Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Bite Inhibitor

The psychic power matching score between Xia You and Lu Yinghui caught many off guard.

Xia You, who in his past life was mainly concerned with pleasure and lamenting the changing seasons, didn't have much knowledge of politics or the military, nor did he care about major events like wars at the border. He would only occasionally glance over the major news headlines.

After awakening in the post-apocalyptic era on Blue Star, it was even more the case. Every day, Xia You struggled to survive in this challenging environment. In such a world, politics paled in comparison to the importance of survival.

But Xia You's mentality was strong.

The interstellar era was not like the post-apocalyptic times. Although Xia You was a healer, the level he displayed outwardly was only a C. He might be considered valuable to the nobles, but for Marshal Lu or even the First Legion, he was hardly an asset to covet.

Thus, after this matching event, among those in the know, the one who took things the most in stride and was the most nonchalant was actually Xia You, the person directly involved.

That is, until Wei Cheng, who had been missing for several days, delivered an invitation.

"The Emperor wishes to see him?"

Xia You shot up from the sofa, his expression one of disbelief.

"Is it because of this match?" Xia You looked towards Wei Cheng.

Wei Cheng hesitated, knowing that he couldn't reveal all. "The Marshal and the Emperor... they have a certain connection."

Xia You raised an eyebrow.

Yet, according to many reports, the Marshal, representing the military, wasn't close to the royal family and had a tense relationship with the noble-led Senate. Interestingly, the Emperor didn’t seem fond of the Senate either.

He just wanted to lead a carefree life without worries. Knowing too much... might not be good.

Just as Xia You was about to speak, he caught sight of three red marks spreading from Wei Cheng's sleeve. No blood was seen, but the raised marks suggested a forceful grip.

"General Wei, what happened to your hand?"

Wei Cheng tried to hide his hand, but recalling the Emperor's orders and the current situation with the Marshal aboard the aircraft, he braced himself, "Well, the Emperor hasn’t seen Lord Black Panther in a while. Could you please bring him... ahem, to the palace?"

Xia You's eyes sparkled, "Of course."

In reality, Xia You knew this meeting was inevitable. He had been enjoying himself the past few days, also anticipating discussions with the Marshal's house.

Although his stepmother tried to kill him, Xia You had been exposed to noble affairs since he was young.

Being "matched" was just like being set up for an arranged date. But becoming the Marshal’s legal spouse was an entirely different matter.

Even if the Lu family had no direct elders, there were others who wanted to meet and evaluate him.

Xia You just hadn't expected it to be the Emperor.

The aircraft parked in front of the Marshal's mansion wasn’t one Xia You recognized. Its silver and black surface shone with a muted gleam, adorned with the emblem of the Marshal's house.

Xia You paused, studying the emblem for a while, then turned uncertainly to Wei Cheng, "The emblem of the Marshal's house... is it a... um, panther?"

Wei Cheng's gaze wavered momentarily, managing to say, "It's the Lu family's emblem."

The Marshal's house didn't have a fixed emblem since each Marshal hailed from a different lineage.

But the emblem before him... come to think of it, had less to do with the current Marshal and more with the family crest established by his predecessor.

"It certainly looks impressive," Xia You remarked with a chuckle, committing the design to memory before stepping onto the aircraft.

As Xia You entered, he scanned the interior of the aircraft for the panther but found no sign. Turning to ask Wei Cheng, he found the young general stationed at the edge of the craft, his face a mix of alertness and resignation.

Xia You: "?"

Wei Cheng sighed, "Please take any seat. There are drinks and desserts in the refrigerator nearby, along with some books to pass the time."

Xia You's ears perked up at the faint sound, reminiscent of a creature sharpening its claws.

Wei Cheng stood by the aircraft's entrance like a statue, pressed close to the inner wall, his gaze straight ahead, posture military-perfect.

Standing still, Xia You lowered his eyelids, extending his mental energy like delicate threads, reaching out in every direction within the aircraft.

Carefully avoiding the area around Wei Cheng, Xia You's psychic reach finally settled atop a particular cabinet.

Gradually drawing his focus nearer to the panther, Xia You tiptoed towards a metallic latch, gazing up at a pitch-black corner that seemed ordinary at first glance.

A twitch in Wei Cheng's eyelid, the corner of his eye darting to where Xia You stood.

Xia You balled the tip of his mental energy and waved it in front of the black panther, but the beast didn’t move, not even a tilt of its head.

Xia You glanced back at Wei Cheng.

...How did General Wei manage to offend the panther?

He not only got scratched but was also evidently being given the cold shoulder by the beast.

But how did the Marshal come to have a pet panther? Given the situation, it’s surprising that the panther didn't attack Wei Cheng but instead chose to subtly sharpen its claws. It seemed rather well-behaved.

Wei Cheng promptly averted his eyes, resuming his rigid stance.

Xia You had never played with a panther, but he had teased cats in the Duke's mansion before. Big cats, small cats, all were cats, right...?

Enticed by the familiar and pleasant scent dancing around its nostrils, the panther finally turned its fluffy head. Its semi-circular ears twitched, and with wide animal eyes, it stared intently at Xia You below.

