N-A-A Chapter 1266 Daines Reeb, whom we haven't seen in a long time
Chapter 1266 Daines Reeb, whom we haven't seen in a long time
Kong Jian Shaoyun finally caught up with his train of thought, scratching his head in exasperation, and said, "How to describe it... that upside-down wind god statue in the cave."
"Over the years, it has accumulated a great deal of abyssal power, which is one of the energy sources used by the Abyssal Order to overthrow the Throne of Heavenly Principle."
"But recently, for some reason, the abyssal power inside the statue suddenly disappeared completely, leaving not a trace."
"Disappeared?" Upon hearing this, Shao Yun's mind went blank, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
Kong looked at Shao Yun's face, which showed an "exe not responding" expression and his pupils dilated in shock, and helplessly spread his hands.
"That's right, it's that outrageous. So for the past month or two, I've been searching everywhere with Serene (Capitano) and the people from the Abyss Order, trying to find out who the hell stole the Abyss Power that the Order had accumulated. We don't even have regular mealtimes or sleeptimes, and we hardly have any time to go home."
After hearing this, Shao Yun found it utterly unbelievable.
The world is truly full of wonders. These days, there are people who steal money, people who steal things, and even people who steal people, but he had never seen anyone steal the power of the abyss!
That stuff corrupts the mind and does nothing but harm. Who would be so foolish as to steal it?
Didn't the remains of that notorious treasure thief from Fontaineble serve as a warning?
(Barbara, who fell due to her obsession: Am I preaching?)
"Who would steal that thing?" Shao Yun couldn't help but ask the probing question.
"You can't eat that stuff, and it'll drive you crazy. What's the point of stealing it?"
Upon hearing this, Kong Yi slapped his thigh, completely baffled.
"I'm puzzled too! You know, very few people in Teyvat dare to touch anything belonging to the Abyss Order, let alone steal it!"
"If Yuan Shang hadn't rushed to find me today, saying that the Extreme Evil Riders had 'stolen' our ranch, I would still be searching all over the country for the murderer who stole our power!"
Although Shao Yun sympathized with his brother-in-law for losing his things and having wasted his time, there was a more important issue for him right now than "finding the culprit who stole the power of the abyss".
My brother-in-law is never home. If this continues, what will happen if Ying misses her brother?
Then he suddenly changed the subject, asking pointedly, "So, do you have any leads now regarding finding the murderer?"
Kong subconsciously shook his head, thinking that Shao Yun was concerned about the stolen Abyss Power, and sighed, saying, "No... we haven't found a single clue."
Upon hearing that all that work had been for nothing and there had been no progress, Shao Yun immediately made a firm demand:
"Then don't bother with anything for the next couple of days! Take a few days off, stay home, spend time with Ying, and relax!"
"You're always running around like this, making it seem like you're never coming back! You're not the same person you used to be!"
Kong was stunned by Shao Yun's sudden request and exclaimed in surprise, "Ah!"
Seeing Kong's bewildered expression, Shao Yun crossed his arms and said authoritatively, "What 'ah'? It's settled! You're not allowed to go anywhere for the next two days; you're staying home!"
"Once we've rested and have the energy, it won't be too late to investigate that murderer who stole our power!"
Kong Xiao couldn't win against Shao Yun's strong will, and thinking about how she had indeed neglected her younger sister recently, her heart softened. In the end, she sighed helplessly and nodded.
"Alright... I'll take two days off and stay home. But if there are any clues about the power of the abyss, I'll still have to go check them out."
Shao Yun agreed immediately, a smile instantly spreading across his face. He patted Shao Yun's shoulder and said, "That's more like it! Come on, let's go inside, it's almost lunchtime."
……
In short, under Shao Yun's insistence, Kong could only give himself a vacation and rest at home.
Capitano, with the help of Abyss, was sent back to the Abyss Order's headquarters in the Kingdom of Night.
Thus, the turmoil caused by the extremely vicious rider during the day has finally subsided for the time being.
The cattle and sheep in the pasture had long been driven back into the pen by the "fake" Gan Yu, and the living room had been cleaned up by Ning Guang.
