Chapter 48: Roland Weite

Chapter 48: Roland Weite

Eliminating the Dream King was not Lu Lin'an's duty, but if not given some other task, Yun Huai always felt like he was being watched so intensely that a hole might form.

The mermaid Kai Sa was the fake Dream King's favorite fish. The "king" wouldn't come for Kai Sa's performance, but might appear because of his beloved pet's death.

Killing Kai Sa was the quickest way to draw out the "Royal Family."

The initial creation of the Blue Dream was due to numerous Ita people wanting to meet the royal family in dreams through Gaxiu, making the mermaid performers and the street that stimulated fertility rates just like derivatives of an increasingly realistic dream.

Only the citizens of the Ita nation are truly real.

Yun Huai stepped back twice, noticing Lu Lin'an signal with his tail in the performance area, indicating he heard.

The young man was still wearing the clothes prepared for him by Xie Ye Na. The high-ranking officials of the main star, fond of white, didn't want the king to dress like them. Therefore, they embellished pure white with other colors. Yun Huai's collar was adorned with a blue ribbon tied up, and the cloud-like lapels were subtly embroidered with the silhouette of Roland Weite in pale gold thread.

This was Xie Ye Na's imagined perfect and noble king, and also the person Lu Lin'an could watch a million times and never tire of.

Yun Huai always underestimated his own charm, so much so that his actions, which he thought trivial, could make others' blood boil and hearts flutter.

Lu Lin'an swam around the coral reefs at the bottom of the cylindrical tank, a slight smile curling at the corner of his mouth, his eyes harboring a deep-seated cold cruelty.

He looked up to see the other slender mermaids swimming above, unsure if they were avoiding the monster at the bottom or just trying to catch more glances from the wealthy Ita people.

Connected to the mermaid performance area was a huge, thick, long underwater track, where all the performers entered and orderly left from.

Lu Lin'an thought of Yun Huai's instructions and chuckled softly, feeling that restless and annoying gene surge up again in his blood.

[A dragon failing in courtship, it seems you are even more fascinated by him like this.]

Lu Lin'an: "I originally thought that healers definitely couldn't bring themselves to take a life."

[But kindness isn't his only underlying trait, perhaps healing isn't his only skill either.]

Lu Lin'an: "I've said it before, we're people from the same world."

[It's terrifying, isn't it? He's calm, not like a king in his early stage. His power, not yet fully grown or transformed, can already suppress your mental force.]

"Aren't you fascinated?" Lu Lin'an said, "You're more excited than I am, a little stimulation and you charge so fiercely, only behaving after being treated."

Lu Lin'an didn't have a second personality, but the solitary dragon occasionally conversed with his self-aware rebellious gene; he had long grown accustomed to this form of self-dialogue.

Previously, Lu Lin'an mostly disliked this uncontrollable gene, as it made him lose himself.

Lu Lin'an hated losing himself and detested the boiling magma dragon tombs on Hai Ran Star. He swore he'd never lose control to the point of sleeping there, so he must always be "stronger than myself."

But now, Yun Huai's appearance had become the only common topic between sanity and madness.

And the only coolant to suppress the disliked gene.

[You're done for, you've completely fallen in love, poor loser, you haven't even pursued him yet.]

Lu Lin'an sneered: "Prepare to build a nest for eighty years then, that's the king of the Ita Empire."

……

Yun Huai, unaware of Lu Lin'an's love-struck mind playing out scenarios, quietly observed the guests yet to arrive from his position at the entrance.

But Yun Huai was still somewhat inexperienced; respected mermaid performers of the Blue Ocean wouldn't use the common passage. After the first wave of mermaid performances, the entire venue suddenly dimmed.

Sensing this, Yun Huai looked up to see the ceiling of the circular venue lit up with lights undulating like blue seawater.

Guests in the arc-shaped rooms all looked up, only to see a mysterious blue silhouette.

Yun Huai subtly clenched his sleeve, hearing the hushed whispers around him.

The mermaid Kai Sa.

The beloved pet of the Blue Dream King.

Its appearance signifies that the king might also come to enjoy its performance.

However, Yun Huai didn't wait for this possibility. He chose to directly have Lu Lin'an eliminate Kai Sa, then provoke the angry king to come out on his own.

Rustling sounds circulated around them again.

"It's really Kai Sa! His tail is silver-blue!"

Silver-blue?

Yun Huai thought of Gaxiu's mental power, finding it hard to believe that this wasn't a personal preference set by the master of the dream.

To witness such a mermaid performing song and dance in water, it's necessary first to clear the other mermaids from the performance area.

