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Chapter 1611 Final Chapter: Crossing the Sea [68] "Saints and Sinners (1)"

The moment Su Ming'an saw the stunningly beautiful woman, he realized that he had made a mistake in his consideration. Upon closer inspection, he realized that none of the gods in the Cloud City, the Dawn God, the Deity God, or the Die God could be considered to have very good taste.

Because of his experience, he recognized Noel's face at a glance. However, the first time he was amazed, but the second time he was wary and cautious.

...Is this a "fan fiction" written by the Radiant Mother Goddess, or is it the golden mille-feuille?
He made a move to draw his sword, but was suddenly covered in the mouth and dragged behind him under the curtains.

"Don't let 'Mystic Rose' find out, Yu Hang!" A familiar voice came from behind: "He is the biggest patron of 'Louyue Pavilion'. I know you like beautiful women, but today is not a good day to watch the show. Be careful not to be discovered."

The heavy curtains blocked out the golden-haired fairy. The last glimpse of her was of the fairy sitting on a high platform covered with layers of flowers, with the air of a hostess.

"...Radiant Mother Goddess, you've really gone mad..." These were the thoughts swirling in Su Ming'an's mind. He knew it was "unofficial history," but he didn't expect it to be this "unofficial."

He turned around and saw a handsome face with a blue ribbon tied around his forehead, bright and round eyes, a slightly round face, and pleasing features.

“…Wang Xingkong?” Su Ming'an glanced at it.

The eighth ring's perfect completion mission required him to jump to the point in time "the attic of the Kingdom of Casal." He remembered that this was after Prince Fuen's death, when he, as Wang Xingkong, lured Chen Yuhang from Mingxi Campus to Rovasa. They landed in a war zone and quickly hid in an old woman's attic, evading the soldiers' search. Coincidentally, they found Qinsi hiding in the attic as well. Then, a certain lazy bird came to steal his account.

He thought that after he landed, he would at least be in a similar scene, such as a small attic in a war zone... but why was it this kind of "boudoir" attic?

"Shh..." Wang Xingkong shushed, "This 'Louyue Pavilion' was built by a big shot. No matter how loud the cannons are outside, the lights inside remain on. Those soldiers don't dare to break in and search. Luckily we hid inside... But if we were discovered by the people inside, we would probably be shot dead very quickly. Be a little more vigilant. Do you see those fairies who can't move?"

Su Ming'an understood; he had possessed Chen Yuhang's body this time. The advantages were that his identity was inconspicuous, avoiding the attention of the Radiant Mother Goddess, making it easier to find the Demon Mother Goddess's key, and he also had a good buddy, Wang Xingkong. The disadvantage was his average strength, but the cards could compensate for this.

It seems that the original text, "Wang Xingkong and Chen Yuhang escaped into the old woman's attic," has been altered to "Fan fiction: Wang Xingkong and Chen Yuhang escaped into an attic where operas were performed."

Without identification, they were considered suspicious by the soldiers and fled into this attic, hiding in this boudoir.

"It's just a change of location, so it's not a big deal..." Su Ming'an looked outside through the crack.

They were in a boudoir, furnished in an antique style. The dressing table was spotless, with a row of sparkling bottles and jars gleaming. The rouge was engraved with the old shop name "Liu Chunlin," making it look precious and extraordinary. The wardrobe door was half open, revealing two or three slightly worn cheongsams. On the small table sat a hand-cranked phonograph, with a few record covers scattered around it.

This was the first time Su Ming'an had ever seen a world with this style.

At the other end of the room, the curtains hung quietly, and a plain-colored sheet covered the bed, with several sandalwood chests placed underneath. The small window did not open to the outside but to the stage inside the pavilion, where neon lights spelled out the four characters "Chunhua Stage," their shimmering colors and vibrant reds and greens highlighting the silhouettes of the dancers on stage.

He had seen Noel through a small window, looking down at the platform. Therefore, Noel probably didn't see him.

Noel couldn't possibly be making a living here; he must have come undercover, for... assassination? Or to explore something?
Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from the pavilion, like the sound of cannonballs grazing. "Whoosh—" The wooden pillars shook, shaking down dust.

Below sat a diverse group of people. The gentlemen leaned back in their mahogany chairs, twirling snuff bottles between their fingers, while wealthy merchants held their heads high, squinting, cigar smoke curling upwards, as if the world itself were a rosy, intoxicating atmosphere. As the building swayed, they all looked up in alarm at the entrance.

"Bang!" The two intricately carved doors were smashed open with brute force, and a group of soldiers rushed in with long spears and cold bayonets.

