Vol. 6 [Insane Dream]

For the vast and boundless universe, constant silence, coldness, and death are the norm.

For the fiery Earth, the short history of life spanning just over 500 million years is but a fleeting moment in the vast expanse of time.

Mary Stuart understood this principle well--

She was well-read and knowledgeable in astronomy and geography.

Five hundred years of firearms history broadened her horizons. The incredible free-for-all martial arts, the decisive and ruthless slaughtering methods, and the extraordinary qualities of the Easterners who were destined to become kings—all of this captivated her.

Simply put, Mary has lived for so long and has never seen this level of combat power.

Dozens of dark bat-like figures flew out from the ancient castle in South Sea City; these spies were Mary's scouts and sentries.

More than twenty cars drove out one after another through the old manor's large iron gate. Newspapers and private detectives began their operation, all in an effort to find out Jiang Xueming's real name and personal information.

Mary firmly believed in a simple and unpretentious truth.

There is nothing in the world that cannot be bought.

--It's simply that the conditions weren't tempting enough, or fatal enough.

If we can figure out this man's family, get hold of his relatives, and exploit his weaknesses, we can use generous rewards, threats of death, and begging on our knees to pull him to the negotiating table with a severed arm adorned with a ring, and use his bride's face to lure him into the wedding ceremony and tie him to the Rose Sect's ship.

This kid's advanced firearms and martial arts will pave the way for the sect. The new members he cultivates and educates will open up a new path for the vampires. At that time, the vampires' territory on earth will probably not be limited to London.

In the world's bustling metropolises, and among all the underground gangs, all must call her the Holy Blessed Mother.

While Mary was searching for Jiang Xueming at all costs—

--Maggie was also secretly plotting something.

She had never seen her eldest sister so frantic, searching for a mere mortal.

This has absolutely nothing to do with simple romantic love. When Maggie put on the Steel Heart, she truly understood Sister Mary's feelings.

In just over ten seconds, she felt a tranquility from the corundum ring that was almost like meditation and enlightenment. Nearly forty years of numb vampire life had turned everything into a monotonous red and black.

But that pyroxene made her five senses exceptionally sharp, and the whole world was filled with color.

When the cold steel came into contact with her cold skin, Maggie could smell the different scents of various fragrances in the castle, see the chaotic and mottled reflections of light between the mirrors and white crystal ornaments, and taste the rusty, sweet taste of blood in her throat.

More intense than ever before, more radiant than ever before.

It was like spring thunder, exploding into magnificent fireworks inside my head.

She was like a newborn baby, Steel Heart was the umbilical cord connecting her to her vibrant life.

When she put on the ring, she thought she was still alive. For a moment, her heart, which had long since stopped responding, began to pound. Things she had never cared about before began to evoke intense curiosity.

Just like the piano under the bookshelf, Maggie only knew that it was worth £1.28 million, made of expensive insect-resistant wood, and that musicians would often come to look at the sheet music and take care of the piano.

The Steel Heart rekindled her passion, and she couldn't wait to lie on the piano stand and see how this heavy instrument produced solemn yet playful notes. She wanted to look at the sheet music again and think about why these monotonous notes could combine to create mysterious rhythms.

She wanted to know the secrets of all man-made creations, and a cold flame ignited in her chest.

But this feeling only lasted for about ten seconds.

It was ruthlessly taken away by Sister Mary.

All that remained was a cold, detached warning.

"I won't give it to you, you can't take it from me."

Maggie stood in front of the mirror for a long, long time, her little mind working very fast. Unlike Masha, she was a very clever girl and would never be troubled by love.

All the wealth on earth belongs to Our Blessed Mother —even my life is a gift from Her Majesty.

But is there a possibility, is there such a possibility?

Previously, under the watchful eyes of the Virgin Mary, Chaderton Fort was an almost impregnable fortress.

Now, Our Blessed Mother has changed her face for this person, and her intelligence agents have been scattered to various places. This is a golden opportunity that is rare in all of history.

And I, Maggie Stuart.

Why can't I be the real Mary Stuart?

