Chapter 32

The vehicle drove towards the center of the reserve, with the live-streaming orb not being retracted inside but hovering outside.

Perhaps it was the shiny, silvery object that caught the predator's attention; a hawk swooped down, aiming its talons at the orb.

[Damn, I almost attacked it!]

[I already did. Now I'm contemplating the large hole in my bedroom wall...]

The orb agilely swayed mid-air, but the hawk seemed to have taken an issue with it, vigorously flapping its wings, persistently chasing after it.

The vehicle wasn't moving fast. Sitting in the passenger seat, Xia You leaned out, extending her psychic tendrils to envelop the orb, retrieving the metallic ball from the hawk's grasp.

The hawk circled above for a while and eventually, albeit reluctantly, flew away.

Xia You smiled and placed the orb on the dashboard. The camera angle was directly pointing at the three fluffy creatures on the back seat.

The black panther refused to sit next to the lynx, hence the little tiger cub found itself sandwiched in between, yawning widely at the moment.

Lu Yinghuai glanced over and pressed a few buttons; the car's sunroof retracted. The three creatures on the back seat instantly lifted their heads, reveling in the wind ruffling their fur.

Such a cozy atmosphere made the barrage comments in the live-stream slow down.

[Ah, Blue Star... honestly, if there's a chance, I'd like to visit again.]

[+1, but now it's a military-protected area. When we decide to go...well, we'll see.]

[Behind the scenes, everyone refers to Blue Star as the "Land of Exile". The term "hero" sounds noble, and I'd choose it if presented to me. But if given a choice to live, who wouldn't want to embrace their family and kiss their beloved?]

……

"Land of Exile? Why's it called that?"

While working on a tutorial on her light computer about preparing wild rabbit skin, Xia You chatted with Lu Yinghuai. When the topic of Blue Star being called the "Land of Exile" came up, she seemed quite surprised.

"Is it because of some past calamity?"

Lu Yinghuai pondered for a moment before replying, "No, it's because many warriors diagnosed with Psychic Disruption Syndrome end up 'recuperating' on Blue Star."

Although termed "recuperation", in reality, given that Psychic Disruption Syndrome is terminal, it's just a place where afflicted individuals await their end in a sparsely populated area, posing no threat to the public.

When Psychic Disruption Syndrome first emerged, patients in their final stages would perish due to a psychic explosion within their bodies. It took repeated research to develop the current method of materializing their psychic essence as a means to delay this inevitable death.

Yet, after all these years, there hasn’t been any breakthrough in its treatment.

Lu Yinghuai glanced forward, one hand on the steering wheel, speaking in a measured tone, "For a warrior, the most honorable deaths are on the frontier, the battlefield, or during an expedition – not in the forests."

Lu Yinghuai has lived on Blue Star for many years, but he doesn't have any affection for it.

He prefers the thrills and smoke of the borders, the brilliance and passion of the cosmos, and the mechs.

In the backseat, the lynx looked down at its fluffy paws, a self-mocking sentiment rising within.

A hero?

Merely a pitiable creature waiting for death.

"But doesn’t the term 'exile' imply being abandoned?" Xia You paused her actions, "Even though I haven’t met these revered warriors yet, many on Blue Star still strive hard. I believe they're also fighting to live. Beyond Blue Star, their loved ones await their heroic return forever."

"Only those who are abandoned and forgotten can truly be called exiles, right?"

"A awaited hero is more like... um," Xia You pondered for a moment, "a star."

Lu Yinghuai's eyes showed a hint of curiosity as he echoed, "A star?"

The lynx in the backseat instinctively leaned in, looking up.

"A star shines brilliantly throughout its life. Hence, the emergence of a hero always brightens a dim starry sky. As we pass by in spaceships, we always admire their radiant splendor."

"Even if they're momentarily obscured from our sight, they remain stars."

"I believe that every star will one day return to the cosmos and shine brightly once again."

After all, among those gazing at the stars, so many hold a wish to see the stars come home.

The young nobleman always carried an aristocratic sense of romance. He had been taught poetry, drama, painting, and music. As a result, despite experiencing many things, he still retained a poetic and romantic heart.

"Many dislike sunsets, deeming them symbolic of decline, but that's not the case."

"As the sun takes its bow on one horizon, isn't it just rising over another, embarking on a new journey?"

"Stars temporarily hide their radiance during the day. Yet when the right shade of night falls, it becomes the era of starlight once more."