"By order of Commander Bai Ran, search!" The leading officer's voice was as hard as iron as he swept his gaze across the entire area, his eyes sharp as knives, scraping over every terrified face: "We suspect that there are 'Nest' faction spies hiding here. Anyone who disrespects the Radiant Mother Goddess will be killed without exception!"

He picked up a card and held it up in front of his face: "See this? This is the [R Card - Messenger of Light]. If you dare to disobey, come and clash with my card!"

...It really is a combination of East and West. Su Ming'an covered his face.

"Oh dear, sir, what are you saying..." A figure parted the crowd, and a beautiful proprietress walked over. Her hair was perfectly styled, and her face was plastered with a smile that was both gentle and sweet. She walked briskly and said, "Sir, you've worked hard! The Peking Opera industry has its own rules. No matter how important this matter is, please allow us to finish this grand finale performance. We must finish what we started."

She turned around with a smile, her eyes sparkling, "Girls, don't just stand there, keep dancing, don't let our honored guests down."

Throughout the entire process, Noel remained seated on a wooden chair to the side, chin in hand, as if asleep, seemingly unaffected by the scene.

"How did these soldiers break in... Damn it, didn't I hear this building has powerful backers?" On the upper floor, Wang Xingkong gripped Su Ming'an's hand tightly.

"Don't panic," Su Ming'an said.

"How can I not panic! The fighting here is insane. It's that 'Battle of the Protagonists,' with eight candidates for the protagonist, and two of them are already fighting right here. The two armies are practically bloodthirsty." Wang Xingkong said through gritted teeth.

"The protagonist's battle?" Su Ming'an glanced sideways.

"Didn't you listen carefully when you were gathering information before?" Wang Xingkong said patiently, "The eight protagonist candidates are still fighting each other. When only four protagonists remain, a war called 'Sea Feast' will begin. Whoever wins in the end will be the final protagonist, able to meet the Radiant Mother Goddess and obtain the supreme treasure."

"A grand feast at sea... alright." At this point, Su Ming'an could only accept these circumstances. No wonder the tenth seat mocked the Radiant Mother Goddess for only copying; she truly was a master tailor.

"So, the battles here are fought using... cards?" Su Ming'an asked.

“Yes,” Wang Xingkong said, “but without cards, the masses can only fight with real swords and spears.”

He pulled out a card and sighed, "...Sigh, I've only managed to get one N-level card so far. How are we supposed to protect ourselves with our current strength? Are we going to die before we even get started? We just escaped Mingxi Campus and haven't even had a chance to experience the beauty of this world..."

In his hand was a golden animal card that looked a lot like Pikachu.

Su Ming'an raised his palm.

"Don't look, you don't have one yet." Wang Xingkong said, "I was just lucky. I passed by the battlefield and picked up a card left behind by a fallen soldier. Although it was only the lowest-level N card, it still had some combat power."

...No, Su Ming'an has it.

SR card Emblem Purple, SR card Prayer of the Day, and even Li Mingyue and Single/Double... However, just like before, his companions were not teleported with him and will only be seen later.

That soldier is so arrogant just because he has an R card, then what about me...?

Beneath the pavilion, the sounds of string and wind instruments hesitated for a moment before timidly resuming, and the spotlights refocused. In the center of the dance floor, dancers gracefully moved, one with jet-black hair standing out. She twirled, holding a fan in both hands, her dance elegant and graceful.

She closed the fan and then opened it again, the fan surface fluttering like a butterfly.

Suddenly, she spun around sharply, and the fan ribs made a crisp click.

"Ding--"

As the lamplight flickered, a gleaming blade suddenly appeared on the edge of the fan! Her figure shot out like an arrow, her eyes burning with a suicidal rage, as she charged straight at the leading officer!

"We are in grave danger, you lackeys of the Li dog, take my knife!" Her tone was filled with intense hatred, as if she would rather die than not kill.

"Thud!" The sharp blade pierced through the leather, and hot blood splattered onto the dim yellow gauze of the magnesium lamp. The officer's eyes widened, his throat made a hoarse sound, and he incredulously covered his gushing neck before falling heavily backward.

"Rebellion! Rebellion!" After a brief moment of silence, the soldiers snapped out of their daze and surged toward the stage like a swarm of bees exploding from their nest.

The dancer did not resist; instead, she looked up at the flashing lights, letting out a high-pitched, shrill laugh, a clear and joyful laugh, as if she had finally avenged herself.
"Li Gou instigated war for the Lin Clan, destroyed my homeland, ruined my country, and killed my parents! I, a mere dancer, could never even see Li Gou in my entire life, so I will use your claws to appease the spirits of my parents in heaven! Fang'er is unfilial, Fang'er is unfilial!"

Laughter was silenced by gunfire; the dancer fell, blood flowing everywhere.

