When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 199: Shen Nianzu’s Flaw

Chapter 199: Shen Nianzu’s Flaw

Under the breathtaking glow of the setting sun, Ariel took her place on the elevated rock in the mating area, her expression a mix of nervousness and anticipation. The whistles and cheers of the crowd gradually faded into hushed silence as they waited for their Princess’ song to begin.

Ariel clutched her erratically pounding heart, took a deep breath, and stole a glance at the building where Shen Nianzu stood. Faintly, she caught a glimpse of the man’s silhouette through the window and knew that he was looking back at her too.

Traditionally, suitors would gather close to the mermaids during their performance to harmonize with the melody. But this time, the King made an exception for Shen Nianzu. Fearing that the human would feel uncomfortable under such depths, it was finally decided that Shen Nianzu would be on standby on the closest building above the surface.

The two were separated by hundreds of meters away, yet the scene was unexpectedly picturesque. One was looking up, while the other was gazing down. One beneath the ocean, the other above the surface. It was as if they were set apart by a stretch of lifetime, but in the end, they still found each other in the middle.

The emotional merfolk were already holding back tears, even the King’s eyes glistened at the sight.

Had they known what was running through Shen Nianzu’s mind, perhaps they would have been infuriated enough to cough out blood. From his vantage point, he could scan the entire city and its inhabitants, hundreds of merfolk of all ages gathered to witness the sacred ceremony.

However, he could not see any signs of Jin Jiuchi, Gu Luoxin or Noir anywhere.

Shen Nianzu’s left eye twitched ominously. Hadn’t they agreed beforehand that the three of them would watch the performance near the mating area so they could respond swiftly to any unforeseen situations? But why couldn’t he find them?! Alas, before he could even think of what those three could get up to, Ariel opened her mouth and began to sing.

Her voice echoed loud and clear, carried by the water currents to where Shen Nianzu stood. It sounded very different from Ariel’s normal speaking voice, and only a deaf would not be able to discern the distinction. This time, Ariel poured her heart and soul into the song. The melody was shaky and unstable at first, mirroring her nervousness, but as her emotions took over, she sang with fervor and passion. The whole ocean seemed to reverberate with her feelings as they churned and swirled, creating a symphony that tugged on everyone’s heartstrings. Small colorful fishes gathered around her, adding in to the ethereal and captivating scene.

As expected of the Princess of the merfolk clan, her voice was second to none— this was truly a voice blessed by the Goddess!

From the spectators’ area, light sobs, sniffles and awed sighs could be heard. A few mermans were moved and their desire to conquer was stirred, but before they could even entertain the thoughts in their mind, the sight of fierce guards stationed around the area swiftly quashed their brittle passion. This was no ordinary mermaid; this was the Princess herself. Not just anyone could sing along with such a level of skill, or else they would only humiliate themselves!

Meanwhile, on top of the building, Shen Nianzu’s expression grew increasingly stiff, and black lines formed on his forehead.

What the fuck? He was supposed to sing along with this opera-level performance?

Veins throbbed in Shen Nianzu’s forehead. Truth to be told, there was something he had never told anyone before. He possessed a tiny, almost insignificant flaw that had never bothered him for his twenty four years of life, but now it had become a huge stumbling block that could potentially end him the very next second. That’s right, the great Shen Nianzu, who owned immeasurable wealth, had expensive properties all over the country, was able to speak more than five languages, and talented in various skills like archery, horse riding and embroidery...

...was actually tone deaf.

It was to the level where he could create a completely different song from the simplest nursery rhyme.

He had thought he could get away with humming a few random melodies, but judging from the current situation, it seemed like he was now expected to harmonize with Ariel’s singing! What was this if not an impossible task?!

As Ariel’s song reached its climax, her passion intensified, and the melody ranging from high to low notes danced together to form an otherworldly symphony akin to a divine song from Heaven. This was the part where the suitor was supposed to join in, but everyone waited and waited, and still, no sound came from Shen Nianzu’s side.

The merfolk exchanged dubious glances and whispered among themselves, expressing their confusion, "What’s going on?"

"Why is the human not singing?"

"He couldn’t be bailing out at the last moment, right?"

The whispers gradually reached the King’s ears, and a frown appeared on his forehead. Even though Ariel did not show it on her face, how could he, as her father, not realize how anxious and panicked she was at the moment? A flicker of anger flashed through his eyes, and his expression turned somber. He raised a hand, intending to summon the guards to check on Shen Nianzu in case something unexpected happened to him, when all of a sudden, another voice drifted through the air.

Shen Nianzu began to sing.

With a numb expression that resembled a block statue, he opened his mouth and sang the country’s national anthem, with the heroic lyrics and passionate tune. Well, no one would realize the song he was singing was the national anthem anyway.

Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves!

With our flesh and blood, let us build a new Great Wall!

Millions of hearts with one mind

Brave the enemy’s gunfire, march on!

He clenched his fists and decided to throw all caution to the wind. Forget it, if they wanted him to sing, then he should just sing! Perhaps Ariel would realize how unsuitable he was and changed her mind once she heard his horrible voice!

Alas, contrary to his expectations, the merfolk clan did not get angry. Instead, they began to cheer, and Ariel’s eyes also lit up. Her excitement soared as she adjusted her singing to match Shen Nianzu’s garbage humming and unexpectedly, there was an indescribable harmony among the two’s distinctly different voices.

Was this the power of musical genius? Shen Nianzu wondered distantly.

Ariel rose from the elevated rock she was sitting on, and as she swam upwards, the tall reefs on both sides of the cliff started to lit up one after another, as if laying out a red carpet just for her. The cheers and whistles in the air grew increasingly heated, as the merfolk started to chant, "Dance! Dance! Dance!"

Shyly, Ariel faced the building and extended her hand, inviting him to come.

Shen Nianzu almost choked on his saliva, and he closed his eyes in resignation. It was all for the sake of double rewards, he reminded himself. For the success of Jin Jiuchi’s personal task! With that in mind, he could finally regain his composure and calm his unsteady heart. However, just as he was about to dive into the water and join Ariel below the sea, all of a sudden, the sky overhead darkened and a flash of lightning struck!

Everyone was dumbfounded. The weather had been perfect just moments ago, so how could it turn worse all of a sudden?!

"Ah!" A merman amidst the crowd cried out in horror as he pointed above the surface. "L–Look! What the hell is that?!"

Everyone followed his line of sight, squinting their eyes to comprehend the sight before them. And as soon as they realized what it was, their faces instantly contorted in shock and disbelief. What they thought were dark clouds covering the sky, turned out to be a ship— a flying ship that floated right above their city!

"Hahahaha!" A loud and boisterous guffaw came from the person standing on the ship’s bow. He was clad only in sweatpants that hung low on his hips, with his bare torso exposed. An obsidian jackal headpiece adorned his head, obscuring half of his face and making him look as if he was a half human half beast creature with glowing golden eyes that peered down at the merfolk with a condescending gaze. "Beware of the curse of the Flying Dutchman, you ignorant merfolk. Fear me, for I have come to steal the groom— wait, no, I am here to steal both of them!"

As a loud ruckus rippled through the ocean, Shen Nianzu’s entire body froze in place, shocked by the unexpected turn of events. With a single glance, he immediately recognized the ship, as well as the person directing it.

T–That ship... it was the prop he had purchased in the Nightmare App for emergency situations! What the fuck was Jin Jiuchi doing with it?!!