When Xia You spoke, the chat section of the livestream remained empty. After a significant pause, comments started trickling in.

[Honestly, I don't mind being laughed at, but I used to be scared. Now, I suddenly feel indifferent.]

[The Empire hasn’t given up, the Emperor hasn’t, and neither has the Marshal. Why did some of us concede so early? This is truly...]

[Me too... Haha, I was just wishing I could awaken my psychic form. Right now, my tailbone feels itchy. Maybe my dream's about to come true!]

[Oh, growing a tail? That's ground-based! So, thinking of joining the First Legion's Vanguard?]

[Which squad's greenhorn is this? Squad leader, come claim them, hahaha! Those of us on the front lines haven’t retired yet. Is it your turn?]

[Uh... our squad had a mech combat match today. A rookie, who just joined the Legion not long ago, experienced a psychic awakening.]

[He grew a tail. It looks... quite fluffy.]

[Feline or canine? Which squad?]

[Damn it, Liu! Don’t even think about snatching this one from me! Last time, you nabbed that wolf. This one's mine!]

……

Today, Lu Yinghuai was driving, freeing up Xia You. Following a holographic tutorial, she helped the little tiger clean up a hare's skin.

Despite the hare's size, its pelt was relatively small. Xia You, not adept at handicrafts, managed to craft a squarish pouch, which looked decent when turned inside out.

As a memento of her first successful hunt, Xia You sewed a wobbly star onto the hare-skin pouch.

The simplest type: a four-pointed star.

"Here, Spicy Stick, try out this pouch." Xia You turned from the co-driver's seat, hanging the soft little pouch around the neck of the little tiger stretching toward her.

The tiger cub looked down at the gray pouch dangling from its neck and awkwardly tried to tug it off with its paws.

The panther beside them was resting with closed eyes, enjoying the breeze. The lynx, unable to watch the struggle, reached out and slung the pouch diagonally across the cub's body.

The cub sat back in the seat. The incoming wind pushed its ears back, making its head bob slightly, looking incredibly adorable.

By midday, they found a spot to take a temporary break.

The little tiger, once again sent out to hunt by the panther, gave its hare-fur pouch to Xia You for safekeeping before leaving.

The lynx wanted to go hunting too, but Xia You stopped it.

The big cat glanced at its hind legs, then silently began organizing the items Xia You pulled out from the spatial knot.

Back and forth, it made several trips.

In the end, the lynx, holding a corner of the picnic mat in its mouth, helped Xia You spread it out. It even scampered to the side and brought back a few small yellow flowers, placing them in the center of the mat.

Xia You: "!!"

This big kitty truly has a taste for the finer things in life!

Lu Yinghuai: "..."

He suddenly remembered how, wherever Fan Yu Xin went, a sneeze-inducing perfume scent would always linger in his wake.

Such noble antics...

As Lu Yinghuai was lost in thought, a panther, seemingly out of nowhere, appeared with a bunch of pristine white flowers in its mouth.

Lu Yinghuai: "."

The panther, still holding the flowers, approached Xia You and sat upright, its tail sweeping the ground behind it.

"Edelweiss? Are these for me?"

Xia You, filled with surprise and joy, reached out. The panther gently placed the bouquet in her hands and nuzzled her fingers with its pointed ears.

"Roar."

"Thank you, Yuan Yuan!" Xia You lunged forward, hugging the panther and giving it a vigorous rub.

"Speaking of which, Yuan Yuan, can we discuss something?" Xia You leaned closer, whispering into the panther's ear, "For today's hunt, could we perhaps share some of the catch with the lynx? It's injured and shouldn't move much. You're the strongest in our home, Yuan Yuan!"

As Xia You flattered the panther, she wrapped her arms around its body, rubbing it vigorously up and down.

"Roar."

The black panther nudged Xiayu gently with its head and let out a low growl. Once she released her grip, it dashed into the jungle without looking back, leaving only a dashing and dependable silhouette.

Lu Yinghuai noticed how precisely Xiayu handled his spirit form, looking both amused and helpless.

But more than that, there was a sense of surrender.

The two sat down on a picnic mat, pulling out instant meals from the spatial node to have their lunch.

Instant food in the interstellar age was convenient. While it didn’t taste as good as freshly made food, it was certainly more nutritionally balanced than eating grilled meat every day.

The lynx lay nearby, occasionally sniffing the air, the light in its eyes flickering on and off.

