Inside the crystal ball, the gaze of the third avatar, Yagubalu, was perfectly leveled with the height of the tabletop.
It swept its eyes across the faces of the Royal Court Squad mbers one by one, then asked Xize'er, "Xize'er, could you introduce the people from the Royal Court Squad to ... Aside from Li Qingping, what kind of Generation-grade Anecdotes do the others possess?"
"Sure... No one else is going to chat with anyway." Xize'er slowly raised his head. "That blue-haired older sister is the current captain of the Royal Court Squad, Luosi."
Yagubalu followed his gaze and saw a tall, stunning woman sitting upright at the table, resting with her eyes closed. She was draped in a white robe, wore sapphire earrings, and had long sea-blue hair cascading down her back.
As expected, the "White King Scepter" emblem on her white robe was the symbolic crest of the Royal Court Squad. The other six mbers of the squad wore identical attire; only that weirdo Li Qingping was dressed in an utterly out-of-place black suit.
"Blue hair, huh... It doesn't feel very auspicious. It reminds of a good friend who got smashed into a at patty," Yagubalu muttered. "What Anecdotes does Luosi have?"
Xize'er replied softly, "Luosi has a total of two Generation-grade Anecdote Fragnts. They are the 'Titanic' and the 'Loch Ness Monster'."
Ji Minghuan raised his eyebrows, silently recalling these two legends in his mind.
Right at that mont, an information prompt box automatically popped up before his eyes.
It was as if the system had helped him search through the mory banks of several characters to find relevant fragnts, then summarized them.
[Titanic: A British luxury ocean liner that made its maiden voyage in 1912. The captain claid that "this ship is unsinkable." However, on the night of April 14, the Titanic struck an iceberg and completely sank two hours and forty minutes later. Approximately 1,500 people perished in the disaster, which also exposed issues such as a shortage of lifeboats, becoming a turning point for mariti safety reforms. The wreckage of the Titanic was not discovered until 1985.]
'This story tells us not to casually set up death flags...'
Ji Minghuan silently grumbled to himself. As for the "Loch Ness Monster", it was practically a universally known legend.
[Loch Ness Monster: A legendary cryptid said to inhabit Loch Ness in Scotland. The earliest records date back to the 6th century. Eyewitness descriptions mostly portray a long-necked, serpentine creature, often associated with descendants of plesiosaurs.]
'Two Generation-grade Anecdotes. This captain of the Royal Court Squad sounds really troubleso.'
Thinking up to this point, Ji Minghuan continued to ask, "What about the others?"
"That broad-shouldered older brother with brown hair and glasses, his na is Luyisi," Xize'er said. "Luyisi's Generation-grade Anecdote is the 'Tower of Babel'."
[Tower of Babel: A colossal tower built by humanity to reach the heavens, as recorded in the Bible. Later, due to divine punishnt, the construction of the tower was forced to halt, and the workers scattered in all directions.]
"Sounds like another tough opponent to deal with."
The little shark glanced at the information prompt box, then raised its eyes to look at Luyisi through the glass of the crystal ball.
Luyisi sported a head of curly brown hair and wore a bright smile on his face, occasionally pushing up his glasses.
Xize'er paused and looked at the other mbers of the Royal Court Squad. "That person with short black hair who looks very aloof is nad Jiugui Suye. His Generation-grade Anecdote is 'Night Parade of One Hundred Demons'."
[Night Parade of One Hundred Demons: A fantastical phenonon from Japanese legends where yokai appear en masse, originating from the fear of the "supernatural" during the Heian Period.]
"Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, this sounds powerful... I really want to eat them," the shark mumbled. "But why is there a Japanese person here? And a Japanese person even beca a mber of the Royal Court Squad. That's so strange."