Gradually, the shadows of fish left through the underwater passage. Yun Huai looked carefully but didn't spot Lu Lin'an.

The workers focused on clearing the area also seemed to notice something amiss. Just as Yun Huai was about to check, something lightly tugged at him from behind.

Turning around and looking down, he saw a beautiful young man smiling faintly at him, his grey-purple eyes full of soft, scattered light.

"I seem to have lost my ticket. I came here all this way and wanted to keep it as a souvenir. Could you help me find it?"

The worker's face was blank, seemingly captivated by Yun Huai's gaze, and he muttered in a daze, "Where... did you lose it?"

Yun Huai pointed towards the distant entrance: "Over there, thank you."

The Ita worker, as if in a trance, turned and walked away, his figure lingering aimlessly near the door as if he had lost his soul.

Yun Huai withdrew his gaze, thinking to himself that basic operations for the royal family are indeed convenient.

The performance area was "cleared," and the most esteemed mermaid performers of the Blue Ocean were about to enter. The music and lighting softened, casting faint shadows on the huge cylindrical tank.

Kai Sa didn't come alone.

As the king's beloved pet, he, like the Ita people, had the privilege of bringing a fish companion. Some slender, beautiful mermaids entered first. Yun Huai glanced at them, thinking their tail colors resembled the magnificent planets passed by starships.

Gaxiu's personal preferences were evident everywhere; Kai Sa and his companions nearly encapsulated the color palette of the second galaxy.

He presented these colors before the Dream King, as if to capture the king's attention with a glimpse of a free and splendid backyard.

Yun Huai's eyes were profoundly tranquil. Watching this lavish performance and the eager audience, he didn't share their joy but felt a deep sorrow swirling in his heart.

They were all deeply immersed in dreams.

Protected in the Roland Weite Garden by the Ita people, Yun Huai felt a unique sense of security. He liked such an empire and hence took every citizen's faith very seriously.

He hoped that the flag of Roland Weite wouldn't just fly high on the main star but also flutter vigorously across all the territories within sight.

And on Blue Fei Star, it's essential to see the flag's true form clearly.

Kai Sa, with the gorgeous accompaniment of other companions, slowly appeared from above. The light here was so clear and bright that the transparent track seemed to vanish.

Yun Huai's eyes narrowed, as if seeing an extremely beautiful fish gracefully swimming through the air.

He had long blue hair, a snow-white face, and each of his scales was perfect, like sapphires in the sea.

Such a pity.

He was just an illusion in a dream, becoming a follower of the false royal family.

A sympathetic hue settled in Yun Huai's eyes as he looked towards the bottom, where something black seemed to flash by.

It was Lu Lin'an, moving too fast to be seen clearly.

There seemed to be an indescribable understanding developing between Yun Huai and Lu Lin'an. Yun Huai subtly sensed his excitement to cause trouble.

It might also be simply because Lu Lin'an was excited to carry out a task assigned by Yun Huai.

To understand this monster's behavior around him, everything must start with the word "love."

Yun Huai sighed. In his view, Kai Sa was already floating in the middle of the performance area.

He seemed to be waiting for something, his eyes looking towards the highest position of the circular floors. But after a few quiet minutes, there was still no one there.

Just when Yun Huai thought Kai Sa was about to start his performance, Kai Sa suddenly swam forward a few steps and nodded towards the top in greeting.

Yun Huai sharply followed his gaze and saw an eye-catching, tall figure that had appeared there unknowingly.

Sharp ears peeked out from the semi-long silver-blue hair. On the left ear hung a long pearl earring, connected near the lobe with a shape resembling a blooming flower bud.

Roland Weite!

Yun Huai's eyes flickered.

It was Gaxiu.

Only the high-ranking officials could possess accessories of the King's Flower, and Xie Ye Na's vine that bound his hair was also the purple of Roland Weite.

Yun Huai was about to approach but suddenly stopped, realizing this wasn't reality but the Blue Dream.

The real Gaxiu was asleep somewhere unknown, and this Gaxiu, like countless other Ita citizens, was just a dreamer trapped in the Blue Dream!

Yun Huai could not only not approach him, but he also couldn't disturb him — at a moment when he and Lu Lin'an had conspired to assassinate the king's beloved pet.

Seeing Gaxiu, the Ita people began to stand up, but the tall man didn't respond, his magnificent blue and white robe flowing down to his ankles.

As the crowd inside grew restlessly, suddenly an ethereal singing voice emerged. Yun Huai walked towards a darker area and saw Kai Sa had begun his performance.