After eating, Xiayu hesitated while reaching into the spatial node and then withdrew her hand.

Two seconds later, her fingers twitched again.

She seemed to be battling the urge to do something.

Lu Yinghuai glanced at Xiayu, summoned the broadcasting orb to turn off the live stream, and then took out two energy stones from the spatial node, saying, "You don't need to restrain yourself, but you can only absorb two a day. Consuming too many isn't good for your growth."

Xiayu scratched her cheek softly, murmuring, “I can't control it. Unless I'm full, I'll absorb it the moment I touch an energy stone."

Perhaps because of her past habits of sneaking and absorbing zombie crystals, Xiayu’s spiritual tendrils' instinctual reaction to energy stones was to consume them entirely without leaving a trace.

Xiayu eyed the energy stones in Lu Yinghuai’s hand, pondering for a moment, and then said, “Your Highness, please keep one of them for me first.”

Lu Yinghuai chuckled and did as she requested.

The very next moment, Xiayu's spiritual tendril wrapped around the energy stone in Lu Yinghuai’s hand, nibbling away. In less than two seconds, all that remained in his hand was a small pile of powder.

Xiayu assessed herself.

Perfect, there was still some space left in her stomach for grilled meat later.

Reasoning might work with Yuan Yuan, but arguing with the tiger cub was fruitless.

If Xiayu didn’t eat, the little tiger wouldn’t either. It would only eat after watching the bipedal creatures being fed.

Satiated, all they had to do was wait for the two felines, one big and one small, to return from their hunt.

Xiayu placed the snow-white flower, previously brought by the black panther, between the pages of her notebook. Her gaze landed on the small yellow flowers on the picnic mat as she suddenly inquired, “Your Highness, does healing-type spiritual power also have a calming effect on animals?”

Lu Yinghuai paused.

It's a fact that individuals with healing-type spiritual powers are more welcomed by animals. This path was once experimented upon by the physicians of the Medical Department in collaboration with healers.

However, the results at the time showed that beast-type spirits, who lost human consciousness due to spiritual power disorders, strongly repelled any other spiritual powers within their territory—even the most gentle and harmless healing-type spiritual power was no exception.

This is why, when releasing these animals, the military chooses territories for them that meet specific criteria and do not overlap.

But Xiayu's spiritual power was different.

Instead of answering directly, Lu Yinghuai asked, “Why do you ask this all of a sudden?”

“Well... when I was dressing the lynx's wound earlier, my spiritual tendril sneaked a touch on its head.”

Xiayu made sure to glance around as she said this, confirming none of the house cats were around.

“When my spiritual power touched it, I felt something odd, somewhat uncomfortable.”

Xiayu propped her chin with her hand, reminiscing about when she first encountered the black panther.

“In fact, initially when I touched Yuan Yuan, I felt the same sensation from him, but it lessened after holding him for a while.”

“Although it occasionally resurfaces, once I hug Yuan Yuan closely, the sensation disappears.”

“Hmm, it's the same with Latiao (Spicy Strip). However, the sensation on him is faint, just petting his head suffices.”

This is why Xiayu was so fond of cuddling the black panther and the tiger cub—not only because she wanted to stroke their soft fur but also to promptly clear away that discomforting feeling.

Furthermore...

Xiayu pursed her lips.

She always felt that the discomforting sensation from the three big cats resembled the power she encountered when calming zombies in the past.

During the apocalypse, Xiayu only experienced that sensation when she was in contact with zombies.

Lu Yinghuai observed Xiayu silently, his gaze intense and profound.

Feeling a tad uncomfortable under his stare, Xiayu stammered, “Wh-what is it?”

Did I say something wrong?

Lu Yinghuai shook his head, deciding to be forthright: “The reason these animals are under close monitoring is that they are sick.”

Xiayu blinked in surprise, then quickly grasped the implication, “Does this include Yuan Yuan and Latiao?”

Lu Yinghuai nodded, “Compared to typical animals, they tend to be more aggressive and irritable, often attacking each other and getting injured more easily.”

It sounds eerily similar to the zombie virus.

And this is on Lanxing (Blue Star).

Xiayu hesitated, words on the tip of his tongue.

But if he were to voice such thoughts, how would he explain why a young nobleman like him would know about a zombie virus from the apocalypse on Blue Star—a subject scarcely documented even by the Imperial Research Institute?

