Chapter 326: Not Even a Moment of Mourning for Li Shanyan
Sang Zhe swore.
If only he could have a do-over, he would rather restart his whole life than keep the scene unfolding before him, along with all its memories.
That heavily made-up old man with white hair was undeniably Li Shanyan himself.
But the gaudy outfit and the faux-shy demeanor were just too much of a visual assault.
Sang Zhe felt he’d need at least a month to recover from this mental trauma.
“Master, let’s go inside~”
Li Shanyan’s voice came out in a high-pitched squeak as he wiggled his way over to Sang Zhe, sending him scrambling back in terror. “Don’t come any closer!”
“What’s wrong, Master? Didn’t you call for me?”
“I was wrong! I called the wrong person! Please just go back!”
“…”
Suddenly, a familiar yet slightly disdainful voice rang in his ears: “Idiot Host, look at how pathetic you are.”
Sang Zhe turned his head and, seeing Nian Nian, nearly burst into tears as he dove behind her like a frightened puppy.
“Mom! Where is this place? I want to go home!”
“Quit being a coward.” Nian Nian flicked Sang Zhe on the forehead and adjusted her glasses. “Did you forget what I told you before coming here?”
“This is a dreamscape; everything here has nothing to do with reality, got it?”
“Uh, so you’re saying…”
Sang Zhe glanced at the shy-looking Li Shanyan. “This is all just a dream I’m having?”
“You still have traces of following Li Shanyan in your mind, and since the scene is in a brothel…”
Nian Nian explained, “Your consciousness automatically combines the two and presents it in a way you can understand. Isn’t this just dreaming?”
…Don’t slander me.
Sang Zhe absolutely refused to acknowledge that his mind could comprehend such a horrifying scene.
“So, are you saying my dreamscape is a brothel?”
Sang Zhe coughed awkwardly. “Um, while this scene is kinda tempting, I shouldn’t be thinking solely about such lewd stuff, right?”
“Well, that’s not exactly the case.”
Nian Nian said softly, “This is indeed a dreamscape, but it’s not your dream.”
“Let’s go. We need to meet the dream’s owner.”
Saying that, she weaved through the bustling crowd at the entrance and led Sang Zhe deeper into the brothel.
Only then did Sang Zhe notice that Nian Nian wasn’t floating beside him as usual but was walking like a normal person.
…Right.
In a dream, Nian Nian didn’t have to expend points to materialize at all.
So, the Nian Nian before him was her true appearance.
Sang Zhe couldn’t help but steal glances at the girl.
With her poised and stylish figure, she didn’t flaunt herself like the surrounding women, radiating a clean freshness that made it hard to look away.
The way her pleated skirt swayed with her every step and the absolute territory of her thigh-high socks brought to mind a beautiful girl straight out of an anime.
“…Hey, perverted Host, what are you staring at?” Nian Nian suddenly spun around, hands on her hips, glaring at Sang Zhe.
“Nothing.” Sang Zhe sighed, “Just thinking, how did I not notice before that my Nian Nian Mom is so cute?”
Nian Nian’s body trembled slightly, a flash of a blush appeared on her delicate face, but it quickly transformed into a pouty anger.
“Lecher! Pervert! Color fiend! Go die!”
“Yes! That’s the spirit! So refreshing, shout it some more.”
“You… idiot Host, you’re hopeless.”
In the end, Nian Nian just huffed at him, but even her angry pout had a unique charm, making Sang Zhe wear a goofy grin.
“Hey! Stop smiling like that! It’s disgusting!”
Nian Nian crossed her arms. “Instead of wasting time, how about thinking about how to face that person ahead?”
“What’s there to be scared of? You said it’s a dreamscape, right? Even if that guy is some outer domain demon, can he really eat me?”
“Not right now, no, but I strongly advise that the Host not attract that guy’s attention too early.”
Nian Nian teased, “Or are you not scared of being targeted by the final boss before even leaving the newbie village?”
Well, that was actually scary.
But even if you said that now, where was I supposed to change my outfit?
“Friendly reminder.”
Nian Nian shot a sideways glance at Sang Zhe. “Things of this level, even in a dreamscape, are not subject to any limitations.”
Sang Zhe froze for a moment, then gradually came to realization.
“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“So that means I can use the Mask Mode here too!”
——
——
Inside the depths of the dream court.
It was an extravagantly lavish room. Not only was it splendidly decorated, but there was also a huge pool in the center.
The pool was filled with intoxicatingly fragrant wine, and countless scantily clad and stunning beauties drifted in and out, surrounding a figure that was hugging them both.
But honestly, calling this being a “person” was a bit inaccurate.
He had no facial features, no countenance—despite appearing humanoid, he was completely shrouded in darkness. He resembled a mass of swirling black mist, fluctuating in clarity.
The moment Sang Zhe spotted him through the window, his mind immediately conjured the image of Xiao Hei from Conan.
Beside the pool, Li Shanyan was seated in a chair, sipping tea leisurely.
“Finally… got the goods?” Xiao Hei’s voice was surprisingly youthful, sounding almost like a young man.
“Yes.”
After finishing his tea, Li Shanyan gently set the cup down and replied, “The item is in my hands now. Whether you get it or not depends on your sincerity.”
“Hahaha, don’t worry.”
Xiao Hei laughed heartily, shoving a nearby beauty into his arms, and amidst her coy protests, he said, “I’m not interested in you caged things.”
“If it weren’t for the heavenly treasures, I wouldn’t bother wasting my energy doing the heavy lifting in this broken cage.”
“I’ll keep my promise to you.”
“Once the seal breaks and the gods and demons come, you and your Holy Kingdom—what was it called? Ah, whatever it is.”
“As long as you have my token, you can sleep easy without worry. If any gods or demons dare to tread upon your feet, they might as well be courting death.”
This speech was delivered with such arrogance that even Li Shanyan remained silent.
“I hope you… will keep your promise.”
In that moment, a hint of fatigue flashed in his aged eyes.
But the very next second, a voice bursting through the door drew everyone’s attention.
“Good. I knew something I had my eye on wouldn’t go unclaimed.”
“Seems like aside from the boss, someone else has an eye on the heavenly treasures.”
“Hmm?” Xiao Hei turned to the door, a hint of curiosity in his tone.
Li Shanyan stared at the figure in the doorway, his brain momentarily shut down.
Standing at the entrance was a familiar yet foreign figure.
“You are… the Dragon Lord of Myriad Thunder Abyss?”
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