As night fell, a white figure with two "little tails" groped its way into the ranch from the outside.
It was Ying, who had been out all day, with Paimon beside her, and the little dragon "Potato Pancake" hopping and skipping behind her!
As soon as Ying opened the living room door, a rich aroma of food wafted out, instantly putting her at ease.
What surprised her even more than the aroma of the food was that, in addition to her husband, there was another person she hadn't seen at home in a long time who came to greet her.
My own stinky older brother is "Kong".
"Hey bro, you actually came back after all!"
Ying saw the empty space and was stunned for a moment. Then she frowned and said sarcastically with dissatisfaction, "I thought you had forgotten about this family. You're always running around outside and haven't even sent a message."
Knowing he was in the wrong, Kong immediately put on a fawning smile and said ingratiatingly, "Haha, I've just been a bit busy lately."
"Little sister, you must be exhausted after running around all day. Sit down and rest. Ningguang, hurry up and finish cooking. We're just waiting for you to come back and have dinner."
Shao Yun stepped forward and asked curiously, "You're a little late today. You're usually back around the afternoon. Did something happen on the way?"
As soon as Ying heard her husband ask why she was home late, she immediately started talking, her face showing an exaggerated expression of grievance as she poured out her grievances:
"Don't even mention it! Today was going so smoothly, but on the way back we ran into some complete idiot! When he saw our little dragon with us, he made sarcastic remarks about how the little dragon looked 'abnormal,' and that he had 'ominous energy' about him, and that he was a 'sick monster'!"
"I got really angry right then and there, so I went up to him and slapped him right across the face, practically burying him in the ground, to teach him the lesson of talking nonsense!"
When Shao Yun heard that Ying was so violent, she wondered if this was still the same sweet, soft, and occasionally coquettish "Haji Ying" she knew.
"Really?" Shao Yun asked instinctively, her tone full of surprise. "You really hit him? Doesn't your hand hurt?"
Ying made a "pfft" sound, and her expression, which had been somewhat "fierce," softened instantly.
She stepped forward and took Shao Yun's arm, resting her head gently on his shoulder, and said in a coquettish tone, "Of course it's fake! How could I be so violent? I was just joking with you."
Just as Ying was acting cute and charming, Yuan Shang, who was busy going back and forth between the kitchen and the dining room, came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of freshly made braised fish.
He happened to hear Ying say "I am not violent," and he suddenly stumbled, the plate in his hand wobbled, and he almost dropped the fragrant braised fish on the ground.
Ying, if you weren't violent, who was it back in Yuanxia Palace who chased after me and beat me up over the smallest thing, almost making me shit my pants?
Fortunately, Yuan Shang reacted quickly and steadied himself, placing the braised fish steadily on the dining table.
He coughed lightly twice to cover up his earlier lapse in composure, and tried his best to put on a calm expression.
Kong's ears twitched, just in time to hear Yuan Shang's two unnatural coughs. He turned to look at Yuan Shang and asked in confusion, "Yuan Shang, what are you coughing about?"
Yuan Shang quickly waved his hand, his eyes darting around as he explained:
"N-nothing! I just choked on my own saliva while walking. It's alright, Your Highness, don't worry, I can help."
After saying that, he didn't dare to linger any longer. He turned around and quickly walked back to the kitchen, afraid that if he heard anything "mind-blowing" again, he would inevitably reveal his true colors.
Ying watched Yuan Shang's hurried departure, a smirk playing on her lips. She didn't expose his little scheme, but turned to Kong and Shao Yun, abandoning her joking tone, and earnestly explained the real reason for her late return today.
"Alright, enough joking around, let's get down to business. Actually, the reason I came back late today is because I met a special person, and it's related to Xiaolong."
She paused, organized her thoughts, and continued, "On my way back with Xiaolong today, I met a man who claimed to be a member of the 'Dragon Relics Research Association.' He said his name was Koman."
"That person looked very knowledgeable. As soon as he saw Xiaolong, he stared at the red mark on its head for a long time."