Just like what this Asian man in the video said--

Why should Mary be the matriarch?

When the demons within her opened the box of desire, Maggie was terrified. She stared intently at her reflection in the mirror, scrutinizing every subtle expression on her face, afraid of giving herself away in the slightest.

She slammed the lid of the Pandora's box shut, sending a wake-up call to her mind.

--Calm down, Maggie, calm down!

My Blessed Mother spoke these words to me and gave me the Steel Heart.

This is a test she has arranged for me. If I express any rebellious intentions, I'm afraid I'll die silently, just like Masha.

Our Blessed Mother has already established her hunting grounds in Downing Street and Westminster. This game has only just begun. As long as she keeps wearing that ring, she will never be able to stay calm. Her lust for power will make her dizzy and expose her Gate of Death.

I only need to wait quietly, ready at any time to take over the authority of Our Blessed Mother.

Before that, who can help me?

Who will be my future advisors and confidants, my godfather?

"Madam! Madam! So you're here!" Leonardo entered the dining room carrying a roster, bowing and scraping to Maggie.

Maggie quickly explained, "I'm not the Blessed Mother. If you call me by the wrong name again..."

Little Li was terrified. "Lady Maggie! It was my carelessness. You look exactly like the Mistress; I couldn't recognize you at all!"

Maggie's mind raced, and she immediately adopted a solemn and dignified demeanor. "What is it?"

"Lady Maggie?" Little Li panicked even more. "Lady Maggie? I'm here to see the mistress."

Maggie mimicked her sister's tone, her brows furrowed in a cold glare. "When did you come to the misconception that I'm not the Holy Mother of Blessed Mother? A little test of your judgment, and a few muddled words are enough to fool you? Make you mistake me for my clone?!"

Little Li immediately knelt down and handed over the roster.

"Mistress! Mistress, I'm so sorry! I deserve to die! I deserve to die!"

Maggie twisted the title page of the roster, her face grim.

"What's this?"

"Dr. Wang Chenggui has passed away. This is the list of those who attended the funeral. Didn't you know about this? You asked me to make sure you knew all the names so that we could make arrangements for their funeral."

"Of course I know!" Maggie feigned anger and displeasure. "But you expect me to memorize all these names? Like here—"

She glanced at the name of a hospital janitor and corrected him.

"--Do we have to put people like this on the list? These kinds of insignificant people? What kind of work are you doing?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Little Li trembled, beads of sweat rolling down his beard like soybeans. "There was a very suspicious male guest among them."

Maggie immediately perked up. "Who is it? Is it that Asian man from the video?"

Little Li replied tremblingly, "No! His name is Robert Tang Ning, and he's Masha's boyfriend."

Maggie: "Explain to me, what's so suspicious about this blond kid?"

Little Li swallowed hard. "He was hunting in Shakespeare's Great Cemetery in the City of Tears. Two unlucky brothers from our Rose Sect were caught by him while collecting the remains of the calamity beasts."

Maggie: "What is he planning to do?"

Little Li: "He said he wants to take revenge on the vampires."

Maggie's face paled. "What kind of logic is this?! He killed Masha with his own hands! We haven't even gone after him yet!"

Little Li quickly explained, "But he really did it. He grabbed the two morticians and forced them to reveal the recent major activities of the vampires. He also wrote threatening letters, saying that he would kill every vampire who had any connection with Lady Masha without exception. As for the vampire who hosted the Blood Ceremony for Masha, he would save them for last and slowly nail them to death with a thousand silver nails."

Maggie fell silent, thinking for a very long time.

--She looked at Robert Tang Ning on the roster, at this handsome blond young man, and pondered in her heart.

Is this some kind of human aphrodisiac that has completely bewitched Masha?

He survived in the City of Tears, captured two morticians, and tortured vampires to extract so much information; he must be a ruthless and capable individual.

He was struck by a great calamity, and possessed extraordinary skills.

Wouldn't it be a shame not to make good use of it?

"Hmm! You did a great job—" Maggie nodded with satisfaction, then explained the details to Little Li: "--What if I ask you again later?"

Little Li nodded quickly. "I will never make a mistake!"