Furthermore, if his suspicions prove true and it is related to the zombie virus, finding the right cure would be a cause for celebration.

But if not, the zombie virus, historically recorded only during the apocalypse on Blue Star a millennium ago, might lead institutions astray, wasting considerable resources in research only to come up empty. Then, what would happen?

Lu Yinghuai patiently waited for Xiayu to speak.

In the end, Xiayu merely shook his head without saying anything.

While Lu Yinghuai could sense Xiayu was withholding something, the mainframe had already thoroughly investigated Xiayu’s background. If there were any other extraordinary events, only Xiayu would know.

Far from being upset, Lu Yinghuai felt a comforting sense of it being just natural for Xiayu to protect himself.

He was willing to wait for the day Xiayu would genuinely open up and trust him, trust the Empire.

Xiayu subconsciously picked at his knee. Seeing this, Lu Yinghuai asked, “Xiayu, would you be willing to help this lynx?”

The guilt Xiayu felt for concealing his knowledge of the zombie virus lightened a bit, and he quickly nodded, “Yes!”

He decided to observe more. If it truly was the zombie virus, he’d… he’d secretly inform the Prince first.

Xiayu silently made up his mind.

But then, he spaced out momentarily.

Having known the Prince for only a few short months, had he already come to trust him so deeply?

"...Xiayu? Xiayu?"

Lu Yinghuai's voice reached him, snapping Xiayu back to reality. "Hmm?"

Not dwelling on Xiayu's momentary distraction, Lu Yinghuai repeated his previous statement.

"Xiayu, there are countless sick animals on Lanxing (Blue Star). You can't possibly tend to each one by hand."

Xiayu blurted out, "Why not?"

Lu Yinghuai raised an eyebrow, "Forest vipers? Spiders? Crocodiles? Rhinos? Hippos? And the list goes on..."

"Sssht— Okay, I get it!" Xiayu said, raising his hands in surrender.

Just the mention of 'forest viper' sent chills down Xiayu's spine.

He wasn't particularly afraid of snakes, having eaten quite a few, but a forest viper wasn't just any snake.

It could practically be termed a monstrous serpent.

And those furry legs of spiders... untouchable, just untouchable.

Xiayu vigorously shook his head, attempting to dispel the unsettling images from his mind.

Realistically, having Xiayu cuddle and soothe animals every day wasn't a sustainable solution. Such a method seemed to be more of a stop-gap than a cure.

Every day, Xiayu held and stroked the black panther and the tiger cub, but an unsettling essence persisted within the two creatures.

After mulling it over, Xiayu said, "We could potentially employ the method I used on the deer yesterday, but..."

"I've never tried it on a live subject. I'm concerned there might be unforeseen consequences," Xiayu expressed, a frown forming.

The reason Xiayu thought of the solution so quickly the previous night was that he had used it on zombies in the past.

Using psychic energy, he'd weave it into a net-like pattern and infiltrate the zombies, effectively calming the volatile undead.

During the apocalypse, some supply-gathering missions weren't very rewarding. Unwilling to share the spoils, Xiayu would employ this technique to navigate stealthily amidst the zombies.

However, the issue was zombies were dead and animals were alive. In the past, Xiayu's main concern was his own survival, never bothering to ponder the repercussions of his actions on the subdued zombies.

What if... what if it turns out to be like that deer...

Lu Yinghui was about to speak, intending to let Xia You test it on his spiritual form first, when the quietly listening civet, limping with an injured leg, suddenly rushed over. Using its hind legs to push its body up, it placed its front paws on Xia You's knee.

Both Lu Yinghui and Xia You turned their gaze to the civet.

The tuft of black fur on the civet's ears twitched, followed by a soft cry.

"Mewl—"

He's here.

Lu Yinghui reached out to pick up the civet, but it agilely dodged despite its injured leg. Unintentionally, its claws extended and caught onto Xia You's pants.

With a ripping sound, Xia You felt a sudden chill on her thigh. Her casual pants had been torn, now revealing a hole.

Xia You, with torn pants, looked blank, while the pants-tearing civet looked horrified.

"Roar—!!"

A panther and a tiger cub, both returning from hunting, raced from different directions. Ignoring their prey, they pounced on the civet, causing a flurry of flying fur.

"Achoo! Wait—let me explain—Achoo—"

Xia You, snapping back to reality, tried to intervene. However, she couldn't restrain the snarling, biting, and clawing tiger cub and ended up sneezing from the airborne fur.