“He told me that the red mark on the little dragon’s head was not an ordinary mark, but a special mark called ‘Blessing of the Flame Lord’.”
"He also said that this 'Blessing of the Flame Lord' comes from the power of the dragons in the more ancient times, and is extremely powerful. But now Nata's dragon bloodline has gradually weakened, and his body is simply unable to bear such great power."
"What's more troublesome is that he said even the 'Great Spirit' of Nata and the Kingdom of Night God are very resistant to this ancient dragon power and are unwilling to accept the little dragons who possess this power."
"If this mark is not properly dealt with, the little dragon will either die prematurely during its growth because it cannot withstand the power, or it will be devoured by the power, lose its mind, and completely turn into an out-of-control monster."
After listening to Ying's account of the "Blessing of the Flame Lord," Shao Yun immediately followed up with, "And then? After hearing what he said, what did you do next?"
Upon hearing this, Ying immediately puffed out her chest and a smug look appeared on her face.
"I'm not some brainless naiveté, how could I possibly believe him based on just one side of his story!"
"So I immediately suggested that I take him to the Olympic Stadium in Nata."
“There’s the official headquarters of the Dragon Relics Research Association there. We can ask the association members to verify his identity and also ask if the ‘Blessing of the Flame Lord’ is true.”
"And guess what happened?" Ying changed the subject abruptly, saying with obvious annoyance:
"We had only gone halfway when, as we were passing through some bushes, he suddenly said he needed to relieve himself and told us to wait for him where we were."
"Before Paimon and I could react, he disappeared into the bushes! Paimon and I searched the neighborhood for ages, but we couldn't find a trace of him. It was as if he vanished into thin air!"
Paimon then flew up from beside Ying, interrupting her, his little face flushed red, and said indignantly:
"Therefore, we suspect that the guy named Coman is not a member of the Dragon Relics Research Association at all; he's just a fake dragon dealer!"
"They must have seen the special mark on Xiaolong's body, thought Xiaolong was very rare, and wanted to kidnap Xiaolong to sell for money!"
"What a pity, he ran too fast, we couldn't catch up at all!" Paimon said, waving his little fist forcefully.
"If I had known he was so cunning, I should have just pinned that despicable dragon trader to the ground and planted him in the soil to teach him a lesson!"
As Shao Yun listened to their conversation, he pinched his chin with his fingers and fell into deep thought.
Things have been quite unsettled in Nata recently. First, the Evil Riders appeared, and now people suspected of being dragon traffickers have emerged. It seems we need to find a way to deal with them as soon as possible.
"Dragon traffickers? This is something we really need to take seriously. I'll find a chance to talk to Kinich tomorrow and ask him to strengthen the crackdown on dragon traffickers within Nata."
After saying that, he changed the subject and said to Ying, "Oh, by the way, there's something else I need to tell you about when we have dinner later, about what happened at the ranch today."
When Ying heard that this matter was to be told specifically at dinner, she immediately showed a curious expression and asked in confusion, "What is it? It's so mysterious, can't you tell me now? I want to know now!"
Shao Yun smiled and shook his head, deliberately keeping Ying in suspense, while also reminding her to be mentally prepared.
"It wouldn't make much sense to tell you now; you'll find out when the time comes. But I'm letting you know in advance that this matter is a bit unexpected, so don't be too surprised."
Seeing that Shao Yun wouldn't budge, Ying could only pout helplessly, but her heart was filled with curiosity as she secretly wondered what Shao Yun would say to her at dinner.
……
As time went by, dinner was served at the ranch.
Ningguang brought the last dish to the table, Shenhe carried the baby downstairs, and Yuanshang also helped set out the bowls and chopsticks.
The tension and worries of the day were all washed away by the lively atmosphere.
Just as everyone was about to sit down for dinner, a familiar figure slowly walked towards them on the path outside the ranch.
It was Daines Reeb, whom I hadn't seen in a long time.
Dain stopped and stood at the entrance of the ranch, looking down at the ground beneath her feet and then looking up at the ranch.
"This is... the aura of the Extremely Evil Knight Surtroch... How did he end up on this ranch? What is he doing here?"