Great! I'm surrounded by villains!
Chapter 183 - 103: Praise the Sun King

Chapter 183: Chapter 103: Praise the Sun King

Every Consortium had its own methods for maintaining stability, and their concern was not a single planet, but the vast universe itself.

The Huagang Consortium advocated for the rule of power, while the Mandala Consortium believed in financial stability.

Our good friend Western Wind was employed by the Mandala Consortium, and his memory contained very little about the other consortia. Driven by a spirit of inquiry, Duan Mingyuan asked, "What about the other consortia?"

"You’ll meet them soon,"

Fu Ling smiled slightly and deliberately kept him guessing, "The inspector’s flagship has already jumped to this star system, and the changes should begin shortly."

"People of riddles aren’t allowed to eat skewered chicken!"

This immediately aroused the dissatisfaction of Jiuyue, who was listening with great interest—she never liked people of riddles when she read novels and cursed that they would never have chicken to eat for their entire life.

"Oh dear, it’s getting late, I had promised Mr. Hei Yu to take him to the Yu Quan bath," said Fu Ling.

Fu Ling was like a tourist who had just arrived at the Imperial Court, having set up a series of visiting procedures. Her initial communication with Duan Mingyuan met her expectations, which allowed her to let go of her concerns and enjoy her trip.

After all, the current inspector was not a member of the Mandala Consortium. She was only there to assist in negotiations and did not want to overshadow the host.

After saying goodbye to Fu Ling, Duan Mingyuan and Jiuyue returned to the Royal City.

"Mr. Mingyuan, have you noticed something strange about this place?"

As Jiuyue walked, she sniffed vigorously with her nose. The olfactory sensitivity of canine species was far superior to other species, and she hoped to discern the source of the anomaly in the Royal City.

However, when she took a closer look, she felt that the place was no different from when they had left.

Could it be a psychological effect?

Had Fu Ling’s mention of imminent changes caused her to suspect everything she saw?

"Indeed, there is something odd."

Duan Mingyuan stopped walking and looked around. Just like Jiuyue, he felt that the changes Fu Ling mentioned were very subtle. When he observed carefully, he thought that the Royal City was no different from usual.

A few minutes later, he finally spotted a clue in the expressions of the passing guards and servants. Compared to a few days ago, there was a subtle change in their faces; they no longer looked confused but determined. Although they were still doing the same things, something inside them had changed.

Previously, their wandering stemmed from uncertainty about the future.

For those who had long been under the rule of power, the downfall of Qing Hua and the Cosmic Relations Coordination Department did not bring them ecstasy, let alone a sense of liberation.

They were accustomed to obeying the will of heaven; the messengers "from above" had given them directives, guiding their path. But now, there was no one left to dispel the darkness before their eyes.

From a scientific standpoint, Duan Mingyuan thought this was a severe case of Stockholm syndrome; curing such a condition would take a long time. Even though they had signed a non-interference treaty with the corporation and became the seventeenth star, people from Blue Star would have to start from scratch to learn freedom.

But that was not for Duan Mingyuan to consider anymore.

"Mr. Mingyuan, look!"

Jiuyue pointed to the distance. After some investigation, she finally made an unusual discovery.

Descending the stairs of the great hall was Cai Die, in a black nun’s robe, holding up the hem of her nun’s attire. She wore a black veil, but instead of the common cross hanging at her chest, there was a circular disc resembling the insignia of the Sun, edged with gold embroidery, and the same pattern was also present just below the middle of her chest.

Cai Die, in a hurry, did not notice them. After jogging down the stairs, she ran towards the hall in her black canvas shoes.

"Doesn’t this seem abnormal?"

Jiuyue switched into detective mode, even opening the music player on her phone and selecting a classic detective BGM to add persuasiveness.

However, Duan Mingyuan did feel that Cai Die’s attire was perfectly normal.

The Third Prince had a wide range of interests, and as long as he made a request, even if Cai Die was reluctant, she would eventually compromise, especially since a nun’s robe wasn’t something too shameful to wear outside.

He found the people passing by, who seemed to suddenly have found their calling in life, to be more suspicious.

"Let’s go, let’s follow them and see."

"Isn’t that a bad idea? What if they are just flirting?"

"Then we’ll just make sure they don’t notice us, and secretly watch!"

Hearing "flirting" only made Jiuyue more eager, she checked to make sure her phone battery was fully charged, enough for a long session of filming.

Considering the Third Prince was still on a "middle school" level, she was always prepared to step in and guide the two if necessary, as a senior.

She knew a lot; describing her as experienced would not be an exaggeration.

But Duan Mingyuan thought this little fox might need some moral education and discipline.

Considering Jiuyue’s identity as a detective, he still followed her.

Unexpectedly, the auditorium was already full of people, and no scenes that would be too much for the children had occurred.

The crowd consisted of both men and women, all dressed in clergy attire, while Cai Die donned a black veil to hide her face and blended into the ranks of the nuns.

Jiuyue recognized the person on stage at a glance.

"The Second Prince; he’s up to something again!"

Clearly, the clergy gathered in the auditorium had been summoned by him.

Following Qing Hua’s downfall, the Second Prince never recovered, shutting himself in his room, drinking his days away, having given up on himself.

Nevertheless, this was understandable; not only had the throne he almost had slipped away, but the beliefs he had steadfastly held for more than a decade had also crumbled.

But unexpectedly, within just a few days, the Second Prince had come out of his depression and also gathered so many people.

This looked like a religious ceremony, with the round sun emblem being worshipped.

Duan Mingyuan suddenly remembered a phrase he had read somewhere: the way to save someone who has lost all hope is to give them a new faith.

Was this the change that Fu Ling had mentioned?

With the rise of music filled with a sense of the sacred, a soft chanting filled the church.

It was a language Duan Mingyuan had never heard before.

As the chanting continued, the scenery around them suddenly changed, and without realizing it, the auditorium disappeared. Everything that the eye could see was dissolved by the song, yet the singers, as if unaware of the changes around them, continued with their hands clasped in front of their chests, devoutly chanting.

They stood between the universe and the stars.

The round sun ornament among the stars transformed into the Sun, dispelling the darkness for them and illuminating the path ahead.

At the same time, it extended an invitation to Duan Mingyuan.

The once enigmatic language no longer seemed abstruse, and gradually, he understood its meaning.

——Praise to the Sun King.