"Jiugui Suye isn't a native resident of our Whalegarden. He entered the Anecdote miniature garden from the outside world only after his talent as an Anecdote Envoy awakened later in life," Xize'er shook his head and whispered. "This kind of situation is quite rare. Father King said that normally, only those born and raised in the Whalegarden are worthy of securing a position in the Royal Court Squad... However, Jiugui Suye is incredibly strong, so Father King made him an exception."
'Wait a minute...' Ji Minghuan thought. 'Could this Jiugui Suye be a plant inserted by the Salvation Society?'
After learning that the Salvation Society had planted Qi Yuanliuli into Rainbow Wing, it was hard for him not to suspect that they had also secretly inserted spies into other factions. It wouldn't be surprising if an organization like the Royal Court Squad had been targeted by the Salvation Society.
And Jiugui Suye's background sounded like it perfectly fit the criteria. He wasn't a native of the miniature garden, but soone who had awakened his talent later in life and received an invitation to enter the Whalegarden.
Ji Minghuan pondered for a mont. "What about the other three?"
Xize'er suddenly pressed his fist against his mouth and coughed softly. "I'm a bit thirsty... Yagubalu, I'll introduce the other three to you after we go back."
"Alright," Ji Minghuan said. "I can hear that your voice has gotten a little hoarse."
After that, Xize'er symbolically picked at so food. In truth, he didn't have much of an appetite. Throughout the al, he kept secretly peeking at the First Prince, Lorenzo, and the Second Prince, Cosimo.
He seed to be wondering when his two older brothers would finally call him over.
Yagubalu's hearing was exceptionally sharp. Even through the crystal ball, it could hear the conversation between the two princes.
Thus, it quietly scrutinized the expressions of the two princes.
Lorenzo turned his head to look at Cosimo, lowering his voice. "Are you saying... last night you hired an assassin and even disabled the barrier around Xize'er's floating castle?"
Cosimo murmured, "Yes, but I couldn't get in touch with the assassin this morning, and Xize'er doesn't look injured at all."
Lorenzo set down his knife and fork, taking a sip of red wine. "You suspect Xize'er killed him?"
"No, at first I suspected that butler," Cosimo shook his head. "But I investigated him a long ti ago. That butler is rely the lowest tier of Anecdote Envoy. He can only use so of the most basic Anecdote Fragnts, like 'Moving Staircase' and 'Pigeon ssenger'. There's no way he could defeat the assassin's 'Werewolf'. The 'Werewolf' is among the most powerful Common-grade Anecdote Fragnts."
"Then the only possibility is that Xize'er killed him?"
"Do you actually think this piece of trash is capable of killing soone? And after killing a man, he can still sit at the dining table with us the next day so calmly? Brother, he sheds tears even if he accidentally swats a bug. Don't you know his personality?"
Lorenzo pondered for a mont. "Xize'er is the holder of a Generation-grade Anecdote. As long as he has the chance to unleash his Anecdote, defeating that assassin wouldn't be an issue."
Cosimo snorted coldly. "Generation-grade Anecdote? I still think it was just pure luck. After all these years, just because of one insignificant Generation-grade Anecdote, Father King favors him so heavily. It's completely unreasonable..."
Right at that mont, a spine-chilling sensation abruptly welled up in both of their hearts, causing all the pores on their bodies to expand.
It was as if they were being stared at by so unnatural monstrosity.
Lorenzo and Cosimo slightly stiffened, their words abruptly cutting off.
The next second, they simultaneously glanced sideways.
Then, they witnessed an utterly incomprehensible sight. Inside the crystal ball held by Xize'er, a palm-sized shark had lowered its face, glaring motionlessly at the two of them.
The shark's pupils glead radiantly amidst the seawater, glowing with a profound, abyssal blue hue.
The royal palace hall was brilliantly illuminated, and the invited guests were cheerfully clinking glasses. It seed no one else had noticed this eerie scene. The two princes instantly felt as if they had plunged into an icy cavern, the hairs on their backs standing on end.
Ji Minghuan controlled the third avatar, slowly shifting his gaze away from the faces of the two princes.
