Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Hunt

With grace and agility, the panther leapt over the railing and into the garden. It effortlessly climbed a tree, swished its tail, then looked back at the astounded boy standing outside the protective barrier.

Xia You reached out to touch the sensor light by the barrier's entrance. A soft red beam scanned him, emitting a beep before turning blue.

He stepped into the expansive garden, swallowing hard.

Recalling a recent conversation with Major Wei about how the Marshal fed the panther, even the worldly young master had never imagined that the Marshal's residence would house such a vast hunting ground teeming with live prey.

The panther, which had been about to depart, paused to observe the awestruck boy. Its tail hesitated momentarily before it silently approached.

Xia You crouched down, reaching out to embrace the majestic creature approaching him.

Yet, the panther slipped out from his grasp, placing its paw on Xia You's shoulder. With meticulous care, it licked the boy's face several times, then circled him, rubbing its body all over Xia You's attire.

Gazing at the hunting ground before him, Xia You was at a loss for words. Finally, he dryly remarked, “Yuan Yuan, you seem wealthier than me…”

Land on the Imperial Star wasn't cheap. Xia You, being merely a duke's son, had neither titles nor lands or wealth to his name.

But the Marshal's panther possessed a hunting ground that resembled a lavish buffet.

Xia You sighed deeply.

No, he needed to find a way to make money.

A person can laze around, but you can't let a panther suffer.

If something were to happen to the Marshal in the future... without his support, how would he take care of Yuan Yuan?

Having completed all this, the panther, seeming relieved, dashed off without looking back. Within seconds, it vanished into the depths of the hunting ground.

"Wait—"

Xia You took a few steps, but even in daylight, finding a panther amidst trees and bushes was a daunting task.

Checking the time, Xia You guessed the panther was off hunting. Since he'd had snacks in the afternoon and wasn't particularly hungry, he found a rock to sit on and began browsing messages on his holocomputer.

Since yesterday, the Duke Xia had been relentlessly trying to contact him. Initially, Xia You ignored the messages, thinking they pertained to Xia Qing, but seeing the recent message from Duke Xia, his expression shifted slightly.

[Xiaoyou, your birthday is in half a month. It's your 19th milestone, and we must celebrate grandly. I've sent out invitations for a feast at home. You must come back for it.]

[Brother, you've been away for so long. Mom, Dad, and I are so worried. By the way... I saw on the star-net that the Marshal is marrying a noble with healing psychic powers. Do you know who it is?]

Whether Duke Xia knew of Xia Qing's plan to harm Xia You was uncertain. But given that Xia Qing's trap backfired horribly, it was clear to him that Xia You had played a part.

Xia Qing hadn't contacted Xia You for days, likely fearing Xia You's knowledge of his deeds and reluctant to confront him.

Xia You initially chose to ignore it, thinking that once he reached the Blue Star, he'd be distanced from the Xia family's messy affairs.

However, Xia Qing soon sent another message—

[Brother, Li Xu says he has a birthday gift for you. It's something you've always wanted. Won't you come back to see it?]

Li Xu was the illegitimate child of the Li family, without any notable skills. However, he was an exceptional painter. With Xia Qing's recommendation and help, it was his paintings of fierce beasts that had once caught the young master Xia You's eye.

In his previous life, Xia You had been set up during Marshal's matchmaking banquet. With his reputation tarnished, he was shunned by the elite circles and vilified on the star-net.

The once proud and arrogant young master, in his despair, influenced by Li Xu and Xia Qing, abandoned his home in the Imperial Star, venturing with the experienced Li Xu to primitive planets for artistic inspiration.

Earning him the notoriety of "elopement."

And about that supposedly adventurous young artist Li Xu...

Xia You chuckled softly.

Just a scam artist who bought photos and videos of adventurers, using someone else's artwork to deceitfully get close to Xia You.

Had Xia Qing not mentioned it, he might have forgotten about that unresolved matter.

A spaceship pre-set to crash into the asteroid belt, the searing pain from the engulfing flames in the moments before death…

Xia You felt as if he could smell a metallic, bloody scent, heralding the approach of death.

Hm? Wait— a bloody smell?

Xia You slowly lifted his head.

A streak of black gracefully moved through the half-man-tall withered yellow grass. The sleek black panther's tail had a slight curve, its sharp fangs clamped around its prey's neck, painting a scene of grotesque yet primitive beauty.

Drops of fresh blood from the crocodile dripped onto the ground, the triumphant black panther's chest heaved, leaving a trail of its intimidating presence.

Xia You sat still, maintaining the gesture of having his holographic screen open, watching intently as the panther dragged the crocodile from its mouth to in front of him. Then, releasing its grip, the panther looked up at him.

The panther's heated breath after its hunt still carried the primal scent of blood, with droplets of moisture on its body and face.

It wasn’t hard to imagine how the hunter had patiently lain in ambush by the shore, waiting for the crocodile to come ashore, seizing the moment to snap its throat with sharp claws and fangs, and then returning with its catch.

This crocodile had its throat torn open. Though its size indicated it wasn’t fully grown, its sharp, robust scales and teeth that gleamed menacingly still spoke of its dominance in the waters.

The panther, slightly panting, nudged its prey closer to Xia You seeing that he remained motionless.