"Pfft—"

Biting down hard on his lip, Xia You stifled the laughter that threatened to escape.

The last time they met, the panther was majestic and utterly wild. Somehow, General Wei managed to fit the beast with a muzzle made of leather and metal. Although the panther's gaze remained alert and cold, it could no longer display its razor-sharp fangs, noticeably diminishing its intimidation factor.

No wonder it lost interest in hunting, languidly remaining motionless on its perch.

The panther's lithe body stiffened momentarily. With a grave expression, it turned its head to face the wall, curling up into a black ball, unmoving.

Xia You rubbed the smile off his face and cooed soothingly at the sulking beast on the shelf. He gently combed his psychic energy over the panther time and again before successfully coaxing it down from the highest point of the aircraft.

The panther's descent was silent and nimble, its claws retracted. It padded softly on the carpet, drawing closer to Xia You.

Xia You crouched and tentatively reached out a hand.

The panther leaned its head closer to Xia You, as if trying to catch a scent.

The cold muzzle grazed Xia You's cheek and neck, the panther's hot breath lingering for a few seconds on his collarbone.

Blue eyes met golden animal orbs. Recognizing the panther's tolerance, Xia You cupped its cheeks, gently massaging its ears and whispered to the disgruntled creature, "It can't be helped; you're too formidable. Many in the palace fear you."

The panther's eyes exuded a distinct animalistic cold indifference. The gold hues radiating outward exuded an air of nobility and mystique, accentuated by its dark fur, revealing the elegance and mystery of a nocturnal predator.

Noting the panther's receptiveness to his touch, Xia You attempted to lead it towards a sofa.

After a few steps, however, the panther adamantly refused to jump onto the couch. Settling on the edge of the sofa, Xia You started browsing the star-net for information on wild black panthers.

Catching a glimpse of the size of interstellar wild panthers, Xia You looked up at the panther before him, gesturing in comparison and gasped.

Adult panthers are already sizable, but the Marshal's panther was a full two sizes larger than official records indicated!

Wei Cheng had been observing from a distance. Seeing Xia You getting along with the Marshal, he let out a sigh of relief.

Just as he was about to approach, the Marshal turned, his vast frame shielding the young man entirely. The glossy tail elegantly flicked backward, and sharp claws suddenly snapped in his direction.

Wei Cheng: "..."

He knew it. Muzzling the Marshal shouldn't have been his job!

Granted, the Marshal's attack power in his psychic form was off the charts, but if they took turns confronting him, they could've succeeded.

But Meng Wenxuan insisted on deception over force.

Now, the grand Marshal's Mansion has lost the last bit of credibility in front of the Marshal's spirit form!

Xia You took the opportunity to caress the shiny black tail swinging beside her, her eyes sparkling as she pounced onto the panther, wrapping her arms around the massive creature.

The panther stiffened but didn't move away, allowing the lightweight youth to lean on it while its fierce eyes remained fixed on Wei Cheng at a distance.

Truly, Wei Cheng was at a loss for words.

Catching Wei Cheng's plea-filled gaze, Xia You petted the big panther in her arms, assuring as she took advantage, "It's okay, it's okay. The major isn't a bad person; he won't hurt us."

The panther glanced at Xia You, emitting a low rumble of disapproval from its throat, but remained resolute in guarding her.

At least it did retract its claws.

Wei Cheng: "..."

Abandoning the idea of chatting with Xia You on the airship, Wei Cheng wisely raised his hands and sidled along the inner wall towards the side.

Moments later, he swiftly slipped into the cockpit.

Holding the panther's neck, Xia You halted its impulse to pounce towards Wei Cheng, letting out a sigh of relief.

The panther, held by Xia You, grumbled in discontent before resting its massive head on her shoulder.

Xia You basked in the comfort of having the warm and soft panther close, happily stroking its fur, even burying her face deep into its plush coat and taking a deep breath.

Perhaps due to being domesticated, the panther didn't have the pungent smell typical of wild beasts described in records. Instead, it had a scent resembling damp rocks after rain.

It wasn’t fragrant, but a unique scent that exuded aloofness, pushing others away, yet irresistibly attractive.

When the airship finally reached the royal palace, everyone disembarked.

Having established a preliminary friendship with the panther, Xia You stood side by side with the beast. In contrast, Wei Cheng, the deputy to the Marshal, was forced to maintain a distance from the creature.

The chief of the guards waiting on the landing pad: "…?"

He glanced at a visibly distressed Wei Cheng, his gaze questioning—

What's going on?

Wei Cheng gestured the shape of a muzzle with his hand, spreading his palms in resignation.

The chief guard fully recognized the challenge of placing a muzzle on Marshal's face. He gave a light cough, deliberately ignored the deputy officer who bore the brunt of the Marshal's anger, and approached Xia You with a respectful smile on his face.

……

Within the palace, the Emperor burst into laughter upon receiving the chief guard's message.

The Emperor set down his pen, stood up, and said to the Minister of Internal Affairs with a smile, “Let’s go see the young gentleman personally brought by Yuan Yuan.”