds, what troubles you?'”
Jack replied, “The giant behind me seeks to kill me.”
The mysterious man said, “I am the ringmaster of this circus. It’s my first time encountering a human in the clouds. If you agree to watch my performance, I will save you.”
Jack eagerly nodded in agreement. The giant, seeming to recognize the ringmaster, bore a face of fury, and the two soon engaged in fierce combat.
The stage lights constantly shifted as the two puppets leaped and battled.
In a short while, the ringmaster emerged victorious, and the giant fell.
Jack was safe from harm. Expressing his gratitude to the ringmaster, he entered the bustling tent as agreed. Inside, bears danced, tigers leapt through fiery hoops, and aerialists soared amidst the lights. Dogs performed arithmetic, monkeys rode sheep, and clowns lined up for their entrance.
“It’s such a marvelous show!” Jack exclaimed. “Have you considered building a city in the sky? That way, more people can come and witness your incredible circus. We can dance with the bears!”
Above the heads of the boy and man puppets, floral patterns appeared.
Delighted by the idea, the ringmaster responded, “Of course! I can show you how to construct a town on a swaying beanstalk amidst towering clouds. And the honor of naming this place shall be yours, my friend from the clouds.”
After a moment’s thought, Jack suggested, “Let’s call it Kassand.”
“Kassand? What does that mean?”
“It’s the name of my pet cat. He would adore your circus.”
The male puppet burst into laughter.
As the stage lights slowly dimmed, all the puppets collapsed limply.
Fang Qing frowned, “What on earth is this? After all the trouble I went through to get here, is this ridiculous children’s play all I get?”
Orca, on the other hand, was already on the brink of tears, “Sob… Sob… This is such a touching story…”
Song Qianqian began, “Given that the exotic creature is near, Sister-in-law, you should stay back…”
Turning around, she realized Long Shiyu was gone.
Alarmed, Song Qianqian cried, “Brother Shen! Brother Shen, my sister-in-law has…”
As she turned back again, Shen Zhaomu had also disappeared.
“Again?”
===
The circus seats were empty, the sole illumination stemming from the performance stage—protected by a holographic barrier, preventing the fierce creatures inside from escaping.
Long Shiyu slowly approached the stage, descending the steps.
At the center of the stage, atop a tall stool, sat a man clad in circus attire, pale as death, bearing a striking resemblance to the puppet ringmaster from earlier.
He casually stroked a bear, though the bear’s rear half had turned to bone.
There were no other living beings around, like the melancholy aftermath of a grand performance.
Seeing Long Shiyu approach, he hopped off the stool, revealing a pale smile, “It’s been a while.”
The Twin, Veyrpan.
A legendary target of the Association. The last sighting of him was in Kassand 130 years ago.
Back then, the construction of the city of Kassand had just commenced.
He said, “I don’t wish to fight you, but regrettably, I want your throne.”
A challenge to the king, meant a fight to the death for exotic creatures. Calling out the King’s name was a direct provocation.
And now, with a smile, Veyrpan pronounced deliberately, “Akasamo.”
“I’ve spoken your name.”
“And both of us know what that means.”
Long Shiyu stood in the dim part of the auditorium.
The spotlight in the center of the stage illuminated only half of his face. Dressed impeccably with a vibrant red rose on his chest, his golden, vertical-pupiled eyes—distinctive of dragons—radiated a cold, metallic glow, full of the indifference and pride unique to dragons. He was undeniably captivating, the stark contrast between his stunning appearance and his gaze making for an awe-inspiring sight.
Slowly, he removed his deep black hat—
Veyrpan tensed up in anticipation.
He was prepared to face the wrath of a king.
However, what Long Shiyu produced from his hat was…
A pot of flowers?
Veyrpan was taken aback.
The flower cheerfully swayed in Long Shiyu’s palm, addressing Veyrpan spiritedly, “Immortal wooden bastard you’ll crawl for Grandpa today!”
Author’s Note:
One cutesy sob a day: 1/1
It’s a fight between our fierce veteran driver dragon and the wrongly accused Princess Shen today! This chapter can also be named “Excavator Dragon and His Bastard of a Grandson(?)”
shiyu is so fkg awesome
The flower is great 😂
Thank you for the chapter~
Shen’in Shiyu’nun kral olduğunu öğreneceği anı bekliyorum. Aklımdaki en basit senaryo, başka seçeneği olmadığı halde çok kritik bir savaş durumunda ortaya çıkmasıdır.
Talented as always Shiyu
❤
Poor Orca, officially the Cabbage Man of this story 😔 Everyone needs this hype flower in their life lmaoo
Speeding bulldozer wraith crushing… just another skill a weak dragon picks up along the way 😌