Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Starlight

The tiger cub brought to Xia You's room seemed quite familiar with human habitats.

After cautiously exploring the room with its claws retracted, the cub dismissed the sunny couch and soft long-haired carpet, instead, making a beeline for Xia You's bed.

Initially, Xia You played with the cub for a bit. When Uncle Zhou saw the little tiger Xia You had brought, he paused briefly before instructing the kitchen to prepare a bowl of minced meat for Xia You's room.

Later, Xia You kept an eye on the time as he headed downstairs for his mental energy test, frequently and unconsciously glancing towards the door.

Xia You was no stranger to the mental energy testing equipment; every individual with mental powers undergoes such a test during their assessment.

"Your psychic energy remains active and is continuously dissipating. In the following period, it's best if you don't overly exert your psychic powers."

Meng Wenxuan recorded each piece of data. Looking at the holographic screen, it displayed [Psychic Power Level: C+ (Potential Unknown), Talent Mutation Direction: Unknown]. He tapped a few commands, sending the results to the marshal and encrypting the remaining data with the highest level of security.

Lifting his head, Meng Wenxuan noticed Xia You had been subtly glancing towards the door.

Soon after, Wei Cheng entered swiftly. To Meng's surprise, Xia You's expression hinted at slight disappointment.

Interest sparkled in Meng Wenxuan's eyes.

Currently in a time of peace, the First Legion is primarily responsible for the border and Blue Star. Most of its soldiers and officers have ample free time.

Earlier, their ever-unattainable Marshal set aside his official duties to have a date in the garden, grilling fish and reading in the conservatory with the young Mr. Xia. The tale spread in various versions within the legion.

Were it not for the Marshal's psychic barrier deterrence, photos and videos would probably have flooded their intranet.

"Wei Cheng, where is the Marshal?" Meng Wenxuan suddenly asked, catching Wei Cheng just as he was about to speak.

Xia You also looked at Wei Cheng, eyes shimmering with anticipation.

Having just discussed Xia You's training plan with the Marshal, Wei Cheng paused for a moment: "His Excellency? I believe he went to the Mech Division."

Xia You murmured, "And the panther? Is it by his side?"

"Yes, speaking of which, it's quite rare to see the Marshal... um, with the panther," Wei Cheng said, rubbing his chin.

Typically, psychic entities amplify a warrior's combat power. However, the Marshal seemed to let the black panther roam freely, guided by its psychic instincts. He'd seldom used it in battle, let alone train with it regularly.

"Alright," Xia You mentally reminded himself, "Yuan Yuan belongs to the Marshal. The panther belongs to the Marshal." He pushed away his unexpected disappointment and turned to Wei Cheng, "General Wei, are you here to discuss the training plan starting tomorrow?"

"Yes," Wei Cheng sent Xia You a training schedule, "Have a look. If there are any issues, we can make adjustments."

Xia You glanced at it. While many equipment terms were unfamiliar to him, the sheer volume hinted at the impending rigor.

"Has His Excellency reviewed it?" he inquired.

Wei Cheng nodded, "This version has been revised by the Marshal himself."

"Then let's stick with this," Xia You said as a matter of course. He glanced at the start time on the schedule, "Tomorrow at 6:30 a.m., I'll report to you promptly, General Wei."

***

Over the next three days, Xia You arrived at the training ground every day, draped in starlight, and returned under the weight of the moon.

The training regimen had indeed been meticulously calculated, staying within Xia You's endurance limits, with progressively increasing intensity each day, leaving enough strength for Xia You to make it back on his own two legs.

— Although on the first day, his scrambling and crawling seemed rather disheveled.

On the evening of the third day, Xia You finally managed to drag himself back to his room, burying himself heavily into the couch, not even wanting to move his fingers.

After three days of training, the once delicate and tender features on the slender youth's face had faded considerably, like grass after a thunderstorm. Though somewhat fatigued, he appeared noticeably more spirited.

The little tiger, originally sprawled on the bed, jumped down, crying out excitedly, wanting to get close to Xia You. However, it hesitated to approach the couch, standing at the edge of the carpet, playfully beseeching Xia You.