Maggie: "What if I asked some nonsense?"

Little Li understood without being asked, "I understand! I understand! Every question from Our Blessed Mother has its reason! I will definitely explain it clearly and patiently!"

Maggie stood up, intending to prepare an exquisite gift for her eldest sister.

It takes a lot of thought and time; the slaughtering method must be lethal enough.

Backstabbing requires a single, fatal blow; we must not let our eldest sister die a dirty death.

Even if they fail, they have to shirk responsibility, distance themselves from the situation, and continue to eke out a living by their elder sister's side.

After Maggie left--

--Mary finished tidying up her appearance in the dressing room, changed into a bright red high-slit cheongsam, and dressed up as a beautiful Chinese lady. With Bai Ziqing's face on her back, she had a radiant expression on her face and said to Little Li was kneeling in front of the mirror.

"How about it?"

Little Li didn't recognize the Blessed Mother at all, and simply asked, "Who are you?"

This pathetic and uncouth servant received a response--

--His head spun around more than twenty times, and only after applying force and technique did he finally recognize the mistress clearly.

Mary remained calm and composed, sitting gracefully in front of the mirror. Her ample bottom was nestled in the mahogany chair, and she crossed her legs, her posture resembling that of a courtesan or geisha from the Republican era, ready to exude charm and allure.

"Is everything done? Let me see the roster?"

So, following the same script, Little Li recounted Robert Tang Ning's story to Our Blessed Mother exactly as it had been told.

Mary pouted, somewhat disappointed. "Is there no one else?"

Little Li quickly replied, "Yes, yes, yes! Our informant has sent word that the priest who is organizing the funeral is unwell and cannot attend."

Maria: "What illness did you have? Why did you leave so suddenly?"

Little Li: "It's COVID-19; the entire choir is considered a close contact."

Maria: "Then they should definitely get lost."

Little Li: "Get lost, lest you infect the guests."

Mary then asked, "Who's the new organizer?"

Little Li: "Winston Spencer."

Mary: "I've never heard of this guy. What's his reputation like on Downing Street?"

Little Li: "Everyone at The Guardian knows him—he seems to be a rather prestigious nobleman."

Mary pondered the name's deeper meaning, "The same surname as Churchill, perhaps related to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. How old is he?"

Little Li: "He's 46 years old. He used to be in St. James's Park. People said he was a knight."

Mary clapped her hands enthusiastically. "He's an old nobleman! I like him!"

Then Mary lowered her body, wanting to show off the beauty of her cheongsam's V-neck to her servants, letting them appreciate the allure of her figure.

"What are the funeral arrangements for Winston? What is his relationship with the church? Is he a priest?"

Little Li's eyes widened, but his inner fear made him look away.

"Mr. Winston said that Dr. Cheng Gui is Korean and the funeral should be conducted according to the etiquette of the East Asian cultural sphere. His team is absolutely professional and can send the person off smoothly."

"That means setting off firecrackers and holding a memorial service." Sister Mary ran her finger along the neckline of her cheongsam, causing the mycelium on the fabric to change, making its silhouette even more sexy and alluring.

Until she heard the servant swallow hard.

Until she saw the dazed face of the attendant, who, despite overcoming his fear, could not look away.

She finally found the perfect proportions and the best fit for this cheongsam.

"Alright, that's enough! Leonardo! Any clothes that make a lecherous scumbag like you, who's seen it all, drool must be really nice, right?"

Leonardo DiCaprio immediately lowered his head, looked away, and remained silent.

Mary ran her hands over her thighs, changing into mourning clothes from the bottom up, returning to her original appearance, and prepared to go find Maggie to film a short video of condolence.

"Get me some eye drops, I can't cry. By the way, where's Maggie?"

Little Li was about to reply.

Maggie Stuart immediately appeared from outside the door, already using an onion as a face mask. She squeezed out a few tears, crying her eyes out, her performance so realistic it was almost unbelievable.

"Sister, I've been waiting for you."

The atmosphere became awkward.

Mary squinted, trying to glean some clue from her second sister's eyes.