Amidst screams of alarm, the other dancers were roughly dragged off the stage, leaving behind scattered jewels and ornaments on the ground.

The proprietress's smile never faded. Facing the angry soldiers, she remained calm and didn't even glance at the officer convulsing in a pool of blood. Her gaze remained steadily fixed on the corner.

"Sigh, these young girls are so ignorant. Please forgive them, gentlemen." She sighed, her voice calm and even, as if she were talking about breaking a teacup. She paused, her gaze falling on a figure standing silently to the side of the table. "You, come here."

The blonde beauty who was called upon slowly raised her head, stood up, and looked calmly at the angry soldiers, her eyes looking beyond the clamor.

He slowly picked up a token.

The moment the token was seen, the audience fell silent. After a moment, the soldiers holstered their guns, swallowed their anger, dragged the officer's body away, and left the theater.

Only the scattered tables and chairs and the disheveled wealthy merchants trembled in pools of blood.

“…Oh no.” Wang Xingkong hurriedly came out from behind the curtains and searched around the boudoir: “After the soldiers leave, the opera singers will go back to their rooms. We have to find a shortcut to leave quickly.”

"What is that token?" Su Ming'an asked.

"Oh, I don't know either. It seems to be the token of the protagonist, Hui Bai. That blonde beauty is probably on Hui Bai's side. The soldiers don't want to mess with Hui Bai." Wang Xingkong rummaged through drawers and cabinets.

...Is Noel from Huibai? One big, one small, like Russian nesting dolls?

Su Ming'an opened a mahogany box. Besides the gold and silver travel money and cosmetics, there was a small hidden compartment inside. He opened it with his experience and found a letter.

[A Letter to Righteous People Across the World]

The handwriting is elegant, yet every stroke is sharp and forceful.

Su Ming'an unfolded it and took a look.

Now, with danger imminent, we should set an example, lead from the front, fear no power, and slay the traitors...

"This is..." he realized, "the room of the dead dancer..."

He read several letters filled with hatred for "Glass Dog," stating that she would assassinate the officer, inciting a private fight among her henchmen...

"She intended to incite conflict between the protagonist behind the attic, Eland, and the other protagonist, Bai Ran. Unfortunately, Noel presented Hui Bai's token and prevented the fight... It was a sacrifice in vain..." Su Ming'an folded the letters and placed them on the candle flame, where they crackled and burned.

The candle burned the letter paper, and also burned away the last name on the letter—Chen Fang.

At the bottom of the wooden box was a yellowed photograph. Su Ming'an picked it up. The girl's face was covered with very thin makeup, almost pale, like a plain silk cloth in the chaotic light and shadow. She wore flowing, wide sleeves that revealed a section of her pale but well-defined wrist. Her pupils were deep and dark, like tempered iron.

Through the photograph, one can vaguely glimpse what kind of woman she was.

Su Ming'an suddenly realized that although this was "unofficial history," it was based on official history, and everything was happening and everything was real.

"Li Gou, whose real name is Su Wenli, is the orphaned son of the world's ruler. He is cruel, vicious, and utterly wicked..." Su Ming'an learned this information by reading the letter.

The world ruler Su Wenjun was freed, but the concept of "world ruler" did not disappear into thin air. Instead, a person named "Su Wenli" replaced him.

As if in an endless cycle of inheritance, Su Wenjun's pursuit of freedom meant that others would be bound in his place. According to the letter, Su Wenli was the orphaned son of the previous ruler, assisted by Bishop Huichi and Grand Tutor Huibi. He secretly worshipped the Demon Mother Goddess, thus instigating war and attempting to sacrifice innocent lives to the goddess. Countless people wished nothing more than to kill him…

“The Demon Mother Goddess.” Su Ming’an grasped the key point.

In this world where everyone worships the Radiant Mother Goddess, Su Wenli worships the Demon Mother Goddess… The key is very likely in his hands, or at least he has relevant information. Otherwise, why would he defy the world?

It seems we need to find this Su Wenli.

Suddenly, footsteps approached. Before he could jump out of the window, Su Ming'an grabbed Wang Xingkong and darted into a nearby wardrobe.

Through the gap in the wardrobe, a woman with her hair styled in a cloud-like bun and adorned with flowers entered. She wore a long dress embroidered with peonies. She had come to collect Chen Fang's belongings. As she bent down slightly, she noticed that the room's furnishings were unusual.

Before she could scream, Su Ming'an burst out of the cupboard, pressing a silver hairpin against her slender neck: "Shut up."

In this life-or-death moment, the woman remained calm. She raised her hands and said serenely, "I don't care who you are, nor do I care why you searched through Chen Fang's belongings. Spare my life, and I will serve you in the future, or you can ask me to forget what happened today, I will do as you say."