Chapter 86

Marshal's Mansion

In the reception room with its vast floor-to-ceiling windows, Xia You sat surrounded by fluffy creatures. A white card, which she got from Lin Siqiong, was passed from one fluffy paw to another.

Everyone's expressions were gravely serious.

Notably absent from Xia You's side was a large black panther.

Lu Yinghuai had been sleeping all afternoon. When Xia You returned, she spent some time beside him in the bedroom. She wanted to discuss the stasis chamber right away, but the big cat under the covers was deeply asleep. His furry body rose and fell rhythmically, while underneath the wrist device blinked a blue light, indicating a stable mental state.

[This card might be a pass for an underground market.]

Finally, the card reached Tanggao, who knew a bit about the black market.

The little panda carefully examined the card. There were no hidden addresses or maps; just a simple card with a design, devoid of even a name.

[But as to which establishment it belongs to and how to use it, I have no clue.]

Fan Yu Xin and Cheng Zhi Nian were tied up with assignments, but Qu Qi and Xue Bing made a rare return.

The snow leopard snatched the card from the little panda and nudged the adjacent lynx with its paw.

Qu Qi typed, somewhat resignedly: [I've recently taken over the Fan family affairs. Everything's a mess, and with so many eyes on me, I can't risk delving into such gray areas.]

Besides, the time he spent in the Fan family household, excluding his childhood, was shorter compared to his tenure in the military academy and corps.

Ever since the collapse of the dark web, underground transactions have become much more cautious, fracturing into over a dozen smaller markets, each catering to a unique clientele. Without prior knowledge of these markets, it would be nearly impossible to gather any information.

"It's already a risk for Madame Zhu to provide me with these." In front of Xia You were several energy stones, upon which a tiny psychic tendril was diligently nibbling.

Zhu Zaiyuan's identity is a delicate matter. There are many eyes on him, and any association with the black market can be dubious. That's why Lin Siqiong chose to conduct transactions under the guise of her mother's name.

From any perspective, it would be challenging for Lin Siqiong to discuss the trading grounds directly with Xia You.

"Well, at least today wasn't a complete waste. I got this business card."

After replenishing her psychic energy with the energy stones, Xia You sat cross-legged, picking up a snow cake beside her. She used her psychic tendril to examine the large cat and conduct a routine cleanup of the gray matter.

"Deputy Marshal Zhu is quite an intriguing individual."

Those who had met Zhu Zaiyuan and were familiar with him chuckled: [Did he gauge your psychic power level as well, young master Xia?]

Speaking of Zhu Zaiyuan, he's undeniably forthright. He always means what he says, never mincing words. However, getting a commitment from him isn't an easy feat.

Xia You's treatment for Zhu Zaiyuan cost merely a message from the hibernation chamber. To him, the value of the trade seemed disproportionate. Thus, he made a rare promise to Xia You—but only after she had a say in the matter. Otherwise, Zhu Zaiyuan would be serving the emperor rather than collaborating with Xia You.

The difference and implications between the two scenarios are vast.

Xia You isn't the only one who doesn't wish to become a pawn in a power play.

But a psychic power of S-class... The eyes of the big cats present all held a hint of concern.

Their advantage lies in the clear method of Xia You's psychic power upgrade: she needs high-grade energy stones. However, therein lies the problem.

There's a severe shortage of high-grade energy stones.

[Energy stone veins are generally region-specific, with each area having at most two high-grade stones. Currently, not many such veins have been discovered on Blue Star or other planets, so our best bet is to approach previous buyers.]

Cookie pondered as he typed.

[Previously, the uses for high-grade energy stones were limited. Most were hoarded by nobles for decoration or as future reserves for powering mechas. But the number of mechas that require high-grade stones is limited, so this kind of trade seems palatable for them.]

"Hmm? I always thought energy stone veins were linear?" Xia You expressed her surprise.

Sugar Cake explained: [Not exactly. Most energy stones disperse in a web-like pattern. The outermost stones are common, but the center usually houses the potent high-grade energy stone.]

As Xia You read this, a fleeting thought passed through her mind, but by the time she tried to grasp it, it was gone.

After trying for a while to no avail, Xia You had to let it go, but still kept the matter in mind.

Gently stroking the big cat in her hands, Xia You placed the fluffy, warm Snowcake back in its spot. She then quickly absorbed a handful of energy stones and started massaging another little tiger.

The little tiger, caught off-guard by Xia You's psychic tentacle intrusion, involuntarily shuddered, its tail stiffening and striking out.

The nearby white tiger mother was hit by the little tiger's tail, so she lifted her paw and gave him a slap on his rear.

The little tiger let out a yowl and obediently lay down, letting Xia You tend to him.

"Just relax," Xia You said with a smile.

Quqi and Tanggao exchanged glances, both looking puzzledly at Xia You.

With a mischievous grin, Xia You remarked, "Not many can visit the Blue Star. Every visitor requires the Emperor's approval. Given this, I might as well play the good Samaritan."

The lynx twitched its furry ears, a glint of understanding in its eyes.

After a moment, Tanggao also grasped Xia You's intent.

"I last streamed a week ago. Maybe I'll host another one in a few days," Xia You mused, pinching the little tiger's ears. "I really do need to absorb more of the gray matter from the familiars."