I want to pierce through his belly and see clearly his cold heart.

In the end, she couldn't find anything wrong.

"Your crying makeup looks amazing! I'll also have some onions!"

The Sky Station, hundreds of kilometers away.

The Merlin elevator landed with a loud crash.

--A beam of supreme light emanated from the Barry two-hundred-meter-tall statue of the Grandfather magician.

It resembles a cloud full of wisdom, sending the elevator into the head of the colossus via a 7,000-meter-long, segmented steel cable.

It takes half an hour just to take the elevator to Sky Dome Station.

As you step out of the elevator, you'll see a steep, rainbow-colored bridge shaped like a water slide, allowing passengers to reach the Royal Hall of Sky Station simply by leaning on their bottoms.

In Shakespeare's Great Cemetery, fate brings Robert Tang Ning back to his companions from the Great Archives.

He finally managed to catch two vampire henchmen, interrogated them, and immediately ordered Uncle Winston to prepare for the funeral. Unexpectedly, halfway through the conversation, Bu Liuxing descended from the sky.

This really fell from the sky—it truly fell from the sky!

--The agile wolf-headed monster leaped down from the archway of the cemetery, instantly crushing one of the morticians to death, startling the little Earth Dragon girl so much that her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

The two greeted each other upon meeting and set off from Arthur Tower's Tower in the City of Tears, heading towards the Merlin Elevator. They talked for over half an hour in the elevator.

Along the way--

--The Tang Ning became more and more excited as he talked.

He could sense that Bu Liuxing was a very capable helper, and with him around, they would definitely be able to avenge Masha.

--The more she talked about Meteor, the sadder she became.

Upon hearing about Tang Ning's life and deeds, he burst into tears halfway through the journey.

While asking Teacher San San for a handkerchief to wipe her tears, she talked to Little Sister Earth Dragon about human relationships and told Earth Dragon to treat her employer well.

As everyone stepped out of the elevator, Meteor hugged Teacher San San's leg, already sobbing uncontrollably.

"Masha is so silly, how can she be so gentle?"

"But Tang Ning doesn't understand women's hearts! He just doesn't get it!"

"This is so moving, I can't take it anymore, I'm going to faint!~"

Robert Tang Ning doesn't quite understand --

--It's hard to understand this Red Stone People's thinking.

The intense emotion emanating from this burly man, over six feet tall, was so palpable that it made one's heart burn.

Teacher San San shook Meteor's shoulders, repeatedly trying to comfort the employer, "Wake up! Wake up, employer!"

Meteor wouldn't listen and kept shouting.

"Robert! Could you repeat that? Tell me again, in detail. What did she say to you at sunrise in Portsmouth? And what did you say to her? I want to hear it again."

Tang Ning and Teacher San San pulled the burly man out of the elevator to avoid delaying other passengers' journeys—his heart was filled with mixed feelings, finally reopening old wounds and sinking into bitter memories.

"Masha turned into a monster in front of me."

"My heart wavered, and several times I wanted to raise the gun and smash that ugly, grotesque face."

"But I recognize her eyes. No matter how much she changes, I can still feel that she is carefully protecting me, and that she is doing her best to suppress her blood-sucking instinct."

"She was very weak, easily startled and irritable. On the way to Portsmouth, she was constantly worried and told me not to do anything foolish. She respected my choice."

"She doesn't care about anything—even if she turns to ashes under the sun, she'll do anything without hesitation if I just open and close my mouth."

"When she transforms into a monster, baring her claws and fangs at me, her terrifying roars and shrieks are all expressions of her love—she doesn't want me to be sad, she doesn't want me to be heartbroken."

"I could almost hear her say to me— Robert Tang Ning, you just killed a monster, you did a good job. You did a good job."

"Masha!" Meteor cried, rolling on the ground, covering her face. "My Masha!"

Teacher San San gently patted A Xing's cheek. "That's not your Masha, it belongs to someone else. And is this appropriate? Is this really appropriate? Employer? You're seizing on someone else's past relationships and relentlessly sucking up information—is that reasonable?"

Little Earth Dragon Girl clung to Teacher San San, chiming in, "Yeah, my employer didn't even cry."

