Chapter 2753: The Truth

Contrasting with Zu An’s grim expression was Firework’s beaming smile. “Shouldn’t you look happier? We've finally reunited after such a long time!”

Zu An coldly uttered, “Why should I be happy? Do you know how many people have died trying to save you?”

“Those people harbored ulterior motives. They died because they weren’t strong enough.” Firework was unfazed.

Zu An frowned. Even though those guests did harbor ulterior motives, her words were still displeasing to hear.

Isabella got angry and roared, “Uncle Alfred didn’t harbor ulterior motives, but he met with danger trying to save you. How can you utter such cold words!”

She rarely yelled at others, but she was truly angry this time.

Firework realized she had gone overboard with her joke, so she quickly said, “Calm down, Isabella. Your old butler might not be dead yet.”

“What do you mean?” Isabella wiped her tears as she asked in confusion.

“The spider might have bound them, but it won’t kill them just yet,” Firework replied.

“How do you know?” Isabella recalled the earlier sight of Divine Calculator being slaughtered by the monster, and that made her face turn pale.

“Because you escaped. The monster has plenty of reasons to keep them alive as hostages,” Firework explained.

“Would that bloodthirsty monster have such considerations?” Isabella hoped for that to be the case, but she rationally doubted that possibility.

“Big miss, do you think a being that powerful would have no intelligence?” Firework sighed.

Isabella widened her eyes in realization. That spider was the strongest monster she had ever seen. An entity of this level would be a powerhouse even in the Myriad Worlds. There was no way it would lack intelligence.

Firework turned to Zu An and said, “Big brother Zu, I'm touched. You took such a huge risk to save me.”

Hearing her coy words, Zu An retracted his hand and asked, “Are you in cahoots with that sea monster?”

He hadn’t suspected anything initially, but once he calmed down, he realized there were many dubious points about this incident.

In the first place, it didn’t make sense for such a huge sea monster to approach the beach without alarming any of Dreamland’s experts. It was also weird for the sea monster to hold someone hostage. Furthermore, Firework was no weakling, so for her to have been captured so easily...

There were many anomalies regarding this issue, and he had already thought them through along the way. But considering their prior interactions, he didn’t think Firework would attempt to harm him, so he'd decided to play along and see how the situation unfolded.

He hadn’t expected the journey to be so fraught with dangers.

“The sea monster is indeed my friend. We staged this show to lure you here. Otherwise, you would have turned into a zombie at the Dream Gathering by now.” Firework harrumphed.

“What?” Isabella was taken aback. “Are you saying the Dream Gathering is a scheme?”

“Of course. It’s a play staged to reap the attendees’ souls. Isn’t it laughable how many experts across the Myriad Worlds are aware of its dangers, but they're unable to rein in their greed?” Firework sneered.

Isabella hurriedly turned to Zu An with astonished eyes, only to see him composed, as if he had guessed as much.

“That can’t be right. Dreamland hosts the Dream Gathering once every millennium. It’s one of the most famous gatherings in the Myriad Worlds. How could other powers remain oblivious if there is a problem with it?” Isabella was confused.

“The previous Dream Gatherings were the real deal, but the same cannot be said about those hosted in the recent millennium. Do you know who I am?” Firework asked.

Isabella glanced at Zu An, knowing the two were friends.

But Zu An had only met Firework on the spaceship. He had no way of knowing if the information she'd shared with him was correct or not.

“Let’s see. I’m guessing someone from Dreamland told you that they would be holding their big miss’ coming-of-age ceremony soon, and the Dream Gathering would be held after,” Firework said self-deprecatingly.

A thought popped into Zu An and Isabella’s minds. “You're Dreamland’s big miss?”

“That’s right.” Firework smiled bitterly. “But to the current Dreamland, that is of no significance...”

“If you’re Dreamland’s big miss, who was the person in the hotel?” Isabella found the situation absurd.

“It’s a fake, of course!” Firework sneered. “Everyone you see in Dreamland is an impersonator!”

“Does big sister Yani know about it, too? She saved us many times during our journey here. She’s the guard captain. I don’t think she’d turn a blind eye to the situation,” Isabella asked.

“Yani?” Firework scoffed. She glanced at Zu An. “I bet he already knows what’s going on. Someone like him wouldn’t leave a beauty in the lurch and escape alone.”

Isabella looked at Zu An with confused eyes.

Zu An said, “There is something wrong with Yani.”

After he received the Eye of Truth from the Deity of Memory Meng, he'd returned to the frigate and scanned Yani and all the crew members. To his astonishment, all of them were fakes. But he hadn't known what Yani’s motives were, so he'd chosen to hold his tongue.

But he still didn’t trust Firework yet. The latter hadn’t told them everything yet. “You said you’re Dreamland’s first miss, but Dreamland started meeting with problems a thousand years ago, yet you’re only having your coming-of-age ceremony now. There’s a discrepancy in your age.”

Firework looked at him with an unreadable smile. “How old do you think I am?”

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Zu An assessed her.

She looks at most sixteen or seventeen.

Firework finally answered the question. “Our Dream Clan has existed since immemorial. We have been around since before the ascension of the universal deities. There are several races like ours in the Myriad Worlds.”

Isabella nodded. As the Acadias’ first miss, she had heard about such races.

Firework looked at Zu An with a mischievous smile. “Unlike short-lived humans like you, our race enjoys a long lifespan. We barely reach adulthood at a thousand years of age.”

Zu An was speechless.

You’re even older than my grandmother’s grandmother!

“What happened to Dreamland?”

“My mother died an early death. My father doted on me and refused to remarry, until he suddenly met that woman a thousand years ago. She's beautiful and knows how to charm a person’s heart. My father hasn't been the same since meeting her. He no longer spends time with me and spends his day fawning over that woman.” Firework recalled the past.

“At the start, I was happy for my father, thinking he'd been alone for too many years. Had I known that woman was a venomous scorpion, I would have stopped them.” She gritted her teeth.

“Ever since that woman became Dreamland’s matriarch, bizarre things began happening. Old subordinates loyal to my father suddenly vanished, but they would return shortly after. No one paid it any heed at the start, but thinking back, they must have already become her puppets.”

Isabella asked, “Who’s that woman?”

“You know her, and you have become familiar with her in recent days,” Firework sneered.

A person popped into their minds, and the thought left Zu An and Isabella with goosebumps.