Initially, Xia You wanted to hold the little tiger and sit on the couch, but every time he got close to it, the little tiger would react as if startled, tucking its tail and darting away. It was only later that Xia You realized—

The couch and carpet were where the black panther often lounged, and their scents were the strongest there. The presence of a fully grown black panther's scent in its territory naturally carried a sense of intimidation. Even a cub's instincts dictated seeking advantage and avoiding harm.

Xia You gazed across the carpet at the little tiger, rubbing his cheek against the surface of the couch and sighing.

It had been a full three days since he last saw the panther.

The little tiger tentatively moved closer to Xia You, still yowling, as it approached.

— Probably because the scent of the panther had gradually faded.

Apart from the initial encounter with the black panther, Xia You had been almost inseparable from it. The sudden absence of the large black panther left Xia You feeling aimless and uninterested in anything else.

Glancing at the light brain's display for the time, Xia You touched the little tiger that had come over to him on the edge of the couch. He then lifted the small tiger onto his lap, gently stroking its round, well-fed belly while contemplating its future.

However, the little tiger was still so small that it probably wouldn't survive in the jungle if released.

If it weren't for the difficulty of obtaining prey, the little tiger wouldn't have resorted to catching carp and storing them in the human fountain as sustenance. Yet, by continuing to raise it this way, Xia You worried that he might turn it into a domestic cat, robbing it of its wilderness survival abilities.

Xia You cradled the little tiger in his arms, gradually moving it to the desk. He opened his already completed two assignments, conducting a final review for any omissions and checking for grammar errors.

The restless little tiger, with its hind legs on Xia You's thighs, stretched its chubby head out onto the desk, reaching out its claws towards the nearby sheets of paper.

Xia You quickly pushed his assignments further away.

The small but feisty tiger, still crying out, brushed its ear tufts against Xia You's chin and occasionally opened its mouth to emit a playful growl.

However, given this small, slender frame devoid of a thick fur coat, the king of the jungle's intimidation factor was non-existent. Instead, it sounded rather endearing.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The sound of a door being knocked upon rang out, and Xia You raised his voice, saying, "Please come in." It was the old butler entering with a tray of fruit slices, wearing a smile.

"Uncle Zhou, you're too kind." Xia You smiled with arched eyebrows.

The little tiger finally managed to climb onto the table, scraping its claws and menacingly huffing and growling in Uncle Zhou's direction, appearing vigilant and uneasy.

Xia You quickly reached out to cradle the little tiger's head and gave it a gentle rub.

The little tiger was pacified and then sniffed at the fruit slices on the plate, sneezing disinterestedly. It then turned its head to inspect other items on the table.

Uncle Zhou chuckled, "Young Master has raised the tiger cub very well; it looks much healthier with its fur even shinier than before."

There weren't many individuals with a spiritual body who were young and residing on Blue Star.

Uncle Zhou had a pretty good guess as to whose spiritual body this was, so he was somewhat surprised by how close it seemed to be with the unfamiliar Xia You.

However, while the little tiger was currently by Young Master's side, Uncle Zhou seized the opportunity to provide some much-needed nutrition.

Xia You smiled but then frowned, "But keeping it this way isn't a long-term solution. I wonder if there's any territory on Blue Star that would be willing to accept a young tigress for the little tiger?"

Uncle Zhou was taken aback, "Didn't you say you wanted to keep this little tiger?"

They even made a pact with Mr. Xian for it.

"How can that be? Wild animals like this should return to the jungle. But if possible, I would still like to visit it regularly," Xia You said as he petted the little tiger's head, looking at the cub with an adorable tiger-like appearance.

"I already have a panther, and the fact that Yuan Yuan is willing to protect me within his territory is already quite remarkable. How can I challenge his intimidation by using such a method?"

Despite his innocent appearance, Xia You was well aware of the survival rules of the post-apocalyptic world, which had eerie similarities to the jungle rules of the beasts.

Getting a territorially dominant and inherently solitary black panther to tolerate the presence of a young tiger within its territory was a rather challenging task.

"But I feel that Yuan Yuan is still upset. I'll have to find a way to reconcile with him," Xia You said.

Over the past two days, Xia You had carefully reflected on his actions and realized that he might have inadvertently caused a misunderstanding in the greenhouse. The proud panther might have become jealous of the little tiger's presence, which was why it left in a huff.