Mermaids have a natural singing voice. With just a few hums from Kai Sa, the audience fell silent, captivated by the performance.

Yun Huai listened for a while, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Gaxiu leaning casually at the highest point, tapping his fingertips gently on his arm to the rhythm.

The Ita people who had been watching Yun Huai also redirected their gaze, their expressions a strange mix of frenzy and anticipation.

They eagerly watched the highest point, awaiting the appearance of the supreme being.

……

Yun Huai had always wondered why the influence of the Blue Dream's false king was so significant.

The citizens sought out the official Gaxiu because they knew the royal family had vanished, and initially, those who entered the dream were conscious, seeking spiritual comfort before leaving the dream.

But at some point, they seemed convinced that the real royal family existed in the Blue Dream and stopped leaving it, leading more Ita people into this dream trap.

…What if this turning point all started with a mermaid's mutated singing?

Yun Huai's eyes narrowed slowly. Kai Sa's singing continued. This was his first stop on this year's city celebration tour, and the Blue Dream had existed for at least a decade.

In ten years, regardless of when Kai Sa appeared or where he started his tour, it was enough for him to collaborate with the "king" to manipulate the minds of the dreamers.

This singing event was perfect. Whether he was innocent or not, the truth would be revealed after his death.

In the shadows, Yun Huai moved quietly. Above on the third floor, Gaxiu's silver-gray pupils suddenly looked down.

The luxurious pearl on his ear swayed with his movements, but he didn't see anything; people standing too high always miss the actions at the very bottom.

Yun Huai didn't look up, focusing on enjoying Kai Sa's performance. At the climax of the song, a black blur suddenly appeared.

Lu Lin'an moved so fast that he was already gripping Kai Sa's neck from behind while the crowd was still immersed in the mermaid's singing.

But Yun Huai didn't see Lu Lin'an's next move, as he pulled the Blue Ocean's most formidable mermaid performer from the transparent upper half of the tank into the murky abyss of the lower half.

A huge black tail churned in the water for a moment, like a predator hunting stealthily in the dark.

By the time the audience reacted, only dark red blood was seeping up from the bottom of the giant tank.

Yun Huai closed his eyes, his breath uneven. Above in the stands, a sudden burst of terrified screams erupted.

Every face was filled with anger and shock; the beloved pet of the "king" represented the king's concern, and its murder was seen as disrespect towards the "king."

Yun Huai saw their expressions turn increasingly aggressive, while on the third floor, Gaxiu, who had just been there, had vanished without a trace.

Yun Huai took a step forward, and suddenly the space beside him tore open, with Lu Lin'an transforming his tail into legs as he landed through the rift.

He was dressed in black, with two signature long swords at his waist. Tall and handsome, his cheek still bore the red marks of the hunt.

Lu Lin'an licked it off and then disdainfully said, "As expected, fake fish has no taste."

Yun Huai didn't respond, as more angry gazes converged on them. Lu Lin'an, already marked as an intruder by Gaxiu, flaunted his presence outside after killing the fish, making himself a target for the enraged audience.

But Lu Lin'an was acting on his behalf.

Yun Huai raised his hand, tugging at the monster's sleeve. Lu Lin'an, who enjoyed the feeling of being "protected" by Yun Huai, obediently stood behind him.

The young king stepped forward to leave, with Lu Lin'an standing at the boundary of light and shadow.

The light in the performance area, filtered through blood, took on a strange hue. Yun Huai stood at the bottom of the venue, looking up at the angry crowd.

His gaze was so calm and undisturbed, filled with the noble color of Roland Weite. In such a hue, all falsehood seemed ridiculous, and the audience's anger appeared more like a farce.

From some unknown moment, the crowd gradually quieted down.

Deprived of the song's enchantment, their fervor seemed to subside, with even their anger dissipating quickly.

...Kai Sa's contribution was indeed significant.

But Yun Huai had yet to see what he was hoping for. Just when he thought tonight's effort would be in vain, he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps.

In the reflection of Kai Sa's blood, a figure slowly appeared.

He was dressed in a white robe, his face covered with a silver mask. He was a bit taller than Yun Huai, with a similarly slender build.

A "king" indulging in pleasure and superficial glamour, his greatest ability was in having the devotion of citizens lost in this place. Without their protection, he was merely a common false entity.

The crowd's gaze shifted upwards and then downwards, even those surrounding the "king" appeared bewildered and lost in thought.

The "king's" gaze also fell down. Yun Huai couldn't see his eyes, as all his facial features were hidden behind the mask.