'The First Prince and Second Prince used the "Pigeon ssenger" to notify Xize'er and invite him to this royal family dinner,' he thought to himself. 'They likely used the dinner as an excuse to verify his condition.'
After all, these two princes had just dispatched an assassin to launch a night attack on Xize'er yesterday. How could they dare to co see him in person? Neither logic nor their own guilty consciences would allow it.
Xize'er held his spoon, sipping the creamy mushroom soup in small mouthfuls. From ti to ti, he would lift his eyes from his soup, stealing glances at the First Prince and Second Prince.
However, his two older brothers never once paid him any attention. Instead, they kept conversing with the other royals nearby.
He waited for a long, long ti, but Xize'er still didn't hear them call for him. In the end, his disappointnt was palpable. Pretending he needed to use the restroom, he hugged the crystal ball and stood up from the dining table. With his head drooping, he slowly paced toward the doorway.
He paused before the grand doors for a second, hesitating before slowly looking back, gazing from afar at his two older brothers at the dining table. But right up to the end, Lorenzo and Cosimo still didn't spare him a single glance.
Xize'er's dull gaze swept over the crowd. He felt as though he could hear a snicker or two drifting over from the dining tables, along with voices of mockery.
"Truly a trash prince."
"He's been locked up in a castle by the King all his life. What prospects could he possibly have?"
"Kept like a toy in the King's display cabinet. The King has protected him so well for all these years, I don't know what he'll do once the King is gone."
"Don't talk nonsense, he still has two older brothers, doesn't he?"
"You say that, but Lorenzo and Cosimo don't exactly seem to treat him as their own younger brother either."
"Do you think he might have autism?"
"I feel the sa way... An autistic prince, no wonder the King doesn't want him showing his face in public."
Those voices were incredibly piercing, causing Xize'er's body to grow colder bit by bit. He wanted to cover his ears, but his arms were full holding the crystal ball, so he couldn't free his hands.
Just like that, keeping his head down, he fell into an astonished silence for a mont as tears slowly brimd in his eyes. He slowly reached out one hand, pushing the grand doors open with all his might, then slipped out through the gap, silently leaving the royal palace hall.
The grand doors closed shut behind him once more, sealing away the clamor and liveliness that didn't belong to him.
Xize'er walked forward without looking back. He didn't know where he should go, so he rely shuffled forward step by step.
The corridors of the royal palace twisted and turned like a maze. After walking for a long ti, he finally saw his butler waiting for him.
"Ikar... let's go back," the white-haired boy whispered. "I don't want to stay here anymore."
"Very well... Your Highness."
Ikar replied softly. Seeing Xize'er's expression, he seed to instantly understand what had happened. A trace of pity flashed in his eyes before he gently nudged Xize'er's shoulder, leading him step by step toward the palace exit.
Not long after, Ikar used the 'Moving Staircase' to send Xize'er back up to the floating castle.
Xize'er hugged the crystal ball and returned to his bedroom. He lay straight down on his bed, raising an arm to rest against his forehead, but the tears still tumbled uncontrollably from the corners of his eyes, dampening his pillow.
'Hey, hey, hey, why are you acting like a little girl...' Ji Minghuan was speechless in his heart.
"Yagubalu, why are my brothers... unwilling to pay attention to ?" Xize'er asked. "Even though this was the very first ti they invited to a dinner."
"Because they are bad guys."
"They used to be very good to ."
"That was in the past..."
"Did I do sothing wrong?"
Hearing those words, Ji Minghuan blanked out slightly for a mont, then looked at Xize'er through the crystal ball.
He suddenly recalled the past at the orphanage, when the other children cornered Kong Youling in the back of the classroom.
Kong Youling had stood there stunned for a long ti, writing in her notebook to ask: "Do you want to play with ?"
But those kids just shined flashlights into her photophobic eyes, making obscene and vulgar sign language at her. At that ti, Ji Minghuan truly couldn't stand watching it anymore, so he got up from his seat and dragged her away.