"Uncle Zhou, in the past, you must have taken care of Yuan Yuan as well, right? Is there anything special that Yuan Yuan likes?" Xia You clasped his hands together, making a pleading gesture to Uncle Zhou. "Uncle Zhou, could you please help me?"

Zhou Lin couldn't help but laugh, feeling that the Marshal's Residence had not only gained a young master but also an abundance of soft and radiant brilliance.

Even the Marshal, who had remained emotionally stable for many years, found himself sulking in the study like a child because of Young Master's presence. Yet, he still monitored Young Master's training through surveillance, and the panther had torn apart twenty-seven throw pillows.

As the old butler, it was his duty to step in and help—albeit not for any other reason than to preserve his dwindling stock of panther fur throw pillows.

With this in mind, Uncle Zhou smiled knowingly and said, "Young Master, Yuan Yuan doesn't have anything particular he favors, but if you want to appease him... roses might work wonders."

"Huh?" Xia You blinked. "But back when we were at the Duke's estate, Yuan Yuan wouldn't even go near the rose garden."

The old butler, well aware of his master's entire history, chuckled with a meaningful smile. "Young Master, have you ever considered another possibility? Perhaps it's not that Yuan Yuan dislikes roses, but that he likes them too much?"

"When Yuan Yuan was still a cub, he got incredibly excited the first time he saw a rose bush. He charged straight into it, and we couldn't stop him."

"And then?" Xia You leaned forward, curiosity written all over his face.

"And then," Zhou Lin recalled the time when the little panther had huddled in a pitiful, prickled bundle, and he continued with a smile, "the little panther was covered in rose thorns. Since then, he remembered the thorns of roses and refused to go near the rose garden."

……

The night grew darker, the moon tonight hid behind the clouds, and the deep blue sky was dotted with stars, intermittently twinkling.

In Landy's study, the heavy curtains were still drawn habitually, leaving only a narrow gap to assess whether anyone would intrude onto the balcony.

On the sofa, the sleek black panther's tail impatiently lashed against the sofa armrest, sharp claws scraping against the throw pillows, showing signs of restlessness and a desire to claw at something.

Landy glanced at the time.

Only five minutes remained until midnight.

Today, Xia You was supposed to come to deliver their agreed-upon "Imperial History" assignment.

It would be fine if he didn't come. If he didn't, that little tiger...

After all, it was a spiritual entity, kept by Xia You's side. What if the Crown Prince woke up unexpectedly one day? The situation would certainly become awkward.

Thinking back to the scene of his own sudden awakening and Young Master's usual indulgence towards the spiritual entity...

Landy lowered his gaze, deep in thought.

The physical training was indeed pushing the boundaries of Xia You's energy. If Xia You didn't complete his assignments and prevented the young one from raising the tiger...

No, the young one clearly had a deep fondness for the little tiger. Forcibly preventing it would likely trigger the youngster's rebellious nature, and it might lead to future problems such as truancy, disinterest in studies, and improper eating habits.

Perhaps even school avoidance, aversion to learning, and poor appetite...

The Marshal, surrounded by an array of military affairs on his holoscreen, was preoccupied with thoughts on how to properly educate a young master.

Suddenly, a rustling sound emanated from the terrace outside the window. Landy's eyes sharpened, and his psychic energy, initially retracted, swiftly formed a barrier. However, upon sensing the presence of a furtive youngster outside the window, his psychic energy faltered and slowly receded into the shadows.

Behind the sofa was a semi-circular stained glass window that usually had its curtains drawn. However, at this moment, stealthy little tendrils reached into the study and quietly opened a three-finger-wide gap in the curtains.

Starlight from outside streamed into the study, creating a streak of light in the dimly lit room.

The black panther's ears twitched, and it raised its head to look outside the window. Its glossy black tail tip curled slightly upon detecting the familiar psychic energy.

Just a window away on the balcony, a freshly bloomed rose rose gradually ascended. Reflected through the polygonal colored stained glass, the rose's shadow caressed the panther's fur, bathed in starlight, and silently traced along the study's floor before blooming on the wall.

Though originally a resplendent and thorned rose, it now blossomed with an air of tranquil solitude.