The panther, after initially slapping the civet, did not attack further. However, each time the civet tried to escape the tiger cub's range, the panther would stretch out its paw and drag the civet back.

Reverse peacemaking.

"Spicy Stick, good boy Spicy Stick, no more fighting—It didn't attack me! Really, it didn't—I'm so hungry, terribly hungry, I might faint if I don't eat soon—Let's see what Spicy Stick caught today—"

With a mix of coaxing, dragging, and even using her spiritual tendrils, Xia You barely managed to separate the tiger cub and the civet.

Before parting, the tiger cub glared fiercely at the civet, growling in warning, a stark contrast to their harmonious interactions in the vehicle.

But no matter how fierce, Spicy Stick was still just a tiger cub. Had the civet intended to retaliate, and had the panther not been sneakily interfering, the experienced hunter civet would likely have remained unscathed.

Grumbling, the tiger cub dragged its prey to Xia You and settled beside her, displaying a clear vigilance.

Only Lu Yinghui knew that, for a moment, the panther genuinely wanted to bite the civet. If not for Lu Yinghui intentionally restraining his spiritual form's instincts, Xia You's peacemaking efforts would have had to include a big panther as well.

The panther glanced at the civet, then turned and dragged its prey over by its jaws.

The tiger cub caught a wild rabbit today, a suitable prey for its size.

The panther, likely heeding Xia You's instructions, chose to hunt a mountain goat.

The two domesticated felines deliberately placed their prey beside the civet, who, despite freeloading and attacking bipedals, was sandwiched in the middle, looking a bit helpless. The civet lowered its head, grooming its fur that had been ruffled from the earlier altercation.

"Spicy Stick! Good boy~"

Xia You cupped the cub's head with her hands, gazing solemnly into its eyes.

After a few moments, the cub let out a soft purr.

Xia You released the cub. It scratched the ground a few times with its paw, then sat neatly by Xia You's leg, calm now.

Meanwhile, the panther yawned, as if nothing had happened. It walked to the other side of Xia You and settled down, flanking her along with the cub, as if they were two loyal guardians.

Xia You, surrounded by feline affection: "..."

Ah, the sweet troubles of cat owners.

After grooming itself, the civet no longer tried to approach Xia You. Instead, hopping on its three good legs, it went up to Lu Yinghui, lifting its head to look at him.

The civet's eyes sparkled, revealing a wisdom that seemed to understand human nature.

"Mewl—"

Lu Yinghui couldn't really comprehend what the civet was conveying, yet he felt he could guess.

Precisely because he could guess, he preferred not to understand.

The profound impression Fan Yunew left on Lu Yinghui wasn't solely due to his father's position as the Senate's head. Beyond Fan Yunew's combat prowess, his strategic insight was even more remarkable.

Beneath the First Legion were numerous squads with diverse functions, and Fan Yunew was the commander of one of the most elite vanguard teams – he was the brain behind that unit.

He should have had a boundless future, potentially acting as a bridge to alleviate the growing tensions between the Senate and the military.

The civet raised a paw to groom its mane, then, with its right paw pressed to its chest, faced Lu Yinghui once again, lowering its head in a gesture.

Nearby, Xia You, who had been petting the panther and the tiger cub, caught sight of the scene. A fleeting glint of doubt flashed in her eyes.

Can animals truly be... so human-like?

Suddenly, Xia You reached out, cradling the panther's cheek, her gaze unblinkingly fixed on its eyes.

The panther was momentarily taken aback, then spread its arms, enveloping Xia You in a panther's embrace, its mouth opened as if to groom her hair.

Xia You swiftly closed the panther's mouth, resolutely denying the big cat's grooming gesture.

It's well known that jaguars, apart from their ambush hunting, prefer and are accustomed to pouncing from above, immediately embracing their prey and then biting.

Among their famed prey, the caiman could nearly author a tragic history of its encounters.

Xia You turned to the other side. After the civet had backed off, the little tiger resumed its usual demeanor, diligently and persistently pawing at Xia You's torn pants. With each scratch, her already distressed pants bore an added touch of wildness.

Xia You could feel the tug of the cub's claws on her knee.

Xia You: "..."

The two creatures by her side didn't seem all that intelligent after all.

Could it be that the civet species evolved a higher IQ?

A gust of wind swept in, chilling her through the tear in her pants.

Xia You shivered.

Maybe it's time to change pants.