The two of them escaped to the library together, sitting on the loft's roof, blankly staring at the sunset.
After a mont of silence, Ji Minghuan suddenly spoke. "Xize'er, you didn't do anything wrong. I despise seeing naive kids get picked on. I'll help you bully them back later."
Seeing that Xize'er had no reaction, Ji Minghuan controlled Yagubalu and sighed.
"Forget it. Talking to you about this now is pointless anyway."
He paused and changed the subject. "Didn't you just say... that you would tell about the remaining three mbers of the Royal Court Squad once we got back?"
"Yagubalu, could you let rest for a little while first?" Xize'er's voice carried a faint trace of crying.
"Alright."
After a long silence, Xize'er spoke up. "That older brother with the afro is nad Direjie. His Anecdote is the 'Tunguska Event'."
["Tunguska Event": A massive explosion that occurred over the Siberian forest in 1908. Mainstream theories suggest the mid-air disintegration of a cot or asteroid, but no impact crater was ever found. Hypotheses involving Nikola Tesla's experints, antimatter, and more have circulated over the years, and it remains a quintessential case study in celestial impact research to this day.]
"That short-haired older sister with the heavy dark circles under her eyes, who always looks like she can barely keep her eyelids open, is nad Ke Aojiena. Her Generation-grade Anecdote is the 'Bermuda Triangle'."
["Bermuda Triangle": An area rumored to be the site of nurous mysterious disappearances of aircraft and ships, with the most representative incident being the disappearance of "Flight 19" in 1945. Scientific explanations include thane blowouts, magnetic anomalies, or severe weather. However, it has not been fully deciphered to this day, leaving the Bermuda Triangle as an unsolved mystery.]
'Then what type of Anecdote Fragnt would this thing be? Is it a domain-type Anecdote that traps people inside?' Ji Minghuan pondered. 'If so, wouldn't that put at a huge disadvantage when the ti cos?'
He pondered for a mont, then steered the third avatar to ask, "What about that silent uncle with golden eyes and sideburns?"
"His na is Lai En. His Anecdote is the 'Sword in the Stone'."
Ji Minghuan raised his eyebrows as an information prompt box popped up before his eyes.
["Sword in the Stone": A divine artifact originating from the British legend of King Arthur, symbolizing the divine right of kings. According to legend, a sword was magically embedded into a massive stone with an inscription: "Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise king born of all England."]
At this point, Ji Minghuan finally had a general understanding of the seven mbers in the Royal Court Squad.
These seven individuals basically represented the seven strongest figures of the current era within the Whalegarden. At the sa ti, if he wanted to let Yagubalu devour the legendary whale, the Royal Court Squad was an obstacle he had to overco.
1. Luosi (Captain, controls the Generation-grade Anecdote "Titanic", as well as the Generation-grade Anecdote "Loch Ness Monster")
2. Luyisi (Controls the Generation-grade Anecdote "Tower of Babel")
3. Jiugui Suye (Controls the Generation-grade Anecdote "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons")
4. Direjie (Controls the Generation-grade Anecdote "Tunguska Event")
5. Ke Aojiena (Controls the Generation-grade Anecdote "Bermuda Triangle")
6. Lai En (Controls the Generation-grade Anecdote "Sword in the Stone")
7. Li Qingping (Vice-Captain, small fry red dragon, small fry red dragon, small fry red dragon)
'From the looks of it, Li Qingping is definitely standing on the Third Prince's side... but everyone else is likely backing the First Prince and Second Prince, otherwise Li Qingping wouldn't be so troubled by this.'
Thinking of this, Yagubalu took a soft breath, blowing a stream of bubbles with a soft bloop into the seawater.
"The basic intel is secured. The next problem is how to establish cooperation with the White Raven Brigade and Li Qingping, and then... if necessary, slaughter the other six mbers of the Royal Court Squad."
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