Before the words had even finished --

-- Tang Ning, with his arm around Liu Xing's shoulder, was also acting like a crybaby.

He cried out, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Bu Liuxing! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"I'm terrified I'll forget Masha. If what the Boss said is true—that she's just a crazy, delusional dream in my head—time, that poison, will slowly heal me."

"I cannot accept this outcome! I absolutely will not accept it!"

"The gemstone that Ling Weng gave me is a piece of black jade."

"This stone can absorb my negative emotions, but the person I care deeply about—she—will also slowly fade and disappear along with these painful memories."

"Your willingness to cry your heart out for me—this intense emotion is like a hammer, smashing my heart to pieces."

When Tang Ning embraced A Xing, her spirit clothes were also cut open by the rifling of the Flash Butterfly Armor outfit, leaving wounds on her arms, and scalding blood flowed into A Xing's body through the tears in her clothes.

Bu Liuxing cupped Tang Ning's face. "The BOSS is talking nonsense! Masha is not dead!"

Tang Ning suddenly became lost in thought, "But..."

Bu Liuxing gritted his teeth and said earnestly and persistently, "Ming Ge said that after a person dies, she will remain in the sea, and the sound of the tide rising and falling will be her singing."

Tang Ning nodded vigorously.

Bu Liuxing pressed on Tang Ning's temple.

"She will fly up into the sky with the steam and turn into rain!"

Tang Ning's eyes widened: "Yes"

When you're sad, she is your tears.

"That's right! That's right! That's right!"

How dare you say she's dead?

Teacher San San and Sister Earth Dragon fell silent.

Looking at these two "big friends," looking at these two "men," they suddenly pursed their lips for no apparent reason, and their noses stung with tears.

Teacher San San was secretly pondering this.

We've known Tang Ning for less than an hour.

We were just about to discuss how to deal with the vampires.

After simply expressing her feelings, so many tears welled up.

San San didn't spend much time with Meteor. She was completely different from her employer; she was a thoughtful and rational Blue Stone People.

The employer was only nineteen years old and often talked about her mother. She had assumed that A Xing was a mama's boy who needed to be taken care of.

But this young man is like a tough, ruthless warrior when fighting monsters, yet he shows tenderness when hugging a friend he just met.

How strange, this employer is really strange.

Unlike Teacher San San's heartfelt expression --

--The little Earth Dragon girl was simply frightened by the intense spiritual pressure emanating from the shrine of Death God.

She could vaguely recall feeling that terrifying passion when Lord Koman's head flew across the Great Rift Valley as she grew up in the Mu Yuan Animal Pen.

The two friends composed themselves and began racking their brains to discuss the silver bullet fireworks and cannon salute ceremony for the funeral. These things needed to be arranged by the skillful Jiang Xueming and the cunning Winston.

When Meteor saw the slide design on Merlin's statue, he asked a waiter about it.

"Teacher San San! The connecting road to the Nine Realms Station is a transparent Hanging Bridge, but why is the Merlin statue here made into a rainbow slide? The BOSS is so childish!"

Teacher San San explained patiently.

"Their differing opinions on the design of the Sky Station stem from a bet between Grand Sage Merlin and the Boss."

Meteor, full of curiosity, asked, "What kind of bet? How do we bet?"

3301, with a shameless grin, felt embarrassed when she talked about this period of history.

"The BOSS and the Great Sage drank forty-four vats of mead in total. Merlin, the Great Sage, lost—and his gruesome vomiting was ultimately displayed as a statue before every passenger."

The two young men almost stumbled and fell off the rainbow-colored slide after hearing this.

Meteor: "Huh?"

Tang Ning never expected that there was such a thing in the myths and legends of his ancestors, so he pointed to the ceiling of the underground cavity, to the LED light strip that stretched for more than seven thousand meters like holy light, and to the Arthur Tower.

What was Arthur doing at the time?

330 remained expressionless, covering his face as he spoke.

"King Arthur was only concerned with ringing the bells and cheering, standing on his moral high ground and pointing fingers at the BOSS."