Yun Huai suddenly became curious about what the king in Gaxiu's dream would look like.

He turned back; Lu Lin'an was very close behind him. Yun Huai casually drew one of his swords and, with a focused gaze, hurled it towards the third floor.

The ten-year dream was unbreakable. The citizens had lost track of time in this place, having never seen Yun Huai, only the false royal family used as substitutes.

They panicked at Yun Huai's action, screaming and shouting, their faces showing an expression more shocking and terrifying than Kai Sa's death.

They should have rushed forward to shield the "king" from all attacks, but instead, they inexplicably stood frozen, their eyes fixated in the direction of the "king."

The citizens had wondered countless times what their "king" truly looked like and why he never showed himself. Perhaps... perhaps they were about to find out!

The material of Lu Lin'an's sword was unknown to Yun Huai. He felt the blade was both ancient and fierce. The "king" above stepped back without any sound or expression, as if waiting for some rescue.

But standing here, Yun Huai received nothing he was waiting for.

The tip of Lu Lin'an's sword slid across the "king's" mask, splitting the elaborate mask in two and revealing a face devoid of features.

A purely unadorned, instantly recognizable cowardly and hypocritical fake person.

A deathly silence began to spread in the air, freezing all emotions in everyone's gaze.

Lu Lin'an chuckled near Yun Huai's ear, teasingly saying, "This is nothing compared to you. Gaxiu must be terrible at creating figures."

Yet, such an imperfect creation had bound countless people. Even if he was as fragile as a wildflower by the roadside, only a true king could pluck this weed.

The figures of everyone around began to blur and sway, including the seemingly everlasting performance building.

The entire Blue Ocean started awakening with Yun Huai's actions. Countless people stood on the bustling night streets, their faces turning pale with confusion.

Who are they, where are they, and what are they doing?

It seemed as if something important had been forgotten in their minds. They couldn't remember, only feeling an excruciating headache, as if the world was about to collapse.

Lu Lin'an walked over to stand beside Yun Huai. The young Ita king slowly raised his finger, and fine threads at his fingertips rapidly spread, morphing into the form of mighty tidal waves.

Standing at the lowest point among the crowd, he still remained the master of the world.

The wave's serrated jaws opened wide, swallowing the faceless figure above with an all-consuming force.

For the first time in his life, Lu Lin'an felt a chilling fear of danger. He slowly looked at Yun Huai, who nonchalantly retracted his engulfing power and said in the collapsing world, "Falsehoods are always frail. The citizens have lost track of the royal family for so long that they delude themselves, tragically taking an unremarkable fake as their true king."

Lu Lin'an hummed in agreement: "The dream is about to end."

Yun Huai: "It's time to wake up."

The alien monster looked at the young king: "But they might just fall into another beautiful dream."

Yun Huai hummed in confusion, his figure beginning to become illusory and float.

A true king will save every citizen entrenched in faith. He is incredibly powerful and will ensure the empire's flag is raised once again, not just indulging in decadent mermaid performances, allowing citizens to lose their ability to fight and protect themselves amidst distorted aesthetics.

When people here look up again, they will no longer see a faceless fake, but a living, smiling statue on the altar.

That will be an existence even more mesmerizing for the Ita people than the Blue Dream.

Lu Lin'an raised his hand, and the thrown sword spun back to him. He sheathed the sword, thinking that not everyone could casually draw the Dragon Tooth.

Gaxiu was about to awaken, and the people of the Blue Dream had already sensed the anomaly here. The slowly collapsing dream, supported by royal power, gave them enough blessing. This was a fortunate turn amidst the unfortunate crisis.

As everything in the dream gradually vanished, Yun Huai seemed to see Lu Lin'an looking at him again. His gaze, once pure, now held a complexity and obsession he couldn't understand.

As if he would always look at him like that, until the end of the universe.

Yun Huai felt a lightness, then a sudden heaviness. His closed eyelashes trembled slightly, and when he opened them again, his view was the spaceship's cabin window. Outside the window, the sky was covered in fog enveloping the entire Blue Fei Star.

The fog quickly dissipated with the collapse of the Blue Dream, countless citizens' ships falling from within. Yun Huai suddenly awoke, a hand supporting him from behind, snapping fingers crisply before his eyes.

An invisible force of space spread instantly, effortlessly catching the falling countless faiths.

Lu Lin'an also seemed to have just woken up, his voice lazy and deep: "So tired, let's hug again."

Author's note:

Rinzi plays the victim, taking a break for a pun.

————[Answer: It's more than half dressed.]