Black panthers, due to their all-black fur, rarely hunt during the day. And because they prefer fresh meat, most panthers will drag their prey up a tree to enjoy the choicest parts, rarely hauling it over long distances.

Xia You knew this. Seeing the panther gaze intently at him, he hesitantly raised his hand, pointing to himself, "Is this... for me?"

The panther growled softly.

Xia You blinked, looking at the large crocodile before him.

"Major, the Marshal has entered the hunting grounds!" The officer, who had been monitoring the hunting grounds, immediately reported to Wei Cheng.

Wei Cheng and Meng Wenxuan, who were analyzing the compatibility data between the Marshal and Xia You, rushed to the screen upon hearing this.

Meng Wenxuan pondered, "How could that be? It's mid-afternoon. Even if it's a spiritual form, it should follow animal instincts and not hunt at this time."

"Maybe the Marshal went out this morning and got hungry?" Wei Cheng speculated.

The officer, who had been closely monitoring the screen, hesitated before saying quietly, "It seems the Marshal thought that young master Xia was the hungry one."

Observing the crocodile dragged to Xia You by the black panther, Meng Wenxuan's expression became incredibly animated.

It's well known that leopards rarely drag their prey, let alone share it — and solitary, aloof black panthers are especially true to this.

Wei Cheng exclaimed, "Wait, it's one thing for the young master to like panthers, but isn't it a bit much for our Marshal to bring him a crocodile?"

Considering how delicate and pampered the young master looked, he probably hadn't encountered such a bloody display before. Hopefully, he wouldn't be traumatized.

Meng Wenxuan seemed to be thinking the same, opening his mouth to speak. However, before he could say anything, Xia You took out a laser knife and approached the crocodile on the ground.

The three in the control room: "??"

In the interstellar age, having personal cutting tools had become quite convenient.

Xia You retrieved a small laser knife from his spatial ring, effortlessly skinned the crocodile that lay before the panther, wasting not an ounce of its edible parts.

However, while the crocodile looked substantial, after skinning and removing its head and tail, the meat that remained wasn't all that much.

Yuan Yuan, being a prime-aged black panther, certainly needed a full meal.

A few drops of bright red blood splattered onto the young boy's fair, delicate face, trickling down his cheeks.

Xia You cut the crocodile meat into pieces, giving the majority to the black panther and keeping only a small portion for himself, intending to gather some dry branches to roast it.

It was, after all, a gift from the black panther. Eating it raw was out of the question, but roasted, it should taste decent enough.

As Xia You turned to find dry branches and stones to start a fire, the black panther glanced at the small portion of meat Xia You had left for himself, scratched the ground with its paw, flicked its tail, and silently departed.

Inside the control room, seeing the young master stained with blood yet smiling brilliantly at the Marshal, the three grown men lapsed into stunned silence.

After a lengthy pause, Wei Cheng dryly remarked, "The young master's technique in dissecting the crocodile... is quite professional."

"Doesn't that strike you as odd? A young master liking wild animals is one thing, but how could he be so adept at dissecting a crocodile?" Meng Wenxuan frowned.

"It's strange, yes. But what does our opinion matter?"

Wei Cheng spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness.

"Before the Marshal awoke, even if the Emperor acknowledged young master Xia's status, the legion might not have accepted him. But now, if the young master is the Marshal's legal spouse, he's above us in rank, and there's little we can do about it."

"Be patient. In any case, the Marshal will surely wake up," said Wei Cheng, his voice firm and resolute.

Just as in the past years when the Marshal miraculously regained consciousness time after time, this time too, he wouldn't remain dormant.

"Would the Marshal truly not acknowledge it? Somehow, I feel..." The officer staring at the monitoring screen pointed out the direction the black panther was heading, recognizing it as the area where roe deer were active, then hesitated to continue.

Was he the only one who thought that the Marshal assumed the young master didn’t like crocodile meat, so he went to fetch a tastier roe deer to feed him?

Ten minutes later

Only after Xia You had successfully started a fire and skewered his piece of crocodile meat for grilling, contemplating whether he could request Major Wei to send over some seasonings, did he look up and spot the agile black silhouette dragging over a fairly large roe deer.

Observing the barely alive roe deer before him, intentionally spared by the black panther, a twitch passed Xia You’s lips.

A thirty-kilogram roe deer plus a nearly hundred-kilogram crocodile; there was no way the two of them – him and the panther – could finish it all.

Xia You glanced at the panther, which now lay motionless on the ground panting from the two hunts, and resignedly rolled up his sleeves to start another round of skinning and butchering.

Inside the control room, Meng Wenxuan watched Xia You skillfully dissect the roe deer, the spark of intrigue in his eyes growing brighter.

"Ding dong"

Wei Cheng paused momentarily, then checked the message on his holographic computer.

A few seconds later, Wei Cheng cleared his throat and addressed Meng Wenxuan, "Young master Xia is inviting us for a barbecue. Are you interested?"

Meng Wenxuan's eyes twitched as he pointed to the scene on the monitor.

Wei Cheng nodded.

Setting aside his prior suspicions, Meng Wenxuan decisively responded, "Let's go!"

Regardless of whether the Marshal would bear a grudge upon regaining consciousness, missing out on the spoils personally hunted and shared by the Marshal was a regret one would carry for life!