Now, the fluffy beings at home, aside from the white tiger sister, had very little gray matter left inside them. They just required regular cleaning. For the gray matter in their brains, representing their psychic cores, Xia You hadn't found a better method and had to rely on psychic energy orbs to alleviate their conditions.

Engaging with more familiars was indeed a pressing matter for her now.

The little tiger hesitated.

From the royal perspective, they'd definitely prefer Xia You, with her ambiguous position, not to interact with the noble families.

But if Xia You made her stance clear and was willing to treat some familiars, the usually composed nobility might not remain so tranquil.

It's worth noting that while Xia You was currently only at A-tier, not everyone whose psychic being had turned into a familiar was at a critical stage.

Getting Xia You's therapeutic touch would certainly be immensely beneficial.

While entering the Blue Star might be challenging, it isn't impossible. The difference lies in whether there are enough incentives driving the nobility to make the effort.

Reflecting on his still-unconscious uncle above and his yet-to-recover mother beside him, and considering the primary reason for his recovery, the little tiger covered his ears with his paws.

What could the little tiger hear? The little tiger claimed to have heard nothing.

Quqi, closely observing Latiao, quickly typed upon seeing the little tiger's response: [Alright, I'll have the Fan family release the news first.]

Xia You pondered, suggesting, "We don't need top-tier high-level energy stones. Prime initial-level stones will suffice. But for those who can provide high-level stones, I can promise a subsequent service for treatment."

Put simply, it's a deferred treatment – if it can't be done now, it will be done later.

Hmm... medical treatment on credit.

It's a willing seller, willing buyer situation, primarily based on trust.

Quqi evidently agreed with Xia You, nodding in affirmation while swiftly sending out messages on his holographic computer.

Tanggao eyed the shrewd-looking Xia You and the lynx, hesitating for a while. Still, he decided to make a few taps on his holographic computer, enlarging the screen for everyone to see.

Displayed on the screen was a fluffy rotating sphere, with feather-like tendrils swaying below it in sync with the sphere's movement.

Snowcake, who had slightly recovered, licked its paw and narrowed its eyes, intently observing the mech displayed on the screen.

Yes, this peculiar-looking device, likely with uncommon functionalities, was a mech.

Tanggao explained: [This is a specialized mech designed for capturing familiars. It's non-aggressive, gentle, and resilient.]

The panda's claw swiped over the screen, revealing a list of specifications.

[The central part houses catnip balls and Xia You's psychic energy orbs. Adjacent amplifiers will emit a unique scent and psychic wave, enticing familiars who've lost their senses in the wild.]

[However, this mech currently only works for feline familiars. Without the catnip lure for other species, more testing is needed.]

After pondering for a while, it suddenly clicked for Xia You.

Isn't this basically a remotely-controlled, mobile cat teaser emitting a cat-attracting scent?!

[Before deploying, flight tests are necessary to prevent accidents.]

As the panda finished typing, Snowcake lifted its front paw, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

No warrior can resist a mech, even if it appears to be quite unconventional.

The panda looked up at the massive snow leopard and typed hesitantly: [When designing, I referenced parameters that wouldn't easily alarm feline familiars. Hence, its size is rather... compact.]

A massive furball zipped back and forth in front of the cat. Not only did it draw the feline's attention to swipe at it, but more cautious ones would probably give it a wide berth.

Tanggao pulled up the cockpit metrics, his two forepaws clutching his long tail, a look of unwavering determination on his face.

[These are the optimal specifications!]

Xia You and the larger cats sized up the cockpit, deep in thought.

With this dimension, not to mention the largest among them, Latiao, even the slender Snowcake couldn't fit. Tanggao could, but his arms currently only served to sketch. He had to rely on the military's mech engineers even for mech construction, let alone piloting one.

Tanggao was aware of this limitation. His hesitation in presenting the blueprints was due to his attempts at adjusting the specs. Yet, after several tests with the little tiger, it was found that if the mech exceeded these dimensions, even the seemingly most gullible Latiao wouldn't approach it, and Baihu would outright swat it away.

[Additionally, there's one crucial condition.]

Tanggao typed silently.

[This mech lacks any offensive capabilities. Whether in testing or actual deployment, the pilot must possess a robust mental fortitude and exceptional emotional stability.]

Recalling the state of the cat teaser under a cat's paw, Xia You turned to glance at the large cats beside her.

Even if they could somehow squeeze a large cat in, the refined gentleman Quqi wouldn't withstand being "toyed" with in such a manner. As for Snowcake...

Xia You genuinely feared Snowcake might burst from the mech and brawl with the other large cats.

[I once collaborated with a mech test pilot for a long time. She was perfect for this, but she's been missing for a while.]

The little panda sighed in resignation.

Xia You proposed, "Let's start with the aristocrats. We might come across a suitable pilot later."

The little panda packed away the holographic computer and nodded in agreement.

Just then, Xia You felt an unexpected darkness from behind. It was as if a colossal entity had blocked out all the light, casting a shadow over her and the cats in their meeting.

Goosebumps prickled Xia You's back as she slowly turned her head.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, a massive golden eagle perched, wings folded, tilting its head curiously.

Baihu instantly stood erect, for the first time... taking a step back.

The golden eagle tapped the glass of the window lightly with its beak, and upon authentication, a system sound chimed in. Even with its wings folded, the golden eagle, with a commanding presence, walked into the small lounge, placing its talons before the white business card they had carelessly set aside earlier.